24/7 Chat About Anything

[Happy Camper]

I never had any doubt about your capabilities, based on the contents of your posts. You come across as someone who gets it. In the best sense.

And you definitely had to beware of Pepe Le Pew if you ran into him in France lol.

 

[CosmickGold]

Oh my gosh yes! That's why I'll never consider going to France. Once Pepe Le Pew sets eyes on you, you're done for. There is no escape. It's like being drawn into a Black Hole past the Event Horizon where no escape is possible! And once you're drawn into the center of that singularity, the curvature of space becomes infinite, meaning time totally stops! Even after 100 billion years, you'll still be in Pepe Le Pew's grasp, his arms tightly wrapped around you in a place where no one can ever find you.

 

[user 36441]

First of all I have never been a know-it-all but I do know-a-lot because
I have an IQ in the top 1% in the area of English and other sections of that test. That means reading, researching and acquiring knowledge has always come as easily and naturally to me as breathing. I am also very much mechanically inclined and not a timid person who is afraid to try new things. A lot of people on this forum talk about a dream of going to Alaska to see it and camp there. I moved there on my own in 1970 after my freshman year of college in Texas because I thought Alaska would be an interesting place to go. So Intook a summer job for two months, bought a plane ticket and left. I stayed for 7 years and did a lot of camping and fishing too, taking more college courses of course. I have done several very interesting jobs and gained a lot of skills.with tools and technology. I did my first Van build in 1983, (it was not an no build build) and traveled solo across country in it. I have solo camped in Europe as well. Not that a woman in her 50s camping solo in France is in any real risk of danger from the locals or fellow travelers.

 

[user 36441]

I've noticed that everyone seems to have something to offer, and everyone seems to have something to detract. I hope whatever someone has to offer will be given with humility, and whatever he/she has to detract will come to light in a healing way.

 

[Happy Camper]

Name checks out ^

 

[maki2]

Left Yuma just before noon. It always takes me a while after a long stay to get everything sorted and stored away for safe traveling.

I stopped at La Posa South to see friends at Pirate Camp just in time for a potluck dinner. Being as my trailer is mostly packed up it was fortunate I still had a container of grape tomatoes out that I was using for drive time snacks. I will be making use of Abnorm’s battery powered circular saw tomorrow morning to cut a piece of plywood to size for a board that fits on my opened desk drawer creating a 12”deep by 21” wide surface. My vinyl cutter need removable in-feed and out-feed surfaces and it will help with a base for the infeed table to rest on. It will have other functions as well, laptop desk, printer stand, etc. As is normal builds often evolve over time. Fortunately my overall concept has not required the removal or rebuilding of anything, instead just some added features.

 

[VanFan]

So I'm just going to jump in free-form (yikes!)

I've been thinking about "be careful." At it's simplest, I experience it as an expression of caring. Sometimes, I think it also expresses one's acknowledgment and discomfort with recognizing our individual and collective vulnerability as mortals--especially when we care. A response I used to hear from my mother that really, really chafed me was "Do you think that's wise?" I laugh at it now.

While I'm rambling, I am sure I could pick Maki's brain for weeks and never make a dent! The capacity to gather and process information and apply it in a variety of contexts is a seemingly rare thing to witness. (I come from a long line of creative near-geniuses. In fact, the line was so long when I was growing up, that I grew restless, stepped aside and, apparently, missed out! LOL)

Well... That's probably enough blah, blah from me.

 

[maki2]

All the person had to do was ask if it is safe to go to Los Algodones.

 

[Happy Camper]

The person knew that normally it's safe there. The person also knew that normally safe doesn't seem to uniformly apply in Mexico recently.

It was just a simple acknowledgment of those changes. And also I happen to think highly of you. And would hate to see some random silliness negatively affect you.

If you took that as my acting like you can't handle yourself, it is what it is, and there isn't anything I can do about it. I have known for quite some time they you can and have.

