When Times are Tough. Part 1, Where do I Eat?

Hello Readers,
   I'm gonna start this one off with a bit of personal info I am a HUGE Star Wars geek, there I said it, its on the net, no taking it back now. OK now that that's outta the way (you will understand very soon) lets talk about lines that shouldn't be crossed, the light side and the dark side if you will. Today's topic is a line I've recently crossed and never thought I would. OK enough build up, today were going to talk about dumpster diving. If you were raised anything like us you were taught that "civilized people don't do that" well this is about survival when your down and out and REALLY hungry, not being civil. We decided to cross that line after we hadn't eaten in 4 days, that being said let me explain to you the SAFE way to do this. To start we camp predominately at truck stops that serve hot food for the simple fact that if were broke and hungry its an easy way to get a meal. Another good place to check (for now) is 7/11 as they are currently offering subs and they get rid of them EVERY NIGHT! Now I've talked to many a seasoned traveler about this and let me tell you NEVER CLIMB INTO A DUMPSTER it is not safe as some containers also compress garbage and in some places if your caught you run the risk of catching a charge of  "molestation of a refuse container" laugh if you want but its true (look it up). If there is a lock on the container or fence do not enter it you don't need a criminal trespass charge either. My general rule is to ask first, if you explain to an employee that you haven't eaten in a few days they will most likely have the heart to let you take what you want before it goes into the dumpster itself. On the rare occasion that you run into a heartless bastard that values their job (there are cooperate rules against giving homeless people food because of lawsuits) more than your life take caution when approaching the dumpster and make sure NO ONE is watching, open the top or side door and only take what is wrapped in plastic, this will make it a little safer as far as food poisoning goes. I think it goes without saying that this should only be done at night. One more thing I should mention about this type of "hunting and gathering" is if you are gathering for multiple stomach's as I do, if you run across a tiny amount of food in one container take it with you and store it somewhere offsite from your next container. Why you might ask? The reason for this is, if a employee catches you and calls the authorities they will make you put EVERYTHING in the dumpster, better to have a little than nothing right?


This will be an ongoing series not covered in our "Futurecast" post and the reason I am teaching you this is its easy to get into this situation but red tape makes for a hellofa spider web to get yourself out of it.

                                          "Keep the faith and provide the peace"
                                                                            -Mr. Fix

Building the perfect pantry

Hello everyone!  Todays post is about the most efficient way to store a staple stockpile of food for traveling.  It will cover how to store it, what to include and what NOT to keep.  So, lets begin with storage.  If you have a little bit of money to invest before you set off, and I cannot stress enough, do not start off with nothing like we did, lol its terrible to try to aquire items while rollin.  Plastic totes with lids are great,  they are airtight and the perfect size to fit under seats freeing up more storage space.  Having said that, our no money solution to it was oversize milk crates.  They dont slide, and stack together, locking them into place if packed correctly ( canned goods and other heavy items on the bottom). Unfortunately, they are not airtight, so tupperware of some sort is a must with them for perishables, but the upside is that the open top makes for easy access while youre driving.  Fumbling with lids for a snack is just a few steps away from texting and driving, in my opinion.  Now, what to put in your pantry...Canned goods are a MUST!  Try and pack full meal items such as hearty soups, stews and chilis; no refrigeration needed, full servings of at least 3 food groups and can be eaten right out of the can if you dont have access to a microwave or other cooking device.  Crackers are a great alternative to bread as they do not mold nearly as easily and if you have access to meat will still be able to work like bread, only smaller.  Embrace the grownup lunchable people.  You can never have too much peanut butter,  its a great substitute for protein when you cant find fresh meat,or have no way of storing it, it almost never goes bad, and I dare you to find a food bank that doesnt give it away.  Added bonus, you can pair it with almost anything for any meal, get creative.  Example: donated box of plain melba toast = tastes like cardboard, paired with thick layer of p.b.= nice breakfast sandwich, + jelly = delicious breakfast and covers three food groups!  Cheap trail mix of any kind, normally expensive in most stores, but not at Dollar Tree!  Get to know that store well.  Everything and I mean EVERYTHING for just a dollar.  Try and keep something salty and something sweet at all times cause I guarantee if you dont have it, you Will crave it.  A cooler works well for fresh produce even if you dont have ice, but try and eat that stuff asap, or just go with canned, its easier to keep without having to keep it cold.  Keep a bag with every kind of gas station, truckstop and fast food condiment known to man!  Theyre free to take, dont need to be refrigerated, and can be used for a variety of things.  Dont forget salt and pepper, and if you can get it, powdered garlic, apart from it being a seasoning it is also a natural tick and mosquito repellant.   Do not try and store anything fresh for more than a few days,  If you cant eat it or store it properly, give it away!  Trust us, food poisoning while traveling is not only uncomfortable, and terrible but also VERY dangerous.  Always keep a stockpile of water obviously, but for those of you who NEED some flavor to your beverages,  powdered mixes are great, inexpensive ( thanks again Dollar Tree!) and easy to store.  Above all, never be afraid to try new things!  whether you are in a region that you are unfamiliar with, or just never liked it before, throw away those misconceptions.  Going hungry for a few days will definately change a picky eater.  Above all, be thankful for what you have, or what someones willing to give, it may save your life, and if you keep an open mind, you might just try the most delicious things you would have never even dreamed of eating.  I know I did.

