Places We Have Called Home In 2020

113

December 8, 2020

Temperature 58 Degrees

Doctor’s Appointments

Time With Family

We Had No Choice

Gooooooooooood Morning World!

A rather cold world as it was.  How about 37 degrees?  We’re going lower tonight, probably down around the low 30’s.  Did I miss something?  Did someone or something pick us up and drop us off in some nothern state?  I honestly thought that I had parked Elvira in Florida.  This is crazy.

We were out early headed to Tampa for a doctor’s appointment that I had.   Today was a dermatology appointment.  This is a given each and every year due to my skin condition.  I usually also end up having at least one biopsy done.  Well, for the first time in oh so many years no biopsy and a clean bill of health.  I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel.

Time now to visit with Ms. Barbara’s brother Harry and his wife Janet.  Harry is undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Moffit Hospital and for the time being they have an apartment right around the corner from the hosptal.  Which means they were literally only five minutes from where I had my doctor’s appointment.

We stopped for a few personal pan pizzas and went to join them at the courtyard outside their place.  We had a delightful afternoon visiting together.  Harry looks really good, though, he admits that he is often very tired.  I guess with what he is going through that would be a given.  Time literally flew and before we knew it two hours had passed.  Time for us to head for home and time to let Harry have some rest.  What a wonderful and precious two hours it had been.  Time with familys is oh so important.

We had no choice.  Back home it was time to head to the wishy-washy since we were running out of clothes.  Next week the washer/dryer comes out and we’ll figure out what is leaking and correct it.  We’ll also have the drain pan installed to prevent any further water damage if another leak – heaven forbid – develops.  Ms Barbara is most assuredly looking forward to doing laundry in Elvira once again.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  It’s time now for a mug of hot chocolate and a brownie.  More than one way to warm up.  You can bet the heaters are going to run all night,   It is only 9:30 pm and we’ve dipped to 40 degrees and I think it is safe to say it is only going to go lower.  Warm thoughts, yes, I must think warm thoughts.

Thanks again for stopping by today.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, live to the fullest the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her 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

114

December 7, 2020

Temperature 64 Degrees

Lost and Found

Gooooooooooooood Morning World!

We woke to a chilly, overcast and gray day.  But on the bright side at least we woke up!  As I’ve oft said It is better to be looking at the flowers rather than pushing them up.

 That first cup of hot coffee was definitely appreciated.  Later Ms Barbara added waffles, bacon and juice to it.  Ah, the perfect start to the day.

About our weather.  Once again we’re doing the limbo in terms of the temperature.  You know, like how low can you go? I’ll let you know when we wake up tomorrow.

Well, for the past week I’ve been going crazy trying to remember where oh where I put our Christmas decorations.  At least the few that we have.  I knew I didn’t throw them out when we went from Graybeard to Elvira.  Yet, I had no idea where I had put them in Elvira.  I knew they where here.  But where?  It was driving me crazy.

Finally, I remembered to check in the one and only basement locker I hadn’t opened already.  Yes!  What was lost is now found.

Our manager.  Yes, there is room for all even a penguin.

One of our wreaths.

Some of our outside decorations.

This is one of our most treasured decorations.  It was hand made by my mom when she was alive.  We make sure we bring him in every night.

One little package from Amazon today.

This nice compact package with a little air becomes. . . .

a chair for sitting in bed while watching TV!  Now how about that.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  No new projects today.  Just some simple house hold chores that are always needing to be done.  It is early evening and the temperature is already dropping fast.  Time for sweats and sweatshirts.  We’ll also I’m sure need an extra blanket on the bed tonight.  What interesing weather.  But since there is no snow I’m as happy as can be.  Thank you again Lord for this beautiful day that you gave us to live and enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by today.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, live to the fullest the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her 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

115

December 6, 2020

Temperature 71 Degrees

My Favorite Place In The Morning

Worship At Our Home Church In Colts Neck

If Man Made It, Man Can Fix It

Gooooooooooooooood Morning World!

So, let’s just say the way I’ve been feeling lately is a bit off the mark.  But then I saw this. . .

and it was just the pick-me-up that I needed at this point in my life.  Now, I’m hanging on and hanging in there and enjoying the ride once more.

