A RELIEF VALVE

 
Planning, or thinking ahead, is usually something that I try and do when it comes to construction projects.  Not that I always consider everything, but at the last minute yesterday, I started thinking that maybe someday, the metal RV shade cover will indeed be built.  The side of that roof (approx. 480 square feet) next to the house will eventually be draining a bunch of rain water into the area between the house and the concrete footing.   By finishing the walkway with a concrete connection to the building foundation, I would effectively be creating a dam that would prevent water from draining away from the house.   So, I decided to tear out the two wooden concrete forms, and place a 4 inch  drain pipe next to the footing.

It didn't take all that long to dig the trench, and lay the plastic pipe.  I stopped at the corner of the other footing where later, another drain line will connect, and they will both drain water toward the wash.  The average annual rainfall totals in the Tucson area is 11-12 inches, but during the monsoon season (July/Aug), a lot of water can come down very quickly.
 

It may turn out that this drain is overkill, but as they say, I think I would rather be safe than sorry.  Besides, it was just another excuse to burn some diesel in the tractor.

By mid afternoon, I had poured, and finished the concrete for the walkway, and the drain.  Today, I'll remove the forms, do some cleanup, and decide how much, and what color of landscape rock I'm going to put on either side of the walkway.

LOTS OF SQUARES

49 to be exact, and that part of the connection between the house and the motor home is now finished.  Getting the dirt underneath each paver perfectly level takes longer than you would expect, especially with all of the rocks in the ground.  Today, I'll mix up a few bags of concrete, and connect the pavers with the footing, located just to the right of the motor home.  The finishing touch will be some landscape gravel on both sides of the walkway, then, on to the next project.

THE MISSING RAIN BARREL

A few weeks ago, I ordered a second 50 gallon rain storage barrel from WalMart.  The first one is pictured above, and is feed by a down spout from our front patio awning. 

One of the good things about today's technology, is the fact that you can track packages, and better determine when they are going to arrive, either at your mailbox, post office box, or on your doorstep.  On Dec 6th, or maybe it was the 7th, I checked on the status of this second rain barrel that was shipped via FedEx by WalMart.  The tracking history showed that FedEx left the large box on our doorstep at 11:51am on Dec 5th.   Wait a minute!  A box that big doesn't go unnoticed, and how can the tracking show it as delivered, when it wasn't delivered?  The chances of someone passing by and helping themselves is next to impossible, given our considerable distance away from the road, and a locked gate.  So what's the deal?  Did the driver leave it at another address, or?

A call to the local FedEx facility started an investigation, and an inquiry with the driver that supposedly delivered the box.  About 3 days later, on the 9th or 10th, FedEx got back to us and said that "the driver can't shed any new light on the delivery", and as far as they were concerned, the case was closed.  They suggested that we contact WalMart, tell them of the circumstances, and were pretty sure that WalMart would send us another rain barrel.  It would then be up to WalMart to file a claim with FedEx for the cost of the second shipment. 

Last Friday, I contacted a very nice customer service rep. at WalMart, and explained the situation.  I was told that another rain barrel would be shipped that day, and they would even update the delivery option to a two day shipment.  She explained that this sort of thing happens on a fairly frequent basis, and unless the item cost is over a certain amount, WalMart simply absorbs the cost, and doesn't even file a claim with the shipper.  Yesterday afternoon, when we returned from a trip downtown, the second rain barrel box was sitting on the patio next to the front door.  That's pretty good service from a business that had no responsibility for the missing item.  That leads me to wonder what happened to the missing rain barrel?  Did it indeed get delivered to another address, and that residence got a free rain barrel.  Or, did the FedEx driver see the locked gate (which you can walk around), and decided the heck with that, and kept the package.  Or........who knows what other scenario might have played out?   Bottom line is that WalMart stepped up to the plate, and deserves credit for correcting a mistake made by FedEx.

The missing rain barrel on the back deck.

LAYING PAVERS

 Marc & I on our way to the gun show, wearing Time Bandit shirts that I picked up in Homer, Alaska.

