All of our snow is dissapearing today thanks to the constant rain. I was inside most of the day to babysit a roasting turkey and catch up on mail. I did go out during a break in the rain to install carpeting in the van. It's a rug I bought at a garage sale a year ago for $8. I only had to trim about 1.5 square feet of excess rug...it fit pretty good. I'll do under the bed in vinyl tiles left over from my house.
Also put up 1x4's on the metal transition between van body and camper top. They'll make a nice mini shelf for candles, or other such things.
November 20th
Was only able to put in door supports under the bed. Spent most of the day in the ER with mom...she was having a bad reaction to her blood transfusion from yesterday.
We both knew it was a bad sign when most of the people working the ER greeted us by name. I'm glad it was the same phlebotomist (blood sucker). She got mom on one poke. Yesterday they tried getting an IV in mom for FOUR hours without success. Even the ICU nurse failed.
November 21st
Put in two doors and two side panels of plywood. I'm going to put either Luan (1/4 inch finish plywood) or cedar planks over the plywood to make it look pretty and cohesive.
Also unhooked the cute gas stove from one of the hippie dwellings in our field and carted it over to my van. It's perfect!
I know a portable backpacking style stove is a lot smaller, but I'm persnickety. I like baking in a real oven. This stove has four burners on top and a bottom drawer that's a great place to make nachos.
I knew more about drugs and their respective patents then the doctor did. I wonder if medical school would give me credit for all of the real life learning I've had in the medical field thus far?
November 22nd 2003
Installed two doors in the back of the van to keep things out of sight when I lounge in bed with the van doors open. These were much easier to install than the other set, because I didn't need to hide the hinges.
The poster card on the left came in the mail today from Larice in North Carolina. Thanks, Larice! I think it's perfect - I've already hung it above my van bed. The white in the background is the fiberglass van top.
I used some of the tiles left over from my house project for underneath the bed. It's now slick and somewhat impervious to water, grease, and other nasties.
I spent a lot of time underneath the bed... While under there doing the tiles, I realized I had the perfect space to install a couple of shelves above the wheewells. This way I can store things in the normally unused space on top and below, and not just in the regular space in between the wheelwells for slide out containers.
I need to figure out a system to keep things from sliding off the shelves. Perhaps bungee cords? I'm not concerned yet.
I did a lot of head scratching around designing a countertop/food storage area near the stove that incorporates an airtight propane tank box. I hope to figure out something tomorrow. On Monday I go to work again. Yay!
November 23rd 2003
Screwed wooden supports into the cab roof metal. Attached the aromatic cedar to them with brass screws.
Also screwed in supports and plywood in the cabover space. Still deciding what type of storage to install in the space. Open shelves, deep cabinets, a combo of the two?
Planted garlic in the garden. Beautiful day out ... tomorrow is supposed to hit 60! The next day it's supposed to snow. :-)
November 26th-28th
The wood in my van needed some intensive oil treatment to nourish the dried out wood fibers. I used tung oil. Two coats applied, buffed and dried. Thinking of 3 or 4 total coats.
Have put up all but the last cedar plank on the cabover roof. Started to apply cedar to the underbed storage doors and frame.
I'm torn over what type of storage to put near the stove. The propane tank needs an airtight box. I also need area to store food and cookware. The problem is, anything I build will obscure the beautiful woodwork.
November 6th 2003
Curtains! The fabric was bought for 1$ a yard at Walmart. It's a gauzy, stretchy cotton fabric that I backed with black fabric we had hanging around. The tabs that run through the curtain rod are constructed of blue jean denim with contrasting white stitching. The ties that hold the curtains back are also made from denim.
I couldn't find curtain or cup hooks, so I attached the curtain rods with a screw through each end. Inelegant, but it works. The curtain rod at the back of the van is temporary. My existing rods wouldn't stretch long enough to fit over the opening, so I used a piece of wood. The curtains slide, but only with some encouragement. The ones on the real rods slide like a charm.
I'll be going to school in Maine in less then a week. I've told mom that if she wants it, my van is hers. She's been lusting after it all along. :-)
