Maiden Voyage #3

Randy on the 3rd lap through the CAT scales. Embarrassing!!

LEAVING SANTA ROSA 

This is our ACTUAL lift off into our 71717 Plan: full wanderlust.

We spent all of June “living” in our travel trailer. We had our house on the market and needed to have a place to go during showings so we just booked a few weeks at the nearby RV Park (which I loved). Tapo Canyon RV Park was excellent and the hosts there are super cool. Tammy and Ed gave us a lot of instruction and guidance answering any and all questions we had.   
I’ll get a post up on that experience later. I’m catching up on my blogging with extremely slow internet speeds plus it is so hot I can barely think.

Destination: Bishop California as a temporary pit-stop on the way to Mammoth Lakes.

Plan: Swing by the CAT Scales then head to Bishop straight (no stopping for food). Maybe one pit stop for gas and pet time to go potty. Arrive at 2pm and get settled in. See if there is any room at Brown’s Campground (they come highly recommended).  Dinner date with The Winterburn’s at 5:30pm.
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What actually happened aka REALITY

Did you know that a truck towing a travel trailer has three axels. Steer Axel, Drive Axel and Trailer Axel. Joe Stayton and Randy went through the ideal weight on each of these axels. 3900, 4050 and 8800 respectively. In March 2017 we weighed the Lorax 2 and Tundra.

The weight limits are for safety purposes and if you know me, I’m safety minded as a natural instinct. We weighed in OVER on the truck/trailer connection – by 400 lbs! Yikes.  

We are officially hanging with THE TRUCKERS. Yeah!!
The scales do not lie!
 
Starting approximately 6 months ago we began reading blogs about towing to make sure we could actually do it. Our truck (Toyota Tundra can haul 9,000). We have kept it maintained by a very professional mechanic (Mark’s Independent Service in Chatsworth) named Mark Goldsmith. We got our tires from Ralph and Steve at Firestone on LA Ave. Both of these businesses can be trusted completely (if you are looking).

The biggest issue Randy was grappling with was the weight going DOWNHILL. We have a braking system on the trailer (which is good) and our truck breaks. The plan to head up to Mammoth should be fine. Elevation changes from 4100 to 9000 at Lake George. That is a lot of climbing and eventual descending.

We got the green light from a lot of professional and experienced RV friends. On the flip side, 100% of the fellow RV’ers we spoke to (meeting for the first time) had no idea what their weight was and universally “didn’t want to know…it’s probably over the limit” was the response. Are you kidding me? That’s crazy talk in my opinion. I’m a very safety-motivated person.

Luckily it was Sunday and no one was around. We were in Sun Valley California where it appears the local government does NOT care how shabby the streets are – it was awful. Smelly, dirty and unsafe feeling.

We screwed up getting the correct weight twice and definitely pissed the operator off. *gulp… sorry!*

That took us an hour and we were already sort of on each other’s nerves. 

FINALLY, ON THE ROAD
Kona and Zoey are seasoned to ride and get the entire backseat of our truck. It’s like a couch it is so large.

Piper, on the other hand, doesn’t always dig it at first and is a bit nervous clinging onto things and meowing. It took about an hour after leaving the scales for her to chill out and find her “happy place” in between us on the arm rest. She got up and wandered around investigating off and on but for the most part just slept.

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​We had to stop to get gas and let the dogs go pee. The first rest stop we drove into had a giant grassy field with an enormous sign that said KEEP DOGS OFF GRASS. Where are the dogs supposed to go? Oh, the baking heat dirt area. What a crock of BS. I have my eyes opened up more and more with the ignorance humans have toward animals in general but this one is ridiculous. A dog needs to be on cool grass compared to boiling hot dirt. Who MAKES these sites?! I’d guess a really crappy dog owner or person that does not own a dog or any other pet. I made a pact / wish to myself that I’d help create SAFE PLACES for dogs to visit at Rest Stops.

I will say that the CRAPPY DOG OWNERS (the ones that do not pay attention to their pets because they are on their phone so they don’t see them pooping, that do not carry dog waste bags to pick up after their pet, that let their pets walk across boiling hot surfaces, that leave their dog in the car so they can run into the store ‘for a sec’, that use their dog for entertainment of others) make life difficult for pets. Personally I’d lobby for stiffer penalties on any abuse of animals.

ARRIVAL TIME! HELLO BISHOP CALIFORNIA!



It was over 100 degrees when we spotted J-Diamond RV Ranch and Mobile Home Park.  

The entry is right next to Schat’s Bakkery down a long driveway. At the stop sign is a small office and where we checked in meeting Rachel the Camp Host (one of 3).

