It’s been some time since I’ve felt like updating my journal. I don’t know where to start…but bus life is still good.
We’re moving the bus in the next few days back to where we spent last summer, but in the bus not the basement. Temperatures won’t be too different, but we’ll have shade. We’re frying out here currently, broadside to both morning and afternoon sun on 90 degree days. We installed a small ac unit and have our old trusty friend the wool blanket up again. The wool blanket keeps the cool air in the bedroom areas and the strategic movement of reflectix as the sun moves helps keep the worst of the heat out. But we have no shade so we’re really fighting a losing battle.
We’re also wrapping up construction on the bus. It’s not finished, but we’re done working on it. We both realized that we were burnt out on the project. In a BIG way. It took quite a few conversations to figure out we were both over all aspects of living in a construction zone. DH is burnt out on the non-stop projects. The bus is livable, but has a few projects we need to figure out how to finish in the next few months. August is going to be a no construction month. We’ll just be a normal family getting family time.
Mental health:
I finally realized how difficult this bus build has been on me. We’ve gone through a lot in the last few years, and I’m realizing I’ve turned into a very anxious person. I have been anxious about money, status, my job, the bus, our son….climate change, screen time, our future…sigh. It’s a big list and I finally could see how my life had started to be consumed by it. Loneliness, worry and anxiety have been constant companions lately. And it’s not a normal way for me to be. Peri-menopause? So many changes in the last few years? Mid-life crisis? I don’t know. But exercise wasn’t helping enough. So after talking with my gyno dr, she gave me the choice to start a low-dose hormone or a low-dose antidepressant. After a lot of thought, I started the low dose antidepressant. And it’s helping. Starting talk therapy is also helping. Deciding to not think that spending money was an abject failure is also helping.
There’s lot more to share here that isn’t pretty, but I’m already feeling like I’m over sharing as it is. I think I’m coming out of the dark area I’d been it, hopefully!
Money
I’m working on my relationship with money now. I got to a point where spending any money provoked so much guilt. That’s not useful. It’s not ERE’s fault, it’s my own wiring. So, for the time being, I’m practicing a judgement free zone with money. And we’re spending it. Thoughtfully, and to solve problems that will make living in the bus easier. And it’s wonderful! I’m eating out if I want to, and not eating out if I don’t want to. I am gaining back space in my brain that the judgement took up. I still believe in ERE, and I will perhaps get back to it in a more rigorous way when I can trust myself to not freak out and be a judgey crazy bitch about spending money.
Jobs:
I took a part time job as the assistant manager at our local farmers market. It’s shit money for pay, but I’m learning stuff and am involved in local food in a new way. It’s seasonal so will end in October. I’m not sure if I’ll do it again next year yet. If I can keep learning and being useful, then I probably will. The hospital job has gotten better, I’m definitely phoning it in there. I’m heading to the East Coast on the hospital’s dime for a conference in Nashville in late October. I really don’t care about the conference, it’s a way to get back east and see my Dad.
Family:
My Dad has metastatic melanoma. He’s starting an immunotherapy drug this coming week that helps his T cells fight cancer cells more efficiently. That’s an amazing break through in modern medicine so we hope it will give him some healthy years. I’m not deeply torn up about his diagnosis. My sisters are wrecks, not sure about my brother. When I heard that it was metastatic I looked up the actuarial tables for his age. He’s got an average of 7 years left to live. So, this isn’t a tragedy. He’s gotten frail in the last few years too. Still golfing but not looking vigorous. The immunotherapy is probably the best option for him to beat the cancer with minimal side effects. I do feel obligated to go see him more frequently now. Hence the ‘need’ to go to the conference in October.
Health
I finished Outlive by Peter Attia. I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve kicked up my exercise habit in a good way. And am trying to provide space for DH to get as much mtn biking in as he wants. I’ve been noticing that I’m not as trashed after long {to me} runs. I’ve done a few trail runs longer than 7 miles. I’m able to walk around comfortably the next day! This is progress. Also, I’m seeing new muscles and feeling more capable physically. Outlive was a big wake up call to get into tip top shape. I’m still digesting how to make that happen specifically. I can see how getting more fit will encourage more fun and push me into higher levels of fitness. A few coworkers and I are signed up for a relay race in early August. It’s been a great motivator to get running. It does make me think I should sign up for another race just to keep the motivation high? Still thinking about it. I have trained conservatively for the relay. And I’m happy with my lack of injuries and my obvious signs of increased fitness. My portion of the relay is about 13 or 15 miles. I chose to end on the tougher option of the trail run, lots of elevation gain and loss. I’m excited for it.
