My love for Tom Petty

I first began listening to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers when I was maybe 14 or 15 years old. I was living in Stephenville, Newfoundland at the time and like many youth of the day, the song Refugee became the anthem of my rebellious adolescence. So many good songs on Damn the Torpedoes. I bought it on vinyl. I still have one record from my youth. It’s Damn the Torpedoes. Through dozens of moves, packing boxes, from one end of the country to the other, I’ve managed to hang onto hat album. I listened to Tom with the Heartbreakers, and with the Travelling Wilburys, and his solo albums. I’ve owned vinyl, cassettes, and cd’s of his music. I had never dreamed I would see him play live as I had lived for so long on the east coast, where at that time, no one good ever came to play. 

Fast forward to 2010. It was a turning point in my life. My father had recently died. My house had burned to the ground and the community where my father’s family is from, where I was married and built my house and raised my daughter, had closed for good and everyone moved out. I bought a VW Westfalia Vanagon, painted it out, and moved on in along with my kitty, Stormy. We cross the country from Halifax to Victoria, BC, where I made my home base. 

Three friends and I embarked on our first musical adventure together in the VW, named Karma. Our first stop was Portland, Oregon where we Crosby, Stills, and Nash on Friday night and Saturday night we headed for the Gorge, in George, Washington. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were playing, with Joe Cocker opening. It was the most epic and dynamic performance I have ever attended. First of all, it was definitely the most pictureesque setting I had ever been in for a music concert. The Gorge is set along the Columbia River, with the sun setting behind the stage as the main act begins. We had the cheapest tickets but by luck and happenstance, managed to find our way to seats in the 9th row that no one ever turned up for. Tom lit up the stage wearing a gorgeous blue blazer and to be so close as I watched him perform so many of my favorite songs...I was in bliss. I fell in love with Tom Petty all over again. I wanted more. I bought a t-shirt. 

That concert set the bar for the years since then. My friends and I made the trek to Boston to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers play for their 40th year. It was another epic show. We were nowhere near as close as before, sitting in a stadium instead of a natural amphitheatre but it didn’t matter. It was Tom Petty, in person, again. I sang along, hooted and hollered, whooped whooped my way through and danced my heart out. Tom and the guys brought it that night and left it on the stage. In anticipation for that concert, I had gotten another tattoo. It is of the Heartbreakers heart with the Flying V guitar through it like an arrow. I have the lyrics “I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings” tattooed above and below the heart. I bought a sweat jacket at the show. After the show, as we were waiting around for the traffic to clear so we could get a taxi home, I bought a bootleg/reject tshirt. After the guy left, two tour buses pulled up to the lights where we were hanging out...it was TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS! Mike Campbell hung out the window and waved to my friend and I!!! We were literally standing next to the tour bus at the time. My friend was so excited. I WAS EXITED!. We were on a high for quite awhile after that!

Then came October 2, 2017. The day Tom Petty died. I was devastated. I’m still not over it. I’ve been playing Tom Petty videos every day since. Every single day. I can’t seem to get enough, knowing there will never be another show, or another video, or another album. Everything he has recorded is all there ever will be now. It will be hard but it ill have to be enough. Thankfully he left us a wealth of music, with so many fascinating and talented performers that wove in and out of his life. Man, I loved Tom Petty. 

RV Living

I thought I might write a bit about what it is like to live full-time in my RV and still work full time. There is much to love about this, but there are also some challenges. I love the nomadic life it provides me, and have no regrets. Now that I'm curbside/parking lot camping and not in a stationary RV Park there are a few chores that must be done, whether I feel like it or not.

