The smell of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and pizza crust is wafting into my den from my kitchen. Yes, I am homed once again. I made the short 5 minute drive up the road to my house and parked my car for the time being. I was growing tired of spending so much on gas lately which such a life entails. I also came to the sobering realization that if I am ever to find a mate, mentally ill or not, I was going to have to go back to a more conventional lifestyle. Let’s face it guys. Some dude living in his car ain’t exactly a prime catch these days. I don’t think that is high up on the list of what women look for in potential mates. It is so nice to be using my relatively fast computers and internet connection at home that my brother affectionately calls “The Bunker.” My laptop is a piece of outdated junk that was a pain in the ass to use.
My whole online reading material is derived from other blogs these days. Nobody is writing much this week leaving me bereft of reading material. Even the normally verbose “The Homeless Guy” has slunk off into some hole to hide lately. He had a paid blogging gig this weekend at a local television affiliates blog and stirred up a shit storm among its readers with a crass post about Steve Irwin deserving what he got. Nobody has heard from him since. I am sure he will lick his wounds and return to blog again another day.
My car living experiment has completely got my usual routines out of whack thus the lack of posts about the gang. I haven’t been spending much time down at the shopping center or at all. I thought I would write a short update on what the gang has been doing. This was garnered from Big S this morning.
George: George has been busy courting Pookie, playing poker, and trying to cut down on his ice beer consumption. There seems to be love in the air these days around here. Big S said that Pookie had gone into his wallet again the other night while he slept at her house and took fifty dollars. She disappeared and showed up two days later after a crack binge. George was furious. I have told him repeatedly that I don’t care how horny you get; a crack whore ain’t a good place to go to get satisfied.
Ferret: Ferret is presumably still at that religious based group home for indigent and alcoholic men down in Columbus, Georgia. No news is good news as far as Ferret is concerned.
Droopy: You all read of my run-in with Droopy last night. He has really let himself go and is not taken care to keep up his appearance. He will wear the same t-shirt and jeans for weeks on end. I see him constantly walking about this small town on his various social errands with the underbelly of town
Dumpster Diving Dan: Dan is doing what he always does. His longstanding feud with the hog man ceased as the hog man gave up due to Dan’s tenacity and went looking for greener pastures. Dan still feeds his seagulls every morning and hits the dumpsters before the heat of a late summer’s sun hits.
Showing posts with label Car Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Car Living. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
As the World Turns…
I am sitting here in this beautiful park scribbling in my notebook. Three squirrels are busy foraging in the green grass that spreads before me like an expansive, lush carpet. You can hear thunder rumbling on the horizon. It has been an overcast day which has kept the temperatures wonderfully cool. Deputy Fife just drove by in his golf cart making sure that chaos was not breaking out in this deserted corner of the world. I can’t help but smile when I see him riding by looking so full of purpose and seriousness.
I made the mistake of telling my mother where I spend most of my days. She has been bringing me a plate of food out to the park which is only a short drive from their home. Today, my father’s cook prepared chicken and dumplings and biscuits. I had forgotten how delicious homemade chicken and dumplings could be.
I made the mistake of telling my mother where I spend most of my days. She has been bringing me a plate of food out to the park which is only a short drive from their home. Today, my father’s cook prepared chicken and dumplings and biscuits. I had forgotten how delicious homemade chicken and dumplings could be.
Friday, September 01, 2006
And the Rain Gently Falls…
A storm parked itself over this small town last night and it rained for hours and hours into the wee hours of the morning. I laid back in the reclined seat of my car listening to this symphony of nature. At first, the harsh, metallic patter of the rain dropping heavily upon my hood and windshield aggravated me. Then I started to relax and noticed the more subtle sounds accompanying it. The pleasant sluice of infrequent car tires cutting through the water on the wet road nearby; the drip of rain from the leaves of the neatly manicured shrubs lining the perimeter of the parking lot; the occasional strong gusts of wind that would hauntingly whistle in the cracks of my slightly opened windows. This wind would, from time to time, blow a mist of water in those cracks giving the rain an all more tangible fell. Not only could I hear it, I could experience it tactually.
Morning arrived in what seemed like a blink of the eye. The rain had long since ceased and I was greeted by a grey and overcast sky. It took until midmorning for these clouds to burn off and for the sun to be revealed. The temperature then skyrocketed heated by the late summer sun. I found myself out at the park lost in my thoughts as I sat quietly reading a book in my fortress of solitude.
In two days, it will have been one whole week of exploring this new lifestyle. I find it suits me and my disability very well. I haven’t felt this free from anxiety in years and am pleasantly content with the slow pace and almost drifting nature of my days. I have pretty much removed myself from the conventions of modern society and find myself beginning to form my own philosophy on what I believe is a meaningful life. Being removed from the thoughts and opinions of others is allowing me to formulate my own beliefs, desires and opinions. It is so intellectually stimulating and satisfying. For once, I had a week in my life in where I felt the value of my person was not measured by the opinions and regards of others or how they expected me to life my life.
I finally gave up on daytime talk radio yesterday which had grown part of my routine during the week. At first, it held a morbid fascination, but the same tiresome rants, proselytizing, and fear-mongering grew old after awhile. I found myself longing to hear and read about more moderate stances on politics and not the constant tactics to divide people along political and party lines. There is an extreme juxtaposition of what is aired during the day to what is aired at night. The so called conservatives have a strangle hold on radio during the day and they all spout the same vitriol ad nauseam. It just reaffirms my belief that as long as the ruling elite can continue to keep people divided politically, socially, and religiously that people will never be able to work together for a common cause of bettering this world for all. They are all too busy squabbling over the scraps thrown from the table of our ruling elite.
Morning arrived in what seemed like a blink of the eye. The rain had long since ceased and I was greeted by a grey and overcast sky. It took until midmorning for these clouds to burn off and for the sun to be revealed. The temperature then skyrocketed heated by the late summer sun. I found myself out at the park lost in my thoughts as I sat quietly reading a book in my fortress of solitude.
In two days, it will have been one whole week of exploring this new lifestyle. I find it suits me and my disability very well. I haven’t felt this free from anxiety in years and am pleasantly content with the slow pace and almost drifting nature of my days. I have pretty much removed myself from the conventions of modern society and find myself beginning to form my own philosophy on what I believe is a meaningful life. Being removed from the thoughts and opinions of others is allowing me to formulate my own beliefs, desires and opinions. It is so intellectually stimulating and satisfying. For once, I had a week in my life in where I felt the value of my person was not measured by the opinions and regards of others or how they expected me to life my life.
