THE CARPET IS DONE, WINDSHIELDS ARE IN (ALMOST), AND WE’RE FEATHERING THE NEST

Wimps that we are, we stayed inside this morning until around noon, giving the temperature a chance to rise from 32 degrees at 8 am to around 40 degrees four hours later (3 hour frost delay for the Phoenix Open golf tournament).  Like just about everywhere else in the country, Phoenix is suffering through a cold spell, 25 degrees below what is average for this time of year.  We didn’t bring our fleece hats, gloves, and scarves!

We arrived at RV Renovators around 12:30, during lunch hour when we can go inside and poke around without interrupting workers.  WOW, wow, wow.  The carpeting is all done, and looks fabulous – feels even better, so cushy and warm.  They put a nice, thick new pad underneath, and it is a noticeable improvement.  I wanted to lie down in that sunny patch on the floor and bask in the warmth.

Bare floors on Tuesday, with slide trim off and table gone (from where the worker is standing).	Today the carpet is done, table and trim are reinstalled.  The slide is partway out while the slide seal is replaced.
This is a closer view of how the carpet wraps around the slide lip (which is level with the floor when the slide is fully expanded).  Nice job around the tile, too.	The oak valance around the window behind the (temporarily missing) couch is in the cabinet shop, being reworked to mesh with the planned shelf addition.

Travel Supreme did a superb job with their cabinetry, solid wood throughout.  In the photo above right, look at that big piece of oak on the side of the dinette (usually mostly hidden by the couch).  Wood valances, solid wood drawers and cabinet doors… excellent workmanship.  Too bad they went belly up with so many of the other RV manufacturers!

Another big job almost completed: the new windshields are being installed!  That was a surprise; we thought they would put those in last.  Billy, the cabinet maker, will be working on the TV cabinet remodel soon, and the last remaining major job is the roof work: resealing/taping all the seams; removing, cleaning, and replacing the skylight; replacing the three roof vents, brittle from 9 years of UV rays; replacing the two A/C covers, both of them brittle and damaged by the occasional branch… :)

Each time we visit, we come away feeling more relaxed and confidant that the work will be completed by our “drop-dead” date.  It’s fun and exciting to see the changes, and we are SO looking forward to moving back home. 

With that thought in mind, and enjoying the warmth of the sunshine streaming in the car windows, we headed off to look for new bedding.  You know how it is: once you open up the wallet and start spending, it can be difficult to stop!

We bought a new mattress a year ago, and new sheets – navy blue flannel - in November.  We use a wool blanket on our bed, which I have wanted to replace for awhile since it is so scratchy.  Also, the handmade quilt we use as a spread is very worn – we’ve had it patched once already.  Given the hard wear our spread gets (we sit on the end of the bed, often in jeans, to put on our shoes – and wash the spread frequently), we’ve decided that something more mundane is the way to go.

We walked into JC Penney’s (big sale going on), I pointed to the second spread I saw and said to Odel “That’s just what I’m looking for.”  He said “Me, too” and he wasn’t just trying to get out of shopping!  It’s padded cotton, reversible (more muted on the other side),  washable, on sale, matches our sheets, and will look great with our new carpet.  Sold!

Into the car it went, and we were off to Bed, Bath and Beyond where we picked up a new, incredibly soft, lightweight blanket to go with the new spread (bland cream color).  On the way to the checkout stand, we tossed two soft new bathmats into the cart.  Popped the wallet open again and they were ours. 

We’ll be visiting Scoopy again on Monday, when I plan to make a template for an area rug to cover the heavily used carpet in the cockpit.  We have a nice big piece of carpet leftover that will be cut and bound to provide a second layer in that area.

Time to take a break from renovation concerns… tomorrow we get to visit our friends Alex and Ellen.  We met them in Napa, California in October of 2009 as they contemplated the fulltime life.  Now, 16 months later, they are living in their motorhome, parked just 30 miles from us.  They’ve planned a day of hiking and socializing for tomorrow – it will be so good to see them again.  The forecast is high is just 57 degrees, but with bright Phoenix sunshine, a few layers of clothing, and an uphill trek… perfect.