Just Like THAT!!!

GOOD MORNING QUARTZSITE!!  It was 4:30 when I got up and contemplated another shower in my expansive tub.  I had an appointment with the Redlands Shop at the big tent to get the air dryer on my rig changed.  The maintenance book for my 2012 RV says every three years.  It's been five.    Air dryers keep the moisture out of your air lines (they named it appropriately) so your brakes work.  That's pretty necessary in my book.

I buttoned up the rig and headed off in the dark at 7:00 am.  My problem was immediate.  I couldn't see the entrance, and therefore the exit, to our parking spot.  I drove a serpentine course until my headlights finally lit up the wide space between mesquite bushes.  Thankfully there was no traffic.  No one gets up and on the road at this hour in the morning in Quartzsite.

The previous day Patty, Dan and I checked out the big tent, looking for anything new and exciting we could waste our money on.  The good news is that the tent is full to the brim, unlike last year when there were empty spaces.  The crazy news is that the space rental went up another $400 this year.  Good grief, how do they expect you to make money with increases like that?

Since neither Patty or I need botox (big guffaw), we passed by all the new vendors selling their jars of snake oil to make you look younger.  There is one really good vendor here, and that's Chris and Charles Yust with C & C Marketing  RV Insurance.  Everyone I know that has her as their representative, loves their service.

Outside we wandered around the big tent, taking in all the possibilities.  Mostly, the FOOD possibilities.

These guys have to get the award for the best named business.  They are new this year and Wok This Way will get our business, just to see if the food is as good as the name.  They serve most everything in those little take-out boxes, which is fun just by itself.

We opted for a pulled chicken barbecue sandwich the first day.  Smother anything with enough barbecue sauce and I'll eat it.  Their food is pretty good, as evidenced by the long line.

We stopped in at Redlands to make sure I had an appointment and to find out what time I should arrive.  They had me on the books and penciled in at 8:00.  YAY ... I'll be first in line.  When I arrived at 7:15, I really WAS first in line.  The entire Redlands crew was having breakfast as I drove towards the bay, so I stopped to say hello.  

FIRST IN LINE!!  How cool was THAT!!  I sat with the puppies while waiting for them to jockey things around.  My rig went in the first bay and they went to work right on time.  I'm not sure why Cummins put the air dryer where they did.  On Dan's rig, you just open the back, twist the $53 filter off and plug in a new one.  Mine required jacking up the rear, crawling underneath and spending an hour just getting it off. 

In 90 minutes, I was done ... just like THAT!  Almost ... sort of .... kind of ..... and then I had to listen to the spiel about what ELSE I needed.  My tires are showing ROT cracking, I have OLD shocks, my steering is horrible and requires some gizmo to keep it going straight down the road and my jacks with springs need to be replaced.  Just like THAT, the bill jumped from an already high $710 into the multiple thousands.  

Thank you guys, I appreciate you making sure I'm safe on the road, but really, I don't think I need ANY of that stuff.  In fact, I should have expected this, but was surprised they tried to sell me a bill of goods.  I told them I was leaving for Tucson and I'd check back in on my way home.  I lied.  I have no intention of checking back in.  My rig is just fine, although this is year six on my tires, and I know those will need replacement.  My maintenance this year has cost me $1200.  I'm good.

I drove back to our parking spot and arrived just in time to get pictures of the beautiful clouds.  It's been cold and VERY windy, but no rain. 

Every once in awhile you can see a patch of blue.  I think this is the only place I've actually seen purple clouds.  

Just like THAT, the day was over.  Miss Patty and I joined our cooking skills (mine only requiring slicing and dicing) and fixed tacos for dinner.  Under her direction, they turned out yummy!  Today I'm going to try and get over to the Escapee Boomers parking area and say hello before we hit the last of the flea markets (hopefully in NO wind) before packing up again for Tucson.  I have an early appointment on Thursday to get my plumbing fixed.