Jacksonville, FL - Jul 31 waiting

Thursday, July 31, 2014
Jacksonville, FL - 72 degrees and mostly sunny to 91 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I waited all day and no parts arrived by late afternoon.
 “No parts for you today.”

The story is three items were coming from two places and only made it to Orlando. Found this out late this afternoon. What time they will arrive tomorrow who knows?
                                       

We may push on thru to Clearwater where we have a reserved site for a week latter Friday when the repair is complete. If parts arrive late Friday, we may wait and leave Saturday morning from Jacksonville. If they arrive earlier in the day Friday we should be able to leave in the afternoon and be in Clearwater dinner time? We are surviving in the heat. Our portable air conditioner is doing better today, although we are riding around in the car with the air conditioner on full cold.

Last night after eating out our riding back to Buster there was a Verizon store there on the route back to Buster. Well we upgraded our telephones to new Motorola Droid Razor Max. The ones we had the batteries were running down after only three quarters of a day, and needing a recharge often. Today a call from Bonnie was very clear and crisp much better with the new telephone.

Jacksonville, FL Jul 30 - Air Con repair

Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Jacksonville, FL - 64 degrees and mostly sunny. Only four miles to N. FL RV Repair here in Jacksonville, FL. Actually in the driveway, troubleshooting found the air conditioner control boxes and the thermostat are burned needing to be replaced, as in overnight the parts to Jacksonville, FL. They get deliveries late morning, installation and programing. Maybe depart late afternoon or the next morning.

Bonnie and I took our chairs and found a spot of beach with shade, pickup truck with a cap on the back provided the shade, cool breeze, nice. We stopped here in January of twenty-thirteen.

Bonnie sitting at Amelia Island Beach

Yesterday after parking Buster, Bonnie took a nap while I went to Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour, needed to check the gift shop for bottle & can koozies. Latter we went to the beach on Amelia Island. At the beach access there was no room to park but while trying to get turned around a spot opened to park Tan Jan.

Larry greeting me walking into the Brewery

We are now parked in the driveway next to the building with thirty amp power, awaiting parts. Bonnie is napping again as she was up early this morning and we were here at the RV repair by eight AM this morning.

Larry is still there greeting

Pecan Park RV Resort, Jacksonville, FL - Air Conditioner Jul 29

Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Saint George  (My place), SC - 68 degrees and mostly sunny. It was an interesting morning as the roof air conditioners were not working. Bonnie and I decided to push on to Jacksonville thinking a better chance of finding some place to do the repair. Buster pulled out of Comfort Inn RV Park just after eight-thirty trying to travel in the cool part of the day.

Pecan Park RV Resort

Pecan Park RV Resort, Jacksonville, FL - 95 degrees and mostly sunny. Buster arrived about two in the afternoon after running down interstate ninety-five most of the way. Buster stopped for a drink of diesel again ($3.739) in Georgia as Florida prices are much more, better to go in with a full tank. Two hundred and five miles travel today for Buster. Our little portable air conditioner struggled here during the afternoon sun. Bonnie and I located a place close to this RV park that will squeeze Buster in the shop in the morning.

Saint George (My place), SC - Buster is on the move

Monday, July 28, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 75 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I saw the grand children off to school, they have been off all month as they are in year round school nine weeks in and threes weeks out and closed for the fourth of July week. July is also grade advancement month and now Ariana is going into eighth grade and Zane is going into fourth grade. Took a while to get the water hose and electric picked up and the pads where the stabilizer jacks go to the ground all stored into Buster’s basement compartments. Connected Tan Jan and were rolling by nine forty. Not bad after sixty-five days in one spot.

ariana & Bonnie

Saint George  (My place), SC  - 93 degrees and mostly sunny.  US 401 to Interstate 295 by Fayetteville going east a short distance (six miles) to I 95 then south to Saint George, SC for diesel ($3.699 not too bad a price in today’s market) and an over night camp. Total trip two hundred twenty four miles today.