Choices:
Do we stay closer to the big town where we have more friends and services? Do we enroll our kid in a different school? What kind of job will DH get? Will I keep my hospital job if he’s working full time? Where will we park the bus next???? Will I stay on antidepressants forever?
mooretrees journal
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mountainFrugal
- Posts: 1144
- Joined: Fri May 07, 2021 2:26 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
Heck yeah! Get it! I am really glad the training is going well. I look forward to hearing how the race goes.mooretrees wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 11:07 pmI have trained conservatively for the relay. And I’m happy with my lack of injuries and my obvious signs of increased fitness. My portion of the relay is about 13 or 15 miles. I chose to end on the tougher option of the trail run, lots of elevation gain and loss. I’m excited for it.
Re: mooretrees journal
It can be hard to judge when/if frugality has crossed the line to mental disorder.
An exercise my wife and I use, is to treat certain parts of the budget as targets, instead of maximums.
So we make a point to spend the entire discretionary allocation, for instance. Last year, we committed to doing it monthly. This year, we're trying annually.
I found that very helpful in accepting not every dollar needs to be optimized. It also side steps my tendency to become mired in analysis. Or even worse, research for weeks, but then do without, so I can avoid making the wrong decision.
The end result was exploring ideas that had been lingering for years, even when we had massive savings rates. We might have spent a couple grand sub optimally, but we gained surprising and rapid quality of life improvements.
Sometimes, it's just nice to try a convection toaster oven. Or a couple specialty pairs of shoes. This year? I got a second fitted bed sheet. Now I can run laundry, without scheduling the line dry around bedtime. Luxurious.
An exercise my wife and I use, is to treat certain parts of the budget as targets, instead of maximums.
So we make a point to spend the entire discretionary allocation, for instance. Last year, we committed to doing it monthly. This year, we're trying annually.
I found that very helpful in accepting not every dollar needs to be optimized. It also side steps my tendency to become mired in analysis. Or even worse, research for weeks, but then do without, so I can avoid making the wrong decision.
The end result was exploring ideas that had been lingering for years, even when we had massive savings rates. We might have spent a couple grand sub optimally, but we gained surprising and rapid quality of life improvements.
Sometimes, it's just nice to try a convection toaster oven. Or a couple specialty pairs of shoes. This year? I got a second fitted bed sheet. Now I can run laundry, without scheduling the line dry around bedtime. Luxurious.
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mooretrees
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
@Scott2, before this recent patch of stress I wouldn’t have been able to understand what you were talking about. I’d have been quietly judging anyone who solved problems with money. And, now, well, I’ve been humbled. We recently bought a pre-made solar setup, after thinking for years we’d build our own. We had reached the end of our diy rope. And so we can really appreciate the ease of plugging in a few panels into a pre build battery set up and just get on our way. We were lucky to get it on sale, but we would have bought it anyway.
For now, we’ve focused on creating a cool home that works. That might mean buying some pre built solutions. DH can and has diy’d the heck out of this project. And, well, we’re not interested in saving money or learning any skills right now. I just went against the custom on the forum and increased my monthly budget on my cell phone. Turns out it’s not good for me to have trouble talking to friends or family. Wi fi only sucked for me. Probably the whole extrovert curse, but now it’s so easy to talk without interruptions because I shifted forward six inches in my chair. So, I think for me, at this moment, the focus on money was borderline unhealthy mentally. Again, not the problem with ERE, just where I’m at in my life.
@mountainfrugal I can’t wait to report back, and perhaps share some actual data! I bought a new (on sale) Suunto watch, that I’m really excited to get using. Consumerism on the loose over here!
For now, we’ve focused on creating a cool home that works. That might mean buying some pre built solutions. DH can and has diy’d the heck out of this project. And, well, we’re not interested in saving money or learning any skills right now. I just went against the custom on the forum and increased my monthly budget on my cell phone. Turns out it’s not good for me to have trouble talking to friends or family. Wi fi only sucked for me. Probably the whole extrovert curse, but now it’s so easy to talk without interruptions because I shifted forward six inches in my chair. So, I think for me, at this moment, the focus on money was borderline unhealthy mentally. Again, not the problem with ERE, just where I’m at in my life.
@mountainfrugal I can’t wait to report back, and perhaps share some actual data! I bought a new (on sale) Suunto watch, that I’m really excited to get using. Consumerism on the loose over here!
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UrbanHomesteader
- Posts: 93
- Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:02 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
It's a common experience to get amped up about ERE and/or FIRE and tighten the belt down as much as possible, to later realize that it was perhaps a bit too tight:) A lot of us have been there. I think Jacob went a year without buying books.
