Water Trek Report

Okay, so I did head up north this weekend (well, north of the city) in search of a reported free RV Dumping Station.

I didn’t go until Sunday Afternoon, because . . . well . . . I didn’t feel like going on Friday afternoon. 

That and I would also have more water if I waited until Sunday afternoon.

So, off I went and in truth I didn’t have any trouble finding the place. 

  

It is called the Dickson-Stevenson Stopping House. As best I can guess it is a fancy rest stop with a bit of an eye for promoting tourism. 

More importantly, for me, I did find what I was looking for . . . 

   

Yes, it did indeed have an RV dump station and it was free of charge, however . . .

  

Coming here was not an original idea, as there was a line-up. Ah well, no big deal, I can wait and the line did progress swiftly. 

Eventually I made my way up the front and it was my turn to dump. It was at that moment that I noticed this sign.

  

For those of you who don’t know, that means that there is no water that is fit for human consumption. 

As in water that is clean (not contaminated) enough for you to put into a pot and cook with it (or drink, etc). 

I checked around the stopping house, yet there were no outside taps or even any inside taps I could attach a hose to.

Soooo . . . my trip up here was a waste, sorta. Sure I could dump, but I had no fresh water. I can pay to dump in my Eastern Home, at least for now.

I dumped anyways, as I was there, and I will keep this in mind if my other RV Dump Stations close up. Coming up here once a month or so isn’t bad, if I have to.

I did get water by swinging by the RV Dump Station that I have been getting my water in the north end of the city. So, I’m okay . . . for now.

At worst I will just resort to buying the water at the grocery store and switch back to Spring/Fall Mode. Again, that is if I have to. 

I am on the hunt for another and fully functional RV Dump Station, or at least a tap that I can use (without stealing water).

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive and keep moving forward!

Water Trek

So it is that time again . . . Wanda’s back molars are floating (as in her Black and Gray Water tanks are almost full). 

So, that means that it is time to take her to an RV Dumping Station. It’s not bad, considering the last time I dumped was the May Long Weekend.

Now, there I an RV dumping station in my Eastern Home, so I could just dump there on my way to my Western Home. It may cost me $3.00, but at least I can get it done.

There is also the matter that I will need to fill Wanda’s Fresh Water Tanks by Monday morning, so I will need to travel to the northern end of the city to the one tap that I have access to, for now.

I could run to the hills and go to a campsite for the weekend, but that cost is out of the budget. 

Then there is another option . . . taking a trek north of the city to, what can best be described as a fancy rest stop which is reported to have a free and available RV Dumping Station.

While I can’t afford to make this trip each week (fuel cost) I will make the trek this weekend. I am doing this for fun and to make sure that it does in fact exist and is not padlocked.

I am still dithering on whether or not to go this afternoon, or Sunday afternoon. 

If I go on Sunday afternoon I can then still use my: fresh, gray and black water tanks this weekend and then arrive at work Monday morning with everything fresh. 

If I go today . . . well, it’s just getting it out of the way and just for fun, (no real benefit).

One way or another, I will go and post some pictures on Monday. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Lunch Vs Resources

One of the problems with making my large batch of Hamburger Helper Goulash, is that it takes up more resources than I like. 

First of all there is the extra water that I have to use to put into it. This time of year it is not that bad, as I still have access to free water. 

Then there is the propane that I use to make it. After all, I have that burner going for at least two hours. 

There is the soup with veggies in it that I have to first boil and then simmer for half an hour. 

After that comes browning the 5 pounds of ground beef (one pound at a time). 

After which comes putting it all together and then bringing the large mixture to a boil. Then, once boiling, I turn it down and simmer it . . . for an hour at least. 

After that, the thing sits for 24 hours to let the flavours mix together. 

Then comes the portioning up and putting it in the freezer . . . then comes the most frustrating part . . . I have to leave the freezer running for at least 4 days straight. 

This takes up electricity and propane, (grrr).

Once this is done (and it should be nice and frozen by tonight) I can then go back to my 12 hours on and 12 hours off, routine that I run the fridge with. 

This will help me save on groceries and thereby cash in the future, however. Then there is the fact that I make sure to put a little bit of everything in these goulashes. 

So, I will be eating better, it is just a bit of a pain to get it to this point . . . the saving point. 

When I had a fixed address and a larger freezer, I would make a few different batches, all with a different flavour, so I would have savings and variety. 

For now, I will just enjoy the good food, and the savings . . . and the sun, always enjoy the sun and warm weather.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Keep Your Head Down

It is always good advice to keep your head down when in dangerous situations, but for me it means to stay focussed on the here and now, and not think about the future too much. 

That doesn’t mean not to plan and work for the future, no no. What that means is that I need to keep my mind focussed on there here and now, as I continued to step towards the future, the future that I want.