Zane

George, Ariana & Bonnie

Holly Springs, NC - July 27

Sunday, July 27, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 68 degrees and partly sunny deteriorating into rain to  95 degrees and mostly sunny deteriorating again into mostly cloudy.

I did put the propane bottle and wheel covers in Buster’s basement before the rain, they got put inside dry thank goodness.  NASCAR Brick Yard 400 today from Indianapolis. After the race it was time to close awnings load Tan Jan pack away the outside chairs and table. All that is left tonight is the wood blocks under the jacks, water line and electric cable. We will be ready for a two-hundred mile trip tomorrow.

Buster at summer location

Holly Springs, NC - Jul 23 - 26

Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 69 degrees and mostly sunny to 90 degrees and mostly sunny, hot and humid today.

Today is starting to round up things to be stowed into Buster's basement, even putting some things in there.

Thursday, July 24, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 75 degrees and mostly sunny to 90 degrees with a nice rain shower later in the afternoon and partly cloudy after that. Not much going the rain and humidity today that kept me inside most of the day. 

Buster's front access

Friday, July 25, 2014

Holly Springs, NC  - 66 degrees and partly sunny to 85 degrees and mostly sunny. We got more rain last night, the heavy type where the television signal goes out, not for long tho. 

Close in look

The sun is trying to burn some of the rain into humidity today. Buster has been having a foam insulation deteriorate behind Buster’s front hood. You can see some of that laying on the driveway.I am going to replace that with a Styrofoam that I will glue in place.

This is the two panels fitted in place

Saturday, July 26, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 70 degrees and mostly cloudy to 91 degrees and partly sunny. John and I did some running around today and I got the panels fitted in place, pictures with the pink foam. I will take them out and apply the glue tomorrow

Holly Springs, NC Jul 21 - 22

Monday, July 21, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 74 degrees cloudy and rain to 78 degrees and cloudy, off and on rain into the afternoon.

Bonnie and I are going to make the Florida trip in three days driving just over two hundred miles each day.  Buster’s first overnight stop will be St George, SC and the second stop will be Jacksonville, FL. More than a third of the trip is Florida driving.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 71 degrees and partly sunny to 83 degrees and mostly sunny humid trying to rain.

Back in May (25 - 29) I wrote about our sleep number bed and the “number” we were using. When I was ordering replacement parts the telephone was answered with a greeting and the persons “sleep number (35)”, I that was a good place to start. Our control had lost indication and no number displayed on the control for many months.

 sleep number 50

Now after some weeks of slowly adjusting from there I am at sleep number 50, I am enjoying the cordless remote to change the sleep number.

Sunday, July 20 45 years ago

Sunday, July 20, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 68 degrees and cloudy rain mid morning to 86 degrees and partly sunny after the rain. Another rain after dark thunder off in the distant area, nothing close to us here.

Lunar Module
 I was there (45 years ago) in nineteen-sixty-nine, Kennedy Space Center, Florida working for Grumman Aerospace, on the launch team loading propellants for the engines.

Holly Springs, NC - Jul 17 - 19

Thursday, July 17, 2014  (Revised)
Holly Springs, NC  - 63 degrees and partly cloudy to 88 degrees and partly cloudy. Cooler after that front passed thru the area, these are nice temperatures.
(To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click on the < in the upper left to return to the blog)
         

                                 
Yesterday I ordered a set of LED’s to convert the front fluorescent fixture. The only one I have not previously converted. These are different as they are flat with double stick tape. I read about these on another blog and wanted to give them a try.

LED lights

 

Ariana holding bracket card

Ariana front second from the left

Friday, July 18, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 62 degrees and partly sunny to  87 degrees and partly sunny.

             

Ariana and her girls softball team are doing well at the national (regional) tournament. This tournament was entered after qualifying, game and tournament’s won in the “home region”.  They are still in the “winning” bracket (no losses yet). Two win’s tomorrow and they will be the tournament champions. Chris and Zane came home from the tournament tonight after the second game that ended just before five. 

