Iggy's Adventures and Misfortunes

[Iggy]

It's about time to write in my log again. I've been more or less stationary for the last couple months. I returned to Salem for three reasons. I had some business to take care of, mainly dealing with my mom's estate. I was offered a month long job at $25 an hour, doing house painting. And lastly, I was going to take a few weeks to go to Montana with my niece and her two girls, with her paying most of the expenses.
My mom's estate is almost settled. The job hasn't materialized yet, though I did work for a week and made $1200. And my niece became a pass-around for a biker club and strung out on drugs, so no Montana trip. Meanwhile I've become an indentured servant to a friend of mine. He's been letting me park on the back end of his farm, allows me to use his bathroom and laundry, and feeds me 1-2 meals a day. In return I water his garden, take care of his dog, and help out with a few odd jobs around his place. I probably work a couple hours a day for him. The only problem with him is that he wants to monopolize my time. I think he's lonely. Anytime he goes to Home Depot or a garage sale or a bar or an auction, etc, he really wants me to tag along. At the farm or if I'm gone, he constantly texts or calls to see what I'm doing or when I'll be back. It's difficult being smothered like that. Sometimes I have to ignore him to get some alone time.
I've done a couple short trips lately to the coast and to central Oregon. Went to some hot springs with some ladies but one gashed her leg bad and had to go to the ER. Bummer. My dating life has slowed down but still has a pulse. One gal told me today that she is pregnant but the dates don't match, I'm not the daddy.
To sum up, I'm living cheap and mostly enjoying life. I'll stick around for awhile to see if more work materializes or if there is another reason to stay. Definitely heading south when it gets colder though. Nevada, Arizona, Cali? Life is good.

 

[Zil]

iggy. are you really that much of a disaster? break free my friend.

 

[Iggy]

It's a gilded cage I'm in. And the door is open. I'm mostly waiting to move on for financial reasons. I should be getting my inheritance anytime. And I really want to earn a few thousand dollars before heading south for the winter. I'd like to be on the road more but despite my complaints, things are pretty good for me.

 

[Iggy]

An update on my vandwelling life, for those of you tired of reading the back of the cereal box.
I quit my job last Friday emphatically and hit the road again. I've been mostly stationary since June, living in the Salem Oregon area. Part of the time I parked at a farm and the rest of the time I was either stealth parking around town or going on short trips to the mountains or coast. I worked sporadically on construction jobs when i could tolerate my boss. And I dated a lot. Which kept me from saving as much money as I should have. But it is time to move on.
My boss was a first class a**hole. The only good things about him was, he paid well and he usually picked up the tab at restaurants. However he had to use f*** twice per sentence, was a slob, a road-rager, knew little about construction but thought he knew it all, was rude to and dishonest with customers, and disrespects and despises all women. I shouldn't have associated with him despite the good pay. I finally blew up at him, told him exactly what I thought of him, and quit. I still haven't been paid for the last two weeks wages but haven't checked my mail either.
So this last week, I've been traveling on the north Oregon coast and decompressing. I'm heading back to Salem to my storage unit today. I need to do some reorganizing of my van for the winter and see if I can get my back wages. And say goodbye to my women friends. Then I'm free again!
My tentative plans are to go to CA, Las Vegas, and eventually AR. My nephew does some vandwelling too and plans on going from ND to Texas this winter. He wants me to meet him there but I'm not sure my gas budget will stretch that far. He plans to get some temporary work there. So if I do go, I would probably do the same.
I'm learning as I go but did buy four books about vandwelling this week, including Bob's. Enough of this trial and error, I need expert advice. lol Though I have learned a lot from this forum too. Discipline is what I need to develop the most. Consistency in eating right, spending wisely, and picking the right woman/women to date are my current goals. Though the last may be irrelevant as I hit the road again. Happy trails!

 

[KayakGirl]

OK --- I have been reading your thread and I keep looking at your avatar. I can no longer be polite and just have to ask. You, of course, do not have to answer... what is wrong with that little baby's mouth? Are those false teeth or has he just picked something up and you got a lucky pic? Unique, whatever it is!

 

[Iggy]

Lol I like cute pictures and videos of dogs and babies, so am often looking at YouTube and Google pictures. I found this one somewhere and it reminded me of when I bought a pacifier with fake buckteeth for my little nephew. Oh, the fun we had looking at people's expressions when they saw him!
BTW, thanks for reading my posts. I wish I had some great adventures to write about but not much has been happening lately. Hopefully soon! Happy travels, KayakGirl.

