The inside walls of the camper (we call them “skins” in the business) have been glued to the side walls. Then we used a flush-trimming router bit to cut the walls to the correct shape. This was a big chance to do some more CNC Goof correcting as well.
Applying glue to the side walls. We used 1/8″ luan plywood for the interior skin.
Our genius system for putting weight evenly across the side wall. It didn’t really work.
Untrimmed skin on the sidewall, heading to the shop for trimming.
Using a flush router bit to trim the panels to the curves.
Gluing some extra wood to cover a CNC goof.
Meanwhile, Kayla cut the styrofoam panels that fill some of the spaces in the side walls.
The interior skin. Those white patches are where I had to sand the luan where it had buckled while being glued.
The outside view, showing the styrofoam. Eventually the outside skin will cover all these.
Closer detail of some of the routing. The wall/ceiling skin will follow this inside curve.
We are still awaiting word on when the welding of the trailer will even start. The guy I had lined up for the work has already pushed the date back from mid-July to “maybe late July or early August.” I’ve got a new contact for a company that might do me a favor and get this done earlier – I’m still pursuing that lead. The way the camper is designed to be built, it really needs to have a trailer under it before going much further. All the other walls (floor and ceiling) are built based on the trailer width, which you can pretty much expect to vary a bit from the design.
Doesn’t seem so hard, does it?
Still, I’ve got a few things to do and lear before we hit a dead end of needing the trailer to continue any work. I’ve got to learn some more about DC electronics, and how I’m going to route power from our solar battery to all the lights and whatnots on and in the camper. There’s also a wee bit more to do with the sides. I guess if worse comes to worse, we can build the camper body on a wooden frame and then, a) have to figure out how to lift it onto the metal trailer when it finally gets welded, and b) hope that the trailer fits!
Happy anniversary to us!! Many of you were there with us FIFTEEN YEARS ago to witness and help us celebrate our partnership and commitment — wow, those were an amazing couple of weeks! As some of you know, we were hoping to use our 15th anniversary as an excuse to bring all our lovely friends together again, maybe for a camp-out music jam grillfest extravaganza … one or two of you might have even marked it on your calendars? Don’t worry, it’s not that your invitation got lost in the mail, we just couldn’t pull it together this year. But it sure would be fun! Maybe next year?
We had such a long weekend at the Deltaville Tap last weekend. Both of us worked about 40 hours in 4 days, from open to close every day. Man, did we open a lot of beers and pour a lot of rum punch! Definitely exhausting, but there were some fun moments. On Monday we seized control of the bar music and chose an “essential 80s hits” playlist. Turns out 80s music really works for everyone! Our 20-something coworkers were bobbing their heads to the beat as they shucked oysters and delivered burgers. Parents explained to their children that Nena is German and that’s why she sings 99 Luftballoons with an accent. We could audibly hear people across the restaurant singing “Livin on a Prayer.” And we happened to have a bar full of 40/50-somethings who knew every word to every song, so it was a big fun singalong.
There are a couple of new, very young servers who have joined the staff. They’re sweet as can be, but bless their hearts, they know nothing about drinking and not so much about eating either. Some examples:
Very Young Server #1, while staring at the top shelf liquor bottles: “She wants a corona with lime, I’m just trying to see what liquor that is so I can ring it in.”
Very Young Server #1, again while staring at the top shelf liquor bottles: “They want a caboway, or something like that.” Kayla: “Was it Cabo Wabo?” (which is a tequila) VYS1: “Yes, that sounds right. I see ‘cabernet’ in the system, is that what I should use?”
And my favorite: Very Young Server #2: “Did you get my order for a shrimp cocktail?” Kayla: “A shrimp cocktail isn’t actually a drinking cocktail. It’s an appetizer, so that ticket would have gone to the kitchen.”
Poor things. That’s a steep learning curve!
One afternoon we had a fun family of five come in: older couple and three folks in their early 50s. They sat at the bar and had a grand old time, and talked with us a lot. They especially like Matthew and his crazy hair. It was a pretty busy day, so both of us were running back and forth, making lots of drinks, taking orders at the window, etc. The family watched us and commented on how well we work together, what great bartenders we are, etc. When they were getting ready to leave and paying, they asked me whether we would split their tip or should they tip each of us. I said we’d split it, but that it all ends up in the same place anyway because … we’re married! And all together the five of them shouted “HOORAAYYY!” like that was the best surprise and best news of the day. Hahahaaaa cracks me up.
