I got a hold of my landlady at around 2 p.m today. She had stopped by yesterday and saw that Donnie had gotten the lawn mower going and had mowed the lawn (and had edged with a scissors.) I caught her by phone in the grocery store, and right after she had arrived home after 2 weeks vacation. Anyway, long story short... she's letting us stay here another week!!! Yaaa! No need to impose on friends or spend $270 on a week at an extended stay hotel . Yippie!!! (NOTE: Not that I expect to be here a week! Hopefully only one or two more days...)
P.S. We have been cleaning like fiends today. We shared a box of Annie's mac and cheese and had some spinach, but it wasn't enough. Donnie just walked in the door with a pizza. Hooray!
BELLE THE CAT
Sunday, June 29, 2008
.... coooooffeeeeee
Coffee and I have had a pretty good relationship. Despite my initial trials in learning how to make a good, or at least drinkable, cup of coffee, I now have a pretty safe mode to make a pot.
Then I sold my coffee pot at my yard sale.
The reason for this was that in an RV, power conservation is one of the the main commandments (not sure what they all are. Not overloading your rig is one, respecting your tires is another. Oil is the blood and petroleum is the food sacrificial for this beast.) And a coffee maker uses about 1500 watts. That's a lot. A radio uses about 60. Our little microwave uses 900. So I had to reevaluate my relationship with my morning cup of joe.
First I tried instant coffee. Instant coffee does not taste like coffee. Then, I think I could switch to tea. Then I think, no, I need coffee. We have a percolator which makes coffee a little more horrible than instant. Then, as I was packing up the last of my kitchen goods, I found a French press that my friend left behind. A ha! I think, mayhaps this will work.
Well, unfortunately, I had to return that press pot. But fortunately, I took a walk the other day (unfortunately in 99 degree weather -- we don't have a car currently since it is on its way back to the Midwest, and we only kept one bike) and I found a pretty large pot for sale at Goodwill for 99 cents (if anyone wonders how I can afford to keep shoveling money into a behemoth like Bertha, it's because most of my stuff is bought second hand. This French press still had a tag on it for $19.95 from REI.)
This a.m. I tried it out. My directions came mostly from this site, which is a little bit too far geeked out for my taste (for instance, I don't think that freshly ground coffee goes stale the moment you can smell it), but worked. I took three scoops of French press ground coffee (that was a going-away gift from my friend Kathy; thank you!) and poured 18 oz. of boiled water over it. Let it sit for 4 minutes, then pressed slowly down. I poured it out, added some milk, and had a taste....
Eureka! Coffee flavor! Very impressive.
Then I sold my coffee pot at my yard sale.
The reason for this was that in an RV, power conservation is one of the the main commandments (not sure what they all are. Not overloading your rig is one, respecting your tires is another. Oil is the blood and petroleum is the food sacrificial for this beast.) And a coffee maker uses about 1500 watts. That's a lot. A radio uses about 60. Our little microwave uses 900. So I had to reevaluate my relationship with my morning cup of joe.
First I tried instant coffee. Instant coffee does not taste like coffee. Then, I think I could switch to tea. Then I think, no, I need coffee. We have a percolator which makes coffee a little more horrible than instant. Then, as I was packing up the last of my kitchen goods, I found a French press that my friend left behind. A ha! I think, mayhaps this will work.
Well, unfortunately, I had to return that press pot. But fortunately, I took a walk the other day (unfortunately in 99 degree weather -- we don't have a car currently since it is on its way back to the Midwest, and we only kept one bike) and I found a pretty large pot for sale at Goodwill for 99 cents (if anyone wonders how I can afford to keep shoveling money into a behemoth like Bertha, it's because most of my stuff is bought second hand. This French press still had a tag on it for $19.95 from REI.)
This a.m. I tried it out. My directions came mostly from this site, which is a little bit too far geeked out for my taste (for instance, I don't think that freshly ground coffee goes stale the moment you can smell it), but worked. I took three scoops of French press ground coffee (that was a going-away gift from my friend Kathy; thank you!) and poured 18 oz. of boiled water over it. Let it sit for 4 minutes, then pressed slowly down. I poured it out, added some milk, and had a taste....
Eureka! Coffee flavor! Very impressive.
Whatever don't kill you...
