Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

04 May 2013

The Professional’s Take

Originally posted 11/13/2012

I dropped by the local post office this morning and waited 20 minutes in line to ascertain why they had refused delivery of the UPS 3-Day Select controller package sent to me General Delivery, putting me considerable dollars down. I showed him the label from the same vendor that they had welcomed a week ago. Their official judgement: “I don’t know.” That they refused delivery doesn’t help me, but that they can’t even guess as to why they refused really doesn’t help. That leaves me nervous about playing a rinse-and-repeat once the package shows up back in Chelmsford, Mass. Whose to say that the next attempt may not bounce, too? Without a cause identified, I’ll be playing Russian roulette with another $45 plus lose another two weeks if I lose the gamble. I don’t care who you are – that’s a lot of money.

So, I went to the laundromat to ask the guy there if I could use their street address for delivery and spend the day there to intercept the UPS truck on the day that it is scheduled to show up. He said fine, but also suggested that I have it delivered UPS Will Call to their Customer Center in Blythe, CA, some 24 miles away. It’s a UPS distribution center that the package passed through on its go-around. They would hold it for my pickup, and the counter is open from just 9AM-10AM each weekday. Hmmm. I’ll talk to the controller vendor tomorrow, since the package will be back in their hands then.

I’m camped on a branch off the Old Yuma Road, which now runs through BLM land. It’s a rough gravel track that now runs about 5 miles before petering out. I find it morbidly fascinating, since there’s no slight hint of Read more…

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04 May 2013

Going to the Dogs

With such a beautiful morning going, plenty to take care of and a cup of my fav Eight O’Clock coffee under my belt (it’s hard to find in stores around here), I suddenly recalled a pet peeve of mine, so to speak. Many campers of all stripes, from tenters to motorhome dwellers, keep pets. That’s perfectly fine if you appreciate their company and can live with the inconveniences they impose. The good part for me is that, out here, none so far have proven to be mindless yappers or ill-behaved. The great majority are kept leashed or tied up, per campsite policy.

During my first disappointing venture to the dump station yesterday, I noticed a woman holding her dog in her arms while another dog circled her, wanting to get at it. I assumed she had two dogs. Then they drove away, and I found the one, a dark, nervous, coyote-like mutt wearing a blue bandana around its neck, still wandering around. It went from vehicle to vehicle, then to a man throwing bags of garbage into the dumpsters. It even followed my truck briefly as I repositioned the Ford for the next stage. It appeared agitated and lost, one of those one-man dogs who had Read more…

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04 May 2013

Morning View

Originally posted 11/13/2012

I imagine the temps are starting to get pretty crispy wherever you are these days. Here in the desert outside Quartzsite AZ, it hit a low of 38 last night. By 5AM, the trailer interior was 50 degrees which isn’t awful, but I fired up the Buddy heater on low to break the chill by the time I got up for the day. Then I went back to sleep.

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When I woke up, the photo above represents exactly what greets my opening eyes most mornings here. Admittedly, my mind often gets too busy with the day’s “to-do” or “how-to” list, and I get up at 5 or 6 when it’s still only starlight out there. The hills to the west of me look featureless and drab just before sunrise, but the sun’s rays then begin to slowly crawl down them at a pace you can actually watch, and they come into their beauty. With a clear sky, sunset seems to occur so quickly that it’s like throwing a switch. The black outline of the hills against the dimly glowing sky is striking, as you may have noticed in an earlier post.

In those few moments (so far) when I’m not distracted by malfunctioning devices or equipment, or what needs to happen and how, the desert seems to transform itself from something to contend with into something that exudes a little peace – if one can tolerate not being busily preoccupied for a moment. It doesn’t calm you if you’re wound too tight. It just kind of stays available for awhile in its current form, if you’re ready to receive it and let it soak in.

