Happy Anniversary Baby!

Beautiful Rene Atop Hecla JunctionPlease allow me this brief moment to shout out to the entire world just how much I love my wife. Isn’t she beautiful?

Living together in a trailer on the road, it’s hard to surprise someone with anything. But since steel is the traditional gift for an 11-year anniversary, and Rene isn’t really into jewelry – the modern choice – perhaps I can steal her heart once again with a few heartfelt words.

I recently expressed concern to René about her dancing on the precipice at Black Canyon National Park. OK, she wasn’t dancing. But her scrambling made me nervous nonetheless.

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Perks for Housekeeping Workampers

Lots of laundry for Riverbend workampersHola, housekeeeping … me name is Jaime. I am here to clean your rooom. Knock, knock. Hello?

OK, I didn’t clean the rooms. And the housekeepers at Riverbend all spoke perfect English. Nonetheless, my workamping job at the hot springs in Truth or Consequences gave me a good taste of resort management.

Good enough to now know that we could easily run some sort of lodging business, someday. And good enough to know that we would hire workampers to do the dirty work.

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WHERE TO BUY TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

February 2008 I’ve had it with the whole TIPS ON PUMPING GAS email fraud. But enough people I respect sent me the famous GOOD INFO! message that I just had to look into it.

I was about to write about how I heard about not filling up when big trucks were filling much bigger tanks below the ground. But that was years ago. And an industry man told me way back then how the stations had filters to that took care of that. Now I’ve discovered the urban legend of tips on pumping gas to be mostly fraudulent.

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Developing the Truth, or Consequences

Business Opportunities in T or CWhat is up with this town? I just have to ask myself that.

And now, I guess I’m asking you. Not that I expect you to be able to answer that, if you’ve never been here to this little jewel of the Nile.

OK. It’s not the Nile, it is the Rio Grande. And this gem looks more like a lump of coal than a diamond in the rough. But unless something changes – which may happen very soon – that coal might become a diamond before this town ever grows up.

Having lived for ten years in a town where growth is a bad word, I understand how a community can clash over development. But what I don’t get is why there is absolutely none here in Truth or Consequences, NM. The place has obviously seen its day. But it still seemed to have such potential. Then I spoke with a local developer.

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Don’t Leave Home without Reading “Road Trip Dream” First


Best RV Road Trip Planning Book“The difference between whether you can make it happen or whether you can’t is not how many obstacles you have, it is how badly do you want to do something totally life-changing—totally for yourself.

We will give you the tools to change your dream into reality, but the implementation is yours to enjoy.”

— Phil and Carol White, authors of “Live Your Road Trip Dream”

Road Trip Dream Authors Phil and Carol WhiteAnd enjoy we have. When we first entertained the thought of taking a sabbatical, my search on the topic came up with Phil and Carol White’s book, “Live Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a Year for the Cost of Staying Homeâ€

I bought the book because I wanted to figure out how we could take some time off without going broke, and Road Trip Dream succeeded in helping us do just that. With the release of its second edition, the Whites’ book is as vital as ever when it comes to considering every critical aspect of how to plan, execute and live your own road trip dream. Don’t even think of embarking on a journey without reading and following the advice laid out by these two seasoned road trippers.

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Confessions of a WalMart Shopper

Piersons Big Hammer Eureka Humboldt CALet’s get one thing straight. I’m well aware of the damage that WalMart inflicts on local economies. Jim and I come from a town whose citizens actually kept WalMart from setting up shop along our waterfront. What a great moment it was, when Eurekans came together to stand up for their small businesses.

Because we didn’t have big box stores in Eureka, I shopped at my neighbors’ businesses. Sure, prices were a little higher than at big city chain stores, but knowing that more of my dollar stayed in the community was worth the extra pennies. At the time, Jim and I had a good income stream coming in, and although I made plenty of frugal choices, we could easily afford to shop local.

But once we hit the road, we came out of our Humboldt County cocoon. In most small towns around America, big box stores like WalMart are the only shopping choice. From Yuba City California to Fort Stockton Texas, most cities have allowed chains to come in and kill off many of their independent businesses.

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R.I.P. Spoonie Gee

Sadly, we will not be hearing any more comments from our dear friend Spoonie.

Christopher Krall, AKA Spoonie G.Cause And Effect
by Charles Bukowski

The best often die by their own hand
just to get away,
and those left behind
can never quite understand
why anybody
would ever want to
get away
from
them

Kris (Spoonie G) Krall
Feb 22, 1961 – April 3, 2008

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Live Work Dream Expense Report: March 2008

The end of March marked the end of the first quarter of 2008. Back in the old days of running the business, I used to measure all of our accomplishments and setbacks by the end of the quarter. It was a time to celebrate or drown our sorrows. But this time, for the first time in years I’d totally forgotten that the quarter had ended. …

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