Monday, July 12, 2010
In the cabinet over the sink, I was able to fit all my plates, bowls, corning ware, and cups & glasses in it. I was just thrilled that it all fit in there. That freed up the one cabinet in the living room & the deep drawer in the kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen, I was able to put all the stuff I use on an everyday basis, that was in the bottom cabinets, up top, which freed up the bottom for all my pots & pans, which fit very well. So, I can now say that all my kitchen stuff is in the kitchen, where it belongs.
After all that work of changing things around & putting in outlets, we decided to go have a look at Lehman's Hardware, located in Kidron, OH. This place gets bigger every time we see it. It was originally built so the Amish would have a local place to buy their non-electric items, and while that is still the case, they have a lot of other stuff in there, as well. The first time we went there, in the summer of 1993, I bought a non-electric dehydrator. I used it a few times & it worked very well. This time I saw a wringer washer & told Ron if we ever get our own place, I want to get one.
While we didn't get a picture of the store, I did get a picture of these while driving down the highway...here we are, back in Amish country....
After all that work of changing things around & putting in outlets, we decided to go have a look at Lehman's Hardware, located in Kidron, OH. This place gets bigger every time we see it. It was originally built so the Amish would have a local place to buy their non-electric items, and while that is still the case, they have a lot of other stuff in there, as well. The first time we went there, in the summer of 1993, I bought a non-electric dehydrator. I used it a few times & it worked very well. This time I saw a wringer washer & told Ron if we ever get our own place, I want to get one.
While we didn't get a picture of the store, I did get a picture of these while driving down the highway...here we are, back in Amish country....
Now that we had the microwave where we wanted it, Ron had to run a wire up to it and install an outlet just for that, so he decided that as long as he was doing that, he would also install two additional outlets on the wall in back of our chairs, so we could plug our computers into it instead of using the socket near my chair that was already being used by other stuff. You can never have too many outlets, in my opinion...
July 12, 2010
Here it is Monday and I'm finally getting around to posting the pictures of the cabinets, our site by the river and our new living room chairs. We have since moved up to the other campground and even though our friends are here, it's not as nice as the other one we were at.I think it's because everyone is so close to each other and the trees aren't big enough to give enough shade. I guess the bus rally used to be held at the other one, but, it flooded out one too many times and members had to have their buses towed out, so they won't go back there. Too bad, as it's a much nicer campground, that's for sure.
Friday, July 9, 2010
I was just looking back over my posts & realized I forgot something. This is what happens when you don't post for a month, you forget!! While we were up in Amish country, we finally bought an Amish quilt. They are quite expensive, but, I've always wanted one & I couldn't pass this one up. I'm posting a picture of it, see what you think. Normally, they hang almost to the floor on all sides but the top, but, in our case, I had to tuck it in on the bottom, otherwise it would have covered the air conditioner. This one is called Eureka, wouldn't you know I'd pick one that was based on the colors of California. Apparently, some Amish had visited California and came up with this pattern. I like it!
We are currently in town, at an RPI park. We're set up right next to the Mohican River and paying $10 a night. For those who aren't members, the price is $35 a night. The campground we are going to be staying in for the rally is $25 a night, would rather stay right here, it's nicer. We are way back on a country road, full of trees. On the way down the local road, there was no cell coverage & I'm thinking..uh 0h...then, we get into the campground & we have excellent coverage. What a surprise! We drove over to where the rally is going to be, it's right next to the main highway & guess what? No cell coverage!! Can you believe it? The park does have wifi, but, it remains to be seen if it's park wide or do we have to pay extra...we might stay here an extra night, if our bus buddies don't come in on Monday...
You are probably wondering, where are the pictures of the cabinets??? I know, I know, we just haven't taken pictures of them yet. Tomorrow, we'll take pictures & then I will post them so you can see how nice they turned out. We also have to take pics of how nice our site looks next to the river...
You are probably wondering, where are the pictures of the cabinets??? I know, I know, we just haven't taken pictures of them yet. Tomorrow, we'll take pictures & then I will post them so you can see how nice they turned out. We also have to take pics of how nice our site looks next to the river...
On Monday morning, the fifth, we finally left Elkart behind & headed for Loudonville, OH, where our bus rally will be taking place the 15th to the 18th. Loudonville is where Flxible was originally built, the plant is still there, but, it is now owned by MCI. Every even year, Flxible has a Run to the Factory rally in a local campground.
