Just Kidding

I finally figured out why there are so many unexpected little things wrong with my fairly new house.  The builder's initials are J.K.

So, every time he sent a note to his text-savvy workers, he probably signed it.  I'm picturing it something like this:

Guys, let's make sure the tiles on the kitchen counter are installed level.  Homeowners don't like their eggs rolling off and splatting on the floor.  Also, use plenty of grout and make sure to seal the counters properly!       -J.K.

Or maybe he sent one like this:

It's important to install outdoor faucets that work and don't spray everywhere when a hose is attached.  These are my showcase homes that shouldn't require much maintenance by the homeowners.  They certainly don't want to be mopping up their garage floors all the time because of leaks.       -J.K.

A good builder would certainly send this to the construction workers:

I'm coming to check on things tomorrow, please make sure all the molding is securely attached- even in places that can't really be seen.  We wouldn't want a piece to come off and get stepped on.     -J.K. 

Another note about safety:

Please make sure to purchase windows that have a lock at the 4 inch mark.  This way, the homeowners can get fresh air but no one can get into their homes.  These are quality windows and are far superior to non-locking ones that owners have to rig up with dowels in the window tracks to keep them from opening.   -J.K.

And my favorite note that the workers probably got a good laugh at:

Smoke alarms need to be placed as high as possible but still low enough for homeowners to reach with a suitable ladder.  They shouldn't have to arrange their dining room chairs to fit under the legs of the ladder so they can climb up and barely reach the chirping smoke alarm in order to change the wimpy battery at 10:44 at night.      -J.K.

So you  see, you really can't blame my builder for all of the installation sloppiness and equipment flaws, he thought he was doing the right thing- it's just those unfortunate initials!

Darn you, Pinterest!

I confess- after years of resistance, I now have a Pinterest account.  I guess the Borg were right- resistance is futile...

I finally succumbed because I saw some cool school things that were only available via Pinterest and I thought since I changed schools this summer, I could use a fresh look at decor and Common Core, and stuff...

There's more than school stuff on Pinterest.      LOTS more.

And to be perfectly honest, I don't actually pin anything.  I just look.  Sometimes when I follow a rabbit trail into something really wonderful, I get the web address and bookmark it for later.

So I got my account and they wanted to know what stuff I found interesting.  I had 5 categories they wanted me to pick so I chose camping, Star Wars, education, US History, and home improvement.  I had no idea what they were going to show me based on those 5 things, but the results have not been boring.

I had forgotten how much I really like camping.  And that's where the coveting started...

I thought I wanted this:

Have you seen how they renovate these vintage ones?  Gorgeous!  But my car can't tow anything that heavy.  Besides, who has money for something like that anyway?  Unless I live in it full-time, it just isn't a viable option.

So I refined my desires to fit with something that the car could tow but still be useful for us and maybe a couple of friends to join us.

It's a fiberglass Boler trailer.  Same idea as a Scamp, Burrow, or Casita but I am partial to the Boler.  Sleeps 4 and you can often find used ones on craigslist for under $7000.  Right.  Like I have a spare $7000 just sitting around waiting for me to spend...  Sigh.  Also, I don't have any place to store one of these and I don't want to pay some place every month just to house my little dream trailer.

Revise the dream again!  The point is to be able to get out into God's creation and enjoy the fresh air but still manage to sleep rather comfortably at night.  What about my car?  Could we sleep in that?  Sure!  Just look at what Pinterest folks are doing to their vans and mini-vans...

Sleeping platforms and pull out kitchen drawers!  Yes, please!  This could work!  And then I went to Home Depot.  Do you know how much time, money and effort go into building sleeping platforms?  Plus- I no longer have space to start a woodworking project and I can't find my drill. A DIY version just isn't going to be built.
And that pull-out kitchen is convenient for a price- haven't seen one less than $1000.

What if I just got a nice inexpensive mattress and put it on the floor of the van?  There's used futons on craigslist all the time- that could work...  (except futons are really too hard for sleeping.)

I found a kid's full-sized foam mattress online that looked promising.  The floor of the van is not quite full-sized, but I thought I could squish it between the wheel wells.  (C'mon, Mazda... 4 more inches!)

It sort of worked, but I had to put the bungee cord across it to keep it from springing up again.

Back to the drawing board.  I measured and measured and measured some more and found that if I raise the bed about a foot or so,  there would be more room for the mattress and then I could store stuff underneath.  No wood- too heavy, and I have no tools...  After lots of research, I found a couple of camp cots online with the perfect price, dimensions, foldability, and strength.

Perfect fit, and it didn't hurt that they were blue.  I like blue.

And with the mattress- YES! There's even enough headroom for sitting.

Oh, this is going to be good!

Total cost- less than $90.  Not bad for a skinny Mazda and skinnier wallet.  And now, we camp!