Simple reset and all is well.....hmmm

Sky at Mt. Top Tarentum night before

All is well with my electronic  gadgets once again.  A quick trip to the local Verizon store with a simple reset there got the tablet to running easily, perhaps I shoulda' tried that instead of the dirty words I used.  Really I did not know about that, as most of you know electronic devices no longer come with instructions printed, they are all online.  Yes, well when you cannot  get them online to access the directions you are up the old creek without a paddle and/or even without a boat!
We had a rainy day yesterday here in PA, what else is new, when we are here we ususally have rain.

Jerry has a sore throat, he says no big deal, but I flash back to last October on our southern trip where he ended up with  almost pneumonia.  So he will stay put at the motor home today while I am out and about with friends. 

Here we are at Beermuda,  left to right around the table
Linda, Pam, Carlie, Jerry, me and Peggy

We had a fun gathering yesterday despite the rain at a new place to us, Beermuda, local on Freeport Road.  What a great place to eat and sample all sorts of beers.  I enjoyed a pumpkin ale and then a framboise...even sampled the banana brew.  Jerry being a purist stuck with Budweiser. Their drafts change all the time and well, you just have to go there to see for yourself.   All the food was overly plentiful, and the amazing thing, nothing not even the delicious french fries that some had on their salads were deep fried,  a healthy choice, baked and no one complained.  I downed a half steak hoagie ala Philly style but with a blue cheese dressing ummmmm.  Jerry's pulled pork was a mound too high to even try to bite down as a sandwich but he worked it with fork.    I bought a personally selected and mixed up 6 pack to take home including a brand "Wild Bitch."  We all agreed this is a great place to meet.  Linda says they go there frequently; Dayna could not join us as she had a leak in her  kitchen with the rain and that required sitting and waiting.

In the sunshine interim yesterday afternoon, we went to Greenwood cemetery to see all my people.  Then we went over to St. Mary's where I tried to find other older family graves, there was no one at the site  but roaming I did find a few by accident, however not the ones I wanted.  Oh well, another trip, those folks aren't going anywhere.  

May Travels 1 of ?? posts



Rainbow at Mt Top RV
Tarentum, PA

Just for fun I'm posting our trip looking back over the road miles so far while starting out with the rainbow here this evening in Pennsylvania after the short heavy cloudburst.  It absolutely would not be my home here if we did not have a shower or two duriong our stay, good PA rain just as I remember it from childhood when I  always tried to sneak off the porch or out the door  to run through the thunder storms, attracted to the downpours and distressing my grandmother or mom, both of whom sought to keep me dry while explaining to me the dangers of thunder and lightning.  My fascination continues today with living in the Midwest, although I do know not to get involved with lightning, I did outgrow that attraction, still I do enjoy watching a good downpour which I fancy as earth cleansing.



Jerry at Longhorn's door

We celebrated Jerry's birthday this evening at a favorite chain Longhorn Steakhouse,  and Jerry being a steak guy was quite pleased to return there.  Sure wish we had such a quality restaurant and steakhouse back home in MN.  We were early this evening but business was booming which indicates the economy is just not that bad in this neck of the woods.  Longhorn is at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall which hosts the gamut of restaurants Smokey Bones, Olive Garden, Red Robin, and ever so many more and every single one was busy--imagine that in Tarentum, PA on a Monday night, every one is eating out.   To the right is the birthday boy himself ready to enter although it sure looks as if he is questioning whether this is the place, whether this is what he wants to do, or maybe whether Longhorn is ready to provide the meal and service he expects.  We did and they did and all was great, goodtime had by all.