Remember what I said about what Ron said about the levelers? Well, when we first drove into the fairgrounds, we parked next to the Rinehimers. We were a bit unlevel on the grass, so we deployed the levelers. Well, the rear ones went down before the front ones & started leveling right away, something they are not supposed to do. They went up & up & the rear tires started coming up off the grass. We're thinking, that doesn't look good & all of a sudden, we heard a thunk and then the rear tires slowly went back to earth. We think, but, are not sure, that the weld on the drivers side leveler broke, so we decided to pull them back up & relocate. But, while they were retracting, the rear ones got tangled up with each other & we had to stop the whole process & do them manually one at a time. So, now the driver's side rear is pretty bent & we'll have to go back & have them fix it after the rally.
Ron has already found out that a fellow bus member that has a bus like ours, successfully welded his levelers on each side of the coach behind the tires, just like we wanted the company to do in the first place. If it had been that way, it probably wouldn't have happened. Ron is going to find out where he welded them on at & take the rig back to Big Foot & have them do the same thing. In the meantime, the front ones do still work....
Ron has already found out that a fellow bus member that has a bus like ours, successfully welded his levelers on each side of the coach behind the tires, just like we wanted the company to do in the first place. If it had been that way, it probably wouldn't have happened. Ron is going to find out where he welded them on at & take the rig back to Big Foot & have them do the same thing. In the meantime, the front ones do still work....
I was just looking at the pictures of the chairs & it doesn't show that we have little tables attached to them, now. They just weren't on there at the time of the pictures, so I will get some with the tables on. We just leave them on all the time, because that is where we put our computers or eat our dinners, very handy having them around.
Remember when we said the cabinets wouldn't be done until the 5th? Well, we were surprised when he called us on the 30th & said they were done & we could come pick the rig up. So, we finally told the kids goodbye, gave the little ones hugs & kisses & left to pick up our home once more.
I did forget to mention that we took a day & drove up to Elkhorn, WI to visit some fellow Boomer friends, Ken & Maryanne. They were at an RV rally at the fairgrounds up there as vendors. They were so close to our location, we couldn't not go visit them. It was cold & foggy, reminded me of the beach weather in San Diego in June, something we call June gloom. We had a great time, went out to dinner then played pegs 'n jokers when we got back to their rig.
So, there we were, in Amish country with the fourth of July weekend staring us in the face. We had originally made reservations at an RPI park southeast of Indianapolis for the 29th, leaving on the 5th, but, it kept getting pushed farther & farther back until finally, we just cancelled it altogether. Instead, we decided to stay at the Elkart County Fairgrounds for the weekend, since they had plenty of room. Fellow Boomers, Judy & Luke Rinehimer were also in the area, so I contacted them & told them where we were going to be staying & they came over & joined us for Friday & Saturday nights.
I did not take a single picture of what we did that weekend, most unlike me. Judy, Luke & I went into downtown Goshen on Friday night where they were having a cruise of classic cars through town. I guess there was a loop that they followed, so we kept seeing the same cars, plus some new ones every few minutes. They were also have a street fair, so we got something to eat & sat down & watched the cars go by. The next day, Saturday, there was a car show, same cars we saw driving by, now parked. But, we passed on seeing them. In the early evening, Judy invited us for dinner, and we had a feast, thanks Judy & Luke! She had read in a publication that lists diners, drive-ins & dives that the South Side Diner was the place to go for ice cream, so we followed the GPS to it only to find they were closed! Where were we going to find a fix for our sweet tooth? Fortunately, it was the GPS to the rescue once again & we were directed to another ice cream shop nearby & looking at the line, guess they had good stuff, too.
Judy & Luke had to leave Sunday morning to head for Iowa to have work done on their rig, so we were left alone on the 4th. We had planned on going to the fireworks, but, it had turned humid that day & I was nice & cool in the rig & the thought of hot, humid & mosquitoes, I told Ron let's not go. So, we didn't, but, from the sounds of the booming in the distance, which went on for about 45 minutes, far longer than the ones in San Diego, I think we missed out on a good show.
Remember when we said the cabinets wouldn't be done until the 5th? Well, we were surprised when he called us on the 30th & said they were done & we could come pick the rig up. So, we finally told the kids goodbye, gave the little ones hugs & kisses & left to pick up our home once more.
I did forget to mention that we took a day & drove up to Elkhorn, WI to visit some fellow Boomer friends, Ken & Maryanne. They were at an RV rally at the fairgrounds up there as vendors. They were so close to our location, we couldn't not go visit them. It was cold & foggy, reminded me of the beach weather in San Diego in June, something we call June gloom. We had a great time, went out to dinner then played pegs 'n jokers when we got back to their rig.
