Shrimp on the barbie
We wrapped up the day by running out to the local grocery for some shrimp (actually giant prawns) to grill on Barry's barbecue grill. The sun is setting early now, even here in Florida, so we ended up grilling in the dark at 7 pm, but at least the evenings are still pleasantly warm for things like this.
Shrimp, sausage, and scallions on a skewer
This weekend there's a "Ribfest" going on in St Petersburg that might be fun. We may go tomorrow. Otherwise, it looks like a weekend of beach-hopping. It has been an intense week of work on the Spring magazine and on various business issues, so I'm ready to check out for a while. We'll pack our snorkel gear and beach toys, and see where we end up.
An Airstream is a great resource to take to the beach, but the 30-footer is too much to haul around crowded barrier islands. When we had our 17-foot Caravel, we routinely hauled it to beach parking lots and used it as a cabana. This time we'll leave the Airstream parked at Barry's and just load up the Armada with our stuff.
We've got a few projects planned for next week. I've ordered a 12v dimmer switch from American Technology Components and we'll wire it into the main ceiling light circuit. This should give us more lighting flexibility and better ability to control our power use when boondocking. ATC is the supplier to Airstream, so the dimmer is an exact match to the original equipment.
We're also considering a range of other upgrades. We won't do all these things, but on the list for consideration are: install a larger LCD TV for movies; install a deeper kitchen sink; re-caulk the kitchen countertop and stove; install a Thin-Lite fluorescent for boondocking; install a catalytic heater; remove the subwoofer under the dinette seat and convert that space to storage; increase the height of the kitchen backsplash; replace the bedroom carpet with a different floor covering. Brett will be helping if we do any of these projects.
Comments
Rich,
I'm very interested in the dimmer switch because the Safari double-bulb overhead lights are way too bright in most situations. I looked on the web site and am guessing that you chose the @Home 12v Slide Dimmer. If so, that would mean that you will have to cut a larger hole to replace the single-width switch in say the bedroom and it doesn't allow you to replace the triple-wide switch near the door that handles the two outside lights as well as all the overhead lights in the kitchen/dining/living room areas. Am I correct? Or, is there some other device that I have missed? Please report on your experiences with the dimmer.
Posted by: Michael Young | November 10, 2006 01:10 PM
Rich, some of your upgrades may be more trouble than they are worth. If you have a 15" LCD tv now, and put in a 17", it really isn't that much bigger, and costs a lot more. If you go with a 22" tv, you may run into storage issues with it.
Removing the subwoofer, unless you are just moving it, will detract from you entertainment experience, as the resulting sound will be shallow and tinny. Experience has shown me that vinyl floorcovering in the bedroom is good, but you will want a throw rug to put down for those cold mornings when your feet hit the cold vinyl.
Posted by: Terry | November 10, 2006 09:06 PM