A couple weeks ago @anomadsoul posted a contest, 'My 2017', and, while I don't often enter contests, after a moment's thought, I was practically stunned by reflecting on my year. The contrast between my circumstances a year ago, and my present reality, is pretty amazing. Until I deliberated on it, sparked by @anomadsoul's contest post, it hadn't dawned on me how much things have changed, mostly because I take things in stride without a great deal of expectation, or emotional investment in my circumstances.
This picture shows my previous two residences, in order. Throughout 2016 I roamed around the old growth forests and coastline of OR in the VW pickup, camping and looking for lasting work where ever I found myself. In September, a combination of being chased out of the woods by a state dedicated to the proposition that I should be paying
somebody's property taxes, and the failure of a head gasket, succeeded in getting me out of the woods, and into the tool trailer I had constructed out of a half dozen used bed frames from Goodwill, a 1930's era pickup truck axle, and scraps leftover from various jobs.
The trailer is ugly as the Pope's sins, but it cost less than $200, mostly for new fasteners and welding supplies, hauls an amazing amount of tools, and was close to a college education to build. I'd never welded anything before, and despite my inexperience, and the best efforts of a tow truck driver, not one weld even cracked. I learn best by doing, asking questions, and redoing, until I get things right.
The tow truck driver had so tweaked the trailer that light sconces inside actually broke the metal bases, and those plastic sheets on the side, then the roof, couldn't be prevented from leaking. It rains some in OR, so in December last year I was sleeping on a damp sponge, practically penniless, as various difficulties identifying the aftermarket engine in the pickup caused delays in the repair for months.
Down to my last pennies, with no prospects of work, I went door to door seeking any honest, paying work, for any wage, in any conditions.
I found work. The jobs I found paid market wages, despite my offer to work for pennies. I've been a finish carpenter for decades, and those that availed themselves of my services were glad of it. The truck eventually got fixed, and in May I had finished a remodel and was able to crash in the home for two days (it sold almost immediately upon completion) while I replaced the roof on the tool trailer with brand new fiberglass over brand new OSB, and rebuilt the doghouse at the bow which the tow truck driver had ground more than three inches off dragging it on pavement.
It is bone dry inside now. I had made a little cabin in the tool trailer, and I could simply move from site to site as I
moved from job to job. In the kind of work I do, repairs and remodels mostly, jobs end, and you move on. Being mobile and able to rough it in the tool trailer enabled me to avoid paying rent, keep an eye on job sites (an additional valuable security service as the skyrocketing prices for building materials have incentivized theft), and generally be as frugal as possible.
In May 2017, I also found Steemit. That was the last time I bothered with Farkbork.
By September, I had finished another remodel in a trailer park, and had lent a few folks a hand with their various deferred maintenance issues around the park. As a result, I suddenly acquired a couple trailers, one of which I quickly cleaned up and sold cheap, so I wouldn't have to pay space rent for it, and to help some neighbors who were living in a borrowed trailer they had to return post haste.
The other was in such poor condition that the former owner had totally given up, just screwing plastic sheeting to the ceiling to direct leaks towards the door. The first thing I did was rivet sheet metal over the holes in the roof, and seal and caulk every exterior seam, creating a watertight envelope able to protect interior work.
That's where I live in now, and am remodeling on the cheap with whatever I scrounge up from jobsite leftovers, and etc. I really enjoy repurposing things. It's a challenge, and develops skills clients on budgets are inevitably very grateful for.
In the space of a year I have gone from a solitary nomad sleeping in a dripping wet toolbox, to free and clear homeowner with fairly deep connections to a tightly knit community of ne'er do wells and rabble rousers, folks I find refreshingly direct and forthright.
I've transitioned from utterly destitute to having a theoretical worth of over $3k in cryptocoin on Steemit (which I have no way to spend, as I refuse to subject myself again to bank accounts. Citi will never again have the opportunity to defraud me).
Edit: I missed the cutoff for the previous contest, but want to share my story anyway, so am leaving this intact. While as you'll see in the text that follows my December has been much different from the rest of my year, I here will provide a short video that shows what I do most days.
