Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It – RV Renovators, Mesa, Arizona

March 17, 2020

Temperature 74 Degrees

New Refrigerator Install – Day One

This morning at 8 am there was a knock on our door.  It was one of the tech’s there to inform us that they were going to begin the process of installing the new refrigerator today.  Well, how about that.  We didn’t expect to see anything happen until Friday at the earliest.  Excited?  You bet we were!

Almost immediately after that

this truck rolled into the parking lot.  Could it be the delivery of our new refrigerator?

It was indeed our new Samsung Refrigerator.

Here it is.  All bright and shinning in stainless steel.  A Samsung French Door model with the freezer on the bottom.  It is 17 cubic feet, a big increase over what we currently have.

Soon after deconstruction began on the outside.  The propane line was disconnected – it will eventually be capped off.  The electric plugs were pulled – a new 120 volt outlet will be installed later.

Inside another tech began removing the doors on the Norcold.

Out the front door the doors and other pieces came one by one.

On the cart and off to the dumpster go the old parts.

Finally it was time to pull the old one out.  It’s amazing how easy it slides out.

Out of its home of the last fifteen years.

Once it was out I checked and found no signs of charring nor any burnt insulation.  That dark color in the one corner is just a lot of dirt.  The tech’s told me that they’ve pulled some out and found signs of burnt insulation and wood indicating that those refrigerators were a fire waiting to happen.

Outside the new refrigerator was being prepared to to go into Elvira.  They remove the doors, and just about everything else.  I was told it is just so much easier to do it this way.  I’m sure glad I don’t have to remember where everything goes.

The question in my mind was How do you get the old out and the new in?

The answer is – in and out the driver’s side window!

In addition you lean the driver’s side seat as far back as it will go.

Working on removing the window.

The window is out, now where is that old Norcold.

The Norcold on its way out.

On the forklift and off to the dumpster.

Now its time to pass the Samsung through the window.

Up, up and in it goes.  Two on the outside, and two inside.

Inside Elvira and ready to be installed – which will happen tomorrow.  Tonight we sit and stare at it.  And Barbara dreams of all the food she can store in it!

So how to do you make the Samsung fit in the spot intended for it?  The depth is not a problem.  The width is also not an issue.  The height is the problem.  The answer?  Remove the existing floor that the refrigerator sat on and lower it.  It can be lowered a good eight inches without a problem.  All you need is an inch of clearance between the furnace and the floor.

The new floor waiting to be installed.  A new grill that goes in front of the furnace will also have to be made.  The water line for the ice maker will have to be capped off.  The devil is in the details and so far the tech’s here are doing an excellent job.  Stay tuned for the finished install tomorrow.

This is where we spent our day while everything else was going on around us.  We like to think of it as hanging out on the patio.  It was a beautiful day with moderate temperatures and abundant sunshine.  A perfect day to be outside.

That was our very interesting day on The Road of Retirement.  As I watched them worked I asked myself Could I have done this myself?  I believe the answer is yes and no.  Yes if I had four very willing friends to help.  Yes if I had a full wood working workshop.  Yes if I had about a week to figure everything out.  Either that or a really good Youtube Video of a similar install.  Bottom line no this is not something that I would have wanted to tackle myself.  I’m more than happy to leave it to those who have done it numerous times before, who have all the right tools, and who know the in’s and out’s of such a project.

Hope you enjoyed your time with us today.  Maybe it will inspire you to tackle some project you’ve been putting off for a long time.  Come on back tomorrow and we’ll share the finished results.  As always, keep the comments and suggestions coming.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

 

 

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It – RV Renovators, Mesa, Arizona

March 16, 2020

Temperature 77 Degrees

Happy Birthday To My Sweetheart

A Nice, Relaxing Evening

Travel Day, Second Leg

Self Imposed Exile – Not Because of the Virus, But Because of the Refrigerator

Today was, of course, my sweetheart’s special day.  Another year older and just as beautiful.  Of course I sang Happy Birthday to her this morning.

Last evening we just sat back with a glass of wine and relaxed.  We started the generator, raised our satellite antenna and enjoyed several of our favorite shows.  Not a bad way if you ask me to spend an evening in a parking lot.

