Our RV Adventures

After coffee and bagels about 10, I started back on trying to get my new Kindle to connect to my Cradlepoint CTR-500 router.

I tried all the tricks I knew, including turning off DHCP and setting a static IP address, and updating the firmware on the router. I had already turned off all encryption so an incorrect password wouldn’t be a problem. And as before, my Blackberry and HP laptop still logged in to the router with no problems.

Finally about 12:15 I drove down to the park office to try their WiFi. Trying out their WPA2 encrypted signal, I was still unable to connect.

Bummer! But it is starting to look like the problem may be with my Kindle. The ranger said they also had an open signal down at the lodge, so off I went.

And lo and behold, I got connected! I was able to register the Kindle and download some books with no problems. So hoping that once I had been able to login and register the Kindle, it might work on my router.

Getting back to the rig, I found Nick Russell had called to check up on my Kindle problems. But before I called him back, I wanted to see if I could now connect. And . .

Nope! Still no connection.

I’m starting to want to see how good a Frisbee the Kindle would make. Checking in with Nick I passed on the news.

Finally I decided to call Kindle Support to see if they could offer any help. But unfortunately, I got Peggy from the credit card company, or at least her sister Paula. Paula was no help whatsoever, and kept telling me to do things that had absolutely nothing to do with my problem.

She then ask me what version of the software was on my Kindle. I told her  “3.2.1”. She said I need to upgrade to the latest version, 3.1.

I asked her how 3.1 was newer than 3.2.1. She said it was and that she would send me a link to download the upgrade to my computer so I could upgrade directly.

And as I thought, the Kindle refused to upgrade to an older version.

By this time I wanted to try another WiFi hotspot, and since with the cloudy, overcast weather today, we had not done our Lava Butte visit, we decided to take in a movie and then try Starbuck’s WiFi afterwards.

We made the 3:30 show of Pirates of the Caribbean, which we both really liked, and then it was on to Baldy’s BBQ for another great meal. And some more good leftovers.

Leaving Baldy’s we drove down the block where I tried the WiFi signal at the Safeway/Starbuck’s.

And for the second time I was able to log in. And, although this was an unencrypted connection, it did require logging in through the built-in browser, and that worked too.

I guess I’ll give Cradlepoint a call on Monday and see if they have any ideas.

Coming home we dropped off a letter at the Post Office in Sunriver, and then filled up the truck with gas.

We got home a little after 8 pm and were in for the night. We’ll see how the weather is tomorrow for a possible Lava Butte visit.

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Thought for the Day:

Freedom is not free. Free men are not equal. Equal men are not free.

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Our morning, or at least Jan’s morning, started with a call from our daughter Brandi checking in and giving us the latest Landon update. He’s started standing up on his own for as long as 10-15 seconds. Now Brandi’s just waiting for those first steps.

When I got up a little later Jan and I had our usual coffee and bagels, and then I went outside to work on washing the truck and the rig.

Around noon Jan fixed us a lunch of leftovers, pizza from Boston’s last night, and ribs from Baldy’s a couple of days ago. Jan wanted everyone to know that she ordered the full-rack of ribs in the picture the other day so we would have leftovers.

Nick Russell called about 2 pm so we could coordinate our travel plans for the next few weeks. After Nick found that Verizon cell/aircard service was pretty much non-existent at the Pacific City Thousand Trails, So we had to scramble to find somewhere new, complicated by the fact that part of our stay will be over the 4th of July weekend when things get busy.

We’ll see how it works out.

About 3:45 Jan and I left the rig heading into Bend for an early dinner, but we had a couple of stops first.

Jan had been going through her paperbacks, and wanted to drop a bunch off at the park Book Exchange by the office. I told her I hoped she wouldn’t come out with more books than she was dropping off, as has happened before. Luckily she only came out with three.

Whew!

While Jan was doing the Book Exchange thing I went by the office to drop off some Gypsy Journals and to be sure I could leave some around in other areas of the park. I also was expecting a couple of packages so I wanted to find out where I could pick them up.

Then it was off to Baltazar’s, a Mexican Seafood restaurant up in Bend. We were starting to need our Mexican fix, and this place had really good reviews.

And the reviews were right!

Baltazar’s is high-end, but delicious. Both our dishes were around $20 each, but well worth the price.

Jan had her favorite Shrimp Enchiladas that looked like this.  She said the shrimp weren’t as big as the ones at Dos Amigos in Weed last week, but it was even better tasting.

I had the Molcajete de Pollo y Carne. A molcajete is a bowl usually made from volcanic basalt and looks like this. It is used as a serving dish and can be heated in the oven to keep the food hot.

And my meal looked like this.

It was grilled strips of chicken, steak, and poblano peppers with a delicious chipolte sauce.

Really, really good!

Heading back to the rig we stopped at the Ranger Station to pick up our packages.

And there it was, my Father’s Day present I bought myself (with Jan’s blessing).

A Kindle!

But after getting it home and playing with it for a while, I think my unit may have a problem. I bought the Wi-Fi only model and I can’t get it to connect to my Cradlepoint Wi-Fi router.

It sees my signal, it just won’t connect. I even turn off encryption on my router, but that didn’t help.

On the other hand, my Blackberry Storm 2 connects to my router just fine. I’m going to take it into a a Starbuck’s or something tomorrow to check it out on another router before I call Amazon.

I was able to load books on it directly from my computer so I can use it for now.

Tomorrow or Sunday, depending on the weather, we going to visit nearby Lava Butte.

Seen from US97, it’s a somewhat impressive gray ‘lump’ rising out of the surrounding flat landscape.

But this aerial view shows it is the remains of a cinder cone volcano that last erupted 7000 years ago. There is a road leading to the top rim, with a visitor’s center, and a pathway that lets you walk around the rim.

We’ll see how the weather, and the Kindle does tomorrow.

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Thought for the Day:

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.

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