I haven't posted a rant here in some time - so it must be time ...
Fact #1: The nation as a whole has about 1 TRILLION dollars of debt due to "student loans." Yes - that's trillion with a "T."
Fact #2: The cost of college tuition has has been increasing at over twice the rate of inflation for several years.
Fact #3: The national average for student debt for a person graduating from a 4 year college is right around $25,000. Maine leads the nation in this statistic with average debt right around $30,000. Maine is a very progressive state and likes to lead in such things.
Fact #4: Most student debt is backed by the US Government. When a person defaults on their loan (doesn't pay it back) - the US Government steps up and pays off the loan and the student then owes the US Government. (The feds are in the process of changing this by taking on most most new student debt directly - cutting out the lending institution in the middle).
Fact #5: Student debt can not be discharged in a bankruptcy proceeding. Once you have it - you have it forever.
So ... how did we get in this terrible predicament?
We started by telling every kid that they would be a failure if they didn't go to college. Who were the biggest perpetrators of this lie? Why - Teachers of course. [I want to apologize right here to any particular reader who happens to be a "teacher." I have the greatest respect for any person who educates others. My use of the term "Teachers" herein refers to the profession as presently practiced and includes the Unions that control the profession - not the person.]
The second thing we did was drive up the cost of a college education at an abnormal rate. What is the leading driver to the cost of a college education? Why - Teachers of course.
Why did the cost of "Teachers" go up so much - and so fast? Well - mainly because the Teacher's unions demanded that they be compensated at a much higher rate because they had a college education - and a college education was valuable - it must be valuable because it costs a lot - and it costs a lot because ... I'll let you continue this circular argument!
The second, but just as important reason for the rapid increase in the cost of a college education is that the US Government will back student loans. No matter how high the costs go, the lenders will still lend to just about any warm body because the good old US Government will back the loan.
Is there any wonder that we are in this situation?
We tell every kid that they have to go to college to be successful.
We make going to college more and more expensive.
We make it very easy to borrow the money so that just about any kid can go to even the most expensive colleges.
The result?
We have created a generation of Americans financially indebted to the US Government for most, if not all of their working lives. Remember - that debt can not be discharged in bankruptcy - it follows them everywhere. Only in death will the debt be discharged. This debt makes it harder and more expensive to borrow money for other things like cars and homes. Things that have a real effect on improving our economy.
All for what?
So that we can learn the skills to "get a good job?" Well - sometimes that will result - but I'd argue that result happens more often than not in spite of the education received - not because of it. But I'll save the rant on the effectiveness of education in America for another rant on another day.
I believe that in most cases the debt served no purpose at all except to line the pockets of those in the college education industry and perpetuate the Federal Government's control over our lives from cradle to grave.
Do I have suggested solutions?
Sure ... but they all start with taking back control of our lives from our government. We have been giving up our freedom, values, and self reliance for decades.
Take them back - and take them back now!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
I Need a Job!
Another beautiful spring day here in Maine. Cool ... but pretty nonetheless. I'm sure warmer temperatures will be on the way ... but they could sure hurry up!
I spent Wednesday and Friday afternoons over at Eric and Jen's place in Auburn playing electrician. The electrical systems in their house have been installed and modified several times over the 100 years or so of its' life. Some of the wiring in the basement is just old and some of the wiring was just a "mess." So Eric and I have spent several hours re-running several circuits to improve safety and generally update what was there. We still have some work to do but we made good progress. Eric took the week off to accomplish some home chores and has decided he needs to go back to work to get some rest. Boy do I remember those days!
In between days playing electrician I took Winne over to a local glass shop to get the new drivers side windshield put in. Overall - the process was pretty smooth. I called the insurance company (GMAC Insurance) a little over a week ago, they took some information and then referred the claim to a separate company that handles all their RV glass claims (Duncan Systems). Duncan Systems called me back the same day and we made arrangements to get the glass replaced at a local shop in Brunswick (Portland Glass) and they (Duncan) shipped the replacement windshield to them (Portland Glass). I drove Winne over to Portland Glass early Thursday morning and drove right inside their huge service bay where the technicians went right to work removing the old windshield. After the old glass was out I took a good look at the rusty area at the top of the glass channel. The metal was pretty rusty but had not rusted through (yet). The technician ground down the loose flaky rust to bare metal and then applied some rust preventative coating that they recommended. I decided to let them use "their stuff" rather than POR-15 since they were confident the windshield sealant material would bond well with "their stuff" and they weren't so sure about the POR-15. I figured they were going to be the ones guaranteeing their work - so I better let them use what they wanted. All total the job took about two hours with the last hour being wait time to let the sealant "set up" before driving away.
After driving Winne home and inspecting their work closely I wasn't happy with the way the upper molding strip was fitting so I decided to remove it and re-install myself. While I was at it - I closely inspected the area above the passenger side windshield and found a small bit of rust starting. I figured I might as well get that fixed now to try and prevent a future problem ... so I got those areas cleaned up and repainted. Today's project will be to finish putting that molding strip back in place.
