Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Finally..."Little Miss"

I had come up with the name "Tiffany" for our new RV, but after accidentally wiping out my last blog entry that took me over an hour to compose, upload photos, videos and comments, I decided to change it to Little Miss, because I'm still feeling the pain from the loss of all my hard work. If you've ever published a blog, you know the creative energy that is needed to make it interesting and understandable. A blog is similar to a diary, except, besides allowing your feelings to explode on the page, you need to be sure there are no typos and assure grammar and syntax are correct.  Since I am still feeling those shock waves from losing all my work, I decided that "Little Miss" is a sassy name that fits her quite nicely. Besides, we picked her up in Mississippi and I wanted to somehow tie that into her name.

This blog entry will serve as an update for anyone out there who is interested in knowing where, what, when, why and how we are doing.

Where:  Currently, we are settled in Sweetwater, TN at a very nice KOA. Besides electricity and a pull-through site, the only other amenity we wanted for the night was free WiFi, so with all those, plus water and sewer, we're all set. 

It was a long day's journey into night, but we survived the worst of our new RV mishaps (for now) as we leave Red Bay behind. Although a return trip is in our future, I'm glad to have escaped the madness for a few months.  

What: Well, what we have been doing was hanging in Red Bay, Alabama, a dry county, I might add, getting dozens of problems with Little Miss rectified. We spent three days in Repair Bay 49 with Ken, our service mechanic, who knows a lot about many different things that are "Tiffin" related. He's only worked for the company for about eight months, but you would think he was an old pro. He is quite humble and quick to give credit for his knowledge to his veteran co-workers. We discovered that he's married, has cats, eats breakfast with his mom at 5:30 am every morning, and loves to restore old cars. He was very kind and considerate with Miss Lucy Lu by speaking softly whenever he was near her hiding spots and asking about her every morning. We were fortunate to have been assigned such a wonderful human being to see us through the trials of repairs.

Ken had been assisted by Chris for two days. After the third day of working on Little Miss, he up and walked out, exclaiming, "I quit." Not sure if it was Little Miss or something else, but that darn Murphy's Law keeps hanging over us.

We  spent eight long, hot, sultry days sitting around waiting to either be called into service, in service, or looking for free WiFi. We used up our roaming allotment, so we had been limited as to what we could see and do with our laptops and phones.

Gratefully, the biggest of the problems with the RV have been fixed, like the installation of a new refrigerator, screen door and taillight. A few other issues with "grabber" latches, shades and screens have also been addressed, but all the woodworking repairs and body work will need to be addressed the end of September.

When: It is currently mid-June. We signed the papers on the new baby on June 10th. We spent three days at Sherman RV trying to get a few problems rectified before heading to Red Bay, AL, where we had about half of our long list of warranty items repaired.

Why: Hummm. While the original owner, Bob Tiffin, was an old-school type of guy, he is now turning his empire over to his three sons. It's obvious that he should have either had a daughter or another son. Someone assigned to be in charge of "Quality Control." Someone is dropping the ball, and despite the fact that they stand behind their product, no one should have to experience what we did after buying a brand new, custom-ordered motor home. 

I can't focus too much on the negatives. Instead, I want to begin to truly enjoy our time spent together because life is way too short to waste on someone else's mistakes. Chalk it up to a lesson learned and an extra test of our patience.

How:  Okay....I'll give an update of 'How We are Doing." While it isn't easy living in close quarters during stressful times, we survived it and can still turn to each other for a quick-witted joke or reassuring look. We are stronger than the challenges we face and we need to remember to keep all of this in perspective. There are bigger problems in people's lives. Things are just "things." Life and love are the ultimate possessions.


Below is a video of Lucy's reaction when we brought her into her new home for the very first time.



Little Miss in Repair Bay 49 (at least it wasn't 13).
Old fridge being squeezed out.

Driver's window being removed to accommodate old and new fridge.

Floor tiles being replaced by Chris and Ken.




The temps we faced...

23 miles away...East Fulton Wines and Spirits. Not many wines, but plenty of spirits.
My coup de grĂ¢ce, the three most expensive bottles of white wine in the joint....



The night I composed the infamous "lost blog entry," I had sat outside where there was a WiFi connection. It was so peaceful and comforting watching the sun set and listening to the "cows coming home."





Deep thought for the day:  In the end, the style of your home in which you lived or the type of car you drove will be insignificant. Only the impact you have made on another person will truly matter. ~ vc







Saturday, June 11, 2016

Challenges in Sherman, MS

George Carlin - Pure Genius
Wow. I thought we had really downsized and were traveling as minimalists. Was I ever wrong. I can't believe how much stuff we have been able to fit into a 36 foot motor home. There have been so many trips down and out - then up and in, with bins packed to the top with kitchen and bath items, cooking and cleaning supplies, food and clothing, electronics and other random STUFF. Comedian George Carlin has a great skit about "Stuff." Click HERE to have a good laugh. Warning for grandkids: this is rated "R."

