Montello, Nevada bound

Gah, we're so bad at this...

2013-11-25T18:14:00.001-06:00

So, it's been June since our last post. I gotta catch you up. We've been on an adventure here in Utah. Hopefully, we'll get better at blogging come spring.

Our 2nd trip to Montello, this time with some friends. We miss you Mikal!

Our 3rd trip to Montello. Bring out the tires. Thanks to Ellen Goldsborough for letting us steal tires from their land. Thanks to Curt too for the trailer and Preston for the constant support.

We made a trip with Mikal to Bear Lake, absolutely beautiful!

Our first rodeo at Bear Lake in Idaho!

We've been exploring everything we can out here. Don't wanna waste a minute! We've been on amazing hikes and drives and it is breathtaking!

We've made plenty of good friends already!

Twilight Series at the park downtown. Got to see 2 of my favorites bands already!
Grizzly Bear and Empire of the Sun

And, we've already had visitors come and spend some time with us. Jen's mom & Thomas and Amber!

MORE TO COME...

We made it!!!

2013-06-24T14:29:00.001-05:00

So it's been a while since we posted on this blog. We have since sold our Airstream, packed up everything and moved to Salt Lake City! Jeremy already has two jobs, and I'm looking for one for me. Wednesday will mark two weeks here for us (holy cow!). We've already hit a couple trails, learned how the road systems work, and this past weekend we went to Montello! Here's part of an email I sent to my mom and dad about our weekend out:

So we just got home from our first trip to Montello! It was so many things. It was both beautiful and dirty, exciting and terrifying, full of big dreams and bigger failures. For so long this place and property has been my "Richard Parker." (Life of Pi). It's been that big beautiful tiger that I'm stuck in the boat with, that both scares me to death yet keeps my spirit alive. We met some of the most wonderful people this weekend that I feel will be forever friends. We were able to dream together, to plan together, and start experiencing how we can work together........ I can't wait for you to come out and visit with us so you can experience the charm of the town that refuses to die.... Maybe we should just wait until it's too cold for snakes to come out, because yes, I had a run in with one AGAIN this morning!

What is it with me and snakes?!? Since we've been out here I've had a run in with two.... And everyone else says "oh I never see them" or "it's super rare to see one"... Yeah I'm not buying that mess any more!

Here's a brief snapshot of our first two weeks here:

First trail

Antelope Island

SLC from half way up The Living Room Trail

Jeremy at the top of The Living Room hike

Us at the salt flats on our way to Montello!

We're officially here! First stop, The Cowboy, of course!

The sunset from Preston's land

Me on our land!!! (Thanks for the pic, Jeremi!)

Jeremy & Preston desert shootin'

Super moon rise and a camp fire in Montello... Doesn't get much better :)

Dream Big,

Jennifer

New blog!

2012-08-19T21:02:00.001-05:00

We have started another blog specifically for the Airstream remodel and future travels. Please follow it and check out the posts! Thanks

Link-------> GYPSY STAR!

Don't be mad Preston, I got a plan...

2012-07-22T23:42:00.000-05:00

So we found a vehicle to help us towing the Airstream and getting cross country. The only catch...I had to trade the Jeep in to get the best deal. :-/ I know what you're thinking Preston but here's the plan. Once we are officially in Utah we will find a CJ to get and that'll make everything easier. Here she is:

2006 GMC Yukon XL Denali 6.0l V8

Bye bye Carl, you will be missed.

2012-07-07T16:07:00.000-05:00

Well, surprise surprise. I edited my Craigslist ad for the black Jeep last night and marked it down $1000 for this weekend only cause I was filling generous and really wanting to hurry and sell it so we could keep the Airstream project going without pause. Had a guy call me while I was out in the airstream wanting to come check it out. He sounded very interested, especially in the price. After a drive and chat with me he handed me the money and I handed him the title. ::wipe hands:: One more big step towards our move. I'm so excited!!

Not wasting any time.

2012-07-06T21:58:00.001-05:00

The tear down was a lot easier than I thought. These things are an amazing display of engineering. Everything works together as a whole piece, making it stronger. You can't hardly take out one piece without taking out the next...and the next...and the next. BUT, it makes the job run smoother.