Just a few more maintenance projects to go and Winne can be put to rest for a few months.
I think I need a job ... so I can go back to work to get some rest!
I spent Wednesday and Friday afternoons over at Eric and Jen's place in Auburn playing electrician. The electrical systems in their house have been installed and modified several times over the 100 years or so of its' life. Some of the wiring in the basement is just old and some of the wiring was just a "mess." So Eric and I have spent several hours re-running several circuits to improve safety and generally update what was there. We still have some work to do but we made good progress. Eric took the week off to accomplish some home chores and has decided he needs to go back to work to get some rest. Boy do I remember those days!
In between days playing electrician I took Winne over to a local glass shop to get the new drivers side windshield put in. Overall - the process was pretty smooth. I called the insurance company (GMAC Insurance) a little over a week ago, they took some information and then referred the claim to a separate company that handles all their RV glass claims (Duncan Systems). Duncan Systems called me back the same day and we made arrangements to get the glass replaced at a local shop in Brunswick (Portland Glass) and they (Duncan) shipped the replacement windshield to them (Portland Glass). I drove Winne over to Portland Glass early Thursday morning and drove right inside their huge service bay where the technicians went right to work removing the old windshield. After the old glass was out I took a good look at the rusty area at the top of the glass channel. The metal was pretty rusty but had not rusted through (yet). The technician ground down the loose flaky rust to bare metal and then applied some rust preventative coating that they recommended. I decided to let them use "their stuff" rather than POR-15 since they were confident the windshield sealant material would bond well with "their stuff" and they weren't so sure about the POR-15. I figured they were going to be the ones guaranteeing their work - so I better let them use what they wanted. All total the job took about two hours with the last hour being wait time to let the sealant "set up" before driving away.
After driving Winne home and inspecting their work closely I wasn't happy with the way the upper molding strip was fitting so I decided to remove it and re-install myself. While I was at it - I closely inspected the area above the passenger side windshield and found a small bit of rust starting. I figured I might as well get that fixed now to try and prevent a future problem ... so I got those areas cleaned up and repainted. Today's project will be to finish putting that molding strip back in place.
Just a few more maintenance projects to go and Winne can be put to rest for a few months.
I think I need a job ... so I can go back to work to get some rest!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Happy Birthday Marcie
First off - I suppose I should finish my last entry by informing all that little Taylor slept all night last Saturday night and didn't wake until around 6:30 AM. And it was Grandpa that got her out of bed so Grandma could sleep in a little more! She even wakes up in a pretty good mood. We had fun having Taylor overnight and I believe she went home no worse for the experience. I wasn't present when Stacy came to pick her up - but I understand both girls had some pretty big smiles on.
Before I forget ... Happy Birthday to my sister Marcie! As long as a guy has to have an older sister ... I was pretty fortunate to get Marcie. Yes - it's true that she was a bossy big sister a few times, and yes - it's true that she still likes to remind me who the eldest and wisest sibling is, and yes - it's true that she has many many more grandchildren than I ... but I still feel pretty fortunate to have her as my sister. Even if she is MEDICARE AGE! (Don'tcha just love your sweet "little" brother?)
Our son Eric and DIL Jen bought their first house in Auburn, Maine about a year and a half ago. The house is right around a hundred years old and although in pretty good shape for its age - it requires some repairs/updates. (Don't we all?) One issue that Eric has been wanting to tackle is a sagging spot in their living room floor caused by a few floor joists that cracked and twisted a bit over the years. So - armed with some new floor joists, a 20 Ton Hydraulic Bottle jack, a 10 Ton Hydraulic "Porta Power," other assorted tools, and a willingness to take on "this old house" we went to work on Sunday. It took us most of the day but we managed to jack up the floor enough to install 4 new floor joists that we "sistered" to the original joists using lag bolts. When all was said and done the house was still standing, the floor is flatter, and most importantly - neither of us got seriously injured. I may have had a few sore joints yesterday - but nothing a bottle of ibuprofen won't handle.
Eric is taking the week off from work to accomplish several projects so it looks like I will be assisting again on Wednesday when we plan on addressing some "less than pristine looking" electrical wiring issues in the basement.
Ahh - the joys of home ownership. I'm glad I can help continue my son's education.
Sometime this week Winne should be getting a new driver's side windshield. The insurance guys have shipped the new glass to a local glass shop that will do the install. I plan on taking a couple of hours in between glass removal and installation to clean up and repair the rusty area where the glass leaked on the top edge ... another job for POR-15! Once that repair is complete Winne's maintenance jobs should be just about done and we can put her in storage for awhile.
So ... that's pretty much the way it is here in the State of Maine - doing spring chores in between rainstorms, enjoying the sun when it shows up, and enjoying some time with kids and grandkids.
Not a bad state of affairs at all.
Before I forget ... Happy Birthday to my sister Marcie! As long as a guy has to have an older sister ... I was pretty fortunate to get Marcie. Yes - it's true that she was a bossy big sister a few times, and yes - it's true that she still likes to remind me who the eldest and wisest sibling is, and yes - it's true that she has many many more grandchildren than I ... but I still feel pretty fortunate to have her as my sister. Even if she is MEDICARE AGE! (Don'tcha just love your sweet "little" brother?)
