Silver Sisters Online Rally

[danalee]

How about it Sharon? I think I can make it on my own after this last trip!

[05ModPod]

Hi there...

And a big welcome to BeckyAnt and Dgray.

Becky there are quite a few Rallies within not so bad a drive from you - well I think it is not a bad drive cause a 1000 miles and crossing the border is just a hop skip and a jump really..You are in a nice local to get in a few rallies for sure. You might want to hook up with Danalee and Paula too - Great Ladies and lots of fun. If I am ever in your neck of the woods which is quite likely I will give you a call if that is okay..

Dgray - would that be gray hair - cause I gots me lots of them....I am thinking of growing the roots out and going for the dog clippers and flippin over to the Silver side what do ya'll think? Bit daring for a pre 50 don't you think?

Not sure where you are have not looked up on map yet - but Annie and Marvin have and will now be overwintering in Texas - Great people our best friends, and we always miss them terribly when they disappear for the winter...I might be heading their way for a mini holiday this coming winter - will see - would love to stop by and meet you.

~G, Lou and Dannie - thanks for your empathy. I guess we all have our issues in life and sometimes it is just kind of hard to get through. I have not been here much but I just love the support I get - must be the happy aluminum pills ~G as for my Dad yep kicking tires and bashing head against wall is my remedy to get by - heck we just clash sometimes big time. But as for my Mum - it is the sadness and the tears that I can not control - so it makes me to hard inside and I push myself away from wanting to visit - it really is killing me to see her digress so and be in so much pain all the time. I need to get them now to see a Social Worker to consider talking about I don't even know what to call it other than "death counseling" Mom is now moving toward wanting to stop her Dialysis. She does not want to go through having body parts removed as they loose their circulation and die...they are already looking at the toes OMG it is awful.

On a lighter note - look at what my Hubby is up to...She is a monster garage Peter has put a whole new meaning to building a "man cave".

He has done just a fablous job - just has about 1/3 of the roof to go, then the doors, and lastly the siding - stained pine - seems like a lot of work to me..






Heck no shortage of parking!!

peter was worried that people might see what he is building and said na no one knows about it or that we live where we do.. Ha I was at the ladies golf league on Tuesday and they ALL know OMG!! about the building - and now they know who lives there YIKES...

Hey Danalee - you go GIRL!! yep time for you to go solo I think - are you comfortable? I wish I had some extra money right now - I would rendezvous with you for sure...

Well I did it - I actually dusted off the resume and set to on my application letter writing and applied for a job today - have not been in the employment sector for almost 9 years!! Ran my own business but not the same as working for hmm the others...I need the money and it will limit my traveling but just until I can get a bit of a nest egg going.

You must be having lots of fun Airdale - you are running enough for all of us put together with all the Rallies. How is your "WBCCI office" position going? Are you liking it?

And where is the Bone Crusher these days (Carol) do they have you hopping in your new Camp Host job yet? How is Brad - fully recoverd - and you too from your surgery?

Steph where you at girl?

And Suz are you settled back into your home routine now for the summer?

Vickie - if you happen to be lurkin....I am thinking of you

Where the heck is Jamie???? I might be coming to boston some time this summer - not sure very up in the air...but if I am I would love to do a drop in....gosh it has been a long time eh?

[danalee]

Sharon, I think the man cave is just too good looking to be called that! It looks great and you guys will have plenty of space now. If I had eough silver I would do the same thing. I inherited my Grandma's genes and probably won't turn for another 5 years. After all "silver" is the color!!Hope your job works out. We would love to have more Silver Sisters stop in-North Carolina is good resting point!

[loudruff]

It looks like Peter has done himself proud! Looks wonderful! Did you say you were moving in there? It is as big as a house!!!! Your "silver" has a great spot! As for the gray/silver hair....GO for it!!!! You never know,it might be a super new look. And what kind of job are you looking for? Sounds like an interesting plan and we wish you well there.
Danalee, I am having a little mini rally in my backyard this weekend. I have posted on the Ohio thread. Maybe you should plan a rally for your area to attend. All you have to do is post the where and the when and make sure that you have a park big enough to hold a few campers. As it happens our backyard/driveways can hold several. Some folks drop by to spend a few days in our courtesy parking for a shakedown cruise. From time to time we get some newbies who come by to do their first camping and Larry helps them learn how to connect, drain and some of the basics. And sometimes we have a work session with someone who brings a trailer that needs a little hands on help. This weekend we start with a family picnic and we will see who stops by for some campfire fun. If you are in our area sometime, please stop in!
Yeah, Carol, where are you? We haven't heard anything about the new digs! We hope you and Brad are in the pink.
Lou

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by loudruff

I.....And what kind of job are you looking for?Lou

I am applying for a job that pays more than minimum wage. I just cannot bring myself to work 40 hours for about 4 dollars by the time the gov, gas food and clothes take their piece of the pie.

