For those of you who are interested in putting in sliding shelves or drawers in a hard to use cabinet, here is another way of doing it:
http://greatescapefromnj.blogspot.com/2011/10/busy-busy.html
Debbie included this URL in her comment on my last post. They used hardware she found at Lowes. Looks like it worked perfectly for them.
If anyone else has done something like this I'd be happy to pass on the information in a post.
At the Camel Farm, Julian CA
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
Shelf Improvement
No, I didn't make a typing error, this post is really about shelf improvement, not self improvement.
We've had the Alfa for two years, and have lived in her for over three months. I have to say that there are very few things I would want to change. But nothing is perfect.
This is my wonderful kitchen area. I like having the windows behind the sink and stove. It gives me lots of light and I can look out while I am cooking or washing up.
On the other side of the coach is a cabinet that has three humongous drawers and two big shelves. Great accessible storage for canned goods, snacks and miscellaneous cooking tools. I keep small hand tools like spatulas and wooden spoons in the drawers by the sink.
The less-than-perfect cupboard was the one to the lower left of the sink.
The bottom shelf is deep and narrow. I had to go down on my hands and knees to get anything from the back of it. With the bottom of the sink taking up part of the upper space, it was not good for tall bulky items.
I asked Craig if he could make some slide-out shelves for it. Last week we went out and looked at existing hardware and pre-made shelving. Of course nothing was quite right.
When we got back, Craig searched the Web and came up with a company in Arizona that made custom size pull out shelves for a quite reasonable cost. It is called Shelves That Slide. They have several standard sizes for depth, but the width is cut to your measurements. We ordered two and they arrived within a week.
The company has locations in Arizona and Nevada. They will also install the shelves for you for a reasonable cost.
Craig said he ordered the wrong type of hardware, but with a little modification it worked just fine.
I wasn't thinking when I made my counter-top holder for oils and balsamic vinegar. They really should be kept in a cool dark cabinet, not on a sunny counter. Now they are, and are still quite available when I'm cooking. The needlepoint holder will keep them in place when we are moving.
Another plus is that this shifts just a little of the weight to the right side of the coach. The Alfa seems to be left side heavy because that is where her slides and closets are.
Every little bit of weight balance can help.
So, that's the news from Camp Driveway, where the squirrels have fluffy tails and the bucks are following the does around waiting for the right moment.
We've had the Alfa for two years, and have lived in her for over three months. I have to say that there are very few things I would want to change. But nothing is perfect.
This is my wonderful kitchen area. I like having the windows behind the sink and stove. It gives me lots of light and I can look out while I am cooking or washing up.
On the other side of the coach is a cabinet that has three humongous drawers and two big shelves. Great accessible storage for canned goods, snacks and miscellaneous cooking tools. I keep small hand tools like spatulas and wooden spoons in the drawers by the sink.
The bottom shelf is deep and narrow. I had to go down on my hands and knees to get anything from the back of it. With the bottom of the sink taking up part of the upper space, it was not good for tall bulky items.
I asked Craig if he could make some slide-out shelves for it. Last week we went out and looked at existing hardware and pre-made shelving. Of course nothing was quite right.
When we got back, Craig searched the Web and came up with a company in Arizona that made custom size pull out shelves for a quite reasonable cost. It is called Shelves That Slide. They have several standard sizes for depth, but the width is cut to your measurements. We ordered two and they arrived within a week.
Another plus is that this shifts just a little of the weight to the right side of the coach. The Alfa seems to be left side heavy because that is where her slides and closets are.
Every little bit of weight balance can help.
So, that's the news from Camp Driveway, where the squirrels have fluffy tails and the bucks are following the does around waiting for the right moment.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Bobcat At Camp Driveway
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| This is a Web picture, but the one I saw this morning gave me the same look!
I saw our resident bobcat this morning when I went out to flap our throw rugs. He jumped out of a tree just a few feet from the Alfa and gave me the most disgusted cat look as he quietly slipped away down into the forest.
I am very glad to see him and to know that our living in the Alfa has not chased him off. We have only caught one mouse in the bays this fall, and have had no other "signs." I think it is because we have this excellent guy on the job.
Other than that, there is not much to blog about. The weather here has been excellent. We are comfortable in the Alfa, and are planning a couple of local hikes. I think we are going to the movies this afternoon while the Realtor holds yet another Open House.
The house has been on the market for more than two months now, and waiting for something to happen is a bore.
I know, it only takes ONE buyer.
But I wish they would show up soon.
