House

1. Fix ups

2. Cleanup

3. Cleaning

Well we now have a new dishwasher. Now we need dishes. For the last few weeks we have been doing them by hand. It's just as easy as filling the dishwasher then dumping it.

Our children will have a real bed to sleep on too, if they would ever come visit??

We also have been slowly getting rid of old and unused stuff from the shed, garage and closets. Some corners you can actually see the dust balls and find junk we didn't know we had.

Linda has had a lady clean twice now, hurray!

I go the appraisal board on the 5th to try to get our taxes reduced, I've got about 30 pics to show them. Still haven't painted the garage or laundry room.

Drained & cleaned the pool, but the winds aren't helping that. New used shed helped the back yard appearance. The neighbors pulled their weeds, finally, got help from me. New roof last fall, painted entire outside trim. Touched up shed and garage paint.

Oh ya the other person who lives here thought a "Post" was a good addition the rear bumper of the Accord, except the post won. I've been sanding, painting, filling, buffing and clear coating for days.

Pic is a Brown Recluse Spider, very nasty bite, causes flesh to rot away in days down to the bone.

Albuquerque Trip

1. Wind

2. BMW

3. Friends

4. Entertainment

Well it blew crosswinds 20-30 mph for 300+ miles of the 600. No fun leaning sideways 10-20 degrees and getting gusts unexpectedly. Can't say the BMW takes winds any better than any other bike. The top heaviness helps reduce sudden changes, but is heavier to correct.

We took 6 hours getting there and 4.5 getting home. Had to get off I-25 twice blowing so hard. But going 60-65 we got 51.5 mpg and 46 returning at 75 mph.

We met our oldest friends we met at SIU 40 years ago. Rich got me my first full time job at Tuck Tape. The working conditions were like what the name can be changed to. Our friends have been here twice in EP and now we met them in Albq. Sharon was Linda's Maid of Honor at our wedding. We had a good time catching up, since we only see them every 7-10 years.

We went to the Petroglyphs Nat. Monument, Albq. Old Town, A Balloon museum, took a tram ride up Sandia Mountain and ate dinner in a very expensive restaurant at the top call Hi-Finance. All in one day. The Tram ride to me was the best part. 30 degrees colder at the top, some people in shorts and t-shirts. Stayed in a La Quinta (with a Denny's) where the toilet ran, 1 bed fell out of the frame, the TV picture was messed up, and the door would not dead bolt. The La Quinta Inn, in CA has better beds, food, and everything works right. (My sister's and brother in law's).

By the way the BMW ran great and we had a very good time.

No New News

Wind has had us shut in many days. Linda and I were going to Albuquerque today but winds were 20-30 and the same for tomorrow. So we will try Tue and Wed. I road out into the desert on the dirt bike Friday. The road to Dell City about 140 miles on dirt. Only saw 2 Border Patrol trucks. But the Deer were really out. 54 in total. The desert is very dry and brown. Deer were near the road & cattle watering holes. Had no incidences until going home on Montana and got run off the road.

Sat. Lowell I I went to Sierra Blanca. About the 200th time. But it's quiet, no cars, wildlife and scenic.

A/C is on. Pool is warming up, now 74 degrees. Been in hot tub 3 times. Will write when we get back from Albq.

Must Be Spring

Wind, warm, wind, up to 62 mph yesterday, 56 today. Felt like the house was coming off the foundation. It was work just standing up outside. Dust, sand, pollen, and trash blowing. It took the cover off the pool. I drove the little bike 4 miles in a cross wind, leaning 20-30 degrees. What fun! We were the windiest spot in the US again. Had to block the garage door so it does get blown in. Only 4-6 more weeks, before it turns in the 100's.

Linda and I are going to Albq. on the 20th on the BMW. Pray it stays together. Sharon and Rich from IL are attending a bowling turnament. We're just going for overnight.

Linda had a house cleaning lady in today. Yaaa, house is clean.

Pic is Dorian Gray Nebula

Noticed of all the cities we live in, 4 of 6 had severe weather, Oh, the other 3 were in the north, snow coming Again?