Jen had the fun duty of picking up all the fiberglass insulation I pulled down. I think she meant to hold up just ONE finger... I've never even seen this many wires on an old home! I believe I will rip them all out and redo it the minimalist way. :)

My bro-in-law helping me take off the old Coleman RV Air unit. It was big, heavy, and putting a big dent in the roof. I wanna find something more low profile.

Up next...finish the passenger side & bathroom tear down and begin pulling the subfloor. Then begin spending all our money to put the thing back together! :( :)

Jeep #1 SOLD!!!

2012-06-26T22:01:00.002-05:00

Wow, well, the Airstream just got paid for. The day after we buy it we sell Jen's white '94 Wrangler. Now, to sell the black one and we'll be sitting pretty. Now for a remembrance...

1972 Airstream Ambassador Land Yacht!!!

2012-06-26T16:13:00.001-05:00

Well, we talked about it and now we DID IT! We found an Airstream within an hour and a half of us for CHEAP! It's in pretty decent condition as well. No MAJOR problems, simple cosmetic and upgrades. Now we just have to sell these 2 Jeeps which we cleaned up and posted on craigslist this weekend. Got a couple lookers already. Then, we plan a trip to Atlanta to visit some friends and IKEA for upgrades.

Here's the game plan: We got the Airstream, so we fix it up as quickly as possible and try to save up some money to survive for a few months around Salt Lake City and then get jobs to save some more. We also need to find an inexpensive vehicle to pull it. During that time, we'll gather supplies and make plans for Montello and obviously do some work on the land while we're out there. The Airstream will be our home wherever we decide to land and we can drag it to Montello on weekends and what not. We also plan to do quite a bit of traveling once we get out West. We sorta understand how JT & Sandy felt when they won their 5th wheel on Ebay! :)

Long overdue update.

2012-06-11T15:37:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been awhile since our last post. A lot of has happened since February. To try and make a long story short...we both quit our jobs in Nashville and moved to West Tennessee (2-1/2 hours away) with my sister & bro-in-law to take over a small lunch truck restaurant that they started a year ago. It's a big hit here in this small town and too much for them to do by themselves with their other businesses. It's just a stepping stone for us but it helped us to detach ourselves from Nashville and everything keeping us there. Basically, the only things standing between us and Salt Lake City is the restaurant and selling 2 Jeeps.

We're still not sure what date we're going to leave for Utah but it's more real now than ever. For us to take a leap in the direction we needed is a relief. It's nice to be close to family here and it's nice that we'll get to spend a lot of time with them before we go but we are so anxious that it's hard to be happy anywhere BUT Montello.

It's been nice to see the direction Geoff & Ellen are headed as well. That all seems so exciting and we're jealous! Preston keeps getting to visit his land and the pictures that him and the Trevathans post all the time give us hope.

In the last week, Jen & I have discussed selling all 3 Jeeps, buying an Airstream to fix up and a truck that can haul it. It's something we've talked about for years as a fun project towards minimalism. We'll see what happens there. It'll all depend on how little we can spend and how far we'd have to travel to pick one up.

I hope everyone hasn't forgotten about us! We're still here and still there in our hearts. The good news is, it's not simply an "idea" anymore, it's a reality that's just a matter of time. Keep on keepin on Montello.

This is just a teaser.

2012-02-14T10:28:00.001-06:00

The closer we get to moving, the more prepared we're trying to get. I have begun building solar panels! I bought my first 3 a week ago. My plan is to perfect it and then start making how-to videos with more detail start to finish than I have been able to find on the internet. There's lots of videos of soldering & building frames but not many that go all the way to the battery and further. Go big or go home!

Please let it be...

2012-01-28T10:15:00.002-06:00

Salt Lake, June or July of this year!! Keeping our fingers crossed.

New addition to the family

2011-10-28T12:08:00.003-05:00

Well, after a couple weeks of thinking, I decided to just buy a new Jeep. One that was more beastly and had a lot of the things I was planning to do...already done. Anyone who has Jeeps knows how much money you can dump into them if you're not careful. Made sense to just pay it up front and get a more powerful engine. I will be saying goodbye to Carl (the black one) and selling him next week. We will also be planning to sell Jen's Jeep and get her into a better one soon.

