#38  at Lazydays---Back to Tucson, AZ
WHITEHOUSECA: 3 SIRS and RV

You might remember the SIRS, Lee, and I were here just a few weeks ago after our trip to Illinois.  At that time, (slide would not open to make living space larger in RV)  it was determined that one of the motors was not working (blog #34).  The motor had to be ordered and it took about 10 days to get in.   We scheduled the 27th. of August as the install day. 

I left our home in CA on the day before and after nearly a 9 hour drive (traffic was not good going down the 5 to the 8).  The normal travel time is 7 hours.   I made it to Tucson and spent the night at the KOA next door to the Lazydays' Service Center.   I did make it to see my service manager before they closed and they gave me a $6.00 discount to the KOA.   So remember to always ask if there is any discounts.  With my KOA membership, I would have been given a $3.00 discount at the KOA park so I saved another $3.00 and had a great drive here.   I will be posting a video (not the entire 9 hours-just about 3 minutes)  on the whitehouseca.com webpage.  It will be of the Boarder Patrol Check Point leaving CA and entering AZ.  Not really a check at all---just a wavy.

I was told to be here at 8 am and so I arrived early as always.  They opened the gate at 7:55 am. and soon after the RV went back to get serviced.

I made this trip myself.   Due to the heat (was 112 outside when I arrived) I felt the boys would rather say home with Lee.

 

I was told by my service manager a four hour job.  I had hoped to be on the  road by noon.I was.  Thank YOU.  I made it home by 8:30 PM even if I have to go back

Well,  I just heard that the motor is in and they now see that the gears are bad.   I know it is too much to ask that they might of check the gears when they checked why the slide did not work.  It should be covered by my insurance from Good Sams but of course no parts here. Heard today that my insurance approved it so now the parts can be ordered. It could take 3 weeks or more to get parts.   Yes -  It does mean another trip to Tucson in September, maybe it will be cooler then.


On a different note,  some of you may remember Al from Maui?   He owned Maui Bar Supply.    Lee and I just got off the phone with Al.  He is doing fine.  We had not spoken since the fall.  So lots of story both ways.  Al when you read this,  feel free to put in a comment at the bottom of the page.  Anyone else feel free to comment too.


We should be back writing each week soon.  Have been working on the Family Tree.  Some interesting facts which will be shared with you in the coming weeks.


Before ending, I want to thank our one of our sponsors - Dog Breed Store. com    Have heard some good comments from those who clicked on the link and ordered something.  Feel free to click on it (right side) and take a look-you don't even have to order anything.  We have added this to our other supports - Amazon and GoDaddy web-builder.  Please visit these sponsors and by doing so (when you go from this blog or go from the website) the SIRS will get credit for any sales and it cost you nothing.  Yes you pay no more but the SIRS get the credit.

                                                       Until next time we meet on our journey:.

#37  at home---Visit by the Doctor
WHITEHOUSECA: 3 SIRS and RV

You might have read a few weeks ago about Lee's and my visit to Illinois.  During our visit, we went to my sister's son's office for a shot and visit.  This past week-end Dr. Flatt (Mack) came for a three day visit.  We had to open a bottle of wine!!!!!  When asked what do you want to do while here--
the answer was easy-  "JUST EAT and use the POOL.

Lee put together her "normal" pre-meal followed by a light meal

Some of the family "traditional" foods

After the meal we there was time for some TV and the nightly news.

Friday morning Mack helped in taking the boys for their morning walk

Following the walk, Lee had put together a small breakfast

 One of the items for breakfast was the "sausage" we brought back from southern Illinois when we stopped and visited my cousin and his wife.  As you can see, Mack loved it.  He wants us to plan a trip to McLeansboro in the fall for more.

After breakfast,  Mack was ready for the pool.

After the pool----what about lunch?

 For Information the plastic glass contains some wine (we were bing pool safe--no glass)

Mack's stay was short-just Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning.  I guess he did what he wanted- EAT and use the POOL.   We did go for lunch Saturday to the great Mexican place:  EL ADOBE.  He enjoyed the meal there almost as much as each of the meals Lee made for him.   He had a "LONG" trip home due to weather.  Was an hour late leaving and due to storms in Chicago he went to WI for about an hour visit before taking off and landing in Chicago.

The boys really enjoyed his visit because they taught him to give them a treat every time he walked by the treat jar.  I have to say too,  Lee and I enjoyed his visit.  I was able to update him on the "family tree" info I have found.  I also gave him a draft copy to read.  Just for the record,  I now have proof that on my mother's side of the family (Johnson married Hall) that we had someone who fought in the American Revolutionary War.   Interesting fact.   I will be posting some of that info later.  I just sent my sister a few pages of the proof.  I do need to work on that  some more.

