12/14/15 Alliance RV Wildwood, Fl
|
The HydroHot
reservoir was empty a couple weeks ago, so I filled it and forgot
it. Then next time I looked it was empty again. So I filled it and
watched it and it was going down fairly rapidly. So take everything
apart - both side compartments - and look all over and I can't see
anywhere that it's coming from. So I fill it again and then check under
the coach and you can see it running out around the exhaust pipe that
comes out of the bottom. So a call to Aquahot and they tell me that it
may be a leak in the tank. Well to diagnose that you have to take the
cover off - not the service cover the big cover which means pulling the
unit. Hmmm - I look again and I still can't find where it's coming from
so we make an appointment with Alliance RV in Wildwood to bring it in
and have them check it. Half convinced that this is going to be a big
one - replacing the HydroHot is a $10,000 job. But, the new attitude
comes through for me and I shrug it off. "It is what it is" and
worrying or agonizing over it won't change that. (ps - Look at my
Christmas shirt in the picture above). So we wait the couple weeks till
our appointment, drive down to Wildwood on Monday and spend the night.
First thing Tuesday they get us into the bay, much to my chagrin, but
not really to my surprise, it turned out to be the radiator cap that is
on top of the unit. The seal around it was worn out from heat and age
and the fluid was coming out there and runing down under the cover and
coming out the bottom. I just couldn't see it from the angles I was
looking. A younger more trained eye was needed to spot it. So a minor
($250) repair and we were back home Tuesday night. It was nice to get
out, even for a very short little vacation :))
|
12/18/15 Sunsets :))
|
The sunsets on the river are
often spectacular, but I don't always get out to take a picture. This
particular evening it was really an exceptional one, the whole river
was flaming red, so I got out quick as I could and got a couple of
pictures. Sunset is a really quick one this time of year especially, so
often by the time I see it, marvel at it's beauty and get outside with
the camera it's too late for a really good picture.
Lifes going good right now. Sheila, broke another bone in her knee.
Same knee, different bone. This time however it wasnt' because of
anything she did wrong, we got in some soft dirt, her bike slid to the
side, she put her leg down hard to catch herself so she wouldn't fall
and her knee just collapsed under her. This was a week ago. We got her
to the ortho clinic later that same day and at firs they said it wasn't
broken, that it was just badly bruised. So they gave her a knee brace
and sent her home. So the followup - a couple weeks later at the
followup viist she insisted on seeing the Dr, not the doctors
assistant, and he did a MRI and annouced it was broken - very clear on
the MRI, invisible on the X-Ray. It may be time to throw out those old
xray machines and start using the MRI for things. But, it what it is,
so now the new marching orders are no more then 50% of her weight on
her knee for a few more weeks. So she's stuck with her walker for the
holidays. We check back on 1/11 and we'll see what the Dr say then.
We're real pleased with the doctor that we have, he's young and really
seems to know his stuff, so we're content to follow his instructions
for the most part.
|
12/25/15 Nothing says
loving like something from the oven :)) )
|
 Christmas finally arriived and we decided to hold it
down this year, especially since the possibility of a very expensive
replair was looming on the horizon. So the presents were mostly small
stuff and things that we needed anyway :)) Not a buy a carton of smokes
and wrap the packs up individually Christmas, but not our usual
extravagaza either. But we had an adequate suppy of paper to tear and a
lot of smiles to go around. We managed as usual to  make an appropriate mess. The joy of
seeing the surprise and joy on anothers face as they tear, pry open and
eventually reveal their latest gift is really priceless. Sharing
Christmas with someone you love makes all the humm drum of life to get
to that moment of joy worth the ride. Ok, I'm getting sappy, or maybe
it's just happy.
It is what it is is the motto for the New Year and as we head towards
it we look back on a quiet but very satisfying year behind. So with
that we'll say to all MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL - AND TO ALL A GOOD
NIGHT.
|
12/31/2015 So long 2015 - it's
been a year to remember :))
Since when we're riding, we're always riding together I don't have any
good shots of Sheila coming down the road, but if it works (I haven't
tested it yet) click the picture and a very short clip of her riding
should come up.
|
Well time to day goodbye to 2015
and welcome 2016. I do so with an interesting (at least to me)
realization that while time is what it is - that is 60 seconds are
always 60 seconds, that I also now somewhat understand those who tell
us that time is also an illusion. The length to time that it take for a
minute, month or year to pass is the same now as it's always been, but
as one ages the sense of how long that is does change. Years are now a
month or two. Looking back leaving 2014 and welcoming 2015 wasn't a
year ago, it was a month or two. It's something you can hear when
you're young and not understand - as you age you'll get it.
2015 was an interesting year, the blog fell behind a lot, busy was
growing as the year progressed and with closing the office and taking
on the work formerly done by 2 employee's it took a sudden upward leap.
But then I've never minded working, so it's not a complaint, just a
notice that other priorities sometimes prevent doing what's more
appealing. Sheila started 2015 with a broken knee - she finished with a
broken knee. But in between there were a lot of miles put on the bikes,
a few falls along the way and a lot of smiles and happiness as well.
While there are moments now and then of feeling disappointed by the
handicap, overall she just smiles and keeps on getting on. She's
mending again and soon we'll be out biking and walking again. I'm still
walking, but I've parked the bike until she's ready to ride again. The
motorcycle has been languishing in it's garage, a bad knee makes it
very difficult to get on/off the bike so it's waiting patiently for the
day when we can go cruising again.
We don't know yet what 2016 will bring. There's another review the end
of Jan and we plan at the moment to make it to Louisville for the truck
show. But beyond that we don't have an travel plans at this point. We
need to work out port visits and the medical aspects first. But we're
still hoping to get some more wheeling, cycle rides and biking into our
future. If it comes we'll savor it - if it doesn't we'll savor what
does come. LIFE IS GOOD - ENJOY IT whatever it brings.
See you next year - John & Sheila
|