We are here 886 miles more logged onto the motor home this trip, 16.5 hours drive time, 132.9 gallons of diesel including a full tank now, $527 poorer with diesel fill ups, and the end of our  5th day of this venture but only $225 for lodging and that is paid up through next Sunday.  We have been blessed with good travels so far and today checked on Uncle's house (it will always be Uncle's house to me although he is gone  and I have the estate to  administer).  All is in order and other than a couple burned out light bulbs where evidently the realtors who have been inside neglected to turn lights off after leaving. all is OK.  The lawn needs a good mowing, so that meant a follow up nag to my nephew who runs a lawn and landscape service and assures me he is taking care of it all.  If that is really so, and I have to trust that it is, why when we showup  isn't the lawn freshly mowed?    We used all the roundup that we had left behind last year  on the bumper crops of weeds and giant thistles in the flower beds which no longer sport the flowers that Aunt Marge used to cultivate.   Because I worry about getting this home sold so that we can close out and settle the estate, I am grateful that all seems as in order as can be expected.  We will be meeting with the  realtor this week as well as the estate attorney and accountant.  Sigh......

Our first night of travel  we stopped for an over night  at  Caboose Lake Campground RV in Remington, Indiana.  This is a lovely RV site used by many local families in the area as a destination for weekends. Downside is that it is right along interstate 65 and the constant traffic from that highway makes sleeping difficult.  Jerry can sleep anytime anywhere, but I didn't get much rest despite using ear plugs.  There are many amenities here including a trout stocked lake and  easy access off Highway 24 which we drive across Indiana, wide pull through level sites, but I wonder why they don"t  plant trees  as a sound barrier to the interstate.  

Our first destination on the way though was  Decatur, IN to visit  friends Barb and Paul, who live on the outskirts of Monroe, IN and to  see their new home; they sold the farm house and barn to one of the sons and built a beautiful spacious home on the property.  I did not take a picture of their spacious 2000 sq ft. open floor plan with the same square footage downstairs in the finished basement complete with another kitchen.  Barb joked that not only could  they wheel around if they ever end up in wheel chairs but if they  need live in care takers, they can live on one floor and the caregivers on the other.  Barb has retired from her catering and cake decorating business but with 7 grand daughters from ages 3 to 23 and 2 sons and families all living near along  with cousins and long time friends she is always cooking and baking. She has a small chest freezer  filled with cookies alone that she bakes continuously for everyone to enjoy.  She had a pie ready for us, something called Indiana Cream which is delicious and which Jerry, the pie eater in chief has been eating nightly.  Barb has been using the kitchen downstairs and said since moving in Thanksgiving she still has not cooked a meal in the upstairs kitchen. 



Berne, IN Clcoktower  

Saturday May 5 was Kentucky Derby Day but we were both so full from dinner the night before with Barb and Paul and constant food from breakfast to midday, we  watched without snacking.  However before the race, I journeyed into Berne to see the local attraction--the Swiss clock tower park.  This area is replete with Amish but many of the others are descendants of Swiss settlers.  For several years the tiny town of Berne hosts Swiss Days right around the July 4th holidays; and for a few years there has been work to build  a clock tower park in the midst of the town.  There are local jokes about the cost of this, but it is a beautiful center and certainly a place depicting their heritage.  The massive clock tower still needs work and friends said the hands of the clock fell off shortly after they were attached calling for more craftsmanship. 

I think they can be rightly proud of their park, completed now at a time when so many municipalities are barely able to make a go of it, the hardworking diligent citizens of Berne with strong work ethic have built a monument to their heritage and the wisdom of remaining true to their values is center visible to anyone who drives by.




Swiss banners in the Clocktower Park 
Berne, Indiana

Return to PA and estate tasks

So here we are and all is relatively well.  Our stop in Decatur Indiana accomplished the installation of the new awning replacing that destroyed  in July in the storm here.  However Jerry says we will be unlikely to do further business with Sullivan RV in Decatur.  Their rates are the same as the factory $90 per hour and they did  the work needed however  this was an insurance claim, to which they really racked up the ancillary charges.  We had a $500 deductible but when we reviewed the full list of charges, Jerry was  not amused. There was a disposal fee of $8 and he has the old awning at home, they took a break dragging out the installation time that morning although they were not busy.  Because he knows this business he said it was a 20 minute maximum job and they charged for  1.5 hours, running up the tab.  Our GMAC insurance approved the charges, but Jerry is disgusted.  Honesty and fairness were his keys to success in the auto repair business all those years.  He heard horror stories from customer and now when he experiences these he finds it most annoying.  So he has asked me to write something to our Good Sam RV Lifestyle website to let others know to beware.  Further he claims he would not recommend them to anyone else in our RV circle.

