I've been screwed

Or at least I feel that way. Yesterday I took Somewhere to Cullum & Maxey to have my slide checked on because there was a hydraulic leak somewhere in the slide mechanism. In addition to that I wanted them to check the tire pressure while it was there. I did not ask if there would be a charge for checking the tire pressure (in hindsight, I probably should have and you can bet your bippy I will ask in the future.) They got the slide problem fixed and called me to come pick it up.

As I was paying what I thought was too high a price, $220. I asked for an itemization of the bill. Here you go, are you ready??? $47.50 plus tax to check the tire pressure. Yes, you read it right, $47.50.

I disputed that price and Bud Maxey, manager over the parts & service department and might I mention the individual who sold me my motorhome, told me the reason was they had to crawl under my motorhome to check the pressure on the inside tires. I asked why they had to do that, "I have valve extenders for the inside tires?" He said he didn't think so and I took him out to look. Sure enough I do, then he started telling me how they price out their hours and that I probably didn't actually pay that for the tire pressure check, it was probably that the slide pump took longer than I was charged for. Well, why didn't my bill reflect that instead? He said it was just easier to do it the way they did it! Bud kept hem hawing around but was not going to and did not cut me any slack.

I am on the lookout for another service center! I told him he sold me based on the service center's customer service. They always take care of their customers. Well I say that is a bunch of bull and I want to let everyone know they screw their customers.

Don't buy anything from Cullum & Maxey center. They DON'T take care of their customers. You bet I will ask from here on out. It was a very expensive lesson for me to learn. I just can't stomach the fact that I actually paid $47.50 plus tax for something that I have done before, repeatedly! Was it because I was a woman? Was it because they are feeling the hard economic times and need to do this to their customers to stay afloat? I don't know but it sure ticks me off.

Want to read something directly from Cullum and Maxey's website:
Our Commitment

For over 45 years, Cullum & Maxey has followed a simple philosophy: offer quality products, back them with quality service, and, most of all, make the customer's overall experience as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible. Instead of gimmicks and high-pressure sales, we try to create [read more]... What a JOKE!

It still hurts to sit down!

Veteran's Day

Today was Veteran's Day and there was a big parade downtown Nashville. It rained a little but the hardest rain held off until after the parade. Did I go? No, it was a state holiday and I went to learn how to winterize Somewhere.

I took her to Clarksville RV Supercenter and Jim walked me through step by step how to do it. I had watched my walk through DVD I took while taking possession of Somewhere last December but I learn best by doing. Now I can do it w/out stressing whether I got it right.

Gas was $1.99 today. Nice change from a few months ago.

I have made after Christmas plans. Jonathan, Taylor and I will be going to Stone Mountain GA for their Christmas event. We are looking forward to it. We will be staying in Somewhere in Etowah at Deborah's and then will go on down to Atlanta the day after Christmas. I can't wait. It will be fun. I won't be staying for the Snow Mountain but Jonathan and Taylor will stay. It's a big slide down the mountain on inner tubes on top of snow. I'm sure it's man made snow. I hope it's man made snow. LOL

I have a couple of new travelling companions that I want you to meet.
This is Buffett. I suppose he will jump in my suitcase to go on my cruise. He wants to be like the Travelocity Gnome. As long as he is good and doesn't make a mess, he can go anywhere with me. I know, I must be a lonely "old woman" to be taking TY beanies with me on trips. You just never know where he will show up. You can tell he is already checking things out on the computer to see where we will go next.

This is my yet to be named Pink Flamingo. She won't be going on as many trips, just the ones in Somewhere. She will be the RV Women's mascot when we have our get togethers. She will get to come out and play whenever she wants. Let me know what you think she needs to be named. I've been thinking of Carib for the Caribbean but I don't think she likes that so I'll keep trying and I'll let you know. I'm sure you will be waiting with bated breath.

How did I come up with these new companions? Remember I told you Cindy had a yard sale, well at an auction she went to she purchased about 200 + beanie babies and had the to sell in her yard sale. These two babies were in there calling my name and Cindy gave them to me. I didn't have to buy them, that's how they jumped on board with me. Buffett has a special riding place already and matches my theme of It's 5 o'clock Somewhere. Not sure about where the flamingo will go. She will find her place. My challenge is to keep Sedona away from them. She thinks they are toys for her, imagine that!

Debbie stopped by today on the way to the DR. She had forgotten that I was home on holiday today. She has an upper respiratory funk going on but boy does she look good. She has lost about 80 + lbs and is looking like a different person. I am so very proud of Debbie. She dropped off some hand me downs from Duchess to Sedona. Sedona wasn't feeling too proud in this UT sweater, since they are doing so badly this year, but then I told her it was really a Lady Vols shirt and she perked up. Can't blame her for that, can you? tee hee Thanks Debbie & Duchess.

