So Far, So Goode

Well, we have manage to tick off yet another year of marital bliss!  Today, Dec 22, is our 31st wedding anniversary.  I love you, Billy!  You are still the man of my dreams and my very bestest friend.  I'm very proud to have those 31 years together.....and I remember being asked on more than one occasion...."What's your secret".  My secret is simple.....I love him and he loves me.  Love conquers all!  Love communicates, Love Listens, Love compromises, Love puts the other first.....and the list goes on, but I'm sure you get the picture!  And for those of you just starting out on your journey of marital bliss.....and wondering if the excitement and the romance will wear thin after a few years.  After 31 years....we still hold hands, we still cuddle close, and yes......My darling husband can still curl my toes!

"Can't hold it's water"

Not to much going on around here.  We have been resting up from the whole toilet repair incident.  Unfortunately, it looks like we might be re-visiting that repair in the very near future.  The waste ball is leaking water....you have heard of folks who can't "hold their liquor"...our toilet can't "hold it's water" LOL!  We think it is a minor adjust, but we will let you know how it goes.
The weather here has been great.  As you can see from the photo below, I took the opportunity to give the furballs a hair cut and bath.  That's Cosmo getting a trim...looks like I need a bit of a trim myself...

He is such a good boy and isn't he pretty, er handsome!

That was a beautiful day...wish I could say the same for today.  Some big rain system has decided to camp out here for the next few days.  It's not too bad....certainly better than snow.  I just wish it would move on.....

I hope all of you out there in blog land are doing well and are all ready for the upcoming Holidays.... Travel safe.

Toilet Repairs

Never a dull moment round here....yesterday our toilet decided it had enough and stopped working.  The waste ball valve would not open when I stepped on the flush petal.  That is not good.  We got out the manual, did a little trouble shooting, and decided it was either the waste ball or the drive arm connected to it that was bad.  Now, to find replacement parts.  Billy found an rv parts store in the area and headed over.....unfortunately he came home empty handed.   Did a little more research and found two more rv parts/service centers close to us.  This time I went with him.  The first place could only provide us with a new flange seal.  The second place.....had the rest of what we needed....I said a prayer of "Thanks" to the toilet gods on that one!
Now, comes the really fun part....the actual repair.  One thing I found out....there are parts of a toilet one should never have to see and most certainly should never have to touch!  BUT WE DID!  I'll spare you the "gross" photos........

This is where it all begins.....after we shut off and drain water lines of course.  Billy is removing the toilet.

 Ok, we are ready to take it apart.......one last photo.......

 This is what it looks like before and we are hoping that it is what it looks like when we finish....
Now, what happened next.  I read off the instructions step by step while Billy was the man with the tools.  We had to disconnect almost everything at the back so that we could then remove the bowl from the base.  That gave us access to the waste ball.  This is where it got nasty....they don't call it a waste ball for nothing.  We hung in and removed all the old and scrubbed up everything as best we could.  Yes, I was scrubbing  and yes, we wished we had those gloves that the horse vets use....ya know, the ones that go up to your armpits!  We found it was the waste ball that was broken.  The tab key had broken off into the key way on the drive arm.  Yes, I learned all the technical terms and mumbo jumbo.  

Here is a shot of the completed install....new waste ball and seals.  We managed to get the toilet back together....only had a couple of head scratching moments.  I was glad I had taken those before photos.  We made sure everything was working before we reseated the toilet.  It did!  Again, thankful to the toilet gods!  Put the toilet back into position...turned on the water, and SWISH....we are back in business.  We learned a lot, we both were very proud, and we both hope we NEVER have to do it again.......

Life at El Rio

Life here in the land of El Rio Waterfront park has been pretty laid back and uneventful the past few days.  I have been working on some paintings and designing things for my Zazzel shop.  Thanks to some Rv Dreamers....I have actually sold a few of my Christmas ornaments.  I so appreciate all of you who have passed along my links and supported my efforts to promote and sell some of my art.  
We really enjoy the laid back atmosphere here at the park, but some find it a little boring.  We met our next door neighbors the other day.  Nice couple from Illinois.  They like to go, go, go!  They have been a little bored here at the park.....not enough folks here to socialize with I guess.  The park is a little empty right now, but come January it is supposed to fill up.  We kinda like having the place to ourselves.  Anyway, they are up and out from early morning to evening.....seeing the sights and I think they like visiting the casinos around here too!  Ah well, to each his own.  We do have a couple of places we will be checking out....but we are in no hurry and will probably lay low until the Christmas season has passed.
I was out walking the furballs the other day and another neighbor made a comment about them that I have not heard before.  She said they were cute (well, we hear that a lot cause they are just cute as can be...lol) but then she added that they look like little sheep.  Never thought of that before, but they kinda do look like sheep and come haircut day they get sheared like sheep....so what does that make me......a little Bo Peep?

