Starting the day off right!

First thing in my email inbox this morning was the notification for my AT&T air card bill. It was for an amount approx $50 more than what I thought it should have been, so I finally got customer service on the line and was told it was an activation fee. I told her that the activation fee was waived when I purchased the card, so she went into the account and removed the charge. She also set me up for automatic monthly payments. I think this is a good way to start the day and the week, and I'm glad I don't have to worry about making sure my bill is paid each month, especially when I'm off to the wilderness in Northern California!

I spent some time last night looking at coverage maps for cell phone service in the area of Lassen Park and then comparing the maps with those of the park itself. It looks as though some areas have coverage while others may not, and it is pretty likely that I won't have it. That means I really need to get my laptop fixed so that I can carry it to a spot where I can connect. With the desktop I will be limited to the RV.

I got another query about workamping - this one from Dinosaur National Monument in Utah, for a volunteer visitor center host position. I think I would really like that and I'm sure I would be interested in Dinosaur National Monument. I will keep this one in mind for next year. I responded to this query and told them I would be very interested for next year, and got a reply already that they will put me on the mailing list for 2010. It's nice to know the jobs are out there and I won't have difficulty finding one. Having several months a year free of campground fees helps stretch the budget and that's important for a retiree.

There has been a lot of traffic into the RV Park today and I now have someone right next door to me on the curb side. I am on the end of a lane so the other side will remain free. I notice a lot more dogs being walked throughout the day so mine will be distracted from what it is that I take them out for.

I think I just ran out of propane, and I could swear I had at least half a tank left. I think I will buy a couple of extra tanks before I go to my job in Lassen. It's probably a lot more difficult to get the tanks refilled there than it is in Sacramento. This is one other job that I have never done for myself - that is, to pull the tanks out, get them refilled, and then back in and hooked up. I'm sure I can do it, and remember when I didn't think I could ever figure out how to dump the waste tanks, but after doing it on my own I realized it isn't difficult at all. With the propane, the hardest part for me will probably be lifting the full tanks up into the compartment and attaching the valves. I think I will buy a gauge for the tanks - they are pricey but it would help to know where I stand with propane usage. I obviously don't do a very good job otherwise.