August 24, 2013

           Another round of purchases for the wagon camper made up my day. It smacks of rationalizing but I can’t help thinking of this project in terms of the number of nights I have to crash in the thing to break even. My budget was 12 nights at $60, or $720. I’m around half there as today I brought home the plywood base and the part that forms the tailgate. Shown here I am testing the interior space for fit. This camper is not built for resale, it is geared purely toward what is adequately comfy for me. All the ready-made designs I looked at allow for tall people, which passes a type of hidden cost onto the average person who doesn’t require that everything be engineered for the largest blob out there.

           As you see, the space is more than ample for my physique. I’m not claustrophobic and I lived one summer in a truck camper with the sleeping area above the cab smaller than what I’ll have here. The length is my height plus four inches, the width will fit a twin bed mattress. By opting for a solid plywood shell, I gain the space that would have been used by framing. But I will have to resort to metal bracing, both interior and exterior.
           I’ve purchased the primer designed for either wood or metal. The project has to be covered by a tarp from here on in. I brought the lumber here on the sidecar, which caused plenty of incredulous looks. Most people have never seen a Ural and on top of that to see it hauling a heavy load, I get toots and smiles and a lot of thumbs up. But the camper deck is important so I don’t have to strap down the other materials The next source of confusion will be the best method to make this box waterproof. But there have not been any insurmountable problems so far. The upcoming week should see some kind of test run. If worst comes to worst, I’ll use the cover tarp to keep it dry until I find something permanent.

           Tell you what, here is a photo of the lumber lashed to the sidecar. I pay Home Depot the 50 cents to have the panels cut to spec, which is a great savings. This view gives an idea of the overall compactness of the camper, that the largest piece (74”) can even be carried this way. The 1 x 4” pieces are for prototyping the interior. I believe I mentioned the extra planning required to insure the living area doesn’t have any projections at all. Smooth walls lined with super insulation and a layer of foam rubber, probably memory foam.
           Other than that, keep coming back because I admit I have no idea what I am doing. I was not permitted to take shop in high school and I’ve had no construction training whatsoever as an adult. All the tricky parts have been done by carefully reading the package directions and then adding common sense or a second coat. I need just three more panels to complete the box providing I don’t make any dumb mistakes. Here is a photo of the wood preservative soaked deep into the bumpers. The plywood will be primed (without preservative) because it is manufactured with resistant glue. Good painting will make it last twenty years. Long after I’m dead and gone.

           Bingo was successful enough to send me on a tour of all the local clubs that have live entertainment. That does not include a disk jockey and Karaoke barely passes the test. Every last one of these clubs is hurtin’, most of them are dyin’. They are an outdated format and generally too small to host a quality show even if they were packed. I have never seen a full house anywhere in Hollywood in the, what, seven years I’ve been in the vicinity. Pardon, a few of the smaller beach places, like Toucan’s, have had a few standees. But nothing like a downtown club in Seattle on a weekend, where you have to press the flesh just to get back to your table.
           Worse, most every club has resorted to third rate entertainment. A solo guitarist with backing tracks does not make it happen, folks. In this town, solo guitarists with or without those tracks, make up for 85% of the mix. And they all know each other. I rarely even stop to look unless I already know the guitarist from someplace else. The clubs are slip-sliding away and these ho-hum guitar acts are going with them.
           Even the vet’s halls are fading away, you just don’t see any new or younger soldiers going to these places, which have become old-fashioned watering holes. Buddy’s Place is actually one of the top local spots because they have live entertainment, of sorts, four or five nights per week. But none of it is something you’d drive across town to see. Their Monday jam faded away as they were not paying the musicians.
           So where does that leave me? I seem to be stuck with another “practice but never play” group. What are they waiting for? What are they changing because what they are doing isn’t getting us anywhere. I like the practice, but I’m feeling the lack of incentive to put so much effort into something that is not going anywhere. It isn’t much consolation that other bands are not working either. But I do need the positive reinforcement of live gigs, even those played for tips. Anything is better than endless rehearsals. Especially since I know how much I can make, which is more than all but the best guitarists. Did I say that correctly? Yes. With four or five exceptions, all mentioned here at some point, most guitar players I know have not made a penny since I’ve met them.

ADDENDUM
           Thanks to those who said my diet must be working because I don’t look that overweight. You mean well, but it was only y’day I passed from medically obese to merely overweight. It is also undeniable that I look heavy-set (see photos of y’day) and this is not natural for my bone structure and body shape. When I have a belly, I’m over my limit. The good news is this morning I finally “felt” the loss of flab. Psychological or maybe not, these milestones are important. May I shortly look back and laugh at how little I’ve lost so far.
           The diet is only one part of the task, there must also be a low-level change in eating habits. Zero dairy products. A billion Chinese never eat them so there’s your proof milk stuff is not necessary. No jokes here, please, about how this also causes (insert favorite Asian slur here). No beef, no pork, no tuna. Mind you, there is an increase in other “fish” foods. No, shrimp, lobster, and shellfish in general are not fish. Think herring, mackerel, cod, with no dressings or sauce. Raw.

           Do I allow any luxuries? Yes, though not many. Here is the only candy left for me and it is hard to find. Goode’s licorice and it contains no licorice whatsoever. Try it, you’ll probably be impressed. For me, that is a flavor I like but am never tempted to overeat. These have the curious effect of keeping your breath sweet for an hour. And I only eat one, 14 calories, for desert twice per day. That’s another change. You get two meals per day. Skip breakfast, because that’s how you’ll get your practice “running on empty”.
           Another good habit, weigh yourself three times per day and call the average your true reading. I fluctuate almost three pounds and always over two pounds each 24 hour stretch. Use an average or you’re cheating.

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