• Once a week I have to make the trek to Fort Victoria RV Park to empty the grey and black water tanks and fill my water tank. This means I have to hook up the hose to the output and pull the plunger first for the pooper, then for the grey water (sink water - dish washing, hand washing, etc. While those are emptying out, I dispense with all of my recycling and garbage, filling the water tank at the same time.   I also check the oil and brake fluid to ensure things are running smoothly. 
• I do not use the shower in the RV (only a couple of times) so shower at my friend's houses and wash up inbetween. I can wash my hair and body in a bowl of water, having learned how to cut my eco footprint over the past couple of years. 
• During the week, I have to move my garbage and deposit recycling on by dropping it in the parking lot garbage. The deposit recycling disappears quite quickly with all the bottle pickers in this city. 
• I rely on my solar charged batteries to charge/power my toys such as my iPads, iPhone, computer, and television. I can also use it for minor low wattage appliances too.. I haven't had a power bill since moving back to Canada as I generate enough of my own. My lights run on my house battery that is charged when I drive the RV. 
• Space is limited, so anytime I buy something for the RV, it has to have more than one purpose if possible. If I buy new clothes, then I have to cull what I have for a bag of clothing. I am a bit of a clothes hog., and this is an ongoing challenge. There is more storage than I thought I would have in here, but it can often be like playing Tetris to make everything fit. 
• My hardwood floors are finally complete - they are easy to take care of and look great. I'm hoping they will help keep the floors a bit warmer this winter, especially if I can't find anywhere to plug in for the winter. It sure takes less time to sweep and mop the RV compared to looking after a house or apartment. 
• Initially I was concerned that the cat litter would be a problem, as it sure was in the Karma van, as Stormy would take a big dump just as I settled into bed each night and stink up the whole RV, however I have been using the crystal litter and have a curtain between the "house' part of the RV and the front cab. I smell virtually nothing until it comes time to change it. Of course, i do hear him in there at times, digging his way to China...the clawing at the side of the litter to lose any litter stuck under his claws. 
• I have two sets of curtains. My regular curtains and my blackout curtains for when I want to curb side camp and not draw too much attention to myself. Now that the mayor here has lifted the restriction about sleeping overnight in vehicles, I don't have to use them as much, but in the summer I like to use them to keep it dark when I want to sleep in. 
• My fridge is quite big for such a small space and constantly amazes me at how much I can fit in there. The only issue is that because of its age, it is not frost free, so the ice builds up in the freezer and I have to thaw it out. 
• I can literally park just about anywhere and live off the grid for a week or more without needing any services. And I have! I should do more exploring than I have, so hope to do a bit this fall. 
• I can watch Netflix just about anywhere in the city as there are Shaw Hotspots just about anywhere, which is awesome. I might not have live TV (which I hate anyway) but this is better. And when I don't have service, I have tons of downloaded content to watch. 
• There is no air conditioning - usually not an issue but this summer we have had a few really hot spells that have me sweating like mad in here at times. It will all be over soon enough and when it gets too hot, I sit outside in the shade of the RV.
• Traffic noise - life in the city is bound to be a bit noisy and with single paned windows and four skylights that I have open most of the year round. At night it calms quite a bit so it isn't keeping me up at night. It's farther away from the busier streets than when I was curbside camping, so that's a bonus of the parking lot. I'm surrounded on three sides by nice residential space with lots of trees which tends to buffer the noise a bit too. 
• I have been documenting most of the places I've camped at one point or another, a bit of a journal, just to keep track. I don't write more than one page most times and try to include some tidbits of life in the RV. 
• Paying for parking has had its own challenges - they came out with an app which worked really well until they updated it and now it's so inaccurate and double charges me, or even triple charges me. So now I am back to using my credit card with the pay station or coins. Annoying as hell, and I have complained more than once to no avail.

So that is the wrap up of RV life...

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Nash and Memphis

Sounds like a country song, but in actual fact, Nash is the resident kitty, and Memphis is a dog I happen to be dog sitting for a week. Neither Nash nor Memphis had any exposure to the other (dogs or cats). From day one, they hit it off. No hissing, growling, or running away. So I have taken to taking Nash out on his leash around the house where I am house sitting as the dog gives him his space and doesn't seem to upset the cat at all, and Nash even rubs up against the dog. Now walking a cat is not at all like walking a dog. There is no real destination in mind, and it isn't about what ground gets covered, or where the best place to pee/poop is. It is simply about holding the leash while the cat sniffs it all out. So my guard was down as he was having a good sniff. And he bolted...ripping the retractable leash right out of my hand. What followed was a complete circus act I'm sure...

Nash ran off, I didn't see where so went running, calling his name everywhere, racing around the yard and the house, calling out. I asked Memphis to help find the cat, and he got the scent, but had no idea what I was asking as he took me into the back yard where we had been, not where the cat was. Around and around I am running, calling out for the cat, cursing it at the same time. Then I hear a kerfuffle in the bushes close to where I lost him and it was Nash! The dog realized this and barked at him, sending Nash under the RV, clattering the leash the whole way. How it didn't get caught in the bushes, I do not know. It would have helped...so then Nash is under the RV, but has jumped up onto something under there, so all I can see is the damn retractable leash case, unlocked so with every move, it keeps letting out the lead. All I could think of is that goddamn cat getting tangled up in the mechanical bits underneath, exhaust system, or who the hell knows. I couldn't reach him so went in search of something to at least snag the leash with. Came back with a hoe. Seemed less scary than a rake. Well that didn't help matters, as I could not snag the leash and the metal clanging just freaked him out. So he jumped down from where he was and moved someplace else, still under the RV, up onto something.