Lee is getting the guest room ready for our next scheduled arrival- my sister Harlene next month.  She is coming on August 24. 

I am still working on the layout of the blog as well as the website.  So you will see changes in the coming days and weeks.

Now this note:

First I want to thank our new sponsor - Dog Breed Store. com  Feel free to click on it (right side) and take a look.  We have added this to our other supports - Amazon and GoDaddy web-builder.  Please visit these sponsors and by doing so (when you go from this blog or go from the website) the SIRS will get credit for any sales and it cost you nothing.  Yes you pay no more but the SIRS get the credit of the order.

Until next time we meet on our journey:.

#35  at home---Where did all this stuff come from?
WHITEHOUSECA: 3 SIRS and RV

5027 miles and we are back where we started. The WhitehouseCA RV and Sirs pulled into Coto about 1:20 AM (this morning). Everything is fine here. The roses need a trim and a few leaves picked up but thanks to Helen next door, out pool is great.   We only unloaded what we needed when we arrived.   Things like the sausage brought from southern Illinois (my cousin has connections and we got the last sausage made in the spring of 2016.  I really don't know how much but the freezer in the RV was full.  Yesterday while they were working on the RV in Tucson,  they were good and kept the RV plugged in so the prize items remained frozen.  Again thank you all in McLeansboro  and we will be thinking and talking about you when we eat it.  Lee is going to fix some sausage for dinner (super as they say in McLeansboro).

The final leg of our trip began at about 5:30 from the LazyDays Service Center in Tucson.  Thanks again Martha and the service techs. for getting us on the road as soon as you could.  The major problem was in the level jack system (which we don't use) .  One line broke as we were driving to AZ to have the slide out unit fixed.  (will be going back to see my friends in Tucson as soon as the motor arrives).  As they were replacing the hose for the jack system-they kept finding other hoses needing replacement.   I guess I will be writing to Thor (maker of the A.C.in a future blog posting.  I have heard some leveling systems are problem.

.

Traffic was heavy getting out of town and it was hot.  We were running the generator so the main AC unit could run.  They boys enjoyed the cool air but gas mileage was down.  We had to stop twice for gas.  The second time was at a LOVES Truck Stop and we filled up the LP gas tank too.  Doing that took longer than it should-they could not find the key to open up the hose unit on their system and then the man who was to fill our tank had no idea how to do it.  So two others came out to help.  They only good point was that the LP Gas was cheap. Only 2.09 a gal.  At KOA in Tucson it was 3.19  a gal.  I had hoped to fill up at LazyDays but they were in a hurry to get us out and did not do that item.  I am sure I saved money by going to LOVES or to a Pilot/Flying J's to fill the LP tank.

It has been two years since we drove from Tucson to CA.  The roads are ruff and sometimes you were sure that the RV was going to fall apart. It is a long way, nearly 500 miles to our house.

While Lee was at the doctor's office---I went to Cosco.  Loaded up on things.  Then Lee and I went to Trader Joes.  The RV is empty of most items and put away.  The RV has gone back into storage.  The dogs have been resting all day after breakfast.  Lee says it is their best sleep in weeks.They never wanted to sleep during the day because they might miss something.

Lance does not wait to eat

Henry likes to wait and even have some from a spoon (yes I do it

 )

Henry loves to wait until Lance is finished and then make him watch

It is about 3:30 here and Lee has gone to take a nap.  Henry and Lance also are napping.  I have started going over the month long pile of junk mail with a few items of importance.  I guess I will close by saying that I will give the total dollars of repairs when the slide is complete.  I know I will have nearly two hours of labor not covered by my Good Sam's extended policy.  Oh, yes---I nearly forgot to tell you about my blackberry plant I found at Cosco today.  It has no thorns and I hope will be as good as my cousin's blackberries I tried before leaving Sunday morning. Will be planting it tomorrow (it has berries on it)

 Until next time we meet on our journey

                                                                                           :

#34  IN Tucson,AZ  at LazyDays Service Center
WHITEHOUSECA: 3 SIRS and RV


Over 680 page views of these blogs since I have started writing last month.  Yesterday over 40 people viewed the site.  I guess there are some interest in following the SIRS.  You might be interested in one of the following three helpers which I have included on the right side of the blog there also is a list of the past blogs.

Just a reminder if you are looking for something I may have written once--use the search area to the right.  It only searches items from my blogs.

Also listed to the right is a link to our website  whitehouseca.com   I try to update that with more pictures and links which may be useful to all.  And don't forget you can go to any amazon site from the whitehouseca.com site by clicking on a amazon ad.  When you do, the boys earn 4% of your order at NO COST to you.  It is an "ad fee" amazon pays for allowing links to their website.  I see that at least 5 items have been order in July.  When two more items (anything) is ordered the ad fee goes to 6% so thank you for clicking on amazon's links from the website. Thank you for viewing the website and for ordering at amazon via the site.

