Wallydocking in Walmart parking lots

Boondocking: to camp with your vehicle in remote areas such as deep woods or desert locations, without power, sewer, or water hookups.

Wallydocking: to do this in Walmart parking lots :)

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love Walmart. I didn't used to, since they all look basically the same and are all filled with identical cheap stuff from China. But let's face it. They have everything you need at an affordable price, and (best of all), they allow you to park overnight. At least most of them do. You can literally live at Walmart and make it your home if you want to.
Tonight I am parked in another Walmart lot, and I must say, I've gotten pretty used to it. It is nice to be able to use their bathroom in the morning (and at night), to know I am permitted to park here, to run inside and buy something if I need it, to not need my LED lights since their parking lot lights are so bright, to be camped out next to other vans & RVs doing the same thing as me, and to just feel safe. Almost every single Walmart that I've parked at has had a friendly security guard patrolling the lot & especially looking out for us overnighters :-) It just makes me feel good to know that I am parked in a secure place and even being looked out for.

I definitely park at other places, too, like the occasional truck stop, 24-hr grocery store, friend's driveway, rest area, park, or forest. When I'm near an unknown city, though, and actually looking for a place to spend the night, I always check out http://www.parkfreeovernight.com/ first to see if there is a Walmart nearby. If there is, I go there. Walmart makes things easy, it is just a safe and easy overnight solution. If there isn't a Walmart nearby, my 2nd step is to check http://www.freecampgrounds.com/. If nothing there looks good, I check my "2008 The RVer's Friend: North American Diesel/Parking Directory" for nearby truckstops that allow vehicle overnight parking. If no truckstops are nearby, I check http://www.casinocamper.com/ for nearby Casino lots, I look in my road atlas for nearby rest areas, or I just drive around and find something that looks good. I must say, however, there is usually a Walmart nearby, which is why I could possibly be considered a regular Wallydocker.

My Van Routine While Working

I have officially completed my one week of temporary work that I found using Craigslist. It was a serious Valentine's week fruit frenzy, consumed with preparing melon, kale, & strawberries, wrapping fruit arrangements, boxing up chocolate-dipped berries, loading trucks, doing dishes, and so much more. It was work, but it was wonderful. After heading out of there today with 320 bucks in my pocket, new job experience, fun memories, and an open invitation back, I felt like a million bucks. I felt complete and accomplished, knowing that I had done something really worthwhile this week. I had given a new job my 110%, helped create stunning edible art that made their recipients happy, met a group of extremely kind & hardworking people, and completed every task that they had needed me for. I truly feel blessed to have stumbled upon that job! It was everything I love doing and more: working with my hands, being precise & detail conscious, multi-tasking, and being surrounded by colorful, beautiful, delicious fruit... I especially lucked out that their kitchen crew was so friendly and fun. They felt like family after only 6 straight days, and they gave me an incredible parting Valentine's Day gift (thank you Diane, Kathy, Dawn, & Brian)...

I have no problems working while living in a vehicle, but that is because I'm quite used to it, and I try to plan everything ahead. You can just park at your job overnight, allowing you to sleep in later & save on gas, among other conveniences. Every working situation is different when it comes to your parking arrangement, shower set-up, etc., but for this particular job, here is a description of what my typical routine was.

Parking:

For the first few days, I parked about 20 minutes away in a friend's driveway. Work started daily at 7am, so I got up at 6:00 every morning, got ready inside my van, headed out by 6:30, and arrived at the job 10 minutes early. I definitely felt like part of the busy-city job-commute, jumping on the freeway every morning with the intense mad-morning traffic rush. Driving to work was always this fast blur of red brake-lights, tail-lights, speed-racers, and congestion. Driving in AM-hour work-traffic like that is not my thing. I am much more of a country mouse than a city mouse. So after 3 days of the Tampa workforce commute, I decided to change my routine. For my last 3 days of work, I just kept my van parked in the lot where I was working. That was just wonderful, because it was a shared business lot that contained a busy supermarket, so there were other cars parked there all night as well. Nobody bothered me or my van a bit, and I didn't even change parking spots because I was just so lazy and tired when I got out work. Parking there allowed me to sleep in half an hour later each morning, still get ready inside my van, and then just walk only 30 seconds to get into work.

Nightly Prep:

Every night before I went to bed, I made sure to set out everything I needed for the next morning. That made getting ready much easier each morning since I'm always a little sluggish when I first wake up. I have a tendency to hit snooze several times before getting out of bed (using the alarm feature on my iPhone) if it is still dark outside ...

I keep all my clothes folded neatly inside plastic totes so they don't end up all wrinkly. I laid out the clothes that I wanted to wear the next day, and I put my vitamins in a little plastic baggie to take to work with me. If I needed to make a lunch for the next day, I made it the night before. I also made sure that I had my laundry done ahead of time and that I had something in my van to eat for breakfast. I emptied out my portable urinal so it wouldn't be full when I tried to use it in the morning while half asleep, and I made sure that I had enough water for the next morning: to drink, rinse out my cereal bowl, brush my teeth, and things like that. Usually I've got at least one extra jug full of water, but I double-checked at night, just in case. It is no fun to run behind in the morning or make things harder for yourself when there is no need for that. Just plan ahead. The place I worked this week was right next to a supermarket, which was wonderful. It was easy for me to re-fill my gallon water jugs in the evening for only 30 cents each.

