Back to normal...

July 26, 2007
Broad Brook, CT

Things have settled down quite a bit after the graduation. Everyone’s a little more relaxed and tolerant, and life is getting back to “normal” (whatever that is these days).

Sunday was Pat’s birthday, so we had a low-key celebration (nobody was up for another big bash). Al and I gathered all the trash and bottles (CT has a bottle deposit program) and cleaned up a bit while Pat straightened the house. For having 50-60 people at a party the day before, things were in remarkably good shape. A lot of cleaning up happened the night before when the perishables were put away, and paper plates and plastic flatware are real lifesavers for situations like this.

In the afternoon, we made a quick trip down to the CT shore, to Westbrook. Al’s a member of the Elks, and they have a facility right on the beach that we’ve been going to for years (we’re officially “freeloaders”, but our money is green so they tolerate us). We had cocktails on the deck and ate a quick dinner there before heading back home.

Monday was a quiet day as everyone who lives here had to go to work. I felt like I was working as well, since I spent most of the day on financial matters. Bills were downloaded and paid, and I started tackling a response to the State of New Jersey, which wants more money on our 2004 taxes. It never fails that something in storage back in AZ is needed while we’re on the road. I filed with TurboTax and they’re supposed to stand behind their product, but the jury’s out in my opinion. I’m pretty sure they were incorrect, but they hide behind “input errors” (i.e., you enter the W-2 info and they claim it’s your entire fault no matter what). I won’t be able to confirm this until I get back and reload the 2004 software, if I even can do that at this point. So, it’s back to Word documents and Excel spreadsheets for me!

We made a new recipe for Pat and Al on Monday night. It’s a slow-poached Halibut, with cannelloni beans and diced grape tomatoes over wilted escarole. Geri was only able to get haddock at the local grocery, but it came out quite nicely anyway. We had several bottles of white wine, but the "Naia", a Spanish verdejo, really stood up to the flavors in the dish. Mike and Lynn Bower stopped by after dinner, and we finished up the evening with a couple of drinks. Al’s created a new cocktail with Hedrick’s gin (it’s pretty unique, with cucumber and rose petal flavors), Triple Sec and a drop of lime juice – shaken, not stirred. One of these at the end of the night will really help you sleep. More than one, well, you’re on your own…

Before calling it a night, Al and I returned the borrowed picnic tables to the park and chased out the remaining people hanging out there. Because he’s so close to the park, Al’s been anointed by the town to be the one who closes the park after dark each weekday night. Some nights it’s all clear, and other times the crowd needs a little persuasion to ht the road.

Tuesday was a continuation of Monday’s projects, focusing on finishing up the response to NJ. I had a chance to do a few things around the coach, adjusting a couple of the new blinds so they fit better around the windows. I have a list of things I want to tackle while we’re here, and I haven’t made enough of a dent in it. I forgot to mention that I took the Range Rover for service last Thursday. The first three scheduled maintenance sessions (essentially annual for us since it’s a 15,000 mile service) are included, and this was the second one. Everything went well, with me getting there around 7:20 AM and the service work being completed in about 90 minutes. Then I got the bad news: the front brakes had worn to leave only 1 mm on the pads. This is probably because we have 27,000 miles driven and another 31,000 towed. We have a supplemental braking system in the Range Rover that applies the brakes whenever the coach brakes are used, so I guess 50,000 miles +/- is the service interval on the brakes.

In any event, I have to get started on the other projects while I wait to hear back from NJ on the taxes. It’s time for engine and generator maintenance (oil, filters, fuel filters, lube, axle hub oil, etc.), and I have some Plexiglas that I want to install in some of the overhead cabinets to keep stuff from moving around while we travel. I should have enough time while we’re here.

I ordered a new camera bag today. I need to convert to a backpack from the shoulder bags I have now. My shoulders are shot from years of lugging around computers and luggage. I ordered it from B&H in New York, and it should be here by the end of the week. Maybe next week (projects notwithstanding), I’ll have a chance to get out and take some photos in the local area.