After dropping Karissa an the kids off at the airport, I got to spend Father’s Day fixing my RV water heater. It has been slowly leaking for a long time, but was making a visible stream of water that day. As I tried to tighten the plastic/vinyl nut that plugs the water heater, the head snapped off and I was left with a challenge. I tried cutting it out with a knife, bought a sprinkler head removal tool, and a few other ideas.
Eventually, I called over a power plant mechanic who camps next to us and had him advise me on the process. With his supervision, I got it out and all plugged up. It took a few hours of actual work and 2 hardware store trips, but we have no leaks and running water again in the RV!
While Karissa and the kids spent time at my parents house and in Wisconsin with cousins:
Karissa’s dad and I drove up from Naples to Wisconsin in 2 long days of driving. We had a truckload of stuff and 3 dogs, but managed to make it here in just under 24 hours of “engine on” time. Not bad for such a long trip! We spent our night in a hotel west of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and had a pretty uneventful trip. We couldn’t have been happier to be done driving and able to relax!
After a short stay in Wisconsin, we headed down to Illinois to see my parents. The kids had been there for a few days before going to Wisconsin, but I hadn’t seen them in nearly 6 months! It was great to finally see them, go in their house for the first time since Covid, and have about a week there! I tackled a few projects and have a few more left to do. I’m still their handyman for things as mundane as changing lightbulbs & cleaning gutters to adding new light fixtures and removing old furniture.
We got to celebrate my Dad’s 68th birthday, play some sand volleyball, and enjoy a few cool Midwest summer nights. In addition to everything else. The kids began sleeping in tents inside, which they absolutely loved – with Grandma Cathy on the couch next to them of course!
We rounded out our first stretch of summer by spending the 4th of July weekend in Wisconsin with Karissa’s family. We saw fireworks from the boat and had a pretty good time playing in the lake. We got a new toy – a paddleboat/pedalboat – something I’ve been wanting forever, which made it just a bit more fun!
We’re looking forward to the next few weeks here and eagerly awaiting news from Florida on our house construction. Likely news to come!