Extremely Frustrating Credit Reporting "Services", Attempt to Resolve Made Things Worse
March 21st, 2019. I received a notification from my free password protect software company that they think there is a concern with my credit report
according to Trans Union. I proceeded to file for a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com (the only one authorized as legit by the feds), but
they asked a security question relating to previous addresses that was too vague for me to accurately answer, so they denied the report. I called their
phone number to request the report again. The automated system asked for my current address which wrong / outdated. At the end I passed the
address questions, but the automated system didn't give me an option where to mail the report to and said they will mail it to me. I am a full time
traveler so I'm not sure where they are mailing it to. There is nobody available there to ask, it's all automated. Now they are going to send a PAPER
copy with ALL MY CONFIDENTIAL SECURITY / FINANCIAL info to an unknown address!!!! They gave me NO option how to receive the
report! I went to get my report form Trans Union directly and they now require a $25 monthly ($300 /year!!!) SCAM!; can't just buy one report
anymore. This is terrible abuse of capitalism.
Best Buy Sprint Kiosk Agent Doubly Helpful
Best Buy, Santa Maria, California, March 19, 2019. To be fair I will make positive entries about people too. I was just browsing the security
cameras in the store and David asked if I need any help. He ultimately helped me figure out how to bypass the security PIN on my phone with just a
fingerprint touch and recommended Tunnel Bear VPN which is fee based ($60 per year), but provides the best security on all devices, so I bought
into it and feel much more secure.
Post about online chats with someone I significantly helped and tried to help in many ways deleted. There were never any images uploaded. At the
time of this post nobody reads this except you.
Incompetent Humane Society Worker
Santa Maria, California, March 15th, 2019. I made an appointment with Evergreen Veterinary Clinic to see if Tippy needed his teeth cleaned. While
shopping in PetSmart, I encountered a Humane Society worker putting away cats. I asked her if she thinks Evergreen would be a good place to get
Tippy's teeth cleaned. She said no, the Humane Society will do a much better job a lot cheaper. So I cancelled the Evergreen appointment and went
to the Humane Society. After a very long wait checking in, they said they don't have any equipment to do a good job and referred to.... dom dom
dom.... Evergreen! I called Evergreen back and they barely fit me in for a late afternoon appointment. Fortunately, the doctor said I have done such a
great job brushing Tippy's teeth, he doesn't even have gingivitis and therefore didn't need any cleaning which is very rare for a 15 year old dog who
has not had his teeth cleaned for about five years.
50th Birthday
Most unremarkable socially (one pseudo friend, one ex girlfriend and one nephew on Facebook and VA rep on phone said happy birthday), no gifts,
no party, but I stayed in a campground by the pacific ocean, walked on the beach with Tippy, walked around the minimally populated monarch
butterfly grove, ate some good food (Portabella mushrooms fried in avocado oil, smoked oysters, organic multi color popcorn with avocado oil).
The weather was ideal for me: 60F, 95% overcast with occasional light rain. I was mostly happy for both me and Tippy to be healthier than a year
ago and financially secure "enough". I have not achieved the things my parents, etc. would expect by my age (wife, kid(s), house), but I feel I have
achieved and contributed a lot of great technical innovations, various creative projects and writing.
Dream Entry of this Entry!: Old Lady I Rent Room from Harasses Me
My brain at night while dreaming, February 24th, 2019: I rented a room from an old couple to take a break from moving around campgrounds.
There was a vulgar old lady in charge of the house more so than her husband. She was constantly monitoring me (just like all my real life
experiences) and quickly after renting told me to spray paint some pine cones I found in the house. I refused to because this time I know I wasn't
desperate for a place since I still had my Sprinter camper van. The main reason for this entry here is that when she told me to spray paint the pine
cones, I knew I had to enter that into this diary!
Vulgar Lady Took My "Site Occupied" Sign from My Campsite
Pismo Beach Oceano State Park Campground, California, February 13th, 2019. I left three orange trays and a mat at my campsite while running errands for the day. When I
returned, it was all gone. I thought to call 911 to report it, but first immediately walked towards neighbors to see if anyone has a dashcam or saw anything. A vulgar lady smoking
a cigarette said "Are these yours?" referring to my stuff on her picnic table. She said she thought I was gone and wasn't trying to steal anything, but one of the orange trays had
large writing in three places "SITE OCCUPIED" and it was only 5:30PM and still daylight. She was a bit nice though and was interested in my van as she was staying in her old
minivan. I desire to still stay away.
West Marine Battery Return Hassle: Store Managers Allowed to Override Corporate Policies
Over the past few years I have exchanged lead acid AGM batteries several times to try to find something that meets my power needs. West Marine
was recently bought out by another company and changes are being made. In January, 2019 I purchased a Tesla module that is far superior to
anything West Marine sells (if properly installed and managed), so I attempted to return the AGM battery on February 7th at two Santa Barbara, CA
locations, but both managers refused the return because they said the battery has an expiration date. The only dates batteries have are manufacture
and warranty dates. Regardless, the corporate return policy guarantees a store credit since the batteries have been purchased over 30 days ago. there
is nothing in the return policy regarding battery expirations. I filed a complaint with corporate which to my surprise said the store managers can set
any policies they want even if they violate corporate policy! That's a first. It still in violation of the receipt which is a legal binding contract. In the
meantime I drove 45 minutes south to the Oxnard store which obliged the return and store credit gift card.
Possibly the First to Install a Tesla Battery Module in a Van / Campervan and/or Wall Mount Battery Bank
February 1, 2019 - Morro Bay State Park, California. I successfully wall-mounted and tested a 24V Tesla electric vehicle battery module in my
Got Kicked out of a Facebook Group for Saying Odd Pricing is Unethical
January 11th, 2019, while camping in San Luis Obispo, California. A Sprinter conversion van group admin quickly blocked me from their group
because I said it's my opinion odd pricing (in this case $89,999) is interesting because it is designed to trick the mind into thinking it's a lot less than
90,000. This made me realize most groups are missing a lot of beneficial feedback that isn't all positive. The admin was watching the whole thing
and asked if I need his help. Is he a psychologist and a Sprinter expert?? I responded with "I'm sorry to see you area victim of capitalist greed. I'm
OK. I see the truth and the truth is that this kind of odd pricing is designed to deceive." Previously I was warned I must always be kind in the group.
I responded with it's kind to inform other of deceit. I was glad to leave a group that promotes and allows such ads. There are many others that don't.
Successfully Designed, Installed and Tested World's First EV (Electric Vehicle) Charge Port on an RV - video |
http://www.econeato.org/ev.html" \t "_blank
December 20th, 2018 - Aptos, California. I'm the first person to install an electric vehicle charge adapter port on a non-electric vehicle. I simply
connected it to a very rare special part: 240VAC to 12VDC converter-charger. I finished the install and testing at Seacliff State Beach upper level
day use area where they have EV charge stations. There were many people who stopped by to inquire about my van causing about a 3 hour delay,
but I welcome strangers... I have the time. The next day, 21st, I cooked with an induction stove powered by the EV charge station... probably the
world's first to do that.
Paul, a state park docent parked his Honda hybrid plug-in next to me to charge, so I approached him to explain what I'm doing. He seemed to
him that would be situational: If there are many charge stations open and if not, I could put a note allowing others to unplug mine. He still stood by
a limit. I was a bit alarmed by that and realize that's the mind of a state worker. His car consumes far more energy to charge than my RV house
battery by constantly pulling 30A AC while mine uses less than half that. The state park campground electric hookup sites are almost always full.
When a Class B RV uses an EV charger, he frees up electric campsites for those who have larger vehicles and need them. There is no time limit. He
asked if I have a fire extinguisher. I said I have two and plan to install a Tesla battery. He departed saying "All I can say is don't let perfect get in the
way of best."
Over the next several days of being plugged in all day at Seacliff State Beach, California, I talked with many people and explained this innovation
and its benefits. To my surprise, nobody cared about the innovation and benefits. All they cared about was whether the power was free or not. This
lack of interest in the benefits put me in a state of discouragement, but I soon realized I was dealing with average people with average jobs and
average skills. I'm in the class of innovators so of course they think differently and shallow.
Spent $100 for 3 grams of 25:1 CBD Cannabis from Flaky, Shady Local Dispensary for Tippy
December 13th, 2018 - Herbal Cruz Dispensary, Santa Cruz, California. At this time Tippy is not in pain, but has eye inflammation I thought CBD
might help with. About a week ago I was talking a couple about CBD for dogs. They said they were happy with the local dispensary Herbal Cruz. I
made a note to go there later. Upon arriving, I noticed several signs stating nobody is allowed to play loud music in the parking lot. Upon entering,
they had a TV playing very loud with commercials. That was extremely annoying and I almost left and was going to leave if they didn't turn it off
soon. They had me fill out a detailed legal waiver with some personal info on it. That also was pushing me over the edge of leaving, but I filled out
almost, but not all of it. The vulgar skanky (extreme piercings, tattoos, hair dyes and overweight) woman working at the front desk required to hold
my driver's license longer than I was comfortable with to put me in her computer. Again, that was pushing me over the edge of leaving. I decided to
stay because I wanted to see what products they have to offer. Then a skanky dude (same as the woman except not overweight) told me to go into a
different building to see the products. He seemed quite wasted and was losing credibility with me, but I tried to be patient and just listen. He said I
can try low amounts of CBD mixed with olive oil or get straight CBD in a syringe which is the best price per gram. I noticed on the package it said
"batch 6/25/2018 expires 6/25/2019 and I expressed concern it was running rancid due to being a half year old already. The guy assured me it's fresh
as they just got it in and will last way beyond that date. I asked for a different one with newer date. He handed me a different one, but had the same
date. He was acting quite erratic, but I was thinking I don't care about him, I just want the best product for Tippy and didn't want to be
inconvenienced with driving around looking somewhere else with a high chance they are all this flaky anyway, so I went ahead and agreed to buy it.
