We've Got Gas


Like probably every other RV out there, our motorhome has a propane system.  The water heater, forced air heater, stove and fridge either run exclusively on propane or on an either/or electric/propane system.  The RV also is equipped with a small bank of monitors that tell us how full our holding tanks are, how much charge our battery has, etc.  One day I flipped said switch and noticed that the propane was getting low.  I then thought, "Where IS the propane tank?"  On our camper, the propane tanks are outside in the front, easily accessible.  On the motorhome, the tank is mounted under the RV.  There's an access door on the side to fill it.  It DOES NOT separate from the RV, though. Now, I didn't want to have to disconnect everything from the RV to drive it over to the filling station, so I asked if there was anyone who did mobile fills.  I was told no, but that there was a valve, called an extend-a-stay valve that could be added to the propane line.  This valve would allow me to add an external tank.  Yay!!!!  So, I purchased said valve (rather pricey, I might add) as well as a tank and a hose and hooked them all up.

The shiny bit in the middle is the new valve.  It took me a few tries to get it tight and leak free.  I found that our old regulator was leaking at its connection too!!!  I imagine that it had been for the whole time we've had the RV.  Yikes!  But, now it's all tight and leak free.  And, we've got gas, which is easy to refill.  

Shifting Sands


I know, it's been awhile.  I can't really say why, except that life has been a bit busy and by the end of the day, I don't really have a lot to say.  


Today I was up in Cheyenne, helping Dave with a project that has to be done by end-of-day Thursday for the opening of Cheyenne Frontier Days.  I rode the motorcycle, which was lovely, though the drive home was rainy.  Not horrible, for the most part, but there was a section of the drive where the rain was so heavy I couldn't see more than about 100 yds. in front of me.  When I got off of the interstate, it was obvious that the campground had been hit by heavy rain as well.  As I pulled up along the RV I was confused.  My astroturf rug was all mussed and waterproof tub where I keep my charcoal was about 2' east of where I keep it.  After I parked the bike I turned around an faced the front of the RV and saw this...

Not only was the wood about 7" to the west of where it had been when I'd left, one 4" x 4" was off the stack and about 2' to the east of the stack.  Wild! 

I fixed the stack, tightened all of the jack stands and then went up to the office to ask about the storm.  Apparently, it rained sideways for about 20 minutes.  I'm guessing that the wind blew the box to the east and the torrent of rain loosened the area under the jack stand pile.  Dave said that the wood has probably shrunk and the stand was a bit loose, so it allowed it to slide with the rain.  Note to self, periodically check the jack stands for snug!

Scented


I know lots of people spend their Fourth of July holiday camping - apparently many of them spend it camping in a KOA campground.  It's pretty full here, which is great for the campground owners.  It's fine for us too, except for the number of dogs that are now taken out to do their business.  Henry is too easily distracted.  


I just came back from taking him for a loop.  The sun was at a great angle, everything was golden.  Then temperature had come down to something lovely and then smells were wonderful.  Grills were fired up throughout the campground - different fuels burning, foods cooking... It was a feast for the nostrils.  

Worker Bee


So, I may have mentioned something about interviewing a while back.  Here's how the whole thing went.


I have a recurring contract position, however, each time the cycle completes (which it did yesterday, in fact) there's always the possibility that it won't go again.  I project manage a large traveling museum exhibit and there are agreements to be made with a foreign government after each tour.  So, near the end of the tour I start looking for work, whether it be "permanent" or more contract work.  


During my search, about 4 or 5 months ago, I sent a resume to a place I used to work, which had a posting for a project manager.  The specs for that job weren't quite what I do, but when you're looking, you tend to go for an 80% fit and keep your fingers crossed.  On the day we were moving out of the house, as I was literally driving the moving van to our storage locker, I got a phone call from the museum.  The position had shifted a bit and they were now looking for a project manager who was also trained as an exhibit's preparator.  (Which, just happens to be my training.)  I explained my current situation and said that I would like to talk with them.  We set up an interview for the next week.
Late that afternoon I got an email from my contractee (is that right?  If I'm the contractor, they'd be the contractees??...)  Anyway, I got an email saying that they'd like to talk about the next tour.  Then, two days later I got a phone call from a museum in Fort Collins asking for a phone interview.  So, I was about to have three work conversations in 2 days.  We'd spent months fretting about work and then, as it became too late to stay in the house Dave got a job and I get three conversations.  The universe is curious sometimes.


First I had my phone interview.   I knew that I wasn't the right fit for that job, but again, the 80% rule.  My applying for the job had really been a "what the hell" moment.  15 minutes after that interview I had my conversation with my contract holder.  The next day I drove to Denver to talk about the project manager's position.  Then came the pondering. I'd thought that once we'd decided to give up the house, we'd gotten past the "what path do I choose????" part of our right now.  But, no, here it was again.  Back to running various scenarios through our heads.  Was it better to have a full-time job with health insurance for both of us, but be in a large metropolitan area that we couldn't afford on one salary?  Would Dave be able to find work?  Where would we live?  And, would I enjoy it?
I knew that I would love the subject matter I'd be working on there, and they graciously thought they could accommodate my existing commitments (house/dog sitting for my folks and then moving the Tut exhibit in the fall) but I've come to realize that I don't like having Dave and I apart from each other all day, then coming home, making dinner, taking care of things that have to be taken care of, having an hour or two together and then off to bed.


I know that it sounds childish and perhaps a bit spoiled, but I think it's just the opposite.  I've reached a point in my life where I want to spend as much time as possible with my husband.  I don't want to look back in twenty years and regret that we spent our lives going to two separate jobs and spending only a few hours a week together.  So, I decided not to go back into a museum - at least for now.  I'm going to keep my contract work and we are going to try to develop some sort of business that we can do from wherever we land.  It may be a couple of years before we leave northern Colorado/southern Wyoming, but I want to figure out how we can live in the desert, on our beautiful property.  There has to be something we can do from there that we sell over the internet.  That, or win Powerball.