Friday, February 18, 2011

Time, only 6 weeks

As of today, I have 6 weeks. The weather was nice today but I am still sick. However, I sold my bean bag cushion which was like a sentimental going away or something. I also talked to a friend and they are attached to the cats so I have the option to leave them with her for as long as needed. I love them and for that fact with the AZ heat, I don't want any mistakes. I would rather get there, get more stable climate controls and ventilation and work from there.

I deleted the Feb 14th post which I will repost when I get the chance.

Today I also realized that I need to get started on the van as I want to live out of it for a week before I leave to work out the bugs. Curtains and privacy are first. Then the bed frame along the drivers side with hinged top, totes underneath, 2 buckets (one for doing laundry when needed and one for you know what) and the rest I will figure out. Clothing storage, food storage and temperature control are on the too do list but I will work on it as money allows.

I am going to get reflectix and white board and velcro for the windows. 2x4s with hinges will build the bed with drywall screws and anchor into the seat mounts. My two storage totes should fit behind the drivers side under the bed and the buckets in the back behind the bed as I don't need the full space for sleeping, I am a shorter person. That leaves the other side open. I need power for the fan, some LED lights and charging my cell phone. Most nights should be cool for now, I can use my portable lights and charge my phone from my starting battery. Eventually, I will need a laptop for school and a ice powered AC unit. I think things should work out.
I also saw on another blog those closet organizers hung across the top and shoe totes hung inside for organization and those are options for the smaller things. As for bathing, I do a lot of  wash ups now, entertainment will have to be figured out and onward we go.

They say when prepping for a van its the stuff you do in the house, I get up, eat, have quiet time, read (digitally mostly), clean up, go to work, come home, eat, exercise a bit, and go to bed. I watch TV or DVDs every so often as it catches my attention. Therefore a modern contemporary design with a minimalist look is my desired outcome. I want black and white with some splashes of red for color, my dashboard is really deep so that will probably be my office area. I have thought of removing the passenger seat and putting in a really comfy chair so I can use the space more efficiently. The passenger seat is uncomfortable. I also need to get some type of additional cushioning for the drivers seat. I was thinking of foam cut to size, with the seat cover overneath.

The kitchen set up is still somewhat of a mystery. I use a microwave at home or eat raw veggies ect. I was thinking on a tuna fish hiker style portable stove (aka alcohol stove) for boiling water, my Stanley thermos for keeping hot water/coffee and a coleman 1 burner for the larger projects. I don't want a lot of stuff as it starts to get in the way aka clutter but I want to be comfortable. I also don't want to much propane to be carting around due to the risk of explosion. I can drink, cook and wash on 3 gallons a day comfortably. I do have a solar shower as well that has its uses.

The hard part is achieving homey while being stealthy and not looking like a giant camping trip. I don't want a ton of bumper stickers or attention getting items. I like house dwelling to be clean lines, stealthy and splashes of decoration for low dust and a greater appreciation of my truly sentimental items.

So tomorrow is the beginning of fittings for curtains, adding a white cover to the top of the van interior and a rug to go along the passenger side to add both color and keep dirt out. the 25th and 26th I will make the bed frame and we should be ready to go.

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