Tuesday, November 26, 2013

A couple of small mods

Last Friday when it was raining so much, I decided to drive into town.  I was so overdue with my laundry it was almost criminal.  I was literally running out of clothes, which I've never done before, so we got The Palms ready to roll and drove into town.  It was such a wet, gray day outside, everyone had the same idea and the stores were pretty crowded.  When I was drying my laundry, almost every drier was being used.  And this is a BIG laundromat.

Then we went across to Beals Outlet, a kind of department store that's like Marshall's.  They have clothing in the front and housewares, etc. in the back.  Whenever I want something special, I go there.  And I found exactly what I was looking for.

I have a black silicone mat that I've been using to protect my cook top cover.  The cover is a black metal bi-fold top that folds back out of the way when cooking, and covers the burners when they aren't being used.  Well, having a black stove/cook top and living in the desert, you can imagine how many times a day I wipe it clean.  The metal cover wouldn't be so bad, but I didn't want it scratched, so the black silicone cover solved that.  But it really collects the dust, and I need a wet sponge to clean the silicone mat, not just a cloth or duster.  I've been wanting a wooden cutting board to put there and I found the perfect size at Beals. 


Perfect fit!  This is the smooth side, the other side is for cutting meat, it has a well around the board to catch juices.  It almost matches the color of my cupboards, too.  And did I forget to mention it was only $14.00?  Now that's a deal!  One of the easiest mods I've done.  Directions:  lay on top of stove cover.  LOL.

The other thing I've been thinking about is a large sturdy box that would fit on the dinette bench seat near the window that could hold my Bose radio. The storage boxes I had it on were a little messy looking and not as steady and secure as I wanted.  It would be better to have just one large box, hopefully with a lid so I could turn the lid upside down and have a lip to keep the radio from sliding off.  When we travel, I could put the Bose IN the box to keep it safe if needed.  I found the exact size I was looking for, the colors weren't bad, and I bought it.  It's covered with a cloth material and the top is padded. 


Not the perfect mod, but it works far better than the three "book boxes" I had there before.  I put them and my Wii console and remote inside the box for now.

But NOW I'm thinking, as much as I LOVE having the wonderful sound of good speakers, I'm worried they might be using too much power.  I've been wanting a small, battery operated speaker with volume control for my Sirius radio, Zen MP3 player, and for the computer, when I need higher volume than the laptop provides sometimes.  I used to have a nice little speaker with volume control, but it finally stopped working and it's hard to find small speakers with that volume control.  And I don't want wireless, just AA batteries.  I've actually been looking for one for some time now, and finally found one on-line that I think will be perfect.  I'll show you when it arrives.  It'll be here in a week or so, and if I like it, I might attach my Sirius radio to the new speaker and put the Bose back in it's storage box under the dinette.  Changes, changes.  Makes life interesting.

I had to get out my printer to print out some documents the other day (more about that in a future post), and as it was sitting on the bench seat next to the new box, I thought - I'll bet it will fit into that box.  It will be close, but I might have a good, easy way to store the printer and have it nearby to use when I need it.  Right now it's in a box at the foot of my mattress in the over-the-cab bunk, and it's a pain to get out.  I have some Birthday cards to make and print, and when they are done, I'll see if the printer fits.  If so, bye-bye Bose.  For now.

There was a cooking frenzy in The Palms on Saturday, and I now have a fridge full of left-overs that will last for three or four days of lunches and dinners.  Every so often that happens.  It was especially fun on Saturday.  It was raining, cloudy, and cold outside.  I put a good audio book on, the Wave heater was throwing out some hot air, and I was super hungry.  All the right elements for a cooking fest.   I boiled eggs for sandwiches, to put in salads, and for deviled eggs, cooked rice, made a huge potato salad, big batch of Spinach Surprise, and roasted chicken breasts.  Nothing fancy, just good food and now a full fridge.

Don't you just love it when the fresh water tank is full, the propane tank is full, the gas tank is full, the black/grey tanks are empty, the freezer is full, the fridge is full, laundry is done, the on-line orders have been placed and there's nothing on the shopping list or wish list, the sun is shining and all is right in your own little world?  That's me today.

This is Thanksgiving week, and Katie and I have a lot to be thankful for.

From me and Katie, have a great Monday, everyone!  :)

18 comments:

  1. By the looks of the inside of your rig, you are a lot neater than I. :)

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  2. Lol, I was reading your post and thinking.... that box looks like a fine place for the printer! Hope it fits.

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  3. It sounds like you are having the perfect day! I need to buy a radio but I don't want one with all the latest techno-crap on it. Just a radio that performs like a radio and nothing else. Would the Bose be overkill for me? (I have heard of them but never looked into getting one.)

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  4. What a nice day...I love to find just the right thing that works! The cutting board was perfect! And a pretty box for storage! I agree with Judy, the Palms sure looks clean, neat and tidy!

    I love to cook when I am in the mood...we do the same thing!

    Enjoy some sunshine for me! It's a rainy day here!

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  5. Enjoy this golden time. Happy T-Day to you and little Katie!

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  6. Neat as a pin. Gosh I'd miss my Bose if I put it away. Enjoy all your cooking.

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  7. I HAVE to be neat. I'm living in a 24 foot motor home - bumper to bumper! It doesn't take much to make my little space look messy. I think messy people are smart and interesting, lots going on in their brains - don't feel bad if you're not as picked up as I am. :)

    PS - Katie is a neatnik, too. LOL

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  8. Are you going to have turkey with the Quartzsite gang?

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  9. Love your last statement:
    "don't you just love it when....

    Yes, I do love that "done" feeling!

    Great new mods, I really like the cutting board.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and Katie!!

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  10. if anyone was down in the dumps when they got here they will surely be happy after reading this happy happy post! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  11. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Katie!!! Have a great day!

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  12. Well, I'm one of those smart and interesting people then because messy sometimes doesn't describe our house. But you're right, living in such a small space means it does have to get straightened up once in awhile.

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  13. Love knowing more about the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). I just got a small motorhome and so need tips for living in a small space for longer periods of time. Please share more organization and daily living experiences... great info for us newbies!

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  14. I sure do like it when we have leftovers. Makes it so much easier, for a few days at least!!! Like your mods.

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  15. We got a Bose Soundlink bluetooth speaker about 6 months ago. Costco had a great deal on last year's model. It has amazing sound and it's so small we can move it anywhere we want. We initially bought a less expensive brand but weren't happy with the sound quality. There are too many gadgets out there to tempt us!

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  16. So interesting to hear your events!
    You are a neat person, and I'm glad because I've learned so good ideas from you!

    Come over for dinner if you change your mind!

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  17. The amount of power used by any radio or speaker system of the kind you're talking about is small compared to most other things around the house--probably about equal to a single-bulb 12V light. I wouldn't worry about the Bose system using too much power. Enjoy your music guilt-free! :-)

    If you're looking for a good amplified portable speaker system, this Logitech unit has gotten good reviews and is currently on sale at Best Buy (in-store only, unfortunately) for less than half price:

    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/wireless-boombox-bluetooth-speaker/6503977.p;jsessionid=CF55E7FD76C054A6927515A6D9D10FFA.bbolsp-app03-185?id=1218747945654&skuId=6503977&st=logitech%20boombox&cp=1&lp=1

    It works either with a cable or with Bluetooth (wireless)--your choice. I have one on order but have not yet received it, so I can't offer a firsthand review, but as I said, the reviews from buyers on Amazon have been very favorable.

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