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04 May 2013

A Bit More Peace of Mind

 

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Originally posted 11/11/2012

As you might have been able to tell, those big solar panels hanging on the side of the trailer have been a concern to me in high winds. The concern is that trapped air under the panels might cause them to flip on their hinges over the top of the trailer, ruining them, their mounts, and any equipment mounted on the rooftop. Further, winds in this area have been claimed to approach fifty miles per hour on rare occasion. The panels have stayed firmly planted up to at least twenty-five, and have plenty of air escape space all around them, but who can say? Who wants to take the gamble? I don’t. They effectively can’t be replaced, because they can only be purchased in sets of four, and certainly can’t be truck-shipped to a post office.

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The wind in the late afternoon yesterday was gusty and changing direction. So, in the spirit of frugality and reasoned concern, I visited a local vendor tent yesterday and bought four 15″ rebar stakes with eyelets. I pounded them into the ground with a ball peen hammer, having found that I had neglected to abscond with my trusty 32oz hammer from my former home. I shall miss ye, old friend.

The time being sunset, I then introduced the weak link, good-sized cable ties, through the stake eyelet and the hole in each pole handle. It’s far from bulletproof, but it’s certainly better than gravity alone. It stands to reason that aircraft cable would outdo cable ties, but I’m letting the problem soak for awhile to come up with a better cost/performance solution. At some point, the holes in the plastic handles might tear out, so some thought is needed. I’d ultimately like to run a strap directly from each panel outer edge down to the frame of the trailer, but that approach is not as straightforward or problem-free as I’d like. In the meantime, the panels are modestly protected, and I don’t feel compelled to look out at the panels every time the trailer wiggles in the wind.

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04 May 2013

When You Assume…

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Originally posted 11/11/2012

This is one of two emergency window release latches on the window that’s in my bunk bed. There’s another window just like it in the office area, and they’re on opposite sides of the trailer. These windows are provided as an emergency exit in case the trailer rolls onto its side, or there should be a fire that blocks the one and only door. This functionality comes at the price of ventilation, since they aren’t screened and don’t latch open.

Since I have an unexplainable penchant for candles and kerosene lamps in the cool evenings, these emergency exits have been reassuring… until last night when I noticed that the bunkbed window latches were wired shut. A cable tie is wrapped around it, preventing the window latch from being released. Hmmm. I know that the last person who used it had two young girls, so either they couldn’t resist bailing out now and then, or the window tended to pop open from air pressure and vibration during transport. I suspect it’s the former, since the freed latches show no tendency to wiggle open under pressure. Regardless, they are fully operational as of today. Hopefully, I’ll be able to resist the temptation to bail out just for fun.

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04 May 2013

It’s the Institution, Man!

Originally posted 11/11/2012

In the continuing saga of the local post office’s staunch determination to slow one man’s progress in these difficult times, I received an e-mail from UPS notifying me that my shipment of additional controllers was presented to the Quartzsite Post Office on Friday, shortly before 5PM local time.

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Their notification included some critical info: “Receiver stated that they did not order and refused delivery. Returned to shipper.” Arrrgh! The package was to be addressed identically to the one that got through a week ago, so I’m stumped. I’ll have to visit the post office on Monday and ask in a calm, civil manner what the problem might be. If it remains problematic, I’ll either have to talk a local brick-and-mortar business into receiving it for me, or have it sent to my residence address in Illinois and have it repackaged and sent as Priority Mail. Then I’ll have to contact the vendor, confirm/alter the shipping label wording, arrange for reshipment to somewhere, and pay for it. Again.

The only positive point is that neither controller is critically needed. The working house battery system is nicely handling all the essentials. When needed, I can recharge the CPAP’s battery by plugging my 120V charger into the same inverter that runs the DVD player, but that CPAP battery is lasting a lot longer than I expected. To say that I’m looking forward to getting the office system up and running is an understatement, though. This is apparently one of those situations where blind stubbornness may prove a virtue.

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04 May 2013

Say Hello to My Leedle Fren’!

 

See the heater. The heater is hot. His name is Mr. Heater Portable Buddy. Buddy is my friend.

