January 17 to 23, 2008

January 17 to 23, 2008

Yuma, Arizona

Thursday ; Happy 9th Birthday to Joanne's niece Madeleine

Today was sunny, windy and cold. My goodness, how can it be this difficult to buy routine parts for an RV, in a city inundated with RV's and RV dealers ? ! ? I spent the entire frustrating morning in the clubhouse making about 2 dozen phone calls, including calling Camping World in San Diego, and using the computer to research cross reference part numbers, trying to find the correct shock absorber for the trailer. < sigh > I finally succeeded ... maybe. Checker Auto Parts allegedly ordered the correct shock absorber for me, and it is supposed to be here tomorrow. Wish me luck ! What a disaster it could be to have to deal with a suspension breakdown out in the middle of nowhere in the desert of Baja California, Mexico. No wonder all the tour books and caravan companies recommend having spare trailer suspension parts when travelling the Baja.

This afternoon Joanne went Wal-Martin'. I would have loved to go along, but I had to read a book, nap, and play in the dog park with Bo. HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !

Ever since she first tasted Cajeta ( "j" sounds like "h" ) ice cream a few years ago Joanne wants some every time we are near the Mexican border. She has been unable to find any here in Yuma. Today she found a jar of Cajeta flavouring in the ice cream syrup section, along with the butterscotch syrup, chocolate syrup, etc.. So she bought a jar, and a tub of vanilla ice cream. Oh, boy ... now she will be able to have her beloved Cajeta ice cream. The Cajeta syrup is "elaborada con 100% leche de cabra" / made with 100% real goat's milk ! HA HA HA !

We took the Wi-Fi phone to the clubhouse to phone Madeleine and wish her a Happy Birthday. While in the clubhouse we met Barry and Jackie, friends of ours from the SKP B.C. Okanagan Chapter 33. They were here a week or so ago, for one night, and have returned again for an overnight stay. While chatting with them, Madge, another Chapter 33 friend of ours arrived in the park. Yuma seems to be a popular spot with the B.C. Okanagan people.

 

Friday ; Today was sunny and mild. The continued horrific declines in the stock market are scaring me !

This morning before departing Kofa Ko-op our Okanagan friends Barry and Jackie came over to see our new stained glass window and visit for awhile. After they left we went shopping. First we bought a Fan-Tastic fan for the trailer. I will install it where the existing roof vent is in the kitchen. Then we went to Arizona Market and bought a pair of vinyl tire covers for the trailer to protect the tires from deteriorating in the sunlight during the hot Okanagan summer. And we bought a 9 x 9 RV mat for use in our summer screen tent gazebo. We drove across town and picked up the shock absorber that Checker Auto Parts ordered for me. And it's the correct shock absorber for the trailer. Hurray ! While at Checker I also purchased a locking fuel cap for the truck, as advised by the Baja RV caravan tour company. For lunch we bought some taco burgers and Cajun burgers at a fast food place. They were good !

This afternoon I refilled a propane tank, we played with Bo and Emma in the dog park, then I began to work on the vent pipe plumbing repair job that I have been avoiding. I cut a couple of sections of pipe, and got the new sections of plumbing pieces assembled and prepared. Probably tomorrow I'll tackle the main part of the job, cutting out the old cracked section of vent pipe and installing the new sections < sigh >.

Well, I guess things could be worse than losing $120,000 in the stock market. We could still be living in Winnipeg. My sister reports by e-mail that the temperature is < snicker ... chortle > 47 degrees below zero ! ! !

 

Saturday ; Today was sunny and warm. This morning I worked on repairing the cracked elbow in the kitchen waste holding tank plumbing vent pipe. It was a very difficult job, because of the confined space I had to get my arms into to work on it. Especially difficult was sawing through the pipe on each side of the broken elbow. Even with the special little saw I bought specifically for this job when we were in Quartzsite. I think I did the job correctly. I hope I did the job correctly ! Plumbing isn't exactly rocket science, but then again, I don't have much in the way of plumbing skills. All that remains to finish the job is installation of a support strap. I'll do that tomorrow, after I'm sure that the plumbing pipe cement has had sufficient time to dry and cure. I'm hoping that a support strapwill provide just enough bracing to prevent a recurrence of the pipe or elbow cracking again due to travel vibrations.

This afternoon we drove over to Sun Gardens in Bard, California, about 10 miles away, for date shakes. MMMMM ... Bo has never met a date shake that he didn't like. HA HA HA ! Joanne bought some dates for baking, and I bought some dates rolled in macaroon coconut, for munching.

 

Sunday ; Today was sunny and warm. This morning I installed a hanging strap brace on the plumbing repair I did yesterday, from the pipe to the underside of the kitchen counter. Not surprisingly, that proved to be much more difficult than I thought it was going to be < sigh >. Well, at least the job is now complete. Hurray ! I hope the pipe lasts at least another 9 years or so before it cracks again from travel vibration. Maybe we should avoid travelling in Newfoundland and Labrador again ! My repair should be at least as strong, probably more so, than the original work done by the trailer manufacturer. Joanne has more confidence in my repairs than I do. She says that my perfectionism is likely to be produce a far superior result to the teenaged high school dropout working in Forest River's factory that did the plumbing when the trailer was built. Then I repaired a folding chair that is on its last legs, figuratively and literally. I helped Joanne clean the trailer windows. She's got the trailer looking pretty good ... ready for Mexico !

