Putt

[mayble]

Thoughts?
One day at a time, my friend.  It's not just for AA anymore
I want to take up an instrument and I've been thinking ukulele.  I played around with them as a kid, along with guitar and flute.  From what I gather there are plastic models with decent sound which fits my careless lifestyle better than a more delicate instrument.  How do you like it?

 

[Queen]

Maybe combining things would help? Feel like a smoke, take Dart for a walk, kills a few birds with one stone. I think he's going to help you with your goals immensely, he can provide all the distraction you'll ever need to work on the others.

You know I'm behind you and wishing you all the best on these endeavours!

 

[Putts]

One day at a time, my friend.  It's not just for AA anymore

Boy...how many times have I said that to myself or someone else. Usually in the context of grief and/woe. Hadn't really thought of it in this context. Thanks, a good thought.

I want to take up an instrument and I've been thinking ukulele.  I played around with them as a kid, along with guitar and flute.  From what I gather there are plastic models with decent sound which fits my careless lifestyle better than a more delicate instrument.  How do you like it?

I love the uke. My grandmother left me her piano; in the end it just felt like the thing was laughing at me. The piano is hugely capable and takes a long time to become competent. A uke? Four strings, four fingers, relatively easy-peasy. It's been on my priority list, but just too far down to get attention given a life of responsibility. At one point I had taught myself to peck through Jazz standards---I've got some music theory skills---but it was tough and I ended up not making progress. Next time I'm going to start with folks songs and bluegrass, then blues, and then Jazz.

At one point I had a plastic Fluke uke. It worked just fine.

They're about $200 w/case.

Maybe combining things would help?  Feel like a smoke, take Dart for a walk, kills a few birds with one stone.  I think he's going to help you with your goals immensely, he can provide all the distraction you'll ever need to work on the others.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Imagining the commitment has me realizing all the other things may follow along; you comment affirms they can follow along.

Thank for being a lovely virtual friend, Queen.

 

[Bud Smiley]

Replace the booze and cigs with weed? It'll help the uke... might not help with losing weight.

 

[Putts]

I didn't say anything about quitting weed.

I've always found it inhibits solid learning and mentally taxing activity. I never, ever, do it when writing (my profession).

 

[Stretch]

Even though a lot of this thread was about the sort of technical stuff that makes my brain start to whirl around frantically like a dog after its tail, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I can't wait to see the continued evolution of Putt and Putts. Regarding the habits, it's sometimes easier to think about adding things than removing them. Add in one more fruit and veggie a day. Add in walks with Dart. Add in a damn fidget spinner, if it helps to keep your hands busy and off the cigarette fixins. You've got this.

I'd also like to extend a thank you for your most excellent forum skills. You multi-quote and photo embed like a sir, sir. Carry on, Putts!

 

[rvpopeye]

You have a good sized elephant to eat.
One bite at a time.
Dart will be your best bet.
Living in the middle of nowhere will be backup.
Good luck

 

[tx2sturgis]

Sweet! Just got off the phone with Jake at Morningstar.

-snip-

This one's a done deal for me!

I like the MorningStar controllers. I have owned 3, all have worked flawlessly, for years.

I don't see how they stay in bidness making products that don't break and can last for decades....makes no sense in today's 'throw-away' world of electronics.

I guess the engineers and product developers at MorningStar never got the memo from the accounting department about 'planned obsolesence'...


Good thing for us, huh?

 

[Putts]

With Dart on the way, I've shifted gears somewhat to preparing his home. 

You remember the Farkle Hut? Well, I have some interesting plans for it. I've decided I'll be towing a small enclosed trailer that will contain it, a motorcycle, bicycle, a small boat, and a variety of stuff that would be hard to fit in Putt (firewood, extra buckets, chairs, shower tent, who knows). I'll still have all the basics in Putt so I can drop and store the trailer temporarily if I want to.

I plan to travel to Baja and points south as I get settled into the rig. I've been doing a bunch of Google maps recon of areas and have come to discover that there are numerous "surf camps" in Central America that look like a hoot.  For example, The Driftwood Surfer in Guatamala.

Check out these pix.

They have a pet Llama there.

The pool area.

Um....self-explanatory.

I gotta believe the Farkle Hut would be a big hit planted back next to the pool.

Anyhow, one of the BIG reasons for getting d'Artagnon is that he could guard the Hut at night. To do so, he has to think of it as his home, so I built a crate for him as part of the Hut.

I'm going to turn the space between the legs into a little kennel area in which he lives and gets trained as a pup. As far as he's concerned, the Farkle Hut will be his home. Down the road I can put a leash on him that's eye-bolted to the inside of his crate and woe to anyone who approaches.

So far I've got about a dozen surf camps in Central America pinned in a Google map. Sounds like fun to me.

