Are we having fun yet?

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Chinese New Year - Year of the Pig

Also Independence Day for The Gambia

and Tet in Vietnam

Maricopa, AZ to Tucson AZ

101.7 miles - partly sunny

I've made it back to Tucson after all the trauma of repairs, and a brief recuperation in Phoenix with Lizzie. And yes, I've said 'are we having fun yet?' before, but I'm really beginning to wonder.

I must renew my coach insurance this week, which means I've had it for a year already. And the problems just seem to continue. I'm quite happy with most of the repairs done in California. They solved the problems I've been fighting about for so long. But the trip back here was not without adventure.

When towing the Mustang, the lights just refuse to work correctly, so I need to take her back to the installer to get that fixed. And somehow, the pin holding the hitch together, which is held in place by a cotter pin, somehow pulled free. I know for a fact it was hooked up correctly before I departed, because that's just the way I operate - mechanical thingys have always intrigued me and I know how important it is they be installed/hooked up properly (and that little statement is for the sceptics who will say I had not hooked it up right!). The Mustang was held only by the safety chains and the power cord, dragging the heavy tow bar on the ground. About the same time I realized there was a problem, a trucker waved me down. By the time I could stop, the car's lower fiberglass bumper was torn, and the nice new dent shield I had installed was also torn. So, the tow package needs to be rewired and the Mustang's front end repaired.

Then, somehow, all of a sudden, the house batteries won't hold a charge. There was no declining efficiency, so when I'm told the batteries just need to be replaced, which I know is what the tech will say, I'm going to have to insist they look at the alternator and the connections and the grounds and more things that I don't even know about. And for some reason, the refrigerator will not operate on propane when the batteries are dead, which I don't understand. The refrigerator is fine on electric power, but . . . So there's another weird problem which I really don't think is an easy fix. Will it never end?

Oh well. I do enjoy being back in the coach. I do love the travel option available with this lifestyle. So I'm still pleased that I made this move. But it sure does wear on my soul to have a constant battle!

About the maps I'm trying to include now - I have Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006, a GPS program on my computer which I use for every trip I take. It's really accurate for the price. A hundred bucks versus the $600 or more for the more highly recommended variety. On the map today, there are two paths detailed. The green line is the one recommended for travel, but Lizzie showed me a shortcut to avoid a nasty stretch of I-10, which is indicated by the blue line. I can ask the GPS to track the actual path I take, hence the blue line. It's great fun for a toy lover like me!