After lunch we took Bo to the dog park to romp with Emma, then Joanne went Wal-Martin'. I began working on the installation of the Fan-Tastic fan I bought for the trailer a few days ago. A Fan-Tastic fan is an RV roof vent with an embedded multi-speed, reversible fan in it. It can be used to exhaust air out of the trailer, or bring fresh air in on days when it's not quite hot enough to use the air conditioner. I'm going to install it where the kitchen roof vent is, and use it as a kitchen exhaust fan. I spent the rest of the afternoon removing the existing roof vent out of the trailer roof / ceiling. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the Fan-Tastic fan wired and installed. Then I'll have to reseal the roof with rubber roof cement. Sure hope it doesn't rain over the next few days.

Late this afternoon we went to the park's ice cream social. We chatted with a couple from Kelowna who have just arrived here. Then we chatted with a woman who has just completed treatment for breast cancer.Her surgery wasin March, and she finished her chemotherapy and radiation treatments a month ago. We returned to the trailer for a late supper and to watch the Amazing Race finale.

 

Monday ; Today was sunny and warm again. A perfect day for working up on the roof of the trailer. This morning I went shopping. First I went to RV Connection for more of my spare suspension parts. I bought a trailer inner bearing and race, and a pair of axle seals. They didn't have the outer bearing and race. I ordered a set, and it should ( hopefully ) arrive in about a week. On the way to Lowe's I refilled with diesel, which has come down in price considerably since the holiday season. At Lowe's I returned a surplus plumbing piece, and bought an electrical adaptor I anticipate needing in Mexico. I phoned American Spring to check on the progress of my leaf spring and mounting plate order. The leaf spring is ready, the mounting plate has not arrived yet.

This afternoon I worked on the installation of the new Fan-Tastic fan. The job went well ( for a change ! ) and I competed the basic installation. Tomorrow I'll probably apply the first coat of roofing cement. The day after that I'll do the second coat of rubber roofing cement. Then I'll reinstall the MaxxAir vent cover. I'll have to drill into the Fan-Tastic fan frame to reinstall the MaxxAir cover.

Joanne invited Tom and Ruth-Anne over for supper. She made Caesar salad, moussaka, and date pie. She got a date pie recipe when we were at Sun Gardens Date Farm. It was very good. Seemed almost like a cross between pumpkin pie and French Canadian tarte au sucre ( maple sugar pie ). This was the first time Tom and Ruth-Anne have ever had moussaka. They're not very adventurous eaters, as we found when we were down in Los Algodones with them.

 

Tuesday ; Today was sunny and warm again. It certainly is nice to have this kind of weather when doing outdoor work. This morning I went up on the roof and applied the first coat of rubber roof compound around the new Fan-Tastic fan vent in the kitchen ceiling. Next I began to clean the MaxxAir vent covers on the bathroom and bedroom ceiling vents. One thing led to another to another to another ... and I ended up spending the entire day removing and cleaning the MaxxAir covers, and removing disassembling, cleaning, repairing, reassembling and reinstalling the bathroom ceiling fan and vent and the bedroom ceiling vent. What a lot of grime from years of road travel. Tomorrow I'll apply another coat of rubber roof compound, then repair and reinstall the bathroom and bedroom MaxxAir covers.

I recently bought a new type of "super glue" at one of the flea markets. I used it for the first time today. Works great ! Glued my thumb to the little crack in the bathroom ceiling fan plastic trim ring real good ! Had to rip a layer of skin off to remove my thumb !

I was fascinated watching a Marine pilot conduct a training exercise in a fighter jet right over top of our trailer. He was flying tight 360º turns at 90º of bank, then pulling it straight up and flying upside down loops. WOW ! ! ! I sure hope he had a light lunch.

After supper, I printed and reconciled our January MasterCard statements.

 

Wednesday ; Ho hum ... another sunny, warm day here in Yuma. The weather man on last night's late TV news was getting all excited about the possibility that it might actually rain on Saturday. HA HA HA ... here in Yuma they treat a few drops of rain like some major weather disturbance.

This morning I made my monthly "Kirby needs money" phone call to my investment broker in Penticton. Then I went over to trim a couple of Emma's nails. She has a couple of problematic claws. Ruth-Anne says that's common in Scottish Terriers. I got up on the roof and applied the second coat of rubber roof compound around the new kitchen Fan-Tastic fan base. Then I reinstalled the MaxxAir covers on the bathroom and bedroom roof vents. Joanne took Bo to the dog park while I fabricated a 3 prong to 2 prong "Mexican" electrical plug adaptor for our trip down the Baja.

After lunch we went to American Spring to exchange the incorrect leaf spring they sold me for the correct one which they manufactured for me. When we arrived there, the correct leaf spring had not yet been made, despite them telling me on the phone yesterday that it was ready. Today they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about. I really hate being jerked around like that ! ! ! We went to Arizona RV, then Yuma Home & Farm, before driving out to the Foothills to check out some details at Sun Ridge RV Park, and to look at dinette chairs at Foothills Mattress & Furniture. Hopefully Sun Ridge RV Park will have two vacant sites for one week when Erbon and Lorraine, our friends from Ottawa, arrive here in a few weeks. Our last stop was Albertsons for grocery shopping.

 

DSK