Author Archives: Mike Kuper

Farewell to Mesa

Today is our last full day in Mesa, Arizona. Yesterday, I spent the morning preparing for travel. I cleaned and treated the tires on the right side of the coach with 303 Aerospace. I polished the alloy wheels with Nevr-Dull. I drained the 20 gallons or so of fresh water that’s been in our tank for a while and refilled it with 100 gallons of fresh water. I checked the tire pressure on the coach and trailer.

I checked the lug nuts on the trailer. With my torque wrench set at 100 ft/lbs, a few of the nuts moved slightly. I don’t know what it is about trailer lug nuts that causes them to loosen, but I know checking them for proper torque periodically is necessary.

I cleaned the windows and installed new rubber inserts in the wiper blades. The inserts I bought didn’t match the old ones. I had to reset (that means bend) the metal blade to fit the new inserts. Next time I’ll need to replace the complete blade assembly.

Donna rode the scooter to WalMart and Staples. She was out for a couple of hours shopping and came home with the scooter fully loaded. She stocked up the refrigerator and also bought some office supplies. One of the things she bought at Staples was a Targus Lap Chill Mat for my laptop. My laptop has been running hot. It sits on our dining table. Lately, we’ve used coasters to prop it up and allow air to circulate underneath. The lap chill mat lifts it at an ergonomic angle and has a fan that plugs into the laptop USB port. Hopefully this will work better.

I made my last stop for the year at the Red, White and Brew and said my goodbyes to the crew there. It’s a great pub. I always meet interesting, friendly people there. The Offshore Tavern and Grill in San Diego is the only other place that compares in my opinion.

We’ve really enjoyed our time here. The boondocking at Phon D Sutton was a great find. We’ll go there again. We also want to return to Usery Regional Park again next year. The climate and scenery are hard to beat in the first quarter of the year. But now, it’s time to move on.

Palm trees in the neighborhood

Palm trees in the neighborhood

Last night Donna and I sat outside and enjoyed the evening. We grilled an old favorite – jerk chicken with mango salsa. Later we sat with our neighbor across from us and had a nightcap. She is leaving tomorrow as well.

Grilled chicken with mango salsa

Grilled jerk chicken with mango salsa

Donna went out this morning for a farewell bike ride with her friend, Dara. When she returns, I’ll pack the trailer. I want to have everything in place so I’ll only need to load the scooter later. We’ll make a stop at Lucky Lou’s for lunch. It’s their 10th anniversary celebration and a few of our friends reserved tables. We’ll say our goodbyes until next year, then finish packing.

Tomorrow, Donna will do her usual job of organizing the interior of the coach while I dump the holding tanks and disconnect our sewer and power. I created a checklist to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything. We’ve been stationary for so long, we might forget part of our routine.

Checklist

Checklist

I’m looking forward to kicking the tires and lighting the fires. Our route tomorrow will take us west on the Carefree Highway (AZ 74). We’ll make a stop at Lake Pleasant and have a look around. We may boondock overnight there, depending on what we find. Our next stop will be near Wickenburg, Arizona at the Escapees RV Park. I’m not sure if we’ll have good Internet access in the next few days. I’ll post again when I can.

Almost Ready

The day got away from me yesterday. After posting to the blog in the morning, I caught up on other blogs and forums I follow. I didn’t want to start any projects because I had to shower and head out to my chiropractor appointment before 11am.

I was finished with the adjustment and therapy session by noon. I stopped at Senor Taco for lunch, then came home. I picked up our mail, which was forwarded here from our South Dakota mail service. Getting our mail without junk mail every couple of weeks is nice. By the time I followed up on a few items, it was time for me to head out again.

There was a going away party at O’Neill’s Pub for Heidi. Heidi was one of the bartenders at the Red, White and Brew. I’ve known her for several years. She’s moving to Denver on Monday. We hoisted a few beers and told some stories. The party was gaining momentum when I left at 5pm.

Heidi (in pink) with her best friend Kelly.

Heidi (in pink) with her best friend Kelly.

We took over several tables.

We took over several tables.

Low clouds moved in last evening, making a spectacular sunset. Donna and I sat outside and enjoyed it.