She assigned us to Site 99 and I admit I got a little happy about it because I just like that number.

We were all anxious to get OUT of the truck after the 5 hours of driving.

We left the AC cranking in the truck with the pets while I held my breath at the challenge that faced Randy in backing our trailer into its new space.


We had 25 feet between a tree (VERY LARGE) and the next door neighbor’s rig. The neighbors were home which meant we were the latest hot entertainment item on the agenda to watch.  

Wife “helps” husband navigate into trailer space.

What could possibly go wrong?

This is the TREE we had to maneuver around to park.

The Day Before The Day We Go

We are READY TO GO.

Lake George may not be ready for us, but we’re driving to Mammoth Lakes tomorrow with our pets.

We may not even have a job right away but we decided, as we have been able to just not stress about much lately, SO WHAT.

The first stop is Bishop California and we’ve got a RV park waiting (thanks Rachel!) right behind Schatt’s Bakery I guess.

Today we visited with a few important people to personally tell them good bye.  One of our favorite people, John from NutriShop, jaw jacked about being a Small Business Owner and all he has accomplished.  PLUG: Shop local and shop with John – go INTO the shop and meet this kind man.

As a side note: WE DID NOT SELL 805 BOOT CAMP TO ANYONE but we’ve heard plenty of people have been told we have (or led to believe we have sold it).  We did not sell it ON PURPOSE.  More on that in another blog post down the road.  That was quite an eye-opener of an experience (lessons, lessons, lessons).

We decorated Amanda’s gravesite as well.

Her birthday is July 13th.  If you know her and would like to leave her flowers on that day PLEASE DO!  We’d love to see pics.  Her resting place is Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetary Spot 28 in the Vista Heights area.  22601 Lassen, Chatsworth CA.

This is our last visit for a while and it is bittersweet.  I asked Randy how he was managing this part of our plan and he is definitely going to miss the closeness that we have to her.  

About 3 months ago someone told us about Stuart Wilde.  I’ll try to remember that person’s name – they deserve a mention here. THANK YOU so much because we listened to him (he is a philosopher) and for me (anyway) it has become easier to manage the loss of my loved ones.  On the topic of religion I’m pretty open to understanding the theories and facts.  One thing I found extra helpful from Stuart was the concept of God and Energy.  The concept of godlike force working around us makes sense to me.  I believe my mom is with me every day as an energy and force to keep me on the path I’m on and help make good choices, steer clear of the people that do not want me to be happy (yep, they’re out there and they’re easy to spot now for me).

More things…

We made another trip to our storage unit.

There were a few other errands around town we wanted to complete for efficient storage in the TT (aka The Lorax 2).

It’s time to ROLL…like for REAL.

There are so many people to thank for all that we have experienced and what has pushed us to trust ourselves and our crazy plan.  You have helped us more than you know.  I think I’ll begin putting names of people that come to mind on each post I make.  They are in no particular order and they may come up more than once.  In some way you have given me a reason, push, guide, inspiration to trust in myself which, in turn, has given me courage to leap into this unknown world of WANDERLUST.  

Today I am thankful for:

Rick Montejano

Adelita Alvarez

Morgan Shoemaker

Claire Stachelrodt

Jordan S

Missy and Joe Stayton

Mary May

 

 

Water Pump 101

Today (Monday June 26th, 2017) we did not wake up planning to spend all morning installing a fuel pump.  Well, I did not anyway.

The fuel pump went out at the start of our stay at Stayton Acres and we had flooding twice in the bathroom.

That sounds so dramatic.  Our bathroom is super small and technically you could consider a cup of water spilled on the floor “flooded”.

This flooding was because the pump was malfunctioning and wouldn’t stop water from filling the tank for fresh water. Some small part of the system was broken.

It made awful sounds and we woke to puddles of water.  Not good.  I think the number one killer of RV’s has to be water.  Luckily ours was about 1/3 cup spread over the 2′ x 3′ space.

I’ve noticed Randy has said, “Oh shit” a lot lately.  It’s for both bad and good situations.  Since it was 3:45am I knew it wasn’t a good one.  He quietly mopped up the water not even swearing once.

Later in the morning after camp classes Randy called the manufacturer and was shocked to have next to instant help resolving the issue.

They shipped out, at their cost, a brand new pump!  What!?  Yes.  That’s right.  Shurflow gets an A+.

It arrived about a week later (we were cool because it worked but just had to be jerry-rigged not to flood).  We had a great set up at Stayton Acres’ South 40 aka  the edge of their avocado grove.  We were dry camping with full use of the pool house with a blasting awesome shower (full bath).  We feel SPOILED!

