RV Brakes, another Cracker Barrel, more storms

Today is was another visit to DJ’s Auto Repair in North Little Rock.  Last October while traveling from Kansas City to Little Rock, we had a leak in our brake line.  DJ’s got us in, fixed the leak, did a rear break job, and did it for what we felt was a reasonable price.  This place is BUSY, so they must be something right.  The staff are all just as friendly as can be, and it because of their owner, Don (DJ) and David (hiding behind the counter, right side).  Even harder to see is Ebony, left side also behind her computer.  Interesting thing…she was born and raised in Sacramento area.  In fact, back in late ‘70’s I lived in a duplex which was 1/2 a block away from a unit she would live in years later.   Her parents were from Arkansas, and after dad retired, she said they decided to move back.  One can understand why financially…sell your house in California for 1/4 million to 1/2 million, and that will buy you a mansion in Arkansas.  And taxes…much less expensive to live in Arkansas.  Taxes are less, gas is less (just paid $2.10 in Russellville a few days ago), and food prices are less…but some things are more expensive…but not much.  Anyway, Ebony is a great addition to DJ’s.  But as with other automotive places, getting and keeping good techs is hard.  Don’t know why the youth of today cannot see how much $$$$ they can make having a career fixing cars, trucks, etc.  LOTS of money to be had for a good tech with experience.

 

Here is a picture from our last visit…did not get the camera out of the RV this time, and it was raining when we left (here is our post from last visit).  They own another building behind this one, so they have around seven or eight repair bays, of which at least six were going today.  This visit they replaced the rotors, put on heavy-duty breaks, new wheel bearings, checked the ball joints more closely and decided they were fine after all, and checked the rear driver breaks because they smoked on me just a bit in the Smoky Mountains.  All was fine, and the best guess is that a wasp had made a nest near the brakes which burned when the brakes were used going down a 7% slope.  All of this and they finished in 3 1/2 hours (2.5 hours labor), parts from Napa, and the final bill of  under $700.  I looked up the parts online afterwards, and they charged about 5% more than had I bought directly from Napa.  So again, we are very happy with DJ’s, a GREAT place to have some work done.  And YES, I can really tell the difference with having new front brakes to go along with the brakes we got back in October.)

Living in Pine Bluff, 40 miles south of Little Rock, I had eaten at this Cracker Barrel a number of times.  My Children’s Librarian wanted a rocking chair that she could sit in while reading to the kids during Storytime…went to this Cracker Barrel to get it for her.  They still sell rocking chairs…but for about $40-$50 more than I paid for Miss Ann’s rocking chair.  Never thought I would one day sleep in their parking lot, but that is exactly what we did last night after eating dinner inside and talking to the manager.  He said, “Of course you can”, almost as if we did not need to ask…but we ask every time.    It is conveniently just 4 miles from DJ’s, and they wanted us there between 7:30-8:00.  We arrived at 7:15, I unhooked the car, and went in at 7:30 to let him know we had arrived (as if they could not see it out their front window).  Exactly 8 am, they shop floor manager came out and we exited the RV for the HHR and drove away.  Breakfast was on our mind, and we went to a nice little place which is well known for its catering…Two Sisters Café,  just a few miles from DJ’s.  We were the only customers inside, although there were a number who drove through the drive-up window.  We had bacon, sausage, cheese omelets, which were delicious.  The hard thing was passing up ALL the goodies they sell…all sorts of sweets and goodies which are not on our diet.

By noon we were headed out to Maumelle Park, a COE park where, with the senior park pass, is only $13 a night for electric and water, and no need for reservations this time of year.  By noon the new storm front had come upon us too, so I was soaking wet after hooking up the HHR and driving to the park, unhooking, parking and setting up.  But the storm kept coming and coming, and at 5:30 I called my good friend from the Library and we moved our dinner to Thursday night instead of Wednesday night.  Glad I did because I went to the store to get tonight’s dinner, and there were branches down throughout the park.  While at the store, my phone went off announcing a flood warning in the area.  By tomorrow it will all be gone, I’ll see my doctor, the four of us will have dinner, and on Friday we will be headed west.

Just How Close it Was – Blytheville Tornado & Wind Damage

This is a Shell Gas Station, next to a Hampton Inn, Blytheville Arkansas after a “tornado embedded in straight line winds” blew through shortly after 2 am Sunday morning.  And…HOW CLOSE WERE WE?????

As Maxwell Smart use to say, “Missed us by this much…”  (for the younger crowd, look up “Get Smart”)

This Satellite Shot from Google Maps shows it even better.  The ‘Blue’ rectangle represents the motorhome and tow car.  Just to the left of it you can see some trees, and I pulled forward away from the trees just a minute before it hit.  We were facing to the right.  The Shell Station, across I-55, faced the Interstate, and the picture of the station was taken from the frontage road that the arrowhead just covers up.  The two carts that we saw zooming across the parking lot (see previous post where that is talked about) were closer to the Walmart building that to us, but close to half the distance between us and the Walmart building.  The were zooming left to right, as was the wind.  Since it was 2 am, there were only a handful of cars in the parking lot…one of which was a security guard.  Yep, it was close…too close…but we made it through without a scratch (or dent).

Today we took it easy in the morning, went to visit Marcia’s cousin Sophie around 2, and we all went to dinner at a small restaurant nearby called “Bob & Wanda's Wagon Wheel Cafe” where every Monday they have 10 oz Prime Rib for $15.  He cooks up one rib, when it is gone, it is gone.  By the time we left, it was all gone.  And it was REAL GOOD!   4 1/2 stars on Yelp and also on Google…we passed by it many times, never even thought about eating there.  It will be on our radar from now on…and it is open 24 hours too!  Amazing little place, nice people, great food.

Tomorrow we head to Little Rock to have work done on the RV and on me.  Well, the RV will go in at DJ's Auto Repair, will have new front breaks, and the grease boot over the ball joints, which last year they said had signs of cracking (after 10 years, this is common).  We have to be there between 7:30-8:00 am on Wednesday, so we have decided to park at another Cracker Barrel nearby (less than 5 miles away.)  As for me, it is back to UAMS for a yearly check up.  Yes, I had one just 8 months ago…but we won’t be in the area again for over a year from now, so it best to get it done now.  Then we head out to Phoenix where they are having a ‘Celebration of Life’ service for Marcia’s longtime friend Joyce.  That takes place May 21st, so we have plenty of time to get there, and we will take advantage of the time to visit a few places we typically zoom past.