A Post to Toast (michael)

A Post to Toast

http://blog.toastfloats.com/

My Dear Toast, Christi and I think you and the Doc. are doing a fine job. We will be on the Road in just 60 days. Can you believe it? Our son Jared, a true tween, will be going to his dads' in CA for 7th & 8th grade. There is a small chance that he will come with us and we will home school. Christi has been reading your War Intell and will implement your tactics. We tried the traditional home school program before and it was a total flop. We truly believe you have paved the beaten path for a HS system that WORKS. Now for the important part, where do we send the Care Package??? Stay Safe, M&C

For those of you how don't know of her, her blogging was the catalyst for us to take the Giant life altering step into the bus and blog world. We will forever be grateful to Toast.

All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

Idle Hands? ( michael )

Idle Hands? I don't think so! We have some time until the bus arrives in the driveway and we jump into its refit abyss. We could rest on our laurels and wait. NOT! We are heeding the advice of our heroine and trailblazer Toast. She writes a hands-on sailing blog called Toast Floats ( blog.toastfloats.com/ ) that is good reading and quite entertaining. She suggested that we hit the websites with a live aboard theme and research, research, research. I have to say that we have found a wealth of information from bus conversion to places to spend the night for free. It's almost overwhelming. I have also found alot of sites that are not complete. The authors start out with great topics, lots of photos and step by step instructions and then...........................................Nothing. Ahhh hello!!! I got this thing off, now what do I do with it??? Then there are the Mega websites that have all the links one could ask for on the RV conversion topic. BUT, when you start to explore this mega vat, its empty. The multitude of links go nowhere. I look for a contact link............none, and when I do find one, I get no response. Then I find that alot of these sites have not been updated for years, yes, YEARS! It's like leaving 2 squares of toilet paper on the roll. Sure, the roll's not empty, but you sure can't finish the job with it! Isn't there some sort of web spider out there that targets these sites? Something to remind the authors to maintain their sites? If not, how about tagging the dead sites so we don't waste our time. Hey, Microsoft, anyone? I understand that sometimes the "life" thing gets in the way of ones good intentions and S*** happens. So why not give the site up? Ask for help, pass the torch or sell it! Hey, there's an idea. Ebay anyone? I could list all the dead ends and maybe I'll start a list. Hmmm, Maybe I'll call it "stale sites or dead links or don't give a rats rear.com. All I ask is that the authors of these dead/stale sites show some pride and responsibility. You showed you had it when you started the project. It's time you finished what you started. Complete the project. Update the site. Put a fork in it. DO SOMETHING! Idle Hands? Blaaaah........ All the Best, Michael & Christi

Not getting our hopes up! ( michael )

Not getting our hopes up! But!!! I know, I know. It's not in the driveway YET! I can't help myself. Here is the proposed floor for the MCI Bus. I drew it up on the laptop this morning. Just showed it to my darling wife and she didn't change a thing. The research has paid off. Thank you Toast for the recommendation on a web search. We have found alot of helpful sites. Some more than others... Why is it that some people put some really good information on the net and then say you can't use it for fear of copyright infringement? Well, all in all we got some great ideas. We will use bits and pieces to put the bus together. Does that count as infringement? Can't wait to get started. I know, I know. It's not in the driveway YET!

I would love this headcold to go away. We got a sweetheart dance to do!

All the best, Michael & Christi

5 Months and counting ( Michael )

Yes, 5 months. It seems like a long time, but when we look at all that has to be done it's not that long at all. We started in the back room but quickly found that the garage had to go 1st. We backed up the utility trailer to the door and started loading. Tires, old computer components, out of date sound equipment, furniture and my old roller skates. Dartboards, sporting goods, car parts, back packs. Where did all this stuff come from? We are starting to feel like Toast felt. I stumbled over my Emmett Kelly Jr. collection. He was a very dear and close friend, we miss him. It just felt wrong to have all these precious items of his boxed up. So, deep breath, we are donating most of it to the Sabbar Shrine in Tucson, Az. They, we, I am a Shriner, do so much for the children. We will auction the items and support the Shrine. I know Emmett would have liked that. Then it was off to the Thrift Store to dump a load off. Well, no rest for the righteous and the wicked don't need it. We hit the back room hard. Another trailer load and we're done for the day. So much stuff! I'm glad our house is only 1,400 sft. We only have 1/2 the square footage that Toast had and you would think only 1/2 the stuff. Hmmmmm. Got to start booking shows soon, soon, very soon.

