190. Giving Notice!

Fancy personalized key fob courtesy
of Sterling, other side says Action
Actuator! Thank you very much!!

      With rain still around us and a pretty intense cycle ride planned in a few days I figured it was time to give the Valkyrie some attention. Shouldn't be too difficult, oil, filter and a few adjustments. What do they say about the best laid plans? Stopping at my motorcycle parts source, okay Walmart, I picked up my supplies. Pulled the Valkyrie into the barn just a few feet from our tiny home I changed the oil. With 129,827 miles on our trike it needed some attention. Normally we try not to ride after dark however a couple of miscalculations of daylight had brought the headlight adjustment to my attention. 

Bobbie and me,
a selfie.

I had also noticed a little vibration in my front fairing.  This brought to mind our initial trip to Hemet this year.  In an effort to keep up with traffic several times we had flirted on the high side of the speed limit on interstate 10.  Who am I kidding, we couldn't even see it anymore.  Keeping up with traffic on the highway track across the desert and a little acceleration at times makes it easy to run 85mph.  Just seems like the thing to do.  That day as we were coming down the decline to the Coachella Valley a pretty fierce wind was facing us and I detected a flutter in my windshield and fairing.   We were on a tight schedule that day so I reached out and held it with my hand and by the time we slowed at the valley floor it was out of my mind.   Now removing some panels for the headlight adjustment I find the two are related.  Evidently the vibration had stripped a couple of support bolts.   Okay not going to be an easy adjustment here.  Putting it back together enough to make the trip to Hemet I picked up some new bolts, nuts and star washers.  With my ever present sidekick "Bobbie" lurking near I made the necessary repairs.  Not that I don't trust her however since she constantly has to touch every tool I use and that one time when she touched my ear while I was laying on the ground, well let's just say I keep my eye on her.  "We" adjusted the headlight to the height of the blue painters tape I had put on a barn door and "Bobbie" and I stepped back to admire our work.   Better than new, we were both satisfied.  

     It seemed with the passing of the holidays that the joint activities we had enjoyed with our wonderful landlords was on the decline.   Lynda stopped updating their/our calendar and we had some time to access our situation.    Ruthie had been disappointed with the primary bed arrangement on arrival and with a couple of other daily inconveniences it was time to move and explore elsewhere.   But where?  Sterling had already suggested Vista California as an ideal spot and we had an economical lodging offer there, Michelle and friends were in Mesa AZ and we knew we had more areas to explore in Arizona.  Well we had a month to decide.

     Ideally we had wished to give our 30 day notice as a couple however our landlords schedule, the rain and month end pending prevented it and ironically I informed Sterling standing outside in a heavy rain (has it been seven months already?) while he changed propane tanks on our tiny home. 

Mamaaaaaa! They sound
just like a baby crying!



And the rain continues, this certainly has to be what our Coachella employers were warning us about, how did they know.  Record rain, mudslides, over 200% rainfall for the period.   On rainy days we played a lot of cribbage in our tiny home, I don't know if its the rain and lack of sunshine or if Ruthie is just to competitive, my goodness how she hates to lose.  I really didn't know she swore that much.  I try to be a gracious winner however it doesn't help.  Its late, I win again and she doesn't even ask if I want to play again.  "We're playing again".   She says in a commanding voice.  Am I a prisoner here?   "Trapped in a tiny house, forced to play cribbage."  Read his epitaph.  Fortunately our trip is coming up. 


With a hug like this who isn't
going to stop crying!

     January 23   We start making our plans for our little trip, Ruthie wants to see her sister Donna who is going to be in Mesa Arizona for a few days.  We decided to combine it with a little residence hunting, sightseeing and visiting.  Our goal is to be back in our tiny home by February 3rd to meet and. entertain guests.     During the evening hours the rains increased in intensity and evidently my 

I think I can fly!

Thesaurus friend Deanna had some concern about our safety as we were very close to the Diamond valley lake reservoir. 
We both have odd sleeping hours, so while our spouses were resting peacefully we carried on our conversation by texting.   Reassuring her of our safety and texting back and forth she found out we had a slim summer planned and said we might be "living on belly button lint and weenie water."  Certainly a new phrase for me.  She said her mother used to say that all the time.  Kind of made me wonder about her mother.   Who would say that to a child.    Of course now this morning after some thought I realize what weenie water is.  I apologize!