Long Wet and Windy Moving Day.

Our Location today is at Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge.

With the Temperature dipping below the Freezing Mark we also left our Blue Flame Heater running on the lowest setting for the night. Not worrying about what time we needed to get up this morning meant that we were both well relaxed when we went to bed. The long miles of the last Two Days were now behind us and any driving would be just short jaunts. It wasn’t until we started hearing an increase of traffic in the Parking Lot and Voices of other shoppers that we started waking just after 8:00 EDT.

We enjoyed a leisure breakfast but remembered that we didn’t have too much time to waste because we had some moving to do today and there were Strong Winds forecasted for this afternoon. While Kathy secured the Kitchen for travel I did the same with the Bedroom but with a slight change. I started loading our Computers, CPAPs and Medication into the Car because we wouldn’t be sleeping in the Trailer for some time to come.

After giving the Information to last night’s neighbour Ely it was around 9:30 that we left the Walmart parking lot. The 3.2 Miles seemed to happen in the Blink of an Eye for me as I lead the way to Guardian Storage. This is where we used to store our Avalanche when we were just Snowbirds living in the apartment. Still having our Remote it was easy to go in the Rear Gate and find the Site we had recently been assigned.

It only took a couple of minutes to get parked and unhooked. Our next stop was to drop the Truck off by our Climate Controlled Storage Unit before heading up to the Office. Carrol was in today and it only took a few minutes to sign for the Two-Week Trailer Site and the extra Storage Unit to fit our Belongings from the Trailer in.

Back at our Climate Controlled Storage Unit we gathered the Box-Spring, Mattress and Bed-Frame along with a few other things we would be needing for the next Six to Eight Weeks. It took Kathy’s help to bring out the Mattress but then it was a matter of using the Laws of Leverage to toss it on the rear of the Truck. Kathy laughed at the way I tied it down but when I reminded her of the High Winds and Rain we were expecting she appreciated it.

Heading in the direction of Tecumseh the Wind was already starting to increase. With no Vehicles in our Daughter’s Driveway I was able to back up right to the Garage and unload both the Car and Truck before even opening the door. Since the high only reached 43 F (6 C) today I didn’t want to waste their heat.

Due to our Home being sent back to the Factory for an undisclosed amount of time, our daughter Karen offered us the use of the downstairs Game Room to stay in. Once the Bed-Frame was setup Kathy tried to help me bring the Box-Spring downstairs but no matter what we tried it wouldn’t fit. That’s when Kathy suggested using Plywood so we headed to Home Depot.

The closest we could park to the store was halfway across the parking lot. We found the plywood that we needed but had to wait in line to get it trimmed to the size we wanted. As soon as we walked out the door with our purchase the Wind really started blowing and it was starting to Rain. I managed to get it all under the Toneau Cover and we were soon on our way back to Karen’s.

Tyler was there when we arrived and helped me to get the Two Larger Pieces downstairs. When we placed them on the Frame they were too large. The associate had cut them 32” Wide instead of 30”. I needed my saw to trim them and we needed some clothes so we headed back to Guardian Storage.

We stopped to get a few more things from the Climate Controlled Storage Unit then we dropped off the Extra Plywood Strips in the other Unit before going to the Trailer. We spent nearly Two Hours getting clothes and other necessities packed to bring with us. We also enjoyed the Leftover Chinese Food for our supper that Kathy simply heated in the Microwave by using the Inverter. When it was time to pack the Truck, we needed to wear our Rain-Suits in order to keep dry and with the 40 MPH Wind Gusts there was no way we were leaving the slides out on the Trailer.

Greg was home when we backed into the Driveway and helped me get the Mattress downstairs because it had more Flex that the Box-Spring didn’t have. Using our folding tables for nightstands for our CPAP Machines we are now ready for a good night’s sleep in a Warm Non-Moving Building.

We truly appreciate this helpful gesture but we’ll be just as happy when we get our Home on Wheels back. Thanks for following along, feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You stop at hotels you're not staying in and filling up your cooler at the ice machines.

Looney GPS, Cold Cloudy Drive, Back In Canada and Visiting With Family.

Our Location today is at Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge.

After a long Rainy Day on the road yesterday we were both barely able to stay awake long enough to write the Blog. Even once we were tucked away under our warm Winter Sheets we could still hear the Rain coming down and it was only minutes before we were both asleep.

