At 1:30 it's 82F and going up to 93 today. The weekend looks to be in the upper 90's, so I will be ready to take off on Monday for cooler places.
I needed several items at Home Depot, so waited until about 7 pm last night, hoping it might be cooler (it wasn't). Got the things on my list and then looked for a checkout, but the only thing open were two self-service checkouts. I don't do self-service checkouts, anywhere, any time! I asked a tech nearby and he said only the S-S was open, but that he would scan my bag of charcoal while I scanned the smaller items. I told him "I don't do self-service checkouts!", rolled the cart back and put every item in its proper place, then walked out of the store empty handed. (Do you think anyone actually cared?) The store closes at 10 pm so it wasn't because they were drawing down for the day.
I decided to try K-Mart as I really wanted some 10" hacksaw blades. I'm trying to cut down the ugliest rose bush on the planet, and I can only do a small bit at a time. I had put the blades back on the shelf at Home Depot, and K-Mart didn't even have them. That place used to be a good store to shop but it is falling apart now. I doubt I'll ever go back, at least for any serious shopping, and maybe rarely to pick up a small item. Personally I think all the discount stores such as Target, Walmart, K-Mart, and even the so called drug stores such as Walgreens, made a big mistake trying to be a grocery store/discount combo. They made room for groceries by reducing their shelf space for the products which made them popular in the first place. (I know I've said this in past blogs, but please humor me.)
This morning I decided to bite the bullet and go to the dreaded Walmart. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but much less satisfactory than it could have been as well. I got the blades and have already reduced the rose bush. Someone is bound to wonder why I'm using a hacksaw. It's because the only two saws I have are a hacksaw and a circular saw, which would be overkill. I doubt I will ever do enough sawing to warrant buying something else.
After already letting the horse out of the barn, I closed the door when I bought a pack of Shout Color Catchers. No more fading of colors for me, although I could just put that blue beach towel in the closet and forget about using or washing it again.
Some propane canisters for my Coleman 2-burner stove and the Coleman lantern, plus a few extra tent stakes was all I could find in the camping department; sorry to say I haven't found a chaise lounge anywhere this year that I liked. Target is about the only place left, and I find that as irritating a place to shop as is Walmart.
I have looked at my middle row of seats in the Highlander every chance I get, even read the user manual again, trying to figure out how to get the seats to lay flat. Nothing doing! The back row is tucked away under the cargo floor and I'm not messing with them and then not be able to get them back the way they are now. But the middle row is driving me crazy! Does any reader have a 2006 Toyota Highlander, and if so, can you fold the seats down so that they lie flush with the cargo floor? There has to be a way to do this.
I find myself wishing I had a Toyota Sienna, although the fuel economy would be much less than what I get. Also, what do I need with a bigger vehicle like that? I'd camp in it, that's what!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
More pics from my trip
The following photos were on a roll of film that I am finally getting around to posting. The first two were taken on my way to New York, probably in Wyoming.
I took these on the winding road coming down from West Point. The first is a shot of the stadium, and the 2nd is one of the many views of the Hudson River.
These were taken on my way to Kalispell, and was a preview of the beauty I would see at Glacier NP.
I took my MiFi back to Verizon this morning thinking they would merely give me a new battery, but the tech said no, they would have to replace the entire unit, which will be mailed out from Verizon and I should get it by Wednesday. I will have to take the SIM card out of the old unit and put it into the new one, and will have to reinstall it with the new password on my computer. My experience with doing these things is that Murphy's Law ALWAYS comes into play, and for sure I will have to take it back to the store so they can figure out what I'm doing wrong.
The tech who helped me this morning was smirky and irritating to begin with. I explained that the unit would not turn off unless I removed the battery and reinserted it, as well as the rest of the problems I have had with it. He make a big flashy deal out of turning it on, then off, and said "See it is off." I asked if it is off then why is it still flashing, and explained that it would flash all night long unless I removed the battery. He turned it on again, finding out that yes, it was still on as indicated by the flashing light. He kept trying different things and finally admitted there was a problem, just as I had insisted there was. From then on the smirky smile went away and he became a regular guy. "I may look old and I wear my spectacles on a chain around my neck, but I ain't stupid!", is what I wanted to tell him, but I knew I was right and so did he.
