What's on your mind?

[SilverFlame819]

Guy, I have spent the last few years getting rid of about 90% of my worldly things. I had sooooo much crap I didn't need when I moved here to SLC. This city was just a stepping stone... A place to move to get out of the hole I was living in. So I brought everything I owned with me and shoved it in a storage shed. A HUGE storage shed. Took me like 3 years to get rid of all of the extra junk... Now I'm down to a tiny storage shed with the stuff I'd like to keep... Stuff from my childhood, my "keeper" books, etc. (I've gotten rid of around 1,000 books at this point - it's crazy!) I have a list on my computer of the things I will need, and I've been enjoying myself picking up the few remaining things here and there. It's funny how something like a spatula can make you happy. I did not buy the tiniest RV out there, because there is ZERO storage in them, and when you're living in it, you need a bit of storage space. I really wanted a 23' model, because I think they have the perfect amount of storage, but didn't really want to pay to haul that much space around, so I compromised and got a 20' model. It's small, but it has areas to use for storage inside. Plus, I dig the setup because with bunk beds, I can clear one off if someone wants to hitch a ride with me (friends, I mean... I'm not picking up scary hitchhikers). I don't plan to live in it the rest of my life. I am just moving into it to save myself rent money. I am currently keeping a blog about fixing it up and stuff, and plan to keep the blog going indefinitely, as I'm living in the RV, and whatnot. I can't wait to get a good video camera though, so I can take decent footage of what I'm working on. I don't plan to live permanently in the RV, like some people do. My plan is to stick around here for the next 6 months or so, living in the RV in a familiar place while I'm working to save up money, and then head back to the coast. The goal is to find a place to settle down that calls to me. That place has big trees and is within a reasonable driving distance to the beach. Good community, good people. I am hoping I'll know it when I see it.

Here's a link to the blog. Forewarned - there's a lot of babbling about the dogs. They will be going with me on the journey, and so they're an active part of the blog.

http://tideeyed.wordpress.com


Frenchy, Col said something similar to me just a couple days ago. *lol* I am not planning on heading back to the Midwest at any point. If you decide you want to ditch out on your mom, you could hitch a ride away from her though. There IS a BC breeder in Kentucky whose dogs I really love, but who doesn't ship, so you never know... *lol* You're a good person. We've always told my mom that if she turns insane and evil when she gets old, we're going to dump her at the old folks home. She says, "You wouldn't dare!" We just laugh and say, "Try us!" Haha!

I do think that living in the RV here in SLC for a while will be good for figuring out exactly what I need and what I don't. And that will work well, because anything I don't need I can then drop at my storage shed, and anything I find that I DO need, I can pick up. But I'm usually pretty thorough, so I don't foresee anything too weird popping up. Girl Scout for lyfe!!!

[SilverFlame819]

Today is my Tuesday. Can't wait til my next weekend. Supposed to be 4 days again. Come onnnnnn, weekend!!

[pa_friendly_guy]

And now for something completely different. I have said that I have never owned a cell phone. Even though I was in business for many years I never owned one. There were times that I didn't want them to fine me. I have actually prided my self on being a bit different in this day and age and living with out one. My family has been pushing me for some time to get one. I have a heart condition and I am often by myself at camp with no one around. They would feel better if I was able to call for help if I needed it. So this is the announcement that I have entered the 21st Century and now own a cell phone. I went all the way and have a smart phone. The information super highway runs right through my fingers. The fact that it was reconditioned and maybe 3 models old is irrelevant, It is still a smart phone, and quite suitable for my needs. A friend actually asked me for my number yesterday, and then he told me that I should actually turn it on when I carried it with me. Really ?? I thought this thing was for MY convenience.

[SilverFlame819]

Haha! Yeah, I know several people who don't own cells, and I think that even if you don't want to be tied at the hip to others, they are a FANTASTIC safety device. You break down, or get lost, or have any kind of accident, and the people you know and emergency services are right at your fingertips. If you don't want to be at peoples' beck and call, you don't have to keep it on all the time. But don't tell everyone you have a cell and give out the number and then keep it off. That is SO frustrating! Half the time I call my mom and get voice mail, because she never bothers to take the damn phone with her! Doesn't help you much if you have a heart attack in the barn and the cell phone is up at the house!

