Leaving Quartzsite, a review, and meet-up with an old friend

In a month, April 1, it will be six years since I bought The Palms, so the insurance and license renewals are due.   I went on-line to pay for both, and even though I thought I had a pass this year on the smog certificate, I was wrong.  I need to smog The Palms.  I'm a California resident, and along with the annual vehicle registration that's required, every other year we have to send in a clean smog certificate.  The vehicle must be smogged at a certified facility in California.  And I have to be in California to do that.  Bummer, when I'm in Arizona!

Luckily, I found a great little place in Blythe that's only a half hour or so from Quartzsite, so yesterday I headed over there in the morning.  They had great reviews on-line.

When I got there I met the owners, Sergio and Esperanza, a husband and wife team. Sergio directed me into the office to talk to Esperanza who explained everything to me, the cost, what happens if the truck didn't pass the emissions test, etc.  Then I got Katie out of The Palms and we went into the office to wait.

It took 20 minutes or so, and during that time I chatted with Esperanza who was very friendly.  Then it was done - for another two years.  The Palms passed.  Whew.  I always think it will go well, but you never know.

By the way, it cost me $120 - across the street is a Ford dealership, where the price is $200. Same testing equipment, they both send the info the California DMV electronically, they do exactly the same thing.  EZ Lube is an older garage and not as fancy as a dealership, but the people were friendly, knew what they were doing, the service was great, and the job was done.  (Cars are cheaper; a different machine is used for RVs and I think everyone charges more for our rigs.)

I would highly recommend them if you're from California and need to have your vehicle smogged while in Quartzsite.  I doubt there's a closer shop to get it completed.

EZ Lube

345 E Hobsonway

Blythe, CA  92225

Shop:  (760) 921-2918

Cell:    (760-799-8967

 

Esparanza said they might be moving their shop this year, so if you want to make an appointment and the shop phone isn't working, use the cell number.  The new shop will also be in Blythe, CA, but double check the address.

A couple of weeks ago I met up with an old friend, Carolyn, with whom I used to work - and haven't seen for 34 years!  She and her husband, Fred, were on their way home from a convention and traveling through Quartzsite, so she messaged me and asked if I'd like to meet for a late lunch.

It's amazing how the years fall away and it feels just like it used to in the "old days."  

We had a great lunch at Taco Mio in town and talked for three hours.  The only reason we parted is because they still had a ways to go before they got home, and the sun was starting to go down.

I sure had a wonderful time.  The lunch was great, and the conversation even better.  We could have talked for hours and hours more.  It was so nice to see Carolyn again after all this time and to meet Fred.  And thanks for treating me to lunch, guys!  😀

Below is another photo of the view out my window.  Every time I look outside, I can't believe the green terrain.  Normally all that green would be brown desert, or brown/black rocks covering the desert floor.  This has been the wettest season I've seen in the six years I've been coming to Quartzsite for the winter.  Kind of cold and windy, too, this year.  Every year is different. 

Every year is great!

And a final sunset - I don't have any more photos, and I'm leaving the area tomorrow.  Perfect timing!

The next post will be written in a new location, somewhere I've never been, so I'm really looking forward the next couple of weeks.  New location, new people, new experiences.  Should be fun!

From me and Katie, have a great Wednesday, everyone!  ❤😎❤

Moved again today, but not far...birthday lunch, and generator maintenance

Kim came back to Quartzsite to get some things done on her Roadtrek, and since she is camped on Plomosa Road, I moved up there for a few days to visit.  This is such a quiet, peaceful camping area now that all the groups are gone. 

All the recent rains have really greened up the desert - there's even a field of grass growing right outside The Palms. 

Below is the view out the window over the couch - field of green, desert, and mountains.

I saw my first flowers today, too - this tiny purple flower was by itself, but there are hundreds of them not quite blooming yet that will be really pretty once they're all in bloom.

I met Gaelyn at the 2017 Bloggerfest a few weeks ago, and today I got to know her better.  She's camped here at Plomosa Road, too - we all took a walk in the afternoon, then sat outside and chatted.  Gaelyn is a summer seasonal Park Ranger and gave us lots of information about the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, a future destination for Kim.  She also has LOT of knowledge about rocks, which made our walk on this rocky part of the desert really interesting.  So much fun to meet up with old friends, and meet new friends!  Thanks for a great afternoon, ladies!  😎

Kim and I went to town on Friday while she was having LED lights installed in her rig, and we walked over to Taco Mio for her Birthday Lunch.  Geez, I love their enchiladas - we had a great time.

My generator has been running great, but it was time for the annual maintenance, so I brought The Palms into Bob's Generator to check it out, change the oil and fix an oil leak.  He's such a pro, he always seems to find problems easily.  I guess the valve cover wasn't completely sealed, or one of the screws wasn't tight enough, and oil was leaking from the lower right corner.  So he took it off, checked it out, cleaned it up, and re-sealed it.  So far, so good, it's not leaking any more.  It's so nice to have local vendors I can take The Palms to when she needs maintenance or repairs.  Especially when they are good and priced fairly.  :)

Phil, Bob's assistant, changed the oil for me. I should probably be doing that myself, but it's SO much easier to take it to Bob.

So now the generator is all set for another year.  I've been going to Bob for six years now - and still highly recommend him.  His shop is the big open yellow building on Main Street, near Highway 95.

Bob's Generator
Bob Dummer
(623) 224-7655

That's about it for now - this should be a quiet week just doing chores and laundry, etc., and visiting with friends.  On Thursday I'm heading out of town for four days, then back to Quartzsite.

From me and Katie, thanks for stopping by!  😊🌮🎂

The future is here! Right here in Quartzsite!

Teslas in Quartzsite.