I grew up in Compton, stuff happens, and I know how to handle myself. That being said, if things were flaring up in a place I was going, random stuff happens. And if someone said to be careful, I would take it for what it is. Someone carrying about my well-being.

 

[maki2]

How about next time you just say, hope you have a great trip. That would be actually be a positive comment instead of your introducing a negative situation in a day I was very much looking forward to.

 

[RoamerRV428]

And if someone said to be careful, I would take it for what it is. Someone carrying about my well-being.

absolutely agree with your point here!! Isn't it nice to be told on how you should speak to them, how you should chat with others? apparently you aren't doing it right? You need a lesson to be better, listen up now!

 

[Morgana]

When I think of all the times in my 20s that I rode in cars driven by drunks -- or walked down dark streets with my mind 1000 miles away -- -- survived those without incident too but it doesn't mean they were a good idea or the next guy should do them.

I think "is it safe" can be good shorthand for "how risky is it, what will I gain if I do it anyway, and is the trade-off worth it?" -- assuming that if the answer is "yes, worth it" you still stay alert. But some absolute, set-it-and-forget-it "yes it's safe" or "no it's not safe" is less useful, especially in these rapidly changing times. The sense of safety you get from familiarity -- AND the sense of danger you get from unfamiliarity -- aren't always enough to go by. I used to visit Palomas about 10 years ago and see truckloads of scowling young men in uniform carrying long guns ... and get this warm fuzzy feeling because they reminded me of Berlin in the 1970s. Obviously NOT a cue you'd want to run with!

It's been a few weeks since we've had a plug here for Gavin de Becker's book The Gift of Fear -- it's definitely a good resource on thinking through questions like this (in general, not specifically about Mexican border towns). I think it's normal for people to have different comfort levels for this stuff, but also a good idea to let ourselves be challenged to rethink them, in either direction, occasionally.

I loved the TV show Dead Like Me, in which one of the characters got dead by being hit by a toilet falling out of an airplane. Man plans, God laughs. But we still gotta plan sometimes.

 

[maki2]

The morning sun on Crab Claw rock at my new campsite.

 

[vanbrat]

Interesting rocks. I am so bummed. Looks like no trip south this spring. I had looked forward to it all this wet cold winter and now some new issues have come up. The summer trip last year got cancelled due to hubby breaking his leg. The fall trip got cancelled due to smoke from fires and my lungs messing up. The winter wasn't even planned as too much stuff with my mom going on and so it continues more stuff with mom coming up. I love my mom and will always give up for her but still miss the trips...

 

[maki2]

Maybe next year! You will get there later than sooner but time and steadfast determination will win out!

 

[Happy Camper]

If my saying be careful derailed your mood for the day, that isn't on me.

I made what I considered a thoughtful and caring comment, and I stand by it. If you took it as something more, or different then was intended, that's all you.

I'll see if I can develop an app that can accurately explain in detail exactly what I mean when I use word to say what I mean.

It would be redundant, given that I do say what I mean. But it might help those that overthink things.

 

[user 36441]

In other words, that's an awfully big chip you've got on your shoulder, and I hope you can someday let it go.
And a pretty sizable head to boot.

 

[maki2]

Yesterday was unpacking and setting up for work day. I have some shade cloth deployed and my lounge chair and work bench are in position under it.

Today is getting out my tools day for getting a bit of build work accomplished. It would be nice to get that to do list done before I move to higher elevation in a few more weeks. The generator uses less fuel at this altitude.

My neighbors are up stirring around now so I too can start making some outside noise. But first task is a cup of coffee sitting in that lounge chair enjoying the view️

 

[bullfrog !]

If you are like me after lunch has settled is the best time to put in a few hours work, makes dinner taste better! Lol!!!

 

[maki2]

i am like that but that is unfortunately also the hottest part of the day and it is going to be very hot in Lake Havasu on Monday and Tuesday. Work will have to get done early if I do any work at all in camp those two days.