RV test drive

In May we drove to Prescott, AZ to rent a Pleasure Way class B RV. We have seen these and similar vehicles in our travels and they look so fun. We've gone to RV dealers and checked out new models but they are very spendy, $80-110,000. That's a lot of money for an untried camping lifestyle... if you can call it camping. So we decided to rent one but they are hard to find, thus the long trek to Arizona. Here it is:

Here is John connecting the TV cable at the highest priced RV campground we had. You can see the electrical and water connections too. Notice the gravel. We did have some shade and were close to the bathrooms, but it was interesting that the highest priced campground we ranked as the second poorest quality!

This was our Grand Canyon campsite. There was enough room in our space that several people thought it was the road and drove right through. Notice how we found the ONLY shade! In this picture you can see the two single beds/couches, the night stand with two drawers and the storage space. We kept chairs, backpacks, hiking poles, and hiking boots in this space. It could be accessed from the two back doors and a small door on the inside below the night stand drawers. The small door was just the right size for Marilyn's hiking boots to pass through.

Gromit and his buddy, Hutch, took a tour of the inside.

Gromit and Hutch found their nice in the corner while their buddy, Pug, sat in front of the pillow. The single beds/sofas and night stand could fold down into a big bed. However, there would be no access to the night stand drawers and it would take up the entire back of the RV. We'd brought sleeping bags, silk sleep sacks, and fleece blankets and it was more convenient to use the single beds.



There was a TV that could swing out. If we stayed in an RV park with cable and electricity, this worked great once we figured out how to use the menu! Since it is an older non-digital TV, we couldn't get over the air broadcasts. It could run on 120 (electricity) or 12 volts (battery). For all but the first few nights of our trip, it was useless. It did have a sliding cover, behind Hutch, that kept it protected while driving or not in use.

There were several storage areas above our head. Gromit and Hutch are sitting in my 'clothes closet.' It held everything from my duffel bay with ease and was a lot easier to use than plastic boxes in the back of the van. John and I each had one of these and another good sized lower drawer and it was plenty of room. If we had to carry both warm and cold weather clothes, it could get a bit tight.

The built in coffee maker looked great. Apparently the carafe couldn't stay in the coffee maker while on the road so we would have had to find a storage spot for it. Since we use individual coffee bags to accommodate our regular and decaf choices, we opted not to even bring the carafe with us.

There are two storage spaces above the cab end. We used it for dirty clothes! My handbag fit nicely to the right above the door. Next to that is the tank and battery monitoring system, and switches for the hot water heater and water pump. There is a door directly below. Anyone taller than Marilyn had to duck to avoid a head bump when entering through this door.

The kitchen is small. Under the red cup is a cover for the sink, but the sink was used so often that covering it wasn't even an option during meal prep. To the right of the gas burners is a pantry with plenty of space. In looking at floor plans and photos of similar vehicles, this much pantry space is unusual. We kept paper towels and paper plates in a storage space above the kitchen and pots and pans below the sink. The BEST part of the kitchen was the 3-way refrigerator. Once we discovered how well it worked, we had ice cream for dessert every night! A microwave was available, with electricity only, above the coat closet directly behind the camera.

Speaking of the coat closet, here it is. Marilyn made sure to hang the jackets so the zippers didn't rub on the walls. There was a table secured in here that we only used once. It fit right in front of the night stand but took up a lot of room and was too high for Marilyn. We kept two laptop computers in here too.

And the bathroom!
We didn't really use the toilet except when miles from any other facilities. The shower was nice. The curtain is tucked into the towel rack and covers the door and the cabinet area. It was a tight squeeze but, along with the refrigerator, a highlight!

The sink is tiny and okay for brushing teeth. The medicine cabinet couldn't hold much and we had two small drawers for our toiletries. The lower cabinet held cleaning and holding tank supplies. Every campground we were in had decent, close bathrooms so we utilized those. Sometimes we wondered if the space for the bathroom was worth it, but the first shower after a sweaty hike in a campground without shower facilities convinced us of its value.


