A surprise phone call

I was sitting here this morning trying to understand the settlement check the insurance company sent in the mail, when the phone rang.  I was a lady from the insurance adjusters office, wanting to know if I wanted the additional check mailed, or would I pick it up?

My first reaction was "what additional check", but I didn't say that.  "I'll be over and get it!" I blurted out.  And about twenty minutes later, I had another check in hand that when added to the first settlement on the motorhome equaled the amount that Tiffin had estimated.  I acted all matter of fact over at the company and didn't look surprised or shocked.

More like "Yep, there's the rest of it!"  She thanked me and went to the next customer.   We certainly had a change of heart somewhere during the night.  I'm not even going to ask how or why, just movin on...

Now they are still a grand short on the car claim, but they told me to get the appointment, so I did.  Perhaps there will be another make up check for that when the time comes.  I tried to not get all worked up yesterday over at their office, and it must have worked.

I called a company to come out and estimate our roof replacement today as well, but they never called me back, like the lady said they would.  Everyone in the South end of this city needs a new roof, so that may take a while to get started on.  I can't help but wonder how short that adjustment amount will turn out to be.  I guess time will tell, and they seem to have started back on the right foot again.

I was out this afternoon an went to the barbershop for a hair cut, and some entertainment.  Of course all us old guys were talking about the raid that got Osama, and then our experiences in Viet Nam.  Made the afternoon pass by rather quickly.....

Retired Rod

Insurance Woes!

I have had it out  today with the insurance adjusters that seem  to think that things are free in the world and that they don't really have to pay for the damages that we have sustained in the recent hail storms.

I went to the dent and hail damage fellow this afternoon and had an estimate on the car,  it was $3700 and the insurance fellows seem to think I only need $2600.  And on the motorhome they think the $7200 damages are only $2500.  I am distraught.

So they intend to pay about half of the total cost of our losses.  I offered to litigate, and they said I shouldn't to that.  I made sure that they understood that I would do it in a heart beat even if it ended up costing me more money than I collected, but that we would be seeking attorney fees as well.

They had me make the appointment with the dent guy for two weeks from now.  I guess they will go over and beat him up on his estimate, but that takes me out of the fight, and that will help my disposition a bit.

I spent some of the afternoon watching the talking heads on the demise of Osama Bin Laden.  I am not convinced that we can believe much of what the media reports, as they seem to make up the story on the fly, even when they don't have the facts to support what they report.  But the Western world is overjoyed at this outcome even after ten years.  Perhaps we really haven't forgotten those awful days in September.

I am a former Navy man, and I was delighted to see that the Navy Seals pulled off this mission and managed to get back out with their lives and the objective.  But with all due respect, I think the Army would have done just fine as well.  Our fighting forces are truly the finest in the world, and we all owe them a great deal of gratitude as we sleep soundly tonight.

Retired Rod

Winter in May?

Its cold here today, as I think winter returned.  Its says May 1st on my computer screen, but with the overcast and cloudy conditions, it could say November 1st just as easy.  I'm not sure we every made 50 degrees, and when I went out to get a sandwich tonight it was 46.

I am sure we will be getting warmer one of these days, but my poor motorscooter has almost the same mileage on it now as when we returned from Arizona.

I sat here in my recliner today and did internet stuff all day.  Funny how when the weather is bad the computer seems to fill in the gap like that.  In the early evening I spent an hour or so with a friend up in DesMoines on the phone.  He is one of my Dayton, Ohio Hamfest buddies, and we were plotting how I might be able to go, if I left from KC and went directly.

Just one of those days.  I thought about my sons out in the campground packing up their belongings in the cool rain, and decided that is was a good thing that the motorhome is down at the factory in Red Bay, or otherwise it would have been me out there stowing stuff for the drive home too.

Retired Rod

Camping without a camper!

Now that is kind of hard to do unless you are tent campers, which I did a lot of when I was a scout leader a number of years ago.  But Loyce didn't and wouldn't go along.  So today was a day camping trip.  We are back home tonight, for a good nights sleep in our comfy bed here at the home front.

Our son's and their families have always liked to go out camping on the weekends and both have RVs that are sized for their families.  It just so happens that they both have conventional travel trailers that they pull with regular pickups or large SUVs.  And they go camping together on a lot of the weekends.

So it was an` instant decision to head on out and go see them this afternoon in the Camp Ground.  They camp about 60 miles away from the Olathe area to the West in Kansas.  This is a state park on Pamona lake at the small town of Vassar, Kansas.

So we headed out in the late morning, and arrived at about lunch time.  In time for the picnic on the picnic table under the awning.  We played lawn darts, with magnetic darts, and ladder golf with the golf balls on a rope, and sat under a new awning dining fly tent thing that Chris had purchased for the occasion.  I'm not sure where the afternoon went, but it was gone fairly quickly.

This evening we stayed for the pickled pork, red beans and rice that had been simmering in the crock pot for most of the day.  It was served along with fresh andouille sausage grilled on the bar b cue.  That stuff is hotter than hot!

What a fun day, and I was missing the motorhome a lot, because we had full hookups in this nice little state park.  The lake has a marina and is primarily a fishing impoundment, but also has a swimming beach and recreational boating.  We were there with our travel trailer about two years ago in the fall, but have not been back.  The kids have gone there repeatedly on weekends, but we end up down at lake ozark instead.

So I am sitting here smelling of smoke from the camp fire and have a tinge of red from the sun, but have enjoyed our day with the family.

Retired Rod