The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!!!

September 11 – Things did not go as we expected today!  The RV guy called about 8:30 and said his guy Richard was heading our way.  We finished up breakfast and got dressed and Bill was outside doing something in the compartments when he arrived.

Richard was very nice and reset the control module and was on the phone with Lippert (motor and slide mechanism company) 3 times and the decision is the back slide track is jumping teeth as it also makes a grinding noise.  That means a trip to a repair facility where they will jack up the slide and remove and replace the tracks.  It can’t be done on site and no one is going to do it on short notice.  So Richard got the slide in and it will go in and out, and it’s drivable up to 60 – 65.  He said we can use it as it’s in sync to come in and out but Bill is worried it will get stuck out again when we’re in the middle of no where.  So we’re leaving it in as far as it will go.  We can still get into our drawers for stuff but it’s cramped with the littler box and hamper.  As soon as I finish mapping our trip home we will call for an appointment!  So $370 later, we are very sad!!!

Well, nothing we can do about it, so hopefully we can get it in to be repaired as soon as we get home!

Time to head out for an adventure! 

Bill's new buddy!

About 15 miles away is the town of Gooding.  They have a cheese factory, Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese, where we were headed to and missed the road and pulled over to check Google Maps.  Then a highway patrol pulled up behind us and walked up to Bill’s window.  He was VERY nice, he said he had been following us and saw the Florida tag and wondered if we needed assistance once we pulled over.  We told him what we were looking for and he took Bill’s phone and told us we had passed the road.  Bill told him we were looking for the cheese factory and he said, “oh where they have the squeaky cheese?”.  Yes, we were in search of fresh cheese curds!  He was super nice and I told him we’d think of him when we ate our curds!

He gave us permission to U-turn in the road and off we went.  We had no trouble finding the farm and we pulled in and an older lady came out and told us to pull in her driveway as milk trucks come and go and we didn’t want to be in their way.  They are in the process of expansion to increase their production.  We bought 5-6 kinds of cheese and then she took us out to see the new heifer calves that are not 3 months old yet.  They each have their own hut and Bill petted a couple and let them suck on his hand/finger like a bottle.  He thought they should be pets!

From there we drove back into Gooding to have lunch at Zeppe’s, which is known for their pizza.  Bill had his usual pepperoni and I had the sandwich special, pastrami with provolone, toasted.  It was very good but a bit too toasted.  Bill said the pizza was as good as Wild West in West Yellowstone and Rock City, in Almo, ID.  He had half left to have for lunch tomorrow!

As we headed back to Jerome, we stopped at thrift store in Gooding and picked up a few books and I got a southwestern patterned jacket. Once we got back to Jerome we stopped at the Wal-mart for a few things and drove around to see the town.  Their schools are beautiful!  We checked at the Jerome Cheese Factory about a tour but they have to schedule 3-4 days ahead so that won’t be happening.  It’s a monster facility.   

Once we unloaded our finds for the day, I got on the computer and Bill got into his books!  Once dinner time rolled around I cooked hot links, corn on the cob and put together a kale and cranberry salad.  Good meal!  There are still cookies, so that was dessert!

I posted yesterday’s blog and then started working on the rest of our trip home.  Will call a couple of campgrounds tomorrow to finalize reservations and then will know when we will get home and can make an appointment for this crazy slide!!