Fiery sunset last evening.

Fiery sunset last evening

We had pizza delivered from Fat Boys and watched a movie. We watched an old favorite of mine, Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford. Donna hadn’t seen this one before.

Today, I’ll clean and polish the wheels on the right side of the coach. I’ll set the tire pressures and I also want to adjust the latches on the basement compartment doors. Tomorrow I’ll clean the windows and put the new wiper blade inserts in. We’re almost ready to hit the road again.

 

Bluehost and Amazon

Yesterday I completed my task for the day before noon as I knew the day was going to heat up. I had the air conditioners running in the coach from noon until after dark. Today’s weather will be more of the same.

The task I set for myself yesterday was cleaning the wheels on the left side of the coach. First, I wiped the tire sidewalls and treated them with 303 Aerospace Protectant. Tire sidewall rubber degrades from exposure to ultra-violet (UV) light and to a lesser degree from exposure to ozone. Tire manufacturers use an inexpensive compound called carbon black to protect against UV degradation. By the way, that’s why tires are black. The carbon black eventually absorbs enough UV light to degrade and turn gray. That’s why old rubber looks gray. 303 Aerospace Protectant contains a powerful UV stabilizer and no solvents that can harm tires.

When we’re parked for more than a few days, I use tire covers to keep direct sunlight off our tires. Since we’ll be on the road again, I wanted extra protection on the sidewalls. I’ve mentioned it before – RVs rarely wear out their tires. They degrade from age. I’d like to get as much time as possible out of our tires before they degrade.

After I treated the sidewalls of the tires, I started cleaning the Accuride alloy wheels. After wiping the surface, I used Nevr-Dull wadding to clean and polish the wheels. Nevr-Dull wadding is a felt-like cotton material treated with a chemical that removes tarnish and dirt without scratching or harming metal surfaces. I like this product. There’s no messy liquid to deal with and it’s super easy to use. Tomorrow, when we have a little cooler weather, I’ll do the wheels on the right side of the coach. The way we’re parked right now, the right side of the coach is facing east and has full sun all morning.

4_10LRWhl

Left wheels shiny and tires treated

Left wheels shiny and tires treated

After lunch, Donna took a few files and went to the Apache Wells RV Resort card room. She had the place to herself and was able to spread out and organize her work. While she was there, I rode the scooter over to WalMart to pick up a couple of things.

I bought an Omron electro-therapy device (these are generically called tens units). My chiropractor suggested I get one of these to relieve muscle tension while we’re on the road. It sends electrical pulses through pads that are attached to the skin near the affected area. The electrical pulses stimulate the muscle and provide relief from muscle spasm. I’ve used this therapy many times before, but only with a physical therapist. Nowadays, these devices are readily available and inexpensive. I thought it was worth a try.

Last night’s dinner was grilled hot Italian chicken sausage served with whole wheat spaghetti with a blender sauce made with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil, topped off with grated parmesan cheese. Donna sauteed sliced green peppers to serve on the side.

Hot Italian chicken sausage plate

Hot Italian chicken sausage plate

Hopefully, we’ll finish our taxes and get that out of the way today. It’s been a struggle trying to get it right with all of the changes we went through last year between selling the house, me retiring and us becoming full-time RVers. Next year should be easier.

I’ve added a few items to the right sidebar of this page. First is the Bluehost link. People have asked me how my blog is set up. I use WordPress for the blog template and Bluehost for web hosting. Below that, is the Amazon link. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a few pennies if you use my link to buy from Amazon. You pay the same price as always, but I earn a small referral commission.The last new item is a map with the states we’ve been through since we hit the road full-time colored in blue.

 

 

 

Red Wings

Yesterday, while Donna went out for a bicycle ride, I puttered around and continued preparations to move on. No offense to my friends in the area, but when you’re a nomad, staying in one place this long becomes stale. I have one more appointment at the chiropractor tomorrow, then we’ll tie up loose ends over the weekend. We’ll roll out of here on Monday.

We’re thinking about making a stop near Wickenburg at the Escapees RV park. Then we’ll move on to Lake Mead and do some boondocking there. Our travel plans over the next two months are pretty loose. We need to be mindful of Donna’s business travel and be near major airports at certain times. Our current thought is to hit Las Vegas, then head east through Zion National Park and on to Denver. We’ll see how that pans out.