                                                                    - Thanks for reading!

                                                                                        -Mr. FiX and LaDy DyMe

Comments, Views and other such things

Hello Readers,

     That's right you get a double post today! A little over a month ago my wife and I started this blog and I figured by now someone would want to comment on it. About a week ago I think I figured out why, so I have turned on anonymous comments. Do not be afraid to speak your mind here; good, bad or otherwise. We want to hear some feedback from you our world, we know your out there, heck I check the stats at least every other day lol. On to views, I still consider this blog in its infancy being a little over a month old, and I'm proud to say this lil guy has almost 200 page views in four countries (thank you France, Poland and Ireland) I gotta say I'm pretty impressed! So check it out I have taken a back seat to posting as of late, so trust me readers I will be posting more hints and tips to living this "road life" so as to balance this blog out and not just have it be a personal diary of sorts. But hey if that's why you keep coming back let us know that too! Alright folks that's all for tonight I'm gonna get me some of that KFC DyMe talked about in the last post.


                                                      "Keep the faith and provide the peace"
                                                             -Mr. Fix

Hallelujah!

Greetings ya'll!  Did we or did we not tell you that you will be given all the tools you need if you remain positive and have faith?  For  us, it was in the form of an actual pastor, who wishes to remain anonymous.  But he definitely went above and beyond, both in helping his fellow man and meeting our needs.  We tried to go through the proper channels making an appointment to meet with a salvation army representative and requesting the local number for traveler aid, and was given an appointment time at their local outreach office, located in aforementioned church.  Well, we showed up, the rep, well...not so much.  The church secretary was kind enough to get her on the phone with us, and after an almost hour long rigmarole to get us the proper paperwork, she proceeded to tell us that she couldn't help us until we were employed, and failed to give us any more reference numbers we requested.  Through all this, unbeknownst to us, the pastor was listening to all the goings on.  After we left to wait for the food pantry, he sent someone to request a moment of our time.  He asked us what it was that we were trying to accomplish by contacting the S.A.  We told him we were stranded in ( name of town deleted). and were trying to get back to a nearby town for a few job interviews we had set up.  Long story short, NOT ONLY did he donate a little gas for us, he completely FILLED our tank!  Not a cheap thing to do at all.  On top of that, he donated to us personal care items, filled our dry pantry and best of all, rented us a hotel room for the night so we could sleep in a big REAL bed, have air conditioning ( a must have here) and be able to get a good nights sleep and clean up to be presentable for our interviews tomorrow.  ON TOP OF ALL THAT,  the amazing workers at a nearby KFC ( mmm!) donated us a meal after we politely asked, but wait there's more...after one of the coworkers overheard our story, she said, and I quote " aww, go on and throw em an 8 piece, its on me" ( which miraculously turned into a 12 piece btw). " that way they don't have to worry where their next meals coming from either."  Now, ya'll, I'm the first person to preach god helps those who help themselves and have faith and all that...but the pure generosity of complete strangers today had me on the verge of tears and thanks more times than I can count today.  Once again, you never know what one simple kindness you can do can affect someones life in profound and immeasurable ways.  Oh, and they even donated another meal to our furry little demons too, who are soaking up the air and happier than pigs in shit right now!  Giant smiles all around tonight!  God Bless every one of you!  We'll be back on track tomorrow with the normal schedule, I promise, thanks for going with the flow of the road and bearing with us, loyal followers

