Price Albert is a hard place to boondock.

 I'm holed up at a truck stop where I'm not a member and wondering as the slots fill up if they'll make me leave. The one next to me is the only one left, I think. This city is hard. They close all park paths and back alleys at 11pm, says the signage, and there's precious little street parking and "no overnight" on every mall parking lot. The only option open is the casino and that sounds like a horrible place. Right on the main drag and constantly busy including drunks?  I will pop in tomorrow and see if the RV'rs there can recommend parking spots nearby.  I really can't pay for campgrounds.  Nice as it would be, my budget doesn;t cover it.

For the most part, the bus runs well enough, she slogs it to get up to speed but given her nature, that seems probably de rigeur. What's maddening is her brake e motor light, and the accompanying brake light keep flashing, to the beat of the windshield washers, half a beat for the brake, then a beat for the brake e motor, and only when at full speed!! Like wtf? maddening.

I put in more fuel today so she's got less of the cruddy stuff and next month I will replace the fuel filter again. This will help clean out any more crud as well as removing what it has captured already. 

My driving is better than my confidence.  I am doing well, and the backup camera helps immensely.  But I still feel terribly anxiuos because I just don't have enough experience to know what something should feel like  or be possible.  I am avoiding the very back roads I need to discover because of it. 

The solar panels managed to charge up the box in spite of the rain, so getting all 6 ganged in was smart. I picked up some batteries for the system but didn't have time to install them.  Given that I have to verifty the strength of the box or improve it, and then fabricate a holder, it requires a place to pause and maybe use my generator.  Not really a parking lot job. Not a campground job either.

It's all still so damn surreal.  At times it slams home that this is it, this is home, my whole world, and I get a rush of joy knowing everything comes where I go and I can go somewhere. Then the anxiety comes along and reminds me I can breakdown or crash there and everything goes. Tough spot emotinoally and it still isn't real most of the time, just kind of a game I'm performing. then I get another call from someone who wants to tweak my nerves over debt and I get another shock of memory.  Oh back and forth. Plus the available funds are so damn slim.

However, I got a tremendous break on both batteries and muffler cost (not done yet though) and I really need to sit down and do a wee bit of accounting.  Figured out it costs me around $70-$75 an hour to drive this beast.  Could be bad math, but seems like that's how fast it drinks diesel on the highway.  As I get better at driving her, and get her kinks ironed out and tuned up, this should improve. But given I can't afford mechanical help, it migth take awhile. 

I continue to knit hard, but honestly, it feels like a longshot worse than taking the free $10 at the casino and trying to make income! Yes, they give you a free coupon to start you on your gambling career.  I'm sure the low value bids win more than the high value bids just to encourage the guppies.  Heck, maybe I will win like I did in niagara. Came away with $7 more than I started with.  LOL  That won't make a huge difference in the fuel and food budget but LOL  

I really feel like I should go there in case I connect with other nomads.  I still am hoping to locate my tribe, you know?  But they seem not to like saskatchewan much.l

Ok, well, that's off my chest, I guess.

Oh, another freaky thing, it's still so weird to see my manly face in the mirror, but I like him.  He's ok.  Not remarkable looking at all, but I like his face. So that's nice.  Good to like your face, eh?

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