British Columbia

by

Heating and Work

I woke up this morning to find my propane levels had apparently dropped dramatically overnight, according to Miranda’s useless sensors. So, I have anywhere from one day to one week’s left of propane (hence the word useless). I noticed that one of my neighbours has a huge tank hooked up to their coach. So, I spoke to the manager about propane delivery and she said that someone is coming by on Tuesday, Monday being Thanksgiving, and that I could get an account set up then for a propane tank rental. However, it could be up to two weeks before I could get a tank hooked up and filled! This is because they have to run a credit check on all customers because of the rental equipment.

The manager repeated that I should get electric heaters and confirmed that I am unmetred (unless I get crazy with my electric consumption). I am going to get heaters, but I just don’t feel that they would be as good for RV-wide heating as the furnace is. It makes more sense to me to use the furnace to maintain a general coach-wide temperature of about 17 or 18 and then use an electric heater to heat up the area I’m in to a comfortable temp of 20+. So, I think that getting the propane delivery set up would still be a good thing even if I go hog wild with electricity heating.

Meanwhile, I’m rationing propane. 🙂 Thankfully, it’s gorgeous outside, so I can cook there on the Coleman or the hibachi (now that I am no longer charring my meals!), and the sun has been doing a fine job of heating the coach during the day.

In other news, I got a bit of training this afternoon and was asked to work all day tomorrow to apply that training. Training for what, you might ask? For signing people in after hours, of course! I have also been asked to put in three hours on Sunday morning in the office so that the day people can go to church. So, I have to learn their computer reservation system, cash register operation, and also tour the campground to learn where all the sites are and how to best direct people into them. There’s a lot to take in! I’m especially glad that there is cash register work to do since that will update my resumé in regards to retail experience.

Last night’s gate closing at 11 wasn’t too bad. I showered and changed into my PJs ahead of time, so it was just a matter on slipping into shoes and a coat and popping out for five minutes and then going to bed straight away after since I was exhausted. But this morning’s 6:25 wake up call was a tad brutal!!! At least, it doesn’t take long to get the gates open. I was back in my still warm bed at 6:30 and managed to fall asleep again. I’m just glad that it’s pitch black out at both those hours because of my sartorial choices! LOL Oh, and the manager says that she also performs gate operation duties in her PJs, so I won’t get weird looks from her if she sees me. 🙂 In a few days, once I’ve learned the necessary procedures, I’ll need to perform ‘cash out’ duties in the evenings. She normally does that at 9 and then goes back out to do the gates at 11, but it’s up to me. I might end up preferring to go out at 10:30 and do everything at once. I suppose it will depend on how cold it is!

by

Rub a Dub Dub

Like every single park I’ve been to since hitting the road, this one had has a rule page with one entry that stands out: NO WASHING RV.

That’s all well and good and understandable, but Miranda was getting to be extremely filthy and embarrassing looking and I hadn’t had any luck finding an RV wash place.

So, I asked here if I could wash the dirtiest parts of her with a rag and bucket and was told that this is fine. I was even offered a ladder! I went out and got a bottle of car cleaner with wax in it. I started with her rear because it was turning black. What a difference the wash made! I then started on her sides but realised that there was no way I could wash her entirely by hand in one afternoon. Her sides weren’t that bad, actually, and only really in need of a wash from the tops of the compartments down. So, I did only that part. I washed the cab completely, also. The only thing I didn’t manage to wash, and this bugs me, is the bug-encrusted overhead cab. I just could not find a good angle to access it. And, yes, I tried using a mop; it just didn’t have enough scrubbing power. Still, Miranda looks much better than she did a couple of hours ago! I did the same thing with Pommette.

I can’t believe what a difference this location is to my last. I’m in almost full sun here and I had to crank open a couple of windows. All of last week, I had to run the heat throughout the day to maintain a constant temperature. This will make a huge difference in the winter.

Finally, I discovered I have another perk here: phone access. Once I get a long enough phone cord, I’ll be able to receive calls on a regular phone at absolutely no charge. For outgoing calls, I’ll need to compare the rates to that of my cell, but I’m sure they’ll be better. I’m glad I had the foresight to bring my cordless phones and answering machine with me!

When I add it all up–good internet access, unmetred electricity, unlimited incoming phone calls on top of the site with running water and sewer–I’m going to be willing to work quite a few hours for this park without feeling that I’m being exploited. Heck, just the internet is a huge thing. I had thought that I’d have to get online on my own this winter and estimates put that bill at close to 100$ per month. So, I don’t want to hear anyone say that I’m volunteering too many hours! I’ll keep track of those hours in the beginning, but I’m not going to be a clock watcher.

Now, if I can only get paying work. The supermarket won’t have a position for me just yet and probably not before November. I dropped off another resumé today, this time at Home Hardware, and made a list of places to visit on Monday. I’m not concerned yet. If I haven’t had any nibbles in the next week, then I’ll expand the search to Osoyoos and then to Penticton if I get really desperate. But I’d really love to find something in Oliver, so that I can be walking (or even biking) distance to work. Penticton would be quite a commute and I would be spending a fortune on gas.

