I got a notification that we had our first mail delivery waiting. So while Brad worked on the roof again I drove into Quartzsite and picked up the mail. The Presto MyJo arrived along with our vehicle insurance paperwork.
We've been using it all day today, you can see the old Keurig behind... on its way out the door :) This Presto MyJo works great, such a simple concept and uses zero percent of our batteries. As opposed to the Keurig which used 3% every time we used it... 3% x 8/day = anybody?.... see where our problem was?! I think this gizmo will be our saving grace. I have no affiliation with this product or company but for $14 on Amazon it sure is better than more panels and an upgraded controller!
After having a shower to remove all evidence (there was a lot of it) of his roof duties, Brad made supper. Yup, he's a keeper. Don't tell him I said that, I like to keep him on his toes ;)
We've been looking today at places to visit, The Biodome 2 is high on my list and just the other side of Phoenix, also read a review by Wheelin' it and while I really like the look of Elephant Butte Lake State Park, I haven't had a chance to show it to Brad yet. We are in no rush to find somewhere to go since we are here until Thursday at least.
The Slide Topper guy is coming Wednesday, we are expecting our mail from home to arrive Wednesday and the tires for the Jeep are due in Wednesday... so we're here until Thursday for sure.
The weather has been cooler (25C, 77F) making it much more bearable for us, actually with the wind today I found it a bit cool outside so I spent most of the day inside. Much to the disappointment of my readers I'm sure but the house needed cleaning and I actually reorganized a bunch of stuff and created some storage space in the kitchen/dining area and have a bag of stuff for goodwill which I will be adding to before I take another lot over to them.
Our friends tell us its snowing in Oregon... teehee. Guess that's what happens when you wait until November to cross guys. Should have come down with us.
Also, when posting yesterdays blog about the roof patches I @'d woodysrvworld to the twitter post it sends out in case they might have something to say about it and for the 1st time, they didn't 'like' my post. Figures.
Thoughts about this blog:
Sometimes this blog feels more like a diary, I feel like I should be writing about great adventures or doing major product reviews but honestly that just isn't my thing. What I write about is the day to day RV Life for a newbie... well, until we're not so newbie that's what it'll be... We're trying to figure out the RV systems, how to adjust our lifestyle to accommodate said systems both original and added (like the solar). If (when) we have a black tank incident I'll write about how that should or shouldn't be done but in the meantime we're just trying to figure out the regular daily stuff.
Cooking without heating the RV on a 41C/105F day is quite a trick. I have an Instant Pot but I find it uses A LOT of power (80+Amps) which to me is a lot but everyone said what little power it uses which is why I bought it... perhaps it was because of what I was doing with it that day, I don't know. I have it and rest assured I'll use it so I will let you know how the power consumption goes with that.
Most of the people I follow on YouTube are young with/without families they are still supporting, we are in the fortunate position of not having to 'make money on the road' which is kind of a 'go to' topic these days it seems.
So if I recommend a place/product it will be solely because I have been there and/or used it and found it to be something that others may also find helpful/useful.
Alternately.......
If we come across crap I will let you know that too so you don't have to waste your hard earned 'on the road' money and can buy the kids new shoes instead -or an iPad, as you see fit LOL
The other thing that's been on my mind is videos. Now I'm a person who's brain tells me that 'vanity is a sin', not that our family were strong church types but I have great difficulty taking 'selfies'... videos?! Whaaaa?! As much as I will be trying, because Brad's oldest brother born and raised in England can't really wrap his mind around where we are and what its like when we try to explain it to him.
England is about 2/3 the size of Saskatchewan (1 million people), so the size of Canada is simply something that I've found the English can't relate to as they have no frame of reference for such a vast space. With only 30 million people in it? Whaaaa? Imagine Saskatchewan with 54 million people which is the 2017 estimated population of England... So I'd like to do some videos for him, on the other hand he doesn't regularly read the blog, would videos make it easier for him to follow or would he not watch those either? In fact, the only family member who does read the blog is Brad's Mum (Thank you for that).
Because the original point to the blog was so that family/friends could follow along on our journey, I often thought why the hell am I doing it if no one even reads it but by that time we actually had some followers, regular commenters, etc. and we appreciate all of you. It somehow gives us the gumption to go out and do stuff most days (Thank you for that).
Al/Kelly at The Bayfield Bunch have written about us a couple of times and we have had quite a boost in readership the last few weeks which has been great and I'm really enjoying getting comments from many more people. Longtimers like Flowergirl and George (who also both came from Kelly/Al I believe) will always have a special place in my heart - never forget your roots! They have really helped us get through some questionable times on this journey of ours. (THANK YOU FOR THAT).
I'm really enjoying this blog writing business and look forward to enlightening you more on our ignorance and complete and utter goof ups. It will be fun, you will see!!!
If you haven't already, look up thermal cooker. I have the Saratoga Jacks. See what you think about that for when the Instant Pot's power needs don't work for you.
ReplyDeleteOkay Terry, I will Thanks. Sounds interesting.
DeleteI am still writing our blog as newbies now for 12 years, always something new to learn in this lifestyle. It is a journal of this amazing lifestyle and our travels as well.
ReplyDeleteLove Elephant Butte state park , we are going there next week.
