Got to Banff! Happy Christmas to All!

I did get going and made my way to the wonderful little town of Banff. There was a bit of snow here and there but the roads were safe, in the area that I was traveling. If I had been travelling to the coast, I might have had some trouble, but as it is, I am fine.

I am now at my campsite, I disconnected Trea from Wanda, but didn’t move anywhere. I may go down to the town today to see the sights, I’m not sure. 

Here is what I see out my windows, does your view compare?

I am now relaxing here in my trailer and despite the weather I plan to have a BBQ at least once while I am here. 

The electric heater working with the furnace is keeping Wanda nice and warm yet not taxing that furnace out. I am splurging and keeping it set to 20C even while I sleep. 

Speaking of sleeping I slept for about 12 hours last night, (okay I got up once to go to the washroom in the night). I went to bed at around seven at night and got up at seven in the morning. 

I was up before the sun and made sure to get a nice sunrise shot over the mountains. 

Here are a few random, yet cool mountain pics. 

As nice as it is here in my campsite in the mountains, I am here alone. It would have been nice to have gone to the coast to visit family for Christmas, but I need to keep on with this journey of saving money. 

I could make my life easier by renting a place to plug-in, and I know that. It got down to -12C and I was fine with my electric heater and furnace. I also know that would cost extra money which would blow my timeline of the paydown . . . and that is not acceptable.  

I am really looking forward to having these credit cards paid off and Wanda refinanced so that there is no balloon payments at the end. I also know that I do not need to plug-in all the time to survive. 

I will weather this winter in the manner in which I have figured out, this too shall pass and Debt Freedom shall come as surely as the warmer weather. 

Have a Happy Christmas all.

Banff, Here I Come

I am blogging on my phone today,  because dum-dum me didn't charge either Ace or my laptop. I decided that since I was going to be in Bannf this afternoon,  I didn't need to . . . Oops.

Last night I did get my propane tanks filled and I was pleasantly surprised to find that in almost a week I had only used 3 litres of propane.

I ended up in my western home and browsed it's shelves. I was pleased to find an LED lamp that gives out 50 lumens and uses 3 AA batteries.  I bought two.

They give off tons of light and I can work under them. The IKEA tealight lamps are okay gor a relaxing evening,  but suck for work lights.

I am of off and on my way to Bannf.

Periodically Evaluate and Revise Your Plan

So, I was able to make that large payment on that second card and almost climb myself out of the overdraft, due to a nice, unexpected holiday bonus. I will be technically be going into the new year in the red but just slightly. 

The larger problem occurred when I cast my eye to that third card and checked my schedule to pay it off by July 22nd. For the second card, now that it is down to even thousands (or just a smidge under) as long as I pay $1000.00 plus minimum payment each month it will be done by March 2nd. 

So I then looked at my third card and did a bit of math. It is now at about $6,700.00 with four months to pay it down (April, May, June and July). If I pay my expected maximum of $1500.00 per month (plus minimum payment), I will be $700.00 short to pay it off by July.

Sure I could just push it till August and pay things off one month later, but what is the fun in that. I then realized that if I pay just $1000.00 plus minimum payment on the second card I can put the mid $500.00 for the next few months towards that third card. That would thereby start to knock it down and still pay that second card off. 

I can’t just ignore that third card and pay the second card off early, as I still have those damned minimum payments on both. This way I can keep my schedule going and keep my paydown on track. 

What this means is that if you are on a schedule to focus on one card after the other you need to keep checking and revaluating your schedule. Ask yourself now and again “if things keep going like this, will I pay things down as I planned?” 

Cards tend to grow a bit over time, with this charge or that charge. Then there is the fact that we assume this will happen or that won’t happen. Now and again it is important to evaluate your plan and make adjustments accordingly.  

My driving very little has helped as even with filling up Jenny’s gas can (20 Litres) I was at $58.00 for the last two weeks). This along with using my existing budgets and not topping them up will help me spend little while in Banff. I do plan in taking in the sights while in the mountain town over the holidays but just keep my cards locked up. 

I did my grocery shopping yesterday so I am stocked with food, I have some water stored but I expect to have access to water somewhere on the campsite. If not, I am resourceful. 

So the only thing I have to do tonight is to fill both propane tanks. I decided to wait till today so I could have both filled up just before I head off into the mountains tomorrow morning. 

I could go tonight but I don’t see the sense of spending an extra night to setup in the cold and do so late. I will make sure to post pictures of a winter, mountaintop BBQ. 

Today is Payday! (So I’ll be Happily Broke by Midnight)

I will get paid today and so it is my evening of depositing and running around. I will also pay that massive payment on the second card. I have decided that tonight I will do my last minute shopping for my camping trip. Since I will be in my Western Home tonight I might as well shop there. 

I looked at the balance of my first card and was disgusted with myself. I had let it run up too much. So I paid it off and sunk myself into the overdraft to do so. Why did I do that when I hate that overdraft?

Simple, to punish myself. This will remind me daily how badly I sunk myself into unnecessary debt again. I will climb out of the overdraft by spending as little as possible.  

This will also keep the second card paydown on track and help with the third card paydown. It may take a bit longer to get out of that overdraft again. In the meantime I need to see how badly I failed, (alright, $600.00) but still it is too much, 

The thing which irked me was that it was all under the guise of “stuff I needed.” In reality it was all just stuff that I wanted but didn’t want to pay for now. I convinced myself that I would just pay down a bit at a time over time, well that thinking let me get that first card out of hand.

They key thing is to learn from my mistakes and move on. I also need to not jeopardize my large paydown schedule. Both I can and will do and I am still on track for that “Credit Card Debt Freedom Day” of July 22, 2015.

This weekend I took it off and relaxed. The ideas for that last chapter just aren’t coming. They will come and it will be written. I am now gearing up for that trip to Banff, (Yes I will be blogging and posting pictures).

Charging up Wanda’s batteries with Jenny is going fine. It looks like if I run Jenny for an hour and I am conservative with the electricity, that charge can last me 24 hours or more. Not a bad bargain for an hour’s worth of fuel. 

I have been lucky when it comes to the weather and I know that each day where the weather approaches or goes above zero is a wonderful gift, I also know that the really cold weather is coming. I only hope that it will not be too long or too cold. I have weathered the cold weather before, and I can and will do so again. 

