Living in a Rectangle: Final Lessons Learned (at least for this trip)

*It is an eye opener when you realize you are only tasting wines you might like no matter how much they tell you "you will love this one, no really people who don't like sweet wines love this one"...No really I do not want to taste it, thanks.
*One sees and is amazed at how many big, no, I mean really big logs float down the Mississippi River.
*Tug boats are fun to watch. A glass of wine helps to make them fun to watch.
*One is amazed at how one does not see any big logs floating down the Arkansas River.
*When I am inside driving into place The Rectangle being given hand signals by Mr.D and those hand signals should have some meaning for me and I begin to laugh as all I can see is "the hand jive"....All meaning is lost through tears of laughter. (Note: does not make the one outside so happy.)
*The most important thing when building and playing in the fire is the "poker stick".
*Life in The Rectangle is not the same when the coffee maker stops working.
*Who knew you have to "burb" your Keurig coffee maker ?? It worked and my machine now works great. Thanks internet for the answer to my problem.
*Guys just talk better hanging over the bed of a pick up truck.
*Returning home is always bittersweet but having great friends staying in your home and leaving it not only well kept but with wine, cheese ready to snack and chocolates on the pillows as you climb into bed... makes coming home just sweet.
*Starting the week in your home church makes worship comfortable with hugs warm and welcoming.
*When does one start to plan the next "run away from home?"....Well now is a good time because being together 24/7 is a lot of fun.
MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL

Living in a Rectangle: Lessons Learned

*People will chase down roads they would not normally go to find that winery...and there are a lot of country roads to go down.

*Celery with peanut butter is a tried and true snack that makes you feel you ate something healthy

*Virginia has a lot of old universities like Sweet Briar, Longwood University, Randolf University, University of Virginia, Mary Baldwin College and a lot of community colleges

*A lot of Presidential libraries, homes and birthplaces are in Virginia

*Virginia wine is different especially the ones made by the Bulgarians

*Virginia Mexican food is different more like well not sure what one would call it

*A pocket door that falls off its runner is a crooked pocket door

*Listening to classical music while moving down the highway is peaceful and makes the country side more beautiful.

 *North Carolina has the best rest area bathrooms ever

*The guys swapping motor-coach stories about the fix it lists for their unit is a fun way to pass time in RV parks

*Sand gets almost everywhere in a short period of time.

*Welsh ponies travel too and stay in RV parks

*And before WiFi we???

*The top ten things to do in any area normally has at least one cemetery on it

*Temperature changes from cold to hot are just a few hundred miles apart

*The crock pot is handy for sure an almost must have

Living in a Rectangle: More Lessons Learned in Massachusettes and more of New York

*Boston traffic is bad, I mean realllly bad, these people do this everyday?
*Taking the subway is the way to get into Boston.
*There is always someone on the subway to tell you how to get around.
*Fresh seafood has no equal.
*If you are going to be in an area where the toll road is the only way around find a way to get a toll tag for that state, it will pay of itself many times over.
*The GPS lady does not always know how to get you were you are going so you end up in a field, or in front of a closed building or going in a circle. Stop and ask directions at that point.
*JFK Presidential Library feels like Jackie is there in style and ambiance 
*When you want a real cannoli go to Mike's Pastry in Boston, when you want great Chinese food go to China town in Boston, when you want over the top Italian food go to Little Italy in Boston.
*Being with your husband everyday 24/7 since August 8 is a good thing from my view.
*You can stay in the Motorcoach with no elec/water/or sewer hookups and do it very well.  Thank you generator and fresh water tank and dump station.
*Built in vacuum cleaner is the best thing to make live in the motorcoach easier.
*Washington apples have better marketing ads but these New York apples really are the best.
*Driving down country roads with the leaves falling all round you is a way to know all is right in this place...love Fall.
*The CIA is not just another covert group but a yummy place for restaurants to dine and for students to learn everything food.

