May 15, 2005

something else

before you read the following you should know that the current plan does not include living in a motorhome. we succumbed to fears of $70 a barrel crude oil and $3.50 at the gas station. but here were my thoughts at the time:

4/4/05
day four in the 5th wheel.

daechen is crying in the front room. zeeke, the dog, ellie, the cat, and i, the dad, sit on the bed. we all would like her to fall back asleep like she was a few minutes ago. it’s mom’s first night of work and we did the whole routine perfectly. she even fell right to sleep at her bedtime. then i went to the bathroom and upon opening the door it made a “click”. it’s 8:05, i’m giving her ten more minutes.

last night when mom went over to baba’s house (that’s bulgarian for grandma) chenmo (that’s the nickname i gave daechen) puked on me after crying for 15 minutes. i felt so bad. i was really hoping tonight wouldn’t be that way.

small spaces do have their difficulties.

i gave in at 8:07. she’s has a cold, a bit of a fever and hasn’t been sleeping well all day. it’s now 8:24. and we had a little calming session and ended it with give and take mixed with emptiness meditation.

then mama came home and she woke up again, but fell right back to sleep.

[did i tell you? she rolled over today! i didn’t see it (of course) but i heard it was pretty uneventful really. just did it, stared down mom and wouldn’t do it again. she was on her tummy and made it to her back.]

at my high school we had a sound proof room. my teacher and a couple of students built it. i spent a lot of time in that room. we started the radio station in it (quickly outgrew it and moved the station to a closet though). anyway, i studied the design pretty close and am confident i could build something like it for a motorhome. they make these things with 1/4 plywood and 1x1 boards. good for weight, but bad for insulation and soundproofing. a burlap sack stuffed with cotton might work. stapled to 1/4” plywood on one side with 1x4’s and exposed burlap on the other. takes up three and half inches of precious space but allows three humans, a dog and a cat to occupy such tight quarters.

speaking of the dog. he likes being outside. that’s an understatement, he loves being outside. the collar deals that shock you when you cross the line seem a little harsh. i’ve seen them in action though and our guy is so smart that it would only take once. he’s a heard dog, so he’s very good with the idea of having an allowed space. he is of course, a dog. and so pushes his limits because he knows he’s far more superior than say a goat, sheep, cows, horses, the cat. leashes don’t work. he wiggles his way out or chews threw them. fences are too much to carry and deal with. i’m not sure what other options there would be?!?

4/6/05
i drive past these big 31 foot motorhomes and i think “man those things are big! too big for us.” then my boss and christina say, within 24 hours of each other, something about daechen needing a place to craw and walk around. she rolled over — once — on Monday. so i don’t feel this pressing need for that, but i know they are both right. but they both also say that 31 feet is too big. and i know they are right about that too.

i’m thinking about cob houses a whole bunch more and energy efficient cars, property values, investing and sticking true to my philosophy. and hoping like hell we can find a little piece of perfect paradise for just the right price, with just the right this and just the right that. ugh.

buy a house on wheels and you might be able to find a place like that. might. but at what expense? are my budget projections correct? did i underestimate something? i forgot to account for food on the first budget. i showed it to christina, asked if anything was missing. “no, looks good” she said. it did look good too. it was missing $300. i’m a perpetual dreamer. maybe i missed something.

posted @ 9:29 AM

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