Finance

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18 Sleeps Till I Leave For Mexico

BRR. It’s been very cold and damp here the last few days. I’m trying not to heat too much so I can acclimatise, but it’s hard. I’m dreaming of palm trees and beer on the beach!

My neighbour Caroline asked me to come over yesterday afternoon to see her latest purchase for the kitchen and we had a nice chat by their wood stove (lovely) while sipping black current tea (yum!). She then presented me with a gift that showed an extraordinary amount of sympathy to how I feel about the current weather:

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Yes, that’s a union suit, complete with rear access flap. 😀 Every time I look at it, I burst out laughing. I do have to say it makes for wonderful pajamas! I usually wear pants and a top to bed, but then the top rides up and my lower back gets cold. With a union suit, you remain covered no matter how much you wiggle in bed. I was pretty comfy until about 6:00 this morning, when I had to turn on the mattress warmer.

We should have a warmish afternoon tomorrow, so that will be my chance to give the truck bed a good wash and then I can start working on filling it. I’ve started doing a bit of packing, but with nights heading below freezing, everything is staying piled into the RV. It’s getting pretty cramped in here!

The payment I wasn’t expecting to be here before leaving landed on Friday (!), so now I can leave with complete peace of mind and not be on such a strict budget for hotels. I am going to have to average 775KM per day between here and Nogales to get there by the Monday afternoon, so I’ll be glad to not have to hunt too hard for the cheapest motels along my route.

It’s going to be a very fast trip to the Mexican border! I am going to be somewhere in Wyoming the Friday night (probably Gillette, unless the border crossing goes exceptionally well and I decide to push on to Cheyenne). Then, I’ll probably be in Walsenburg, Colorado, Saturday night. After, things get fuzzy because I took a heck of a lot of my time between Nogales and Walsenburg in the spring! I’ll probably be somewhere around Deming, New Mexico, on Sunday night. Monday, I’ll hit the Walmart in Benson for as much of my shopping as I need, then get to Nogales by mid-afternoon.

Work in Arizona is going to be brutal as I will be starting work at 5:00 a.m.! I am considering the possibility of staying in New Mexico to work, getting the bulk of my errands done there, and then doing a run to Nogales on the Thursday afternoon after work. I’d finish at 2:00 and could be in Nogales by 6PMish. I’ll see how I feel as I get closer. The weather will play a role in my decision as will whether or not I can buy some pesos wherever I land in New Mexico.

It’s really good to have a firm departure date as it is making it so much easier to work through my massive to-do and packing list. The bulk of it will likely be done when I get off work the day before I leave, but there are a few things I can do ahead of time. I’m playing a lot of the ‘what are the odds I’ll need this before I leave?’ game and putting things into totes only to pull them out again! But I think it’s safe now to put away all the summery clothes. 🙁

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One-Month Countdown

I’m leaving for Mexico a month from tomorrow! Where did the summer go?!

Last year’s departure felt very scattered and rushed because I was waiting on a cheque that took ages to arrive. Packing was hard because I didn’t know what I’d need and if I’d need it again before I left. Outdoor things, like tarping Miranda, got left to the last minute. I ran out of food and turned my fridge off too early. And I almost left without my pillows.

This year, I really hope it’s going to be different. I had thought I’d get my October payment for September hours for the proofreading gig promptly at the beginning of October, but that client has made it clear that they pay at their convenience, not their staff’s, and that I can’t count on getting a payment by any particular date. So I’m scrambling to rearrange the budget to make sure that I can leave with what I have in the bank right now and what I can count on my other clients to pay me by October 23rd. It’ll be tighter than I’d like, but not so much to make leaving on October 23rd a risky move… except for the truck being a huge wildcard. I know that it’s fine mechanically, but I’m worried about rust on major components, like the suspension.

I’m going to get a safety inspection done on the truck  tomorrow afternoon (only $40!) and hopefully will get an okay to go. If not, departure will have to be delayed until the October payment comes in so I can buy a ‘new’ car. If that happens, I am not making a huge deal out of it. There is a guy in Assiniboia who has reliable cheap cars and I’m going to basically buy the cheapest thing on his lot. My branch here has said that based on what I’ve told them about my financial situation, they would loan me a small amount for a vehicle purchase, but I’d rather delay departure and pay cash rather than increase my debt. Anyway, I’ll cross that bridge if I get there.