We had tried to accomplish moving our "stuff" in just two days, but a few glitches (as in any brand new or used motor home) caused a delay in the transfer.   Yesterday, we decided to reschedule two appointments in order to free ourselves up for an extra day or two here at Sherman RV. Besides, I think that after all this physical labor, it wouldn't be advisable to attempt the return to NY with a time constraint. A little pressure needed to be released from our balloon.

We were supposed to have been back in NY at this point and we were trying to accomplish this monumental task in just two days. Watching the clock was beginning to take the fun out of the whole experience, so now, we have more time to organize and properly arrange everything while also being able to take much needed breaks.

George and I are both a bit OCD and like things a certain way (for reasons that make sense to each of us) and thankfully, those tendencies don't often over-lap or conflict too much. I'm a "clean surface - uncluttered" type, while George is a "hunter and gatherer." I'm a tosser and he's a saver, yet we don't clash too often. They say opposites attract, and in this aspect, it is so blatantly true.

Photos will follow in a future blog - possibly along with a name. ? 

Deep thought(s) for the day: I couldn't pick just one.  "No one knows what’s next, but everybody does it." and "The future will soon be a thing of the past." ~ George Carlin, Stand-up comic, actor, social critic and author (May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008)

PS: For those of you who mentioned you are unable to post a comment. Try one of the following:

  1. If you received an email notification, although you can read the blog entry, you are not actually looking at the blog. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the email  - There will be one of two options at the bottom. Click on either "View in Web Browser," or "You are subscribed to received email updates." Once the blog opens in web-view, you will have full access to view the "Pages" and have the ability to leave "Comments." You just need to scroll all the way down below the last comment or end of the blog entry. ~ or....
  2. Type the following into your browser:  www.savinggrace3124@blogspot.com From here, you can view page tabs and scroll down to the bottom to leave comments.





Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Tupelo, MS

We are winding down tonight at Trace State Park in Pontotoc, MS, (pronounced Pon-toe-toc) which is a few miles south-west of Tupelo - the birthplace of Elvis Presley. 

Trace State Park is a sweet, pretty, quiet, peaceful parcel of land surrounding Trace Lake, located close to the Old Natchez Trace Trail.

 We are nestled among the tall pine trees laden with pine cones and surrounded by squirrels who provide Lucy with early morning entertainment. 
The view from our door.
Looking out the driver's side.
Looking out the driver's side......squirrel watching.
Lucy's morning entertainment.



Stock photo of what we missed hiking along.
The Natchez Trail was the lifeline for Native Americans, slaves, early settlers and traders. I discovered all of this information too late to hike any one of the 60 miles of scenic trails. That fact alone has me determined to return to the Tupelo area. 

Earlier today we took a ride over to Sherman RV to sneak a peek at our new baby.  When we pulled in we came upon twin 36LA's parked side by side. A quick glance inside one showed a different color interior, so we knew the other was ours. We got to have a quick look-see, but she was in the process of being "prepped," so we felt a bit in the way. I know I'd surely dislike someone watching me work, so we reluctantly left her to the professional cleaners.

There were a couple of little "glitches," that are being addressed, but nothing as big as what we realized after getting home. We both noticed right off-the-bat that the half-bath door and the master bath cabinet door both opened in the opposite direction as Allie's. We didn't think anything of it at the time, but upon further thought, the half-bath door swing can be a potential hazard. We will address the issue tomorrow before signing on the dotted line. We think it could be an easy fix.

Tonight will be our last night in Allie. We have started to remove the wall-hangings and packed up the linen closet. The refrigerator and freezer are just about empty and the cupboards are practically bare. We didn't want to move too much food unnecessarily so we've been literally eating ourselves out of house and home.

So, on to a challenging issue for me.....her (or his) name. I thought of Honeybee, from Van Morrison's song! Tupelo Honey. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN 

Honeybee?

Then I thought, why not call it Elvis? After all, we ARE close to his birthplace and I COULD have a lot of fun with writing how, "Elvis has left the campground," or "Elvis has left the state." 

Elvis??
Some other thoughts..... 
Gracie II
Allie II
Tracie (We stayed at Trace State Park) 
Ol' Miss
 
I'm pulling at straws now.... 

I came up with the names for our two previous RVs right away, but this one has me stumped. Feel free to leave name suggestions in the "Comment" section.

Speaking of comments, I know people are reading this blog, but I get such little feedback. Please drop a comment or two to let me know your thoughts, opinions, a thumbs up. or suggestions - and that your out there.....{sound of crickets chirping}

Help, I need a name, folks.


Deep thought for the day:  Courtesy of Mr. Van Morrison, singer/song writer - 1945-present


You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't keep us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with in-sight, men in gran-ite
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Stuck in the middle (of the country) with you.....

For the past two weeks, we have been hanging out in eastern Tennessee, soaking up the sun and all the tourist attractions in the area. I still haven't Zip Lined or gotten in any White Water Rafting, but we've kept ourselves busy with tech-y stuff, wine tastings, hiking and plain ol' every day life. 