Back side double stick tape

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Holly Springs, NC  - 66 degrees and partly sunny to 83 degrees and partly sunny. 

Ariana  & John with team trophy

Yesterday’s mail had the LED lights delivery so that job was the priority today. The difficult part for me was the small wires cutting the insulation would also cut the wire very easy. Otherwise it is an easy conversion like the others I have done. 

NSA Williamsburg 2014 14 & Under Champion - NC Challengers (Ariana’s Team). Won both their games today no loses in this tournament of thirty-seven teams over six days. Monday thru Thursday they played only one game each day. Friday and Saturday there were two games each day. 

Holly Springs, NC - Jul 13 - 16

Sunday, July 13, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 67 degrees and mostly sunny to 91 degrees and partly sunny.

Chris, John and the children went to Williamsburg, VA as the regional softball tournament is there this week and could last until Sunday.  That leaves us (Bonnie and I) home alone!! NASCAR Sunday from Loudon, NH

Monday, July 14, 2014

Holly Springs, NC  - 74 degrees and mostly sunny to 95 degrees and partly sunny as there were clouds off and on with thunder storms forecast for the afternoon.

Hiding from the heat today, only outside for the daily chores. July of eight there were one hundred degree days for a week were had come up here from Florida where the temperatures were only into the ninety's and we felt the difference. 

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Holly Springs, NC  - 77 degrees and mostly sunny to 93 degrees and partly sunny. Well those thunder storms did finally come this afternoon. And keep coming in waves some light and others heavier. 

Just doing the usual Tuesday senior discount shopping at Kroger today.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Holly Springs, NC  - 71 degrees and partly sunny to 94 degrees and mostly sunny. Boy did we get the rain at bed time last night. There was one lightening and clap of thunder that seemed to be right outside the bedroom window, and the thunder was right at the lightening strike, no delay.  I had to get up and look around outside to see if there was any damage from that one, there were more after that but not as close to us. The rain was not heavy enough to knock out the satellite signal and there was a measurable amount of rain.

Taking some time today to complete our travel plan to Florida at the end of the month. Bonnie and I will be there a week seeing my sister Alice and some friends from when I worked for SRI there in Tampa. 

Holly Springs, NC - Jul 10 - 12

Thursday, July 10, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 76 degrees and mostly cloudy to 88 degrees and mostly cloudy, forecast is for rain showers today. We did get a thunder storm with heavy rain late afternoon and overcast the remainder of the day.

Bonnie and I went to Harris Teeter (grocery store) today as they have five percent off for seniors on Thursday. Otherwise, I took it easy today.

Bonnie and George outside Beef O’Brady’s in Fuquay Varina

Friday, July 11, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 71 degrees and mostly cloudy to 84 degrees and partly sunny.

After work today John did the summer trimming of the bushes and “I helped”, well I raked and picked up the trimmings, it all helps.

John and Zane went to the baseball practice field after that (trimming) and worked out a boy wanting to join the team. Chris was late getting home from work as there were lots ends to complete prior to her week off from work. We all met at Beef O’Brady’s in Fuquay Varina for dinner tonight.

George at Natural bridge, VA. 

Saturday, July 12, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 71 degrees and mostly sunny to 90 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I did less than Thursday today, ok NASCAR practice on television as my big thing today and the Saturday race from Loudon, NH. John was out cutting the grass and I stayed out of the way.

Holly Springs, NC - Sound Bar

Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 75 degrees and mostly sunny to 105 degrees and mostly sunny, hot out there today.

Bonnie and I took Zane to a morning movie Lego, be careful of the “Crackle” (glue), a good children’s movie. We were up early as the movie started at ten o’clock, we were there by nine-thirty and there was a line at the ticket booth. Parents and plenty of children for the one dollar movie.
     

