Tech

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Tethered

My wonderfully awesome friends Ken and Donna gave me their US Verizon cell phone that can be used as an internet modem. A lot of money, several phone calls to tech, and about five hours later, I’m finally online with a connection similar to what I get with my internet key in Canada. I also have a US phone number. I am shocked by how easy the activation process was. I know that a few short years ago, I would have needed a US credit card and SSN. Today, they were able to run a Canadian credit check (must have been good since I didn’t need to make a deposit) and all they wanted beyond that was a US address, which I was able to give them since my best friend told me I could use hers.

Getting on was so hard that I’m afraid to log off! But I badly need groceries. I spent some time trying to find the nearest grocery store when I remembered that I am parked at a Super Walmart. Doh.

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Why Not Minot?

I am at the Applebee’s in Minot, North Dakota posting from my iPad. I’m off to Verizon next to see about getting the US cell phone activated with a data plan.

As I approached the border this morning, the last words spoken to me by the customs supervisor last year echoed in my mind. I made some notes in your file. As long as you’re back in Canada by April 7th, your next crossing should be easier.

He wasn’t kidding. Had the agents not struggled with getting the front door opened, I would have been through in under four minutes. My having to get out and unlock the door for them delayed the process by a whole 30 seconds. They rummaged around for a bit and then the lady handed me my passport and told me to move ahead. I asked her where she wanted me to park because her instructions seemed vague. “No. You’re clear. Have a nice trip!” Yahoo!!!

Miranda is parked at the Walmart, one of the worst lots I have stayed in, hard to get around in and on a slope. But there aren’t any obvious alternates and it’s just for a night.

I seem to have changed time zones as my iPad says it’s 12:45 and I distinctly remember pulling into Minot at that time. It’s been a short driving day having left Estevan less than four hours ago, but I’m beat and glad to call this drizzly day done.

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Return to Mindfulness

In a few hours, my high speed internet connection will be terminated and I will have to go back to my very limited 5GB cellular connection. The new billing period starts on the ninth, so I can use that entire 5GB in a week, making the return to limited bandwidth not too drastic just yet. And I’ll be back on high speed when I get to Quebec, so this is just for six weeks. I opted to terminate the connection tomorrow because that was the last day of the billing cycle. The way internet is billed, I pay a month ahead of time, so I should not have to pay for anything else, but I will ask Jody to keep her eye out for a Telus envelope with my name on it just in case.

This winter, I haven’t had to think my use of water or electricity or internet or propane nor have I had to worry about sewage. It’s been very easy, and very mindless. I find that the days tend to run a little less into each other when you have to monitor your utilities. because it hasn’t been that long since you dumped or took on water or because your batteries have been rather low for a few days. It’s a combination of small things that help me feel more engaged in my life. There is so much I miss about living in my RV and mindfulness is at the top of the list. Cooking over a flame is also near the top of the list. 🙂

I am giving the apartment complex a few more hours early this week but I am hoping that by Wednesday I will be pretty much done. I ended up putting in a full eight-hour plus day on Saturday, which had not been on my schedule! So I wound up spending today doing transcription rather than working in the rig.

As for my rig preparations, I’m downscaling them as I always do since my mother reminded me that she has her full woodworking shop and some of her free time at my disposal. So I will finish up my work in the study and call it done, unless the time to do that materializes this week and I have time to take on the other projects.

April 11th is marked on my calendar as the day to take Miranda out for fuel, propane, and dewinterizing, and April 16th is down as the absolute last morning for pulling out. Having those dates firmly set in my calendar makes the idea of departure from Lethbridge much more real. I have now been in Lethbridge exactly one year and am 14 days away from leaving. While I have no regrets about the last twelve months, I am ready to go. Well, mentally at least. Physically, I’m hustling. 🙂

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The Coatless Winter Winds Down

March! How can it be March?!

This morning, a reminder to cancel The Apartment’s internet connection popped up on my calendar, so I promptly called Telus and did just that! This is going to be my last billing cycle on hard wired internet and I’ll be back to using my cellular modem on April 2nd. I can’t believe how quickly the last few months have passed!

An email landed in my inbox an hour ago that 100% firmed up my cross-country itinerary. I need to be in Quebec for May 18th so I will be going straight there by way of visiting a friend in Virginia, leaving exploration of the southwest to next winter.

Going to Virginia might seem like a huge detour, but it’s actually less than 1,500KM. When you’re committed to traveling 3,500KM already, what’s another 1,500KM? 🙂

I will be deviating a little from this route once I figure out the best way to by-pass Chicagoland by RV (I do hope to squeeze in a hop to one of my favourite cities by toad, however!), but for the most part this is a familiar route for me that will still allow me to add a few new states to my visited states list!

As things stand today, I don’t see myself leaving Lethbridge till mid-April, so I will have a solid month to get across the continent, which will leave me with plenty of time for sightseeing, visiting with friends, and working while traveling at a reasonable place. I’m itching to get back on the road, but am glad that I have time to finish up a few projects before I do.

(As for the title of this post, someone was shocked to see me wearing a coat during the day yesterday. That’ll give you an idea of how warm it’s been!)

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Winter’s Bittersweet Refrain

BRRRRRR!!!

February is going out like a lion! It’s unfortunately too cold to work in the rig, so my electrical and painting projects are on hold. Eep! The forecast does have us moving back up towards a thaw for next weekend, so I’ll hopefully be able to catch up then!

I’ve been feeling really spent the last couple of weeks, so I spent the bulk of today curled up with my cats and the iPad. Tomorrow, I’m going to continue preparing The Apartment for my imminent departure. I should be back home within a month or so!