Upon check out he said I have to pay with cash and they have an ATM. I was charged $2.50 to use their ATM. He said I can get a veteran's discount.
I never said I was a veteran and wondered how he knew, so apparently the lady at the front desk entered that info into the system based on my
driver's license. It seemed to be a 10% discount since I paid about $99 total after tax, but being experienced in running businesses, I realized that
since they don't give receipts, if they charge tax they highly likely don't report many sales and thus illegally pocket the taxes collected. So over all
it's pretty shady, but again I figure will be the same with their competitors. He had a tip jar conspicuously by the register. I didn't put a penny in it. If
the experience were more professional and legit, I would have put at least the dollar change in there. I wonder... what if I said I refuse to pay cash
and only offer a credit card... would they turn the business down? What if I required a receipt? Could I cancel the order after handing over the cash
if they say no receipt? Would they then hand the cash back or fight? I'll make a note not to go back there again, it's just too weird for me. Overall I
felt they had the best product for Tippy and I just did what's in his best interest vs. leaving based on my negative feelings about the people there.
Starter Failed, Asked Others for Help (Rare), Bad Sprinter Mechanics, Fussy EMS - Learned it Refuses Certain Generators, Changed
Starter by Myself in a Few Hours, Realized You Make Friends when in Need
December 4th - 5th, 2018 - New Brighton State Beach Campground, California. I was getting ready to take Tippy to his ophthalmology follow-up
exam, but the van wouldn't start. I knew I needed to do as much troubleshooting as possible to avoid having it towed to the nearest "competent"
Sprinter mechanic (which is extremely hard to find). I called many shops asking for advice and did much research online only to be met with very
flaky, worthless crap. The most popular place, Stevenson Mercedes Benz, wanted $250 just to troubleshoot. In the meantime it was too cloudy to get
enough solar power, so I asked someone if I could borrow their portable generator. My electronic management system computer would not allow
their generator to charge my batteries because the generator has a floating ground. the EMS bypass still would not allow that generator. So I had to
shut everything off and use the generator to just keep the fridge on due to Tippy's insulin and eggs. I decided to take a chance and spend a little less
than $250 on a remanufactured starter from O'Reiley which offers a lifetime warranty. I noticed I needed a star / Torx female socket to remove the
two bolts. I asked a campground host to drive me around to pick up the starter and find that Torx socket. I didn't know exactly what size I needed. I
did know it would be either a 14, 15 or 16. I found out the hard way there is no such thing as the size 15. It took 14. I told the host I would pay him
and he said "anything helps". I thought that was creepy because that's the phrase panhandlers use, he was running personal errands anyway and was
a volunteer host who doesn't get paid for his time at that time anyway. I paid him about $28 (just under or about half what an Uber drive would
charge) he gladly took. I changed the starter within a few hours and the van started much faster and better than ever. I would have still been waiting
for a tow truck otherwise. It was hard labor (twisting my body under the van) for a few hours, but at least I know the job was done right with a truly
reman new-like part. I seemed to have realized a big reason why I don't have very many friends: It's unusually rare for me to ask anyone else for
favors. By doing so, you make new friends.
Extreme Incompetencies of Others Regarding Sprinter Service & Obtaining a Starter:
1. The van has been to many repair shops since I bought it in early 2016. The vehicle has always cranked very slowly and sometimes takes a
while to start. I wasn't sure why, but all those mechanics should have pointed out I need to replace the starter. None did.
2. I called Stevenson Creek Mercedes in Palo Alto to ask the Sprinter tech how I should troubleshoot. I explained it has always turned over
very slowly. He said that probably isn't the starter. He was totally wrong. It was.
3. I tried to find out how much Stevenson Creek MB wants for a starter, what brand, etc. and it took them about 24 hours to return my call.
They eventually called back and said it would be about $680, then said no, about $450. Are they making up prices as they go?
4. San Jose Sprinter wrongly said I should buy their Mercedes brand starter because aftermarket versions are junk. There is no MB brand, but
rather Bosch, etc.
5. When I went to pick the part up at OReiley, they handed me someone else's pre-paid starter. I said I didn't pre-pay. They sat it aside. Another
employee went in the back to get the correct one.
6. Before ordering a starter from OReiley, I ordered one from AutoZone. I called them to cancel that order. About 30 hours later AutoZone
called to let me know the part came in. I said I called over a day ago to cancel that order. They said no problem. They should have been
interested in who I told to cancel the order, but could care less.
7. At the time of this writing, nobody published anything online explaining how to change a second generation Sprinter starter. It's not very
hard with the proper instructions. Almost all diesel mechanics and shops want us to believe a diesel is too difficult to work on and we have to
hire them. That's wrong. This is not too hard if the proper instructions are attained.
Met the Google Usability Research Team and Sold them on a Solar Panel Upgrade
November 28, 2018 - Capitola, California. I pulled right up next to the team's tent and van and talked with Nick for a while about upgrading their
Sprinter extended length van with solar. They were interested. I gave Nick my contact info and offered a free consultation on doing the upgrade at
least because it would promote more sustainable living. I showed them my van and they were impressed and interested in copying some of my
innovations. This doesn't mean I love Google. Actually I hate a lot about Google, but still rely on many of their services. I'm just trying to promote
solar.
Safely Drove Though the Now Historic California Camp Fire Smoke Plume
November 9, 2018 - California. I made camping reservations for a campground in Red Bluff, but upon arriving my eyes were burning a little bit and
the air was bad. The government's airnow.gov website said Red Bluff had good air quality, but they were very wrong. I was getting frustrated with
that agencie's incompetency. The next morning, November 10th, I drove hundreds of miles on south bound I-5 straight through some dense smoke,
particularly around Sacramento. I was not in health danger because I ran my HEPA filter on high speed and closed off the front vents. I was
probably one of the few (also ambulances?) with HEPA air wile driving through the mess. I made a large advancement south much faster than
planned. I wanted to migrate south much slower.
Revisit Student Housing in Olympia, WA | Rent up 10% per Year! | People more Freaky and Filthy | Tippy Remembers
September 21st, 2018 - Olympia, Washington. I used to rent an upscale efficiency apartment here by the month about five years ago for about a
year. The rent was around $740 per month (no long term contract) and at this revisit it went way up to $1,055 with a $500 deposit for any cat (dogs
not allowed unless service). When I inquired in person for an update, the manager kept interrupting the front office clerk who was assisting me
which was bad and never let me finish asking any questions. I won't go back here. I was an online student at Peninsula College while living here. I
left to rent a house in Spokane Valley, WA I thought was a better deal, but certainly wasn't (rent was cheaper, but was a major hassle and utility
expense due to very old, outdated house). Upon revisiting, it didn't seem as familiar to me as I expected at first, but after walking with Tippy (age
14.3 at revisit time) for 20 minutes, it all came back to me and I felt at home again. As I drove in, I encountered the world's worse distracted driver
(see video) and noticed people are even more freaky here than before (this area is a leading freak magnet). As usual, I smell and see a lot of pot and
cigarette smoking here. I took Tippy to our old apartment and let him smell all around. It was apparent he remembers it very well as he perked up,
was energetic and rolled in the grass. Next I visited a nearby bay where I found the world's largest west coast sand dollar and noticed many more
signs prohibiting more things. A man immediately asked me, in a friendly manner, what I do for a living and what I'm doing there and said someone
stole his paddle boat (don't understand the relevance of what I do for a living as the primary investigative question). Then in a matter of only a few
minutes, some college kids pulled up right next to me doing drugs and stunk my van up so I called them filthy pieces of shit and left much sooner
than I wanted to. On my way back to JBLM, on I-5 there was a Hyundai car with a broken left mirror and driver wearing headphones severely
September 21st, 2018 - Lacey, Washington Costco. I have had a 4.4cf refrigerator for a little over a year. Since my van often experiences earthquake
conditions while hitting bumps and dips, sometimes my refrigerator door would swing open and dump half the contents on the floor while driving.
To solve this, I had a bright idea to screw in some magnets on the door and fridge frame. One screw I inserted burst the pressurized coolant and the
fridge never worked since. Costco accepted the return with no problems in only about three minutes even thought the fridge was dented in many
places and dirty. I have the executive membership, so since Costco makes most of their money from memberships, that may be very influential.
