Yep, We Fixed It!!

Ron and I have both been self employed for nearly 30 years.  Wow! 

PolyMenders is our plastic repair business.  Simply put, we repair plastic slides, kayaks, motorcycle parts, ATV parts, water pipes, RV tanks and various other plastic items.  I think the most unique repair we made was to an outdoor couch and chair set that had cracked in the summer sun.

Most of the items we repair can be brought to our shop.  However, when a playground slide is broken, we pack up our equipment and drive to the slide.

closed off for the safety of the children

Today was one such day.  We had been contacted a few days ago that a local elementary school slide was the target of vandals.  After inspecting the slide, we determined that it is repairable.  The school personnel were very relieved that we would bring their beloved slide back to useable condition!  That's one of the best things about our job-helping repair items that still have many years of use :-)

today's repair project

The damage looks significant to the untrained eye, but to us, it's definitely repairable.  The hole measures around 2" x 4 1/2" with two long cracks extending from each side and a much smaller crack extending from the top left corner.  Kids have filled the hole with tanbark.  I guess this slide must have been this way for awhile before we got the call to fix it...

step one: check

The first area to repair are the three cracks.  Then we can tackle the hole once we have a solid foundation.  This slide is white, an unusual color for a playground slide.  So we used tan material in our repair.  We've never heard a customer say that they'd rather get a new 'what-ever' if the color didn't match exactly!

all done and ready for use again!

It's a bit blurry, but you can see the final result here.  We've finished the area so that it is once again smooth and ready for use!  All that needs to be done now is remove the plywood at the opening of the slide.  I'm sure the maintenance department for the school district will take care of that in short order.

they'll be happy kids tomorrow when they can use the slide again

One benefit of owning our own business is the ability to take Rufus along with us (sometimes).  Today he enjoyed his shady spot while watching us work.

Rufus enjoys his spot near our work site

Check out our web page for more repairs: www.polymenders.com.

Photo Challenge - Day Five

Today is the last day day of my five day challenge.  At first I was pulling my hair out a bit frustrated because my photo editing software program doesn't have an option to turn color photos into black and white.  Thankfully Ron came up with a solution :-)  Once I figured out the kinks, it went smoothly!

About the challenge:

I was invited by Jodee of On The Road Abode to take part in a five day black and white photo challenge.

For my last B & W photo, we travel to Maryland in May 2012.  We went to visit Jessica and Mike, newly engaged at the time.  On one of our outings we went on a nature walk and spotted this small spider in it's nest among a leafy bush.  I believe you can see it's prey in the web.

The only rules of the challenge are:

1. On five consecutive days, create a post using a recent or past photograph in black and white.

2. Invite another blogging friend to join in the challenge.

As part of this challenge I want to nominate Becky of Interstellar Orchard.  Becky has been full-time on the road for about two years now.  She makes a living traveling to seasonal jobs all around the country.  Her tales of life on the road are both insightful and humorous.

I hope you enjoyed my photos.  Becky, I hope you decide to accept the Black & White Photo Challenge.  

Photo Challenge - Day Four

About the challenge:

I was invited by Jodee of On The Road Abode to take part in a five day black and white photo challenge.

Ron and I went on a weekend trip to Monterey, CA for our anniversary a few years back.  The weather was cold and blustery.  It reminds me now of the Winnie The Pooh cartoon when Pooh and Piglet are in the same kind of weather.  While we were exploring the wharf, I looked down at the water and saw these various boats lined up on the dock below.  Perhaps they're for rent.  Perhaps they're privately owned.  Either way, it looks like it would make a great puzzle... 

The only rules of the challenge are:

1. On five consecutive days, create a post using a recent or past photograph in black and white.

2. Invite another blogging friend to join in the challenge.

As part of this challenge I want to nominate Judd of It's A RV Life.  Judd and his wife are living in their 5th wheel full-time with their teenage son.  Judd recently began writing his blog.  I enjoy his travel stories and he writes about RV tips as well.  

