Service Bay 46½: Corian Trim Replacement

Camp Tiffin — Red Bay, Alabama

Day 1 in Red Bay found us in a generalist service bay to get this and that taken care of. On Day 2, we visited two different bays — first, we got our Atwood levelers replaced, and next we got the wet bay floor recall taken care of. Since we went home with no service bay assignment at the end of that day, we were prepared on Day 3 (February 6th) to sit tight and wait for “the call.” As it turns out, by mid-morning our wheels were rolling again.

We’ve been without jacks for so long that Mui deemed it smart to write himself a reminder note.

It wasn’t long after Mui went to check in with the dispatcher that Craig, the tile guy, came by to look at the crack in the Corian trim around the top of the entry steps. Verifying that he had matching trim already cut, he got the supervisor’s OK to do the work under warranty (yay). And that’s how we found ourselves pulling up jacks and driving over to the area I’ve dubbed Service Bay 46½ ;-)

The red cart is Craig’s mobile office here at Service Bay 46½.

It turns out that we already knew Craig from Bay 45 where he helped Curtis and Sandy with the wet bay work. He’s been with Tiffin for 30 years; age 47, he hopes to put in another 20 years before he retires.

With much jocularity, he set about his work. Most of the guys who have worked on our coach here have considerable pride in their work; Craig more so than most. He worked carefully and efficiently to remove the old trim, prepare the surface to receive the new trim, and install the new piece so that it aligned perfectly on all sides. As a sign of his true craftsmanship, he even rejected the first trim piece because it wasn’t cut quite square enough. (Had he not pointed out the very slight crookedness, we would have never noticed it … and trust me, I always notice such things.)

The culprit for the tile work is that thin crack in the corner.

Craig quickly sets about removing the grout around the trim, keeping the vacuum
running to catch the dust and gritty bits.

Left: It doesn’t take much effort to remove the old trim; not much is holding it in place.
Right: After rejecting the first piece of trim, Craig finds a second piece that will match our colors.

After satisfying himself as to the fit, Craig trims off one corner to fit at an angle.

A smooth layer of tile mud, and the Corian piece is ready to be put in place.

A 10-pound weight and reminders not to step on the trim … and we’re ready to return to our site.

Tricks of the Trade: (1) the 3M Spot Finishing solution removes roller scratches from tile and makes them look as good as new. (2) a solution of white vinegar and water, or rubbing alcohol (90%), cleans the grime from the epoxy grout used on the tile floors.

Which bay will we go to next? When will we go? Those are questions to which we don’t have answers yet. Hopefully, the wait until our wheels roll again won’t be long

Wise Words from a Friend's Facebook Status

"As my load increases so does my awareness that I do not bear it alone. I am lighter every year despite ever-increasing responsibility. He is the sustenance on which I feast." Elizabeth Hoffer

Congratulations Gardening Gone Wild Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Flowering Tree Photo contest! I enjoyed clicking around the complete list at Gardening Gone Wild seeing flowering trees from other places. Who knew so many of us love redbuds?
For everyone who entered there was something special - renowned photographer-judge Rob Cardillo was kind enough to comment on every entry. The March .. photo that I entered wasn't taken for a contest or for the blog but to help me remember what the front yard looked like in spring. Rob's comment about the composition made me resolve to pay attention even for these kinds of "mapping shots", but some of his words made me laugh:
“I like the off centered redbud and how the house line works but this choice view might look even better on an overcast day.”
Frankly Rob, not only the photos but all life in Central Texas might look better if we had more overcast days!

Ponca's Revenge

After an all to short night's sleep, Saturday morning I headed to Ponca State Park to shoot the mountain bike race. The weather was clear and pleasant - 70s in race time.
The field for the Beginner and Junior races was pretty small. There was only one wave to start. With that and the short (1-2 laps) races, I did nor get very many photos of that race.
Since the Revenge this year was not a marathon, the Kid's Race was run.
Pretty good turn-out for the Sport and Expert/Semi-Pro category. I found a couple spots to shoot the race. I am not pleased with the overall quality of the race photos. Some is the unfamiliarity of the race course. Other is I was just not on top form.
I am still working on the photos - when done they will be posted on my web site. (I also have the photos from my Army Reunion that need to be processed and posted).

A Perfect Lake Tahoe Hike

After all the fun yesterday, we drove southward around Lake Tahoe towards Emerald Bay. Little did I know what a pupalicious day I was headed for. Mom and Dad took me on a hike up to Eagle Lake - a tarn (glacial lake) surrounded by the Sierra's Tahoe peaks.
C'mon - hurry up - this is gonna be great!
Whatcha waiting for? Hurry - I can smell all kinds of fun up there!
I think we should go this way - I always follow my nose.
Dad and Mom said I was a great trailblazer.
Go carefully here folks - it's a bit rocky.
Dang! Almost got that wily lizard - they are fa-aaast. Here we are at about the half-way point with Emerald Bay below us, surrounded by Lake Tahoe.
Could that possibly be a marmot? I think it is - ooooh - be right back.
As we come around a corner and hike over the last crest, Eagle Lake lays before us. Isn't it magnificent? Click to watch a short vid of my enthusiastic arrival here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aSvrOiVXjo
Okay Dad, whenever you're ready to throw that stick, I'll oblige.
Met a new pal - I think his name was Jack - I hope his peeps don't find this bloggie and see that I forgot his proper title - big oops. But... I had lots of fun swimming with him, trying to play keep-a-way with the stick.
After he left, I swam for hours in this cool, pretty lake, chasing a stick. Stick-chasing may be a first for me!
Here's another first - I don't ever recall swimming with my dad!
Check out the majesty of this place. But all great things seem to come to an end, so I took up my place as trailblazer again.
Happy and a bit tired as I pose with Dad - what spectacular scenery.

