Our Wander Years

Yup. Again.

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Sparky

We were supposed to be in Saugerties NY today, on our way to Florida. Instead we are still in Phillipston MA, our planned trip delayed. Yup. Again.

Why? More truck problems. Yup. Again.

What kind of problem? A broken fuel line. Yup. Again.

This time the problem appeared Monday as we were on our way to UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester to get an MRI of Jett’s head. We were stopped at a light just two blocks from the hospital when we were hit with a very strong diesel fuel odor. There were a couple of trucks nearby and I couldn’t see anything leaking or smoking from my driver’s seat so we continued on, into the parking garage, hoping against hope that it was those trucks. When I shut the engine off and got out… fuel spewing from the engine. I dropped to my knees, cursing a blue streak. Any observer probably thought I was Job. I certainly felt like Job.

But no time to wail – had to get Jett to the MRI. So I got her to her appointment and then called a GMC dealer some 23 miles away to see if (1) they could undertake repairs quickly and (2) had a rental or loaner that I could have while they had my truck. They said “yes” to both. Then I called AAA. They told me that they could not transport the truck until the fire department said it was safe to do so. So, realizing the both the fire department and the tow truck would have great difficulty dealing with a truck parked on the top level of a parking garage, I decided I had to move it. I walked along the backside of the hospital, near the exit from the garage, and spotted a legal parking spot that would be perfect. Back to the hospital to pay the parking charge, then to the truck. Started it up and, as fast as possible, got out of the garage to the on-street parking space. The fuel continued to spew.

Then back into the hospital to collect Jett. Moved her to the sidewalk outside the hospital, to sit in the sun (a sunny day in the mid-70s). Then I called the fire department. A fire truck with 5 firemen arrived, lights flashing (but no siren, thankfully), about 10 minutes later. They opined that it was a minor leak and the truck could safely be transported. I called AAA and put the fireman in charge on the phone, to assure AAA that they could send a truck.

Back to Jett to check on her. She was doing fine. A call to the GMC dealer to tell them the truck was en route, than a call to sister-in-law Kim to see if she could give us a ride to the GMC dealer (the AAA driver was not allowed to take us due to the pandemic). She agreed to do so and was even pleased that the dealer was right on the way to the cabin in New Salem which is where she was headed after work.

Back to the truck, getting there just as the tow truck arrived. My truck was expeditiously winched onto the flatbed and was off to the GMC dealer after I paid $80 for the portion of the tow not covered by my AAA membership.

Back to Jett, just as Kim arrived. She drove us to the dealer where the tow driver was just unloading the truck. Signed the papers for the repairs and the loaner (a 2008 Cadillac with 132K miles – my first and last Cadillac ever). With a stop at KFC to pick up some comfort food, we were back at the RV by 5:30.

4.5 hours of pure misery.

You might ask why I didn’t take the truck back to Greg’s Garage as it is a reasonable assumption that their fuel line repair had failed for a second time. Two reasons: (1) they had already had 2 bites of this particularly bitter apple and I was not about to offer a third and (2) I needed alternate transportation and I didn’t think they could provide it. In addition to the MRI on Monday, Jett had an immunotherapy infusion on Tuesday and a CT scan on Wednesday. I needed a car. Going carless was not an option.

I got the truck back Wednesday after the CT scan. The description of the problem – both orally and in writing – was interesting. I asked the mechanic whether the fuel line that had failed was new (trying to see if it could be pinned on either Greg’s Garage or the GMC deal in Ft Myers who did the original extensive fuel line work in April). He said he wasn’t sure but didn’t think so because the line was “brittle.” I wasn’t sure what he meant, but it became clearer on the written summary of the work: “Found fuel leaking from broken fuel injector return hose at L/H injectors. Was able to extract broken pieces from injectors. Replaced fuel return hose.”

Broken pieces? Doesn’t sound like the “clip let loose” problem that Greg’s Garage found. Could there be two separate catastrophic fuel line failures two weeks apart? Seems unlikely, but anything is possible with this truck.

