Cate's Diary
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Cate
Long term member
I just had an idea. I think G & I will have a practice run by "camping" out in our paddock before we actually go anywhere else.
The van has lots of little cupboards, including some small hanging space, a gas 2-burner stove & grill & a gas fridge(bar-sized), 2 small gas bottles, (accessed from outside), a sink with a cupboard underneath & water tank accessible from outside, bench seats with a swivel table that can be removed to turn the seats into a double bed, a lockable trunk on the back, that swivels (on a bike rack thingy) to gain rear access, curtains all around for privacy, a pop top that is easy to use, a very good quality awning (that we haven't checked out yet), 3 seats in the front & a spot behind the seats for a bed for Archie, little tables & benches that swing out, a locking drawer for cutlery, a purpose-built wooden drinks tray above one of the cupboards, sliding windows in the back, a vent thingy.....I'm sure I'll find more things. She's sitting outside the house now & I'll have another look at her when I'm showered & dressed.
I am going to take the van to get some little sections of rust seen to & get her serviced by our neighbour as I noticed there is on missing brake light. The bike rack with the trunk on it also has a full set of working lights on it. I also have to get some stickers off it, including one that's dead centre on the back window.
Our neighbour, M when he had a quick look at the van said things like- $2K just for that stove, another $2K for that fridge, another $2K for that awning, fibreglass top "that's a bonus" & was very impressed. He's not easy to impress.
Thank you, LaMa. I'm glad that feeling is over too. It was awful & I'll definitely go for a mental health check.
The van has lots of little cupboards, including some small hanging space, a gas 2-burner stove & grill & a gas fridge(bar-sized), 2 small gas bottles, (accessed from outside), a sink with a cupboard underneath & water tank accessible from outside, bench seats with a swivel table that can be removed to turn the seats into a double bed, a lockable trunk on the back, that swivels (on a bike rack thingy) to gain rear access, curtains all around for privacy, a pop top that is easy to use, a very good quality awning (that we haven't checked out yet), 3 seats in the front & a spot behind the seats for a bed for Archie, little tables & benches that swing out, a locking drawer for cutlery, a purpose-built wooden drinks tray above one of the cupboards, sliding windows in the back, a vent thingy.....I'm sure I'll find more things. She's sitting outside the house now & I'll have another look at her when I'm showered & dressed.
I am going to take the van to get some little sections of rust seen to & get her serviced by our neighbour as I noticed there is on missing brake light. The bike rack with the trunk on it also has a full set of working lights on it. I also have to get some stickers off it, including one that's dead centre on the back window.
Our neighbour, M when he had a quick look at the van said things like- $2K just for that stove, another $2K for that fridge, another $2K for that awning, fibreglass top "that's a bonus" & was very impressed. He's not easy to impress.
Thank you, LaMa. I'm glad that feeling is over too. It was awful & I'll definitely go for a mental health check.
Cate
Long term member
It has a lot of character, LaMa. I spent a couple of hours on it today getting myself familiar with how things work & I aired it out a bit. Tomorrow I'll wipe it out with vinegar. On Friday G & I will take it to the local panel beaters & get them to check it out & arrange to fix some of those freckles.
A friend rang me today mad keen to come out & show G & I how everything works. She is excited about us having a van & talking about going camping together. We have been good friends for a long time & her dog & Arch get along famously. They're getting back from a camping trip tomorrow & she wanted to come Friday, but I am going to lunch with the golfing women
They'll come Monday instead she said Her husband actually built our house. We really love them both. I can see us catching up more often. Her husband is struggling with a rare eye condition & this will do him good too.
I went out to the golf club & it was fine, but I was happy to leave after 2 &1/2 hours & beat G home. I then took Arch for a walk.
I had a good day. I'm looking forward to a home day, cleaning out the van.
