AFGHANISTAN TO AUGUSTA

I spoke to my oldest son Mike yesterday, for the first time in several months.  He had just returned to his home in Augusta, GA, reuniting with his wife Amy, their dog, and 2 cats.  He had just spent almost 4 months in Afghanistan.  We talked for about an hour, and it sure was a good feeling to know that he was home safe & sound.   This was his second assignment in a country that we've being pouring blood and treasure into for over 10 years, and I hope this was his last deployment. 

Working in the intelligence community, under the National Security Agency, Mike felt that his job this time actually made a difference.  Due to his top secret security clearance, he never gets into specifics about his responsibilities, but despite working 12 hour days, 7 days a week for almost 4 months, he felt good about his contribution toward keeping our troops out of harms way as much as possible.  I'm so very proud of his accomplishments as a career Army Officer, and now, his 2nd career working as a civilian government employee.  With all of the vacation & comp time that he has accumulated, he and Amy were about to jump in their Corvette, and head for a rented cabin in the Georgia mountains.  You deserve some down time Mike, so just kick back, and relax a bit.  Save some of that vacation time for a trip out here to Arizona in the fall. 

CLOSING THE GAPS

When the roof overhang was boxed in during construction of the garage, there was a small gap left between the top of the wall, and the eve.  The distance varied from nothing, to 1/2 inch.  This was one of those little things that would drive me crazy, every time I looked up and saw sunlight peeking through the crack.  The gap was in a place where rain, or moisture probably wasn't going to be a problem. but it was a perfect place for wasps, or hornets to gain entry into the building.
 

The simple fix was a small molding strip screwed over the 90 degree corner, finished with a strip of caulking material along the top.  Yesterday, I completed the project by putting a coat of paint on the wood.  I also painted the trim pieces around where the small air conditioner sticks through the wall at the back of the building.

The garage is pretty much done, both inside and out, except for a future shade cover along the exterior south wall.  Since moving here in December I had the garage built, then, along with help from my neighbor, brought the power underground from the other side of the house, and did the electrical wiring inside the building.  Insulating and sheet rocking the interior walls was a big project, that took a lot of time.  When that was done, I put up shelving, cabinets, and pegboard.  Next, I built a 100 square foot storage room in the southeast corner, complete with an air conditioner in the wall.  Other projects included rain gutter, and down spouts on the north wall, building work benches, and finally getting all of the boxes emptied, and off the floor. 

The next big project, coming up when we return from our Easter motor home trip with Laila, is the driveway.  Once the driveway is moved entirely onto our property, and the surface is improved, then I can build, and install the gate, complete with solar powered, automatic opener.  By the time that's done, it'll be getting close to departure time for Alaska.  I think I'll be ready for a vacation!

BUILDING A GATE

One of the next projects on my "to do list" before we leave in a few weeks, is to build & install a gate across our driveway.  The solar powered gate opener came yesterday, and the rest of the materials are supposed to be here tomorrow.  The last picture shows what the two separate gates will look like when I'm finished.  The gate opener will control one side of the dual gate, and the other side (both 10' wide), will be semi stationary, with a lockable post.
 

 The gate will be across the driveway, about where the new asphalt will end, near the tree on the left.

 

  It should look something like this when I'm finished.

On the good news front, Marc called and said he had spoken with his brother Mike, who just landed in Maryland on his return from Afghanistan.  By this morning, Mike should be home, or close to home in Augusta.  We're all glad you're back son, and hope that there aren't any future assignments over there.  

YUMA TO TUCSON

My third, and last dental appointment was yesterday morning.  The adjustment, and cementing of the crowns was completed in about an hour, and because it was still early, there was no line to get back into the U.S.  I had planned on coming home today, but there was no point just sitting around for an extra day, so I was on the road home by 11am.  The distance from Tucson to Yuma, is just under 250 miles, and it's all desert driving.  No spectacular scenery, just miles and miles of Interstate 8 and 10.

Every time motorcycles pass the motor home, I often wish I had my face in the wind, rather than behind a huge piece of glass.  This is about the time of year that I usually jump on the Harley, and head for the Death Valley area,  With all that we have planned before departing for Alaska in a few weeks, not sure that's going to happen this year.  It's good to be back home, and more importantly, good to have the dental work finished!

