We Have A New Shade!

One of the things that we added to our old rig that we loved were privacy shades.  They were made custom for our rig right at our site.  You can read about it here:  We Have Shades!  Well, when we sold the old rig, that whole setup went with it because it wouldn't fit our new rig.  Our new rig came with privacy shades that are mounted on the inside, but we were not thrilled with them.  One of the problems is that they did not stretch all the way to the corners of the windshield and the sun still came inside.  Also, since they were on the inside, more heat came in than if they were on the outside.  The folks saw a system they really liked at a RV show in February.  However, it was pretty pricey, so they thought about it for six months.

The new system has magnets.  There is no drilling into the RV for snaps.  Today, the folks installed it.   The first thing you have to do it dry fit it to your windshield.  The shade comes with magnets sewn into it.  One person has to be on the outside on a ladder and the other person is on the inside placing the inside magnets to the windshield.  Let me tell you, those magnets are strong.  The instructions tell you that the magnets can jump 12" and they can.  Mom made the mistake of putting one in each hand.  She then had to ply the magnets apart.  So, Dad stood on the ladder holding up the shade and Mom placed the magnets on the inside of the windshield.  They then made sure it was exactly how they wanted it.  The next step was for Dad to hold the magnet that was sewn into the shade in place, while Mom took the adhesive strip off the magnet that she had and stuck it into its' permanent place.  It was basically an easy process. There was just one magnet that Mom had trouble with because she had trouble reaching it over the steering wheel.  She hit the horn and scared Dad.  BOL!

TADA!  Here is the new shade.

 The great thing about this shade is that we will never have to use a ladder to put it up. We just needed it to install it the first time.  A pole is used to take it down and put it up.  The magnets are the key to making this shade easy to put up.

This is the view from the inside. 

We can see out easily.

Here is the magnet on the inside of the windshield.  It is "permanent".  It is all the way to the top and you don't see it unless you are next to the windshield.

Magne Shade is the company that makes this shade.  We chose just the basic black because we thought that was perfect for our rig.  However, they do take photos and screen print them onto the shades.  My picture could have been on the shade!   I know when Mom first saw the shade in February, she thought about putting a photo of Scout and me on it, but then she thought if something happened to one of us, she would be sad.  Well, you know what happened.  I think the photo of Scout and me in our party hats would have been awesome though.  The saleswoman did say when you have a design on the shade that your view outside is not as clear. 

We have a neighbor who recently arrived and they have the Magne Shades.  I think they bought everything they sell.  They have the side windows, mirror covers and the tire covers.  We decided that the windshield shade was all we really needed and all our budget allowed.  We did get windshield wiper covers, but they came free with our purchase.

Our neighbors chose a pattern on theirs.

We hope we like the shade as much as we think we will.  Getting that ladder out sure was a pain.  We haven't played with it by taking it off and putting it back on yet.  We are making sure the magnets get a good hold onto the window before we do that.

Oh and Dad adjusted our awning today.  It now tilts down more.  The way it came, it just stuck straight out.  We planned on using it today, but it was too windy.  :-(

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Served As The Shade Reporter Today

Just Relaxing In The Sun And Then....

Monday, it was humid and we had a brief shower.  Yesterday, it was beautiful here and Mom and I decided to relax in the sun.

In this photo, you can see our new tire covers.  Pretty, don't you think?  BOL

Normally, I lay in the shade, but maybe I knew something was about to happen because I chose the sun away from our rig.

Mom sat with me for a while and then decided to move back to the shade near the motor home.  That was her big mistake.  What happened?  Well, all of a sudden without any warning, water fell from the roof.  It was not just a sprinkle.  It was a big gush of water.  Mom said it was like the ice bucket challenge.  She jumped up.  Her hair was plastered to her head.  BOL!   Her shirt was soaked.  It was pretty funny.  She had to change her clothes and dry her hair.

Evidence of the event.

We don't think anyone saw it happen as no one is really around.  If they did see it happen, I am sure they laughed and laughed.  It was pretty funny.  Dad said he wishes he could have seen it.  He laughed pretty hard when Mom told him the story. 

