The Big Camping Show in Quartzsite

Today we drove to Quartzsite to attend what is billed as the biggest camping/vacation expo in the USA.  I dunno.  I lived in Las Vegas for 8 years and would go to the Cashman Center for various craft or health shows.  It gets my mom and I exercise while also getting the chance to look at people's exhibits. This RV show was a lot like the Cashman Center shows.  About the same size.  I have a tough time believing this is the largest...but it was pretty big.

What we most wanted to see was RVs.  After my accident where I hit a post with my trailer, and then the subsequent pain in the ass I had to deal with due to my inability to be able to back in to a space, we've been really thinking about getting a Class C.

I'm glad we didn't jump on early ones we saw because in addition to the towing/backing up issues I'm having another problem we need remedied.  I a quiet place to work.  It's tough to write smutty romance at the dinette with my mom across from me.  I also sick of dealing with our cat Precious harassing me for treats when I'm right in the middle of my flow.  My mother also wants to watch TV and talk loudly on speaker phone without disturbing my sleep.

We need a room where we can close a door.  Where I can go during the day to do my work, and where my mom can go to sleep or to watch TV or take phone calls.

This is our ideal solution.  I mean--look at that desk!  http://www.campingworld.com/rvsales/class-c/2006/gulfstream-endura/493344/

We're open to other options also, like a Class A with a rear bed *and* a toy hauler garage with another bed.  Just give me a door I can close and I'll be happy.

Well, there weren't many class Cs to look at during the show.  We avoided a whole clump of RVs we park neared because an obnoxious high-pressure salesman we'd had the misfortune of dealing with last time in Quartzsite was guarding them.  We went through a bunch of others, but just can't find our floor plan.  We also can't spend a hugetastic fortune.  Price is definitely why we haven't pulled the trigger thus far.

I still owe $22k on our current rig, and that's more than it's worth.  It's sad, but we have to trade this in if we want to a new one and it's going to cause salesmen to screw us.  They will just charge us the price of their rig PLUS what we owe, without giving us credit for the trade-in.  Every dealer pulls this crap.  It's like we pay for two RVs but only own one.

Anyhow, we still wanted to look to think about options and decide what to save up for in the future.  there were Class As, Class As, Class As....bleh.  Finally we just went into the expo and walked around the booths.

Now, here's the interesting thing.  A lot of booths were companies set up just because they were looking for workampers.  These are RVers who live on the site in their RVs with free hook-ups and work for them.  Amazon.com has workampers in all their distribution centers.  They were there looking for employees as well as the Sugar Beet Harvest (starting pay $12.70/hour, and you're sorting at a receiving station, not picking beets) and Yosemite National Park (minimum wage and no free camping).

I foolishly signed up to be considered for the beet harvest, because I'm a crazy idiot who likes to do crazy things for money.  I've done some research and know I would never be able to handle this job.  Hopefully no one will call.

What I do want, however, is to be a workamper at a park, working 20 hours a week in exchange for an RV space.  I really should start looking into that again.

Also...if anyone's interested...here is the novel I wrote in January:

An audio book you might like...

There hasn't been much to blog about lately.  We're still in Yuma enjoying the reasonably good weather.  Sometimes guys come around offering services for the RV. If I answer the door washing our RV is $89. If my mom, with the hispanic accent answers the door and talks to them in Spanish, the price is $70.  -_-

Anyway, I have a new AUDIO BOOK that I'm so excited about I just have to post it everywhere!!  You might actually like this one too, since it's from one of my more mainstream books.

AUDIO BOOKS ARE AWESOME!!!  

Alien’s Bride is an awesome story to listen to during your commute to work or while you’re working out!  Click the link and hear the awesome sample!

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Aliens-Bride-Book-One-Audiobook/B01AH3M2NW/

Alien’s Bride Book One
Kind-hearted Maritza is transported thousands of years into the future to be a bride for one of the malevolent aliens who has conquered Earth.

I really hope this audio book is a success since my narrator worked so hard on it.  Just listen to the intro to hear her great work!  It's an exciting book.  Give it a chance and you'll be hooked!!

Best Dentist in Algodones Mexico: Isaias Iniguez D.D.S.

Okay, the work is all done and my mom's teeth look and feel great.  After the curfluffle on her first appointment the dentist sent his daughter to pick her up at our RV and drive her back and forth to Mexico.  Part of the reason was to make sure they never had to see me again. 

My mom had an 7 tooth bridge put on her top teeth.  She couldn't have dental implants due to a blood disorder that makes any surgeries life-threatening.  The dentist also recommended against it because she was having an allergic reaction just to metal in the removable bridge she used to have.  She couldn't have metal implants in her gums.  A bridge was her best bet, and we're glad we got a good dentist who understood her needs and gave her what she wanted.

I say Dr. Isaias Iniguez is the best dentist in Algodones because he did the job right.  He's also the only ADA certified dentist in the town.  His office is sophisticated with state of the art equipment.  Although he relies on his wife and daughter for English translation, he takes pride in his work and makes sure that everything is done perfectly.  He schedules follow-ups to ensure his work is still holding.  He's meticulous and is a clear master at what he does.

He's not the cheapest dentist but here's how it broke down:

My mother paid $3500 for the 7 tooth upper bridge. Her last quote in the USA for the same work was $6,000.   It took three visits when you include the initial consultation. 

Ignore her bottom teeth.  Only the top ones were fixed.  She had a falsey thing she put in for her gap between the top teeth before and the metal was just destroying her mouth.  She's much happier with her new choppers which are rooted in a bridge. The bridge goes deep into her gums and is very sturdy.

You'll see that on the right side, her two natural teeth don't match.  We're okay with this.  We wanted something that mostly looked good, was permanent, and was going to last her for the rest of her life.  These are zirconia teeth, which is supposed to be the best they had to offer. 

We are happy with Dr. Isaias Iniguez DDS.  He's skilled and you can trust your mouth to him.  We recommend him.

Sultan Then And Now

My kitty Sultan when we lived in bricks and sticks in 2012

And here he is in the RV today!  <3

Minor Dental Update

My mother has a temporary bridge in right now.  They drove her all the way home rather than face my wrath again when I picked her up.  She should have the final result in a week.  I'll update again then.