Unfortunately, that didn’t last because unbeknownst to the other after a few hours of sleep we were awake staring at the ceiling. We had set the alarm not as early as yesterday but due to the sleepless hours neither of us heard it so it was nearly 8:00 EDT that we walked into the Cracker Barrel for breakfast. The temperature had dropped and those hot Coffees helped us to warm up. 

Clouds followed us most of the day.

It was just past 8:30 when we pulled out of our night-time spot and headed up the street to top off the Truck. It’s always fun maneuvering around Gas Bars in Shopping Centers because you can’t get into any of the other Gas Stations in town. 

Welcome to Ohio.

By 9:00 we were once again heading North on I-69. Last spring fellow bloggers had complained how rough sections of that Highway were well today we got to experience those same rough roads. The GPS was actually directing us in the same direction that I had researched On-Line last night and eventually had us change to I-469 bringing us around Fort Wayne. A nice thing about today’s travel was that it was not Raining though it did remain Cloudy most of the day.  

Nice edging on the bridge.

That was when the RV GPS started losing its grip on reality. It kept trying to have us turn onto non-existent roads. Then it wanted us to turn around as well as screaming “Speed Reduction Ahead” when in fact it was an increase. The last few times we tried updating it the next time we would go to put it to use it would indicate that it was over a year since its last update. After repeatedly being on some road that did not look anything like what I was seeing on my Trucker’s GPS we just turned it off. 

Walkway to the Toledo Zoo.

The only direction that we didn’t like that I had written was when Indiana-24 East joined with US-25 North. It brought us through the neighbourhoods of Toledo for about Ten Miles and the timing on the traffic lights varied greatly. When the ramp took us to I-75 we knew we’d be in familiar territory before long. In all the years I have travelled through Toledo that highway is always under construction and today was no different. 

Railway bridges with Zoo Animals painted on it.

We finally stopped for lunch at a Denny’s in Southgate, Michigan just after 1:30. Being hungry was taking its toll on us. We both enjoyed one of their Chicken Sizzlers and found them satisfying. 

I drove in the smoothest lane on this road.

With all the road construction taking place in Michigan we had to detour to Fort Street and had to travel all the way to Southfield before we could get back on the Highway. Even the I-75 traffic was rerouted so we didn’t get on the Ambassador Bridge until 3:00. Then with all the booths open it still took us nearly Forty-Five Minutes to clear Immigrations. It felt good to be back in Canada but our day was far from over. 

Pure Michigan

We drove out to Amherstburg to get the car but when we saw Walmart was open we stopped to pick up a container of RV Anti-Freeze. When I went to ask to stay the night I was told the Local By-Laws didn’t allow it but I could go to the campground up the road. That may be good in the end of May but they are not open at this time of year. We stopped at Kevin and Melissa’s House and had a short visit before getting back on the road but this time in separate vehicles. 

We arrived at the East Windsor Walmart at 5:00 and were surprised to see them closed. Seeing a Semi and another RV set up along the outside edges of the parking lot we made ourselves at home. 

We left the Truck and Trailer behind and drove over to visit our daughter Karen’s house in Tecumseh. With this being a Public Holiday here in Canada the entire family was home. Everyone missed us and were glad we were Home. I filled one of our Drinking Water Jugs so we’ll have water in the Trailer after the water system is drained. We were there over an Hour before saying good bye. 

Bridge to Canada.

Looking at the clock we noticed it was past 7:00 and we were just starting to feel hungry so we stopped in at one of the local Chinese Food Restaurants. Being just slightly hungry we ordered a simple meal for Two. Having recently changed our eating habits can you guess what we’ll be having for lunch tomorrow.

Back at the Trailer we finished getting ourselves set up for the night. The Truck worked perfectly today never missing a beat but after towing the Trailer another 291.7 Miles today we won’t be in a hurry to get up in the morning but when we do we have things to do. Thanks for following along, feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

A word to the wise is enough.

Plautus, Roman Dramatist

Long Wet Drive, Confused GPS and Response To Comments.

Our Location today is at Anderson, Indiana, U.S.A.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge.

Knowing that we had the Truck back from the Repair Shop helped to ease only a little tension last night. After composing our Blog, while Kathy did her usual job of editing I went back outside.

We had both taken early showers so there would be a lot less weight being towed down the road. We were wanting to leave as early as possible in the morning so I drained our Waste Tanks and added some Water to our Fresh Water Tank before getting all the Hoses stored for travel. I also crawled under the slides to remove the X-Chocks and raise the Center Jacks. I then prepped the Truck for towing and positioned it within inches of being locked in. 

