Ron's great handiwork

Please hang in there folks...I am down in a deep valley and Internet service is spotty at best.  I'll be on the road tomorrow and should be getting better service.
Now to show you the great things Ron did for me.....


First of all, this table had a base that had to be set up in front of those drawers.  When it was in place the drawers could not be opened and the table took up all the space between the bunks so everything felt too crowded.  It was also very cumbersome to put up and take down.  So Ron removed all the underneath hardware, I put one of those rubber gripper sheets on the top of the drawers and the table top sits there just fine plus it doesn't feel like it takes up the whole place.  I simply slip the table top under the mattress on one of the bunks to store it. (and I am working on it right now)

I needed some place to hang wet towels at night to dry.  In this high-humidity climate I have had to be very very careful not to put away anything wet.  Mildew will develop fast and be miserable if not impossible to live with. At first we thought of a clothes line but that meant putting hooks into the bulkhead which is mostly padding so we were stumped until Pat Davis suggested a shower spring rod.  It works perfectly and can be quickly taken down and stored at night.

Sigh Me has one very annoying habit I cannot seem to break--she sharpens her claws.  I would never have her de-clawed on the off-chance she might desert this rocking ship some day--sans claws she would not survive in the great outdoors.  I found this box of stuff at Pet Smart that cats are supposed to love and will leap on obediently to sharpen their claws.  The first time Sigh Me saw it on the floor she curled up on top and went to sleep.  So I covered it with catnip.  She curled up on it and slept for the entire day.  So Ron suggested Velcro-ing it to the cabinet door.  So far she just looks at it then strolls over to the passenger seat and sharpens away.  So, for now I am covering everything in sheets and hoping she will give in to my wishes...yeah, right.

Wow, Ron got the TV antenna hooked up and showed me how to channel it into the computer.  So now I can watch 'Dancing with the Stars'!  Suddenly, I knew why I have lived for 7 months without TV. It stinks!  I know there are some good things on TV and I'll let you know the minute I find one of them.

And he gave me another table.  This one is on a hinge right behind the sink.  The post that holds it up can be removed and the table is hinged so it will drop down flat against the bulkhead when not in use.  It is a great place to set things when cooking.

Two hooks and a shock cord now secure my oven when traveling.

And dowels that act as stops so stuff will quit slamming up against the sliding door and jamming it.

Little tabs on the kitchen drawers so they will stay closed underway...

and dividers in the silverware drawer so everything doesn't rush to the back and jam the drawer whenever I make a corner on two wheels. Calm down, kids, I'm kidding.

Ron also updated and cleaned up my computer, checked the van motor and showed me how to better secure my bike.

And the 'crowning touch'...a new stove.  First Ron took the old one apart and tried his best to fix it but we found out they don't make those parts anymore.  So we had a new one rushed to us and it is a beauty.  Now I am back to gourmet cooking (Weenies and beans, boiling water, etc)--life is grand.

For all of this I thank all three of my kids who chipped in and helped Ron spend four days in North Carolina working on my want list. And especially to Ron, I am so grateful for all you have done to make this trip easier for me.  I really do hate to be one of those obnoxious bragging mothers but I have to say it...I have the greatest kids in the world!  Ron, Janice and Tom--you are the best!