Living in your car - vandwellers wanted

I'm assembling a separate Wall of Fame for vandwellers in the right-hand sidebar. If you know of a blog that should be there, let me know. If you think you should be there, let me know. Not in a vehicle, but your blog is about the vandwelling sensibility? Bring it.

I'm about to start living a whole new way. What do you want to know? Should I track my spending? Do you want to know where I found wifi? Public showers? Where I parked?

Scenes From the Blotter


Officer 1: Oh, this is bad.

Officer 2: What happened here?

O1: It's ugly.

O2: [gags] What the ...

O1: Better get on the horn. Tell dispatch we need a ...

O2: [gags]

O1: Criminy, Ed, step away from the scene. Just go call ...

O2: How? Why? [gags]

Roxi: Officers, it's just lunch. Can I get you some ...

[Officer 2 runs behind bush]


Please don't ask me to track what I eat.


For a scene witnessed only once before by an Appalachian doctor, please visit Desert Diva's latest post.    She could have helped me, but she ran for her camera instead. I hope you're happy.

Packing an RV: two stories

While I'm parked here at Desert Diva's house in Las Cruces, New Mexico, life is like it is at your house. There is no camping here in the house. There is comfort and luxury. There is ahhh.

While we're both enjoying the luxury, we're both preparing for our summers. Cheryl has been glamping up her rig. She's breaking it to her house gently that she'll be gone for a while. There are go piles and stay piles, but the house is getting the message that it stays.

In my rig, the organizing principle is where is the bucket?

Spud is waiting (what looks like) patiently for me to be ready. Cheryl has that same look.

It feels like I've tamed the clutter in Spud. Bedding is contained, mostly. Clothing is re-packed and organized. The new window tinting I got before I left Tucson is nicely private, plus keeping the heat down. I have black-out curtains ready, and a black-out panel for the rear hatch window and triangle windows just anterior.

I have a chair and a patio. I have other stuff, too, but I have a chair and a patio. And a Habitent.

The basics of Spud's layout are taken from Suanne's experience.

Cheryl is waiting for a mechanic's appointment, and I'm waiting with her, in case I can be helpful. While we're waiting, we do stuff. Like, I notice that the upholstery has a better body than I do.

I don't know what they call this neighborhood, but I call it AWESOME.

I thought I should crop, but what in the world would I cut out? Not Buddy Christ, that's for darn sure.

Some of you will wonder what the writing says. You'll figure it out, then tell me, and I'll let you.

These pictures are from different houses in this neighborhood. I haven't even included all the awesome that I saw here.

Then I got Moosed.

This is a club that would not have me for a member, which makes me want them even more. The bartender was very sweet, and still made it clear I could not buy drinks, or potato chips, or enter the gambling area. I was there totally under the auspices of my girl-Moose friend.

Thank goodness they gave me a bracelet so I could use the bathroom myself.

Later, I wore the bracelet to Walmart. Naturally.

Rick has done a good job of explaining how Bloogle is consolidating its power. He was so convincing that I added a Google+ "encircle me" widget at the bottom. Not my bottom - cut it out.

~~~~~

Help improve my bottom line.

Mesilla, New Mexico

The dog does stuff and blames me for it. Stop taking photographic evidence, Cali!

"Really? I'll clear my entire schedule to bite you. I don't mind."

 

Chile today, hot tamale. Yeah, I said it. Just get in.

I feel like I'm falsely claiming to be the world's largest chile, when I'm really just posing with him. I'm a poseur.

...is what a postcard from here might say.

Cheryl took us down to Old Mesilla (mess EE ya) for some Mother's Day excitement. 

.

 

Where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to hang, and then they sold souvenir ropes and chile magnets.

There was some great funk being played in the pavilion, but no one was dancing. I willed the crowd to burst into West Coast swing. They willed not.

Josephina's Gate

Cheryl told me this is the most photographed place in Mesilla, and I'm nothing if not orthodox.

Not Orthodox

We then went for a wine tasting. There's a picture of it, but: unflattering. Yes, even compared to the pictures I AM showing you. St. Clair Winery of Albuquerque. Their Riesling won first prize and their Something Red won silver and their ma'am, can I call you a cab? ...zzz   I do remember that it was all very tasty. Surprise: New Mexico is wine country, New York Finger Lakes Region! Are you jealous?

It's okay, New York State wine country, New Mexico doesn't have Bloomer Creek Vineyards or my lovely Katy-in-law, Katy.

Living out of my car.

Thanks so much for your good wishes for me, and for Annie. Thoughts matter, and intent is huge. I'm very grateful.

Can you see them?

 

I caught this shot by a hare's breadth.

Spud and I scooted out of Tucson yesterday.

Google predicts that trip will take you four hours. Next travel technology: get there via internet, because no car can travel like Google Maps can. I didn't time how long it actually took me, because that  makes me neurotic. Turning off the clock while I stop to rest(room). Putting off the nap so I can get anywhere sooner. It's not a good strategy for me. The trip was longer than I like.

Las Cruces is Cheryl's winter home, and Cheryl's winter home is where I'm resting in the lap of Luxury. When I'm not sitting on Luxury's knee.  [*slap*]  Fresh, Luxury! Luxury and me, we're very close. Cheryl, may your karma always get the gas mileage of a hybrid.

You're reminded of Ang Lee's cinematographic use of US Western scenery to symbolize psychological states?
Oh, sorry. I misheard.

My cousin and friend, Lori, gave me a bottle of this stuff. I make no claims about safety. I only claim that it works. If you've ever had the great good fortune to take diazepam/Valium in times of distress, it feels like that, but without that judgmental look they give you at one ER after another when you start asking for oxycotin for "back pain." I've heard.

What would Judy say here?