Rather than do a concrete walkway from the bottom of the new steps to where the motor home is parked, I decided to fill in much of the area with one foot square pavers.  The angles won't match up when I reach the concrete footing, but I'll figure out something to connect the new walkway with the foundation for the shade cover.  I ran out of pavers yesterday, but when I get most of the area filled in, I'll probably connect to the foundation with more concrete, similar to what I've done at the bottom of the steps.  Back to Lowes today for about 35-40 more concrete squares.

 

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and I think we've done most of our shopping.  We'll be spending the holidays here, with Marc, Chandra, and Laila.  Right after New Years, we'll be back in the motor home for a trip to Indio, CA, where we'll be attending a Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) rally with our fellow Golden Spike Chapter members.  From there, it will be a week in Yuma, then up to Quartzsite for the annual pilgrimage of folks to the winter desert mecca for RV'ers.  We'll be busy for the next month or so, and somewhere in that near future, I might even get a roof up for the motor home to park under!

GUNS, KNIVES, & POLITICS

Several times a year, the Pima County Fairgrounds is the venue for a large gun show.  This weekend is one of those occasions, and Marc and I checked it out yesterday.  I learned last year, not to try and be the early bird at one of these gun shows, as the line to get in is often huge.  This time, we waited until a little before noon, and there was no waiting to get in.

Since the liberals gained control of the White House, the demand for firearms, and particularly ammunition, has grown exponentially.  No matter what your political persuasion, there can be no argument that the election of Obama has been good for the gun industry in terms of demand.  Certain types of firearms & ammo are harder to find, and the cardinal rule of supply and demand has driven the price of all things related to guns, much higher. 

In addition to looking at all of the firearms, from vintage collectible firearms, to 50 caliber sniper rifles, our main purpose was to purchase some ammunition.  If the vendors aren't sold out, you can usually find a pretty good variety, and even though the cost has gone up in the last few years, prices at gun shows are about as low as you'll find anywhere.

Firearms have been a part of my life for a very long time.  From the time I carried an M14 (M1A) rifle during Army basic training at the beginning of the Viet Nam war, up until I retired from a law enforcement career, guns have always been in my house.  I don't consider myself an obsessive "gun nut", but I do strongly believe in the 2nd amendment to the constitution, and what the country's founders wrote about the need to protect the citizen's from tyranny, both foreign and domestic.

The argument for stricter gun control, and the ultimate goal for some - gun confiscation, is in my opinion misguided.  The aftermath of many of these mass shootings has fueled the fire for banning guns, and it's not hard to see the serious passion on that side of the argument.  However, no matter how far the gun control laws go, there will always be a way for the criminal, or the mental case wacko to get his/her hands on a firearm.  I know this is a political hot potato, with serious arguments on both sides.  But, to further restrict, or do away entirely with the constitutionally guaranty provided by the 2nd amendment, would be one more erosion of our freedom, and a giant step toward a nation controlled by the federal government, instead of the power remaining with the people, by the people, and for the people!

READY FOR A BUILDING PART II

When we returned home from our summer trip to Alaska, the motor home was parked in front of the house, away from the area where the metal building would eventually be located.  In the last 2+ months, I built a retaining wall in order to create more space, and in that same area, just finished the two foundations for the metal shade cover.  Yesterday, I extended the electrical & water lines, then graded and leveled the parking area between the concrete footings.  Since it looks like several more weeks before the building gets delivered, I decided to move the motor home away from the front of the house, and relocated it into the space that will be it's permanent parking place.

In a telephone conversation with Coast to Coast Carports yesterday, they said that they had several jobs in Arizona ready to go, but they were waiting on materials to arrive in Arkansas.  Based on that information, I'm going to be very surprised if this thing gets delivered before the end of the year.

Everything is in place, except the building.

READY FOR A BUILDING

The second footing is now done, and I'll try and get an update on delivery from Coast to Coast carports later this morning.  Based on my last conversation with them on Monday, it didn't look too good for a quick delivery and installation, but maybe something has changed in the last few days.

