Wow, this rig is getting expensive

DH and I drove over to Sequim yesterday. Sequim is on the Olympic pennisula and what a magnificent drive, we drove thru the forests, we drove along the sound and the road twisted around thru quaint little towns. It rained some, but not alot.
The whole purpose of the trip was to locate Eric's RV and Service. It was recommended to us by another RVer and we drove over there to check on the price of Headers, leaverlers, (sp) a dish, solar and the bill got up to about 12,000. I almost gaged cause I need to get tires also.
So, I think we will take the dish and solar off the list for now and see what Camping World wants for the levelors.

Tacoma Museum of Glass

Tacoma? Noted for art?
Today, friends and I went and checked out the new exhibit at the Tacoma Glass Art Museum and I was not disappointed at all. I went a few years ago and thought it was good, but this time, I found it to be fasinating and interesting, and of course the glass was amazing.
We first checked out the "hot room' where they actually blow glass. Last time we just watched, but this time, they talked about what they were doing and why and how. It was fasinating.
OOOh and there is a glass organ there which is on loan and will only be there a couple more days. The glass blower/engineer made an organ with glass tubes and fire and it actually plays eerie notes and a magical sounds comes forth. It was worth the entrance fee alone.
Next time you come up to Tacoma, lets plan to go there. I could go over and over again and never get tired of it, it's so wonderful. I know that you will really enjoy it.
Our friend is up from Portland and it has rained every day since he came. He is use to the rain but I would really like to show him something other than rain clouds and dark skys. Tomorrow we plan to ge to Mima Mounds and play in the mud. Also Ft Lewis has a nice small museum that is well worth the trip.

Casita is coming home

The motorhome has been in storage for the past year and today Roy and John are going to go get it and bring it home. Sitting hasn't done alot for the old girl and so I know we have tons of stuff to do to her, just to get her on the road. She is going to get new tires next week and levelors and headers and thats just a start cause there are probably other things that she needs done. I know there are other things that she needs done.

Home

WE MADE IT, not without trails and troubles, but none the less we made it home and spent the first day sitting on our couch, looking for something to watch on TV. For those of you who are in Japan and think you have nothing to watch on TV, we have a 100 channels of nothing to watch on TV.....Never complain, at least you have a couple decent movie channels.

SOOOOO, we get to the airport on Tuesday night, thanks to Bev and Berry who graciously took us up there and delivered us at the airport hotel. It was a very luxorious hotel and worth every penny to stay there and not have to take a 0430 train that might or might not get us on time to the airport. BUT we went down to dinner and they had a western side and a Japanese side and as Western on our last night in Japan was unconcievable, we went to on the japanese side. Well, the waitress must not have had foreigners in there before as they were so gracious and helpful ( and didn't understand a word) but we ordered the Special Set thinking it would be cheaper than the regular menu. WRONG answer. First of all the set came with raw fish. (I see your nose Sallie) but while I was perfectly willing to eat Roys, he did manage to eat it. There was the obligatory rice, cut in the shape of a star, there was an egg drop like soup which was very pretty but tasteless. There was also this snotball, tinted orange, the was perfectly discusting, which I had to try, and there was about a half dozen other tidbits. Our bill though, almost made me faint 6832 yen. OMG Then we went upstairs to bed and it was like sleeping on rocks, hard wasn't exactly the word, hard and lumpy. Neither of us got much sleep.

The next morning we were on the first shuttle to the airport and the gal at the ticket counter looks at me, my passport expired in July. My stomach suddenly was naucious and racing, trying to decide what to do. I pulled out a copy of my orders and military ID which expired today and hoped that that would work. She faxed the copies to someone in Tokyo and told me to check in with the ticket agent when I got there.
So I stayed in panic mode until I got to Tokyo and tried to see the ticket agent. They don't open until 1130 and its like 0930. More panic. I'm thinking I can probably go to the Embassy in Tokyo and get it there for lots of money.

Finally 1130 comes around and the ticket agent shakes his head at me, and calls the State Department and because I am on military orders and a US citizen, he or she said to let me on the plane and that was the last time anyone noticed that I had an expired passport. Even the immigration office at SeaTac didn't look at it.

The plane ride was smooth and because of the lumpy hard bed in Japan I slept thru most of it. The food was nasty but you knew that. We made it thru customs in about a blink and then after a short wait, got the shuttle and then got home.

There was a little mouse sitting on the livingroom rug waiting for us.

So, we get home and the phone that I have given everyone the numberto, is disconnected. The kid that stayed here probably didn't want to pay for both lines so now I don't have a phone. I am hoping that we can get it reconnected. (Turned out to be a broke line with Roy repaired in a flash.
Also, to Roys massive frustration, the kids girlfriend gave him a computer keyboard and moved the letters around to spell I LOVE YOU JR, so Roy can't use the computer because he looks when he types. LOL serves him right.