Glamper or Clampet ?

Last Saturday, Hubs and I went to Harbor Freight for him to return something and he came out with this shiny new trailer jack for Blue.  Previously Hubs had to have a worker come over whenever we wanted to move Blue.  I must confess as I sat in the car during his Harbor Freight expedition I thought, "I know why it is called HARBOR freight.... everything comes here from CHINA...and faithful readers know how I feel about that.

Wednesday we took off  on a license search.  Friends had advised us "Do Not go to the Darlington County DMV...go to the one in Bishopville."  A very nice and intelligent young lady waited on us.  After hearing our complicated tale of the camper with no VIN, no title, and no license she consulted her 4" thick manual and advised us to call the State DMV in Columbia.  I did as advised; the worker there advised me to call the Chief Title Officer.  I did but she was out. I called Thursday and they kindly told me her child was sick and they weren't sure when she would return.  Still not there Friday.  All state offices are instructed by our nice polite female governor to answer the phone, "It's a Great Day in South Carolina!"  When I get a registration it will truly be "A Great Day in South Carolina!"  Not to have the day ruined Hubs and I stopped at Watford's Bar B Que for lunch.  Yummo.  We would have waited and gone to Westwood Bar B Que but it was Wednesday, Dale.

Yesterday I was hard at work again.  Down came the rusty copper stove hood and the dirty "stainless" back splashes.

This is the box of vintage accessories (ie junk) I filled yesterday.

We have more silverware!  Under the sink nested in the insulation over the tire well were spoons and forks, even an iced teaspoon.  I do think some fancy mice (I refuse to say or think R-A-T-S) lived in Blue once upon a time,long, long ago of course.  We even found three utensils on top of the camper.  Left from the mouse picnic/reunion I presume.

Much of my time yesterday was spent removing 68 screws and four light sockets.  Hubs decided that the ugly rust streaks on the camper's outside walls were caused by the previous owner not using stainless screws.  I was to take all the offending screws out while he went to get new stainless ones.  Two hours later....all screws out; Hubs no where to be found.  When he arrives he explains how there isn't a single stainless screw in Hartsville.  He had to order them.  I have nightmares of the camper siding collapsing off the camper in the meantime.

Just to leave you on a cheery note...look at this darling paper pieced car and camper.  I have decided my next quilt will be a camper quilt....so stay tuned.

By the way the Clampet in the title?  My Husband with a very slight hearing deficiency thinks I've been calling Blue a Clampet instead of a Glamper.  I think he also thinks we are on the Beverly Hillbillies; but I'm not telling him any different.

Demolition Derby

Three more wonderful artifacts from the bowels of the Glamper.  A nice white Made in Japan Great Dane....he was a worn off brown but I bleached and scrubbed him white.  The plastic thingy is a a Memo pad and pencil holder.  I am a huge note maker so this will come in handy.  Oh, and two "silver" spoons....after I have polished them and put them thru the dishwasher. You can see how well that worked.

This copper thing is a gas lamp.  I know that because it is attached to the propane tubing and I read about them in vintage camper blogs.  They had a little mantle so you could have light when camping in the great beyond with no electricity.  The one on the right is an electric light base.  Both are gone now; although Hubs wants to restore the gas one.

Hubs is removing the fridge.  I did all the detaching of it from the cabinet but when I pulled it out it was hung up by a cord and I couldn't get it released.  There was a strong rat pee odor (similar to cat pee odor) and rat pellets in the insulation under the fridge.  It looked like something moved down in there so I called for reinforcements.  No mice seen yet....good thing...it might be the end of glamming up the glamper.  Snakes, spiders, and wasps I can take....mice not so much.

 I got this closet demolished as well as the one holding the fridge.

Here is my BFF Rita wielding the hammer on the closet she is removing.  She was all too happy to get in on the glamming.  She has signed up for the first glamping trip.

 Hubs is disconnecting the gas stove from the propane tubing.  Alas I was not strong enough to turn that rust connection.

The glamper is looking nice and roomy with all the closets out.  On the right is the tiny sink and the cabinet that the stove sat in.  They are next on my list for destruction.

A few more artifacts were found today.  The frying pan and pot inside of which is a red metal thingy, some wooden checkers AND a package of Sweet and Low.  There were at least a dozen packs of Sweet and Low in the camper which had not been touched by the mice.  Makes me wonder if the mice know something we don't know.  The dented rusted round thing is a hub cap....for a wheel not for Hubs.

Oh and I must mention my daughter Gabby has identified Andy Gibb of the BeeGees as the handsome young man with pilot hat in the first glamper post.  I must say I have looked at 9,102 pictures of the BeeGees on Google Images and not found one of him in a pilot hat but it does seem likely it is him and she wins a free glamping trip for her identification unless she is proven wrong.