So, there we were, in Amish country with the fourth of July weekend staring us in the face. We had originally made reservations at an RPI park southeast of Indianapolis for the 29th, leaving on the 5th, but, it kept getting pushed farther & farther back until finally, we just cancelled it altogether. Instead, we decided to stay at the Elkart County Fairgrounds for the weekend, since they had plenty of room. Fellow Boomers, Judy & Luke Rinehimer were also in the area, so I contacted them & told them where we were going to be staying & they came over & joined us for Friday & Saturday nights.
I did not take a single picture of what we did that weekend, most unlike me. Judy, Luke & I went into downtown Goshen on Friday night where they were having a cruise of classic cars through town. I guess there was a loop that they followed, so we kept seeing the same cars, plus some new ones every few minutes. They were also have a street fair, so we got something to eat & sat down & watched the cars go by. The next day, Saturday, there was a car show, same cars we saw driving by, now parked. But, we passed on seeing them. In the early evening, Judy invited us for dinner, and we had a feast, thanks Judy & Luke! She had read in a publication that lists diners, drive-ins & dives that the South Side Diner was the place to go for ice cream, so we followed the GPS to it only to find they were closed! Where were we going to find a fix for our sweet tooth? Fortunately, it was the GPS to the rescue once again & we were directed to another ice cream shop nearby & looking at the line, guess they had good stuff, too.
Judy & Luke had to leave Sunday morning to head for Iowa to have work done on their rig, so we were left alone on the 4th. We had planned on going to the fireworks, but, it had turned humid that day & I was nice & cool in the rig & the thought of hot, humid & mosquitoes, I told Ron let's not go. So, we didn't, but, from the sounds of the booming in the distance, which went on for about 45 minutes, far longer than the ones in San Diego, I think we missed out on a good show.
After the three weeks were up, we got a call from Carlisle saying he got a late start & didn't know if he was going to be done by the 29th, said he might have to keep it over the weekend & we could pick it up on the 5th. Well, that was a problem because we also had chairs ordered at Lampbright Chairs & we had to pick them up by the 1st, because they were going on vacation. So, as soon as we heard that Carlisle wouldn't be done until later, Ron & Donovan made plans to drive down near Shipshewana to pick up the chairs.
They left early in the morning & with Donovan driving, got down there in 2 hours. It helped that he had the pass for the turnpike, so he didn't have to stop to pay the tolls & he also had a heavy foot on the accelerator, like his uncle Ron used to have before he got older. About 9 or so, Donovan called & he was mad. It seems that the chairs were not done yet, even though they told us they would be done the last week of the month. Guess it pays not to assume anything & always call to make sure things are done when you expect them to be.
It seems the owner was the one who messed up. He didn't communicate to the girls on the assembly line that we would picking them up at the end of the month. He made up for it though, he told everyone to stop work on whatever they were doing & start on our chairs pronto! He told Ron that the chairs would be done in about 4-5 hours, so Ron & Donovan used the time to check out the Amish stores around the area. They were finally able to pick up the chairs around 3 & took them down to the rig to drop them off. They got back late, but, only because Donovan stopped at a fireworks store. Ron thought he would never get him out of there!
They left early in the morning & with Donovan driving, got down there in 2 hours. It helped that he had the pass for the turnpike, so he didn't have to stop to pay the tolls & he also had a heavy foot on the accelerator, like his uncle Ron used to have before he got older. About 9 or so, Donovan called & he was mad. It seems that the chairs were not done yet, even though they told us they would be done the last week of the month. Guess it pays not to assume anything & always call to make sure things are done when you expect them to be.
It seems the owner was the one who messed up. He didn't communicate to the girls on the assembly line that we would picking them up at the end of the month. He made up for it though, he told everyone to stop work on whatever they were doing & start on our chairs pronto! He told Ron that the chairs would be done in about 4-5 hours, so Ron & Donovan used the time to check out the Amish stores around the area. They were finally able to pick up the chairs around 3 & took them down to the rig to drop them off. They got back late, but, only because Donovan stopped at a fireworks store. Ron thought he would never get him out of there!
We had a wonderful visit with the kids. We did lots of things, but, only got pictures of going to the zoo & Domi's swimming lessons. We also went black light bowling, (Andrew slept right through all the noise), mini golfing, the movies, various birthday dinners. a strawberry festival, two different car shows & just lazing around the house.
Donovan had planned on having another driveway put in alongside the garage that was to be asphalted, so when we came to visit, we'd have a place to park. We helped him pay for everything, including the permit, because we'd be the only ones using it, other than them with all their extra cars. But, because it had rained so much, the job kept getting postponed. It would clear up & be warm & dry a few days, then, another weather front would come through. Finally, right before we left, it looked like it might be done, only to find out that the asphalt workers went on strike! As far as we know, they are still on strike & we are hoping he can get it done before the summer is over. It all worked out, though, with our visit, otherwise, we would have had to find another place to park.
