Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

Archive for the category “Navel Gazing”

06 Oct 2013
22 Comments

Van or RV?

When this represents "very cloudy", you know you’re going to like it here. What will you reside in while you’re here?

When this represents “very cloudy”, you know you’re going to like it here. What will you reside in while you’re here?

When a few hardy souls, by circumstance or free choice, decide that a mobile lifestyle is the way to go for them, the choice of what type of contraption they will live in can seem like a difficult puzzle to put together. That’s only because it is. The options are wide, and small differences can make or break a choice.

What to choose, oh what to choose?

What to choose, oh what to choose?

I’ll claim right here that I’m not going to deliberately try to steer you toward the one solution that I prefer myself, though my feature preferences will leak into this post, of course. It helps that I’m not living in the type of rig I actually prefer, but what I do have does work quite well for me. I think you’ll know when to filter out what doesn’t apply to you, and so know whenever a particular type of rig may not be such great shakes for you, because you’re not me. Thank your lucky stars for that! Personally, I consider a converted van to be just another form of RV, but for the sake of this article, I’m pretending it’s not.

The major caveat is that I’m going to babble on here about full-timing only, and having no other housing available in the foreseeable future. Anyone can make do in anything when you have friends or relatives to stay at now and then, or some other form of Read more…

Posted in Camper Nirvana, Navel Gazing and tagged , , , , , , ,
30 Sep 2013
10 Comments

Packrat Purgatory

Packrat Ethic meets Finite Space.

Packrat Ethic meets Finite Space.

What if you had to reduce the sum total of all your worldly goods into a new home measuring just 8′ x 26′? Not an 8×26 storage unit, but a living space complete with closets, couch, desk with computer, dining area with benches or chairs, bed, complete kitchen with stove, oven, microwave and refrigerator, cookware and servingware, lamps and lighting, TV and associated gizmos, bedroom, bathroom with sink, toilet, tub/shower and medicine cabinet, furnace and air conditioner with ductwork, space heater, water heater, water and waste tanks, all clothing for both hot and cold weather, and all of the hobby crap and books that you amuse yourself with? Don’t forget aisles that give you complete access from end to end, and no fair stacking boxes or bins from floor to ceiling unless you can tie them down for transport along roads rough enough to make an earthquake seem like Read more…

Posted in Navel Gazing and tagged , ,
29 Sep 2013

Quote

“You know, there’s this marvelous stereotype out there that when the white people came, the world here was perfect, that people lived in a paradise in which they were the most elegant, the most moral, the most elevated of all humanity. That’s not true. We were human beings, and we lived in our own societies, and we did things that all human beings do, and some of it was elevated and marvelous and admirable, and some of it was pretty horrible.”

JoAllyn Archambault

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota

Director of the American Indian Program at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC

Posted in Navel Gazing and tagged | Leave a comment
26 Sep 2013
6 Comments

The Fear Factor

Prepping the ill-fated solar system for the Glorious Adventure.

Prepping the ill-fated solar system for the Glorious Adventure.

Actually, I should have posted this a month ago, but August 28 marked the anniversary of my moving into The Enterprise as a full-time home, and October 9th will commemorate when I first hit the pavement. Venturing rapidly into a completely unfamiliar lifestyle always has its pitfalls and concerns, but I believe that when you’re handed a one-way ticket to Elsewhere, it’s time to look at what hasn’t worked, and consider something different. Kind of a start-over. What would you do differently, considering the here and now? Make lemonade out of lemons, if you can. The march of time prevents a do-over, but if you’re still breathing, there’s always at least a little time left for a new start. Action movies contain precious little philosophy, but one brief interlude in the film Bullitt has the disillusioned female lead ask her boyfriend, “What will happen to us, in time?” He answers sagely, “Time starts now.” My takeaway is to live deliberately. The future may not be entirely in your hands, but the course you decide to set is.

