More repairs. . .

We use service people in Elkhart for most of our motorhome needs and that is why we spend time up here getting things fixed. We have a place to stay while she's in the shop and it makes it easier for us and the dogs.

We took the motorhome in Wednesday to get the washer/dryer fixed. We thought the belt was broken. The serviceman concurred, but when he got it out of the cabinet and opened up, the belt laid there in one piece. He examined it and said it was perfectly fine, no cracks, etc. So he put it back on the machine and then started her up. That's when he found the problem. The main bearing the drum rides on is dry and squealing. Tech said it would last two months tops and probably not that long. The good news is he can fix it, the bad news is with labor, it would cost more than a new machine. And if it's fixed, I would still have a 10-year old motor and pump, etc. So the recommendation was to buy a new unit. We have an extended warranty and they will help out with a new one. We have to work out the details yet and they want a repair estimate from the w/d guy which I'm sure he will give them. It will be cheaper to go new, so that's what we are working toward. It will be next week before that happens, but mine is working for the time being.

It's working, but last night we discovered a wet spot on the carpet. As usual, Terry blamed it on the dogs, but when I tried to clean it, I knew it was a leak of some kind. Something about dabbing at a spot and it grows instantly. . . . So I threw a towel on it and we went to bed. When I got up this morning, the towel was sopping wet and we had more wet carpet. So we drug out the towels and started soaking it up. Eventually Terry found the leak. It was one of the valves going to the washer. He thought it was cracked, but he was able to get it tightened up and the leak stopped. Apparently when the w/d guys put the w/d back in the cabinet, they knocked into those valves and loosened one. Oh happy day! Just what we needed. We got the shop vac out and sucked up as much as we could. We've had a fan on it all day and it's drying out nicely.

In other news. . . I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings for three years. I had to have them made larger to wear for Brandon and Megan's wedding, but my joints have really gotten gnarly and the ring finger joint in particular, I manage to injure periodically. I had researched various systems for making rings slip over joints and I knew there was a custom jeweler here in town that does them. So last week Terry and I went to Images Jewelers in Elkhart and talked with them. It is expensive, that's for sure. But I have a beautiful wedding set that means a lot to me. It's unusual and I want to wear it. I figured with my finger joints all enlarging I will probably not get to wear other rings, so I at least wanted to be able to fix my wedding rings so I could continue to wear them. They fitted my ring with a Superfit shank. It's actually an entire ring on the inside of my ring. The last time I had it repaired, the jeweler did a bad job of it and I showed this jeweler what had been done wrong. They were really just going to put the new shank on it, but when I got it back, they had fixed the problems and my ring once again looks like it should. The Superfit shank has a finely machined hinge in it. When it is closed, you cannot even see the hinge. The clasp to open it requires a stylus that you press into an indentation. It's quite unique. So, yes it was expensive, but I will be able to wear my wedding rings now no matter what my joints do and it opens up to go around my finger, then clasps shut.

Terry told me that was my birthday present, anniversary present, Christmas present and Valentine's present (next year). LOL That's okay. I love getting to wear my rings again.

Till next time. . . 

Dale