And did I mention…

That I now have an outside lock on my camper?

It took me some time to figure out what type of lock I wanted. It wasn’t just how “strong” it was, I also had to take into account the message the lock would send.

Most of us know that locks are just a way of saying “This is too much trouble to be worth your while, and there’s nothing of any value in here anyway.”

So, given that, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted people to see.

I ended up using a cabinet lock. It’s sturdy enough that it will take more than a good yank to pull it out and that means either a LOT of yanking or tools to pry it open. And either of those would be noticeable.

But it’s also low key (hehe) enough that it doesn’t scream out “Oh! Look what I have!” and that’s important.

The biggest benefit so far is that it makes the slide lock easier to close if the key lock is already closed. Lines the door up better or something.

This weekend I hope to get the top 1/3 of the door finished. So I’ll have a barn door type of setup. I can open the top to let air in if it’s warm or close both.

The other thing I’ve been doing when it’s nice out during the day is leaving the door open but hanging a thick braided rug across the doorway from the ceiling. That’s given me privacy but left a foot and a half or so on the bottom for Keegan to lay down in and watch the world go by. We both seemed to like that arrangement.

Are you new in town?

Tonight I was at the grocery store getting a yoghurt and a teeny little frypan for my Soto stove.

As I was standing in the housewares aisle a fellow stops to discuss spatulas and Trent fry pans.

He mentioned several times that he knew what worked well for cooking small amounts because he lived alone.
Okay. Nice to know. Yup.

I know I’m overly cautious but the guy made me a bit uneasy so I wasn’t being very encouraging with the conversation.

As I was getting ready to walk away, with my teeny little fry pan and spatula, he asked me if I had just moved to town. I had no idea what to say. At first I blurted out the truth, no, but then I got confused.. What do I say?
I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him I lived in my truck, I was getting more uncomfortable by the minute.

So I blurted out “something like that, yeah.”, then smiled somewhat frantically and took off for the cashier line.

That guy gave me more bad vibes than any of the homeless guys so far.

This was probably my punishment for laughing at the guy with the dogs earlier. 🙂

But I guess the point I’m trying to make is the old adage, “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
Because while the homeless men aren’t what I would call trustworthy exactly, so far, none of them has shown any interest in harming me or given me any reason to believe they would be dangerous beyond whatever their personal issues are; none of them have made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

This well-dressed enough, polite, soft-spoken man at the grocery store did make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. And I skedaddled as fast as politely possible.

Note: The guy was probably a very nice guy who was just lonely and hoping to make a friend. If so I’m sorry that I thought ill of him. I can say that now that I’m on the other end of town.

Don’t take this wrong.. but I want to help.

A couple people have emailed me about dropping me a few dollars here and there via a paypal link or some such.

What strikes me as interesting is that the people who ask are the people who seem to me to be the most strapped for cash themselves.

But, for those who really want to know if and/or how they can help, here’s some ideas.

First, research. My internet and computer time will be severely curtailed.
If you’re a google wizard, find a way I can make an air scoop for the front of my camper (so I don’t have a big block sticking up in the wind) with just hand tools and plywood.
Find a salvage yard or RV place that has the louvered windows and vents for campers in/around Austin. The louvered windows aren’t made any more so it’ll probably have to be a salvage yard for those.

Second, gift cards.
Here’s what..

Wal-Green for No-Rinse shampoo and body wash products. Or go here… http://www.norinse.com/

Exxon/Texaco or other gas stations for gas. This will be my main expense other than my phone and car insurance.

Wal-Mart or Wal-Greens for personal supplies

Cabelas for camping supplies (solar, camping toilet supplies, etc. They also have the no-rinse products.)

If you want to know something specific, email me or leave a comment. : )

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