FedEx dropped off the coolant additive I ordered (I wrote about coolant testing and additives in this post). I used Fleetguard DCA4 supplemental coolant additive. I’ll test the coolant additive concentration again when we’re at our next stop.

Supplemental coolant additive

Supplemental coolant additive

The temperature rose well into the 90s yesterday. I had both air conditioning units running by noon. Today, the forecast calls for a high of 98. Tomorrow will also be very warm before the temperatures drop back into the 80s over the weekend. We’ll have to take advantage of the pool while we can.

After my chiropractor appointment in the afternoon and a stop for a cold one at Red, White and Brew, I came home and watched the Detroit Red Wings versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. At the end of regulation play, the game was tied 3-3. This gave Detroit one point, which was exactly what they needed to clinch a playoff spot for the 23rd consecutive season.

After the game, Donna and I watched a couple of recorded episodes of Dexter and called it a night.

Today, I want to clean and polish the wheels on the left side of the coach. It’s shaded on that side in the morning. I’ll wait until we have cooler weather to do the right side.

Heating Up

Monday was just another day. I didn’t have much to write about yesterday, so I took a day off the blog. Most days Donna has work to do. She’s either writing, working on book promotions, doing magazine interviews or just taking care of business. I generally don’t have anything real pressing on my agenda. The only appointment on my calendar for Monday was a visit to the chiropractor for an adjustment and therapy.

Sometimes, balancing my carefree days with Donna’s work schedule can be challenging for one or both of us. If she has phone interviews, or is really working hard to hit a deadline, I find things to do outside the coach to give her space. That doesn’t sound too tough, right? It really isn’t, but it’s something to consider if you’re going to live in a confined space. The nice part is, we can be in places where being outside is nearly always an option. It’s great to be able to choose our climate!

The weather has gone from warm to very warm (it’s not hot in Arizona until the thermometer hits 110F). Monday was 89 degrees and yesterday was over 90. We ran the air conditioners both days. The forecast calls for highs near 100 by the end of the week. If we would have left Mesa on schedule, we would have gotten out before things heated up.

Yesterday, I started re-organizing the trailer. I needed to come up with a better way to hang our bicycles and figure out where my new mountain bike will go. I’ve been hanging our bikes with a nylon cord strung through the roof bows. This worked fine except the edge of the roof bow cut into the cord.

Cord strung through trailer roof bow

Cord strung through trailer roof bow

I went to the hardware store with a vague notion of what I wanted to do. Sometimes I’ll browse through the hardware section until I see something that fits my needs, without knowing precisely what I’m looking for. That was the case on this visit. I found shallow “U” shaped hangers that I attached to the roof bow with self-drilling screws. The cord shouldn’t chafe on the smooth surface and it should be more than strong enough. I installed two of the hangers where my road bike and Donna’s bike usually hang.

Hanger attached to trailer roof bow

Hanger attached to trailer roof bow

Next, I needed to figure out where my mountain bike will fit. This presented more of a challenge than I thought it would. The mountain bike has a longer wheelbase. The long wheelbase coupled with big 29″ wheels and tires requires a lot of space.

Donna came out to the trailer and looked around. She gave me a few ideas on repositioning some of the bins. She’s the organizing expert after all. After I cleared a few things out and repositioned the bins, a few minutes with the measuring tape and I was set. With the front wheel removed, I can hang the mountain bike upright from two hanger points. If I turn the wide handlebar so it’s parallel with frame, it fits. I’ll take a picture when I get everything packed up this weekend.

After I had the trailer straightened out, I took a short snooze on the sofa. Then I showered and rode over to the Red, White and Brew to have a cold one with the guys. While I was there, I found some sad news on Facebook. My former colleague and friend, Sergio Bianchi, passed away suddenly on Sunday. I’m stunned by the news. RIP, Sergio, you’ll be greatly missed.

