Thursday 16 October 2014

Had the Talk and Got the Bad Boy Letter

Okay so yesterday was really busy at work. As most of you working-types know, the Tuesday after the long weekend is busy; for me it was Tuesday and Wednesday. All that work that you should have done Monday doesn’t go away, it just gets shifted to Tuesday. I don’t mind the busy days as it helps the workday go faster, but these past two days were exceptionally busy. 

After work, as I was stepping up into Wanda, and putting my stuff away someone approached me. They were polite but I finally had the talk that I have been expecting for the past three months. They worked in the business which I park in front of while I am at work. 

As I have said before, I park in a certain spot because:

It is long enough that I don’t take up all the space.
The road is wider so I don’t affect traffic
It seems to be vacant most of the time

This person wondered why I parked here during the day and drove away. They, and their co-workers had mused, that if I was living in it, why did I move around? Why not just park there and stay there. A valid point and something I had briefly considered. 

I move around every twelve hours as I don’t want to be in one spot too long. If you are in one spot too long you run the risk of offending people and or attracting the wrong attention. The last thing I want is that one person on the (commercial/industrial) block to call the police and I end up with a ticket and or some other hassle that I don’t need. 

As well I don’t want to be known as the guy who actually lives in that RV and is always in that spot. The last thing I need is to be known as the local hermit or something like that. You know attracting tourists and all that. No thanks, I do this for my own economic benefit and not for other people’s entertainment. 

I only told the ‘workplace neighbour’ person that I move around as I do my errands. Which is true, and it is another reason why I move each day. I tend to trickle spend, oh I need milk, oh I need bread, that sort of thing. (I know I need to work on this, life is a work in progress).

Speaking of spending, I went to a store I frequent, as I needed milk and they sell groceries as well as other household items. There were a number of other RV’s in the lot and usually are on most days. As well I have parked there a few times before, so I figured all was well. I bought my milk and settled down for the night to watch some TV. My little inverter and Wanda’s batteries made this relaxing evening possible. 

When I got up in the morning I found a letter taped (open and on display for everyone to read) on Treabilla’s passenger window. It told me how this was a private property for the use of tenants and their customers and that I had 24 hours to move or my vehicle would be towed by the city, blah, blah, blah. 

I will admit that I was tempted to take a picture of the letter and post it on here, but my better judgement won out.  It is true that it is their property and they have a right to determine how that private property can be used. I am mindful that every time I go on one of these places I am a guest and act accordingly. 

The letter was from the management company of the large big box mall not the individual tenant who has a reputation for allowing people to park in their lots. The rule of thumb is if the store owns the lot, generally they won’t care, but if in doubt, ask the store manager first. Shopping malls in general are a no-go unless you hear that this particular one allows it, again if in doubt, check first. 

I am compiling a list of “no-go places,” so far it is a very short list (two places). I will go and stay at other places and just not return to sleep there. I will still frequent the store as they have nice stuff at good prices. 

I avoid confrontation as if someone wants me to move along, I will. There are plenty of places to park and in the end I just want to sleep. If I dig in my heels then I risk some large and unnecessary showdown over something as silly as a parking space. 

I am not doing some protest or what have you to draw attention to myself. (If I was, I and a group of protesters would park Wanda on the ledge grounds or parliament hill just to piss people off, again, not my style.

This morning, in my writing time I did make progress on the new book, yet I didn’t write a chapter. I started to define who this new Treabilla character was, what path she would take in her personal development. I also started to define what the bad gals were doing and why. 

As you can imagine, if you are writing any kind of whodunit, you as the writer, need to define what the villain’s plans are and why. They also need to make sense or you end up with something like “they do bad stuff because they’re bad.”  So . . . pretty much the basis for every slasher-flick ever made. Not much character development, mystery, drama or suspense.  

Remember kids, “Evil” AKA your Villain doesn’t see themselves as doing Evil, they see themselves as doing Good. To them, they are trying to achieve a “Greater Good” that only they can see or understand right now. But, gosh, once they complete their “masterful plan,” all will rejoice and thank them for what they have done. They will be appreciated and hailed as a hero . . . eventually. 

I have more of this to do but I also stared to define just what would be covered in which chapter back and forth. I see this book as a dance between Brian and Treabilla as we see the parallels in their different paths. I really think this book will turn out great, I am excited. 

Well, off to work now.

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