                                           

"gonna get by with a little help from my friends" ( or complete and total strangers, you never know)

                                                                            -Mr. FiX and LaDy DyMe

Our foray into respectable life

So,  we've found a chill spot where we would like to stay for awhile,  pretty scenery, nice people, abundant jobs ( more on that in a sec.) NO resources readily available for the indigent without a lot of bureaucratic red tape, so...back to a 9-5 and a steady paycheck til we get the van and ourselves, not to mention the 4 legged ones back into fighting shape.  Rock on to the fact that we've covered a third of the country in two months, but you gotta know when to relax a little, and save up some hard earned cash.  Now, about that, Lady DyMe, being the dynamic soul that she is, managed to score three interviews in one day, the following Monday, for jobs that want her to start immediately in the city we want to reside in; the problem:  were stuck 60 miles away with no gas or money, because we were taken advantage of by the people we were here to help.  No shame in their game, we were played and it sucks, but you know what?  DO NOT let life get you down people, Have Faith, and stay quick in your mind and on your feet,  If ( insert deity here) is providing this job opportunity, and the chance for a whole lot more because of it, were going to do EVERYTHING in our power to help him/her along.  The world works in mysterious ways, and be sure to stay reading to find out what works for us this time...any tips or advice would also be graciously received and passed on to fellow readers...But for now, stay safe and live life to the fullest!          

                                                               -Mr. FiX and LaDy DyMe                                                                                  

The Importance of Mondays

Hello world!  First of all, today will be a double post because we didn't realize the last one didn't post successfully, sorry!  Anyways, the importance of Mondays ( and old friends)  Every now and then, its definitely a good idea to get off the road for a lil R&R.  This can be accomplished two ways.  Money and good, old friends.  If you have money, spurge on a hotel room or b. and b. from time to time.  Be sure to plan ahead, and make reservations, so you're not s.o.l. when you get there.  But... if cash is in short supply, friends that haven't seen you in a while are a great resource.  Remember, Facebook is your friend people!  Try and keep track of where you'll be in the near future when a rest would be a good idea, keep track of those old friends (they tend to move around the older you get) and again, call or message ahead.  Most of the time they will be delighted to see you and actually look forward to it!  It's a great feeling to pull up and see old friends with big, welcoming smiles on their faces as opposed to a polite but impersonal greeting from a desk clerk.  Sitting around reminiscing over old times and catching up on their, and your lives sure beats staring at four walls, or HBO.  An added bonus, you probably have some great road stories to share and they will have some knowledge of local resources you can utilize.  Always remember though, the importance of being a good guest.  Be sure to help pitch in around their house or apartment.  Help with chores or projects they are working on, mind your manners, respect their rules and lifestyle no matter how odd it may be for you.  Always try and leave every place you go a little better than it was before you got there, with hard work and a positive attitude, and you will no doubt be welcome back.  Last thing, old adage, fish and house guests yadda yadda...you know the saying.  Do not overstay your welcome!

            *note: Please check in with us periodically for we may have some guest posts fairly soon!