I wish you could all sit at the bar and listen to our general manager keep the line cooks in order. He usually plays the role of expeditor, standing at the window to the kitchen shouting back to the staff what orders are coming in, what they should be paying attention to, making sure they get all the special instructions, and then getting plates into hands of servers to run them out to tables. He uses some great diner language to do this: “You got some crab puppies that just walked in.” “Watch out for that crab cake sandwich wearing O-rings.” And one day, after the sound of breaking dishes from the kitchen: “Danny, if you see the word ‘china’ on your next paycheck, it’s nothing about any sort of trip we’re sending you on.”
One of the owners of the restaurant was sitting at the bar with a couple of his friends the other night. He’s pretty arrogant, and can be rude and demeaning. This was kind of a fun exchange: Kayla: (uses a 6-syllable word) OwnerMan: Wow, big word! You went to college, didn’t you. Kayla: Yep, sure did. OwnerMan: Where did you go to college? Kayla: Which time? OwnerMan: You have a MASTER’S DEGREE?!?! Kayla: (smiles) OwnerMan: You could be pulling in $200K with that! What are you doing!?! (with a tone of “are you stupid” in his voice) Kayla: I’m doing whatever I want to! OwnerMan: Matthew, what about you? Matthew: Masters of Science in Applied Sociology. OwnerMan: WHAT!?!?!
Ahhh … ha ha ha. It’s just not all about money for us. As we celebrate our anniversary today, I’m again full of gratitude and awe for how well Matthew and I live and work together, and how we share a vision for our life that prioritizes the people we love and an openness to new adventures, experiences, and perspectives. Although this past year hasn’t gone exactly to plan (notably: we thought for sure we’d have a camper built by now and we’d be off wandering around somewhere), I’m really glad for the significant time we’ve had in Michigan and here in Virginia, and appreciate all of this as part of the journey. Plus, I’m super grateful to have the flexibility and ability to spend time with family and friends when they need it most. So, cheers to you, Matthew. Let’s see what we can do with the next 15 years!
We’ve been working on the glued panels a bit and boy have I learned a few things about what CNC routing can and can’t do. There’s been a lot of variance in thickness in the panels, particularly where two panels join. We’ve also run into some issues with some of the routes not being consistent in depth or placement. When we laid the panels on top of each other, one side was over 1/2 inch longer than the other! Yikes! It’s been a bit disappointing – a lot more work has gone into cutting, routing, and sanding than I had hoped (particularly given how expensive the CNC work was). One particular and persistent problem is where our CNC guy used a different type of plywood for one of the six side panel pieces. The plywood was warped, and of a different thickness, so it really caused some trouble.
The good news is that we still have plenty of time to wrestle the sides into something closer to the design specs, as we are still waiting for the welding of the trailer to begin.
I still am grateful for the CNC routing for all the curvy bits. A big part of what makes a teardrop a teardrop are those beautiful compound curves that make the shape. Not only were the curves of the side panels cut by a robot, but all the curved supports that will bend the roof to their will. I’ve done some dry-fitting tests and it looks like those roof ribs are just the way I need them. Proof of whether that is true will come when it is time fit the roof skins on.
If I were to do this thing again, I think I would try one of these options:
Option A: Just have one side CNC, and all those curvy roof bits, cut. So, instead of paying for six panels to be cut and shaped, just have three of them done this way. I wouldn’t have any of the routing done prior to joining the panels. We would take the time to hand-route the lap joints to make sure the panels are joined even. Once we have those three pieces glued to make one side, we have a template that we can use to form the other side. I would first join and glue the other side plywood as a large rectangle first, Then, lay the other finished side on it, screw the two together, and use a flush bit on a strong router to cut the shape.
Option B: CNC cut a template, and take it from there. In this instance, we could use cheaper, thinner plywood to have the curves of the camper cut – maybe just from one 4×8 sheet. These template pieces could then be used as a router guide to cut one side of the trailer (using the glued rectangle technique described above). Then we have a completed side to use as a template for the other side. Make sense? This method would require hand routing all those roof curvy bits, but I’m not too intimidated by that.
But, that’s for next time. I need to get back to the shop and keep plugging away!
Re-routing a section that didn’t get done properly with the CNC robot.
