The Adventures of Me & My Shadow #36 in MD,DE,VA, 8/25/99
326 miles this trip, odometer now 45,742. Total miles this year
14,033.
From Delmar, MD, Hi Everyone!
The Medicare fraud adventure was a disaster, I finally found someone
at the Medicare fraud 800 number that seemed interested. I filled
her in with dates, names and details and she said she would check
it out and call me back. She still hasn't called so I give up.
I do know that I will not use any of those cardiologists again
so they will not be able to charge Medicare any thing on my account
again.
I went to a Tidewater Crabs GMC Motorhome rally over the weekend
and it sure felt good to get behind the wheel again. It was at
the Flying Circus Aerodrome (southwest of Washington, DC) so besides
the good chow and visits with good friends we got to see some
air shows and a balloon festival.
Friday morning when I left Salisbury, MD they were predicting
rain and thunderstorms for much of the area, I was afraid it was
going to be a disaster. I put Keith in charge and didn't notice
that he planned the trip for the shortest route, I should have
told him to plan the fastest route. He took me through the middle
of Washington, DC right down Constitution Avenue. It did give
me a chance to test his navigation in the city and he did real
well though not as precise as Gertrude but she did not have a
map with the starting point and ending point on it so I was very
pleased with Keith. On the return trip I made sure that he set
up for the fastest route and he did it my way. The weather turned
out to be almost perfect, had a sprinkle Friday evening and a
little fog Sunday morning.
The Aerodrome is a very primitive airport as were the aircraft,
mostly old biplanes, Piper Cubs and a couple experimental aircraft.
The runway was on the other side of a hill out of sight of the
spectators so the aircraft were taking off and landing on the
hill so the spectators could watch them. They handled it very
well but to me it sure looked odd to see aircraft taking off and
landing going up hill or down. On Saturday evening after the wind
went down and 15 balloons were lifting off several of those biplanes
were also flying in among them, it was a site to behold but it
would have made me a little nervous if I had been in one of those
balloons. Both the balloon pilots and the aircraft pilots were
very good at what they do. There also were wing walkers and sky
divers so for a small group it was a very good air show. On Sunday
morning they inflated a balloon, kept it tethered with a long
line and were offering rides for $5. They were doing a pretty
good business but I couldn't justify spending $5 to lift off and
come back down. I might consider a balloon ride when I get to
New Mexico in Oct. for the Western States GMC convention. On Saturday
the biplanes were offering rides also. $30 for a normal ride and
$60 for an aerobatics ride. There were lots of takers but I'm
just too tight and I did enough flying while I was in the Navy,
I'd rather put that money in the fuel tanks of the motorhome.
As for the aerobatics ride, I think it best not to try it. I recall
an airplane ride in a twin engine Beachcraft while in the navy
stationed in Corpus Christi, TX. A PBM flying boat had gone down
in Mexico and we were searching for it. I had just finished a
box lunch when we got a call that another plane had found it but
was low on fuel and had to go back to TX. We headed to the location
to check for survivors. We arrived at the site at the top of a
mountain ridge, there was part of the wreckage on both sides of
the ridge. The pilot dropped down to just a few feet above the
ridge and slowed our speed to take a close look. I can tell you
for sure, the air along a mountain ridge is very rough. In no
time I had lost my box lunch, my breakfast and every thing else.
We saw no survivors and headed back to Corpus Christi. I have
no desire to repeat that adventure.
Before my colonoscopy the 7th of Sept. I will try to get some
more work done on the GMC before heading to Nebraska. I want to
take the pickup unit out of the fuel tank and see if I can fix
a problem. When I am low on fuel and accelerate or go up a grade
the fuel moves to the rear of the tank and the pickup sucks air.
I plan to add a hose to the pickup tube in place of the sock that
is on it and have the hose go to the rear part of the tank where
the fuel is when I need it. If the pickup sucks air going down
a grade I don't think it will matter. You would think that the
high priced engineers could have figured this out by now. I still
have a sun visor to install and I'm working on an oil cooler,
it was an air-conditioning condenser on an old Chevy Van. I have
to find some fittings and braze them on in place of the fittings
that are on it.
I want to get to NE & SD before the International GMC Motorhome
convention in IA. I will visit friends and relatives in NE and
get up to Sioux Falls, SD to get my defibrillator checked. After
the convention in IA I'll head to NM for the Western States GMC
convention.
Till next time, Dallas or Dad if it fits. 8/25/99