I Like Comments

I like Comments! They are how I can tell if anyone is reading what I put up here, But please try to be civil. It’s important to me that communication comes from a basic respect for other people. What I mean is that if you disagree with me, that’s good but don’t denigrate me because I have an opinion that differs from yours. If you can’t find a way to say something with civility, please find another forum. If you have no idea what I am talking about, it’s probably because I remove the more obnoxious comments before most viewers can see them. And that is as close as I will be getting to censorship…ever.

Back to my stuff now.

I wrote a while ago that I was planning to go on the road. That is still the plan, but a somewhat long term plan not something I will be doing in the next month or so. I have to wait until the government makes a determination on my status as a "Service Connected Disabled Veteran." The simple fact is that if they do not find in my favor, I will not have enough money on an ongoing basis to do any traveling. With gas at $2.75 to $3.00/galllon I can’t go far and won’t be able to afford to eat once I get there. There are few if any sure things in this life. We all have heard of Death and Taxes but "Gas Prices Will Rise" is probably pretty safe as another.

I have contemplated less expensive methods of travel and while some sound very interesting, my physical limitations rule most of them out.

Picture if you will a Honda 650 Nigh Hawk Motorcycle with a hitch welded on the back pulling a 500 pound utility trailer hauling a tent, camping equipment, my cloths and J. Edgar Dogg’s crate. To me, that’s right up there with Along Came Bronson as far as adventure, but when you try to picture the fat man who hasn’t the strength to throw his leg over the bike much less ride away into the sunset, it loses a lot of its allure. I love the concept, it’s the actual performance where it all falls down.

The second fantasy in line involves the mini van I drive and a trailer small enough for me to pull it with said van. I have found a trailer that fits the requirement on paper, but I worry that it might be pushing the edge of the towing capabilities of my van and the co-existing capabilities of J. Dogg and myself. 8’ X 16’ is pretty tight living quarters for an old man and a very rambunctious dog. This one still has possibilities but uses at least 3 times as much gas as the motorcycle based gypsy caravan.

Next in line is building a trailer of my own design that weights less and is more "visually interesting" than a commercially produced trailer. While this one is actually the hardest one to do, it produces the most mental stimulus and just plain mental fun of any of the other proposals. Not a practical application, but a great way to stimulate my mind and my need to design. I have pictures and plans!

What will in all probability be the mode of transport for my great adventure is a larger commercially built trailer pulled by a much larger tow vehicle than I currently drive. This is of course based on my getting the VA Disability and of course the corresponding larger amount of monthly income.

We shall see.

Uncle Dave