                                                         - Mr. FiX and Lady DyMe

Rollin Iron

Hello Readers,

Almost made it through the first leg of our journey.  Sorry about not posting more, we tore up about 700 miles of asphalt on no cash and the kindness of strangers.  Time for some Wednesday Wisdom.  Do a kindness for a stranger everyday, please.  Just one might change someone's life in ways you can't even imagine.  Having said that, also be aware that others who do not share in this value are sometimes quick to be self righteous in what they perceive is going on.  Case in point:  were sitting in a rest area in North Carolina minding our own; the stuck sign is out, but we haven't approached anyone, in fact, we haven't even left our vehicle.  We noticed a hipster couple drive up having car problems. Now, we don't have any money, but FiX does have a fair bit of car knowledge.  Long story short, the wife or girlfriend and I shared a conversation while the guys worked on the car.  They were going to a wedding, had been on the road since 2:30 am that morning, ect. ect.  Long story short,  Fix gave them an on-the-road solution, directions to the nearest truck stop with a mechanic available, and made sure that they could make it there.  They were, obviously, delighted, because it was going to be an easy fix, they could still make good time and make it to the wedding.  Being generous and grateful, they insisted we take a little gas money, of which, was VERRY needed.  I was just headed into the restroom, before heading onto the road again because now all of our needs were taken care of and we are not greedy people, when FiX was flagged down by an attendant and a very rude middle aged white woman.  They said we had to go, which was the plan in the first place, but then the woman took it upon herself to whip out her cellphone, take pictures of our licence plate, and let us know that she had informed the highway patrol that we were panhandling.  Thanks, momjeans.  First of all, know your laws, we had not approached or asked anyone for money,  Second, helping fix a car is not against the law, especially since we would have done it for free, it's just good karma.  So, take it from us, dont try to police the world, mind your own.  No good deed goes unpunished, but for us,the feeling of helping someone was well worth it,  and the thought of the officer who received that call had a funny story to tell at home that day.  We think it goes a lil something like this...

Officer: whats the problem ma'am?

Momjeans:  These people are panhandling.

Officer: did they approach you and ask you for money?

Momjeans: no, they fixed someone else's car and then drove away...

Officer: Ma'am, what exactly do you think I should do?

The moral of the story is "look at life and laugh but don't be a fool".


                                                       Be kind to all you meet on the road
                                                             -Mr. FiX & Lady DyMe

Our Anniversary

Greetings fellow travelers and readers!  We're baaack...  Sorry about the delay, got a little derailed for our anniversary;  saw the Atlantic ocean, found the twilight zone, and was almost sold into human slavery, lol!  ( note to all of you, DO NOT try to workcamp for Holiday Trav-L-Park for Campers, they will NEVER let you go, let you take water breaks, or feed you, much less pay you any kind of wage to compensate for the work youve done past the point of paying for your campsite.)  We realize that this post should be for curing boredom, but as we havent really had any downtime to actually BE bored, guess you'll just have to be entertained by our lil detour, and have a laugh and hopefully a drink on us.

First off, " dogs at the beach"  our fearless shephard-corgi was TERRIFIED. 

But suprisingly, the lil rescue min. pin. whos scared of everything but his own shadow took to the ocean like a duck to water ( sorry, showin our hillbilly roots). 

We loved it, it was a great experience for him and funny as hell to watch him chase waves as he is used to RUNNING instead of chasing, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks and feel great doing it! 

 We  stopped to camp for the night at a campground and work off a $40 a night campsite.  Time for us to do a little math, readers- 2 workers doing lanscaping work at min. wage, from 9:00am til 3:00pm  is 6 hours, providing their own food, water and shelter and not using any of the camp facilities provided for paying customers left us...S.O.L.  Then on top of that, the woman that rules with an iron fist tried to call my husband a liar to my face and that just DON'T fly with mama!  Now, ya'll, words were NOT exchanged, but she could see the effect it had on me, long story short ladies, lets be a lil more careful when tellin our men what was said verbatim, cause guess what!  you'll end up sleeping in a ghetto in Norfolk cause your mans passive aggressive and his only option ( in his mind) was to give up a whole days work.  It didnt help that she was all well, you can stay here, join us...join us... super creepy.  Sorry crazy eyes, we ain't drinking that kool-aid, I dont care if its fruit punch flavor.

Long story short, from the ghetto with a night full of breaking bottles outside our van and dealers doing a commendable business in the hotel where we were broke down in their parking lot( not recommended btw) to rollin iron for over 300 miles today just on the kindness of strangers, between donations of gas and food.  Fresh mozzarella for loaded spring salads, all natural hippie snacks, REAL strawberry shortcakes, and premium roast beef sandwiches!  plus road snacks for days just from people donating us leftovers from their summer weekends! Gotta love it!  Better than a McBurger anyday, mmm, buddy!  Just goes to to show you when god closes a door, he gives you the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing and generous people you would never have met otherwise.  ( oh yeah, and the dogs got completely screwed cause someone gave us real dog food, so we dont have to supplement with people food anymore.  sad, sad, puppy eyes; ahh well its good for em, like reminding your kid to eat his veggies and not fill up on dessert.)  