A friend rang me today mad keen to come out & show G & I how everything works. She is excited about us having a van & talking about going camping together. We have been good friends for a long time & her dog & Arch get along famously. They're getting back from a camping trip tomorrow & she wanted to come Friday, but I am going to lunch with the golfing women
They'll come Monday instead she said Her husband actually built our house. We really love them both. I can see us catching up more often. Her husband is struggling with a rare eye condition & this will do him good too.I went out to the golf club & it was fine, but I was happy to leave after 2 &1/2 hours & beat G home. I then took Arch for a walk.
I had a good day. I'm looking forward to a home day, cleaning out the van.
Nice to hear you getting familiar and comfy with the van. It does sound super nice. So great that your friend can come over and help you get more familiar with it and then maybe can go camping with them sometime. That sounds like a great idea to try it out on your own property first.
That also sounds like a great first step to talk to your GP about the anxiety--see where to take it from there...
Nice to hear you feeling better
That also sounds like a great first step to talk to your GP about the anxiety--see where to take it from there...
Nice to hear you feeling better
Wow, the van sounds wonderful! Is it the kind that transforms into an additional bed? If so, you could invite your grandkids to camp in your back yard with you!! I think van camping is going to be so much nicer than tent camping, and with all your friends helping you, I bet you'll really enjoy it, and if not, you have a kitchen and lounge area on wheels! I love hearing about the details, with even a bed for Archie! Are the swivel seats easy to use? I really want to put them in our van when we get one. Are you going to name her? I am so excited for you!! I hope you really grow to love your new van!!!
I think it's a great idea to go see a psychiatrist for diagnosis and possibly some medicine for anxiety. I hope that goes really well. I hope I am not obnoxiously enthusiastic about your van - I've been dreaming about one for a while now and though it seems like there is a big learning curve, they seem like they'd make adventuring so fun and convenient!!
I think it's a great idea to go see a psychiatrist for diagnosis and possibly some medicine for anxiety. I hope that goes really well. I hope I am not obnoxiously enthusiastic about your van - I've been dreaming about one for a while now and though it seems like there is a big learning curve, they seem like they'd make adventuring so fun and convenient!!
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, Liza. I have most of the day today to potter about & get more familiar with the van & then tomorrow I think I'll drive it into town, with G, & go to the panel beaters to book it in for some treatment. We need to go for a fasting blood test & it may as well be tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing a new woman doctor. I hope she sticks around.Nice to hear you getting familiar and comfy with the van. It does sound super nice. So great that your friend can come over and help you get more familiar with it and then maybe can go camping with them sometime. That sounds like a great idea to try it out on your own property first.
That also sounds like a great first step to talk to your GP about the anxiety--see where to take it from there...
Nice to hear you feeling better
The van is old school, so not such a big investment, money-wise, so that suits us. I'll take some photos & post them. Actually, I'll add some now from the ad. I am going to keep it as neat as possible. I can't imagine that we'll spend any more than 1 or 2 nights at a time in her, but it will be fun to be able to pull over anywhere & make a cuppa. It does have a big trunk on the back where you could store fold-up chairs etc, but I will have to learn to keep it minimalistic. That will be a lesson for me. Archie will need a small crate to fit behind the front seat in the middle, where we can put him when we want to keep him safe from running off, like during the night. We may get a little shower tent to put the portaloo in. We'll see how we go. There's definitely only room for the two of us & Arch. One of the bench seats pulls out to meet the other to turn into a double bed, which feels quite comfy. I'll probably put a doona under us & another over the top & keep a set of pillows in there all the time, which we can use as cushions. There's room under both bench seats to store bedding.Wow, the van sounds wonderful! Is it the kind that transforms into an additional bed? If so, you could invite your grandkids to camp in your back yard with you!! I think van camping is going to be so much nicer than tent camping, and with all your friends helping you, I bet you'll really enjoy it, and if not, you have a kitchen and lounge area on wheels! I love hearing about the details, with even a bed for Archie! Are the swivel seats easy to use? I really want to put them in our van when we get one. Are you going to name her? I am so excited for you!! I hope you really grow to love your new van!!!
I think it's a great idea to go see a psychiatrist for diagnosis and possibly some medicine for anxiety. I hope that goes really well. I hope I am not obnoxiously enthusiastic about your van - I've been dreaming about one for a while now and though it seems like there is a big learning curve, they seem like they'd make adventuring so fun and convenient!!
Her name was Betsy & I think I'll keep that name. I'm going to gradually personalise her. I'll look at stickers when I'm out & about. I kept the Om symbol on the back window
You would get a much bigger van if you were going to spend much time in it. I think this will just be a bit of fun for us & it cost much less than our last holiday. (about $10K less) so even if we use it for a while & find it doesn't suit we should be able to sell it easily & if it dies we have wasted more over the years & it's not such a big financial output. G is really looking forward to our first adventure in it, so I had better get it organised.
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Ooo, it looks wonderful! It seems perfect for a couple and a dog, and the pop top will be so nice for being able to stand up while cooking and changing. Betsy seems fitting - a little old school and comfy-cozy sounding! Thanks for posting pics. And can't wait to hear about your adventures!!
Cate
Long term member
Definitely nothing fancy, Marsia, but then neither are we. No pretensions of grandeur here
I know that there will be mishaps along the way as we are such beginners, but I am going to try to look at everything as a bit of a lark & see how that attitude works. I think the name Betsy suits her. I think she needs a nanna rug & I have some of those tucked away. She also needs some hippy touches I think. A dream catcher? Some native animal stickers......I don't want to be too outspoken with the look. I like the idea of her being a bit subdued. I don't think I will buy anything but a small kettle & some new floor mats as they are bright pink & plasticky. Ugh. We'll use travel cups & some strong plastic cups, paper plates etc as we have a lot of those & may as well use them. My inclination will be to put too much stuff in it, so I'll stick to only things that we already have.
I'll look around at small crates for Arch- second hand maybe. There's no hurry for that as we'd manage without probably. I could possibly swap his current crate for a smaller one as he doesn't sleep in it anymore anyway.
I know that there will be mishaps along the way as we are such beginners, but I am going to try to look at everything as a bit of a lark & see how that attitude works. I think the name Betsy suits her. I think she needs a nanna rug & I have some of those tucked away. She also needs some hippy touches I think. A dream catcher? Some native animal stickers......I don't want to be too outspoken with the look. I like the idea of her being a bit subdued. I don't think I will buy anything but a small kettle & some new floor mats as they are bright pink & plasticky. Ugh. We'll use travel cups & some strong plastic cups, paper plates etc as we have a lot of those & may as well use them. My inclination will be to put too much stuff in it, so I'll stick to only things that we already have.
I'll look around at small crates for Arch- second hand maybe. There's no hurry for that as we'd manage without probably. I could possibly swap his current crate for a smaller one as he doesn't sleep in it anymore anyway.
Cate
Long term member
I think we are really fortunate living where we do, LaMa & a G & I may just get to do the things that I dreamed about when we were younger, but life got in the way. I am having lots of fun setting her up. I'm going to try to make do with what we have & buy from the op shop if we don't have it. I do need a double bed doona cover & I might have a look tomorrow. I have decided that Arch might just sleep on the front seats as when we set the bed up the table can be a barrier between the front & the back. We'll see if Arch agrees or not. He is used to sleeping on our bed these days. We'll have a practice run in the paddock. I think I could lift him over to the front from the back if we needed to go outside. It's all going to be trial & error, but I am no longer anxious about it. Phew!
I have had a lovely day today at home, just pottering about. I aired the van a fair bit more & have got things together & worked out what fits where & have a better feel for it all. Tomorrow we'll take her to the car repair place to see what can be done for her freckles/age spots.
I have had a lovely day today at home, just pottering about. I aired the van a fair bit more & have got things together & worked out what fits where & have a better feel for it all. Tomorrow we'll take her to the car repair place to see what can be done for her freckles/age spots.
Now THAT sounds amazing. Especially with no longer being anxious about it.
Cate
Long term member
It does, doesn’t it? I think all the stress of the last few months played havoc with my brain. It was the impulsiveness of the commitment to buy without having it checked out properly that freaked me out I think. It happened fast.
It’s something I always dreamed of having.
It’s something I always dreamed of having.
So happy you are feeling better about the purchase! And I agree with LaMa - it does sound amazing to get to live your dreams from when you were younger!! I keep scrolling through the pictures of your van because it makes me really happy to see them. I love that you are putting your own touches on it already and having a good time setting it up. I bet if you ask Archie where he wants to sleep in the van, I know what the answer will be. It seems like the only things to make sure you get right are turning off the gas properly and making sure you don't run the battery down if you are not running off a second battery that's set up just for the camper amenities. Is that right? I guess, too, if you want to fry an egg and make sure it's in the center of the fry pan, you'd also want to park fairly level. Did it come with things to put under your wheels to level them like with a travel trailer? I wish my grandfather were still alive and I could ask him about his RV setup. They traveled around the country for decades in their little travel trailer. I was just sorting through some of their pictures of amazing places they visited. Happy trial run in the back yard. Let us know how it goes!!
It seems like the only things to make sure you get right are turning off the gas properly and making sure you don't run the battery down if you are not running off a second battery that's set up just for the camper amenities. Is that right? I guess, too, if you want to fry an egg and make sure it's in the center of the fry pan, you'd also want to park fairly level. Did it come with things to put under your wheels to level them like with a travel trailer? I wish my grandfather were still alive and I could ask him about his RV setup. They traveled around the country for decades in their little travel trailer. I was just sorting through some of their pictures of amazing places they visited. Happy trial run in the back yard. Let us know how it goes!!Oh those van pictures make me so happy! I have been stuck in one place for so long now (nothing to do with the pandemic--just my life these past years) Hitting the road in one of those looks so inviting and freeing and lovely. I really hope you have fun with it Cate!
Cate
Long term member
I think I know the answer to that one tooI bet if you ask Archie where he wants to sleep in the van, I know what the answer will be.
When he's with me he's happy. It doesn't matter where we are.It has a second battery, which is excellent. I'm going to buy a small set of fairy lights like she had in the van at one stage. They look sweet.
We may have a trial run somewhere else I think. We'll wait until we have caught up with S & H first though for some lessons.
Thanks, Liza. I'll happily share our adventures, including our mistakes & misadventures. I think my natural inclination is to be a bit of a hermit so this will be good for me I think.
I haven't been doing too much housework & really should over the weekend. G just asked if I got any vacuuming done yesterday & I said "ah, no." He usually vacuums as it plays havoc with my Asthma. I'm going to lunch with "the women" today & am taking my own car so I can leave early. Then we're going to a Dylan Baez tribute show, where one of R's friends is playing. The weekend is free. We'll take Betsy for a drive.
Very cool! How was it?
Hope your weekend driving goes wonderfully. I picture you with picnic things with your door open overlooking the ocean, with a new dreamcatcher for Betsy blowing in the wind! Oh, one thing I thought of as far as not being able to turn on the light. Does the van have a switch that turns off everything camper-related? Some people put those in to make sure absolutely everything is turned off when they go out. Anyway, hope your weekend drive with Betsy is splendiferous!
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, Feefi. That 36 kg in 28 weeks seems like a lifetime ago! I think there will always be struggles, so I have to learn to cope better with them. I have always tried to cope without help. Hugs are always welcome
It was excellent! We weren't expecting much & went along to see one of R's musician friends to support him really. Everyone there was absolutely amazing. I really can't believe how good the standard was.
G is nagging me to get on the move to go for a drive with Betsy, but I am still sitting in my chair in my dressing gown as I feel a bit stuffed after a double perfume whammy yesterday with lunch in a restaurant full of women & then being in a venue surrounded by other people. I didn't have a drink last night but I feel as though I have a slight hangover.
I'm sure the van does have a switch to turn off all the lights etc as it's currently off. I haven't looked for it yet, but will today. I will report back later on how the drive goes. We'll go get petrol shortly. G has started vacuuming & Arch just growled at me, so I'm feeling slightly guilty......