And yet another week...

This past week has been tedious to say the least. The wife had me out and about all last weekend doing this and that. So by the time Monday came around I had not gotten the rest that this heart patient needs. SO the week drew out.

The q20 5th wheel hitch finally arrived and will be installed next Wednesday. So we are moving closer to a maiden voyage with the RV.  Yes I am expecting quircks and glitches to be encountered but we can work thru them.  It will be worth it in the long run.  Even if I don't retire completely it will be nice to have the RV to escape to when necessary.

I spent some time this week looking at DSLR cameras as an alternative to the iphone 6s to capture even better photographs and return my interest in photography as a hobby.  One of my first ambitions in high school was a love of capturing images on film and using the trays to further enhance my images.  Black and white was always my favorite medium and I hope to return to it in the digital realm.  I am contemplating either the Nikon platform, as I have loved Nikon film cameras since I first picked up my Nikon F way back when.  I am also looking at the Canon rebel line  as it too brings back memories of several of my cameras and lenses. I have several 35mm Canons in storage  and would like that reliability again. But alas. ONly time will tell which one I will begin my DSLR adventures with.

This weekend we are going down to the storage yard to bring some items to the RV and begin prepping it internally.  Just a short trip this time to bring down a few items purchased to personalize it to the Trash phamily.  We then are going to take Mrs Trash out for a mothers Day brunch/ lunch .

I will try and provide some new pics shortly but I am still working on the transfer from iphone to blogger.

Wish me luck,

Another week coming to an end

Settling in to the basement for the second week. I refuse to get comfortable as I want to hit the road ASAP,

The 5th wheel hitch has been ordered and should be at the installer next week.  Step 2 complete.

Mrs T has been watching YouTube videos regarding RV life.  She is learning a lot and I am glad she is taking a serious interest in learning all the information and how to deal with potential crises that undoubtedly will occur.

Meanwhile I have been dealing with day time job and finding myself growing even less content with the scenario. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is a tad scary.  We grow comfortable in the habit of work and home. What happens when home takes precedent over work. The freedom it offers.

Along with the freedom comes the inevitable opportunity cost of not having the job paycheck to count on. Having to resell myself as an independent contractor on a full time basis is rough.. For as we all know a steadty stream of income is essential when on the road. Unless of course you married well or are a trust fund baby.. We arent.

We are two over the middle aged barrier lower class hermits venturing out on the open road in our truck and 5th wheel.  To ride into the sunset before the good lord takes us home. I pray every night that we are making the right choice. For there is no turning back. 

Walk Walk Walk

After the quad bypass almost 2 years ago the doctor recommended keeping up my regime of 2-3 miles a day walking..   Granted since selling the mobile I have not been doing that and my weight and blood thickness notices. As well as my doctor..

So as of this past weekend I am forcing myself to walk more. Yesterday it was 3 miles. Today the train was stuck so I hopped off and walked the rest of the way.  I stopped about half way thru the  1mile walk and snagged a Daz Bog coffee.. The KGBlend has a bit of a caffeine kick to it but I love the flavor. I can only drink it rarely due t the caffeine.

I also forget what I am missing when I walk . The sounds of nature, the open spaces,  the little, often unnoticeable sights and smells that only walking can bring.   I must force myself to continue my walking regime as the weight I have put on is not good for me.

I must also remember to photograph these sights more so my blog and my life  is not just a plethora of words on a screen.  It might take a while to get back into this habit but now that I have made myself aware of the issue I can work to correct.  

Weekend from Hell

After deciding to move out of our extended stay hotel we chose to move into a duplex closer to downtown.  This move will save us about 1500 a month in lodging costs. Money we can use to prep the RV.  However  now we have to get up earlier in  the AM to get the kids to work and then me to my day job. 

I keep telling myself this is a temporary scenario  until the RV is set up and we can hit the road. First on short trips to work any kinks out of both the truck and the RV.  Moving day was not to fun as everyone wanted to drive.. The same old story.

