All is well in TN, well almost all, Kathy's Dad is not doing so good.
Last Saturday's trip here was relatively uneventful. The only issue was a traffic jam in Lebanon, TN. We like it when our travels to or from here allow a stop to eat at Demo's, a restaurant in Lebanon, TN. Saturday afternoon, as we exited the I40 in Lebanon we noticed that eastbound traffic was backed up. We were able to get off OK and had another great meal at Demo's. When we drove back to the exit to get back on I40 eastbound traffic was "parked" as far as we could see. Being seasoned travelers <grin> we weren't concerned, we decided to take route 70 to Crossville as an alternative. We headed for route 70 and learned that hundreds, maybe thousands, of others had made the same decision. When we were still miles from even getting on 70, traffic came to a standstill; we didn't mover a mile in 20 minutes. Kathy checked the travel/map app on her phone and it appeared that traffic was again moving on I40. We made a U-turn and made our way back to the Interstate. It had begun moving slowly and within about 10 minutes we were back up to normal speed. We never learned the cause of the backup.
I drove over to Lenoir City, TN Sunday afternoon and stayed in a motel Sunday & Monday nights. I stayed at one of the motels I used to stay at 25 years ago when I came down to work at the Loudon, TN plant. The eastern part of TN is on Eastern time. The central part, including Crossville, is on Central time, same as we are in MO. I had to be at the plant at 7AM Eastern time Monday morning and would have had to leave our place in Crossville no later than 4:30AM Central time to make the 90 minute drive to Loudon. I chose to stay in Lenoir City, a 15 minute drive from the plant, instead. My two days at the plant went well and I was back in Crossville late Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday evening I did cleaned up my notes, marked up some photos I took and then scanned them and transmitted them to ARSEE's server. The people in the office will put together a report for Tate & Lyle. I still have some work (8-12 hours?) to do on one of the Lafayette plant projects and then I will be finished with what I have been asked to do. I have enjoyed doing it and would probably do some more when they get overloaded again.
Wednesday I ran 3 tanks of gas through my weed eater/brush cutter. It was some good exercise and I was tired last night. I went to bed around 8PM, which is why I am up now at 3:30AM <grin>. No doubt a nap will be in order this afternoon, or maybe even around mid-morning. I feel pretty good this morning. I thought I might be stiff and sore, but not to much.
The weather is BEAUTIFUL. We have the windows open all day but have to close them in the evening because it gets to cool. When I was out weed eating I was wearing a long sleeve shirt and was not overly warm. I'm sure not used to wearing a long sleeve shirt while working in late August.
I will probably do some more brush clearing today. Maybe a combination of some light chain saw work and heavy duty weed eating. I can cut down 2" trees with my weed eater/brush cutter (when I have the saw blade installed) but some of the trees where I am clearing are a little bigger than that. I've been cutting them anyway, but a chain saw would be a better tool for cutting the larger ones.
God is so good to me. May He bless you and yours as richly as He has blessed me.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
August 19th - Motorhome Back in Our Driveway - Finally
Yesterday I got a call from Camping World saying the repairs on our motorhome were done. We took it up there May 1st. 3 1/2 months!
I will give them credit for one thing. I initially asked them for a price to take off the Diamond Shield (plastic film on front for protection from rock chips) because there was mold growing between the film and the paint. When they told us it was done a couple of weeks ago the Diamond Shield had not been removed. The Service Tech said that they had not included the removal in the estimate. After seeing copies of the emails I had taken with me the Service Manager agreed to "eat" the cost of the removal. They said it took almost 50 manhours of labor and $80 worth of material to get it off. The Service Manager asked me if I was curious about what it would have cost if I had to pay for it, I was...a little over $5,000. They got over $8,000 from me and my insurance company for the work they did, without being paid to remove the Diamond Shield. I don't know if it really took that much time but before taking it up to them another place estimated the cost of removal, if I remember correctly, at $2,700.
I still need to buy & install 4 new 6v golf cart batteries for the "coach" 12v power. I bought the existing batteries in 2010 so we got good use out of them. Camping World wanted $127/battery plus installation. Rural King's web site says they have them for $70. On our way back and forth to TN we drive close to a couple Rural Kings so I need to stop and pick 4 up.
Lydia came for the day yesterday. She & Kathy made a "house" out of a large box that we had. She helped me work a little but I don't do much work when she is here.
We do still have fish in our pond. I was certain they had all died but Kathy kept saying there were still some alive. Lydia and I threw some fish food on the water yesterday. In a few minutes we saw some small fish eating some of it. I couldn't see them very well. I'm hoping all the catfish died. I don't think the ones I saw were catfish. They didn't eat like the catfish that used to be in the pond.
We got a HARD rain last night. One of the guys at this mornings men's Bible study breakfast said he got 2.5". It misted some a little while ago and I wouldn't be surprised if we get a little more before morning. We need it.