Maybe all fuel line components are programmed to fail at 16 years or 180,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Anyway, I am now $700 poorer but again ready(?) to go. We could have gotten underway with just one day lost, but decided to postpone the trip for 5 days to give us a full weekend with the kids in VA.

FYI, the MRI revealed that Jett’s brain lesions had shrunk even further. Very good news, especially as counterpoint to the truck problems. We don’t have CT scan results yet but the doctor says it would be rare for treatment to be successful in one area of the body and not in another.

I wish I had gotten a photo of the fire truck. But I only got the tow truck.

Categories: Adventures, MA, Places, TS6 | Leave a comment

6th trip south (TS6) plan

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Sparky

I am not sure why I bother to announce a trip “plan” because if recent history is a guide the actual trip will bear little resemblance. But I am either a creature of habit or an optimistic fool – or some combination thereof.

This will be our 6th trip from New England to Florida, hence the “Sixth Trip South” designation. I won’t be dawdling much because (1) Jett’s health is rather delicate and I think a longer-than-necessary trip will be considered torture by some, including her, and (2) I want to arrive in Ft Myers a month before the election so that I can participate. I have already signed up to be a poll worker in Lee County, Florida.

That said, this won’t be a straight shot down I-95. For one, we have to avoid New York City and Philadelphia, as always. I also want to get to the Virginia Beach area to do a little genealogical research. So, yeah, a little diversion. But otherwise pretty straight.

My plan has us traveling 1,685 miles in 8 hops over 17 days. The itinerary:

2 nights in Saugerties NY. I hope to spend a few hours exploring this area of the Hudson River Valley.
1 night in Kutztown PA. This is just an overnight but is close enough to Pennsylvania Dutch country that maybe we can get a good country meal.
4 nights in College Park MD. This is the “visit the kids” stop, but in Maryland rather than Virginia. We have stayed at Cherry Hill Park before and love it, though I doubt we will love it as much in the pandemic.
3 nights near Virginia Beach. I hope to find a few graves of my colonial ancestors and maybe get a glimpse of the Yorktown battlefield too.
3 nights in Myrtle Beach SC. This should be an R&R stop, weather permitting. The hop from Virginia Beach to Myrtle Beach is the longest of the trip and will require a refueling stop.
2 nights near Savannah GA. I don’t have any specific plans for the day here, but there are some interesting cemeteries nearby and maybe I can get some fried green tomatoes for Jett.
1 night at Salt Springs FL. This is just an overnight but is part of my attempt to avoid I-4 on this trip.

The plan has us departing on Wed Sep 16 and arriving Fri Oct 2. This is cutting it close for Jett’s medical appointments. As you know, she did not get the CT scan and MRI that were originally scheduled for last week. Her infusion is scheduled for Sep 15 and the MRI has been rescheduled for Sep 14. The results of the MRI should be available when we meet with the doctor on the 15th. The CT scan, however, has been rescheduled for Sep 16 at noon. So the plan is to button up the RV before we head to the CT scan, then immediately hitch up and depart when we get back. The results of the CT scan will have to be transmitted to Florida to be evaluated there.

All of this depends, of course, on the health of both Jett and the truck.

Keeping my fingers crossed on both.

Categories: Preparation/Planning, TS6 | 2 Comments

“Betrayed” by Lisa Scottoline

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Sparky

You all know about “chick flicks.” This is a “chick mystery.” Yes, it is a whodunit but it is also about feelings and relationships. You know – chick stuff. This is a book with very little testosterone.

The is one of Scottoline’s many books about the Rosato & DeNunzio law firm (though in the earlier books it was just Rosato). The main character in this book, however, is neither Rosato nor DeNunzio but rather Judy Carrier, the senior associate in this all-female Philadelphia law firm. It begins with the firm taking on a huge 75-case workload defending an asbestos manufacturer. This is a big deal for the law firm and a ready-made path to partner for Judy, but she hates the work. It seemed, early on, that the book would be all about these cases.

Not so. Personal problems intervened. She got a call informing her that her beloved Aunt Beth had breast cancer and was to undergo a radical mastectomy on Monday, just a weekend away. Judy heads to her aunt’s home, just over an hour away, to comfort her, joining her mother who has flown in from the west coast.