WASHIN, WAXIN, & RACIN

The wash & wax boys showed up at 8am, and in about 3 hours, the motor home/truck were washed, and the motor home was hand waxed.  This was the second coat of Meguiars wax for the house on wheels in just a few months.  The two guys did a good job, and I gave them more than their advertised price of $89.95.

This was my second day of non dental activity, and I spent the afternoon watching the NASCAR race from Bristol, then the taped AMA superbike race from Daytona, & finally, the NHRA Drag race from Gainesville.  Most of my fantasy picks for the drag race went out in the first round, so I'm not doing very well in the competition with my two boys, Mike & Marc.  There's 20 races to go, so I have time to make up lost ground, but I better start picking some winners soon.  Today, back to the dentist, and if everything goes as planned, home tomorrow.

GENERATOR SERVICE

Changing the generator oil & filter is something I often do myself. But this time, I also wanted to change the fuel filter, so I had one of the mobile service guys come by yesterday morning.  The mobile wash & wax folks called, and that appointment was put off until this morning.

When it comes to mobile service in Yuma, many of the providers prices are very reasonable.  For example, the generator service which included oil, oil filter, & fuel filter, was a total of $85.  The outfit coming today to wash both motor home & truck, then hand wax the motor home, has an advertised price of $89.95.  When we were here in Jan, we had a different mobile crew do the same thing for $125, which I thought at the time, was a heck of a bargain. 

Yesterday, and today are down days between my dental visits, and other than a trip to the post office, that's about all I got accomplished.  Today will  be more of the same, but at least today, there's some racing action on the tube.

BORDER CROSSING

 When I arrived for my 2nd appointment, Dr. Rafael Santos was waiting for me.

Even though there are signs stating that photography of any port of entry is not legal, I snapped these two pictures of the U.S. side, as I headed for the parking lot.  This was my second crossing from Mexico in two consecutive days, back into the U.S. and the wait in line was again about 45 minutes.  Once I moved up to where you present you passport, the reason for the very slow moving line was obvious. 

Several years ago, these long waits in line were pretty routine, as the facility was in a modular trailer, and could only accommodate 2 border enforcement agents.  It was about 3 years ago, several million dollars was spent to update the facility, among other things, adding 2 more check stations.  With 4 agents checking folks through, the line moved quickly, and waiting times were reasonable.

When it was my turn to present my passport, I asked the lady agent why only two of the four check stations were being used.  Her answer was brief, and sarcastic.  She said the Department of Homeland Security had cut their budget, and this was one of the results.  I was tempted to reply in a similar, confrontational manner, but resisted, thinking that an argument with this person wasn't going to accomplish a darn thing.  However, I couldn't help but wonder, how our federal bureaucrats can justify sending billions of dollars overseas, to fund stupid things like teaching Moroccans how to build pottery, yet they cut back on personnel at border crossings, and release thousands of illegal aliens because they say they don't have any money.  What the hell is wrong with this picture?

Yea, I was hot, but it was even hotter in the motor home.   When I got back to the RV from my second dental visit, the temperatures inside, and outside the motor home were both 95 degrees.  It didn't take too long to cool down the inside, when I turned on both A/C units.  This morning, I have two service's coming here to the motor home.  I'm getting it washed and waxed, and I'm getting the generator serviced.  Great spaghetti last night, thanks babe.

A LONG DAY

It started with an 8:30am appointment at a new dentist, whose first name is Rafael.  He had been recommended by our friends, Bob & Jeanette Fulton, and  upon meeting him, I was slightly apprehensive, due to his youthful appearance.  He finished dental school 5 years ago, and has been practicing in Algodones for 2 years.  After the initial exam, he explained (excellent English) what needed to be done, and the cost.  I agreed, and the work began.

The reason for a change from my previous Mexican Dentist, Carmen, is that it was confirmed yesterday, that she had developed an aggressive cancer, and had passed away.  I last visited Carmen a little over 3 years ago, and was happy with the dental work that she did.  Unfortunately, I have always had dental issues, and was not blessed with the best of teeth.  The time that I have spent in a dental chair during my lifetime would be scary, if I knew the actual total hours.