8 am this morning we called RV Renovators to make sure they were still open.  Assured that they were open and would be for the foreseeable future it was time to get on the road.

We had no idea what we would find in terms of traffic, especially since we were on the road during the normal hours for rush hour traffic.  Thankfully, traffic was light to nonexistent.  The roads were in great condition.  We rolled on in to Mesa without a hitch.  This was the kind of travel day I really like.

This was our destination and the business that would be installing our new residential refrigerator.  This was the one place in this area that responded to my emails regarding our refrigerator conversion that also had an excellent reputation.

Our initial feeling upon arriving and entering the front office was a really good one.  Time will tell if that feeling bears out over the course of the week.  So far everyone has been very helpful.

This is our home for the time being.  We have 50 amp, we’re level, and we have a blue boy that allows us to dump our tanks.  The only one I’m concerned about is our gray tank and if we’re careful we shouldn’t have to dump it until mid week or later.  We’ll use as many paper plates and utensils as possible.

This is the Samsung French Door, Counter Depth Refrigerator that will be installed in place of our Norcold.  Unfortunately, they had to wait for us to arrive to measure the opening and make sure it would fit before they ordered it.  Some changes will need to be made, namely the floor that the Norcold currently sits on will have to be lowered several inches for it to fit.  The tech who will be doing the work stated that it would be no problem.  I’m just wondering how in the world they are going to get this monstor into Elvira.

As of now we are in self imposed exile while we wait for the refrigerator to arrive.  When will it be here?  Can’t say.  Maybe Friday, or Saturday.  But we can’t go anywhere until it is here and installed.

We’re ready, though, for the time being.  We have the necessary staples to get us through.

Plus what we need to wash it all down.  Hey, we can also use it if need be to wash our hands.  It is alcohol!

Be Flexible.  That’s the mantra we live by and what we have to remember now.  We definitely wanted to get to the Escapees Park but its not to be right now.  It will still be there when we finally finish up here.  Sometime, somewhere we’ll have a good laugh about all that is going on in our lives right now.

Another day on The Road of Retirement has come to an end.  We’re settled in.  The satellite antenna is up and the TV is providing entertainment.  We have a glass of wine in our hands.  We’re in our recliners.  Again, how long will we be here?  Until the project is finished.  We just have to accept it and go with it.

Thanks for your company today.  We always appreciate having you along with us and we sure do appreciate your comments and suggestions.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

 

Places We Have Called Home in 2020

Home Is Where We Park It – Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino and Hotel, Maricopa, Arizona

March 15, 2020

Temperature 78 Degrees

Travel Day, First Leg

Advantages of Living in an RV During These Difficult Times

Today was the first leg of our journey to Escapees North Ranch in Congress, Arizona.

This morning we said goodbye to a great group of Canadian neighbors that had been a part of our lives for the last several weeks.  This is the same group that has been keeping track of all the delivery trucks coming to our site.  The same group that constantly joked with me about all the many boxes delivered and who wanted to know if we were on a first name basis with all the drivers.  They were also in the midst of packing up with most of them leaving off the course of the next several days.  It was great getting to know them and to be included in their circle.

The first leg of our travels took us from Yuma to

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino and Hotel.  A little internet research reveals that:

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino is a Native American casino located 40 miles south of Phoenix in Maricopa, Arizona. The casino is owned by the Ak-Chin Indians, who contracted with Harrahs to manage its operation. Harrah’s is a management brand of Caesars Entertainment.

The Ak-Chin Casino first opened its doors for business on Dec. 27, 1994. A 152-room hotel tower was added in 2011.

In July 2016 Ak-Chin began construction on a major expansion project to add a hotel, a luxury spa, additional gaming space, a conference center, additional restaurants and a parking garage. The project was totally completed in 2019.

I decided to come here today rather than drive the full three hour and thirty minute trip to Mesa tomorrow.  The trip today took just over two hours and thirty minutes leaving us about an hour to go tomorrow.

