So far, we used our stay here in Las Vegas to take advantage of all the conveniences a big city has to offer.
First of all, the public park across the street has been the perfect venue for our runs. Three trips around the soccer field takes about 40 minutes, which is just about right. For the first time in a long time we’re running on grass, which takes a little more oomph than running on a hard surface. In addition, you need to pay attention when running on such an uneven surface. So once again, a change in location changes our workout.
As usual, we had some equipment maintenance issues to resolve. Rolling up the large awning on the coach is getting difficult due to a weak or broken spring. After several calls to the manufacturer and local businesses we finally arranged for service, hopefully the problem will be resolved next week.
The coach is getting close to an oil change. After getting quotes as high as $250, we finally found a Jiffy-Lube style oil-change place for trucks for about $150. We’ll give it a try when the weather clears. For those not familiar with motorhomes, an oil change involves over 20 quarts of oil (five gallons), an oil filter and two fuel filters. This is not something you want to do in your driveway at home.
Somehow, the trip from Quartzsite to Cottonwood Cove plugged up the washout-sprayer-thing inside the black tank. There was no dump at Quartzsite so we had to travel with a full black tank. A call to the helpful folks at Monaco technical support let me know how to access the washout. I am happy to report the washout is working as designed and the black tank is happy.
We took advantage of the dining opportunities Las Vegas has to offer. One of our first stops was a dinner Buffet where we both suffered after eating way too much. A trip to a breakfast buffet was a lot more restrained. One afternoon we attended a gun show at the Tropicana Hotel, which was right across the street from the MGM Grand and Emeril’s restaurant. Jeanne likes the crab cake appetizers at Emeril’s, so after viewing the ‘hardware’ at the Tropicana we lunched over crab cakes, calamari and a few beers. We also had an excellent early dinner at a local Olive Garden. All of this is a real treat for us, since we don’t eat out all that often.
At a local mall, we found a Dell Direct kiosk. When we bought our laptop computers we purchased a auto/air power supply that plugs into a 12-volt cigarette lighter. It was suppose to work with both computers, but it only works on mine. After a discussion with the Dell guys and a call to Dell, a new power supply is on the way at no charge. For any readers out there considering a new system, give Dell a try.
The cell phone is another issue needing attention. We have been looking for a cell phone antenna to boost the signal but the phone we use does not support this feature. We spent some time talking with T-Mobil about phone upgrades, but we still have not come to any conclusions. We’ll revisit the issue next week. Ah, the executive decision to delay the decision!
Since internet access is spotty at times, we connect whenever we get a chance. Some of the connections are highly suspect and we’re very careful about downloading malicious software. We have good virus protection, but we finally broke down and installed anti-spyware software. A scan turned up nothing, but at least we feel a little more secure.
The weather has been blustery with periods of rain and the forecast is for more of the same. Getting to Vegas ahead of the weather was a good move. When the weather clears, we plan to do a little sightseeing. Until then, we’re holed up waiting for the rain to stop.