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[maki2]

Unless you have really bad knees and hips, so bad that you need surgery...
Then start doing some exercises to get yourself in better shape. So you can get in and out of bed and upboff a low toilet.

Youtube is full of exercises for seniors. If you are not actually disabled getting up from a low position is fixable at no cost and it takes only a few weeks to resolve it..

I am much stronger now than when I was in sticks and brickks living situation.

 

[Gypsy108]

I've never been in a canoe.  I can't even remember the last time i was in a boat on a lake.  Never been in a boat on the Ocean.  Never relished the idea of a cruise ship.  We had a cabin up north when i was a kid & loved snowmobiling.  First time i ever skied on water (age 16) i had the wind knocked out of me when i fell....and that was the last time i skied.  I also snow skied a few times as a teen....prefered the "hot dog" ski's to the long ones.....i started doing yoga as a teen...taught myself...i was good....then discontinued it until a few years ago....i love doing yoga....but i am limited to only doing simple things like cat/cow, child pose, inversions, and a few other simple things (can't recall what there called).   I've been trying to exercise more....i have a gym membership but i never go....hate to be around people......but i plan on using my membership a lot more when i'm on the road......i don't need surgery....but i do have problems getting up now from low seats....this problem just started about a year ago....i am 100 pounds over weight....i gained 30 pounds during the past year.....when i was working full time ( a few years ago) i was still overweight...but hadn't any energy issues (i had lots of energy).   Yes...i believe you Maki when you said you are in better shape now.....I'm sure i will also get better with the nomad lifestyle....my body will adapt to whatever i need to adapt it to.....I'm good at adapting....but it will all be done in real time on the road....that is where i will do everything for the first time...no practicing before....i will learn as i go...

Today my challenge is to haul my mattress back out to my car and see how it fits with the passenger seat all the way down, touching the back seat....i have some plywood (with art work on it) i can use to make it level.....I'll bring my pillow & blankets & make it into a bed & practice getting on it & laying down....maybe take a little nap to see how i like it....

I'm going to finish drinking my tea.....then do it.....I'll be back later with how it worked out......

 

[maki2]

Here is how it works. If you need and want a low bed then build a low bed. Getting in and out of will strengthen the mscles you need to get in and out of it.

I know it is very hard to think up such a perfect exercise routine that can be done in such a small space. But that is what happens when you are an assembly mechanic by trade, you quickly see actions and consequences : - )

I was overwight by about the same amount when I went on the road. I have a very bad spine, I have wear and tear arthritis arthritis in it and my hands. I am in my 70s. I used to have a hard time getting up after sitting on the ground.

Do not even think that I am going to be sympathetic because you are overweight and out of shape. I did not feel sorry for myself when I was because I know I brought it on myself.

Build what works best for your space and then yor muscles will do the rest. Your weight will take care of itself when you are not overearing for emotional comfort. That stuff can be part of being in an abusive relationship. You do not need a gym, you just need to be more active which will naturally happen as lose weight.

 

[Gypsy108]

Yep….I’m not feeling sorry for myself because I know the whole story behind it… it is what it is…I know my diet will change drastically & for the better…

I’m on my way out the door to my car now…this is the artwork on plywood I’ll use for a table or maybe under bed…. We’ll see…

 

[maki2]

Forget the gym membership thing. It is only cost effective for urban van dwellers. No gyms in the NFS and BLM camping areas.

 

[Gypsy108]

Bed is really comfortable… it will work perfectly… I’m just starting on the window coverings ( refectex)

 

[maki2]

Nice design and color on the plywood

 

[desert_sailing]

What a cozy space you have started there!
Shoe caddies are great for storing many things.... I can see putting one on the back of your drivers seat..so bedtime snacks..ie snicker bars, mtn dew and cheetos are always handy!
Well at least thats what I would do.

All projects I engage in I look at as those ol school paint by number games. They always had lots of things to paint in and sometimes it seemed like much to do.. at least from a kids view..next thing you know the whole darn thing is painted and that huge sense of accomplishment that comes with it.
No rush to do the whole painting at once.. a little each day.

I really like that saying "Don't worry about going forward slowly, worry about not going forward at all."

Keep it goin sister!

 

[Gypsy108]

Thanks Desert_Sailing  :heart:   Yeah those shoe caddies or something similar for the back seat maybe....i wanna rig a little table i think too...maybe there's a combo thing...or i can make it myself...

Maki...thanks (on the artwork)  Most all my paintings have the same colors in them....Pink, turquoise, gold......
As far as the gym membership.....we'll see.....i'll keep it for now....if i don't/can't make good use of it Ill drop it....but it makes me feel good to know i have that option.....i will be traveling a bit before i get to Quartzsite...


