TOILET

REMEMBER A FEW BLOGS BACK WHEN I HAD A SHITTY DAY AND THE TOILET WAS SPRAYING WATER ALL OVER THE BATHROOM?

WHENEVER I HAVE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS I TALK IT OVER WITH MY NEIGHBOR STEVE.  HE’S BEEN A FULL TIME RV’ER FOR A LONG TIME AND A WISE MAN.  WE DECIDED I SHOULD TALK TO MARTY ABOUT A REPAIR.  WHEN I WALKED OVER TO ASK MARTY HOW HE FELT ABOUT TOILETS, I COULD TELL BY THE LOOK IN HIS EYE THAT TOILET REPAIR WASN’T ON HIS AGENDA FOR SOME REASON.

“RV TOILETS ARE DISPOSABLE”, STATED MARTY.  SURE ENOUGH I GOT ON THE INTERNET AND PRICED OUT THE WATER VALVE, FIGURED IN THE SERVICE CALL AND I’D BE SPENDING OVER $100 TO REPAIR A $160 TOILET.

AFTER LOOKING AT THE PRICES ON THE INTERNET FOR THE THETFORD TOILETS, WE’RE OFF TO MOHAVE RV REPAIR AND ANOTHER PARTS STORE MARTY SENT US TO ON RAMAR.

DOMETIC, THE COMPANY THAT MAKES RV REFRIGERATORS ALSO MAKE A PORCILIN TOILET FOR RV’S.  THE RV PARTS STORE HAD A SHIPMENT COMING IN TOMORROW, AND SHE’D GIVE US A CALL.

A PORCILIN RV TOILET FOR ONLY $40 MORE THAN A PLASTIC THETFORD MODEL LIKE WE HAD. WHAT A NICE UPGRADE FOR THE CAMPER.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BTW: IT’S NOW OFFICALLY “SUNNY & 80”

PISSED-OFF CAT

THE OTHER MORNING SUSIE-Q, THE CAT, WAS OUT OF SORTS AND OFF HER MORNING ROUTINE, WHICH INCLUDES JUMPING UP ON THE TABLE AND TRYING TO SPILL MY MORNING COFFEE AS I READ THE BLOGS AND PAPERS ON THE COMPUTER.  ALL SHE WANTS IS HER EARS RUBBED AND TO BE PETTED, SPILLING MY COFFEE ISN’T HER MAIN OBJECTIVE.

AFTER AN HOUR AND HALF OF HER BEING MISSING I YELLED AT MARY, AND BEGAN A SEARCH TO SEE IF SHE WAS EVEN HERE.  AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH MARY SAID, “JUST SHAKE THE TREAT BOX”.

THAT BROUGHT HER OUT FROM HIDING, IN A NEW HIDING SPOT, BUT SHE GOOBLED UP HER TREATS AND DISAPPEARED. ONE PISSED OFF CAT. SHE WAS PISSED OFF BECAUSE WE WERE GOING UP TO LAUGHLIN FOR A FEW DAYS AND LEAVING HER HOME ALONE.

I CAN’T BELIVE SHE UNDERSTANDS ENGLISH AND KNEW WE WERE LEAVING HER HOME ALONE. MARY FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT.  MARY HAD GOTTEN HER SUITCASE OUT FROM UNDER THE BED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THAT’S ALL IT TOOK TO TIP SUSIE OFF.

HERE SHE IS MAKING ONE LAST PROTEST, AND SULKING AS WE PREPARE TO LEAVE.

HAVE YOU HEARD THE OLD JOKE? WHAT’S TRUE LOVE?  TAKE YOUR WIFE AND YOUR DOG AND LOCK THEM IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR IN JULY AND TAKE A RIDE ACROSS THE MOHAVE DESERT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.  WHEN YOU OPEN THE TRUNK, SEE WHICH ONE IS GLAD TO SEE YA.  THAT’S TRUE LOVE!

THAT’S NOT TRUE OF CATS.  WHEN WE RETURN HOME FROM ONE OF OUR 3 OR 4 DAY ADVENTURES, SHE JUST IGNORS THE FACT THAT WE ARE HOME AND LOOKS THE OTHER WAY.  I PUT AWAY HER WATER TOWER, CLEAN UP HER LITTER BOX, TALK SWEETLY TO HER, BUT NOTHING.  IT TAKES SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE SHE LETS US OFF THE HOOK AND JUMPS UP TO SAY HELLO AND GET HER EARS RUBBED.

FINALLY SHE FORGIVES US AND RETURNS TO NORMAL.  HERE SHE IS HELPING MARY LOOK UP SOMETHING IN A BOOK.

