On the Condo front: Gathered up my tools and headed to FL to check out and work on the unit. Seems the carpet had been replaced, but with the cheapest crap I have ever seen. So... I just tiled the whole thing. Cost about $800 and a few days time. Jim helped me rip out the carpet and get started on the tile. The first tile takes the longest. I also replaced the bottom of the kitchen and bathroom sink cabinets. Placed sheet vinyl on a new plywood floor. Put in new counter top and matching pass through. That took a couple hundred bucks. Put new medicine cabinets and one new sink in the baths.
I have the place listed with a management company to rent out and manage for me but not having any luck so far. May have to give up and list it for sale!
Spent five weeks, 6,000 miles, and about $1,500.
Got back home and spent about two week and headed out for Yellowstone National Park.
On the Starband internet front:
We had problems with the satellite dish from the start. Finally got it working about a week out. We were scheduled for a re point to a new satellite but I was having trouble with the birdog unit so decided to wait until we got back home to do that. Somehow, the thing started working again and worked until one day before we got home.
After getting home I ordered a new date cable for the birdog and it started working so I got it updated. Called Starband and got started with the re point. Took a two or three days after getting wrong coordinates from SB, and me setting the LNB 180^ out of phase. Got those two thing figured out and it went smooth from there.
On the RV front:
Batteries were on their last legs for the start of the YS trip. Had to run the generator a lot due to shade and less sun in general. Had 30A fuse holder meltdown. Had to make an 80 day trip to Bozman, MT to find a new one. Took all day, but also made it to Costco, a camera store, and a sport warehouse where I got a nice outdoor shirt.
So, last week I bought and installed six new GC batteries @ $75 ea. (icl tax) Got that done just before the weather turned cold. Should add at least 2 more Solar Panels, but that more $$$ so will wait a little on that.
On the Trip front:
Left home on the 13th of AUG. Got back on the 8th of OCT. Spent at least six weeks of that in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Parks. On the way up we met up with and spent a couple of days with Carl and Nancy. They had made a loop from KY to Seattle. On the way home we went by Kathy and Ken, M's friends from Seattle, that now live in Idaho Falls, ID. Spent three nights there. Stopped in LV for two nights and made it home the next day.
One hell of a trip. Geysers, pools, bison, elk, moose, eagles, hawks, osprey and more! Even a bear or two! Watched the colors change, and got chased out by the cold and snow.