Most people I know do not call me unless they're calling about something important, or that they need to have a real conversation about, because I just really suck at answering my phone. I've become antisocial and I don't really want to be trapped on the phone while people ramble about shit I don't care about. So I just never answer it, and they've learned to leave me a voice mail if it's important, or they text me to say, "Answer your phone!" before they call. *lol* If I've got the time and I'm not at work and I want to talk, I'll answer. But your best bet is just to text me.

Of course, half the time when I text my mom she calls me right back. "I'm down at the barn and I don't have my glasses... I got frustrated trying to figure out what the hell your text said. So what does it say?" *lol*

There's a lot of peace of mind when you do most of your things alone, or like to roadtrip, in having a cell. You won't regret it. If you don't want people trying to talk your ear off all the time, just don't answer it and they'll stop calling. *lol* Or tell them you're only turning it on when you need to make a call...

[Lollykoko]

Great to hear the news about the phone, Guy. They do come in handy, like last week when my aunt ran out of gas only 40 miles from me and the closest road side service truck was over 100 miles away.

[GrahamB]

Guy, if it's a smartphone, you have a handy little tool at your fingertips. Get the app for local weather reports. It will help when you are at camp. Does your local emergency management agency have a IRIS alert system? You can sign up for extreme weather alerts such as red flag or tornado warnings. Ever had that Kodak moment and no camera? Now you have a camera whenever you need one.
My phone is my "Swiss Army Knife" for the modern world and every now and then I may use it to talk to someone.

[pa_friendly_guy]

I know, it can be very handy, and quite useful at times, and it is good in emergencies but know they know where I am. They can track me, check my movements, see what I am doing. And they expect me to answer, it some how obligates me to take action. If I get a text I am obligated to reply, its simply what is done, its the proper thing to do. In a way I like it for the camera, GPS system, and other wonderful features, but in another way I don't like the idea of being tired down to it. And I definitely do not like the idea that they can track me. You never know when I could do something or be somewhere that I shouldn't .

[matt walker]

I understand your hesitation Guy, I haven't had one for a decade now, with the exception of the tracphone I took on the road trip to your neck of the woods. It was invaluable, but I much prefer my life without one. That's nothing against the phone, just that I like living this life where those things aren't necessary or even helpful. When I find myself needing a cell phone, I'm usually not living the life I want to be right then. What I'm trying to say is, I prefer to be here on my 'stead. Stop by, we'll talk.

[SilverFlame819]

The thing that sucks about those Kodak moments lately is that I need VIDEO of them.

Two days ago, my pup was wanting to play with the cat. It sat up on its haunches with its front paws in the air, kind of half-playing, and half-defensive. Rowan stared at it for a second, then high-fived it. She hit his paw so hard with her own paw that she knocked him over. It was hilarious. Wish I had it on film!

Then yesterday she was eating something. She's always eating something she shouldn't be, and evidently she's heard "What are you eating?!" too many times. I was laying in bed and looked over at her and said, "What are you eating?!" She sauntered over to the bed, slid her feet right under my pillow to get her face close to mine, and opened her mouth in my face, sticking her tongue half-way out. I plucked the ball of hair off her tongue, and seriously laughed out loud. She looked VERY pleased with herself. It was hilarious. Smart little monster. Wish I had those moments on tape! I mean, er... recorded?

Guy, you don't have to be tied to your phone. Turn that thing off and pretend it's not there. You train the people around you with what to expect. If you never answer, they rarely call. If you take two hours to text back, that's what they start to expect.

And Matt, that's very generous of you to offer such a thing. I think it would drive me nuts to have people showing up just to chat whenever they felt like it. Invasion of privacy much? I'd much prefer the foreshadowing, and/or a "Hey, are you busy?" I'm such a hermit.

[mannytheseacow]