Another Oil Change....... on the RV!

It seems like I spent all day getting an oil change on the motorhome.  Perhaps that is because it did take all day.

I left the house to go over to storage about 11 AM, and pulled in behind the motorhome with the pickup. You know the drill in the storage places, move the motorhome and park the truck on the exact spot that you have rented, and then drive to the gate.

Of course the gate code number entry box is down low to the ground for cars,  so you have to get out of the motorhome and walk across in front of the vehicle and enter the code by crouching down to its level.  Then you have to run as fast as you can back to the door and wait while the steps extend, scurrying up into the coach.  Jump in the seat with your foot on the brake, and try to get the electronic push button shift to engage drive.  About that time the gate starts to close and you have to try and beat it the second time.   With my recent surgery, I just waited at the gate for someone to come along and open it for me.  About 10 minutes was all.

It was already noon by the time I got back to the house with the coach which made me late already.  Loyce was still at her doctors appointment, so there went my ride.  I drove straight to Freightliner service in Olathe, calling my oldest son Chris in the process to see if he could pick me up.

I did make it about 1:15, where I learned that the appointment was just set as PM which meant sometime after lunch, and the ticket writer said " your about right!"   Chris came about 1:30 and retrieved me from the dirty truck garage.  They have no waiting area at all just a counter that you can lean against.

It was still raining and the parking lot is all gravel (Mud).  Biscuit was with me since I didn't want to leave her all alone all day, so grand daughter Abby got to hold Biscuit in her car seat again like she always does.  That is such a gas to see, because Biscuit is as big as Abby.  Bif Cut, Bif cut she screams endlessly.  She's three..

Chris got me back to our house about 2 PM, where Loyce was home.  She had to go over to the elementary school to be with Abby's older sister Claire for daisy scouts, so she announced that we were leaving in about 20 minutes.  This is where it gets kind of dicey, because Chris just left me off.

So we rode back over to Chris' house, but I did get a Wendy's burger in the process.  By now it was 3:15.  At about 4 we suspected that the coach should be done, so he drove me back over to Freightliner.  Now the garage is less than a mile from his house so this isn't a big deal.  Still raining like cats and dogs, I just jumped out and he left.

That was when I found out that the brake light switch warranty recall repair had gone badly and they didn't have the oil change service even started.  They offered me one of the office chairs where a fellow was home sick, and I just hung around for another hour.

In the meantime, Loyce, Chris and Mel had made Potato soup and I learned that supper was back at Mel's kitchen.  Loyce just watched this process, as I think Chris was acting as head chef.  Anyway I drove the motorhome back to Chris' house after paying the $275 bill.  They changed both fuel filters, which adds another $50 to the total.

By now it was totally dark and still raining that misty windy 40 degree rain.  I ran over several curbs in the process.  I just can't see in the mirrors at night to negotiate the turns like in the daytime.

After eating, I was still worried about the rainy darkness, and politely excused myself to drive back over to the storage place, where I lucked out when someone had just opened the gate.  It was almost 8 PM when I got home with the pickup.  9 hours later...........

And people wonder why I do these things myself..................

Retired Rod

More Doctors!

Part of the reason that we are staying here in KC is to get all this last minute stuff out of the way before we leave for Arizona.  Of course with us older folks, we all have to go to a myriad of Doctors.  They all have their specialties and it seems like we never catch up with them.  But the fellow that has been left out is the family doctor.

So this morning it was my time to go back to the root doctor and catch him up.  If I need prescriptions or other things while we are away, it is a whole lot easier if he has seen me a couple of months ago.  I seemed to pass his inspection but of course he had to change my prescriptions all around.......  What else is new?

Our weather here turned off all rainy, because it seemed to warm up a bit and a warm front hit cool air and then the rain came.  The afternoon turned cloudy, foggy, and kind of steamy even though it never was much more than 60 degrees.

As I headed over to Wendy's in the middle afternoon and then Wal Mart to look for some fleece pull over shirts, the windows were steamed.  I ate the sandwich in the car, and that didn't help with the drippy effect.

Wal Mart didn't have what I was looking for and I ended up going to several more Wal Marts in the area.  Eventually I found what I was looking for, but that took the rest of the afternoon.  Living in a big city, we are lucky to have 5 Wal Marts within a few miles of our home.

With the time change, it was almost dark by the time I got back home.  I really seem to be depressed about the dark after the time goes back to standard time.  It must be a psychological thing, but it is real. I'm sure I will get used to it in a few days.

Now it is late at night, but the lightening is flashing rapidly and the rain is pouring down outside.  Perhaps it is quite alright that we are here in the warm sticks and bricks house rather than our RV tonight.

Retired Rod

Time for a new battery and Noodles!

Just a lazy day around here today.  I determined early this morning that my blood sugar machine was on the fritz and had to read the book to figure out what the only symbol on the screen actually meant.  It was just two arrows pointing in opposite directions.

Read the book, gasp!  Oh, its been so long since I used it the battery has gone flat.   So fairly early this morning I was over at Wal Mart looking for a replacement.  Nope not in the pharmacy where they sell the machines.  Nope not in Jewelry where they sell those flat type of watch batteries.  Nope not in electronics, but the fellow there did tell me to go to the photo department several aisles over.

And even then I had to sort thru bunches of cards and thought I was out of luck but right there in the middle of the rack was the peg with the one I needed.  I did get back out of there fairly quick, as I went to the tobacco checkout counter that is listed as 10 items or less.

But other that that trip, I never left the house all day.  I had the Nascar race running most of the afternoon, and browsed the internet and browsed.  I'm not sure I ever napped.  Oh, I know I got started making homemade noodles for Chicken and Noodles.  My grandma made them and so did my mom, so I know how, when I get so inclined.

That kept me busy for a couple of hours off and on.  But Chicken and Noodles is a really good comfort food so I enjoyed the results.

Of course it seems like it is the middle of the night as I write this, but the clock only says 10 PM.  Gonna take a while to get used to this time change stuff...........

Retired Rod

Calls quit, football and the time change.

Boy I'd like to report about all those phone calls that I have been blocking, but..........  It seems to have all stopped yesterday afternoon.  I got all mad at the guy and threatened him to call the authorities if he didn't stop with the harassment.   Could it be that that was all it took?

But we haven't had a single call again looking for Gerald, or trying to get a loan.  Perhaps it is a weekend thing and they will be back on Monday, but the call blocker is waiting.

Of course today was Saturday and watching the Hawkeye football game occupied the middle of my day, and the Hawks won...........  Barely!  They played Michigan and after a couple of turnovers on the Wolverine's part, the Hawks were ahead.  Michigan mounted a comeback in the 4th quarter and were not to be denied.  They were still in a goal line stand with 2 seconds left that could have tied the game, but somehow they passed incomplete and Iowa won.

I get so tense during these big games that it just drains me for the rest of the afternoon.  I watched other games, but didn't seem to care much.  A lot of aimless TV.

Tonight is the time change, and as you know I collect watches, so I have been sitting here changing the time on oodles of watches.   Messing around with each one making sure it still works.  I think I am now ready for the time to change.   But hey, I need to change all the clocks in the stove and microwave and cars and............

Perhaps tomorrow.............

Retired Rod