We had some learning experiences along the way... how to get the TV signal to come in when we had cable, how to reset the fuse when the air conditioner was on (just didn't use the AC because of the fuse problem), how to flush the holding tanks without looking like rookies, how to tighten the battery kill switch after two dead batteries, how to get the refrigerator to work on gas (who knew to interpret the word 'stop' as 'hold both buttons down at the same time'), discovering that the awning doesn't help when the sun is low in the sky just when you REALLY want it, remembering to duck when entering, or walking under the air conditioner, stepping UP over the sill into the bathroom...


So, what is the verdict? It was not an easy vehicle to drive, especially in the wind. John did all the driving and it was two handed all the way. After analyzing the cost and thinking about how often it would be used and where it would be stored, we decided we could rent one for a couple of trips a year for many years before we spent that $80-110,000. The only problem is how far we have to travel just to get to a rental dealership and the daily mileage limits.


Also, there were a couple of places we would have gone if we'd had our own vehicle - some down dirt roads, or driving around to see the town after getting set up in a new place. The motor home RV does limit the incidental driving. We were less adventurous in our travels and stuck to the main roads.

We are both glad we did this, as it was really fun. We will keep RV rentals in mind for the future - and we did see a cute little 19' cab-over unit from Cruise America that would fit us nicely!

Bike Building

John's been busy building bikes this fall and winter. This bike is based on a Lightning P-38 and is supposed to be lighter and faster than our previous bikes. It didn't turn out to be as light as desired, but it appears to be faster! It is the seventh bike John has built and he will be the rider.

Next he decided to build me a short wheel base bicycle. The aluminum frame began its life as a kid's BMX bike. It took a number of fittings and adjustments to get it to fit Marilyn's short legs! It is not quite complete but is ride-able. We rode Sunday afternoon, giving it the first test beyond circle and figure eights on the campus commons. We found a few things to tweak but it was a fun ride. I felt like I got more power out of each stroke than on my compact wheelbase bike. It doesn't flex like a steel bike and the seat is harder so I feel all the bumps! The handle bars were a bit far forward so I couldn't practice the more laid back position.

It looks like I am all curled up in a ball. It doesn't feel that way. These photos just remind me that I am really short! Oh, Gromit didn't get to ride today. Maybe next time...

Today we went to Lincoln for a medical appointment. John likes to plan a mid-afternoon appointment so he can visit The Used Bike Shop where the owner is also a recumbent bike builder. (And I want to have time for a nice lunch. Today it was at the Great Harvest Bakery!) He bought some new handlebars, a new bike computer, and some other parts that aren't nearly as exciting. He ordered another part which we will pick up when we go down for the spring UNL volleyball game in a couple of weeks. Look for more photos when he gets the new handlebars installed!

Spring is here!

Sunday afternoon was nice will a bit of sun and very little wind. After a bike ride I spent some time in the garden, turning the soil and removing pesky clumps of grass from the flowerbeds. I discovered that the oregano survived the winter... maybe being buried under several feet of snow was just enough insulation. The snow in that area of the yard didn't melt until the nighttime temperatures moderated into the 30s.

Here is one of my rose bushes. All of the roses were damaged from the drifts, so I trimmed them way back. That action gave me the opportunity to get rid of lots of dead canes. I think the roses are glad for the cleansing. If you look carefully, you can see green leaves and red shoots beginning to appear!

Here is the ONE flower in my yard as of today. It is the only bud in this clump of daffodil greens. There are more buds in some other clumps so I am hoping for more color in a week or so, depending on the weather.

The greens in the background are lilies, commonly known as Magic Lilies, Surprise Lilies, and Naked Ladies. The leaves are the first to come up in the spring. They are full, large clumps. However, no flowers are to be seen. The leaves die back by early summer and are gone by August when suddenly single stalks shoot up out of the seemingly barren earth. Then, lovely pale pink lilies blossom for a week or two.

Gromit's responsibilities

I'm Gromit and I help Marilyn and John both at home and away. Here are some photos of me at work.

I helped knit socks for Marilyn's great-niece, Wren.

I shoveled snow MANY times this winter.

Here I am jumping into Marilyn's bag as she was getting ready to go to a conference. I stayed with her personal items while she gave a presentation.

I also help Marilyn when she grades the college students' assignments.

With my help on the taxes, John and Marilyn got a refund!

I help Marilyn charge and sync her iPod Touch. Sometimes I get to play games, check to see if Rover has sent me an e-mail, or listen to an audio book.