As most of you know, our previous 10 Junes were filled with endless days of managing artists, patrons, and concert logistics, so we’re accustomed to some long and intense days during the peak of summer. This June didn’t require as many fancy clothes, we consumed far less salmon dip and wine, there were definitely fewer details and people to manage, and I certainly missed the beautiful music and camaraderie of the Sitka Music Festival. But this June was it’s own kind of roller coaster, filled with the heady awesomeness of a new job, the entertaining minor dramas of staff in a busy small town bar/restaurant, fun dinner parties with Jim & Tammy’s friends, the slow and deliberate progress on our camper project, and the heartbreaking news of a dear loved one embarking on a long journey with cancer.
I’m really excited about my new job at On-Ramps! Most of June was spent in a fairly intense training session with a cohort of 6 new staff, all of us learning the organizational systems and the tasks we’ll do to support the hiring processes of executive level staff at some of the most exciting non-profits and mission-driven organizations in the country. The learning curve is kind of steep and my brain has been tired, but I feel like it’s all going to click into place quickly. I’ve already been assigned to my first search! We’re working with an amazing national nonprofit that’s dedicated to helping underserved youth learn entrepreneurial skills. Our job is to help them find a new regional executive director for their New York programs. My role is to help draft the job announcement and search materials, manage the applications, review resumes, conduct first round interviews, and track the candidates as they move through the process (which includes at least 3 more interviews and a “thought exercise” – usually a written component that demonstrates their skills with direct relevance to the position).
In the meantime, I’m also still bartending at the Deltaville Tar & Raw Bar, and I have an awesome new co-bartender!
That’s right! Matthew now joins me behind the bar for these crazy weekend shifts! We’re having fun with it, and the customers seem to enjoy our shenanigans. We’re trying to keep the bar section of the restaurant stable as other drama unfolds around us – notably, we’ve gone through two assistant managers in the 3 months that I’ve worked there, both of whom quit on the spot and caused a bit of chaos in their wake. (Plus, the boyfriend of the most recent assistant manager was our head cook and he quit last weekend, also!) In the aftermath of those two quitting last weekend, we were short-staffed (especially in the kitchen) which made things kind of stressful, and the 4th of July weekend promises to be insane. But ultimately I think the changeover is a good thing – all the folks who’ve left were part of an old regime and not always seeing eye-to-eye with the new general manager, but now the general manager can start fresh with the staff that he chooses. We’re trying to support him by training new bartenders and creating some systems for taking inventory.
On another note, our hearts have become heavy with concern since my family received some extremely disappointing news last week: my dear sister Iris (who Matthew and I spent 6 months with in Michigan last fall/winter) was diagnosed with stage 4 endometrial cancer. She began an 18-week chemo cycle yesterday. My brother (Kevin), other sister (Ione), our dad, me, and our spouses are teaming up with Iris’ local community of friends to provide a strong circle of support around her. Ione is currently in Michigan with Iris; my sister-in-law Kristi is heading there next week, and I expect that I/we will be spending some time there this summer/fall. If you’re interested in following along with this story, we set up a Caring Bridge site for Iris: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/irisboettcher
There’s been a bit more progress on the camper, but mostly we’re still waiting for our welder to get around to our project. I think Matthew is planning on sharing an update with you soon, so stay tuned. Although we’re eager to get moving and see more of the country, we’re also having a nice time in Virginia and very grateful to spend summer in this beautiful place. Here are some photos of fun times from the last few weeks.
Matthew’s parents hosted two dinner parties last week. One night was perfect outside and we could enjoy the new deck lights.
The next night was a big thunderstorm, so the party was held inside. So many fun and lovely people!
Buster is hoping Jim will share a little nibble with him.
Tammy’s garden bounty!
Jim & Tammy at the Mobjack Tavern where they came to see us perform at open mic. Unfortunately, we didn’t think about getting a picture of us on stage, but it was super fun!
This turtle got stuck on the deck. He sat there for an entire day! Do they not know how to back up?
Jumping off the dock for a quick swim seems like a good idea until you see all the jellyfish in the water.
At last! If you’ve been following along for awhile now, you know that I’ve been on a quest for meaningful work that’s part-time and work-from-anywhere … something where I still feel like I’m making a contribution to society while also giving us most of the income we need to live this dream. For the last 7 months, I’ve spent most mornings scrolling through job postings and agonizing over cover letters and my resume. I’ve applied for positions with two music festivals (and had to work through some feelings when I didn’t even get an interview with either one), and to other places as a grants administrator, nonprofit database manager, conference organizer, a travel agency assistant, accounting intern, and even transcriptionist. One intriguing position that I interviewed for but ultimately didn’t work out – database administrator for a nonprofit based in Colorado that works with communities in eastern Nepal to build schools, water systems, and other infrastructure.