From there I drove out to a Walgreens way out to the south of where I live, and where only last fall it was an empty grassy wasteland. Now new subdivisions are going up, and the Walgreen's must be the first (and so far the only) of the stores that will serve this new community.
Since I am planning to camp at Lassen for several days next week, and since I have to get up throughout the night, I am looking for a Porta Potty system. Conroe Penny wrote that I should consider the PETT system, and in looking it up I found that it is a small portable toilet that comes with a special tent if you want to buy it that way, but that hikers and others can use the bags by themselves. There is a substance that gels the contents of the bag for easy disposal.
On the shelf there was one each of two different brands, and I bought both of them. I haven't yet taken one out of the box to see how easy (or not) it will be to use; they both supposedly have "wide openings". I'll be okay with either of them I'm sure, as when I was a backpacker I always kept a supply of ziplock bags in my tent for dark stormy nights. Today's ziplock bags don't have the quality of the old days, and they leak! I checked to see where these two products were made - one says "Made in USA", and the other says "Designed and engineered in the USA", meaning it is no doubt made in the Far East.
I took these on the winding road coming down from West Point. The first is a shot of the stadium, and the 2nd is one of the many views of the Hudson River.
These were taken on my way to Kalispell, and was a preview of the beauty I would see at Glacier NP.
I took my MiFi back to Verizon this morning thinking they would merely give me a new battery, but the tech said no, they would have to replace the entire unit, which will be mailed out from Verizon and I should get it by Wednesday. I will have to take the SIM card out of the old unit and put it into the new one, and will have to reinstall it with the new password on my computer. My experience with doing these things is that Murphy's Law ALWAYS comes into play, and for sure I will have to take it back to the store so they can figure out what I'm doing wrong.
The tech who helped me this morning was smirky and irritating to begin with. I explained that the unit would not turn off unless I removed the battery and reinserted it, as well as the rest of the problems I have had with it. He make a big flashy deal out of turning it on, then off, and said "See it is off." I asked if it is off then why is it still flashing, and explained that it would flash all night long unless I removed the battery. He turned it on again, finding out that yes, it was still on as indicated by the flashing light. He kept trying different things and finally admitted there was a problem, just as I had insisted there was. From then on the smirky smile went away and he became a regular guy. "I may look old and I wear my spectacles on a chain around my neck, but I ain't stupid!", is what I wanted to tell him, but I knew I was right and so did he.
From there I drove out to a Walgreens way out to the south of where I live, and where only last fall it was an empty grassy wasteland. Now new subdivisions are going up, and the Walgreen's must be the first (and so far the only) of the stores that will serve this new community.
Since I am planning to camp at Lassen for several days next week, and since I have to get up throughout the night, I am looking for a Porta Potty system. Conroe Penny wrote that I should consider the PETT system, and in looking it up I found that it is a small portable toilet that comes with a special tent if you want to buy it that way, but that hikers and others can use the bags by themselves. There is a substance that gels the contents of the bag for easy disposal.
On the shelf there was one each of two different brands, and I bought both of them. I haven't yet taken one out of the box to see how easy (or not) it will be to use; they both supposedly have "wide openings". I'll be okay with either of them I'm sure, as when I was a backpacker I always kept a supply of ziplock bags in my tent for dark stormy nights. Today's ziplock bags don't have the quality of the old days, and they leak! I checked to see where these two products were made - one says "Made in USA", and the other says "Designed and engineered in the USA", meaning it is no doubt made in the Far East.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
No RV show for me today
I was up early enough to take in some of the RV show before it got too hot, but decided I wasn't interested. As I mentioned, I have no desire to look at big, feature-laden RV's - more than I want or need and certainly more than I can afford. I think I will visit some local dealers in the next few months and see what they might have on the lot - if I find a salesman I like I can always ask him or her to keep an eye out for something in the category I want. I have a small CD (and I do mean a small one) that matures in late October, and that is what I will use to pay so it doesn't make sense to look in earnest right now. Of course, if something comes along that is perfect then I will find another source of funds to raid.