The Phone Call I Have Been Expecting

As I have said before, the one thing that I am acutely aware of is that I am a guest wherever I go and have no rights to be anywhere. One could argue that I have a right to park on any street as that is public property. Even there I can’t park and leave the truck and trailer for weeks and months without moving it, that would attract attention and a ticket or a tow. 

Work went well, it was my short day but I was busy and working and got a lot done. I was feeling better yesterday and much better today. After work I walked to Wanda, put my stuff away before I drove down the street, on my way to my Laundromat. 

That was when I got the call, about ten to fifteen minutes after leaving work. What call was it? It was a call from my boss, the one I had just left fifteen minutes later. It seems that his landlord (the guy who actually owns the bay that our company works out of, called up and decreed that I can’t park behind there anymore. (Yes, I honestly believe him.)

While the boss tried to argue to let me stay, it was no good. I will respect this edict as I do and shall always respect private property. If someone asks me to move along, I will do so, immediately and without protest. The only thing I ask is to talk to me like a human, be nice, and not rude. 

As well, the absolutely last thing I want to do is cause problems for my boss or the company (I like to be employed).

So, with me no longer having access to that power outlet, that means I can’t easily charge my batteries as I sleep (for free). 

So what will I do? 

Survive, always survive. 

There are a few things that I have learned on this journey this past year, here is what I have learned.

1) Your Life is Not Set in Stone.

You can alter the course of it.  You are a slave to nothing (but debt). If you don’t like the direction of your life, you have the power to change it. All you have to do is step outside of your life and look back at it from an objective perspective and think outside the box for solutions that you had previously not allowed yourself to see. (Just keep those solutions: legal, ethical and moral). 

2) Self-Reliance

While a helping hand is nice and always appreciated, never rely on it. You are the only person you can ever truly control, so you are the only person you can truly rely on. Rely on yourself to fix your own problems. 

3) Determination

You are stronger and more determined than you think. You need to find within you the ability to keep going despite adversity. Life will toss you obstacles but you have to have the wherewithal to keep pressing forward. 

4) Keep Calm

Getting mad never solved anything. The “Rawr-Smashy-Smashy” problem solving method, while fun, is not effective, it just creates more problems.

When bad things happen, force yourself to keep calm and ask yourself three questions right away. 1) What actually happened? 2) What can I do about it now? 3) What can I do in the future to avoid this? 

By doing this, you will keep focused on solving the problem and not the problem itself. This is a much more effective use of your energy and resources. If you need, yell and scream for a minute, two tops, and then focus on fixing the problem.

5) Adaptability

Life will toss you obstacles but it is what you do in reaction to those obstacles which is important. You can tackle that obstacle head on. You can also go in another direction to avoid that obstacle (not every obstacle has to be beaten). The last option is that you can change yourself to adapt to and slip around that obstacle. Be willing to change what it is that you are doing in order to achieve your goals.

6) Resourcefulness

There are resources and creative solutions all around you. Just look at the core need that you have and try to think of the simplest/cheapest solution to it. You need to be able to use everything you have in the most effective ways possible. I am always looking at things and asking, “what can I use this for, in a way that it is not intended?” 

7) If at First You Don’t Succeed  . . . Try, Try Again.

Not every idea you will ever have and try will work out. Some will, some won’t . . . some spectacularly so. That’s okay, don’t worry about it. The important thing is that you tried something. Just learn from your mistakes and carry on. Try something else and see what happens. Repeat until successful.

Conclusion 

So what does this mean for me and my lack of a power outlet? It means that I will just park down the street, run Jenny once every two days and do my best to conserve power in the in between times. I will change what I am doing to slip around this obstacle. 

I will not freak out, yell, get angry or defy my boss and park behind work anyways. I will survive, I will keep calm and carry on (stiff upper-lip and all).

All’s Well That Ends Well

So yesterday at work we went out for our “Christmas Meal” the boss takes the staff and our key customer/friend out for a meal at Christmas time. 

That day was yesterday and the meal was delicious, the restaurant was nice, and a good time was had by all . . . until I got sick. Something about the meal didn’t sit well with me and when we got back to work I threw up that meal. I then went home early in mid-afternoon. 

I went back to my trailer and moved to my quiet spot down the street and then plopped on the couch and didn’t move for the rest of the night. Well until I got up to walk to work to check if the coast was clear to plugin. 

I then realized that I had left my phone at work. So I took my work keys with me so I could pop in and retrieve my phone.  I thought of leaving it there but like most people it is my alarm clock as well as my main phone and internet connection.

After retrieving the phone I walked back to Wanda, moved, plugged in and lounged a bit and then went to bed. This morning I got up moved, lounged and when through my usual morning routine, until I was getting ready to leave for work, that was when things got interesting.  

I reached for my house keys, got them, then reached for my work keys . . . they weren’t there. I always hate it when people lose keys in their house and have long since felt a bit smug as it hasn’t happened to me in years.  I have long had a rack of small hooks to hang keys on by the door, that way your keys are always there when you need them.

Well the work keys weren’t there. I then tore the house apart thinking they may have fallen out somewhere, didn’t find them (mental note to self, need to seriously clean up and organize Wanda). One of the advantages to having a small house is that this process didn’t take long.

I then walked to where I parked behind work  . . . nope not there, I then went around to the front of work in case I dropped them there . . . nope. I then walked the path back to where I had parked in the evening, nothing along the way. 

When I got to the spot where I had parked last evening, there beside where Wanda’s door was, were the keys. My best guess is that when I pulled out Wanda’s keys to unlock the door, the work keys slipped out. 

I was just thankful to get them back as losing your house or vehicle keys is one thing but losing your work keys is a different matter. I reeeeeaaly didn’t want to have to tell the boss that I had lost the keys to work. There is a special panic that only people who have lost the keys to your work know. 

Needless to say I was later than usual getting to work (yet still early). As a result I was able to see this . . . 

A nice sunrise to signify that things are going to get better and that all’s well that ends well. I know that I need that rest and may just do very little out there in Banff. I will still get that last chapter done before then and if I am motivated that preface, but I do need a rest and a break, I know that.

The Break is Doing Me Good

Okay to be honest I do feel a bit guilty that I should be doing some sort of literary thing but I am enjoying the break. 

Saturday and Sunday I will work on the new Chapter and Preface. At least that is the plan, until then I will enjoy the break and let the ideas come to me. 

I have been plugging in and last night I actually did get some decent rest. The night before I had trouble sleeping, I just laid there staring at the clock, waiting to get some rest. 