Even though the failure was my fault, there was nowhere I could take the fridge. Since it will likely be sent back to the manufacturer, they might be
interested to see this for quality control. The main difference with the new fridge is that it has a glass front door that won't dent and is easiest to
clean. The reason I choose a large (by RV standards) refrigerator with no freezer is because it uses substantially less energy and offer more fridge
space. Eating the healthiest foods involves avoiding frozen foods.
High Proportion of Mentally Injured Near Seattle
August 28th, 2018, PetSmart parking lot / strip malls - Lakewood, Washington. A black man with a mouth stuffed full of popcorn laughed and tried
to tell me something unintelligible while we walked past each other. Only an hour later, a "normal" and serious looking white man around age 30
said "Sir!, could you tell me what's on the safe to eat list? I didn't get the memo." He proceeded on, but started talking to himself.
100lb. MINIMUM Size for Service Dogs? No.
August 4th, 2018, Sutton National Forest campground, Oregon. When talking with Al, the host for the C and D loops, I explained to him the basics
of service dog laws. He said I was wrong about any dog that is well behaved and performs a service can be a service dog, claiming they have to be
at least 100lbs. so they can pull the owner from danger. That's the most ridiculous wrong thing I've ever heard about service animals.
Wacky, Expensive National Forest Campsite Reservation System; Odd Ranger Response
July 21, 2018 - Eel Creek National Forest Campground, Reedsport, Oregon
I made an online reservation for a site I later wanted to cancel so that I could stay in the first come, first serve site I was already in. I asked the
ranger how to switch and he said just go online to cancel the reservation. I proceeded to, but they now charge an extra $31 to cancel a reservation!
That's absurd, so I left it alone with the plan to move to the reserved site. A few hours later, the ranger said he was going to remove my reservation
card from the reserved site post, but I said I didn't cancel the reservation due to the high fee. He asked me why they charge that much. I said I guess
so they can pay you more. He didn't find it amusing and left. He's supposed to know why they charge that much, not me.
Drama Trying to Buy a New Laptop Online | Just Get the Best One
July 18-20, 2018 - Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Costco.com, BestBuy.com, Newegg.com
My old laptop has been good except is suddenly overheating when trying to edit videos. It was still under warranty, a very unusual and rare 3 year
warranty, and Dell replaced the motherboard, but the problem persisted. I explained to them I need a different model because this one has no
heatsink, fan or cooling vent and replacing the motherboard again would be a waste, but they insisted before trying a different model. The second
(refurbished) motherboard was slightly worse. Anticipating them not sending me a laptop I want, I decided to buy a new one online and sell, store as
backup or donate whatever replacement Dell sends me. In trying to buy a new laptop online, here are some of the problems I experienced:
Commerce website searches highly inaccurate when trying to set search filters
Difficulties finding a laptop with my desired specs
Incomplete titles and descriptions
Reseller and manufacturer too incompetent to provide details over phone or email
Backorders and long shipping delays with unknown delivery estimates
Difficulties placing orders due to website not allowing billing address update, etc.
Difficulties trying to cancel placed orders
I changed my mind quite a lot when shopping because since I was many years out of touch with technology changes, I learned things such as the
instead of wasting any more time trying to find one that meets all my desires, but yet not expensive. Costco has the best return and warranty policy.
I bought one with the largest SSD on the market (1TB at the time of this writing) since the larger the SSD, the safer the precious data is and the
longer it lasts (as well as more storage space). Maybe someone in the future will read this an laugh since in the future a 1TB SSD may be common
even in cell phones and watches. The new laptop is $2,300. At first I was highly reluctant to pay that much and spent DAYS trying to find one
cheaper with about the same capabilities, but couldn't and I compared it to all other costs of living and realized it's not that much compared
considering how important it is. I realize most rich people and even millionaires would not pay that much for a computer today, but that's them and
this is me. I have many security cameras and the laptop will be locked down.
Extreme Mix of Casual People Encounters While Working on Van
July 10th, 2018 - Brookings, Oregon - Harris State Beach Overlook Lot
While cleaning my air filter, a guy got out near me to smoke cigarettes in the parking lot while feeding his small parrot. Then while replacing my
entry extended step on the van, a woman about age 65 wanted to pull in the spot next to me where I was working, but didn't because I was taking up
a lot of space doing the repair. She said because I was in the shade, I am at very high risk of getting hit by a car. I asked her "don't you have to pass a
vision test to drive?". I later thought what about everything else in the shade when driving? Then a guy headed to Texas was in awe over my
conversion work and took some photos to include the first time anyone took a selfie with me. Then right after he left, another guy in a small, old,
junky class C pulled right up to where I was working and wanted to debate about how nobody should be able to sleep in their vehicle or camp for
free except on BLM or national forest land which is almost always very remote. He said the fine for sleeping more than 4 hours in a local rest area is
now approaching $700 and that it's a good idea. The nearest campground that isn't full is 40 minutes round trip from town, so I said that's not
practical and city life should not be limited to the rich who pay for a concrete slab, house and utilities, all of which destroy the environment. He
agreed with that, but said people should contribute to society and not live for free. I thought about how he doesn't set a good example driving a
junky fuel hog class C RV around smoking cigarettes. Society will have to someday, if not already, pay for his medical costs associated with
smoking.
Snobby Homeowner, Again
July 9th, 2018 - Brookings, Oregon
Since the reasonably priced and good state park campground was full, I scouted for somewhere to park and sleep at night outside the city limits. I
found a place way up high overlooking the ocean. This was a new neighborhood still under development. Within only one minute! a fat, older white
male drive behind me, blocking me in, said I can't park at all around here because it's private property. I said I'm just updating my map and will
leave. He left. That was risky of him to block an unknown person in at night and approach. I thought about how this fat man is contributing to
devastating environmental destruction of habitats of other species that where there first and how they are all installing ON grid, oversized houses
way beyond what they need as evidence what they are doing is unreasonable and should be outlawed.
Pit Bull Greeter at a Casino!
July 2nd, 2018, Crescent City, California
I stopped by the Elk Valley Casino to register me and my vehicle to park overnight for free in their gravel lot on the end. There was a full blood Pit
Bull right at the entry doors off leash with a puddle of pee? by it. That was a very high liability risk particularly if any other patron had another dog
such as a service dog, the Pit Bull could have snapped, but less likely if off leash perhaps. It was particularly odd that the security guard was right
inside the doors, so he knew.
First Inter-Planetary (Mars) Vessel Launch on West Coast (Notable and Historic)
May 5th, 2018 at 4:04AM Pacific, Vandenberg, Air Force Base, CA
Got up at 3:45AM to listen to and feel while camping on base, the first launch of any craft that goes to another planet from the West Coast of the
US. Nobody could see the rocket due to heavy fog. The sounds were loud, crackling booming and lasted about 10 minutes. This must be
enormously expensive.
Snobby Homeowner
April 29, 2018, 6PM - 2547 Medcliff, Santa Barbara, CA; This street is used to park and access a nearby off leash ocean cliff front dog park. A lady
asked me "You aren't camping here tonight are you?" I said "No." She asked me "You aren't camping here tonight are you?" I said "No." She said
"Camping isn't allowed here." I said "I'm not camping here.".
Mean Homeowner
Mid April, 2018, Midnight, San Diego, CA, I parked on a street - park side. A car pulled up behind me, honked the horn two long times to wake me
up on purpose and parked extremely close to my rear where if I backed up just a few inches I would have hit them.
2nd Known Break-in Attempt (I was in the van) April 14th, 2018 - Loma Linda, (Southern) CA Business Park I just installed security camera warning stickers all around the van a week ago. Just before going to bed I had a feeling I should put my remote alarm button closer to me than normal. A few minutes later, it sounded like someone trying to open my doors much lighter than the first known break-in attempt two months ago in Carlsbad, CA; turned out a straggly man on a three-wheeled bike towing a cart. I greatly frightened him by sounding my front alarm as he walked by the front of my van. He took off as fast has he could, but was slow due to being crippled.
New Word to Describe Myself: Ecocentric
April 9th, 2019 - Mackay Park, CA
I drove way up a mountain top to escape the 95 degree heat down below. After picking this park to relax for the day, I was lying down piddling
online while Tippy II rested his head on my arm, something he rarely does. At that moment I discovered a science article where Captain Paul
Watson said more of us should be biocentric. I researched that term and learned it's cousin, ecocentric is more in line with me.
Dental Work Advice
April 4th, 2018 - Loma Linda, CA
Bring a lighted tooth examining mirror and a second small handheld mirror to the appointment so you can examine the fitting of crowns, etc. before
they are permanently cemented. Crowns should touch the gumline. If you see a gap, request the crowns be redone and don't allow cementing them
until they are correct. Also try to make your appointment as early in the morning as possible in case there is a problem, you will have time for it to
be fixed that day rather suffer until the next day. This dental visit was worse then the recent previous one: The dentist snapped at the apparently
new, inexperienced assistant in the middle of my procedure. Probably not as good of chance to get good work in such a case. They worked on a
tooth too soon before the nerves could numb, causing me a lot of pain. I learned with me they need to allow 15 more minutes than normal. Bring a
small notepad and pen so you can write a note such as “I need more numbing time” since you can't talk during a procedure.