Our son Eric and DIL Jen bought their first house in Auburn, Maine about a year and a half ago. The house is right around a hundred years old and although in pretty good shape for its age - it requires some repairs/updates. (Don't we all?) One issue that Eric has been wanting to tackle is a sagging spot in their living room floor caused by a few floor joists that cracked and twisted a bit over the years. So - armed with some new floor joists, a 20 Ton Hydraulic Bottle jack, a 10 Ton Hydraulic "Porta Power," other assorted tools, and a willingness to take on "this old house" we went to work on Sunday. It took us most of the day but we managed to jack up the floor enough to install 4 new floor joists that we "sistered" to the original joists using lag bolts. When all was said and done the house was still standing, the floor is flatter, and most importantly - neither of us got seriously injured. I may have had a few sore joints yesterday - but nothing a bottle of ibuprofen won't handle.
Eric is taking the week off from work to accomplish several projects so it looks like I will be assisting again on Wednesday when we plan on addressing some "less than pristine looking" electrical wiring issues in the basement.
Ahh - the joys of home ownership. I'm glad I can help continue my son's education.
Sometime this week Winne should be getting a new driver's side windshield. The insurance guys have shipped the new glass to a local glass shop that will do the install. I plan on taking a couple of hours in between glass removal and installation to clean up and repair the rusty area where the glass leaked on the top edge ... another job for POR-15! Once that repair is complete Winne's maintenance jobs should be just about done and we can put her in storage for awhile.
So ... that's pretty much the way it is here in the State of Maine - doing spring chores in between rainstorms, enjoying the sun when it shows up, and enjoying some time with kids and grandkids.
Not a bad state of affairs at all.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
A Special Day
Today was truly a special day.
It didn't really start off all that special. Actually it started off pretty much the same as the few days before it. After completing my normal routine of coffee and computer time I changed into my grubby clothes and got to work on my Winne maintenance list. Today's major project was to paint the propane tank. Like most motorhomes Winne has a frame mounted propane tank. Ours is a 28 gallon tank and is mounted behind the rear wheels on the passenger side. The paint on our particular tank started flaking off several years ago and since it lives in a pretty inhospitable environment - it has steadily gotten worse over time. Although the tank probably would have done its job quite well for many years to come - I have not liked the idea of having a rusting tank holding a highly flammable mixture. I spent several hours over the last few days getting the tank ready for paint. First step - scrape all the old peeling paint and loose rust away. This is the dirtiest and nastiest step. Next step - clean the tank and "neutralize" the rust. I decided to use the POR-15 paint system for this job since I have had great success using this process on rusty stuff in the past. It takes more time - and is pretty pricey - but it works! Trust me on this - if you use this stuff in accordance with the directions - you will not have to do the job twice! Today's work was the final step - apply the paint. I used a dark grey color and applied three thin coats. This paint is pretty amazing stuff. It sets up hard as a rock in under an hour.
But that's not what was special about today.
While taking a break in between paint coats I grabbed my Ipad and negotiated my way onto the site for the Social Security Administration. Within a few minutes I had successfully answered all the appropriate questions, pressed the "Submit" button, and viola ... I have now applied to receive my Social Security Retirement Benefit. I suppose I should feel guilty requesting that the federal government meet their obligation to me for allowing them to withhold all those $$ for all those years. But I don't. Now all I should have to do is sit back and wait several months for the $$ to start appearing monthly in my checking account.
But that's not what was special about today either.
Stacy and Kaj showed up around noon and dropped off Taylor Anne for an overnight visit with Grandpa and Grandma. NOW THAT IS SPECIAL! This is Taylor's first first night away from Mom and Dad - and Mom's first night away from Taylor -- so we feel extra special. We spent the afternoon playing, and napping and playing some more. Grandma and Taylor did some artwork -
Grandpa and Taylor did some Multi-tasking -
As my good friend Darrell always says - "It's all about grandkids." Here are a few recent pictures ... This would be the part of the post where Grandpa is showing off.
We also got to meet "Bad" Taylor this evening. This girl is normally a happy-go-lucky fun baby to be around. And she really enjoys bathtime - until you figure she's had enough playtime in the water and it's time to wash the baby. Let's just say that being washed is not her favorite thing to do! Once she got all cleaned up and settled down from that traumatic experience she got in her Jammies, got fed, and is down for the night.
Whew - time for Grandma and Grandpa to rest!
I Wonder what time she'll wake up? I Wonder if Grandma is going to get up with her?