If I find that my spending feels like it's veering away from The Plan or from a perfect ERE ideal, I ask myself whether the spending is "mission critical" for me, and sometimes seemingly frivolous things are mission critical. The "mission" being to live well. We have had a number of mission critical meals out this year, because those meals allowed us to either focus on other things (i.e. D.I.Y.), or have an experience with friends or family that leave me feeling like I'm living a full life. Most meals are home though, and I like that too for many reasons.
On the other hand, a lot of impulses to buy more stuff or better gear have been avoiding, because I decided they were not mission critical. I could achieve the mission with other stuff I already owned.
If I find that my spending feels like it's veering away from The Plan or from a perfect ERE ideal, I ask myself whether the spending is "mission critical" for me, and sometimes seemingly frivolous things are mission critical. The "mission" being to live well. We have had a number of mission critical meals out this year, because those meals allowed us to either focus on other things (i.e. D.I.Y.), or have an experience with friends or family that leave me feeling like I'm living a full life. Most meals are home though, and I like that too for many reasons.
On the other hand, a lot of impulses to buy more stuff or better gear have been avoiding, because I decided they were not mission critical. I could achieve the mission with other stuff I already owned.
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grundomatic
- Posts: 427
- Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:04 am
Re: mooretrees journal
Without oversharing all my issues in your journal, I'll just say that I've experienced what you described with your relationship to money as well. Every expenditure was a failure, and the focus was on all of my shortcomings. I'm not sure that I've really dealt with it, just (temporarily?) given up judgement of spending. Any expenditure is fine. The question is whether I've internalized frugality enough to not backslide right back onto the hedonic treadmill.
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mooretrees
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
@UrbanHomesteader, I really like the ‘mission critical’ framing, especially if one is clear about what the mission is. I’ll be mulling this over as the days pass.
My ‘no judgement about spending money’ has slowly transitioned to, I can have it (whatever IT is), but just imaging getting it, and working through if buying IT will actually satisfy me. So the default is absolute permission to do whatever I want with money. With that permission in hand, I have started thinking through the purchase. Do I want to stand in line, go to another store, wait to be served, whatever the specific situation would be. Now, sometimes I say yes, and sometimes I’m like, nah. And then I move on. It’s easy and I think much more healthy.
@grounomatic thanks for sharing, feel free to overshare here! If you figure out a better way to deal with money, please let me know!
Health:
I finished my relay race, it was super fun! I did two shorter road legs and then a longer trail run as my last run. My times were very uninspiring for speed, but I felt strong. I had a funny interaction with another runner. He was getting ready to pass me so I held my hand out to high five him. He thought I was trying to stop him from passing! As he passed I said that was an attempted high five and he stopped, turned around and high fived me! I’ve done longer runs alone and races with aid stations but never done a relay race. It was cool. On some level all of these races are ridiculous of course, but it was fun. My team learned that I’m a big cheerleader and it became a source of laughter that every time we drove past someone I had to roll the windows down and cheer them loudly.
The trail run was tough, a long climb to the top of our local ski area, then awesome switchbacks all the way down. My knee was hurting at that point so I definitely took it easy. Showed me that I need to do more downhill and eccentric training for sure.
Sports Watch:
I got a fancy sports watch that I’ve been really enjoying using. When I got a few runs in, I found that the watch had a fitness level and bio age. My first bio age was 53! Fitness level was poor. Ouch. Now I’m down to a bio age of 22 and “good’ level of fitness. I’m not sure I’ll pay much more attention to those two metrics anymore. It does do VO2max, which has increased from 31.9 to 38%. Still not that great, but if I stick with the plan it will increase, hopefully.
The Plan:
Now that I’m recovered from the race, I can start implementing my new training ideas-all inspired by Peter Attia and mtnfrugal. At the start of each week, I’m going to make a plan for what days I do the following:
-three days of zone 2 workouts, one hour
-two days of strength training, primarily using kettlebells
-one fun, no tracking or goals trail run for pure joy
-evening rucking with family-shorter but with weight.
-four days of 10-20 minutes of yoga.
I’m going to try this for six weeks and then start again. I’ll be measuring my weight, VO2 max, and tracking how weak/tight areas feel. I am not buying any equipment at this point but am lightly considering rucking weights, a smaller kettlebell and newer trail running shoes.
One major goal of later summer and fall training is to be ready for Nordic ski season. I don’t really have a concrete idea of what that means, other than a really good cardio base. I’ll be researching that-feel free to chime in @mountainfrugal!