Six Hi-Tech, $10,500 Zarconian Dental Crowns
Loma Linda, California - March 21st, 2018
I thought my first, long overdue by two decades, upper rear molar crowns were going to be gold, but the dentist the VA referred me to, since the VA
was too busy, recommended zarconian. I'm glad they sent me to this dentist since I learned this is the best kind of crown the VA doesn't deal with at
their clinics as these crowns are the most expensive at $1,750 each totaling $10,500 for the six; two of which I have to ask them twice to approve
of; fortunately for me, covered by my VA retirement coverage 100%. The VA just took all new X-rays, but the new dentist took all new X-rays
again only one week later! claiming the VA's are not properly transferred to be legible, but possibly so they can charge the VA more too! which
would be at the expense of my health due to some unnecessary radiation exposure. The first side was horrifically painful, uncomfortable, I sweated
and was shaking, but the other side was good because I requested extra anesthetic and I wore ear protections (the drills are very loud). I decided to
get two more lower rear molar crowns since zarconian is so hard, it can wear opposing unprotected teeth and those old molars were sensitive due to
wear. Overall I feel very fortunate of this situation and that I never had to have any teeth (other than wisdom) pulled and no root canals.
It Pays to Please Others You Need Services From | Health Summary Data Sheet Recommendation
Loma Linda, California VA Medical Center (Far East / Inland of LA) - March 13th, 2018
At the time of this writing, this is a very new, state of the art dental clinic, but with extremely heavy demand causing appointments to be a half year
out. Just a week ago, I talked them into letting me in much sooner. I prepared a single page "Dental Summary" of myself to the dental assistant who
was to evaluate my dental history and teeth conditions before scheduling me way out for a cleaning, formal doctor exam and any other services
needed. The assistant was so extremely impressed with the summary, she called the dentist in the room to take a look at it. The dentist was so
impressed, she decided to examine my teeth/mouth to bypass the next appointment. The assistant also made a big effort to get me into a cleaning so
I wouldn't have to schedule that either for my convenience. The dental professionals said they wish all patients would provide them with a one page
dental summary like I provided them. I have tried to provide a similar data sheet for my dog's vets, but they are all so stupid they dion't know what
to do with it. Most people, even doctors, are extremely closed minded to anything new and better. Fortunately for my dental needs, not in this case;
they were open minded and not sleep walking.
Amazon's Chase Credit Card Declined: My FICO is 800 | Inaccurate Credit Bureaus
March 28, 2018: We all see those adds to open a credit card with Amazon and get $40+ off the order and 5% back, so knowing
I have awesome credit, I applied. To my surprise, they turned me down for 1) Insufficient credit info / not matching, 2) Oldest
revolving credit not long enough, 3) Too few accounts sufficient amount of time. All those reasons are extremely false. I
explained to the agent we are all paying too much interest and fees because their methodology is allowing people who can't be
trusted to drive their mother to the store are being approved and people like me with not a single derogatory part of my credit
are turned down. This also is alarming how inaccurate the credit bureaus are. I already have a Chase credit card through
Costco I have never been late on for many years. I just wanted the Amazon perks.
March Air Reserve Base / Department of Homeland Security Regional Office
February 23rd - Present, Riverside (Far East LA), California; Dry Climate, 1,500'
Living on base for a while. They annoyingly play a recorded trumpet over a loudspeaker at 7:30am, 4:30pm and 10:00pm every day. Air show in
February 9th, 2018, 8:30PM (night with city park lights) - Carlsbad (Southern) California
For decades I have religiously locked all my doors as much as practical, whether my vehicle or wherever I lived. I have never yet noticed or
remembered anyone trying to illegally enter until now (while I was present): A white or Latino male wearing black and sunglasses (in the dark!)
tried to open my passenger side door with strong force. I know this because I heard the thump sound of the handle and caught him on my dashcam.
He seemed to be analyzing the vehicle for an alarm and may have been discouraged by my flashing red light in the windshield. I had just locked all
my doors about 10 minutes before this happened and was inside. I had two packages on the passenger seat to take to UPS as surely the lure in
addition to my dome light being on which could have made him think a door was not shut all the way. Of course now I will hide the packages and
move the vehicle. That was a very close one! because I was working on my vehicle and usually have all doors open when doing that. I had just
finished the work, went inside and locked all doors for sense of security. Whew. If I left that door open, I would have defended with potent
weapon(s) and had to call police and answer a lot of questions for a while. There is one reason I'm glad it happened: I discovered my dashcam
audio was off. I like it on. This also motivated me to install two more full time recording in loop cameras.
Incompetence and Careless Customer Service Trend
All the time, most business and government services, everywhere in the USA
I've been noticing a drastic worsening of how employees who are put in customer contact positions are trained to fear and please their boss more
than provide good customer service. Amazing how people who have been doing the same job for a long time still don't know what they are doing.
New employees often don't want to learn anything or try to solve any problems.
Common Bad Mechanic Service if not Mercedes
Last week of January, 2018 - Southern California
I went to a Firestone dealer in Santa Clarita to have my brakes checked. They ripped me off, committed fraud with unauthorized work and damaged
my vehicle by lifting on the body instead of frame. I called corporate to file a claim I won after using legal language to intimidate them (after they
seemed like they were going to deny the claim). Eventually the agreed to pay nearly $1,500 to settle. This has led me to realize regarding anything
built by Mercedes to only get work done at Mercedes dealers. If you can't afford the initial possible higher fees, you can't afford a Mercedes, but is
cheaper and safer in the long run to get it done right by a certified Mercedes mechanic at a Mercedes dealer only.
Turning Down Job Offer in LA, but Flattered by Rare, Overdue "Intellectual" Complement
January 30th, 2018, El Kapitan Van Conversion, Huntington Beach, California
I visited this shop to share ideas about van conversions. The owner was so impressed with my ingenuity, he said "Would you like a job". He didn't
specify what, so I assumed it would be doing the hardware work, but he later said it would be using my intellectual skills which I found to be very
flattering. I said I would consider it and am interested in talking further, but he said I would have to check back to meet with him four or five days
later because he's too busy right now. That didn't make me sound important enough to pursue; plus I would probably require far more than he
would be willing to pay to get me to live there (expensive and dirty air). It didn't take him long to insult me though: He said if I want to sell my van
I should undo all the RV upfit work I did. Apparently he has never done much manual labor and didn't have any clue as to the benefits of mine vs.
the ones his workers build for far more cost. He may have wanted to hire me so I would sign a non-compete agreement and/or thinking I would
work cheap assuming I need money if living in the van.
Stay Away from LA! Extreme Air Pollution
January 30th, 2018, Huntington Beach, California
I see a dark haze all round in the sky at the horizon. My eyes are stinging and I'm squinting!
Takes 1 Hour+ to Go Through LA Even in Middle of Night
January 30th, 2018 from 3am to 4am, Los Angeles, California
I departed Castaic, California to Huntington Beach, California to avoid traffic (but without any jam). There was still a lot of traffic and the roads
were rough. It took me over an hour to go from one side to the other of LA even with my average speed of 75 MPH.
"EM-20" New Van Markings
I had been thinking about putting some commercial truck looking marking on my vehicle to improve stealth overnight parking. I was researching
the 1978 movie "Stripes" where actor Bill Murray joins the army and gets assigned to an "EM-50" urban assault vehicle (GMC RV) and went on a
mission at the Germany-Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) border. Since I was actually in the Army and actually did go on a real mission at the
Germany-Czech border and now live in an RV, I thought to copy the EM-50 designation. Since my RV is smaller, I reduced the title to "EM-20". I
wonder how many people actually know what I'm copying.
Navy Air Station Point Magu "Police Food" and Evaluation
January, 25th, 2018 - Point Magu, California
Upon entry at the security checkpoint, the car in front of me handed the security guard a big box of donuts. When I pulled up, I heard them say
"that's police food". There were many guards there who all had big smiles. I can't disclose how many guards due to security agreement. This is a
January 12, 2018 - after many scrubs and holds (delays)
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
The location of this launch is "SLC-6 / Space Launch Complex-6", pronounced "Slick 6", on the south side of the base. I thought I would be able to
drive right up to the launch pad with my DOD ID, but they only allow essential launch personnel within several miles of the launch, so I ended up
perched on a hilltop overlooking the ocean just a mile south of the security check point until more police courteously escorted me further back
another mile where I perched on a hilltop overlooking SLC-4 and the ocean. That's the closest any non-critical personnel can get. I drove near the
entry of SpaceX mission control and saw several signs "Photography Strictly Prohibited" and with a check point I was not allowed to pass even on
non-launch days. The launch was cancelled on the day I was on base. On the actual launch day, I went to Ocean Beach Park which is not part of the
base, but narrowly between the two sides of the base. The air force would have liked to block access there, but they couldn't as it's a public park.
The main reason I chose that location is because although I have closer on base access, I would not have been able to take photos on base. The
launch was not nearly as loud or vibrating as I was told it would be.