This is by far my most enjoyable place in all of Elvira.  It’s my recliner right next to the living room window through which the morning sun streams in during the morning.  Oh does that sun feel so good on some of these cold mornings we’ve been having.  With a cup of coffee in hand I prepare to face the wonders of each new day.

Our Sunday began in our usual way with worship with our home congregation in Colts Neck, NJ.

Pastor Scott opened with our Call to Worship.

Our first song.

The lighting of the Advent Candles.

We did likewise with our own Advent wreath and candles.

 

Special Music by our choir.

We celebrated communion together.

Service over, Scott delivered the Benediction and we were on our way.  Well, in our case we closed our internet connection.

Now, the time was at hand.  Back to Project Number Two, the entrance steps.  Which got me to thinking about my Dad and some of what he taught me growing up.  As a teen and later as a young man I honestly belived that he could fix anything.  In fact he was often fond of saying If man made it, man can fix it.

Some of my most treasured memories are of the times we spent in the garage behind our house fixing all sorts of things.  He taught by example and by letting me make my own mistakes.  He often watched me tinker with something and put it together only to find out that I didn’t really fix it.  Then and only then he would say something like Now what do you believe you did wrong?  At that point he would take me step by step through what I had done, and what I might have done differently.

He also instilled in me a wonderful sense of curiousty for how things worked.  Which led me one day while he was at work – and had left the car home – to remove and disassemble the car’s carburetor .  Imagine his surprise when he came home and found it laid out in pieces on the workbench.  But I digress.

The entrance steps.  Last night I spent hours on the Newmar forum gathering suggestions, troubleshooting steps, and flow charts of what to check, in what order and how.

Armed with all this information I went to work again.  Immediately, I noticed that there were three ground wires that for some reason had been disconnected.  By whom and when I have no idea.  But all that I read stated that they must be connected to a chassis ground or the steps would not work.  I connected them.  I reinstalled the step motor.

The result this time?

Now you see them.

Now you don’t.  Proving once again If man made it, man can fix it!  Thanks Dad.

As for Ms Barbara. She made a delicious meal of baked chicken, dressing ,and vegtables for our main mid -day meal.  Plus, in honor of my fixing the steps she baked me a big pan of brownies.  I need to keep fixing things that is for sure.

Next project.  Well, there is still the new OTA antenna to install.  The slide to fix.  Finally, the washer/dryer.  Hopefully, that’s it for the time being.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  A much different day than yesterday.  It always feels good to have accomplished something significant.  Thank you Lord for the joy and wonders of this day that you gave us to live.

Thanks again for stopping by today.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, live to the fullest the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her 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

116

December 5, 2020

Temperature 65 Degrees

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men – AKA Those Pesky Steps

Goooooooooooood Morning World!

Well, I really needed to say that this morning as well as give myself a bit of a pep talk.  Lately, it seems all kinds of little things, silly things have been going wrong.  OK, it’s to be expected but sometimes it does get to me.  Like today. . . .

This was today’s project.  Three bolts.  Plug the electrical connection in.  Simple enough.  Trouble was it was anything but.  I got the motor in which is an interesting exercise lying on one’s back trying not to drop bolts and spacers.  I plugged the electrical connection in.  Um, what are these three wires hanging here?  Oh well, they don’t look that important.

Finally, all done.  Let’s turn the key on and watch the steps go in.

Or not.  What in the world?  This is one of those since I didn’t take it out I’m not sure I have everything hooked back up correctly.  Obvisously I didn’t.  Like those wires just hanging there.

To the Newmar forum on the Internet.  I can’t tell you how many possibilites I’ve solved thanks to this forum.  OK, I now have a troubleshooting flow chart and a detailed description of what each wire is and how it is to be hooked up.

Tomorrow I get to play detective.  Wish me luck because I’m not usually that good at tracking down and fixing electrical gremblins.  But, there’s always a first time.

While I was outside getting nowhere Ms. Barbara was inside picking up, and making a delicious meal of meatloaf, and mac and cheese.  A perfect mid-day meal.  Which I followed with an afternoon nap.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  It definitely didn’t go the way I had planned.  But then again we’re not leaving tomorrow so I have some time to sort this out.  Then again there is also the matter of the slide I’m going to have to do something about.  I don’t think it would be a good idea to travel down the road with the bedroom slide out!  In the meantime we’ll just continue to travel along hand in hand singing our song.

Thanks again for stopping by today.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, live to the fullest the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her 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!