I still have to finish routing the water and electrical lines, then do some grading before the building arrives.  I'll get started on that today, and should be finished in just a few hours.  Then the site will indeed be ready for a building.  When I get the grade down to the bottom of the footings, the sides will be about 13 1/2 feet high, and the height from the ground at the center of the structure, will be 15 1/2 feet.  More than enough clearance for the motor home and the antennas. 

OMOMACARE

Fortunately, Patty and I are not yet part of the growing number of folks (6 million & rising), who have received a notice that their health insurance has been canceled due to Obamacare.  I'll bite my tongue, and save my strong opinion about the so called Affordable Health Care Law for another time. 

In addition to being Medicare qualified, we are lucky to have excellent, supplemental coverage through my former employer, the State of California.  I also consider myself lucky to be married to a Registered Nurse, who's medical knowledge, and skills, often supplement our health insurance coverage.  A good example was yesterday, when the wax buildup in my ears had reached the point where my already bad hearing, had become much worse.  Armed with a syringe, some probes, and an instrument to better see in the ear canal, Patty was able to dislodge the obstructions, and the result was a little better hearing without a trip to the doctor's office.  As a play on words, I'm calling my situation - Omomacare!

I think our Snoopy Cat has made the adjustment, and is pretty comfortable in her new home.

I have a concrete delivery scheduled this morning at 10am, and wouldn't you know it, there's a 40-50% chance of showers at 10am!  I guess we'll just play it by ear, and hope that either the weatherman is wrong, or if not, I fall in the 50% that's supposed to be dry.

ANOTHER DELAY

The good news is that the second footing/foundation frame passed the county inspection yesterday.  The not so good news is that when I talked to the metal building company in Arkansas, I was told that it didn't look like it was going to get delivered for several more weeks. 

Their closest distribution center is in Gallop, N.M., and when delivering/constructing in Arizona, they wait until they have several projects ready to go before delivery.  If it doesn't happen before the first week in Jan, they're going to have to wait until Feb when we're once again available.  After I fill up the form with concrete tomorrow, and it cures for a couple of days, I'll be ready for the building.  When it finally goes up, the last hurdle to clear with the county will be the final inspection, and if it's constructed properly, that should be a mere formality.

I got some more bad news yesterday while talking to my buddy Everett East, who along with Art Mitchell, are my real estate partners in the building & property housing our former business - Jamestown Harley-Davidson.  Due to unusually cold weather, one of the interior sprinkler pipes broke, causing damage to the building and to a lot of the inventory.  I guess if there's any silver lining, it was the fact that the burst pipe set off the security alarm, and in responding to the alarm, the flowing water was discovered fairly quickly.  It sounds like the business will be closed for several days, and there's a lot of cleanup and repair to be done.  I guess when it rains, it sometimes pours, or in this case, it froze!

A NEW JOB

While we were at the Pima County Fairgrounds on Sunday, I spoke with one of the La Mesa RV employees, not about buying a motor home, but about how they moved so many RV's to the fairgrounds.  He said they had about 50 drivers, who worked part time, and who were on call for big moves, like the RV show they were wrapping up on that Sunday.  He also said that the company needed more drivers.  Hmmmmm, might be worth looking into.....

Not that I was exactly looking for another job.  In fact, I had pretty much made up my mind, that the days of punching time clocks were a thing of the past.  However, getting paid to drive motor homes from point A to B, had enough appeal for me to go into town yesterday, and meet with Ron, the La Mesa transportation supervisor.   Nothing that he said discouraged me from picking up an application for employment, and returning it later, along with my resume. 

During both conversations with Ron, I learned that most all of the drivers are retired, only looking to work part time.  Even though there is a monthly schedule, and some unexpected, on call driving jobs, they have enough drivers so that if someone is unavailable for a period of time, they just want to be notified.  In other words, if I want to take the summer off, no problem, just let them know.  That flexibility is important, because we're still planning on doing a lot more travel in our motor home.