See the heater. The heater is hot. His name is Mr. Heater Portable Buddy. Buddy is my friend.

Originally posted 11/11/2012

Actually, Quartzsite seems to have missed the more extreme cold snap of a few nearby areas. My outdoor thermometer only got down to 43 last night, which is fine by me. The trailer interior at that point was 51 degrees. You may find it hard to believe, but without moving air, all you need to be very comfortable at that temperature is ordinary flannel PJs, a light wool blanket, and a classic sleeping cap that my daughter knitted for me upon request. She wanted to knit something, and I threw the challenge. Think Scrooge. So, she made it for fun, and at nearly three conical feet from bottom to fuzzy-ball top, it looks like an elf lost it, but works superbly. I just shouldn’t answer a knock at the door with it unless I’m carrying a wrapped Read more…

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04 May 2013

How to Tell a Midwesterner

Originally posted 11/10/2012

The temperature reached a perfect 72 yesterday, and I decided I wanted a photo of the barbershop-in-a-trailer because photos make blog posts a lot easier to slog through. I was in my shorts and a T-shirt when I rode back with a camera for some snaps. A vendor parked next door was still there too, and the barber, Donna, looked at me and said, “You can always tell a visitor from the Midwest. It turns cold and they’re still wearing shorts!” Her neighbor cited his Midwestern heritage, “You know when it gets up to 38 in Michigan. Everybody’s out starting up their Harleys.”

Donna was wearing a jacket! Yet lest I accuse her of wimpishness, she also doesn’t leave Quartzsite until May or June, and returns no later than September. “It doesn’t get really hot until August,” she claimed. Cripes. I bet Read more…

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04 May 2013

In Search of a Haircut

Originally posted 11/9/2012

My Internet search for a barbershop in Quartzsite turned up just one entry, a shop next to my laundromat. The next closest was 15 miles away. Unfortunately, this barber shop has vacated, since its owner has retired.

The guy who ran the laundromat is a friendly and very helpful guy, and told me that three exist. There was a cheapest one next to another laundromat in town, but he recommended one that was on my way back the trailer.

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That turned out to be Donna, who works out of a converted Jayco Recon ZX toy hauler (a travel trailer built to include space for motorcycles or ATVs in the rear). In her rig, this space was now her barber shop and massage therapy office. All she has to do to open for business is to pull down the big loading ramp and the huge screen that can enclose the rear opening. An 8′ x 8′ window is not a bad view while you’re getting your hair trimmed, I can tell you.

Her choice of a toy hauler is appropriate. She likes to ride her Harley Read more…

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04 May 2013

It’s an iMac Day

Originally posted 11/8/2012

I like the look of the app that The Weather Channel offers for the iPhone, iPad, etc. It has a very rich appearance, and exudes a confidence that gives one the ability to plan with confidence. If only they could work on the data, though. I’ve noticed that the numbers have been consistently off for Quartzsite. Way off. Example: it says that right now, Quartzsite has an overcast temperature of 72 with a 10 MPH breeze and zero chance of rain. What made me wake from my beauty rest and notice was the howling of the wind through the windows, and the rocking of the trailer. And that’s with the stabilizing jacks down. I was watching through the windows how the big solar panels were reacting, since they are facing the wind on about a 45 degree angle and their behavior in high wind is completely unknown so far. They seemed to be staying put very nicely at this point. Seems more like a 25 MPH-plus wind, but the sprinkle of rainwater on the windows also got my attention. Both my indoor and outdoor temp readings are 80. High winds make the roof drum, sounding like somebody unable to hold a big metal panel tightly in place. I assume it’s really air doors in the A/C unit up there. The roof itself is one continuous piece of aluminum, so the sound can’t match the reality.

I left at about 6:20 AM this morning for Phoenix, giving myself an extra hour for the 2-1/2-hour trip. I’d like to say that this was all planned out, but it was an oopsie on my part, an oopsie that turned out  Read more…

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