So I am going for a Ministry Job - working for the government in otherwords. I have a lot of transferable skills from my career days - so I am looking from that point of view and there are three that have come up... Assistant Regional Communications Specialist. Assistant Provincial Park Clerk is another and a Supervisor that oversees a geographical area for the MNR- Ministry of Natural Resources in a small place north of where we live.

The only problem is that I may have to relocate during the week and come home on weekends. Or I may have to move completely to work for a while. But life is life and some times you just have to do what you have to do.

I will just keep throwing stuff out there and something may come up - and then my life will change into a new direction...Hopefully...

[BeckyAnt]

Hi, Sharon--
We've actually been to Durham, ON a few times! Feel free to contact me if you're in the area; that would be fun! After three days of rain, I found out that my "new" Sovereign (1974) has some leaks, and we've also found a few electrical and plumbing glitches, so it might be a li'l while before I can participate in a rally but we're going to keep plugging along.

We're right off interstate 95 along the east coast, so if anyone needs to stop in VA, let me know!

Becky

[05ModPod]

Becky - Sorry to hear of your leaks - but we all have them from time to time - even my 05 had a nasty leak which I found out the hard way and all my books sitting on the back desk go soaking wet after three days of rain in SC.

Thanks so much for the invite...I just might take you up on that if you are around.

I am planning a trip the second week of July so on my way home I might see if we can do something.

HI Danalee - Love your new Avatar - I really like your straw hat.

Lou how has your driveway been - very busy.....

[05ModPod]

I have been doing a bit of maintenance on the ModPod.

One of the small renos I want to do is to put the rear dinette seat on sliders so that I can push it back and relax with my legs up rather than jumping on the bed all the time.

So when I took the seat off it was a good thing I did. it turns out there was only one screw in one of the brakets and the base was only screwed in on one side - so if two were sitting on it we could have easily ended up on our backsides good ole quality control

A piece of the dinette came clear off with the bracket so really there was nothing holding it to the wall.

Nevertheless I think the reno will work perfectly. I will have a stationary piece under the seat and then it will slide back - I will also have a leg portion flip up to give lots of leg room. The stationary piece will add 17.5 to the length of the dinette drop down bed which Peter will most certainly enjoy with his long legs!

So I am trying to hunt down 18" bottom mount sliders for the job - any ideas folks where I might get some?

I will make some new filler cushions that fit perfectly over the wheel well under the table.

I was thinking of having part of the table fold down - but still have to think that one through cause the table still acts as the platform for the bed....

[BeckyAnt]

Ok--let me know the dates when you know for sure. That would be fun.

With the leaks...it looks like they're coming through the vista view windows (and maybe the roof somewhere) and running down inside the walls until the water finds its way out (into the AS). Once we seal the leaks, is there anything to be done to get the water out of the walls, or do we just wait and let it bake in the sun till it all evaporates?

[loudruff]

Originally Posted by GT1963

Lou how has your driveway been - very busy.....

Hi Sharon! We have been having a great time. A few driveway camp-ins in our backyard, and we have been out several times to the state parks around the area....West Branch, Findley, Delaware, Caesar's Creek. Now that we are without parent duties we are having lots of fun getting out of here. The new trailer is a great thing! This weekend we are at home, next weekend we will be going to the Mohican area for the PaddleQuest that Loren has set up for Gander Mtn. Her manager put her in charge of the whole thing this year. Larry and I signed on to help her out. Don't know that we will be paddling much, but it sounds like fun! Wish you were nearby and could come paddle with your kayak!
How is the job hunt coming along? Where are you going in July?
If any of you get close enough by to stop in, please do!

[05ModPod]

It is usually a great mystery to find the leaks if you don't do the air compressor, hose testing. But 9x out of 10 it will be everything that has been added to the trailer - very rarely is it the seams that leak. Windows yes the old vulcum will have dried out and becomes almost wicking material to draw the water in when it runs down the seams. So a good clean out of the old sealant and apply new will get the job done. Same with everything and anything up top like vents AC antennas awning rails and maker lights - clean the old stuff off and put all new on.

