What's under your lip/in your nose right now? - Part 2

[The Rebel]

Hearing Roth talk about towing stuff around with his Bravada and Escape reminded me of that picture. I've been guilty of towing a few trailers that were too big for the tow vehicle. After white knuckling it on a few camping trips with a camper that was way too heavy, I downsized to one that's well within our vehicles towing capacity. Much nicer trips now.

 

[rothenbj]

You have enough toys anyway with all those bikes.

So that post made me think......

 

[rothenbj]

I just might show up on Gutter's doorstep. He may avoid this side of the tracks, but not tenacity on my part.

 

[hittman]

Is that one of those can am bikes? Is it new?

 

[rothenbj]

Yes, a Can-Am. It's not new, the guy bought it in July of last year, or I should say his wife bought it. They took a trip to Alaska and they saw them on the road and liked them. The day after they got home, his wife went out and bought one. He got his license and took it on a few trips (2,400 miles on the odometer), but decided it was too hot in Texas to enjoy. He's 70 and his wife 65, so they put it on ebay.

He did all the things to improve it, seatback for driver arm rest for passenger, cup holders for both passengers, swaybar plus a seven year warranty. I got it cheap enough that I can probably sell it and make a few bucks if I decide I don't like it. I was ready for an adventure before I get too deep into dealing with my uncle's finances and things since he no longer can drive and has decided he might as well just stay in assisted living.

I'm hoping I like it as it will be even better in winter driving. It's got heated handlebars for those really cold days when you can use them. I'm looking forward to the trip. I got what I believe is Gutter's number and my shortest trip home basically passes his place. I'm hoping to hook up with him on the way home if the timing works.

 

[hittman]

Good for you Roth. I'm glad you treated yourself. It looks really nice. Where is it that you are calling home? Or do you mean you have to pick it up and drive back to home?

 

[firechick]

Have an awesome trip, roth! It's been a while since you have had a good adventure. You really should just go and enjoy.

 

[rothenbj]

Yeah, back to home or West. Yeah FC, I feel like I'm going through a rerun. This time, with my uncle, it's tougher than with my mother. She at least had a broken hip that needed healing and pretty much gave up trying to work through the pain of walking again.

My uncle has spinal lumbar stenosis which gave him severe pain in his one leg and general pain in both, plus 4th stage kidney failure, not to mention some level of dementia. When the doctor informed him that his driving days were over, he couldn't understand it. I think he finally is accepting it, but that doesn't stop him from battling it in his mind.

I think my inner reason for buying the Can Am is to run away. He gets put into permanent residency Wednesday which will move him from his current private room to either a semi or tri-care room. He's said if he can't drive, he may as well stay there, but I can see him changing his mind after the move is made. I should be able to buy two weeks for him to adjust with this trip.

I had every hope that he could return to his place for a period of time and was more than willing to pick up the load of getting his groceries done, doc visits made and other errants, plus lining up someone to do some housekeeping. However, with the meds he's on (Percocets being one), I was concerned about timing and quantity as well as his trips to the Legion which was part of his routine.

Hopefully, it will all work out.

 

[hittman]

I hope it does work out for the best. It was really tough for me and my sister when we had to put my mom in a home. It was tough on her too and didn't help that she was a heavy smoker and couldn't smoke in the home.

 

[rothenbj]

Yeah, that really sucks for the resident, particularly after years of the habit. That's the one thing that my uncle hasn't said anything about, his beers. He wasn't drinking a lot, either 2 or 3 beers, either alc. or non-alc. I think it was more from habit, but it was many years of habit.

 

[hittman]

I think we all know how hard it can be to break a habit. The last time I went home to visit my sister said she had been smelling cigarette smoke at my dad's house and he's not supposed to be smoking since he has copd and is on oxygen. I tried to give him an ego kit along with some tobacco liquids but he wouldn't take it. I gave my sister a kit and a bunch of liquids in hopes that she'd give vaping a try but never mentioned it and I'm pretty sure she never really gave it a fair shot. I am thankful every day that I saw a short clip on the news over six years ago about ecigs and then found out about snus. I'm sure if I hadn't that I'd be well on my way to getting copd myself. I got my wife a couple of really good starter kits and made her some menthol tobacco eliquid but she always goes out to the garage and reaches for the pack of cigarettes. I don't think she has gone thru one full tank of liquid since I gave them to her.

 

[hittman]

Roth, I know you are usually on top of the latest news but was wondering if you have seen this yet?

URGENT: US Senate May Consider Ban of E-cigs in Carry On Bags - SFATA | Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association

 

[rothenbj]

Yeah, the one thing I can thank that women in my house for was ragging me to buy a couple e cigs. They intrigued me and put me on the journey. Now she is told she has emphysema and a nodular on her lung that they'll recheck next year. She actually went out and bought her own e cig and was using it until she lost it somewhere in the house, who knows where. I just ordered her two from China so she has a backup or 2 when they come in.

Actually I hadn't heard about the ANTZ latest attempt to control e cigs, what a joke. I haven't seen anyone attempting to pan cell phones or laptops from planes. Fortunately I leave next Tuesday so they won't have time to do anything, even if he gets his way. I also contacted both PA Senators about this Liberal nonsense. Is the losses in cigarette tax that detrimental?

 

[hittman]

I agree. If they are banning ecigs carried on because of batteries then cell phones and laptops shouldn't be allowed either.

 

[rothenbj]

Got a Joytech Cuboid 150W in the mail today. A really nice little unit. It's about half the size of a Sigelei box, I really like it on first look. I find it interesting that it's firmware upgradeable. We sure have gone a long way from those '09 cigalikes. I'm amazed how nice theses things are getting over time. This one even has an indicator showing each battery and how much of a charge is left.

Airline booked for Tuesday, insurance setup. I switched from State Farm for the first time in my life. Only did the bikes, for now. However, there could be a complete flip to Progressive in my future. Prices for the bikes was much better and the estimate I got for my uncles car was $60 a month less than State Farm and that was without the discount I would have received for adding another class of coverage. The gal I've dealt with at SF is retiring at the end of the year so I won't feel so bad about changing.

 

[hittman]

I have been looking at the cuboid but couldn't decide. I don't like really big mods so I wasn't sure if I wanted one or not. I won a Movkin luggy vt60w on the contest thread. It is huge and rose gold. The tank that came with it isn't bad but the mod is just too darn big. I did pick up a joyetech evic vtc mini and like it really well. It's cool how you can set the tcr value for the wire you are using.

I've been with state farm for about 24 years now. We started with the father of our current agent and he was great but the daughter took over and as time goes on we are less than satisfied with the service that we receive from our office. My wife and I have been talking about changing companies. I switched my life policy to a new company the last time I went to renew it. They wanted to double my premium for the same coverage. I ended up getting it for over 200 cheaper a year from another company.

 

[rothenbj]

Looks like Gutter is off my route. The weather next week appears to want to push me east as opposed to north then east. It's going to be a wet ride either way for the first 7-8 hours according to the weather maps (always subject to change), but I don't want days in the rain. This is supposed to be a fun trip.

 

[hittman]

I hope it does end up being fun.

We are painting the walls and trim in our living room. I just finished the second coat on the floor trim. I pulled it all off to paint.

 

[hittman]

?

 

[rothenbj]

Apparently someone made a left instead of a right at the tracks.