van packing procrastination

butterfly · Sep 13, 2011

Waiting for the van to pack itself doesn't seem to be working out for me....humpf!  Hubby and I will hit the hwy mid-day tomorrow...Earth Date 9-14-11 for a 6 day shake-down cruise to MO. for vancamping & a bit of fishing & visiting  w/ friends.  Plan to stay at Lane Springs S.P. a few miles south of Rolla.  This is familiar territory as I used to live in the area.   We've done a mattress change on the bed for hubby.  Found a twin 4'' memory foam mattress for $30 at a weekend outlet store called Grandview...a little rinky-dink store here in town.  It's defect was that it measured less than what the box specified...which made it perfect for the van bed. We put that memory foam mattress over a thick camping mat.  Hubby did a one night test sleep in the driveway and this seems to be a winning combination.  A comfortable combination at last! Folding over 2" memory foam mattress toppers does not give the same results. The recliner where I will sleep fits between the end of hubby's bed and the drivers seat.   My procrastination to load the van stems from my unwillingness to discover if all our stuff will now fit in the remaining space. OK I think I can do this thing now.

blars · Sep 13, 2011

I find having a date when I have to be out of my house by a great motivator.  However, my muscels are complaining about moving around all the heavy boxes (of books).

Imladris · Sep 13, 2011

You can do it! My motto is "one step at a time." I've discovered that it is much easier to accomplish a large task if I only think about the thing I have to do to get it started. I can tell myself, "well i'll just get out the tools and that way i'll have a head start when I get ready to do it later," but then I will often go on to the next step, and then the next, until it is done. I developed this when I was struggling with depression.

butterfly · Sep 26, 2011

imladris, <IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif"> I have used a similar technique for overwhelming projects...once you begin, there is momentum to continue.   Everything did fit into the space under the bed for our trip to MO...incredibly I am still overpacking for our actual needs.  much to learn.   As for the camping experience itself...our first afternoon in camp was awesome: cool cloudy and dry.  the following day some periods of light sprinkles, day 3 was rain all day, day 4 began w/ steady rain so we broke camp and drove home.     We are wimpy campers!    2 people in a van in the rain, even w/ a good book to read, even visiting friends part of the day is not what I'd call a good time. We are doing this w/o tv, computer or music available....was hoping to comune w/ nature for entertainment...Yah,sure, rain is part of nature but the entertainment value of rain is brief.   Hubby joked that if we go to Quartzsite, it's sure to rain!  Unless something last minute comes up, we do have RTR 2012 on our calendar...just giving a heads-up for possible moisture.   On the plus side Lane Springs is part of the Mark Twain National Forrest so hubby's senior America the Beautiful National Parks and Fed. Recreational Lands Pass put the nightly cost of camping at $4.   Vault toilets, water, fire ring, picnic table provided.  A few sites did have electric.  Friendly camp host lived onsite. No reservations taken, first come first served. Closed end of Oct.    Wooded area but some traffic noise could be heard from the nearby major hwy. as the traffic goes down a long hill then up another hill.

Vanimal · Sep 26, 2011

Being in a car when its raining is one of my favorite places to be, but that does sound excessive.

butterfly · Sep 29, 2011

For those who camp in woodland settings... here is A Stinging Nettle Hint   On the MO campout I happened to brush the back of my hand against a stinging nettle plant, and the pain & redness was  immediate.  I disolved half an aspirin w/ a little of my own saliva & rubbed that onto the area of pain, instant relief and the pain didn't come back.   Stinging nettle looks a bit like wild mint but has what looks like little hairs on the stem.  If you get into it, you will definately know it!

She · Sep 29, 2011

Im very allergic to the nettle. I get the tears the sniffling and the dizziness from it. I never had contact allergies from it though.<div>Oh stinging  nettle OK must be different than the nettle here. They don't sting here but we have them all over the place. Isn't that great. <img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif"> Thanks for the information.</div>

butterfly · Sep 30, 2011

Thanks BlkJk for the wikipedia link for stinging nettles!!  Huge amount of info there on the subject...I never think of using widipedia.  Yer Awesome!

dragonflyinthesky · Sep 30, 2011

We are wimpy campers!    2 people in a van in the rain, even w/ a good book to read, even visiting friends part of the day is not what I'd call a good time. We are doing this w/o tv, computer or music available....was hoping to comune w/ nature for entertainment...Yah,sure, rain is part of nature but the entertainment value of rain is brief.  You are not wimpy campers, the conditions were bad and you should be commended for not hurting each other and winding up on the evening news  <IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif">  Too much togetherness can be a very bad thing. Dragonfly

bob144 · Oct 1, 2011

butterfly i live in Rolla

dragonflyinthesky · Oct 22, 2011

Heading back to Ohio tomorrow.  Made this for you. The challenge was to make the butterfly before the surf washed it away and to take the pic of the surf washing it away.

butterfly · Oct 22, 2011

Thank You Dragonflyinthesky...very touching image...all my troubles being swept out to sea.  Excellent photo skills! Safe travels back to OH For anyone else tuning in, my trip to RTR for 2011 is a No-Go.... travel money unexpectedly needed for something else... having a pity party just now but will "pull myself up, dust myself off and start all over again" Well "Hey!" Bob144  You're such a lucky duck to be living in Rolla MO.  I lived 11 yrs in the Edgar Sprs/Licking area...I found the folks there to be awesome.  Friendly, helpful...funny!  such stories the locals could tell.  I miss MO.

dragonflyinthesky · Oct 22, 2011

Thanks, I have a turtle for you but my laptop is acting up. <img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif"> This picture program won't recognize some of the pictures after they come off photoscape.Dragonfly

Seraphim · Oct 22, 2011

Hey butterfly - two in a van is 'cozy', as long as it doesn't last TOO long. That's the reason DW is pushing for a class C camper with a bedroom separate from the living area lol..

Speaking of butterfly pictures, I may have a photo you'd like.. I'll try to find it.

Seraphim · Oct 22, 2011

Here you go: someone had spilled something sugary on the ground, and the butterflies swarmed it. Feel free to use it, if you have a use for it.

dragonflyinthesky · Oct 23, 2011

Blkjak, our museum of natural history in Dayton had a stuffed baby 2 headed snake. As a child I was facinated by it. They had a poor old stuffed black bear that was behind a barracade. I remember ducking under and petting the bear on the nose before getting hollered at. Serephin, are the butterflies from somewhere in your travels, do you remember where? diane

butterfly · Oct 23, 2011

Acording to Hubby's butterfly book these are probably Pipevine Swallowtail butterflys...or possibly Spicebush Swallowtail  both a very rare sight in OH.what an awesome picture Seraphim!  Thank you for sharing

Seraphim · Oct 23, 2011

The photo was taken in the Smoky Mountains, travelling north from around Cherokee back to Ohio. I recall it was a winding road along a mountain stream, at a pull over.

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