Real Camera Synced with Dream
January 10th, 2018
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
The previous day I swapped my phone at Costco due to hardware defect and didn't turn off chat sounds yet, so while I was dreaming, I raised my
camera above a wolf den to take a photo of it as just as I went to press the photo button (in the dream), a friend sent me a chat message (in real life)
that made the phone make a loud sound similar to the camera sound that woke me up. That was a weird feeling as I knew that sound was too loud
and real to be part of the dream. The dream was about how I wanted to buy lakefront land, but my brother bought were I wanted to instead (based
on a similar real life story where it was river front land instead). Then all of a sudden there was a wolf threatening my dog and somehow my dad
was there too. I went exploring and saw a place the wolf had been eating a carcass and that's what I was taking a photo of. The wolf was analogous
of my brother, so it's interesting how we can morph characters in dreams.
Vandenberg Air Force Base | Air Force Space Command | Launch Sites
January 7, 2018 to January 16, 2018
Shortly after arriving here, I endured heavy winds and rains which I enjoyed so long as they don't last more than a few days. Those same heavy
winds and rains caused significant mudslides and loss of life near Santa Barbara where I just visited for Tippy's eye surgery a few days prior. There
is a nice gym on base with a nice, long, wide hiking/jogging trail in the woods I like and backs up to a restricted access (of course) spy? satellite
control center. There is a small space museum inside the base where I saw old, real ICBM (nuclear missile) control panels and a personal tour of
how they would have been used by the curator. It seems most anyone in the public may be able to access this museum deep within the base if they
register with the public affairs office and/or are escorted. This is a very large base, but due to budge cuts, is largely abandoned.
Gopher or Squirrel Hole Dangers in Huge Region
River Park Campground, Lompoc, California | Camp San Luis Obispo, California
January 6th, 2018 (Lompoc) | Late November, 2017 to early January, 2018 (CSLO)
When I arrived at the tent campsite (even though I will not set up a tent, the sites are cheaper than RV sites), I noticed lots of gopher or squirrel hole
activity causing bare dirt. I put out a tarp in front of my door on a fairly flat area to keep from tracking in dirt. When I woke up the next morning
and stepped outside, I fell in a new hole dug under my tarp. My right angle was dramatically sprung with injury (pain and swelling to last probably
three days to a week). This entire region is bombarded with gophers. When my dog had vertigo, this was a big danger to him when living in Camp
SLO. The critters have to be respected because they were here first!
Smart Homeless Bum?
River Park Campground, Lompoc, California
January 5th, 2018
After settling my Sprinter van in a tent site, a straggly homeless man walked my my van mumbling unintelligible things, but I overheard a
comment about my rig being "not too short, not too tall". Out of the many comments "normal" looking people gave me, this was the most accurate
summary of why I chose the Mercedes van vs. all other types of dwelling vehicles. To most people, they may ask "so what?" but when you choose
and build up your own rig for full time occupancy and use it as an every day vehicle, it's a huge thing.
Scarce $100 Donation Recipient
Santa Barbara, California
January 3rd, 2018
Tippy had a routine eye exam. The doctor recommended eye surgery. His associate spoke with me about fees in the waiting room where others
could overhear. Almost everywhere I go, I ask for a military/veteran discount which ranges from 5 to 100% off. They said they would offer me a
"little" discount, but didn't say how much. After I left, a lady, who had been quiet the whole time, gave the office $100 to apply towards my dog's
fee and left a message to me "Thank you for your service". This is extremely rare to occur, but I was in one of the most wealthy cities in the world.
I didn't "need" the discount, I was just asking because like my mother always said "It's free to ask" and the clinic is one of the most expensive in the
world. That same week I had been day trading thousands in cryptocurrencies.
"Like..." ignorant? women in SoCal Long Lasting Trend
Santa Barbara, California
January 3rd, 2018
I've been all over the states and have an accurate picture of the many cultures. The young women and teen girls of Santa Barbara are concerning to
me because they say "like" often in almost every sentence. This is typical of a "valley girl" and makes them sound ignorant and stuck up. I noticed
this the last time I was year a year ago. This is also an example of how just one or a few people can heavily influence the culture of their region by
making something viral, at least locally. However, I find the people in general here nice.
Most People Experienced Vertigo, but Never Heard of Dogs Having Vertigo?
San Luis Obispo, California
Last week of December, 2017
My dog has severe vertigo, but I still walk him in public. That's very difficult to do, but neither of us gave up. Many people wanted to know what
was wrong with him or just talk about things. When I explained he has vertigo, nearly everyone said they have also had Vertigo. I had read it's
pretty common in dogs, but never saw any in public, perhaps because it's a lot of work to manage them in public. I was surprised all these people
(about 15) say they never heard of dogs getting vertigo.
Paradigm Shift: Dogs & Wolves (similar story for Cats, etc.)
San Luis Obispo, California
Late December, 2017
After struggling to heal my dog's eye inflammation and realizing he won't live but maybe a few more years, I realize I have to adapt somehow, but I
don't want to kid myself. I want it to be a fact based adaptation. Here is my belief of this whole dog health thing: Dogs came from wolves. Wolves
live to be maybe around four years old at average in the wild. Nature culls out the weak quickly. This makes the species stronger in the long run.
Wolves have to be intelligent to survive. Humans like their intelligence and personality, so domesticated them and bred them into different breeds
of dogs. These dogs are so well liked by their human caretakers, the caretakers do almost anything to fight nature's attempt to cull out the weak to
make the species stronger in the long run. We medicate them, do surgeries, etc. This allows dogs with genetic weaknesses to live (and breed) longer
which is what nature doesn't want. So it's like a war between humans and nature to keep our pets living as long as possible. My outlook on the
inevitable end of life of our pets is this: Nature wants to take our pets and recycle them back into earth and other life sooner than we want nature to
do. Nature provides no shortage of sexual drive for other healthier dogs to give us puppies to start all over again with. There are plenty of other
dogs waiting for adoption in human society kennels which is why breeding dogs is very bad.
Camp San Luis Obispo (Army National Guard, Officer Candidate School)
San Luis Obispo, California
Late November - January 3rd, 2018
I camped inside the base for 38 days. The entry gate is fortified, but there isn't much inside that is sensitive. There wasn't much activity while I
lived there due to what they consider winter (below 70 degrees, lol) and holidays. There are a lot of dilapidated buildings and litter. One day I was
walking my dog and was going to cross a bridge that had vehicle barriers on both sides. Someone not in uniform in a pickup told me not to because
it's obviously off limits to foot traffic. I argued it's not obvious; only obvious vehicles aren't allowed. I said if it's so dangerous they need to put a
sign up, so he said he will. I noticed many personal injury time-bombs throughout the base. I noticed a lot of uniformed soldiers don't wear hats
outside. When I was in the Army, that would be illegal as you always had to wear a hat outside. It was taken very seriously and is still ingrained in
me, so when I see soldiers outside with no hat, it kind of blows my mind.
Human Society & Animal Services Education
San Luis Obispo, California
December 19, 2017
I wanted to completely switch all my dog's food to help with his allergies, so I went to the local animal services to donate his food, but they turned
it down because they didn't want their dogs getting the runs due to diet switch, which makes sense because that would be hard to keep the kennels
clean. I spoke with someone who had been working there for 20 years about many aspects of the shelter, mostly about aggressive breeds,
particularly pit bulls. After talking with him, I concluded the aggressive breeds need not be euthanized, but rather the owners need to have muzzles
on them at all times when in the public. I found out they incinerate all pets that have been euthanized or otherwise died. That is very disturbing to
me because it's bad for the environment and the dogs should be composted back into nature.
Eventually Illegal to be a Free Nomad
Paso Robles, California Area
Thanksgiving, 2017
While searching for a campsite for the night, I found out all campsites in the region were full. City, county, state and federal governments prohibit
any other type of camping or overnight parking; therefore making it illegal to live as a free nomad if campgrounds and hotels are all full (parking
anywhere else all night is illegal). I found a nice Home Depot parking lot to illegally park for free with no problems all night that was more
peaceful than any campground in the area anyway. There are some pull-outs far away that are legal, but I didn't want to burn/waste/emit a lot of
fuel going there and back. Also there's no cell service there.
Still More Cryptocurrency Opportunity Mistakes
November, 2017 Entry (unbeknownst to me, this was, again, a great time to BUY!)
In late November, I have still been trying to figure out how to invest in cryptocurrency. It turns out if I had stuck with my original plan to buy 5k
worth of Etherium at around $10, I would have made $150k by the end of November, 2017 (far more after this post). I have heard financial advice
to "buy low and sell high" and "time in the market is better than to time the market". I now tend to believe holding rather than trying to sell high is
best, that is, to hold until you actually need the money vs. trying to sell high.
Magic Water Offering
Monterey, California
November 18-20, 2017
Met a slightly older woman in a campground who claims to have had strong ties to deceased celebrities (George Michael, John Denver, etc.) as
well as a former position that made some celebrities successful. Claims her brother, later admitted as just a friend, has developed a multi-million
dollar business model to make cloud computer faster; however they all live together in tents and an old SUV with her mother. She claims she has
water that was put in sight of the solar eclipse that has magical properties to make things visibly clearer, etc. She sprayed some in front of my eyes
and wanted me to admit I could suddenly see clearer and gave me a bottle of it. She also claims cell tower signals cause her to be sick and therefore
does not have a cell phone. This is still scientifically a bit controversial.