Things can always be worse, this I know.  We met a man in Decatur at the Fleetwood lot where we  stayed overnight. Although his coach and vehicle were registered in Texas, he is a wanna be to leave CA but while he has a business to sell there he is.  He and wife had attended the Family Motor Coach Rally in Madison, WI and while journeying thru  Chicago he went through an underpass that was not tall enough to accomodate his Revolution coach and he suffered the unpleasant experience of shearing off the roof mounted air conditioner and generator.  Fortunately he did not damage the roof.    The facotory could not fit him in for 2 weeks so he was on his way to Ohio where the repair could be done, an insurance claim  to the tune of $7000 to $10,000.   He said he was watching his GPS, but too late and it happened.   This is why we are so very very careful on the routes we take with this Excursion.  And Jerry is very hesitant on some country back roads if there is a bridge underpass.   

But on to PA and here we are once again.  Somehow the hoopla to returning "home" has diminished.  It's like here I am again and I do enjoy  my friends but there is work to be done. Much of this work is phone calls trying to arrange services and this is not an easy task.   The estate sale accomplished the clearing of  Uncle's house, but we made no profit.  I am disappointed in how Sandy  the estate sale contractor did this sale, I realize now she is inexperienced with man cave items and tools and while the local economy is not the best, I just  believe it could have been better promoted.  We were disappointed with reports from the neighbors about the conduct of the sale, the low level of attention paid to customers and the lack of advertising.  I had discussed with her when we were here in July that I disagreed with her  decision to hold the estate sale at Uncle's home on Thursday and Friday with only 1/2 day Saturday, also the reduction of eveything to 1/2 price on Saturday.  When I contracted with her in 2009 for the sale at aunt's she was open on Sunday.  It seems she has decided to do less, her fee is 30% of the proceeds + expenses which is handsome for her and a minimum of $799.  In addition I or seller  pay all haul away costs.  Well she  did call me in MN to let me know that the furniture had not sold.  Instead of leaving it, I elected to allow the vultures to clear out whatever was not sold.  I know now that I should have told her to bid the job, again my trust was misplaced.  It seems that when I trust these people they do not merit that trust.  Oh well, the house is cleared.  The neighbor told me that they left the front door open all night one evening while they were clearing the place.  That  upset me too.  But I must put this all behind me, the home is cleared.

Nephew who has a landscaping and lawn service did not perform tasks expected either.  None of the shrubs or hedges were trimmed and his workers are doing a shoddy job on the lawn.  I called him and he assured me he would send someone out last week or the next.  Well, I must find someone else to do the work to keep the outside looking decent.  I would really appreciate someone saying they are just oo busy to do the job and be done with it, instead of being  well,  less than half assed.

I have been arranging the  inspections and paying the fees,  for the plumbing dye test and for the local city inspector to come in and perform the occupancy standard analysis.  Of the $300 profit  on the estate sale, $100 went for city fees and $175 to the plumber for his testing (compare that to $50 that I paid in 2009 at my aunt's)   $225 at Lowes for repairs Jerry can do to pass the inspections, smoke alarms, cement for the drains that go into old septics, on and on.  No profit on the entire houseful.  Well, it is done and it is what it is.  I could  not endure anymore than I had in July when we were cleaning out. 

My realtor has featured the home as the spotlight home on their website.  http://www.howardhanna.com/property/property.asp  Two other homes in this beautiful quiet  neighborhood have sold in the past weeks. We are hopeful, but the market here has tanked, thanks to all those who voted for and elected the Obysmal one as president, the effects of the slump are being felt.  The real estate here was never inflated as in CA where it had to level off, but now, it has become ridiculous. 

I don't think that anyone who has not gone through settling an estate, especially long distance has any concept of what happens, of the excruciating frustration.  Such is the life of an heiress here in Western PA. 

