2011 December 7-10

Wednesday, December 7 2011

            I did the normal Wednesday morning thing by attending our Men’s Bible Study.  This is always a rewarding experience and well worth the drive across town. 

Shortly after returning home, we went to our grandson, Nathan’s to babysit Lorelie.  Granddaughter, Audrie has been watching the great-granddaughters lately.  However she has a new job and was going in for training.  Lorelie does not have preschool on Wednesdays so we got to spend time with her all afternoon.  Charlotte was in school until about three o’clock when Ella picked her up.  Beth came home from school in the early afternoon.  She was not feeling well and decided to not go to work.

Thursday, December 8

            Most of the morning I worked on the Sermon and Bulletin for Saturday’s Praise Service.  Nathan came out and took Ella in to babysit while he and Beth had a doctor’s appointment for the first ultrasound of the new baby bump.

I held my first Bible study at Emeritus Bible Study from 1:30 – 2.  I really didn’t know what to expect since it is a care facility specializing in Alzheimer and dementia patients.  I was told to keep it to a half hour and to schedule it after lunch because that was when people were most alert.  I had a DVD presentation that took about fifteen minutes and then I had Christmas Carols (printed in large clear type) and had planed to have music to accompany the singing.  That didn’t work out so well because I did not have internet connection that I needed for the music.  We sang a couple verses of three old standards without accompaniment.  We aren’t going to start a choir but we had fun with the hymns anyway.

Before I left Emeritus I called to find out if I needed to go to the grandson’s to get Ella.  But she was a home sitting in MY recliner.  She said she couldn’t sit in HER’s because SOMEBODY had left his stuff in it.  Yep! It was my stuff.  Books and Bible and CDs plus the laptop and the printer that I had out when I was working on the sermon and the Bible study.  I, generally, am the person who puts everything away as soon as I’m done with it.  However, I just plain ran out of time.  Good thing she was only pretending to be mad.

Since she was home, I told her to get ready and I’d pick her up and we’d go to Sam’s Club and WalMart for groceries and gas.  I felt lucky that we not out of both Sam’s and Wally World with spending only a little of fifty at each.  Not so luck with the gasoline – a little over $80.  My pickemup truck was thirsty.

Friday, December 9

            I got up and got a picture of the sunrise today – complete with an inch or so of fresh snow.  The first snow that we had this year was very wet and heavy.  This snow is dry and light.  Instead of shoveling, I just swept it off the steps and patio. 

I had written earlier about the unpleasant surprise we had when we went to move our Road Ranger fifth wheel and how that was causing us to rethink our plans.  Since that time we have been looking (mostly online) at fifth wheels and travel trailers.  A couple days ago, while online, Ella found an older Excel at Plaza RV in Bondurant.  There were lots of photos of the trailer and it looks like it is very similar to the Road Ranger in size and layout.  The biggest difference is the placement of the entrance door.  The Excel’s is near the rear of the trailer (like the Hitch Hiker’s) instead of in the middle like the Road Ranger’s.  Today, being a bright sunny day, we decided to drive over an take a look at it in real life.  The battery was down and the slide out was in and the baggage door locks were frozen shut, so we didn’t see it quite as completely as we’d hoped.

I told the salesman that we were not ready to buy and that we’d check back in the spring.  If it is still there, we’d be interested.  The salesman said that if we’d take it now, he’d knock $1,500 of the price.  I said I did not want to have to store it until spring.  He said he’d store it for us.  Darn!  Now we have to decide what to do.

Insert passage of time here.

Later that same day.  We decided that we needed to take another look at the trailer.  I called the dealership and told them that we would like another look with the slide out and with the baggage doors open.  Dave, the salesman, said to give him an hour to ninety minutes and he’d take the trailer inside to thaw out.

So for an additional hour, we did some praying, soul searching, some considering “what ifs” and then went back to take another look.

            I got up and got a picture of the sunrise today – complete with an inch or so of fresh snow.  The first snow that we had this year was very wet and heavy.  This snow is dry and light.  Instead of shoveling, I just swept it off the steps and patio. 

I had written earlier about the unpleasant surprise we had when we went to move our Road Ranger fifth wheel and how that was causing us to rethink our plans.  Since that time we have been looking (mostly online) at fifth wheels and travel trailers.  A couple days ago, while online, Ella found an older Excel at Plaza RV in Bondurant.   There were lots of photos of the trailer and it looks like it is very similar to the Road Ranger in size and layout.  The biggest difference is the placement of the entrance door.  The Excel’s is near the rear of the trailer (like the Hitch Hiker’s) instead of in the middle like the Road Ranger’s.  Today, being a bright sunny day, we decided to drive over an take a look at it in real life.  The battery was down and the slide out was in and the baggage door locks were frozen shut, so we didn’t see it quite as completely as we’d hoped.

I told the salesman that we were not ready to buy and that we’d check back in the spring.  If it is still there, we’d be interested.  The salesman said that if we’d take it now, he’d knock $1,500 of the price.  I said I did not want to have to store it until spring.  He said he’d store it for us.  Darn!  Now we have to decide what to do.

Insert passage of time here.