I won't get into the gory details, but I was in the chair from about 9am until 2pm, with a short break in the middle.  I have 4 teeth that need crowns, and two of those needed root canals.  All of the prep work was completed in that marathon session yesterday, and now it's up to the lab to build the crowns.  One of the amazing things about dentistry in Algodones, and probably other Mexican towns that cater to Americans, is the speed in which every thing is accomplished.  What usually takes a couple of weeks in the U.S. for crowns and bridges to come back from the lab, only takes a couple of days in Algodones.  If everything goes as planned, I'll be done on Monday, and back home on Tuesday.  The cost............4 crowns with 2 of those requiring build up posts from the lab, 2 root canals, and some other minor work - $1,400.  In the U.S. the charge for all of that work would be in the $5-6,000 range.  My dental insurance has an annual cap of $2,000, but it does cover Mexican Dentistry.  By getting dental care in Mexico, my out of pocket expense is thousands of dollars less than it would be in the U.S., and so far, my experiences with 2 dentists, have been excellent.

At about 2pm, the line waiting to get back into the U.S. was longer than I expected.  It took about 45 minutes to cross the border.

DRIVEWAY REHAB & MEXICO

It's kind of a long story that has to do with insurance, prior dental work, and a few other things.  I won't get into all of the details, but suffice it to say, I left Tucson yesterday about noon, driving the motor home to Yuma.  I'll be parked here for a few days, and with any luck,  I'll get my dental situation squared away.  When we leave for Alaska in a few weeks, I don't want to deal with any teeth problems, so it's kind of now, or never before the window gets closed for 5 months.

On another front, I signed an agreement to have our driveway improved, and moved entirely onto our property.  When I had the survey done several months ago, I discovered that the first 75 feet of our driveway is half on the adjacent property.  When these lots were improved, and sold, our particular driveway easement was incorrectly located.  It's difficult to see in the above picture, but there's a small pink ribbon next to a survey marker, and it sits right in the middle of the driveway.  That's the property line!  To the right of the ribbon is the next door neighbors property. 

The contractor is going to bring in approx. 200 tons of fill, and move the driveway about 12 feet to the left.  Then, he's going to grade the first 300 feet, and surface it with recycled asphalt.  I never thought I'd become a "greenie" when I improved the entrance to our property.  That's all going to happen during the first week in April.  When I discovered the property line issue, I've never been comfortable with the situation, and I'll be glad when it's fixed.

The first 300' of driveway will be asphalt surfaced up to the tree on the left, where I'm going to install a gate.

Still lots of dirt work to do around the front of the house, which will be done by me, and Mr. Kubota.

REPLANTING OLD GLORY

When we built, and opened Jamestown Harley-Davidson in 1995, part of the site plan was a 35 foot flagpole in front of the building, flying a 6x8 foot American Flag.  When we moved to Lake Havasu City in 2002, one of the first things I did to the property was the placement of a 20 foot flagpole in front of the house.  Now that we've moved to the Tucson area, the flagpole was just waiting in the new garage for a place of honor.  It found that spot a couple of days ago, when I dug a hole, and filled it with concrete to support the aluminum pole.

Now, when we look out the front windows, the symbol of our nation is plainly visible, and a reminder that we do still live in the greatest country on earth.  I often disagree with the decision making that takes place in our nations capitol, but despite the bungling politicians, the U S of A is indeed the land of opportunity, and to me, our flag represents all things good about our country.  I display it proudly!

TRACTOR SERVICE

I haven't used the tractor much in the past few weeks, but there's a few projects on the horizon that will require it's use.  Yesterday morning seemed like a good time to lube the chassis, change the oil & filter, replace a fuse, and when I was finished with the service, a good power wash got rid of some of the grease, oil, and caked on dirt.  With the air in the tires adjusted, the orange machine was ready to go for another 50-100 hours.

I did use it to dig a small hole in the front yard, where I mixed up some concrete, and put the foundation in for my flag pole.  The mud will be dry today, and once again, there will be an American Flag flying in the Chance front yard.

BACK TO NORMAL

We took Laila home to mom & dad yesterday morning, and I spent most of the afternoon watching the NASCAR race from Vegas.  Not much else to write about, other than it sure was quiet around here, and at times, it was deafening!  Our normal routine is certainly changed when we have Laila, but it's a change that is welcomed, and embraced.  To have the opportunity to be an integral part of her life, and watch her grow up, is beyond priceless.  It was a great week, and we're already looking forward to Easter vacation, when we're planning on taking Laila in the motor home to the Thousand Trails in Verde Valley.  That's just a few weeks away.

