Starting the Downsizing

I know I haven't posted in a while, but another person at work quit and a second got very ill and my hours went crazy; I was busy, hiring and training the new person, covering for the one that was out ill and I was hoping that this summer I would finally, get to work on the vardo.

But with the death of a family member, I am having to move cross country, to be closer to my mother.

This family emergency has actually been a kick in the butt to start the downsizing processes.  


All the furniture that I have gathered over the last 11 year is gone. I sold it to a used furniture store this morning, saving me the hassle of trying to have a moving sale to deal with it.

All the wood is gone too, I can't take it with me, and will have to restart stockpiling it there. 

I took the door back to Habitat for Humanity, so they could sell it again. I'm keeping the half circle windows, I still want those in the vardo and I'll never get them for such great price.

Then I looked at the rest of my material possessions and started to choose what gets packed and what gets pitched. More pitched than packed, which is really a freeing sensation actually.

I went through my books and took a huge stack into Half Price Books, keeping only those I could not bare to part with. I bought a 288 disc holder and spent an hour moving all my CD's from their individual cases to the new holder. Lost 20 pounds of plastic and save myself another Uhaul box to pack.

If I haven't worn something in a year, it's been purged, and gave away all but two of my towels to the local area Kitten Rescue. I'm looking at all my kitchen wares with the view of, what is the level of kitchen I want in the vardo, or a camping kitchen.

Before I started the purge I created a list of 10 items that won't fit in a box, (My quilting frame, and my bike, the ladder, that sort of thing.) If an item isn't on that list, the item will get taking to Goodwill in the next week or two.  I can't decide on my futon bed, which is on the list...it's a queen and I'll only need a full for the vardo, but I will need it at my Mom's, but I could get another there and not worry about packing it... 

I keep thinking to myself as I look at each item that I'm about to pack, 'Do I want that in the vardo?' 'Do I have room for it in the vardo?' Without the furniture weighing down the house, looking at the rest of the materials that I have, has become much easier. Paperwork for the last couple of years seems to be taking up so much space, so many boxes, more than my books. And there are a few things that I will be giving away to family and mailing off, creating still more freedom from stuff.

Now I'm glad I haven't been able to start on the vardo, because I need the trailer to move.

Now I'm sad I haven't been able to start on the vardo, because I wouldn't need to move in with family when I get there.

Catch 22..

But hopefully, once I am there, I will finally have the time to start working on the vardo. No job that I love, but that I was clocking a 55 hr a week working at.

I've kept all my tools, and I've packed the welding helmet. :)

Now a to find a job even a part time job when I get there to pay for materials.  

Problem for the future solved!

Happy Halloween!

There has not been much to report for the last few months, as I am working on saving all the money I can for the build. I've decided to hold on to the trailer I have, until I am firmly committed to the build, when I'll change it out for the car hauler without dovetail from my local supplier, or buy one from Tumbleweed. (Expensive but an option...) 

But what really has made me happy is Catherine Zola's post about bathrooms. She has found a solution that I didn't know existed and I want to share the information.

Just Because You Can Build A House Doesn’t Mean You Can Tile!

This is a solution that I have been looking for. Weight is a consideration and I hated the thought of a bathroom with bare metal walls, I didn't want to put in a plastic unit, most are to large and would have to be put in at the start of the build due to their vast size. I wanted something that I could customize for my needs and space. Tile or if I can find some on Craigslist Corian.

This waterproofing system maybe just the ticket that some of us are looking for.

(Schluter.com)

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Ms. Zora!

Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary

Ok,

The miter saw is up and running and the temps are now too hot to work outside except really Really early in the morning, which would annoy the neighbors.  But that's not the problem.

After working and reworking and reworking the plans for the vardo and I've come to the inescapable conclusion that I can't keep working on the Vardo with the trailer I have.

The rails are mucking up everything and it is too much work to do what I want with them there.

It all comes down to what I told the trailer folks :

When I ordered it I asked for a UTILITY TRAILER. 

Which is, in their minds, a trailer with rails.

So even though I explained what I wanted to the trailer guys, personally faxed a copy of my plans to the manufacturer, called and tried to explain what I wanted on the phone what I still got a was "Utility Trailer".

ATTENTION: What you really want to say is:

CAR HAULER WITH OUT DOVE TAIL* and * AND WITHOUT BOARDS*

CAR HAULER WITH A DOVE TAIL*

The pinked circled bit the photo above:

You don't want one of those.... It would mean that you would have to build the vardo floor up from the slant that is there. Annoying.