Jeannie called me early to tell me that Ara had safely arrived in Frankfurt and caught another plane to her final destination. From the airport she was able to get a bus to the university area, walked past where she will be going to class, and had no trouble finding her apartment. The landlord was very friendly and helpful - with her rusty German and his minimal English, they were able to carry on a conversation and understand each other.
Since it was early we decided to go to the downtown farmer's market. The pictures of what I bought do quite do them justice.
While I had everything set out on the table, I grabbed a little of this and a little of that, two kinds of chard, spinach, zucchini, onion, mushroom, tomato, carrot, small pattypan squash, and probably more, sliced and cut them up and sauteed them, then beat two fresh eggs from the dozen I bought this morning and poured it over all the veggies in the skillet. I forgot to add a sprinkling of cayenne to the egg mixture first, so I sprinkled a tiny bit on top of the mixture after it had cooked. I got one bite that had me running for a glass of water!
Not sure if they are visible in the photos but I also bought fresh corn on the cob, cherries, a sweet basil plant, and probably other stuff I am forgetting about now. I washed, re-packed, and put it all away after I ate. I have left over chicken tenderloin, but the main course for my supper will definitely be corn on the cob along with some other fresh veggies, with chicken as a side dish!
I forgot to get ice cream on the way home so I will have to go out again. I'm really going through a lot of it lately, and it tastes so good when the weather is hot.
Jeannie called me early to tell me that Ara had safely arrived in Frankfurt and caught another plane to her final destination. From the airport she was able to get a bus to the university area, walked past where she will be going to class, and had no trouble finding her apartment. The landlord was very friendly and helpful - with her rusty German and his minimal English, they were able to carry on a conversation and understand each other.
Since it was early we decided to go to the downtown farmer's market. The pictures of what I bought do quite do them justice.
While I had everything set out on the table, I grabbed a little of this and a little of that, two kinds of chard, spinach, zucchini, onion, mushroom, tomato, carrot, small pattypan squash, and probably more, sliced and cut them up and sauteed them, then beat two fresh eggs from the dozen I bought this morning and poured it over all the veggies in the skillet. I forgot to add a sprinkling of cayenne to the egg mixture first, so I sprinkled a tiny bit on top of the mixture after it had cooked. I got one bite that had me running for a glass of water!
Not sure if they are visible in the photos but I also bought fresh corn on the cob, cherries, a sweet basil plant, and probably other stuff I am forgetting about now. I washed, re-packed, and put it all away after I ate. I have left over chicken tenderloin, but the main course for my supper will definitely be corn on the cob along with some other fresh veggies, with chicken as a side dish!
I forgot to get ice cream on the way home so I will have to go out again. I'm really going through a lot of it lately, and it tastes so good when the weather is hot.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Nothing done today
I had planned to go out for a few items but scratched that idea and just took it easy all day, sleeping off and on in my recliner. I needed that sort of day!
Ara had problems with her flight to Chicago at 6:00 am, as did a lot of other passengers. She ended up not getting on the flight, so Jeannie was frantic trying to make things right. Together with a helpful customer service agent, she got her scheduled to fly to San Francisco, picking up a direct flight from there to Germany. That is certainly better than a 10 hour layover in Chicago, and will also get her into her destination earlier in the day tomorrow. The flight to S.F. was not on time - they had to wait for the plane to come in from S.F. before they could reload it for the flight back. Of course that time of the morning means FOG in San Francisco, but she was finally able to board a plane with enough time to make her connection on the international flight. This is one of the reasons I refuse to fly except in a dire emergency. You can always expect things to go wrong which is tolerable in case of bad weather, but drives me crazy when it's for other human-caused reasons.
