Managing the Pack Rat Within

For the past month or so I have been caught in the push to expand my space and the pull to stay where I am.  I have been living in this RV for more than six years, that's three times longer than I had planned.  I find myself wanting more space and a place to spread out.  Sorting mail is a challenge because it requires making a decision on whether to keep it and if so where to file it away so I can find it later.

With temperatures over 100 during the day the only cooking I have been doing has been in the crock pot.  Using the crock pot requires little effort and does not produce a great deal of heat.  The only thing I have been cooking has been a weekly pot of beans, which requires some forethought.  Several years ago I cooked a pot of black beans for well over 24 hours and they never got soft, like beans should.  I learned then you have to soak them for them to turn out right.  In the last couple of months several of my neighbors and I have gotten into some heated conversations over beans and how to prepare them.  Recently we had an impromptu bean cook off.  I have lots of other pots and pans that are not getting used as a result.

Next month my classmates will get together for a class reunion.  Our senior year I was a photographer for the year book.  I had a box of photos I had been saving that may have been good for a portfolio or a trip down memory lane.  Some of these photos were of friends, classmates and depicted student life.  That role was a great one for me as I learned a lot and got to use some of my hidden talent.  When I moved out of storage I remember my brother asking me if I still wanted to hang on to the photos.  I remember the photo that was on top of the box.  With the reunion coming up I have been looking for this box of photos and I have not been able to find them.  I have looked in my hiding places at my RV and in my other storage and have not found them.  It is my hope that when I have the opportunity to spread out and be more investigative I will find them, yet I assume I made a rash decision and threw them out.

Being in the RV has been hard for a pack rat like me.  There are things I want to hold on to for sentimental reasons, like the photos, and yet, I do not have space and have difficulty deciding what to hold on to.  I keep hoping I will get better at managing the pack rat, but all I have to do is look around me to realize I have yet to manage it.
    

Breaking down

Today someone asked how I was doing and I honestly said that if I could I would torch this trailer.  Last week there was a small hailstorm.  We had 5 inches of rain and some parts of the community had tornadoes.  I did not have flooding, but the hail did crack the skylight over my bathtub.  Grateful it was over my bathtub because I do not have a 10 foot ladder to climb on top of my RV to repair or place it.  The RV Park is not able to loan me a ladder for liability reasons.  Although there are several construction people around this park they have been out for the weekend.  I return home after dark, a less than ideal time to be climbing on top of the RV to repair and replace the skylight.

For months I have had a leak around my toilet.  It's gross because it's the toilet.  I have checked the water line to the toilet.  At one time this line was wet, so I made three trips to Lowe's to get the right tool that would fit in the small space.  I tightened the fitting and was so glad to have it fixed, but yet it still leaks.  Someone told me to leave the black water tank valve open because there was the possibility I was not emptying the tank often enough.  After a week of no leaks I was elated, but not 5 minutes later found the toilet was still leaking.  It does not leak with every flush.  There are times I fill the toilet bowl full and sometimes when I do this it leaks, and sometimes it doesn't.  So what gives!  Tom the Repair Guy says this may be the broken valve and it will mean taking the toilet off and replacing the valve. 

In talking to my brother today he suggested I flush the fresh water tank.  If you remember, the park I was at before had water that smelled foul.  His concern was getting all of the "old and foul" water out.  I filled the fresh water tank, but have yet to figure out how to drain it.  I have only done this once in the past five years.  I found the place where the drain valves are located, but can not figure out how to open them.  It is not a T-valve, like the black water or gray water tanks.  I have twisted, turned and pulled to no avail.  The Owner's Manual, has no information about how to open these valves, not even where they are located, so does that make me smarter than the Owner's Manual?  Bro says that if I turn on the water pump I will be able to locate the water pump and may find another place to drain the valves.  Funny thing is, I turn on the water pump, but it does not turn on.  I have two switches to turn it on and try both, but neither gets it going.  I try turning off the city water supply, hoping that will prompt it to turn on, yet to no avail. Tom the Repair Man says this is small stuff and don't sweat the small stuff. 

Then, in the midst of cooking supper I burned the rice.  Where is the reset button so I can reset the day?

A Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name

I think it's a great thing to have a place where everyone knows my name.  A small community, not too big.  A place to go to when I am having a bad day or to share good news.  For the past six years or so I have become friends with the owners of a local coffee shop.  Originally I met them two days or so after they bought their first coffee shop.  Now they have sold that shop and bought another.  The business has grown.  They are always tweaking their menu.  My favorite brunch item is the shrimp and grits or the Artist omelet.  The coffee is always good! 

While I was going to school it was great to have a place where I could study and be around people.  When they bought the new place it was great to have a choice of coffee, beer and food, real food, not just sweet pastries, but a variety of tacos and made to order hamburgers. 

Their place has often been an extension of my place.  When I wanted to meet someone I often met at the coffee shop.  It has always been a place for social gathering and a place to meet new people.  Many of the friends I have today I met through this coffee shop.  I have spent many a long day, more than 10 hours, at either of their coffee shops. 

Someone once said the staff of this local coffee shop are kind of like family for me, and they are.  Sometimes we have a love-hate relationship.  While I was looking for work for a period of time I helped them out as a dishwasher.  I guess they decided I was not a good fit because they have not called me and asked me to help out in several months.  When I have something to celebrate these are the people I often turn to. 

They have been going through some growing pains and it has been difficult to watch, just like family.  Since I started visiting this place the owners married (each other) and recently have decided to separate.  For the last year or so weekends find this place busy with a line to the door.  I hope they are able to work things out in a way that benefits both of them. 