*AND WITHOUT BOARDS*

 

Yeah, the other pink circle; and the reason you don't want them, boards, i.e. wood;  is that at the front and the back of the of the trailer floor, when they install the boards, there will be a upside down 'L' iron that will hold the wood down, and thus make the trailer safer for wheeling a car onto it.

And thus the 'L' brackets which then have to be cut off with a welding torch.
(Which is also why you don't want the rails on a utility trailer, because they have to be cut off as well. As well as the 'L' brackets that are on the trailer at the front and the back.) Plus, the trailer will be slightly cheaper and easier to work with if you don't have the board there to begin with.

So if you are going to go looking for a trailer or talking to a manufacturer to make one for you; you might want to take a look at the trailers you can get from Tumbleweed Tiny Houses Tumbleweed Trailers   print out a copy the image so you can show them what you are looking for or need constructed.

And understand the VOCABULARY!!!

So with the realization that I might have to scrap the current trailer and get one that will work, and now understanding the VOCABULARY... I went back to trailer guys this week;  to find out if getting what I really need was possible.

"Hey, look it's the yellow trailer lady... How ya' doing.." (We're friendly here in TEXAS)

I explain the problem:

"Oh, yeah we can do that for you, no problem... pity you weren't here a week a go, we had one exactly like that on the lot."

Sigh. 

Now before anyone asks:
Yes, I have person already interested in purchasing the utility trailer 'as is'.
Plus the trailer guys say that if that doesn't pan out, I can take the utility trailer back to the trailer shop. For some reason the trailer I currently have is very 'hot' in this area, for hauling hay, cattle and scrap.


I think I'll get the next one in John Deere Green.

More as the situation develops.

Helping out a Friend I've never met: Kim Langston

Kim Langston's Tiny House:

Ms. Kim had almost finished her tiny house.

It was water tight and ready for the interior work to make it a home. 

BEFORE: 

And then the barn, which you can see in the picture here, caught fire and...





AFTER:

Currently, there is a fund raising campaign to help rebuild Kim's Tiny House.

You can learn all about Kim and her Tiny House,  @

 Tiny House, Big Heart

I've already donated and I'm hoping anyone can, will do so too.

There isn't any insurance for a Tiny House, we're going to have to rely on other members of the Tiny House community in these situations.

I've done what I can this month, payday is this Tuesday so I'll be able to give a little more then. 

MSATOZ

Birthday Presents

I went out to Home Depot and bought a Ryobi miter saw; a Black and Decker folding stand, and a Diablo medium cutting blade, good for ripping 2x4's.

I'm going to spend the weekend reading the owners manual and figuring out where not to put my hands, as I have kinda gotten use to having fingers.  Pictures soon.

See what happens when I get a four day weekend?

Friday: Black and Decker Workbench put together.

Nothing is going on...

Ok, I got an A in my welding class. :)

And was already to sign up for the next one, when two things happened simultaneously:

First: The next class for the welding sequence did not 'make' i.e. have enough people sign up for the class to be listed, hence it was cancelled.  So, I considered signing up for the class held at our branch an hour away...

When

Second: I lost two employees in the same week.  Half my staff! The first got very ill and we are all keeping this person in our thoughts and prayers, with a hope to have them back at work on March 18th after spring break. The Second person just earned a Masters in Library Science and quickly found a job paying WAY more then here, so that's employee #two out the door. 

Result: A six day work week with hours ranging between 50 to 60 hours; I haven't been able to work on anything but paying bills and keeping the house half clean.

Good news: The new person starts tomorrow!

The bad news, I'm still on the long shifts until I have the new person trained up, sometime in April.

Shivering in the Cold

I am currently in a rent house.

It’s a nice rent house and I have a great landlord.

But I am shivering.

The house is a 1930’s cottage: With little or no insulation in the floors, walls or ceiling/attic space. 

This is one area I am now firmly convinced that I will be spending enough money on so that I will have a warm in the winter and cool in the summer vardo. 

Spray Foam will be in my future!

With good windows too.

Happy New Year everyone!

One welding class done

Just a quick update to let you know, I finished my welding class with an 'A'

My instructor suggests I take TIG welding next term.

Then the Prefabrication. and Layout class. But seeing how I really need to start working on my PhD.

I"m not sure I'm going to have time.  

I want one.