I'm supposed to be at the Tate & Lyle plant in Loudon, TN at 7AM next Monday, for safety training, which takes 3 hours. I'm supposed to be at the plant Monday and Tuesday. The plant is about a 90 minute drive from our place in Crossville. I think I'm going to drop Kathy off at our place Sunday afternoon/evening and then drive over and stay a couple of nights at a motel near the plant. Loudon is Eastern time and we are Central. I would have to leave our place no later than 4:30AM, our time, to get there on time.
I worked 28 hours per week the past 2 weeks, but won't work that many this week, maybe only 16. I will need to write a report based on what I see at Loudon but then that might get ARSEE to the point where they won't need any more help. I've had a good time going back to work, but I won't be real sad if it is over.
God is good! May He bless you and yours, He sure has blessed me.
I will give them credit for one thing. I initially asked them for a price to take off the Diamond Shield (plastic film on front for protection from rock chips) because there was mold growing between the film and the paint. When they told us it was done a couple of weeks ago the Diamond Shield had not been removed. The Service Tech said that they had not included the removal in the estimate. After seeing copies of the emails I had taken with me the Service Manager agreed to "eat" the cost of the removal. They said it took almost 50 manhours of labor and $80 worth of material to get it off. The Service Manager asked me if I was curious about what it would have cost if I had to pay for it, I was...a little over $5,000. They got over $8,000 from me and my insurance company for the work they did, without being paid to remove the Diamond Shield. I don't know if it really took that much time but before taking it up to them another place estimated the cost of removal, if I remember correctly, at $2,700.
I still need to buy & install 4 new 6v golf cart batteries for the "coach" 12v power. I bought the existing batteries in 2010 so we got good use out of them. Camping World wanted $127/battery plus installation. Rural King's web site says they have them for $70. On our way back and forth to TN we drive close to a couple Rural Kings so I need to stop and pick 4 up.
Lydia came for the day yesterday. She & Kathy made a "house" out of a large box that we had. She helped me work a little but I don't do much work when she is here.
We do still have fish in our pond. I was certain they had all died but Kathy kept saying there were still some alive. Lydia and I threw some fish food on the water yesterday. In a few minutes we saw some small fish eating some of it. I couldn't see them very well. I'm hoping all the catfish died. I don't think the ones I saw were catfish. They didn't eat like the catfish that used to be in the pond.
We got a HARD rain last night. One of the guys at this mornings men's Bible study breakfast said he got 2.5". It misted some a little while ago and I wouldn't be surprised if we get a little more before morning. We need it.
I'm supposed to be at the Tate & Lyle plant in Loudon, TN at 7AM next Monday, for safety training, which takes 3 hours. I'm supposed to be at the plant Monday and Tuesday. The plant is about a 90 minute drive from our place in Crossville. I think I'm going to drop Kathy off at our place Sunday afternoon/evening and then drive over and stay a couple of nights at a motel near the plant. Loudon is Eastern time and we are Central. I would have to leave our place no later than 4:30AM, our time, to get there on time.
I worked 28 hours per week the past 2 weeks, but won't work that many this week, maybe only 16. I will need to write a report based on what I see at Loudon but then that might get ARSEE to the point where they won't need any more help. I've had a good time going back to work, but I won't be real sad if it is over.
God is good! May He bless you and yours, He sure has blessed me.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
August 13 th - Keeping Busy
Other than finding out the sex of our 2nd great grandchild nothing exciting has been happening. I'm working 25-30 hours a week on the projects I brought back from Indy. God is so good, I am enjoying the work and I'm getting paid to do. I am working on scheduling a trip to the Tate & Lyle plant I Loudon, TN, about 1.5 hours from our place in Crossville. It is supposed to be 2 days of inspection work in the plant and then writing a report on what I found.
This is my assistant's desk. It is next to mine so that she can help me a lot.
This is my birthday card and hand painted tile birthday present. I also got a smaller hand painted tile with a magnet, it is on the door of the refrigerator you see in the above photo. Lydia helped me with the placement.
Doug & Anthony came for the party where we learned the sex of the coming baby. Lydia loves having her grandpas D&A around, and they love her.
Below is a video of the moment we learned the sex of the upcoming baby. The only people who knew were the person who did the sonogram and Andy's sister-in-law. She set everything up. If it was a boy the cans of spray string would spray blue string, for a girl it would be pink string.
May God bless you and yours, He sure has blessed me!
This is my assistant's desk. It is next to mine so that she can help me a lot.
This is my birthday card and hand painted tile birthday present. I also got a smaller hand painted tile with a magnet, it is on the door of the refrigerator you see in the above photo. Lydia helped me with the placement.
Doug & Anthony came for the party where we learned the sex of the coming baby. Lydia loves having her grandpas D&A around, and they love her.
Below is a video of the moment we learned the sex of the upcoming baby. The only people who knew were the person who did the sonogram and Andy's sister-in-law. She set everything up. If it was a boy the cans of spray string would spray blue string, for a girl it would be pink string.
May God bless you and yours, He sure has blessed me!
Monday, August 3, 2015
Aug 3rd - Good and Bad Day
Lydia was here today and we enjoyed having her. That was a big part of the good.