It didn't really start off all that special. Actually it started off pretty much the same as the few days before it. After completing my normal routine of coffee and computer time I changed into my grubby clothes and got to work on my Winne maintenance list. Today's major project was to paint the propane tank. Like most motorhomes Winne has a frame mounted propane tank. Ours is a 28 gallon tank and is mounted behind the rear wheels on the passenger side. The paint on our particular tank started flaking off several years ago and since it lives in a pretty inhospitable environment - it has steadily gotten worse over time. Although the tank probably would have done its job quite well for many years to come - I have not liked the idea of having a rusting tank holding a highly flammable mixture. I spent several hours over the last few days getting the tank ready for paint. First step - scrape all the old peeling paint and loose rust away. This is the dirtiest and nastiest step. Next step - clean the tank and "neutralize" the rust. I decided to use the POR-15 paint system for this job since I have had great success using this process on rusty stuff in the past. It takes more time - and is pretty pricey - but it works! Trust me on this - if you use this stuff in accordance with the directions - you will not have to do the job twice! Today's work was the final step - apply the paint. I used a dark grey color and applied three thin coats. This paint is pretty amazing stuff. It sets up hard as a rock in under an hour.
But that's not what was special about today.
While taking a break in between paint coats I grabbed my Ipad and negotiated my way onto the site for the Social Security Administration. Within a few minutes I had successfully answered all the appropriate questions, pressed the "Submit" button, and viola ... I have now applied to receive my Social Security Retirement Benefit. I suppose I should feel guilty requesting that the federal government meet their obligation to me for allowing them to withhold all those $$ for all those years. But I don't. Now all I should have to do is sit back and wait several months for the $$ to start appearing monthly in my checking account.
But that's not what was special about today either.
Stacy and Kaj showed up around noon and dropped off Taylor Anne for an overnight visit with Grandpa and Grandma. NOW THAT IS SPECIAL! This is Taylor's first first night away from Mom and Dad - and Mom's first night away from Taylor -- so we feel extra special. We spent the afternoon playing, and napping and playing some more. Grandma and Taylor did some artwork -
Grandpa and Taylor did some Multi-tasking -
As my good friend Darrell always says - "It's all about grandkids." Here are a few recent pictures ... This would be the part of the post where Grandpa is showing off.
We also got to meet "Bad" Taylor this evening. This girl is normally a happy-go-lucky fun baby to be around. And she really enjoys bathtime - until you figure she's had enough playtime in the water and it's time to wash the baby. Let's just say that being washed is not her favorite thing to do! Once she got all cleaned up and settled down from that traumatic experience she got in her Jammies, got fed, and is down for the night.
Whew - time for Grandma and Grandpa to rest!
I Wonder what time she'll wake up? I Wonder if Grandma is going to get up with her?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Warm Weather Chores
It was certainly a lovely day here today. Actually, the last several days have been pretty darn nice. So what have I been doing on all these nice days? - Preparing Winne for storage of course.
First on the agenda - grease the chassis, change the engine oil and change all the filters. New air filter, new fuel filter, new transmission control oil filter, new engine oil filter ... yup Winne is breathing clean air, ingesting clean fuel, and circulating clean oil.
Next I moved on to some rust repair. Winne's entry steps were starting to show some signs of abuse and while I was at it - I decided to "pretty up" the external metal around the lower storage compartments. The rust repair work I did last summer using POR-15 seems to be working very well but I decided to pretty up the previous repair with a complete re-paint. Repainting those areas really isn't all that difficult but it requires a lot of time consuming masking. Oh well ... like I said ... the weather has been nice and being outside putzing on a nice day isn't all that bad a gig. I figure I have another day of masking and painting to finish that chore before moving on to the next item on the pre-storage maintenance list. I'll be taking a break on Winne's maintenance next week to help Eric on some homeowner chores so I better get done what I can on Winne this week.
We did take some time yesterday to drive on up to Richmond to join the Johansen gang in watching Bailey play in a baseball scrimmage. A sunny day with a bit of wind watching a high school baseball game and playing with Taylor Anne on the sidelines - now that's a recipe for a fun time. All that fresh air and sunshine was also a recipe for wearing out us old folks. Once we returned home Peggy and I both took a little unscheduled snooze ... not really a full fledged nap ... just enough to take the edge off so to speak.
So that's pretty much the story around here. We're continuing to try and get things back to "home normal," starting on some warm weather projects, and enjoying our second spring.
First on the agenda - grease the chassis, change the engine oil and change all the filters. New air filter, new fuel filter, new transmission control oil filter, new engine oil filter ... yup Winne is breathing clean air, ingesting clean fuel, and circulating clean oil.
Next I moved on to some rust repair. Winne's entry steps were starting to show some signs of abuse and while I was at it - I decided to "pretty up" the external metal around the lower storage compartments. The rust repair work I did last summer using POR-15 seems to be working very well but I decided to pretty up the previous repair with a complete re-paint. Repainting those areas really isn't all that difficult but it requires a lot of time consuming masking. Oh well ... like I said ... the weather has been nice and being outside putzing on a nice day isn't all that bad a gig. I figure I have another day of masking and painting to finish that chore before moving on to the next item on the pre-storage maintenance list. I'll be taking a break on Winne's maintenance next week to help Eric on some homeowner chores so I better get done what I can on Winne this week.