My application has to be sent to the corporate office in San Diego, and if approved, I will be sent an offer of employment.  Based on my resume, and our conversation, Ron was going to recommend that I be hired, but the paperwork still had to make it's way to San Diego.  If I'm accepted, the next step is a drug test, then I'll get put on the schedule.  Because we'll be gone most of January, I anticipate starting sometime in early February.  The starting pay isn't exactly earth shattering at $10 an hour, but for me, it's not about compensation.  Working a couple of days a week, or perhaps a month,  gives me something else to do, and since I like to drive, it will be something that I'll enjoy.  Once again, keeping the Commercial Drivers License (CDL), and an up to date medical card has come in handy. 

MYSTERY SOLVED

When we first brought Miss Snoopy home, her former name - "Ghost", was very appropriate, as she found places like drawers, closets, and even under the kitchen cabinets to hide.  Trying to find her was often like a treasure hunt.  When she went from being scared to curious, we often found her in places that we wondered "how in the heck did she get there"? 

That was the case yesterday, when we found her on the top of the wall that separates the bedroom from the walk in closet.  We thought maybe she jumped up from the bed, but dismissed that as being to far.   When she was in the closet, we watched her climb the hanging shoe rack, where she got on a shelf, then jumped to the top of the wall.   Mystery solved.

When we turned on the cat's meow toy, she jumped down to the bed, but I just missed the shot.

 I snapped this picture just as she was about to reach the top of the shoe rack.

After we solved the cat on the wall puzzle, Marc called and said there was an RV show at the fairgrounds, and he and Laila were going to check it out.  Patty and I met them just before noon, and we went in, and out  of a bunch of rigs.  One of the local dealers, La Mesa RV was sponsoring the display, and they had everything from trailers to diesel pushers available for inspection.  Marc and Chandra are focusing on a motor home that will tow their boat, and be big enough for the 3 of them.  Based on price, and floor plans, Marc kind of narrowed the choice to a larger class C, or perhaps a smaller class A.  They're not ready to buy right now, but I can see a motor home in their future.

 Miss Laila liked the motor homes that had bunk beds.

I finished framing the second footing, and got the rebar down yesterday afternoon.  Today, I'll call for an inspection, and without any issues, schedule the concrete for Wednesday morning.  After the concrete cures for a few days, the site will be ready for the building.  I should get a better idea this morning when it will be delivered.

THE SECOND FOOTING

Measuring more than twice, I started working on getting the second footing frame built yesterday.  Each concrete footing/foundation is 12" wide and 48 feet long, with the middle of each being almost exactly 18 feet apart.  I say almost exactly because the width varies up to an inch, but there's a little wiggle room, as the bottom frame rails of the building are only 4 inches wide.

Digging a shallow trench was the first order of business, then I started building the frame out of 2"x6"x16' boards.  The three 16 foot boards on each side of the frame equals the 48 foot length.  The building is only 45 feet long, so again, I have a little wiggle room on each end.

Patty, Chandra, and Laila spent most of the day at an arts and crafts event in Oro Valley.  When she returned, the sun was just going down, as I was finishing nailing the last board to the stakes.  I still have a little adjusting to do, then I'll pick up some more 1/2" rebar for placement inside the frame.  I'll call the county tomorrow morning for a Tuesday inspection, and should be ready for concrete on Wednesday.
 

With this second footing finished, the site will be ready for the building.  I still have to run the wires through the 50 amp electrical extension, and mount a new plug in box on the left side of the building.  A new water line is also close to the left wall, and that still needs to be finished.  Maybe tomorrow, I can get a better idea when the building will be delivered.

1 DOWN, 1 TO GO

The permanence of  concrete is unmistakable.  Once it hardens, it's there for a very long time.  The first of two foundations for the RV shade cover is now on the ground, and I'll start working on the form for the second one today. 