I have taken sleeping pills before but the amount of times I take them the bottle goes bad before I need to take another. So I just tough it out and hopefully I am tired enough the next night to sleep, this usually works.

It is less than a week away from my Banff holiday and even shorter before payday. Payday is on Monday and I leave for Banff on the Wednesday morning (the 24th). Our last day here is the 23rd and I didn’t feel like driving and setting up in the dark. 

Another bright spot is that Sunday is the shortest day of the year, so the days will get brighter and warmer from here on out. Not counting that whole “real winter” due to arrive for the next three months. (Yes this is my evil plan to look for the positive things in life to keep me positive).

As far as my water situation is going I seem to be finding it going well with having a bunch of 2 litre bottles. They are easy to handle and I can fill them up at work and if they freeze, and break who cares. 

I will admit that at fountains or other public bathroom sinks they don’t fit under them. So then you would need: a funnel, a smaller container in order to fill them. 

In an urban setting, water is everywhere so you won’t die of thirst. You just have to be willing to have people look at you funny as you fill up your water bottles in the bathroom sink or at a public water fountain. 

So far everything is going well and I am settling into a workable pattern. I do the dishes just after washing myself in the morning (bachelor style). As in a damp washcloth and soap, with a cup to douse my head over that sink tub I have.  I do splurge for a shower at a local truck stop once a week. As I said before . . . I miss indoor plumbing.

After I wash myself I dump that water out and boil a bit more to wash the dishes. I find a handy trick to save water is to put soap and water in one of the bowls (inside said sink tub). Then use a scrub brush and scrub the dishes with water from within that bowl. To rinse off the dishes you can use a bit of water from your 2 litre bottle. Rinse the cutlery at once, of course. 

This system is working out and I am surviving and thriving, and that is key. I really look forward to Wednesday the 22nd of July, 2015. That will be the day that I shall finally be credit card debt free (the ultimate Humpday). 

And of course I am looking forward to early April . . . when I can De-winterize Wanda and yes, have indoor plumbing again. 

First Book Done (Minus One Wayward Chapter)

I am now done the first book, save for that one chapter that needs to be inserted near the end. I also know that I need to add an appropriate preface to let people know about the history of the story (as in steadily evolving since 2001). 

Those two additions are coming and percolating; I will write them when they come to me. I am now going to take a very brief break as I think this over. 

I expect to have both written by the time I arrive in Banff for my camping break. I also hope to have the book edited and ready to be read by others by hopefully January 1 but most likely it will be by February 1. 

I did park behind work again and plug in last night. I was emboldened by my boss encouraging me (after noticing me parking down the street Monday night). This time it went okay, and I will try again soon. 

At the end of the day I never ever want to cause any trouble for my work or my boss. (Then again getting the knock on the door from the cops or the SWAT team because somebody complained is not a fun way to be woken up either). 

I am still doing well with my spending little and on track to end the year in the black and much better off than I was when the year came in. That is most certainly something to be positive about. 

Book Almost Done . . . Sorta

Okay so I am one chapter away from editing and fattening the first book. Then again, there is that one chapter I want to squeeze in there near the end that has not percolated forward. 

This does beg the question of if it is actually needed. That little voice in my head tells me that yes it is needed and more so near the end. We need to spend a bit more time in Tanea before the end, as Brian’s portion takes up a large chunk (or seems to) of the book. 

I could add another chapter in Brian’s backstory, but I think we spent too much time in it already.  No, I think we need a brief break in the action and look at another storyline briefly, just before the climax. It will come to me, of this I am certain as with Tanea there is so much to see. 

I ran Jenny last night for an hour in the evening after work on a street, in my favourite place to park.  Nobody cared, nobody bothered me, it was great.

I had my electric heater going only as I ran Jenny and it was able to get it up to 5C (I think) from -5C. I fired up the furnace after turning Jenny off and warmed Wanda up to 20C and then turned the furnace off all night. 

I was warm enough all night and in the morning it was only at -5C. I ran the furnace and warmed it up to 20C which ran the batteries dry just before heading off to work. 

I feel good about almost finishing this first real pass on this book which I know is over 100,000 words long. I will then go over it a few times to polish it up. I like this story and how it starts our (and Brian’s) journey into Tanea. To me, this book is chapter one in this story.

I am looking forward to payday as I can then pay down that first real, serious chunk on this second card, as well as keep my promise of at least $50.00 on that first card. That will be a boost, and a boon to my mood.

I am also refocusing myself to get and stay positive, despite what has been happening; the setbacks and how slowly things have been paying down.  I know that I need to get out and have more fun, despite the dead of winter. I will think of something to do that costs little to nothing that I can do in this area. 

For now I will pause and take joy in the near completion of this first book. At least the framework is there, then to craft, hone and refine it . . . hopefully this won’t take another year. 

No Place to Belong

I am a constant guest, a perpetual trespasser. No matter where I go, I have no right to be there. In essence I have no place to belong. Don’t get me wrong, I belong in my trailer, and I do feel at home there. It is just there is no little corner of the world that is my own, no place where I feel welcome.I also know that I chose this lifestyle, I was not forced into it. This sensation just comes with the territory.

The closet I feel to being at home is when I am camping, as I have electricity (and usually) running water and sewer. As well, nobody can make me move along, as I have rented it, it is mine for as long as I have paid for it.

Saturday and Sunday were good writing days and I have now lengthened the last of the short chapters. There is still the matter of that one chapter I want to shoehorn in there somewhere. I can either put it in two places, but I feel it needs a bit extra at the end. I am now pondering what that chapter should be so, as I say, that idea is percolating, it will be ready soon.

Last night I plugged in and waited until just after 8 pm to do so. I was plugged in and all tucked into bed about half an hour later when I heard a vehicle pull up. Now, living in an RV and always being parked either on the street or in parking lots this is not a new experience for me. I have had my share of people drive by fast and slow. I have gotten good at gauging where a car is and how far away they are while lying in bed.

Last night not long after I got tucked into bed a car pulled up beside me. They pulled up slowly and parked parallel to my trailer door about ten feet away. They sat there for what felt like a minute, I even had time to get out of bed, put my glasses on and lift the nearest shades a bit.

I recognized the car from earlier that evening, it was parked a few doors down. Before I move to park behind work I do a walk by to ensure that the area is quiet and no cars are back there. The last thing I want to do is interfere with anyone doing legitimate work.