What we saw of the Gateway Arch yesterday.

I no sooner got inside the door when the Forecasted Heavy Rain started at exactly the time they predicted. It never let up all night and even though we were wearing Earplugs we could hear the Rain more than the Trains. 

Can you see the Arch Now?

Kathy tried covering her head when the Alarm went off at 6:00 CST but she knew the Rain was supposed to get worse and with Possible Flooding forecasted in the area we were located, we wanted to get out of there. After a lite breakfast we both had chores to do to secure things for travel. Even wearing our Raincoats, we were both soaked by the time we rolled out at 7:15. Glad we had gotten a lot of things ready last night. 

Looking to the Sky you couldn’t tell where one Cloud ended and another started so again our GPS was mostly useless. Last night I had scribbled down an approximate route that I knew would get us to where we were heading. 

Another thing that we were both praying for was that the Truck would function the way it should and not leave us stranded. The engine was warming up but after about Ten Miles the message “DRIVE TO CLEAN FILTER” appeared on the dash and we both started having a sick feeling in our stomachs. The only thing we could do was keep driving and watch the Mile Markers in case we broke down. Traffic got quite thick as we left St. Louis on I-55 so I was busy driving bouncing round the Potholes and watching for the AXXholes that practically scraped our bumper cutting into our lane when they could have easily stayed in their own. Suddenly the message on the dash had changed to “CLEANING EXHAUST FILTER”. That’s what we needed! 

Since we had started our morning on only a Half a tank of fuel shortly after 9:30 after we had gotten onto I-70 we stopped first to fuel the Truck where a gentleman I spoke to while fueling said it had been raining for the last Two Weeks. We then stopped to have another lite breakfast at the Huddle House. The meal was great and their Coffee helped the both of us warm up. 

Back on I-70 it took some convincing so that Kathy would relax enough to have a Snap. She was still worried about the Truck but when she woke nearly an Hour later there was the Regen System cleaning the DPF like it was supposed to. 

As we approached Indianapolis on I-265 the GPS kept trying to have us go back in the direction we had just come from. The notes that I had made last night again got us to the route I-69 that we needed. 

Since it had Rained all day without letting up for the entire trip at 3:25 CST when Kathy spotted a sign for a Cracker Barrel she said to call it a day. After parking the Truck, we had to fix something before going inside. We had to fix our Watches because we were now at 4:30 EDT the same Time Zone we had left Twenty-One Weeks ago today. 

We took our time enjoying Chicken Salads for our meals. We may sound like we eat a lot but we don’t and our appetites and stomachs are diminishing. We traveled 300.6 Miles today and decided to stay the night ending our travels only Seventeen Miles short of our destination. 

As many have commented about the way the Service Manager treated us in yesterday’s Blog we will definitely be filing a complaint with not only the MBB but with Ford Motor Company as well. He had only been given Written Permission to work on the Thermostats and do an Oil Change, nothing more. 

These Canadians didn't seem to mind the Rain.

We checked the Weather as soon as we got on the Computers this evening and it looks like the St. Louis area has cleared up. Let’s hope that Cloud is not following us. Tomorrow we are hoping to be back in Windsor and seeing our Family again. The Temperatures will be on the cold side but they are forecasting that we’ll see the Sun sometime in the afternoon. Thanks for following along, feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Joke of the Day

I went to a seafood disco last week and pulled a mussel.

Arrogant Service Manager, Apologetic Dealership Manager and Getting Ready To Pull Out.

Our Location today is at East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.A.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge.

Trying to get into practice of waking up early we were up by 8:30 this morning. Kathy has gotten so used to wearing the Earplugs at night that she credits them for not hearing passing Trains at all hours. We enjoyed our breakfast and since we weren’t in any particular hurry this morning we even enjoyed a Second Hot Cup while reading at the Computers. 

Yesterday when we dropped the truck off we explained that we had spoken to Keith on Friday about the problem and he had the go ahead to fix it. Mike had me sign the normal Authorization Form.  At 10:15 this morning Keith called to say the reason the Regen wasn’t working was because of the Thermostats not letting the Engine warm up so the Regen System can do its job. I reminded him that this is the second time this has happened and we needed the truck in working condition before the end of the day. That’s when he says he needed permission to do the repairs. I asked why I had signed the Authorization Form if he was going to ask again. Just get it done.

