I’m Back…

 I may have just set a new record. At least for my self. I have not posted anything in approximately eleven years. I just did not see the point. But as I sit here in the back of my truck, both bored and frankly quite stressed, I figured why the hell not? 

My latest nomadic journey has lasted a bit over two months. I’ve been jumping from free campground to free campground with weekly stops in to town for supplies. And to be perfectly honest it has become somewhat tiresome. Not knowing where to go next, when my funds will run out, what’s going to happen around the corner… and surprisingly to me, not having anybody to talk to, has been eating away at my well being. Being a severely introverted individual this came as quite a shock.

Now I believe I have come to the proverbial crossroads. In another couple days I’ll be driving back to town to not only resupply but to look at an apartment. And it really scares the crap out of me. The thought of committing to a year long lease for what will essentially be a shitty little hole in the wall all the while not knowing if the new job that would start shortly after moving in will work out… well, the whole situation has got me thinking I should just keep on driving. 

But I surely won’t be able to support myself from blogging, so I really am not sure what to do. For now I ll just stop blathering away and post a few purdy pictures of my travels so far….um, once I get back to civilization and the land of WiFi. 

New Addition To My Tiny Home

 Weather has cleared up so I took advantage of it yesterday and started building my tiny kitchen inside the truck. Still a little more work to do after I head back to civilization for supplies. Then after next move, I’ll start rebuilding my bed. Just like a big house, the work never ends! 😄✌️

Storm is a Brewing!

 Camped out in Arizona and the wind is starting to get mighty fierce... I think that might be a movie 🤔

Anyways, rain should be coming shortly. I expect I’ll be holed up in the truck for a couple of days with the pooch. Once the weather clears I need to continue with the build. I already bought the wood to make a counter/cabinet to hold my stove and a sink. Maybe by Tuesday or Wednesday. 

Also need to wake up Homer. Haven’t fed him in a while. But he’s proven to be one tough and resilient little sourdough. I fully expect to be having some of my trademark Roadtrip Biscuit-Flapjacks before next weekend. 

And Then There Was Homer

      For those of you just skimming through, Homer is my sourdough starter. What is sourdough starter you say? Flour and water. That’s it. Oh and a whole bunch of yeast. The magical little organisms that bring the starter to life. The little critters that make your bread rise up and say Hallelujah! Not the yeast you buy in little packets from the store, but the yeast that’s naturally already in the flour or perhaps floating through the air. The same exact method used for hundreds or probably thousands of years. Long before one could go to the local Piggly Wiggly and buy it this was how it was done. 

     By mixing approximately equal parts water and flour (ideally by weight) into a goopy mix and simply letting it sit out at room temperature for a few days, one then has the makings for the most amazing bread you’ve ever sunk your teeth into. 

     

Is it all worth it?

 

Is it all worth it? That is the question of the millennium. Am I referring to living on the road out of my pickup (that would be Goldie) or the writing of this blog? Yet another fantastic question. 

Hitting the road was absolutely worth it. At least to me. I don’t think I had any other choice. Both my physical and mental health were suffering and the only remedy I saw after exhausting all other options was to remove myself from the cause of my ill health, namely stress. Since I decided to take action my health has vastly improved. Something I was previously unable to accomplish after decades of failed attempts. So, score one for the nomadic lifestyle. Will I choose to roam on a permanent basis? Probably not. Now that I am feeling better the goal is to find a place to land that doesn’t reverse all the progress I’ve made. 

 As far as this blog goes... that remains to be seen. That’s all for now. Peace out everybody. Have a wonderful night. And go make some sourdough! ✌️🐾

Happy Halloween 🎃

 Ok, it’s my first holiday living on the road (aka being homeless, aka being a bum) and so other than this short post, I do believe I will take the day off. From writing that is. I will continue to uphold my most important obligations to laziness and non-productivity. And walking the pooch 🐾

Peace out everybody... that would be the two or three people that accidentally land on this blog from day to day. No illusions of grandeur from this hack writer! 