I looked out because I was curious and wanted a warning of someone was going to knock on my door. They didn’t get out of their car; they just took a picture and drove off . . . slowly.  Naturally this unnerved me. Imagine if someone pulled up in front of your house late at night, took a picture and drove off. I sat there for a minute as I decided what to do.

I decided I would get no sleep there so I moved to one of my other safe spots just down the road. As I did I was irked as I had done nothing wrong. I have permission to be there, I was not behind anyone’s bay but my work.

The trouble is that with the break-in last week, people around this place have been a bit on edge. I know that, and perhaps they felt that I was a burglar about to break in. What I do know is that this means that I can’t plug in for the foreseeable future. I don’t need the hassle. It is a good thing that I bought Jenny as I will now rely on her for my power to charge my batteries.

I know what you’re thinking, I should just find a place to rent or a place to park and plugin. I have looked and there are one or two places are available but they are the same as renting a room, about $500.00 a month for a parking space (in the alley) and access to an outlet. If I do that I will miss my August target for paying the cards off and that is not happening.

I don’t regret doing this Urban Nomad lifestyle as in the warmer weather it is nice. I know that I am in a much better place financially then I was a year ago. I keep focussed on getting my debts under control and my savings building up. Then I can move towards buying a corner of the world that is my own. Till then I will park where I like, and try not to disturb anyone.

Long Day, But Worth It

Friday afternoons I usually do my running around and even do my laundry before ending up in my Western Home. Today I worked till about 6:00 pm and then just didn’t go anywhere. The important thing is that I did get that package out for that customer, and that is something.  That is worth it to me, even if I don’t get paid for the extra hours. (it was my choice and I didn’t get permission first).

I did go for a bite to eat after work as I didn’t feel like making dinner. I returned in time to park and plug in but there were people parked behind that renovating bay again. I set my alarm to wake me up in an hour and a half but when it went off, I didn’t bother getting up. 

I did a bit of running around this morning and edited a chapter this morning before ending up at my library. I am how half way through the second pass of the second chapter. It is taking a bit longer as this one needed to be fattened up a bit. Once again, the editing is going well and on schedule. 

With the warmer weather and my warmer clothes I have taken to try the trick of cranking the heat up to 20 for the evening then turning the furnace off for the night. By morning it seems to level out at 10C. so I save propane and still don’t freeze. I know the cold weather is coming though, and I will adjust to it again. 

Those thoughts of selling Trea and getting an older, paid for at once vehicle has returned, but I know that now is not the time to rock the boat. I would want to have Wanda parked somewhere nice and safe first. 

Then I could sell Trea and shop for that other vehicle. Or just buy that second vehicle first and then sell Trea, that would be the smart thing to do. 

I don’t want to trade her in as you always loose that way. Hmm. I will think on this but most likely won’t do anything until next August, at the earliest. I want to have the cards paid off before I do anything rash.

I seem to be constantly tired as I have trouble sleeping, or rather staying asleep; I always seem to wake up early. I am looking forward to that break at the end of this month, despite the cold weather that seems to be coming with it. 

The one thing I know is that the real cold weather is coming and will stay for a few months at least. I am ready for it, and can handle it. In doing so I can and will be better off financially, the cold may come but the warmer weather will too.

Long Day and Short Chapters Ahead

So far I have been a good boy and driven very little. I am trying to save as much as I can on fuel so as to save my fuel budget, as my next payday will be tight. I am also spending as little as possible on groceries or other expenses as well, for the same reason . . . so far so good.

I did drive to one of my favourite parking lots to put the slide-out out so I could spread out, sleep and go for a bit of takeout (via my mad money budget). I parked, put the slide-out out, walked over to get some Mexican food, yum. I was back in Wanda sitting having dinner when I had a ‘drive by.’

I have had them before but not like this one. A few times people will drive by or park perpendicular to Wanda with their headlights on. This was a drive by so close the passenger could have reached out of their window and touched Wanda. They didn’t drive by fast either, it was a slow examining look as they drove past. 

I almost stepped out to challenge them (nicely) but they drove off. I was unnerved and knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep so I drove to a quiet street near work and stayed there. Those dishes still didn’t get done, but I did get an early nights rest. 

Work has been steady and for the most part I like the steady days at work. For one the day goes by quicker and that is nice. Another reason is that when you are moving and are productive you feel like you are giving good value for the money the company spends on your salary.

Today is usually my shortest day at work as usually we end the day at 2pm and sometimes at 1pm. It is a nice treat to have part of the afternoon off to do errands. Today it will not be so; today I have to stick around to make sure this crucial order gets to a customer. 

One of our customers works in the film industry and there is a shoot coming up real soon. We were supposed to have the stuff for this order in earlier this week but for one reason or another it was delayed. It is coming in today . . . sometime . . . before the close of business, they won’t be any more specific. 

So this means that I will stick around, wait for this package to arrive, process the order then wait for the other shipping company to pick it up. I may end up leaving on time or sticking around to the evening, after I usually go home. 

I am not doing this for the overtime (I most likely will not put it on the timesheet) or even to impress my boss (I don’t plan on telling him, as he most likely wouldn’t like it). I am doing this for the customer and as we all know . . . the show must go on.

As far as my writing goes it is going well, and so far my chapters are up to my standard. I see a few places where I could put an extra chapter or six, all in Brian’s backstory but they would be extra. We get enough of a sense of what happened to him to shape him. 

We don’t need to spend a novel or two on his backstory. If I did that then this would be just another historical novel with a character set in The Wars of The Roses. Then you are limited to what actually happened and what things were actually like. Then I am playing in someone else’s back yard, and playing by someone else’s rules . . . boring.

Where I need to fatten up and add an extra chapter is at the end, at the conclusion of this book. There are a few thin chapters there and I know that I need to put an extra chapter there. That is coming soon, and it will prove interesting. 

Now that I know that this is the conclusion of a book and not a pause in one, I know I can tweak the ending. All in all the work on the book is going well and on schedule.

Laying Low, and Editing

Today has been a crazy day at work so that is why this blog entry is later than usual . . . sorry about that.

I find myself sticking close to work these days and just plopping down at the end of the day. I really don’t move much and just lay there and relax after work. I always have plans and ideas that I want to do at the start of the day, but just never get around to them at the end of the day. 

By the time the end of work comes rolling around, I am just tired, after all I have been up and working for the past thirteen hours by then. I am making progress on the book and it is coming along well. I know that I should be more active and do more . . . at least the dishes, but I just don’t.