My ‘no judgement about spending money’ has slowly transitioned to, I can have it (whatever IT is), but just imaging getting it, and working through if buying IT will actually satisfy me. So the default is absolute permission to do whatever I want with money. With that permission in hand, I have started thinking through the purchase. Do I want to stand in line, go to another store, wait to be served, whatever the specific situation would be. Now, sometimes I say yes, and sometimes I’m like, nah. And then I move on. It’s easy and I think much more healthy.
@grounomatic thanks for sharing, feel free to overshare here! If you figure out a better way to deal with money, please let me know!
Health:
I finished my relay race, it was super fun! I did two shorter road legs and then a longer trail run as my last run. My times were very uninspiring for speed, but I felt strong. I had a funny interaction with another runner. He was getting ready to pass me so I held my hand out to high five him. He thought I was trying to stop him from passing! As he passed I said that was an attempted high five and he stopped, turned around and high fived me! I’ve done longer runs alone and races with aid stations but never done a relay race. It was cool. On some level all of these races are ridiculous of course, but it was fun. My team learned that I’m a big cheerleader and it became a source of laughter that every time we drove past someone I had to roll the windows down and cheer them loudly.
The trail run was tough, a long climb to the top of our local ski area, then awesome switchbacks all the way down. My knee was hurting at that point so I definitely took it easy. Showed me that I need to do more downhill and eccentric training for sure.
Sports Watch:
I got a fancy sports watch that I’ve been really enjoying using. When I got a few runs in, I found that the watch had a fitness level and bio age. My first bio age was 53! Fitness level was poor. Ouch. Now I’m down to a bio age of 22 and “good’ level of fitness. I’m not sure I’ll pay much more attention to those two metrics anymore. It does do VO2max, which has increased from 31.9 to 38%. Still not that great, but if I stick with the plan it will increase, hopefully.
The Plan:
Now that I’m recovered from the race, I can start implementing my new training ideas-all inspired by Peter Attia and mtnfrugal. At the start of each week, I’m going to make a plan for what days I do the following:
-three days of zone 2 workouts, one hour
-two days of strength training, primarily using kettlebells
-one fun, no tracking or goals trail run for pure joy
-evening rucking with family-shorter but with weight.
-four days of 10-20 minutes of yoga.
I’m going to try this for six weeks and then start again. I’ll be measuring my weight, VO2 max, and tracking how weak/tight areas feel. I am not buying any equipment at this point but am lightly considering rucking weights, a smaller kettlebell and newer trail running shoes.
One major goal of later summer and fall training is to be ready for Nordic ski season. I don’t really have a concrete idea of what that means, other than a really good cardio base. I’ll be researching that-feel free to chime in @mountainfrugal!
Re: mooretrees journal
Hi, Moorestrees! I love the emphasis on health. Look up "kneesovertoesguy" on youtube! There's a lot of free content on how to improve knee health. I'm dealing with knee pain too and it seems to be working. For example, I'm stretching a lot more, walking backwards for about 10 minutes, and strengthening my calves and tibialis.
I also relate to the "spending money provoking guilt". Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm being judged by those around me when I'm trying to be frugal. It makes me feel like my attempt to reach FIRE is stupid. At what point am I doing too much and sacrificing the wrong things?
I also relate to the "spending money provoking guilt". Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm being judged by those around me when I'm trying to be frugal. It makes me feel like my attempt to reach FIRE is stupid. At what point am I doing too much and sacrificing the wrong things?
Re: mooretrees journal
Great job with the fitness! Do you remember how much you struggled when you first started riding your bike? And now you are aging in reverse!
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mountainFrugal
- Posts: 1144
- Joined: Fri May 07, 2021 2:26 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
Really great to see you racing now @mooretrees.mooretrees wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2023 11:00 amOne major goal of later summer and fall training is to be ready for Nordic ski season. I don’t really have a concrete idea of what that means, other than a really good cardio base. I’ll be researching that-feel free to chime in @mountainfrugal!
. I think you are right on the money for training. You might think about incorporating some core workouts as that is where you are going to get a lot of your XC power from. Skate ski poling in particular is controlled crunches. If you dare : https://www.outsideonline.com/health/tr ... e-workout/-
mooretrees
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
@mountainFrugal, I dared! I did the first two exercises, ugh! I’ll be incorporating them into my weekly workouts, thanks!
@b00gs thanks for the reminder about Knees over toes guy, I’ll be circling back to his content in the near future.
Adaptation:
I’m calling my next five weeks of workouts, Adaptation. It’s about getting used to a few new things; planning weekly workouts AND the actual workouts.