We met some blog followers today that you guys have met, Brenda and Len, small world, such a supper couple
Your going there next week? Maybe we'll run into you there. Really enjoyed our time with Brenda and Len and look forward to seeing them again somewhere down the line.
DeleteI, too, found your blog via Al at Bayfield Bunch. We live in the middle of Kansas, don't full time but take several 4-6 week trips each year. We spent a couple weeks at Quarzsite a couple years ago, in late January, wild and crazy time. Ha! Regarding cooking, we have a small tabletop grill that uses small disposable propane bottles that we use a lot.
ReplyDeleteWell thanks for reading our Blog Ann & Tom, we are happy to have you along. We have a small BBQ and need to use it more for sure, we got out of the habit when we were still in the cold climate, so thanks for the reminder.
DeleteIf you're looking for something to do, lots of people around Quartzsite go to The Desert Bar http://thedesertbar.com/ 5 miles N. of Parker. They're only open a few days a week. Hope you enjoy your time in the Southwest.
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Thanks Christopher, I've heard of that but had no idea where it was. Will keep it in mind next time we go to Parker, Thanks.
DeleteN34 11.987 W114 8.644
DeleteThanks Chris but we just got back and I wasn't able to check the coordinates until now. Appreciate it though since you didn't know we were already enroute there. Video tonight! :)
DeleteWE have been to Elephant Butte State Park also and loved it. Also Alamo State Park, north west of Congress Az.
ReplyDeleteDon't throw that Keurig out yet.
Working in the U.S. as Canadians is not something we would do because of the tax implications.
Yep, that's why you don't hear of any full-timer Canadian families. I absolutely need to make a list of places to go, I get a lot of suggestions but I don't know where they are and then forget. I will do that today. The Keurig isn't working properly anyway so if I can convince him to toss it we'll get a smaller one if need be. I like Christopher's idea above -- The Desert Bar, may be on the menu today. Have to check the weather first.
DeleteYou can get smaller coffee makers now that are not the Keurig brand name, that use the K-Cups but less watts. I recently bought a Proctor Silex, that is a single cup and it only uses 600 watts. It is great for boondocking. I like the cup style because there is no coffee grinds to clean up. Years back had a grey tank macerator dump event which has steered me away from coffee grinds. I believe the dessert bar is only open on weekends.
DeleteYep we don't have a grind situation but our gray tank is not 'reading' properly already. I need a sink strainer just for dishes, I try not to let anything down the drain. Will get a strainer today, thanks for that reminder.
DeleteProbably came across your blog also from Al. It takes a commitment for people to write a blog on a daily basis, something I appreciate. The author opens up their life for others to see while allowing them to travel along. Reading them is like that conversation that causes you to think about your own life situations, places you have been and enjoyed with others. Plus, you can get new ideas of what to have for supper, or jokes you can tell younger relatives.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy reading yours and others, and it will be an excellent journal of a part of your life.
Well thanks Peter, not sure you'll read much on this blog you'd want to repeat to anyone too young LOL
DeleteAgree *smile* Meant for Al's daily groaners.
DeleteI have added you to my "daily read" list. I also found you thanks to Al and Kelly.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Caroline, We're just crazy enough to be boring. Hope you enjoy!
DeleteYup, came from Al's site. I get the feeling the Jeep has helped out already giving you both some 'me' time. I've never seen one of those coffee makers or whatever it is. How does it work?
ReplyDeleteThe k-cup goes in the base and you snap it in. It has a pin thingy like the Keurig. You pour the water in the top, put the lid on and push down about 3 times to get the water flowing through the k-cup and into the coffee cup.. easy.
DeleteHi, I'm also by way of Al and Kelly. There's a place called Sweet Darlene's on the east end of Main Street. They have the best pie ever. The restaurant is a little weird but so is Quartzsite. Don't miss it!
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, Pie? We'll watch for it. Thanks Adrienne.
DeleteI am surprised no one has recommended a french press coffee maker to you. They make the best coffee and we use one exclusively when we are RVing.
ReplyDeleteSearch Amazon for "Bodum 8-Cup Double Wall Columbia Coffee Maker"
Also wondering if Silly Als is open there yet. They make good pizza but may only be open during the RV show etc.
We are from Ontario and are leaving next week to head there, the southwest and Cali, for the winter.
Good blog, thanks....'nuff said.
We had a French Press at 'home' but the problem is my wonderful husband is addicted to Tim Horton's so we brought several cases of K-cups down with us.... yup, several. Long story. Look us up when you make it here we'll have a cuppa something or other.
DeleteI enjoy your blog about beginning the RV life. There are some unique challenges especially when you are boondocking. We have a 10.5' Host Cascade truck camper on a Ford 450.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to save electricity, you can cook using a "thermal pot". I have one by Thermos. It is called the Shuttle Chef. You can find lots of videos on YouTube. I cook beans 10 minutes on the gas stove and then place the pot in the thermos to complete cooking. This also saves heat on hot summer days. I posted a link to our pot on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Thermal-Cooker-RPC-4500-Shuttle/dp/B002QHZG3G/ref=pd_sbs_79_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=R3Y71JAAJQM98F6W4JBY
Thanks I'll keep that in mind.
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