I finally gave up on daytime talk radio yesterday which had grown part of my routine during the week. At first, it held a morbid fascination, but the same tiresome rants, proselytizing, and fear-mongering grew old after awhile. I found myself longing to hear and read about more moderate stances on politics and not the constant tactics to divide people along political and party lines. There is an extreme juxtaposition of what is aired during the day to what is aired at night. The so called conservatives have a strangle hold on radio during the day and they all spout the same vitriol ad nauseam. It just reaffirms my belief that as long as the ruling elite can continue to keep people divided politically, socially, and religiously that people will never be able to work together for a common cause of bettering this world for all. They are all too busy squabbling over the scraps thrown from the table of our ruling elite.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Open thine eyes to be greeted by the sun…
I was startled awake by the loud thud of a car door slamming shut. I opened my eyes to be greeted by a bright midmorning sun shining in through the windows of my car. I immediately leaned up, reclined my seat back to its upright position and looked at my watch. It was 7:30 AM! I was amidst a sea of cars filling this vast parking lot as the employees had arrived to spend another drudge filled day sitting in their little cubicles in front of glaring computer monitors toiling for this corporate behemoth.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.
I had forgotten to set my alarm clock the night before and had overslept.
“Oh well,” I thought. “Everybody bowls a gutter ball sometimes.”
It was a wonderfully cool and comfortable night to sleep last night. My little portable weather station showed the temperature had fallen to a low of 69 degrees in the overnight hours. This allowed me to sleep with my windows rolled up creating a barrier between me and those pesky mosquitoes.
I cranked up my car and drove the short distance down the street to Fat Albert’s to imbibe in my morning cup of coffee. Carolyn was just finishing up counting her till and was eager to head home and get in the bed after a long night shift.
“Hey stranger!” She said as she greeted me enthusiastically as I walked in.
“Hey gal,” I replied as I walked pass the cash register to the back of the store to fix my coffee with extra cream and sugar.
Fat Albert’s was eerily quiet this morning as the great hordes of lottery addicts had yet to arrive and gamble their hard earned cash away. I am sure the store would be hopping by lunchtime as this is lottery central for the local area.
“Would you do me a favor?” Carolyn asked as I stepped back up to the counter. “I will pay you.”
“You don’t have to pay me whatever it is,” I replied. “We are the best of friends, remember?”
“Could you come by this morning and cut my grass?” She asked. “David (her son) is in Atlanta doing contract work all week and can’t cut it. It needs it bad. I am afraid it is going to get too overgrown.”
“I will be over within the hour,” I replied.
I drove on downtown to eat a quick breakfast of two egg McMuffins and an orange juice and then headed out to Carolyn’s house. She was already in the bed when I arrived and was fast asleep. She had left her garage door up so I could get to her riding mower.
I proceeded to try to crank it, but the battery was so weak it would barely turn the engine over. I put it in neutral and pushed it out into the driveway. I then pulled my car near and got my jumper cables out and connected the two batteries of both vehicles and the riding mower roared to life with the first turn of the key. It only took me around an hour to cut her grass as I circled her yard in an ever decreasing square. I didn’t even bother to wake her when I finished. I just parked the mower back in the garage and shut the door and went about my business. I will see her tomorrow morning. She needs her sleep.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.
I had forgotten to set my alarm clock the night before and had overslept.
“Oh well,” I thought. “Everybody bowls a gutter ball sometimes.”
It was a wonderfully cool and comfortable night to sleep last night. My little portable weather station showed the temperature had fallen to a low of 69 degrees in the overnight hours. This allowed me to sleep with my windows rolled up creating a barrier between me and those pesky mosquitoes.
I cranked up my car and drove the short distance down the street to Fat Albert’s to imbibe in my morning cup of coffee. Carolyn was just finishing up counting her till and was eager to head home and get in the bed after a long night shift.
“Hey stranger!” She said as she greeted me enthusiastically as I walked in.
“Hey gal,” I replied as I walked pass the cash register to the back of the store to fix my coffee with extra cream and sugar.
Fat Albert’s was eerily quiet this morning as the great hordes of lottery addicts had yet to arrive and gamble their hard earned cash away. I am sure the store would be hopping by lunchtime as this is lottery central for the local area.
“Would you do me a favor?” Carolyn asked as I stepped back up to the counter. “I will pay you.”
“You don’t have to pay me whatever it is,” I replied. “We are the best of friends, remember?”
“Could you come by this morning and cut my grass?” She asked. “David (her son) is in Atlanta doing contract work all week and can’t cut it. It needs it bad. I am afraid it is going to get too overgrown.”
“I will be over within the hour,” I replied.
I drove on downtown to eat a quick breakfast of two egg McMuffins and an orange juice and then headed out to Carolyn’s house. She was already in the bed when I arrived and was fast asleep. She had left her garage door up so I could get to her riding mower.
I proceeded to try to crank it, but the battery was so weak it would barely turn the engine over. I put it in neutral and pushed it out into the driveway. I then pulled my car near and got my jumper cables out and connected the two batteries of both vehicles and the riding mower roared to life with the first turn of the key. It only took me around an hour to cut her grass as I circled her yard in an ever decreasing square. I didn’t even bother to wake her when I finished. I just parked the mower back in the garage and shut the door and went about my business. I will see her tomorrow morning. She needs her sleep.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Languid Days…
Its lunch time and I am sitting in the park eating my two .50 cent hotdogs from Fat Albert’s. Amazingly, these beautiful surroundings seem to be ignored for the most part by the local population and townsfolk. I feel as if I have garnered a new family; the regulars that have the good fortune of enjoying the surroundings much as me; the few that there are. We all respect each others boundaries and see each other everyday. We keep a comfortable distance.
One middle aged lady shows up around lunch time to walk laps around the perimeter of the park around noon. She is amazingly fit for what I believe to be her age. I admire her undaunted determination with which she so dutifully does her best to exercise everyday. I sometimes daydream about being seduced by such an older and attractive women twice my age. Various sexual fantasies vividly fill my mind as it wanders over the banal preponderances of AM talk radio emitting from my headphones.
A group of what I believe to be migrant Mexican farm workers shows up everyday to subsistence fish. They are a jovial bunch laughing and talking in that language I cannot understand. I watch intently as they clean their fish and proceed to grill them over hot coals on the grills the park provides. They look as if they live in abject poverty, but seem so happy and fulfilled. It reinforces home the fact I have learned over the years that money can’t buy you happiness.