I usually wake up between 2 and 4 am, and start coffee while waiting for meds to kick in. I wring the juice out of Steemit until I'm done with coffee and I'm legally able to start work, or when daylight comes if that happens later. I grab my bags and whatever tools I need for the day, and head off to work.
Sometime in early afternoon I try to grab a hot meal, but sometimes forget altogether, or eat later with other folks. If
I skip a day, I don't sweat it, because it's good for me.
After I crap out for the day, or end up waiting for stuff to dry, I wash off the sawdust and stink of the day, and hop back on Steemit, some days managing to actually get a post in =p. Rising as early as I do, I'm pretty much done most days by dinnertime.
Wash, rinse, and repeat.
I get to fix stuff for people, and love leaving a legacy behind where ever I go, that blesses folks who enjoy the repairs and improvements I make to their homes, perhaps for the rest of their lives. I can think of no impact I'd rather have on our world.
BTW, if anyone has any ideas on how to sell a bit of Steem for cash, without going through an exchange or bank, space rent is due, and I've actually been dangerously ill for most of December, only being released to work by the doctor a couple days ago. I have managed to lose a couple jobs I'd been counting on, due to being unable to work, and income requisite to paying January's rent has vanished with them.
While the landlady let @drpuffnstuff and I advertise Steemit in the laundry room, they aren't interested in taking Steem for the rent due. I hadn't intended to spend any Steem, but I also hadn't intended to spend weeks bedridden due to illness either, so reckon I probably oughta do the responsible thing and use what I have to pay what I owe in a timely way.
Local BTC sounds like a great model, but Local Steem, in this remote village of Pacific City, on the OR coast, isn't likely to be a particularly lively market. Any folks reasonably nearby that are interested in buying some liquid Steem for cash could get a nice discount from me.
Merry Christmas ya'll!
▶️ DTube
▶️ IPFS
Get your landlord to sign up at Steemit.com. Show him your track record and all the charts on Steem's appreciation. Now you can pay him with Steem, a great investment for someone who has more than enough fiat to serve his needs. Then, if you're a charismatic sort (I know that your are!), get him to lease that Steem back to you to increase your SP. Now he's making interest on his Steem, you're paying your rent and everyone's a happy camper, (er homeowner).
Hope your flu flies soon.
Sadly, it's not remotely possible, regardless of my charisma.
Heart surgery in a matter of days precludes their interest entirely.
Fortunately, I started only with a chest cold, which was an opportunity for something else, which I finally managed to survive, apparently =)
Thanks!
This might help you:
https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@revo/i-m-an-aussie-crypto-noob-and-i-just-paid-my-first-bill-with-steem-ish
All the best, hope you will be fine very soon!
Thank you my friend =) I'll have at that link directly.
I am much better, as I said ready to go back to work - but it's two days before Christmas, so there's not many looking to start a job immediately. Nonetheless, I may have got a couple jobs I might get done by Christmas today, and that'll be a good start to getting the rent together.
It doesn't take much, here, a couple days work, to get it together, so I'm not panicking yet =p
I hope the holidays are joyous and peaceful for you and yours!
Edit: well, I have had a look at that post, and it does look like it might be useful to do exactly what I need. I have some other irons in fires atm, but if nothing shakes out by the first of the year, Imma try this.
Thanks very, very much!
Edit: I have discovered that service only serves Australia. I have reached out to see if USA might be possible. Here's hoping!
A little glimpse into creating a countertop... hope you're able to continue putting those carpentry skills to good work and good cash in the year to come! I think it's cool that you were able to learn more from fixing up your own trailer.
Learning how to weld was pretty cool =) Imma hafta get actual leather gloves to do more of it though.
Molten steel is HOT!
Cotton gloves =/= good enough =(
Yikes, that sounds terrifying! But also crazy cool once you get those leather gloves.
Welding overhead is a vigorous dance XD
An interesting experience I had was when a dime-sized glob of slag managed to drop into my shoe.
You'd be amazed how fast you can take off a shoe!
Boots are a good idea too =p
Haha, and I used to think soldering electrical components was intense! Sounds like an entire special suit might be in order.