This is what I’m working on now :

 

[Gypsy108]

 

[Cammalu]

Gypsy your butterfly is really pretty. Do you have any more art pictures you’d like to share? There is a nomadic artsy group meeting here and there in the desert that has a group page on Facebook. They had their own area at the last couple of in person camp together RTRs.

Your set up in your rig looks comfy and nice. You should be happy with that.

The list you are making is pretty involved. You must be a good organizer and planner.

Any ideas of when you will head out and to where? I’ll be in KY until probably mid November and if you are passing anywhere nearby you are welcome to stay here. I have some space and often have nomads coming thru and staying awhile. There are two women coming in on the 27th. It’s always interesting.

 

[Gypsy108]

Thank you Cammalu  :heart:   I can be a perfectionist when I want to be… and then I can be the exact opposite…haha…I will feel better if I am prepared as much as possible…but I know I will screw up with some things… and that scares me… I’ve never changed a flat tire in my life… I will have my car looked over before the road trip… and try to take care of anything that needs fixing… also will get AAA 

IM NOT SURE The exact date yet when I will leave…possibly mid October… but maybe sooner….then I’ll be heading West… New Mexico will be my first destination… then maybe San Diego…then Q .
Thank you for your hospitality  :heart: I'm bringing lot's of Indian sari's with me......to give away....you can have one !



I’ve been working on this the past 3-4 years
Still haven’t finished it….

 

[Cammalu]

Gypsy I made a quilt out of saris once.

 

[Gypsy108]

Yes  :heart: it’s BEAUTIFUL !!!

 

[maki2]

Going to be a nice day, sunny and warm but not too hot. It was very cold this morning though in the 30s but not freezing. Very glad to have my heater fueled up and ready to turn on when I woke up. Time to make breakfast, a scramble to put in a tortilla.

Hope everyone has a nice day today be it work, play or napping. Mine is mostly chores but nothing physically or mentally demanding. That means I can listen to audio books while I do chores. So pretty much a nice day spent mostly outdoors in a clearing in a lovely forest.

 

[crofter]

Can't wait for the desert cold to come to the low desert. We are getting lows in the mid seventies- yay!! Such an improvement from lows in the mid nineties.

@maki
Do you know of any below ground construction techniques for sandy areas? Local lore says that the sand presses in and collapses basements. Hence the development of adobe construction where the three foot thick insulating walls are above ground.
-crofter

 

[maki2]

9 tent campers nearby me this morning. But they are so quiet I did not realize they had moced in until I heard one of them pounding in a tent stake around 7 am. There was a big campfire last night but no rowdy loud talking stuff or loud music No OHVs or dirt bikes either. Which is good as I do not want to move until Frida morning y as I am waiting on an Amazon delivery at a locker in Flagstaff.

The Overland Expo West is happening in Flagstaff, i am sure the Forest will get a bit crowded for that event. But I will be heading to the Grand Canyon area for a few weeks before returning to NFS near Flagstaff. Not yet cool weather enough to check out areas an hour or two north , south and east of Flagstaff.

 

[user 30781]

There are some very talented and artistic people here!

Cammalu, that quilt is gorgeous!! And I'm sitting here with a stack of old saris catching dust. lol

We are leaving Friday morning for our camping trip and after this week I'll need to just lay in the back of my van and read, I'm exhausted from getting ready to go. lol

 

[maki2]

crofterCan't wait for the desert cold to come to the low desert. We are getting lows in the mid seventies- yay!! Such an improvement from lows in the mid nineties.

@maki
Do you know of any below ground construction techniques for sandy areas? Local lore says that the sand presses in and collapses basements. Hence the development of adobe construction where the three foot thick insulating walls are above ground.
-crofter

Sure, you can build with thick, high strength, poured, reinforced concrete walls. That is how the military does it when building underground..

But I am assuming you are thinking low cost, eco friendly DIY. Here is the rule for most things in life when it comes to making stuff. If it is cheap, easy and durable most everyone would already be doing it. Which is why insulated concrete blocks, above ground, with big porches on most sides is the current standard for building new little casitas in the desert.

 

[crofter]

The ancient locals built those kivas. Those have always intrigued me, though said they are a religious structure and not practical.

I am thinking that  a circular "basement" might be more long lasting against the pressure of the sand. The kivas have stood against the elements for centuries with no maintenance.
-crofter

Then you could build a platform for a floor and put your yurt on top of the platform. -c