Local shopping and health check!

Had blood work done today, Cholesterol 180, Triglycerides 98, and sugar at 92.  I am happy with that!

Went by the local outfitters today to see what they had.  Picked up a pair of Throlo CoolMax socks ($15) for summer training.  Also found a pair of  Nite Ize S-Binners #1, for $4, M claimed them as soon as I got home because they were "So Cute!"

At Costco I found a Back Pack Solar charger,  Nomad 7 watt for $64 and a 10 LED twisty stick light for  $8.

If anyone is wondering why I put the $$$ (before tax) in, it because I want to track the cost and memory fades very quickly!

Let the shopping begin

Went to Phoenix yesterday and started looking at hiking gear! $$$

Saw some I liked, saw prices that I didn't like! Major items such as tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags look to start at the $200+ price point. Smaller items like stove, mess kit, etc., look to be $50 to $100! Sure wish Harbor Freight sold the good hiking stuff.

I already have a good set of hiking poles, Lekis, and I think a self inflate sleeping pad.

I'm a touchy, feelie guy when it come to buying this kind of stuff that I will wear, carry, and use every day for six months! Will do more looking and shopping as I have several months to a year to buy all the gear.

Clothing is just as expensive. Good shirts, pants, shorts, wind breakers, and such, start around $35 to $100 and up if I really want the good stuff!

Time will tell!

H.

So I've decided to take a Hike

I decided to do a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,178 mile hike from Northern Ga. to Maine! I must be crazy!

                                                           

It is too late to plan for this year for an early start, and, waiting until my 65th birthday would be too late to start. I have penciled in 21 MAR 13 for a "Start with Spring" start the Appalachian Trail hike! Something I have wanted to do since I first heard of it in 1970! Almost did it in '99 but got sidetracked going to AK. I am in excellent health and the only barrier I can see would be physiological!

My trail name will be Two Stix, at least for the start. When training for the '99 hike, I used two pieces of PVC pipe as hiking sticks. When talking with someone in the neighborhood, he said, "Oh, you're the one I see walking with two sticks!". I liked it, and was going to use it then but never made the hike.

I ordered a subscription to Back Packer magazine yesterday, $12, let the spending begin!

Not much accomplished to date, just a lot of thinking and a little research! I will try keep this blog up to date as much as possible, but I do let it go a little as you can see form the last posting.

A lot has happened since then. I just looked, December 2009, over two years between post, Wow. I promise to do better!

Since the last post I have two additional grandchildren, for a total of three! Nekio Jane (Almost 6)and Robert Joad (almost 2) are Lee's children, Malati Norah is Aaron's born this past January! The summer of '10 we made a four month RV trek to AK. It was a great adventure!

I have been researching gear and prep tips, food to carry, and reading a few journals of hikers. I am looking to buy the new Nikon Coolpix S9300 some time after it is released and the price has dropped a little, or at least refurbished one become available. I am also considering an Iphone, or at least a Smart Phone for my posting and internet access for the six month duration of the hike. Jim always said, "You need to be smarter than the equipment you operate!", so maybe I should stick with my Dumb Phone, after all, how smart can it be to take off on a 2,200 mile walk through the woods at 66 years old!

Office Work

Got a call form agent. Have a tenant prospect for Jan 15.

Also put up a four place coat rack in my office. Need one more in the winter for fleece vest and jackets!

Load Photo Shop Elements 7.0 on my computer yesterday. Now to get my photos organized. Started with the last 10,000.

V10 spark plugs

A long over due update!

Long time no update, so...

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.

Computer Dies and more work on the RV

OK, It has been well over a month since I posted, lets see what been going on

My office computer died. I think it is the power supply, or the power good signal from the processor. Anyway, M gave me hers, she had upgraded to a transportable laptop. Saved some bucks there! Got back up and running in short order by just switching the hard drives and video card over. Had problems with video until I realized she had a different video card than I did, switched them and all was well.

The WS washer on the truck has never worked since I have had it, two years now. Battery acid had dripped down over the pump and pretty much dissolved the plastic. Had to remove the battery to get to it. had some problems with the connectors, and blew a fuse, and also broke a little 1/4 inch plastic line. Repaired it with drip irrigation line I had. Cheap Fix. Now I can see to drive!

More work on the RV. Installed a 120V outlet in the basement for the air compressor. That will come in handy! Also built a new Mag. Rack for the slide unit. Looks and works great! Also built a under mount Keyboard tray for M.


More on the RV engine Misfire. Drove to LV mid May for a test drive. Had a few misfires on the way, and had misfire code for Cyl #1. Reset before driving home. Got werid codes on the way home. I put dielectric grease on the coil connections this time. Went over everything again. This time we went to Laughlin for a test drive. Ran great for sixty some miles, then ran bad as ever. This time I put dielectric grease on everything! Drove to S. Rim for test drive this time. Still ran bad. While we were there, I replaced Cyl#1's coil with the old one from Cyl #2 while keeping the new boot. Drove home, one hundred miles, and no misfires! Here's to hoping I have found the Fix!!!

OBTW, got my geezer pass while at the S. Rim!


H

New RV tire$

I bought two new tires for the RV yesterday. Got them home and installed on the front. Then moved the newer of the front one to the read and did a shift right with carry to the spare. That gave all the rear tires a directional flip and will wear the spare along with the other rear ones when it goes back on the road on next rotate.

Margaret turned on the A/C for the first time today. I didn't think we needed it, but she was cooking.

RV repair and maintenance

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Margaret was in FL for a week to photograph birds with young, and to visit here sister, got home on Thursday.

I managed to get a few things done, and some not to the point of completion. Got the oil change in all three vehicles, and anti freeze changed in the RV.

Coming home from the last trip, we found a couple of knots on one of the front tires, took it BigO last week, and they said it was because I had not rotated them! I don't believe it, waiting for the owner to come back and deal with him. If he doesn't give me a good deal on a new tire, I will go across the street.

I finally got motivated to change the spark plugs, using a new torque wrench I bought at Harbor Freight while on the last trip. I also put on eight new COPs and boots, (left two old ones on) Can't do a test drive until tire is replaced. Don't what to try next if engine still misfires!

The vegetation is finally starting to show up around the house, been a very late spring. The weeds are doing very well, thank you! I as trying to start a few of the plants from cuttings and seed. Will see how they come out. Doing Apache Plum from cutting, and Red Yucca, Meribilles from seed.

With warmer weather, I have been outside a lot more.

Have been home for a week and there was snow all around yesterday but I have gotten a few little things done:

Put a new Air filter on the RV. I have new spark plugs, but have not installed yet!

Found RV tire leak, tighten the schrader valve, will check in the next week or so.

Moved the new Magazine Rack to other side next to M's recliner.

Replaced the top shelf in the RV tool bin. I wanted to use a single piece of plywood but that wouldn't work. I did put a carpet pad over it.

I also replace the shower faucet. The super putty I had used before did not work.

I worked on the steps that would not remain extended while the door is opened. No joy! Still a couple of things to check before I buy a new controller.

I have been studying and trying to re engineer my solar mountings so I can raise and lower them with a lot less hassle.