Chillin' at the Beach

“Ready for an adventure?” said my boss on a phone call a week ago yesterday (that’s Thursday for you calender buffs).  I was walking down the side of a moderately busy six-lane road in a modest suburb of Nashville when posed the question. I walked over to a car wash, which was shut down in the 10 degree weather, and had a seat by the car scents vending machine.

 “Sure”, I said.

 “I need you to go to Virginia Beach”, came the reply.

 “You mean the beach in Virginia? I love the beach!”

 “Yeah, that one. I need you there as soon as you can safely travel”. 

This was going to be great! The sea breeze, sunshine, seagulls calling (or cawing – isn’t that what they do…?) I told him we’d get right on it and be on the way Saturday. 

Which we did - sort of.  Friday night, on the advice of the weatherman, we made the decision to delay and leave Sunday instead of Saturday to avoid some snow in the mountains. We planned a quick overnight stop at Mom’s near Johnson City, TN.  You’ve been there with us a few months back in the blog here.

Early Sunday we hit the road and had an uneventful ride, backing into the driveway before dark. Hellos and hugs were exchanged and presents of long underwear were disbursed.  Hey - parents give you underwear - that’s how they do things.

Even though we wanted to stay much longer we hit the road early Monday morning to time our arrival before another “wee bit of snow” was to arrive on the east coast. The cold front chased us all the way east and LuLu handled the 30 mph gusts like the true lady she is – with no complaints.  We arrived at the RV park in the town of Newport News (just north of Virginia Beach) before dark in gusty but dry conditions.  After setting up we settled in and I prepared to go to work the next day. 

On Tuesday morning I made the short trip to Hampton to meet with my trainer.  The job is the same everywhere as far as the basics but each location has it’s own way of doing things. We usually spend time with a local technician before venturing out on our own. After spending the morning surveying with him we got word that we would be stopping after lunch due to the impending winter storm.  It had caught us and now the “wee bit of snow” was becoming a storm to be remembered. 

While I was headed home Tuesday, New Orleans was seeing snow. Atlanta was being brought to it’s knees by ice.  Eastern North Carolina had sleet and snow and we were seeing the beginning of what would turn out to be 10 inches of snow in Norfolk  – just down the road.

  

It’s Friday as I write this.  We got to the store only yesterday to replenish the basics – like milk, Chips Ahoy cookies, chips, salsa and beer.  I haven’t been back to work since so have been hitting the cupboards pretty hard of late.  Hopefully after this weekend things will get back to normal and we can make our way out and about – and I can get back to work.

Official beer of LuLu

The basics - chillin'

Margo has more to tell of this tale. I hear it will involve something about trains, the dogs get snowshoes and how she survived being “snow-bound” with yours truly for a whole week in our happy aluminum home.    

It's How We Roll

When you live in 188 square feet you have to have a very different perspective on your "stuff". You can't have a lot of it and the things you do have ideally should serve more than one purpose. In the last post I mentioned the work lights that we use to keep the water pipes warm doubling as party lights in the summer. Here's another. Our oven. We use it all the time but when it's not being used to bake cookies it serves as a cabinet to store our Tupperware. It all sits on a cookie sheet so the whole kit and caboodle comes out in one move. No, we don't leave the pilot on and yes, I actually used the phrase kit and caboodle.

Sometimes though you really have to think outside the box, or in this case think outside the ball. We use a large exercise ball as an office chair and oh yeah, also as an exercise ball. It actually serves both of those purposes at the same time. It's great for maintaining your core muscles and posture, both of which I've always needed to work on.

Back when I made a living typing medical reports I spent 8 hours a day here.

My fancy office chair I used in my transcription days weighed a ton and had to be kept outside when I wasn't using it. Our new "chair" deflates when not in use and weighs practically nothing. The best part though - you can bounce on it!

You should try the same thing in your own larger than 188 square foot home or even at work if possible. Obviously the space and weight issues don't exist for you but I'll bet that your posture will improve and quite possibly you'll gain some health benefits.

On the ball.

We didn't think of this. There are studies that suggest this very thing, even standing desks are gaining popularity. These same studies go into the correlation to low back pain, the increase in cortisol (the stress hormone) and reduction of heart disease risk factors. Do yourself a favor and Google this phrase "your chair is killing you." There are a number of articles available on the subject so I didn't want to link to any specific one.

It's the little things that sometimes count for more than we realize but bottom line - you can BOUNCE on it!

Stupid Cold!!!!

It's STUPID COLD!  I steal the phrase from the local Nashville TV meterioroligist (channel 4) who everyone has been tuning into of late.  Actually the local TV weather man anywhere north of, oh I don't know, the Tropic of Cancer, is now The Man.  He's the guy (or girl) who is bringing the bad news and we just can't help ourselves.  We have to know the numbers.  Here's our number.... One.  Not "yeah we're number one!"  More like that's the number of degrees we have here (or I guess degree would be more correct).

Here's another number.... Four.  As in "four seasons." It's an RV term and here's where the post goes into talk of technical RV stuff.  Spoiler alert.  If you tune in for the travel articles or my witty commentary then you're probably going to be bored but if you like "how things work" talk then this is right up your alley.  I'll forgive those of you who tune out here.  No hard feelings and I'll see ya next post.

Okay here we go.  A four seasons RV is designed to be used all year, even in subzero weather.  They're built with heated storage spaces and the plumbing is routed in such a way that it won't freeze up when the thermometer drops below 32.  Sometimes the marketing people call this an arctic package because it just sounds so awesome.  You would think that would be the way to go but there are drawbacks to the arctic package, the main one being much smaller windows. 