The rest of the day was pretty normal.  Mom did make an awesome dinner last night.  She fixed BBQ chicken thighs in the Ninja.  She sauteed the chicken in onions and garlic in the Ninja.  She then removed the chicken and added 3 cups of chicken broth and put the chicken back in the Ninja but on the rack this time. She steamed it for 30 minutes.  She then removed the chicken and drained the liquid but kept the onions and garlic in the bottom of the Ninja.  She then added the chicken back in without the rack and added BBQ sauce.  She baked it for about 15 more minutes.  Dad said it was really good.  It was better than actually putting it on the grill.  Mom loves her Ninja.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Stayed Dry Yesterday - BOL

Oh, The Things They Eat

One of the things Mom likes best about our lifestyle is eating out on weekends.  They normally eat out twice on Saturdays and once on Sundays.  Sometimes, they eat out twice on Sundays.  Mom usually reads reviews on restaurants before they go.  She is a regular contributor to TripAdvisor.

This past Saturday, they ate a restaurant they saw on Food Network.  I think it was one of those shows that have the top 100 restaurants, but I don't remember the name of the show.  The place that was number three has a location in this area. It was not the location that was on the TV show.  It is called Primanti Brothers.  The restaurant was different than Mom expected.  This location has waitresses. The one on TV was where you ordered at the counter. 

The sandwiches are served with coleslaw and fries on the sandwich. Dad ordered a hot sausage & cheese sandwich with double meat and egg.  He said it was good.

Hot Sausage & Cheese Sandwich

Mom ordered the crispy chicken sandwich.  It comes with a fried chicken breast and a chicken thigh.  It has a Cajun sauce on it. Mom said it was good.  She really liked the thigh because that is what she prefers on a chicken.  She didn't care for the fries.

They also ordered fried pickles.  Dad thought they were good.  Mom was not impressed.

Fried Pickles

The music was extremely loud in this place. The prices were reasonable.

Mom chose a BBQ place for dinner.  It is called Corner Stable.  They are known for their ribs and and crab cakes.  The place was packed when they arrived at 5 p.m., but they were seated immediately.

Mom ordered a slab of ribs with sides of mac & cheese and hot apples.

Dad ordered the crab cake rib dinner. He had green beans and hot apples for his sides.  His ribs are not shown.

Mom thought the ribs were good. They were very tender.  Dad said they were overdone.  Dad did like the crab cakes.  He said it had big flakes of crab meat.

They were in and out of the restaurant in 30 minutes.  Mom said the food appeared about five minutes after they ordered.  She wasn't impressed by that.

Inside the restaurant.  It is pretty small.

 Sunday, they went to Quaker Steak and Lube.  Mom has seen these around and always wanted to try one.  It looks like you are going into an oil change place.

Motorcycle rotates on the ceiling.

They are known for their wings.  The folks decided to order wings as an appetizer.  Guests choose from a long list of sauces for their wings.

$6.95 for 5 wings. Yikes!

Mom said the wings were good, but the sauce they chose was bland.  She can't remember what they chose.  On Tuesday nights, they have an all you can eat wing buffet for $12.95.  Mom would love to try it.  Dad doesn't get home from work until late, so that is probably not going to happen.

The folks both ordered the Lube Burger.  It has a wing sauce on it.  Mom said it was good, but it could have used a little more wing sauce.  She liked that sauce.  It also came with fries and the fries were excellent.

Lube Burger

Women's restroom

Women's restroom.

When the waitress brings the bill to the table, she brings our Twizzlers (licorice) too. We are not sure why, but Mom liked it.

 Would you believe that I did not get a single bite of any of this food?  I need to check my adoption contract. It may have been violated.  BOL!

I did this while they were gone.

 Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Going To Demand A Doggy Bag This Weekend

A Shoe House?