Travis Air Force Base, California Analysis (lived on base from November 9th - 12th, 2017)
Pros:
Overall clean, never saw a smoker; safe (no felons allowed in / DOD ID required, very strong MP force and security)
Nice campground and fitness center
Good deals, unique products tax free (except cellular) at branch exchange and commissary
Cons:
They weirdly promote Monster energy drinks and fast food which are rip-offs and cause illnesses at taxpayer expense
Stores use odd pricing, a method to deceive shoppers
"I'll be Your Dog"
Inside Travis Air Force Base, California
November 12, 2017
While checking out at the commissary, the bagger wanted to know why I'm buying such an unusually large quantity of salmon (21 cans wild
caught, no salt added). I explained it was to share with my dog. She said with a serious look "I'll be your dog". Ha. She had a tag that says she only
gets paid tips, so I have her a dollar.
Old School Racial Humor
Antioch, California
November 5th, 2017
While shopping for groceries at Winco, I saw an older black man hunched over his cart which only contained a small watermelon and a small box
of what appeared to be fried chicken. He was wearing a pure white silk shirt. It just looked so incredibly matching with racial jokes I unfortunately
grew up with. The culture of that area is wild, black and Hispanic and a cheaper place to live near SF.
$20 Bill on Ground Found II
Willow Campground near San Francisco, California
November 5th, 2017
I arrived the prior night when dark and left my dog's $20 leash at the outdoor self registration table all night long. I returned 12 hours later to find it
was still there. Only 5 minutes later after walking my dog with it, I found a $20 bill on the ground downwind from the registration area and camp
host site. I tried to find the host to see if anyone claims losing it, but his/her entire RV was gone, so I kept it. The last time I found a lone $20 bill
anywhere was with my uncle "Bill" around 1980 also on the ground. He asked someone walking there if they lost it. It was a girl who said yes, so
he handed it to her.
Viscous (Pit Bull) Dog Attack
Dog Island Park parking lot, Red Bluff, California
November 3rd, 2017
My 13 year old dog Tippy was attacked by a young Pit Bull mix. I intervened to separate the dogs, risking injury since the owner of the Pit Bull
didn't do anything. I called the local animal control which is the police who said there are no laws prohibiting vicious breeds or attacks so it would
be a civil matter. Fortunately, I pulled the Pit Bull off my dog quick enough to prevent serious injury. I remember years ago my brother said all Pit
Bulls should be euthanized. The solution is for the owners to muzzle them in public.
Careless Postal Workers
Gold Hill, Oregon
October 8th, 2017
I had a box delivered to the post office via general delivery. When I went to pick it up, they said I have two boxes. I said no, there is only one. They
handed me two anyway. I said one box is for someone else, that's not me. They assumed that box was for me just because the person has the same
last name as me (different first name and different address!). This reminds me of the lazy, careless mail carrier my mother had in Ashdown,
Arkansas who mixed up mail based on first name "Erika" alone (different last names, different addresses).
Homeless Girls
Albany, Oregon
September 27, 2017
I approached two pretty girls together at a WalMart corner with a "Need Food for Dog" type of sign to ask about their story. One said she was 21,
the other 15. The 15 year old had about a dozen serious scars on her arm, particularly her right wrist. I asked what happened, she said she fell
through a window, but later said she attempted suicide. The 15 year old said not to flirt with her bi-sexual friend because the 15 year old is lesbian
and the 21 year old is all she has. I asked where they live, they said in an old Class A motorhome parked at a fuel station. I observed both of them
drinking out of a stranger's straw as they were thirsty which says a lot about them. Both said they have been raped by pedophiles and now are both
mentally ill. The scars on the 15 year old are strong proof something really bad happened. They both answered all my "why are you here" questions
and didn't demand money. It would be better to rather advise them on how to save money instead (no cigs, no restaurants, etc.) and tell them to find
work. Someone gave them a new back of dog food, so I guess they needed to leave or change their sign! I said I can't hang around a minor, so I had
to leave. I wanted to leave them for many other reasons too.
(Special Entries - Hurricane Irma, Florida)
The last time I was in the Florida Keys (2016), I asked several long term residents what they think about the hazards of hurricanes living there and that in my opinion, it is too
dangerous to live there. All responses where reactions of thinking I was unnecessarily worried. They said there hasn't been any major hurricane there in a long time. I even
received a "you're crazy" look. Within one year, hurricane Irma destroyed the keys.
Written 9/26/2017: Months ago, I have devised a method of cooling vehicles and small homes via a cheap and easy to set up solar powered air conditioner which would alleviate
much pain and suffering and prevent some deaths of those who have no power, yet is hot and humid where they are (Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas). Unfortunately, based on my
experience with trying to help society, if I submit press releases, make YouTube videos, etc. they will extremely likely be completely ignored because I'm unpopular or don't
have a name brand association. Actually the ideal solution regarding cooling off grid is a DC powered air conditioner that doesn't have to run via an inverter, thus needing less
solar.
Montana (Mid June, 2017)
Helena - June 18, 2017 - lay down on grass with my dog, felt sharp pain in lower back, figured was a sting, saw a bumble bee there. Knowing those animals are very
valuable to the ecosystem, I didn't kill it. Luckily my body had no reaction to this first known bumble bee sting I've ever had.
Butte - Saturday June 18th, 2017, midnight. While in Walmart, a woman said "Hi" to me as we glanced at each other. I approached her with my dog to let her pet him. I
noticed she was looking at toxic beauty products. I informed her there are better alternatives (Tom's brand for example). We had some intellectual conversations for about 10
minutes. I asked for and got her email address to keep in touch. I wrote her the same night saying I think she's smart and open minded. Her mother wrote back concerned that a
"man" would talk to her "child". Child? I'm thinking... she has had an intimate boyfriend for two years and drives. I think the mother was jealous I convinced her daughter to
live a healthy lifestyle. Either the young woman's brother or boyfriend started stalking me around the city on his dirt motorcycle to try to intimidate me by doing wheelies in
front of me. I thought that's so stupid and doesn't prove manliness at all because it's merely balancing while twisting the right hand for throttle. There's nothing hard about that;
that's why I think it's stupid that Harley gangs for example think they are tough just because they sit on a gas powered device, shift gears and twist the throttle to make a lot of
noise. In no way does that prove anyone is tough. An example of tough is being a military veteran.
Yellowstone National Park - I was walking on the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and had gas. I farted, thinking nobody was there, but a
group of seven from Tennessee (know via license plates) heard and then smelled me. One guy made a mocking fart noise at me. Later that night,
one of the gang of seven fell in a hot spring and suffered severe burns. The story became national news. Yellowstone in the summer is so
extremely crowded, you can't do anything without somebody noticing except at night some places.
Hijacked Campsite| No Anonymous Crime Tips Allowed
Logan, Utah, May 26, 2017, Nelson Reservoir, Bureau of Reclamation Free Campground - A car pulled up next to my van parked in a single designated campsite. A few
very young adults got out and proceeded to pitch a tent next to my fire ring. I told them they can't camp here and all spaces are taken. They said OK. Soon after as it was
getting darker, they trampled down a wild brush area, stole all but one of my fire ring rocks and created a new campsite about 10 yards away. They make noise breaking limbs
behind my van for firewood as late as 10PM. I was on the verge of confronting them with a weapon in defense at that time of night, but didn't. I called the sheriff's office to file
a report, but they required I give them my DOB / SSN which I refused, so the thugs got away with destruction of government property / environment.
Good Riddance of Generator via Ghetto? Air Conditioner "Downgrade"?
St. George, UT,Early May, 2017: For the past 17 months, I had been laboring over how to best install a generator in my vans. I spend thousands on costs to do so. In early
May, 2017, a friend from Bulgaria inspired me to consider a window air conditioner to replace my power hungry roof air conditioner. I installed the most energy efficient
window air conditioner available and was pleased. I also upgraded to larger and better solar panels and controller. Then I tested how the air conditioner works on hot days
without a generator. The results were successful. I luckily sold my roof unit for $250 via Craigslist to someone who drove from Las Vegas. It was mutually beneficial as he
helped me get it down from the roof. Window units are considered "ghetto" but I didn't care what others think. I believe it to be more ghetto running a (noisy, polluting)
generator and environmentally irresponsible if the generator is not necessary.