Airstreams are not four season RVs.  They have big windows. Take it from the full-timers that we are.  Big windows are probably the most important feature if you have to live in a trailer. Other than that though, because they are built the way they are (and have been since 1932) they are effectively all weather rigs.

The aluminum shell you see from the outside is the outer shell.  There is also an inner shell that looks the same and in between are ribs and insulation.  The windows and door all have large rubber gaskets that when locked down provide an airtight seal.  The heating system consists of a propane furnace with ducts throughout including a duct that is run into the belly pan to provide heat for the water tanks, both fresh water and not so fresh water. With the addition of an electric space heater inside we stay cozy even in "stupid cold" weather like we have now.

There are a few vulnerable spots.  The most worrisome in weather under 20 degrees are some water pipes running from the hot water heater through an outside storage compartment and another small plumbing run above the fresh water tank.  I've opted to plug in a work light with a 75 watt bulb in these areas as added insurance.  I checked the temperature of the outside compartment this morning when it was 2 degrees outside and the compartment was in the high 40s, plenty of warmth there. And, as with most things we own, the lights have a dual purpose.  Margo will use them as party lights outside in the summer.   

Compartment above the fresh water tank

With the energy efficient design and tightness however comes a problem.  It's sealed up so tightly that on really cold days condensation becomes an issue. It forms around the windows mainly and down low on the walls at the bases of the mattresses.  We have to be vigilante about wiping it up regularly.  Margo found that if we direct a small fan into the area it drys things out.  She has a little fan the size of a pint of Ben and Jerry's that she positions in the area and it does the trick. 

Drying the condensation

All in all I feel confident that we won't do any damage living in these conditions.  I talked with the RV park maintenance man this morning and others here have not been so lucky.  He mentioned that a few of our neighbors have frozen up.  Hopefully their pipes haven't burst in the process.  We'll be in the 20s by Tuesday afternoon and the 40s by Wednesday so they should be able to get things thawed out soon. 

On the work front, the Nashville crew, including myself, took a snow day today (Monday).  There was just too much ice to be safely walking around but tomorrow it's game on.  Some of you have wondered how we can do this job in the cold but actually it's not that bad when you're moving along.  Speaking for myself I'm more than comfortable with my layers, scarf, hat, gloves etc.  I stop into a Micky D's or Dunkin' Donuts for coffee to warm up but for the most part, especially when the sun is shining, it's not a problem. 

Okay, end of the geeky technical discussion.  Warm wishes to all and keep the home fires burning.

Hey Brother, Got a Dime?

Happy New Year!  Let’s talk about the homeless, more specifically, panhandlers.  What! It’s New Years Day – Rose Bowl Parade, football, resolutions.  Shouldn’t I be writing about that?  Probably, but let’s talk about the homeless anyway.  Not to be a downer over a joyous holiday but no better time than the present, while we’re all still in the giving mood with the holidays and all. 

No, this isn’t one of those “let’s solve homelessness" or "please give to my new found cause” essays.   I just want to pass on my observations.  I’m in the unique position to see how different communities cope with the issue.  In my work I might be surveying a gated community one day and downtown the next.  In a depressed neighborhood the day after that then behind Macy’s at the end of the week.  I go everywhere the gas lines go and frequently they intersect with panhandlers.

It didn’t used to be that way.  I worked from home in Ocala, Florida and drove places in my air conditioned car with the doors locked.  The panhandlers would all congregate at the major intersections or Walmart exits.  They all had homemade cardboard signs asking for money or work.  If you caught the red light and had to stop right next to one it was awkward.  You would either roll down the window and hand over some change or sit there and try not to make eye contact.

The Ocala county commissioners fixed all that though.  Back in March of 2013 they passed an ordinance forbidding pedestrians from standing by or entering the road to physically exchange anything with a motorist.  That fixed ‘em.  The day the law took effect the panhandlers miraculously disappeared.  High-fives all around at the commission chambers on that one I’m sure.   In reality all the homeless packed up what belongings they had and moved to the next county. 

Enter the reason for this post.  Here’s how Nashville copes with it.  I say copes because the problem isn’t going away.  If anything it could get worse.  In Nashville the homeless still stand by the intersections and Walmarts but they have something to sell.  Newspapers.  Not the news of the day kind, that one is still in newspaper stands and thrown into front yard birdbaths each morning.  No, this is a street newspaper called “The Contributor”.   It’s printed twice monthly by the nonprofit organization of the same name and has a circulation of 120,000, all sold by the homeless (or formerly homeless).  They are all micro-businessmen and women. 

Here’s how it works.  They purchase the paper for 25 cents per copy and sell it for a dollar.  They keep all profits and tips.  In order to do this they must apply to become vendors and attend training sessions.  They all wear a bright yellow badge which tells the public they are legitimate vendors. They have to obey the rules and code of conduct– no high pressure selling or other shenanigans.  It gives them self-worth.  It gets them off the street and into an apartment and the public has a means to help the community and “their” homeless population.  They have regular customers who buy from them whenever a new issue is published.  I bought a copy from a gentleman standing in front of a McDonalds.  It was 33 degrees out.  We were both all bundled up but I was on the move surveying the gas main and warm.  He was stomping his feet to generate heat.  He thanked me with a broad smile that warmed us both even more. 

So what’s in the paper?  Articles about homelessness and poverty, poetry, interviews, community news – all contributed by local journalists and (this is the best part) the vendors themselves.  It informs and entertains, just like any newspaper but with a totally different perspective. 

Photo courtesy of "Nashville Scene"

Photo courtesy of "The Tennessean"

Other communities are doing this.  Obviously not the one I call home base but hopefully they’ll start thinking as progressively as Nashville which is totally on-board.  The mayor spoke at the paper’s recent anniversary party.  He knows his city is no different from any other but here the “problem” is being addressed, not sent packing.