You hear of companies saying they have no idea why they are struggling. I say look in the mirror, if you are not doing your job there is the reason. Around 2:00 I called Broadway Ford and spoke to Mike who we were dealing with yesterday. I informed him of Keith’s call this morning and informed him we had to have the Truck by this Afternoon.

Minutes later I received a call from the Service Manager Keith screaming over the phone that our Truck needed lots of new parts that he didn’t have and we wouldn’t be getting it back until Monday at the earliest. When I said that was impossible he started screaming to his mechanic to throw that piece of SXXt together and he didn’t give a SXXt if we didn’t make it out of the city and broke down by the side of the road. I told him I’d get back to him.

I called Jim at Windsor Gas and Diesel and ran all this Bull past him. He gave me some tips to hopefully make the Regen System work to limp Home.

Instead of calling Keith I called and got the number of the Dennis the Manager of Broadway Ford. I was very calm but very descriptive of Keith’s conversation and attitude. I explained what Keith said on Saturday and what he said today and that we had to get Home to Canada ASAP. I also told him I would no longer speak to Keith as he was nothing but an Arrogant Ass.

Dennis called back nearly Fifteen Minutes later. He apologized for Keith’s attitude and had everyone working to get our Truck road worthy. He was sending a vehicle to pick us up at 5:00 and even though the Repair Shop closed at 4:00 the Truck would be delivered to us at the Dealership by 5:30. The only thing we should be paying for was the Diagnostics and our Oil Change.

When Chad came to pick us up we had gotten a bit antsy and walked over to the front gate of the RV Park. It was nice that we didn’t have to worry about driving back to the dealership and as soon as Chad crossed the river he immediately drove down city streets. We had arrived in less then Ten Minutes and the Truck was sitting in the back lot. Remember Dennis said there would be no huge bill. He Lied! After checking the Truck over we said our good byes to Mike who had really gone to bat for us.

Not wanting to get lost we turned on our trusty GPS and took the first five turns it told us to only to end up on a Dead-End. I backed up to the intersection and made a right but the GPS want us to return to the Dead-End. We were on the highway and spotted the sign to Illinois but because of construction it took Ten Minutes just to cross the bridge. We were following signs to the Casino Queen and the GPS was still trying to send us in other directions.

This was lined up with cars and trucks trying to go to Illinois.

With this having been such an unnerving day we hadn’t taken anything out for supper and we didn’t see any fast food places to eat so we thought we’d try the Casino. After parking the Truck and joining Kathy inside we discovered the Buffet was Closed. We were fortunate enough that there were Two other eating establishments and One was in our price range. We both enjoyed a Ruben Sandwich with Onion Rings and an Unsweetened Iced Tea.

Once we had the Truck Home while Kathy worked inside I started closing things up outside only leaving the Electricity hooked up for the night. By doing that and setting the Alarm for the morning we are hoping for an early departure. We’ll have a long travel day with most of it through Rainy Weather. Thanks for following along, feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

The more refined one is, the more unhappy.

Anton Chekov, Russian Writer and Physician

Our Neighbours Left Early, Truck’s In The Shop and Flood Warnings In The Area.

Our Location today is at East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.A.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge.

We were both up earlier this morning probably because the outside temperature rose through the night to a comfortable 55 F (13 C) and the Rain had stopped. We wanted to spend a little time visiting with our neighbours Reg and Andree before they pulled out but when we raised the Window Shades their site was empty. They had ventured out on a tour yesterday and when we saw them returning they looked worn out so we decided to wait. We will be able to keep in touch by using our E-mails.

When breakfast was over we brought our Coffee/Tea over to the Computers. The first thing I checked was the Weather Forecast for the area. When it indicated an increase in Rain this afternoon we hurried our reading and were soon out the door. 

Heading into St. Louis

The destination was Broadway Ford Truck Service which according to Mapquest and our GPS was only Two and a Half Miles away. By the time we pulled out of Casino Queen RV Park there was a heavy Cloud Cover and a lite Rain coming down. The first few minutes everything went great but then after being told by the GPS to take one Highway into town it kept turning us around and bringing us back to downtown St. Louis. With the Heavy Clouds and Rain the GPS was having a hard time to locate the Satellites for guidance. It kept telling us to take one Exit neither of us saw to go to Seventh Street so when I took a ramp that said Seventh Street the Repair Center was right around the corner. 

Our GPS turned us around again.

