Mobile

Enterprise Auto Rentals picked up at around one and drove us down to pick up the rental, a new Ford Escape SUV. We will have it for three or four days while the Honda dealer orders and installs the new ignition switch. We stopped for lunch and carried on for our first look at downtown Mobile. It is a beautiful city with oak tree lined streets and friendly people. There is a big college football game in town tomorrow (The GoDaddy Bowl) so there are thousands of visitors in town. We will be back in town but here is a sample:

 

 

 

 

 

Good deal on a suit! Not bad looking suits either.

One New Ignition Switch Please

The Honda needs a new ignition switch. They have to order the part and it will be here Monday or Tuesday. The job will cost $379. They wanted to do a timing belt kit on it as well, something it should have but would be another $699 so we said no thanks. I should have done that done in Mexico for about $300. I thought of it but didn't do it. Maybe next time, if we still have the car. I can't complain, the Honda has not cost us anything above regular maintenance in 25 years and 300,000 KM other than the $300 Mexican paint job last year and shocks, brakes, mufflers, etc.

One problem is I will have different keys for the ignition and the doors. Something else to confuse me.

I called Enterprise Auto Rentals and they promised to be here by noon and it is now one. Hurry up and wait... At least my BCAA Road Service will pay for the rental.

Joe Btfsplk

Remember him?

"Joe Btfsplk was a character in the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner by cartoonist Al Capp (1909–1979). He's well-meaning, but is the world's worst jinx, bringing disastrous misfortune to everyone around him. A small, dark rain cloud perpetually hovers over his head to symbolize his bad luck. Hapless Btfsplk and his ever-present cloud became one of the most iconic images in Li'l Abner". - Wiki

Well Lately it seems I must be related to him. First it was the motorhome troubles that required two tows and the $1800 repair and now it is the Honda!

For a while now I have had a problem with the engine shutting down immediately after starting. It has always continued to run after two or three tries. Last night at the grocery store I thought the battery might go dead from all the attempts I had to make but it did eventually keep running. Now this morning I turned the key, it started but turned off as soon as I let go of the key. I tried many times and same thing. I suspect the ignition switch.

I called the local Honda dealer and they are convinced they can fix it so I called AAA for a free tow and they are on their way. It is Friday so I doubt it will be done before Monday. This is the first time in it's 25 years the Honda has been towed! AAA offered me a discount on a rental from Enterprise which we might take them up on.

Stay tuned.

Problem Solved

We started fresh with the Starchoice this morning. We found that the skew settings given by the DishPointer site were WAY off. they called for 112 while other sites called for 123. This is a huge difference. We reset the skew, moved the dish a few feet, re-leveled and started again. It took a few minutes but suddenly we had a decent signal of 51. It was still in the "yellow" range but good enough. We even get the HD channels which we were not getting in NOLA where the skew was also set wrong.

It is bright and sunny today but COLD with a high of 43F forcast. We may put our city exploration off until tomorrow which is going to be a little warmer.

Well, I am off to make banana pancakes. Want some?

Mobile in Mobile

We added a day to our New Orleans stay because we just did not feel like packing up on New Years Day plus it was raining on and off all day. This morning was clear so we headed out, taking US 90, a far more interesting road than I-10. It was a leisurely drive along the coast to Bay St. Louis, MS where we stopped for lunch and groceries. I like this town and would liked to have been able to spend a day there but we pushed on.

We drove past the Cajun RV Park in Biloxi where we stayed for a week a few years ago and considered stopping again. The last time we were here we saw pretty much all there was to see with the exception of "Beauvoir", the Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library. Jefferson Davis was President of The Confederate States Of America throughout the entire Civil War. The last time we were here the Library was closed for renovations. 

We followed US 90 for a while longer before switching over to I-10 near Mobile, Alabama, We checked into the Shady Acres RV Park at $130 for the week. There is lots to see in and around Mobile so we will keep busy.

We spent a while attempting to find the StarChoice signal before giving up for the night. All the RV parks down here brag about the shade they provide guests but the trees providing this shade block out the view to the satellite in most spots, ours included. The only possible spot for a signal was right on the edge of the paved driveway in front of us and the yelling back and forth method of finding the signal was not working so I drove down to Walmart and bought a cheap $99 TV so I could look at the setup screen as I was tweaking the dish. It did not work, the signal still eluded me. I am not sure what I will do. Maybe I will walk around the park tomorrow and see if there is an empty spot with a clear view to the West. 