(Intriguing position that I did NOT apply for but was fascinated by it’s existence: a Document Imaging Technician for webcemeteries . com, which is basically taking paper records on-site at cemeteries and scanning/uploading them to an online platform.)
But FINALLY, the stars seem to have aligned, and I am excited to announce I’ve been hired as a Search Specialist at On-Ramps, a search and consulting firm that supports nonprofit organizations and educational institutions with their executive-level hiring processes. In other words, when one of these entities needs a new Executive Director or other Director-level staff, they hire On-Ramps to help with recruiting/screening/interviewing candidates. I’ll have a supporting role in these processes – probably working on 2-4 searches at a time, managing candidate assessments and the logistics of the interview process. What excites me the most is their mission to help create social change across the sector by supporting these entities with a fair and equitable recruitment and hiring process. I start on June 1.
In the meantime, I’m still bartending on weekends, and I guess I’ll continue to do so as long as we’re here … or as long as I can stand it. It’s seriously kicking my butt! The tips are *really* good, though, and for the most part people are fun and nice. But most of my shifts have been so busy I hardly have time to go to the bathroom! And I am thoroughly exhausted by Sunday night. We have a lot of regulars who I’m getting to know, which is helping me get to know this whole area better. Sunday afternoons are a big time for a group of folks to come in and drink light beer. Here’s what that looks like:
Let’s see, in other updates: While Matthew was in Alaska last month, I made a quick trip home to Iowa to see my dad and my dear high school friends, Sarah and Bridget. Sarah has been in a brutal battle against cancer for the last several years: in and out of trial treatment after trial treatment, on a constant roller coaster of hope and dismay. It was so wonderful to have a couple of dedicated days with these two amazing women … and, of course, it’s always awesome to have time with my dear Dad!
Throughout it all, life here in Mathews County has been really lovely. Spring has been beautiful (even if it was a bit on the chillier side for longer than usual), and it’s great to have so much time with Matthew’s parents. We’re REALLY grateful to them for sharing their home with us for these months, and we’re trying to pay our rent by helping with various projects around the property. Here’s a few more snaps of life around Cobbs Creek. Thanks for reading!
Nothing says spring like beautiful bushes full of butterflies.
Father-in-law to the rescue! My cap blew off my head and in a flash he was in the rowboat to save it.
Driving to work, following an oyster truck. Y’know, like you do.
Porch office.
Why did the turtle cross the road?
We had a few REALLY high tides …
Major project: pressure wash and repaint the decks and dock.
Matthew’s down there working on the dock while I’m painting porch rails.
If you look closely, you might be able to see Matthew on the far right and Jim on the far left. Definitely a team effort!
Buster! (I need to get a picture of Jasmine, our other furry housemate.)
This guy keeps an eye on the house when we’re all down on the dock.
Mathews county has been unseasonably cool pretty much since we arrived here in March. I mean, like in the 50’s cool, a temperature which sends the minds of the locals reeling as they stagger outside under layers of sweaters and jackets to grab the mail or walk the dogs before returning to the warmth of the hearth. This dark rainy cool stretch ended today, and no doubt by the end of the week we will hear folks remarking on the oppressive heat. Such is our relationship to weather.
This far into May I felt sure that I’d be deep into the trailer build, but we had a few delays and setbacks along the way. We are gaining momentum again. All the wood (which doubled and tripled in price compared to even 6 months ago), and all the camper parts have been purchased. The last two things that need done before construction begins in earnest are getting the frame parts that form the curve of the camper computer cut and routed out of wood, and getting a custom trailer welded out of steel. The wood bits we should see within the week. The trailer bit is unknown. We found a company to do it, but with worker shortages…
Oh, and a week ago I got back from a two-week stint in The Yupiit School District.
The wind sock by the runway in Akiachak.
Quick aside: if you don’t already know I spent two and a half years working in and for a school district in the Yukon-Kuskowkim valley right before we took off and started this blog. Here’s the link for that blog: http://smallstones.net/2020/10/. I kind of stopped making posts once covid shut down the schools and kept me confined to my apartment for most of the year.
Old fuel tanks near the school serve as a parkour course.
Where was I? Oh, in Akiachak: They District brought me up to get a project that I had started that kind of withered under covid back up and running. The school in Akiachak has a low wattage FM radio station license. When I worked there full time I used some grant money to purchase the equipment to get it broadcasting again. I had the chance to visit all three villages in the District during my time there. It was good to see some of the folks I knew from my time there, all of whom are having a pretty positive outlook on the future. Hooray!