When David and I were in town searching for antenna stuff the other day, he said there was a charging station here in Quartzsite and he wanted to see it.

Model S

He got the location on his phone and we drove over to Carl's Jr., at the far west end of Main Street.  The charging stations are behind Carl's Jr., and we were lucky to see three different cars charging.

New Model S

The car below is the newest model.  David was pretty stoked to see them, and especially this one.  His dream car, I think?

Model X

Here are all three Teslas taken through the windshield of his Jeep.

Model S, New Model S, and Model X

Very sleek looking cars, for sure.  Beautiful.  Of course, they come with a hefty price tag:

Base price for the 2017 Tesla Model S sedan ranges from $68,000 to $134,500, depending on the package; the 2017 Model X crossover ranges from $88,800 to $138,800. Additional cost for available upgrades.

We also saw a blue Tesla parked by the Post Office in town.  You never know what you're going to see when you're out and about in this little town. 

From me and Katie, have a great Thursday, everyone!    😎🚗🚘🚙😎

Jack's Alive! :)

Good News!  New Jack is Alive!

This morning I called Satellite Advantage to see if they had any King jack antennas in stock and they DID. They had two!  I asked her to hold one for me, I'd be right down.   I think those were the only two left in town.

David and I texted back and forth - and I bribed him with breakfast in town if he'd come right now and get me.  He put the bacon he was cooking in the fridge, jumped in his Jeep and was at my door in minutes.  (Always bribe a man with food, it works!  🤓)

First we drove to Satellite Advantage where I snagged one of their two boxes with the jack inside, the woman opened it and showed us that all the parts were there, I paid and we were on our way.  Whew!  Score!

Next we went to Bad Boy's Cafe again for a delicious breakfast.  Great as usual.  Then a little shopping, and back home to The Palms with the new jack antenna.

Ta Daaaa:

Jack is alive once again!  And I get 24 clear channels.*

 *  This photo is not Photo-shopped.  LOL

The TV is an Axess 12V/110V, 13.3" TV.  I got it on-line at Amazon.com for only $116.67.  It has a stand so I can put it up in my bunk or down by the dinette.  I have 12V plugs in both places, so I can easily move it around.  It will also fit better than the old TV on the swing-arm attachment if I want to screw it into that, up higher by my upper cupboard, but that's too high for comfortable viewing from the couch or dinette, so I'll use the stand it's on instead.  Right now I have it plugged into the 110 outlet, but will use the 12V outlets if I want to move it to the overhead bunk, or if I want it powered directly from the batteries.

Here's David - relaxing on the couch, taking a well earned rest after climbing once again on The Palms' roof in the hot sun.

Thank you, thank you, David!

And finally, this was the sunset last night - another pretty one.

From me and Katie, with a new TV, have a great Monday, everyone!  💗😁📺😁💗

Jack died. : (

Well, shoot!  My King jack antenna died.  

I haven't been getting any TV channels for a while, and I thought it was my location, but when I was in Yuma, I still got no channels.  It had to be the TV, right?  So I bought a new TV and indoor antenna - but they didn't work, either!  (I think the indoor antenna just isn't strong enough here - it's hard to get TV channels in Quartzsite unless you're in the right areas.  And even then, a booster helps.)

I tried the new TV with the new antenna, nothing.  Old TV with new antenna, nothing.  New TV with the old antenna, nothing.  Old TV with the old antenna, nothing.  It was kind of amazing that with two TVs and two antennas, I couldn't get a single channel.  I always get TV in my current campsite.

Then my friend David came over to check it out.  Well, he really came over to visit, but when I mentioned that my TV wasn't working, I knew his brain cells wouldn't rest until he figured it out.  And he DID!  He's a retired engineer and those guys are good at everything! 

With David's help, I found out it's the old jack antenna that isn't working.

Actually, David didn't help, he did the whole diagnosis and repair while I watched.   😉

He tested the wires and there were only 5V coming up through the wire to the antenna, which should have been getting 12V.  The wire and coaxial connectors were fried, so we went to town and checked a bunch of different places, and bought some connectors.

Then we stopped at Satellite Advantage and I bought a new wire with the connections.  The man there was very helpful and offered to crimp one of the antenna wires for me.  Since we didn't have that crimping tool, I gladly accepted his offer.  We drove back to my site, got The Palms and took her in.  It only took him a few minutes to get the connector crimped and we were good to go.

When we got back to my site, David took off the bad wire and put on the new.  Now we had 13.5V coming up.  But the TV still didn't work, and the red light on the bottom of the jack wasn't lit, so apparently the low voltage going up into the antenna fried it.  Now I need a new one.

The man at Satellite Advantage was so nice and helpful, I wanted to list the company info here, in case you need satellite or antenna help.  They specialize in mobile satellite solutions, HDTV and Internet. 

Satellite Advantage
Paul Angerami, Owner
40 E. Main Street
Quartzsite, AZ
Phone:      (928) 927-4422
e-mail:     sales@satelliteadvantage.net
Website:   www.satelliteadvantage.net

We went into town again today to get a new jack, but since it was Sunday, some of the places we needed were closed and the rest - that carry the King jack Antenna - were out of them.  I have one place to call tomorrow and if they are out, too, then I'll order it through Amazon.

David and I have the same weird sense of humor, so it's been quite entertaining the last three days while he's been figuring out what's wrong and fixing things, and we've been chatting and going to town and back a few times looking for different parts and checking out some of the vendors that are still open.

I think I'm worn out from laughing.  😅

Quartzsite had a gorgeous sunset tonight.  Doesn't this look like a painting?  A whole RV window sized painting, right over my couch!

From me and Katie, with no TV!  😟 📺💔  Yet.