We did take some time yesterday to drive on up to Richmond to join the Johansen gang in watching Bailey play in a baseball scrimmage. A sunny day with a bit of wind watching a high school baseball game and playing with Taylor Anne on the sidelines - now that's a recipe for a fun time. All that fresh air and sunshine was also a recipe for wearing out us old folks. Once we returned home Peggy and I both took a little unscheduled snooze ... not really a full fledged nap ... just enough to take the edge off so to speak.
So that's pretty much the story around here. We're continuing to try and get things back to "home normal," starting on some warm weather projects, and enjoying our second spring.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Doing my Best
I picked up Winne yesterday and I'm presently in recovery. Placing those buckets of $$ on the counter was painful but driving her home with no noise from the exhaust was very nice.
So with all that behind me - I moved on today to cleaning up and repainting Winne's steel wheels in preparation for replacing the stainless steel wheel covers I removed prior to the tire rotation. I probably could have just replaced the wheel covers without cleaning off 87,000 miles worth of brake dust - but I figured Winne needed a little pampering after all the trauma of having her engine drilled and tapped the last few days!
I like to have Winne in travel-ready condition before putting her in temporary storage and I figure it will take me at least a week, probably two, to get her ready. So you can guess what I'll be doing over the next week or so.
In the meantime Peggy and I will be busy getting our lives back to our non-travel "normal." We certainly enjoy traveling but we also enjoy spending time here in Maine, surrounded by our home "stuff," and our Maine family and friends.
We must be getting closer to "normal." Last week I mailed in our federal and state tax forms - complete with checks to make sure I paid my Fair Share. Then I drove over to the Town Hall and paid my property tax. Once again - I made sure I paid my Fair Share. I know I pay at least my fair share when I put gas in our vehicles ... and Peggy tells me we pay more than our fair share at the grocery store each week. Between the "normal" stuff and the "Winne" repair stuff - I'm doing all I can to help the economy recover.
There you have it. Good little taxpayer and good little consumer. I sure hope I can continue to meet my government's expectations of me.
So with all that behind me - I moved on today to cleaning up and repainting Winne's steel wheels in preparation for replacing the stainless steel wheel covers I removed prior to the tire rotation. I probably could have just replaced the wheel covers without cleaning off 87,000 miles worth of brake dust - but I figured Winne needed a little pampering after all the trauma of having her engine drilled and tapped the last few days!
I like to have Winne in travel-ready condition before putting her in temporary storage and I figure it will take me at least a week, probably two, to get her ready. So you can guess what I'll be doing over the next week or so.
In the meantime Peggy and I will be busy getting our lives back to our non-travel "normal." We certainly enjoy traveling but we also enjoy spending time here in Maine, surrounded by our home "stuff," and our Maine family and friends.
We must be getting closer to "normal." Last week I mailed in our federal and state tax forms - complete with checks to make sure I paid my Fair Share. Then I drove over to the Town Hall and paid my property tax. Once again - I made sure I paid my Fair Share. I know I pay at least my fair share when I put gas in our vehicles ... and Peggy tells me we pay more than our fair share at the grocery store each week. Between the "normal" stuff and the "Winne" repair stuff - I'm doing all I can to help the economy recover.
There you have it. Good little taxpayer and good little consumer. I sure hope I can continue to meet my government's expectations of me.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Woe is Me
Woe is Me.
I just got off the phone with Winne's hospital. The good news is that her drivers side exhaust manifold is repaired. The bad news is that it took them over a day of work to accomplish the fix and it cost a bucketful of $$. The even worse news is that they found another broken stud on the passenger side! So I'll spend the day today finding another bucket to put more $$ in. Ah yes - the joys of RV ownership. I suppose I shouldn't complain ... Winne has performed pretty well over the last 8 years and about 87,000 miles ... and in the big picture of things - hasn't really cost us much in repairs. Let's just hope the repair guys are doing a really good job and that we don't have to re-visit this issue again!!!
I can't wait to get Winne back home so I can start spending even more $$ on all the "normal" maintenance.
Oh - Woe is Me!
Back to the good news ... Brian and grand daughters Alyssa and Emily came over yesterday for a few hours while Nicky was off getting pampered at the "beauty shop." Is that what they still call them?
Brian decided to take us out to lunch so we all jumped in the minivan and made it over to the Fat Boy Drive-In. Yum-Yum once again!!
After lunch we decided to go hunt down a few local geocaches on the local walking path along the Androscoggin River. We were pretty successful and found 3 out of the 4 we looked for while walking a few miles to work off those yummy Fat Boy Onion Rings!
OK -- time to get busy this morning. Breakfast, shower ... and then off to find another bucket.
I just got off the phone with Winne's hospital. The good news is that her drivers side exhaust manifold is repaired. The bad news is that it took them over a day of work to accomplish the fix and it cost a bucketful of $$. The even worse news is that they found another broken stud on the passenger side! So I'll spend the day today finding another bucket to put more $$ in. Ah yes - the joys of RV ownership. I suppose I shouldn't complain ... Winne has performed pretty well over the last 8 years and about 87,000 miles ... and in the big picture of things - hasn't really cost us much in repairs. Let's just hope the repair guys are doing a really good job and that we don't have to re-visit this issue again!!!