The park ranger whom I have deemed Deputy Fife makes his rounds on the hour. He never fails everyday to accost the Mexicans and check their fishing licenses. He is a nervous, jittery fellow adorned in a light green shirt with a badge and khaki pants. His mode of transportation is a golf cart which always makes me smile as he tools around the park with an air of importance in such a laughable vehicle. I imagine he was once a police officer and had to retire to the relative obscurity of a park ranger due to stress and his nervous disposition.
Thunder rolls loudly on the horizon suddenly. The Mexicans spring into action and pack up all their fishing and cooking gear. What seems like twenty of them pile into one vehicle and drive off. The lady walking the perimeter park has long since left. I am left alone with my thoughts and my surroundings. My only companion is the voice of the daytime AM radio show hosts ranting endlessly on my radio about the war on terrorism and those evil Muslims; fervently trying to whip their listeners into frenzy over nonexistent threats. It astonishes me that citizens would turn to these talking heads to generate their view on the world and politics. I listen in with morbid fascination.
The thunder grows ever louder and the first heavy rain drops start to fall. It chases me to the sheltered confines of my car. I close the door and sit quietly as the rain picks up in intensity. I smile and feel so tranquil and content. For once, my life seems to have such a profound meaning. I am at one with the world and my surroundings. I open my laptop and proceed to capture today’s lunchtime moment in the park with zeal.
One middle aged lady shows up around lunch time to walk laps around the perimeter of the park around noon. She is amazingly fit for what I believe to be her age. I admire her undaunted determination with which she so dutifully does her best to exercise everyday. I sometimes daydream about being seduced by such an older and attractive women twice my age. Various sexual fantasies vividly fill my mind as it wanders over the banal preponderances of AM talk radio emitting from my headphones.
A group of what I believe to be migrant Mexican farm workers shows up everyday to subsistence fish. They are a jovial bunch laughing and talking in that language I cannot understand. I watch intently as they clean their fish and proceed to grill them over hot coals on the grills the park provides. They look as if they live in abject poverty, but seem so happy and fulfilled. It reinforces home the fact I have learned over the years that money can’t buy you happiness.
The park ranger whom I have deemed Deputy Fife makes his rounds on the hour. He never fails everyday to accost the Mexicans and check their fishing licenses. He is a nervous, jittery fellow adorned in a light green shirt with a badge and khaki pants. His mode of transportation is a golf cart which always makes me smile as he tools around the park with an air of importance in such a laughable vehicle. I imagine he was once a police officer and had to retire to the relative obscurity of a park ranger due to stress and his nervous disposition.
Thunder rolls loudly on the horizon suddenly. The Mexicans spring into action and pack up all their fishing and cooking gear. What seems like twenty of them pile into one vehicle and drive off. The lady walking the perimeter park has long since left. I am left alone with my thoughts and my surroundings. My only companion is the voice of the daytime AM radio show hosts ranting endlessly on my radio about the war on terrorism and those evil Muslims; fervently trying to whip their listeners into frenzy over nonexistent threats. It astonishes me that citizens would turn to these talking heads to generate their view on the world and politics. I listen in with morbid fascination.
The thunder grows ever louder and the first heavy rain drops start to fall. It chases me to the sheltered confines of my car. I close the door and sit quietly as the rain picks up in intensity. I smile and feel so tranquil and content. For once, my life seems to have such a profound meaning. I am at one with the world and my surroundings. I open my laptop and proceed to capture today’s lunchtime moment in the park with zeal.
Good News Arrives on the Wind…
The scuttlebutt down at the shopping center this morning was that Ferret has managed to secure a bed in a group home for homeless, alcoholic men for a tenure of nine months. I looked up their website on the web and was dismayed to find this to be one of those religious programs (which aren’t? When did the Christians corner the market on trading in insolvent, indigent, and/or addicted men? ) where you are force fed sermons during the day of a fundamentalist nature (the website reeked of fundie). Ferret doesn’t have a religious bone in his body so I am kind of concerned as to how long he will actually stay and put up with all that pretentious nonsense. At least for the time being, he has a roof over his head, a bed, and three square meals a day. The poor dude deserved a break, but now he has to deal with Jesus freaks for nine months and their ignominious preaching just to get some help. Who knows? Maybe he will get born again. With winter coming on, this was good news to hear for Ferret’s sake despite the bible thumpin’ nature of the program. Ferret’s condition was degrading on a daily basis. My brother always told me, “You have to believe in something,” in regards to Alcoholics Anonymous and it’s religious overtones which often caused me to chide in distaste. Maybe the same will hold true for Ferret as well. I would much rather to not have anything but good to write about that fellow for a change if anything at all. Ferret deserves a break.
George wins the numbskull of the day award today. Big S said he had seen him earlier this morning and George related to him the story of his running over his mother’s mailbox last night. Big S said George was in an abnormally animated mode of discussion today as he shared the lurid details of his run-in with Postal Service property. Luckily, not much was harmed other than George’s pride and a $50 mailbox. I didn’t even have to ask Big S if he was drunk. It was a given. George is another individual in my life that is definitely burning his candle at both ends. Why do all these drunks gravitate towards me? It must be my alluring charm, wit, and discerning ear; my drunken gravitas. I seemed to have stamped on my forehead “Drunk? Yes, I will talk to you! Have a seat!”
Last night was unpleasantly hot and humid. A cold front blew through with an unceremonious whimper during the night bringing little relief and the storms ahead of it had dissipated long before it arrived much to my chagrin. We got a few brief sprinkles of rain as if the weather gods were mocking me and my weather obsession. The mosquitoes were also hellacious last night. I spent much of the night fending off the little blood sucking bastards instead of sleeping. It was too hot to roll up the windows of my car. There is no more miserable feeling than literally being eaten alive for hours on end by a foe you can barely see. Note to self: Get mosquito repellant today, pronto!
Morning arrived much to my relief with me sitting at my sunrise spot in the park. I sat eating a Payday candy bar and drinking a pint of milk as I welcomed in the magical hour. I looked at my watch and it seemed several hours had passed in a moment’s notice; I, living in my own little world that inhabits this dusty and cobweb festooned malfunctioning mind.