I hope you enjoy my photos.  Judd, I hope you decide to accept the Black & White Photo Challenge.

Click the photo for a larger image.

Photo Challenge - Day Three

About the challenge:

I was invited by Jodee of On The Road Abode to take part in a five day black and white photo challenge.

This photo was taken while driving west bound on Highway 80 in the summer of 2007.  I love how the sun's rays shine down through the clouds.  We seem to be the only ones on the road... 

The only rules of the challenge are:

1. On five consecutive days, create a post using a recent or past photograph in black and white.

2. Invite another blogging friend to join in the challenge.

As part of this challenge I want to nominate Mark of Our Future in an RV.  Mark and his wife are planning their escape into the RV lifestyle once they retire.  

I hope you enjoy my photos.  Mark, I hope you decide to accept the Black & White Photo Challenge.

Click the photo for a larger image.

Photo Challenge - Day Two

About the challenge:

I was invited by Jodee of On The Road Abode to take part in a five day black and white photo challenge.

This is obviously a prison.  Your quest is to guess which prison it is.  Here are a few hints:

• It was first discovered in 1775.
• You need a boat to get here.
• Originally barren, the US government built a fortress on the island to protect new found gold.
• It is home to the Pacific Coast's first lighthouse.
• It saw it's last inmates in June 1971.
• You can find much more information about this famous island here.  

We promised our kids, Alex and Jessica, that one day we would take them there.  We finally fulfilled our promise and we all went to this famous landmark in December of 2008.


The only rules of the challenge are:

1. On five consecutive days, create a post using a recent or past photograph in black and white.

2. Invite another blogging friend to join in the challenge.

As part of this challenge I want to nominate Chris DelBoccio Hughes of CU On The Road.  Chris works in sales and marketing at a credit union.  She and her family enjoy trips in their RV named Bessie.  Her tales about their dog Hairy Barry are humorous and well written. 

I hope you enjoy my photos.  Chris, I hope you decide to accept the Black & White Photo Challenge.

Click the photo for a larger image.

Photo Challenge - Day One

About the challenge:

I was invited by Jodee of On The Road Abode to take part in a five day black and white photo challenge.

This is Shadow Lake, one of many Sierra Lakes in the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area.  It was a warm July day, snow still on the trail.  The only way to get here is on foot.  I was invited by my friends on a week long backpacking adventure.  With views like this, how could I say no?  This was in the summer of 2007.  I am looking forward to going back there and showing this gorgeous lake to Ron one day.

The only rules of the challenge are:

1. On five consecutive days, create a post using a recent or past photograph in black and white.

2. Invite another blogging friend to join in the challenge.

As part of this challenge I want to nominate Janet Shaw of Seize The Day RV Adventures.  Janet enjoys birdwatching and she takes some great photos of her subjects.  Janet and Kevin recently moved into their motorhome to begin the next chapter of their lives.

I hope you enjoy my photos.  Janet, I hope you decide to accept the Black & White Photo Challenge.

Click the photo for a larger image.   

Start Small

Sure, we'd love to sell the house As Is.  But in reality it needs some beautification first.  We decided to start small.  Namely, the laundry room.  Or as Ron likes to call it: The Lady Cave.  Really!?

The Lady Cave??

This room is definitely looking like it needs a make-over: 70's linoleum, wire rack to hold cleaners, popcorn ceiling and walls painted gray.

Thankfully Ron is a DIY kinda guy :-)

Together we cleared off the wire shelves.  That was an improvement just by itself.  Those old wire racks are not going back in.  In their place will be a wooden cabinet with 4 doors.  Ron actually found a used one on Craigslist that will fit the space perfectly.  No more cleaning bottles in full sight every time we open the door. 

Ron vacuums up spider webs that have been undisturbed for quite awhile.

The room had some minor damage from dogs and kids and years of use.  The areas have been sanded and filled in with spackle.  The popcorn ceiling has to stay- probably has some asbestos in it and we don't want to mess with that.  It did, however, get a fresh coat of white paint.