Riding on the back of the truck in Tuluksak from the village to the runway.
At last we have our custom plans for the teardrop trailer! We worked with a architect/designer person to make a model for our camper in a program called SketchUp. The design is somewhat based on a design called the Wyoming Woody, but with some significant changes. The biggest design change is that we wanted to put plenty of storage in the camper. Most folks rely on keeping a lot of their traveling stuff in their tow vehicle, but we Betties will have that full of our musical gear!
What you are seeing here is not the complete picture, of course, just the things we needed figured out for designing and building purposes. There will be doors for both access to the cabin, and to the storage underneath. Matthew is going to make a very detailed journal of the design and build process, but maybe not put all those posts on this blog so we don’t overwhelm our dear followers.
Matthew is currently in Akiachak (and for some reason writing this entry in 3rd person) working on getting a radio station/audio storytelling thing happening in the school. As soon as he get’s back to Virginia, the Build will Begin!
Here’s where Matthew is sleeping, and working with some students on recording skills!
A couple of weeks ago, we took a road trip to Asheville and had a marvelous weekend with two of my nieces: Hannah and Emma. Hannah flew down from Philadelphia and Emma drove from Columbus – it was so cool that we could just hang out and explore an unfamiliar city together for a few days! The weather was still pretty chilly, so we didn’t have too much outdoorsy time, but there was plenty of art and culture to ponder and breweries/restaurants to enjoy. We also drove part of the Blue Ridge Parkway for some mountain views, learned about the unique Black Mountain College experiment, appreciated the craftsmanship and artistry of Cherokee basket-weaving and other traditional crafts, and saw some awesome live music in unusual places. Photos and their captions below tell more of the story.
In other news since our last post: Matthew’s parents returned from the Florida Keys last week; it’s been lovely to spend time with them and catch up.
I started my bartending job for realz last weekend – they have me working Friday-Saturday-Sunday (about 27 hours in a 54-hour time span) and I was pretty much obliterated by Sunday night! But it was fun, and I made good tips. I’m resting up for another round this weekend.
Matthew continues to make progress on the teardrop trailer design, and it’s almost time to order the wood and start building!
But things will be a little slow on that project for the next few weeks — Matthew is heading back to Akiachak AK for a 2-week contract with his former employer in the Yupiit School District. When he was there 2019-2021, one of the projects he was working on was to get a local radio station going. COVID restrictions got in the way of fully realizing it back then, but the school is still interested in having one, so Matthew is going back to try and get it rolling again.
I think that’s about it for now. Here’s a batch of photos from Asheville, followed by a few of life here in Virginia. Cheers, and hugs to you!
Matthew and I camped the first night at Hagan-Stone Park near Greensboro. Lovely county park – Leslie Knope would be proud!
Hannah flew into the Greensboro airport, so we got bonus road trip time with her.
And we found Emma, also! Hooray for these two awesome humans …
… and for our first brewery stop at Wicked Weed.
We covered Asheville pretty well in 3 days, from downtown …
…. to the River Arts District.
But, no, we didn’t go to the Biltmore. We decided to do lots of small things instead of forking over a bunch of cash for One Big Thing.
Battery Park Book Exchange not only has lots of great books …
…they also have fancy champagne cocktails …
…live gypsy music …
… and Dr Seuss books to deliver your check. Loved it!
We learned a lot from the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor’s Center. Like about this pharmacist’s “Tasteless Chill Tonic” that “makes children and adults fat as pigs.”
Early spring on the Blue Ridge Parkway – trees just barely starting to bud …
…. and the rock walls are covered in frozen ice. It was pretty blustery and chilly outside, so we didn’t even snap any mountain photos!
We stopped at the Folk Art Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway. So much amazing craftsmanship!
The wood carvings were among our favorites …
…including these whimsical scenes, which were hand-carved (and mechanized!) by self-taught carver Frank Caracci.
Time for more food and entertainment! Jack in the Wood Irish bar …
…for a Bluegrass Brunch! “Supper Break” is the house band at this pub. They were awesome!
Next stop: Tobacco Barn Antiques! Holy moly, this was amazing. 77,000 sq ft of stuff! (mind. blown.)
Fun old signs …
“Half the fun of having feet!”
…a crazy 70s Canadian heavy metal record collection …
…turkeys made out of license plates and bike chains …
…oh, my! Are we having fun!
