Author: Rae

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A Maudlin Ten Year Anniversary Post

Ten years ago this week, a sleek black cat entered my life.

Miss Bitha

The decision to adopt a cat took at least six months to make. My life was starting and having a cat would limit some of my choices. For me, pet adoption is for life. Going through the motions of adopting and then giving it all up sometime down the road wasn’t something I could see myself doing. I either committed wholeheartedly, or not at all. I’ve never been good with people, so a pet was the only way I could guarantee I’d have something to come home to and it would force me to take on some much needed responsibility.

I decided to adopt from the local Humane Society and the process was grueling. Being a student, I had to provide proof that I was an independent adult who wouldn’t be going ‘back home’ at the end of the semester. I had to show that I could financially provide for a pet. There was a background and reference check and even a home inspection! Oh, and my landlady had to provide a letter saying that it was okay to get a cat. It was definitely not a process to take lightly!

After all that, I brought home Peggy in October of 2000. I didn’t bond with her at all and took her out of a sense of duty. She was older, obese, and had some health issues. As it turns out, she had feline leukemia and she died about eight weeks after I took her in, at home, in my arms. I saw it as a sign to rethink my decision; I’d been given an out. I didn’t take it and I contacted the Humane Society to let them know what happened.

The background check must have turned out okay because they didn’t question the fact that Peggy had died under my care. Instead, they offered me another cat at no charge. They had a two year old they considered unadoptable, but felt would be a good match for me. What did I think about black cats? The superstition didn’t even come to mind, I was just so excited that they had another cat for me. I promptly left for the shelter and along the way the name Tabitha popped into my mind. It was the weirdest thing. I just knew that was to be her name.

When I entered the cat room, she was sitting on a ledge watching the snow fall outside. I whispered her at-the-time name and she turned, assessed me, and jumped into my arms. Tabitha latched on to me with a loyalty I have only ever experienced with dogs. I am her Person, there is no doubt of that. She has warmed to a few other individuals in the ten years I’ve had her, but it takes time. Our bond was instantaneous.

I know Tabitha is a cat, but I have a relationship with her that I’ve never experienced with the other cats in my life, and I’ve had a lot of them! It’s like she is more than just a cat, like we understand each other on a different plane. She’s so much more than just a pet to me.

My baby girl is an old lady now at twelve, and this boggles me. I know that we’re at, or past, the halfway point in our relationship. I can’t even think beyond her lifetime right now and I enjoy each precious day we have together. She had a health scare just before I hit the road that reminded me of just how ephemeral are relationships. Savour each moment together.

Tabitha has been with me through six moves, a college program, three jobs, two additions to the family, and the transition to the RVing lifestyle. She has adapted to the changes with the grace and dignity of a crone, needing as her only constant a place in my bed at night. She is a very special soul indeed and I am glad that I chose to walk this path with her.

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Slowly Drying

Progress in the loft continues to be very slow, but I can see that it is drying out. I’m pulling out about half a bucket of water a day from the dehumidifier. I went up there and blasted a section with the hair dryer on high and was startled to see an immediate improvement. I know that’s just surface drying and I expect to see moisture seeping back up, but at least I know that having the hair dryer on a section while I work on another is worth the power being used.

Tonight, I pulled up most of the top layers of paneling and insulation to see how far the wetness extends on the bottom layer of paneling, which is about two thirds of the way across. Thankfully, the wet section is not rotten or mildewy, just wet, and definitely not spongy. Now that it is exposed, I’m sure it will dry well. I’m going to look for a wood hardening product to apply to the wood that got wet but which isn’t being replaced.  The wood hardener product would also prevent new damage from wetness. Probably overkill, but I’m not taking any chances.

At this rate, I don’t anticipate being able to do any real work up there for at least another week. Moreover, I’m waiting on an order for a 50′ roll of Eternabond from Allan at A.J.B. Distributing in northern Ontario, upon the recommendation of several Canadian RVers. Once that roll arrives I’ll do the bottom seam at the front to guarantee that I’ve got the leak sealed. So, I really need to be patient about this.

I might be pulling out of this park at the end of January, which means I have six weeks left to get the renos all done. I really want to leave here with my tools stowed away for good, so as soon as I can get going again, renos are going to be my top priority. I’ve decided to use credit if I have to in order to get things done right, and completely. I’ve made an incredibly detailed list of what needs to be done and in what order so that I can start blasting through things as soon as the loft is secure without wasting time looking for a strategy. I’ll be finishing with the kitchen even though I’m SO tempted to get it done right now.

In the meantime, I’m focusing on my work projects. Between the furnace and the leak, my budget took a serious hit and I’m not pulling in anywhere close to what just bled out. So I think it’s good to have a week to step back and work at bringing in some money. Thankfully, I reeled in a couple of new translation contracts this morning, so I have plenty to keep me busy!

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Water Matters

Water Matter 1:

Last night, I checked the water levels before I took my shower. The sensors swore I had a full third of a tank left. Ha ha ha ha ha. No sooner was I covered with body wash than my shower started to do alternating boiling out and freezer cold sputters! I could also hear the pump running through the din of the water spurts, the dehumidifier, and the fan. Why do I trust those evil sensors?!

So, it seems that with my shower habits, I need to top up the water every three days. Duly noted. 😀

One thing I’ve noticed since I started living off the fresh water tank is that the water no longer smells musty! This is a first in two years, even after shocking the system with chlorine two or three times a year. I must have finally gotten rid of the bugs I needed to get rid of.