ROADTRIP

WITH OUR VISITORS FROM WISCONSIN WE TOOK OFF ON AN ALL DAY ROADTRIP. FIRST STOP WAS IN SEARCHLITE FOR THE MINERS BREAKFAST AND 10 CENT COFFE AT THE NUGGET.

THEN ONWARD TO HOOVER DAM.

THIS IS THE VIEW OF THE DAM FROM THE NEW HOOVER DAM BRIDGE BYPASS.

YOU CAN WALK OUT ONTO THIS NEW BRIDGE HIGH ABOVE BLACK CANYON TO SEE THE DAM.

THE HAPPY CAMPERS…..

UNCLE HANS AND RENEE…..

A LOOK DOWN AT THE BRIDGE FROM THE TOP.

THE VIEW OF LAKE MEAD, WHICH IS CURRENTLY DOWN 110 FEET, FROM THE TOP OF THE DAM.

FROM HOOVER DAM WE DROVE DOWN THE ARIZONA SIDE OF THE COLORADO RIVER AND MADE A PIT STOP IN CHLORIDE, AZ FOR A BEER.  HERE IS THE SELCTIONS WE HAD TO CHOOSE FROM.

ONE MORE SALOON STOP IN GOLDEN VALLEY AND IT WAS BACK ACROSS THE COLORADO RIVER IN LAUGHLIN.

 

UNCLE HANS COMES TO VISIT

OVER THE WEEK-END UNCLE HANS, RENEE, DON THE TOOLMAN, AND CAROL CAME TO LAUGHLIN ON ONE OF DON LAUGHLIN’S JUNKETS FROM MINNEAPOLIS.

WITH THEM GETTING A 5 AM START TO THEIR DAY, AND TWO HOURS OF JET LAG, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THE RECHSTEINER GET-TOGETHER SKIPPED THE FIRST NIGHT DRUNK AND TALKING SMART.  I GUESS BEING UP FOR 19 HOURS IS A GOOD EXCUSE, BUT IT COULD BE A SIGN WE’RE GETTING OLDER? OR WE WERE REALLY MISSING UNCLE NEIL AND AUNT KATHY!!!

FRIDAY WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP, AND I’LL BLOG ABOUT THAT ON WEDNESDAY.  A TRIP TO NEVADA OF COURSE INCLUDES, SMOKING, DRINKING, AND GAMBELING WITH BOTH HANDS.

WE HAD WINNERS….

 

THIS IS CAROL, WITH A SMILE AS BIG AS THE FRANKLIN SHE’S HOLDING. BEING A DICE VIRGIN, WE HAD HER THROW THE DICE IN A CRAPS GAME. FOR A VIRGIN SHE DID BADLY, POINT (8), FIVE, AND SEVEN-OUT. THREE ROLLS OF THE DICE, A QUICKIE FOR SURE!

HERE IS THE DIXIELAND BAND AT THE COLORADO BELL CELBRATING MARDI-GRA.

ALONG THE RIVERWALK I SNAPPED THIS SEA PLANE TRYING TO TAKE OFF ON THE COLORADO RIVER.

THE WISCONSIN BUNCH HAD A GREAT TIME RELAXING IN LAUGHLIN, AND IT’S ALWAYS FUN TO VISIT AND TELL THE OLD WAR STORIES. 

COME AGAIN ANYTIME !!!

A Day Off Treat

Yesterday I showed you what I showed Rex for the project he wanted to do.  Yup, we are having a lattice crust top apple pie.

Here I am cutting the lattice strips for the pie.  Notice the handy-dandy tool I am using.  On one of my trips home, my Mother gave it to me and I think it is called a pastry wheel. 

The start of something pretty.

Better and better.

 

Don’t forget the egg wash!

Worth the effort and the wait…..it was fun and tasted good too!!

Paper Template

Rex likes to keep me on my toes, and for a proposed project the questions he asked, had me at a loss for words, hard as that may be to believe.  

As they say one, or two, pictures is worth a thousand words!

(Tune in tomorrow)

A SHITTY DAY ……

DON’T YA JUST HATE WHEN “MAYHAM” HAPPENS?





A $250 DEDUCTABLE ON A $280 WINDSHEILD?  AND THEN THE TOILET BROKE AND SPRAYED WATER ALL OVER THE BATHROOM……

A SHITTY DAY……

SUPER BOWL BETTING

HEY REX, HOW DID THE NEVADA CASINOS DO ON SUPER BOWL BETTING?