All that antiquing called for some brewery-hopping. Fortunately, Asheville has an entire brewery DISTRICT. The South Slope has about 10 breweries within a few blocks. We started at Green Man …
… but our favorite was Burial Beer Co.
Their outdoor patio includes two cars as tables.
Take a really close look at what they’ve stocked their vending machine with.
And then there’s this. Yes, a giant mural of Tom Selleck with the sloth from the Goonies. Why?? Apparently these two are the Burial Beer mascots. I found an article from 2015 about the unveiling of this mural in celebration of Tom’s 70th birthday. Perfectly weird.
Perfectly fun!!
Back in our Virginia neighborhood … alpacas! And one fierce livestock guard dog. That guy gets really nervous when we slow down and talk to him!
The Jet Set Betties have claimed a corner of the Turner living room. (And froggy slippers are trying to drum!)
Flat Iron Crossroads is a little nonprofit music venue about 15 miles from us.
We had a great time seeing the Tidewinders and the Currys. Evening complete with adorable little girls twirling at the back with daffodils in their hair.
Matthew took the rowboat for a spin from the Turner’s pier.
We stumbled upon an open mic at the Mobjack Tavern. Some week we’ll have to bring our instruments!
AMAZING tomato pie, made by Matthew’s mom from a combination of her canned sliced tomatoes and my sister’s tomato jam.
And a couple of bartender views from my new place of employment. Inside, with live music …
…. and a few hearty folks enjoying Saturday afternoon on the outside deck. C’mon by, and I’ll pour you a drink!
Hello from Mathews County, Virginia! We’ve been here 13 days and already experienced temps ranging from 35-78, sunny days, snow showers, wind gusts near 30 mph, and a big boomy thunderstorm. Dynamic! This is where Matthew’s parents live (from April through November), and we’re settling in here for a few months, to spend some good time with them and also to build our teardrop camper.
Mathews County is about 8,500 people living on 86 square miles of land surrounded by the rivers and inlets of the Chesapeake Bay. We’re on Cobbs Creek, which empties into the Piankatank River, which then dumps into the Chesapeake Bay. I realize this map (and the ones that follow) aren’t necessarily the easiest to see here, but maybe it’ll give you some idea of where we are. Richmond is directly west of us, Norfolk is straight south.
The Turner’s dock on Cobbs Creek (and the view from their living room)
Catching Up
It’s been a while since we’ve given a good update, hasn’t it? Believe it or not, our intention here is to frequently post short updates … but since it’s been a couple of months, this one is a bigger read. With photos, of course! However, if you don’t have time for the full stories, here are the headlines:
Jan-Feb: finishing (mostly)projects we started at Iris’ lake house, watching deer roam about, adventures in winter grilling, and building plenty of cozy fires during Michigan winter nights.
Also: Planning the teardrop camper we’ve decided to build from scratch, and applying for jobs — the remote/flexible kind that can keep this dream on the road. (Spoiler: no luck so far. Got any ideas for me?)
Feb 16-18: road trip (on all secondary roads!) across the state to see our dear friend, Ed, while he was visiting his home town of Wyandotte. Stories include a completely delightful lunch in an authentic Polish restaurant, and driving past a house with an unbelievable number of Santa and snowmen lawn ornaments.
Feb 27-March 2: cramming all our stuff into a trailer, tearful goodbyes after such a nice long stint with my sister, and a fun 3-day road trip to Virginia, with two sweet stopovers.
March 3-12: Groundskeeping, area explorations, starting to requisition camper materials, and Kayla’s new job as a bartender!
Read on to find out more —
January & February on Lake Michigan
The slideshow below tells most of the story: these months were mostly spent working on some home-improvement projects for Iris and preparing for the next chapter in our adventure. One big missing link in the whole “live our dream” scenario is income to keep us rolling, and the plan has been that I could get a part-time, flexible, do-it-from-anywhere kind of job, plus maybe Matthew (and I?) could pick up short-term gigs here and there as needed. Well, for the last 6 months, I’ve spent quite a bit of time searching for jobs, tweaking my resume, and writing cover letters, primarily for jobs for which I really felt well-suited (e.g., managing all the logistics for a summer music festival!!! or maintaining a non-profit’s donor database), but still no luck. Disappointing, frustrating, and a bit demoralizing. My current plan is to take a few online classes to build on what I already know about bookkeeping and see if I can get some work that way.
This big garage had no workspace or flat surfaces, so Matthew fixed that.
