WEDNESDAY, JULY 1st

[Nasoosie]

GOOD MORNING!

Barbzee is having surgery today, yes? I am thinking of you, Barb, and wishing and hoping all goes smoothly and fast, and that you heal as well or better than your last time.

I have already been to the post office to use their telephone to report that I have no phone service since the lightning strike almost on top of my house yesterday afternoon. I sometimes have DSL internet, and sometimes not, as those in the chatroom saw last night. When I got out of the chat, I tried my phone....nothing. Unplugged my wireless ones, and tried a direct phone. Nothing. I am hoping I can send this through before I lose the internet again, too. It's possible it was just the DSL server part of my service that was iffy last night---but the phone is gone! I even tried plugging a direct phone into the box outside on my house to make sure, after the idiot on the line this morning asked me to go out and try to plug a phone into that box. (6 miles roundtrip) I asked her if she wanted to hold without any pretty music while I drove home and tried that, and then drove back! She declined! And I don't give a rat's patootie anyway, if the problem should be inside the house or outside the house-----I NEED a telephone, regardless.

"I need to inform you that you will be billed....etc. etc." I KNOW that, (you idiot)...I am willing to pay through the nose for anything that will fix my service! "Well, I checked the line, and your phone rang!" Bull pippies it rang! It might have sounded as if it rang, but it didn't! No service in or out of my house!

"OK, I will send the repair service out sometime between 9 and 5 today. How can I call you if I need to?" AHEM! You CAN'T! I have no phone service which is why I drove here in my PJs to the local post office to ask to borrow their phone!

"How can the repairman gain access to your place? Do you have a doorbell?" DOORBELL??? Are you kidding! I live in the boonies and have a dog that will let me know when someone is coming within a mile of my house, and then will tear the legs off of whomever dares to enter without my saying it's ok! I KNOW that lightning struck a pole near me, and that I cannot climb that pole to fix it! I will remain at home here until the man shows up, don't you worry about that!

Then she had the audacity to ask me if I was aware of all the 'deals' Verizon had at the moment, and if I wanted to hear about them!!!!! Good grief, woman, I am standIng in our local post office in my PJs, fuming through the nose at all the time I wasted trying to get a human being on the line, and you want to try to SELL me something? Are you totally out of touch with reality?

So, after driving all over hell and gone trying to get enough cell signal to call on my own, I luckily found the postmistress willing to share that phone. Then, after going through about 75 robotic messages, "Push 1, push 2, push 79886----English or Spanish or Hindu----home phone----business phone----cell phone----repair----fios----dsl----service----billing info----new equipment-----"I am sorry, but I cannot understand your response!" I asked her if there was any possible way to get a human being right off the bat should I somehow get one band of cell phone service for a fleeting moment somewhere? "Oh no, there is no way to avoid the messages," she said. ACK!!!! GiVe me strength! So now I am trapped here all day awaiting the repair man who won't have the right stuff to repair the wires or box or trees on line shorting it out. Guess I'll tackle my upstairs and put away Christmas stuff!

Coffee is what I need, and I need it NOW! Will sit outside on porch to read other messages, if this DSL holds up long enough.

Happy Wednesday to you all, and I hope your day goes smoother than mine has so far! No harm----just total frustration!! My blood pressure is probably in the 500s!!!

[Nasoosie]

LATER.....I'm baaaack! Telephone repairman just left and said something on the pole at the end of my driveway got zapped yesterday and knocked out phone service. He got up in his bucket and fixed it. I would have asked him about DSL, and why I sometimes had that but no phone, but he was being eaten alive by deerflies! I did tell him that Verizon had morons working on the customer service, and he agreed! I said the woman told me the phone was ringing here when she tried the line, even though I had no dial tone! He said, "Oh yes, it would sound as if it was ringing as it was still hooked up-----just not sending any info!" I offered some OFF bug stuff, but he jumped into his truck as he was off to repair more storm-caused damage from yesterday. I am the last power/telephone pole on this line, so I guess it was just me who was out. Good thing I didn't wait for someone else to report a problem! He had to manoever down 5 miles of dirt road this morning on Upper Saranac Lake, arrived at the house to discover the cable there is buried in the ground! He's had such a wonderful day! By the way, the DSL seemed just steady this morning, compared to last night. Probably some storm interference between me and the sending thing, I guess. But I didn't trust the internet enough to try to get service on there. Would have had to wait for an email response, etc. etc. I just wanted a human brain to explain what was going on!