One of the things I've learned about concrete company deliveries, is that they show up when they say they will.  Unlike the plumber, the appliance repairman, or any other service person who usually gives you a range of hours, like 8 -5, or perhaps if you're lucky, 10 -12, the concrete truck is there at the appointed hour.  At 12 noon yesterday, the truck arrived, at 12:05, the concrete was flowing down the chute, and at 12:25, 2 yards of mud was on the ground.

By 3pm, I had tamped, smoothed, and finished the first foundation for the new metal building.  At a foot wide, over a foot deep, and 48 feet long, with 2 rows of 1/2 inch rebar, these footings will be a better base than ground anchors, which are held by small amounts of concrete.  The building itself is rated to withstand winds up to 110 mph, and even though we don't get hurricane velocity winds in our rural desert location, they do occasionally blow pretty good.
 

If everything goes according to "THE PLAN", I should have the second form done in time to call the county for an inspection on Monday.  The inspector will take a look on Tuesday, and I'll have concrete in the form on Wednesday.  Then, after the concrete cures for a few days, I'll be ready for the building to be delivered, and installed.  I tried to call the company in Arkansas yesterday, but only was able to leave a message.  The Christmas Holiday is rapidly approaching, so the window of opportunity to get this thing up before the new year is narrowing.  Maybe on Monday, I'll get an idea when it can be delivered.

WORKING ON THE ROAD - GRAND CANYON

For seven straight summers (2002 -2008), after selling our interest in Jamestown Harley-Davidson, we traveled somewhere in our motor home, working seasonal jobs,  then going back to being retired in the winter months.  During the summer of 2009, we decided not to work, but rather take a clockwise loop around the U.S. and part of Canada.  That journey took us to the Pacific Northwest, across the top of the country to the New England States, and the Maritime Provinces of Canada.  When we had explored part of the Northeast, we traveled down the Atlantic coast to Florida, then back across the Southern States to our home in Arizona.  When the wheels stopped rolling, we had covered a little over 12,000 miles.  In 2010, we again decided not to work, staying in Oregon & Washington near the coast for most of that summer.

For several years, an advertisement for bus drivers at Grand Canyon National Park would periodically appear on some of the seasonal job websites.  It always caught my attention, primarily because the pay was higher than normal for that type of job.  For several years, the ad always required an A Commercial Drivers License (CDL), disqualifying me because my CDL was a B license.  A year or so before 2011, the job qualifications changed from an A license to a B, and I decided to apply.

I was hired to drive one of the Parks 40' shuttle buses, and Patty was hired to work in the General Store during the summer of 2011.  Both of our employers were concessionaires, and we didn't actually work for the National Park Service.  The company that had the Park contract for the transit system was Paul Revere Transportation, and Patty worked for Delaware North, the company that ran the store.   We were provided a full hookup RV site in Trailer Village, which was only a 10 minute walk for Patty to her job.  We paid $90 a month rent, and the electricity was pretty close to the same.  My hourly compensation was just under $21, and Patty was paid minimum wage.  Our weekly take home pay averaged about $1,000, and we worked from late May to early Sep.  Considering expenses, and compensation, working at the Grand Canyon was our best experience.  Dealing with visitors from around the world in a fast paced environment was probably our worst experience.  I'll sum that up by saying that patience was definitely a virtue!

We returned to work the same jobs during the summer of 2012, but by the end of that season, I was ready to call it quits.  Lets just say that the patience tank was about to go dry, and labor day was a welcome sight.  Like living in Skagway, Alaska, living at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon was another highlight for both of us.  During the first summer, we didn't have the same days off, but in 2012, we had one day off together, enjoying much of what was offered by this amazing place that is one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Both summers, I was offered an extension to my contract, and I could have continued driving one of the buses through November.  Needless to say, I declined, but left with a good review, and could go back if there were any openings.  I never say never, but I think my workamping days are about done.  We have mostly enjoyed our experiences, working and living in some pretty amazing places.  But, as was the case in the beginning, we didn't have to work, it was just the vehicle we choose in order to travel, and experience living in different parts of the U.S.  The jobs payed our expenses, and their was usually some extra to stash in the bank account.