Last week a Camping World rep left a message on my phone saying that our motorhome was ready for pickup. It has been there since early May, nearly 3 months, to do work that included a total of 38 hours of labor. I sent the rep an email listing a couple of items and asking him to verify that they had in fact been fixed. I mentioned that I did not want to get up there and find out not everything was fixed. I received no reply. This morning we drove to the Camping World store in Columbia, a little over 60 miles from us. When we got up there I mentioned that I had not received a confirmation that all the work had been done and I asked about specifics. I learned they had not done all the work that I had asked them to include in the estimate.
Our coach has a factory installed plastic film on the front, to prevent stones from chipping the paint. The paint isn't chipped but a couple of years ago mold(?) started growing between the film and the paint. There was no way to get to it without removing the Diamond Shield product. (I contacted Diamond Shield and was told that it would cost well over a thousand dollars to remove the plastic.) Since we were having body work done on the coach I asked Camping World to include the cost of removing the plastic.
This morning they said they had not included the cost. Their body man said he doesn't even quote removing the film because it usually requires repainting the front of the coach. This was the first I heard that it wasn't included in the original estimate. (The estimate did not give an itemized break down of all the work.) At that point I started getting somewhat heated. I had copies of the emails I had sent them describing the work I wanted quoted and of a request for a better breakdown of the quote. I also had a copy of my email from last week, in which I specifically asked if the Diamond Shield had been removed.
The Service Manager was standing at the counter and was listening to the conversation. When I started showing the rep my copies of the emails the Service Manager stepped in and said they would remove the Diamond Shield and repaint as necessary. Of course that meant leaving the coach there and at some time in the future making another 60 mile drive up there to pick it up.
The level of incompetence in our nation is staggering.
I did do a few hours of "moonlighting" work this afternoon. I also managed to give the lawn a "down and dirty" mowing job. I wanted to get it mowed in case it does rain tomorrow. It had been 2 weeks since I had mowed. It needed mowed but was not horribly tall. I can do some clean up mowing later in the week.
Even on the good and bad days God is still good.
May God bless you and yours.
Last week a Camping World rep left a message on my phone saying that our motorhome was ready for pickup. It has been there since early May, nearly 3 months, to do work that included a total of 38 hours of labor. I sent the rep an email listing a couple of items and asking him to verify that they had in fact been fixed. I mentioned that I did not want to get up there and find out not everything was fixed. I received no reply. This morning we drove to the Camping World store in Columbia, a little over 60 miles from us. When we got up there I mentioned that I had not received a confirmation that all the work had been done and I asked about specifics. I learned they had not done all the work that I had asked them to include in the estimate.
Our coach has a factory installed plastic film on the front, to prevent stones from chipping the paint. The paint isn't chipped but a couple of years ago mold(?) started growing between the film and the paint. There was no way to get to it without removing the Diamond Shield product. (I contacted Diamond Shield and was told that it would cost well over a thousand dollars to remove the plastic.) Since we were having body work done on the coach I asked Camping World to include the cost of removing the plastic.
This morning they said they had not included the cost. Their body man said he doesn't even quote removing the film because it usually requires repainting the front of the coach. This was the first I heard that it wasn't included in the original estimate. (The estimate did not give an itemized break down of all the work.) At that point I started getting somewhat heated. I had copies of the emails I had sent them describing the work I wanted quoted and of a request for a better breakdown of the quote. I also had a copy of my email from last week, in which I specifically asked if the Diamond Shield had been removed.
The Service Manager was standing at the counter and was listening to the conversation. When I started showing the rep my copies of the emails the Service Manager stepped in and said they would remove the Diamond Shield and repaint as necessary. Of course that meant leaving the coach there and at some time in the future making another 60 mile drive up there to pick it up.
The level of incompetence in our nation is staggering.
I did do a few hours of "moonlighting" work this afternoon. I also managed to give the lawn a "down and dirty" mowing job. I wanted to get it mowed in case it does rain tomorrow. It had been 2 weeks since I had mowed. It needed mowed but was not horribly tall. I can do some clean up mowing later in the week.
Even on the good and bad days God is still good.
May God bless you and yours.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Aug 1st - Back in MO
Drove back to MO this AM. Traffic was MUCH better than when I drove to Indy last week. Arrived home a little after noon. All seems well here. The lawn even looks decent, after going 2 weeks without being mowed.
I had a good time working in Indy. I enjoyed the work. Getting to catch up will old friends is great. Getting paid while you are doing it is awesome! God is so good.
I brought some work with me, to finish up here in MO. Don't know when/if I will go back to do more work from ARSEE's office. Scott told me he would send me work to do here if the work didn't require my actually going to the plant to see the area.
Time to get to bed. It was a short night last night and even after a long nap this afternoon I'm still ready for bed.
May God bless you and yours.
I had a good time working in Indy. I enjoyed the work. Getting to catch up will old friends is great. Getting paid while you are doing it is awesome! God is so good.
I brought some work with me, to finish up here in MO. Don't know when/if I will go back to do more work from ARSEE's office. Scott told me he would send me work to do here if the work didn't require my actually going to the plant to see the area.
Time to get to bed. It was a short night last night and even after a long nap this afternoon I'm still ready for bed.
May God bless you and yours.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)