Going to the Bathroom:

When I wake up, I need to go to the bathroom. Doesn't everyone? For going #1, I use a Lady J (like a funnel for a woman to easily pee into a bottle) and the complementary portable urinal (both of these gadgets are essential for me, I use them all the time!!). Even if I am parked outside of a 24-hour Walmart, I prefer to just pee inside my van, using my Lady J and my leak-proof bottle. For going #2, I've got a coffee can & plastic bags inside my van (just dispose of them in public garbage cans), but I hardly ever use that method. I'd rather sit on a toilet, so when it comes to going #2, I look for a bathroom. If I am parked outside of a Walmart or truck-stop, I just go inside and use the bathroom first thing in the morning. For the first 3 days of this work week, when I woke up parked in my friend's driveway, I used the toilet that is hooked upto sewer in his backyard. For the last 3 days of work, when I was parked in the job's parking lot, I just waited until I actually went into work and used the bathroom there. No biggie. You never really have to worry about it that much. Just get yourself a pee bottle and park somewhere where a public bathroom is pretty close nearby. When you've gotta go, you've gotta go, and something will come up. There are bathrooms (and bushes) everywhere. Just keep toilet paper inside your van :)

Showering:

For different options of where to get showers, first check out this earlier posting where I gave various possibilities. My favorite places to shower are at community swimming pools/aquatic centers, state or city parks, and friend's houses. If you've got a long-term job or are staying in one place for awhile, a fitness-center or gym is a terrific shower option.

This week, I washed my hair 3 times, but only showered twice. The first time I showered, I used a friend's house. The second time I showered, I used a solar-shower in my friend's backyard. The next time I desperately needed a shower (but one wasn't readily accessible), I simply washed my hair in the bathroom sink at the place I was working. The owner was extremely nice about it, he was more than willing to let me clean up in there (I asked first) :)

Solar showers are the best shower option, though, in my opinion. I love solar showers because showering outdoors is the most refreshing feeling ever (on a warm day), and using the sun to heat up your water is free, environmentally friendly, and efficient.

If you don't have time to wait for the sun to heat up your solar shower (or if it is a cloudy day), you can just fill up your solar shower with hot water from a sink in a bathroom somewhere. Fast-food restaurant bathrooms work well because the bathrooms are usually private, with only one door that you can lock. Put the solar shower in a backpack, go into a bathroom, and fill er up (as much as you can)!

I actually filled up our solar shower in a Wendy's bathroom the other day and took a shower inside my van. I bought an inflatable kid's pool (4 feet across) at Walmart, and it fits perfectly on the floor inside my van. I hung the solar shower on the bar for the pop-top, sat down in the kiddie pool, and showered. It worked great! :) Then I just emptied the pool out into a nearby patch of grass.

My morning getting-ready routine:

Hit snooze a few times, get out of bed, turn on my bright little LED lantern, pop in my contacts, wipe my face off with some witch hazel on a cotton ball, eat a chocolate calcium chew, pee into my portable urinal, wash my hands with an antibacterial wet-wipe, eat a bowl of cereal (with semi-warm soy milk), swish some water around in my bowl to rinse it (dump the water on the ground outside the van), dry out the bowl and spoon with my dish-towel, get dressed, drink some water, take a couple vitamins, brush my hair, brush my teeth, rinse out my mouth with water, spit it on the ground outside the van, put my phone in its holster on my hip pocket, put my ID in my back pocket, slip on my shoes, grab my key, lock up the van, and head out to work for the day.

It really is as easy as 123. There is a simple solution for just about everything, you just need to be optimistic, flexible, and open-minded. I tend to rough it a little bit, but it works well for me, and I have fun doing it. That is the most important thing. Just to have fun. If you aren't enjoying what you are doing, then perhaps you should be doing something else, or you should try to do what you are doing a little bit differently. Trial and error is how we all learn, and eventually you will get down the routine that works best for you.

Cheap (or Free do-it-yourself) Haircuts

I have never been daring enough to cut my own hair (even though it is long, extremely straight, and probably easy to cut), but now believe I can do it (and so can you).

Jana left a comment on that post I wrote regarding haircuts, and she provided some video links that I finally got around to watching. I think they are just terrific! Thanks, Jana, I'm seriously going to try and cut my own hair the next time I need a trim, and I'm actually excited about it!

The lady in these videos is very to-the-point and does a good job of explaining. If you would like to cut your own hair, definitely check out her videos. Be sure to take Jana's advice and watch the videos all the way through, because some have additional tips at the very end.

There are videos for 3 different cuts - the Blunt Cut (straight across), Layered Cut (easiest cut to do), and the V-Cut. I'm eventually going to try the layered cut on myself, and I can't wait to see how it goes. Whenever I attempt it, I will let you know.