Here's the specs on "Bogart" (Jen names them, don't ask me):
'91 YJ - inline 6 cylinder w/ 150k miles - 4" BDS suspension lift - 35" Bridgestone All-Terrains - new Warn rear axle - slip yolk eliminator - rocker guards - new muffler - new water pump, serp belt, & thermostat - soft top & bikini top, hard & soft doors

So, me and a friend took it out Monday to test it out. We went out on a big creek and did some crawling. At one point we thought we were about to drown it in 4 feet of water but this Jeep just tore it up. We had a foot of water spilling over the door step into the cab. It's a beast! It handled some really big crawling too, including a HUGE boulder that blocked our only exit.

Our plan is to be in Salt Lake City by next summer so we're going to do whatever we have to to make that happen. If we can get there sooner we will. Can't wait!

Some Jeep updates...

2011-10-13T12:51:00.001-05:00

Well, my transmission is on it's way out the door. Lost 5th gear last weekend and it's in the shop right now. I'm gonna pick it up today and find me a rebuilt tranny and install it myself to save money. Looking like it's gonna cost about $600-$700 total. I can live with that.
On the flip-side, Jen's Jeep just got a brand spankin' new Bestop in black that I got on sale with free shipping!

Latest developments...

2011-09-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been crazy busy with my new position at the club. Just this week I worked 76 hours!!! Good thing I'm hourly. Another big development is, we are in the planning process of starting a business with another couple that we're friends with. We have gotten into "juicing" recently and have decided to open a juice bar here where we live. We have a ton of great ideas and we're crunching numbers. It looks to be a very successful venture for all of us. We're not sure where that puts us on the Montello timeline but our plan has not and will not change.

Lies & "The System"

2011-08-16T12:30:00.000-05:00

Each day that passes I research and become more informed. The more informed I become the more restless and guilty I feel. My Montello afterburners are on!

More Jeep and some news...

2011-08-08T17:51:00.002-05:00

Well, I've been quiet I know...lots been goin' on here. We've been working on our finances. Proud to say we've gotten our expenses down from (at the start 2 years ago) $3200 a month, to (currently) around $1000. We plan on shrinking that a lot more. I also just got promoted to management at the country club I work at, only took me 5 months. That'll help even more financially. We're still praying that by next summer we can begin the move to Salt Lake City. We're as anxious as ever. We've gotten our minds set in the right direction, together, and we're focused.
I've been working a lot on the Jeeps to get them in shape, too. I found a guy locally on craigslist who sells Jeep parts cheap and he seems to have what I need when I need it. I had both Jeeps in the shop once in the last month to get some more extensive repairs done. Not too bad on the wallet, either. So, the past 2 days I've been working on Jen's Jeep. Funny how I had my Jeep for a year longer than her and seems like all I do is fix hers up...hmmm! Anyhow, I bought a used black grill $75 from the craigslist guy, we'll call him Eli...cause that's his name. Also got a very good used radiator $80! and used stock unfinished steel front bumper $75 (needs a little patchwork). Good deals all around. He's gonna sell us a nice used soft top and/or hardtop at some point for CHEAP! Here's some pics of the work over the last 2 days. It was a bi**h!

Below is the "new", used grill in black and the old wrecked grill in white.

Below is the "new", used grill in the prime, sand, paint to white process.

Below is the the gutted shot. Like a fish...

Here's the old, "shot" radiator...

Finally, finished product.

I did a lot of small things while I was under the hood too to make adjustments and clean up some issues. Remounted the cold air intake so it all fits better now. I had to change out the lower transmission hoses because the old radiator had threaded fittings while the new one was easy hose & nipple fittings. Lot of cutting and sawing... Had to cut the electrical for the front lights in order to get the old grill off, so I had to rewire all of that as well. Frustrating job but not nearly as frustrating as the last couple jobs. Maybe I can get to MY Jeep soon.

To do: I have to take off the old bumper and mount the new one after I patch up and paint the new one. While I have the old one off I want to take my rust wheel on my grinder to the bumper frame, as you can see in the pic above there's plenty of light rust, and then paint it black. Then I'm going to fab' a plate to cover the horizontal space below the grill. Also need to replace the fenders to get this front end back in shape. That's all for now friends.

