Month: July 2008

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Truly Wondrous Technology!

Just how have I traveled all these years without a GPS unit?!

Today, I drove out to the only RV storage place I contacted that felt my request for about six weeks of storage was worth a reply. It’s forty minutes away, but an easy and lovely drive. I paid up till August 31st (105$ plus a 20$ key deposit) and was told that I can bring Miranda up any time after Monday, so that’s another thing resolved.

I let the GPS unit direct me there. It was nice to just let ‘someone else’ take over and to just drive. When I was ready to leave, I asked the GPS to take me to the nearest gas station, then to the nearest Loblaws grocery store, then to home. I really enjoyed the disorienting feeling I got at the gas station when I realised that I had literally no idea where I was! Of course, this told me that I will still need to carry maps in case of GPS failure, but otherwise I was free to enjoy the sun and scenery and let the GPS do the hard work.

A kilometre to home, the unit got a name: Majel. After Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who did the voice of the computer on the various Star Trek shows and also played Nurse/Doctor Christine Chapel. Hmm… Now would be a good time to point out that Neelix came with his name, which he responded to, and therefore I’m not responsible for that bit of geekiness!

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First Major Obstacle

According to my financing lady, funds will be released to Miranda’s current owner Monday or Tuesday.

Thing is, her current owner is leaving the country for two weeks starting Sunday.

He’s going to try to push for an electronic bank transfer tomorrow or Monday at the latest so that he can leave keys for me with a neighbour or something along those lines.

Otherwise, Miranda won’t be mine until August 4th or 5th at the earliest.

I told him that he should have advised both me and the financing lady of this on Monday so that we could have rushed the paperwork. Anyway…

I was so hoping to have her for next weekend, though. My sister is having a party at a town only an hour from where Miranda will be parked all of August and I had hoped that this could be our first trip out together. *crossing my fingers*

At any rate, I’m not going to freak out over this until I know for sure how it’s going to turn out.

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Officially an RVer?

I got my ‘welcome to the FQCC‘ kit today!

Fédération
québécoise des
camping et
caravaning

(Quebec federation of camping and RVing.)

The package included stickers for Miranda’s upper left rear end to identify her as belonging to this group, including a series of number that identify her uniquely. I’m not sure yet of the benefit of that.

Membership has a lot of benefits in Quebec and some across Canada and even the US.

I joined mainly because membership was 58$ and meant I paid 150$ less for my insurance policy, for a savings for 92$, plus I get the rebates at specific gas stations, campgrounds, RV supply stores, and more. Membership comes with a really nice magazine, but I opted out because it’s focused on Quebec and I didn’t feel it would be worth having it forwarded to wherever I end up being over the next year.

I’m looking at other discount clubs and might join one more, but that’ll be it for my first year on the road.

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Time To Go

It’s no secret that I don’t live in a good neighbourhood. I knew that going in, but figured that I’d be fine for a year since the location is so convenient to work. I avoid going out at night on foot and am hyper vigilant when walking around during the day on weekends. During week days, though, the neighbourhood is crawling with civil servants walking to and from their jobs at the various government complexes in the area. I’m alert walking to and from work, but I never would have expected what happened to me as I headed for home today at lunch.

A block from my house, I heard a man behind me, obviously on a bicycle and on the sidewalk. He was muttering. Immediately, I tensed, knowing that ‘something’ was up. I sped up. He sped up to join up with me, pushed me into the bushes, spit on me, and called me a truly vile name.

I spent my lunch hour filing a police report, taking a shower, and washing my clothes.

In the year I’ve lived here, this was the second time I had to call the police. The first time was because I thought my neighbours were going to murder each other. In 2006, I was driving on a highway that goes through the outer edge of the neighbourhood and was struck by a huge rock thrown from the overpass above me.

It’s time to go.

I can’t wait to live a lifestyle that will enable me to leave bad neighbours and scary situations immediately.

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Status Update

Financing requested a proof of insurance in order to finalize the paperwork. Insurance required a date of possession in order to finalize their paperwork. So, financing gave me a date. Monday.

Monday?!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

My car needs a base plate! And Miranda needs her back up camera! And the parking people haven’t gotten back to me! And… and… and… I don’t know anything about RVs!

*breathes in, breathes out*