Everything was loaded into the truck and we were off. It was easy to get it all into the duplex. Mrs T and I enjoyed the rest of the day watching TV and eating junk food while watching Doctor Who.

Sunday I had to run errands and take kid to work. FUn FUn . But alas I was able to watch BBC America for the afternoon. Followed up with a Duck Dynasty marathon.  Instant heaven. 
I cannot wait to hit the road as W Monroe Louisiana is on the bucket list of places we will be RVing to.

kids and driving: a nightmare

With all the struggles and challenges of changing our lifestyle it never occurred to me that having 3 kids at home ages 17,19 and 21 the idea of them driving and the constant nagging to get drive time experience is nerve wracking.  Gone are days when we had drivers ed taught to us in high school. PArents did not have to do anything but go with Junior to the DMV to get the permit  and the drivers ed instructor, usually an athletic coach did the hard job. When we completed the course at the end of the semester mom and dad  would take Junior to the DMV and wait patiently while they took their driving test.   LIFE was so much simpler then.

In todays world the kids bicker and nag every time a drive somewhere is needed. "Can I drive"  is the dreaded inquiry the parent gets.  When 3 kids start this at the same time  the notion of my patience wearing thin comes to the front.  And if you reluctanyl choose one the real fighting begins..  "Its not fair"  "Its favoritism"  or "its Bullshit you let her drive and not me"   What wonderful kids.  This is usually followed by me saying "F#ck it I am driving"  Makes almost any trip unbearable.   My favorite  response occurred the other night when my 21 year old avoided me completely and told her mother "Tell dad to let me drive". Mind you i was in the drivers seat at the time.  Clearly bypassing dad and beginning the trip with both mom and I facing unavoidable confrontation.

This entire scenario plays itself out like clockwork the moment I walk in the door after a full day at work and lasts at least the first few hours..  G-d how I miss the old days.. Has anyone else gone thru this scenario.

It makes me wonder what the fascination is with driving.. To me its an exercise in futility and an annoyance.  I prefer to walk, ride the bike or take a bus or Uber.  Less stress. 

2017 and a change in lifestyle

After several long months of subdued activity I am almost ready to begin the new chapter in Living With Trashdigger.  SInce my heart surgery 2 years ago and my mini stroke several weeks ago the wife and I decided a change is needed. 
With the house sold we are taking the Trash phamily into a temporary retirement. We have acquired a used 1 ton truck and a 5th wheel as our home base and will later in the year begin enjoying the freedom of not having a brick and mortar residence any longer .   This has not been an easy time but the end of one life and beginning of another is near.
I will still maintain employment in both my regula job and build my other businesses to the point where I can work from the road, the lake, the beach or anywhere else.
I also will be updating my YT channel  to reflect the changes as time allows. 
Stay tuned...

NOw its been a really long time.

Almost 2 years since i have posted anything here..  Where has the time gone.
In the past 2 years I have been delving into infosec as a sideline as well as the www.pipes.org website as a source of secondary income. Along with my full time government gig.
I also suffered a heart attack last June which required a quad bypass to get me back to normal.. Whatever that is. So I now live on meds and see useless doctors. I am also trying to eat better and get back to my gardening this spring. The beater bike has been restored somewhat and I am slowly able to ride again.
We are still living in old beater mobile home, the wife, 3 kids and now a little dog my daughter adopted.
During my recovery I was given a 42 in LED tv and a hacked Android streaming box to keep me entertained.  Having an affinity for old Sherlock Holmes and Science Fiction the Android has found me many hours of entertaining programming to keep me entertained. Thanx to my son who acquired this for me.
Hopefully I will be able to add things that interest me on here as time goes on and eventually get back to doing YouTube videos again. My studio is in disarray from the yeas of neglect. Hopefully that will change.
In the meantime I will be again posting somewhat regularly to this journal of my activities and hope the 56 readers are still out there.
Namaste