Many of you live vicariously through this and other similar blogs and websites, enjoying the “adventurous” mobile lifestyle and wishing – slightly – that you could one day do the same. Sure, it’s cool in a way, but you know deep down that you’ve got a lot of other things going on that are much more vital to you, so it will probably never actually happen. Doesn’t hurt to daydream about the possibilities open to you though, regardless of what similar or very different form they may take. Living mobile is just one tiny little niche. Living deliberately is a wide, wide span. Dream that.

Getting shoved into a dream

I’ve found that the waterfall effects of the Read more…

Posted in Daily Life, Navel Gazing and tagged , , ,
24 Sep 2013
4 Comments

7 Reasons You Don’t Need a Pet

Still not using the litter box, you say?

Still not using the litter box, you say?

I read an article by one Erin Dostal in Prevention magazine that describes the benefits of having a pet in your house. I’ve spent decades owning cats and dogs and, frankly, the advantages and benefits listed below just haven’t outweighed the drawbacks for me. It’s a very good thing that many folks benefit from having a pet of some kind but, for me, Does Not Apply. Why? I’ve followed each of her points with my own. Remember, this is just me, and my own experience talking.

7 Reasons You Need A Pet

Furry friends do more than keep you warm at night—research shows that pets offer a whole range of Read more…

Posted in Navel Gazing and tagged
23 Sep 2013
4 Comments

Of Moose and Dogs

Moose

Here’s a handy announcement for all you dog lovers out there.  I found it while searching for campsites in Colorado. This is about half of it, but here ya go:

9/19/2013
Division of Wildlife

Dogs and Moose Do Not Play Well Together, Reminds CPW

DENVER – In the wake of several people being injured by moose this year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding outdoor enthusiasts that moose can be aggressive when dogs and humans get too close. Since early spring, wildlife officers have responded to three human/moose conflicts, including two recent incidents in Grand Lake. In all three instances, dogs – both on and off-leash – reportedly spooked the moose before it charged and seriously injured the dog’s owner.

Moose in Colorado have very few natural predators and they are not generally frightened by humans. However, state wildlife officials caution that the large ungulates see dogs as a threat due to their similarities with wolves, their primary predator. Wildlife officials caution that dogs should never be allowed to approach a moose.

“Almost all incidents with aggressive moose involve dogs getting too close to the animal,” said Lyle Sidener, area wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Hot Sulphur Springs. ” In most cases, a  threatened moose will naturally react and try to stomp on the dog. The frightened dog will typically run back to its owner bringing an angry, thousand pound moose with it.”

Posted in Navel Gazing and tagged
22 Sep 2013

How to Drop Your Blood Pressure 30 Points

BloodPressure

One unexpected benefit of RVing for me has been the removal of constant stress. That, and my primitive “lazy-ass bachelor diet” are the only reasons I can think of for dropping my blood pressure from 138 to 108 when measured a year later. My doc had called 138 “borderline high”, and I’d had it for many years, with an Rx having practically no effect.

Imagine my recent surprise when going in to a doctor to get an prescription for being able to buy CPAP parts, finding that my blood pressure had dropped so much with no meds at all. That’s a big deal for me, since a blown heart valve deteriorates much more rapidly under high blood pressure, so I’m warned.  Works it back and forth so much that it goes from “leaky” to completely ineffective. That requires replacement, which is not a strong option for me at today’s costs. Let me know when it drops to 700 bucks or so. Apparently, if you wait that long, a replacement won’t work anyway – it’s way too late. Damage done.

If you’re on your own resources, decreasing blood pressure prolongs what you might call quality of life for this kind of ailment. I’m into that kind of thing lately. Relax. Do what makes you happy. Exercise. Enjoy life. See and experience new things. You know, I suspect that I could get used to this. “RV! It’s heart-healthy living!”

Posted in Navel Gazing and tagged , | Leave a comment
04 Jul 2013
8 Comments

Oh, It’s Just a Tattoo…

 

 

face

 

Possible captions?