Glamper Fix-It Girl

Today, Saturday has been a big glamping day.  Lots of progress.  I am learning to use the battery charged screwdriver VERY successfully.  (A  woman must have invented this handy dandy device!)

 I removed the bunk over the "couch".  At 68 I am not too old to camp or glamp but I am not interested in bunking anywhere, anytime.   For dear daughter's info....this "couch" will be a comfy double bed when I am finished.  The other end will have another comfy double bed.= more room than our King size mattress.

This is just some of the junk we hauled our of Blue today. 

Yesterday Hubs and I went and scouted around Hartsville for Glamper supplies (electrical plugs).  We priced windows etc....  but at Browns RV we saw Hubs dream camper!  I taught the owner of Browns, Barry Brown, so Hubs was wheeling and dealing on this Starcraft lollapalosa camper. What is not to like about a fireplace, full size fridge, bathroom and roomy shower, queen size bed, two recliners and a couch? I had to drag Hubs out of there.

 

Meanwhile here I am under Blue.  We borrowed a "creeper" (thing I am lying on, has wheels) from Dean's Service Center for the weekend.  Hubs had trashed all protective eye wear he had so my Sally Jesse Raphael Glasses are serving the purpose.

In case you are wondering, and I hope you are, why I am under the glamper....see pic at left.  Some vine, it must have been wisteria has embedded itself in the frame and walls of Blue.  Unfortunately, I do believe we will have to take the siding off to rid her of this pest.

In case this looks like all work and no fun....these are the artifacts I found so far.  Two bird cages (one already gone to the DC Dump) a truck tag from 1981 and a 1972 dime.

Last but not least is a post card from Garden City Beach.  There was a fair amount of sand under the bunk mattress so I had already deduced Blue had been to the beach!  I didn't read every Nancy Drew for nothin' folks.

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures from Glamper Girl and Her Blue Heaven!

Camper/Glamper

Last Monday Hubs surprised me by getting me a vintage camper. I have been pestering my neighbor, former owner of the camper to sell it to me. No dice. A bit of a hoarder she likes to hold on to her stuff. Having lost most of her sight to macular degeneration this retired 78 year old special ed teacher succumbed to my husbands charms and gave the camper to him.

 Here she is folks.  Remember this is a BEFORE picture.  She will look glorious when "glammed" up.

 She has two cute little cubbies over her "dining" area with sliding wood doors.  The W stands for "White"  the last owner's last name....maybe.  There are the remains of press on letters on the back front and side and my best guess so far is "White".  (For those who like a mystery....the lady who gave it to me can't remember where or when she got the camper.  She does know she never camped in her.  This makes getting a title for her (the camper is female) interesting, maybe even challenging.  The first mystery we had to solve was what make, model and year of camper was she.  The Internet was a huge help in finding out she is a Holiday Trav'ler, 1961 vintage.  Hey, no comments,she is younger than me.

 Doesn't the site of this stove, sink and rectangular frying pan just make you want to eat a meal cooked in her?  One day she will be "state of the art" if my children's inheritance holds out.  Do note the stainless steel back splash.  Blue, her name, short for My Blue Heaven, was ahead of her time with the stainless!

 However her former owner opted for the copper colored fridge.  That was big in the 60's. Blue's hey day.  My mother-in-law still has her copper fridge, stove, oven, and dish washer.

 Under the lovely picture window in the rear will be a sofa cum bed.

 Hubs has repeatedly told me he is not working on Blue.  He is a liar.  Here he is working on her door. 

These are two pieces of ephemera that I found in Blue.  The kitchen shelf paper so cute.  Don't know who the pilot guy is?  Anybody have any ideas?

A shout out to Rose, Michael and Megan who helped clean the glamper last Friday.  Megan has volunteered to go glamping with me in her.  Any other offers?  Only the adventurous need apply.

The China Syndrome

Saturday, January 7, I was driving home from Darlington and happened to catch This American Life on NPR (National Public Radio).  I used to subscribe to their pod cast and listen each week.  Lately, I haven't been able to get in the two other programs I download so I've been skipping This American Life.

 

Saturday's  program will be a life changer for me.  Mr. Daisey ended up touring many of China's factories and what he saw was astounding and terrible.  Children as young as eleven begin working in these factories, 16 hour days and seven day weeks are normal.  The workers are housed in 12 x 12 rooms with bunk beds 15 stories high with only enough room between the bed on top of the them to slip into their bunk.  Go to this link to learn more.

 

Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory

Mike Daisey was a self-described "worshipper in the cult of Mac." Then he saw some photos from a new iPhone, taken by workers at the factory where it was made. Mike wondered: Who makes all my crap? He traveled to China to find out.

 

I feel so sorry for the Chinese people forced to work in these factories.  Want something handmade?  According to Mr. Daisey, everything in China is hand made. 

