Month: February 2021

True, the prospect of being wed lends a certain urgency to the task of trailer fixing. This primal urge is hard-wired. I’ve got to make this cave more habitable. Another motivator is the fact that my daughter, Leslie, the originator of trailer mania (the Airstream variant), is coming to visit. I must show her that I’m not a slacker.

Truth be told, I (and Cristina) have put up with an unsightly gap under the refrigerator for a year now. I just never got a round tuit. I couldn’t have my daughter see me for the procrastinator I am.

In addition to our recently installed blinds, I am happy to report Cristina’s completion of the bedroom curtains. These, she made herself and they turned out beautifully. She picked out the fabric, enlisted a friend with a sewing machine and cranked out six drapes. Then, to give them her personal signature, she highlighted them with multicolored embroidery. I am quite confident in saying that they are unique in all the trailering world.

I hung them with stained hardwood dowels and 3/4″ copper pipe straps. We now have total privacy on Sparta just in time for our wedding night next week. Z-Z-Z.

One thing for sure is that trailers settle and shift – even when they are immobile. Time to go around and inspect for cracks, fizzures and seams. The work is never done.

We were very excited to get our bamboo blinds delivered yesterday. They were custom made at www.blindster.com. Installation was a snap and they fit perfectly. Why did we wait so long?

I’m running out of things to do.

Oh…Wait. Is that a loose navigation light wire up top?

Good morning trailer geeks. As pandemic pandemonium nears its 1-year anniversary in these United States, I can’t help reflecting upon how different the world looks today. A year ago I had great catering events teed-up for season, we were living in our apartment, Trump impeachment round one was underway and a trip to Italy was in the works for the spring. Well, today we are comfortably settled into Sparta, still sheltering in place while collecting unemployment and looking forward to a much better year despite Covid’s continuing rampage. I hope we have heard the last from Donald.

Regretably, many things remain unfinished on my ’57 IM. But I am happy to report that we have made significant progress of late. Bamboo blinds arrive today for installation in the Observation Lounge. Cristina is making cool curtains for the bedroom AND I have just about finished the fireplace wrap-around.

In my last entry I told you about the salvaged metal that I beat into submission. I also mentioned using chemicals to weather the metal. I decided to go with paint instead to move things along and give me a little more control over the result.

I cut it to size, primed and painted it with multiple hues using salt to create random patterns. In pictures:

So it looks like I will have the fireplace finished just in time for the spring warm up. Fiddlesticks.

No, I am not fortifying Sparta against a cyber-attack. Could you imagine trying to explain such a concept to the orignal Spartan owner in 1957? Rather, I have finally decided to proceed with the surround for my little fireplace as well as finalizing the heat distribution system.

You’ll notice the Wonderboard covering the wall installed months ago as a means of deflecting heat between the stove and birch walls. You may also remember the 12 volt bilge pumps and tubing situated years ago running the length of Sparta’s midship to move heat from the fireplace to the bedroom.

For the firewall I have settled on a large piece of corregated metal I found half-buried on the property. (Remember, the prior occupant was a packrat cum artist.) It is distressed from time and weather but still not funky enough for my project. I have been to the art supply store to look at various chemicals to accelerate colorful alchemy in the metal.

After I get this metal converted into art, I will drill holes at each end of the cabinet so that the ventilation can suck up all the hot air theoretically generated by my fireplace.