Sourdough On The Go

      

     Ok, I suppose I should talk about Homer, the sourdough, for just a bit. I’ve been intrigued by sourdough for quite some time. A friend asked me once why did I want to make it, and honestly I didn’t have a good answer at the time. Still don’t. It can be tedious and time consuming. It’s wrought with failure and well hell, it’s a lot easier to go to the damn store and buy a loaf for a couple bucks! 

     But when you taste a piece of fresh homemade sourdough bread... it’s like comparing the best pizza you’ve ever had to frozen. There is no comparison! And it’s healthier too!! 

     I suppose it was something to do. Like a science experiment. Or climbing a mountain. Getting in touch with history, doing something the same way our ancestors would have done it. You’re creating something. Something living and dare I say breathing and reproducing. It’s kind of like a pet. One must take care of it , feed and nurture it. Make sure it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. I mean its not rocket science. It’s really quite simple. Just mix flour and water. That’s it. But the end result if done correctly is nothing less than magical.

Little Backstory

      I think I need to go back just a bit further in my story. Back to June of this year shall we say. After working for the better part of ten years for the same man between two different companies in a decidedly toxic work environment, I gave notice and called it quits. Taking into consideration my age and declining health I deduced I was more than ready for the next chapter in my life. 

     About the same time I gave my landlord two months notice that I would be leaving. He and his family had been more than generous in opening up their home to me, but taking into consideration my lack of funds and my introverted nature I knew my place of residence needed an overhaul as well. Besides, I felt the call of the open road and she was not to be denied. 

     And so I payed off all my debts and began collecting and planning for what was to come. And let us not forget Homer in all his sourdough goodness...

New beginnings

      Where to begin. Not sure how to get started on this. I would like to think this is a whole new blog. In fact up until yesterday I did indeed have an idea for a completely different blog. I wanted to title it Travels with Homer. Sort of a play on  Steinbeck’s Classic Travels with Charlie, where he traveled around in his pickup camper with his dog Charlie exploring small town America. 

     Well, few little problems with that. Firstly I sure as hell ain’t no Steinbeck. Secondly, my truck is not the most comfortable camping machine nor do I have the resources to meander all over creation indefinitely. I did try to read Blogging for Dummies and although I do fit the description, I’m not entirely sure that I am up to the task. Blogging for real, as a career, day in and day out. It involves a huge commitment of time, research of the subject matter, finding a proper niche market, monetizing and on and on. And hey, everybody knows the real money is in Vlogging, being an Influencer and all that rubbish. To be honest I don’t have any great desire to get in front of the camera or to influence anyone. I’ll just try to have a bit of fun and see what happens. 

     And finally, my dogs name is Porthos, not Homer. Homer is my sourdough starter. Yes you read that correctly. Flour and water with a whole lot of natural yeasty goodness. I wanted to write about my sourdough experience while traveling the country looking for a job and a place to call home. Is that niche enough for ya! But alas, the blog name I chose was taken. Something about an Airstream trailer or something or other. 

     Anyhoo, no harm done. I’ll just continue my old blog with the same goal in mind, with perhaps a bit of sourdough wisdom thrown in now and then. Until tomorrow or whenever. Peace out ✌️ 

Back on the road!

 Wow! Over five years since my last post. I was living out of my truck at the time and then I found a job and a place to rent and I suppose life got in the way. Well, the job is over with and I’m back living out of my truck so why not blog about it?  Lots to write about, but give me a moment to give it some thought and I’ll post a full update soon. Peace out...

Transitional Housing...

     Please allow me to explain just what it is that I am attempting to convey with this blog. This is not a site or place for fifty thousand dollar mc-mansion style tiny houses as in Tumbleweeds (although don't get me wrong. Tumbleweeds are beautiful. Just way out of my realm of reality). This is an example of the learning process in action. Complete with minor triumphs and major failures. Maybe somebody will learn what to do as well as what not to do when planning to live tiny.
      For those of you that have stuck with me since the beginning, you know how this all began. But for those newbies to my blog, let me very briefly explain how this all started. And just maybe even I might learn something.
     Several years ago, having no woodworking skills to speak of, I paid a carpenter I knew to build the original Tiny House onto my utility trailer. I was looking for a cheap way to travel across the country without having to rely on sleazy motels. Well, things worked out fantastic. I saw the country, saw old friends, and had a grand ol' time. Except for one tiny thing.
     I couldn't find a job. I spent the better part of a year camped next to a friends house. And when I ultimately did find a job, found a travel trailer and a place to park it, mold had set into the Tiny House. And it wasn't moving out for nothing. Well, to make this already too long story not too much longer still, I lived almost four years in that RV before moving on.
     And so with no place to live and way too much stuff, I did what  I had to do. The only thing I could do. I got rid of shit like a man possessed. But that's a story for the next post. Peace out!