Week one is on the books and I’m happy with myself. Two kettlebell workouts with pushups, 200 swings with my 16kg bell. Two trail runs with the hope of hitting mostly zone 2 for around 3 hrs. One elliptical workout in zone 2-this one I’m most happy with because I was TIRED and wanted to stop at 45 min, but kept going until 80 min. One ruck session with dogs and DS carrying around 16 pounds (rough estimate) of sand. Also, a number of stretching sessions with the benefit of being able to walk easily upon waking up.
The first week was also a big success because I had a stomach bug on Sunday that threw off my planned schedule. So I had to adapt and change things up to get the workouts I wanted, and I did. Also, one of the trail runs was sorta an attempt to therapize myself. I had a goal of something I’m not happy about to think about. I had a few minor breakthroughs on the issue which feels like a good start.
Week two is starting well, already finished another ruck with the dogs and a kettlebell workout. The sports watch is fun and I’m leaning on it a little less heavily to know when I’m leaving the zone 2 area. Breathing is getting to be a more reliable/faster way of knowing I’m going too strong/fast (which people, is really NOT fast). So the watch isn’t necessary but it’s nice and I’m happy with using it to know mileage and tracking the trails I’m using.
I’m not sure what the next phase of training will be. I guess it needs a name, because that really does seem to anchor it in my head. I’ll for sure be thinking of adding another lifting session where I take advantage of the hospital gym and the squat rack and other equipment. Adding a hill workout might happen too, to target VO2 max. I’ve got a hill in mind too, it’s not too long and it’s a bunch of switchbacks with decent elevation gain near our parking spot.
My interest in exercise is rubbing off on DH. He’s been doing more mtn biking this year than ever. It’s annoying because just adding another ride or two a week for him is already showing results in losing a few pounds and getting more defined legs. He’s also working on skills and is definitely improving a lot.
I’m heading to the store to get serious bribes for DS. I’d like to hope that chocolate M&M’s might be the way he is brave enough to do some very light trail riding. He’s also made a ton of progress on his riding, and while he’s not that interested in bombing down the hills, he’s capable of the easier rides. He just needs some chocolate incentives. Don’t worry, he has the option to pull off the trail at any point, I’m not trying to force him, just some nudges.
@b00gs thanks for the reminder about Knees over toes guy, I’ll be circling back to his content in the near future.
Adaptation:
I’m calling my next five weeks of workouts, Adaptation. It’s about getting used to a few new things; planning weekly workouts AND the actual workouts.
Week one is on the books and I’m happy with myself. Two kettlebell workouts with pushups, 200 swings with my 16kg bell. Two trail runs with the hope of hitting mostly zone 2 for around 3 hrs. One elliptical workout in zone 2-this one I’m most happy with because I was TIRED and wanted to stop at 45 min, but kept going until 80 min. One ruck session with dogs and DS carrying around 16 pounds (rough estimate) of sand. Also, a number of stretching sessions with the benefit of being able to walk easily upon waking up.
The first week was also a big success because I had a stomach bug on Sunday that threw off my planned schedule. So I had to adapt and change things up to get the workouts I wanted, and I did. Also, one of the trail runs was sorta an attempt to therapize myself. I had a goal of something I’m not happy about to think about. I had a few minor breakthroughs on the issue which feels like a good start.
Week two is starting well, already finished another ruck with the dogs and a kettlebell workout. The sports watch is fun and I’m leaning on it a little less heavily to know when I’m leaving the zone 2 area. Breathing is getting to be a more reliable/faster way of knowing I’m going too strong/fast (which people, is really NOT fast). So the watch isn’t necessary but it’s nice and I’m happy with using it to know mileage and tracking the trails I’m using.
I’m not sure what the next phase of training will be. I guess it needs a name, because that really does seem to anchor it in my head. I’ll for sure be thinking of adding another lifting session where I take advantage of the hospital gym and the squat rack and other equipment. Adding a hill workout might happen too, to target VO2 max. I’ve got a hill in mind too, it’s not too long and it’s a bunch of switchbacks with decent elevation gain near our parking spot.
My interest in exercise is rubbing off on DH. He’s been doing more mtn biking this year than ever. It’s annoying because just adding another ride or two a week for him is already showing results in losing a few pounds and getting more defined legs. He’s also working on skills and is definitely improving a lot.
I’m heading to the store to get serious bribes for DS. I’d like to hope that chocolate M&M’s might be the way he is brave enough to do some very light trail riding. He’s also made a ton of progress on his riding, and while he’s not that interested in bombing down the hills, he’s capable of the easier rides. He just needs some chocolate incentives. Don’t worry, he has the option to pull off the trail at any point, I’m not trying to force him, just some nudges.