I had thought about getting a part time job so I could earn a bit more and pay down those cards quicker. I know that I would be frazzled and spread thin before long.  

That would be even more work and I would be ever more tired than I am now. I will make do with what I have now, as I need to be able to focus on my writing. 

After all, I already work seven days a week at two jobs. One job is only during the weekdays and pays money, the other does not . . . yet. 

I am looking forward to my mini-break in Banff, but I know that it will mostly be a working break, but the scenery will be nice. 

So far the book has been mostly up to the required pages and number of words per chapter.  I have only needed to fatten one chapter a few pages and another chapter a smidgen. 

Once the book is as long as it is supposed to be and that extra chapter has been squeezed in where it is needed, I then can focus on how the whole book flows. 

I know that I can do this, as I have done this before, yet this is the first novel in a while that I actually plan to publish. The other books I decided were not worthy to be seen, so they remain on my hard drive, just gathering digital dust.

I Need a Vacation

It has been a long year and I need a break. While a jaunt to someplace warm would be nice, it is not in the cards for a few reasons: 1) money and 2) I don’t have a passport 3) What would I do with Wanda. 

Still, I could use a break, thankfully I will be getting one. Each year our company shuts down from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day.  I had planned to stay close to my library and just putter around there for the time, but I got to thinking . . . gosh, a taste of civilization would be nice. 

I looked over my budget for the upcoming payday and with some serious slashing I was able to pay my $1000.00 to card #2 and pay that big phone bill. 

So I decided to treat myself and go camping in an ‘Electricity Only’ portion of a campground in Banff for that Winter Break. I got a steal of a deal and put it on the first card. This is what I call my Christmas Gift to me a very small extravagance yet something which I know I need.

This card will be paid off by the time that the second card is also paid off. This way I can just sit and have a nice time, relax and write. As well with the constant 120 Vac / 30Amp electricity, I can run my electric heater at the higher setting and save propane while I remain comfortable. 

I still plan to have Book One edited (first pass) by the time I am ready to leave this campground. I am well underway and should have this done before I leave for the campground on Christmas Eve Day. 

Part of me is saying that this is a mistake and that I should just cancel this trip as I shouldn’t spend a dime on anything that is not absolutely necessary.  I also know, that I need a break and to spend a bit of time in one place without worrying about someone kicking me out or asking me to move along. Besides, it is a nice way to finish off the year; one full year of being out of my townhouse. 

The Larger Picture of Cash Flow

There will be times when incidents happen that you need to take care of which can ruin or seriously disrupt your cash flow. Sometimes you can absorb such an unplanned expense, other times you can’t.

This is where a savings account comes in handy to top up your budget and keep your finances running smoothly. I have no savings account as all of my spare money goes to debt retirement. (Okay I have started to put $20.00 aside).

Well over the past few weeks I have had a few incidents where I could have used it, such as that sleeping bag and heater, and now my massive phone bill. The overage charges from October have finally hit me, to the tune of $400.00.

Now, I have a few options, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. As I said, the best option would be to have a savings account (Come August I plan to aggressively get going on one).

My first option is to pay the money out of the debt retirement budget. I can pay it off this month right away with that money and then only put say, $600.00 – $700.00 on the second card. If I did this I would miss goal of paying that second card off by April 1. That would then push paying the third card off possibly past August. Not something I am willing to do. 

I could just pay what I can this month and piss off the phone company for the next few months. Again an option and what I have done in the past when I have had little choice. I am working to get my credit into the excellent range and this will hurt my credit rating. So, one way or another that phone bill will get paid off in full this month like it has been every other month. 

I also could pay it off and just sink the main account into the overdraft. Technically that is what this is for. I am training myself that the overdraft doesn’t exist and to never ever go into it again, even for part of a day. 

So what I will do is pay my phone bill with the first credit card and pay it down with $50.00 a payday until it is done. If and when I get extra cash, it will go to eliminate this card. Right now it is sitting around $300.00 and so it will be around $700.00 with the phone bill on it. 

This way I can keep my overall pay-down on schedule, and still pay this card down over that same time frame. Sure I am paying interest, but this is worth it for me to keep that overall pay-down on schedule. In a few months I know I will have that first card paid off. I expect to do so by April 1 as well. 

By doing this I am proving to myself that I can put charges on a credit card and pay it off in a timely manner. It is an exercise to show that I can manage these things well. 

As far as the writing is going, I am doing well. I am averaging two chapters a morning, two passes each. Once this pass is done I will edit the whole book in one pass a few times, until I read it and make little changes. Then it will be ready for others to read and yes that editor I need.

At this pace, this process should not take long. I hope to have the book ready by January 1. (Then after all that hard work people can tell me it’s regurgitated rat-puke).

Stuff Just Happens . . . or Does It?

Once again this is me telling a story which doesn’t make me look all that good, but I shall share if for a purpose, if only for your amusement. 

So I did get my editing done in the morning and then decided that it was time to go to the bank so I could start my running around. I pulled my paycheque out from its safe place, signed it, put it in the envelope and tucked it into my jacket pocket. 

I then had to dart into Walmart for a ‘pit stop’ and ‘use the facilities,’ but after that I was off and at the bank. As I got out of the truck and did I quick check of what I had, my paycheque was missing. A quick search of the truck turned up nothing. 

My heart sank as I realized that in my desire to be prepared I had signed the back of the check so that anyone who found it could cash it. I drove back to where I had parked and searched around where the truck was parked . . . nothing. 

Then I walked towards the store, retracing my steps on my trip to the bathroom while scouring the ground . . . still nothing. It wasn’t until I got to the entrance that I found what shouldn’t be yet was, my paycheque still there in its envelope. 

Now by the way I put the check back in the envelope no name or anything was showing , it just looked like a black piece of paper in an unremarkable envelope. I picked it up and sure enough the cheque was still inside it. I was thankful and grateful to have it back. 

As I drove back to the bank I realized that different people would say that I found that cheque for different reasons. Each person would be just as firm in their belief as others.

Some would say that God protected that paycheque and ensured that it would be there for me to find. 

Others would say that it was not God but the powerful spirit or spirits which guided me back to it. 

Still others would say that it was the will of the universe that I found that wayward paycheque. 

Yet other people would say that it was a result of good Karma, that since I have helped others, that this good act came back to me.