I’m paying attention to the weather and scheduled tarping Miranda for this Friday. I haven’t had any more leaks, even in heavy rainfall, so perhaps my roof sealant has finally cured, but I’m not taking a chance with snowmelt. The tarp I have makes it undesirable to tarp ahead of time because it blocks windows and roof vents, as well as the front door, but I’m giving myself more time this year so that I can do a better job of it and some folding so that I can avoid those negatives. Caroline and Charles have tons of baling twine and told me to get some from them rather than buy any, so I’ll take them up on that offer. Other exterior chores, like winterizing the water system, can absolutely be left to the last minute as it only takes an hour or so. I’ll plan to do that the afternoon before I leave, unless the weather forecast for that day is dismal.

As for packing, I’ve been keeping a list since last winter, when I was still in Mexico. It basically boils down to bring more kitchen stuff and bring fewer clothes. I even plan on bringing my folding table so I have extra surface/storage space in the kitchen. It took me a full month last year to set up my kitchen properly and I don’t plan to wait that long this year. Caroline gave me a bunch of kitchen stuff that came with her new-to-her RV that will mean I don’t have to bring all my own ‘good’ stuff with me, thankfully. I just keep imagining things getting confiscated at a border or being destroyed in an accident. I had the same things in an RV, but it’s amazing how they look more suspicious packed up in a truck. This is why I keep waffling on whether or not to bring my good computer chair with me. I’m sure the crappy chair I bought last year will still be there, but, well, it was crappy. 🙂

I don’t intend to sleep in the truck at all this time around, so I’ll be able to better pack my vehicle so it’s easier for customs to get go through and I have less in the cab with me. Of course, this will change if I end up driving down in a subcompact… That will be determined tomorrow. I really hope the truck is fine to go since it is so comfortable to drive and I’m doing a marathon run that would leave me sore if I was in a car. Once I know, I’ll be able to buy packing containers. Packing last year was pretty much a disaster in that I used a few totes, some suitcases and the rest were bags, which didn’t keep things together well at all. This year, it’s all going to be nearly all totes! I am packing one small suitcase since I do plan to fly to Mérida and it’ll contain the clothes I need to get me to Nogales, at which point I will repack it with warm weather clothes.

There hasn’t been much going on socially this summer, so I’m a bit starved for flirting with cute waiters at beachside restaurants and going out in the evenings to listen to music. Unfortunately, my friend Dale is absolutely not returning to Maz, but perhaps I’ll find another single friend to hang out with. And, of course, there should still be horseback riding this winter, as long as my group can shift riding day to Mondays or Fridays.

I’m getting pretty excited about the thought of heading out!

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Stettler to Kelowna

Tar Sands and Fort Mac
Redwood Strands and Kitimatt
(This is our home) and down in the Shuswaps too
I’ve seen many nights feel like high noon from the Dome to Saskatoon
There’s confederation bridge and butterfly ridge and Sudbury and the Sault
I’ve been snowed in for days on the Trans Canada Highway
And that was in the month of June and this is our home

(Mike Plume Band, This is Our Home)

Bitch as I do about the Canadian government and the cost of living here, the variety of landscapes and climates of this vast country will never cease to amaze me. There hasn’t been a moment since I left my property that I didn’t look up and marvel at the beauty of the scenery, from the Prairies through the Badlands, into the foothills, and across the Rockie Mountains. That I have done this trip for the second and a half time, doesn’t make it stale at all.

I left Stettler at about 9:30 on Wednesday morning and drove straight through to Olds, where I conceded I wasn’t going to reach cheaper gas on the outskirts of Calgary. From Olds, I continued southwestward, passing Spring Hill RV Park north of Cochrane, where I stayed in late September of 2008.

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(Spring Hill RV Park)

I didn’t go through the pretty town of Cochrane, instead veering west on highway 1A just before town, until I reached the junction for the Transcanada Highway.