Ta-da! (It was a little chilly out there – notice the Alaska seal/beaver fur hat on his head…)
Work bench + shop light = perfect storage for our stuff. Ha!
So many deer wandering around the neighborhood! Seems like they travel in packs of 8+.
Romantic fireside seating, complete with candlelight and decanted wine (hot tip: pour your wine into a mason jar to aerate it. I think that’s what “glampers” do.)
Next project: help Iris clear out her attic and garage! These are piles of stuff that came from the attic and went on to final destinations at recycling, shredding, and thrift stores.
Truckload of metal to be recycled.
Clear space in the attic!
We spent a few nights with Iris at her main house in Jenison (Grand Rapids suburbs) – she can make some pretty nice fires there, too.
It’s hard to keep plants and bushes alive with these beasts around.
Oh yeah, we also helped to rectify some misguided decor choices made by the previous cottage owners. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos of the awesome new lamps Iris bought to replace these … but it’s a major improvement!
Winter grilling! Note the big hat is back in use.
Sometimes the cold outdoor temps make grilling slow/difficult, so you have to do the final sear in the fireplace.
It was a beautiful and delicious Valentine’s Day dinner! (That mushroom risotto was SO GOOD.)
Back to construction – this time for a kitchen island.
Iris had an old piece of corion countertop lying around. Matthew ordered some professionally made table legs and then attached the corion to the top. Everything is upside down and inside out here, for the gluing process.
Secret messages left under the countertop.
Gluing the legs into place. Sadly, this is another time I failed to get a picture of the “final” project (although, in all honesty, we couldn’t completely finish the project, because the wheels hadn’t arrived yet.) But it is functioning as a new work surface in the kitchen, and looks pretty handsome to boot!
Teardrop camper sketches. Matthew is working with a designer to make official plans. Stay tuned for more info on our trailer-building process!
That fire knocked my socks off!
The other big piece of making this semi-nomadic life dream come true is, of course, the camper. After LOTS of research and conversation, we’ve decided that a teardrop camper with an additional sturdy 10×10 canvas tent would suit us well. Furthermore, after looking at lots and lots of used teardrops for sale (at crazy-high prices!), we’ve decided to build our own. I’m sure Matthew will share more details about our design with you soon, and we’ll definitely blog about the building process once that begins!
Road Trip Across Michigan
Ed Ronco has been one of our very dearest friends since 2009 when he moved to Sitka. Ed grew up in Wyandotte, MI, downriver from Detroit. Ed unexpectedly spent 2 weeks in Wyandotte this February, and although it was a terrible circumstance that brought him there (the sudden death of his wonderful father), it gave us the opportunity to drive across the state to see him and his lovely mother, Anne.
The route we took to Wyandotte was really fun. Only slightly slower than the freeway, but a lot more interesting. Plus, $10 TOTAL for both of us to have breakfast in Delton!
Chandelier at Grove St Cafe in Delton.
Eddie! And a fantastic Polish lunch at Polonus, served by one of the spunkiest women I’ve ever met. She says her dreams are set to polka music.
Close-up of the wall art.
When you’re in your friend’s childhood home, you get to see relics that are otherwise still hidden. Like Ed’s Michigan State marching band jacket!
Ed’s dad was a huge golfer and avid restorer of hickory clubs. Their basement is LOADED with clubs, hickory and otherwise.
Shopping together – just like old times.
We had such a nice visit with Ed’s mom, also.
We took a different route home. Adventurous!
This yard was so incredible, we turned around and drove past it again for a closer look.
I mean, seriously!
Poor Twyla VonWienerschnitzel. Beautiful snow the day before, but it made for a pretty sloppy drive home.
Onward to Virginia
On Feb 28, we shoved the last of our stuff into the trailer my dad loaned to us, exchanged big tearful hugs with Iris, and headed off for our next chapter. We made the trip from Glenn, MI to Cobbs Creek, VA in 3 days, with a few perfect stopovers en route: 1) North Manchester, IN – home of the lovely Tina Rieman, who I met in North Manchester on New Year’s Eve 1996 when I was at the home of my college boyfriend who happened to be the brother of Tina’s then-boyfriend. The boyfriends didn’t last, but our friendship sure has! 2) Sweetwater Music in Fort Wayne IN – complete with a mind-blowing tour of their facility and lunch with Matthew’s long-time sales consultant, Chris Ishak. 3) Columbus OH – to visit my awesome niece Emma.
First leg: Glenn MI to North Manchester IN.
