Living with Thunder

This past weekend at the Ranch was the first time we stayed in Rolling Thunder, which is great, because that was the whole point of the exercise: to have a place that's our home away from home. We made a ceremonial shopping trip where bought all sorts of groceries to fill the cupboards and fridge. This was obviously overkill, considering that two people can only eat so much on a weekend trip, but it made the place feel a little more like home. We also moved in some furniture. I had the coveted job of killing all the spiders that had taken up residence under the dressers and tables, and let me tell you, there were a lot of them. I used 409 to finish off the stubborn buggers that were hiding in the cracks. I don't like spiders. They're freaky.

So would you like to see how the place is looking these days? Alright, let's take a tour.

As we enter through the front door you will be greeted by an empty living room. We still haven't figured out the couch situation. I suppose we could invite guests to share Cocoa's dog bed?

In the hallway we have a little bookshelf. Wes wanted a gun rack, but all the gun racks on the ranch are in use. Where do you think all these bad boys are stored:

Getting back on track...

Here's our lovely bathroom.

Our tiny bedroom.

Which is actually perfect, because who spends time in a bedroom when there's stuff to shoot and airplanes to fly outside? Not us that's who.

Here's a view of the living room which opens into the kitchen.

Two new furniture additions: a side table on which we can place all "our crap" as we like to call it, and a dining table where we can have meals. Again, only two chairs. Rolling Thunder isn't the most guest-friendly house yet.

And clearly the most awesome part of the pad is the kitchen.

We upgraded to a fridge that doesn't require a gate latch to keep closed. Confused? Well, our fridge in the Valley has a gate latch on it, but that's another story for another time.

Hope you've enjoyed the tour! We'll work on that whole guest-friendly aspect the next time we're there, so maybe ya'll have a place to sit.

The Backhoe

One of the first things we built for Rolling Thunder was a pair of awnings. The winter storms that blow through the ranch can be pretty strong, so we decided awnings would be essential to keep water off of the doors and out of the house. Water has already gotten in during the few weeks we’ve been assembling the trailer, so it was important to get the backdoor awning up on this last trip. Exactly how we were going to get the awning up was yet to be determined. That thing weighs at least 600 pounds, if not more. There’s no easy way to pick it up and attach it 15 feet high. That is unless you have a backhoe.

These photos were taken after the most harrowing part.

Picture this: the awning being lifted by a backhoe with transmission problems, causing the awning to jostle up and down; two guys pulling on a big yellow strap that has been wrapped around the end of the awning, trying to keep it from falling forward; me directing Wes to “move it forward just a little more… up just a little more… you’re almost there... Crap! You’re going to have to try it again!”; Wes yelling “Don’t get under the awning! Whatever you do don’t get under it!”, and me thinking all the while “This has the potential to go very bad. I wonder where the nearest hospital is.”

Thankfully no one lost an arm and the awning was successfully attached.

These awnings are just another example of how much Rolling Thunder has become a labor of love (emphasis on the labor part).

XOXO Jelly

Trailer Park

We spent the weekend and yesterday sprucing up Rolling Thunder. I’m picking/eating the paint from underneath my fingernails as we speak. I guess I’m going to have to wait another week to get that manicure I’ve been planning since Christmas. That’s the way things go around here.

This trailer has turned out to be quite the commitment, and I believe that’s partially due to the way Wes operates. Everything’s got to be gnat’s ass (don’t ask me what that means… it has something to do with how small flies’ butts are). I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m the same way, but going to Lowe’s not 1, not 2, but 3 days in a row is pushing my limits. The employees practically have us on a first name basis. One silver haired employee made the comment that Wes is quite the gentleman taking his lady out to Lowe’s on a Saturday night. Wes felt bad for me... for about 2 seconds. Then he told me to go pick out the cabinet knobs and potting soil.

But after this last trip, we might actually have a trailer which earns the designation of awesome. I’ll let you decide.

Before:
 

 
After:

The proud homeowner:

 

 
Now that's not a bad looking trailer.

And we will live happily ever after.

Thundering

Did you know that Wes and I got ourselves a brand spanking new mobile home? Actually, someone else had purchased it previously and set it up, only to have it repossessed when they fell out of escrow. Mobile homes are a commitment baby, and some people manage to get in over their heads.

Anyhoodle, you know I can’t stop talking about Rolling Thunder, and to put the icing on the cake, we decided he (or is it a she? What gender do you assign a trailer?) needed a proper sign which we could display at the entrance. So without further ado, here’s the Illustrator masterpiece I’ve created for the Thunder:

Wes wanted the lightning bolts, and I thought the “And they lived happily ever after” was equal parts humorous and exact. It might need a little more “flare”, but I think it’s a good start.

Who knew a trailer could elicit such creativity?