That Statement is No Longer Operative
Originally posted 9/13/2012
The title for this entry is a quote from Ron Ziegler, Press Secretary for President (tricky Dick) Richard Nixon, serving as a way of admitting that “he lied” without saying it directly. You know, weasel words. If the situation around it had changed, he would have said so and blamed that. But, the underlying situation hadn’t changed, and so came his explanation for the change in direction.
I’ve been preparing the ancient Innsbruck camper for extended dry camping with the assurance that I’d be able to stay onsite until it was completed, the target departure being mid-October. Hooked up to clean water and electrical power, progress has been good. Plan the work, work the plan.
Alas, the assurance and the resulting schedule are no longer operative. Instead of six weeks to fabricate and mount an unusual home-grown solar panel system, extend water tank capacities, and build out the interior for full-timing, I’ve now been given just 
two weeks to vacate my site at the far end of the driveway. The underlying situation hasn’t changed a bit, just the whim driving it. I’ll be jettisoned after September 23rd. Ready or not, home will be wherever I park it.
That has suddenly forced an abrupt priority change from an orderly and systematic process to one that is more likely to result in having to hit the road without the ability to dry camp – a very costly situation. Remember, my $41/day living expenses budget must cover everything from insurance to toothpaste, no exceptions. It’s not a campsite budget. There is no parachute. This situation is made more difficult because the workability of my plan was based on assuming that someone else would be good for their word. Oh well. The good news is that there’s so little time to pout or feel sorry for myself. There is only the hope, and the available moments to realize the dream ahead.
So, I’ve quickly researched and ordered what I hope will be compatible components for an one-off solar system, and will have to fabricate custom mounting hardware, plus install wiring and other systems while parked in a campground. That ought to make me popular. What – don’t you love the whine of a Dremel? On-board space utilization, always a challenge in an RV and a daunting challenge for true full-timers, will be more chaotic as quick decisions are made as to what to take with, what to store, what to donate to charity, and what to discard. Regardless of what happens or fails to happen, I must hit the road by mid-October and be able to dry camp in some fashion. And, good fashion is much more pleasant than bad fashion.
At this point, there are more unanswered questions than anything else. Like the N.C.C. Enterprise, this tin can will have to get out there to the middle of nowhere and serve as home for years – only this particular Enterprise will be launched from dry dock long before completion, with a third of her life support systems on-board but still in cartons. There is no more master plan – only the demands and opportunities of the moment responded to with overriding priorities kept in mind. The worrisome thing for me is the knowledge that unaddressed details can eventually cause crippling problems just as easily as big issues can right now, because there’s no time to do anything over. Like child-rearing, there is no test phase here. This ought to be interesting, eh? But, oh please, not too interesting.
Strolling Amok 