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For my evenings light entertainment...I think I will respond to your post now that I have a few spare minutes .
Incidentally...interesting name you have there. Les Stress. With the exception of the last 2 or 3 weeks I have found that living in my truck has been a relatively stress free existance when compared to being in a house, constantly concerned about whether we will be able to pay our bills and mortgage, having to do all manner of maintenance like cutting the grass and shoveling the snow, and being unable to do anything about neighbors such as one that I had who loved bonfires and used to smoke me and my wife to death in our house which was downwind of him.
My relationship with God has blossomed in such a lifestyle because I have none of the usual trappings of modern society to depend upon. Like 401K retirement accounts, fat bank accounts, nice cars, a nice home where I can lounge around and watch TV (wasting more of my life than just having to work like a dog to pay others to have a roof over my head), and so forth.
The greatest treasure I have is my relationship with the living God who provides for me every single day. In sometimes near if not outrightly miraculous ways. I am learning much about my own heart. About it's tendency to get angry at things that should not make me so. At being merciful when I would normally judge someone else with condemnation. At learning what the Church should really be like instead of being this whitewashed, clean, sanitized version which dots our landscape in so many places.
Let me if I might respond a bit more to some of what you brought up...again just for what it is worth. I enjoy writing and enjoy discussing non-convential living so forgive me if I endulge myself in a bit of interaction regarding some of what you said.
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Originally Posted by lesstress
Six months even sixteen months sounds like a person who has fallen on some difficult times, but 4 years?
Or perhaps the simple truth, and it really is the truth, that I have chosen to live this way. In my vehicle. It is not a matter of my having fallen on hard times such that I could not have done differently. Rather I looked at the option of becoming a wage slave to pay for a roof over my head...and the option of living in my truck and...well...I chose what to me seemed like the better option .
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That to me sounds like a person with some other issues.
You have correctly deduced lesstress that I have some issues. I have an issue with working like a dog so as to afford a nice roof over my head just...so that...well...I can sleep under it. Aside from watching TV (which I do not miss in the least and most of which I consider to be a waste of time to watch) and not being able to entertain I have had the rest that a home would provide. I have been able to shower and eat and keep belongings (in a storage unit which I go into from time to time) and most importantly for my purposes I have been able to sleep. All for little more than I would normally pay to keep my truck going.
Let's see...you probably have a mortgage....if so...you probably pay somewhere around $700 a month for it (or more). Worse yet...maybe you rent. Let's see...$700 vs little more than I would normally pay to keep my truck operating...hmmm....living in a truck sounds pretty good still .
I have an issue with having to be like everyone else...well...just because I guess. Our ancestors often slept under the stars (watched any Westerns lately where the actors sack out around a campfire?) yet today people who would do that....are considered...well...mental in some way. Deficient in something that makes them choose to do such a thing .
I have a huge issue with the lack of freedom that we have grown accustomed to living under. We can't hardly go poop without some ordinance passed by a legislator who in the final analysis could often care less about us, the people. We are told what we can do, where we can do it, and how we should do it. Over and over again and like obedient little sheep, most of us have taken such instructions for so long and as just the way it is...that we have forgotten what real freedom tastes like. The home of the free and the brave heh? Well...hopefully the brave part is still resident in the hearts of some people here and there but as for the free part? I am not sure that really exists anymore. At least in the US.
I have an issue with people, and this is not neccessarily directed at you lesstress, who rush to judge and condemn with nary thought for the possibility that they might be wrong...those like me who are "homeless". Mind you I am technically homeless though I certainly do not consider myself such given that so many of the world's people don't even have what I have.
I have money, and a job (I am self-employed as a window cleaner and now that snow has fallen I am thinking of doing some snow removal until, God willing, I leave for San Diego where I will get back into window cleaning again), friends, and a computer. Internet and clothes on my back. I can take showers and can eat at some of the best buffet restaurants in town. I am free to travel and go where I please if I have sufficient funds to get there. I am free to spend time on whatever I wish after I have taken care of necessary things I must do like shower and my laundry. Though now that I have no working truck...I find that such things are taking way too long. Once I get situated in San Diego I will work on limiting the time it takes me to do such things but for now...I grin and bear the increased time it takes me to do such things.
But I guess what I am saying is that I have a freedom that many only dream of and might wish for themselves but cannot have. I routinely have one's tell me from time to time that they envy me while I hardly ever envy those with nice houses and all the perks that this life has to offer.
I know there is an eternity and that God is real, that I have relationship with Him and that in Him I am rich. I have peace and joy and comfort in the midst of circumstances that would try most people. Not always mind you but I have enough of such things to still be able to enjoy life. In ways that most people who struggle with mortgages and other material concerns can only dream about.
Jesus said that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. I am learning how true that is!
Yeah...I got issues. Those are some of them.
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I would not consider myself qualified to say what those issues are but most people and employers do prefer the security of a permanent address.