As for the dates I would be running back north leaving on the 18 or 19th of July - I hope to stop in and See Dannie too - perhaps a cool mini Rivette Rally would be possible - maybe Paula might join in too - let me look into that..

[05ModPod]

I am hoping to get out and visit a few people starting with my friend in SC. And take an extra week to get home stopping in here and there. It will be a scorcher for sure and sure am glad that I will have 30 amp.

Pete and I are keeping our fingers crossed for our End of August Holiday - we are going to head to the eastern seaboard - or possibly out west a bit - not sure yet.

We just can't seem to commit to any rallies this year - not with the pennies real tight and Mom and Dad's health not being the greatest - but we will make sure we get in our little holidays together and separate so that we can keep our sanity about us.

If I can swing it - I will be sure to drive by and stop in.

It sounds like you and Larry are having a ball and some much well deserved time away - enjoying yourselves.

I had a hard step with my parents the other day. In my attempt to be the loving daughter, they did not like what they were hearing and lashed out pretty hard at me - it was a blow I was not expecting, just as this whole 'Aging Parent daughter thing is just one big nightmare for me'. I was just telling a good friend that I have fallen terrible short of my own expectations in this area and it really saddens me. I am just not cut out for this. Even if there was a manual But I will manage I am sure - but I might be in a rubber room by the end of this.

[BeckyAnt]

Praying for you! I got lucky with a great father in law, but my parents...not so much. The whole reversing-the-roles thing is pretty rough.

[danalee]

Sharon I googled the bottom slide mounts and a bunch of stuff came up-don't have your mechanical mind so I wasn't sure what you were looking for exactly. Will the kind used for car seats work?

[05ModPod]

I almost had a line on some from Lee Valley - 400 pound capacity for a pair and I will use three. But they are side mount like the ones Airstream uses for their pull out goucho beds. I don't want the side mounts because it would make the height of the seat too high.

So possibly a cabinet place might have them. Car seat ones I think require a mounted track and not much extended play but not sure.

I plan on custom making the foam so that there is a little indent to compensate for the track but the foam will be thick enough that you will not feel the track....

[tin sista]

Hey Sharon,

Sorry about your dust up with the folks. Don't take it so hard. We live and learn. Grandma set me back on my heels more than one time. Its not personal, they are grieving losing their independence. Its gotta be hard to let the babies take over when you changed their diapers--worse yet, now they're changing your diapers

I think the only manual is to love them and yourself as best you can.
Good luck!!

[loudruff]

Originally Posted by tin sista

Hey Sharon,

Sorry about your dust up with the folks. Don't take it so hard. We live and learn. Grandma set me back on my heels more than one time. Its not personal, they are grieving losing their independence. Its gotta be hard to let the babies take over when you changed their diapers--worse yet, now they're changing your diapers

I think the only manual is to love them and yourself as best you can.
Good luck!!

I think that Steph is right about that! They have always taken care of everyone else, especially their children. It is hard for them to give that up and let someone else take over. They don't want to be a burden and it is so hard for them to live like that. We have to let it go and forgive them. They still love you, even through all of that. Just remember the good times and laugh about the bad. It is the way to get through it. Been there twice over! Larry's family and then mine. Ick! But someone who loves them has to stick by them in the long haul. You can do it!

[danalee]

Sharon, you are amazing!

[05ModPod]

THANKS FOR THE BOOST YOU SWEETIES

I have received some pretty great advice and words of encouragement from you all and many of my friends off this board. It is so nice to know that you are all out there...

There are no manuals on this stuff but what a better manual than a real life friendship manual to get you through the tuff times.

Mom got some bad news on Thursday two days after my gentle heads up to them...that I got my first sting back. I guess they just did not want to face this next step. Mom has to have one of her Big toes amputated now. I don't know what their decision will be - but what ever it is I will do my best to support them both in what they are facing.

Thanks you gals for being there for me. I still have no idea how I am going to get through all this - other than one day at a time and to look at the precious moments we can still have - and hope that the "other stuff" will take care of itself.

[Happycampers]

Hello Sharon.. So sorry to hear the news about your MOM... Our thoughts are with you and your MOM and Dad at this time.... I know this is not going to be an easy decision for your MOM... we will be home on Monday and will give you a call... we are right now in Ottawa visiting with Mark and Kim ... will give you a call on the cell later..