Donovan had planned on having another driveway put in alongside the garage that was to be asphalted, so when we came to visit, we'd have a place to park. We helped him pay for everything, including the permit, because we'd be the only ones using it, other than them with all their extra cars. But, because it had rained so much, the job kept getting postponed. It would clear up & be warm & dry a few days, then, another weather front would come through. Finally, right before we left, it looked like it might be done, only to find out that the asphalt workers went on strike! As far as we know, they are still on strike & we are hoping he can get it done before the summer is over. It all worked out, though, with our visit, otherwise, we would have had to find another place to park.
We had a great visit & even got to celebrate Krissy's birthday on Sunday. We had to be back down at the generator shop on Monday morning, so we were dreading getting into the morning traffic, but, after we found out about the alternate freeway we could take going south, getting down past all the traffic was simple. The shop guys said they wanted us back by at least 10:30 because that is when they would be done....well, we got there in plenty of time...but, they actually didn't get done with it until the early afternoon, so we just sat in the Jeep, waiting...
They finally got done & we had a tutorial in how to start the generator. You know, I forgot to tell you that we had a walk through with the levelers, too. They are automatic, all we have to do is turn them on, they lower themselves & level themselves, we don't have to do anything but sit back & make sure they work like they are suppose to.
Once we were done at the generator shop, we drove down to Focal Wood Products, in Nappanee. Carlisle, who owns the business, was going to build some upper kitchen & cockpit cabinets and install them for us. We had arranged to leave the bus with him, while we went back to the kids' house for the duration. We had thought about leaving the refrigerator on while we were gone, even though the rig was not facing the right direction to soak up the rays for the solar panels, but, in the end, we emptied everything out of the fridge, turned it off & left.
He told us he would probably be done with them in three weeks,even though he wouldn't be able to start them until mid month, because of previous work. Not a problem, when he was done, he could call us & we'd come down. So, we left the bus in good hands & drove back up north to spend quality time with the kids.
They finally got done & we had a tutorial in how to start the generator. You know, I forgot to tell you that we had a walk through with the levelers, too. They are automatic, all we have to do is turn them on, they lower themselves & level themselves, we don't have to do anything but sit back & make sure they work like they are suppose to.
Once we were done at the generator shop, we drove down to Focal Wood Products, in Nappanee. Carlisle, who owns the business, was going to build some upper kitchen & cockpit cabinets and install them for us. We had arranged to leave the bus with him, while we went back to the kids' house for the duration. We had thought about leaving the refrigerator on while we were gone, even though the rig was not facing the right direction to soak up the rays for the solar panels, but, in the end, we emptied everything out of the fridge, turned it off & left.
He told us he would probably be done with them in three weeks,even though he wouldn't be able to start them until mid month, because of previous work. Not a problem, when he was done, he could call us & we'd come down. So, we left the bus in good hands & drove back up north to spend quality time with the kids.
We headed north towards Chicago on a Friday afternoon & you know what that meant, rush hour at its worst! Of course, we didn't know that we could have gone an alternate route which wouldn't have been as bad, but, oh well. We got in the carpool lane thinking we'd go faster....wrong...I think it was going slower than the regular traffic, if that was possible. Anyway, we finally made it up to Donovan & Krissy's house to visit for the weekend. As some of you know, they really are Ron's nephew & niece-in-law, but, when Donovan & his brother were small, we took care of them every summer, so they are like sons to us, so we refer to them just that way.
There was a new baby in the house; Andrew Joseph was born on May 11, so by the time we got up there, he was almost a month old. What a precious, beautiful baby he was and he also happened to look just like his big brother when he was that age...
There was a new baby in the house; Andrew Joseph was born on May 11, so by the time we got up there, he was almost a month old. What a precious, beautiful baby he was and he also happened to look just like his big brother when he was that age...
When we got back to pick up the rig, we realized that they had put the rear levelers in front of the back tires right next to each other. Ron inquired as to why they did that, & they said it was the only place they could find to install them. We think it was convenient to them, and Ron told them he was not happy & that if they caused him any problem, we would be back.Then, it was on to the generator plant, we had called in advance to let them know we were coming & they said to come on in, they'd get started the next morning....the only problem was, no one told the workers that we were coming in...Sheesh, talk about non communication...not only didn't they know we had an appointment, they didn't even have our generator available. They had to take another customer's generator & put it in our rig. Fortunately, it was the same one we had requested. That was on a Friday, that we dropped it off & by the end of the day, it was obvious they weren't going to be done by the end of the day. So, we decided that instead of us staying the weekend there, we'd leave the rig inside their building & drive up to our kid's house in northern Illinois for the weekend. So, that is what we did.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)