On the Road Home

We spent overnight here  at the Elkhart RV Park in Elkhart, IN after winding along some back roads of western OH and eastern IN.  We were here last year October 31 on our return trip from PA; the price at this RV park  has increased by $11;we are not surprised as everything is increasing in price despite what the fools who run Social Security say when denying old folks a COLA.  Even our trusty hosts, Ed and Fran at Mt. Top, our home in PA increased their fees by $5 per night, their first increase in many  years;  while Fran was apologetic, I consoled her, "we expect it, price of fuel is driving all prices upward."   There are fewer motor homes but the business is still flourishing as this Elkhart has added about 30 additional spaces for rigs.  We are again parked next to a million dollar rig, a Patriot; the folks are from TX and full timers. 

This morning we looked over the travel logues I keep on our journeys and  realized that regular gas prices are up over $1 per gallon just since October 2010, not even a year ago. And lately peiople are supposed to be happy when it recently decreased ten cents!  Hah!  Today with this coach which uses  diesel, that has also increased in price,  but Jerry is pleased that with the 10 to 11 mpg he gets with this coach we are ahead in what we spend on diesel fuel compared to last year's  gas consumption.  This is a phenomena which he understands and which makes my eyes glaze over.  Whatever, at least we can still afford to travel.

Elkhart has many open spaces but is looks like over 75% capacity.  Mt Top in PA had  many construction workers staying there again while they work in the ' burgh but not as many motor coaches, though a couple from FL were next to us and they are regulars there too.  They are from the area but live in FL, avoiding the PA inheritance tax.  Can't say I blame them as PA is ridiculous with that.

 Had a conversation with my friend who is also my estate attorney about that and while he being a full liberal believes it is right for the government to confiscate funds from estates, I fully disagree.  The money was already taxed and so if the person wanted to leave it to Disneyland that is their money and not the governments.  Rich on the other hand believes it is only fair; fair I say.  Well he says why should someone who didn't work a day in their life  inherit millions?  I say why not, again, the taxes were paid by the deceased and if they saved good for them.  Greed and government greed know no bounds. I tease my friend that I must hire a conservative attorney instead of a liberal.  However because we go way back and I can trust him, this is a game we play with words.  Naturally estate tax is on my mind as I will be administering Uncle Carl's estate and now that I  have experience with the PA tax greed from 2009 when my aunt passed, I will be more diligent in tacking and deducting every penny of expense I can.  I am pleased Uncle Carl designated a gift to his church as that money will put them over the top for the building fund they have underway on expansion.  He is smiling at that, I know as will the Monsignor when he gets the check.  But I digress, this is about RV travels homeward.

Each trip as we near home, I can't wait to get there.  Although we have house sitters who give us peace of mind, I want to be back in my own routine and off the road.  My body misses its workouts.  We will reach home sometime early evening today and along the road we gain an additional hour changing to the central time zone from eastern.   Jerry says to get a steak out of the freezer for tomorrow as he has not had a steak this entire time and his body is suffering withdrawal.  On travel days we eat lightly, a sandwich along the way and last night it was huge salads, more of the fresh asparagus Lowell gave us from his PA garden,  some left over pulled pork for Jerry and some seafood salad.  As Jerry looked at his meal, he shook his head and said, "pitiful."  He is missing meat!  I on the other hand am ok with greens and grazing.  After all we did have burgers on Monday courtesy of friends, the Hemprich's. 

Someday when we stop here in Elkhart we will stay more than a night and go to the RV museum.  Someday we will be other places than back and forth between home and PA.  But in July it will be back to PA to get the estate sale and home clear out done.  I can say I am not looking forward to PA heat and humidity, but it has to be.

I was so thankful for my homeys, my NK cronies who came to the viewing and the funeral and all around are fun good people to be with.  I am heartsick about Pam who is fighting breast cancer, but at least now her friends know as she has shared and they can support her as much as she will allow.  Patti, another friend has a multitude of health problems too but keeps on moving onward.  That's how we New Ken kids of the 60"'s are--get over it and get on with it.  No pity parties entertained.