I had several people remark to me today about how much weight I have lost lately. The medications for schizophrenia are notorious for causing weight gain and not being able to lose weight. I am having the exact opposite problem these days. I rarely look into a mirror so this piqued my curiosity. One of the dollar stores has an old fashioned scale were you can weigh yourself for a dime. I got on it and weighed. 190 pounds. I have lost 30 pounds with no effort on my part. I seriously need to stop eating out of a can and get back to eating three nutritious meals a day again. My appetite has just been nonexistent though. I have to force myself to eat. I am fueled by cigarettes and diet cokes these days.
George wins the numbskull of the day award today. Big S said he had seen him earlier this morning and George related to him the story of his running over his mother’s mailbox last night. Big S said George was in an abnormally animated mode of discussion today as he shared the lurid details of his run-in with Postal Service property. Luckily, not much was harmed other than George’s pride and a $50 mailbox. I didn’t even have to ask Big S if he was drunk. It was a given. George is another individual in my life that is definitely burning his candle at both ends. Why do all these drunks gravitate towards me? It must be my alluring charm, wit, and discerning ear; my drunken gravitas. I seemed to have stamped on my forehead “Drunk? Yes, I will talk to you! Have a seat!”
Last night was unpleasantly hot and humid. A cold front blew through with an unceremonious whimper during the night bringing little relief and the storms ahead of it had dissipated long before it arrived much to my chagrin. We got a few brief sprinkles of rain as if the weather gods were mocking me and my weather obsession. The mosquitoes were also hellacious last night. I spent much of the night fending off the little blood sucking bastards instead of sleeping. It was too hot to roll up the windows of my car. There is no more miserable feeling than literally being eaten alive for hours on end by a foe you can barely see. Note to self: Get mosquito repellant today, pronto!
Morning arrived much to my relief with me sitting at my sunrise spot in the park. I sat eating a Payday candy bar and drinking a pint of milk as I welcomed in the magical hour. I looked at my watch and it seemed several hours had passed in a moment’s notice; I, living in my own little world that inhabits this dusty and cobweb festooned malfunctioning mind.
I had several people remark to me today about how much weight I have lost lately. The medications for schizophrenia are notorious for causing weight gain and not being able to lose weight. I am having the exact opposite problem these days. I rarely look into a mirror so this piqued my curiosity. One of the dollar stores has an old fashioned scale were you can weigh yourself for a dime. I got on it and weighed. 190 pounds. I have lost 30 pounds with no effort on my part. I seriously need to stop eating out of a can and get back to eating three nutritious meals a day again. My appetite has just been nonexistent though. I have to force myself to eat. I am fueled by cigarettes and diet cokes these days.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Becoming Unwired…
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is a strong Wi-Fi signal emanating from the office building across from where I am camping at night and it’s unsecured! Joy! 24 hours of free internet access bliss! I had to run down to Wal-Mart and purchased an expensive 12 volt to 110 volt converter to use my laptop in my car. The batteries on my very old laptop are almost shot and barely hold a small charge these days. So, I am writing this from the comfy confines of my trusty steed as I settle down for the evening to wait for my favorite radio shows to air.
Pipe wrote a comment concerned about me and various aspects of my life. Pipe, rest assured that things are going well. We are in the very process of getting everything put in my name. I found it sad though that you thought my car camping experiments were not living a “true, adult life.” What in the hell is a true adult life anyway? I find most orthodox adults that I encounter on a daily basis to be boring, vapid, and dull individuals living equally boring, vapid, and dull lives. I am happy! I am doing something I very much enjoy. I revel in exploring alternative ways to living. While most adults are sequestered in their “safe” and “boring” boxes i.e. homes, I am out experiencing life and the forces of nature. I feel fully alive and invigorated! Also, due to the great amount of social anxiety that I experience, living in my car affords me a certain solitude and a feeling of safeness from encounters in which I do not wish to participate in. I am free from the prying eyes of my ever watchful family members.
Pipe wrote a comment concerned about me and various aspects of my life. Pipe, rest assured that things are going well. We are in the very process of getting everything put in my name. I found it sad though that you thought my car camping experiments were not living a “true, adult life.” What in the hell is a true adult life anyway? I find most orthodox adults that I encounter on a daily basis to be boring, vapid, and dull individuals living equally boring, vapid, and dull lives. I am happy! I am doing something I very much enjoy. I revel in exploring alternative ways to living. While most adults are sequestered in their “safe” and “boring” boxes i.e. homes, I am out experiencing life and the forces of nature. I feel fully alive and invigorated! Also, due to the great amount of social anxiety that I experience, living in my car affords me a certain solitude and a feeling of safeness from encounters in which I do not wish to participate in. I am free from the prying eyes of my ever watchful family members.
Day 3 and the Adventure Continues…
George is intrigued by my car camping experiment. He has been my constant companion these past few days.
“You have a perfectly good bed to sleep in and a home and yo white ass, cracka ass is sleepin’ in your car,” He said with an air of incredulousness.
“Think of it as a camping trip,” I replied as I smiled undaunted.
“You white ass honkeys are crazy,” George said as he took another drink from his beer.
I thought about arguing the absurdity of drinking beer at 7 AM in the morning, but let it slide. Thus sets the scene for this morning’s foray into the lakeside park to cook breakfast on my camp stove. George watched intently as I boiled a pot of grits and then set it aside to fry some bacon.
“You’ve done this before,” George replied.
“I was homeless for six months, remember? This is second nature to me.”
George certainly didn’t have any problem in partaking of the bowl of grits and crumbled bacon I handed him. We both sat eating as the sun first rose over the trees on the far side of the lake.
“Brilliant!” I exclaimed as I took in another spoonful of food.
George demurely played it off as if it was no big deal. Soon, he was taking leave of me to go start his day of earning money via his fly-by-night taxi service. “The park has to be the most fucking boring place to spend your morning,” were his words to me as he got in his car. I laughed it off and bid him farewell. Little did he know that these treasured surroundings meant a great deal to me. They are akin to my fortress of solitude.
“You have a perfectly good bed to sleep in and a home and yo white ass, cracka ass is sleepin’ in your car,” He said with an air of incredulousness.
“Think of it as a camping trip,” I replied as I smiled undaunted.
“You white ass honkeys are crazy,” George said as he took another drink from his beer.
I thought about arguing the absurdity of drinking beer at 7 AM in the morning, but let it slide. Thus sets the scene for this morning’s foray into the lakeside park to cook breakfast on my camp stove. George watched intently as I boiled a pot of grits and then set it aside to fry some bacon.
“You’ve done this before,” George replied.
