• Home
  • J.P. PATCHES
  • Pacific Northwest & Seattle
  • Landscapes
  • Public Market
  • Coasters
  • Ramblin' Route Blog
  • About K.Drew
    • Ramblin' Route Blog2
  • Floral & Garden
  • Poetry
    • Poetry 2
  K.Drew Gallery

SLOW DOWN

3/25/2015

 
Have had a stretch of cold rainy weather. Watching how rivulets of rainwater flow over the Nomad. The roof has a few small gutters at corners and water drains from these. If Nomad is not level rainwater (which runs straight down) will spill onto outside walls and down window seams. Looks like an opportunity for leakage. Maybe there’s a gutter product fix for that. I’d like something to keep it away from RV body. Camping down south rainwater won’t be so much an issue as here in Northwest. Its time for first visit to Campers' World in Fife. Learning this stuff is not natural to me but the promise of freedom is attractive. Been pacing my learning about living in RV so as not to be overwhelmed. Yesterday I refilled propane tanks at McLendons Hardware and was caught up in a few nostalgic moments.

Memories triggered were from age 8 -10. My very favorite thing to do with my dad was go to the Renton store.  The Original McLendon store had all big wood plank floors. I remember seeing a lot of old guys in cover-alls talking up a storm to customers about everything but what they came for. Trips to McLendons back then gave excitement about imagining creative possibilities envisioning larger sense of the world. Seeing all the products and colorful labels neatly in rows in contrast with other areas of utter chaos; tangling ropes, tubes and bundles piled high. Now the McLendon brand has grown and spread like bamboo into so many stores; that success is exciting too.
Now these memories are loaded with extra sentiment since I’ve just learned of my dads passing.
He did show me off back then and I was proud to be his son. How things change! On Super Bowl Sunday I found out about my dad dying. He died in September 2013. No one thought I’d care so no one bothered to tell me. Not even an email.  I have 2 sisters, Paula and Heidi and a brother (oldest), Scott. Dysfunctional, judgmental, selfish.  I would trust a stranger before I’d trust any one of them.

My youngest sister Heidi who I haven’t seen in a decade or so came by my Fremont house out of concern. She said she was worried about me. It was good at first to see her until the realization kicked in of why I hadn’t seen her in 10 years. The issue was never properly resolved and I was waiting for her to simply ask me what was bothering me. She offered flimsy apologies like “ I’m sorry for the way you feel”. She didn’t understand to just ask me how I was feeling. Assuming she knew how and what I was feeling was her way. Then her carefully worded apologies so she never takes responsibility. What brought her to my door was a little clay sculpture.

As I was packing and moving out of house I found this bright orange little clay head which her now deceased husband Phil had made during one of our clay play days. The fiery face being super expressive: shocking, and almost frightening. I boxed it up in bubble wrap and sent it to Heidi since I figured she would love it as a memory of Phil’s creative prowess. So she shows up at my door, two hours before Super Bowl (Seahawks vs. Patriots) which I had been dreaming about watching for a year. She was worried I was about to commit suicide and this clay head was my way of reaching out to her. If you live in a dysfunctional family you may understand. No communication here. Writing this down in words is a catharsis. I love writing because I can’t be interrupted. (A bit self-absorbed perhaps)

So just as I was feeling ok about clearing up this 10 year sibling aggravation and able to explain to Heidi why her ultimatum to me to install a handrail on front steps (or she wouldn’t visit again) was an attempt at sabotaging my happiness (something she’d been doing the entire time of our youth). Right at the point where I had felt a sincere apology she says “By the way, Al Carlson died”.  She said it with same delivery as weather update. Somehow she had managed to bully me all over again. But it was time for Super Bowl; it was easy to send her away. Turns out the game was totally amazing and the Seahawk loss was a better show than Heidi trying to get a dig in. Later in a rare moment of introspection she confessed in an email she was jealous of me. Jealous of my freethinking creative spirit!  Guess it'll be another 10 years before Heidi will ask how I feel about not being told of my dads death until nearly 2 years later? I won't be waiting around for that.

 So on this gray rainy day I offer this entry as a little taste of the family discordant cloth I’m cut from.

Oh, and by the way, I did not like my father as a person. He was a racist bigot.
I must admit, it's a relief knowing he's dead. He can no longer threaten me. Those beatings made a life long impression.
Once again, Heidi was attempting to sabotage my happiness by not sharing the information. Enough of family drama. New blogs will focus on discoveries of RV living, traveling new places, findings and observations, dog life, art, wine, music, fun, and serendipity. I go into the world as a man searching for nothing and everything.
I have an appointment on Friday to bring in RV for wheel bearing repacking.


