SETTING THE RV FOR A TRIP, A PRINTER PROBLEM, AND GOING THROUGH ACCUMULATED WARRANTY AND INSTRUCTION PAPERS

 Still have not gone away – currently planning to do on Friday and we have done more to get the RV setup and ready to go – replaced the paper goods, soaps, and the like which we took out back in the spring of 2020 when we were first in “stay at home” and husband was sure we would run out of same.  It took almost a year before we used any packages of these items and had already bought replacements by then.  

He is just planning a day trip, so I don't have to make up the beds or such, just get everything where it belongs and secured so it won't move around during the trip.  As we started doing this we came up short something – we have 3 spring loaded curtain rods which we put across the aisle of the RV – under the bed when it set up, just across the aisle when it is not, to hold items in the small aisle area in place so they do not come forward if we have to stop short.  The curtain rods are missing?!  I know where I keep them when we are not using them, but we had cleared everything loose out of the RV when we took it in for work on its generator a month or two ago.  Husband put everything back in.  We have checked everywhere in the RV which is a long enough space for the curtain rods to fit into.  We have gone though our house where items from the RV were in the house.  No – not anywhere.  Since they are not expensive items and I had thought the springs in them were going back in mid 2019 when last we traveled, we went to Walmart to buy new rods – none in the right size in Walmart.  So, we went to the other Walmart near us (technically both of these of these stores are in extended walking area of our house in opposite directions – we may not have a Walmart as big as they are elsewhere, but we have a lot more of them) and found them there in silver/grey, doesn't matter to us that they are not white as long as we can find them in the future.  

This past week I have also been going through one of my file drawers.  This drawer holds instructions and warranty information for things in the house and also travel items – maps, brochures (from places we visited, want to visit, or both) and, on the sentimental side, tickets and such from past visits.  The latter items involve discussion with my husband as he feels a need to keep them more than I do.  I did get rid of a good stack of old maps – we can get new ones free from AAA, the roads have probably changed since they were printed and he uses his multiple GPS devices (simultaneously- sometimes they seem to be arguing - “turn here”  “no – turn there”).  

I try to scan the instructions into the computer if they are not large and not likely to need to be pulled out and used quickly.  After they are scanned (and same is backed up) I get rid of them.  I did decided to keep the instructions for his stationary bicycle even though I scanned it – if we were to get rid of at some point by donation or sale it would be good to have the manual.  In going through these papers I came up with an assortment of instruction manuals for items I was not sure if we still had and handed them to him to go through.  This started him looking again for the battery jumper for our RV if there is a problem starting it – we finally ended up finding it as a result of this – he had put in our van when we had to drive our RV to the dealer – 2 states away – and leave it with them for repairs. Our car was “not feeling well at the time and we had to take the van to come home in – this was in 2018 and he had not put the battery jumper back in the RV since, hence it being missing.  So, going through all these papers solved a mystery and we don't have to buy a new battery jumper  for the RV.  

I have folders by year for warranty papers – for example if we buy something this year and it has a 1 year warranty, the warranty papers will go in the 2022 file folder – at the end of 2022 the papers in the file will be gone through and most will be thrown out and the file folder will be used for another purpose.  Right now these folders go to 2026.

We had been having a problem with our all in one (printer, scanner, fax) in the office.  The pages were grey marked all over.  We cleaned the drum per the instructions – dry – no change – then cleaned the drum per general instructions found online -with alcohol – no change.  Husband looked up ordering a new drum – US$170!!  Quite a chunk of money.  While debating what to do we happened to see a printer/scanner in Walmart for US$99.  Hmmm. The all in one can still be used for scanning and faxing (and printing junk items for me that I don't care if they are pristine) and buy the unit for nice printing and husband can scan without having to walk all the way to my desk for $99 or we can buy a new drum for US$170 – and then might need to buy a new toner cartridge also…  Husband started looking at what else is available – fax machines are hard to find these days.  (I would figure that same would mean that people no longer fax – our is used very rarely since we got it and only once in the past year – but that was to receive a fax from someone who had to send me tax info and was at his suggestion, so people must still use fax machines?  (Post to me and tell if you/they do still fax machines please.)   So we decided to buy the new scanner/printer.  

Not as easy as these sounds – well, the buying is, but we needed someplace to put it.  Before this problem we had planned to buy the color printing version of the same all in one machine for husband as he needs to do color printing and is not happy with the printer he has (and we were soooo happy with this unit before this happened).  We had planned to get rid of the photocopier I “inherited” with my dad's accounting practice when he died and put his printer there – having a second copier was important to this as I need to have one for work and cannot trust not having a spare one.  So we had to carry to the copier outside and leave it for sanitation pickup  - or someone coming past our house, finding our house and taking it for their self (which would did happen and makes me happy that it will still be used).  It is from the 1970s or 80s and is rather heavy – and we are rather weak.  We took out the tray and removed anything we could to make it lighter and then carried it down the stairs – one step at a time – and out to the curb.  We then taped the rest of the items – tray, toner in carrier, cord, etc to it.  

So far this setup is working.  Biggest thing we had to do was that the new unit was plugged directly into a wall outlet and we really wanted it in a breaker box.  So we bought a long, heavy duty extension cord.  Husband ran it around the perimeter of the room (not an easy thing – behind furniture, under his work table, under his desk and then up between our two desks).  

So all in all, it was a busy week – RV, instructions and warranty papers, and old copier out, new scanner/printer in.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

Most weeks when I look back not much seems to be have been done.  A week like this one when a lot was accomplished and problems solved feel very good.