Hmm, what to do next. Cat is howling and dog is anxious to see the cat, not helping matters much as he pants heavily while he paces next to the RV. So I decide to go put the dog on the leash, but that still isn't far enough for Nash to jump down. Okay, put dog in the house. Wait, the door is locked, go grab the keys from the RV. Damn I'm hot, change while I'm in there out of my work clothes that are suffocating me, and go to lock the dog in the house while I rescue the cat. Dog won't come. I have to go and drag him towards the steps as he wanted to be there to see the cat I'm sure. I don't care, you have to go into the house. Get the dog in the house, go back to rescuing cat. Laid a blanket down on the ground, then realized if the cat is trapped by his leash, I'll need something to cut it. WTF? Back into the RV, digging for a pair of cutting pliers, then back under the RV. Can't reach the cat, dosen't seem to be tangled up yet. I crawl back out from under the RV - can't get close enough to grab him anyhow as the RV is too low. NOW WHAT?

Next thing I know, Nash has scrabbled out from under the RV and ran into the bushes again. Dammit. So off I ran, and out he ran again down into the yard, then around the house, then around the RV again, into the bushes and around again we went before the leash finally got hooked up in one of the railings. I was beat out and panting hard in this smokey air (forest fire smoke from the mainland) so I threw the cat in the RV and went and let the dog out - no walk for anyone tonight - there was enough running around the yard! Damn I'm tired...

Catching Up

snow at the RV park...ugh

I know. I haven’t written in MONTHS! Life just gets away on us sometimes and because my iPads refuse to run the Blogger app without crashing, I have to dig out my laptop that is otherwise rarely used for anything but watching videos connected to my tv. Lamest excuse ever, but there you have it.

the Nash(hole)

January in Victoria. Crappy weather that was uncharacteristically cold, sick with the plague for weeks, and a Nashole that wouldn’t quit. Yes, Nashole. That is what I call Nash (resident kitty) when he is an asshole and keeps me awake all night. January was not all bad though. I went to see Blue Rodeo with my friend H. and had a great time! I really enjoy them and this is the second time I’ve seen them here in Victoria. I think I even sat in the same seats, ha ha. We also purchased tickets to see Tom Petty in Boston. There are nine of us going to Boston, so it’s sure to be a good time. I’m only going for 5 days though, so quick trip. In the fall we have tickets to see Gordon Lightfoot – I have been wanting to see him since I was a young girl. We first learned about him in Grade 3 when we learned the Canadian Railroad Trilogy.

We made our semi-regular dinner parties into a more formal club, with its own Facebook group (closed). We called it the Coffee Table Supper Club, and we document what we eat each week, and who contributed which, and who was present, and so on. We have missed the past couple of weeks as we have all been so busy and our most frequent hostess is now off on different days than usual, so it has wreaked havoc with our schedules. Hopefully we can return to some normalcy soon as I quite enjoy it.

sunset at West Bay Marine Village

I was still living at West Bay Marine Village for the winter up until mid-March when they closed for renovations by the property owners. Since then I have been camping out in a residential parking lot in Victoria. It’s right on the edge of downtown, surrounded by houses on three sides and a ballfield on the fourth. It’s $10/day for 24 hours, which is cheap enough and I get wifi signal there (Shaw). It is just a few blocks from my friends’ houses and a half a block to the bus stop for my bus to work, or I can just walk downtown.  It can get busy when there are ball games on or other events, but so far, it has been pretty chill to park there, with no real hassles at all. I can only stay for 5 days at a time, so I was spending 2-3 nights a week parked on another street in front of my friend’s house until she pulled her RV out for our last camping trip and parked in that spot. Then I parked in front of the neighbor’s house, as he had also said it was okay. Shortly after we both began getting parking tickets in a flurry…I got the fuck out of there. She continued to get tickets for parking in front of her own house! Jerks. So now I just leave town for a night on the weekends to either a friend’s house, or camping on the beach, or whatever! It’s summer so I tend to travel much more.

winter snow in Esquimalt

I was interviewed by Radio Canada, the French CBC radio regarding my sleeping in my vehicle in parking lots and curbside, tickets that were gotten, etc. The mayor had made a statement earlier in the week about not wanting people who are sleeping in their vehicles to be ticketed any longer, particularly those who are unable to afford/find housing in the city but still have jobs. The housing market here is shocking – there is almost nothing available that normal folks can afford. The interview was not a live one, rather an information gathering one for possible future story with photos. I haven’t heard from them since.