The day had come.  We are leaving this Friday and need that water pump working.

We got home from teaching classes at 8:30am and scrambled to eat breakfast.  I began my daily cleaning routine and Randy began the pump repair.

Three hours later (and many trips in and out of the bathroom) Randy informed me that we would have to take the trailer to Conejo RV so Mike could repair the pump.  There was a freaky screw that had embedded itself deep into the rubber seal at the base of the pump.  The space was microscopicly small and he could not get leverage to remove it.

“Oh shit.” was all I could think.  I replied, “OK.”

Meanwhile my mind was racing on how in the world this was going to workout.  Getting into Conejo RV is NOT simple.  He is a very good mechanic and his time is always booked.  It was generous he was taking us on Thursday.

We did not know how long it would take which brings a big problem into our lives: where would we live while he held and worked on our RV?

I messaged Missy letting her know we were likely going to have to leave earlier than planned to get the pump fixed.  Ugh.

Joe arrived a little later to look over the situation and lend a hand with advice.  From his years working for the city of Los Angeles he had dealt with plenty of “impossible” mechanical tasks.  He first said to WALK AWAY FROM IT for a while rather than trying to push it through.  Take a break and do something else.  You will drive yourself nuts otherwise.

Randy gave him the details and showed him the screw and its lodged in spot.  Joe told him he could handle this – he gave him a push in the right direction.

It was 100 degrees out (ok, maybe 86…but HOT in the trailer even with the AC running) and Randy went at it one last time.  Suddenly there was the sound of success from the floor of the bathroom!!!  He did it!!

 

He got that dang screw OUT and he easily replaced the part.  WE HAD A WORKING PUMP!

 

The proof is in the pudding.  It was time to turn on the water spigots and let’er rip.

I carefully turned the knob in the kitchen and after a few sputters and spits the water poured out and the pump began humming.

I love that my husband got back in the saddle and HANDLED the problem!  I love that Joe came in and gave him that push which I think had to help a bit.

We’re over a small bump in the road and avoided a completely awful situation.

Good Job Husband Unit!

Water Pump: 0

Randy Shoemaker: 1

 

Stayton Acres Bean and Lentil Chili

Stayton Acres Spicy Bean and Lentil Chili12 minutes InstantPot
Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 8 
I’m inspired to make a chili that will need a Stayton Acre avocado on top to offset the heat. Today is Day 22 for me living in my travel trailer. I’m excited that I’m doing this with little stress really. We are eating healthy meals and having a salad everyday. 
This recipe was created with plenty of hearty protein and vegetables in mind.  
Serve with sourdough, crunched up tortillas on top or corn bread.  
Don’t forget to chop sliced avocado on top.
1 yellow onion, chopped

Ingredients

5 garlic cloves, chopped

1T EVOO
1 16oz can black beans

1 16oz can garbanzo beans 

1 16oz can red kidney beans
1 cup orange lentils

1 yellow bell pepper chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 corn on the cob fresh kernels removed

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 14.5oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

Spices (IT’S ALL IN THE SPICES!!)

1T cumin powder

1 ½ t chili powder (hot)

2T smoked paprika

1/2t coriander

1t black pepper

3/4t salt

1/2t cayenne pepper powder
Avocado (depending on how many people love avocado…I like ¼ large avocado per person chopped on top).

 

Good People Should Not Die Young (ESPECIALLY)

Open Letter To The Entity Taking My Friends And Family From My Life:

Too young.

Too young.

Too young.

I am still sitting in the reality of losing one of the most kind, loving, friendly, funny and GOOD friend just days ago.

Collapsed at work.  Autopsy has not confirmed (to his family’s satisfaction) what exactly happened.

I’m sad to a point that I want to boil.  No, I’m not sad, I’m mad.  I’m pissed and angry and wish I could change what has happened.  I also feel helpless.

Today (or was it last night…life blurs when you have three camps every day and see the same 100+ people every day at different times of the day) I was jaw jacking with a person I have opened my deepest feelings to.  WHY is this happening?  I can barely handle losing so many people.  WHY!?  

I find myself staring out the window while my husband drives wondering WHAT IS THE POINT.  Why are we here wandering this earth?  What is the reason we drag ourselves through muck and pain? Why are there people that are total evil mother fluckers that should die but the GOOD ONES go first?

A lot of people have a faith in their lives.  That is not how I was raised and maybe it is why I feel so much ANGER with no one to point it at when someone good passes away.  

Take the asshole mother fluckers to the next place!!  

LEAVE MY GOOD FRIENDS AND GOOD FAMILY MEMBERS ALONE!!