Our "tech" stuff was related to our trusty HP printer that finally decided it had taken it's "final trip" and quietly refused to print one day when it was truly needed. It was lovingly replaced with a newer model, but after spending about 4 hours trying to get a wireless connection to both our laptops, iPad and Kindle, I realized it might just not be compatible or able to handle so many devices. Back to the store it went and a different model was purchased and connected last night. It took a long time to download the drivers and software over our phone's hot spot, but George actually got his set up and running before even I did. I'm hoping that wasn't just a fluke, because I'd gladly turn over the technical stuff to him.

Now for the reason for why we've been hanging in limbo in TN for so long. We hadn't wanted to share our good news until we returned to NY, but a mechanical glitch threw a monkey wrench in our plans. Since we've had to explain our behavior to most of our families and friends, I will now officially announce that we will be purchasing a new and improved version of Allie that we will finally be able to take possession of on June 9th. Her name will be determined. I was thinking of Gracie II or Allie II (two, duex, due, du, dois, dos, zwei, et al), but I think I need to see her in person to make my decision.

Many may shake their heads and wonder why we would purchase a newer version of the very same motor home opposed to getting something totally different, however, we purchased the the one that had the most of what we really wanted and needed.  There is no motor coach that embodies every single desire, but this model, the Tiffin's Allegro Open Road 36LA, continued to come the closest for us. We love the bath and a half, the recliner, the fireplace and tons of storage and the huge counter top in the master bath is crucial for me. Other than opting for a big 40+ foot diesel pusher, we couldn't find all of those things in this class of motor home.

Some of the different or newer features include a heavier-duty chassis, an outdoor TV (George's favorite) a residential refrigerator (bigger, better and no defrosting), a ceiling fan in the bedroom, pull down shades (opposed to chain pulls), mocha wood cabinets, porcelain bathroom sinks, a straight (opposed to L-shaped) sofa, a computer station that has file drawers, pull-out shelves for a laptop and the new printer, lighter colored wall coverings and accents, upgraded faucets and counters and a beautiful kitchen back splash. I now have extra storage under the stove top since we opted to omit the never-used oven. 

Although it was an afterthought, we realized that perhaps Lucy might not even notice the difference since her litter box, scratch pad, water fountain and food dishes will all be located in the same areas. We can only hope.....

Here a few stock photos I found on line that are the closest to what we ordered: 

Rear end.

Same exact floor plan as Allie, just with a regular couch and the table with desk option.

The huge counter top in the master bath.
 

George insisted on this....

New fridge - no more defrosting! Ours won't have that oven but the counter and cabinets are the same.

New one will have a ceiling fan. Handy for warm Walmart nights.

Half-bath with lighter colors and porcelain sink and commode.

We have a lot of work ahead of us next week. The almost 400 mile trip to Sherman MS, transferring all of our possessions from one coach to the other and then the long, three day ride back to NY will surely exhaust us once our adrenaline stops pumping

The delay in taking possession of the new RV was due to an issue with the Anti-Lock Braking System that needed to be rectified by Ford before Tiffin would release it to the dealer. We figured we would give Ford all the time they needed since brakes were involved. We really want and need good breaks, I mean good brakes. 

That bad break with the brakes necessitated a revision to Phase II of our journey out to the west coast. We decided to shave off two weeks in order to give us some extra time in NY to catch up with family, friends and doctors. 

Our discovery of The Badlands, Custer State Park and Grand Tetons will need to be postponed until we head out west again. The more I think about it, the more I realized I tried to fit way too much into that trip, so the disappointment and frustration in having to reschedule so many reservations has just faded into quiet acceptance.

My birthday was a couple of days ago and George took me out to the restaurant of my choice (there were two to pick from). I chose Angelo's on the Point, which was located right on Douglas Lake. We had lovely views of the lake and the Smoky Mountains in the distance. Of all things to order, George chose pizza! After the waiter left, he looked at me and said, "What made me order pizza in Tennessee?" I ordered a soup and a salad and figured I would taste his pizza. Turns out (Moe - don't read any further) that there is a whole lot of sugar in their pizza dough. It tasted like dough you would use for an apple pie. It was topped with "less-than-acceptable" mozzarella cheese, but the sauce was tasty.

Regardless of the food (my soup and salad were good), we had a fun night as we celebrated yet another year of my life. The ride to and from the restaurant afforded us the opportunity to see the old town of Dandridge, a very quaint, friendly-looking place that is depicted below.

I've included a few photos of my birthday celebration and what we've been doing.


Celebrating my birthday!  Bad lighting is so flattering. I think my eyes were even open!

George's Tennessean pizza!

George's opinion of Tennessean pizza.

My birthday dinner, soup and a salad (plus a taste of the pizza)

They were closed when we drove by, but I'd love to have seen the soda fountain!

Jefferson County Post - the local newspaper.

The Maxwell House - B&B. I wonder what kind of coffee they serve.

Can't figure our when this dike was built. Am I missing something?.



No post is ever truly complete without a "Lucy" update. As you can see below, she is very comfortable in Allie. Like I said earlier, she may never know we got a new motor home because all of these spots will be the same.


Morning spot - in the sun.



Afternoon nap spot.
Evening location. At first I was very worried, but then I heard her gently snoring.


Deep thought for the day: As much as we are the masters of our own destiny, there are many contributing factors that make us just a novice.