When I returned, I helped Donna prepare a Cornish hen. I used poultry shears to cut out the back bone. I removed the ribs with a small knife. This allowed me to butterfly the hen for grilling. Donna prepared it simply with olive oil, salt and pepper, while I started the grill. We grilled the hen using the brick method I wrote about in this post. As always, the brick grilling method worked like a charm. The hen was juicy and very good.

Cornish hen under a foil wrapped brick

Cornish hen under a foil wrapped brick

Looking good

Looking good

Donna served the hen with pan fried artichoke hearts, whole wheat couscous and Sriracha green beans. Another tasty and nutritious meal!

Tasty!

Tasty!

Today, I have another appointment at the chiropractor. Other than that, it’s another carefree day.

 

Sea Eagles

Donna’s friend, Audrey, picked her up to go kayaking at Saguaro Lake early yesterday morning. Audrey has a couple of Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayaks. She brought one for Donna to use. They met up with a few of Audrey’s friends who also have inflatable kayaks.

Donna had a great time cruising on Saguaro Lake. They saw a bald eagle roosting on a rocky ledge. They explored a few coves and watched all the boating activity and fishermen on the lake. And now Donna has a Sea Eagle inflatable kayak on her wish list.

Kayaks inflated, ready to launch

Kayaks inflated, ready to launch

Audrey and friend on Saguaro Lake

Audrey and Emma on Saguaro Lake

Having fun on the water

Donna having fun on the water

After watching the Formula One race from Bahrain, I posted to the blog. I also watched the Red Wings game that was played Saturday in Montreal – it was re-run on the NHL Network. I didn’t know the outcome of the game, so I had to stay with it until the end. The Red Wings overcame a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the third period. Exciting stuff! Then they allowed two goals and lost by a score of 5-3.

I spent most of the day studying spring weather trends and places to go when we leave here. After much discussion, we have a general plan now. Donna has some business travel coming up at the end of May and another possible trip at the end of this month.  Our plans include being near a major airport for her travel days.

I’m off to the chiropractor for another adjustment and physical therapy.

 

Delayed Departure

I went to the chiropractor on Friday for another adjustment and therapy. Dr. Pavtis reviewed my neck x-rays with me. The alignment issues are obvious. She also pointed out an earlier injury – an old fracture on C7. It looked worse than I thought it was. When it happened, I remember the doctor telling me it was a small fracture in the transverse process, no big deal. I had other injuries at the time that were bigger concerns. Looking at the X-ray now, the fracture clearly went through the entire vertebra, not just the transverse process. But this has nothing to do with my current situation.

Years of living with an imbalance due to neck dissection surgery has left me with poor alignment and improper curvature in my cervical vertebrae and upper back. Dr. Pavtis wanted to put me on a six-week treatment program. I don’t think we’ll do that. We settled on a few more treatments and stretches and exercises that I can continue on my own. This pushes our departure from Mesa back another week. We’re flexible with our travel plans, but the Phoenix area will soon become too hot to stay here in a motorhome.

On Friday night, Donna and I went to the Roma Cafe Ristorante. We used to eat there occasionally when we lived here before. We were a little confused though. The restaurant was in a plaza on Main Street, east of Power Road. I was sure we never went to dinner there. When we walked in, it was all very familiar. It’s family run and we saw familiar faces and decor. Donna asked if they moved the restaurant. Sure enough, our memories were correct. It used to be on the corner of McKellips and Recker. The food is reasonably priced and quite good with some authentic Italian specialities on the menu.

Yesterday, we were up early. Donna competed in the El Tour de Mesa bicycle race. We loaded her bike in the Toyota Highlander that we borrowed from Lana and arrived at the starting area at Red Mountain Ranch about an hour before the 8:15 am start. The 28-mile race was Donna’s first mass start bicycle race. She’s raced in duathlon and triathlon events before, but those aren’t mass start races. At the starting gun, she was off in a pack of a few hundred racers.

Donna in the center of the photo waiting for the start.

Donna in the center of the photo waiting for the start.

After they were off, I drove back home. I had a leisurely breakfast, then drove over to the finish area downtown at the Mesa Convention Center. Along the race route, police officers were controlling traffic at the intersections. The bike racers were given priority and didn’t stop at the intersections. I arrived at the finish line about 45 minutes before Donna thought she would be there. I didn’t want to miss her finish.