So kids, take a lil inspiration from a few songs I love, " you gotta know when to hold em, and know when to fold em" and  " You get what you give" karma comes around, the best advice we can give you  is from the greatest man my husband ever knew, so heres to you Ellsworth Jacobs, When times are tough, "act like a duck, stay calm and cool on top and paddle like hell underneath!"  Love from your family Bud, R.I.P 1928-2011.

                                                               -Mr. FiX and Lady DyMe

Truck Stop Camping

Todays post is about the most ideal place you could ever find to camp at while traveling.  Truckstops!  Not rest areas, or travel "centers", truckstops.  Although they are a little more scarce than travel centers, if you can plan your route to be able to reach one before you stop for the night, that is an ideal  spot to be, and we will tell you why.  First, Security, They are generally well lit and monitored by cameras at all times.  Second, amenities, open 24 hours, you can buy anything you need at any time, no waiting for the store to open.  Most all have laundry facilities and showers, which can go a long way towards making you feel like a human being again, instead of a road weary wreck.  Trust us, a hot shower will immediately put a smile on your face; and even better, most truckers get free showers provided to them by their companies, so if you mind your manners and remember please and thank you, most times all you have to do is ask and they can give you a shower ticket for free if you're running low on funds.  If not, purchasing one normally runs about $7.00-$12.00, but the hot water is practically unlimited, they provide washclothes, soap and towels, and if you're traveling with a companion, you can double up.  Their in-house food is hot and fresh, you can get anything from pizza, full dinners, soup, salads, and an almost endless variety of snacks and beverages.  Third, WATER!!!  your most important resource on the road and its unlimited anytime, which is so much better than having to haul it to your camp which could be far away from your site if you actually ARE camping.  Most have a very cushy lounge setup with everything from bigscreen t.v.'s, wifi, cushy chairs, sometimes even massage chairs to work out those driving kinks in your back and plenty of games to combat boredom if you are stuck their for a while.  And last but not least, probably the most helpful thing of all, the truckers themselves.  If it can be fixed, they will know how, if you are lost, they're more accurate than googlemaps.  If you're bored or lonely, or just craving a good conversation, they're your guys!  Truckers generally like to chat while they're on layover or just killing time.  Some of the best road stories i've ever heard come from those men and women.  Please keep in mind though, they do have a job to do, so try and be thoughtful in the way you use the facilities.  For example, time your laundry loads and showers to make sure they are free and available to the drivers making a living on a schedule, please.  Keep in mind that most of the world runs on first come, first served, but their livelihood depends on being on time.  Be courteous and they will appreciate it.  The best times for laundry and showers for you are normally during the day, as most of the drivers will be on the road till around 5-6 o'clock.    There are plenty of independently owned truck stops but the biggest chains are Love's, Pilot, and Flying J so if you see one of their signs, you're set!  Maps are also available online.

                          "freedoms just another word.."  be safe and have fun,   

                                                                         -Lady DyMe

The Week in Review

Hello Readers,

  We want to switch it up on ya! so as of today Sunday will be "the week in review" we wont be telling you exactly where we've ended up but we will give clues and at least let you know what state we've ended up in on Sundays. So here we go, last Sunday we were still in New Jersey and Monday morning we decided to hit the road with right around $60 to our name. We put $40 in the tank and away we went crossing through Delaware and into Maryland where we got stuck in crazy land and lost a few days trying to be nice (see previous post). Just when we had lost all hope, (insert deity name of choice) smiled down upon us and through the kindness of strangers we received $45 in donations, since we weren't allowed to sell our jewelry where we were at. We made it out of Maryland and into Virginia. Let me tell ya readers it is quite the change from being somewhere you don't want to be, and getting to a place you do want to be.

So kind of a half and half week for us here in the van, we would like to send a shout out to the anonymous folks in Maryland and the gentleman in Virginia that helped to get us to where were at tonight, (again insert deity name of choice) bless you.

                                      "Be kind to all you meet on the road"

                                                     -Mr. FiX & Lady DyMe


Note: Thought this was kinda cool looking and decided to share.