I was surfing the TV channels last night and realized I was watching the National Geo channel, which I did not pay extra for. The fact that I pay what I do for watching 6-8 channels has always bugged me anyway, but I wondered if being able to view the channel was just a fluke or not. I can still get it today, so I will hope that I can add one more channel to my meager list.
My Direct TV bill is $30/month, and will double the second year to $60. I will probably cancel it at the end of the 1st year and just pay the early cancellation fee.
The Verizon bill ($120) includes 20 for my land line phone, my cell phone @300 min., and the new MiFi. I had to call the Verizon store today because I was having problems with it, and they told me to remove the battery and then put it back into the unit, which solved my problem. The tech suggested I bring the unit back to the store and they will give me a new battery. I like the service even if I'm not always entirely happy with the product.
On the left is my Uniden phone in the base (I have two extensions which I rarely use, but then I rarely use the main phone). On the right in back is the Verizon device that I paid $25 for, which plugs into the wall and the base station plugs into the device. It was so easy to connect, there is no contract and I pay $20/month for it. I recently found out I could have carried it with me as I traveled, but then I would have had to take the phone & base. With my track record of losing electronics I don't think I'll do that. The salesman said that some RVers take it along on trips in their RV's, and the antenna can be unscrewed from the unit and placed on the roof. I have no idea about that, but it would have been nice when I was full timing.
I could drop the cellphone and buy a Trac phone, which I may eventually do, but for now I'll keep paying for 300 minutes a month (of which I use maybe 100). It's been too hot to think about the options available, so I'll put it off for a little while.
I will have to go out tomorrow because I'm running low on ice cream! There is an RV show at Cal Expo and tomorrow is the last day. It is free admission and free parking, so I don't have much excuse to not go especially if I get there when they open at 9 am, which is still cool (around 60F). I sort of don't want to go because I am really not interested in what are the latest features of big RV's. If I can find something, I want it to be small and light on features. Not that I don't like features, but it's just more that I have to worry about repairs for. Since I don't intend to live in an RV or van for more than a few months at most, I can be pretty much of a minimalist.
Ara had problems with her flight to Chicago at 6:00 am, as did a lot of other passengers. She ended up not getting on the flight, so Jeannie was frantic trying to make things right. Together with a helpful customer service agent, she got her scheduled to fly to San Francisco, picking up a direct flight from there to Germany. That is certainly better than a 10 hour layover in Chicago, and will also get her into her destination earlier in the day tomorrow. The flight to S.F. was not on time - they had to wait for the plane to come in from S.F. before they could reload it for the flight back. Of course that time of the morning means FOG in San Francisco, but she was finally able to board a plane with enough time to make her connection on the international flight. This is one of the reasons I refuse to fly except in a dire emergency. You can always expect things to go wrong which is tolerable in case of bad weather, but drives me crazy when it's for other human-caused reasons.
I was surfing the TV channels last night and realized I was watching the National Geo channel, which I did not pay extra for. The fact that I pay what I do for watching 6-8 channels has always bugged me anyway, but I wondered if being able to view the channel was just a fluke or not. I can still get it today, so I will hope that I can add one more channel to my meager list.
My Direct TV bill is $30/month, and will double the second year to $60. I will probably cancel it at the end of the 1st year and just pay the early cancellation fee.
The Verizon bill ($120) includes 20 for my land line phone, my cell phone @300 min., and the new MiFi. I had to call the Verizon store today because I was having problems with it, and they told me to remove the battery and then put it back into the unit, which solved my problem. The tech suggested I bring the unit back to the store and they will give me a new battery. I like the service even if I'm not always entirely happy with the product.