Later that same day.  We decided that we needed to take another look at the trailer.  I called the dealership and told them that we would like another look with the slide out and with the baggage doors open.  Dave, the salesman, said to give him an hour to ninety minutes and he’d take the trailer inside to thaw out.

So for an additional hour, we did some praying, soul searching, some considering “what ifs” and then went back to take another look.

We looked it over very carefully, looking for bowed or warped walls, soft spots in the floor, rust, damage, excessive wear etc.  We opened every door and drawer, tried every light and inspected all appliances.  The only thing I could not check was the roof, because there is no roof ladder.

We really liked it, partially I think because it is so much like our Road Ranger, which we really have enjoyed.  The only part that I’m not thrilled about is the ceiling height in the living room area.  The ceiling is only about 6’6”.  I’m 6’1” and a lot of my family are taller than that.  Well, I guess we just won’t be doing any jumping around it it.  Dave gave us a lot of ‘alone time’ to discuss it and we decided to buy it.  We’ll go Monday to get the money out of Ella’s retirement account.

            We got home from the RV dealership with just enough time to get cleaned up and dressed for our Sunday school’s Friendship Class’ Christmas Party.  For years and years we have had the party at a local restaurant.  And over the years it has become more expensive while our aging class members’ incomes have been decreasing.  This year one of our members, Nita Brower, volunteered the use of their home for the party.  We had food catered from another local restaurant and served ourselves buffet style.  It was very enjoyable and much more relaxing than the restaurant.  Nita had several games for us to play and we had time to visit and just chat.  Pastor Lee brought his guitar and we sang some Christmas hymns.

            Oh, I almost forgot, sometime during the day, I got a call about being Santa at another party on Sunday.  That makes two partys on Sunday, one at one o’clock and one at six-thirty.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

            We awoke this morning to the lowest temperature so far this season, five degrees.  I took another ‘sunrise’ photo plus some of the frozen and snow covered lake.

            Ella works 8-2 today and I preach this evening at 5:30.  We will have our monthly pot luck after the service.  I have a meatloaf mixed up and will get it in the oven later this afternoon.  So far today the meatloaf and doing dishes is all I have accomplished outside of getting this blog caught up to date.There were lots of photos of the trailer and it looks like it is very similar to the Road Ranger in size and layout.  The biggest difference is the placement of the entrance door.  The Excel’s is near the rear of the trailer (like the Hitch Hiker’s) instead of in the middle like the Road Ranger’s.  Today, being a bright sunny day, we decided to drive over an take a look at it in real life.  The battery was down and the slide out was in and the baggage door locks were frozen shut, so we didn’t see it quite as completely as we’d hoped.

I told the salesman that we were not ready to buy and that we’d check back in the spring.  If it is still there, we’d be interested.  The salesman said that if we’d take it now, he’d knock $1,500 of the price.  I said I did not want to have to store it until spring.  He said he’d store it for us.  Darn!  Now we have to decide what to do.

Insert passage of time here.

Later that same day.  We decided that we needed to take another look at the trailer.  I called the dealership and told them that we would like another look with the slide out and with the baggage doors open.  Dave, the salesman, said to give him an hour to ninety minutes and he’d take the trailer inside to thaw out.

So for an additional hour, we did some praying, soul searching, some considering “what ifs” and then went back to take another look.

We looked it over very carefully, looking for bowed or warped walls, soft spots in the floor, rust, damage, excessive wear etc.  We opened every door and drawer, tried every light and inspected all appliances.  The only thing I could not check was the roof, because there is no roof ladder.

We really liked it, partially I think because it is so much like our Road Ranger, which we really have enjoyed.  The only part that I’m not thrilled about is the ceiling height in the living room area.  The ceiling is only about 6’6”.  I’m 6’1” and a lot of my family are taller than that.  Well, I guess we just won’t be doing any jumping around it it.  Dave gave us a lot of ‘alone time’ to discuss it and we decided to buy it.  We’ll go Monday to get the money out of Ella’s retirement account.

            We got home from the RV dealership with just enough time to get cleaned up and dressed for our Sunday school’s Friendship Class’ Christmas Party.  For years and years we have had the party at a local restaurant.  And over the years it has become more expensive while our aging class members’ incomes have been decreasing.  This year one of our members, Nita Brower, volunteered the use of their home for the party.  We had food catered from another local restaurant and served ourselves buffet style.  It was very enjoyable and much more relaxing than the restaurant.  Nita had several games for us to play and we had time to visit and just chat.  Pastor Lee brought his guitar and we sang some Christmas hymns.

            Oh, I almost forgot, sometime during the day, I got a call about being Santa at another party on Sunday.  That makes two partys on Sunday, one at one o’clock and one at six-thirty.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

            We awoke this morning to the lowest temperature so far this season, five degrees.  I took another ‘sunrise’ photo plus some of the frozen and snow covered lake.

            Ella works 8-2 today and I preach this evening at 5:30.  We will have our monthly pot luck after the service.  I have a meatloaf mixed up and will get it in the oven later this afternoon.  So far today the meatloaf and doing dishes is all I have accomplished outside of getting this blog caught up to date.