Sorry to have been missing for so long. I seem to have picked up a serious bug in the less that pristine accommodations at the Rodeway Inn in California, that knocked me for a serious loop for most of the month. Today I feel almost human for the first time in a long time. Thankfully, Penny is very patient - she likes to snuggle, so the fact that I spent a lot of time in the sack was just fine with her, as long as I remembered to feed her a couple times a day and let her out to pee once in a while!

The coach? Well, I have managed to get the parking brake system repaired, finally. And the battery situation was very interesting. It seems there was one dead cell in one battery, which basically killed the system. Put in a new battery ($12 since it was more than a year old) and everything has been fine since! The mechanic suggested I get a trickle charger and run it for about three days a couple times a month if I am parked for an extended period. Not needed if I'm on the road regularly. One more purchase, but worthwhile!

The poor Mustang will be new again today - I pick it up this afternoon after getting a new bumper and paint. I did find a locking hitch pin that is already installed on the hitch. Hopefully that will solve that problem, but with my luck??

Maggie is coming down from Seattle tomorrow for about a week, in need of a little sunshine. Then Annette and I will probably caravan down a ways into Mexico, looking for a little sunshine of our own - Bahia de Kino (Kino Bay) and/or San Carlos (just outside Guaymas) - fresh fishies and shrimp!!!!! And no, I'm not taking Mustang . . . I'd just as soon not lose it or get it hurt again. Annette will be towing her Airstream, so we'll have a vehicle to drive around in!

Not everything on the coach is fully repaired, but the major stuff is done and I'm so much happier - now it's just the question of getting repaid for motel and fuel and previous repairs. I've sent off my list to Gulf Stream - will be interesting to see how long it takes to get a response. I really don't want to fight anymore - let's just hope they'll follow through on this too!