Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

Oh -- camping. MAYBE next week!!!! The great news is that I can now camp mid-week, and even on weekends I can find camping spots about 2-3 weeks out, something that has not been possible for the past few years. I think the camping bubble may have burst.

As for Kevin's comment (did you kill another battery, sir? ), here's a bigger look at the back story behind it.

The name and icon all happened about the time I joined this forum back in 2011 when we bought our first campinn.

Sweeney was a nickname given to me at work. I used to work as an IT drone, doing software integration for Big Pharma. A co-worker, finding out that I was working on getting a license as a barber, gave me the nickname "Sweeney."

The Dilbert icon came from my badge photo and the infamous comic strip, which is frighteningly accurate to corporate life. While in school, I got a haircut at the school. I was the only white guy there, and we had very few white customers. So, the instructor wanted to use me as an example to talk about "white" hair. I innocently assumed he knew what he was doing. About 30 seconds into the cut, he started sweating profusely. He turned me to the mirror and said "What do you think? My response was "I've never worn it like that before..." doing my best to be polite.

The haircut wasn't my style, and technically, it wasn't the best, but the resemblance to Dilbert was uncanny. So, I decided to lean into it, and laugh rather than shave it off or get upset. Its just hair. The image below was taken 3 days later, and became my badge photo for several years.

Today, I'm gone from the corporate gig, and work in a barbershop.

So, there you go.

Next trip, we'll see how next Wednesday and Thursday look. The good/bad is that my weekends are now on Wednesday and Thursday...


View attachment 10788

 

Reminds me when we were on a trip to eastern NC. I needed a haircut and walked into a local barbershop. I immediately noticed that I was the only white person in the shop. I told myself that I’m going to show everyone how cool I am and get a haircut. Needless to say, the barbers did their best to avoid putting me in their chair mainly out of fear which I found out later. I tipped the barber and walked out of the shop and my wife started laughing as I looked like I had been in a train wreck. We still laugh about it.

 

Mom went to her eternal reward yesterday.

LOL. I'm reminded of my time in school, combined with the humor of Redd Foxx...

You big dummy!

Hair is hair in as much as it is a collection of Carbon, oxygen, Hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur atoms (per the official training material provided by A.B. Moler method Thats where the differences begin. LOL

I know when my (above) cut happened, I saw a "senior instructor" whom I haven't seen in 10 years +, but still have a great love for...broke out into a cold sweat. I miss 'ya Doc. I really do....

I'd love nothing more than to sit on he barber board and dismantle it. Returning the entire trade to the apprentice/master model that existed for millennia before the government decided they wanted to tax it --- Did I mention A.B. Moler was from Chicago?? Now...the pieces fall into place!

Its a tough trade. 8 hours behind a chair is the most demanding thing I've ever done professionally, short of standing in front of a 400 degree "powder coat" furnace making propane tanks. I love it --- don't get me wrong....its the toughest job I've ever had, and I LOVE it except for the constant worry of "Is this good?"

Now...where's the bottle

 

Pike State Forest Horse Campground, site 24. Looking in.

Enjoying a quiet morning listening to little birds and sprinkles of liquid sunshine on the Bunduawn. 2nd cup of coffee, thinking about a third and 2nd breakfast and snacking on boysenberries picked yesterday before heading out.


Pike State Forest, near Arthur IN. Horse campground, no electric, clean pit toilets and lots of lightning Bugs.

Looking out to quiet campground

Pike State Forest Horse Campground, site 24. Looking in.

 

I got to get down htere --- that looks like a great place. I think "Slim Potatoehead" was there some time ago as he passed through....

worth a trip it seems. Love the setup!!!!

 

I’ll have to check his archive, this is very peaceful. Enjoying the cooler evening weather to leave the doors open with the screens.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss.

 

Thank you, I still haven't health with any of the 'drama' this year -- Dad, Job, Mom...just to name a few. I wish I had about 14 days of that "magic 60 days" that I had in March through May left. Getting lost on the open road with a stop or two in a few lakeside would be welcomed right now. Escape the noise. TV's, and constant stimulation of the senses does very little for peace.

I accidentally found a theme here! Yes, his slow and very metered delivery reminds me a lot of Bob Ross without the 'fro. I enjoy his camping just as much as I do his cabin videos. I really want a cabin like that, even with camping "opening up" and begin able to find sites much easier than previous years, having a go to place to unplug would be wonderful.

I actually never really enjoyed that show, maybe I need to go back and re-watch and episode of two.

 

Sorry for your losses, Sweeney...
It does get better over time,
and camping is healing for sure...

Speaking of the RV biz and recreational camping "opening up" some now post covid...
Whats the feeling/observations of others actively camping?
There has to be a few lurkers here that are seeing more day to day, in addition to regular posters...
Are we seeing a "return to normal" like "reversion to the mean", the pendulum swing?

Maybe easier to grab a spot mid week without reserving a half year ahead?

I'm more of a "camp while traveling" kinda guy, sorta wandering and not terribly organized if I dont have to...less crowds is good for my selfish self inerests.