Well, all that scrubbing sure worked up an appetite, so I’m off to make a yummy dinner. 🙂

by

Home Sweet Home

Whew. Moving just a kilometre and a half (even less far than I’d estimated!) is as much work as moving 200km!

So, I’m here. As Croft describes it, this park is of the drive in sort. It’s on pavement and the rigs are parked tightly together in a herringbone pattern. I’m tucked away in a corner where I have a bit of grass and trees. It’s definitely one of the nicer sites. Next door to me is the house they offer campground hosts who don’t have an RV. It’s empty at present, so I’ll be given a key to it so I can access the laundry room and television until such time as the park owners decide what they will do with the house. The television doesn’t interest me, but the free laundry does!

One thing I figured out five minutes into arrival is that I need to come up with an efficient interior privacy curtain for the cab. Until now, I’ve been using an exterior cover that works great, but it’s a pain to install and remove. The only way I’m going to get direct sunshine into this coach during the day is through the windshield, so I need something I can open and close easily. The way the cab is set up now, there are little bits of velcro around the top for hanging a flimsy curtain. It’s an even bigger pain to install and it doesn’t hide much.

This afternoon, I’m settling in and running errands, then I’m going to get keys from the manager so that I can start my gate closing duties. It’s not Sunday night (duh), but the people who work the nights I’ll be off are not here this weekend, so I was asked if I’d mind hitting the ground running. Not in the least.

Some people might be wondering if there is a catch to this arrangement. There is. I’ll be responsible for closing the gates at 11PM. No biggie, I’m up at that hour. But I’ll also be responsible for opening them up at 6:30. Yeouch. So much for a good night’s sleep four days a week! That said, I can just stumble out of bed in my PJs, get the gate open, and go back to sleep if I so please. So, if I don’t find work that starts insanely early, this should be fine.

Being the night owl that I am, I am beginning to think that a night job would be ideal. I could close the gates at 11, go to work, come home to open the gates at 6:30, run a few errands, then sleep a full ‘night’ until I go on duty here at 5. Another possibility to consider.

The handyman at the last park spent three winters in the area and comes from out east, so we spoke the same language today when we talked about the winter climate here. He told me that I absolutely need a heat tape on my water hose, but that there is no risk of my tanks freezing. What we’ve been living the last few days is very comparable to what we’ll be getting in the next few months, but it will be much less sunny. I can expect temps to go down to as far as minus 10 at night, but to rise above freezing most days. So, next time I go into Penticton I need to get insulation for my skylights, a heat tape, and weather stripping for the exterior doors. I already have plastic for my windows. I hate putting that stuff up because it just looks ugly, but I’ve been using it for years, so I know it works.

It’s weird to be set up here and know that I’m likely not going anywhere for the next five months. But I’m okay with that. I’ll get to know the area and be able to take day trips in the toad and perhaps take Miranda out a few times. This is actually closer to my vision of my life on the road than the last month was. Traveling every couple of days, even once a week, is positively exhausting and you remain a tourist. I want to stop somewhere, get a feel for its rhythm and move on when I’ve had enough.

by

Total Randomness

I’ve resisted writing about the upcoming election (the one that matters, on October 14th, not the one happening in November *winks*), but today I saw a sign that just made me laugh. As it turns out, I’m in the riding of a certain Mr. Stockwell Day, former leader of the Canadian Alliance. That’s all well and good, except that his name gave me pause for the first time in my life. Maybe I’ve been doing too much dry camping. I don’t know, but I find that his name sounds like a once a year event at Walmart. Come celebrate Stock Well Day, when we refresh our inventory!

As I said, total randomness.

Oh, and vote orange! I did so by special ballot way back when I was in Edmonton.

by

The End of the Road!

Well, sort of!

Friday morning, I move about three kilometres north of here to just within the Oliver town limits, and I’ll be staying there right through to February or March!

I’ve been ‘hired’ as an after hours campground host, by the first campground at which I inquired about such work! I’ll be on duty Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings in exchange for full hookups! Let me repeat that: I’ll be ‘paid’ to stay home weekday evenings. LOL If the weather here is as good as propaganda says it is, I probably won’t have to do too much to get Miranda comfortable and I might be able to keep her mobile enough to make it worth taking her out on my three day weekends, if I’m not working. We’ll see!

The manager’s family owns the supermarket and I’ve been advised to show up with a resumé. It’s not quite the sort of work I’m looking for, but I won’t turn up my nose at it!

Sounds like it will be a quiet winter and just what I’m looking for. I just love the thought of taking on easy work with little responsibility. I know that my pay will take a sharp drop unless I get really lucky paying work-wise, but I’m tired. I’ve been working since I was thirteen years old and most of that work entailed heavy responsibilities. Just let me earn enough to pay my bills and put some aside for the summer and I’ll be happy.