The Latest Tiny Incarnation...

Yes, I know. It's not a tiny house or even an rv. It is an enclosed cargo trailer, or to be specific a box built onto my old utility trailer. And it has played an important role in the development of my continuing saga of tiny house living. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I will attempt to explain in my next post.

Endings and New Beginnings

Well, it had to happen. The original tiny house of mine has gone on to that big housing development in the sky. Ok, fine. She's gone to the landfill. Not my first choice but it was the only choice I had. I tried to give it away but only succeeded in attracting every looney tunes in the greater Pacific Northwest that Craigslist had to offer. As for repair or rehab; the mold and water damage was just too great. And so dear reader, as the saying goes, Live and Learn. As for what's next... The latest tiny creation is already complete and I will post updates and pictures soon, detailing the entire building process and what is in store for the future. That's all for now . I'm off to work.

A New Day, A New Post, and A New Blog (maybe)

Just sitting in the old truck before work reading Blogging For Dummies and typing this out on the phone. The book caught my eye in my local Half Priced Books and I just couldn't resist. It's been almost two years since my last post (talk about procrastination!) and the writing bug has taken hold once again. I'll make this short and sweet for now. In the next day or so I plan to post an update on the condition of the Itty Bitty house of mine as well as any future plans. Anyhoo, that's all for now. Got to get to work. 

Time to put up or shut up... or same ol' song and dance?

     First, I would like to insert a link to a great little story that I find most inspiring. Hopefully it will work.    http://tinyhouseblog.com/?p=30654 . (Kent, if you would prefer that I not include this link to your most excellent blog, just give me a holler and I will remove it.)
     And so, like usual I have slacked off in regards to maintaining and writing this blog, as well as a number of other things, but here goes again. Also as usual I am beginning to get that old traveling bug. Am I unsatisfied with my current situation, do I have  deeply held nomadic tendencies, am I bored, stressed, curious??? It could be none of these or as I have come to realize, a bit of all of these.
     I have this nagging feeling that come summer I will not be able to stop myself from hitting the road. Where will I go? What will I do to make a living? Why will I do this and How will I accomplish it when or if I do? I have absolutely no idea, and that leaves me just a bit stressed out at the end of the day.
     For those of you that still follow this blog, my itty bitty tiny trailer is un-habitable. The moisture/mold damage is just too great, and I still have some design issues. Sadly I will chop it up and humanely dispose of it. The utility trailer it sits upon I now believe I will sell. In its place I will attempt to follow the example of the attached link and look for an enclosed utility trailer to turn into an improvised homemade Stealth RV. I really like this concept. It should be relatively inexpensive and if done right it should be fairly easy to restore back into a utility trailer should I wish to sell at a later date. And perhaps most importantly, from the outside it looks like any other work trailer. Hence the Stealth label. This should allow for mostly un harassable camping.
     Well, once again you have wasted at least five minutes of your life reading my pathetic excuse for a blog. Now that I have a little bit better idea of what is to come, I will try really hard to keep up with the posts. I also have a new camera, so I will add some photos as this whole thing progresses. Ok, now get back to work!   :)

DECISIONS & DECLARATIONS, or Whats going on...

