The A’s won’t hold a block unless we have 25 people. So far we have 8. I am going to hold until March 10 and buy a block of tickets. Everyone can PayPal me or pay at the game. I want to get MVP seating which is $48 + $6.50 (convenience fee for buying over the web).

If I get nervous about getting good seats I may pull the trigger before the 10th. I expect a very large crowd for the game.

So far we have 2 SMBs, 1 SMB Sprinter, and 1 Winnebago View (they will have to pay for 2 parking spots).

What do you all think? Don’t miss out on some great baseball and a chance to drive around in your rig! Don’t you want to show off what you spent your grandkid’s inheritance on?

Email me a name so I can get your ticket – webmaster@ourexcellentadventures.com

I decided to pain my brakes silver. I had painted the Eurovan’s red and that was easy so I thought that this would be easy also. Now I have one silver and one black with brake dust. When the sun shines again and after I get a better jack I’ll do the other one.

I put the bus in park, emergency brake on and loosened the lug bolts slightly, and wheeled my high lift jack under a lift point and raised the bus. Hmm, not good enough. A 20 inch jack won’t get the Sprinter off the front tire.

I pulled out the Sprinter’s jack, made sure the pressure release thingy was tight, put it under the lift point and started to jack. I am used to my high jack which reaches maximum height in 2 strokes. The Sprinter’s jack must take something like 100 strokes.  Finally I got the jack up to about 22 inches and was able to gently remove the wheel.

At 22 inches, the jack stands were an inch too short, and the jack was leaning. The bottom of the jack, by-the-way, is not flat so it wobbles around and being almost maxed out (24 inches is the maximum height) even the hydraulic lifters looked stressed.

If at all possible, never use the jack that came with the Sprinter. If you have to use it, set it on a wooden block so it does not have to extend so far. Never go under the Sprinter while it is on a jack. I wouldn’t use the stock jack in a high wind even – looks so precarious to me. If I have a flat on the road I will for sure use a Road Service. I some how ended up with 2 – Progressive and GoodSam.

Now to find some 2″ wooden blocks so I can finish painting the brakes.

Today we got our tickets for the baseball season! No, we don’t go the season ticket route because of expense. Just tickets for most Sunday games. Go A’s!

If you have baseball tickets, the trees are blossoming, the meadow larks and mockingbirds are singing is must be time for a get-to-gether! Here is the plan.

When – April 3 (a Saturday)

Where- Oakland Coliseum, Parking Lot A (the north east corner)

Details

• Parking Lot A of Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
• Tailgate admission price is FREE
• Discounted parking available ($10 per vehicle)
• Parking gates open at 9 a.m.
• FREE event highlights include:
  • Q & A sessions
  • Autograph sessions
  • Photos with World Series Trophies and former A’s Players
  • Interactive games
  • Memorabilia sale
  • A’s Mathletics program sign-up booth (sponsored by Ross Dress For Less)
  • A chance to host SportsNet Central at the SportsCaster Experience booth presented by Comcast SportsNet California
  • Fans will have the opportunity to meet members of the 2010 Oakland A’s team, coaches and former A’s players during the tailgate.
  • For more information, please call (510) 638-4900 x4040

After the FREE Fan Appreciation Tailgate event, the Oakland A’s will take on the San Francisco Giants at 1:05 p.m.

This is an invitation for all SMB owners, all Sprinter owners. You don’t have to go to the game. You don’t even have to leave the parking lot if you don’t want to – at least until they close it.

I will be speaking to the A’s tomorrow to see if we can set aside a block of seats (in the $30 – $40 range?) for the game. I will also check parking for Class C Sprinters. Let me know if you are interested by replying here or email to webmaster@ourexellentadventures.com

Are any of you in the process of ordering your 2010 Sprinter? First, I am jealous and second I wanted to remind you that at least some of the equipment codes are here in this 10 page PDF file, http://www.ourexcellentadventures.com/wp-content/documents/2010SprinterEquipmentCodes.pdf

It also seems that there are some problems with getting the color you want. Brilliant Metallic Silver is not available until the next production run along with possible Aqua Green. One option you do not want to leave out is FZ9 – two additional master keys.

I only had a chance to order a vehicle once and it came it totally screwed up. I am sure things have changed now – no more Pony Express, etc. I hope I can totally spec out my next Sprinter with no compromises and get exactly what I want.

If you do have a problem with your order please post it here.

Every year I sit watching the news in the evening. Every winter I hear the same reports – 250,000 without power here; 90,00 without power there; lines down with freezing rain everywhere. Not only do I hear this every winter but I hear it multiple times each winter (and sometimes in the summer). How much does it cost to continually repair power lines? How much productivity is lost? This technology goes back to

Funny thing. Where I live the power never goes out because of bad weather! THE POWER LINES ARE UNDER GROUND! Hello!

Ok, it’s true here in my part of California there isn’t any mid-west or east-coast weather but if there were, our power lines would not come crashing down.

Can you see where I am going? Bury the power lines. All of them. Draw a line between Dallas and Fayetteville, NC. Any city, town, village north of that line will bury the lines. Set a goal – two years tops. That way people will have to hire to get it done in time. Problems? Sure but most of the rights-of -ways are already established for utilities. Environmental study – wave it. Other lines are all ready buried – water, gas, sewer – we are just adding to it. It should take about 5 minutes of debate.

There is no logical reason we should continue using technology from 2 centuries ago when with an investment of stimulus funds could pay to bring us into the 21st Century. We would create thousands and thousands of jobs and I wouldn’t have to have deja vu every winter. The country would be much better prepared for what Mother Nature is throwing at us. It would look better. Jobs would be created, quickly. Start when the snow thaws.

The rear of our Sprinter looks good but needed a little extra bling. I went to see Scott at A-1 Muffler who worked on the Eurovan and half-hour latter – bling!

Remember Darling – it is not how you feel but how you look and you look marvelous!