GLAD YOU ASKED, OF COURSE YOU ALL KNOW I MADE A $305 PROFIT ON MY $20 BET, MADE APRIL 4, 2010! HOW MUCH FUN WAS THAT!!!

THE TOTAL BET ON THE SUPER BOWL IN NEVADA WAS $87.5 MILLION, UP $5 MILLION OVER LAST YEAR, BUT NOT A RECORD.  THE CASINOS HAD A PROFIT OF $724,176 OR LESS THAN 1% OF THE TOTAL BET.  THE SECOND TO THE WORST YEAR IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.

THE WORST YEAR WAS 2008 WHEN THE GIANTS BEAT THE PATRIOTS AND THE CASINOS LOST $2.5 MILLION ON $92 MILLION BET.

THE PACKERS AND THE OVER WAS THE BET TO MAKE.

 

GRANDMA’S SHOTGUN

LAST FALL WHEN WE VISITED AMY AND FAMILY IN ABQ, I RETRIVED GRANDMA’S SHOTGUN FROM DANIEL’S GUN SAFE.  THE OLD FAMILY STORY IS THAT MY DAD BOUGHT THE GUN IN ABOUT 1950 FOR MY MOM TO USE DEER HUNTING IN WISCONSIN, FROM THE MONTOGOMERY WARD CATALOGE.

I WANTED MY FRIEND, AND GUN ENTHUSIEST, LEE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE GUN, DETERMINE HOW OLD IT WAS, WHO MADE IT, INSPECT IT FOR SAFTY, AND HELP ME SHOOT IT.

LEE LOOKED THE GUN OVER AND FOUND ONE LITTLE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE BARREL.  OTHERWISE THERE ISN’T A MARK OR NAME ON THE GUN ANYWHERE.  LEE THOUGHT THE GUN WAS FROM THE 1930’S OR EARLY 40’S.

LEE DETERMINED THE GUN HAD BEEN PROPERLY STORED AND OILED AND LOADED IT UP TO SHOOT.

LEE AND I BOTH SHOT THE GUN AND LEE SAID IT WAS A PERFECT LADIES GUN, WITH VERY LITTLE KICK FOR A 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN.

GUNS ARE AN INTERESTING TOPIC IN ARIZONA AND THE WEST.  IN FACT I WAS SURPRISED IN THE RECENT TUCSON SHOOTING, INVOLVING A US CONGRESS WOMAN, THAT A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN THE CROWD HADN’T PULLED HANDGUNS AND SHOT THE BAD GUY. 

SEEMS EVERYONE HAS AND CARRIES A HANDGUN.  IT MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK, BE MORE RESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE, AND BEHAVE YOURSELF AROUND STRANGERS.

BACK TO THE TUCSON SITUATION, THERE WAS A MAN IN A STORE AROUND THE CORNER, AND WHEN HE HEARD THE GUN SHOTS CAME RUNNING OUT OF THE STORE, GUN IN HAND, AROUND THE CORNER, READY TO FIRE.  THE MAN HOLDING THE GUN AT THAT POINT WAS ONE OF THE HEROS THAT HAD TACKLED THE BAD GUY.  LUCKILY HE WASN’T SHOT.

DO RV’ERS CARRY GUNS? YOU NEVER KNOW. I READ A LOT OF RV BLOGS AND THERE IS ONE GROUP OF RETIRED FOLKS THAT GET TOGETHER EVERY WINTER AND BOONDOCK OUT IN DESERT.  I’VE BEEN READING THEIR BLOGS A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW TO LEARN ABOUT BOONDOCKING.  THEY DISCUSS POWER, WATER, SEWER DUMPING, AND OFTEN TELL STORIES OF THEIR DAYS AND NIGHTS ON THE DESERT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. 

THEIR BLOGS INCLUDE STORIES OF COCKTAIL HOURS, BBQ COOKOUTS, DESERT HIKES, LETTING THEIR YAPPY RV DOGS RUN FREE OFF LEASH, FOOD RECIPES, CAMPFIRES, STAR GAZING, BIRTHDAY PARITES, THE BEST DUMP STATION IN BOSE, THE BEST LAUNDROMAT IN PAKER WITH FREE WI-FI, BOONDOCKING IN QUARTSITE DURING JANUARY, ETC.

JUST THE FRIENDLIEST BUNCH OF CAMPERS FROM ALL OVER.  IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I READ OF ONE OF THEIR DESERT HIKES LAST WEEK WHEN THEY ALL PULLED OUT THEIR HANDGUNS TO DO A LITTLE TARGET PRACTICE.