 

Home Sweet RV

3/17/2015

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Commencement Bay
Picture
Picture
Firefighters Memorial at Commencement Bay
  Getting settled into RV has been going well. Good that there is more storage area than I remember. Since my mind quickly tires of this organizing process, I need frequent breaks. Hundreds of items need assigning a location based on usage and convenience. 
   Michael, my first RV park host, has been a good friend. Fun to hang with. Kicking soccer ball. Walking dogs on nice easy trails that seem to all lead to a great view of Mt. Rainier. Visiting markets and estate sales. We went to a great discount market where I bought 2 nice eggplants for $1.00!
They would have been $6, maybe more in Seattle. We grilled ’em as steaks in olive oil last night and results were mucho satisfying. 
Spent a few nights gazing into the amazing universe and solving humanities problems. Theres an app to help identify planets and constellations. If you point your smart phone at the earth you can see what is on the other side of Earth. Shooting stars amaze me.
 People around this countryside known as Waller, east of Tacoma and west of Puyallup seem down to earth and friendly. Slowing down from city life pace is agreeable. I need to work on conversation skills. Been more of a listener. Engaging in conversation seems most valuable and not a waste of time. A pleasure; I feel a need to participate.
   Been thinking a lot about what it will be like navigating America’s freeways and finding space to hook up or not hook up; RV camping and boon-docking. It surely will not be a kicked back existence. Hands on deck. One wrong turn in this rig and there could be a real problem! Twenty eight feet and put another twelve feet for the truck and my rig is forty feet long. Glad I went this direction and listened to Andy. I was going to buy a self contained Sprinter van. Much more money and much less space. That would have soon got old with JP and GG bouncing about.
   GPS is wonderful. A bit confusing as the blinking blue dot tells you right away if you’re going in the right direction. There are many apps to consider and learn my way around. 
   After all, I’m not doing this to make my life easier! I’m doing it to shake up my life. I reached a level of success with my business which I could have continued and done very well. Most would choose to maintain the course. Nose to the grindstone.The flip side of that is the effect comfort and stability has; not so conducive for a creative soul, in my experience. I’m always asking myself questions. Questions such as What are you suppose to do? Why? How did I get so old anyway? Are you happy doing what your doing? Who told you what to like? What do you want to do? 
   Just at retirement point and I’m starting new. It feels wonderful. I hope what I’m doing here is moving forward and embracing future as opposed to escaping a life of mortgage payments and work drudgery. I’m not retiring really. Quite the opposite. I’m gearing up for a new creative surge.
   Been getting situated in RV and had a few surprises along the way. Like when I smacked my head on the ceiling above bed. Beware of low clearance!  Don’t be jumping up suddenly or you may have a concussion. Hope my instinctual self absorbed that lesson so I don’t have a repeat.
   May need a smaller coffee maker, the one I have is huge for this place. Love my morning coffee. Made waffles two times and Michael enjoyed. Got the cook time and thickness down for perfect waffles.  I was going to give waffle iron to Michael but decided to keep for road. I may make a friend or two and making waffles is a treat to offer. So I guess I waffled on the waffle iron. Sorry Michael.
   This RV camping is not to be confused with survivalist like that Alaskan wilderness guy on PBS.  
He is certainly returning to my collection of heros along with Spiderman and Batman.
   I’m using the bunk area well for the dogs. Put their crates in there and opened sides so they connect together. Fits perfect with no wasted space. And there's a door to open outside though too high for them to jump in themselves. Dogs have learned to go down the entrance steps without falling on their chins but still need to lift them up to get in. Michael helped me put carpet on the steps to help dogs get traction. We used the red carpet from my gallery which I used on opening nights to invite people in. Kinda cool to bring along that connection.
JP & GG (pronounced: Jay Pee & Jee Jee) are adapting well. They have met a few dogs on the way without consequence. But JP did bite a loose skinned lanky golden lab. The woman was a sweetheart and earthy. She thought nothing of it. I was stressed out. So mad at JP. He would not let go. Will be using cloth muzzles to take them to dog park. My goal here is to get them to not attack other dogs and would be great if they took to normal sniffing of asses. They are so cute, no one believes they could be so aggressive. You can tell they want to socialize.
   Hooked up water yesterday, with prompting by Michael. Used a hose he bought at estate sale for $2. I nice long green hose. Problem was it leaked and some mud came out. Found the right clean water hose and hooked that up. Paula and Kevin, the nice folks I bought the Nomad from, showed me around the RV and spent over an hour explaining what is what. Wish I would have recorded some of that info. Anyway, the water is flowing. Electricity is hooked to land line. Everything works so far.
  Record setting rain over the last few days has been a good test. Found no leaks. Knock on wood. Been reading about condensation and how cooking and showering brings it on. Can create leakages around windows. Another test will by creating a dry camping scenario, unhooking all land lines and relying on 12 volt system only.
  So much to learn and it is a joy. To walk out in the country side to the sound of frogs and twittering birds. Horses grazing. No news. No TV. 
Though I would like to get the TV going! I enjoy watching movies and some sports, especially football.
Settling in has gone well. Another week ought to do it.
My house goes up for sale next week. So when it sells I'll need to clear out remaining furniture and feel free to explore America!

    Picture

    Kim Drew

    Many years have passed and artist Kim Drew has decided to leave the comfort of his Fremont Art Shack and hit the road in a random sort of adventure.
    Follow his discoveries as he travels across America in his Nomad RV, sketching, writing, and responding to the flora and fauna with his wonder dogs J.P. and G.G. 
    This is the artists first blog and he will try to add weekly stories, sketches, and road serendipity.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    July 2023
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.