The three women are joined, briefly, by Iris, an illegal Mexican immigrant who is a gardening partner of Beth’s. Beth speaks very highly of Iris and it is clear she has grown very fond of this young 40ish woman.

So it is quite a shock when Iris turns up dead that very afternoon, the victim of a heart attack. Or so the medical examiner rules. But things don’t seem quite right to Beth and Judy agrees. She quietly starts to investigate Iris’ life.

Things quickly spiral out of control. Over the course of the weekend and the following Monday, Judy experiences an amazing variety of traumas, both physical and emotional. She is assaulted, chased by gunmen intent on murdering her, hides in a pile of manure, watches her VW and an informant being blown up, finds a large sum of money secreted in Beth’s home, dumps her boyfriend, loses control in a deposition and is slapped with what amounts to a malpractice complaint and learns that her Aunt Beth is not her aunt. That is what I call a busy few days. And none of it has anything to do with asbestos.

That probably sounds more exciting than it was. And more exciting than it should have been. The assaults and the car bombing really lacked motive. Why was it necessary for the bad guys to take this drastic action? She really knew very little and the whole nefarious scheme probably would have survived and continued to thrive if they had just ignored her. They brought the law down on themselves by attacking her. So I have a problem with the motive.

I also have a problem with the murder/assaults/car bombing being about 40% of the book – the rest is a recitation of Judy’s personal issues. Cancer, boyfriend, an aunt who is not an aunt. All interesting, but not a mystery. Chick stuff.

4 out of 10.

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Negative

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Sparky

I wasn’t really worried but maybe you were, so I will announce the result of Jett’s COVID-19 test: negative.

Categories: Health | Leave a comment

T-Mobile vs Verizon

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Sparky

I switched our cell phone service from Verizon to T-Mobile a couple of weeks ago. This was a big move because we have been loyal Verizon customers from the day we first got our cell phones many years ago. Verizon was the obvious choice for a wireless carrier when we first went “on the road” in 2012 as it offered, without question, the best coast-to-coast coverage. That was a very important factor when we were traveling a lot.

Our coast-to-coast traveling days may be over. Now we are more concerned about cost than coverage. Verizon was expensive: for our 2 cell phones with unlimited minutes and data, a hotspot router for the laptop and a “Hum” device to plug into the truck to monitor for engine problems the monthly bill was over $240.

Coupled with the high cost was poor cellular service in central Massachusetts. Making a call from our site in Phillipston MA was always an adventure, often resulting in a dropped call or an interrupted voice stream. Cell phone service at Jett brother’s cabin in New Salem MA was non-existent. Cell service north and west of Phillipston was very spotty.

High cost and poor signal. Seemed like a good time to investigate options. We also needed new phones, so we either had to jump to another carrier now or commit to Verizon for 2 more years.

Ray and Kim, Jett’s brother and sister-in-law, have very good T-Mobile service in New Salem, so I decided to consider T-Mobile. A little investigation revealed a “Try our Signal” offer from T-Mobile: they would send a hotspot, with a 30-day 20GB limit, to try, free of charge. I took them up on the offer. What I found was that the T-Mobile signal in Phillipston was perhaps slightly better than Verizon’s. There were a handful of times during the 2 weeks that I used the hotspot when the internet connection was dropped. That concerned me a bit, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker. It seemed that the T-Mobile signal would likely be no worse than Verizon’s and perhaps a bit better.

The quote I got from T-Mobile was $170 – a savings of about $70 per month. However, this is a bit of an apples-and-oranges comparison because the pricing is structured a bit differently. Most of the savings results from Jett and I both being over 55 (well over). The new phones, at $600 each, were amortized over 3 years, not 2.

Still, a savings of $70 per month, coupled with the promise of a better signal, sold me. I jumped.

So after a couple of weeks in the T-Mobile world, what do I think?