That's the plan anyway.

 

[Queen]

Our realtor friend in FL is a former pro surfer, she says those camps are a ton of fun. Remote and lacking in amenities in many places, but hella fun.

 

[Putts]

I'd also like to extend a thank you for your most excellent forum skills. You multi-quote and photo embed like a sir, sir. Carry on, Putts!

Thanks, mate. I usually do all that stuff in the code view---that little icon that looks like a piece of paper with typing on it. When I write for work I enter it into the CMS (content management system...things like Wordpress but I use Drupal) as code so I'm used to it. Makes it easy to break up other people's quotes and do stupid stuff like changing people's names in the quote...like I did to yours here.

You have a good sized elephant to eat.
One bite at a time.
Dart will be your best bet.
Living in the middle of nowhere will be backup.
Good luck

Actually, getting ready for Dart has been very centering. Surprisingly, I haven't drank for the past two days...no decision made, was just working on stuff reading myself for Dart and just didn't do it. I think it's one of those "Don't try to stop stuff, just fill up the space with other stuff" kinda things. More please.

I guess the engineers and product developers at MorningStar never got the memo from the accounting department about 'planned obsolesence'...
Good thing for us, huh?

Gotta say after talking to tech support my confidence in the skyrocketed. A class outfit.

 

[Putts]

Our realtor friend in FL is a former pro surfer, she says those camps are a ton of fun.  Remote and lacking in amenities in many places, but hella fun.

I love the fact I'll be taking all my amenities with me.

Good to get confirmation...given the pix it's hard to believe otherwise.

I may be 60, but after hanging around Burners for a while (folks that go to Burning Man) I'd feel comfortable in that crowd. 

Guess you all can tell I'm not an introvert.  

 

[Putts]

Went to Batteries Plus to buy a motorcycle battery and just happened to look over in the corner to see a huge deep cycle 12V wet cell.

https://www.batteriesplus.com/batte...er/tornado/lr36-floor-keeper/na/na/sli12v215s

$280

I had no idea they made batteries so big! Dimensions are 15.5l x 7w x 14.25h. This size (BCA 921) is perfect for me as its tall but will still fit under a dinette seat, and takes up less floor space than 2 similar capacity (228AH) batteries. I'm sure others make that size; I found a Trojan but there's no local dealers. Couldn't find an Odyssey. 

Any advice on the quality of the Duracell brand (OEM is East Penn)?

 

[rvpopeye]

This is what I'd do...
Ask them if it is the same construction as a (2)golf cart 6 volt or more like a marine 12volt.

Lacking that info , weigh it and compare to 2 golf cart batts.

 

[Putts]

Yup.  Sometimes you must need the right keywords. 

So, if I'm getting this right, Car batteries have thin plates so they can deliver lots of amps to crank but they'll warp and short over time and aren't deep cycle. Golf cart batteries have fat plates and can discharge deep, but they like charging fast if possible, and they're cheap compared to marine batts.  This guy likes them too.

GC2 is a standard 10L x 7w x 11h size. I'll also note the L-16 size similar bat is 12l x 7w x 16.5 high and can have twice the capacity...but that's about 2" too high for me. So, GC2 is it.

I think I'll go with the Batt+ Duracell SLIGC110 215AH batts for $110 since I can get them easily locally for the moment. It'll give me a chance to learn about wet battery maintenance and probably have good warranty if I screw it up. Then when I sell the house and put two more PV panels on the roof I'll go with four Trojan T-145 260AH that go for around $160 ea. 

Thanks, Popeye!

 

[Kenwrite]

[quote pid='298131' dateline='1496325625']


It's easy to say...much harder to face and effect the changes. 


Any thoughts?
[/quote]
I've lived in a PoS Class A full-time immobile on a friend's property for last two years.  Now the game plan is to buy 14'-16' Step Van and build it out and go mobile finally.  I'm researching and over-planning like crazy until I can start the process in Jan '18.  This thread is helping a lot. 
I would suggest that as soon as you can start living 24/7 in Putt, with functional water and toilet and lights etc., do so, even if it's just in driveway.  My two years+ living on a single 120v 20amp extension cord for the entire RV and all in it has taught me to be very power frugal.  All the water I use--drinking, cooking, bathing--comes from 1gal jugs I bring in.  Heat from two Mr Buddys with two 5gal tanks outside.   Grey and black tanks are emptied every 9+ weeks (!) by a port-a-potty truck.  I am so wonderfully prepared now for going mobile from this experience, whenever that finally happens.
So I would suggest LIVING in Putt as soon as possible, especially while home-based.
Thanks for your posts, and here's to a great adventure ahead. 

