Well, school is out for the summer. Time to sit around and relax! I wish. It's time to get started on some projects that we have been putting off since we got back to Wisconsin. First on the list is washing and waxing the RV. This is a major project. Despite the time and effort, we like the results of our work, compared to hiring others. Besides we work cheap.
It all starts with washing the roof. There are a lot of products on the market for keeping the rubber roof of an RV clean. After years of using expensiveproducts especially designed for cleaning RV roofs, we were advised by an RV tech in Florida to use a product you may have heard of--Dawn Dishwashing Detergent. Dawn saves us a lot of money, and It works great. Supplies for washing the roof include: Dawn, a hose, a mop you never want to use again, shoes with non-slip soles, Gator Ade, and Alleve. The Gator Ade keeps you hydrated and supplies electrolytes to lessen the leg cramps that are coming the next day. The Alleve helps you forget about the muscles that have been called in to service that have been dormant since the last time you cleaned the roof.
Next up is washing the rig. Soap, water, and a brush on an extendable pole do the trick. Two people can get this done pretty quickly. Two people our age take a little longer. There is no detailing here, just getting off road dirt and the layers of dust that build up while in the Arizona desert. It may seem odd to folks from the midwest, but in Arizona some folks dust their cars more than they wash them.
The last step is waxing. This summer I have decided to do two coats of wax.
Below we've included a video of some of the waxing process.
Like doing the roof, Gator Ade and Alleve are integral parts of the waxing supply list--at least if you're our age.
Besides the RV cleaning project, we are still working on Joyce Groom's CD project, Songs From the Heart. Joyce has written all of the songs on this CD. Her natural performing and writing style is country, but on this CD she wanted a variety of styles. So, when we developed the music and arrangements for her, we looked at each song separately and decided on a style or genre for each one.
Today we would like you to listen to a song called Psalm 146 Praise. As the three of us discussed different styles for songs back in November, I told Joyce that this song sounded like a polka or possibly Zydeco to me. Given the long pause over the phone, I could tell she seemed skeptical. Joyce had suggested something in a minor key with kind of a Jewish folk song feel to it. Minor keys often suggest sadness, and Kathy and I felt that such a fun and happy song needed a Zydeco, upbeat, New Orleans feel with a squeezebox. So, that's what we set out to do. For this song, Joyce Groom wrote the lyrics and melody, Kathy and I did the music and arrangement, the harmonies were created by Kathy and performed by both of us. Joyce, of course, is doing the lead vocal.
We expect to be finished mixing this CD Early next week. Then we go through a period of client revision, followed by mastering, and then production.
Click to listen to Psalm 146 Praise