Chilly, Windy, Brrrr...and It's August in Iowa!

It’s Friday night in Marshalltown, the wind is blowing from the northwest -- the stock car races are going full bore – there is no sense in even trying to sleep until the races are over - but I just love the sound of the races coming in the window. Guess it is a good time to catch up with the news!

Last Saturday I faced a project I just hate to tackle – cleaning out the storage area under the bed! I carry my cell phone in my pocked in case the damn thing slams down on me! Actually I do worry that the cat will crawl up in there and I'll not realize it until I don't see her for awhile and then I'll have to go through the whole mess again!

I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to try to lift the weight of a queen size plywood platform and queensize mattress while on my knees! But you can't stand up to do it – no room to get any leverage ...you have to kneel at the foot of the bed. A hydraulic lift would be nice -- just not sure how they would work it into the frame. Oh, well – another little problem you have to deal with to live full time in a vehicle labeled RECREATIONAL vehicle!!!

I found the sack of t-shirts and the quilt batting I've been looking for -- amazing how much crap you can put in that area under the bed! Now, if I'd get busy sewing, I'd have my window quilts done! But sewing is something I leave for the chillier days in Rockport. I also found some videos I had recorded from the old VCR days -- thought I had transferred all of them to disk but see that I have a few more to do -- another Rockport project -- setting up the VCR and the VCR to disk recorder thing is more than my electronics brain can handle -- so when I set it up -- it stays up until I'm finished!

AND - I found enough books under there that I will NEVER have to buy another book -- even if I live to be 100. I knew I brought a lot of books from the house that I wanted to read (couldn't pass up a sale at Barnes & Noble so probably had more than the local library!) Most of them are hard covers so I pulled out a bunch of them -- I'll read those first -- just to get rid of the weight. Never again will I buy a hard covered book -- well, maybe one or two now and then! Nothing beats the feel of a good hard-bound book in my hands!

By late Saturday afternoon I was pooped, my knees were sore, my gut ached from stretching over the wooden frame. That job is now done until it is time to get out the Christmas decorations (I think!)

It was a good week – plenty of sunny days to set out at the picnic table with Li’lBit and get some reading done. Made a couple of trips into the mall to walk – problem is I always manage to find something I really didn’t need and really don’t have room for in the RV! Had lunch at the food court – love their Indian Tacos – made with fry bread rather than tortillas.

Stopped in at Radio Shack to get some info on pre-paid Dish satellite TV – but they no longer carry it – will check with the Dish office when I get back to Gatesville. I have access to cable TV when I’m in Rockport – but local channels only in Gatesville and in Iowa. A pre-paid program would be great for me.

Well, it was a good week until I noticed some water under the back of the RV. I have a leak in my kitchen drain line -- water running out the back (underneath the back of the RV). Calling around, I found that no one comes out to do repairs, but did have the opportunity to talk to a service guy over in Colo. He said the leak is most likely between the floor of the RV and the underbelly -- could be the tank or could be the line, he can't tell without taking it in and having them pull the underbelly. He told me if I'm careful about draining from the sink, I could get it back to TX and have the people that know this rig take care of it -- there is nothing under there to rot -- just metal and plastic. So, I'm using a dishpan in the sink and dumping the water out in the bathroom sink or toilet. I guess I'm 'roughing it'! I'm now using paper plates.

Laundry at my favorite laundromat is actually a nice treat for me. OK, so it doesn’t take much to make me happy! I get lots of reading done. I hauled in the comforter and quilt from the bed – planned on putting them away – but no such luck – woke up this AM to 50 degrees, damp, chilly rainy day. It is August in Iowa and I REFUSE to pull out my space heater AGAIN! Supposed to be in the lower 50s tonite – in the 40s predicted for a bit further north east of me. Sure wish I could send some of this chill down to Texas to ease that heat wave they are having.