going vagrant for the spring/summer
04/11/2008 01:26 a.m.
looks like we're camping out for the foreseeable future. will put our stuff in storage. getting rather tired of moving, this'll be the third time in under a year. hazards of going overboard to help friends.

just don't see the point in renting another place when i'm gone (or rather, going to be) on the road half the month anyway. we can either pay another friend who's hurting for money to put up a tent on the back of her six acres or pay to stay at a campground. either way will be cheaper than monthly rent plus utilities. $925 for a seasonal pass at one of the county parks where hot showers are available (april's end through mid-oct), $12 a day at a local state park w/out showers, $425 a month at local campgrounds with hot showers.

renting from friend does have the slight advantage in that i'll be able to bring our cat with us. not so sure of the others' toleration of pets. shadow (aka monkey) is good about being on a lead so i'm not worried about him running off. he is, however, a rather vocal little monster and that could be an issue when the summer rush hits. either way, i'm going to have to do some serious wrapping using every blanket and sheet we own on the air mattress to keep it from springing a series of inconvenient claw holes. getting rid of him is NOT an option, you don't dump family out of personal convenience or misfortune- whether human or animal. besides which, my husband needs somebody to keep him company while i'm out on the road. have a feeling he's going to take to our change of state better than us humans anyway, heh. i'm already envying his fur coat.

solar panels charging a 12v capable battery run $100ish around here, which means we'd still have internet access if we invest in a laptop since i have internet via my cell phone. not as good as broadband, but serviceable. which also means on particularly bad days we may be able to run a small electric heater too. but i'm thinking that if we do end up on friend's property, i'm going to want a slightly bigger tent than the one we currently own. will also have to add additional waterproofing too. few things are more uncomfortable than a leaky tent in a rainstorm.
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