WEATHER!!!!!

Before you found yourselves "mobile', the weather forecast was important when you had a Yard sale or party coming up...and of course if a snow day was coming.

That's all different for you now.

The elements are in your face at this point, and your health..perhaps even your survival...is the issue now. Of course a radio tuned to local stations is an obvious way to stay informed. However, online radar is very helpful as well. A recent experience is what inspired this posting.

Bob The Dog and I were in the van as night approached. The forecast was for a dry evening. But I went on the WCBS-TV website and the radar showed a pretty big storm coming in from the west. I had all the windows and door open, as it had been pretty hot that day, and I wanted the cooler air evening brings for when I would go to sleep.

Well....based on what I saw, I shut everything, enjoyed a couple of adult beverages, and settled into sleep. A couple of hours later, the clouds burst open. BIG ass storm!!! Seeing the radar saved the day.

The CBS affiliate's website all use a standard format for their websites. Thus I find them to be the best for radar I have seen. You can find their member stations at cbs.com.

Until next time....

Stay Overnight Where The Powerful Do!!!

That's right...the same place the Clarence Thomas Family stays.

A Wal-Mart Parking Lot!!!

In an article a month or so ago Mrs. Thomas said that she and the Supreme Court Justice bought an R.V. a few years back, and spend the summers driving around. The story is here:

http://www.pri.org/politics-society/justice-clarence-thomas-rv-enthusiast1533.html

What could be cooler? You can pick up some cheap flip flops, Ol' Roy Doggie Snacks, and complain to a Supreme Court Justice about how the court punted on saving retiree's pension funds when they refused to hear the case against Chrysler Bailout Plan.

Anyhow....

Now..if you are rambling about, searching for a new place to live as am I, then what could be a better place to land for a few days. Everything you could possibly need a few steps from your "home". There are a few websites that lists the Wal-Marts and which ones do not allow overnight camping, as well as proper etiquette when enjoying the parking lot.

There are other stores as well that you can stay for free. Some truck stops allow you to as well, offering things such as electricity, showers, and dump stations.

Free camping...a safe and economical way to settle in for a few days and regroup.

Until Next time......

The Dollar Store Is Your Friend......

......the ATM is your enemy!!! You can find a LOT of what you need at a Dollar Store. From food to toiletries to tools to electronic/cell phone needs. The same earpiece for a cell at Wal-Mart that goes for $9.99 can be had for a buck!!!

ATM's steal your money. If you can't get to your bank's own ATM you are charged money on the front end and back end of the transaction. That can sometimes add up to $6.00, even if you are only withdrawing $10.00. A better idea is to go a to store, buy something for $1.00 and then draw cash from your MAC Card there. You buy something you need AND save money getting money!!

If your card is a dual Credit/Bank card, whenever possible, use it on the Credit Card side. Check with your bank to see if there is a Rewards Program available. I use my bank card on the Visa side even if only buying something for $.50! I accumulate points and turn those in for cash cards or gift cards. It's not much, but it's something.

Till Next Time......

Welcome To "The Homeless Adviser"

This is my first foray into the blogosphere..via my recent introduction to being homeless. However, to be more accurate, I am "addressless", meaning I currently have a "home" of sorts....a conversion van. So I do have a roof...bed....power...etc. Just nothing the USPS can use to get mail to me.

This is my 2nd stint being a vanabond (Get it, vagabond...vanabond....) Did this once before when I separated from the una-ex...unabomber + ex_from_hell= una-ex. She blew up my life.

Anyhow....I lived in this same van and learned a lot of tricks...methods...savings..etc. that serve me well now. And over the course of time, I'll pass these on to you all.

The face of homelessness has changed recently. No longer just the realm of addicts...mentally ill...and other castaways of the world. Now it's folks who worked and paid their bills and mortgages and rents, It's just that now...they can't.

But....

You brought your laptops with you. And now have started to find the free WiFi spots. At libraries, parking lots of restaurants and motels, etc. You seek employment, information, help...anything you think the Internet can offer you in your current situation. And I hope I can offer you ideas and tips that can help you along until this mess we are in really starts to recover.

As I learn more, you learn more. As I recall more of the things I did the first time vanning it...I will share that with you. And when I shoot some video to illustrate something more fully, I will embed it here. You have something to share..email it to me, I will try it myself, and post if it works and is useful.

I am typing this from the front yard of a friend's home using his electricity and the WiFi of the guy across the street. If I can do this, you will find a way to read it. And if you know someone about to become homeless...lead them to this blog.

In closing for now....look here weekly and see what I post. Email comments to me. And in the words of Sgt. Phil Esterhaus from "Hill Street Blues"...

"..HEY..Let's be careful out there!"

Until next time.....