I can't wait to get Winne back home so I can start spending even more $$ on all the "normal" maintenance.
Oh - Woe is Me!
Back to the good news ... Brian and grand daughters Alyssa and Emily came over yesterday for a few hours while Nicky was off getting pampered at the "beauty shop." Is that what they still call them?
Brian decided to take us out to lunch so we all jumped in the minivan and made it over to the Fat Boy Drive-In. Yum-Yum once again!!
After lunch we decided to go hunt down a few local geocaches on the local walking path along the Androscoggin River. We were pretty successful and found 3 out of the 4 we looked for while walking a few miles to work off those yummy Fat Boy Onion Rings!
OK -- time to get busy this morning. Breakfast, shower ... and then off to find another bucket.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Post Easter Feast
Yesterday turned out to be really busy starting with an early wake up and trip to Portland to drop Winne off for some needed repair. Peggy followed me down to Portland and then we returned home and she continued to prepare for our family get together later in the day and I ... well I did my best to stay out of her way ... except when she needed a taster to "bless" the potato salad!
Brian and Emily showed up here around 2 PM to visit and hang out while Nicky and Alyssa went to see "Hunger Games." Alyssa tells me it was an "awesome" book and an "awesome" movie ... and I suppose it might be ... but I'm clearly out of the loop on this one. I guess Grandpa is going to have to get busy and get "hip" with all the "it" stuff happening in the world. When did I lose my "hipness?" Maybe I never had any!? And here I am out of the loop with my Tween age grand daughter! How long do you figure it will take for Taylor Anne to figure out that Grandpa has no clue!
The Gang starting arriving around 4:30-5:00 PM for the family gathering and post-Easter feast. Peggy roasted a chicken and Mikee BBQed a few burgers to go with the potato salad, Peggy's famous baked beans, veggie plate ... and then there was the family tradition ... bunny cake for dessert! Add in a round of Margaritas for those old enough and a fun time was had by all. As usual, neither Peggy and I thought to pick up the camera and take pictures. We were having too much fun watching the Gang interact and enjoy themselves.
Today looks to be a bit slower. We hope to see some of the NJ Gang over here today for a while before they have to head home tomorrow. But other than that ... no big plans. I guess we need a day of rest.
Brian and Emily showed up here around 2 PM to visit and hang out while Nicky and Alyssa went to see "Hunger Games." Alyssa tells me it was an "awesome" book and an "awesome" movie ... and I suppose it might be ... but I'm clearly out of the loop on this one. I guess Grandpa is going to have to get busy and get "hip" with all the "it" stuff happening in the world. When did I lose my "hipness?" Maybe I never had any!? And here I am out of the loop with my Tween age grand daughter! How long do you figure it will take for Taylor Anne to figure out that Grandpa has no clue!
The Gang starting arriving around 4:30-5:00 PM for the family gathering and post-Easter feast. Peggy roasted a chicken and Mikee BBQed a few burgers to go with the potato salad, Peggy's famous baked beans, veggie plate ... and then there was the family tradition ... bunny cake for dessert! Add in a round of Margaritas for those old enough and a fun time was had by all. As usual, neither Peggy and I thought to pick up the camera and take pictures. We were having too much fun watching the Gang interact and enjoy themselves.
Today looks to be a bit slower. We hope to see some of the NJ Gang over here today for a while before they have to head home tomorrow. But other than that ... no big plans. I guess we need a day of rest.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
New Normal
Over the past few days Peggy and I have continued our trip back to "normal." Well ... normal for us anyway! We have retrieved all our "stuff" from Winne that we need here in the house and that we'll need to move back to Winne when we take off for our next adventure. We even have most of that "stuff" put away ... and now we'll wonder where we put it for a few months.
I have also started Winne's maintenance routine. There are a lot of things on the list this time - most important of which is to get that exhaust leak fixed. Tomorrow Winne has an appointment down in Portland to get that issue taken care of and will get her tires rotated as well. I usually don't bother with rotating her tires but these tires have about 50,000 miles on them and the fronts are wearing a bit on the edges so I think we'll move some different ones into position up there. I suspect it will take a day or three to get Winne back from the repair shop so the rest of the maintenance work will have to wait. Not that I mind ... it's still a bit nippy outside in Maine for a lot of outdoor work!
We had a fun day yesterday - starting with breakfast out at the Kopper Kettle. We don't do breakfast out very often so it was a great way to start the day -- even if it was getting closer to lunch time by the time we got out!
Shortly after we returned home from breakfast Stacy and Taylor came over to visit! Taylor was in a great mood and she and grandpa got to play with her toys and talk about important stuff ... like whether it's better to chew on your soft toys or your hard rattle.
And then the NJ Gang showed up. Now we had all our grandkids to play with and they had each other to play with. Yes indeed it was a fun day!
Today will be church, preparations for a family gathering here tomorrow, and preparations to get Winne off for her visit to the doctor.
