Indio, California: The past few days have been a whirl-wind of activity for my little brain. Our contractor has sent me out on errands of all sorts and I have made many decisions. My Driver is so blessed to be away (working on his own projects) so he does not have to look at tile, faucets, light fixtures and toilets. Yep, I had to choose a terlet. All by myownself. And a matching pedestal sink. I am pretty-much finished with my chores and think anything else needed can be researched on-line - or I will simply let Arnold decide. He's built so many casitas in this resort, I suspect he can figure-out which switch plate will look best with the wall paint color (that I hope he chooses). The bathroom in a casita is so ridiculously small, there is barely room to raise your elbow while cleaning your teeth.
Our construction plans have been approved by the resort architectural committee and the county. We are official. We leave Indio on the 25th of April. Construction begins the following day.
Arnold sent me out to Emser Tile in Palm Desert to chose the flooring for our casita, covered pavilion and shower. I went with a porcelain tile - 12x24 for the flooring and the same tile, in a 12x12 size will be used for the shower. I found a very fun agate (?) pebble for the shower floor. The pebble stuff will also be used as a background for the inset area (for soap & shampoo bottles). I'm so clever. I have been thinking and thinking how we can get little Leo (and hopefully maybe his younger brother/sister one day) to bathe in a shower stall. No problem - just get a plastic baby bath tub. But then how does the adult get in there to bathe a wee-one with a glass shower door in the way? Solution - no shower door! I am going to use a shower curtain for a while. The water is so dang hard down here anyway - this will be the perfect (inexpensive) solution until everyone is old enough to shower alone. Then we can get a fancy glass door and a really good squeegee. Told you I was clever.
Jim helped me decide at Emser Tile in Palm Desert
The rocks look like a you-know-what to grout.Next up? Lights for outside the casita:
Done and done. I chose a fixture that does not have a glass shell. We get a lot of wind down here, so hopefully this will be one-less thing that can break.I also chose a pedestal sink (matches the terlet, also colored "Mexican Sand" (appropriate), lights for the bathroom and faucets for the sink and shower. (I am also installing a tub-fill in the shower, to make it easier to fill a baby tub.)
It was so hot today - high 90s - I had to exercise in the air conditioned fitness center. While I was working-out, a cleaning crew gave the Magna Peregrinus a good scrubbing and steam-cleaned the carpet (the slide room is the only place we have carpet) and steamed all the grout, the tile floors - and the glass in the shower stall. (Remember the water here is SO HARD.) We are preparing the RV for her move north.
Just like new - 4+ years old
In other news... because of the time change between California & France, Mary is sending photos from Europe while I am asleep. This morning I woke to Mary & Cory in Paris at Notre Dame Cathedral.
They look a bit chilly. Then, just a few hours later, I see photos of Cory in Italy - eating gelato in Venice. Then a photo of Mary & Cory on the Venice Rialto Bridge. Jet-setters!
Ummm... Steve... I'm thinking maybe it wasn't such a great idea for your beautiful wife and beautiful daughter go to Italy without you?Speaking of travel... I started blogging years ago to keep our family and friends abreast of our travels. (My first post came out of Banff in 1994 via cell phone modem and things became more serious in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympic Games.) The greatest thing about keeping a web log - I have a record of where we have been, along with a whole buncha photos.
I have added more of our past RV trips to this site. The first was over December 2005 and January 2006, when we flocked with The Duck football faithful to San Diego to lose yet another bowl game. I would advise reading this trip only if you are total insomniac. Actually, reading this trip will knock you out flat. Boring. The Ducks lose to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Holiday Bowl, yet look how happy we are in this photo:
How about the time I found a job as a farm worker in Bakersfield?
To complete our 2007 travels, I have added a one-page photo scrapbook of (yet another) birthday weekend in Las Vegas to see Jimmy Buffett, and a one-page photo scrapbook of Thanksgiving in Merced. The last trip added is a quick weekend (2008) up to Seattle to watch an Indoor track meet. Please, don't y'all go rushing to read it at once, or my server will crash.Until my next update, I remain, your decisive correspondent.
SLOGGER REPORT: 93° today, so I went up to the air-conditioned fitness center, changed the TV from FOX News to the Food Channel and ran three miles on the dreadmill, then spent twenty minutes on the elliptical (which I am sure to regret in the morning).
RV Park: Motorcoach Country Club - The Crown Jewel of Motorcoach Resorts. 400 sites, three pools, three spas, fitness center, golf, bocce ball, tennis, 2-mile waterway, fine-dining restaurant, bar, security, free wifi, planned activities, perfectly maintained. Sites for sale or rent.