 

Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Hello readers,

The first post on this subject should have been on a wednesday, but I need to vent! Now as much as we all want to be friendly to everyone we meet, sometimes the world just doesn't work that way, I still want to be friendly don't get me wrong but earlier this week we were pushed farther out of our comfort zone and my husband snapped, heres the story...We moved on down the road, as is our routine, pulled into an unfamiliar truck stop, and before we could even get the lay of the land, we were immediately sucked into crazytown.  Before we could even stretch our legs we were approached by a local.  He was initially very friendly and helpful, telling us where the shady spots were for the dogs, and giving us directions to things like the local park, Wal-Mart, and so on.  Oh, if our story could have ended there, but alas, it DID NOT (insert ominous music here)  He started off admiring the homemade privacy curtain we had constructed to seperate the cab of the van from the living quarters, and wanted to know if we would help him construct one. Being the people we are, we agreed to help.

So far so good right? Well thats about the time "the crazy" started, after Mr. FiX told him all the materials that would be needed and where to find them he asked if he would accompany him to make sure he bought the right things. Mr. FiX agreed after the man said it would take no more than 20 mins.

Well 3 hours later he arrived back at the truckstop with my husband and all the materials and instantly wanted him to start work, which he did after a day of cutting and sewing the job was done and all we asked for in return was the remaining needles and thread for projects of our own. 

The problems all started though when he met our dogs, it wasnt that he didn't like dogs, in fact the problem was he liked our dogs too much. While out buying the supplies he also picked up treats for the dogs, again no big deal, at first he asked if it was ok to treat the dogs. So figuring this guy would be our neighbor for a while we didn't have a problem with it. The problem all started when he would give our female dog treats without getting permission, we keep our dogs or a fairly strict feeding schedule, Mr. Fix had asked him kindly to not treat the dog anymore without permission to which he was fine with, (to our faces) he the began to treat the dog any time he could when he thought we weren't looking. In the early morning of our second day here Mr. FiX noticed what was going on and got a little loud with the man saying "Dude didn't I ask not to treat our dogs without permission?" Well his response was I just wanted to make sure your dogs were getting fed. Our dogs eat better than us some days. Cut to later that day as Mr. FiX and I were taking a nap, our dogs started barking like some was to close to our space, so we yelled at the dogs to be quite as all of us do, our male dog got quiet and our female kept barking, but the bark was playful, Mr. FiX peered through the back curtains to see this man looking around to see if no one was looking as he fed our dog HOTDOGS!

At this point Mr. FiX became enraged and shot out of the back doors of the van like a bullet from a gun, "Dude, what the fuck, I thought we talked about this already?" To which he responded "Y'all need to quite abusing those dogs!" to which I responded "what are you talking about?". His response was "you guys never feed your dogs or let them out of that van." At this point Mr. Fix was about to haul off and hit the guy, but instead did the smart thing and said "c'mon babe were leaving". In response to this, the man thought the best course of action to take was to make a scene and drive off, only to come back later.  Now, luckily we had witnesses to his behavior, and the truckstop manager was very understanding, giving us permission to park in a spot that isn't usually meant for vans but was much safer for all of us.  Being a dog lover and owner of five himself, he knew exactly what was going on, and also let us in on something we had started to suspect, but he confirmed, the man was batshit crazy!  We were not the first nor will we be the last people this man harasses at this truckstop, employees included. Everything is OK now we can sleep feeling safer tonight, the moral of this story is "Its always good to help people out, but be wary of people that show an unhealthy interest in you and yours" sometimes people want to "help" but are misleading in their intentions. 

                           So remember folks "stay safe out their, and remember to keep your cool, it could just save your life".

                                             -Lady DyMe & Mr. Fix

Note: The gentleman said he wanted to be a part of our blog, well here he is, AVOID HIM!

The Loo

Hello readers.
Welcome to the first edition of "Friday fix it", these articles will spotlight how to make your van feel a little more like home while on that shoe string road budget. Today's submission is something very essential and possibly overlooked.... the toilet! Now I know what your thinking, "but Mr. FiX, won't their be a toilet everywhere I go?" well the short answer is no. Today I'm going to teach you how to build a toilet not only for the guys but the ladies too. In our van we each have our own toilet mine is the simplest and cheapest to make ready for this......

                                                             [sorry no picture]


That's right a simple 3 liter bottle, I really don't think I need to explain the mechanics of this one.  And for the low cost of a dollar at the local Dollar Tree you really can't beat the price.