 A few days ago, I got tired of looking at the scrap pile of wood, left over from the garage construction.  Here's the before and after pictures.

Due to off and on rain for most of the day yesterday, I cancelled the concrete delivery.  It's scheduled to arrive at noon today.

WORKING ON THE ROAD - MONTANA

In the fall of 2007, after another summer of working in Skagway, Alaska, we drove south on the Alaska Highway for what we thought might be the last time.  Our decision to give notice to our employers that we would not be returning to work the next summer was bittersweet.  We both knew that we would miss living in this small southeast Alaskan town that had been our summer home for the last four years.

When we crossed the U.S. / Canadian border, instead of continuing south toward Arizona, we made a left turn, and drove toward the east coast.  We didn't quite make it all the way to the Atlantic, but it was near Thanksgiving by the time we returned home to Arizona.  During that winter of 2007/2008, I found a summer job in Glacier National Park, driving one of the park shuttle buses.  I think I remember finding that job on the website coolworks.com, but it might have been on workamper.com.  During the telephone interview, the transit director offered me one of the supervisor positions, which paid a little bit more, but not much.  My hourly pay was $14.40 per hour, and the work week was 32-35 hours.  One of the things I liked about this job, was that it started in late June, and finished a week or so after Labor Day.  It was a much shorter seasonal work gig for me, and Patty decided not to work, preferring to take the summer off. 

When the job ended, I decided that sitting in an office all day wasn't something that I wanted to do again the following summer.  Except for being cooped up all day, and dealing with everything that goes along with supervising over 50 drivers, it was a mostly a positive experience.  However, I told the transit director that I would not be returning for the next season.  The National Park did not offer any RV spots, so we, along with all of the workamper drivers had to find a place to park in a private RV campground.  We selected a small park about 9 miles outside Glacier National Park, and our monthly rent was $525 a month. 

During the summers of 2009 and 2010, we did not work, preferring to travel in the motor home.  Our next seasonal employment was during the summer of 2011, and it took us to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  More on that tomorrow.

The Pima County building inspector came by the house yesterday afternoon, and even though I knew I had built the concrete forms correctly, based on past experience with the county, I was prepared for the worst.  Maybe I've turned the corner with my dealings with the county, because the inspector looked at the forms, then took a quick look at the engineered foundation plans, and said "OK, you're good to go".  At first, I thought he was talking to someone else, because I just knew some unexpected issue was going to pop up.  But, it didn't, and as he left, he said to call when I had the other side ready to be inspected.  "Alrighty then, let's get some concrete on the ground"!  I negotiated a deal for two yards of concrete to be delivered at 10am this morning, however at 6am, the rain is falling.  I'll have to make a call whether to cancel, or keep the delivery in a couple of hours.
 

WORKING ON THE ROAD - ALASKA

During the winter of 2003/2004, we discovered an advertisement in Workamper.com, for summer employment in Skagway, Alaska.  The jobs were in retail, and were offered by the Corrington family, who had several stores in Skagway.  After two seasons of pulling a merchandise trailer around the country with our motor home, we decided that working, and staying in one spot, sounded pretty attractive.  We gave notice to Harley, and MainGate, that we wouldn't be returning for the next race season, and prepared for an adventure to the far north.

In April of 2004, we departed Lake Havasu City for Skagway, Alaska, and a summer of working for the Corrington family.  The approx. 4,000 mile journey took us a little over a week, and the farther north we drove, the more ice and snow we saw.  The Alaska Hwy was for the most part clear of the slippery stuff, but the lakes and rivers were still frozen.  By the time we got to the border crossing from Canada, back into the U.S., near the top of the White Pass, we were in the middle of a blizzard, and I remember thinking "what the heck have I gotten us into"?  A quick stop and conversation at Canadian Customs reassured me that the road was open for the remaining few miles into Skagway, but snow drifts were blocking one lane on some stretches of the highway.   We arrived in Skagway in one piece, and went to work, helping get the stores ready for the pending cruise ship arrivals.