That aught to keep us out of trouble for a day anyway!
Happy Easter Everybody!
I have also started Winne's maintenance routine. There are a lot of things on the list this time - most important of which is to get that exhaust leak fixed. Tomorrow Winne has an appointment down in Portland to get that issue taken care of and will get her tires rotated as well. I usually don't bother with rotating her tires but these tires have about 50,000 miles on them and the fronts are wearing a bit on the edges so I think we'll move some different ones into position up there. I suspect it will take a day or three to get Winne back from the repair shop so the rest of the maintenance work will have to wait. Not that I mind ... it's still a bit nippy outside in Maine for a lot of outdoor work!
We had a fun day yesterday - starting with breakfast out at the Kopper Kettle. We don't do breakfast out very often so it was a great way to start the day -- even if it was getting closer to lunch time by the time we got out!
Shortly after we returned home from breakfast Stacy and Taylor came over to visit! Taylor was in a great mood and she and grandpa got to play with her toys and talk about important stuff ... like whether it's better to chew on your soft toys or your hard rattle.
And then the NJ Gang showed up. Now we had all our grandkids to play with and they had each other to play with. Yes indeed it was a fun day!
Today will be church, preparations for a family gathering here tomorrow, and preparations to get Winne off for her visit to the doctor.
That aught to keep us out of trouble for a day anyway!
Happy Easter Everybody!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Trip Stats
We have been back home now for over 24 hours and I am starting to recover from our long drive yesterday. We both got a long and good night's sleep and that has helped a lot. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to another good night's sleep tonight!
We spent the day bringing more stuff inside the house and putting those things in their "home" place. It sure was nice to come home to a house that was as clean as we left it, mail all nicely stacked on the table for filing, refrigerator turned on, heat turned back up ... even the winter yard trash had been picked up. That property management outfit I contracted with did a great job! Thanks Kaj and Stacy!
Two other great things about being back home ... The first is the comfort of our "home" bed. Winne's bed is pretty comfortable but our "home" bed is waay comfortable. I think it took at least 10 seconds for me to be fast asleep last night. The other is having great water pressure and lots of flow rate in our home shower. I'm pretty sure Peggy and I would have filled up the Grey Tank today -- if we would have had one!
In celebration of our arrival back home and Spring in general - we drove over to Fat Boy Drive-In for lunch this afternoon. Peggy had her normal BLT (with Canadian Bacon), Onion Rings, and a Chocolate Frappe. I went for the Whoper Burger (not a BK "Whopper" but a Fat Boy "Whoper" - they have been making their "Whoper" since the 50s), Onion Rings, and a Diet Coke. Fat Boy continues to make some great food and it's always fun to get car hop service at a true 50s Drive-In Restaurant!
We won't be able to get our cable TV hooked up until later this week so my big accomplishment for today was finding a corner of the yard where the "Tailgater" could find a weak satellite signal. Our yard here in Maine is severely satellite challenged with all the trees along the south and west sides - but the Tailgater was able to get a strong enough signal to feed the receiver inside Winne ... and from there I was able to get the receiver output into the living room TV. Good News! I'll be able to watch the Celtics play tonight!
As for the trip statistics for the 2012 Winter Getaway ...
We set a new record for us in consecutive nights on-the-road - 97!
We traveled 5,610 miles through 18 states on 24 travel days averaging 233 miles per travel day.
We burned up 804 gallons of gasoline at an average price of $3.49 per gallon -- just barely coming in under our budget of $3.50/gallon.
We filled up in Montvale, NJ on day 1 of our trip and again on day 97 on our return trip. The price rose 60 cents per gallon in those 97 days.
We stayed overnight in 20 different spots, staying in the same spot twice in 2 different places (Livingston, TX and Clarksboro, NJ).
We stayed in 4 "Escapee" Parks, 4 State Parks, 1 National Parkway Campground, and 11 Private RV Parks including 1 Casino RV Park. Our average cost per night was just under $22. We did a lot better in this category than on previous trips. We even beat our $25 per night budget number!
And then there are the "strange" statistics:
We saw 5 stray dogs wandering around the Natchez Trace Parkway.
We gained one pair of sweatpants and one camera due to the Peggy Gremlin.
We ate out with Darrell and Judy Patterson 22 times in 4 states.
We towed our bicycles 5,610 miles and rode them a total of less than 10 miles.
We had 1 heck of a great time.
We spent the day bringing more stuff inside the house and putting those things in their "home" place. It sure was nice to come home to a house that was as clean as we left it, mail all nicely stacked on the table for filing, refrigerator turned on, heat turned back up ... even the winter yard trash had been picked up. That property management outfit I contracted with did a great job! Thanks Kaj and Stacy!
Two other great things about being back home ... The first is the comfort of our "home" bed. Winne's bed is pretty comfortable but our "home" bed is waay comfortable. I think it took at least 10 seconds for me to be fast asleep last night. The other is having great water pressure and lots of flow rate in our home shower. I'm pretty sure Peggy and I would have filled up the Grey Tank today -- if we would have had one!
