Index to BLOG Entries

Here is the BLOG Summary...

Click on the above link to get an alphabetic list of topics.

Click on the stories you want to view. You will be taken to the month in which the topic appears. Look down the stories for that month to find the specific story you want to view.

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The Hole in the Wallet Gang blog is being put on the shelf for a while. When we get back to blogging, we will send out a general e-mail.

Thanks to all of you for tuning in and following our adventures! It has been great fun sharing these past two years with you and your comments have been very much appreciated!


Bob & Mary Alice

Tuesday, January 22nd - "Jessie" Finds a Home

Now that we are settling down, going to work and building a home, etc.,we have need for a second car. Jasper Jeep, notwithstanding all his problems of this past October, has been a true and loyal friend and traveling companion.

This morning, we brought home a companion for Jasper...Jessie Jeep! Jessie is a FEMALE (don't get the wrong idea about Jasper now!) 4 door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara with 4 wheel drive. Jessie is silver with a black hardtop that can be partially or totally removed in nice weather. Someday, once she proves her grit, Jessie will join the Hole in the Wallet Gang and, like Jasper has for seven years, be our traveling companion, being "toad" behind the coach. Jasper is not retiring, rather will be our main off-roading companion. Sorry, no pix because the digital camera is being repaired somewhere in New Jersey.

Gonna Wrap It Up

Look for a big INDEX of the major stories of the past two years here in the next several days. I am working on it now so that you can find any story of interest and click to the month that story appears. I will be ending the BLOGing and going back to work.

WATCH FOR IT!

Change of Lifestyle...

While I have some free time here in the hotel room, I wanted to bring you up-to-date on a major new development in our lives.

As you know, we have begun the process of building a new home. The foundation will be poured any day now, if it hasn't been already. We will live in our coach during the construction, approx. five months. We have moved from Scuffletown USA because of its location. It is about 10 miles to Ashley's but over 17 miles to my new workplace! That's right...BOB got a JOB! Who'd a thunk it? I am going back to work fulltime as a Business Systems Analyst at Infor Global Solutions, a software development company in Greenville. I start on January 28th. The new campground is Springwood RV Park and is about 12 miles to Ashley's home and only 3.5 miles to the Infor office.

When we "came off the road" in December MA and I decided that we both wanted to do some work. I was thinking that I would work approx. 4-6 months each year at the furniture selling that I have done occasionally. But, this opportunity to utilize some of the technical brainpower that I have (or at least USED to have) presented itself...completely out of the blue sky. I HAD to follow the lead and interviewed on two separate occasions. I came away with a VERY favorable impression of the company, its direction, my potential contribution and my fellow workers. Yesterday, they made a formal offer and today, I accepted! Please keep me in your prayers as I adapt to the personal discipline of having a SCHEDULE to keep.

Back to Newmar Factory

During the week of August 6th, 2007, I was in Nappanee, Indiana at the Newmar factory getting several dozen last minute warranty items taken care of. One of the items was that the front living room carpet would "bulge up" a bit when bringing in the passenger-side front slideout. This was a minor deal but I thought it needed to be addressed. The technicians stretched the front carpet and, in the process, created a 4-6 inch tear in front of the sofa which they patched. The tech told me about it and said that he would make a note in the computer and that if I had later issues with the patch, to bring it back in the winter time when the work volume was lower and that Newmar would replace the carpet.

Since then, the patch has gotten frayed and is clearly showing despite the low amount of foot traffic there. Last week, I contacted the service manager at Newmar who said yes, bring the coach to the factory and, in fact, they would replace the front carpet. This would normally be a $2,100 job that I would get for free!

Now, our coach, as it came from the factory, has ceramic tile in the entry area, kitchen area, hallway and bath. Ever since the 2006 - 2007 coaches came out with the "full tile in the living area" option, MA & I have thought that we wished we had full tile, rather than carpet in the living room area. The cost to retrofit the carpet to full tile was over $4,000.

I asked Newmar about offsetting the cost of the retrofit to tile with the cost of replacing the front carpet. Bottom line, we are getting full tile in the living area for under $2,000. That is why I am writing this blog entry from the hotel room at Amish Acres in Nappanee, Indiana. I left Greenville, SC Saturday morning and drove the 700 miles to Nappanee (near Elkhart in northern Indiana), stopping for the night in Lexington, Kentucky. The coach floor is all torn up and there are four technicians working feverishly to rip up the old carpet and entry tile (required because the seams from the existing kitchen tile would not align with the seams of the existing entry tile) and laying the new flooring required for tile. During this time, of course, I cannot stay overnight in the coach. Therefore, I am quartered at the Amish Acres Inn and Newmar is picking up the tab! They HOPE to be finished Thursday (they don't work Fridays in the winter). Otherwise, I will be spending the week-end here. I REALLY want to get back to Greenville for granddaughter, Camryn's 4th birthday party midday Saturday. There is also a weather complication - snow. And single digit temps coming.

Happy New Year !!!

We spend the late afternoon and evening with Ashley, Javi, Camryn & Cecilia, returning home during the halftime of the Clemson - Auburn bowl game. Sadly, Clemson lost in overtime.

There were fireworks exploding all around the area, echoing off the surrounding hills. Gypsy was not happy.

I have prepared a spreadsheet summarizing the diesel fuel and camping costs of past two years of full-timing. This may interest only me but you are free to have a look. Click on the link at the right.