Pretty In Pink

Living in a fifthwheel, I thought my days of putting up a Christmas tree were probably over.  Not to mention the fact, that I once owned a small gift shop and every Christmas I put up about 4 to 6 trees.....so, I figured I was just over it......well.....guess what......

We were out doing some shopping yesterday and I just couldn't resist this little pink tree.....it just called out to me.  You all know I just love pink.  I wish it were a 2 foot or a 3 foot tree, but it is 4 feet tall...at least it is "skinny".  I don't have any ornaments at this point, but I think she is pretty just the way she is......simply PINK!  I guess she is my Christmas present to me this year and she goes very nicely with my pink flamingo!
Our second purchase is a drinking fountain for our furballs.  We had one of those big 2 gallon water stations and Billy almost always scrubbed it out before refilling, but it still was starting to have an odor.  We saw this at pet's mart and although I figured we could probably get it cheaper on line, I decided to buy it.  Much easier to return a store bought item.  Got it home, read the instructions, and it was up and running in no time.  At first, the furballs were a little skeptical, but eventually they were both lapping away....slurping down that fresh, cold water.

Here it is.  It runs off a 12 volt plug and it is very quiet.  I'm really sensitive to sounds...especially any type of constant hum and I hardly hear this at all.  Now, we do have it on carpet so that might make a difference.  I do hear the "tinkle" of the water running once in a while, but that I don't mind at all.  There is about a 1 1/2 gallon reservoir at the back and a small pump that recirculates the water.  This will have to be cleaned regularly as well, but it all comes easily apart for that purpose.  There is also a charcoal filter that is supposed to be replace every two to four weeks, but I'm not too worried about that.  We filter all the water as it comes into the trailer.....so we will probably just pitched the filter rather than replace it when the time comes.  I did find this available on Amazon for about $10 cheaper.  If you click on my Amazon link at the side of the post, it will take you to the product page.  There you will find all the specifications and several reviews.  So far....we and the furballs like it and I am glad we made the purchase.  I just feel that the water is "cleaner" now and of course......it is all about the furbabies in this household!  We are in the process of looking into some "boots" for them to wear.  Don't laugh!!  More on that subject....later.
As to the weather here in Bullhead City.....things are finally improving.  The cold front and all that wind have moved on it seems.  Yesterday was beautiful and the temps are starting to climb back up into the 70's.  Look out, DAD.....I think that Cold front is headed east and will be dipping it's cold icy fingers into Florida sometime in the next few days.  Better start warming up those toddies....LOL!  And a bit of good news.....actually great news.....We heard back from Goodyear on our tire blow claim.  The are covering it 100%, to the tune of about $3000.00.....Life is indeed GOODE!

New Additions to my Blog site

I have made some changes to my travel blog....moved some things around and added some new items.  So, if you have the time you may want to have a little "looky-loo" Thanks
Check out Donna and Stu's new site called Toadilypets.  Toadilypets is the cutest site and if you have not checked it out....take a minute and do so....I think you will really like what you find.  Especially if you are a lover of all things furry and wiggly.....you know I am!
Lastly....thanks for all the comments on the previous post.  As to where the table came from....a local furniture store called Kittles in Lafayette, Indiana.  I could not find a manufacturer's name on it, but it is certainly not exclusive to Kittles and it is not an expensive table.  Sorry I could not be of more help.  That's about it for today....I'm anxious to start a new painting....have a great day!

New Table and Travel Mode

I hope everyone had a most enjoyable Thanksgiving....I know we did.  I'm not sure if I had shown you this before or not....if I have please forgive the dead brain cells that have forgotten...

This is a photo of our new dining table and chairs.  The chairs are nothing special, I had them tucked away in storage knowing someday I would use them.  I am currently looking for some fabric to reupholster them to match the rest of my decor.  The table....we love, it is just the right size.  One of the things we love the most.....the leaves that drop on either side.  Great for travel mode.  So, here are some photos of what our fiver looks like when we are bouncing down the road.....

 Both slides are in and as you can see we can comfortably walk to the back.  That is where the new table comes into play.  Our old rectangle of a table fit so tightly at the end of the counter that you really had to work to "squeeze" by it.  Things are so much easier now and if we stop for lunch we can actually use the table.....a big plus!  We have complete access to our kitchen and bath areas. 

 Here is the "packed" view of the back of the trailer.  Everything rides very well.

 Here is the view of the side slide.  We can actually sit in the chair and watch tv.  We also have complete access to our desk area.

Last but not least....the furbabies.  They have been trained to stand either there or next to me in the kitchen....when the slides are going in or out.  They do very well with this and they are so very excited when the slides go out.  When I give them the go ahead they both charge into the living room....make the circle and each pops up into a recliner.  What a life!  So, there you have it.....The Goodelife, on the road.