Cryptocurrency Bull Run Prediction
April, 2017 Entry (unbeknownst to me, this was still a great time to BUY! and anyone who read my diary at this could have gotten rich)
In early 2017, I had been researching cryptocurrencies and concluded the #2 cryptocurrency, Ethereum has extremely high potential. I purchased a few thousand dollars worth
of Bitcoin and Ethereum with the intention to hold them indefinitely, not to make money, but just for the sake of owning them "for any practical use" in the future. The process
of signing up with the vendors of the currency was extremely rigorous, grueling and discouraging. The one or two I could do anything with had very low spending limits as low
as $100 per week. I eventually intended to purchase at least $5,000 and up to $10,000 of the currency, but due to how flaky the process of purchasing was, I was discouraged to
buy very much (and couldn't due to limits). I chatted with a best friend who has an MBA and explained what cryptocurrencies are and that now is the time to invest in them. He
didn't have a clue and was discouraging. I purchased Ethereum at around $11 each and got emotionally scared when I saw the price quickly crash to around $7 and almost sold
out in fear, but waited a bit longer and sold my last batch for $20 largely by force as my main vendor quit the cryptocurrency market. Also I read "expert" news reports that
Ethereum is expected to top out at around $16 each indefinitely. Other discouraging reasons to be reluctant to invest much include: Threats of hacks, no FDIC insurance,
competition, volatile (all were under $1 not long ago). Just a few months later, all of the cryptocurrencies rallied very significantly. Realizing I made a big mistake selling all
Ethereum, I re-purchased a batch at a substantial higher price of $90 each in fear the price could escalate to that of Bitcoin. I had thought you simply buy low and sell high, but
it's not that easy (but looks easy in hind sight). Cryptocurrency is extremely volatile and to invest in it without panicking requires the strongest stomach and thickest skin.
Two Extremely Irresponsible Dog Owner Threats within 1 day
Las Vegas, NV - March 16, 2017: Was at Heritage Park, Henderson, Nevada when I asked an old man if my dog can approach his Husky. He said
yes. His dog bit my dog on the ear in two places causing bleeding. I told him not bring a dog like that in public. He said she (his dog) occasionally
doesn't like other dogs (after the incident). I took a photo of his vehicle and called the police who dispatched animal control. I learned they can't
do anything unless they get a local address for the guy. The next morning I showed up at an animal hospital to get my dog (Tippy II) checked out
and rabies update. Immediately there was a large poodle my dog approached and sniffed. When we all went inside, that dog owner said his dog it
throwing up blood. Now I have to worry about my dog catching whatever that is (owner should have warned me not to let my dog approach).
Harbor Freight Manager No Concept of Environment
Henderson, Nevada - February 27, 2017 - An ugly fat woman with tattoos named Gina, Manager at Harbor Freight, 433 W Lake Mead Pkwy,
checked my items out. She put my three small items in a plastic bag and inserted two paper ad sheets I rejected. She threw at least the unused
plastic bag right in the trash.
Feb 26, 2017 Dead fish, hooks
Many Pathetic People Don't Want Help
When at a park all day in Henderson, there was an older man in a junky pickup truck full of junk in the back. It looked like that was all he had. I
asked him if he's working and he said no, he plans to file for disability. I offered him my $350 aluminum truck box and installation assistance to
make it look much better and secure or at least resell it for cash, but he declined.
Near Hit & Run
When visiting a storage facility in Henderson, I was annoyed at how the two male employees were putting pressure on me to sign up for their
overpriced personal property insurance. Upon leaving, I backed out and apparently my left front tire struck an employee's rear right bumper and
lifted their vehicle about a foot up into the air. If I weren't looking, I wouldn't have noticed due to how tall and heavy the Sprinter is. I told the
employee about it and he said no worries. That's extremely rare for someone to not file insurance. I was thinking that if I would have left the scene
due to not looking to see I hit a car, that would have been a felony hit and run.
San Diego, CA(early January, 2017)
Surprises: Larger than I thought. What I heard about this city is completely wrong (heard people are smarter, more beautiful, cleaner, non-
smokers, etc.). This is the filthiest city with the most homeless I've every seen anywhere. Surprisingly the east section of Chula Vista is upscale,
yet mostly Mexican and very close to Mexico.
Mystery Prison Girl
Received two calls from a prison from a "Sara" in Gig Harbor, WA. I've been in that city, but don't know of any Sara unless this is the hispanic
woman I traveled with a few days who said she would try to bring a gun in to Canada. I declined both calls.
Asian Woman with Death Wish
January 4th, 2016: When driving in downtown, I proceeded to go through a green light until I saw a middle aged asian woman jaywalk front of
my van. I honked my horn, she never looked and kept walking in front. If I didn't see her and not hit my brakes, she would surely have been
killed.
Conserve Water in SoCal Unless Departing on Warship
January 4th, 2016: I have special access to all military installations. While taking a shower at a fitness center in Coronado Naval Air Base, I
overheard sailors talking about how they are going to take extra long showers before departing on their warship the next day. The Navy doesn't
disclose departure times, but I saw the ship leave by luck.
Parrot Mini Circus Worker
January 4th, 2016: While walking Tippy near the Midway aircraft carrier museum, a white male around age 50 was soliciting photographs with
his two parrots for $20. After he saw me with my dog, he quickly loaded everything up, parrots put in undersized cages, and took off. I notice he
has Texas plates. I assume he thought I was an officer based on my jacket and Tippy's harness.
Carlsbad, CA(Late December, 2016)
Responded to a Craigslist ad for a set of door lock security plates for my van. He said he paid $350 for the set plus $200 shipping from the UK,
but is "only" asking $350 for them. I met him to look at them and asked why he bought them. He said because he thought they were such a great
idea, he would resell them to others. I asked several times why he would want to resell them cheaper than he bought them and never got a straight
answer. I asked him if he would take $300 for them: Cash, as is, no warranty and warned nobody else will ever buy them. He shook my hand and
declined. It is extremely unlikely he will ever sell them. It was weird after looking my sophisticated van with dozens of sought after upgrades
over, he thought my "commonly available", inexpensive and easy install steering wheel cover was the best feature.
When doing laundry, a vulgar homeless old lady washed herself in the facility sink. She took her shirt off, etc. Security waited for her to complete,
but didn't do anything.
Yellowstone & Grand Tetons National Parks(July 12-14, 2016)
My fourth visit since 2001. I found it extremely crowded to the point I did not enjoy it sometimes. I found out the hard way after all these visits to
reserve a camping spot as soon as possible (can't do it online, have to in person), then the same or next morning visit one of the most popular sites
as early as possible (just as sun rises). Do this every day for about 5 days. Popular sites: Old Faithful (and surrounding trails), Mammoth Hot
Springs, Grand Prismatic Spring. There are very dangerous drivers (pass with oncoming traffic, sudden stops without using flashers, etc.). Instead
of many signs saying what you can and can't do throughout the park, there should be just one at each entrance saying "Don't Do Anything
Stupid!". Everyone should have to sign a one page waiver stating they agree to a list of rules and dangers upon entry.
Niagara Falls
Niagara falls is more scenic from the Canadian side. Rainbows last a long time.
At the end of my tour, the fat girl mentioned below (van dweller collaboration) texted me stating she saw my van there and wanted me to pay her
Notable environmental state, but promotes "clean" gas and diesel signs which are misleading; does have some solar farms
Not very many public parks for such a "green" state; almost entirely private property
No science or natural history museums; very boring state overall
Maine (Mid June, 2016)
Surprisingly very crowded south of Bangor; very few public beach access areas
Best air quality in Bangor area
Special alpine forests I loved
Central New England: Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts (Early June, 2016)
People sound like cartoon characters to include the foreigners
People smoke a lot of pot
Dunkin' Donuts as common as gas stations; epidemic obesity problem due to the refined flour and sugar
Not my kind of culture
NYC (Early June, 2016)
For the first time in my life, I not only went to New York, New York, but stayed there in my van and found a place in Manhattan to normally park
for free, but got a ticket for $115 because I parked during a time "standing" is not allowed. This is my first citation in about 25 years! I didn't know
what they meant by "standing" so I called in advance and talked to many people; all either said they can't say or I'm fine. Here are some surprising
findings of NYC:
The Museum of Natural History is most excellent and allows a virtual tour of the world, wildlife and science in one convenient place. You
can set your own admission price (minimum one penny!). Garage parking is around $35.
Initial planning is very difficult; when you call for info, people speak poor English / slur at a fast pace and often don't know the info. You
better understand "no standing" means no parking and pay attention to the arrows on all the signs and know what they mean.
Overnight parking is allowed, but you have to understand the bizarre term "standing" and misdirected arrows on signs or pay a big fine.
Advice: Post your phone number by the driver's windshield wiper arm.
People are generally more friendly than by far most other places, but often rude on the road. People are not as freaky as I expected. There
are a very attractive women in large numbers who know how to dress sexy.
Many walk dogs, but the grassy areas are fenced off; many are also afraid of dogs (by far usually darker skinned ethnic groups).
Central Park is gigantic; you can't practically walk around the whole thing without allowing many hours.
MUHAMMAD ALI'S FINAL DAY & BOXING GLOVES
A few hours before Muhammad Ali died, I was in the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Washington, DC viewing his boxing gloves as
well as Prince's guitar. I had no idea Muhammad was ill. The area around the gloves was not crowded, so his terminal condition was probably
only known by his family at that time. The next day the museum was almost impossible to get into due to massive crowds to see his gloves.