On the left is my Uniden phone in the base (I have two extensions which I rarely use, but then I rarely use the main phone). On the right in back is the Verizon device that I paid $25 for, which plugs into the wall and the base station plugs into the device. It was so easy to connect, there is no contract and I pay $20/month for it. I recently found out I could have carried it with me as I traveled, but then I would have had to take the phone & base. With my track record of losing electronics I don't think I'll do that. The salesman said that some RVers take it along on trips in their RV's, and the antenna can be unscrewed from the unit and placed on the roof. I have no idea about that, but it would have been nice when I was full timing.
I could drop the cellphone and buy a Trac phone, which I may eventually do, but for now I'll keep paying for 300 minutes a month (of which I use maybe 100). It's been too hot to think about the options available, so I'll put it off for a little while.
I will have to go out tomorrow because I'm running low on ice cream! There is an RV show at Cal Expo and tomorrow is the last day. It is free admission and free parking, so I don't have much excuse to not go especially if I get there when they open at 9 am, which is still cool (around 60F). I sort of don't want to go because I am really not interested in what are the latest features of big RV's. If I can find something, I want it to be small and light on features. Not that I don't like features, but it's just more that I have to worry about repairs for. Since I don't intend to live in an RV or van for more than a few months at most, I can be pretty much of a minimalist.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Ready to go!
LITTLE GYPSY:
BIG GYPSY:
A GYPSY GENTLEMAN:
We all got into the act. I didn't have as much problem with it as I did in the store where they add weights to the pack. I think sandbags are more difficult to carry than actual clothing and gear, so I will hold my options open!
Nothing seems to be going as it should - she is picking up the international flight tomorrow in Chicago where they are expecting heavy storms. Then, she was supposed to call the landlady in Germany where she will be living while at school, but neither of the phone numbers work. She did get in touch with a friend who lives about an hour away from where she will be going to school, so she has someone to call in an emergency, and he offered to let her camp out at his house rather than spend the night trying to get some sleep in the banhof (railway station). Oh to be young again and setting out on such a journey. In my experience, the journeys that start out with problems and setbacks and unknown futures are the very best and teach you the most. As well traveled as Ara is, she will be ready to deal with any situation when she has completed this trip. Solo traveling does that for a person.
BIG GYPSY:
A GYPSY GENTLEMAN:
We all got into the act. I didn't have as much problem with it as I did in the store where they add weights to the pack. I think sandbags are more difficult to carry than actual clothing and gear, so I will hold my options open!
Nothing seems to be going as it should - she is picking up the international flight tomorrow in Chicago where they are expecting heavy storms. Then, she was supposed to call the landlady in Germany where she will be living while at school, but neither of the phone numbers work. She did get in touch with a friend who lives about an hour away from where she will be going to school, so she has someone to call in an emergency, and he offered to let her camp out at his house rather than spend the night trying to get some sleep in the banhof (railway station). Oh to be young again and setting out on such a journey. In my experience, the journeys that start out with problems and setbacks and unknown futures are the very best and teach you the most. As well traveled as Ara is, she will be ready to deal with any situation when she has completed this trip. Solo traveling does that for a person.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Computer and other woes
I was deleting some old mail in my inbox as well as the trash. I must have hit the wrong key because all of the sudden my inbox is completely empty! I guess it's all in the Trash if I need it.
Also in the category of "Why Do These Things Happen to Me", i bought some hand towels at Costco this morning. They are hotel style plain white, although larger and fluffier than most hotel towels I've had experience with. I had noticed that all my hand towels had stains of one type or another on them, so I figured I would buy some to hang when the kids & grandkids come over. I threw them into the wash with a couple of dishtowels and a large blue beach towel that I've washed previously, and that I wrapped around the side of the rocking chair that could scratch the inside of my car during the drive back from NY.
When the washer stopped and I pulled the hand towels out I realized the blue had run onto them. Rats - I never have that happen and I don't worry about sorting clothes. If I have enough for a load of dark colors I'll wash them separately, otherwise I'll just throw them in with everything else. I had to re-wash the white towels and used some Clorox hoping the stains would come out. Mostly they did, but what a waste of water, soap, and time.