Home Chores

After almost a year I (we) drained the pool for the xx time. Took 2 days. The pool pump pulled 2/3rds of the water out in 5 hours. But the last 1/3rd with a 1/6 hp sump pump took another 1.5 days. The water was a cool GREEN. Floaties, plastic, nails, sand, roofing, palms, roots, rotted pool cover, algae and 13,000 gallons had to come out. What a mess.

Then $50 of fresh water had to be put back in. New cover and lots of chlorine.

Fixed two outside doors with paint peeling. The sun is really hard on paint here. Painted the entire outside trim last fall. Put up a new evaporative cooler last moth.

Going to Sears today to buy a new dishwasher. The present one is 20+ years old and now doesn't clean the dishes. I've fixed it several times. Still need to paint the garage and laundry room.

The weeds are trying to take over the yard. Had to re-cement the stone wall behind the shed. Put up a new shed. Fixed the doorbell.

Found out yesterday when our worst gas bill of $67, a single friend's was $140, so I feel much better about the expense and work of insulating the house.

Update

With gas prices going up again... I've been checking gas mileage on all vehicles lately. Virago, BMW and Suzuki all got over 50 on their last tank full. Of course the 400 gets even better at 68. The car got 29.4 going to CA, but we lucked out and had a tail wind going both ways.

Been in the low 80's, 50's at night when we don't have a cold front with winds come through. Too warm too early in the year. May have to turn on your new MasterCool Evaporative Cooler sooner this year. No rain in weeks, the desert is very brown, typical for spring.

Last week Mom and I saw the Int'l Space Station, Endeavor and the European cargo ship, Jules Verne, supplies the ISS with cargo, last week. After dark, almost straight up and for only 10-15 seconds while the Sun was reflecting off them. Visible only with the naked eye because they are moving very fast up about 200 miles up. They were different colors and very close together. Time and location for you are on Satellite Flybys.com.

We had a picnic with a few friends Sat. from the bike group, hoping for a better turnout, but 7 people did show up. At Album park. McKelligon Canyon is closed due to road construction.

Got 3 DVDs, 3:10 to Yuma was good until the end when the criminal turns himself in, Ya Right! The Martian Child was really good and watching Kingdom of Heaven in Blu-ray is very bloody.

Linda and I took the BMW, pic above, to Sierra Blanca Friday, it ran good but the radio, my fault, wouldn't again.

Man, I'm I good.

Sam Faraone brought his bike over for me to work on it. You know how much I hate doing that. It's the bike I liked so much I bought one just like it. They are exactly the same except mine is a little newer.

Monday it would not start. Checked the battery and it had low voltage even after being driven the day before. Found the wiring was wrong. Rewired the alternator/regulator circuit so the battery gets charged. Starts right up now.

Tuesday Linda and I went for a ride on both bikes. I was on Sam's. We drove to the credit union on Montana then up 54 and back to the house on Loop 375. I could hardly keep up with Linda. On the Loop it would only go 75. (Me Speed?). I didn't like much about it.

So I started to work on it. Both front hand levers are out too far to reach. Fixed that. The clutch was hard to pull, lubed the cable and pivots. The front brakes didn't work at all when he bought it and were still hard to pull. Found the cruise control bracket was in the way. Eliminated a unnecessary spring. Now they are almost too sensitive, 1 finger stops. Adjusted more levers to make it safer.

On to the carbs. Had to pull them out again. Real pain. But found they were not sych'ed, floats were uneven, needles too high, and loose bolts. I prayed they would be better after I got them in. BUT I put them in backwards and had to take them out again, I was....

Got it back together, it didn't start too good. Then ran better after a minute. Took it up the street and what a difference. It has 30 more hp. Went out on to the Loop and got it up to 95!

It's real fast now, maybe faster than mine. It's great, drove it out Montana today. At 80+mph the front tire vibrates so I think that's all it needs to be perfect. Sam you want to trade it for a slightly used 91 Suzuki 1100 with only 97,400 miles?

Now about those noisy mufflers!!!!