The finish line at the convention center.

The finish line at the convention center.

About nine minutes later. I looked up the road and saw a couple of bikes come around the corner. By the time I recognized Donna, she was flying past me. I called out her name and walked past the finish line to find her. She finished 21 minutes ahead of her anticipated time. She was exhilarated. She had a great race.

We put her bike and gear into the Toyota and walked back to collect her medal. We checked the official finish times and saw that Donna was 2nd in the women’s 50 – 54 age group. I was proud to see she averaged 17 MPH over the course. She’s really motivated for the race in Great Falls now!

After we checked the results, we stopped at a lunch wagon for street tacos.  The carne asada tacos were spicy and very tasty.

We came home and relaxed for awhile – we each took short naps. Then it was time to return Lana’s Toyota. A few weeks ago we left a 2 terabyte external hard drive with Lana’s boyfriend, Joel. He loaded the hard drive with more than 900 movies, several TV series and a large music library! Joel showed me how to set up the drive and access the library, then he drove us home.

Donna prepared a special chicken dish for dinner. She marinated boneless chicken breasts in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs. Then she cut each breast in a way that effectively made the breast into one long strip of meat. She then wrapped the chicken around an asparagus spear and a scallion.

Chicken XXX ready to grill and breast cut into strip.

One roll-up ready to grill and one breast cut into a long strip

I put the chicken on the grill. The trick was to lower the heat after getting the grill marks so the asparagus and scallion would cook without overcooking the chicken.

Chicken XXX on the grill.

Chicken roll-ups on the grill

Donna served the chicken with steamed asparagus and garlic mashed red potatoes. A meal fit for royalty!

Served with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes.

Served with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes

After dinner, I set up the hard drive with my laptop connected to the TV. We watched the end of Breaking Bad. We have so much entertainment to choose from thanks to Joel, Donna will cancel her NetFlix subscription.

This morning Donna went kayaking at Saguaro Lake with her friend, Audrey, and a few of Audrey’s friends. I’m watching the Formula One race from Bahrain. We’ll see what the rest of the day will bring.

 

 

 

Getting Ready to Roam

Yesterday, after Donna returned from her morning bicycle ride, I took the scooter over to the NAPA store on Main Street. They had ordered coolant test strips for me and they were in. Coolant test strips are strips of paper with three treated pads on them. They work like litmus paper. One pad tests the PH of the coolant, one tests the coolant freeze point and one tests the concentration of coolant additive (nitrite). After dipping the strip in coolant, you compare the color of the pads against charts to read the levels.

The nitrite level is important for heavy-duty diesel engines. The additive protects the cylinder liners from damage. There’s a very technical theory on how coolant can be knocked away from the liners by vibration, which creates an area of vacuum that the coolant rushes back into, colliding with the liner and eventually eroding the steel liner. The additive, which protects against this, slowly depletes. Heavy-duty diesel coolant should be tested periodically and if necessary, supplemental coolant additive (SCA) needs to be added to the coolant.

After testing our coolant, I see that we need a maintenance dose of SCA. Today I’ll see if I can find SCA at a car or truck dealership. I need to add one pint per 20 gallons of coolant.

I also changed the external fuel filter in preparation of our summer travels. I’ll get started on the trailer re-organization today. Every time we sit in one place for a while, we seem to accumulate more stuff. In the last month, I’ve added another bicycle and Donna added a new bin and two boxes containing steam cleaners – Reliable Brio and Reliable Pronto. You’ll be hearing more about the steam cleaners because Donna has been asked to create videos for Camping World’s online catalog. I’ll find a way to make it all fit in the trailer.

Last night, we grilled cheeseburgers for dinner and hung out, watching television. Today, I have a follow-up visit with the chiropractor. Later, we’ll pick up a car our friend, Lana Jansen, generously offered to us. This will allow me to drive Donna and her bicycle to the start of tomorrow’s bike race. I expect a busy weekend ahead as we prepare to start roaming again.

 

Out of Alignment

Yesterday, I got ambitious in the morning. I put up the ladder and finally cleaned and polished the fiberglass crown around the roof. At one point, wind gusts kicked up and I had to move away from the edge of the roof and wait it out. It only lasted for a few minutes, then I was back at it. I did small sections at a time. It took me a little over an hour.