 

I also feel guilty.  Why?  I don't own a factory here, there or anywhere.  But I am an American and we consume more than any other country or people on earth.  And we are never satisfied.  Got a flat screen tv?  You need an LCD!  Got an LCD? You need blue-ray or 3-D.  Have a 4G phone?  You NEED a 5G.  You get the picture.  And what is worse we are raising even bigger consumers in our homes.  New everything for them.  No more hand-me-down.  Certainly no hand-made by Mama clothes or curtains.

 

I am worried/ okay concerned to use the Christian euphanism.  Have all our US dollars gone to China? Do we owe them gagillions of dollars?  Are they going to foreclose and take our country/collateral.

It sure seems possible.

 

I've been mulling on this since Saturday.  Tonight at dinner I commented to Hubs....at least our food isn't made in China.  Then I looked at the jar of pears on the table.  "Product of China".  My heavens the USA used to be the "breadbasket of the world."  Our farmers could feed the world...and now we are buying food from China.  I astounded.

 

I am going to try not to buy any products from China.  I don't know if that is possible any more.  It may mean only buying older used products that were made back in the day when Americans made things.  It may mean making my own stuff.....clothes etc.... or paying more.....which will be hard for me because I am CHEAP and want the best buy for the money.  Hubs says I can keep my Taurus it is still made in the USA as far as we know.

 

I'll keep you posted.  Let me know how you feel about this and what you think.

H-U-M-I-L-I-A-T-I-O-N

Here is a list of all of the teams who have given up 70 points in a bowl game: The 2011-12 Clemson Tigers. That's the list. The West Virginia Mountaineers broke a bowl scoring record in their 70-33 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl, embarrassing the Tigers in the process. While West Virginia have a very good offense, it hasn't shown itself to be capable of putting up the kind of points they put up on Wednesday night, even while playing some weak opposition.

The West Virginia Mountaineers had lost their last two bowl games headed into Wednesday's Orange Bowl match up against Clemson.
On Wednesday, they played like they were one of the best teams in the country.
The Mountaineers came into the game averaging 34.9 points per game, but the Tigers couldn't have been prepared for what awaited them. In fact, it didn't appear they were prepared at all.
By the end of it, the Mountaineers had blown out the Tigers, 70-33, ending what had been a Cinderella season for Clemson and making a statement about the heavily criticized Big East.

Needless to say last night's Orange Bowl was a disaster for our Tigers.  It got me thinking about humiliation.

hu·mil·i·a·tion

   /hyuˌmɪliˈeɪʃən or, often, yu-/ Show Spelled[hyoo-mil-ee-ey-shuhn or, often, yoo-] Show IPA

noun

1.

an act or instance of humiliating or being humiliated.

2.

the state or feeling of being humiliated; mortification.

 Boy am I glad I looked that up, Not. 

 

 So I will tell you my idea.  I think the root word of humiliation is humility. 

 

I just checked the Blue Letter Bible Website and found these definitions:

 

tapeinōsis

tä-pā'-nō-sēs

low estate, humiliation, vile, be made low

tapeinophrosynē

tä-pā-no-fro-sü'-nā

humility, humbleness of mind, humility of mind, lowliness, lowliness of mind

I think the opposite of humilty is PRIDE.

ga`avah	gah·av·ä'	pride, excellency, haughtiness, arrogancy, highness, proud, proudly, swelling
H1347	גָּאוֹן ga'own	gä·ōhn'	pride, excellency, majesty, pomp, swelling, arrogancy, excellent, proud
H1348	גֵּאוּת ge'uwth	gā·üth'	pride, majesty, proudly, raging, lifting up, excellent things
H1466	גֵּוָה gevah	gā·vä'	pride, lifting up
H2087	זָדוֹן zadown	zä·dōn'	pride, presumptuously, proud
H1344	גֵּאָה ge'ah	gā·ä'	pride
H1467	גֵּוָה gevah (Aramaic)	gā·vä'	pride
H2103	זוּד zuwd (Aramaic)	züd	pride
H7407	רֹכֶס rokec	rō'·kes	pride
H7830	שַׁחַץ shachats	shakh'·ats	lion, pride
H1363	גֹּבַהּ gobahh	gō'·vah	height, high, pride, excellency, haughty, loftiness

Greek Results (New Testament)

Strongs #	Translit.	Pronunciation	English Equivalent
G5243	ὑπερηφανία hyperēphania	hü-pe-rā-fä-nē'-ä	pride
G212	ἀλαζονεία alazoneia	ä-lä-zo-nā'-ä	boasting, pride
G5187	τυφόω typhoō	tü-fo'-ō	be proud, be lifted up with pride, highminded

I won't belabor the point; I myself am riddled with pride.  It shows it self in a critical judgemental attitude.  I pray that I will allow the Lord to rid me of it without having to be publically humiliated.

Repentance is the only solution.  I pray for a spirit of repentance to come over me, my church, my country, and the world.  Will you join me?