“I was homeless for six months, remember? This is second nature to me.”
George certainly didn’t have any problem in partaking of the bowl of grits and crumbled bacon I handed him. We both sat eating as the sun first rose over the trees on the far side of the lake.
“Brilliant!” I exclaimed as I took in another spoonful of food.
George demurely played it off as if it was no big deal. Soon, he was taking leave of me to go start his day of earning money via his fly-by-night taxi service. “The park has to be the most fucking boring place to spend your morning,” were his words to me as he got in his car. I laughed it off and bid him farewell. Little did he know that these treasured surroundings meant a great deal to me. They are akin to my fortress of solitude.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Company for Two…
I made the mistake of telling George where I was car camping yesterday evening. He came pulling up late last night blaring his gospel music.
“What’s up my brotha!” He exclaimed jovially from the open windows of his car as he pulled up.
“Just great!” I thought as my stealth camping spot was now revealed to all who passed by.
George got in my car with a case of Milwaukee’s Best Ice beer and proceeded to drink himself into oblivion. With each beer his speech grew more mangled and confused. Soon, he was passed out. I walked around the car to open the passenger’s door and released the lever for the seat to recline it. Sherman went flopping backwards as the seat reclined with a loud thud. He didn’t wake up until this morning when my alarm clock went off.
“Let’s move your car over to the shopping center,” I said.
George was still drunk as hell this morning and stumbled to get into his car. He did manage to drive it over to the shopping center and parked it. I then drove us down to the Waffle House to eat some breakfast hoping it would sober George up some.
“What’s up my brotha!” He exclaimed jovially from the open windows of his car as he pulled up.
“Just great!” I thought as my stealth camping spot was now revealed to all who passed by.
George got in my car with a case of Milwaukee’s Best Ice beer and proceeded to drink himself into oblivion. With each beer his speech grew more mangled and confused. Soon, he was passed out. I walked around the car to open the passenger’s door and released the lever for the seat to recline it. Sherman went flopping backwards as the seat reclined with a loud thud. He didn’t wake up until this morning when my alarm clock went off.
“Let’s move your car over to the shopping center,” I said.
George was still drunk as hell this morning and stumbled to get into his car. He did manage to drive it over to the shopping center and parked it. I then drove us down to the Waffle House to eat some breakfast hoping it would sober George up some.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Car Living: Homeless Style
There is invaluable advice on living homeless comfortably at The Survival Guide to Homelessness and Hobopoet. Alan of Hobopoet fame lived in his car for around a year as an experiment. Mobile Homemaker of The Survival Guide to Homelessness was also homeless for a time and wrote invaluable tips on surviving homelessness and making it much more comfortable. The homelessness as experienced by such people as The Homeless Guy is for the birds and not very smart people. The homeless guy has become institutionalized by the very charities that feed, clothe, and give him a place to sleep at night. He also has to subjugate himself to the very entities that “keep him up” so to speak such as listening to hell bent sermons every night and scheduling his life around the shelter’s time. Just about every homeless blog I have ever read wrote that The Homeless Guy was full of shit. Mobile Homemaker wrote on his blog…
I have no desire to get caught up in that vicious cycle that most homeless people experience. Actually, I am sort of experiencing that with my father at the moment. The only difference is that I have a roof over my head.
Here is my checklist for my next venue of homelessness. Well, I will be living in my car so technically you could say I will have a home.
I will add more to this list as the day progresses and I think of other things. If you have a tip then drop them in my comments. I would appreciate the advice.
This is another reason that charity is so unsavory. It comes from a position of superiority. The charitable feel they have a right to determine the goals, purposes, and uses of their charity. It lacks dignity. I don't mean for the recipient. I mean it is not dignified to try to direct the lives of others, to be so involved in the details of other lives. It's a failure to understand boundaries.
I have no desire to get caught up in that vicious cycle that most homeless people experience. Actually, I am sort of experiencing that with my father at the moment. The only difference is that I have a roof over my head.
Here is my checklist for my next venue of homelessness. Well, I will be living in my car so technically you could say I will have a home.
- Gym Membership for showers. The truck stop is just too expensive to use on a regular basis.
- Sex lube for shaving
- I also have an OLD laptop with windows98 on it that I will use for internet access. The local Krystal’s restaurant was free wifi and I know the supervisor very well. The battery has long died on the laptop, but it still runs if I plug it in.
- Luckily, I live near the country and there are plenty of seldom traveled back dirt roads for when I get ready sleep. Hell, I might just go park my car at the parking across from where Ferret camps and pitch my tent.
- Cooler for ice and cold drinks from my car.
- I still have all my camping gear as well such as my tent, backpacks, and sleeping bags.
- Marine battery and fan to blow the hot air out of my car at night. I will need to wire this to my battery so it will charge as I drive.
- I need to sell my three computers I currently have. One is mediocre, another is mid-range, and my gaming computer is VERY nice. Hopefully, I will get a few thousand dollars from this before I can find a job. I will have to live on that money for a few months.
I will add more to this list as the day progresses and I think of other things. If you have a tip then drop them in my comments. I would appreciate the advice.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Exhaustion
What an exhausting day! My great aunt is obsessed with the fiasco that was great aunt Jessie’s death and the surrounding issues regarding the will. Uncle Bob somehow managed to keep all the money and has refused to give any to his step children. My great aunt talked for hours about this. The details grew more and more exaggerated the more she talked about it. She is under the assumption that Uncle Bob got a lawyer to doctor the will. She was also supposed to get all of Aunt Jessie’s clothes and Uncle Bob refused. This pissed her off as well. Who would want an elderly dead lady’s clothes? The thought of wearing them makes me shudder.
My great aunt lives way out in the country in a small town on the other side of this county. I had to drive all the way out there and pick her up and then drive back here to the doctor’s office. We then had to wait three hours to visit the doctor. There is nothing more exhausting to me than sitting around in doctor’s waiting rooms. They did an EKG on her and didn’t find anything wrong. Doc thinks she must have just had some muscle spasms in her side that scared her. She had been sweeping the floor vigorously when the pain started and after all she is eighty-eight years old. I then had to repeat both long drives again for a total of 128 miles driven today. I didn’t get home until well after dark.
Pipe, I did get my injection yesterday. It is a rather long story so I will try to keep it concise. My doctor is very, very close friends with my father. He learned from Andrea, his nurse that I didn’t show up for my injection yesterday and personally called my father at work. Dad had my mother come over immediately and force me to go get my injection which extremely embarrassed me. She drove me down there.
