Txjbird & Queenie on a Safari in a Safari

[tav-2020]

Jewellann, you have not lost your spirit of adventure-I can feel it in your stories! Thank you for sharing them.
I feel the same frustration and anxiety stuck in my job as you do in your apartment. My office is pleasant enough, but feels like a cell. The door may be open but I can't leave. Just keep going day to day, knowing I am doing all I can to make a change. We'll both get there.

If I had a workshop I would try and build something and it would probably take on a vardo vibe. Either that or hobbit-ish!

 

[Txjaybird]

 MY FAMILY MADE IT THRU CHRISTMAS WITH NO DEAD BODIES......OR BLOWS.....OR CUSSIN'S. 
       DON'T LAUGH!  TAIN'T FUNNY

ANY PROGRESS TOWARDS TRAVELING IS AT ALMOST A COMPLETE STAND STILL.  I DON'T MIND THE COLD, HOWEVER COLD AND WET IS SOMETHING I RUFUSE TO WORK IN.   A DAMP UNHEATED STORAGE UNIT JUST DON'T CUT IT.  HOWEVER THERE IS  PLENTY TO DO HERE AT HOME.

LAST WEEK I LOOKED AT A JAYCO JAY FEATHER SMALL 2008 HYBRID FOR $5,000.  IT WAS NEARLY DARK AND THEY HAD JUST GOTTEN IT IN ON A TRADE.  IT WAS PARKED ON THE "BACK 40" AT A ANGLE.  I WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE FOLD OUT BED UP AND IT SEEMED VERY LIGHT.  BECAUSE OF THE ANGLE THE BACK END OF THE TRAILER SEEMED 15ft HIGH.  THE DEALER IS GETTING IT CLEANED UP AND SET UP SO I CAN TAKE ANOTHER LOOK.  THE LAY OUT WAS JUST WHAT Q AND I NEED.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.

JEWELLANN AND QUEENIE

 

[rvpopeye]

Why TJB , I think you're getting excited.............. :huh:

 

[jimindenver]

A real trailer with a potty and everything? Oh my!

 

[Txjaybird]

:s  EGGCITED?  Is that what this is?  I dunno.

ANGER..........AGGRAVATION............FRUSTRATION.........SADNESS   These I know well.

Excitement seems to fizzle out like a sparkler on the 4th of July........pretty while it lasts
          doesn't seem to last very long.

PEACE & QUITE.....I NEED A LOT OF THAT RIGHT NOW.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!  WHOOP-D-DO

JEWELLANN & QUEENIE = SHE'S CURLED UP ON A PLUSH LEOPARD PRINT BLANKET
                                                 + COVERED WITH HER SHRECK THROW, SLEEPING AGAIN

 

[rvpopeye]

Yup excitment , you ARE allowed to , ya know !
Plus ,,,,you sure have earned it !
Leopard print and Shreck ?
Queenie is kinda kinky !
Did you get her in New Jersey ?
Reminds me of something I saw in Florida !
Not enough exclamation marks , so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jimindenver]

Enjoying excitement is like being on vacation. You can enjoy it to the fullest until it ends or ruin it worrying that it will end.

 

[Txjaybird]

Today Q talked me into a short road trip down into FL.  She had a few low rent lotto tickets to collect on.   We made it about 8 miles when lights all over the instrument panel lit up.  The biggy was "Check Your Gages".  No oil pressure at all.  None showing on the stick either.  Long time on the roadside.

  People were good about stopping.  I called Geico and a wrecker arrived.......finally.  Either Geico or S.E. Towing dispatch failed to tell the driver I needed about 4 or 5 qts of oil.  It was getting late in the day and colder.  I called someone who came right out and went for my oil and a King SIze Reese's PB Cups.  I hadn't eaten since getting up and had nothing with me to eat.  Bad/Stupid thing for a diabetic on 2 types of insulin to do.
  
Several qts. of oil and about 1/2 a mile later and no oil pressure again.  I pulled over, wrecker pulled over, friend on bike pulled over.  Safari had left a oil trail behind it.  So up went the Safari on the wrecker,  up I went into the wrecker and Queenie was handed up to me.  Queenie does not like big truck rides.  She posted her adventure on another forum.

I have no clue what's wrong with the Safari.  Someone commented it looked like it was leaking from the back of the engine.  I can't say for sure because by that time.....I'd backed down a steep hill to turn around, it had been dragged up a wrecker ramp digging the hitch bar and ball down in the ground.  Then the bed was lowered pushing it in the ground until it was leveled out enough to remove the hitch parts.......the bed was then raised again and one of the chains came loose so the Safari took another backward swan dive.  My mechanic will give the undercarrige a good going over.