We will drive into town tomorrow. The adventure continues.

Happy New Year!

Everyone have a Safe and Happy New Years!

We are having a quiet night by ourselves. There is nothing happening in the RV park and Bourbon Street would be a nightmare for a couple of 70 year olds. So.. a nice dinner and watch the ball fall on TV.

Beignets and Causeways

Yesterday we decided to head out to the Cafe Du Monde for beignets. These delicious little squares of deep fried dough liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar may not be the best breakfast but they sure are delicious! We searched Google Maps for one of the cafes and found one in a mall near the start of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, a 24 mile long bridge that crosses the huge lake. We decided to take this drive after breakfast.

 

The route back home took us through Sidell, LA where we stopped for a few groceries. It was a nice day, a little warmer than it has been here.



We added three days to our time here at Jude Travel Park to get us past New Years but were told we would have to change spaces. I was not looking forward to this because of the difficulties of setting up the StarChoice with the many trees and buildings here. As I was disconnecting this morning (thankfully before moving the dish) the owner came over and told us she had a cancellation and we might be able to stay put. It worked out and I re-hooked the water and sewer.

Today we might take a drive downtown where they have a new T Mobile Prism II SmartPhone on sale for $49, marked down from $115. It has mixed reviews with most of the negative comments based on it's inability to play some of the new games, something I never do. As long as I can make phone calls, do email and a little web surfing with it, I will be happy.

Bourbon Street

We finally made it down to Bourbon Street! We discovered the shuttle service was the RV park owner simply driving us downtown for $5 per person so we booked him for 2:00. It was a good deal and he gave us a short tour of Now Orleans before dropping us off a short walk from the tourist area.

We were a little early and had about a half hour to kill before the music started in the many bars along the street. We stopped at a place that bragged about having "the best mojitos on Bourbon Street" and sat at a streetside table sipping our drinks and people watching. This was the only place we found that did not have 2 for 1 drinks which was a mixed blessing. It was easier on the budget but limited the number of places we could visit. We ended up visiting four venues plus the original street side table. If you are counting, that is nine drinks each with very generous pours!

 

Some of the signs along the street.

 

 

Norma learning the steps to the "Cupid Shuffle".

To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right
To the left, to the left, to the left, to the left
Now kick, now kick, now kick, now kick
Now walk it by yourself, now walk it by yourself

This young woman was very nice. She was actually a singer in the band and was waiting through the DJ music for her set to come up when she decided Norma should learn the dance.

Zydeco!

 

We had a blast before taking a taxi home at about 7:30. The evening cost us about $120 everything included, not cheap but afterall it IS New Orleans!

A NOLA Preview

We have been lazy for the past few days. Norma has not been feeling all that well and we have just been content to sit around in the RV. After all we do not have to be anywhere until April. Today we decided to take the car down to the French Market and drive along Bourbon Street. Taking the car down there is not a great idea. Not because of traffic but because of parking costs. Even today on Boxing Day, parking is $20 per day. We found one of the very few free parking spaces on the street across from the French Market and walked around. We will come back without the car. The shuttle from the RV park drops off and picks up near Bourbon Street for the same amount as it costs to park and that is what we will do. You have to go in a few bars and that means a few drinks so, no driving.

Hopefully Norma will be feeling like walking around a bit tomorrow but in the meantime here are a few photos to whet your appetite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Dinner

We thought about going out for dinner tonight but we had no reservations and suspected it would be a hassle neither of us really wanted. We had a large wild Sockeye Salmon fillet in the freezer so we thawed that out. Norma made some stuffing, cut the salmon fillet in half, piled the stuffing on one side and put the other half on top. She wrapped it in aluminum foil and we put it in the "Half Time Convection Oven". We have never used this oven for anything more adventurous than reheating leftovers and cooking pizzas and frozen dinners so this was a bit of an experiment. We guessed at 375 degrees for 25 minutes and it came out perfect! The fish was moist and delicious. We topped it off with mashed potatoes, green beans, cream corn, cranberry sauce and a glass of wine.

Wow! I am stuffed and we still have half the fish left over for another meal, In New Orleans, LA on Christmas Day, Life Is Good!