It is hard to explain, but if I ever get off my medications for an extended period of time (say two or three days) then it becomes intoxicating. It is hard for me to get back on them. I start to get delusions that my family is trying to control my mind by forcing me to take them. It is a vicious cycle. The Thanksgiving holiday is what ultimately got all this screwed up as my doctor’s office had an extended closure over the holidays and the time for my injection fell on that period.
On my car camping experiment, I am still going to keep my home at first and do this gradually I think. It will take a few weeks until I become acclimated to this lifestyle. At first, my family will be none the wiser. I will have all preparations in place before truly beginning this journey and letting my family know of my decision. I will still have my apartment to fall back on in case of emergency for many weeks to come. I am going to be smart about this. I not just going to run out and start living in my car overnight. I may even change my mind if gets too cold and is much harder to bear than I realized.
On the good news front, I did get one of my older laptops to boot up and recognize my wi-fi card. My card connected to my wireless router. This means that I will be able to get on the web twenty four hours a day at a local Krystals restaurant that offers free wireless access in town. That was one of my biggest worries about my upcoming experiment; not having ready access to the internet. Problem solved.
My great aunt lives way out in the country in a small town on the other side of this county. I had to drive all the way out there and pick her up and then drive back here to the doctor’s office. We then had to wait three hours to visit the doctor. There is nothing more exhausting to me than sitting around in doctor’s waiting rooms. They did an EKG on her and didn’t find anything wrong. Doc thinks she must have just had some muscle spasms in her side that scared her. She had been sweeping the floor vigorously when the pain started and after all she is eighty-eight years old. I then had to repeat both long drives again for a total of 128 miles driven today. I didn’t get home until well after dark.
Pipe, I did get my injection yesterday. It is a rather long story so I will try to keep it concise. My doctor is very, very close friends with my father. He learned from Andrea, his nurse that I didn’t show up for my injection yesterday and personally called my father at work. Dad had my mother come over immediately and force me to go get my injection which extremely embarrassed me. She drove me down there.
It is hard to explain, but if I ever get off my medications for an extended period of time (say two or three days) then it becomes intoxicating. It is hard for me to get back on them. I start to get delusions that my family is trying to control my mind by forcing me to take them. It is a vicious cycle. The Thanksgiving holiday is what ultimately got all this screwed up as my doctor’s office had an extended closure over the holidays and the time for my injection fell on that period.
On my car camping experiment, I am still going to keep my home at first and do this gradually I think. It will take a few weeks until I become acclimated to this lifestyle. At first, my family will be none the wiser. I will have all preparations in place before truly beginning this journey and letting my family know of my decision. I will still have my apartment to fall back on in case of emergency for many weeks to come. I am going to be smart about this. I not just going to run out and start living in my car overnight. I may even change my mind if gets too cold and is much harder to bear than I realized.
On the good news front, I did get one of my older laptops to boot up and recognize my wi-fi card. My card connected to my wireless router. This means that I will be able to get on the web twenty four hours a day at a local Krystals restaurant that offers free wireless access in town. That was one of my biggest worries about my upcoming experiment; not having ready access to the internet. Problem solved.
Operation Freedom
(To Di: sorry I was asleep when you called yesterday. I appreciate your concern and your calls very much. I know I sounded terrible when you spoke to me. My mind was still fuzzy from the beer I had drunk and I was still half asleep. I hope to talk to you again soon, but it may be in a few weeks.)
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Within the next few days I will embark upon a journey of discovery. Today, I have to take my great aunt to the doctor and it will be an all afternoon affair. Tomorrow I will start my preparations for living in my car for an extended term.
I think I have everything worked out. I will use a local library for internet access. I also have two very old laptops with a wi-fi access card. Maybe I can get one of them to work again. I have to get a gym membership for my showers and shaves. I will take care of that tomorrow depending on their plans and how expensive they are. I will use the local coin operated Laundromat to wash and dry my clothes. I need to get the windows on my car tinted for privacy. I think I will be able to do that myself. I also need to get a Post Office box for mail.
My biggest concern is keeping warm. I am very cold natured. Although the days are relatively mild here in the South during the winter, it does get close to freezing every night. I am hoping my two sleeping bags will be proficient and will keep me warm. I will put plenty of blankets and quilts in the car just in case.
Another big concern is finding a safe and quiet sleeping spot to park my car at nights. There is a large nearby textile manufacturing plant that runs around the clock all three shifts. There is a very large open parking lot that is always full of cars. I am thinking it will not look suspicious if I park there every night to sleep. We will just have to try it and see.
Some of you may be wondering why I am doing this. I have many reasons. It is something I have always wanted to try and I have read extensively about it. I am also in a very unhealthy living arrangement with regards to my family. I have very little freedom. The urge to do this has been building for a long time. I would rather live homeless than to be controlled and taken care of. I do not feel like a grown man and am more like a child. I have tasted true freedom once before and once you experience it; it is hard to give up. It takes a lot of sacrifices to obtain and I am willing to go to the furthest links to regain it.
Within the next few days I will embark upon a journey of discovery. Today, I have to take my great aunt to the doctor and it will be an all afternoon affair. Tomorrow I will start my preparations for living in my car for an extended term.
I think I have everything worked out. I will use a local library for internet access. I also have two very old laptops with a wi-fi access card. Maybe I can get one of them to work again. I have to get a gym membership for my showers and shaves. I will take care of that tomorrow depending on their plans and how expensive they are. I will use the local coin operated Laundromat to wash and dry my clothes. I need to get the windows on my car tinted for privacy. I think I will be able to do that myself. I also need to get a Post Office box for mail.
My biggest concern is keeping warm. I am very cold natured. Although the days are relatively mild here in the South during the winter, it does get close to freezing every night. I am hoping my two sleeping bags will be proficient and will keep me warm. I will put plenty of blankets and quilts in the car just in case.
Another big concern is finding a safe and quiet sleeping spot to park my car at nights. There is a large nearby textile manufacturing plant that runs around the clock all three shifts. There is a very large open parking lot that is always full of cars. I am thinking it will not look suspicious if I park there every night to sleep. We will just have to try it and see.
