Boris is Back

I gotta hand it to the little guy, he is determined to make a nice home, where he wants to. Oh, who is Boris? Well, he is the spider who has taken up residence on Treabilla’s right side mirror. Why did I call him Boris? Well, seriously, what else would you call a spider but “Boris the Spider?”

He was back and this morning I saw that he had built a large and sturdy web. Perhaps he is thinking that the wind is destroying his webs, or perhaps he knows it is me. Either way, in his little mind, he seems to have figured that if he makes his web stronger and better, then I simply can’t tear it down . . . keep trying Boris, keep trying.

As for me, I was able to finish that chapter I had started Sunday. It is good to have finished this one off as it fits nicely into a hole in the story timeline that was there. Also it builds tension and I can use the chapters I had written and it enhances them. This is one of two chapters that I sandwiched in between two other chapters. I had glossed over this period of time and I am glad that I went back and inserted these two chapters.

I am also happy with how this book is moving along and the pace of my progress is moving smoothly along. Here’s hoping that I am hitting my stride and soon will have this one finished. Already I have the idea for the climactic scene forming in my mind, it should be good. To be able to write full-time, as an occupation would really be a treat for me and yes, a measure of success.

After this book, I have that other book to write, as in the one based on my adventures in being an Urban Nomad lo these two years. It should be interesting, as I also need to start to write Book Three. Hmm . . . write two books at the same time and hold down a full time job . . . sure, I can do that . . . right?

An Interesting Weekend

Okay, we have all seen the sight of someone doing minor vehicle repairs in the parking lot of an auto parts store. You know, changing a light bulb, replacing an air filter, adding oil etc. That we have all seen, we chuckle, perhaps shake our head and move on. What I saw this weekend tops all that.

Picture this, there is a couple who own and live in this full sized motor home parked in my Western Home. This thing is the size of a bus and takes up two spaces, one after the other, you know across a parking lot island. Fine, no big deal. 

They are doing repairs to this thing; again, we have seen this so okay. I am not talking about minor repairs, but replacing insulation and drywall and essentially gutting this thing and redoing it . . . in my Western Home! How do know this? Because they have bits of: insulation, wall boards, new drywall and whatever else they have pulled out, all stacked up outside the motor home.

It gets better. Apparently due to the extent of the repairs to this motorhome it has become unlivable. So they bought a second, older, used, yet long fifth-wheel trailer to live in. It is obvious that he is a trucker by trade because he pulled up with this trailer, towing it with a nice, new looking big rig truck. 

So, in case you were wondering, yes those big rigs can pull a fifth-wheel trailer. I wonder if a pickup truck can pull a full sized tractor trailer? Hmm, there is a YouTube video in the making.

So there they were, trying to figure out how to park this thing and ended up with the trailer pulled up three spaces over from the motor home and the rig cut over at the last moment to fit in. It formed a U-shape with the motorhome. To top it off they parked their car in between the two.

It got interesting when a large wind blew through the area and ripped bits of roofing off of this motorhome and strew it around the parking lot. I retrieved a large piece and returned it to them, as it appears they weren’t home at the time.

I find this humorous and an extreme example of someone taking advantage of the generosity of a corporate neighbour. I always am appreciative each time that I am able to park in my Western Home or wherever I do. 

I don’t disconnect, nor do I stay for too long, even when I do, I park far away from the door, so as to allow regular customers to come and go unhindered. I also shop there, when I need to get something, a small way to say thank you to the owners of my Western Home.

To me, to see a motorhome or trailer parked in the same spot for months is a bit much. Repairs are one thing but rebuilding is another. I just found this interesting, and had to share. I thought about taking a picture but decided against it, as I don’t want to embarrass anyone, but just use this as a learning example. 

As for me, I was able to finish one and three quarters chapters this weekend. I laughed yet felt guilty at the same time. One chapter was hilarious and the other was funny yet still very tense for one particular character. 

The first bit of the first chapter was us outside of a room listening to the beginnings of a very intense “amorous rendezvous.” This takes place between two characters who have been attracted to each other yet been holding back, until they can’t. Add in the fact that they are having troubles getting clothes off before the fun can really started and you understand the humour. Trust me it is freaking hilarious.

