Movin' on up - or down (town).

Several considerations here. 1) I'm finding it almost impossible to do what needs to be done for this business from way out here. 2) There's no work here and I need at least a little income while I'm putting this together. And 3) I'm tired of being alone all the time. Sure, I've got a couple of friends here, and I'm at least an acquaintance of most of the people who live here. But there's something missing. I need people more my age. Preferably female :). It will be nice to be able to see Pamela and my other friend Klara at least a little more than once a month.

So the decision has been made, the wheels are in motion, my bags are almost backed and my truck is converted. I'm moving to San Diego.

I've made arrangements to put my trailer into storage here at the resort. Half of my stuff, stuff I won't need for a while, will be in the trailer. I've built a bed for the back of my truck, ran 12V power to the back for an inverter to run the computer and loaded everything I need to live for the next couple of months into a couple plastic cargo boxes. I also have most of my tools. All except the welder - it's kind of big. So I can do some handyman work here and there to make a few bucks to live on. My rent & living expenses will be reduced from ~$375/mo. to $55/mo. plus driving around gas. I don't have a stove, but I tend to eat mostly raw food anyway. I'll be able to run a small crock pot on the inverter to cook rice as long as I run the truck once in a while. I also have several wooden bowls that I made a while back that I should be able to sell at a farmers' market. That will net me several hundred dollars.

Oh, more LOA manifesting stuff: I went to the resort "dump" where there's a section of scrap lumber. I needed some lumber and plywood to build a bed. There was plenty of lumber there, but I also found a light tubular steel frame. Still good paint, no rust. Almost exactly the size I need for the bed. A trellis in a former life. 8" wider and 2" higher than I was originally planning, but otherwise perfect. Just had to cut 3" off one end and attach 2 pieces together with hinges and it slipped right in. Far less work, lighter and easier access to stuff under the bed. Perfect!

Also while I was at the dump, there was an old propane BBQ in really good shape, except for the propane part. Now, it is my firm opinion that it doesn't matter how good of a cook you are, it's not possible to make a decent meal on a propane BBQ. You need charcoal. This unit only needs a little TLC on the wood trim/tables and a coat of paint on the metal and it'll be a perfect charcoal BBQ. Exactly what I need for the business.

Are things falling together or what?!?

What I'll be doing is called "stealth camping". That's camping in a van, truck or car that looks like a normal vehicle so nobody knows you're camping. You're just parked. A van is the most comfortable, but all I have is a short box pickup with a cap, similar to the one in the picture. You use what you have.

I've done similar to this before when I was younger. Twice I lived in a truck camper for a few months each. I enjoyed it. But that was in the northern Canadian wilderness. There are hidden places to park galore. Here I'll be in a city, which will be a little more difficult not to mention not as nice (never did like cities much).

The plan is to move tomorrow, September 1st. That is, if the guy that has owed me money for the last 3 months pays me that last $80 tomorrow. I really have no doubt he will.

Doing this will allow me to not only cut down my expenses until things are rolling, but it will put me in the city where I need to be to make arrangements for the business.

I'm feeling a little apprehensive about this. But still, it feels good. I have total confidence that it'll work out. The logic is sound, and the emotions are still good.