I did get carried away and put the sound bar picture on the last post. I was talking with John about low television volume with our rear television sound (too low). I purchased this twenty-two inch Sharpe LCD television in twenty ten thus completing the conversion to LED televisions in Buster. I had one there for a while but I moved that twenty-inch model outside to the box behind the right front wheel, and we use that when sitting outside. My hearing is not the best and this television has always been operated near the maximum volume since installation.

I did try some speakers from Radio Shack in the next year but I returned them, not satisfactory. It is more troubling to me in the summer as the air conditioner is operating raising the ambient sound level and the television sound is set the maximum output. Well this year I miss more words (almost all) when the air conditioner is operating. I need to do something and want to look into a sound bar.

Just so happens that John had one in the storage. I tried to connect it last night to any way I could and it was not working. Tomorrow is another day.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 76 degrees and mostly sunny to 93 degrees and partly sunny, with rain showers came, while I was napping in the chair and had to get my shoes on go out and close the car windows and get back into Buster. Then the shower is over, but there were more light showers cooling down later in the day.

This morning I went to the Vizio Sound Bar online and downloaded the quick start brochure. I was also able to see the back side of the television better and today found the earphone jack for the first time in this effort. That works, connecting there and power to the bar we now have SOUND.

I am able to operate the Dish remote and control for the sound and hear all the words with the air conditioner operating. I have the sound bar volume set about half way up to full volume and the television sound is below half way up to full volume leaving me adjustment room on the Dish remote for any occasion. I have never operated the television with the volume set this low since I installed the Television in Buster.
                             

Christiansburg, VA - Jul 6 -

Sunday, July 6, 2014
Christiansburg, VA - 52 degrees and mostly sunny. Travel home day, Bonnie, Cindy and
 I were on the road at eight for the trip home to North Carolina. Virginia state troopers were also out in force on interstate eight-one and seventy-seven and not so much in North Carolina. We stopped at Cindy’s house then got some lunch and headed to Buster.

Holly Springs, NC -  89 degrees and mostly sunny, cooler then when we departed on Thursday.

I unloaded Tan Jan and Bonnie put things away in Buster getting settled back in. I was then able to watch the Daytona NASCAR race until it was rain shortened.

Monday, July 7, 2014
Holly Springs, NC  - 61 degrees and mostly sunny to 93 degrees and partly sunny.

Most of the day was recovery for me, but the electric power went out for a couple of hours again, the third time here this summer, story has it a transformer blew. I just got up from my nap and turned on the generator. I know when the power goes off because the c-pap machine is plugged into an interruption circuit. If we were really boondocking I would have it connected to the inverter circuit for battery power. Latter in the afternoon I rode the mower cutting the front grass, just helping out otherwise a rest day for me.

          

Christiansburg, VA - Jul 5

Saturday, July 5, 2014
Christiansburg, VA - 48 degrees and mostly sunny to 83 degrees and partly sunny.

We all played tourist today and went to Natural bridge, VA. Then went to Irene’s in the afternoon and evening this July fourth weekend was a nice family visit.

Ariana & Zane at Natural bridge, VA

Zane, Bonnie & Ariana

chris, Bonnie, ariana, John & Zane

George, Bonnie, Ariana, John & Zane
 

Paul, Irene & Will

Irene, Will & Cindy

                                                 Cindy (back), Greg & Cathy

Larry & Jess

Christiansburg, VA - Jul 4

Friday, July 4, 2014
Christiansburg, VA - 55 degrees and mostly sunny to 77 degrees and mostly sunny.

We all left the hotel and drove over to Irene and Larry’s lake house for the day with the kids having a fun time in the lake and Larry’s dog Jess too. We had a great fourth of July swimming and catching up with each other.

Larry & Irene

John, Irene's dog Joy & Cindy

Joy, Greg & Kathy

Zane, Larry Cindy & Greg

Greg, Irene & John

Jess, Greg & Larry

Chris

Larry, John, Abby, Ariana & Cindy

Ariana & Cindy, Greg & Kathy

Bonnie, Chris, John, Ariana & Zane