So I have been sick for the last week and getting nothing done on anything really.

Trolling through clips of Pennsic I find the following cottage on wheels

Now this is truly beautiful. I wouldn't mind something like this.

Welding Class going well. Random Thoughts...

I have been to three of my welding classes, there will be 14 more to go.

Our first test on material in the book is this next Friday. That's a week earlier than what was in the syllabus because we are moving along so well. My instructor (the welding guy from previous posts) seem to think that I'm doing well on the practical portions of the class at least. I think, that he thinks that he's going to turn me into a welder. If I do, it won't be stick welding, my arms are to short.

So I'm doing some sewing and working on a build list this weekend; I'm online to make an update post here, but first I checked my email on yahoo. There on yahoo is this article on living only on social security in a person's old age.  (And I know that it is being published at a time to scare or shock people so close to the U.S. elections Or blame President Obama or the republican nominee, I didn't look that hard to figure it out.)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tightwire-act-living-only-social-154206642.html

That's not the point: What I got out of it was...

This article is describing my mother and many more like her.
And I started to wonder is this what is in my future too?
I too am living paycheck to paycheck, having only just paid off my student loans, and am working hard to pay off the rest of my debts. I have a small emergency fund in the bank but Social Security and my Teacher Retirement Fund will be all I have when I retire.

So, should I be building a tiny house instead of vardo?
Or, should I make the vardo as large as I can because I may need to live in it one day.
If I make a tiny house I could make it look like a Danish Half Timber affair.

I'm just going to work on the welding class and the base before having to make more important decisions.

Sigh.

100th Post

In honor of the 100th post...

And because I'm still waiting on the welding....

I've signed up at my college for the Introduction to Welding Course.

Because if I can't get the welders at the college to do it for me, I'LL DO IT MYSELF.

Does anyone know where you get a welding helmet, jacket, steel toe boots and gloves.

Size small?

http://www.aws.org/w/a/

UPDATE: First class today... I had the wrong book, the wrong helmet and the wrong gloves...And the first thing out of my professor was... "I knew I wasn't going to get away from that trailer..."

But other than that...Everything is great!

A Door

So I was able to wander into my local-ish Habitat for Humanity Re-Store today.

and I found...

The perfect door for the Vardo!

Yes, I'll have to build a door jam for it, plus purchase hardware, and have an expert to install it...
(I would like it to work correctly, and I'm only at a basic carpentry level if you know what I mean...)

But for the whopping price of $45 plus tax it a deal I couldn't pass up.

The size is 24 X 80.  Yes, that is one foot wide double pane insulated glass right down the middle!

The other side is white and I'll stain the interior you see in this pic with a light wood stain to show off the grain.

But it also means I'll have to figure out exactly what I'll need in my kitchenette area, because at 24 inches wide I may not be able to get cabinets in the Vardo after the door is installed so purchasing them before I am ready might be a nessesity.

I'll be picking it up on Saturday as I had a full load in my truck already on the way home.

200 days til Gulf War and I feel like I'm getting something done, Finally!

UPDATE: 8/25/2012: The door has been picked up from Habitat for Humanity. A shop keeper in town lent me an extra blanket to make sure the door came home in one piece, because he needed a blanket that the Re-Store lent him just the day before, returned.
Life is funny that way.
Off to learn how to rough out frame a door.

Welder's AHOY

The original welder from work is back on campus after summer break!

He has been giving all the information about the build.

Again...

I have explained, that a) the guy he sent me too, dropped the ball and b) didn't send me to anyone who could do the job either.  Next that I was not happy, and that I really wanted to wring someones neck but that I'm not into violence.

So I went over the plans, explaining my slight modification so it will be even easier to do... I need holes for the carriage bolts etc. several times, plus told him that either he helps with the welding and SOON OR he gives me the name of a welder he trust.

He promises that he'll work it into the welding class as the first project.

At this point, I'm not even going for 'done' on the vardo. I'll take it partially built as long as it is fully enclosed and weather tight so I can take it down the highway, I can work on the inside later.

I have only 206 days until Gulf War.

On the good side, I've joined the local SCA chapter* and have someone who has volunteered to share the gas costs to Gulf War in Mississippi. ( If this thing ever gets off the ground.)

*Dragonsfire Tor!

Working the Free Wood.

