March 24, 2009

Odds and ends

Yesterday I took GV to CarMax to check on oil leak. They found lots of oil and a damaged oil filter. They cleaned off oil and replaced filter. Hope that takes care of things. We went back down to Roseville to get some stuff mom wanted. One stop was Costco. Since we were there we signed up for data plan with Verizon. One more item off the list. At home I plugged in the modem (same size as memory stick) after loading drivers and was on internet very quickly. Did same thing on moms laptop with same success. Today I hooked modem to Cradlepoint router to try out wireless. Had some problems getting router to function but after a number of resets and trying 'things' it finally it started to work and mom and I connected wirelessly to internet. Now all we need is a remote desert.

I added a second light pigtail to bypass diodes that were installed with tow package. Now I can pass light signal from RV to auxillary lights if needed.

Installed laptop desk in GV also. A little tight but should be OK for side trip navigation.

March 21, 2009

"Wicked"

Today we enjoyed our Christmas present from Ken, Julie, Amanda, and Nicholas.

We drove to Pleasant Hill and took BART to San Francisco. Hadn't done that for a while. Wouldn't want to do it every day but fun every so often. About the same amount of time as driving all the way in. Very convienent this time. Steps to Civic Center BART station come up literally at the front door of the theater. We met the rest of the group at nearby Carl's Jr. for quick lunch and then to show.

Thoroughly enjoyed the next 3 hours. Amazing set, outstanding lighting and special effects without being overwhelming, and GREAT show. We were in the third balcony (cheap seats :) ) but for this show probably the best place to be to take it all in. When they gave us the tickets at Christmas I knew nothing about the show other than it was a take off of some sort from "The Wizard of Oz". I wanted to at least have some idea of the story line so I got the book from the library and read it. The book is not easy to read. Lots of intricate description and convoluted threads with occasional pearls of plot that might be missed if not paying attention. No skimming possible at all. It is also very dark. You keep hoping for things to get better and they never do. When I finished the book I was a bit apprehensive about the musical. I didn't see how it could be enjoyable to watch that story. I was happily surprised. The show is nothing like the story. The musical does draw on the story line of the book but very lightly and the end is nothing like the book. I would still recommend reading the book first to have a feel for the story line, the characters, and the relationships as they only briefly get referred to in the play if at all. After reading the book be prepared for a totally positive experience in the musical. Fun to watch, fun to listen to, and fun dialog (pay attention - you might miss a reference to something you heard in a different place or story). THANK YOU K, J, A, & N.

March 20, 2009

Brakemaster

Had aux. braking system installed on GV today. Mechanic pointed out that car had oil leak from somewhere. Made appt. with CarMax for Monday. Car tows great. Not sure motorhome knew it was there. Went through checklist three times to be sure transfer case really was in neutral. While car was worked on we had lunch with Pam and Vera. Good to see them and check in on what they are up to.