In celebration of our arrival back home and Spring in general - we drove over to Fat Boy Drive-In for lunch this afternoon. Peggy had her normal BLT (with Canadian Bacon), Onion Rings, and a Chocolate Frappe. I went for the Whoper Burger (not a BK "Whopper" but a Fat Boy "Whoper" - they have been making their "Whoper" since the 50s), Onion Rings, and a Diet Coke. Fat Boy continues to make some great food and it's always fun to get car hop service at a true 50s Drive-In Restaurant!
We won't be able to get our cable TV hooked up until later this week so my big accomplishment for today was finding a corner of the yard where the "Tailgater" could find a weak satellite signal. Our yard here in Maine is severely satellite challenged with all the trees along the south and west sides - but the Tailgater was able to get a strong enough signal to feed the receiver inside Winne ... and from there I was able to get the receiver output into the living room TV. Good News! I'll be able to watch the Celtics play tonight!
As for the trip statistics for the 2012 Winter Getaway ...
We set a new record for us in consecutive nights on-the-road - 97!
We traveled 5,610 miles through 18 states on 24 travel days averaging 233 miles per travel day.
We burned up 804 gallons of gasoline at an average price of $3.49 per gallon -- just barely coming in under our budget of $3.50/gallon.
We filled up in Montvale, NJ on day 1 of our trip and again on day 97 on our return trip. The price rose 60 cents per gallon in those 97 days.
We stayed overnight in 20 different spots, staying in the same spot twice in 2 different places (Livingston, TX and Clarksboro, NJ).
We stayed in 4 "Escapee" Parks, 4 State Parks, 1 National Parkway Campground, and 11 Private RV Parks including 1 Casino RV Park. Our average cost per night was just under $22. We did a lot better in this category than on previous trips. We even beat our $25 per night budget number!
And then there are the "strange" statistics:
We saw 5 stray dogs wandering around the Natchez Trace Parkway.
We gained one pair of sweatpants and one camera due to the Peggy Gremlin.
We ate out with Darrell and Judy Patterson 22 times in 4 states.
We towed our bicycles 5,610 miles and rode them a total of less than 10 miles.
We had 1 heck of a great time.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Nothin' But The Facts
Nine and a half hours of driving about 450 or so miles .... and we're home!
I have nothing interesting to report.
We left NJ around O Dark Thirty ...
Traffic was heavy all day ...
Winne Ran Fine ...
We got home around 3:30 PM ...
We are about half moved back into the house ...
We got to visit a little with Kaj, Stacy, and Taylor Anne ...
I'm beat ...
Details to follow.
I have nothing interesting to report.
We left NJ around O Dark Thirty ...
Traffic was heavy all day ...
Winne Ran Fine ...
We got home around 3:30 PM ...
We are about half moved back into the house ...
We got to visit a little with Kaj, Stacy, and Taylor Anne ...
I'm beat ...
Details to follow.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Resting Up in NJ
Well ... we made it all the way to New Jersey. We pulled in here to our normal NJ Campground in Clarksboro, NJ right around 3:00 PM. Another long travel day - about 300 miles.
Traffic is definitely picking up as we get northerer and northerer. The price of fuel and RV Parks are also picking up as we get northerer! The temperature on the other hand is getting colderer and colderer. We are down to around 40 degrees this morning and the high is expected to only make it to about 60 degrees!
Winne ran "OK" yesterday but she is regaining her mis-fire as that exhaust leak is impinging on one of the spark plug wires and causing it to fail prematurely. I will have to deal with that issue somehow today before we head further north tomorrow.
Brian, Nicole, Alyssa, and Emily joined us here at the campground yesterday evening for a few hour visit. Their schedule looks pretty busy for today but we hope to meet up with them for at least a few hours later this afternoon. It looks like the NJ gang will be heading to Maine later in the week for the Easter holiday so hopefully we'll get some "quality" time with them then.
So that's pretty much our story here. A few chores to take care of today, a little bit of visiting, and then a good night's sleep before our really long trip back to Maine tomorrow.
See ya next time from Maine - "The Way Life Should Be."
Traffic is definitely picking up as we get northerer and northerer. The price of fuel and RV Parks are also picking up as we get northerer! The temperature on the other hand is getting colderer and colderer. We are down to around 40 degrees this morning and the high is expected to only make it to about 60 degrees!
Winne ran "OK" yesterday but she is regaining her mis-fire as that exhaust leak is impinging on one of the spark plug wires and causing it to fail prematurely. I will have to deal with that issue somehow today before we head further north tomorrow.
Brian, Nicole, Alyssa, and Emily joined us here at the campground yesterday evening for a few hour visit. Their schedule looks pretty busy for today but we hope to meet up with them for at least a few hours later this afternoon. It looks like the NJ gang will be heading to Maine later in the week for the Easter holiday so hopefully we'll get some "quality" time with them then.
So that's pretty much our story here. A few chores to take care of today, a little bit of visiting, and then a good night's sleep before our really long trip back to Maine tomorrow.
See ya next time from Maine - "The Way Life Should Be."
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