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(very low sky entering the Rockies)

From there, it was a short drive to Canmore where I got some groceries, using my Safeway card for the first time in a year. I bought $30 worth of food, all on sale, and paid only $20 with my Safeway discount!

The entrance to Banff National Park is right after Canmore. I elected to pay the $9.80 for a day pass so that I could stop if I wanted to without risking a fine. Having been to Banff and Lake Louise, I had no intention of detouring, but I still wanted to be able to pull over for a leg stretch, a view, or to use the bathroom.

That said, this was my third time driving across the Rockies and I didn’t have much better luck than the previous two trips since the weather was crappy; very cold and rainy. 🙁

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(Not quite cold enough for snow, but it almost felt like it!)

Still, the drive was effortless. I don’t know what it is about this stretch, but it always makes for really good gas mileage. I’ve never done better than 500KM on a tank with my truck, but I ended up getting about 600KM on the tank I got in Olds. A good part of it is that you just drive straight through, so you don’t waste gas stopping at street lights and such, plus the stretch is mostly downhill. Several times, I put Moya in second gear and took my feet off the pedals, saving both fuel and wear and tear on the brakes.

I stopped at the Spiral tunnels and the entrance to Glacier Provincial Park, where the air smelled like evergreens and snow. I wish I could convey that smell through pixels; it will be a highlight of this summer.

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 (Lots of snow on the mountains, even though it’s late June.)

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(This cut in the rock shows how much work it was to carve a road into these mountains.)

This trip, I was finally about to stop at the Rogers Pass discovery centre! It’s a small museum that makes a good leg stretch break.

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(This is the first time I’ve noticed that the GPS screen more or less matches the terrain.)

I forgot that I was going into the Pacific time zone, so I hit Revelstoke much earlier than I would have planned. It felt too early to stop for the night, but I decided to find the 2008 turnout and see if I had internet there. If so, I would check if the Vernon Walmart was RV friendly, otherwise  I would spend the night.

From Revelstoke I quickly found my first landmark, but drove further past it than I remembered doing in 2008, so I began to think that the turnout was gone. But nope! When I came to it, I recognized it instantly and pulled around to the far side. I had internet and the Vernon Walmart is NOT RV friendly, so I decided to stay put.

A Gregory Peck movie on Netflix occupied most of the evening (my favourite actor of all time), at the end of which I discovered that I had apparently left my iPad charging cord in Stettler! Oh NO. I left myself just enough juice to check emails in the morning and went to bed around 9:00 (10:00 my time).

Even though it was pouring rain, the truck bed felt cozy and warm. I would have slept soundly if trains hadn’t passed by about once every hour.

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This morning, around 5:30, it was very damp out, but not raining, so that made it easier to repack for the day’s drive since I could leave the doors open. I had gained two neighbours, an RV and a semi.

I did the math and even with the gas prices averaging $1.35 per litre ($5.31 per gallon), taking my truck and sleeping in it is cheaper than it would have been to go with a subcompact and take a hotel. I’m going to spend about two weeks camping in the truck this summer (at least) and that will help me figure out what I need to make camping in it more comfortable and easier. A taller and non-leaky canopy is definitely in order! But it’s reassuring to know that I was dry even during last night’s downpour.

I pulled out and drove to Sicamous where I got gas and coffee. It began to pour again as I pulled onto highway 97 and it was a wet, miserable, couldn’t see anything drive into Kelowna. Sunny Okanagan my ass. This is my least favourite part of Canada. 🙁

My first stop was Walmart to see if I could find a cheap iPad charging cord, but nope. I tagged in with my friend Amber, changing our plans from dinner to lunch, and then I headed to a CIBC because I had left my ATM card in the reader at the Canmore Safeway. I HATE those friggin’ chip readers!!!

Getting the new card was painless and it’s one I can now use in the U.S. as it’s part of the Visa as well as Interac networks. I was warned that there are big fees, so I’m better off using my Visa or cash, but it’s nice to have a third option just in case.

Then, I went to Best Buy, which only opened at 10:00. Instead of waiting 15 minutes for them to open, I decided to go to a dollar store and see if I could find a super cheap iPad cord. It’s been my experience that using non-Apple cords is hit or miss and has absolutely nothing to do with price or brand, so it seemed like a worthwhile experiment.