Some of you may be wondering why I am doing this. I have many reasons. It is something I have always wanted to try and I have read extensively about it. I am also in a very unhealthy living arrangement with regards to my family. I have very little freedom. The urge to do this has been building for a long time. I would rather live homeless than to be controlled and taken care of. I do not feel like a grown man and am more like a child. I have tasted true freedom once before and once you experience it; it is hard to give up. It takes a lot of sacrifices to obtain and I am willing to go to the furthest links to regain it.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Making Changes
Much has been going on lately. I have decided to exhaust every avenue available to me for help. I am tired of living on such a meager income. (I am allowed to earn up to $200 dollars extra a month at the present.) Today, I put an ad in the paper for doing yard work of any kind. It cost me $35 dollars to run for 5 days. My first ad will appear in tomorrow’s edition. I wonder if the phone will actually ring. I have my doubts but will be ready to go in the morning if it does. I have a mower, weed eater, and leaf blower. I also bought some hand shears, clippers, and a pair of leather yard gloves.
Another aspect that I started to tackle today is the costs of my medications. My shot costs $280 every two weeks. Recently, I was enrolled into Medicaid and they didn’t cover my medications. I had to drop my private insurance that did cover it. I found on the pharmaceutical company’s website a patient assistance program where they provide my medications at greatly reduced cost or for free according to my income. I printed out all the paperwork and proceeded to start the process. I also have to get my psychiatrist to fill out a form verifying that my insurance doesn’t cover my bi-weekly injection. That will be a daunting task for me to get all the way down to Auburn and persuade her to take the time to fill out the paperwork. (That and to try and keep her from charging me a fortune to do it.)
My car living experiment went very well. It was much easier for me to live on my income without the added expenses of housing, utilities, etc. I had a freedom I haven’t experienced in years from that little venture. It is very doable in the spring and summer time but would be harsh in the winter. I would have to migrate south towards Miami to subvert the cold. The logistics of doing this would prove hard as in getting my SSDI check diverted to another location and such. Also, my much regimented medication schedule would prove troublesome. How would I arrange to keep my injections and/or see the doctor?
Another aspect that I started to tackle today is the costs of my medications. My shot costs $280 every two weeks. Recently, I was enrolled into Medicaid and they didn’t cover my medications. I had to drop my private insurance that did cover it. I found on the pharmaceutical company’s website a patient assistance program where they provide my medications at greatly reduced cost or for free according to my income. I printed out all the paperwork and proceeded to start the process. I also have to get my psychiatrist to fill out a form verifying that my insurance doesn’t cover my bi-weekly injection. That will be a daunting task for me to get all the way down to Auburn and persuade her to take the time to fill out the paperwork. (That and to try and keep her from charging me a fortune to do it.)
My car living experiment went very well. It was much easier for me to live on my income without the added expenses of housing, utilities, etc. I had a freedom I haven’t experienced in years from that little venture. It is very doable in the spring and summer time but would be harsh in the winter. I would have to migrate south towards Miami to subvert the cold. The logistics of doing this would prove hard as in getting my SSDI check diverted to another location and such. Also, my much regimented medication schedule would prove troublesome. How would I arrange to keep my injections and/or see the doctor?
Monday, April 25, 2005
Sleep Deprivation
Thanks for all the comments and support. It was really nice this morning to check out my blog and to read all the comments. Freya, there is a journal about a man living in his van in Hawaii floating around on the internet. He has some invaluable tips on car living in that state. I will endeavor to find it this week. I don’t have my bookmarks with me and can’t remember the link off the top of my head.
Pipe, thanks for the book suggestion. The library did indeed have a copy of that Steinbeck novel. I am currently reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. As soon as I finish that in a day or two, I will delve into your suggestion.
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I am operating on only three hours of sleep. Last night was very cold and uncomfortable and very unseasonable for this time of year. My summer sleeping bag is rated at a comfort level of forty degrees. Those ratings are not very accurate on those cheaper sleeping bags. It got down into the upper thirties last night and I almost froze my ass off. I would wake up chilled and with icy feet and would have to crank the car and run the heater to get warmed up. I will know next time to always bring my winter weight sleeping bag for emergencies. You never know what Mother Nature will throw at you.
In a small conservative southern town, people are very suspicious and wary of anything out of the normal. I have learned to blend in as much as possible. Luckily, my car looks like what any self respecting soccer mom would drive. It really blends in other than looking new. I look like I have money and it doesn’t draw the attention of the locals or police. I am realizing that this is key to car living. You want to look like you belong there.
I parked overnight at a local twenty four hour grocery store. I figured it would not look out of the normal to be parked all night by such an establishment. There was one thing that I didn’t take into account. That was noise as I am a very light sleeper. Throughout the night the sound of car doors shutting and people talking would jar me awake. Note to self: Find a quieter sleeping spot tonight. I finally gave up on sleeping around 3 am and put on some warm clothes, turned on the radio, and waited for daybreak as I read a book to the map light in my car.
Around 6 am, I drove over to the Waffle House for breakfast. They have a cheap and filling breakfast with free coffee refills to boot. I ate a large ham and cheese omelet, some hash browns, and some toast. I sat for a long time reading a newspaper, people watching, and drinking ample cups of coffee. I didn’t want to overstay my welcome and I made sure to tip the waitress very well for all the refills she poured.
Next I headed down to the local truck stop for a shower. They give you a ticket with a numerical code that unlocks the shower door. They also give you a towel and one of those hotel sized bars of soap. Inside is a small room with a shower, toilet, and sink. There is also a disposable paper mat on the floor. I showered, shaved, brushed my teeth, and got myself looking presentable. The hot shower was much needed after my very chilly existence last night. I felt like a new man with a good meal in my belly and that feeling of clean. (A little tip from my truck driving days: Always use a cheap pair of flip flops in these showers. You are likely to get athletes feet or other interesting foot maladies without them.)
More later if I get the chance. I am now off to take a nap as I can barely stay awake. I am going to drive out to the lake and hit one of the seldom used parks out there and catch some shuteye.
Pipe, thanks for the book suggestion. The library did indeed have a copy of that Steinbeck novel. I am currently reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. As soon as I finish that in a day or two, I will delve into your suggestion.
I am operating on only three hours of sleep. Last night was very cold and uncomfortable and very unseasonable for this time of year. My summer sleeping bag is rated at a comfort level of forty degrees. Those ratings are not very accurate on those cheaper sleeping bags. It got down into the upper thirties last night and I almost froze my ass off. I would wake up chilled and with icy feet and would have to crank the car and run the heater to get warmed up. I will know next time to always bring my winter weight sleeping bag for emergencies. You never know what Mother Nature will throw at you.