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Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Back to the House, RV Budget
Well, we are back at the house and parked up in Camp Driveway again.
Not counting the repairs both expected and unexpected, our budget numbers came pretty close to what I expect for full time living.
I've never been one for making and keeping day to day budgets, and Craig isn't either, but we both try not to spend more than we have, and keep track of the big things in life. This has worked fairly well for us because we have always had a pretty good income.
But I wanted to get a better picture of our day to day expenses in this new lifestyle we are planning. During the last few trips we have taken, I have been developing an Excel workbook to keep track of everything. Craig has been very good about keeping receipts and or telling me the amounts of each purchase.
Once the house sells, I want to set things up so that we have a set amount per month for all of our regular expenses, and a fund with starting "large" lump for future repairs, maintenance, and dental or medical expenses, and as well as annual expenses like registration or insurance. For example I know we will buy four new RV tires in the next year or so. If I start with a nice lump sum at the sale of the house, I hope to be able to add some to it each month so the repairs and maintenance are not a burden.
I know a lot of you keep financial records and share your budget. I have found them interesting and helpful for me to get a rough idea of what to expect. But each couple or individual has different priorities. For some, eating out is a big part of your life. For some boondocking as often as possible is a must. A small class C is going to use less fuel.
If RV plans are written in JELLO, financial plans must be set in Ice. They seem to melt away in nothing flat!
At this point, I do not feel our numbers would be helpful to anyone, and my Excel template still needs some tweaking.
I remember being a 19 year old new bride trying to figure out how to make the dollars and the days match up. Keeping track of every penny for the first few years really helped. I've been amused looking at my record books from those days. Our first rent was $75, including utilities. Several years later, I was saving up at the rate of $2.50 a month, to buy a snowsuit for my child. We didn't have savings or a buffer amount for many years. "Pay check to pay check" was a way of life.
We are so much better off now! Or at least we will be after the house sells.
Speaking of which, nothing much is happening with the house. The realtor says there are very few people looking right now. I hope it is because of the government problems, and once that gets straightened out we will get some action.
Our next trip is planned for Thanksgiving through Christmas. I've booked a month at an RV park down in San Diego near our daughter and grandsons.
Until then it is "Camp Driveway" in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.
Not counting the repairs both expected and unexpected, our budget numbers came pretty close to what I expect for full time living.
I've never been one for making and keeping day to day budgets, and Craig isn't either, but we both try not to spend more than we have, and keep track of the big things in life. This has worked fairly well for us because we have always had a pretty good income.
But I wanted to get a better picture of our day to day expenses in this new lifestyle we are planning. During the last few trips we have taken, I have been developing an Excel workbook to keep track of everything. Craig has been very good about keeping receipts and or telling me the amounts of each purchase.
Once the house sells, I want to set things up so that we have a set amount per month for all of our regular expenses, and a fund with starting "large" lump for future repairs, maintenance, and dental or medical expenses, and as well as annual expenses like registration or insurance. For example I know we will buy four new RV tires in the next year or so. If I start with a nice lump sum at the sale of the house, I hope to be able to add some to it each month so the repairs and maintenance are not a burden.
I know a lot of you keep financial records and share your budget. I have found them interesting and helpful for me to get a rough idea of what to expect. But each couple or individual has different priorities. For some, eating out is a big part of your life. For some boondocking as often as possible is a must. A small class C is going to use less fuel.
If RV plans are written in JELLO, financial plans must be set in Ice. They seem to melt away in nothing flat!
At this point, I do not feel our numbers would be helpful to anyone, and my Excel template still needs some tweaking.
I remember being a 19 year old new bride trying to figure out how to make the dollars and the days match up. Keeping track of every penny for the first few years really helped. I've been amused looking at my record books from those days. Our first rent was $75, including utilities. Several years later, I was saving up at the rate of $2.50 a month, to buy a snowsuit for my child. We didn't have savings or a buffer amount for many years. "Pay check to pay check" was a way of life.
We are so much better off now! Or at least we will be after the house sells.
Speaking of which, nothing much is happening with the house. The realtor says there are very few people looking right now. I hope it is because of the government problems, and once that gets straightened out we will get some action.
Our next trip is planned for Thanksgiving through Christmas. I've booked a month at an RV park down in San Diego near our daughter and grandsons.
Until then it is "Camp Driveway" in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Finally a Good Hike!
Although we have been able to take a few nice hikes, we had not yet done a good challenge hike on this trip. For me a challenge hike is either one that has some really hard climbs, or is a pretty long distance.