My GPS directed me to a dollar store that had a cord for $12, cheaper than anything else I knew I’d find, but it wasn’t refundable if it didn’t work. Hmm. I knew that I had to get something marked iPad, not just iPhone or iPod Touch as the the iPad chargers offer more juice. I have a little Belkin cradle for my iPod Touch that I had hoped would tide me over until Donna can get my cord back to me, but I got the dreaded ‘charging is not supported with this accessory message.’ Anyway, I decided to take a gamble on the $12 cord, accepting that I’d be stuck using the iPod all weekend if the cord didn’t work. Yes, I am spoiled. 🙂

Well, the cord WORKS. YAY!!! It is charging veeeeeeeery slowly, but I don’t care. I’m just grateful I didn’t break the bank and have my iPad again.

I then headed out to Westbank to meet Amber at a Thai restaurant when I saw a sign that made me do a double take:

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OMG Dollar Tree has come to Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀

I found Thai Fusion Restaurant without any trouble and Amber was right on time. We both had the chicken pad thai. It was fine, but not that flavourful beyond a little heat. I wasn’t surprised or disappointed since I know food tends to be bland out west. It was a nice portion and the prices were very reasonable.

Amber and I gabbed for almost two hours. It was so good to catch up!

I’m now at a library, catching up on some things and finishing up my slideshow. This branch closes at 6:00pm, so I’ll go find a parking lot to hang out in for a few hours before moving to my overnight spot, which I am not going to divulge for matters of safety, obviously.

The first event doesn’t start till 5:30 tomorrow, so I’ll likely spend a good chunk of time tomorrow at a different library.

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The Longest Month Ever

Yay, it was quiet last night! It’s a little cold this morning, but definitely warmer than yesterday.

I feel like April has been interminable. No matter what way I do the math, I have more month than I do money, especially with having to adjust the gas budget upwards. It’s going to cost me almost double what I had calculated to get from Dallas to Wichita (the first time in five years that my estimates are wildly off). That combined with the vet visit has made me feel like I’m swimming in a rip tide.

I don’t know how many nights I’ll be able to stay at L’s, but I won’t be able to leave the Wichita area until a couple of days into May, when some money will be coming in.

April has been really brutal. I’ve had a number of unexpected expenses that have thrown me completely off kilter even though I had low expenses in Dallas. That’s the way it’s been all winter: I started off in great shape and was able to handle the  the unexpected expenses at first, but then they snowballed into each other and have been way more than I would have estimated.

Moreover, I’m going to be going through more propane on this last leg of the journey and I won’t be able to land in Canada the way I had expected because of this interminable winter so I suspected my May expenses are going to be much higher than anticipated.

Does anyone have a money tree seed, by any chance? 🙂

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Still in Dallas

I can’t believe it’s already Friday. I thought I’d be on my way to Kansas by now! My host is in absolutely no hurry to get rid of me (thank you!) and the weather up north is so iffy. I might as well hang out a few more days. I have to say that I really like Dallas. It just feels like a more accessible city driving-wise than did San Antonio. Then again, I’m not doing any driving here. 🙂

Today is an at home day working on projects. Ms. Cinnamon has a tentative field trip planned for tomorrow.

I had to call the bank holding my RV mortgage to make some changes to my account. In the past, such changes have had to be made in person at a branch, but then they started to accept signed faxes. Today, they accepted a scanned document sent by email! It’s so nice to see business practices finally moving into the 21st century. I had tried the fax route using a free ‘fax from your computer’ service and the bank got the fax, but not the signature for some weird reason. I was able to use my wonderful printer to not only scan the signed document, but also email it.

For some reason, the address change I made last year didn’t stick, so they still had me living in Dawson City. The lady was delightfully confused about my Alberta mailing address and North Dakota telephone number. Ah, the life of a wandering nomad!

I checked the balance on the loan and it is more than half paid, which makes sense since I’m at about the halfway mark in payments. It’s really exciting to finally be on the right side of the loan. If a worst case scenario happened, I’d now be able to get out of this loan and have enough left over for a decent down payment on another used rig. Not that I would want this to happen!!!!!