We're now in a holding pattern until next weekend.  We think we decided on a paint color.  We will be redoing the floors with tile or another flooring.  We haven't made that decision yet.  

Just out of curiosity, what color would you paint it?
 

Crock Pot Meals

It's so nice to come home at the end of the day and have dinner ready to eat.  Although I don't have a private cook on staff (or any staff at all), I do have a crock pot.

I enjoy eating the meals.  The prep work, I can do without.  It takes sometimes 30 minutes or more to get the ingredients together and cut the meat & veggies.  In the morning, before work, is not always the best time to do this.  I recently read about prepping more than one meal at a time and freezing the ingredients for easy use any day of the week.  I decided to give it a try.

I found a few websites that offer recipes for just this style of crock pot cooking.  I decided on this one for it's simple recipes, easy to find ingredients and delicious sounding recipes.  It includes 6 different recipes, two of which are doubled, for a total of eight meals.  There are two pork recipes, two beef recipes and four chicken recipes.  At the end of the recipes is an ingredients list.  How sweet.  I didn't even have to make a shopping list!

I came home with all of the ingredients to make the 8 recipes.  After getting a few additional items out of the pantry I was ready to go :-)

all of this will make eight tasty dinners :-)

Step 1 is to write the name of the recipe on a gallon size freezer bag.  I decided to write all eight of the recipe names at the same time.  Good idea!  My hands were pretty gunkie and needed rinsing too many times to count...

According to the website, I should be able to put together the eight meals in 35 minutes.  It actually took me more like 1.5 hours.  But, it was time well spent.  The biggest time spent was getting the fat off of the beef.  Next time I'll buy a leaner cut of meat.

eight dinners ready for the freezer

I added up the cost of the purchased ingredients and the estimated cost of the ingredients I had in the house.  I estimate the total for all eight dinners is $55.  That's less than $7 per dinner, which means less than $2 per serving!  Talk about a great money saver!

After I was done prepping the meals, I looked around me.  You'd think a tornado came through the kitchen.  No tornado, but what a mess...

spices and measuring spoons

meat cutting area, I admit some of the dishes were here already

empty cans and meat fat scraps

open cabinets and full sink

I'm confident I could do this same prep work in a trailer.  I would likely change the order of what ingredient I add to the bag by putting the spices in first, followed by the meat, followed by the wet & canned items.

The next step is to put the filled bags into the freezer.  When you want to use one put it in the refrigerator the night before so it can thaw.  Then simply empty it's contents into the crock pot in the morning.  Dinner will be ready when you come back at the end of your day!

After I was done prepping the meals I asked Ron which one he wanted the next day.  He chose Pepperoncini Shredded Beef.  This recipe has four ingredients: beef chuck roast, pepperoncinis, garlic and pepper.  OMG!!  This meal was delicious, fantastic, over-the-top terrific!  I served it atop mashed potatoes.  The next day our lunch was the leftovers on a sandwich roll.  Another great way to eat it:-)

just as good the second time around!

         

Calm Within The Chaos

Driving down the six lane city road you would hardly guess that just three blocks away is a 396 acre county park with miles of trails, river access, an 18 hole golf course, picnic areas, a nature center and a nature preserve.  Yet, here it is.   

amid homes is the main entrance to Ancil Hoffman Park

Ancil Hoffman Park is just off a busy metropolitan road in the heart of Carmichael.  It's a quick half hour drive from our home.  I decided to take Rufus there this past Sunday to check it out again.  The last time I was here was with my daughter's fourth grade class, many years ago.

big enough for many activities or none at all

I pay my $5 entrance fee and park in the first lot on the left.  Already I see the golf course- green grass, golf carts, and plenty of shade trees.  There are even a few wild turkeys milling around.  The lot is empty, maybe 4 or 5 cars total.  Next to the lot is a huge field.  There is a lone picnic table under a tree.  No one is at the table but there is a couple nearby lounging in their chairs enjoying the quiet sounds of nature.  Since we're here for a walk, off we go...

can you see me now?!