The signal improvement is less than I hoped. The voice signal in Phillipston is worse than Verizon’s. I find that, most times, I can’t make a phone call unless I link to the hotspot. This means that I am chewing up data just to talk.
The internet connection continues to drop at random times. This is going to be very annoying for the few weeks we have left in Massachusetts.
The voicemail system is a dinosaur. I now have to do a “speed dial 1” to access voicemail, then use 7 to delete and 9 to keep. This is the same system I had over 10 years ago when I had my first flip phone. I am very disappointed in this. I had gotten very used to Verizon’s very simple and intuitive management of voicemail.
Uploading photos to the laptop is also more difficult now. I had gotten used to simply attaching the phone to the laptop via USB and transferring photo files. With the new phone I had to install drivers and use a pretty clunky photo viewer app to upload photos to a month file (e.g., “2020-09”), then cut-and-paste the photos to where I want them to be. Very painful. And I haven’t yet figured out how to bulk delete photos from the phone.

That all sounds pretty negative and I guess it is, except for the $70 per month savings. But there are some things about the new OnePlus phones that I like very much:

The camera is outstanding. It is actually 3 cameras designed for various distances from the target. I am able to take very clear close-up photos and am able to zoom in on very distant targets. I took a photo of a hovering hummingbird and the camera captured the beating wings very nicely. I have barely scratched the surface on all of the features. I think I will love this camera. I am already wondering why I bothered to buy the Canon.
The battery life is a big improvement over our old phones. We were used to waking up and finding that our phones were dead in the morning. With these new phones they can go all night and still be over 90% when we wake. I haven’t tested the full battery life yet, but I am guessing it will be over 4 hours.

So… a mixed bag. I definitely like the phone but am somewhat disappointed in the T-Mobile service. Hopefully I will be happier with the service when we get to Florida.

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Getting her tested so she can be tested

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Sparky

Jett was due this week for her regular MRI and CT scan tests, needed to monitor her cancer. But on Monday she was feeling poorly and cancelled the CT scan. On Tuesday we made the 50-minute trek to Worcester to get the MRI, only to be turned away because two of her current symptoms – extreme fatigue and shortness of breath (which are pretty much expected in someone who has stage 4 lung cancer) – were also on the COVID-19 symptom list. So, to get the tests needed to monitor her cancer she first had to get a COVID-19 test.

Today was devoted to finding a place to get that test. I found one, but it took Jett so long to get ready that I was stressing that we wouldn’t get it done. Like you, I have seen those nightmare videos of long lines of cars at drive-thru testing sites. So it was with some trepidation that I went into the local testing facility, Tully Walk-In Care in Athol, to seek a test. Much to my surprise, the waiting room was empty. Registration was a breeze, after which I drove around to the back of the building where there was a drive-thru testing tent. A quick nasal swab and we were on our way. Less than 30 minutes total time. A very pleasant surprise.

I had considered getting myself tested, too, but passed. My reasoning: whatever the result of her test will be the result of my test, too.

Now we wait 2 or 3 days.

Then, if negative, we can reschedule the CT scan and MRI.

Categories: Health, MA, Places | Leave a comment

A weekend without the truck

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Sparky

I got the truck back on Monday. Lots of apologies from the garage and no charge. But we had to spend the entire weekend sans transportation. This is not a huge problem for us as we typically have enough food on hand to feed the entire campground and we had no major commitments.

Well, we did have one invitation: to spend time with Jett’s siblings at brother-in-law Ray’s cabin in New Salem. Rather than cancel we simply asked for a ride from sister-in-law Christine. She had to go through Phillipston anyway, so it was a minor detour for her. And she found a yard sale, too, so there was even some upside for her.

As always, it was a lovely couple of hours with family. And I was able to try out the outstanding camera on my new cell phone. I have attached a couple of samples. These are reduced quality – the full-size originals are just stunning – but the eye really can’t see much difference.

I am posting this now because I just figured out how to transfer photos from the phone to the laptop. It turned out to be simple, as I expected, but had to find the right switch to flip.

Anyway, I am very pleased with the camera. I have to wonder now why I even bothered to buy the Canon. The phone camera is every bit as good – probably better – than the Canon. And I haven’t even learned how to use all the options yet.

Categories: Family, MA, Places | Leave a comment

Don’t say that!