What does not destroy me, makes me stronger. Friedrich Nietzsche
Why we should base anything in our own lives on the words of a German philosopher who drifted into mental illness and died of a stroke at age 56, I don't know. Maybe it's because, if we didn't have quotes from others that validate our own actions, we ourselves would go mad more quickly. I don't want to end up like Niezsche (and I think philosophers think too much and waste a lot of time), but I also want to hear that these trials each of us go through each day are for the eventual good of our bodies and character.
Okay -- so -- let's go through what's happening!
Sunday - The plan was to use this day to load up Bertha II, our 1978 Kit Road Ranger Dodge Class C motorhome:
This was the plan, even after This Happened. I had had the engine checked out by Town and Country Dodge in Wilsonville, OR on June 2. They replaced the starter for $425, then said that didn't help and the motor must be locked. I had it towed to another garage that has been working on it ever since. Well, long story short, a lot of work and parts and money later, we have ruled out the engine. It's fine. So now on Monday, they have to go back and try to fix the original electrical problem.
Two things. Someone said something rather pessimistic on line, which I now fully believe -- with cars not selling well lately, service centers are the only think keeping dealers alive. Therefore they are requiring that any vehicle that comes in should try to have at least $500 worth of work done on it to keep the business afloat. Second of all, I am just so PISSED that they mis-diagnosed the problem. I am also pissed that they didn't try to hand-turn the engine, nor did the second shop, nor did I. Urrr!
But things aren't all rotten eggs. Donnie arrived on Thursday as did is friend Dan. Dan is currently driving my car back to the Midwest and had lots of room to load up even more of our stuff since his girlfriend didn't come with him. So when we EVENTUALLY get our poor Bertha back, we will have no worries about overloading her. The cats are healthy and as happy as they can be in the circumstances. By that, I don't mean to anthropormophize them, but they are napping, one in the window and the other on my coat which is draped over my suitcase. They have been eating and using the litter box well, and Roo even played this morning with our scary jumping spider toy.
I am trying to keep myself in vacation mood, and Donnie is making it easier than one would think.
The only fly in the ointment now is finding out if we still have to be out of here by July 1, in which case we may be spending our time in a pet-friendly hotel, or with pet-friendly friends! Will keep you posted. 
UPDATE!
My landlady is the best. Now it's just up to Tong at Portland Automotive to find the electrical prob and get it fixed!
Why we should base anything in our own lives on the words of a German philosopher who drifted into mental illness and died of a stroke at age 56, I don't know. Maybe it's because, if we didn't have quotes from others that validate our own actions, we ourselves would go mad more quickly. I don't want to end up like Niezsche (and I think philosophers think too much and waste a lot of time), but I also want to hear that these trials each of us go through each day are for the eventual good of our bodies and character.
Okay -- so -- let's go through what's happening!
Sunday - The plan was to use this day to load up Bertha II, our 1978 Kit Road Ranger Dodge Class C motorhome:
This was the plan, even after This Happened. I had had the engine checked out by Town and Country Dodge in Wilsonville, OR on June 2. They replaced the starter for $425, then said that didn't help and the motor must be locked. I had it towed to another garage that has been working on it ever since. Well, long story short, a lot of work and parts and money later, we have ruled out the engine. It's fine. So now on Monday, they have to go back and try to fix the original electrical problem.
Two things. Someone said something rather pessimistic on line, which I now fully believe -- with cars not selling well lately, service centers are the only think keeping dealers alive. Therefore they are requiring that any vehicle that comes in should try to have at least $500 worth of work done on it to keep the business afloat. Second of all, I am just so PISSED that they mis-diagnosed the problem. I am also pissed that they didn't try to hand-turn the engine, nor did the second shop, nor did I. Urrr!
But things aren't all rotten eggs. Donnie arrived on Thursday as did is friend Dan. Dan is currently driving my car back to the Midwest and had lots of room to load up even more of our stuff since his girlfriend didn't come with him. So when we EVENTUALLY get our poor Bertha back, we will have no worries about overloading her. The cats are healthy and as happy as they can be in the circumstances. By that, I don't mean to anthropormophize them, but they are napping, one in the window and the other on my coat which is draped over my suitcase. They have been eating and using the litter box well, and Roo even played this morning with our scary jumping spider toy.
I am trying to keep myself in vacation mood, and Donnie is making it easier than one would think.