Spot to Study

I started working on this counseling degree at Texas State in 2006.  For whatever reasons I often find it difficult to study in my tiny trailer so I'm often on the prowl for cool places to study.  Several years ago I found a library that was top notch.
http://www.dpld.org/Locations/HighlandsRanchLibrary
This library is huge.  It has two floors with a great big patio facing the Rocky Mountains.  It has sound proof rooms and a quiet room.  There's a coffee shop next door. There are large windows allowing natural light and a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains.  I never tired of looking at the mountains. 
I have searched for a place that offers some of the same features and have pressed my luck. I was spoiled by this library!!

Prior to starting the degree I was studying for the GRE and found a small locally owned coffee shop.  I would go in on my days off and spend anywhere from 4-8 hours studying.  I made friends with the owners and met some of the other regulars.  After a while it became difficult to study because I knew so many people.  Then I found another coffee shop and the same thing happened.  Sometimes I hop around from one shop to another looking for a place to spend some time over a great cup of Joe and some good food while studying.

I've tried several of the local libraries.  They are full of people screaming and yelling.  In fact, I've never heard anyone chew as loudly as they do at the library.  One of the great things about the library in Highlands Ranch was the quiet room and the sound proof rooms with a view of the Rocky Mountains.  I do have access to the local university libraries, but parking is impossible during the weekday when classes are in session.

Over the course of the degree and in the midst of the search for the "Perfect Spot" I've met some cool people and made some great friends.  I've been introduced to things I would not have otherwise been introduced to.

Super Heroes

I went on a bicycle ride with a friend recently. He said something that really struck me and has stuck with me over the past couple of weeks.  He said he likes dressing up in cycling gear because he feels like he is dressing up as super hero.  Cycling gear is typically spandex and the shoes are often shiny, making great dress for a super hero.  I replied that shopping for cycling gear is like shopping for a swimming suit.  "Does this make me look fat?"

For a variety of reasons I have found myself thinking about body image this past semester.  It would be great if I could adopt my friend's perspective instead of the ideaology that it will show and reveal every flaw of my body.  Wouldn't it be even better if we lived in a society that accepted every body shape and size for what it is and not what it could be or what we want it to be?

I've begun a countdown on my calender, a countdown to bikini season.  Female superheros typically seem to be in bikini like attire, think of Super Woman or was it Wonder Woman?  Maybe this spring I'll feel more like dressing up as a super hero.

What's on the Grill?

I enjoy food from the grill. This is a great time to grill too because the stove heats up the trailer beyond a comfortable temperature.

I enjoy playing with various fruits and vegetables on the grill as well. Since I was young onions have been a staple on the grill. Last night I also added asparagus and pineapple. The asparagus had olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled on it. I bought a whole pineapple and then sliced it lengthwise. I didn't season the pineapple. It was divine!! It was really ripe and just about melted in your mouth.

Experiments in the kitchen

I have been hungry for pancakes and waffles. This week I also verbalized a plan to follow the GFCF closer. If I was to have pancakes or waffles they'd have to be gluten free/casein free. I have some GFCF flour mix I have been needing to experiment with. This morning I got on the allrecipes website and found a recipe for Blueberry Pancakes with flaxseed meal. I have some flaxseed meal that also needs to be used. I played with it a bit and it still needs some tweeking. Here is what I did

Blueberry Flax Seed Meal Recipe
1 1/2 cup gluten free flour mix
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1 cup milk substitute
2 eggs
1 cup blueberries, raw or thawed
2/3 cup sugar substitute (this may be too much)
Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Then add them together. I found the milk was not enough so added more, then added too much.

I Feel the Need for Coffee

I'm in the midst of studying for this comprehensive exam. I'm stressed about it. I've taken the majority of the week off of work in order to study. I've been drinking large amounts of coffee and today my coffee pot broke. It's not an old coffee pot, less than six months probably. It's a french press, so it's not like I'm able to go to the nearest store and buy a new carafe. I did stop at the grocery store and buy some super glue, but only managed to glue my fingers together!!!!

Revisiting Food Options

Cooking in the RV has taken me longer to transition into than I ever imagined. I have a stove top and an oven. Until recently I did not have use of a microwave. The small space has been complicated by the fact I work 30 hours a week at a demanding job and go to graduate school. Somewhere in there I try to fit in socializing. Then there is the complication that I am trying to eliminate all dairy and gluten from my diet. This past semester I have been so overwhelmed by it all that I stop at any one of numerous fast food joints and pick up something that's not healthy.

Just before the holidays I tried the Master Cleanse, AKA Lemonade Diet. Evidently I was pretty toxic because I had some serious detox symptoms. After having done it I felt better and my skin was clearer than it has been in a while. While doing this fast/detox I committed to finding healthy recipes that would be feasible in the trailer , while in school and consistent with my new diet. I have found several other blogs of parents who are doing a low-carb diet or gluetin free/casein free (GFCF).

One of my challenges has been that I often get bored with salads. I need to learn other fruits and vegetables to mix in a salad and play with a variety of dressings.

This is going to be one of the first new salads I try:
Mediterranean Vegetable and Walnut Salad
Serves 6
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/2 cup Vinaigrette dressing
* 1 Tbsp minced, pitted ripe olives
* 1 can chickpeas
* 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
* 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into match sticks
* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 4 cups spinach
* 4 cups arugula leaves

1. Heat walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat 1-2 minutes until walnuts are slightly toasted. Set aside and reserve.
2. In a small bowl combine chick peas, bell pepper, carrots and onion.
3. Toss with 3 Tbsp vinaigrette. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl toss spinach and arugula with remaining vinaigrette.
5. Divide equally on 6 plates. Top with vegetable mix and sprinkle with walnuts.

Happy New Year!