And last you can also sign up to the right for an automatic email of any new blogs.  There are seven or eight who get it as soon as I write the blog.  Just enter your email in the small box called email and then hit submit.  That is easy.

This morning the Sirs and I went out for a nice walk around 5 am.  I would say that is when all of the dogs here at the KOA was walking.  They enjoyed the walk and I must say the temp was good too. It would be nice if it was like that all day.  The weather report says 99 degrees today but it is "dry" heat.  It is still hot.  We are less than 500 miles from home.  My goal is after they are finished looking or working we will leave for Coto.  We left our sight at KOA Tucson around 8:15 this morning to drive about a block to the service area at LazyDays  RV Center.  Martha is our service writer.  She was organized and understood the issues that I have (slider and leveling jacks).

We arrived about 8:15 am and the boys and I went in to see Martha.  I learned early that having the boys along can speed up things.  The dogs are talking and wanting to explore.  So a normal write up is quicker because the service person wants the dogs out of their office.   At 8:30 they moved the RV off to a bay. 

At the time of this writing, we are the only  group in the PET FRIENDLY waiting area  (TV and at this time good wifi-was told it could be so-so).  The boys have found a location to rest and Lee is watching GMA (her morning show).  I will be writing and doing some organization work here on the

blog.

I had to check to see what w.as going on at 9:15-the door to the jack pump and the door where the control to the slide is located were open. 

At 10:15 I went out to get dog treats.  I did get an ok to go into the bay.  They had been inside getting to the slider motors and someone had been checking the jack pump area (trans oil was on mats which had been placed under the pump area).

At 10:40 Martha came into the waiting room with the news.  The slide motor was out.  The part will have to be ordered.  A return hose was busted.  We decided to have the hose fixed today (should be done by early afternoon).  Since this is the 3rd. time for a hose,  Martha said she will let them know.  Once the motor is in, I will make a trip back to Tucson.

The boys don't seem to mind the wait today-the air is on and it is nice and cool inside here.

I guess we will have pizza for lunch today.  I will go back to the KOA for the pizza and bring it back here.

It was really good.  Ok, maybe I was hungry because of the walk.  I would get it again.  Lee enjoyed it too.  I went back to the RV (to get some water) and saw that they had plugged it in so it was not using LP for the fridge.  The sausage is still frozen.  We had a couple who came in for a while-they were getting their air checked out.  They were lucky - no problem with the air (it is just hot outside).  They were from Texas and will be heading to Kingman, AZ to do a "work camp" for a month or two.  For those who don't know what it is-you work 5-10 hours a week and you get a "free" campsite. 

At about 1:05 pm, Martha came in and informed us that while they were working on the RV they found that the LP tank regulator is bad.  We told them to replace it and if they could fill the tank too.

At 1:40 pm Martha came back in and said as they were replacing the line another line was found almost broken.  That will be replaced now too.  Don't know if I want to see Martha again (ha, ha).  Well she did,  one more bad hose and it should be ready to go by 5:30 pm.  That is later than I wanted but what can one do?  We will leave as soon as it is finished.  Hope to be home by midnight.

Going to publish this now as it is getting long.  You will have to return on Friday to find out the ending.

Until next time we meet on our journey:.

#33  IN Tucson,AZ  Sir Lancelot's Birthday!!!!!!!!!
WHITEHOUSECA: 3 SIRS and RV


Happy Birthday Sir Lancelot!!!!! July 6, 2007  makes you nine years old today.  I could not think of a day without one of the Sirs being around.  You are special and have made so many people happy and laugh.  Sorry you are spending your special day in Tucson, but we will make it up with great birthday TREATS.   To help with the heat-Lee suggested a nice bath.  We did that and she was right--they found a spot and went to sleep.

Lance was big as a puppy too.

The RV park here next to Lazy Day RV service/sales is now run by KOA.  It is a large and very clean RV Park.  I keep changing my mind concerning wifi.  This is the best of the total trip.  Desert Oasis Cantina has good food but it is only open from Noon to 8 PM  with a very limited food options.   

Lee decided to do two loads of wash.  I helped (carried the items) some.   In the three years of RV'ing, this is the first time we needed to visit the washers and dryers area of a RV park.  Lee was very happy with the machines.  They took a credit card so you did not need to worry about change. It really only took a little over a hour and half to wash, dry and fold. 

waiting for the wash

I did visit the Lazy Day Service Center to double check on tomorrow's appointment.  I had them add the jack level system to the slide to check out tomorrow.  Will review service and operation in tomorrow's blog.  Again, a happy birthday to Sir Lancelot! 

     Until next time we meet on our journey:.