RETURN TO THE SECRET HIDEOUT

Despite the threatening weather, yesterday was the last day we had with Laila, for a return walk to her "secret hideout". She had been asking all week if we were going to hike to this oasis in the desert, and we had been telling her that we would make the trek on Saturday.  It was a chilly day, with a few sprinkles, but we decided it was now, or never, and headed down one of the small canyons on our property.

 Looking back at our motor home from the north.

It's about a quarter mile to the main line of the Union Pacific RR, then a right turn to the east, takes us along the tracks to this drainage tunnel, where we go under the tracks into the dry creek bed.  From there, it's about a half mile to the secret hideout.

Even though we haven't yet witnessed water flowing in the Cienega Creek, there's lots of evidence of massive flooding, probably during the very wet, and intense monsoon season of mid to late summer.  Walking through the dry river bed always reveals several treasures, which are usually inspected, then cast aside.

 

This was our second trip to a place where the creek is diverted into a pipe, and presumably, it's used for irrigation downstream.  The small pond below the dam was not present on our last trip, and it presented a barrier to where Laila wanted to have our picnic lunch.  So we found another spot to sit and have our snacks. 

 Climbing on the rocks is all part of the fun.

 Sitting on Grandpa's legs, was better than the hard rocks.

When we got back to the house, Laila warmed up with a nice hot bath, and the rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies.  It wasn't the best weather for a hike, but at least we didn't get wet, and we all had fun.  Later this morning, we'll take Laila home to mom & dad, and she'll be back to her normal routine, starting with tomorrow's school day.

COUNTDOWN TO ALASKA

It's only about 6-7 weeks before we leave the southwestern desert, and start a slow path north, with the ultimate destination being the last frontier.  Once you've been to Alaska, there's something about our largest state, that grabs you, and never lets go.

Our very first exposure to the 49th state, was a cruise ship experience in 1998, or 99.  We sailed from Vancouver to Ketchican, Juneau, Skagway, and got off the ship in Seward, Alaska.  Our friends, Art & Linda Mitchell, and Bob & Denise Dupree, quickly got on an airplane from Anchorage back to CA.  Patty and I rented a car, and spent several days exploring the Kenai Peninsula before flying back home.  That was it, we were hooked, and we began planning our next trip to the far north.

In 2001, we retired from being co-owners of Jamestown Harley-Davidson, and within  a few days, our motor home was burning diesel on the roads north to Alaska.  We spent most of that summer in Alaska, and the Yukon Territory of Canada.  We traveled on most all of the paved roads (and some that were not) in the far north, and by the time we left, Alaska was firmly entrenched in not only our minds, but also our souls.  Even though we considered that this RV adventure of 2001, was probably the trip of a lifetime, we weren't quite finished with our travels north. 

In 2004, we found a way to return to Alaska, to make some money, and live for 5 1/2 months in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.  Through workamper.com,  we both found jobs in Skagway, Alaska, working for the Corrington family.  What was supposed to be a 1 year experience, turned into 4 summers of seasonal work in this historic town, that was born during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. When we left Skagway for the last time in 2007, we both knew that there was probably still a trip or two back to Alaska in our future.

And so, here we are in 2013, and we have made plans to once again drive the motor home to Alaska.  We should be leaving near the end of next month, with stops in CA, OR, & WA, before crossing the border into British Columbia.  Our pal Nancy, will be traveling with us in her motor home, and the plan is to spend most of the summer in our adopted home state.  As with most of our travel plans, nothing is so firmly entrenched, that we won't be free to let our paths follow whatever road we desire.  The countdown has begun!

Marc's surgery appears to have gone well, with he & Chandra returning from Phoenix today.  This is the last day that Laila will be staying with us, and we'll be taking her home tomorrow.  This past week has flown by, but we'll have Laila with us again for a week, during the upcoming Easter vacation. 

I SEE FOOD

On Valentines Day, we went out to dinner with Chandra, Marc, & Laila, to the Casino Del Sol seafood buffet.  It was one of the best that we had ever been to.  The downside was waiting in line for just about an hour.

We decided yesterday to try again, only this time, we would get there as near the 4pm start time as we could.  We picked up Laila from school, rushed home, and quickly got her bath out of the way.  It was 3:30 when we left the house, which put us at the casino on the west side of Tucson, a little after 4pm.  When we walked into the building, there was no line, and as we approached the cashier with no one in front of us, we both thought the seafood buffet was going to be a regular buffet.  Oh well, we were there, and we were all hungry.
 