 

[Putts]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Now the game plan is to buy 14'-16' Step Van *snip* [/font]This thread is helping a lot. 

Keep thinking, mate. I thought about this thing and drew it up before I even saw it. Just doing the mental planning is good work. That's one beauty of a step van: space wise, you know what you're getting. I woulda loved two more feet... I've got 14' behind the seat.

So I would suggest LIVING in Putt as soon as possible, especially while home-based.
Thanks for your posts, and here's to a great adventure ahead. 

I sure am working on that one. Lots of other steps getting rid of stuff around the house and fixing walls and fixtures to ready it for sale. But I get your drift...I bought a backpack the other day and have started to keep all my personal shit in there.  However, as you will see, I'm doing lots of stuff...kinda more than I ever have before.

And I'm so glad you're enjoying Putt's build, I sure as hell am.

Progress Report:
Haven't done a damn thing on Putt. 

My full focus has been on Dart. I've been soaking in everything I can on dog training. As I've said, Schipperkes are notoriously hard to train. One of the things I've seen stressed is if you want the puppy not to pee all over the place, contain them...they like it if you do it right. Similarly, I've been told by the knowledgable people I've talked to, and all the Schipperke training videos, the Schipperkes need to be on a leash basically all the time. Mainly because discipline of not running away must be absolute with a Schip. When they're not fully trained and they see a mouse or something else that catches their imagination, you can just say goodbye. With good training they will end up not needing it at all, but because they have to be so rigidly trained to the leash when they're young they end up being comforted by it. My buddy Rick say if he just clips the loose leash on the dog in bed next to his desk it will lie their contently. Unclip the leash and it wanders off.

Anyhow...I've been making the other controlled spaces for Dart. You've seen the deck and the Farkle Hut; here's my desk...

...gets him right up next to me.

Next one is kind of an end around, but bear with me. lnside Putt, Dart needs a place to ride when we're moving...his perch. (BTW, everything has a name: hut, bed, work, perch, deck (can't use porch because it sounds too much like perch), etc.) So, I built his perch for riding in Putt.

Notice how he'll have total nose access to that window and the smell of the world going by. Great visibility too. I'm thinking of some kind of harness system when required for safety. 

Security-wise, when I slide that window all the way open and stand up to talk to someone outside, he will certainly be in a strategically advantageous position.

Doesn't actually have the hinges on yet, but his toys will be in here.

Here's what it looks like from the outside.

Now, you may be asking yourself, why the heck did he build something he's not going to need for months? Good question. It's also going to serve as his bed. Imma push the button on this one and carry on.

 

[Putts]

We're talking about Dart's bed...and, in this case, his bed in Putt. Here's a look at Putt's interior again.

I don't want Dart sleeping in bed with me, but I do want him close. I'm going to built Dart's bed on a platform up behind the left dinette seat in the upper half of the window so he can look outside in bed. He'll be above my left foot while we sleep. So, I figured I'd build him a bed above my left foot right from the start. And! I'm going to use his perch from Putt for his bed here at home for the time being.

Hey wait! How'd that get in here?

Dart's bed at home damit!

My roomate Tyler has a 3yo son. He loved jumping off it. Told him to go for it because once Dart is here next week he can't do it anymore. 

Also did a minor adjustment to the Farkle Hut and made kennel sides that can slip in and out easily.

And, this is cool---I hope Decodancer is watching...I'll probably be needing help---I've been talking with friends about socializing Dart. I understand from reading (I bought a book!) that from 8-16 weeks is the most important socializing time. As Decodancer said:

Chiming in as a dog expert, almost 40 years grooming, showing and training.....  When you get him, take him everywhere with you.  Make sure he meets kids and other dogs.  In the end you'll have a dog who is confident in any situation.  Don't worry that he won't warn you of danger, my 3 love everybody but more than once they have let me know that someone was not to be trusted.  Congratulations on your new family member.  Kathleen

Thank you, Kathleen.

With a little help from my friends, I have begun to schedule exposure to all sorts of people...one at a time at first, then in ever increasing numbers. I've got people signed up from infants to older folks, and a number of dogs...including my son who has the sweetest pit-bull you've ever met. Dart needs to be absolutely comfortable with a dozen legs in his space at the Farkle Hut. At first it'll be just me and Sarah from downstairs playing some cards, dice, and dominos (he's gotta get used to the sounds; it'll be noisy under the table), but over 8 weeks it will become 16 partiers with music blaring, lights flickering, and people dancing in onesies and grass skirts.

His life will be like that quite a bit in future; I'm going to have to work hard on this...and I CAN'T WAIT!

 

[Putts]

Brought Putt's alarm system home today.

Good boy, Dart, that's a good boy.

 

[Queen]

Awwwww!!!   :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

Putts, he is an adorable little baby!!