Friday 2 January 2015

Relaxation, Reflection and Introspection

What all that adds up to is: a new year and a new me. I know what you’re thinking and lots of people do this stuff at this time of year. They say “this year will be different!” Often times it turns out to be more of the same. 

What I did was take time to relax and reflect on what has been going on and my journey as well as my life in general and how I see myself. As well as played a lot of video games (all that free-flowing electricity allowed me to do that). I made sure to play an offline game so as to not rack up huge data usage charges. 

So that was why I was not blogging, as I needed a break from everything . . . for me. The soul-searching and reflection did me good and I straightened out a lot of (but not all) things that needed to be sorted out. Don’t bother asking what as it is private, and I still believe that the contents of my head are just for me.

I did get out and on Christmas Day did have my BBQ.



I also saw a few things which struck me as interesting such as this “Mini-forest.”


As far as the electric heater went it did me great and was a wonder. I had my furnace on 24/7 all while I was there and went through just over one tank (for nine days and nights).  That includes the really cold spell of December 30.


Even that day I was warm and cozy. Sure, I had to turn the furnace down to 10 C and then nudge it up to 15 C but considering it was below -30C with the wind-chill, that was just fine with me. All I did was bundle up and stay indoors. As well I tried out my backup way to brew my morning coffee.


I wasn’t sure if I had emptied my propane tank or if it just didn’t want to flow out of the tank that low at that low temperature. I will see when I get more propane this afternoon. At the end of the day I wanted to make sure that I could cook still if all else fails . . . and yes, don’t mess with my morning coffee.

I did see a lot of great scenery and I did make it down to the town of Banff on December 31. 




Funny story, I was almost about to not go, as I didn’t want to move Treabilla. I had disconnected Wanda from Treabilla when I setup camp, but I didn’t move Treabilla. I just didn’t want to go through the bother of backing up and aligning the hitch again. 

Then I remembered that I hadn’t renewed my registration yet . . . it expired at midnight that night. So a quick search online found, low and behold, a registration office in Banff. So I went down, saw the sights, enjoyed the scenery and yes renewed my registration so I could drive home.

The fun came about late afternoon of the first. I decided that I didn’t want to pack up and hitch up in the dark of first thing in the morning so I would do so that afternoon, during daylight. That was when I discovered that one wheel on Wanda was flat. It was under the slide-out and so I didn’t notice it until I was moving about cranking up the stabilizing jacks.

I figure, big deal, I can just change a flat, I have done that before . . . no, not that simple. You see, with Wanda’s “Fancy, (yet cool) Mag Rims” the tire iron from Treabilla wouldn’t fit, the head was too fat. I could not find any tire iron from Wanda, save a tiny, inadequate piece of crap. 

So I bust out the socket wrench set and tried to loosen the lug-nuts that way . . . nope.  It took two (three on the outside) tries to break the ratchet on the cheap socket wrench. I threw the whole set in the garbage; I got what I paid for.

I was able to borrow a ratchet and socket from a neighbour and got the tire changed. I don’t think I hit anything as I checked photos and the tire was fine when I got there, I think someone may have let the tire out as a New Year’s Prank. I will get the tire checked this afternoon. 

Before you ask, no I didn't take any pictures of this whole ordeal as I was busy trying to change a tire on my house so I could get to work the next morning . . . I was a little busy.

I will also be buying a proper lug wrench for mag rims and a hand tire pump. That way I can try to pump the tire up or at least change the bloody tire myself. The decent socket wrench set can come in time.

I was pleased that I kept my cool during this whole ordeal and kept working the problem to find a solution. Not once did I berate myself or get angry or lose my temper.  I just kept trying one solution after the other, after the other. I kept myself focused on solving the problem and as a result finally found a solution.  

What I learned from this was that I should have done a test tire change earlier to ensure that I could do it and had the proper tools with me. I will also stop by the dealership (when they are open again) to see just how I can make use of that magical/mystical roadside assistance I thought I had. (You know, the one that they tell you comes with happy elves to come out of thin air and do all this stuff for you).

I am now back at work and getting ready for another year and I know that in a year from now I will be in an even better financial place than I am now. Already I am in a much better place both financially and emotionally than I was a year ago. 

Happy New Year everyone.

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