My phone wasn't able to get all of the machines in the photo at once.. There were a lot more on beyond the pictured row to the top left.... It hasn't snowed here yet, and I wonder if some of these aren't left over from last year because they had a remarkably warm season....
But still it occurred to me that they might think they know something that I don't...............!
I was in Lowes trying to find an Acme nut and regulator to go on a propane bottle.... I needed to hook up the blue flame heater to a 20 lb cylinder and see if it still works.... We purchased the heater out in Quartzsite in 2009, and used it some that year when we were in Mesa Spirit...
We had plumbed it into the gas lines under the fridge, but when summer came it was disconnected and filed on the storage shelves here in the garage.. I am thinking of spending a night or two out in Q again this year, but Loyce is not as sure... Boondocking is not her long suit...
So I found just the ticket with the big nut and regulator connected to a piece of 18 inch hose... So with some fittings and a propane bottle from the grill, I managed to get the heater lit and it is running on its thermostat here in the kitchen... The propane pig isn't the cleanest, so that lash up will be chased out of here directly in the morning.... But at least I know the heater still works and doesn't do anything nasty like smoke or breath fire...... Actually the radiant heat feels quite nice as compared to the drafty heat pump that seems to run on and on.....
Today I intended to go to the Romeo Christmas Lunch, and I did make it but rather late.... So late in fact that I didn't even bother ordering food..... But I did get to sit for a while and talk to the guys before they were ready to leave... There must have been 40 folks, and most of them were on their bikes.... They left the house while it was still in the early 40s for temps..... But as they were leaving around 12:30 it had made it into the middle 50s.... Really sunny though....
But the reason I was late, was that I was changing our phones around and their associated plans for data and the like..... It gets complicated, so I won't drag it all out, but Loyce likes her Apple Ipad and wants an Iphone... I like Android and use the droid phone and the Asus tablet... We are a house divided!
We also have an air card that is plugged into a router..... So we redid the whole thing on Verizon with a new Jetpack mobile hot spot to drive the laptops and my tablet... And then share the data plan with two new phones and Loyce's verizon ipad.... Her phone is ancient at over 4 years old and mine will be three here in a couple of months... The aircard was purchased in 2008, so it is beyond old...
So for our Christmas present, we will be setup with new phones and I have that new tablet... And now the Mifi as well.... We have no other connectivity in the Arizona house or the Lake cabin, so this stuff will be mobile with us and we travel... Not too sure about Quartzsite though.... Haven't seen many towers out in the desert...
So while I was getting this all lined up, it got later and later, causing me to be late for the luncheon.... Oh well..... I had to go in the car anyway because all of my riding gear was left in the desert... No room in the car to bring it along....
This new phone equipment is to be here overnight, so tomorrow I will be setting things up with the carriers... Wish me luck.....! Usually I have a local office sell me the stuff and they set it up... But for some reason I did it over the phone this time......
That blue flame heater is over there on the island clicking on and off on its thermostat as quiet as a mouse.... Hope the new phone takes better pictures.... Never have thought the photos were all that good on this HTC....
Retired Rod
Holy smokes new toys all around. We found the coverage maps were pretty good around the Q, but north of the highway was better for coverage than south. The tower is on that hill to the south of I-10 a few miles east of town so easily blocked if you go south behind the hill on the SW of town.
ReplyDeleteWe were in the BLM closest to the big tent in January and the Verizon MiFi worked fine. In October, we were at Plomosa Road and had good reception. Currently, we are over near Bouse and service is a bit more spotty but with my Wilson Sleek and Wilson Trucker antenna we are getting 4G.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Thanks John, maybe there's hope!
ReplyDelete