Lessons Learned: Living in a Rectangle

*Talking to a Wisconsin farmer growing corn and soy brings the global economy and China economy effects into the real world.
*An old fashion fly swatter come in handy.
*Meeting strangers can turn into a lunch together, exchange of phone numbers, and plans to have dinner together in a couple of weeks when the RV park one is staying in is just down the road from them near Boston. Serendipity
* All paper towels are not created equal.
*Local Farmer's Markets yield the best locally baked breads ever and jams and jellies too.
*In watching a woman out walking her pig reminds one that pigs do not walk fast or pull on the leash.
*Doberman dogs with ears not "fixed" are darn cute.
 *An outlet mall is an outlet mall no matter the part of the US you are in.
*Some churches visited for service may not be a church in a couple of years, sad but true when we are one of the "young ones".
*When the wife says, "Let's take the Crock Pot", one should have listened.
*Locally grown cabbage and corn sold along the road on the honor system of payment renews the faith in honesty is the best policy and when it is $1.50 and you have not change, $2.00 seems the honest payment.
*In Naples, New York a Grapefest is more about the grape pie and fresh grapes with some wine thrown in for good measure.

Lessons Learned: Living in a Rectangle

*All light houses are not made of wood.
*Lake Huron looks just like Lake Superior looks just like Lake Michigan
*Some people do not know that geese honk NOT quack
*You know aliens have visited you when husband says, "We need to get a selfie stick".  OK We now have a selfie stick.
*Having a compass in your iPhone comes in handy on back roads not on map
*Front rock ding glass repair man heard to say "Well that did not go as planned" means you went from a ding to a crack...more later on this
*When a seamstress in some foreign land does not know how to use the serger/sewing machine a person has to return 3 of them to get a good one. (but it was on sale 70% off)
*After a person returns a sweatshirt 3 times you learn the clerks first name - Thanks Elaine for our good laughs together.
*When the driver of the Motor coach miscalculates Canada to USA lane on the Rainbow Bridge one might hit the agent shack on the passenger side even though the agent is the one waving you forward saying you have clearance....remember the passenger side mirror we used to have?
*When one loses the side mirror who knew you still have the side camera that works? Thank goodness we opted for this add on feature, well worth the cost.
*Unlike picking cherries the apple picking bag fills very quickly so not much time is needed when the tress are straining under the weight of all the apples.
*Just picked off the tree apples are not the dull store bought flavor...just they are so perfectly sweet and good.

Mirror mirror not on the "wall"

Yummy apples we picked!

*No matter how long since you’ve seen your college friend (45 yrs of so) you pick up right where you left off
*Cheese curds squeak when you eat them
*Small town farmer’s markets are great no matter where you are in the US
*Milwaukee has really great German food
*Enjoying great regional foods make a trip a cultural experience
*Having locals show you the town and give the history lifts the experience to a high point of travel
*Having a Camping World along the way makes for good shopping i.e.covers for windshield wipers, outdoor patio carpet, flying bug hot water vent cover…
*Learning which bay door has what behind it makes life easier
*Getting the coffee pods in just the right drawer makes for a better morning
*Shake down cruise has some end to it
*A step stool is an essential
*Local wines is a great way to take a little part of the world with you
*You can stay in most RV parks for 7 days at the 6 day cost - free night is always good
*Prattle originates from a low to medium German word

Living in a Rectangle Lessons Learned

*the Texas State Fair is the best State Fair; Illinois was good but...
*Snicker bites are the best when eaten on the road
*Subway sandwiches taste exactly the same everywhere that is to say they have no real taste
*Not all RV parks have good water pressure so drip shower is more it
*Saving 5 cents a gallon with Pilot RV discount is a good thing
*Sweet corn from Michigan given to us by other RVers is great
*Dominos played by 2 is still fun
*Funnel cakes are pure sugary goodness
*A good tail wind can get you 8 miles to the gallon
*Six hours of driving and riding is plenty
*Loving who you are traveling with makes the travel perfect