A picture of the free wood getting cleaned up. The delay was due to work again. I got so discouraged with progress, I went out an bought a 2x4 last week just so I could say I was doing something. I am carving time out of my schedule at this point to work on the Vardo. Plus I can only work on it early in the morning as the temperature outside by noon is a nice toasty 100 to 104 Degrees (that's 37.7 to 40 Celsius).

And just in case you thought free wood is easy...

This is a pic of one of the free pieces, while the photo does not show it well, but the whole 2x4 twists in almost a 45% angle to the left through its entire length. I'll have to find and take the best part of a straight pieces out of it or used it for fire wood. So word of advice, check your 2x4's etc. before you leave the lumberyard.

I'll be checking out another new construction site in town this week for possibly more free wood and at the  the semi closest Habitat for Humanity's Re-Store for more wood 2x4's or 2x6's on Wednesday.

But this gets stalled due to the fundamental problem of welding. All the wood in the world won't get attached to the frame without the holes needed to secure the foundation to the trailer with carriage bolts.  Welding at this point is still in a holding pattern.

224 days to Gulf War...

Off the back burner!

The reason(s) that I put the Vardo on hold.... will continue into the foreseeable future.

So holding off on the project has
a) been of driving me crazy &
b) not going to make a difference to the time space continuum.

Where to restart then becomes the question.

Plans for the (rest of the) weekend.

1. Sort and clean up the wood from the construction site. (Half done at this time...)

2. Take detailed measurements of the trailer & comparing them against the Vardo plans. (And I'm thinking that the plans will have to be tweaked.)

3. Create a tentative building materials list. 

4. Annoy the welders.

5. Still not telling my mother.

Pics of the wood pile tomorrow.

Update: I had to work until late tonight.. pics coming soon.
(And I bought a 2x4 just to say I was doing something.)

On Hold

Due to circumstances beyond my control, my building a vardo will be placed On Hold  indefinitely.

Thank you for all of you who have been watching my little blog about my vardo, and I hope to continue with the build at some future date.


Update:  May 13th 2012

For those that might be interested in why the Vardo is on hold. The situation at work continues to be vicarious, thus placing my Vardo dreams in suspension. If the situation changes, then I can not be in the middle of the build should I need to move on. Which leaves me two options. Continue to purchase materials to build and hope. OR simply bank the funds for better days. I'm going with the banking the funds option.

Wood and a Wood Update.

Ok so I still have no welder:

But the wood that has been sitting over at the construction site just rotting unless we get it out of the rain and dried out:

Is free to a good home. I know what I'm doing tomorrow!

Also, There are no pics because I lost my phone in Austin and am waiting until I get it back. Sorry folks.

UPDATE: There is a lot more wood in that wood pile then I thought. I have grabbed quite a bit.  Now more than 90% will have to be cut down as the ends have clusters of nails though them. Using them for wall support or stabilizing boards I suspect.   I may even go back for a second load before it rains.

"A welder a welder my kingdom for a welder" Richard III  Act 5 scene iv. (Sort of)

Home at last:

With the help of a friend who has been backing up trailers for years, I was able to get the trailer out of the back lot of the college and home in the garage.

I'll get a picture here when it is light out tomorrow.

I am officially on vacation for two weeks so I'll be working on (Instead of building the floor...) the welding I need done. I think it might have been faster if I'd have signed up for the fast track welding class at the college and then I could have done it myself.

Other than getting everything out of the boxes and sorted, I'll be sewing and working on the vardo.

UPDATE: Sewing going well, but still no welder on the horizon. Will continue to try to find one. Sigh.

Will Wednesday ever come

So I went down and talked to the second welding instructor. Asking him only for a referral for a welder in the area.

He said, "Now wait a minute, let me check with the guys' (i.e. the guys in the three classes he is teaching), 'to see if any of them could used the money."

I will track him down on Wednesday to find out if anyone can help, and if NOT if he can finally give me a referral!!

No Welding Today

So I got to my welder.

"I'm really sorry but...."

For various reason's he won't be able to do the welding, but I should check with the 'other' school welder on Monday... Which I will because if I don't he'll (The First Welder) hear that I didn't talk to him (The Second Welder). Which will probably lead to "I'm to busy.." I hope because then I won't have to wait again for the second welder at the school to work it into his class schedule. Because IF he had called me at the first week of class when he knew there was going to be a problem I could have talked to the second welding teacher and MAYBE, he could have worked it into his class schedule.

Relief: Now that  I know that I have to hire a welder, I might be able to get back on schedule to work on the vardo during spring break!