Category: Uncategorized

For the third time in three years our building-wide fire alarm went off.

Not quite dawn. (Dave took this picture when everything was pretty much over.) It took me awhile to wake up enough to realize it was the fire alarm. Before we even got to the first landing on our way down the stairs the alarm stopped.

But we could see flashing lights through the dark out the window so we waited a bit.

And the alarm started again. So we went on down.

Yes, there was a real fire. Yes, this time they hauled hoses into the front door of the building and pumped water. I have no idea why the sauna was on fire but it was.

They got the fire out and the alarms were silenced again.

For a few minutes. Then they went off again.

Seems they were having trouble clearing the smoke from the sauna’s vicinity in the basement.

The sauna, hot tub, exercise room, and the central elevators are currently out of service.

Finally the alarms stopped for the last time and I went back to bed.

But, I did meet a couple more neighbors. One of whom has lived here for 23 years. Guess she likes this place in spite of this type of neighborhood gathering, huh?

TTYL,

Linda

When we were kids we used to play a game called Button, Button, Who’s got the button?

It’s not a button we are trying to guess the location of right now, though. It is a fuse.

My gray tank has an uphill run to the dump outlet. So Sportsmobile installed a macerator pump to bring the water up to the the necessary level. We were rinsing my fresh water tank the other day when the macerator decided not to work anymore. We think the fuse needs to be replaced.

At least, that’s what we are hoping needs to be done.

Except we can’t find the fuse. It’s not on the main house panel. It’s not on the vehicle panel under the driver’s seat.

We’ve been having email conversations with Sportsmobile trying to guess where it is. Paul suggested we unscrew the switch from the wall and see if the fuse is in the wires.

But our switch is not screwed to a wall; it is pressure fit inside the metal door frame. No, they didn’t recommend we pull it out to look for the fuse.

So, it looks like my next trip will be to Sportsmobile in Texas in hopes that looking at it will jog someone’s memory as to where that fuse is.

And hope that replacing it once they finally find it solves the problem.

Because once that gray tank fills up, I am dead in the water.

Quite literally since the only way I have to tell it is full is to have it back up in the shower which is also the floor to the toilet!

What a way to start a new camping season!

TTYL,

Linda

Today was the first time in many years where a nurse only had to take my blood pressure once!

Usually the first reading is high enough that they put me on the machine to take it three more times.

The nurse was so happy with my reading she gave me high five.

I’m pretty happy with it, too.

May be a sign I am finally doing something right?

Wish I knew what.

TTYL,

Linda

For most of us it is hard to decide what to keep and what to dispose of when we are downsizing.

There are lots of blogs and books about how to decide but here is the most important question you can ask yourself:

What would I run into a burning building to save?

For most of us the answer is our family.

For those who have pets they are often included in this list as we see them as part of our family.

Is there anything else in your home that is truly irreplaceable?

TTYL,

Linda

People keep asking me when I am going south this year. My all purpose answer is, “It depends.”

First my doctor need to release me to travel at all.

Then I need to repack the van.

But I do know I won’t be leaving as early this year as I did last year. I missed Dave too much to be gone that long again.

So, the plan for now is to drain and rinse my fresh water tank but leave the RV antifreeze in the rest of the plumbing system and leave a valve open on the fresh water tank so what remains in it can evaporate or expand. That way, if I go, I can go after the weather starts to freeze here but before driving on the roads gets too risky. Once I move into the van, where I’ll be using the furnace to keep the interior warm and where all the plumbing is except the holding tanks, I can fill my water tank, run enough water through my pipes to stop having pink water come out of them, turn off the water heater bypass and start using my own water system. There’s really no need to dump the antifreeze from the holding tanks until I need to dump them anyway and by that time I should be in Texas.

So that’s the plan.

If I go at all.

TTYL,

Linda