Go Titans- 9-0.

Later...

Ave Maria Grotto

Sometime back when Theda and I went to Destin Fl we stopped at the Ava Maria Grotto in Culluman AL. I found this place on the Roadside America website following my friend Margie's lead on finding good places to stop to see interesting places on the way. With my AAA membership, admission was $5 which was a good deal and we were there about 3 hours.



The Ave Marie Grotto is at St Bernard Abbey in Culluman. The Grotto consists of a landscaped hillside of 125 small stone and cement structures, the handiwork of the creative genius, Brother Joseph Zoetl, O.S.B., a monk of the Abbey for almost 70 years.

I was intrigued by the detail and the materials used. I have made some similar structures using found items of sea shells, broken glass and broken china. Of course not to this detail and mass. I'll show a few of the pictures we took but there were so many, you just have to go see it.




Some of the titles of the minatures are: Bethlehem, The Tower of Thanks, St Peter's Shrine, Montserrat Abbey, Statue of Liberty, Red Cross Tower, Hansel & Gretel Visit the temple of the Fairies, The Holy Land, Leaning Tower of Pisa, City of Jerusalem & the Gate of Herod, Gethsemani, Crucifixion, The Resurrection, The Ten Commandments, Jacob's Well, Noah's Ark & the Tower of Babel, and on and on. It is well worth the trip to go.

It was a beautiful spring day and the gardens were beautiful.

What's been goin' on?

Several posts ago I had referred to the Life on Wheels conference and how helpful it was to me as I prepared to embark on the RVing lifestyle. I don't think that I have posted about the founder of this wonderful conference, Gaylord Maxwell, passed away on September 20. I had postponed going to the LOW until 2009 because I wanted to have a few trips under my belt so that I would make better use of the information I received at the conference. Now I read that there will no longer be a Life on Wheels. Now, I'll have to go to plan B and I don't know what that is yet.

Also, big in the news this week is that we now have a new president elect, Barack Obama. History was indeed made this week as Mr Obama is the first African-American person to be elected to the highest office in the US. I will not give an editorial on this selection, let me just say, I didn't vote for him. What does the future hold for us???

As of this writing it is only 14 days until my cruise and I can't wait. Last night I had my hair cut and colored. I look like a tri-gold bracelet! LOL Why do I say that? I wanted something sassy and I told Janey I wanted blond and red. She highlighted it first with blond and then added mahogany red to the highlights and of course with my hair being brown naturally, I'm tricolored. It is spiky short, so I am ready for the tropics.

I heard from my cousin, Teresa, in Maryville this week. She is now a Stampin' Up Demonstrator and is doing quite well. Her blog is if you are interested in checking it out. So proud of Teresa.

We just completed our third pay period in Edison and things seem to be smoothing out a little. I figured it would take about four for employees to really begin to feel more comfortable with it. Guess I was right.

Went last weekend to Clarksville to help with Cindy's yard sale and stayed in Somewhere while I was there. Of course Friday was Halloween and I took a few pix of Roger's children in their costumes.
I also had to take one of them being silly. The little girl in the center is one of their friends who went trick or treating with.
They got a lot of candy that helped us out the next day at the yard sale. We had to keep our energy up, you know. The yard sale was a bust for me, $26.00, but was very successful for Roger & Cindy. I just don't think it was meant for me to have or be a part of a yard sale.

I am taking Somewhere to be winterized on the 11th. I don't want to worry about her while I am gone on my cruise so this is the best thing to do. I am hoping they will let me do it while I watch. It can't be that difficult to do but I don't want to do it by myself the first time. I'll dewinterize for Christmas, I'm taking her back to Etowah so we can enjoy Christmas in her again. It's hard to believe it has been almost a year since I bought her. Haven't got to use her as much as I thought but it won't be long until she will be my home.

Having said that, I'm reevaluating whether I'll be retiring this year. All will depend on whether I sell my condo. I need to make some money on my condo and right now, I think it will sell, but it's getting what I need for it that will make a difference. I, like most everyone else, took a beating in the stock market. My financial advisor says I can still do it but I may need to hang on to my good paying job for a little while. Who knows, everything is up in air, and as the girls on the forum say, my plans are in jello right now. Love that phrase, plans are in jello.

OMG, big news from East TN, Philip Fulmer, head coach of the TN Volunteers, has been asked to step down. The Vols have had a horrible year in football and TN fans can be the most rabid fans around. I think they called for his head and got it. Now things are left up to Pat Summit and Bruce Pearl, UT basketball coaches.

The Tennessee Titans, pro football team in Nashville, are 8-0 this year. Only undefeated team in the NFL. GO TITANS! Don't miss my PSLs at all, love watching from the comfort of my home!

Later...