Date Night

I’ve spent the last few weeks making some minor repairs and mods to the Scamp.  One of the lights wasn’t working above the dinette.  That fix required drilling out four rivets, disassembling the upper cabinet to expose the wiring, removing the light, cleaning out the switch, and putting everything back into place.  I also switched all the interior lights to LED as an energy-saving measure.

Additionally, I added a propane tank so that I now have two 20 lb tanks with an automatic transfer valve for when a tank runs dry.  I confirmed that the water pump works, along with the water heater (which had a leak that needed to be fixed). Tomorrow night, I’m taking the Scamp on an overnight test trip.  In a few weeks, if all goes well, we will take the Scamp for a weekend trip along the Mississippi River.

Last night was date night.  Wisconsin gets only about a dozen or so perfect days each year.  One of those days was yesterday.  We took a walk around the state Capital in Madison, enjoyed a margarita and expensive but tasty tacos at the newly opened Canteen Restaurant off the square, and then walked down State Street to the Memorial Union, one of our favorite spots (and where we held our wedding reception many years ago).

When we were undergrads and then later when I attended law school, the Memorial Union was my refuge.  I studied on the couches on the second floor, and gazed out at the lake when I didn’t want to study anymore.  A lot has changed since then, but the views and the vibes are still spectacular.

Unfortunately, no one sang Neil Young at last night’s Open Mic, as in the good ol’ days.  Some of the rap songs reminded me of the sounds coming from megaphones on top of vehicles in Mexico during election time.  On the positive side, the beer choices on the Terrace are better now.  I enjoyed a Fantasy Factory IPA from Karben4 Brewing, as we watched dusk descend over Lake Mendota.