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grundomatic
- Posts: 427
- Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:04 am
Re: mooretrees journal
Nothing wrong with M&M incentives, though I'm personally proud of myself for turning down a large container of them on our scouting trip to Costco.
Re: mooretrees journal
i'm backreading so im a bit late for this, but i really like the Frugal Hedonism author's (name? - Annie Rowland, says google) -- Annie Rowland's framing of "mission-critical:" -- Will not having this make my life worse? I found it to be an excellent question that gets to the same "mission critical" idea. Most purchases would make one's life better, or at least one can imagine a story they can tell oneself about how they would. But for most superfluous purchases, not getting them will not have a negative impact. If a thing is a true necessity, the negarive impact of not having it is often explicit and clear, such as in the case of the phone plan which allows for social needs to be met.
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mooretrees
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
Week four of Adaption has started. I bought the Training for the Uphill Athlete and binge read it last week. It gave me the permission to recognize that I was perhaps pushing too hard. I made week three a lighter week and have spent more conscious time rolling out my deeply knotted calves. Three sessions of calf rolling and I ‘might’ be able to tell the difference. I also realized I was going too hard (still not really hard at all) on my attempted zone 2 runs. Running in the woods is tricky with all of the ups and downs. Anyways, I’ll try and be better about making those runs more steady zone 1/2. Being out of shape for so long, but having a history as an athlete is a tough combo sometimes. I’m going to reread the Uphill Athlete again and focus more on the program design sections. It might turn out that I need lighter weeks interspaced with ‘normal’ weeks. I’ll see how I feel after a normal week and perhaps throw a lighter week in every three weeks.
DS is doing great on his bike. We pick him up from the bus stop with his bike in tow, then head to the trailhead for a mtan bike/run with our dogs. He is not a daredevil and it’s super fun to play around in the mountains with him. He loves his bike. I feel deep satisfaction that I’ve done a good job pushing him and not pushing him to get more comfortable on his bike. DH found a decent mtn bike that should last him a few years and bought it. We couldn’t find any secondhand bikes.
Being back in the town we used to live in has been great. I’ve been able to see friends and have spontaneous meetings that I wasn’t able to create this last year in the smaller town. I’m also getting more involved in DS’s school. He’s going to the (on paper) worst school in the town. It’s got the highest poverty level in the town, which doesn’t concern me. I feel more comfortable with these folks. I’m also starting to be part of a really sporty group of families in town. Backpackers, skiers, mtn bikers etc. Lots of wildlife biologists and PhD’s in this group. Well off, but interested in sharing resources. One of the moms is organizing an informal ski gear swap. YESSS!
It’s my birthday and I’m scheduling a mammogram and teeth cleaning. I’m working at the farmers market and doing a strength training session. Tomorrow I hope DH and I can go hiking and possibly look for chanterelles in a local spot.
DS is doing great on his bike. We pick him up from the bus stop with his bike in tow, then head to the trailhead for a mtan bike/run with our dogs. He is not a daredevil and it’s super fun to play around in the mountains with him. He loves his bike. I feel deep satisfaction that I’ve done a good job pushing him and not pushing him to get more comfortable on his bike. DH found a decent mtn bike that should last him a few years and bought it. We couldn’t find any secondhand bikes.
Being back in the town we used to live in has been great. I’ve been able to see friends and have spontaneous meetings that I wasn’t able to create this last year in the smaller town. I’m also getting more involved in DS’s school. He’s going to the (on paper) worst school in the town. It’s got the highest poverty level in the town, which doesn’t concern me. I feel more comfortable with these folks. I’m also starting to be part of a really sporty group of families in town. Backpackers, skiers, mtn bikers etc. Lots of wildlife biologists and PhD’s in this group. Well off, but interested in sharing resources. One of the moms is organizing an informal ski gear swap. YESSS!
It’s my birthday and I’m scheduling a mammogram and teeth cleaning. I’m working at the farmers market and doing a strength training session. Tomorrow I hope DH and I can go hiking and possibly look for chanterelles in a local spot.
Re: mooretrees journal
It sounds like you are in a very good place as far as your health is concerned (mental, physical, social). Nice work with DS and cycling, too. It's nice to see everything coming together for you.
Re: mooretrees journal
Great update! Your adaptation training did sound like a lot! (to me, who's never been an athlete...). Glad you're finding the right balance for you. Good luck on the mushroom hunting, so much fun!