OK ladies we didn't forget you, yes you too can use the bottle method too with the edition of a funnel, but unless your a fan of "hovering" were going to make it a little easier for ya.
The first thing you'll need is a 2 gallon bucket with a lid and a funnel,

 start by cutting the tapered end off of the funnel,

 then cut a circle shape into the top of the bucket, [the depth you want the funnel to go down is up to every individual]


[sorry no picture]

 and apply a little super glue to seal it up if done right this should provide you with a basic functional sit down toilet.

Now being the guy that I am I didn't stop there, I added a "smell stopper" which is just a broken semi truck tire lug,

and to finish it off Lady DyMe noticed the handle which makes a convient place to store "toilet paper",

and there you have it, all we paid for in this project was the funnel and the glue which for us cost around three dollars, the rest we found at a truckstop.
Hopefully this project makes your van feel a little more like home.

Note: Now if it starts to smell really bad we recommend carrying in your van some disinfectant wipes (we use the ones with bleach) and some Glade deodorizer.


                                                    -Mr.FiX and Lady DyMe

When Boredom Sets In

Hello readers and welcome to our first official post!

What I am about to share with you may be the most important post on this blog, how to cure your boredom while on the road.

We will explore many ideas on this topic throughout the course of this blog, but I think todays is the most important. Before you take that first step out the door into the world take a look around and ask yourself two questions "What are my interests?" and "Is there any viable way to make money on the road with this talent?' As you contemplate these questions, let me bring you a little farther into the van (I know it sounds creepy but bare with me). Our two main sources of income on the road are Lady DyMe's jewelry stand which she runs right out of the back of the van.

Where as I do computer repair in the van to remote locations or on location in peoples homes. Now we also have other options as well, as DyMe is an awesome cook we could just as easy convert the van into a burrito truck (we are currently looking into the viability of that). So remember your options are only limited to your own talents and depending on what type of property your parked on you could be subject to local laws or land owners.
It is also important to remember not to get frustrated, your first few attempts to make money may seem like a failure but you might just be in the wrong place on the wrong day.
Never "I repeat" NEVER argue with a land owner or officer of the law if you are asked to stop or leave the property. You can't make any money in jail or in the hospital (some land owners WILL take the law into their own hands! In some states this is perfectly legal.)

So to wrap up this post lets review; 1. consider all your talents no matter how small you might think they are, 2. Don't give up, 3. Do not start a confrontation in order to sell your wares.


As long as were making money we wont be bored right? And when the day is done you can decide to move on to your next destination or if business is really good stay a while and make some friends.



                                     "Good luck in your endevours and your travels"
                                                           -Mr. FiX & Lady DyMe

Futurecast

Well readers, after searching the web for blogs similar to ours I realize what were doing is in no way new. As of now Lady DyMe and I have decided to make a schedule to regulate how and what we post on, and it should go something like this......

Mundane Monday: "How to cure boredom"
The Tuesday How To: "Really that's how you did that?"
Wednesdays Wisdom: "General Knowledge to have on the road"
Thursday Travel Tips: "If you end up at X, here's a good place to start"
Friday Fix It's: "Ways to improve your van on a road budget"
Saturday and Sunday Stories: Personal stories from "Our life in the van"


Interested yet? Keep reading and you might just learn something! Please understand we will NOT be posting everyday but we will post at least twice a week, because life on the road isn't always easy or predictable but we will always make time for you our readers.


   "On the road, remember the golden rule, Do unto others as you would have others do unto to you."
                                                                                                                 -Mr. FiX

Lets Start the Journey

Hello all, and welcome to our little corner of the internet.

      The focus of this blog is a bit of a social experiment.  My wife and I wanted to see just how far we could get around the country on a limited budget and by limited I mean none.  Sure, we started the trip with money, but we quickly found out how expensive the world was outside the Great Lakes region. Also unfortunately not factored in was the change in peoples behavior, demeanor, and anything else even resembling the small-town life we had grown accustomed to, or was raised in.  One of us, a veteran traveler, didn't take into account the change in people from ten years ago.

      Thus, begins our blog "Our Life in the Van." This life is NOT for everyone and if your a late teen to early twenty-something who decides "Hey I wanna be a hippie" or maybe your a retiree motorhoming across the US hopefully in reading this blog we can teach you a few tricks to make your journey easier.

 

 

                                 Be kind to all you meet on the road,

                                           -Mr. Fix and Lady DyMe