2 Weeks back in Phoenix

     Well it's been right at 2 weeks back in Phoenix and it's not the heat that makes me want to hit the road again already it's just that itch!   We haven't played a round of golf since returning, been a little hot compared to where we've been and what we're used to the past 3 months.  I might go down to the course and plays few holes today later.........or maybe not!  Hooked up with old friends Fred and Ruth last night, was good catching up and good to see that they're do well.  We do miss our friends and family while on the road, but then it again it's even  nicer catching up upon returning from the road.
     The golf cart batteries were dead beyond reviving when we got back so I bought 6 new ones and now we're back in business on that front, I love cruising the park in the cart and visiting and hope to throw in some walking now that I'm back on the weight control regiment.  Let me tell you on this past trip there was a lot of visiting friends all across the country, a few days here and a week there and in doing so there was a lot more eating out than home cooking in the coach.  Yes you can guess what that meant, some weight gain and not just a little unfortunately.  I had ballooned up to 335 pounds a few months before we hit the road and went online to www.myfitnesspal.com and by the time we left had gotten down to 300.6 pounds and didn't bother to check the scale on the road.  Upon returning I jumped (gingerly) on our scale and had regressed to 322 and since I've gotten back down to 318 and promise to keep going down!  Hey, it's that or my life expectancy will be greatly reduced from the 80 plus years old that it is nowto something much less and we don't want that.  Wish me luck folks!
     My daughter turns 40 this year and my son just turned 38.......are you kidding me?  Where has the time gone and if their that old how in the hell old am I, it's a bit scary thinking about it at times but everyone gets there and goes there it's just that I don't believe I'm reading for my kids to be middle age and that's exactly what they are I guess.  The times are tough and the things going on in our country are pretty scary to say the least, it always makes me think back to the wholesome times in years past.  Growing up today is a real challenge and I'm feel blessed to have been raised and to have grown up in the decades I did.  I pray times change and things go around once more for my grand kids and soon!
     Lets just stop there for now................... 
     

Attitudes change..........

     Still in San Diego, could be worst though, could be in the middle of nowhere with extreme heat or cold or wind or rain...............  Yes, the word now is Monday because transmissions guys don't work Saturdays and shouldn't.  Parts from LA arrived to late Friday to get the trans back together but mainly back together to give it a thorough test drive of 20 to 30 miles to make sure all is A O.K.  So here we sit in San Diego for yet another weekend, bummer is we have no wheels since the kids drove the Jeep back to Phoenix while we await the Durango's repairs.
     The funniest thing of all is I just read on FB where Beverly made a comment about "can't wait to get home"............oh how a couple of days extra in San Diego due to a bit of a problem can change ones outlook on things!  It wasn't more that a week or so ago and numerous times before that she was talking extending to the point of 4 months or more!  I remember when we turned south for the first time in Oregon and then again entering California how sad and disappointed she was we were even heading in the direction of home.  Yes it sure is funny how attitudes change when life throws a monkey wrench into ones plans!
     My biggest worry is we kept Jack with us while the rest of the family went home, he was off from school Thursday and Friday and we were to watch him anyway but now it will be another day off (Monday) and that will be three days of school missed and we didn't want that.  I know it's first grade and he's ahead anyway but still it bothers me to have to do this.
     Today we are venturing out via mass transit and going to try and enjoy ourselves a bit more than awaiting news of how the vehicle is coming along.  We can catch a bus right outside the gate of the park and ride less than a mile to catch a train into down town San Diego, old town and then maybe Mission Bay and who knows what.  Just getting out will do us all a lot of good after a couple of days so sitting and waiting!
     By the way the final (or as close and the service tech could estimate and he says it's right on) tally will be in the $3000 range for the transmission.  We can always wish that idiot Carlos could have been right and just an emergency brake problem but what the hell it will probably last another 110,000 miles now!  Once again we just thank the Lord we have the resources to handle another emergency, no one wants these things but you do need to plan or have funds set back just in case these things happen on a trip like this.
     Today will be a good day, we have enjoyed San Diego's train system in the past and will do so once again today.  The adventures never end on a trip like this and that's just part of the fun!

Carlos and West Coast Trans don't know shit from shineola!