Yes, the folks toured a shoe house yesterday.  It is called the Haines Shoe House.  It was built by Mahlon Haines in 1948.  He owned a shoe company.  He had it built basically as a "billboard" for his company. He handed the contractor a boot and told him to build him a house like it.  The house is 25' tall and has five floors.  He lived in the house for a short while but then began renting it out. The renters were served by a butler and a maid.  They received a free pair of shoes when they left.  He also held contests for people to win a stay in the house. 

The living room is located in the toe, the kitchen is located in the heel, two bedrooms are located in the ankle, and an ice cream shop is located in the instep.  New owners took over in 2015.  Mom said she the owner and her twin sister.  They were very nice and were interested in our lifestyle. 

Tours are $5 a person.  The folks were surprised by the amount of people that were there to tour the shoe house.  Honestly, Mom thought they might be the only ones.  She was happy to see other people there.




Every window has a stained glass shoe in it.

The window sills are curved in the living area.  Mom did not take photos of the living room.  She does not know why.





The original owner in stained glass on the door window.

This is the kitchen window.
  

The kitchen table.

 

Dad looking at how the house was constructed.  This is in the upper bedroom. There is a lower and upper bedroom. The maid's room was on the top floor.


Steps leading up to the maid's room.  The maid only lived there when they had renters.

Window as seen from outside of the house.

This is the dog house.  A Great Dane belonged to the original owner.

 

 Real dogs are allowed to visit.  We are not sure if they are allowed on the tour though.  I would think not.  Below is where the dog enters his house.

 

The fence has boots on it.

Mom said the house was fun to visit.  Is it worth $5?  Well, the people who own it have to make a living.  It is an unique place, so yes, it is probably worth $5.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Prefers A Couch To A Shoe Dog House

Our Campground Is Boring

We have decided that this is the most boring campground that we have stayed. They have a pool, activities and events. So, why do we think it is boring? We are in an area where we don't see anything that is going on. I know, we should be thankful we are in a quiet place, but we enjoy seeing people come and go. Mom was very excited when she found out an Elvis impersonator was appearing here. We walked up to see him and I flopped down on the ground. Do you know what happened? They kicked us out!  No dogs allowed! It was an outdoor event, so Mom didn't think it would be a problem. After we got home, she read the rules and sure enough it said that pets were not allowed at any gatherings.

There are a lot of people that keep their campers here all year and they come out on weekends. We have found many of these people are not very friendly as we are outsiders. A few people talk to us, but not very many.  A couple people did speak to us last weekend and said I was a good looking dog.  Duh!

The people who live here long-term have a club called the Chipmunk Club.  The store sells t-shirts that are only for the club members.  Visitors like us are not allowed to buy them.  It's not like Mom wants one, but why have them on display in the store?  Can't they have them under the counter and club members can just ask for them?  It just another way to make people feel like they are outsiders in our opinion.

I will give you a tour of our place. It looks like tons of fun, but it's not. BOL!

When you enter our park, they have a drive-by museum.  It has tractors, an old house, wagon, etc.  I don't know how many people actually come to see it. The original owner was very interested in history, so he wanted the museum.

Tractors and an old gas pump.

This is where kids can mine.

The office.

Course for remote control cars.

Jumping mat - it isn't aired up here.  It is only aired up for a few hours on Saturdays.

It looks like kids would love it here, but the jump pad, mining and remote control car course are only open for a few hours on Saturdays.  What is up with that?  The pool doesn't open until noon each day. I have heard parents complain about activities having limited hours.

Some nights, there are outdoor movies.  The people who live here all have golf carts, so they line up their carts up like they are at a drive-in.  It is funny to see.  We just walk past because it is an outdoor gathering and dogs are not allowed.  On Friday nights, a DJ plays music.  Sometimes people dance.  Mom and I just walk by because dogs are not allowed.  BOL!

I sat out for a little while last week, but the bugs were bad.

This is our view.

It really isn't a bad place.  No one bothers us.  BOL!   We have a ton of places to walk.  Mom normally lets me choose the route.

We shouldn't complain because there are worse things than being bored.  We are in a safe place and that is important. 

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Catching Up On Sleep At The Boring Campground