Category Archives: RV Adventures

A Large Problem

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Our Canadian income tax deadline is a couple of weeks behind our US brothers and sisters but there is still a deadline and we too need to pay attention to avoid penalties.

So yesterday we are visiting a financial advisor, and are deep into a discussion of all things financial when she notices that the flashing light on her  phone is telling her she has a message. She explains that over the weekend her and her husband had a visit from an old friend and during dinner he (the old friend) had shared  that for the past two days he had been suffering from a large erection.

Say what? A two-day erection?

Now, let’s put this conversation in perspective: Through our travels all across North America we meet a lot of people and they tell us a lot of things, but even with our closest friends we have never ever had a conversation like this and especially nothing even close with someone we have met with over the years,three or four times, always on a professional level, an hour or so each time

Anyway, back to the story. To recap; he has a large two-day old problem that’s not going away and is seeking some advice. As our new confidant says “he is beside himself“. By now, I admit, being a man, I am all ears. I want to learn more about this gentleman’s problem. 

In an effort to give him good sound medical advice our advisor consults with Dr. Google (wouldn’t you?).

Dr Google says “get his ass to the hospital”, so they finish dessert and while she cleans up the dishes, the rest of the dinner party moves on to the hospital emergency where they are met with a large room absolutely full of patiently waiting people.  When he explains his problem to Triage nurse he is whisked to the front of the line.  Our advisor explains that because the blood has continued to flow into this “container” for the past two days and can neither get out or get oxygen it is now quite a mess.

First of all they attack his large, sore, throbbing problem with a large hypodermic needle (you had to be there to see how far apart her hands were as she explains the size of this instrument)  to remove the now coagulated blood. That doesn’t work, so they try something more horrible, followed by something even more horrible. They book him in overnight and schedule an emergency operation for the next morning. She explains, that no matter where the story goes from here, he certainly will have permanent damage to his penis

I’ve been thinking about this since I heard it yesterday morning. I’m still not sure what the real story is here: Is the story the excessively large painful penis or is the real story about the things people tell each other? Think about it; she told us, we told you and I can absolutely guarantee you are going to pass this one on down the line. You may even embellish it a bit.

This poor guy is suffering unbelievable pain in the most sensitive area of his body and we’re all out here having a chuckle.

So now we too wait for news. Will his penis pressure reduce? Will we get a tax refund?

“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else.”

Will Rogers

Cross Border Shopping

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The buttons we love. The buttons we hate

Perfect! Look at how those buttons make it special.

Last year we felt our dining chairs needed to be replaced, they were 6 years old and starting to show it. Before we left last fall I had a finishing carpenter look at them. He patched them up a bit but he really wasn’t convinced that he had solved the problem. They were OK for a few months, but as we got into the new year you could feel them sneaking back to their old ways again. It was then we decided that in the Vanstone house 2013 needed to be the year of the chairs.

We kept our eyes open as we traveled, checking out some of the furniture stores we passed along the way but we weren’t finding anything we liked.

In Nashville in early April we happened into a Pier One and spied the potential perfect chairs. They had low back plain leather chairs for $129.99 and for just an extra $10 the same chair with a little taller back with funky upholstered buttons on the chair backs.The next day, we went back and bought the ones with the taller back and those funky and fashionable buttons.

By the time we got back to southern Ontario one of the chairs had lost a button (yes, the funky fashionable ones we had to have) and the other had developed the annoying habit of making sounds like Marilyn was passing wind when she sat down.

Make no mistake; I’m talking about the chair here, not Marilyn.

Off  to a local (now Canadian) Pier One we went where they happily exchanged the chairs for two new ones.  That first night at supper I slipped into one of now brand new chairs and pop, off came a button.

Now what do we do? We really like the chairs but are now not impressed with those had to have funky fashionable buttons. We decide that if we can learn to repair the buttons easily that we will keep the chairs and put up with the hassle, but try as we might there is no way. We cry “we give” and finally  agree that these chairs too have to go back. The solution to our problem is to exchange them for the less expensive ones that don’t have those now annoying  buttons. We don’t care about the $20 difference, we’ll just take the other chairs.

“Not so fast” says Pier One. “We will exchange them again or we will give you your money back,” they say, “but to go to the less expensive chairs will be an extra $135.00″.

Say what?

We go with the refund  and get back exactly what we paid in Nashville plus a bit and thank them for all their help. We’re scratching our heads as we try to figure
it all out, but we don’t argue anymore, we just smile and move on.

Now what do we do? We really liked those chairs but we are not paying more for something we know sells for less, especially after knowing that they now are on sale for an extra $20 off in the US.

