I have been back in town for over a week now. A very interesting and hectic week. So much so that I had to delay updating my blog.
Let me make an attempt to keep this chronological. I went back to the private and productive place at bus work site South Carolina. I believe I only confuse matters when I attempt to label the place...If you are from out of state it is in the Spartanburg area. But to get technical, the zip code is for Enoree (according to GPS) although the locals call it Cross Anchor, which is actually a neighboring municipality. So in my previous posts I have referred to by all three names, but it is the same place.
When I arrive, Jason comes by and takes me to get a Kerosene heater and portable toliet stand he had stored in his RV. The nights are getting much cooler, temperature hanging around the lower 40's at night. Nothing a grizzled old man like me can't handle but it seemed to make Jason feel better if I had some proper heat. He even bought me a new wick for it and told me he considered getting me some of that smell good you add to the kerosene to keep my bus from smelling like a fuel pump when I used the heater, but he didn't know what scent I liked. Vanilla? Pine? I'm not real particular, just so long as it don't smell like burning bus. I also took the opportunity to install Uncle Donald's and Aunt Debbie's fire/CO detector just in case I smelled burning bus in my sleep and dreamt it was just an undesirable air freshner. And I use it every night, since Jason went through all the trouble, not because I am trying to live the pampered heated life. I eat dirt for breakfast.
Jason Bringing me a new wick for kerosene heater
Jason's pride and joy
Now the toliet upgrade he provided, I do have to admit, I was a bit smitten with that. I haven't really addressed operating bathroom protocol here because some of my more squeamish readers might be offended. Not because of the subject matter but because my prior accomodations was a reject from third country facilities. Actually it was homemade by yours truly, but out of need and desperation. It consisted of what was once a fine patio chair, now a pitiful pink and rusted frame with plastic straps diagonally criss crossed for support. I cut some of the support out in the seat, procured a matching pink toliet seat to place on top and a lovely red bucket underneath. That was my restroom for about a month. Now I have this medical grade aluminum beauty to use with a fine, clean as new white bucket. Although I don't have the heart to soil such a pretty bucket, I still use the old red 5 gallon bucket that use to contain some kind of hazardous material. So there you have it, my bathroom solution. Next step indoor plumbing.
Old Latrine
New Latrine
After a few days of celebrating my new found loaner gifts I began to disassemble a deck that had once been attached to Jason's home when he lived on the property. Decks are screwed together not nailed, so knocking the planks loose with an ax wouldn't work. So I brought out my trusty power drill and zipped those screws right out. It didn't take too long, couple of hours maybe. Some of the screws were stripped and those planks did see the business end of my ax. It would have probably taken me much longer had I known how many black widows were living under that deck. A fact I didn't discover until a week later when moving some cinder blocks from where the deck had been. I found one and soon after that found three more. I only moved cinder blocks thereafter with leather gloves, long sleeve shirts and my dowsing of each and every remaining block with bug killer. I am fascinated by black widows and I really do try to let all insects and animals live in peace, unless they attack me like the fire ants did. But the potential damage to me or my pets by black widows meant I had to euthanize these little beauties with my boot.
Deck with middle planks removed
Upper Deck dismantling under the watchful eye of my supervisor
De-planked deck
Black widow memorial service
I used some of the scrap wood from the old deck to make a work table. Took 15 minutes. One can never have enough counter space. When I am done with it I will put it to good use as firewood. I have been having enough fires that I finally put up a seating arrangement around the fire to make it spectator event. I used some of the better, newer patio chairs, not the porta-pottie variety. I figure I have about 2 more good fires to go.
scrap plank table
Fire Prep against autumn backdrop
Starting another bonfire
Actual construction accomplished this time was getting bench seats made for the front of the bus. I modestly think they will be the finest furniture ever to grace a RV's interior. I also made some more cabinets to go by the stove. And the framework for the back cabinets are done. I just need to get some more plywood and paint. I have converted two interior doors into what will be walls of my bathroom. I threw a coat of polyurethane on the existing finish and they look better than new. Oh yeah, my doors to my overhead compartments, I am almost done with them. These have turned out to be the most problematic parts of construction I have faced thus far. It is my best example of poor planning based on faulty assumptions. My assumptions were that the hinges and door handles had would fit my thin plywood I used for cabinet facing. Now my 'work around' is costing me a ton of extra time and 16 screws per 7in by 17in door. Little screws, difficult to work with but easy to strip. And it is the work above my head which wears out my shoulders and patience pretty quickly. Did I mention it was a cramped work space? Too tight for anything but small non-powered screwdrivers to work with. I did 5 doors at about an hour per door, and that was just hanging them. I then took a break. I haven't gone back to those doors yet. Just typing about them is enough to cause my eye to twitch.
Flattening out cabinet doors (note cinder block on table)
Back view of cabinet door
Front of cabinet door
A view of partially completed overhead doors
Polyurethaned Bathroom wall
I had a one day infestation of ladybugs. Strangest thing. But they covered the inside front of my bus, since I leave the door open during the day. I probably inadvertently killed over a hundred when I slapped the crawly things on the back of my neck. At the time my mind was thinking it was something with a round shiny black body and red hourglass tattoo.
Waiting for a ladybug lunch
Here is a picture of my new toaster oven I mentioned in my last post. I already made some double fudge brownies in them. They were lopsided since I can't seem to get the bus perfectly level, but still a great sweet treat.
Jason came out the last few days I was there to help me repair my fuel line. Not only did he spring for the parts he also hooked me up with the first pizza I had in months. I had a picture but I can't find it. Anyways, so far, so good on the fuel line. Now in traditional fashion, the bus has decided to start actively leaking power steering fluid. I think it doesn't want me to get too complacent about my bus maintenance and like an unruly child it is acting poorly to get attention.
I am holding off on taking pictures of the new bench seats until their bases are painted and everything is fully installed. It should only be a couple of days work. Right now I am working on making money. I want to save up some serious bank so I can actually travel and take some really interesting photographs of real animals instead of pets and spiders. Things look really promising and some good friends have really come through for me.
I decided to go ahead and change the oil in the bus since I don't know when the last time it was done. The engine holds 12 qts of 15w-40 oil and uses two oil filters. The previous owners had written the type oil they used on the firewall behind the engine. I changed the brand to Rotella. 
Here is the old oil and empty containers of the new oil. I disposed of the oil by using it as bonfire fuel. I saved one pan of used oil so I could play with it later. I want to try different experiments like wrapping a cloth around a stick then dipping it in the oil to create a torch. I want to see how long it will burn.