 

[KayakGirl]

Thank you for clearing that up! LOL Happy travels to you too Iggy, once you get going.

 

[66788]

Hey Iggy,

Thanks for sharing your story.

So...three women already, and another few wanted to move in with you, too? I think a lot of single male van-dwellers might be just a bit envious of your magic ...even though, as you experienced, having a partner along for the ride doesn't always yield the bliss it promises.

Keep having fun...

GP

Just remember this; No matter how good looking she is, somewhere there is a guy just dying to get rid of her.

 

[Iggy]

Tomorrow is the day that I resume my travels. The last six months I spent with Salem Oregon as my home base. I went on numerous short trips around Oregon. I also worked for several months doing painting and siding. My social life was amazingly busy considering I'm an introvert. I've been open with the fact that I'm vandwelling and many friends and family have been intensely interested in how that is working out for me. Really, it's too soon to tell. I know I enjoy it, even when the temps are freezing. Am I good at this lifestyle? Not yet. I still am undisciplined in my spending and use of time. I don't cook enough. I'm more apt to make do when something goes wrong rather than fix the problem. And I get too comfortable going to the same places instead of exploring new.
So tomorrow, I'm shaking things up and heading south. My destination is southern CA but I intend to roam around, maybe even east, out of the state, depending on finances and how the van behaves. If things get tight, I have a standing job offer in Phoenix and one in Oregon. Also could drive to Alaska in the spring and work for a few months with an older brother. Nice to have options.
Every time I see a Vandweller, I wonder if I know them already online. Think I'll post my real picture on here soon, so people might recognize me. See you on the road and here!

 

[Iggy]

Well, I traveled down from Salem Oregon to the LA area. Took me a couple weeks to do it because I like to explore backroads, hike trails, and gaze at the ocean. The redwoods are a great place to hang out and get away from people. I did run into quite a bit of rain so wasn't able to do as much outside as I wanted. Eureka/Arcata is a fascinating area. It felt like being in Eugene with all the college students, homeless people, hippies, and backpackers. I felt a little out of place and finally figured out what it was. There were virtually no shaved heads in town and few goatees like mine. I asked a couple people and they said, no, it's not the local style. I don't mind being unique.
Had no trouble finding places to park overnight. I chatted with one old guy that lived in his pickup with his dog in Trinidad. He gets SS but has a bad gambling problem. That's why he's homeless. Addictions can sure ruin lives. I think his dog is addicted to chasing squirrels.
I'm in the Thousand Oaks/Oxnard area now and will probably stay a few days before moving on. I like to hang out at libraries, old town areas, and beaches. Now that the sun is coming out, I might actually get a tan!
I started getting threats from back home from some bikers a few days ago. I was dating a girl who is considered biker property. So they were threatening to come south looking for me. I'm not worried but will be a moving target all winter anyway. I thought slavery was outlawed in the US.
Have a Merry Xmas everyone. I'll likely be celebrating by laying on a beach all day.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Had no trouble finding places to park overnight.

So what kind of places to you park at? I've never been to California, but I think I'll go someday. I've heard it can be hard to find a place to van camp in southern Ca.

 

[Iggy]

At Indian casino parking lots, next to apartment complexes, at 24 hr stores and restaurants, etc. I'm getting pretty good at seeing likely spots. See where other vandwellers are parking and imitate them. Just don't park next to them or steal their spot. I like suburbs better or small cities. Less crime and less area to cover, looking for a spot. I don't want to spend hours looking for safe parking.

 

[Iggy]

I've been posting about my travels in several different forums and Facebook. So have neglected saying much here. I'm in the process of setting up an official blog page like many of you do. But I may as well catch up on here.
I wound up going to the RTR and that was a very good decision! I met a lot of cool people, made some friends, learned a lot, and spent almost nothing while there. I discovered I love the desert and will be going back to that area often. After the RTR, I was invited to Las Vegas by some friends and later to Phoenix by relatives. Both were fun but I'm not a big city guy. I headed to Algodones Mexico to get my teeth worked on. But right before crossing the border, I got a phone call that my best friend had had surgery complications, had bled out, was in a coma, and not expected to live. I drove 17 hours straight to Bend Oregon hospital and got there just as she came out of her third surgery. I was allowed to see her a few hours later when she woke up. Kim started crying and told me about seeing a bright light and a hand pulling her into it. Then it released her and she woke up from her coma. Heavy stuff!
She recovered pretty quickly and was released from the hospital in a week so I continued my travels, this time with my 35 year old nephew tagging along.
We are not a good match, being complete opposites, and likely will part ways soon before we kill each other. We headed to Quartzsite, with stops in Reno and Vegas. He blew all his money on drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling. So he mooched off of me for a bit until his mom sent him more money. We stayed in Quartzsite for 3 days, then Slab City, and now Oceanside, where we will probably part ways. I want to go back to the desert and he wants the redwoods.
Hopefully I get my blog going soon and will be more regular with my posts. I leave out way too much that should be posted. Until then, happy travels to you all!

