Recliner - Santee, CA

Boots’ chair, an IKEA light cushion lounger, has fulfilled its purpose and is in need of replacement. So, we have had our eyes out for a bargain. Wouldn’t you know it, a local wholesale outlet had a couple of choices and we bought a small leather recliner for a very low price. Now, the trick was getting it up into/out of the truck and into the RV. In case you don’t already know – the backs of recliners are easily removed (really the process is more awkward than complex). The store showed us how to remove and re-attach the back and they put the base in the back of the truck.

Off we go to the RV, putting the recliner back in the rig was easy and really a one person task. Then we back up the truck as close as possible to the RV door, moved the steps up out of the way. Then the two of us eased the base out of the truck and walked it over to the open door of the RV and put it onto the rug so that it could be easily pushed into position. Now we both have strained and sore backs but the recliner is in place and Boots is enjoying the new comfort of her recliner.(For a while anyway.)

After a week, it became clear that the recliner was not working for Boots’ body. The seat was a little long so that her legs did not bend down to the floor comfortably. The whole chair surface was a rigid and it did not look like time would change that. This particular recliner had a rocking feature – which we turned off. That did not seem to help either.

Once again, we needed to go back to the drawing board for a better solution; but first we needed to get the chair back off and both the back/base back into the truck. Do you have any idea how many retired men (or women, for that matter)) have bad backs? Everyone, it seems, that we asked for help. So, we again backed up the truck to as close as possible to the door, slid the chair over to the doorway, moved the stairs out of the way, and eased the chair out and into the truck bed. This was a little less stressful to our backs because we were a bit smarter this time. So, off goes the recliner to the wholesale store for a refund.

So, watch this blog for the follow-up solution, when we get one.

"No Poop or Pee" - Aguanga, CA

More “No” signs. On Ruthi and Karma’s walk to/from the off-leash dog park, they pass an RV site with a tiny little “fence” or “barrier” at the road edge. There is a sign on the “fence” that says “No Poop or Pee Here”. It has pictures of dogs doing their business inside the RED universal “no” circle. The challenge is that some dog has already pee’d on the sign and every dog going by needs to claim the space by adding their own pee.

“No” Café – County Line between San Diego/Riverside Counties

Do you remember the State/County Line bar/liquor stores from your teen years – the ready place for underage teens to buy their liquor??? Well, this place looked like it hadn’t done well over the last 50 years and had a junk yard attached, too. Even the sign had fallen down and we missed it going East but caught it on our way back West.

The BBQ Café had more “no” signs than we thought possible in one locations. Multiples of each “No Walking your Dog on This Property”, “No Walking your Dog in This Area”, “No Dogs Allowed”, “No Alcohol Pass This Point”, “Restrooms $5 or Order > $5”, “No Mayo”, “No Ketchup”, etc, etc, etc. Really seemed to have it in for dogs! Poor Karma had to stay in the truck. They meant each and every sign. When we got there a little late for lunch (2ish), we were limited to where we might sit, not because it was crowded (it wasn’t- only other person was at the bar) but because “there might be a birthday party” and they would need that space. Birthday Party???-We are in the middle of nowhere and that’s not even an exaggeration – 20 miles East of Temecula and nothing within 50 miles North, East or South of this location.

Luckily, the food was great (Black Angus burger (Boots) and BBQ Brisket (Ruthi)). Even the side Caesar salads, with crisp croutons, were very good. So, like our mothers’ (or someone) said, you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover.

TV Dies – Aguanga, CA

We have known that our ancient TV was on its last legs. It is huge and heavy, like an anchor! The video would go out occasionally. We would turn it off/on and then video would return. But not today, video would not come back. We kept the TV connected to the DirecTV DVR. With a little work, we could play the recorded news programs and listen to the audio without video.

Boots started researching and went looking for a new TV / flat panel. This provided an opportunity for us to see a lot of Temecula as we sought out Target, BestBuy, CostCo, etc. We narrowed it down by options and price to a Samsung or LG at Costco. After much thought, we decided on the simpler LG mostly because it was $70-80 cheaper. We elected to wait until we were back in Santee to simplify traveling with a loose TV.