I helped John get this Kindle for Marilyn just before Valentine's Day. When she is at work, I get to read it! We both just finished a book about the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. Hmm. I wonder if she wants to go there... if she does, she'd better take me!

While in Florida I supervised John and his dad while they did some plumbing work.

I even help Marilyn buy cards for John. These were for Valentine's Day.

As you can see, I am quite busy!

Sad roses, but springs forth!

The rose bushes have been buried under drifts all winter. I've been worried about them as the few canes that were visible stuck out at odd angles. The snow is starting to recede after a week of above freezing temperatures and five days of rain and those worries were justified. Almost every cane in bent or broken. When the ground drains a bit, I will have to do some major trimming. I hope they can bounce back.

The tea roses have suffered the most!

Even the more robust floribunda roses (I think that's what they are...) are suffering!

I didn't even see these little green shoots until after photographing the nearby roses. Daffodils are in the background with surprise lilies (AKA magic lilies or naked ladies) in the foreground.
Spring will come!

Socks

I like to have something to do with my hands while watching TV or listening to NPR. I also tend to take up a hobby or craft for a while, enjoy it, then move on to something new. In the past I've done counted cross stitch, crocheting, origami, and fabric origami boxes. This is in addition to crossword, sudoku and KenKen puzzles. (What is KenKen? Sudoku on steroids. GREAT math and logic. Try it!)



So, right now knitting is my craft of choice. This fall I made hoodie sweaters for the daughter of a friend, Mya, who is almost 1 1/2 and Wren, my great niece, who will turn 1 in a week! They were lots of fun but almost too quick. So, I decided to try my hand at socks. For sure, socks are not quick projects. First, the needles used are really small, so those stitches are really small too. One reason I moved on from counted cross stitch was the difficulty seeing the small stitches. Well, knitting socks means I sometimes still use a magnifying glass or take off my glasses!



They really are a challenge but that is part of the fun. Also, for the first time I can remember, I have a pair of socks that FIT my little feet. I didn't realize one could actually have socks that didn't have at least a half inch extra fabric at the ends of the toes!



Here are my first two successes.

This is the pair I made for myself. They actually fit! However, even though the stitches are small, they are not smooth underfoot. I'm getting used to that. The yarn is washable wool and nylon so I throw them in the washer but like all my wool sock, they air dry.

This is the pair I made for Wren's first birthday. They were fun because they are so small. Little socks are really cute, too. The yarn is 50% washable wool, 25% bamboo, and 25% nylon. I am afraid that one sock is larger than the other just because of tighter tension on the first one knitted as I was working REALLY hard to figure out the instructions.

Happy Valentine's Day - a bit early!

Gromit, Hutch, and Denali are admiring the new Kindle! John is setting the bar high for Valentine's Day gifts. Last year he surprised me with a deep pink Asus eee PC that he found on eBay. This year it was a Kindle. What a guy!


I've debated whether or not to get a Kindle. Would I like to read on an electronic device? Will I be willing to pay for books when I am so accustomed to utilizing our excellent public library as well as the college library? For a long time the decision has been to wait until the e-book war between the Sony Reader, the Nook, the iPad, and the Kindle is won - and includes the ability to access library books.


In the last two months it seemed like everyone around me was getting Kindles. Hmm. Temptation!


then one night this week I had trouble reading my book in bed. My eyes were tired, the font was small, and I just couldn't find the 'sweet spot' in my no-line bifocals. If I had a Kindle, I could just increase the size of the font and continue reading. I must have said that out loud! Then Amazon had a free two-day shipping promotion and John acted, unbeknownst to me!


When we got home Wednesday, there was a small package at the door. He said it was bike parts, which is a common reason for a box at the door. I DID notice that he quickly put it under his coat but then forgot about it as I fixed dinner and headed to bell choir practice. When I walked in the door, Gromit, Hutch, and friends were all guarding a box on my chair. The Kindle had arrived!


The rest of the evening was spent trying to deregister (that's the term on the Kindle's setting page!) the Kindle from John's Amazon account and register it on mine. Maybe that wasn't so smart because now I have to pay for my own books. :-) Anyway, it didn't work the way the Help menu said it should, so I spent some time talking with Customer Service, apparently in India. All is well now but I am still trying to decide on which book should be my first purchase.



The biggest problem? Finishing my current library book!