Re: mooretrees journal
I can identify with the being too frugal where I felt guilt about spending money and my life felt like a waiting game for hitting ER. I think that is pretty natural and you don't know what extreme is until you experience it. That is why some of these changes take time too. Bouncing ideas off of other people in the ERE program helps me determine if my frugality is rational or not. I actually quit ERE for a bit in the past because I was getting too stressed.
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mooretrees
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
Ha, you called it. I’m still working out but due to a neck issue and general fatigue I’m adding more days off. I’ve slacked off on stretching to the point that I’m clearly needed dedicated time to deal with calves and hammys. Adaptation continues!
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mooretrees
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
Finished a really good meeting with our MMG with the ERE book as the theme. All of us had already read it (some dozens of times!) so it was a fun meeting with some good conversations. I still have about half of the book left, but am ruminating a lot on our family’s lack of vision currently. We’ve officially completed our first year in the bus and we’re still happy. The last three years have been focused on the bus and now that we’re living that dream, it’s apparent that we’re coasting. It’s not a bad spot to be, but I’m interested in pushing us to think about the future.
We’re moving to a new location, hopefully for the whole winter. It’s a coworker’s property and they’re used to have folks living in trailers on their place. It’s also the most bikable place we’ve been in over a year. I’m already trying to convince DH to put the second car in storage….I’m really excited to bike and walk, and have DS learn how to ride on streets. He’s getting more comfortable on his mountain bike, even though it is slightly too big for him. He’s got to balance on one foot while getting started. I’m sure he’ll grow into by next spring.
Family:
I’m visiting my parents on the East Coast next week and got work to pay for part of the trip by combining it with a work conference. I have continuing education to complete so this conference will cover that. Plus, I get to be alone for four days. I plan on working out, rereading the ERE book, and taking a bath EVERY DAMN NIGHT.
DH and I need to spend some time thinking about how to structure our family. DS is getting to the age that he can do sports and more, so I’d like to decide as a family what is important to us, and how much time to give to those activities. I definitely don’t want to be really busy with sports. I was raised that way, but the current way middle class families handle all that stuff is ridiculous.
Water:
We’re house sitting for our friends that own the property we’re at right now. It’s been a great thing, except for water. They live on the local mountain and own a spring in common with 13 other households. Unfortunately, the spring is either running dry OR there are a million leaks or both. So, it’s been strict water rationing for everyone. It wouldn’t be a big deal for us except I’d been really excited to take baths, showers and do laundry. We’re well used to water rationing so it’s just a little disappointing.
Food:
I’m making full use of the big kitchen. They’re big foodies so have all the equipment. I canned 8 pints of tomato sauce and will do applesauce today. In years past I’d make applesauce and my son would be “oh, I like store bought applesauce.’ This morning he ate some applesauce and rolled his eyes with JOY about it. Yah! I’ve been buying onions and squash for storage and anticipate more fruit coming into my life after my trip. Apples, plums and pears are coming into season and I’ve got several locations to pick. I’m going to a local orchard Wednesday to pick fruit for the farmer’s market and hope to get a few boxes for personal use. A local friend and I picked a crap ton of plums and apples Friday and hardly made a dent in the trees. I’m hoping there aren’t any hard freezes while I’m gone so that the fruit is still available. I’m hoping to make apple butter and plum jam for the first time.
I did learn to sort the worm damaged apples from the non-damaged apples for longer storage. I have a full box of intact delicious apples that, if stored properly, can last for several months.
Social capital:
I picked fifty plus pounds of fruit for free because a friend knew a lady with fruit trees who wasn’t using the fruit. This same friend also gave me a cool canning book that is helping me try new recipes for canning. I am giving another friend all of my plums (there are so many it’s not that big a deal) because she’s given me so many apricots. Our next parking spot is at a coworker’s and I have a few other places to try if we want to. We haven’t paid rent in two months as we’re house sitters.
My farmer friend needed harvesting help one day so I spent 9 hours helping her. I didn’t want her to pay me so she keeps giving us free veggies. My point with these stories is to show how being part of a functioning community is helping us live better, and sometimes cheaper. I also try to say yes every time someone asks for help, so that we’ll be the people keep thinking of when they need help.
Farmers market job:
I’m wrapping up my first season as the assistant manager. I’ve vacillated quite a bit about if I’ll do it again next year and I’m leaning towards yes. I have done the reverse fish bones for this job in my head and it’s clear that I’m getting a lot out of it. I’m gaining connections with farmers, eating more locally, and learning a bit about local agriculture, the regulatory world, and what else is out there. I’ve felt under utilized but am getting enough of an understanding of this job that I think I can change that feeling. It’s also introducing me to the larger food landscape, specifically the scope of influence that the state university has on local ag. Oregon State University is our big ag school here and is hugely important. They have a Small Farm organization that I’d like to learn more about. It’s possible the farmers market will pay for me and the manager to go to one or two relevant conferences this winter. I’m curious about where this could go, so will commit to another season.