I worked at the Golden North Hotel gift shop, and Patty worked at the Corringtons flagship store, Corrinton's Alaskan Ivory.  The company owned property 2 miles out of town, and they put in 22 full hookup RV spaces for their workers, and if I remember correctly, that first year we were charged $50 a month for rent.  The next year, the rent went up to $100, and it was deducted from our pay.   The Corrintons also built a clubhouse, complete with kitchen, washer & dryer for their workers, and we had many a pot luck, and other social activities in this gathering spot.  Our pay that first year was $8 an hour, with a $2 per hour bonus if we stayed for the entire season.  The compensation package was more than fair, considering that we had an almost free place to park, and the work weeks were 40+ hours.  I discovered rather quickly, that working retail wasn't really my cup of tea, but we enjoyed living in Skagway so much, we agreed to return for a second season.  After that second summer of 2005, I decided that I still wanted to come back, but for me, retail was out of the question.  Before we returned to Skagway in 2006, I accepted a job driving a bus for Skagway Tour Company.  Because Patty still worked for the Corrington family, we were allowed to continue parking the motor home in the private, family campground for $100 a month, which included electricity.

What  we thought was going to be one summer in Alaska, turned into four summers, in a small town that we both learned to love.  However, after 4 seasons, we knew there were other opportunities that we wanted to explore, and we reluctantly told our employers that we wouldn't be returning for a fifth season.  The workamping experience in Skagway, Alaska was definitely a highlight for both Patty and I.  We made many lasting friendships with coworkers, and lots of other folks.  Just this last summer, Dennis & Nancy Corrington welcomed us back, and found 2 RV spaces in their campground for us to park for over a week.  Our offers of payment fell on deaf ears.  Returning to Skagway after a 6 year absence was like coming back to our old hometown.

The summer of 2008 was spent near Glacier National Park in Montana, and I'll have more about that tomorrow.

It finally happened!!  The receipt pictured below, is for the county building permit, which I picked up yesterday morning.  The first inspection of one side of the foundation/footing is scheduled for today, and let me think...........what else could go wrong?????

WORKING ON THE ROAD - DRAG RACING

Today's blog by my buddy Nick Russell, publisher of the Gypsy Journal, and best selling author, prompted me to share our experiences of workamping during the last 12 years.  He talks about working on the road, lists some resources regarding potential workamping jobs, and shares some insight into combining RV travel with working.  You can access Nick's blog via a link on this page, farther down on the right.

When we walked away from our Harley-Davidson Dealership in June of 2001, we didn't work that summer.  Instead, we drove our motor home to Alaska, and really got hooked on the magnificence of the last frontier.  Since that first year of retirement, we have spent 5 additional summers in Alaska.

During the winter of 2001/2002, after returning from Alaska, we partnered with Harley-Davidson Inc. and a company out of Indianapolis called Sportservice, who had the license from Harley, to sell Screaming Eagle merchandise within the H-D Dealer network.  In that same time frame, a decision was made by Harley, to get out of a years long, unsuccessful attempt at road racing.  They never won a race, and only came in second one time.  A transition from road racing to drag racing had been in the works for awhile, and part of that effort included a merchandise trailer that would feature H-D Screaming Eagle, Vance & Hines Pro Stock Drag Race Team apparel at the drag races.  During a winter visit to Las Vegas, we met one of the owners of Sportservice (Co. is now called MainGate), and agreed to pull their merchandise trailer to most of the National Hot Rod Ass'n (NHRA) championship drag races around the country with our motor home.

Back then, we were guaranteed $1,800 per race, and were able to dry camp at each race track during the week long time frame required for set up, and the actual race days when we sold merchandise.  This job had been advertised in Workamper.com., and is still a MainGate enterprise.  We were responsible for our expenses, but because we were self employed, independent contractors, they were all deductible on our taxes.    We traveled all over the country for 2 race seasons, which began in February, and ended in November.   In each of those 2 years, our gross income from this venture was a little under $40,000, and our total travel to all of the race tracks was about 25,000 miles each year.  Considering expenses, and wear and tear on the motor home, my guess is that it was about a break even venture.  As one who enjoys motor sports, being at the race tracks, experiencing the sounds, smells, and all that goes with being part of the NHRA traveling road show, was as they say - for me, priceless!