When we could finally see inside the restaurant, we saw some crab legs on plates, and realized that there was indeed a seafood buffet happening.  Laila likes sushi, and had two plates of the stuff while Grandma & Grandpa waded into the crab legs.  She later had some crab, along with fruit, and of course, desert.  When we left, we were all stuffed, and once again pleased with the quality and quantity of the food, and particularly the fact that we didn't have to wait in line.

Laila's first plate of sushi is just about gone.

 

 Grandma is getting her players club card.  Guess who will be the tallest in a few years?

Laila and I have this game, where she hides whenever the camera comes out.  Not all of the time, but it sometimes is a challenge to get a good picture of her.  In the photo above, she's heading back to Grandma, where there's cover from the camera.

Later at home, she did pose for a shot with Gracie, who's become her best buddy.  It was a good meal of all things from the sea, and the best part is that we were home early, with Laila in bed at her regular school night bedtime.

ANOTHER SCHOOL DAY

Laila's school days are pretty structured, with certain things happening at certain times.  The morning, afternoon, and evening routines don't vary much, even when she stays with Grandma & Grandpa.  As a first grader, she has homework every day, she must read at least 15 minutes, with one of us signing off on the reading time.  Her reading skills are way above what I think I can remember when I was about the same age.  I know, that's a long time ago, but I'm certain that I didn't read as well as she does when I was in the first grade.  Marc & Chandra have chosen a private, Christian school for Laila, and it's pretty obvious that she's getting a good educational foundation.  Bath & dinner are the same time each day, and bedtime, which used to be a struggle, is now accepted without hardly a fuss.

Thursday's are spelling test day, and almost without exception, Laila gets 100%.  She has already gotten 100% on this weeks spelling pretest.  Yea, we're pretty proud of our little girl, and even more proud of the loving, involved parenting by Marc & Chandra.  But of course, I'm just a wee bit biased!

 

HELICOPTERS & A WOOD RACK

Getting Laila to school at 8:30am, is a little more than meets the eye.  Her day typically starts at 6:30, but yesterday, she was up at 5:30, helping Grandpa write the daily blog.  By the time lunch was packed, breakfast was consumed, school clothes were on, hair was braided, it was time to head out the door at 7:45.  It takes about 30-35 minutes to drive to her school, and we had her there 10 minutes early. 

Since we were already in town, we stopped at a couple of stores, then made our way back home.  At 1:45pm, we left the house, headed back to retrieve Laila from school.  When we got home, and after a snack and homework, Grandpa brought out a new toy, that is a sort of helicopter.  It's launched with a rubber band several hundred feet into the air, then it rotates it's way back to the ground.  Laila didn't quite have the strength to get the twirly bird very high, but she was content going down range, and bringing it back to the launch pad.  When play time was over, next up was a bath, dinner, some reading to both Grandma & Grandpa, then off to bed at about 7pm.  Wow, this little girl's day is jam packed, from the start of the day, to the finish. 
   

While Laila was in school, I put up my lumber rack, did some final trim work to the storage room, and proclaimed that the project was finished.  Now it's time to move on to a long list of other tasks, that have been on hold, while the room was being built. 

GRANDPARENTS FOR A WEEK

Eating baby back ribs, is a messy proposition, whether you're a kid, or a grownup.

 

The main reason we moved to Vail (Tucson), was to be nearer to our kids, and granddaughter.  Being only a 15 minute drive away, affords us the opportunity to be involved in their lives, and to be in a position where we have the opportunity to share part of our life as well.

Laila is with us until Sunday, when Marc & Chandra  return from a planned week in Phoenix.  Several months ago, Marc had a laser spine procedure, that seemed to have gone well, and he was well on the road to recovery.  A few weeks ago, his car was hit by a Tucson City transit bus, while he was stopped.  The accident didn't cause a lot of vehicle damage, but the hard jolt apparently re-injured his back, and he will be undergoing a second procedure on Thursday.  Both he and Chandra left for Phoenix last night, as Marc has several medical appointments in the next few days, including the surgery. 

So, Laila is with us, and we'll adapt to her school week routine, that includes taking her in the morning, and picking her up at 2:30pm, when classes are finished for the day.  This morning will be the first test, when we wake her up at 6:30, and start the daily routine to get ready for school.

Lots of napkins are necessary when eating BBQ sauce covered ribs!