I believe that my friend Dave is still near me, near his family as a spirit floating around wishing he could change what has happened.  Things happened in perfect order with Dave.  He was a planner and do’er.  He ran 100 mile races AS A HOBBY.  His diet was healthy.  He gave to so many that needed.  He took care of more (and I’m sure we’ll find out who else and what else as the days roll by).

My dear friend Mary passed away way too young.  I wrote a post about her.  I think of her every single day and the stern advice she gave me.  It is partly why I feel so willing to get rid of everything I own to leap into our new life. 

My step-daughter Amanda passed away at 17 years old.  17.  It is unexplainable how this could possibly be OK.  It’s unfair and I will not change my mind.

My mom.  I NEED MY MOM!!!!!!!  Mom’s need to be around until their kids are old farts.  They need to experience the love and life their kids will work hard to give them.  They deserve it.  There is NO WAY anyone could change my mind on this.

I’m not going to continue.  

Just know:  I think it is completely UNFAIR and CRUEL to everyone to take the good people in my life.  

There are plenty of awful people that don’t care a hoot about anyone but themselves that should go to a new place.

Rest in PEACE Dave Liston.   June 15th, 2017.

I don’t know where you are but my wish is that you are in a good place where you are being cared for and doted on.  Where there are all of the dogs that have passed on.  Where there are plenty of trails for you to run on.  Where there are a few spreadsheets too (because I think you actually loved working and doing what you did because you were damn good at it).
Rest In PEACE Katie Jenks.  July 5th, 2017. 

How Many Pairs Of Underwear?

I had no idea how much to pack on our new adventure.  

In a forum about RV Travel and Working I posted that question (explicitly for clothing) and the replies didn’t really help at all.  A few people work FULL TIME JOBS and need business suits, there was one gal that mentioned she prioritized bikinis and then there were the people that had just two of everything.

This advice, in our circumstances, was useless!

First off we had to plan for Mammoth Lakes which has been under snow, 9,000 feet elevation and outdoor work that would require a uniform plus appropriate foot gear (BOOTS).  Our jobs, as we anticipate, will require 3 hours of outdoor work every day.  We are 5 miles from a laundry mat and I bought a minimalist washing machine just to make sure I had fresh underwear at all times!  I’ve got my priorities.

Going to Mammoth Lakes is not immediate (our start date continues to move around because it is still snowing there and our site isn’t ready to go yet with the full hook up we are going to have at Lake George).  We have one month of boot camp to deliver which require an entirely different type of apparel!

And what if I get asked out on a date?!  I have to have “pretty clothes” right?!

Can’t forget about a girl’s morning and evening routine.  Hair, skin, make-up…blah blah blah.  I knew this would be a difficult area going from a full vanity spread to “who knows what”.   A year ago I began paring down that part of my life.  Now I use nearly zero make-up (mascara, blush and one eye shadow).   I plan on zero make up when we get rolling across the planet.

Lastly, the subject of shoes (or foot ware in general) is a huge part of this too.  We need so many different types of shoes and that’s frustrating.

I took three closets, three open bins and nine actual dresser drawers down to two giant bins.


MY INVENTORY

What I currently own and what I started with.

40 short sleeve t-shirts for work to 10.

15 short sleeve t-shirts not for work to 10.

24 work trousers (pants, skorts, shorts) to 8.

12 sports bras to 6.

40 pairs of underwear (all sorts for all sports and activities) to 20.

20 regular bras to 6.

12 jeans down to 2 (sadly I donated my FAVORITE pair…I’m sick to my stomach about that because we all know how hard it is to find that one pair you want to wear everywhere).

10 sweaters down to 3.

8 sweatshirts down to 2.

50 pair of shoes to 10 (including new boots I had to get for “work” at Lake George).

20 dresses (all occasions) to 3…back up to 4 because I need one for a funeral.

4,000 pairs of socks to 12, including boot socks.

On one hand I feel fantastic about giving away so much.  The other side is the fact of not knowing what is on he horizon. I know I can solve my problems with a quick stop at a mall or even better a thrift store.

So much of my apparel sat untouched for months in the closets, drawers and bins.  I even had dresses that were over 20 years old with the tags on them still. Crazy.

Stuff is too easy to collect! 

The start to my process was not coming home with anything new!  I realized every single day we leave our homes and return WITH MORE STUFF.  The worst are the “just in case” items.  They oftentimes never leave their packaging OR how about the bulk purchases?  We had, no kidding, 8 Windex bottles and 6 (I’m not exaggerating) bottles of H.E. laundry detergent.  I wish I’d taken a photo.

That’s all for today!