Jewelry Repairs & Purchases

A few months ago, my wedding band (see userpic) lost a stone. Fearing the loss of more stones and having other more pressing uses for our available funds, I deferred getting the ring repaired.

We also wanted to get a similar ring for cuyahogarvr but haven't found one of the same style. Having one made to order was always an option, but again there were always more pressing demands on the checking account.

While the checking account is still a little strained, an opportunity to tackle both projects has come up which has been too good to pass up: Jewelry by Poncé.

Poncé has been a regular vendor at Mid-Atlantic Leather the past 23 years. We chatted with him yesterday and he indicated he could repair my ring with trivial ease. He could then make a wax cast of my ring to create a suitably sized duplicate for cuyahogarvr although the current high price of gold is going to make that a somewhat expensive proposition (but he's worth it).

Today at noon, we dropped off my ring, officially submitted our order and made a $300 deposit. In three weeks, all three of us will have identical rings... yay!

Jewelry Repairs & Purchases

A few months ago, my wedding band (see userpic) lost a stone. Fearing the loss of more stones and having other more pressing uses for our available funds, I deferred getting the ring repaired.

We also wanted to get a similar ring for cuyahogarvr but haven't found one of the same style. Having one made to order was always an option, but again there were always more pressing demands on the checking account.

While the checking account is still a little strained, an opportunity to tackle both projects has come up which has been too good to pass up: Jewelry by Poncé.

Poncé has been a regular vendor at Mid-Atlantic Leather the past 23 years. We chatted with him yesterday and he indicated he could repair my ring with trivial ease. He could then make a wax cast of my ring to create a suitably sized duplicate for cuyahogarvr although the current high price of gold is going to make that a somewhat expensive proposition (but he's worth it).

Today at noon, we dropped off my ring, officially submitted our order and made a $300 deposit. In three weeks, all three of us will have identical rings... yay!

To the RV Expo!

We spent the early part of the afternoon in Dulles, VA, attending the annual RV expo. We aren't shopping for a new trailer or motor home --in this economy? who can afford one?-- but we were interested in supplies, accessories and general ideas for our existing trailer.

Sadly, supplies and accessories were utterly non-existent. Outside of the vehicles themselves, the only other vendors were campgrounds, storage facilities and one insurance company. Bummer.

I'm fascinated by the way different companies exploit available space inside trailers, maximizing space and functionality while keeping weight and costs under control. Some succeed while others... well, what were they thinking?

For example...

Most trailers have an externally-attachable two-burner stove. It clips into provided side rails and attaches to the trailer's internal natural gas lines. It allows one to grill outdoors to enjoy good weather and scenic venues; as an added bonus, it also doesn't contribute to heating the interior of the vehicle in the worst of a hot summer day. Out trailer has such an external stove but we've never used it: we have a much larger barbecue on our deck since we're cooking for a small crowd and since our deck is flush with the trailer's floor level, the attached stove would be at knee level, hardly convenient.

At least three models we looked at took this to an extreme. The photo below is not only of an outside grill, but an outside faucet & sink, fridge, microwave oven, shelves & storage, counter space and a spice rack. Yes, it's a trailer with two full kitchens. WTF?!


I have never seen so many trailers of such a height before. Eight foot ceilings and higher were on offer, including several deluxe models with ceiling fans and electric fireplaces. Admittedly, those top-of-the-line models were clearly made for childless couples as they sacrificed all sleeping spaces except the master bed (king-sized, naturally), using the space for large shared living areas. Two models had kitchen islands.

This one (below) came with its own clothes washer & dryer, all for the low price of $350,000 USD. I don't want to own one, I'd just like to afford to buy one. I only wish I was less in awe of the shear excess of it all to inquire about the gas mileage although I'm sure they'd say something akin to if you have to ask you can't afford it.


Several of the deluxe motor homes have extended rear cabins in which one may house an extra vehicle. Yup, a garage inside your mobile home, suitable for a golf cart, motor cycles, all terrain vehicles or scooters. I suppose it might be attractive for those who use motorized wheelchairs although I'd have to wonder how one gets into & out of the motor home itself if one has severe mobility issues. Naturally, there were ATV, golf cart and ATV sales on site as well. We picked out this model for kent4str:

To the RV Expo!

We spent the early part of the afternoon in Dulles, VA, attending the annual RV expo. We aren't shopping for a new trailer or motor home --in this economy? who can afford one?-- but we were interested in supplies, accessories and general ideas for our existing trailer.

Sadly, supplies and accessories were utterly non-existent. Outside of the vehicles themselves, the only other vendors were campgrounds, storage facilities and one insurance company. Bummer.

I'm fascinated by the way different companies exploit available space inside trailers, maximizing space and functionality while keeping weight and costs under control. Some succeed while others... well, what were they thinking?

For example...

Most trailers have an externally-attachable two-burner stove. It clips into provided side rails and attaches to the trailer's internal natural gas lines. It allows one to grill outdoors to enjoy good weather and scenic venues; as an added bonus, it also doesn't contribute to heating the interior of the vehicle in the worst of a hot summer day. Out trailer has such an external stove but we've never used it: we have a much larger barbecue on our deck since we're cooking for a small crowd and since our deck is flush with the trailer's floor level, the attached stove would be at knee level, hardly convenient.

At least three models we looked at took this to an extreme. The photo below is not only of an outside grill, but an outside faucet & sink, fridge, microwave oven, shelves & storage, counter space and a spice rack. Yes, it's a trailer with two full kitchens. WTF?!


I have never seen so many trailers of such a height before. Eight foot ceilings and higher were on offer, including several deluxe models with ceiling fans and electric fireplaces. Admittedly, those top-of-the-line models were clearly made for childless couples as they sacrificed all sleeping spaces except the master bed (king-sized, naturally), using the space for large shared living areas. Two models had kitchen islands.

This one (below) came with its own clothes washer & dryer, all for the low price of $350,000 USD. I don't want to own one, I'd just like to afford to buy one. I only wish I was less in awe of the shear excess of it all to inquire about the gas mileage although I'm sure they'd say something akin to if you have to ask you can't afford it.


Several of the deluxe motor homes have extended rear cabins in which one may house an extra vehicle. Yup, a garage inside your mobile home, suitable for a golf cart, motor cycles, all terrain vehicles or scooters. I suppose it might be attractive for those who use motorized wheelchairs although I'd have to wonder how one gets into & out of the motor home itself if one has severe mobility issues. Naturally, there were ATV, golf cart and ATV sales on site as well. We picked out this model for kent4str: