Is Rufus gambling again? No, but thanks for asking. Rufus did get to see his "girlfriend from last summer," a lovely golden retriever named Daisy. They got nose to nose, and he rubbed his head against her face and chest. No, I didn't get a photo, but it was pretty darn sweet.
Today was a running around day. Joan had a list of stops we needed to make in Rapid City. A couple of them were for me. We had ordered some shoes for me from Amazon; my buddy Mark Doyle, who is currently hiking the Appalachian Trail recommended some Brooks trail hiking shoes; they come in wide widths, so I thought I might get lucky.
Hart Ranch is now charging to have packages sent here, so we used an Amazon Locker/Counter in Rapid City as where to have the shoes sent. On the way there, one of the stops for me was at Skechers Shoes - they had an abundance of wide width styles in the Slip-In styles... a big deal for me, to have some choices. I was deciding between two very comfortable (yet supportive) styles...
Or, maybe I'd go for the Punky Brewster look and do one of each. Yes, that is an obscure reference, but if you said, "Soleil Moon Frye, 1984-1988," you get 25 bonus points. Since I knew I had a pair waiting for me at the Amazon Counter (conveniently located in Boyd's Pharmacy), I went for the gray ones on the left (my right foot).
Stops at Sam's Club, PetSmart, and then lunch at Texas Roadhouse, before going across town to get my Amazon package. Then a stop at the grocery store before heading for home. The sky had turned gray and ugly, so we wanted to get back.
As it turns out, the ugly weather moved south of Hart Ranch. Rufus was just getting up from a nap when we got back (so he wasn't concerned about the weather). I tried on the Brooks shoes and... too tight. They are extra wide, but too tight across the instep. Joan suggested we send those shoes back and go back to Skechers and get the other pair. The threatening weather had moved on, and I do like those slip-in shoes. I got Rufus a treat and we headed back to Rapid.
Steph called while we were enroute - she and Dan had done a "dusty shoes walk-through" on the new house. They met the two guys in charge of the construction (one from the framing up to the dry wall, the other from the dry wall to the finish) who gave them a tour of what goes where and how the house is being built. They were impressed and delighted... she said, "There is an electrical plug-in near the roof-line where you can plug in Christmas Lights (controllable from a switch inside the house) and an always-on circuit for a security camera. Lots of wiring for all the smart stuff in the house. They saw where the air conditioners will be set, and two different natural gas bibs for outdoor grills. And lots of other good information. Of course Steph asked when they thought the house might be done, and... it may be ahead of schedule. We'll know more in a couple months. There are piles of tiles on the roof. A trench where the walls around the yard will be built. Conduit for pest control. And, yes - indoor plumbing.
Steph and Dan found this informative and reassuring. It was fun listening to her talk about it.
Back into the Skechers Store for the other pair of shoes, then to the UPS Store to send the others back. Then back to the RV resort, where the sky was looking happy and friendly. Joan and Rufus sat out on the patio under the awning, I went to work swapping out the battery in her Xmax...
I still think that is an odd placement for the battery, but I guess it is close to all the electronic stuff on the dash. As long as it was nice out, I took her bike for a ride... you know, to test it out to make sure everything is working... or, because I felt like getting a ride in. ;-) When I got back, I checked air pressure in the tires on both bikes, checked the oil level, and cleaned and lubed the chain on the CTX. And then took that bike for another short ride... because, why not? (Temps in the 70s today.)
Tomorrow is forecast to be a beautiful day. Someone has already requested a special breakfast made on the griddle, and some music while someone of the feline persuasion gets a thorough brushing. It is a lot of pressure being a trophy husband, but I am up to the task.
Looks to be busy all over the Black Hills the next 4 days - a lot of people taking advantage of that Tuesday 4th of July to make this a 5 day holiday!
------
The start of the holiday festivities: a "bike glow" parade this evening... scads of kids on bicycles and scooters (the kick kind) wearing glow-strips around their heads, necks, arms, in the wheels of their bikes... nothing motorized, but it isn't quiet! ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment