Golden Rays of Power & Extraordinary Friends

When I first decided to start my road warrior life and bought my tearbaby, I knew I would need a solar system in order to do. . . well, lots of things - like charge my electronics, be able to see after dark, work on my business projects and keep warm.  I started reading about how solar power worked and found it kind of like this:

Well, thanks to my two new friends here, I am about to have my very own "Solar Array of Power" AND thanks to their amazing skills of explaining things to me, I have a little better idea of how many pancakes will fit on my roof and why aliens don't wear hats - the rest is still a bit fuzzy yet.  I also plan to conquer the properties of electricity and bend them to my will and desires so that I can run an electric space heater on high as often and long as I want and use an induction cooktop inside my trailer on my 200 watts of pure golden energy!   My friend doesn't believe I have such powers and just walks away saying "I can't hear you!".

The other project we have been working on is a minivan modification.  One of the main reasons I wanted a minivan over an SUV was so I could use it as my office / work space when I couldn't work outside.  Problem is, it turned into an overflowing storage shed nightmare inside and has been totally unusable for a work space without my having to unload half of my stuff.  Yes, I do still have too much stuff, but even with getting rid of a lot of things, I found that it still wouldn't be very conducive as a work space the way I imagined using it.  So, it has to be reconfigured and modified into what I hope will be a fabulous office.  We are almost done with both the van mod and the Solar Array of Power so very soon I will have light, computer usage anytime I want (meaning more blog posts!), an office to work in, and if I am successful with my extraordinary cosmic powers, heat anytime I want it!!!!  Bwahahahaha!!   I know, "You can't hear me!"

But seriously, I can't even begin to think how I could ever express my overwhelming gratitude for their tremendous help, kindness and generosity towards making my dream of being a successful road warrior possible.  Sometimes I wondered why my departure was delayed so long, now I know why - so that our paths would cross.  It is amazing that when you make the right decision for yourself, the right situations and people often find their way to you.  I will never understand the reason(s) why I would be so deserving of such incredible friends, but I am grateful beyond words.  Thank you!

In other news, can you guess what the weather has been like out here?  I'll give you one guess!  (Trust me, your odds of guessing correctly are pretty good - much better than your odds of winning the Powerball Jackpot!).  If you guessed cold and rainy, you'd be correct!  We haven't had a warm day since before Christmas!  I have to admit, this relentless cold weather is taking a toll on my spirits lately, and it really isn't much warmer anywhere else in this region for me to head to.  Quartzsite, about 85 miles south and where I am trying to get to, is actually COLDER than where I am now!  What's up with that!?  And this next week doesn't look like it's going to be much warmer.  It is distressing and no fun to be cold all the time and having it get dark so early doesn't help.  I can’t wait for it to warm up and stay light till at least 7 p.m.  It is like the scene in "When Harry Met Sally" where Sally is putting letters in the mail box one at a time then checking to see if they went down as Harry is waiting impatiently for her, then when he can't take it any longer he stuffs them all in.  I am ready to stuff these short, cold days into a mailbox and mail them to Guam!  I wonder how long it would take me to drive to Costa Rica?  Hmmmm, may have to look into that!

Well, as soon as we have some of the projects a little further along, I will take some pictures and post them so you can see what we've been working on.  I am so excited to have them done so I can use my office and have lights in Zelda!  I know I shouldn't complain about the cold and not having power for things like lights and computer when there are so many people who have so much less than I do.  I really am grateful for all that I do have.  I have a roof over my head, some food in my cooler, transportation, and amazing friends and family who are always there for me should I need a place to crash, a listening ear, love and support. or wisdom that I lack.  Really, what else do I need?  

"Surround yourself with people who make you a better person."

- Zig Ziglar

Wow - An update! Yes it really is true!

Moving out of my house and to Northern Ohio this past December was beyond overwhelming.  I never would have gotten out of my house in time without the help of my amazing brother.  I'd still be there today laying on the kitchen floor in tears.  Yes, I know I'm not supposed to be moving north for the winter, but that is where I had a place to stay, so northward I was bound.  It is also where I grew up so I was essentially coming home.  My amazingly generous friends took me in and let me stay with them on their farm.  They didn't have much space for themselves, so adding me and my 2 cats to the mix was beyond what most people would have put up with.  (I had to have my 3rd cat put down just before I moved due to an illness and the stress of the move being too much for him). 

RIP Yoda

At my friend's cabin I had my little corner to sleep and lived out of a bag and my car and was content.  It was good practice for my future simplistic life in the tearbaby and a useful lesson in flexibility!  We eventually got into a routine and aside from frozen pipes and the most wicked winter I can remember, we managed pretty well - as long as I could Bogart their gas fireplace heater round the clock!  

But due to many setbacks this past winter - specifically the WEATHER! - and a great loss in my life this spring (the sudden passing of my brother), my travel plans have been put on hold for now.  Once life for me and my family adjusts to a "new normal" I will be hitting the road. It seems that 2014 hasn't been a good year for many people I know.  I hope the second half is spectacular for everyone, to make up for the first half.  I'm counting on it!

I also don't have regular access to internet so have to grab it at the library when I can - thus the lack of posts.  However, I have several that I plan to get up soon with some new developments with the tearbaby.

So this summer I have been working on developing my online business to hopefully fund my traveling and helping my family as we transition to life without my brother. This summer my dear friend invited me to spend a day with her and her family at their cottage on Kelley's Island in Lake Erie.  I used to go there as a kid with our neighbors, but it has been more than 30 years since I visited.  What a MAGICAL day it was for me. Any time I can be on the water is magical, but this day was extraordinary in what it did for me.  I really needed it too.  We had such a fantastic day.  I am so grateful for such dear friends.

Ferry ride to Kelley's Island, Lake Erie.  Any time on a boat on the water is pure heaven to me!

Hanging out at my friend's "Cottage by the Lake" on Kelley's Island.
Boy did I need this day!

All great days must come to an end.  Taking a moonlit ferry ride back to the mainland.
Cedar Point Amusement Park is lit up in the background.
(picture is grainy - sorry)

I have also packed and repacked and repacked the tearbaby and car so many times trying to cut down my pile to what I think I will need, and trying to figure out how everything will fit.  It isn't easy trying to figure out what you might need while living on the road - especially if you are very limited on space and funds.  If you already have it then why re-buy it later if it might be helpful?  (Have to let go of that mindset.)  It reminds me of my backpacking days - talk about living minimally!  My first backpack packing experience was rather pathetic - I'm really quite embarrassed to admit to the giant pile of stuff I thought I couldn't live without that I tried to fit into that poor backpack. Thank the powers that be that I had a knowledgeable friend who educated me on proper backpack packing etiquette and amazingly I still survived, quite happily, without all the extras.  I tried for many years to keep to a minimalist lifestyle, but can’t believe not only the amount of stuff that you end up with, but also the speed of accumulation of said stuff when you have a house: "If you build it, STUFF will come!"  Like ants to a picnic or scandal to a politician. I'm sure I'll continue to purge as I adjust to life in the tearbaby.  If you've never watched the movie "The Story of Stuff" you really need to.  It really hits home.  I used to do a lesson very similar when I taught Environmental Education.  Here it is:  http://storyofstuff.org/movies/

One thing I've been enjoying is decorating my little trailer.  Zelda the tearbaby is getting decked out in an ocean theme.  You'd think decorating something that's less than 50 square feet would be easy, well . . . it's not.  Limited space means you have to be creative.  But I love the challenge!  The ocean theme and a few small personal items that were special gifts from loved ones will make Zelda feel like home to me.

My "totally awesome, coolest little nephew ever" & his mom visited and checked out Zelda.
He and "puppy" gave Zelda their Seal of Approval!
Actually he loved playing in her - just his size. 

Things are moving along!