OK, my water for canning is ready to I’m off to can applesauce.
We’re moving to a new location, hopefully for the whole winter. It’s a coworker’s property and they’re used to have folks living in trailers on their place. It’s also the most bikable place we’ve been in over a year. I’m already trying to convince DH to put the second car in storage….I’m really excited to bike and walk, and have DS learn how to ride on streets. He’s getting more comfortable on his mountain bike, even though it is slightly too big for him. He’s got to balance on one foot while getting started. I’m sure he’ll grow into by next spring.
Family:
I’m visiting my parents on the East Coast next week and got work to pay for part of the trip by combining it with a work conference. I have continuing education to complete so this conference will cover that. Plus, I get to be alone for four days. I plan on working out, rereading the ERE book, and taking a bath EVERY DAMN NIGHT.
DH and I need to spend some time thinking about how to structure our family. DS is getting to the age that he can do sports and more, so I’d like to decide as a family what is important to us, and how much time to give to those activities. I definitely don’t want to be really busy with sports. I was raised that way, but the current way middle class families handle all that stuff is ridiculous.
Water:
We’re house sitting for our friends that own the property we’re at right now. It’s been a great thing, except for water. They live on the local mountain and own a spring in common with 13 other households. Unfortunately, the spring is either running dry OR there are a million leaks or both. So, it’s been strict water rationing for everyone. It wouldn’t be a big deal for us except I’d been really excited to take baths, showers and do laundry. We’re well used to water rationing so it’s just a little disappointing.
Food:
I’m making full use of the big kitchen. They’re big foodies so have all the equipment. I canned 8 pints of tomato sauce and will do applesauce today. In years past I’d make applesauce and my son would be “oh, I like store bought applesauce.’ This morning he ate some applesauce and rolled his eyes with JOY about it. Yah! I’ve been buying onions and squash for storage and anticipate more fruit coming into my life after my trip. Apples, plums and pears are coming into season and I’ve got several locations to pick. I’m going to a local orchard Wednesday to pick fruit for the farmer’s market and hope to get a few boxes for personal use. A local friend and I picked a crap ton of plums and apples Friday and hardly made a dent in the trees. I’m hoping there aren’t any hard freezes while I’m gone so that the fruit is still available. I’m hoping to make apple butter and plum jam for the first time.
I did learn to sort the worm damaged apples from the non-damaged apples for longer storage. I have a full box of intact delicious apples that, if stored properly, can last for several months.
Social capital:
I picked fifty plus pounds of fruit for free because a friend knew a lady with fruit trees who wasn’t using the fruit. This same friend also gave me a cool canning book that is helping me try new recipes for canning. I am giving another friend all of my plums (there are so many it’s not that big a deal) because she’s given me so many apricots. Our next parking spot is at a coworker’s and I have a few other places to try if we want to. We haven’t paid rent in two months as we’re house sitters.
My farmer friend needed harvesting help one day so I spent 9 hours helping her. I didn’t want her to pay me so she keeps giving us free veggies. My point with these stories is to show how being part of a functioning community is helping us live better, and sometimes cheaper. I also try to say yes every time someone asks for help, so that we’ll be the people keep thinking of when they need help.
Farmers market job:
I’m wrapping up my first season as the assistant manager. I’ve vacillated quite a bit about if I’ll do it again next year and I’m leaning towards yes. I have done the reverse fish bones for this job in my head and it’s clear that I’m getting a lot out of it. I’m gaining connections with farmers, eating more locally, and learning a bit about local agriculture, the regulatory world, and what else is out there. I’ve felt under utilized but am getting enough of an understanding of this job that I think I can change that feeling. It’s also introducing me to the larger food landscape, specifically the scope of influence that the state university has on local ag. Oregon State University is our big ag school here and is hugely important. They have a Small Farm organization that I’d like to learn more about. It’s possible the farmers market will pay for me and the manager to go to one or two relevant conferences this winter. I’m curious about where this could go, so will commit to another season.
OK, my water for canning is ready to I’m off to can applesauce.
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mountainFrugal
- Posts: 1144
- Joined: Fri May 07, 2021 2:26 pm
Re: mooretrees journal
I suppose that another advantage of the school bus and living in a more rural area is that you can move if you do not like your neighbors (or they do not like you). Being an engaged member of a rural community means there are likely many more options for you to park on someone's land. Did you think about this benefit of the Schoolie beforehand?