     A new post for a new year. Yes it has been quite some time since my last post. Apologies all around, I just didn't want this forum to degrade into nothing more than a hodge-podge of mindless Facebook postings. I am still out there working to place my self into a situation more congruent to building my tiny house and living a more debt free and sustainable life style. I'd like to say I was kept busy writing the aforementioned novel from my previous post but I've just been working too much... and I am a self proclaimed lazy as sin procrastinator of epic proportions.
     I have given much thought and contemplation to my present situation and what is in store for my future. After waffling around the subject for months I have decided to build a vardo style trailer. Not only do I not have nor will I have the resources to build a larger Tumbleweed style home in the near future, I also do not presently have the required skills. That is in fact my ultimate goal, however I would like to get busy with my build as soon as possible. I also think building a smaller more affordable trailer will be good practice as opposed to simply jumping into a larger far more complicated endeavor. You see, just in case you haven't read my earlier posts, I did not build my first itty-bitty house. I designed it as best I could at the time and even though I have done a bit of wood working I didn't feel comfortable at the time building it by myself. And so with all that said, I think this build will let me work on my home building skills on a micro level. I also like the added security of knowing if I had to live on the road at a moments notice that I will have a place to stay.
     Rapping things up let me explain very briefly what I would like to accomplish. The original Itty-Bitty had some short comings. Probably the main flaw was lack of ventilation. Moisture/mildew issues are what ultimately doomed my first little trailer. I thought about taring it down to the frame but that brings up my second issue. I would like to add a few inches to the width so that I can fit a bed width wise in to the back. I would also like to increase the head room a few inches by perhaps arching the roof vardo style. I am not sure if this will all be too much for the little cargo trailer stability wise. Since I have the trailer and their is nothing wrong with it I plan to make use of it. The original incarnation was fine traveling down the highways and byways as long as I kept the speed to about sixty. At around seventy Itty Bitty would start fish tailing so badly I thought for sure I was a goner.
     These are a few of the questions I need to answer by this summer when I plan to start construction. For those that would like a glimpse of what I am aiming for, check out Paleotools wicked awesome vardo trailer. There is a link on this blog for those that are interested. If my little project comes out half as well as his I will be most pleased.  And so until I get a bit closer to the big day and/or have some more thoughts I will let you all go, and I will attempt to find my camera by then as well.
     Peace Out.

Brief Update...

     Just wanted to make a brief update for anybody that's still following my shenanigans. I didn't have a whole lot to report for quite a while. I finally found a second job a couple months ago. I'm working two jobs about six days a week from dawn until well after dark and essentially have no life other than work. But with the present state of the economy I am grateful to have anything at all. And I am making progress. I've caught up on expenses, bought new tires for the truck and if I can keep this pace up I could be out of debt in a year or two. Then I will be at long last in a position to save and build my new Tiny House! This gives me about three to four years to continue planning just what I will be building and how I will go about this.
     And so until next time, I will be scouring the Tiny House Blog and other places on the net for inspiration for the aforementioned tiny house. I'll also be giving the National Novel Writing Month a try next month. Anyone is invited to give it a go at nanowrimo.com. Should be interesting to say the least. That's all for now, see y'all in a month or two or three...nanowrimo.com         

Beating a Dead Horse, continued...

     I just wanted to finish up some trains of thought from my last post. I'll be brief and hopefully the next post that I am working on at present will be a bit longer and a bit more in depth, answering a number of questions relating to my theories of living in a house on wheels or leaving a smaller footprint in the world in which we live.
     Do I like how I am presently living? Did I make the right decision to down size and live in an RV? For the most part. Only time will tell if I did in fact make the right choice. At the time I needed to make a decision rather quickly and my choice's were living with room mates or looking for an apartment. I felt I needed a brake from living with others for a while and there was no way I could afford an apartment of my own. Now I have privacy at an affordable price living in the forest with deer walking by my door within a fairly close commute to the city.
     Would I like to move and will I go nuts if I don't? Hmmm... well, I think I'm about as sane as anybody else for what that's worth. I will say I do go a bit stir crazy when I've been cooped up out of the rain for days or weeks on end. But I think that would probably happen in an apartment or house just as easily. When that happens I go forth and look for something out side of my little world to occupy my self with. Maybe I should break down and buy a TV... I'll have to think on that one. I think if I am able to build a tiny house custom made to my specifications I would like living where I am a whole lot more than I do. If I can figure out a way to increase my income I would like where I am a whole lot more. So it's not necessarily where I am but my particular circumstances that may need to change. If I were to move I would probably get rid of the trailer and look for a cap/canopy for my pickup truck and embark on a mega road trip to see more of this great big country of ours. This does appeal to me quite a lot. I do get the urge to go a wandering from time to time. Where would I go and what would I do when I get there? Don't know. It would certainly be a whole lot easier if I could make it work right where I am, but as I said before... Only time will tell.