Normally I have no problem with this kind of thing but when we went inside and were told the Repair Center was temporarily moved because of a Fire they’d had I lost it. We had just traveled over Twenty Miles in a maze of highways that were giving me a headache. Mike one of the New Service Managers calmed me down and assured us they would bring the Truck to the temporary shop and return it. He would also drive us back to our RV and pick us up when the Truck was finished.

He was going to drive us back in an older service pickup at first. With no Step Bar Kathy still made it up in the cab but it was crowded three of us on the Bench Seat. Just then the Customer Shuttle arrived so we switched to that. I put Kathy in the front seat and then the rear sliding door wouldn’t work. Finally, under way Mike had to use his GPS to get us to Casino Queen RV Park because things had changed since he had left and only recently moved back to the area. His GPS started doing the same thing to him as our’s did but he only clocked in Ten Miles.

It was only minutes after noon when we walked in to our Home so we worked together to make French Onion Soup for lunch. As we sat down to enjoy our nourishment the forecasted Heavy Rain started and didn’t slow down until after 6:00.

After eating Kathy went back to reorganizing her Clothes Cupboard. I went to the Computer and started looking at the Weather Forecasts for St. Louis, Indianapolis and Home. St. Louis they were cautioning against possible Flooding, just Showers in Indianapolis and Snow for Easter back Home.

We watched the movie Marmaduke this afternoon which helped to shine a little laughter into our otherwise Gloomy Day. We both gave it Two Thumbs Up.

It was still early so we watched another Denzel Washington movie titled “Flight” which focused on an Alcoholic Pilot. We have recently been hearing about Airlines cracking down on Aviators Under the Influence and this sent a message about those struggling with this disease that they can be Free.

With more Rain forecasted overnight, I think we’ll have no problems sleeping tonight. Thanks for following along, feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

Your voice mail greetings begins,

"If yer callin about the smell…"

Making Long Distance Arrangements, No Word From The Repair Shop and Another Good Movie.

Our Location today is at East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.A.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge.

Surprisingly last night the temperatures stayed above the Freezing Mark which meant we weren’t laying in bed attempting to stay warm. We didn’t take any chances about being awakened by the sound of the Trains shuttling just a Hundred Feet away either by simply putting our Ear Plugs in before going to bed. What was different was that it started Raining loud enough in the middle of the night that we could hear it with the Ear Plugs in. That sound has a tendency of lulling Kathy into a deeper sleep. Heck it’s starting to do that to me too. Must be catchy!

Knowing there was nowhere to go and hearing the Rain pounding on the roof again when I woke 6:00 CDT rolling over for a few more winks seemed like the logical thing to do. When I looked at the clock and saw that it was then 9:00 instinct had me jumping out of bed to start the morning even though we still had nowhere to go. 

Once the Window Shades were opened and breakfast was ready I just turned the Igniter on the stove to start the Water Kettle to boil and to wake Kathy. Looking outside we could barely see the base of the Gateway Arch because of the intense Clouds.

After sitting at the Computers to enjoy our morning Coffees the first thing I did was to call Guardian Storage back in Windsor Ontario. I spoke with Carol to reserve a short-term parking spot for our Trailer and Another Storage Unit so that we could empty the trailer of all our personal belongings before returning it to Leisure Trailers so it can go back to the Factory. We would have started that chore today if we had not had this problem with the Truck. Now we’ll be struggling to get it completed on time.

I then tried calling the Repair Shop to see if I could bring the Truck in today but the furthest I got was the Answering Machine and no Return Call.

With Kathy getting changed, I’d barely hung up on one phone when the other started ringing. It was our daughter Karen calling just to make certain that we were Okay as she had been expecting us on the weekend. That call alone helped to lift our spirits.

We still felt chilled due to all the moisture in the air so for lunch we had Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Chicken Noodle Soup. It was lite but filling.

We accomplished a number of things on the Computers as a way of passing time this afternoon. 

For supper Kathy had me slice a Potato so that she could sautee them in the Frying Pan while she cooked up some Spare Ribs in the Convection Oven. Add that to some Niblet Corn and Pudding Cups for dessert and the meal was perfect.

Tonight, we watched the movie “Siege” with Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis where New York City is put under Martial Law, pre 9-11. Scary that something like that could happen and basically did for awhile. Good Movie.

Tomorrow we’ll get the Truck to the Repair Shop and hope for the best. Supposed to be a Rainy-Day Tomorrow. Thanks for following along, feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Witty Words of Wisdom

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.