Posted on August 22, 2020 by Sparky

Before we started our trip north – and after completing the expensive repairs to the fuel lines – I made the statement that the truck was ready for the trip. As you know, that was absolutely not the case. Two days ago I made this statement: “I am keeping my fingers crossed that the truck is now ready to take us back to Florida.” Once again I was mistaken. I need to stop saying things like that. Because the truck is listening.

I traveled to Leominster MA yesterday to do a number of things, the most significant being upgrading our cell phones and switching carriers. That is a trip of just over 20 miles. On the trip home, just 2 miles shy of my destination, a car pulled up alongside and honked furiously. He was obviously trying to alert me to something, though I had no idea what as the truck was running just fine. But he pulled over and I stopped behind him. He came back to me and said “Something is burning!” There was, indeed, some smoke, but it wasn’t coming from my rear tires, as he thought – it was my engine smoking. It was pretty obvious, once I looked under the truck, that a fuel line had broken as diesel fuel was spewing onto the asphalt at a high rate – maybe a cup a minute. I shut off the engine and the spill stopped.

It would seem that the fuel line repair performed on Tuesday had lasted a grand total of 40 miles. I called the garage and spoke to Josh, my mechanic. He was nearly as distressed as I was and sent a tow truck out to get me. The driver loaded the truck onto the bed and dropped me off at the RV park, then took the truck to the garage where Josh assessed the situation. He called me later (8 pm!) and said that a “clip had let loose.” He had ordered a part which should arrive this morning. He promised to have the truck repaired as soon as the part arrives.

I am going to avoid any further statements of optimism about the repairs.

Because the truck is listening.

Categories: Adventures, MA, Places | Leave a comment

“Caught” by Harlan Coben

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Sparky

A (very) few of you may recall that I raved about Coben’s The Woods last August, rating it as one of the best mysteries that I have ever read. Well, move over, The Woods – you are going to have to share the top shelf with Caught.

The books are similar in one important way: the central mystery in both is a long-ago incident – a murder at a teen summer camp in The Woods and an incident at Princeton in Caught. Both traumatic incidents were life-altering to central characters in the books. Both resulted, after many years, in additional deaths. I think the depth of the trauma caused by the ancient incidents provides a great foundation for engrossing stories.

The story in this case starts with a divorced do-gooder, Dan Mercer, getting caught in a pedophile sting. He claims he was set up, but his protestations fall on deaf ears. His life is ruined. Even when his case is thrown out.

The TV reporter who organized and filmed the sting, Wendy Tynes, is fired when the case is thrown out as the judge ruled that she tainted the evidence. Partly because she had some free time and partly because something about the whole thing didn’t feel right to her, she continued to investigate. She eventually unravels the rather intricate story, which includes not only Dan Mercer but also 4 of his classmates at Princeton. Her digging leads to more death and more trauma, including trauma to her. But she perseveres.

The story is complex. It moves in directions that surprised me (e.g., I really thought that divorced Mercer and widowed Tynes were headed for a romance, but I couldn’t have been more wrong). Some characters are not who they seem to be. And every character has a part to play in the deeply satisfying conclusion.

I really need to read more Coben.

9.5 out of 10.

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Turbo work

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Sparky

So that turbocharger problem… remember? The leaks in the uppipes to/from the turbocharger that were spewing hot gases and causing those weird email messages to me during the trip north? We got to MA successfully, but not without some angst. As soon as we arrived I started plotting the fix. The plan was to replace those parts ASAP, sell the truck in July and devote August and September to finding a replacement. Well, I found a candidate used truck – a very fine 2008 Ford F-450 dually – but failed to get the turbocharger fixed promptly. In fact, it didn’t get fixed until today.

It turns out that getting parts for a 16-year-old truck can be difficult. Who knew?

This work, for which the GMC dealer in VA gave me an estimate of $3500, was completed by a local mechanic (thanks, Josh!) for just over $1700. And that included replacing yet another fuel line and an oil change. So I am pretty pleased with the price. And maybe it is my wishful thinking, but now the truck seems to run more smoothly and with more pep.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the truck is now ready to take us back to Florida.

I think that F-450 is going to have to find another home. Sorry, F-450.

Categories: FL, Places, RV Living | Leave a comment