Costco had regular unleaded for $3.559 so I filled up the gas tank. They also had Cosequin for dogs, at $38.99 for a bottle of 180 tabs. A dog the size of Lady needs two a day, and that makes it cheaper than even the bargain basement stuff at Walmart or Target. I've been paying close the the same price at pet stores for 120 or fewer tabs.
I wanted also to comment about my new Verizon Jetpack MiFi. So far I don't like it nearly as well as I liked my old (lost) one. I think I will make a trip to the Verizon store next week and see if there is something I could do differently. One sales tech at the store had suggested that I shouldn't keep it plugged in except to charge it. I plugged the old one in 1st thing in the morning and pulled the plug last thing at night, and it was ready throughout the day. This one seems to charge only when the connector is inserted into the unit and the unit is powered off. I would think if I left it plugged in while using it that it would keep up the charge, but it hasn't worked that way. I may need a different kind of power cord, or change the way I'm doing something.
As it is, I'm almost tempted to return the MiFi, cancel DirectTV, and contract with AT&T for TV and internet service. I would probably have already used AT&T except that my experience with their cell phone and internet air card service was less than satisfactory. Why do I think U-Verse would be any better.
As for traveling and taking along internet access, as long as I stay in motels I can use theirs when it's free and pay $2.99 a day when it's not. I don't need connection when I'm camping. My monthly bill has decreased, in part because I insisted I didn't want or need 450 minutes of cell phone usage a month, so he gave me 300. That isn't available when you look at Verizon's plans online. My total bill used to run in the area of $132.+ per month, and the last bill was $119.88. I don't know how I an get it any lower and still get the good customer service from Verizon.
The thermometer has reached 88 (expected to top out at 89) and it's hot although having a couple of fans running helps, and I don't have to turn them on until afternoon as the mornings are so cool. The heck with how my legs look much better in capris and my arms look much better in t-shirts, I'm wearing shorts and a tank top!
Also in the category of "Why Do These Things Happen to Me", i bought some hand towels at Costco this morning. They are hotel style plain white, although larger and fluffier than most hotel towels I've had experience with. I had noticed that all my hand towels had stains of one type or another on them, so I figured I would buy some to hang when the kids & grandkids come over. I threw them into the wash with a couple of dishtowels and a large blue beach towel that I've washed previously, and that I wrapped around the side of the rocking chair that could scratch the inside of my car during the drive back from NY.
When the washer stopped and I pulled the hand towels out I realized the blue had run onto them. Rats - I never have that happen and I don't worry about sorting clothes. If I have enough for a load of dark colors I'll wash them separately, otherwise I'll just throw them in with everything else. I had to re-wash the white towels and used some Clorox hoping the stains would come out. Mostly they did, but what a waste of water, soap, and time.
Costco had regular unleaded for $3.559 so I filled up the gas tank. They also had Cosequin for dogs, at $38.99 for a bottle of 180 tabs. A dog the size of Lady needs two a day, and that makes it cheaper than even the bargain basement stuff at Walmart or Target. I've been paying close the the same price at pet stores for 120 or fewer tabs.
I wanted also to comment about my new Verizon Jetpack MiFi. So far I don't like it nearly as well as I liked my old (lost) one. I think I will make a trip to the Verizon store next week and see if there is something I could do differently. One sales tech at the store had suggested that I shouldn't keep it plugged in except to charge it. I plugged the old one in 1st thing in the morning and pulled the plug last thing at night, and it was ready throughout the day. This one seems to charge only when the connector is inserted into the unit and the unit is powered off. I would think if I left it plugged in while using it that it would keep up the charge, but it hasn't worked that way. I may need a different kind of power cord, or change the way I'm doing something.
As it is, I'm almost tempted to return the MiFi, cancel DirectTV, and contract with AT&T for TV and internet service. I would probably have already used AT&T except that my experience with their cell phone and internet air card service was less than satisfactory. Why do I think U-Verse would be any better.