At the Costco in Santee, the smart TV Samsung was $70-80 cheaper here than it had been in Temecula. So, we ended up with a “smart” TV – hoping it wasn’t going to be as complex as our “smart” phones turned out to be. We took the box home and began the install process. Moving the old heavy “anchor” to the floor out of the way was the biggest part of the job. Basically, we attached the TV stand, plugged the TV into power and the DirecTV DVR; and we were in business. Checking into our recording list we discovered that we had indeed recorded all of our favorites and were 4% from full!

Now all we need was for our local RV repair guy, Bill, to mount the TV. Simple, right - no! We wanted to install the TV in the cabinet space in such a way as to allow for more storage space behind the TV. We would put the DVR, and eventually the DVD/BluRay and Receiver below the TV mounting. The first mounting mechanism we had bought at Costco with the TV wasn’t going to work with the current cabinet structure.

Bill went away and Boots began the researching and shopping again. Once we found the mechanism that would work for our circumstances, off we went to our standard options: Target, BestBuy, Costco, etc. BestBuy had exactly what we wanted but the price was twice what Target’s option was, Costco didn’t have what we needed at any price. So, now what??? We went back to check online for other options and surprise surprise – BestBuy’s model was $70 cheaper if ordered on line and could be picked up at the local store so there was no shipping charge. How do these companies make any money???

So, overall the savings on the TV and mounting mechanism paid for Bill to come back and install it all, Whew! Now, we need to figure out how to secure the TV for when we travel. If it ain't one thing it's another!

Losing Socks in the Wash – Solved – Aguanga, CA

At the laundry facilities here at Jojoba RV Park (SKP), the washers have clear windows. Ruthi sat and watched the wash go round and round one way and then round and round the other way until something different/strange happened. One of our small small wash rags got caught between the rubber seal around the tub and the rubber seal around the door. She could see it slowly drawn into that space while the rest of the wash tumbled this way and that grabbing at the little towel but unsuccessfully pulling it back into the fold, so to speak. Little by little the towel got sucked away from everything else and surely looked like it was bound to disappear completely.

When the wash cycle completed there was just enough of the towel showing that Ruthi was able to grab it and pull it free. But, of course it wasn't clean having spent the entire time lounging against the glass of the door.

This must be what happens to all those lost socks. The machine does “eat” them and eventually they go to the drain clogging it and causing floods all over the laundry room never to be seen again. It doesn’t take much just the correct positioning of small wash items and continuous grabbing at the edge of the item until the rubber seals have devoured it all, never to be seen again.

Heat Wave – Aguanga, CA

Temperatures predicted to be in triple digits, caused us to leave Santee a couple of days early and hurry up to Aguanga so that we could unhook and set-up in less than heat stroke temperatures. To add to the heat, there were high wind advisories for the same days. With a high profile rig wind makes a big difference when driving.

So, now we are here with temperatures reaching lower 100s around 1pm. The nights are down in the lower 70s high 60s. But the time just before sunrise and long after sunset, the temperatures are hard to even comprehend. Our AC is holding its own and we are able to keep the RV/tin can in the high 70s.
Going to the truck, taking Karma for her walks/runs, emptying the waste tanks, shopping for food, etc. are tasks that take all of our energy and dehydrate us fast. We are drinking lots of water, juices and eating fruits/vegetables.

Then add the Santa Ana winds, that moves the humidity into single digits. Can you believe that “single digits”? Hence the Southern California fires in the news. The fires are West of Interstate 15 about half way between here and where we came up from on Tuesday (Santee). We are hoping that the fires, wind and temperatures won’t be problems when we head back to Santee at the end of May.

Branches Falling on Our Heads – Santee, CA

Wind broke off part of the tree we are parked under. We were outside putting our awning in, when we heard a soft thud. At first, Ruthi thought a branch had hit the truck and bounced off. Then she looked up and saw a very large branch still partially attached to the tree but definitely laying on the roof of our rig. We called it in to the office and a group of camphosts and staff came to the rescue. The youngest, a small woman, climbed up and with some directions was able to push the tree debris off the RV while missing the sewer connectors, electric glass meter and my bike. Then she even swept the roof off. More wind and more branches falling but nothing more hit us.