1. Mr. Atwood, can you take a moment to help Mrs. Farley select a paint color for her nursery?

2. No, I don’t care for soup today, thank you.

3. Boy, when I get a bad cold, everybody just avoids me!

4. Hey, I can babysit your daughter as well as anyone!

5. Well see, first, I read Moby Dick, and then I went to this vodka party…

6. You can see from my resume that I’m fully qualified. Can you tell me why I didn’t get the job?

Posted in Navel Gazing and tagged
10 May 2013
4 Comments

Livin’ Large

From tent to luxo-motorhome, the views are the same. How you want to get there and stay there is entirely up to you.

From tent to luxo-motorhome, the views are the same. How you want to get there and stay there is entirely up to you.

[This post is one of three related writings created for use on another  blog as a “guest post”. These articles simply explain different aspects of The Enterprise as an improvised dwelling choice. Written for a different overall audience, they veer away from the tedious “I did laundry today” reporting I usually do. Enjoy the temporary break.]

My own interest in small mobile living started a year and a half ago, while web surfing. The Tiny House movement first caught my eye, and I found the comparative simplicity fascinating from both technical and lifestyle standpoints. What a contrast to conventional, cattle-yard consumer living! Then, when I stumbled over Bob Well’s VanDwelling websites, it was like “Tiny House on Steroids” because of its much higher emphasis on mobility and economy.

Oh, this porridge is way too hot!

Oh, this porridge is way too hot!

Having already had many skirmishes with my Inner Packrat, such a simple lifestyle was a smack-in-the-face wake up call. I began to look inward, and to slowly try to figure out how close I could come to the tenets of VanDwelling without exceeding what I felt I could realistically adapt to, long-term. This exercise was just for fun, and the answer was: Not real close.

And this porridge is too cold!

…And this porridge is too cold!

But, decades of typical suburban living under an increasingly bad economy, age discrimination, and jobs moving offshore had left me feeling frustrated. I was now working a minimum-wage job to try to assist with the maintenance, mortgage, and taxes of home ownership. It wasn’t much of a help, and the mismatch of duties and skills was wearing. As a mental escape, I couldn’t help daydreaming about permanent, full-time mobile living. It seemed intriguingly different, and the mindset and values of the people actually doing it was a 180-degree spin from everything I was used to. How were they making it work? I researched hard.

Determining personal goals

To explore this academic exercise, I had to first look Read more…

Posted in Navel Gazing, The Enterprise and tagged , ,
07 May 2013

The Third Degree of Cheapskate

Their silent power stops at sunset!

Their silent power stops at sunset!

Originally posted 3/18/2013

As a rule, full-time RVers are not big spenders. The great majority have prioritized the ability to live in their vehicle ahead of just about everything else. They don’t have much income, and many work temporary jobs here and there in order to continue their lifestyle. This requires travel and gets expensive, but they like the travel anyway! Others deplete their financial kitty and stop long enough to earn another bankroll so they can hit the road for a few more years.

So, over time, I’ve noticed that boondockers get a sense of achievement from conserving on the use of resources like water or electrical power, and from discovering free or very inexpensive campsites. Those from the West Coast amuse themselves by measuring their carbon footprint against what they used to do in their previous “sticks & bricks” lifestyle. Others simply monitor spending in order to gauge their progress toward achieving a Higher State of Cheapskate-ness.

Minimizing expenses is not an easy thing, because even boondocking, the cheapest way to full-time, eats through money much faster than you’d think! “But,” you protest, “How expensive could it be to drive somewhere, park for awhile, and enjoy the great outdoors? Camping, real camping, is cheap! No rent, no mortgage, no motels, fix your own food, fun!”

The current minimum monthly burn rate by full-time vandwellers – people who live out of a van or even a car – is usually regarded to be  Read more…

Posted in Mod Squad, Navel Gazing and tagged , , | Leave a comment

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →