PP #4: Henrik takes a hit, the world takes a hit

Project: Pioneer #4 October 15, 2023 (Sunday)

We’ve gone about our preparations and tasks this week, getting ready to go semi-off grid in a very unconventional lifestyle, with the same heavy sadness we had after 9/11, after Oklahoma, after too many human atrocities to count over these years.

Project: Pioneer is the live reality journal of a couple and their small dog as they leave their ‘normal’ life in a luxury apartment for a new semi-off grid life in a small recreational vehicle, just at the start of winter. We cover prepping, politics, spirituality, afterlife, RV life, and personal finance. (Audio at this link, Apple, and Spotify)

What Hamas has done is sickening, there is no justification, no two-siding that kind of slaughter of innocents. Yes, there have been atrocities on both sides, as usual, over the years, over history. Israel is about to invade Gaza. Many innocents will die, as they did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, because the binary choice is enemy lives or homeland lives.

The law of war, designed to minimize death and injury to innocents, is gone. Russia has bombed hospitals, day care centers, apartments, and other civilian targets in Ukraine, and continues to. Syria has gassed its own people with chemical weapons. Because this could easily escalate into World War III, we’ve purchased a fresh new stock of iodide tablets, and going through our prepping kit to make sure everything is in order. Maybe we’re doing this just in time.

Society is abandoning all rules, it seems. We see it in our politics here in the US—the folks running around saying there’s “too much red tape,” “the government is too big,” “there’s too many rules.” Well, those rules and red tape are there to keep your kids’ food, car seats, our cars, our homes, roads, bridges, tunnels, everything we use daily, safe. The people who don’t like them are mostly upset that making safe products is bad for profits. Greed.

Remember, when you hear the word “socialism” bantered about as a fear tactic, there’s a huge difference between democratic socialism (as in countries in Scandinavia, the happiest people in the world, people helping people, per God’s instruction) and authoritarian socialism, the kind you find in the most horrible non-democratic countries in the world.

Step outside the echo chamber of “news channels” that don’t follow journalistic standards (hint: the ones who continually pay huge sums of money in lawsuits for lying to you). Get your news from independent sources like Reuters or Associated Press.

People claim to be devout, yet flaunt the very laws, rules, guidance handed down in their holy books. I’ve talked about Moses’ tablets and the Sermon on the Mount. Here’s another example you see violated by those we trust on a daily basis, many of whom claim to be “religious.”

Proverbs 6:16-19

16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

To get to the point, regarding the topic of this reality journal, all the above are evidence of the unraveling of our species, and a big reason we’ve decided to sell almost all our possessions and live in an RV in a beautiful rural environment. I’ve talked in these posts about the rapid decline of ethics and morality. It’s always been a thing, but now to the point we can’t find ethical, moral candidates for our highest offices in politics, judiciary, even the medical field seems to be rife with anti-science lunatics. Our beautiful government is in chaos, due to just a few individuals who are clearly more interested in performance, celebrity, clicks, donations, and their own fame than doing the job they were voted in to do. Under the radar with all this recent horror, there have been several big earthquakes.

Ok, ok. Off the soapbox now to update you on our progress. Last weekend I tried to squeeze in some trips across the length of our big state to catch up with some grandkids and my mom. One grandkid had a birthday out west, two others had a cheerleading event out east. As I hate driving, I decided to take the Amtrak west. I love the train! But, as it was my first time on this route, it turned into a very stressful and physical debacle as there was a mix-up of parking garages and I had to run between a few as the train was due to arrive. Ugh.

Then, on the way back east, the train was running late and I had a tight timeline to get to the cheerleading event. After running to Henrik (parked a mile away from the station), I cruised to the school and pulled into the lot. Unfortunately, as I rounded a turn to enter a lane, I didn’t see a parking barrier arm up high. It wasn’t striped and perhaps blended in with the row of white vehicles behind it, or the white/grey overcast sky above, but it dropped on the windshield and pillar of good old Henrik, my new prized possession. Luckily, the windshield didn’t break. There is some damage, paint scraped down to bare metal, dents. I’m just distraught over it, my first nice vehicle in so long, now dinged up. This is why I can’t have nice things. I did check my heart monitor and Oura ring (OMG we love these, life saving rings!) readouts for the time it happened, and they did show a huge spike just before, followed by a huge spike down, and up. It’s possible I had a mini-stroke or heart stoppage at the time. The pacemaker might be sooner now, rather than later. Luckily for me, Giavana is a Registered Nurse, my sweet Florence Nightingale.

Aside from that, we took advantage of Amazon Prime Days to load up on supplies (upgraded RV locks, security cameras, winterizing gear, interior amenities like this great heated mattress topper and other things we need. Saved some good money there! We’ve been listing our stuff on the sites I mentioned earlier, with good success. These are hard decisions, though. I sold a prized amplifier, a rare work of art, letting go of a dream to someday use it more regularly as a musician. Playing music is such a de-stressor! I’m parting with books that I love. These items are just too heavy to be mobile. You should have a warm coat. When it wears out, you should buy another. You don't need a dozen warm coats. There are homeless people that need warm coats. I now have one warm coat. Giavana is paring down her significant wardrobe, the good stuff will stay in storage for now.

Oh, I mentioned how Henrik got his name in my last post, but slipped in we’ve named the RV Red House. It’s a tip of the hat to an old blues song. I love the blues—it’s not really sad music, more a celebration of life, borne out of the struggles of slaves, adopted by the working people, the forebear of rock.

What’s next? Today we head off in Henrik to pick Red House up and bring her to her new home, our new home. We’ll spend the day setting up the water, electric, sewer, and getting her ready to occupy. We’ll meet our new neighbors! I was there this week to do some measuring, and it’s exciting—a winter community taking form as settlers busied themselves in the same hookups and preparations. I’m a bit concerned about the tricky backing Red House into her tight space. We’ll report back on how that goes. Hopefully no more dings for Henrik!