Yet others would say that I was lucky, that nobody looks down when exiting a massive shopping store. We are looking for where we parked, we are looking for the traffic coming and going to and fro from the store. The one thing we are not doing is looking for interesting litter on the ground.

I know that that paycheque could have fallen out in a thousand different places and that I was fortunate to have gotten it back. Was it God, the Great Spirt, the Universe, Karma or just good luck? Who knows. I am just thankful that for whatever reason, I got it back.

We humans see events which happen and look for meaning in them. This happened because of this. That happened so that this other thing could take place. That tree fell over and died so that new plants could be nourished and grow from its carcass. We also look at events and label them as good or bad as a result of how we see them from our perspective. 

Sometimes there is no reason or greater good at work, sometimes a tree just dies.

I Don’t Like Asking Permission to Sleep

Okay, so yesterday was a productive day at the library even though I was forced to move half way through. Okay I wasn’t shoved out of my favourite spot, I lost it fair and square. 

Around about lunch time I usually pop out to Wanda to make a bit of lunch. Since I am not about to leave my laptop and all of my stuff setup in the library, I pack up and take it with me. 

Usually my spot is there waiting for me half an hour later, but yesterday it wasn’t. To make it worse all of the other spots up in the quiet study area were taken too, well all the ones with a power outlet.

Ah well, I just moved down to the main floor and set up on a tiny table with a power outlet at its feet. I had just enough room to put the laptop and mousepad on it. Call me old-school but I like a mouse with my laptop okay. It was okay as I was just editing but it was more public an area than I am used to working in. 

Around the walls of the main floor are art hanging, for sale I think. So there are always a number of people walking back and forth behind me looking at the art. Up in my usual spot, it is a quiet study area so the only people moving about are fellow quiet studiers. 

I did get to edit and fatten two chapters (two passes each) and ensure that they were the specified ten pages long. It is fun to add in the extra bits to tell you a bit more about either the characters or Tanea in general. It is not non-sequitur stuff, it relates to what is happening in the chapter at that moment.

After the library I decided to run Jenny and stay the night there as my bank was not far. It seemed like a logical decision and this mall has not given me any grief before. 

Well, I had just fired up Jenny when a security pickup truck pulled up. I gave him my usual greeting “Hi, do you want me to leave?” Let’s face it that is what these security types always say to me, never has it been “Wow, that’s a great RV, can I look inside!” 

The security guard was polite and told me that I didn’t have to leave but I did need to get a permit and “register” with security. I said fine and turned Jenny off, locked up and went off to get my permit. The Security Guard went his own way too.  

I was in the mall, on the escalator down, on my way to the security office when I wondered what information they would want. I kept thinking of things like: Name, Address, phone, driver’s licence, social insurance number, you know, the lot to make sure I am not a criminal.  

I understand and respect that security has a job to do and they were doing it. They were not mean, nor were they on a power trip, or out to get me, it was their job and they were polite about it. 

I just decided that I really didn’t feel like giving them any information just to park there overnight. I probably could have just put down disinformation on the little piece of paper. You know, have fun with it “Jimmy Hoffa.”

 Lying just isn’t my style. If I am a guest in your hotel or campsite, I begrudgingly give you that information, but just to park in your parking lot? No thanks. 

Since the parking lot of the shopping centre was personal property and I do respect their right to specify their rules to stay on their property, I left. I packed up and went to my favourite spot in my “western home” and was not bothered all night. I ran Jenny for two hours to charge up the batteries. 

I have some errands to do today as today is payday, so that means banking a bit of shopping and then back to the library for more work. I know it may be silly as it was just a piece of paper so who cares right? 

I am not a criminal or hiding from the law, or do I have anything to hide. I just still feel that my personal information is that, personal, I don’t want to hand it out for a cup of coffee or in this case, for no reason at all. 

Comfort is Important

I had forgotten that, I have lived in cramped quarters for so long that I had forgotten the nice luxury of a bit of walking space and a bit of extra heat. I have spent so much time surviving the cold and never putting the slide-out out that I have forgotten how nice my trailer is. 

I know that most people have kitchens larger than my house but I wonder how many people have slashed their unsecured debt by a third over the past year, or will eliminate it completely in the next eight months either. 

I went up north and had my walk around and reminiscing of what my little townhouse and old neighbourhood looked like. It was nice and interesting but I couldn’t stay up at the shopping centre there as they had massive signs saying no overnight parking. 

I decided to then to go and park by my favourite library and stay there tonight. I even ventured enough to put the slide-out out. That was nice as it means more space inside and something I don’t usually have . . . floorspace and walking room. This morning I didn’t have to shove my table back and forth, to and fro and just slip by it. 

I really need to find a regular parking space, close to work where I can do this. I also know that in the really cold weather I will not dare to put the slide-out out, but in the warmer weather of a Chinook, I can and will enjoy the extra room.

The weather will warm up to above zero today and should dance above zero most of the week. I will take it and revel in it. I also know that it this warmer weather will not last and that the -30C is coming again. Yet even that shall pass and the spring will come again and I will be back in the warm weather. 

In the less-than frigid temperatures this lifestyle is nice and even delightful. I will have to budget for a camping weekend a month in the warm weather, a delightful delight worth the expense. Now that the celebration of a year in on this journey is over I can focus again on keeping myself on the path to Debt Freedom. 

The lesson I learned today, that I am passing on to you is that a bit of comfort is important, it will help your journey go nicer. It can and will also help improve your mood. 

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Yes folks, boys and girls it has been one year since I made the concrete decision, and took action, to get my credit card debt in order. As such today will be a reflective Blog entry. 

One year ago I was over $17000.00 in debt on various credit cards. I will admit that that may have been either an exaggeration or I was over my limit on one or more cards. I am not sure, as the maxed out limit on all of the cards and overdraft was $16,250.00. 

Also a year ago I planned to either rent a room or buy a camper for the back of the truck and then once this odyssey was over, buy a house.  My situation has improved and the goal of debt freedom is still alive but my dream of buying a house is on hold as I plan to move and pursue a career in: writing, making films and television projects. 

As I reflect on the time in my life that was a year ago I remember stressing over my finances and a few things happened to make me ponder this lifestyle. 

The first of which was my boss ranting about the various frustrations of being a small business owner and considering packing it in. This forced me to wonder what I would do if such a thing were to happen? 

If for any of a thousand different reasons I was suddenly employed, could I maintain my lifestyle? Could I easily find a job to maintain this lifestyle? The answer was no, this caused me to wonder about where my life was heading and if the direction was wise. 