The second chapter involved one character (who is under immense pressure) trying to recruit another character yet trying to avoid talking about the large elephant in the room. Again, tension, good dialogue and exchange is had between the two. 

Yet with all that his character is going through, I kinda feel guilty for doing this to this character. I know that she doesn’t actually exist, but as a writer and creator of this character, she is kinda my kid . . . sorta . . . in a way. Writers will understand (I hope).

But the good this is that I am now half way (word count wise) through book two. Gee, it would be nice to hear some feedback on book one.  *He says looking out through the internet to one particular person . . . hint, hint, hint . . . you know who you are.*

Two Weeks Until my Vacation

Seriously, it’s two weeks to the day until I leave for my much needed break. I will enjoy relaxing in the serene surroundings of nature and unwind. Not that I am counting the days but it is fourteen days and six hours until my wheels are rolling out of town.

The first bit of positive news is that Card #1 and Card #2 paid off. There is something special in login in and seeing a zero balance on a credit card, or in my case, both of the active ones. The second bit of positive news is that I should be able to pay for the week without using a credit card. We shall see how that goes, in practice, but if I end up with a few hundred on a card, that will not slow down Card #3’s ramped up (and full force) paydown.

I had an inspired morning today and finished a chapter that I had started yesterday. This was one of those good ones, which just flowed out and was a joy to read as I wrote. It is hard to describe, but when you know your characters as well as I do, sometimes all you have to do is put them in the same room and see (or in my case record) what happens. (No, my characters are not the little voices in my head, I just know them really well).

The smoke is still in the area and while the view of the red (as in blood red) sun was cook peeking through the smoke and clouds, I couldn’t get an interesting shot. So, there will be no red dot on a sea of gray photo for you today. 

Work approaches, and I do hope that this inspiration continues and I can get going on this book and get it done soon. Mainly because I want to see how it turns out, and the next one promises to be chocked full of action this one is setting things up with tension and drama.

Lessons From a Spider

Okay, for the last week or so, I have been fighting with a spider. No, it isn’t a 90 foot, fire-breathing tarantula, hell bent on world domination. No, I have been struggling with a plain old, regular spider. 

Perhaps “Regular” is not the right term for this plucky little guy, as he just won’t give up. You see, this brainiac has decided that the best place for him to build his spider web is between Treabilla’s right side mirror and the side window. 

At first I figured that the wind would take care of it for me . . .  nope.  The combination of the wind shielding characteristics of the side mirror and how this little guy engineered that web meant it was fine despite a trip down the Deerfoot trial (a local freeway).

So I smashed and destroyed his handiwork as soon as I parked and told him that it served him right. He shook his little fist at me and swore to rebuild. I laughed, but the next day after work, there he was sunning himself on his new web.

Again I smashed it and again he rebuilt it, I even made sure to remove all of the web components and drop it on the ground, in nearby grass, hoping to give him a hint. The struggle remains to this day, I destroy his web he still rebuilds it. 

It just irks me that he is still there decorating my truck in such a manner. As yet I have not bought a can of raid or will do anything so drastic. I don’t want to kill him just “actively encourage him to seek other accommodations.” 

Maybe he just wants to see the wide world. Perhaps he likes the rush of the wind blowing through his hair as we drive down the road. Whatever the reason, I am sure that he and his web will be back. 

His plucky determination to stick with his plan means that I admire him. We can all learn something from a spider who just won’t give up and keeps on rebuilding, each time he is dealt a setback.

Calgary’s Starman in Trouble

I have long known and said that I am not the only person out here living in an RV. Many people live in RV’s for many different reasons. Some are like me who are looking for a way to get ahead. Some are living in the area temporarily in order to work, make money and keep the maximum amount of the money they earn. Then there are those who have little other choice, those who are, shall we say, down on their luck. 

I am not an expert on this man’s case, nor have I spoken to him, so I only know what I have read or heard in various news reports. From what I understand he gets by picking pop bottles and other recyclable materials, so his cash flow is, shall we say, less than desirable. At least his is doing something to better his situation and that needs to be recognized and commended.

Essentially the crux of the situation is that he owns an old and “classic” motorhome that was given to him by a friend two years ago. Apparently the motor in it is shot and so it was towed to its current location in a nearby industrial park where it has sat for the last two years. 