Beating a dead horse?

     That's right. I am back at it, writing this tiny house blog (the aforementioned dead horse). Should I keep on keeping on or just let it simply vanish into obscurity? Hell, I've got nothing better to do. I think the focus will have to shift until I am able to build an actual tiny house. I suppose I could switch to writing fiction, however there are times this blog/ my life seems like fiction and poorly written pulp at that. But damn it I just can't let it go... so, here goes.
     I think future posts will be on the subject of living smaller. I am living in an RV after all. I obviously didn't build it but it is definitely small and for better or worse is my home. Do I like it? Did I make the right decision? Do I want to move? Do I think I'll go all Ted Kaczynsky (ahem...you know, crazy living in a small space)? What will I do if I do move? Where would I go? What would I do? These are the questions I will attempt to answer in up coming posts. I believe this has the potential to help others out there that are trying to answer the same questions for them selves as they try to make the mortgage payment, pay their taxes, keep sane in a positively crazy and kooky world. Anybody out there that would like to chime in in the process, well have at it. Lets all try to be productive adults and make this wacky world a better place.
     Until the next time, Peace Out.

Tiny Travels: the continuing story or yup, still here...

Well then, long time no see. It's almost Thanksgiving and I am sitting here in the latest incarnation of the Itty Bitty House listening to Scarlet Begonias (alas not the Grateful Dead version) wondering just what it is that I am doing. Anticipating a looming eviction and still wanting to preserve my independence, I hurriedly snatched up a 19 ft. travel trailer on the cheap. Perhaps not cheap enough after spending a few months repairing its various ailments. But what's done is done. Let me first say that I do believe this may be my last post to Tiny Travels. There really isn't anything else I can add to the topic of living small. At least not for  quite some time. My original tiny house in the extreme is parked next to my RV. It served me well for over a year and although not habitable at the moment it is not sitting in vain. I has become my own private storage locker for all the junk I have yet to purge from my life. I do hope to whittle down the lifetime of accumulation that fills its innards by Spring and then maybe sell or give away the tiny house. It still has a good solid frame if anybody has the gumption to want to brake it down. As far as the RV goes, I will most likely attempt to sell it as well. At least once I can find some place else I can afford to rent. And so what did I get out of this wild and wacky experiment other than cheap accommodations and perhaps exposure to toxic mold? I learned I can make do with less, much less. All those treasures and trinkets that we know without a shadow of a doubt that we must have to not only be happy but to survive are not the end all be all to living a happy productive life. I know I don't need to live in a mc-mansion to be happy nor would I want to. The question is, what will make me happy? Could I make do in say a brand new state of the art Airstream? Well duh! of course. But do I want or have that kind of cash? Hell No. But yes, I now know that I could do it. My present 19' trailer is maybe just a little too small. It's fine for a weekend get away but for full timing? No. But thats just my opinion, someone else might find it just dandy. I do however believe that something along the lines of a "Tumbleweed Tiny House" would work out just fine, with it's quality craftsmanship and a well thought out design. Utilizing every square inch to its utmost. I do believe the only thing in question would be where to park it. Do I continue to rent space or buy some land and then deal with all the subsequent zoning issues? Then there is always the option of simply buying or building a permanent structure that is still small but meets all building codes. I think as long as it is under 500 sq. ft. I would be satisfied. But as I said, that will take time. Quite a lot of it. For now, I do believe I am done being, as some have told me to my face, "Trailer Trash", (for now). At least I'm not "living in a van down by the river"  :)
     And so for now, Peace Out. Maybe I'll be back in a few years with news of a new Tiny House or perhaps a new blog altogether. Happy Thanksgiving y'all!