Water Matter 2:

We had some snow yesterday, which is now melting and pouring down my gutter right where my leak is. I checked the Eternabonded seam and I am not certain that it is watertight. I just have a feeling… I’ll keep monitoring it during the day from both inside and outside.

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Solo Cooking Tips

Tip One:

One of the things I dislike about cooking for one is having to eat the same thing for several days. What I do now is make several days’ worth of plain brown rice in my rice cooker, and then I jazz it up every night with my sides. I might add Moroccan spices and throw in some chickpeas and raisins. Or I’ll add salsa and chicken cooked in fajita mix. Sometimes it’s lentils with Ethiopian spices. Whatever. I’ve learned that rice is the carb I can eat daily without getting sick of it. Making a big batch at once and reheating it uses less energy, and time, than making several small batches. You could do the same thing with pasta. I don’t like reheated potatoes (unless they’re made up into hash browns!), but I know folks who do.

Tip Two:

Since I started eating chicken again, I’ve been buying boneless, skinless, chicken breasts on sale and freezing them individually in baggies. Invariably, I forget to take one out first thing in the morning. They cook up very nicely from frozen, but won’t take on any flavouring. I tried an experiment last week and it works beautifully: I add the flavouring to the chicken breast before freezing it. This way, the meat marinates as it freezes and as it thaws, infusing it with flavour. Tonight, I had one marinated in VH Asian five-spice sauce, and in the freezer I have one with mustard, one with balsamic vinegar, one with BBQ sauce, and one with just salt, pepper, and garlic powder to be served up with gravy. I just transfer the frozen chicken breast to a bowl filled with water and let it sit in the fridge for about a half hour, then I slice it up and cook it. It comes out tender, juicy, and flavourful.

Tip Three:

Frozen vegetables are at least as nutritious as fresh ones. Keep different kinds on hand and throw a handful in with your carb of choice while you’re reheating it. Too easy!

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Class C Over Cab Bunk Floor

Some readers might be thinking that I am living in an Egyptian river since I haven’t really talked much about the floor in the over cab bunk. It’s been foremost on my mind. I’ve just been waiting to make a full assessment before blogging about it.

Last night, I pulled up the flooring in the wet corner of the loft to see how the floor is put together and to help me determine if I need to replace it, too. The most important thing I learned with my house is that a soggy floor needs to be replaced. It can’t just be ‘dried out.’

The top layer, thin paneling, was dry and solid. Under it was a clean layer of styrofoam. Under that was a section of sodden paneling. Under that was wet but clean styrofoam, and under that was the exterior shell.

I peeled back the top layers of paneling and styrofoam only as far as needed to expose the entire extent of the rotten second level of floor, which is a section about 1′ x 1′, and the floor was damp about 3′ x 3′.

The floor of the over cab bunk in a class C RV can be an integral part of the front end structure, depending on how the rig is built. In Miranda’s case, she’s a higher end unit with a steel frame. The floor in the bunk literally floats. The bottom layer of styrofoam isn’t even glued to the shell. I was able to saw out a chunk of both layers of insulation and paneling and just pull them right out with no resistance.

Since the rest of the flooring is fine and dry, I’ve decided to only replace the wet section the same way it was originally built–styrofoam, paneling, styrofoam, paneling. I don’t see any logical reason to pull out the whole flooring and replace it; it’s just not needed. However, I am going to replace the top layer of paneling with a layer of 1/2″ plywood. There’s no need to go to 3/4″, the 1/2″ stuff will already be about four times thicker than what’s there already!

Because of the tight quarters in here, I’ll need to do the flooring in chunks. Like most class Cs, the floor is C-shaped:

I would have loved to divide the floor into six manageable panels, but the gaping hole over the cab makes that impossible. Instead, I’ve decided on four easy to install sections and one big panel:

The drying out process is going very well. I’m alternating between the dehumidifier and the heater. It also helps that I pulled out all that sodden paneling. I’m hopeful that I will be able to get up there to work on Tuesday; I don’t want to rush the process. Monday, I’ll go to the building supply centre that Donna mentioned and see if they can cut my plywood and paneling for me so I have less to do when I get the materials home.

Donna also gave me an alternate solution to the pallets, but I’m not willing, or able, to invest along the lines at this time. The loft floor is going to be 1/4″ to 1/2″ lower than what it presently is with the piece of plywood covering the centre hole and it will be all on one level, which means I can lose the bottom layer of the pallets and gain another inch and a half or so of space. So, that’ll mean nearly 2″ of extra head space when I get the bed put back together. That’ll be worth the work!

Until I know for sure that the leak is fixed, I’ll follow my readers’ suggestion and paint the floor instead of applying vinyl.

Sleeping in the study is going to be a trial. This mattress isn’t meant to hold an adult weight and I’ll admit that I’m combing the classifieds for a twin-sized mattress. 😀 Otherwise, the rig is reasonably livable right now even though the library is stuffed to the gills. I spent a couple of hours today moving and organizing things so that the kitchen, entrance, and dressing room are clear and easy to navigate (the study’s fine). Because the loft is a project that will drag on for probably two weeks, it’s imperative that I keep the rest of my home functional. It’s been my habit in the past to use renovations as an excuse for keeping the home in a dysfunctional state that justifies eating out, but this time I’m breaking the cycle. And I’m off to make dinner, all this work makes me huuuungry!