Route home looks like  Hwy 20 to 94/80 then to 39, then 90 to the La Crescent turnoff.  Six hours driving time.         

Arrived PA homestate

So here we are at our only place to park the RV at home in PA, Mt. Top RV, Tarentum, off Bull Creek Road.  Our hosts Ed & Fran finally had to raise their price after all these years; it is now up to $25 per night with our Passport America discount, still way cheaper than a hotel.  Jerry asked Ed when would he add the cable TV at those prices and Ed just looked at him strangely as he deserved.  There is electricity and water hook up here but that is it.  In years past they hosted an annual bluegrass festival in July but decided that they could make more money just opening this as an RV spot, there being none other in the area here near Pittsburgh. their home is on this property, which Fran inherited from her family.  Sad to see her on oxygen now but she looks the same, regrets those years of smoking which led to this, and she is not outside visiting RV's as much as her oxygen hose doesn't reach and she saves the portable for outings. 

We have been parking here since 2008 when we had our first new Southwind.  Just like everyone who arrives here for the first time, down winding Bull Creek Rd and then up Sun Mt. Road of sorts, one wonders where you will end up.  It looks like driving back into Deliverance deep in the woods and hills;  these are real Pennsylvania woods not just a clump of trees as someone we know in MN  refers to her backyard clump of trees.  Right now the spots of natural dogwood trees are making the woods even more magnificent.  Pennsylvania is known for its hills and woods, PennsWoods, for the founder, Quaker William Penn pre colonial times.  
Every one who RV's here that we talk to says the same thing, "what did you think the first time you drove here?" Previous to finding this place, we had parked the old Southwind   which had no slides in Aunt Jinx driveway, but then we did not spend weeks there.  When we  upgraded there was no way we could fit.  Jerry cusses out the streets in these towns which are very narrow making RV driving not so compatible and down right undoable in town.  I remind him this is not new, these roads are from the colonial era, old settler trails where homes popped up and 1800"s at the latest.  Wide enough for horse and buggy maybe, not today's vehicles with cars parking alongside the  curbs.  This is a historic area from the country's early times.
Many young guys working construction have trailers and RV's here which is their home while they are working in the area.  When the job moves on so do they.  This shows industriousness and sense for those who want to work and not draw unemployment and complain about "can't find a job."  There is a young family in one trailer with 3 youngsters, about 5, 3, and 2 years old.  We watched the little bitty 5 year old, at least so we guess, driving round and round in a mini little Kawasaki ATM, giving her  younger sibs a ride in front of her.  I told Jerry, "No way would I let a little girl do that" to which he  laughed, "you wouldn't even ride such a thing."  Correcto!  But she, though itty bitty, teeny tiny,  is very cautious, wears a helmet and we watched her pull off the gravel into the field astutely when a vehicle was pulling in yesterday.  She made several loops around and around, quite cute. 
It's very quiet out here in the boonies and we slept well and long last night.  It is also very safe as Ed is always around mowing, fixing, tinkering and the local police drive up the hill and make the loop. I will post photos later.  This morning we are soon off to visit Uncle at the assisted living center and then over to his home to begin to clear out the trash for Thursday pick up. 
Yesterday  we covered a saner 333 miles from Decatur, IN; purchased 47.7 gallons diesel in Beaverdam OH for $194 and topped off again with 35 gallons for $150 at Sam's at Mills Mall before arriving here--that fill up at expensive PA prices will get us across the state to Gettysburg and beyond and south if all works well.  Road tolls have increased since last year; OH charged $3.25 for a short segment of Interstate 76 and then welcome to my home state of PA where we paid $17 on I 76.  I do agree with user fees for many activities so I cannot  complain too  loudly about the tolls.  Except I recall when the first PA turnpike toll road was set up, to pay for the road and then the toll would be done!  Hah1  A tax once set in place never goes away.   Still the toll  roads are in good shape so they are keeping them up; that is  except for the I 76 around Akron Ohio which gets worse and worse.  We must find an alternate route to that; Jerry has decided even I 80 toll road a bit farther north would be preferable to the washboard through Akron. 

Photos later.