Wondering what others see?
$7/gal gas is not so great in teardroppers but easier if you get 20mpg...
but has to REALLY suck if you are driving/towing a tin slab sided monument like something out of StarWars at 6mpg...

Sandcrawler - Wikipedia

Not being judgy or gloating here...
Glamping small is really a sweet spot for us, RN.
Sympathize with others with limited means who are having to cut back...
And I do see the attraction of one level up to a stand-y, ideally with 4wd/awd, to get further out on the backroads, BLM, USFS, various state lands/parks with dirt gravel roads up and down.

 

Where is our resident bear photog?
Opportunity calls!

Yellowstone Says Grizzly With Five Cubs The Most Ever Recorded In Park

 

FYI: The back way from the west to Jackson and NP's north is closed awhile:

MSN

Pretty country up there, checking out property a couple years back, been meaning to get back...some pretty neat trails, inc an old route used by the sheep herders...

 

The concrete man leveled the platform for my garage and will set the forms in the next few days. The concrete should be poured Friday.

BB886134-548D-4101-A88A-995A758BDBF0 by Tour 931 posted Jun 10, 2024 at 7:01 PM

 

For me it’s not the crowds that I avoid while camping. It’s more because I live in the middle of nowhere and anyplace I go has to have more than 8 people a square mile. I camp at home and use my teardrop to travel and see the crowds. I’m a sucker for tourist traps! The journey is why, not the destination. I can drive 200 miles in a day and only get 50 miles downstream and sleep wherever I end up at sunset.

 

Me too! Old amusement parks, dark rides, and obscureities like "muffler men" and world largest anything.

If you've ever seen "Jacob The Carpet Bagger" --- he's mybrother from another mother. Though he likes gaffs (I think that's what they are called) like the feejee murmaid and perhaps some of the more 'ghostly' and spiritual things...I don't plain that realm at all.

I tend to think hours --- when traveling to get some place, its 9a to 4p, then I'm looking for a spot. If I had no time limits, lots of money, and no commitments --- I'd love to travel 2-4 hours a day. I've never actually been able to do that...

The trouble without pre-planning is too often, I get stuck at a KOA or some awful roadside park rather than a beautiful place, not to say all KOAs are bad --- just not a good substitute for a state park...my $.02

 

I usually stay at rest stops, truck stops, Walmart parking lots and grocery stores. The secret is pull in late and leave early.

I like to figure 400 miles in one week and will set a town or place to be each Friday. Where I stay in between is not planned although I will plan out a dozen places I want to see along the way. Being retired and having unlimited vacation time helps as I’m often gone for months at a time.

 

400 miles in a week is my kind of driving pace! I definitely have trouble with anything more than three hours in a day, I think I have driving related narcolepsy!

 

Imagine a 30’ x 50’ garage here. The concrete is scheduled to be poured tomorrow.

9D17FDD5-C8C4-4ED3-8EA6-FEA1A1227ADC by Tour 931 posted Jun 12, 2024 at 12:53 PM

 

I napped in a rest area once (I think this is widely different by state) and got the knock.

Truck stops --- do you park with the big boys? I'll be they love you. Or do you count on Buckee's large parking lot as a disguise? I have no idea how you could possibly police one of those....

Walmarts, I have had good luck with, but that was some time ago. Reports are now that it isn't as possible. Though Cracker Barrel & Bass Pro/Cabellas are both up and comers. I've stayed at a Cabellas (south of Chattanoga) successfully. No knock, no problems. Did it twice I can specifically remember. South of Chatanooga and Plymouth Indiana.

The only trouble was --- no jon at night, that was a little challenging.

But most definaltey, get there before the manager does....

I often van dwellers, I can see how doing this would be infinitely easy -- heck, just slip into a quiet neighborhood that has people parking on the streets...done. Harder with something as conspicuous as a campinn.


I managed to get a trip in! I'm using it as a working day, trying to build a business budget. I've done budgets for mult-million dollar projects before --- its different when it is real 'green' money. My 'coffee' today (at 4pm, so its not as bad as it sounds) is a surprisingly good wiskey. The Japanese are doing to wiskey what they did to automobiles in the 70's.

The beverage today (my last 2 drams of it) is Santori Toki -- a surprisingly cheap yet amazingly delicious blend. Cost about $30 at the local grocery store, and is probably in my top 3 of favorites. Alas, once this 1/2 oz is gone that's it. I need a new bottle, and for that I am very sad. I haven't seen it for a while.

If you can find it, try it. Its fantastic.

My bottle in reserve is something I'll share with a very select few friends....Horse Solider Barrel Strength. Also amazing. Sip lightly, my friends. The company was founded by 12 special forces soldiers, the first feet on the ground after 9-11. It's also special. The label is a pressed foil label, that was pressed in a die made from steel, that was obtained from the twin towers. Every bottle carries that memorial....very good. I got this at an ABC in Florida. Almost worth the trip alone

 

Rest areas in the west are easy. I park with the trucks in rest areas pulling the trailer. With truck stops I park with the cars. I drove long haul and know where a semi wouldn’t mind me parking which is usually at the first slot where they can see you. If you park in the middle where they can’t see you they get mad. Also parking anywhere an 18 wheeler won’t fit helps.