The future is always coming and in fact arrives each and every morning. For today is yesterday’s tomorrow. 

What that means is that no matter what you do, you can’t stop time so first of all decide what kind of future you want for yourself. 

Then, ask yourself this question “What can I do today (or this week) that will move me towards that future?”

Then . . . do that.

For me, it is to continue to live as frugally as possible, finding new and boring ways to save both cash and resources, while doing what I need to do. 

I find little ways to splurge a little bit, but I am always mindful of my budget and my fiscal targets. 

This is my life, for now, and perhaps fiscal management will always be with me, but living on such tight budgets, I hope will not. 

Again, I must keep on keeping on as I build my future, a future of my choosing. But for now, I need to keep my head down, and keep on doing what I am doing.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Waning Water

So, yesterday I found out in disappointing fashion that my main water tank was not as full as I had hoped . . . in fact it was empty (so no shower yesterday).

I did get cleaned up for work, don’t worry. It was after work that I had to do a bit of running around, part of which was to get water.

So, off to the north I went; to my lone RV Dump Station that is open to me and my lone source of water for my fresh water tanks.

Once again the RV Dump Station was padlocked yet the water tap was working. Still, there was no sign explaining why this was.

After filling my main water tank and my two 5 gallon jugs, I went into the store to ask why the RV Dump Station was padlocked.

The attendant told me that the RV Dump Station was being permanently closed and hinted that it was a head/regional office and/or corporate decision.

I can see why, they’re doing this . . . from their point of view. 

After all they are a company and the sole reason for a company to exist is to maximize profit for its shareholders.

An RV Dump Station which is not generating revenue is a waste of cash and resources, even if all it costs them is a little bit of fresh water. 

Charity and community service are not things which help maximize profit . . . not unless there is a bit of good press in it for them. 

So, this means that I am at risk of losing this RV Dump Station and will have to look for another source of water (and dump station).

For now, the truck stop in my Eastern Home still has their RV Dump Station active . . . or half active. 

I can pay to dump my gray and black water tanks, yet their water has been off for the past two years. 

The rumour is that they will close this RV Dump Station too. I can always buy water from the grocery store. 

This will mean that I will have to revert to Spring/Fall Mode, so I will survive. 

It would be nice, though, to have water in my main tanks and have a shower in my shower, for the few short months that I can. 

One thing is certain: I will get through this and make it to October . . . and beyond.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Lots of Food . . . and Two Friends

That sounds like the making of a party, but that was spread out over the weekend. Let me explain . . . 

First of all, things started when I got a text from a friend who is on a cross country drive with her kids . . . (brave gal). 

It seems that the tent she bought had a leak in it and so she needed a place to wash and dry what needed washing. 

(As luck would have it she was passing through my town when this happened).

I was on my way to my Laundromat in order to do my once monthly laundry . . .

(Don’t freak I have enough clothes to last me, I just save cash this way.)

After that was taken care of, she followed me to my Western Home where apparently she needed to play Tetris with her minivan . . . again.

With a new cargo carrier for the roof and things repacked into minivan (including kids) she was off again by around 11am Saturday morning. 

So yeah I had: Me, Her, and four kids all in my trailer at once, we all fit with no bloodshed (or tears).

Saturday afternoon saw me making my stew/goulash creation, and that cost me about $60.00, but made me 91 portions of lunches . . . not bad at all.

    

(Each stack is a stack of 5)

It was on Sunday evening that another good friend of mine stopped by on her way through town, on back to her own town. 

We chatted and visited like the old friends we are over food and drinks. The excuse this time was the fact that it was my 47th birthday yesterday. 

Ah, yes, time does move forward and as it happens, it looks as though I won’t own any land until I am at least 49. 

(As in I plan to start shopping for land June 22, 2019.)

It is also most likely that I won’t move into/onto said land until I am at least 50. 

(I will need to save up cash in order to DO something with that land.)

Again, that is life but at least I have a plan to make my life better, and I am working that plan.

The key thing to remember is that I will have a land and a home someday, someplace to put down roots, until then I shall remain frugal and mobile.

As always: keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Weekend Ho!

I have a busy weekend planned and by the end of it, I hope to have not spent too much. 

I have just recently returned to a balanced budget state and I am looking forward to keeping this even keel, moving forward.

Yet, I do need to do something with the fresh veggies that I was given, and making another stew/goulash, makes sense.

This will more than likely blow the grocery budget, but I am hoping that I may save a bit down the road as a result of this. 

(That and I’m getting tired of sandwiches for lunch.)

I will do what I need to do without going crazy, a theme which comes back and again in my life. 

I will keep going, though, as I am looking forward to October and beyond. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!