Moving

Onboard Vehicle Hydrogen Generators!

On friday, I bought a toaster oven, microwave, and refrigerator. A TRUE small refrigerator, with a separate freezer. A good sumaritan helped me wrestle it up onto my passenger seat--the thing can't weigh much less than I do, and barely fit.

Took these to SelecTrucks. Drove the new truck to the repair place, shuttled back to SelecTrucks, and drove Christine there. This place is also a trucking company. It's gated and has drivers coming and going, so it's more secure.

They removed my passenger seat, and they said they'd store it there and see about selling it on consignment. I tossed in my old laptop stand from Christine.

At 4:00 the closed, and I began moving. It was sweltering hot, so I took turns idling the trucks--sifting and boxing in Christine, then unboxing and storing in the new truck. Nevertheless, I was quickly dehydrated. Fortunately, they had a water-hose (I didn't have the gate code, so I could leave but not come back).

The first part was, after lining up the trucks, wrestling the boxed refrigerator back onto my passenger seat, then wrestling it onto the new truck's catwalk (the deck behind the sleeper).

At 1 am, I had to hit the rack in Christine, and park the new truck in front of the shop so they could install my CB and inverter. Before I did this, I repositioned the trucks again and moved the fridge onto Christine's catwalk.

Saturday, I interrogated the helpful and excellent repair guys (they go in my book...I note and file good places with good rates across the country for future reference)...An APU (Auxiliary Power Unit--the generator which heats, cools, and saves batteries overnight) would cost me over 8k, best price.

I hadn't thought everything through as thoroughly as I'd thought. The fridge means I can't cheat on the idling--that I can't go to sleep without the truck running, in any climate, or I might have dead batteries in the morning. The least this would cost me would be 30 bucks/night on the road. I can't put it off: I have to get an APU now.

Anyway, they were done with me at 10 am and I resumed moving. Finally, at 2:00, I had only to hook my tire-inflator/blower to my truck's air supply and blow most of the degris out of both trucks, and to wrestle the refrigerator into the new truck. (I cut the box away only after it was in--without the nylon straps around the box, I don't know if I could have done it).

Then I came back here to the hotel. I had it on my head to hit the bar, but I think I got close to heat-stroke, and after a bath and shower just lie down and vegetated. Besides, at both these hotel bars the tenders don't seem to like me. It was subtle before but I guess familarity bred contempt.

It could be because I'm a yankee, or more likely because they overheard me talking politics to other customers. I know I got a little obnoxious telling everybody about hydrogen generators and giving other unsolicited advice, so I guess I should put the brakes on that.

Anyway now here I am. I've prepaid this hotel room til wednesday morning, but need to be in Van Buren moday to complete my separation from USA (I've still got Christine to get rid of). Since I need to see my Accountant as well, I'll pack up my stuff tonight and get it in the truck, and leave in the morning so I can catch ner enroute. USA's mechanics could take their time, and I might owe USA some money for insurance and Qualcom payments.

So I might owe USA a little, the accountant and taxes--I don't know. I have to find out if maybe I can roll this year into them and pay next year, since this year is a disaster I'd like to use. But she will need to be paid in full if I pick up my records...I don't know about that.

AEL might well want to charge me for stuff on the truck. Then I finalize the new truck purchase and call Jamestown to see about getting insurance coverage on the new truck. Then I go to the APU place to see about that. This isn't an option, and if I can't get financed I'll have to pay cash. And could be hung up even longer...

Time to look at my accounts and see what I need to sell.

Dammit.