HERE IS LEE GIVING A SHOOTING LESSON TO MARY. MARY PUT A NICE GROUPING TOGETHER WITH LEE’S 38 ON A TARGET FROM ABOUT 10 YARDS.

THE OLE WILD WILD WEST IS STILL THE SAME IN SOME RESPECTS.  BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

TITLE TOWN

DESPITE THE INJURIES ALL YEAR LONG, THE LITTLEST CITY IN FOOTBALL WINS THE BIGGEST GAME IN FOOTBALL AND TAKES THE LOMBARDI TROPHY HOME TO GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

I ABOUT WORE OUT MY NEW PACKER T-SHIRT, THAT I GOT LAST MAY WHILE SHOPPING WITH AUNT KATHY & LAURA.  WATCHING PACKER FOOTBALL IS OUR MAJOR SOCIAL ACTIVITIY DURING THE SEASON.  HAVING SUNDAYS AND MONDAYS “OFF” WORK HAS IT’S BENEFITS.

THIS YEAR WE HAD A COUPLE OF PATIO PARTIES AT THE CAMPER TO WATCH IN OUR SHIRT SLEEVES, A TRIP DOWNTOWN VEGAS, AND LOTS OF VISITS TO SPIRIT MOUNTAIN WHERE THEY HAVE DIRECT TV’S SUNDAY TICKET, AND NINE TV SETS.

CINDY, A WISCONSIN FRIEND FROM WORK, GOT A COMP FOR A FREE SUPER BOWL PARTY AT THE EDGEWATER AND COLORADO BELLE CASINOS, AND ASKED US IF WE WANTED TO USE IT?  SHE HAD HER HUSBAND RON GO DOWN AND CHECK US IN AND PICK UP THE PARTY TICKETS.

WE SPENT THE WEEK-END UP RIVER IN LAUGHLIN AT THE COLORADO BELLE.

THE CASINO LOOKS LIKE A BIG STEAM SHIP, BUT IS BUILT ON LAND ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER BANK.  THANKS, RON AND CINDY FOR THE FREE ROOMS AND PARTY TICKETS. 

CINDY HAS US ALL LINED UP WITH COMPED ROOMS AT THE RIVERSIDE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WHEN UNCLE HANS AND RENEE COME TO VISIT TOO.

ACROSS THE SREET IS THE TROPICANA EXPRESS RESORT AND CASINO.

THIS IS WHERE MY GRANDSONS WILL BE STAYING DURING SPRING BREAK WHEN THEY COME TO LAUGHLIN TO VISIT GRAMPS AND MARY.  HEY BOYS, HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE SWIMMING POOL YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO.

SO EVEN IF THE FOOTBALL SEASON IS OVER, YOU CAN SEE WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITS FROM FAMILY NEXT.

THE SUPER BOWL PARTY WAS HELD IN  A HUGH TENT OUTSIDE THE EDGEWATER CASINO, LIKE TAILGATING.  THIS IS THE LINE WE WERE STANDING IN TO GET INSIDE.

INSIDE THE BIG TENT WERE MANY BIG TV’S, BUT ALSO TWO MORE BIG LONG LINES FOR THE FREE FOOD AND FREE DRINKS.  AH MARY, THIS JUST ISN’T GOING TO WORK FOR ME…….

WE WENT BACK TO OUR HOTEL ROOM, WHERE THERE WAS NO LINE AT THE ICY BEER COOLER, AND NO LINE TO USE A PORT-A-POTTY.

CHECK OUT THIS LINE OF SLOT MACHINES.

THOSE VIDEO SCREENS ON THE SLOTS, WITH THE TALKING HEADS, ARE NOW TV’S.  YUP, YOU CAN SIT THERE ALL DURING THE GAME PLAYING A SLOT MACHINE.

THE WORLD CHAMPION GREEN BAY PACKERS !!!

 

GO PACKERS !!!

JUST A COUPLE MORE DAYS TO GO FOR THE BIG GAME.  THE PACKERS ARE FAVORED BY 2.5 POINTS, THAT DOESN’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH WHICH TEAM IS THE BEST.  THE TEAMS ARE EVENLY MATCHED AND IT WILL BE A GREAT GAME.  THE 2.5 POINTS IS THE CASINO’S WAY OF MAKING UP FOR THE HUGE FAN BASE THE PACKERS HAVE.

RAN INTO SOME GREAT PHOTOS OF THE LAST GAME ON THE INTERNET JUST TO HOLD YOU OVER UNTIL SUNDAY.

BTW: THE WEATHER FORCAST FOR GAME TIME HERE IN ARIZONA IS “SUNNY & 75”.

GO PACKERS !!!