I accomplished the two tasks I set for today: I graded papers and Lex and I went to the laser show at Stone Mountain Park just up the road. They day didn’t start off nearly so productively, however. Lex forgot to set her alarm and was late to work. Sad considering work is only three steps away! Can’t blame the commute on that one. I rolled out, walked the dogs, had some breakfast, played on Facebook, and then took my laptop, battery powered fan, and water bottle outside so I could grade papers on the patio. I got through four essays before the laptop battery died. Since I had to go in for the power adapter, I decided to just stay in since it was warming up outside. I grabbed a bite to eat, settled into the cool comfort of the A/C, and did some more grading.
When I was halfway done, I started to get antsy, so I got up and tried to fix the crank on the TV antenna, the parts for which I found yesterday at the RV supply. The good news is I can now make the antenna crank up and down and rotate. The bad news is that the crank assembly isn’t really “fixed.” It all falls out of the ceiling at the slightest provocation, and I don’t know how to make it stick. They didn’t include one part in the whole kit, and that’s a small nylon bearing. I wonder if that little piece of plastic is the magic “glue” that will make the antenna crank work properly. Well, I’m calling it good enough for now.
I also spent some time trying to work out why my refrigerator is no longer cooling properly. The freezer works fine but not the fridge. I read the manuals and a number of discussion forums that talked about similar problems, and I tried all the tricks everyone suggested. I checked for ammonia leaks. Nothing. Checked that the fridge is level. Went outside and made sure the evaporator fins and the propane ignition are clear of debris. I installed a battery-powered fan, and I adjusted the thermistor. I even removed a bunch of stuff so that air could flow more easily. Still not working properly. The fridge is cooling but not nearly enough. I meant to buy a thermometer at the RV supply yesterday but forgot. I just want the darned thing to magically heal itself because I’m not excited about the prospect of trying to get the darned thing repaired. RV fridges are expensive. The fix would probably be covered by my extended warranty, but there is still a $100 deductible and the time and trouble it will take to haul this thing to service. I’m in a state of denial right now, pretending it will be JUST FINE if I simply don’t think about it too hard. We’ll see how it’s doing tomorrow, I suppose.
I got all my papers graded by 6 p.m. and started to get ready to head out to the laser show at Stone Mountain Park, home of the world’s largest bas relief sculpture which is carved into what has been mistakenly touted as the world’s largest granite outcrapping. It’s damned big, but it’s not actually granite. The mountain was the site of the rebirth of the modern Ku Klux Klan in 1915, and the Klan continued to hold meetings there for another 45 years until the state of Georgia bought the mountain and condemned it just so they could stop the Klan from gathering there. Back in the 1920s, the Klan raised $250,000 for the sculpture, the design of which they influenced, making sure it bore only Confederate heroes. The sculpture, started in 1923, was not completed until 1972. I find it amusing that the money raised and the jobs produced by Stone Mountain Park now help to support the thriving African American community that has grown up around it. I’m sure Nathan Bedford Forrest is rolling over in his grave (or thrashing about in the fiery pits of hell) at the very thought of it all!
The memorial contains images of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis (and their horses).
We arrived at the park by 7:30 p.m. because I was laboring under the misapprehension that the laser show started at 8:00 p.m. Don’t know what I was thinking given that it’s still light at 8:00. No, the gates OPEN at 8:00 p.m.; the show itself didn’t begin until 9:30. That was fine, though. Lex and I wandered into some of the little shops, had a bite to eat, and went to find our seats. While we were waiting, I knitted a row on the blanket I’ve started for a friend’s granddaughter who should be arriving in the next month or two.
Finally the show started, and it really was spectacular. There were moving tributes to Georgia history, American heroes, our troops, and Georgia musicians. They threw in some fireworks for good measure. Here’s a link to video I took of one segment of the show, Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”:
Tribute to Charlie Daniels at the Stone Mountain Park Lasershow Spectacular
The whole show lasted only 45 minutes, and then we trekked back through the masses of people all the way to our truck only to find that I was missing my very expensive Sanyo Xacti digital still and video camera. My bag had come open on the walk back, and the camera had fallen out. In a panic, I rushed all the way back across the park to where we were seated. Nothing. I dejectedly walked back to the truck figuring someone had gotten themselves a free camera. On our way out, I saw a police officer pulled over talking to some folks, so I approached him to report the camera lost. Turns out the people he was talking to were turning in my camera! I described the item to the officer who returned it to me once he was convinced it was mine and then I thanked the people profusely who turned it in. Whew! Close call! I’d just spent two hours photographing everything in sight and would have been crushed had I lost that camera. Thank you, nice couple, whoever and wherever you are! I’m very grateful. Seems like there are still honest folks in the world.
Tags: Georgia, rving, Stone Mountain, Travel