The only fly in the ointment now is finding out if we still have to be out of here by July 1, in which case we may be spending our time in a pet-friendly hotel, or with pet-friendly friends! Will keep you posted. UPDATE!
My landlady is the best. Now it's just up to Tong at Portland Automotive to find the electrical prob and get it fixed!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Paring down
My comfy bed - not!
Some little pieces of furniture I still need to get rid of. I think I will just set them at the curb and let someone take them
My house echoes it's so empty
I tried packing the trunk of my car last night and everything fit except for three things. I weighed the stuff as I put it in and it weighted 220 lbs. Minus about 40 lbs that didn't fit. I also weighed most of the stuff for the RV - up to about 325 before adding weight for the live beings - Donnie, the cats and I. Bertha has a GVW of 10,500 so we should be okay.
I wish I had had time to put news tires on her front, but with all the other stuff we had to get done, I just didn't have time.
Well, technically it's only Thursday.
I will be working from home for the next months, away from the sushi and the North West brews and the nightlife of Portland. Instead, I will be about two hours from the closest metro area, 5 hours away from my friend Kristina, and surrounded by small-town and farmland. My grocery store - Dick's Piggly Wiggly. Instead of the Willamette it will be the Mississippi, instead of Deschutes it will be Leinenkugel. But Donnie and I have always lived in very "small town" like suburbs. Lakewood, Oh, Sellwood, Or. So I don't think it will be that huge a culture shock. But we'll see.
I wish I had had time to put news tires on her front, but with all the other stuff we had to get done, I just didn't have time.
Well, technically it's only Thursday.
I will be working from home for the next months, away from the sushi and the North West brews and the nightlife of Portland. Instead, I will be about two hours from the closest metro area, 5 hours away from my friend Kristina, and surrounded by small-town and farmland. My grocery store - Dick's Piggly Wiggly. Instead of the Willamette it will be the Mississippi, instead of Deschutes it will be Leinenkugel. But Donnie and I have always lived in very "small town" like suburbs. Lakewood, Oh, Sellwood, Or. So I don't think it will be that huge a culture shock. But we'll see.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Yard Sale!
So this past weekend, I held my yard sale. It was more of a junk sale -- most of the things Donnie and I had here were stuff we got second hand. I decided early on that I didn't want to spend my time labeling things 5 cents when the sticker I would use to label cost more than that, so I just posted signs that everything not marked was 25 cents. Then I marked mostly furniture and a few other items -- the most expensive thing was the couch, chair, footstool set from Ikea for $75. Well, it was originally from Ikea, I got it second hand from a friend's ex. But that's beside the point. I actually was talked down to $65 (I erred on the side of "get it out of my house") -- and they still tried to return it! Oh well. Overall we made $211 and I only had 6 bags and 9 small boxes of stuff to get rid of (and a few random little furniture bits.)
Okay, sounds like a lot, but really, what I ended up doing was putting everything on my porch and setting up with the VVA: http://www.scheduleapickup.com to pick it up. They came on Monday and made it all disappear!
This was all we had to get rid of. I only had a few extra bags of trash on Monday as well.
The kitties after a hard day of rummage sailing -- actually being locked in the bedroom while people took stuff from the house! They have been through so much with packing and Donnie being gone over the past few weeks that they were just like "oh, you got rid of everything. I guess that's cool." Then they rolled their eyes at me and went to sleep.
Okay, sounds like a lot, but really, what I ended up doing was putting everything on my porch and setting up with the VVA: http://www.scheduleapickup.com to pick it up. They came on Monday and made it all disappear!
This was all we had to get rid of. I only had a few extra bags of trash on Monday as well.
The kitties after a hard day of rummage sailing -- actually being locked in the bedroom while people took stuff from the house! They have been through so much with packing and Donnie being gone over the past few weeks that they were just like "oh, you got rid of everything. I guess that's cool." Then they rolled their eyes at me and went to sleep.
OMINOUS OR #10
Weed bike
This is the final image in my Ominous OR series. I will leave you with one last parting comment that pretty accurately reflects what I am going to miss about living here:
"12:15 AM Sunday June 15 2008
I try to explain Portland's gay and not-so-gay culture to three streight journalists from Mexico...Although they were amazed by how open, accepting and progressive everyone was... frankly they were more intereted to find out why they kept running into so many pirates and naked people on bikes."
-- Byron Beck, Willamette Week
Sunday, June 22, 2008
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