So all is well here. Too late to shop today. I am hoping the dump may be open on Thursdays, as that's now when I will go shopping, to the bank, and possibly to dump stuff. Absolutely perfect day here so far....sunny, nice breeze, warm, yet cool. I mowed some more, cleaned a couple of scatter rugs on my deck, folded up my dried-out screen room I used while camping, folded and stored my chairs that finally dried out, opened up my new ladder, a little giant takeoff----seems as if it will be good for painting my house, but the rungs are teeny weeny! I will have to wear thick-soled boots to climb up on it, rather than bare feet as I usually wear. I especially like that it will make into scaffolding---handy for painting my upper balcony railings and trim, etc.

Sure hope all is going well with Barb---can't wait to hear some news, although it'll probably be a few days, yes?
Got a candle burning here for you!
.....

[jemek]

Hello from Las Vegas...

Well we are here and have the rental car to run around in. Really have no idea when we will be leaving. We are still waiting to hear on the truck. I think at this point it might be ready by Friday. I actually hope so. We have to have the rental car back by Friday pm and if it is not fixed by then..I am sure we will be here the weekend....not what we planned. We planned on spending the weekend with our Family in Idaho.

The shocker for today...we are staying at Nellis Air Force RV Park. They have been so helpful and awesome during this trying time.

Now for the shock and surprise...DS went out to ride his bike to the bathhouse. He came back in, because there was plain enveloped taped to his bike..he brought it in and inside was $100 cash...no note nothing. I am just amazed at how helpful people have been and now someone has left us 100 bucks.

[AlmostThere]

God has His angels everywhere, Kristy! Warms the soul, huh?

Well, I'm biting the bullet, nails leaving dig marks along the way, but will talk today to my finance guy and ask him to "make it happen"! I want my RV and I want it now! We'll see how it goes. Actually the account I want to cash in is with another financial firm and my guy is in Alaska, where I use to live. I didn't move that account down here as my new advisor said that the investment was a pretty good one and to leave it be. I called the Alaska guy and he's out of the office until Monday, of course! But did want to run it all by my guy here in WA to see if he could give me an idea of how much Uncle Sam will stiff me etc. Don't want any surprises and also need to know a ballpark figure of how much $$$ I'll actually end up with. Fingers crossed, prayers going up!

[retiredhappy]

Sounds like you have a couple of "finance" guys. Please, please double check whatever they say. I have a friend who's husband died and she relied totally on her "finance" guy who was paid for every "investment" or "sale" he made. Well, long story to short, he went thru everything she had making some really bad investments for which he was paid a commission. You sound like a smart lady and are probably perfectly capable of making your own finance decisions on your own. Check out Susie Orman' web site for info. And sometime a "bad" idea where you might lose some money is still the best thing for you. Life is short - enjoy it now while you can.

[VickieP]

Whooooo hoooooo! Okay, I'm taking a deep breath and thanking the powers that be (in my case, I thank God).

But first things first, now Soos, I'm so sorry you 've been having so much trouble with your phone people, thankfully it's all worked out now. I didn't know Verizon had home service, I don't think they do here, only cell. We've been having problems with internet connections also, I've heard somewhere it has to do with all the crazy people, um, I mean "king of pop fans" flooding the internet, I don't know if it's true or not.

Kristy, you are in all our prayers, there are those of us who have been in similar situations and those of us who at some point may be there. Broke down in a strange place can be a scary thing, know this, you're not alone. That envelope is evidence that people around you are watching out for you and caring also.