So now it sits outside my place, taking up 2 parking spaces and loaded with stuff I need to bring inside to sort thru.  I can't even imagine what this will cost or where the xtra $$$ will come from.   40yrs ago I wanted to move to Wyoming and live 5 miles past the end of the mule trail.  Now I can't get 20 miles outside of town on a 2 lane store boughten hiway.   Sometimes life just sucks

Jewellann and Queenie

 

[rayrey]

Damn girl. If it weren't for bad luck.....

 

[Txjaybird]

  In exactly 1 week from me doing a happy dance within 2ft of a busy state hiway while waving my cell phone up in the air & trying to connect with my roadside service provider the Safari was back home and running well.

  The bill was $234 which included a set of valve cover gaskets installed, retorqueing adjustments made to intake manifold,  all parts & labor & shop supplies.  Next is $120 for parts and labor for the switch that controls where the AC/Heater blows into the cab area. 

 Then $30 to replace a new window motor.  I'm argueing with Autozone on that.  The motor worked less than 3mo and they are replacing the part as it has a lifetime warrenty.   I'm having trouble getting thru to them that neither I or my mechanic should be responsible for the additional labor costs to replace a defective part that was purchased from them.

The Safari is still a rolling storage closet :huh:  Due to crappy weather and the new physical restrictions I'm dealing with I'm moving at a snails pace re: emptying storage units and readying the Safari & Aliner to travel.

I will not give up until I can't move a muscle and Queenie has to feed me!

Jewellann and Queenie

 

[jimindenver]

Queenie feed you? Oh my, you in trouble now.

Glad the Safari is up and running.

 

[rvpopeye]

Glad it's back to at least running condition !
The issue with defective parts+place is a tough one , never seen one pay labor....

 

[Txjaybird]

 Q and I have gone over to the storage units several times in the past 2 weeks.  Progress, if it can be called that is slow.  Since all that I've sorted and packed over the last month is stiil there I can't really see what I've accomplished.  I'll call my friend soon to come get her plunder.

 It's been pretty cold so I have to dress warmly and yesterday I put Qs big sleeping pillow aka her bed in a heavy cardboard box laying on it's side & with a rug under it and a blanket around it + some boards on top to keep it from blowing away. 

 She did not like that at all.  Mainly she likes to lay out in the sun and keep a eye on the vehicles coming and going.  Except for the Aliner my units are on the only road in and out at the storage facility.  She doesn't like it in the van unless it's going down the road so her in it and me in the unit was a no go.  Tomorrow I should have enough stuff moved out that I can get her and her bed in a spot where I will not trip over her or her leash.
:huh:    All I really need is a broken bone to make my life complete.
  Or to win the Powerball...it's a tuff decision to make i'm tellin' ya.  

I'm waiting to put the Safari in the shop until I can get more stuff done at one time......maybe in a few weeks.

I hope everyone is well.  I'd like to go to a RTR before it gets much larger....maybe next year.

  At least I might actually get to go to Lake Eufala or Blue Springs later in the spring.

Jewellann

 

[Cammalu]

I'm rooting for you Jewellen! It's a long time coming but you are making progress


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Txjaybird]

 MORE PROGRESS AT LAST!

About 5:30pm yesterday I opened and repacked the last boxes in #99 storage unit!  Today with the "help" of Queenie I will drag over stuff from #45 that I'm keeping and drag stuff from #99 to #45 that is going to a friends.  Then tomorrow I'll start on #98.  #45 is the official "GO AWAY!" unit until the 6th of March. I will not pay rent on #45 again unless something causes me to not be able to accomplish what I intend do do.

The van is 1/2 empty and today I'll put a bunch of stuff in it that will go to my niece in FL.

The major stumbling block now are back & neck problems.  At a DRs appt. last week I was made aware that the problems with my spine are worse than I thought.  Next week I'll start physical therapy to help me get in the best physical state I can while I can.  Also when I'm ready to start a round of 3 epidurals over a 6wk period I just have to let the DR know.

When I get my new diabetic shoes this time I'm gonna get hiking boots.  Then I'll have 2 pairs.  I'll probably need them, I just know Cammalu will have the wheels ran off the 4 wheeler before I can hook up with her and Got Smart    

Spring is almost here.  Flowers and trees here in Alabamdamna are Budding and Blooming.  WHOOPEE! X 2

Q and I are off to the salt mine as soon as "we" hang out a monster load of clothes.

Jewellann and Queenie

 

[NoMadYesHappy]

 MORE PROGRESS AT LAST!