A little girl drew a star on this motorhome and this inspired him paint it up in a colourful star field display. The real problem started when someone apparently complained and bylaw enforcement came by. The motorhome is either being impounded or at least there is the threat of it being impounded.

I do feel for this man and wish for the best resolution to the situation. Like me, this is his house, and everything he owns is contained therein.  I can only imagine the feeling of having all that taken away, pause and think about that for a moment.

I know that the eyes of the law could turn towards me and cause me trouble just as easily, should they so desire. I trust that they have a thousand better things to do than harass little old me. Here are a few lessons, one could learn from this situation, not that I wish to get preachy or talk down about this individual. This is just for learning and self-improvement.

For one, since the vehicle is not running it has been sitting on a public street, rather on the service access road in an industrial area for two years. This permanently takes this space up and nobody else can use it, or has the opportunity to use it. 

Public streets are there for the public’s use, not any one particular individual. I move around every twelve hours so that others have the opportunity to use that space. There have been many times where one of my usual spots is taken up by another vehicle, so I go park somewhere else, that’s life.

Since this vehicle is not running I am not even sure if it has current registration and insurance. This is my supposition, so do not take this as actual fact. If this is true, this then makes it a road hazard and it cannot be legally moved. What’s more it is my understanding that all vehicles must have current registration and insurance to be parked on a street. 

I do hope that things work out for this guy and if there was a crowd funding campaign of some sort to fix his motorhome I would chip in twenty bucks. 

I always try my best to be as considerate of others and share the road while I am out here. Sharing the road and understanding that the street or parking lot space that you are parked on is not yours. So never treat it like it is yours or you have a right to be there long term. I never run my generator at night and only do so for a few hours in the evening. These are just a few of my observations, so keep this in mind if you out there living in your RV or thinking of doing so. 

For the curious, here is one of the news stories about him. 

How Trash Becomes a Memento

A few years ago I was dating a woman, who happened to aboriginal. This is not the intriguing part as her heritage was neither here nor there as far as I was concerned. The reasons we got together and broke up had nothing to do with her ethnicity. 

More to the point is the fact that we were about to go on a road trip and she decided that she wanted to do some sort of blessing on the truck for a safe journey. So, off to the reserve we went so she could buy the required eagle feather.

She did the blessing and we brought that feather with us and all was well on the trip. Time passed and we broke up. After moving her out to her new place I found that she had left that feather behind. 

I knew enough to know that just throwing an eagle feather away was wrong, so I kept it. Even through all of the pairing down and getting rid of most of what I owned, I kept it. For the longest time I just kept this feather pinned to my goal board. This weekend I finally bought a frame and a bit of fabric to display that feather in a manner in which it deserves. 

To me, this feather, which was discarded or left behind intentionally, is my little lucky charm. Not that I really believe in such things, but it has become special to me. Not that I miss the ex-girlfriend who bought it. I wish her well and all that, I just hope that she stays far away from me, thanks. 

It is just interesting how some things become special to us over time. Just as this one feather, once discarded, now holds an honoured place on my wall.

   

Celebrate Your Achievements

There is something nice in pausing to recognize when you have done something you set out to do. For me, this weekend, it was burning those little reminder notes that I post up above my fridge. 

Each time I achieve one of these goals I reward myself by finally destroying that constant reminder of the goal yet unfulfilled. So when I finally do achieve that goal, be it pay my cell bill or finally pay off a credit card, I delight in its destruction, I even bought a new metal plate to safely do just that.

    

I used to just rip them up and toss them away, but with this one, this Card #2 I wanted to really celebrate as it was a big one. Now I can focus on Card #3, and of course paying off that upcoming mini-vacation which will take place in the middle of next month. Some people go to Cuba or Mexico while I drive a little over an hour away (sigh) to do what I do every other day of the year . . . camp.

I am focussed on what I need to do and I am really looking forward to the day when Card #3 is finally paid off and done.  For that celebration I will build a mini funeral pyre and burn that chopped up card on it. I will even use the reminder note as fire starter. Yes, as I have said before, I will post that video.

I expect to pay it off, most likely by the last payday in November, if I am lucky by the first payday in November. Either way it will be paid off before my two year anniversary of starting this journey (and blog).

Celebrating your achievements is important, as it will help motivate you to move towards your next goal. For me, this is what my goal board looks like now.