NOW, Lenora, I have had a heavy heart and you have been on my mind all day Tuesday. I made up my mind last night that I was going to post an apology to you for getting in your business and maybe starting up something, you weren't sure you were ready for yet. Being a newbie, I don't really know you well, and I just kinda jumped in there and gave you my opinion thinking that I was just encouraging you to think for yourself and make your decision on what you really wanted, that kind of stuff. Now, last night I fell asleep and woke up with my laptop on my lap and didn't do it, so I kinda avoided it today till I worked up my courage again and got on here and saw your post and whoooooo hoooo, saw you decided to go for it. I still do apologize for all the above reasons, but do know that I really want you and everyone else here to know that all I say as encouragement for your dreams and while I may speak my mind too much at times, I care, period. Soooooo, good luck on your search and can't wait for you to be able to change your name,,,,, hmmmm any thoughts on that?

[AlmostThere]

Vicki, you have a kind heart, and no apologies necessary. Hugs!
I actually am glad I talked with my finance guy today as he agreed that if the right rig with the right price tag comes my way to snatch it up! I was a bit taken back but we talked for over an hour and I can either wait until next Apr/May to cash in my investment and avoid early surrender penalties, or I can make up the difference by getting a good price on a rig now and avoid the sales taxes, per Obama's plan, that is only offered till the end of the yr. So it looks like I can now get serious!! woohoo!

[Nasoosie]

Oh Lenora---HOW EXCITING!! I can't wait for the next chapter in your life! I think many of us are beginning to think like Vickie, as so many people around us are either becoming too ill, or too antiquated, or, as has happened in the news headlines so often lately, just dropping dead. I, too, was having doubts about retirement next year, but not any more. I need to see what it's like to be able to do as I choose with no schedules for a time while I am still able to get around and see places and do things. The financial stuff is scary, for sure, but, after all, what good is money if we can't spend it and get some fun and enjoyment out of it.

Kristy is still having a great time, in spite of the breakdown, and, as she discovered, people are mostly kind and good, which restores my faith in humanity. It sounds as if her Kodie is having the time of her life, amidst the uncertainty in the adults' world!

Go for it, Lenora, and don't forget to check out the sales room in this forum, if you haven't already. If I thought I could get enough for my truck and trailer, I believe I would go for MissBHaven! I LOVE the looks of that vehicle, and I would feel so much more confident on the roads and in the cities with a vehicle like that. I believe I will try to check out what I COULD get for my two vehicles at this point---they are both very new, and I don't think I have enough equity to make a decent down payment on anything. But I could make a good monthly payment as I now am making two rather than one! Hmmmmm......food for thought here.

[AlmostThere]

Thanks for cheering me on! Perhaps you'll be getting something, too!??! Fun to look and dream, huh?

[OutandAbout]

Barbeeze, I hope everything is going well after your surgery. We miss you when you are not around, although someone is always there to pitch in and feed us. (hehehe) Do what you have to to get better real soon.

Kristy, It's good to know that you have a decent, friendly place to stay during the repairs. Despite that, it sounds like you all are having a great time. Three cheers for you little one, she appears to be a real trooper.

Soos, Isn't modern technology fabulous!!!!! It takes a bizillion times longer to get things fixed with it.
Thanks for the story, I found it was a needed laugh. (maybe not to you today, but some day) Glad all is now fixed, until next time.


Lenora, YIPEE!!!! You will soon be among us. Don't just look in your area, you have the whole country to find that special RV. There are professionals that will look at a vehicle for you if you are out of state, this works in state as well. They will check all the mechanics of the engine, chassis, etc., as well as all the RV innards and make sure they are working correctly. I think the fee is around $200.00 or so. Not too much for piece of mind. This will allow you to negotiate a better deal, knowing exactly what is wrong. Just something to consider. It's so exciting. Good luck on the hunt.

linda

[AlmostThere]

Linda,
How does one go about hiring these professional RV check people? I haven't a clue where to find something like that. I have found RVs out of state...waaaay out of state, that are just to far for me to go look at, but are what I'm looking for and generally priced within my budget.
Thanks!

[VickieP]

I also know that there are people who do this, but don't ask me how they are listed, cause I don't know. I know when my Mom was diagnosed with ALS and they couldn't travel any more, they put the RV for sale and there was a lady from Wyoming or somewhere way off like that that was interested in it. She sent a man over to inspect it and Daddy said he went over it with a fine tooth comb and she ended up buying it. I found out later that he was the man that owns the mobile RV repair company that I use. He's someone I feel confidence in his work. But like I said I don't know how you would find them out there, where they advertise, etc. Good luck.