Our hike on Saturday on the Goat Mountain Trail in the Bass Lake National Recreation area filled the bill just fine.
Finally a word about the Accent: We were very unhappy to learn that the clutch was not still under warranty. It was covered for only one year, 12,000 miles. We have had the Accent for seventeen months and put 20,000 miles on it. We realize it was a cheap little car. We could have paid a lot more for a better, used toad, but at the time the Accent filled our need for a toad and a runabout vehicle. We have also already replaced the Chinese tires it came with. Hopefully this clutch replacement is not indicative of future problems.
Our hike on Saturday on the Goat Mountain Trail in the Bass Lake National Recreation area filled the bill just fine.
If we added in the distance walked from the parking area, our hike up to the Goat Mountain Lookout and back was more than nine miles!
About two-thirds of the hike was through mixed second growth forest, along a narrow but easy path. There was quite a bit of uphill, and going was slow at times, but most was a gentle incline along the side of the mountain.
The upper portion was along a fire road.
The end of the trail was this fire lookout at the top of Goat Mountain.
Conveniently, there was a picnic table there where we had our lunch.
Given that it is October we had expected to see some fall color, but most of the trees are either evergreen or live oak. There were some other kinds of oaks that were starting to turn bright yellow, but most were still quite green.
This was one of the few spots of color we saw all day. We're not sure whether it was a poison oak, or a small regular oak.
All in all, it was a very nice day. We both expect to be a little stiff in the morning, but that is not all that bad.
Finally a word about the Accent: We were very unhappy to learn that the clutch was not still under warranty. It was covered for only one year, 12,000 miles. We have had the Accent for seventeen months and put 20,000 miles on it. We realize it was a cheap little car. We could have paid a lot more for a better, used toad, but at the time the Accent filled our need for a toad and a runabout vehicle. We have also already replaced the Chinese tires it came with. Hopefully this clutch replacement is not indicative of future problems.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Dealing with the Good and the Bad
The good is that we are comfortable in a very nice Escapee Park in Coarsegold California. It's much more park-like and pleasant than most of the short term we have been in lately. The space is nice, we have 50 amp power and good cable TV. Our Verizon hot spot is working fine, and the weather is good.
So what is the bad? This morning we set out to drive to Bass Lake, about 30 miles north, for a hike. As we went up one of the hills along the way, the clutch in the Accent had a problem. We continued on and although we were able to keep going we were well aware that there was a problem.
We were able to pull into a car repair place in Oakhurst, but they could not help us until next week. Thank goodness for smart phones! We were able to locate and drive to a Hyundai dealer in Fresno. The Accent is there now waiting for a new clutch. We have a rental car and are back at the SKP park. More bad is that the clutch is not covered by the warranty. When all is done it will be over $1200. Not good for my budget!
But we can stay here as long as we need to, and perhaps we can take that hike tomorrow.
So what is the bad? This morning we set out to drive to Bass Lake, about 30 miles north, for a hike. As we went up one of the hills along the way, the clutch in the Accent had a problem. We continued on and although we were able to keep going we were well aware that there was a problem.
We were able to pull into a car repair place in Oakhurst, but they could not help us until next week. Thank goodness for smart phones! We were able to locate and drive to a Hyundai dealer in Fresno. The Accent is there now waiting for a new clutch. We have a rental car and are back at the SKP park. More bad is that the clutch is not covered by the warranty. When all is done it will be over $1200. Not good for my budget!
But we can stay here as long as we need to, and perhaps we can take that hike tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
TRAINS AND COSTCO GAS
I asked him if they bothered him, and he said no, but it was interesting to feel the bed shake like you had put a quarter in the "magic fingers".
After parking the Alfa at the RV park, we went to a Bakersfield Costco for a few things including gas for the car. I was delighted to see a big sign that read "Diesel Now Available". I hope more Costcos add a diesel pump because their stations, although usually busy, are relatively easy to find and get into. They were not listed on Gas Buddy yet.
The Costco price was five cents less than the lowest listed on Gas Buddy. In the long run that probably is not significant, but Craig does like to find the best price.
As it turned out, getting into the gas pump station was not a problem. But the way this one was set up it required a rather tight turn to get out. The attendant was very helpful. He made sure we had plenty of room for the turn by stopping some of the other cars, and we were on our way with no problems.
Thumbs up to Costco customer service.
Tonight we are at the Escapee Park in Coarsegold California. We will be here for a few days and hope to find a few hikes around the area. Coarsegold is at the eastern edge of the Sierra Mountains, somewhat near Yosemite.
I feel very comfortable here.
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