As for traveling and taking along internet access, as long as I stay in motels I can use theirs when it's free and pay $2.99 a day when it's not. I don't need connection when I'm camping. My monthly bill has decreased, in part because I insisted I didn't want or need 450 minutes of cell phone usage a month, so he gave me 300. That isn't available when you look at Verizon's plans online. My total bill used to run in the area of $132.+ per month, and the last bill was $119.88. I don't know how I an get it any lower and still get the good customer service from Verizon.
The thermometer has reached 88 (expected to top out at 89) and it's hot although having a couple of fans running helps, and I don't have to turn them on until afternoon as the mornings are so cool. The heck with how my legs look much better in capris and my arms look much better in t-shirts, I'm wearing shorts and a tank top!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Excursion to REI
Ara stopped by this morning and we drove over to our favorite outdoor gear store to look at backpacks. We got there when the store opened and found the b.p. department, but it became immediately obvious we needed some help and advice. An extremely knowledgeable young man came to assist us, and after looking at the many types and styles and uses for backpacks, we ended up with a model that will be perfect for packing clothing & other items for travel, plus can be used on the trail later.
He packed the various models with weights in the neighborhood of 20-25#, and carefully adjusted each pack to Ara's comfort, according to the torso size he had calculated first of all. Ara decided on the same pack I would have chosen, and I think it will last her for many years.
I have been secretly holding out hope that I can do some backpacking in the future, but when I tried on the pack which held about 25# I realized how futile are my hopes. I've been there, done that, and as much as I want to do it again, I just can't. Damn! One by one the aspirations and joys of my life are being taken away from me. But seeing that pack on my granddaughter, I realize I will live on. She is like me in many ways, and I believe she will always have a bit of gypsy to enrich her life, so I feel that maybe some of my genetic makeup has trickled down to her. And I just have to keep adjusting to the changes in my life and modify the things I do. Aw hell!
So much for shopping at REI - we also got a "pack holder" which is like a super lightweight duffel-bag type cover which completely encloses the pack, and which will protect it and the straps when checking it as luggage. The salesman said that if a strap gets caught in the conveyor belt it will be cut immediately. Don't want that to happen. By the time we were ready to check out, using my annual REI dividend plus my credit card, I decided to wait on the few items I want so as not to max out my card. The credit card is now tucked inside my passport and they are both in the place I leave them here at home. I normally only get the card out when traveling and had loaded it up pretty well on my recent journey. A little belt-tightening is going to be in order!
I forgot to take a picture of her with the pack, but will post it tomorrow if I can get one in the meantime.
He packed the various models with weights in the neighborhood of 20-25#, and carefully adjusted each pack to Ara's comfort, according to the torso size he had calculated first of all. Ara decided on the same pack I would have chosen, and I think it will last her for many years.
I have been secretly holding out hope that I can do some backpacking in the future, but when I tried on the pack which held about 25# I realized how futile are my hopes. I've been there, done that, and as much as I want to do it again, I just can't. Damn! One by one the aspirations and joys of my life are being taken away from me. But seeing that pack on my granddaughter, I realize I will live on. She is like me in many ways, and I believe she will always have a bit of gypsy to enrich her life, so I feel that maybe some of my genetic makeup has trickled down to her. And I just have to keep adjusting to the changes in my life and modify the things I do. Aw hell!
So much for shopping at REI - we also got a "pack holder" which is like a super lightweight duffel-bag type cover which completely encloses the pack, and which will protect it and the straps when checking it as luggage. The salesman said that if a strap gets caught in the conveyor belt it will be cut immediately. Don't want that to happen. By the time we were ready to check out, using my annual REI dividend plus my credit card, I decided to wait on the few items I want so as not to max out my card. The credit card is now tucked inside my passport and they are both in the place I leave them here at home. I normally only get the card out when traveling and had loaded it up pretty well on my recent journey. A little belt-tightening is going to be in order!
I forgot to take a picture of her with the pack, but will post it tomorrow if I can get one in the meantime.
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