Charging It Up

 Woohoo ... it's Saturday ... I think.  Isn't it funny how you forget just what day it is?  My brain says I'm SO happy to be retired, I don't even CARE what day it is any more!!  Unless I have an appointment ... then I care so much I have to write post-it notes all over the house so I don't forget!

One good thing ... there's no worries abut forgetting to feed Kitters.  That automatic feeder is working perfectly!  Still ... every time I open the door, there she is.  I have never in my life been around a cat that is this affectionate.  Someone said they are Angels in disguise.

I've discovered her hiding spot underneath a low growing shrub in the back yard.  She blends right in, but has a perfect view of the back door.  I have to be careful because she doesn't understand the FOOT thing and I don't want any broken bones.

So first thing, I checked the engine battery.  Here's the weird thing about this engine.  The battery is actually located UNDER your feet when sitting in the drivers seat.  This picture shows where you can charge it up the easiest.  They say to drive it at least every two weeks (I think that time is too long) because it has so much electronic stuff running all the time, it will drain the battery completely.   Who drives their RV every two weeks??  Of course they don't mention that when you buy it.

See the round red thing?  That's the positive post.  You have to push that red plastic back to connect a cable.  The trickle charger I have apparently does not have strong enough teeth to stay attached, which is why it went dead.  The ground rod is way over on the right hand side by the second red arrow.  A note here ... both my jumper cables and the charger cables reach this far.

On the other hand, yes I do have one of those battery jump units.  It's been sitting for about 6 months and was still 3/4 charged ... enough for a jump.  HOWEVER ... when the red clamp above (with really good "teeth") is connected, the black ground does not reach.  Everything I can see except the little piece of light grey above the little white tank with a black lid ... is plastic.  I have no clue WHAT to connect the ground to should I need a jump again.  

And so, I still have the same problem.  The trickle charger worked for three months.  Maybe I just have to disconnect and reconnect it every couple of weeks to be sure it has a good connection.  I'll try to do the lunch once a week thing ... or maybe a trip to Hobby Lobby two towns over will work.  It's frustrating to say the least.

There is a battery disconnect near the floor in the middle of the dash.  You lay on your left side under the steering wheel, reach into a very small space with your LEFT hand, pull the knob to the right as hard as you can until it comes off.  I've tried that four times and been unsuccessful.  Doing it right-handed means your face is smashed into the accelerator.  I'm afraid if I get it OFF, I will never get it back ON again.  Yes, it's that awkward and hard to reach.

A few hours later ... I got a frantic call about organizational skills when it comes to paperwork and accounting.  You know those big rolling floor to ceiling cabinets like you see on TV at the FBI office?  Yeah, those ... that's what I was dealing with.  Well that was fun!!

I got home in time to whip up some pasta with that homemade tomato sauce.  I admit, my cooking skills are a little lacking, but it actually tasted wonderful.  So much so that I ate TWO bowls smothered in parmesan.  And THAT is why I try NOT to cook pasta very often.  I pig out every time.

In case you didn't remember, Halloween is right around the corner.  That means the Pumpkin Patch is opening up TODAY.  Wasn't I surprised to hear a knock on the door at 7:00 pm.  I heard "DINNER IS SERVED".  There stood one of the owners with their latest and greatest invention ... caramel corn!!  He asked for a test run and I was MORE than happy to oblige!!

This stuff is Heaven in a plastic bag.  They will make a nice profit from this, but I'm wondering WHO is actually making it.  It's not that easy to whip up, and a royal pain to CLEAN up after.  I smiled knowing it wasn't going to be ME!!

And so ended a frustrating but sugary goodness day with me lying wide awake for the next two hours.  Never eat caramel corn just before bedtime.

Today I'll be back in the depths of the rolling file cabinets the size of my house, trying to figure out what can go and what can stay.  OH THE FUN!!