 

[Rugster]

I'd make sure to read it, sounds like you have quite an adventure.

 

[Iggy]

I've been reading on the forums here fairly often but haven't been posting much. Plenty of interesting posts by you all. If anyone cares, this is what's been going on in my life the last few months.
I spent a couple months in San Diego, Venice Beach, and Ventura. It was all fun (except for a couple parking tickets) but the highlight was a week in Tijuana. I parked at the border and walked over. I met a cute gal at a restaurant that was 20 years younger than me but didn't seem to mind my senility. Lol We both had a limited grasp of each other's language but Spanglish seemed to work. We spent the week together and she showed me all the interesting spots. In Tijuana. It was hard to leave but I was spending too much. We are still in touch. Hope to see her again next winter.
I took my time returning to Oregon but got back before June. I made the rounds to say hi to all my friends and family. And bye to several that I regret the time spent with them (addicts). Then went to work doing construction again.
I like the work and the money but the stress of dealing with my boss is killing me. I'm quite easy to get along with normally but he pushes all my buttons. I could write a book on all the things that bug me. I'm on the verge of bagging it and hitting the road again. I tried hard to make this work. Perhaps traveling has ruined me for normal life. Three weeks of working outside in temperatures above 90°F has been brutal too. Can't do that like I used to.
This weekend I'll make my decision, stay or go. Sanity or stroke.

 

[Iggy]

Back to the traveling life again. I just couldn't take the stress anymore of dealing with my boss. Salem no longer feels like home either . My friends and family are all busy with their lives, and I often felt like it took too much effort on my part to spend time with them. It shouldn't require making an appointment two weeks in advance just to have a short conversation or meal with someone. I know folks get busy, especially in the summer. But I guess they mean more to me than I do to them.
Sorry, that all sounded pretty negative, even though true. And I really feel much more positive now that I'm traveling again. Staying close to the Oregon and Washington coasts means cooler temps, I have more free time for reading and hiking, my body and mind feel more relaxed, I'm getting enough sleep again, and seeing many new places. I was able to save up about $5k from working. At a budget of $500 per month, that'll last me awhile. So, nothing exciting going on, just living the good life and seeing where the road takes me.

 

[Reno]

You made a wise choice

 

[janncoo]

Sounds like a good plan.  Jan

 

[Iggy]

Winter seems to have arrived in Oregon. So, as of yesterday, I'm back on the road and heading south towards San Diego. It's later than I planned because of friends that wanted some of my time before leaving. The blower motor on my fan went out a few days ago and I had to replace it. That wasn't fun but was easier than I thought.
So yesterday, I left Eugene and arrived in Florence. I parked overnight in the casino parking lot and woke up this morning to a notice on my windshield. It basically said that; I needed to ask security before spending a night, I had to show a casino club card to them, and I had to gamble $100 per day. I don't think I'll return there. I did eat supper in their restaurant last night but seldom gamble anymore. My budget is too tight for that.
My tentative plan is to go down 101 all the way, making many stops at beaches and redwoods along the way. It'll probably be almost Christmas by the time I reach San Diego.
Then in January I'll attend RTR and probably go to Vegas afterwards, to meet up with some friends. Phoenix and Yuma, to visit friends and family. Then, hopefully, the Slabs for a bit and back to San Diego for a couple months.
But plans are made to be changed and if something interesting comes up, I'm easily convinced to go somewhere else, as long as I can afford it.
I'm just happy to be back on the road and to meet up with many of you at RTR. See you soon!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

But plans are made to be changed and if something interesting comes up, I'm easily convinced to go somewhere else, as long as I can afford it.

Spent any time in Death Valley?  This would be the best time of year to be there.  Stop at a Barnes and Noble somewhere along your route, have a cup or two of their coffee, and read one of their books on the place.

Regards
John