I also wondered what I would actually do if I was suddenly unemployed. I wouldn’t just lay down and die, that is not me. I knew that I would radically and quickly alter my lifestyle to meet my current, seriously reduced, financial situation. 

I then thought that if I was capable of living on less, if I had to, why not live on less because I chose to. That way, with the freed up income I could get ahead. If I did that, I could stop paying everyone else’s debts and start paying my own.  

Then a song on the radio “Tracy Chapman’s Fast car” played and the line in it “leave tonight or live and die this way,” hit me. I then realized that there was no good or bad time for change, there was always and only the now. Either you change your life, here today, or the inertia of time will force you along and years will pass by and you will be in the same rut, in the same situation. 

That was it, that was the moment when I decided to change my life and do whatever it took (legally, ethically and morally) to get my debt under control. I would radically alter my lifestyle to get ahead. I wouldn’t just pay my credit cards off, I would build up a savings and get myself on a better financial footing. 

So how am I doing, one year in? Well, I would have been doing better if I knew then what I know now. Now that I have hit my stride and have (somewhat of) a good idea of what I am doing, I am making great gains. Early in the year it was hard going as I transitioned from living in a townhouse to living in a room to buying and living in Wanda. 

As of today I have $11,175.14 of credit card debt. Compared to an estimated 17,000.00 a year ago that means that I have knocked $5824.86 or about a third off of that total debt. Sure I have gone much deeper into debt to buy Wanda, but she is a house (of sorts) and an asset, not just unsecured debt. 

I also am on track to eliminating the remaining two thirds of that debt by July of next year. Then I will refinance Wanda so that when the payments are done, they are done, with no balloon payment at the end, as it is now. Of course I will also build up a savings; I am looking forward to August. 

All in all I am in a much better place both financially, emotionally and stress-wise than I was a year ago. I do not regret doing this; I just wish it had not been such a steep and steady learning curve. With adventures and odysseys, that is to be expected and yes, part of the fun. 

As far as writing goes I have finished the fattening of Chapter One but will give it another go over before I move on to chapter two and do the same with it. I will slowly go through the book and add a chapter where it feels like it needs it, perhaps near the end.

I will drive up to the old neighbourhood tonight and have a walk and look around as I reflect on my life. I will go out for a simple meal at a local pub, just to celebrate. Such events need to be celebrated, and you can’t spend your whole life paying down bills, thirty bucks won’t kill me. 

No Wonder the Book Was Taking so Long

So there I was, happily click-clacking away, writing in my spare time, whenever I could manage to do it. I was wondering why it was taking so long to convert my one screenplay into a novel. 

Yesterday I was curious how far along I was in my quest for a novel. I did some research and found that a novel is between 55,000 – 175,000 words long. Fine, but I have never been one to count words, I just write and gauge my progress by the number of MS Word pages. 

So I took one of my chapters which was at its target of ten full pages, and did a word count, it was 3900 words. Okay take that and multiply it by my target of 25 chapters and you have 97,500 words. Given that a few chapters are and will be a few pages longer than 10 pages and I have, or will, cross that 100,000 word mark; just in “Part One.”

What that means is that my “Part One” has become the first book in this very long novel series. So I have gone back to the beginning and I am now: editing, expanding and fattening each chapter up until it is at that ten page mark. I will then go back and edit it a few more times to make sure that it is passable before I let another human read it. 

I do need to find an editor willing to work with me to help make this the best it can be. I don’t want someone to just edit it and hand it off to a publisher, as it has to be my work, not theirs. It needs to remain Tanean and not Canadian or English, if that makes any sense to anyone but me. I keep thinking of Tolkien constantly editing (behind the editors) The Lord of the Rings to change “Dwarfs” to “Dwarves.” 

It is encouraging to find that I have made more progress than I had thought as I was 3/4rs of the way through Part Two. I had already figured out how to extend it and end it in a shocking way that would allow me to extend the last part of the original screenplay into yet another book. After that there is the TV series to make into books . . . 

Come on people, buy the book already so I can make a living doing this . . . oh yeah, need to finish writing it and then publish it . . . I had best get to that. Now that I know that I have already “done” (almost) Book One, I am eager to get it ready to go to the next phase of being shopped around. 

It would be nice to have Book Two “done” and me working on Book Three by the time book one is released. (Gee, this is where that Editor/Wife would come in handy . . . gotta get me one of those.)

As far as staying in the trailer is concerned things are going fine, yet I do seem to need to plug in nightly. Since I run my furnace in the mornings and in the evenings and when I am asleep, that fan on that furnace seems to suck the juice out of Wanda’s batteries. I mean in the summer I can go a week or two without charging, now it is nightly. 

Again, I have my warm clothes and Jenny so I will be fine. Last night I thought I would try to see if I could make it through the night with just running Jenny for a bit. I ran her for an hour and a half and that got me through the evening and most way through the night, by about the time I ran out, the furnace stopped. 

I will plug in tonight after I spend the evening at a coffee shop as I wait until I can plug in. That way I can be warm and still edit, or at least try to. The one overriding theme of this journey is that I can and will both survive and adapt to whatever comes my way. 

I am finding that I am more resourceful and heartier as well as not as stuck in my ways as I once thought. In the warmer weather I do like this lifestyle, in the colder weather it is the cost savings which keeps me here. 

If anyone was to do what I am doing, I would plan and prepare and wait to start out on your journey either on April 1 or May 1, depending on your comfort and braveness level. Remember, that if you are moving out of a place you must commit yourself over a month before you do move, so be sure that you really want to and can do it.  

While I do not particularly enjoy winter, I can endure it and see it through. I keep my eyes on those paid off credit cards and my books being published. That is what keeps me going: the dream of Debt Freedom. 

Editing, Revising and Fattening

Work is still work and I am continuing my efforts to do the best job that I can, and only time will tell how fruitful those efforts become. I will do my best, hold my head up high, and somehow survive, always survive. That is another matter and while I try to push it out of my mind, it is ever present. 

Okay, so when it comes to the book, I have been going back to edit and revise what I have done. I have also been adding scenes so that each chapter is within my target of 9-10 word pages for each chapter. It is not just to make sure that each chapter is the same length or because I am that retentive. 

What it does is allow me to tell the reader something interesting, but not essential to the plot yet somehow related to the theme of that chapter. I get to show you something about Tanea and the characters that you may not have otherwise seen. We shall see how it works out. It is a challenge and one that I am having fun with, even though I scratch my brain on what to write for those few pages. 

