Ancient Wisdom

March 11th, 2010

Horses.  They’ve been around a while.  We have a lot we can learn from them.  The weather actually cleared up and warmed up enough to have a mini-session with the horses. 

Melinda paired me with Buttercup and I could feel her calm attitude as we had our ‘heart-to-heart.’

Mom chatted a while with Rosa.  Rosa was originally adopted as a wild Mustang.

Then, we went thru the exercise she calls ‘Catch and Halter.’  Catching was easy – Buttercup was very amenable.  The halter was another story. 

What a diabolical series of ropes and knots.  I think Buttercup was laughing at me!

Finally, Melinda took pity and showed me how it worked.  She said that, when she does this exercise with corporate teams, she doesn’t help, but instead uses it as a metaphor to teach Type A executives what it’s like to not know how to do something.  This helps them in their dealings with new team members, or maybe clients.

I finally got it and then led the horse around a bit.  Melinda told me it’s not about ‘showing them you’re the boss’ it’s more about developing trust.  Believe me, it’s VERY clear who is boss when one of us is so much bigger than the other!

The RV Trivia Challenge #10. How Well Can You Score?

March 11th, 2010
  Welcome to the Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge No. 10. Unlike the Love Potion by the same name, this will challenge you mentally, not emotionally.  Remember, this is a trivia, not an IQ test.  Therefore you may need to guess at many.  So get a pencil to record your answers.  Then check them with the answers [...]


Afros and Moe Hawks and Mullets, Oh My! – Old Hair Contest

March 11th, 2010

So…you’re son want to grow his hair a little longer and you’re shocked that he would want to look like that? Ah…you’ve forgotten the ‘good old days.’


See more freaky familyman photos

RVer Jobs on the Road

March 10th, 2010
RVer jobs on the road include many choices. Consider the possibilities.

The proverbial Winegard TV antenna destruction

March 10th, 2010
Well, I literally JUST bought and brought home this past saturday, a 1988 Winnebago Elandan. Got it home and proceeded to set it up and assess everything.

Forest River Charleston Recall

March 10th, 2010
2008 Forest River Charleston
2009 Forest River Charleston

FOREST RIVER CHARLESTON 2008-2009
Manufacturer: FOREST RIVER, INC. Mfr's Report Date: FEB 05, 2010

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number:
10V079000
NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
Potential Number of Units Affected:
456
Summary:

 FOREST RIVER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 AND 2009 CHARLESTON MOTOR HOMES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN AUGUST 16, 2007 AND SEPTEMBER 23, 2008, EQUIPPED WITH KONGSBERG AUTOMOTIVE ADJUSTABLE BRAKE PEDALS. THE ADJUSTABLE BRAKE PEDAL ARM MAY LOOSEN ALLOWING THE ARM TO ROTATE AROUND ITS SHAFT AND SWING IN FRONT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, REDUCING BRAKING FUNCTION.
Consequence:

 A LOOSE BRAKE PEDAL INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:

 FOREST RIVER IS WORKING WITH FREIGHTLINER TO NOTIFY OWNERS. REPAIRS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY FREIGHTLINER.

Got a lemon Forest River motorcoach? Do you own a Forest River lemon? Get a Burdge attorney. Getting rid of lemon rv's is what we do. Everyday. Since 1978.

Todd’s Little Brown Book of Familymen

March 10th, 2010

I’m starting to get ready for the 2010 Familyman Adventure. We’re getting the Familyman Mobile ready and I’m already starting to feel a little nervous about what the year of travel might bring. I need your help.

Leave no trace: The boondocker’s code

March 10th, 2010
By Bob Difley My inclination is that all boondockers know and practice the Leave No Trace principle. Unfortunately, I find that idea does not always match reality. I’m sure we all have found trash when we pull into a new boondocking site, and probably blame it on “those damn kids” that come out here in our [...]


Is there an “ideal” DP?

March 9th, 2010
Well, we got several good comments about our first installment on this subject, so let’s push forward with more of our observations in our ongoing attempt to find the ideal diesel pusher motorhome. So, where are we so far in our project to design our ideal DP?  Well, we want a fairly large, midship LCD TV [...]


Cold and Windy

March 9th, 2010

Well, what did I expect for March in the mountains?  But, OMG was it cold.  The temperature was around 40 and the icy wind was whipping!  The rocking chairs on the porch looked like they had ghosts sitting and rocking in them.

I think the altitude was affecting us too.  We’re at about 5,000 feet here.  We just couldn’t get enough sleep.  So we just hung out and napped on and off all day.

The big event was Taco soup for dinner.  I’d had this years ago while visiting Melinda.  Her son, Matt was the cook.  I remember thinking what a great meal that was, and one that could actually be accomplished in the RV, because it’s just a one big pot type of meal.  But, I couldn’t remember how it went together.  So, this time I took pictures along the way:

Taco Soup step one sautee onions, pepper, diced chicken etc and add to pot with beans, stewed tomatoes and chicken broth:

Then, the special part is to take some tortilla chips and crumble them in the bottom of your bowl before adding the soup:

Ladle the soup in the bowl, then top with grated cheese, diced avocados, and sour cream if you wish.  Everything that’s in a Taco but just a different configuration.  mmm mmm good