VAN DWELLER COLLABORATION TO LIVE IN DC CHEAP
In the last week of May and first few days of June in Raleigh, NC, I met an obese 32 year old white-Hispanic female nurse from San Antonio,
Texas with an exceptionally pretty face and friendly demeanor who was living full time in a shorter, older Chevy van partially converted into an
RV. We were headed in the same direction (Washington, DC), so we decided to travel together for safety and idea collaboration. After figuring out
how to live in DC cheaply (cheap 24 hour parking) I found her personality, burping out loud habit and a few other things incompatible, so I
abruptly told her I wanted to end it all. The tipping point was when she stated she was way ahead in the favor category, but I knew that was
backwards. Also I didn't like it that her main goal in life so far was to go to Colorado to be a pot-head. I knew pot smokers have memory, anxiety,
etc. problems I didn't want to deal with that I already saw in her due to long term past use. I am much less sensitive to the feelings of pot smokers
and always ditch them abruptly. She took it very well and just drove off. I guess she went to her guy friend to smoke pot in DC.
ECONOMY AUTO PAINT DOOR FAIL
May 18, 2016: While getting an estimate for paint repair on my van in Raleigh, NC, I was in the office disgusted with how nasty the place is when
all of a sudden an entire bay door fell down and almost injured or killed someone. It made my heart race for a minute. The culprit was a black man
who operated the door incorrectly. He was laughing, but could have been killed. The owner said he's going to fire him. This is the tipping point of
how much I hate the culture in the Raleigh area.
SPOILED KID FALLS IN LAKE
May 15, 2016: While in Eastgate Park, Raleigh, NC, a kid around age 15 walked towards his mother's huge, new SUV all full of mud intensely
whining and complaining how he didn't catch any fish. It was obvious he fell in the lake and is likely a spoiled brat with rich parents.
LYING MOM SETS BAD EXAMPLE
May, 2016: While at Fort Fisher, North Carolina (ocean beach), I was in my van when a young girl around 17 made some banging noises while
trying to put her lawn chairs in her mother's car. It sounded like it could have hit my vehicle so I got out and asked if they hit me and her mother
said "no, she hit my car" (meaner her car) so I believed her, but found many aluminum marks consistent with the aluminum lawn chairs.
Fortunately, there were not dents and rubbing compound removed them. This shows how bad many people are and can't be trusted. I noticed they
were both smokers, an indicator of bad people. This liar mom sets a bad example for her daughter: Liar and smoker.
CRAZY BLACK GRANDMA
While checking out in Costco of Wilmington, NC on May 8, 2016, I commented to a 62 year old black woman behind me in line that she must
know how to eat healthy due to her vegetable selections. I told her she must have a Blendtec blender which amazed her because she did. We
walked out together and she asked where I was from and I said I live in a van as a nomad. She wanted to see the van; from there she invited me to
park in her driveway instead of Walmart. That didn't appeal to me, but I thought, oh well, OK, I'll try it. She then invited me and Tippy to stay on
her second floor of her house in a nice neighborhood (Laurel Lea). It was close to the ocean, but the entire island is privately owned with no
public beach for 25 minutes of driving.
She told me she wants to and thinks her house will sell in only 5 days based on a book she was reading (how to sell a house in five days). I said
that's bizarre for a house of such high value ($330,000). She said she's leaving in one week whether the house sells or not and may hire a Realtor
for $20,000. I said I would be willing to try and sell it using my marketing skills. She agreed and said she would pay me $10,000 if I sold it for
$400,000 or so. I didn't think that would happen, but I was OK with staying there and trying to sell it. I explained to her that I had experience
selling a probate house (my parents') for $30,000 more than anyone else could. I also advised her to spend some money to hire a professional
landscaper to make the value of her place higher. The next day she backed out and leaned more towards paying a Realtor. She asked me to go over
to her inlaw's house to spray insecticide on their home's eaves. I did and got back sprayed with that toxic crap. They were wealthy and never gave
me a dime for doing that, but rather Mr. Braye wanted to bore me to death with stories about his family that nobody could care less about.
Her name is Rubye Braye, a retired Lt. Colonel of the Army, has a PhD, and taught (at the time I met her) online business classes / dissertations at
Capella University which is not accredited by the AACSB and has a bad reputation of high pressure sales and bad service. She said it was when I
asked, but she confused it with a far less respected accreditation it has. Her husband left her long ago for another woman, he became terminally ill,
his girlfriend left him, Rubye took him back into her life and custom built handicapped ramps around her house just for that hoodlum.
After finding out Rubye had a few websites she needed help with, I offered to help, but she declined also. On one site, she claims to be a health
expert / consultant, but she is far from knowing how to live healthy as evidenced by her being obese, never exercising (only walks very slowly for
a short distance), living with many toxic chemicals to include improperly washing fruit and veggies and going out to eat as a habit.
On Mother's Day, Rubye was a total nutcase: She walked and drove all around her neighborhood yelling at everybody "Happy Mother's Day" and
was bragging about how her students of which she has never met (online class) wished her the same. Rubye told me to lie to her neighbors and say
I was her son. She had children, but none of them called or sent her any card! That was a red flag to me.
Rubye explained how she is going to move to Turtle Island (the mountains of North Carolina) and live in the boonies after being influenced by
some long haired hippie fag who does the same there. Rubye said I can stay for free on her small lot close to a river there. She also backed out of
that. It's unusual for a black woman to get involved with a country hick redneck community like that. I thought it was bizarre that Rubye listens to
and sings along with country music. Rubye has no family photos in her house, only a few photos of herself! Alone; just her. I found it particularly
creepy that on her bedside stand was a photo of herself taking up much of the space.
Rubye saw me use a standard plastic tooth flosser and said she broke her teeth using those and told me not to use them anymore because the (soft)
plastic pick breaks teeth.
Sunday Rubye invited me to go to church with her. She said it would only involve sitting quietly for one hour. I said based on my past experiences
with congregations, I'll pass. Then I thought that would be fine to sit for one hour if I'm not pressured to do anything or change, so I asked her
about that and she said to trust her, it will be good. So I went. It was at a Quaker Friends church where they all sat quietly for a whole hour. One
guy kept twisting his head around a lot in a bizarre manner. Most had their eyes closed. I believe this method of church is stupid and counter to
God because God gave us day light to do things and night to rest with our eyes closed.
As a few days passed, I started getting very annoyed with many things:Here are some pros and things Rubye did for me and Tippy:
On the day I decided to get away from her, she was driving with me and got very annoyed at other drivers and accused them of being on a cell
phone; then just a short moment later, she placed a call with her cell phone and almost rear-ended someone.
Rubye acted like she did me such a great favor by letting me stay in her house, but I hated it for the reasons mentioned and was so glad to be back
in my van. I hate living in other people's places for many reasons and find it very time consuming to move my things out of the van into their
place and then back into the van. That process puts my things of risk of being lost, misplaced or damaged. There were many tasks I did for Rubye
to include the landscaping advice that can help her sell her house for maybe $10,000 more than normal, health advice, moved two couches, tried
to give her computer advice but she wouldn't listen, etc.
Rubye was obsessed with recycling all her waste, but drive a V-8 SUV to go to the recycling center every day, owned another car, two motorcycles
and the size of her house is far in excess for one person.
We had some conversations about race and how unique it was for us to be highly unlikely roommates. I told her a year ago I was in Austin, Texas
and a black woman called me a Cracker because my dog got close to her while walking on a trail. Rubye defended that black woman because
Rubye said she grew up in Montgomery, Alabama where she hated the white race. I asked her if she hated the white race or that particular white
culture. For a PhD, she sure had a hard time with that question. Overall I consider Rubye an idiot and think she has been successful in life with her
careers due to her being a black female (reverse discrimination and affirmative action), yet she feels like she's been treated unjust by the white
race and attributes all her success to God. It seems very likely she received a lot of help from her husband's inlaws who are fairly wealthy and live
nearby. She refers to her father in law as her dad. His lifestyle was very similar to hers; it seems she copied him.
It is a mystery what her motivation was to "hang around" a white man; I feel like it was her service to God to feed a white man well despite how
many of her "kind" were treated in the past. Another reason may be because she wanted someone to wish her happy Mother's Day since that was
very important to her and her kids didn't do it.
She talks over me when I try to speak
She keeps her house too hot and dark (just like my parents did)
Her house didn't have a single comfortable (ergo) chair to sit in
She obsessively refers everything to Jesus, God and the Lord
She is nosy
She required I go with her everywhere; not allowed to stay at the house alone; she sometimes drives very recklessly
Rubye is very delusional and flaky; lacks integrity
Made sure I was fed well with quality food she cooked or treated me out to eat once.
Nothing else. She thinks letting me stay in her house was a huge favor, but I hated it there for the above reasons.
PHOTO PHOBIC WOMAN WITH FAKE ACCENT
After going out a week with a red headed, petite Interior Designer with a fake British-like accent I met in a park in Wilmington, NC, we went to a
beach park. I took a photo of her and emailed it "I was going to tell you on the spot I took this; would delete if you requested, but quickly got
distracted by the weird fish or something and forgot." This is her response: "Please delete any photos of me that you have....I never said that you
could take any photos....I hate photos and I specifically told you that....why you would even take a photo of someone without their permission is
beyond me." The day prior to that she get very annoyed that I answered one of her questions of where I got some bug repellent I gave her. She was
particularly annoyed that I told her how much it was $18, which I did to explain it was high because it was from a pet store. Good to find out she's
crazy sooner rather than later! Her accent is fake because it disappeared days later after meeting her.