More lessons soon

Bio Break on Shake Down Road

It was a great park in Tulsa, OK and after the shakedown road a welcome retreat.  We delt with what we thought was all the small things that shook loose and all was great.  A day later I took my 4 mile walk and was feeling smug and self-satisfied when a gentleman says to me, “looks like you have break fluid coming from the back of your unit”. Really, this did not sound good so I immediately rushed in and told David what the man indicated which led us both to look at the undercarriage to find nothing coming from there but something did smell might sweet, like the magic pellets we put in the toilets to allow all that good bacteria to eat the bio waste. Yep, a very strong odor.  Open the back bay where the back toilet tank sits..hmmm guess the whole plumbing unit should not be sitting in the middle of the bay in blue water and dissolving toilet paper.
Now for the good news: we had for some reason at the beginning of the trip said..lets only do liquid into the toilets not solid until we see how everything works and ensure the first dump of the tanks work…so at least it was only liquid bio, dissolving toilet paper with a lot of water and the blue stuff. We hosed down the bay (our version of dumping the tank) and put the plumbing back to gather as best we could with yes..DUCK TAPE. Duck tape comes to the rescue.
We are now using only the front toilet that in itself has issues with the unit not holding waster in the bowl to allow for better flushing but at least all the plumbing is in tact. We are sticking with our liquid only till we have it serviced at the factory on Wednesday.
I will tell you we laughed a lot as we delt with what every RVer hopes to never have to deal with, but some time or other we all do. We do believe that the grass there will be greener and grow better with the fertilizer we hosed in.

Hope it holds for a while

This should be "set into the floor of the bay, not sitting up on it

We have this put back, not sure how it will hold

Clean up, it has to happen

Vice Grips Never Disappoint

Living in a Rectangle: Lessons Learned
The shake down story continued..TV drama or comedy?  I love technology and all the convince of getting what you want through those invisible air waves. I do wonder if when we are walking around and these things are flying through the air (i.e. internet, wifi, tv, radio, phones etc.) if they are just bouncing off me or going through me? oh well, not the story here, back to the TV.
All the shaking of The Rectangle on the Hwy 75 did unseen things discovered only when we went to use whatever, like the TV antenna. Now we have used that antenna on several occasions so we knew it worked just fine. You twist the handle to raise it and twist to lower, no big deal. The evening after the Hwy 75 washboard ride we were ready to raise the antenna and the mechanism  seemed loose...and boom, the handle breaks off, a big spring flies across the room and the rod unit that goes into the ceiling falls off. Hmmm not so good BUT the rod from the antenna this all connected to was there.  Light Bulb moment, what does one use to turn something that will hold onto it, of course we all know that answer if  not duck tape then it must be a job for VICE GRIPS. Yes, the handy clamp it on and use it as the handle thingy that never disappoints. Our tool box of course has a couple of sizes of vice grips, one just right.  We now have a very attractive vice grip hanging from the rod in our ceiling and the antenna goes up and down fine. Another thing for the fix it list when we get to for our appointment at the Newmar factory on the 19th. Shake down continues...But we are having a grand time and love to laugh about all the lessons we learn (sewer story soon).

Shake and Rattle While Rolling

August 8, 2015

Living in a Rectangle: Lessons Learned
Our New Rectangle rolling down the road …All roads are not created equal and Hwy 75 is only equal to a washboard, to say we wanted a shake down trip is taking the shake down to a new level AND it was a shake down that lasted 3 hours or so; pans rattled so we put on our list to buy something to go between them while I threw them all on the coach and bed; coffee mugs rattled, so I got them separated; bottles in the fridge rattled so I moved them all around;  liquor bottles rattled so I  just drank them all/well not really but it was tempting as I was up and about trying to find all the rock rattles and rolls and it was like being a flight attendant on a turbulent flight.  We made it to Tulsa and the main lesson learned is after fighting a road for that long one just wants dinner and a glass of wine and a quiet night. So much more to tell you…
Absolutely lovely sleep on our number bed (just like our’s at home so we knew our numbers) made it all good. Well there is the TV story but I will give that later.

The New Rectangle Ready to Roll

 We are packing the new Rectangle.  The Rectangle is another Newmar Canyon Star  because after all our looking and research we discovered we really loved our old one so we bought another one. New Rectangle smell is nice (like that new car smell). A few days in and a test run showed a leveler with a leak in the hydraulic thingy. Dealer ordered part and with one day to spare part came in and The Rectangle got fixed. Tomorrow we head out with first night stop in Tulsa, OK. Last load of laundry in the machine…why is there always another load of laundry?