Up on the roof...

 

If you said, "The Drifters, 1964, from their album On Broadway," you get 30 bonus points.  If you said, "Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King," you get an additional 100 bonus points.  If you said, "Jim's 3rd least favorite place, behind Armageddon and the Gates of Hell," you get an additional 500 bonus points.

I was up early today, my mind going through all the potential fixes I have in mind for the roof and the two large skylites.  What we did yesterday was an "emergency patch," because the weather weasels were calling for more rain and potential severe weather.  We picked up more substantial repair supplies in our run into town.

So, this morning, I was ready to go after it.  While I worked up on the roof, Joan made a better patch for the big hole in the roof of our CR-V, where the sunroof used to be.  I applied Gorilla Tape and FlexTape to the skylites and the worst of the holes in the fiberglass.  I ran through what we bought for white Gorilla Tape, so Joan made another run into town.  Leaving me up on the roof.  All by myself.

Kidding aside, I am fine once on the roof.  Well, this was a bitch because all of the work I had to do was from a kneeling position, and my knees and hips don't much like to kneel.  It is the getting on the roof, and more specifically: that swing when you have to put a foot and leg over the side, hoping to catch a rung on the ladder on your way off the roof.  Really, I hate that part.  Other RVs we've had have had a built-in ladder,  which has curved hand-holds that you step between to get down onto the ladder (like coming out of a swimming pool).  This motorhome does not have a built-in ladder (apparently, they don't want you on the roof); we bought a nice "expanding" ladder when we were equipping the coach.

Back to the "all by myself" on the roof.  I am always by myself up there, but Joan does hold the ladder as I'm climbing on or off, and she hands me up any tools or supplies I need.  We have a slight difference of opinion on this next part: she confirmed that I would be OK up there while she ran into town.  I did not realize that she was going to go to Menard's, then go to a spa for a massage, shop for shoes, then do a little sight-seeing before coming back.  She says she went to Menard's, knew right where to go to get what we needed, then came right back.  I didn't have a watch on or my phone while I was up on the roof (by myself), but I'm pretty sure she was gone for about 12 hours... she says, "An hour, tops."

Of course, it is windy today, and the shop towel I was using to wipe things off before applying the FlexTape blew off the roof.  I did not want to do that "off the roof and onto the ladder" thing without having someone there to hold the ladder and call 911 when I splat onto the pavement.  Fortunately, the neighbor was outside working on his 5th wheel... everybody here is out working on their RV and car right now.  I called out to him, explained my predicament and asked if he could toss the towel up to me.  He said, "No problem - it's no big deal to me, down here on the ground; probably more of a big deal to you up there."

He had that right.  I thanked him and went back to work, wondering if Joan was OK, since she had been gone long enough to file a Missing Person Report.  For the record, she did come back.  Eventually.  What's that?  Yes, Rufus is a very smart and a very good boy, but he lacks the opposable thumbs necessary to grip the shop towel and toss it.  Plus, I'm pretty sure he was taking a nap.  While I was up on the roof by myself.

Joan brought me the roll of Gorilla Tape I needed to finish the second skylite, and I also used the FlexTape to seal over the duct tape on the worst of the holes... seems that about 90% of them were the worst of the holes.  Before coming down, I handed the stuff I had been working with to Joan and she held the ladder while I did the part I really don't like.

There is a 32% chance of precipitation by 3:00 this afternoon.  Right... 32%, as if they were ever that remotely accurate about anything.  There was no warning about the hail storm that hammered us.  32%, my ass.  While we're speaking of percentages, I'm about 80% confident that these repairs will hold.  I will get up there one more time to spray some FlexSeal on suspect areas, on a day when the wind isn't blowing strong enough to blow the shop towel out of my back pocket.

She did a good job of filling and covering the hole in the top of the CR-V.  We plan to get the windshield replaced so it will be safe to drive, but the insurance lady I spoke with yesterday said the company may balk about replacing the windshield on a vehicle that will almost certainly be totaled... but, she understood the safety concern.

If there was another CR-V I could buy and swap out my towing gear with, I'd just go for that.  So, we wait for someone from the insurance company to come out and assess the damage.  I can make it easy for them: beat to shit.  Report done.  In the meantime, we need something safe to drive.

People in general have been very nice.  Yesterday while getting back into our car at Menard's, a lady saw the Honda and said, "You must be staying at Hart Ranch - I'm so sorry for what happened to everyone's RVs out there.  I hope it doesn't leave a bad impression for you of the Black Hills."

Pretty nice, huh?

A guy stopped yesterday, leaned out the window, and asked, "If you're looking to sell that, I might be interested."  He was expecting to pick it up for next to nothing.  Which is only a little less than what it's probably worth right now.  Really, looking at the motorhome from ground level, it doesn't look bad - there's a handful of dings in the hood and fenders.  That lovely body paint came through it nicely.  It's only when you see what happened to the top of the coach that you can begin to appreciate why some major repairs are necessary.

In the words of the philosopher Wicked Witch of the West: "All in due time, my pretty."