I love progress! 
Made a little my own self!
When my back started to go bad, I just thought the ground was getting further away!  LOL!
Hope yours gets better!

 

[Txjaybird]

So now I go to PT twice a week.  Mainly for my back, neck and R. shoulder.  I consider myself lucky that I'm not it way worse shape than I am.  I was always very physically active.  I've never broken any bones except 2 fractured toes.  I have only 3 joints in my body that I can remember never injuring, both elbows and my R ankle.

I've been working on getting rid of the dreaded STUFF.  I've had some help from a friend.  However she doesn't drive and lives 40 miles away.  I think her fella is trying to bow out of the situation of bringing her over and loading up the stuff I'm giving her,  I just don't know for sure.  I guess I'll find out this week when I call.

I'm trying to put everything that I want/need to fix the Safari and the Aliner <<<< {if I keep the trailer} all in one spot.
Also all the camping equipment, folding chairs/tables etc. where they will be easy find.  I only paid rent to the 20th on one of the storage units this mo.  This will help me focus on getting a move on and not worrying about every little thing.

I opened up another one and it's only about 1/4th full so sorting it out should go quickly.  There are 3 of the black plastic airline shipping trunks in it.  I don't remember what's in them.  I'm thinking that with the lids removed they might work for under the bed storage "drawers".  Maybe with a divider in middle or a plastic crate to keep things separated and not get all jumbled up.

Luckily I've never seen a piece of wood on the side of the road I didn't like.  So I have new 1x2, 2x4. 1x4, & 1x6s.  Also new plywood and and some other bits and pieces to use for a bed platform.  Paint too! I've been buying mis-tinted paint for various small projects for a few years.  The Safari doesn't seem that big after seeing some van builds on You Tube.
 
Mainly I just want to be able to go somewhere before it gets to hot to sleep without fans or AC.  If I get the Minn Kota elec. pass through installed I will have shore power....yay.  I also still haven't broken in my generator that I  bought at Home Depo last year.  I bought 2 luci lights at Walmart for $15 each.  Also a big Stanly stainless thermos on clearance for $10 and Igloo ice chest that fits between the front seats of the van.  Queenie thinks the blanket on it is for her.

So that's it... except I managed to give myself two good wacks in the head in less than 24hrs.  At least they weren't on the same side.  One like to put me on my knees and my yell made Q run as far as her leash woud go.  She should run as I was just standing up from having to pull her leash out from under the front tire.  I don't care what I put by the tires to try and keep the leash from going under them she still manages it.  There is not enough room for her to be tied where she can't go past them.  Not unless she's on a 3 ft lead.  She is relearning to use her doggy steps to go in and out of the van.

Jewellann & Queenie

 

[Txjaybird]

:huh:   HEEEEeeeeeello  :huh:

Anybody there?

So I've gone thru 3 storage units now and giving stuff to whoever shows a interest in what I'm doing. Mostly friends and family however a casual stranger isn't safe from the "Stuff Monsters" that live in these units.

It was confirmed yesterday that I can certainly no longer set up my Aliner by myself.  So it has to go and the sooner the better.  I need a replacement ASAP just for peace of mind {mine}.  It's important to me that I have something that belongs to me to provide my own shelter even tho I still have a apartment. 

So my "Ready-Set-Go" equipment so far includes but is not limited to:
 I have a new Coleman EZ set up dome tent that will sleep 6, maybe 12 if I stack'em just right  

A screen room that I can carry with 1 hand...........I was looking for a EZ up canopy however I could barely lift them in the carry case so I doubted I could wrestle one to a standing position by myself.

A gasoline generator that doesn't weigh 500 lbs.  It's a Champion {I Think} from Home Depo.  It was EZ for me to carry in the box.  Everybody ask JimInDenver about it...NOW!     Thanks Jim, Luv Ya!

2 small elec frigs, one is counter top.

single burner propane cook top +  a butane one + elec. one......Nu Wave oven it's 3 ys old and still in the box....guess it's "new old stock""  Where's the "American Pickers" fellers when you need one?

two crock pots

numerous pieces of Old black iron cook wear including 95yr old Aunt Mary's dutch oven 

Camp chairs...folding tables.....4 ice chests of varying sizes

A set of Red transfer wear dishes from England

A 40lb sewing machine from over the pond...Thanks Abnorm

OH THERE IS MORE!  EVERYTHING A LADY NEEDS TO "ROUGH IT"   :angel:

Now it's lima beans and cornbread time.

Jewellann

 

[highdesertranger]

Jewellann did you get my email? highdesertranger

 

[Cammalu]

Save me some Lima beans and cornbread