In a small conservative southern town, people are very suspicious and wary of anything out of the normal. I have learned to blend in as much as possible. Luckily, my car looks like what any self respecting soccer mom would drive. It really blends in other than looking new. I look like I have money and it doesn’t draw the attention of the locals or police. I am realizing that this is key to car living. You want to look like you belong there.
I parked overnight at a local twenty four hour grocery store. I figured it would not look out of the normal to be parked all night by such an establishment. There was one thing that I didn’t take into account. That was noise as I am a very light sleeper. Throughout the night the sound of car doors shutting and people talking would jar me awake. Note to self: Find a quieter sleeping spot tonight. I finally gave up on sleeping around 3 am and put on some warm clothes, turned on the radio, and waited for daybreak as I read a book to the map light in my car.
Around 6 am, I drove over to the Waffle House for breakfast. They have a cheap and filling breakfast with free coffee refills to boot. I ate a large ham and cheese omelet, some hash browns, and some toast. I sat for a long time reading a newspaper, people watching, and drinking ample cups of coffee. I didn’t want to overstay my welcome and I made sure to tip the waitress very well for all the refills she poured.
Next I headed down to the local truck stop for a shower. They give you a ticket with a numerical code that unlocks the shower door. They also give you a towel and one of those hotel sized bars of soap. Inside is a small room with a shower, toilet, and sink. There is also a disposable paper mat on the floor. I showered, shaved, brushed my teeth, and got myself looking presentable. The hot shower was much needed after my very chilly existence last night. I felt like a new man with a good meal in my belly and that feeling of clean. (A little tip from my truck driving days: Always use a cheap pair of flip flops in these showers. You are likely to get athletes feet or other interesting foot maladies without them.)
More later if I get the chance. I am now off to take a nap as I can barely stay awake. I am going to drive out to the lake and hit one of the seldom used parks out there and catch some shuteye.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Are You Crazy?
Tomorrow starts an adventure and an experiment. I am going to try living in my car for a week to see how it works. I have read tons of material about this online. There are some really good informative websites on the Internet covering this subject. I am going to try to be as orthodox as possible as if I was really homeless. My apartment will be off limits until the Monday after next.
The rear seats of my car fold flat forming a cargo area. I tested it this morning and there is ample enough room for me to stretch out in my sleeping bag. I do need to get an air mattress though as the floor is hard and uncomfortable. I will check down at Wal-Mart today.
For internet access, I will use the local county library. They have about ten computers set up through Knology cable modems that are free to use with no time limit. All you have to do is sign in and have a library card. That I already have.
I am also doubling my budget for one week only to mimic not having the expense of rent and utilities. That would give me around $200 dollars a week without those expenses. I suspect I will be eating out a lot in the upcoming week and will be using more gasoline.
My sleeping spots are already picked out and researched. I will first try a 24 hour grocery store parking lot. I also have the Georgia and Alabama rest areas on the interstate as well. I will shower at the truck stop on the Cusseta exit a few miles down the interstate.
If you need to reach me, comment on my blog. I will be checking in everyday and writing about my experiences. I will not have access to my main email account or a phone. A friend suggested that I get one of those prepay cell phones but I hate cell phones and don’t particularly like talking on the phone anyway.
Tonight will be my first night out. I hope this makes for an interesting experience for me and interesting reading for you. Good day and off we go!
The rear seats of my car fold flat forming a cargo area. I tested it this morning and there is ample enough room for me to stretch out in my sleeping bag. I do need to get an air mattress though as the floor is hard and uncomfortable. I will check down at Wal-Mart today.
For internet access, I will use the local county library. They have about ten computers set up through Knology cable modems that are free to use with no time limit. All you have to do is sign in and have a library card. That I already have.
I am also doubling my budget for one week only to mimic not having the expense of rent and utilities. That would give me around $200 dollars a week without those expenses. I suspect I will be eating out a lot in the upcoming week and will be using more gasoline.
My sleeping spots are already picked out and researched. I will first try a 24 hour grocery store parking lot. I also have the Georgia and Alabama rest areas on the interstate as well. I will shower at the truck stop on the Cusseta exit a few miles down the interstate.
If you need to reach me, comment on my blog. I will be checking in everyday and writing about my experiences. I will not have access to my main email account or a phone. A friend suggested that I get one of those prepay cell phones but I hate cell phones and don’t particularly like talking on the phone anyway.
Tonight will be my first night out. I hope this makes for an interesting experience for me and interesting reading for you. Good day and off we go!
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Bah!!!!!!!
I have been trying to wean myself from writing on this blog but I always come back to it. I guess I am an addict. I just feel really uncomfortable about sharing such personal details about my life with mostly strangers. Maybe I need to be more abstract in my writings and focus on events and not details. Hopefully, that will make me more comfortable about doing this
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Voluntary Homelessness……
I am still putting together some plans for this summer. An original plan was to try car living but sleeping in a car would be unbearably hot during a southern summer. The heat would be stifling. I live in a rural area with lots of woodlands and rural dirt roads so it would be crazy to sleep in a car with a comparably cool tent to sleep in nearby. I have decided to just use the tent and sleeping bag this summer that I bought a few days ago.
I will use my house as home base; a place to store food and to take showers. I will also keep my internet connection active and will use it to update this blog with my experiences. Since I will only at the house sparingly this will greatly reduce my living expenses such as cooling the house this summer. My plan is for voluntary simplicity and to live as simply as possible. I just want to keep my survival skills as sharp and have read a ton of material about doing this online. My first experience with homelessness was miserable and I want to find a way to live comfortably homeless. This blog will be a place to document my attempts and the experiment.
Voluntary Homelessness……
I am still putting together some plans for this summer. An original plan was to try car living but sleeping in a car would be unbearably hot during a southern summer. The heat would be stifling. I live in a rural area with lots of woodlands and rural dirt roads so it would be crazy to sleep in a car with a comparably cool tent to sleep in nearby. I have decided to just use the tent and sleeping bag this summer that I bought a few days ago.
I will use my house as home base; a place to store food and to take showers. I will also keep my internet connection active and will use it to update this blog with my experiences. Since I will only at the house sparingly this will greatly reduce my living expenses such as cooling the house this summer. My plan is for voluntary simplicity and to live as simply as possible. I just want to keep my survival skills as sharp and have read a ton of material about doing this online. My first experience with homelessness was miserable and I want to find a way to live comfortably homeless. This blog will be a place to document my attempts and the experiment.
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