Climbing the STUFF Mountain ( michael )

"You see that mountain up there? One of these days I'm gonna climb that mountain." No, not the Ole Rivers song. I'm talking about the STUFF mountain. The love of my life woke up this a.m. and stated, "We need to go through the back room this afternoon!" I say to myself, "Lord, where did all this come from?" Not only do we have our stuff, we have O.P.S. (other peoples stuff.) How did we become the Keepers of O.P.S.? Don't they live somewhere? Shouldn't they be responsible for there own stuff? How do we get rid of O.P.S.? Do you call them and say, "Hey, how are you? Come get YOUR stuff." And what if they just don't come and get their stuff? Do you take their stuff to them? Do you give it to the local thrift store? Do you put O.P.S. out on the curb??? Is this legal? Sometimes life is tough, and it requires tough love. Yes, we should be nice about it, BUT, we have to get rid of our stuff too. OK, we will start with nice. I gaze upon all of our stuff and think back of how a certain THING came to be here. Do I/WE really need it? I trace back to Toast Floats blogs. "Hale to Toast" With the space and weight limitations of an RV, we must think; how many functions can this THING do? Does this THING hold that much sentimental value? Will LIFE go on without this THING? It is a true blessing to be able to read what other people have gone through preparing to hit the road. Maybe we can avoid some costly mistakes along the way. "Honey, tie off this rope." "Yodalahehoooooo." Where the hell did this come from??? It's gonna be a long afternoon!

Order in Chaos ( Michael )

I'm lost. I long. I TOAST??? What in the world am I doing? This odd feeling has slowly taken over my senses. I find myself searching for something but I can't put my finger on it. I talk to my "God sent" wife, Christi, but I have no questions. I look into the eyes of passing humans only to find emptiness. Books, family, history, science? Nothing! Hmm. Internet, ok, calm, sand, a palm tree. Hmm, Sea of Cortez, ok enter. Aah photos, sea life, beaches, mmmmm. Sailing. Hmmm Toast? Ok click. Hmm read, read. I continue to read. Life, read, read, read adventure, sigh, read, read,read trials, read, read, read frustration, read, read, read. Mid-life crisis? BANG!!! Could this be it? I read this heroine's words and could not stop. Toast, hmm I like Toast. I ask my wife, "Honey, can we get a boat and sail off into to sunset?" "How big of a boat?" she asks. I say, "Well, oh say 25' ". "Kitchen and bath?" she asks with lowered eyes. "Ahh no", I reply "And why not?" she asks. "We can't afford fixtures," I reply. She says in a loving tone, "Not right now dear." "But Honey, Toast did it!" I exclaimed. "What is a toast? she asked. I pulled up Toast Floats on her lap top and she hopped around, laughed and got the gist of Toast. "Baby, we can't do that" she explained, "I know you were in the Navy, but we don't know enough about a sail boat to do that! Sorry." I was stunned, not because of the rejection of my 'off the wall' request. It was the tone in her voice. A tone that I've felt growing inside me for a long time. It was a tone of possibility! You see, I am on a dead run to 50 years of age, in July. Damn. My beautiful wife has just passed that milestone. Maybe she is feeling that emotional perculator too. "Honey, can we load up the motorhome and drive off into the sunset?" I ask. She answers, "That sounds so nice! Ok, lets go!" Once again my mind is blown, "Did she say yes?" I ask myself, "YES!!! YES she did!" Happy New Year, let the planning begin. I love Toast! I can now see Order in Chaos. I need a asprin. michaelhargis.com