There is a happy ending

Perfect! No buttons

Perfect! No buttons

Marilyn is really ticked, she can’t wait to get home and call their 800 number and tell some poor defenseless receptionist her story

On our way we check a couple of other furniture stores, but we’re not seeing anything we like and she’s still fuming.  Until we walk into Ashley’s where we see the same chair as Pier One except no buttons. Did I mention that they were on sale for less then the sale price for the ones in the US? Well they were.

Our new chairs will be in next Monday. On the way home Marilyn threw away the Pier One 800 phone number.

I believe it was my mother or maybe it was your mother who used to say;

“Everything happens for a reason.”

Workin My Way To October

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Sicard RV. I’m back at work for the summer

To say that I was tired after one week of 8 to 10 hour days of work back at Sicard’s is kind of like saying that sometimes, in the middle of winter, there is ice in the Arctic. But now that I’m in my play week, I’ve caught up on my sleep and I will be ready to go back to another work week come this Thursday. And what a big one this will be.

This coming weekend is the annual Spring Open House. There will be thousands of people descending on the place over the weekend. Some will be there for the barbecue  while for others it’s a great opportunity to see what’s new. For me, I get to re-connect with a lot of my old customers from the past 10 years or so.

People always as ask “So Larry, how’s business this year?” expecting a doom and gloom response based on the current economic news.(think back, that news is always bad). We have good days and we have bad days, but once again it looks like another good year in the RV business in southern Ontario. Remember, we don’t sell anything anybody needs. We sell toys, we sell fun. I sell lifestyle.

And, I’m glad to be back. As much as I enjoy the winter travelling around February every year my brain starts thinking about getting back to the action. I think I crave it, I may even be addicted. But I love it, and hopefully I will until at least come October.

Meanwhile; Back at 50 Point

This year, when we arrived, too early as usual, on April 3 there was only one other RV in the park. By now, in the second third of the month, there are probably 20 RV’s snuggled in. some here for a few days so they can catch up with family, some waiting for the snow to melt out of their driveways further up the road,  but many, like us are here for the summer.

As the folks that summer here return it’s like the first day of school, catching up with where everybody went and what they experienced. Soon it will be warm enough for a good-old-fashioned happy hour and another summer will begin.

“Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.”

 

 

 

The RV Sales Representative Is In

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They've put new name decals on the door, they've painted the office

They’ve put new name decals on the door, they’ve painted the office

Tomorrow I leave this happy-go-lucky life of the semi-retired enthusiastic RV traveler and step back into my part-time role as one of Canada’s most knowledgeable, helpful and laid back RV salesperson.
As of 9 am tomorrow I am back to my part-time job sharing role, same as last year. The program is simple; We work 3 days, then play one, then work three more days. As a reward for all our hard work we get to play for the next 7. Then repeat. When I’m working, my partner Wayne is playing. When I’m playing Wayne is working. When I’m not there, Wayne is. Our customers love it because no matter what the day either Wayne or myself are there to look after them. I love it because when I’m working, I’m working hard and when I’m playing I can play hard knowing that our customers are extremely well looked after by my job share partner. And, after a week of playing, I’m ready to go back and work hard for my turn.

I’ve picked a strange day to start my “summer job“

The weather forecast for tomorrow includes freezing temperatures, ice pellets, freezing rain and winds. The Winter Storm Warning begins this afternoon and continues for about the next 24 hours. Isn’t life interesting!

However, my starting  date is significant for me, As I recall it was April 11, 1978 when I started to sell RV’s. In those days a new “big” Winnebago was 26 feet long and sold for up to $30,000.. I’m thinking gas was about $1.00 per gallon (or 29 cents a liter).

Back in those days we owned a truck and camper and I can recall sitting in my camp chair  with my feet up on a tree stump, cold beer in my hand, thinking that I was having so much fun with our RV I should be out there telling other people about what a great time they could  have if they too just had one of them recreation vehicles. People needed to know! Within a year, we had moved to Calgary and I had found an RV dealer who would hire me. I guess this is where they say “the rest is history”.

In the last 35 years, because of fuel shortages, fuel prices and general economic good times and bad times, the experts have predicted the end of the RV industry on at least 3 or 4 occasions . In spite of that, my pay checks have only continued to get bigger and bigger.

I am truly a lucky man: People are still listening when I tell them my story. I get to work when I want, play when I want and I still get paid to do it. And when I’m not working we travel the continent and connect with good friends where ever we choose to go.

Walt Disney said “If you can DREAM it, you can DO it.”

I’d say that Walt Disney was a very wise man. I am truly living my dream.

Thanks for the read.