     It's a good thing Carlos and the boys from West Coast Trans didn't charge us anything to speak of, because they could have and really didn't in the end know Transmissions like they think they do.  I did get brakes cleaned and check and the emergency brake repaired and all is working fine in that department....but they missed on the trans!  It acted up last night and once again we were lucky at where it all happen, right in front of Perry Jeep Chrysler and that's where it is now getting a transmission over-haul which will be a bit expensive.  In the end it will be a helluva lot more that a $100 but I guess we'll have a transmission until the old dog finally dies!  It's too bad the end of the journey had to be a bit stressful, but we've managed to roll with the punches very well and it's not getting us down.  Like I said before you plan for these things in you your home and we planned for things like this in our home on the road, so no big thing, we just deal with it and move on...................
     The kids did end up having a good time and some fun in the warm California sun, not sure it could have been too much better but regardless we made it and they even ended up staying an extra day or two.  Matt, Dayani, Dalila and Lisa took off this morning for Phoenix in the Jeep.  Lisa has some important things at work going on and Matt had some class assignments to get completed and Jack is out of school Thursday and Friday so he stayed with us (since he was going to even after we got home).  Now it's me and B and Jack makes three for the last few days...........Bev will be driving her Durango back to Phoenix and Jack will take over as my co-pilot.
     One thing I find and found hard to believe is that someone would think in our moments of dismay with vehicle problems that anyone of us would be lying about the problems just to get another day off!  No shit, I can't believe this, do we need to give the names of the service tech and the mechanic and send pictures of the vehicles up on the hoist?  I personally wish we had been lying because I have a whole lot of money in the bank that's not there now!  Better go for now before I go too far.................................

Was supposed to be home today.......................

      Well here we are still in San Diego and it's now Tuesday the 3rd of Sept. 2013.  Originally we had the kids coming over on Friday the 30th and spend the holiday weekend together and head back to Phoenix together on Monday the 2nd, and it all started off just as planned.  We went to Imperial Beach on Saturday and everyone had a great time, kids on the boards surfing the small waves and me getting my feet burnt in the sand just sitting there.  All this fun and frolicking in the surf came to and end when we left the parking lot to head back to the motor home, thank God we took both the Jeep and Bev's Durango (which the kids drove over in) because all of a sudden the Durango acted like the transmission was slipping.  Matt would put it in gear and it would start off and when it got ready to shift nothing, acted like it was in neutral, and even reverse worked erratic if at all.  So here we are on yet another holiday weekend, businesses closed or closing on a Saturday no less and I'm trying to push the Durango with the Jeep to a transmission shop.  First one on the GPS...closed!  Second one on the GPS just off I-5 on a busy Saturday and my pushing Matt to the next off ramp.  West Coast Trans of Chula Vista was not only open but very good guys willing to give it a look see and try and drive it to diagnose.  After trying to drive and no getting any where they just said it could be Trans or transfer case or who knows but they couldn't check it out until Tuesday, so we left it with them.
     Now we go back to the Motor home in Jeep, all 7 of us and Bev adds two more days to our stay at La Pacifica RV resort and Matt adds a couple of days to the Quality Inn he and Dayani are staying at just outside the RV park gate...literally!  So now we're here for a couple of more days at least and who knows beyond that at this time.  We had Matt's best friend Tim Anspach and a good friend of the Anderson family over for a BBQ on Monday since after Saturday for some reason Sunday became a non day and everyone was beat from the day at the beach and all the bullshit that followed.  We had a great visit with Tim who lives in San Diego now, Bev and Matt discussed conducting some business with Tim in the future and all in all had a great visit and time catching up with a good friend.
     The kids are on a mini vacation here and Mike is just concerned with the Durango and the problem not knowing what it is or what it may cost.  The rest of the family went to Mission Bay today and then maybe a park near the bay with a kids beach without the waves.  Mike I decided to stay here at the coach and await the phone call from Carlos with the verdict on the Durango, and whala..........long about 1:30 he calls with the news and the verdict.  Not the Transmisssion or the Transfer case, it was the parking brake which he said have been applied so hard that is never released and caused all the problems we encountered.  Sounded strange to me but just hearing "it's not the transmission or transfer case" meant it's not $1600 or upwards, it one hellava lot cheaper to fix and should be done by the end of the day.  The Lord really was looking out for us again in our estimation, this could have happen to the kids in the desert on the way over or on the way back instead of less that a mile from a open transmission shop with some very helpful dudes just  hanging out at the end of the day Saturday before their long weekend.  Besides that only one could speak any English at all and that was just enough to communicate with, so helpful and we're so grateful once more. 
      You know some may think....wow they've had some rough times on this trip, the motor home (A/C and Rear end), now the Durango what next, but you know it's been over 3 months and shit happens even if you're sitting home on your asses!  At this point we've had a few problems but nothing we didn't handle and nothing we didn't have the money to take care of.  I think we'd be naive if we thought we could travel down the many roads in all those states over all those miles (near 7,000) and think after 3 1/2 months all would be just as we left home.  No just like you home you have insurance against these sort of problems and you use it if you need to, we thank the Lord for all the good times and all the miles traveled and all the friends seen and new ones made.  Would be do it again..............for sure, it's been the past four years we've been taking these  trips and each one has been longer by miles and days and we already can't wait for the next adventure.  There have been no more problems on this trip that we might not have had if we'd have stayed home and sat on our asses wondering what if......................................this land is beautiful and vast and we love exploring it in our motor home.
     Tomorrow we'll close up and hit the road for Phoenix, it's seems a long time ago we left, but I'm sure once we get there it will be as if we never left.......except for the memories!