Rufus and I reach the far end of the field.  There's a creek bed with a foot path over it.  As expected, the creek is dry.  I suppose once this awful drought is over, the water will be flowing once more.  At the other end of the foot bridge is the Effie Yeaw Nature Center.  This is a great place to learn about the regions wild life, Nisenan Maidu Indian culture and local flora & fauna.  Dogs are not allowed in this area so Rufus and I can not explore this area of the park.  Oh well.  We'll go make new discoveries of our own.

We are basically the only people here.  We pass a few people on the trail, some with dogs.  Rufus is shy.  Maybe he's scared because the other dogs are bigger than he is.  The trail is smooth and easy to walk.  Dogs must be on a leash at all times.  It's a good time to teach Rufus 'heal'.  He does a pretty good job.

the trails are smooth and nearly deserted today

My stomach tells me it's approaching lunchtime.  There's a shady spot under that large oak tree over there.  We amble our way over a dry river bed full of rocks and come to a scenic area few people see.  The poppies are in full bloom.  They grow like weeds but they're pretty in their own way. 

groups of California Poppies dot the landscape

Rufus waits for more treats :-)

our lunchtime view

the best way to spend a sunny afternoon!

With our appetites satisfied, we head out in a slightly different direction.  I know there is a river here somewhere and I'm determined to find it!  At last, the river comes into view.  I think I'm more excited than Rufus.  The river is low, but that doesn't stop families from visiting on this warm spring day.  More people and dogs for Rufus to meet.  The large Great Dane puppy towers over Rufus.  He's okay with the smaller Chihuahua.  They play for a bit until the other dog decides food is available for him.  That's fine with Rufus.  He's happy laying down and watching the ducks in the water.
 

pay no attention to us...

Walking back to the car, we once again pass by the golf course.  This time we see two deer enjoying the ample shade away from the action.  The golfers don't seem to mind either.  According to their website, Ancil Hoffman Golf Course is nationally ranked in the top 75 public golf courses by Golf Digest.  If I enjoyed golf, I would certainly like to play a few rounds here.

daffodils as tall as me!

One more stop before we get to the car.  I spy a marsh area just off the trail.  Among the cattails, there is a group of wild daffodils that is nearly as tall as me.  I had to get a closer peak.

All in all Rufus and I walked a little over three miles.  We had a fun time together.  Ron and I are planning to take another walk with Rufus next weekend.  Ron missed out on this one, but there will be plenty more chances in our future! 




 


    

    

Meet Rufus, Our Newest Sidekick

The hole in our hearts is full again!

R 'n R 'n R

Ron and I arrived at Animal Friends Connection Humane Society at our appointed time slot Saturday afternoon.  Sue was on the phone and asked us to wait at the small table in the lobby.  While we were waiting, Rufus' foster parents brought him in.  The first thing we ALL noticed was that Ron and Rufus have matching goatees :-)

Rufus was shy and wanted to climb up on 'foster dad'.  They reassured Rufus that we were his new parents.  He gave us a few kisses and gobbled up some chicken treats from us.  After 30-40 minutes 'foster mom and dad' left, saying their goodbyes to Rufus.  We reassured them that Rufus would be spoiled!

Rufus likes his new toy!

The spoiling started immediately.  On our way to the shelter we stopped at a pet store for a couple of toys, a collar and a new leash.  Then on the way back home we stopped at the same store for food and hugs from the staff and temporary vet clinic doctors.  Rufus wasn't shy at all :-)

he's a happy boy

As expected Rufus is learning what he can and can not chew (toys vs shoes), what he can and can not jump on (couch vs bed) and how to walk on a leash.  He is self entertaining.  It's a riot when he throws his toys to play fetch with himself!



Sunday we took Rufus to another dog store with indoor dog bath stations.  After his bath we walked around for a bit at the outdoor shopping center.  Since it was Easter, there weren't many people strolling about.

He'll be coming to work with us today for more spoiling and loving from his new family :-)