Nash at Esquimalt Lagoon

Spring was so late arriving, the cherry blossoms didn’t come out until March! It is usually late January or early February but instead it was freezing cold for months. The weather has only just warmed up a few weeks ago. Ridiculous, but still better than winter in any other part of Canada! We did get snow a few times, but it only stayed a few days, and I didn’t have to shovel. I did have to wear my winter boots though as waiting for the bus got very chilly!

April and May were busy. I began planning my next journey – I want to do the Inca Trail next spring if at all possible. It does depend on many things – my job status (I am still only a contract worker with no benefits) my physical health as I am still working on getting into shape. I take the stairs to the 4^th floor at work several times per day so that is certainly helping. I don’t own a car so I am on foot most of the time unless I want to do a big grocery shop, then I take the RV, but other times I have just taken the bus there and cabbed it home.

In April, my friend Leah Craig – The Enlightened Canvas, had an art show in Fernwood that we all went to and bought some of her work. She is a single mom who is very talented and is very motivated to get her career moving. As a result of her show in Fernwood, they have asked her to become part of their Artist society to help plan and carry out future art shows, which is terrific for her and her career!

In May I journeyed to a remote First Nation’s community called Ahousaht. It is northwest of Tofino, which is on the west coast of Vancouver Island. We had to take a private boat to the community as it is on one of the bigger islands. My coworker and friend is from that community and her mom had passed away so my manager and I decided to get a rental and drive there for the funeral, staying overnight in Tofini. It was a beautiful trip there, as we passed by mountains, islands, tiny communities, and calm waters. Our friend was very happy to see us as it was a surprise for her. The funeral was quite different than any I had ever been to or I should say, not been to. The women were not meant to go to the graveside service. There had been a church service the night before, but not with the deceased there. She was taken by boat after we arrived to be laid to rest in Ahousaht, and traditionally, women did not go to the graveside ceremony, so my friend did not. Many others did, but my friend was unhappy that they did. This was followed by a feast at the gymnasium. We did not see any singing, drumming, or other ceremony. At the feast, certain family members got up to speak and thank people. That was it. We ate and left.

French Beach Park

I went camping at French Beach Provincial Park in May. My friend B. was also there with his campervan. It was a lovely campground, right next to the beach, which we walked. Nice sandy beach too. I’ve since been to Goldstream in early June for my friend’s little one’s 4^th birthday. There was quite a crew of us that went, and it was a pretty good time except when my candles were blown out…I had lit nearly 100 tea lights and placed them in the woods, and they looked gorgeous. Then one of my drunken friends, thinking I had gone to bed (it was about 11pm – I never go until 2am or later when camping) and I couldn’t relight them because they were liquid and ruined. I was pretty pissed off as I had waited all year to go camping and light those candles and someone fucked it up for me. I also spent two nights at Island View Campground which is right on the beach. No real services there, but for $20/night, it works. We are going there today to spend time at the beach if any of those drunken heads are up for it as there was a birthday party last night.

camping at Sooke

I made a couple of trips out to Sooke to visit a coworker/friend and camped there overnight as she has a giant parking lot on her property. It’s in the woods with large rolling hills next door with horses in the meadows. Gorgeous. She is a lot of fun to hang with and no dramas. She is going to kitty sit when I go to Boston, as I can also park the RV there while I’m away. Much more secure than the parking lot.

my cubicle at work

Work is going well – I have helped more than 60 children progress towards permanency, so that is pretty awesome. I love doing most of the work too, particularly the genograms. I am still waiting for them to post my permanent position so I can apply for it. I will have to compete, but I am truly hoping I get one of the 8 positions. We have been told the team will not continue with the exact work I am doing now but definitely related. I just really want a permanent position so I can relax and settle somewhat here in Victoria for a while. I haven’t had any medical, dental, or vacation benefits since I left Australia, so any time I take off is without pay, including my trip to Boston. I do want to remain in Victoria but willing to travel anywhere on the island if need be or for short trips to the mainland.

Speaking of genealogy…I did send my DNA off to be analyzed by Ancestry.ca. It came back that I was Newfoundland Scot (the largest percentage), Irish Scot, and more distantly but still 13% Iberian Peninsula – Spain and Portugal. That would explain our brown hair and brown eyes that are so prominent in my paternal family.

And speaking of family…my daughter is doing well in her life, working in a job she likes and is recognized for with promotions and awards, and just moved in with her significant other and is quite in love and seems to be very happy with her life, which makes me very happy for her. She has become an urban farmer, complete with gardens and chickens!

So here we are, early July and I am heading off to the beach shortly. Life is good.