Well, I got them up and down safely, so I celebrate this bridge crossing towards the jeep with paws on railing, so I can see the pretty waterfall below. Thanks for coming along on my journey with me to Eagle Lake. Mom promises that she'll catch up on bloggies this week. I know she's been wretchedly behind.

Is Heartbreak Hill really that big of a heartbreaker?

When it comes to marathon prestige, there's Boston and then there's every other race.
The 114th annual running of the storied Beantown road race took place on Monday, with Kenyan Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot taking first place and setting the course record with a time of 2:05:52 (averaging of a 4:49 mile, I think I just threw up a little). Ethiopian Teyba Erkesso took the women's title with a time of 2:26:11.
There are three things that set Boston apart from every other race. There's the tradition of being the world's oldest annual marathon, the exclusiveness of being the only American race with qualifying times that need to be met in order to compete in it (a time I'm currently trying for), and the distinction of its course having one of the more famous — and brutal — hills in all of running.
The hill I'm referring to is Heartbreak Hill, which features an 88-foot climb over the span of 0.4 miles in between miles 20 and 21 on the course. The hill is considered a figurative wasteland for runners, as many sound race strategies have gone up in smoke over the years as a result of it.
I'm not doubting the hill's difficulty. Any incline after 20 miles of running is going to feel like scaling a mountain of Everest proportions. The only things a runner wants to see after that many miles are water, cheering fans and the finish line.
However, is Heartbreak Hill any worse than some of the daunting climbs in the Mankato area? I'm sure anyone who's ever had to walk up Gage hill to get to class at MSU would retort with "Heartbreak schmartbreak, this hill sucks!"
Topographically, Heartbreak Hill is only a moderate climb compared to some of the area hills. It climbs 88 feet in 0.4 miles with an average slope that hovers somewhere in 3.5-4.0% range.
By comparison, the hill along County Road 90 that the Mankato Marathon runs on (and sloping downward for, thank goodness) has almost twice as much elevation change over roughly the same amount of distance. For slope comparison, both Lookout Drive and Lee Blvd. are noted for having steeper grades (Lookout at 5.0% and Lee at 9.0%, according to the street signs at the top of their respective hills). Lookout Drive also has the added difficulty of being a much longer hill (more than a mile pretty much anyway you slice it).
Mankato also has it's own claim-to-fame hill-wise for the Main Street ascent in the Nature Valley Grand Prix, where professional cyclist climb the brutal downtown hill FOUR TIMES at the tail end of a 130 km race. My car has trouble getting up that hill after a fresh tune-up. I don't even want to imagine attacking it with a bike after a day of cycling at top speeds.
Does this diminish the significance of Heartbreak Hill? Of course not. As stated before, the hill isn't difficult because of how steep it is; it's difficult because of where it is in the race. Most marathon runners hit the proverbial "wall" between miles 18 and 23. This is the point where their glycogen is depleted and they're basically running on fumes. Just trying to maintain a steady pace is hard enough to do at that point, let alone trying to climb a hill.
Try to imagine jogging up Main Street hill after putting in 20 miles of running. Would you make it up the hill without stopping? If you can, I can almost guarantee you're in the extreme minority.

Views, views... more Zion

We sure are enjoying all the scenery we're seein' out the window, but it's even better when we can go tearing around in this cool landscape! C'mon along with us as we explore more of Zion...

Here we go up a windy road - and we mean UP! You can see the snows dusting the sides of this graceful looking mountain and we'd sure like to play in that fluffy white stuff!

Below: this is not a very pretty picture, but can you spy somebuddy hiding? Awesome camouflage, eh?

With a bit more elevation, we came around a corner and dug this! (Well... every corner has the most beautious views...)
Below: nowTHIS was where we wanted to play!
Soooo - Ma and Pa let us out to run in this ginormous meadow with the amazing backdrops -
We gamboled and chased sticks and heavenly smells -
We were all finally breathless - us from running so hard that high up and Mom and Dad from the views!
Then. If you can believe it - on the way home, we got to swim in a creek that runs down the valley; oh how cooling that was!
Avalon was brushed out by Dad - she was full of red sands from the river! (I got brushed too, although the dried silt didn't show up on my coat!) Next day, Mom and Dad took a couple of hikes, while we played to our hearts' content at a DUDE ranch for us puppers! We got a walk along the Virgin River too (and even waded into it - heheh!)
Mom here: all along the ridge on top of the arch is a viewpoint that was stunning in every way - so glad we did this short and easy hike as our first in Zion. As mentioned in our first Zion post, it's not very dog friendly unfortunately, but we knew we couldn't miss out on doing a couple of hikes here before leaving.
Pointing out the obvious - something down there; we could hear the voices of people in the slot canyons below us. It apparently takes some 7 or 8 rappels of 50 - 100 feet from about here to get into them - yikes!
Pretty steep
Straddling the slickrock
An overly friendly and eager critter who was trying to get into our backpacks while we were ogling the views - drop is 700 feet down.


And then we headed for the Zion Lodge, where the trail to Emerald Pools begins. And... we found more glorious wonders - the falls were so cooling on an increasingly hot day that eventually reached 80+! We climbed up to the top of the falls...
...to watch the water slide across the rock and over the edge - very tranquil
And a very peaceful ending to our day! Now back to your regularly scheduled narrators - yeah... whew! So later, we went to see a totally-like completely different part of the park in the way north, where Mom wanted to get pictures of the rocks with the sun setting - why? We have no idea, but again, we dug the smells and we love truck riding, so...
Here are a couple of the pictures - until next time, we're signin' off. Happy Trails!