We had a LOVELY evening with my friend Tina – nice walk about town (including a stop at this covered bridge), delicious dinner, and lots of chatting.
Tina and her house – which she bought from her grandmother. (As soon as we drove away I realized I didn’t take any pictures, so Tina indulged me with a selfie.)
Next stop: Sweetwater Music headquarters. Yes, that’s a slide from the second floor. Seriously, this place blew our minds.
It was so fun to meet our long-time sales rep in person! Just like we’re old friends.
Matthew wanted to buy all the guitar pedals …
…while I got swept away in the keyboard section.
This place has created a space for their 2,000 employees that includes a medical clinic, workout facility, and full cafeteria and coffee shop.
Onward to Columbus!
Emma lives in the German Village, which is so charming!! But those cobblestone streets are no joke.
We went to a bar that offers charcuterie trays through a vending machine.
If you’re ever in Columbus, put Harvest Pizza on your restaurant list. SO GOOD.
Sleep-over at Emma’s!
So much love! (PS: The art behind us was created by Emma’s sister, Hannah.)
Final leg, and a very long day: Columbus to Cobbs Creek, VA.
Almost heaven – West Virginia!
Traffic was occasionally heavy. This is way we usually take secondary roads – so many trucks!
Settling in to Virginia life
Matthew’s parents are still in Florida until the end of March, so we have the place to ourselves. PAR-TAY!! Jim & Tammy, we promise to clean up and move all the furniture back before you get home. ☺️ Just kidding. Mostly. We’ve been doing some good yard work – raking/mulching all the fall leaves – and otherwise just trying to find our way around the winding roads of this area, including a fun day trip around colonial Yorktown-Williamsburg-Jamestown.
Oh, yeah – and I got a job as a bartender! I’ll be working at the Deltaville Tap and Raw Bar, just 14 miles away, across the Piankatank River. I had 4 hours of training last Saturday and then they let me work an 8-hour shift by myself on Sunday. It was a nice steady pace, I met several regulars, and made some pretty good tips! We’re still working out the scheduling, but I think it’ll be a pretty regular weekend gig for me starting in April.
Daffodils were already blooming when we arrived on March 2!
There were a few leaves here and there …
… so we decided to clean ’em up a bit.
Much better!
March 5 – birthday adventure to “America’s Historic Triangle”, i.e. Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Jamestown.
We drove the Colonial Parkway, a 23-mile scenic parkway linking Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. It is part of the National Park Service’s Colonial National Historical Park.
It was a really lovely drive! No commercial vehicles or trucks allowed, and all greenway even though you’re passing through some really developed areas.
We didn’t really take any pictures in Williamsburg, except for this one (the cupcakes really are extraordinary).
We stopped at Capstan Brewery in the afternoon. The beer was so-so, and the atmosphere kind of strange …
…. plus it’s located in a really weird industrial building, just on the edge of Langley AFB.
Birthday dinner at this place in Poquoson! So fun and delicious, I didn’t have time to take pictures. 🙂
Site of Kayla’s new bartending gig. (sadly, the bar is not actually shaped like an oyster)
…on a very quiet afternoon. They tell me to expect this entire space to be mobbed – with a long line to the bar! – during the summer.
dol·drums| ˈdōldrəmz, ˈdäldrəmz | plural noun (the doldrums)
a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression: the mortgage market has been in the doldrums for three years.
In the early-19th century, the word once reserved for a feeling of despondency came to be applied to certain tropical regions of the ocean marked by the absence of strong winds.
The frozen shores of Lake Michigan. The ice forms mounds from the wave action.
Let’s talk about the doldrums. Like, the fact that I’ve been meaning to write about the February Doldrums in Michigan since mid Feb, and here we are in Virginia in March (spoilers!).
Winter settled in, and the Jet Set Betties didn’t have a lot of wind in the sails. Sure, we went to work, did chores, puttered about on projects, but we felt somewhat adrift. Certainly we didn’t have much to share here on the Blog.
Good news, though! On February 28 we hitched up the wagon and headed east! We are now raking leaves and watching spring start springing in Mathews Co., Virgina at Matthew’s parent’s house. The folks are snowbirding in Florida until the end of March, so we’ve got the place to ourselves. And the only ice we see is in our sweet tea glasses!
Stay tuned for more frequent updates! The doldrums are gone, and we are now beginning to plan for the building of our teardrop camper. It will be a scratch built custom rig, and our hope is it will carry us to new adventures. More coming soon!