Here are the links to the videos on her actual site:
1. Blunt Cut - http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/trim-your-hair.html

2. Layered Cut - http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/long-layered-haircut.html

3. V-Cut - http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/long-haircut.html


If you prefer YouTube, here are the direct YouTube links to the same videos, although the website links above provide some written info:  
1. Blunt Cut - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUTpkP-4tlk

2. Layered Cut - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNzLZ7H7FfI

3. V-Cut - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq-TwajbJpY

This lady really does give great visuals, and she makes it obvious that it is extremely simple to cut your own hair. Plus, I've noticed that when I get my hair layered in one salon, the next time I get it layered in a different salon, they don't necessarily trim the ends of the same layers, resulting in split-ends that remain all over the place. If I layer my own hair the same way every time (basically pulling it into a ponytail on top of my head & cutting about 2 inches off the top), then I think I am actually guaranteed to kill all the split ends every single time.

Want a cheap haircut from someone else? Try a cosmetology school or beauty academy.

Want a haircut for free? Try it yourself!

Key West, Florida

I didn't have many opportunities to post while I was recently down in the Keys for a week, and I've got some more pictures to share before too much time passes... Enjoy!

A Psychic Reading business in the middle of the Keys. It had a solid concrete roof! I bet they could predict a hurricane in their future and took preventative measures :)

Also in the middle of the Keys, this foot-bridge (the old bridge) runs parallel to U.S. 1.

I thought the giant tree growing on it was pretty impressive.

In Tampa I saw some pretty obscene bathroom artwork, but check out this bathroom that I came across in Key West! Definitely the opposite:

(in my stall)

(by the sinks)

(and on the door)

The next photos are of my favorite performers this year in Mallory Square, right during the nightly Sunset Celebration. Other misc. performers included fire breathers, a juggler on a super high unicycle, excellent fire jugglers, dog tricks, a bagpipe player, all sort of wild stuff. These particular guys had the whole package. They were funny, well rehearsed, professional, and utterly amazing. One of them could juggle knives while standing on one leg, on top of the other one's head. He also balanced upside-down, on his own head, on top of the other one's head.

The final image for today is headed away from Key West... I wasn't driving, this was when I was eagle-eyein for alligators.

Hundreds of Alligators!!

The frigid weather followed me right on down to Key West, so yesterday I decided to drive north and sneak up on some warmer weather elsewhere. Instead of taking I-75 (aka "Alligator Alley") back across the state, I took Hwy 41 (Tamiami Trail) west from Miami towards Naples.

I have REALLY been wanting to see alligators roaming around in the wild for quite some time now, and I always keep an eye out for them any time I am near the Everglades. I didn't see a single alligator on this trip heading over to the Keys, so on the way back I kept my fingers crossed and looked even harder.

Let me just say that I was finally in the right place, at the right time. Not only did I see one alligator, but I saw HUNDREDS of them. Once I spotted my first one, I started spotting them just a few feet apart from eachother....and for miles! and miles! and miles! They were laying on rocks, relaxing in the water, and also hanging out on the shore next to a little stream running along-side the road. Every time I pulled over I was seriously close to them. It was just awesome. Such huge reptiles...

I really expected them to be greener, but they were really dark, almost black. I highly doubt that so many of them normally hang out along-side the road, but it was extremely chilly yesterday, so I think they must have been trying to soak up the sunshine next to the shore. It was perfect timing driving by, since the sun was nicely high in the sky. And since they must have been cold, they were moving really slow yesterday (I was very pleased about that). I hear that May is the time to stay away from them (mating season).

To-Do: See an alligator in the wild

Alright, I can finally cross that one off the list!

I love Key West

It is 9pm and my laptop battery power is down to 37%, so I'm going to hurry and try to crank out a photo-filled blog post before my computer dies. Mission = Speed. Then I will find a place to charge my laptop tomorrow, probably either at a laundromat or the library, and I will post again as soon as I can after that.

I just took a shower at my secret spot here in the Keys, went and filled up our water jugs at Publix, and am currently snacking on yummy organic crackers in my van. I pulled into a random parking lot here along North Roosevelt Blvd (aka U.S. Highway 1) which heads right into Key West, and I've lucked out. Tons of unsecured wi-fi signals. I connected right away to one called "KeyWestDonut," although I don't see any donut places nearby. Just big chain stores like Home Depot & Walgreens. This part of Key West is called "New Towne," I think, and it is right as you head into the island. This part of town is all built up with the traditional stores that I don't feel belong here, which is why I don't spend any of my daytime hours up this way. All of my time lately has been spent either at the beach or down in Old Towne.

Heading down thru the keys, on the only road to Key West:

Upon arrival in Key West:






Yup, I sure do love it down here. I'm only 90 miles from Cuba and enjoying fresh Mahi-Mahi in a place where Coconuts fall from the trees, Aloe grows alongside the road & Volkswagen Vanagons are everywhere. Yikes, sorry, I do have alot more to share, however, I'm down to 5% on my power meter... Guess the rest will just have to wait until later.