Pirate Camp Winter Season 2022-23

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Ooooo am I mad.... just absolutely pissed off... Amazon.. I need more VHB tape to finish this install... I order one size.. says "will arrive by" . date goes by, update says Feb 1... cancel order.. order other size, says will have 1/18... card gets charged yesterday with shipping showing "Arrives Wednesday 1/18".. this morning... status is "Shipping Feb 1" ... WTF over?!!?

It is called bait and switch..... grrr.

Amazon also says they will not charge my card until an order has shipped, but that is apparently a lie.
Supposedly if it was available as a "prime" product, if you call to file a complaint that it's not arriving in 2-days you can get a rebate/discount or something...

I've never tried it because, frankly, I hate talking on the phone, but my former coworker swore by the above method that she would save a LOT of money on her orders.
 
...oh Rub It In... :p

Both dog bowls were half full this morning... and murky... as in enough water bounced up into them from the ground to silt them up a bit.... t'were a real toad strangler there for a bit last night.

Yeah was real fun trying to sleep lol
 
f you call to file a complaint that it's not arriving in 2-days
You get a nice person that says "sorry" and that Amazon "values me as a customer" ... I suggested Not Lying about when you do and do not have something in stock... let alone not being able to ship it for two weeks.. Item still says "in stock" yet will not ship until Feb 1...

Amazon used to be a great place to get shit ... not so much anymore.. I really do not like being lied to.
 
For a second there I thought that someone had a Ukrainian singles website as their signature.

Then I remembered the paid spam on this site.

What happened to the 70s? No cell phones or computers then.
Ah the 70s trying to find places in strange cities using paper street maps. Trying to find pay phones with local phone books and needing change for the phone when traveling. Business stuff done by very slow snail mail. No YouTube to teach you DIY repairs.

Of course it was different for me as I was living in Alaska for most of the 1970s and Anchorage was not all that large of a city. Plus most everyone knew how and where to go camping and how to do it off grid. We had “The Milepost”, no need to look up places to camp on the internet, it was all in that book.
 
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I'm coming over for the day today. ETA between 10-11am. I hope to meet those I haven't yet met. It looks to warm up a bit by then, hopefully.
 
Change of plans. Coming over tomorrow. It is raining here and it may be warmer tomorrow.
 
I ordered wires/cables from BatteryCablesUSA (Kentucky) on Monday nite about 10 pm....Tues. 10 am email: package ready for shipping.......They use flat-rate USPS box...........The package hit my Q mailbox on Thursday ....Picked up Friday ..........Now that's service !

Debbie's bus returned to camp without a new alternator ..............Parts Problem ! Two new batteries installed while they wait for parts............................

Mona needed a little Kitchen in her car...........Plywood scraps and Paint................

Kitchenbox 1.jpg

There's room for her Butane stove on top...............Flatware, Plates and Pots and Pans below

kitchenbox 2.jpg

A Masonite panel slides in a slot to close the box......Eventually a wooden serving tray will close off the top

Arrrrrrrrrrgh !
 
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Nice thing about Pirate camp as a spot for waiting on car parts..you can walk to the garbage dump and get rides into town or even to Blythe or Parker for water, groceries, laundry and such. Plus there are friends to visit with!
 
Interesting volunteer job with the Coconino NFS. It includes a trailer pad with amenities to spend the summer at near Flagstaff AZ. The trailer pads are near the workshop space with other crew members, not out at the busy tourist campgrounds. The work is in their wood shop making signs but some trips out to do fixes and installs on the NFS cabins in that area. For some of the Pirate Camp and Van build type who love making stuff and keeping busy this could be just the right summer volunteer experience. No restroom cleaning and not any handholding of tourist either. I would go for it myself and truly enjoy it but my back is no longer up to this stuff.
https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d000000SruWAAS/woodshopmaintenance
 
Supposedly if it was available as a "prime" product, if you call to file a complaint that it's not arriving in 2-days you can get a rebate/discount or something...

I've never tried it because, frankly, I hate talking on the phone, but my former coworker swore by the above method that she would save a LOT of money on her orders.
I find that If your product is from a Chinese company there's a good chance that it's a scam.
Amazon does little to address these issues.
I have gotten squeezed twice once on a Facebook fake product also.
Now I just try to shop at my go to stores.
Menards and Walmart.
Amazon says it's arriving at such and such date...until it fades out...it never really sticks it out on your orders - or status.
No explanation as to what happened to your order.
Facebook and Amazon's success is it's failure to personally handle complaints since they have a billion consumers.
 
I find that If your product is from a Chinese company there's a good chance that it's a scam.
Amazon does little to address these issues.
I have gotten squeezed twice once on a Facebook fake product also.
Now I just try to shop at my go to stores.
Menards and Walmart.
Amazon says it's arriving at such and such date...until it fades out...it never really sticks it out on your orders - or status.
No explanation as to what happened to your order.
Facebook and Amazon's success is it's failure to personally handle complaints since they have a billion consumers.
It's just about impossible to buy anything that is not at least partially from China these days. I find the best defense is to not buy from any of those weirdly named companies on Amazon. If you are buying from a well-known brand, you at least have their quality-assurance departments running interference for you.

I think the contempt that chinese consumer-oriented companies have for buyers is just stunning. And it is contempt, because chinese manufacturers are world-class when a brand - such as Apple - demands it of them.

And I agree, Amazon also does not give a shit.
 
It's been a WINDY night in Pirate Camp..............the local tempest station reported a 40 knot gust at 11 pm

The sunshade stayed up...........Rock'n Roll Van......................and it's still blowing this morning !

Arrrrrrrrrgh
 
It's just about impossible to buy anything that is not at least partially from China these days. I find the best defense is to not buy from any of those weirdly named companies on Amazon. If you are buying from a well-known brand, you at least have their quality-assurance departments running interference for you.

I think the contempt that chinese consumer-oriented companies have for buyers is just stunning. And it is contempt, because chinese manufacturers are world-class when a brand - such as Apple - demands it of them.

And I agree, Amazon also does not give a shit.
Generally if you are buying something that is listed as "Prime" it means it's being shipped from an Amazon warehouse.

Amazon makes it really easy to deal with potential fraud and returns as well. Amazon returns in my experience generally are easier, faster, and more convenient than in-store brick and mortar returns with so many return drop-off sites available.
 
Here is my addition to Pirate Camp:

https://quartzfest.org/what/where-is-quartzfest?
When you arrive, you will see LOTS of RVs and vans, pickups etc, with large antennas...you will know you are in the right place!

I am not at Quartzfest this year, so I'm missing out on the event, but I will post the link for the schedule here:

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/2b...st 2023 Schedule Ver 16.pdf?ver=1673936547041
Quartzfest is a week-long ham radio event taking place 5 miles south of Quartzsite near La Paz Valley Road. Its free to attend, you do NOT have to be a ham radio operator to enjoy many of the seminars and events...but if you have been curious about ham radio, here is a good opportunity to learn about it.

There are seminars and presentations dealing with cast iron cooking, metal detecting, astronomy, solar power, gold panning, Onan repair, bicycle repair, etc etc etc. Not to mention the evening chats and music around the central campfire.

Like all BLM land, free camping for up to 2 weeks, and pack in, pack out.
 
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