Brrrrr...cold air

2011-05-31T00:37:00.001-05:00

Well, we got back from Louisville, KY today. We went to our 2nd annual Abbey Road on the River festival. Post on that to follow...

My dad and I got Jen's Jeep and installed the new cold air intake that came in last week. This should do some good on gas mileage and power. Looks good either way! ;)

p.s. Almost forgot, Jen put her new fitted neoprene seat covers on while I worked on the intake.

This is NOT a Jeep blog...

2011-05-21T23:55:00.002-05:00

Well, we spent another Saturday in the sun working on our Jeeps.
On the list today:
- Change the transmission mount on mine.
- Replace the coolant bottle in hers.
- Fix the soft top/frame on hers.
- Install new sound bar on hers.
- Install new ignition cylinder on hers. (couple nights ago, actually)
Not on the list:
- Completely wipe down transmission and skid plate! (Got some major leakage and build-up)

Well, I got all of that done before the rain came...sorta. We got hit with a 5 or 10 minute storm while we were repairing her soft top frame so we had to rush and get it connected. Her's still has carpet it in, that's why we panicked. If it were mine...business as usual. :) You'll notice in the pictures how much leakage and build-up we had on mine. I had Jen pressure wash the skid plate with Dawn and a scrub brush. There was a good inch of sludge and debris on the top side of it. Even found a penny buried in the muck! HAHA

Compare the old mount to the new mount. Old one was split in half, smashed, and deteriorating. Pretty good amount of wiggle in it. It ran like a totally different Jeep after I installed it!

Don't know why someone trimmed off the plastic around the ignition cylinder opening, must have been a theft at some point. The guy who sold it to us had a machinist friend of his make a little tool that fit in there and you could turn the ignition with it, although it wasn't easy to use...and it looked ghetto!

I'm a little rusty...

2011-05-17T22:59:00.005-05:00

So, one of the more important repairs that Jen's Jeep, named Lucy Sky, \m/*.*\m/ needed was rust removal and repaint around the windshield. This isn't the only rust on the Jeep but most of the rust is in the frame and not the body.

This is an easy fix! Started with a grinder & rust wheel, followed with a coat of bondo & sanding, followed by a rust primer, light sand & single coat of touch-up spray paint. You'll notice a very thin line around the taped edges. Later, ~~Saturday~~ I will lightly sand and re-coat this entire area. I'm also going to spray a protective coating after the last coat of paint. Even with the edge line it looks 100 times better. I'm gonna take that grinder to the frame underneath and then paint it ~~this weekend~~, as well. Can't wait to get this thing on the trails in Tecoma Valley!

El número del Jeep dos

2011-05-17T22:43:00.000-05:00

Well, we bought a Jeep for Jennifer yesterday. One more step towards our dream! Her's is a '94 YJ model. It needs a little bit of work but nothing major. I will be following this post with the first project...

Earthship v1.0

2011-05-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

So here's my first rough sketch of our future Earthship. The scaling is way off, of course, so the depth of the house will not be as long as it appears on paper. Just an idea of how we want it laid out.

Here's a shot of about half (or less than half) of the bottles we have saved so far. I scored a huge load of wine bottles at a wine tasting at the country club I work at. We also have a huge stockpile of beer, liquor, and sauce bottles boxed up in a large storage closet at home. We easily have 1000 bottles saved so far. Just one more piece to the puzzle...

Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake.

2011-05-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

I'm homesick for a place I've never been...

Good resource for voluntary simplicity

2011-03-24T23:08:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you but I use stumbleupon for finding really cool new websites. I stumbled on this site the other day and thought it was worth sharing. There's some good info on the bottom tabs and there is a blog set up. This might come in handy for you trying to simplify your exist! Enjoy!

www.livelifesimply.com/simplify.html

Low impact, Hobbit home

2011-03-19T00:45:00.005-05:00

Check out this family living simplistically. Good resources here, too!

www.simondale.net/house/family.htm

Had to post...too funny

2011-03-16T23:58:00.003-05:00

Boy, ain't this the truth. This is pretty funny.

deshoda.com/words/famous-world-ideologies-as-explained-by-references-to-cows/