I’ve had a knot in a muscle between my spine and left shoulder blade, along with pain in my left shoulder for the last two weeks. After I put the ladder away, the knot in my back was worse. I made an appointment with a chiropractor who was recommended by Donna’s friend, Audrey. After lunch, I showered and rode the scooter to her office.

It turned out that I have some alignment issues in my neck and upper spine. This was no surprise. With the damage and surgeries I’ve had on my neck and shoulders, everything is out of balance. She made some adjustments. After two weeks of living with the knot in my back, I finally had some relief.

She didn’t think my shoulder pain was related to the alignment issues. It seems that I have two separate problems. Although the shoulder is painful, I have full range of motion, so I don’t think it’s anything too serious. They treated my shoulder with an ultrasonic device and electrical stimulation. Before I left, they taped my shoulder and advised me not to  lift anything heavier than 12 ounces with my left arm. I’ll go back tomorrow for another treatment.

By the time I was finished with the treatment, it was 4pm. I went out to the scooter and found the temperature had dropped into the 60s. It was windy and dark clouds were coming from the west. I rode back home, chilled all the way. About 20 minutes after I returned, we had a little rain shower.

Last night, Donna cooked indoors. She made tilapia filets stuffed with crab meat – something her mother prepared for her on her recent visit. She served it with sauteed pearl onions, mushrooms and red peppers. I enjoyed a big bottle of Decadent Imperial IPA from Ska Brewing with the meal. Delicious.

Tilapia stuffed with crab

Tilapia stuffed with crabmeat stuffing

Today, I have a few errands to take care of. I need to remove the aero bars from Donna’s bike. They aren’t allowed in the race she’s riding on Saturday. We still haven’t decided where we’ll go when we pull out of here on Monday.

Next Stop?

Yesterday was uneventful for me. Donna drove the rental car to Scottsdale for an appointment at her orthodontist. She had new retainers fitted. From there she drove to Tia Rosa’s Taqueria to meet her friend, Audrey Arrington, for lunch. The main restaurant at Tia Rosa’s is still closed due to a fire. Audrey has been Donna’s bookkeeper since 2006.

Donna returned the rental car at 2pm. Audrey drove her home from the Enterprise rental office and took a tour of the coach. They made tentative plans to go kayaking at Saguaro Lake on Sunday.

The day got away from me somehow. I spent some time visiting with George, our neighbor from Wisconsin. George and his wife, Judy, were preparing to hit the road. They had everything packed up and George was checking his 40-foot Beaver motorhome over. They planned to leave first thing in the morning. We exchanged e-mail addresses so we could stay in touch. They’ll be back here next year.

Last evening we grilled chicken sausage stuffed with spinach and feta (from Sprouts) and sweet potato fries. Donna served it with steamed spinach.

Chicken sausage stuffed with spinach

Chicken sausage stuffed with spinach & feta

Last night we watched the first two episodes of House of Cards. Actually, the first episode was a re-run for me. That’s because I watched it the night before, but Donna fell asleep on the sofa and missed all but the first five minutes.

The reason Donna fell asleep early was because the Benadryl she took made her drowsy. She took Benadryl because on Saturday, while she was in the swimming pool, a wasp stung her on her right elbow. By Sunday it was red and swollen and causing discomfort. She put Benadryl cream on it. Later she took two Benadryl tablets which pretty much knocked her out.

We’re still waiting for the final episode of Breaking Bad from Netflix. A few people recommended House of Cards. I don’t know if I can keep up with all the political maneuvering in the plot though.

We’re leaving Mesa next Monday. We’re still undecided on our next move. I’m thinking about a return to San Diego. The trigger finger I wrote about a few months ago has returned. The cortisone injection was effective, but only lasted three months. When Dr. Leek and I discussed the options for treatment, he said if the cortisone shot worked for 12 months, then it would be worth having a second shot. But, if it only lasted for three months, we probably should do the surgery.

I’ll see if we can find a place to stay in San Diego for a few weeks so I can have my hand repaired and if my shoulder is still bothersome, Dr. Leek can look at that also.