Another thought has started to emerge, that is that perhaps each “Part” is in fact a separate novel in this long novel series. I will check tonight to see if they are long enough to stand on their own. Already they do have their own story arch and storywise could stand on their own with each novel picking up where the last left off. We shall see how this develops. Another thing I will always do is write. 

The world was not so cold yesterday and for the last two nights I have slept in my bed and not in my arctic sleeping bag.  It is nice to have the luxury and the furnace did seem to keep things warm enough. I also bought some new dish soap and did my dishes. It is a small sink so it doesn’t take long for them to pile up. That and with only a few dishes I need to do my dishes on a regular basis so I have some to use. 

I am looking forward to tomorrow as the weather starts to warm up and by next week it should be up to above zero, even for the low! Woo Hoo! Maybe I can thaw a few things out, like that blue jug of ice that should be my fresh water supply. Naturally I will not reactivate my plumbing as a Chinook is not spring, it only feels like it.

So the moral for today is that work for today, plan for the future but be mindful of the moment. You cannot change the future or the past, only the now. Dream and plan for the future as you reflect on and learn from the past but work for and be mindful of the now, for the now is all that you have. I do not know what will come, I only know that I will face whatever comes but do my best in the moment. 

Stay The Course

Okay so I learned Four things yesterday:

1) My Credit Limit Increase Went Through.

While I don’t plan on using this extra amount of credit, I know that it will prove useful in the future if I plan to start any sort of business. Cash flow is key and this will help with that. Again, credit cards are like guns, they can save your ass or blow it off . . . it’s all in how you use them.

2) My Credit is Obviously Improving

I got my first offer for a new card in years. Well this one is to upgrade a current card, but I don’t see the need. I like, or don’t hate rather, the one I have, so I will keep it, for now. 

I don’t want an extra card to balance, nor does collecting “travel points” appeal to me when I don’t’ have a passport (they kinda insist on the ‘SWAT Team Address’). It is nice to receive ‘nice’ letters from credit card companies for a change, though.

3) I Need to Up my Game at Work

It seems that I have not had my mind properly focussed on my work and have been making a few mistakes. I don’t know the exact cause, it could be the routine (such that there is), the fact that I work myself 7 days a week on two jobs, one is my writing and the other is work.

I work twelve hours a day, four for me in the morning and eight for work. I then rest in the evening and try to get up the gumption to edit a bit. On the weekends I work at least eight hours on writing both days.

Or it could be a number of other reasons, whatever it is, I need to focus on work and do a better job. I am paid well, I like my job and my boss, he deserves better. This I will do, I will do better, for: myself, my pride, my boss and yes because I can’t afford to lose this job.

4) I Need to Stay The Course

My plan is working. I am paying things down. I am able to adapt to new challenges. My life is steadily getting better. While winning the Lotto would be nice, it is unlikely. 

I only have the resources that I am given to solve the fiscal problems of my own making. This bizarre way of living is chipping away at my debt and getting me out of this hole. 

I will get off of this damn hamster-wheel of debt slavery yet. For that I need to . . .

Stay the Course

(and do better).

I Sleep in a Freezer, But Live in a Fridge

That pretty much seems to sum up my life over these past few days. Don’t worry, I am fine and am sticking it out. I have been through it this far, I can and will make it through winter.  I would be silly and a wuss to back out now, I have already seen -30C. 

When I get home I usually see this.

When I sleep at night I am plug, so I just run the electric heater. Since I am in my sleeping bag I am nice and warm, even though inside Wanda ranges from -5 to -10C (depending on how cold it is outside). This way I save the propane, as the bag heats just me.

When I am up and about I set the furnace to 5C and it seems to manage to keep up okay. At 10C it is running constant and can’t make it to 15C. I am dressed in my cold weather clothes and am okay as I putter around Wanda at 5C  I am able to be okay and that warm hat with flaps is my new best friend as while it looks silly, it is warm. 

I can get used to just keeping myself warm but the problem with living in a fridge/freezer is that everything freezes, as in EVERYTHING! Here is my dishsoap.

Ever opened up and tried to get the contents of a frozen can of pasta? Trust me, it’s fun. 

Then there is the little trick of putting my frozen bottles of water in front of the furnace so that the near constant warm air blows over them. 

It worked. I was able to get enough water defrosted to have coffee this morning. (Don’t mess with my morning coffee). 

I am at a loss what to do about my frozen milk . . . Should I bother trying to melt it or just consider it spoiled.

The upside of all of this is I am saving money not running the fridge . . . at all . . . seriously, what’s the point.

Lastly there is this little trick that I never thought I would have to do . . . 

(I’ll give you a hint, that is a jar that I need to empty, so I can fill it late at night).

What I am doing there is the same trick I used when I was making chocolates in my younger days. What you do is boil water in a pot and put a jar or two in the water, (empty and dry on the inside). You then put the chocolate chips or what you want to melt in that jar. 

This way the jar is heated without damaging the jar, it gets indirect heat. This works quiet well for melting the contents of whatever frozen jar or other glass container that you need to defrost, yet not shatter. 

I have now learned that when it gets really cold that I have no choice but to get dressed, go outside and find a thirsty tree, when I need to pee . . . oh the joys of being over 40 (le sigh). 

The ironic thing about all of this is that I hate the cold. I despise winter, I really do. I don’t “play” in the snow. I don’t ski. I don’t frolic about in the cold like one of Santa’s helpers or some dancing imp. Yet here I am choosing to live in this RV all winter because I am just too damn stubborn to give up . . . I can’t let winter win . . . there, I said it, I’m tougher than winter! 

(Logic: 0, Stubborn Determination: 1)

On a literary note, I did get a couple of chapters done on the book yesterday and I have begun to shape “Part Two” into a nice form. It looks as if I will be able to stretch the story that was this movie into another book. I am thinking of altering the ending of Part Two. It would be more accurate to say that I am just taking a detour in the story, so as to stretch it out. 

If I do that, I will call this book done and move on to the next one. I kinda like having two parts in one book, something I learned from Tolkien. It provides a nice little break in the action and two different, yet joined stories in one book. In essence it is two ‘episodes’ in one book.  

This is where the: magical/mystical/editor/marketer/publicist/loving and devoted wife would take over and edit (while cursing at me) the first book as I move on to the next one . . . right . . . there is only me.

Best get back to it then.