When our second season came to a close, we were exploring other opportunities, and decided to work the summer of 2004 in Skagway Alaska.  I'll save that story for tomorrow's blog.

Today is business day 3, since I dropped off the RV shade cover building permit application with the county.  They have 5 business days to respond to the app, and no word yet.

CONFLICTED THOUGHTS

"Where is she?  Am I safe here"?

One of the more popular phrases associated with Grand Parenting is "you get to spoil the heck out of  your Grand kids, then send them home to the parents".   Certainly, there's some truth to that, even though Patty and I are careful not to throw discipline, and the word "NO" completely out the window.  Fortunately, Marc and Chandra have raised Laila to have manners, and to understand that she can't do, or have everything that she wants.   Sometimes, the right balance between love, and discipline can be a tricky line to walk, but absent one or the other, a child is left with a less than stable foundation. 

At age 8, our Grand Daughter Laila is an absolute joy when we have her, and we're always looking forward to the next opportunity when she'll stay with us.  Watching her play with the cat during this last visit, was worth the price of admission all by itself.  When she would drag a string in a circle around the couch and coffee table, Snoopy would chase it until it seemed like the cat and the girl would both drop from exhaustion.  When the kitty figured out it was easier to double back, and sneak attack the string from the other direction, squeals of laughter filled the house. 

Patty and Laila finished decorating the tree, and putting the rest of our Christmas decorations out, and after breakfast, we headed into town to do a little shopping.    Surprisingly, only one stop was required, and we were back at Marc & Chandra's a little after noon.   Returning Laila to her parents is always bittersweet, and our feelings are probably the same as millions of other grand parents.  Our normal routine is much different without her, and there is a slight sigh of relief when we drop her off, but we're already missing her before we even pull out of the driveway.

When we retired from our Harley-Davidson Dealership in CA, we didn't take a lot of Harley stuff with us, but this H-D snow village was one memorabilia piece that we kept.

The countdown toward an elusive building permit for the RV shade cover continues.  This is the second business day for the county to process our application.  They have 5 business days to either deny the application, or allow the applicant to give them a bunch of money, and obtain a building permit.   Stay tuned................

DECKING THE HALLS

Two days after Thanksgiving was the designated day for the Christmas tree, and all of the decorations to go up.  I got the tree out of the garage, put it together, then turned the project over to the girls.  While I was running some errands, they trimmed the tree, and put the rest of our holiday decorations out. 

We weren't sure how Miss Snoopy would react to the tree, but our fears of the kitty trying to climb the thing, or batting the low hanging ornaments around were unfounded.  In fact, there were times when she would just lay under the tree on the red skirting.

I think the new kitty spends half her day in Laila's arms.

 

  

Probably not going to happen!

Laila had accumulated a few bucks from helping Dad do some yard work, and mostly from her birthday last month.  When Mom took her to Toys r Us, out of all the toys available, she picked out a kids, working sewing machine to purchase with her money.  Yesterday, she and Grandma did some sewing with the new, sort of toy.

Late in the afternoon, we decided to graduate Laila from kids monopoly, to the real thing.  The time & tested game came out of the closest, and we found ourselves playing long after I was going to BBQ our dinner.  Laila knew the basics from the kids version, but we were surprised how quickly she caught on to making, and collecting payments with the several denominations of money.  Despite her aptitude with the money, she was the first to go bankrupt, and I probably wasn't too far behind.  Grandma had accumulated Boardwalk, and Park Place, had hotels on both, causing Laila to go bust when she landed on the big Cuhuna! 

Since it was getting late, and I still had the tri-tip to cook, we declared Grandma the winner, and ended up eating dinner a couple of hours later than planned.  After dinner & a Dr. Seuss movie, it was the end of a great day with our Grand Daughter.