This is our site for tonight.  Casino Camper states RV’s are to park in the West lot behind the casino, but since I saw two rigs already here I pulled in.  The parking lot is behind the casino and hotel, it is level and as you can see we really don’t have any neighbors.  Casino security has already been around several times and so far they have not asked us to move.  I don’t believe they will since there doesn’t appear to be a need for the hotel/casino to use this parking lot today.

The overall trip here was not bad.  Route 8 is a mixed bag in terms of road surface.  Most of it is smooth, some recently paved.  However, there was one section that was so torn up when I hit a huge pothole I swore both front tires were going to blow!  Thankfully, the only damage was a broken ceramic giraffe that fell off a ledge.  A little super glue and he will be as good as new.

I’ve had some time on my hands and so I got to thinking of some of the advantages of living in Elvira during these crazy times.

• we can avoid all forms of public transportation.  Our only mode of transportation is Elvira and our toad.  We can still get around without the unnecessary risk of using a bus, a plane or whatever
• we have our home and creature comforts with us at all times.  Elvira has a great living room, a roomy kitchen, a cozy bedroom and a shower and a bathroom.  Everything we need to live, play, travel and stay healthy.  We can bake muffins, whip up a meal, or sit back in our recliners and just read a book with a good glass of wine.
• we are able to continue to travel this great country without undue risk of exposure to the virus.  We can avoid high risk areas, crowds,  and big cities.  To date we have still been able to make reservations without an issue.
• we have learned, and are learning even more so now, to be self sufficient.  We have to fix things on a regular basis, change plans, adapt to new environments, and deal with breakdowns. We have learned to keep things in perspective, stay calm in the face of challenges, and be resourceful in how we deal with them. A positive attitude and a good sense of humor will get you through in the end! All we can do is take it one day at a time, and remember that God is still in control and is always waiting for us around the next corner to sustain and support and see us through.

OK, the full time RV lifestyle is not for everyone.  Nor is it the ultimate answer to escaping the madness of today’s world.  But this lifestyle we’ve chosen definitely offers us a very comfortable and convenient way to ride out the storm.

Excuse me now why I go wash my hands – again!

Our first travel day in a long time has come to an end on The Road of Retirement.  We are sitting in our recliners just enjoying the good life.  I’ve got my computer.  Barbara has a favorite book.  We’ve had our lunch.  In an imperfect world it is about as perfect a situation as one could ask for.

Thanks for coming along with us today.  We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  Till tomorrow when we’ll be in Mesa.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

March 14, 2020

Temperature 68 Degrees

Yes, We Will Continue To Tour This Summer

We awoke to another beautiful but cool day.  The sun was shinning bright, the skies were clear yet the temperature was a cool 52 degrees.  No problem, run the heat pump for a bit and we were warm and cozy.

Many have asked if we’re going to continue to tour this year.  The short answer is yes.  As of today we are still a go for the remainder of this year.  Provided our national parks and the other attractions we have planned to visit remain open we are committed to our mission as much today as when we started this journey.

Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

And if the parks and attractions we planned to visit end up closing?  In that case we’ll just adapt and find something else to do.  Maybe we’ll go on a national search for toilet paper!

Along the way we’ll take what necessary precautions we need to.  We’ll try to limit our exposure to large crowds.  Wash our hands often.  Monitor our health.  We also will not give in to the mass hysteria and general panic which unfortunately seems to be the norm these days.

Point of fact we’ll be on the road once again tomorrow.  We’re heading to Harrah’s Casino for a night then on to RV Renovators in Mesa on Monday to have our new residential refrigerator installed.  After there we’ll be moving to Escapees North Ranch in Congress.  

Bottom line what’s going on today in our country reminds me all too well of the children’s book The Sky is Falling.  Do you remember it?  Read it if you can’t.  In so many words the moral of the story reminds us to have courage and not to believe everything that you read or hear.  That’s one reason I no longer watch the news morning and evening.   I also know that even though we lack a leader at the helm of our nation we will get through this.  How do I know?  Because I know that God is still in control.

That brings us to the end of our trip today down The Road of Retirement.  Let’s all take a deep breath, let’s encourage and support one another, and above all else let’s walk by faith and not by sight.

Thanks for coming by today.  We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  Catch you again tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!