That's their perogative. If one's look upon such external things and attach undue significance to such as proof that someone will be a good employee...that is their loss. I am a man of integrity and would probably make a better employee than most anyone that employers could hire (assuming of course that I could do the job - skill wise). I have a big boss in heaven who never sleeps and is always interested in what I am doing .
But our society has chosen to elevate pieces of paper (i.e. degrees) and fixed addresses and all manner of things that have little to do with whether one will be a good employee or not. At least in my case, though I must admit that such things might apply to many others as possible indicators of responsibility and employability.
I like being in business for myself. It's a great thing and I am blessed to normally be able to do that and maintain my integrity in treating my customers as I would like to be treated. Without some employer putting pressure on me to be dishonest or otherwise.
God willing...I will get back into being in business for myself in San Diego. As I would like to do. Without suffering the interruption of a bitterly cold winter forcing me to work for those who would judge my employability by external things that mean next to nothing in my case.
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Perhaps it is time you sat down to talk with someone who can help you figure out why you feel it is perfectly normal for someone to live in their truck for 4 years just to avoid a mortgage, there are apartments you can rent month to month.
I am certainly at no loss on places like this forum from entering into conversations as to why my chosen lifestyle is...well...less than desirable. I just wish that in an even exchange...those living what is considered to be a more "normal" lifestyle...might be more open to the possibility that their lifestyle might be "wasteful" and not something desirable by some like myself.
In the end we all choose to live as we want to live. I ask for nothing more than the same respect for my choices that others want for theirs.
Where I live incidentally...the only apartments that I know of that are rentable month to month...are in the absolute worst parts of town. They are often infested with bed bugs and have dictatorial landlords who lord it over those renting there such that if you look at them the wrong way...you might find yourself booted out into the street.
If you know of any month to month apartments for rent in San Diego for...say...no more than about $400 a month, decent apartments...I am all ears.
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You appear to be working very hard to find away to continue this lifestyle,
At this point in time I find myself in some need and cannot easily climb out of the hole I fell into (as a result of my truck and my home breaking down completely). Normally I do not work so hard to make ends meet. Really I don't. Normally I make between a minimum of $25 up to about $50 per hour when I am actually cleaning windows. So normally, with a working truck and with decent weather around...I don't work that hard to get what I need. I actually have a great deal of free time to enjoy doing whatever I want to do...if I would rather enjoy free time than work more hours on any given week.
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if your brother is willing to sue people for you wouldn't he also be willing to help you get on your feet? Did you refuse his help?
I never said my brother is willing to sue people for me. I said that he is a lawyer who has sued the police before (and won) when they bully and otherwise discriminate against the little guy. Quite frankly I don't think he is licensed to practice law in California and might not even be interested in suing those in authority who might abuse their power in San Diego. But he might indeed be willing to give me some tips as to what angle to use in pursuing such lawsuits with local lawyers if and when the need ever came up.
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If you take a leap of faith do you think you will not recover from the disappointment if things do not work out as planned? Is it peace of mind you need? (Philippians 4:4-9) Carlos today is as good a day as any to begin anew.
First off lestress I do not know what God's will is with respect to whether I go to San Diego or not. I may never know in a definite and clear way as would be the case if I heard a voice from heaven saying "Go thou to San Diego!". All I can do is judge what may be best based on whatever open doors He opens for me and whatever doors He closes for me.
The weather here is getting worse and worse. I have no heat in my truck. Little money to both get indoors and last till a regular paycheck (most of the money I have earned in the last few weeks has had to go to meeting daily needs). If the insurance of the guy who smashed into my truck a couple of months ago does indeed pay me off with $1000.00 I will have enough to do whatever I want. But if I have that much coming to me (in addition to what I have on me already)...why not come down and work in San Diego? Why stay up here? Between the two choices San Diego seems best and that is what I think I will do.
I do have a place where I can get indoors here if I need it. A friend of mine, who can certainly use the money I will give him, has offered to let me sleep in his place for a mere $10 a night. He would have let me stay for free for a while but I won't do that. I may take advantage of his place to get indoors quicker than I thought. It's going to get -25 C Friday night. Too cold, even with my super duper sleeping bags that I have, to sleep with no heat.
But staying there is only temporary until I can arrange my affairs and close out my Canadian experience to head South. God willing of course.
Incidentally I just found out today that I can fly (as opposed to taking Greyhound) to Las Vegas for a mere $125 total (a seat sale). Stay at a hotel in Las Vegas for $50 overnight (I am not entirely opposed to living indoors ) and then finish my trip to San Diego by bus for another $50. Such a deal! I'm going to wait to see if my insurance payment comes through before booking such a thing though.
My name is a reference to the energy it takes to deal with people who appear to be depressed and hopeless and therefore seem to feel it is acceptable to treat everyone they encounter very rudely. In this area people always seem to have their so called "game face" on, just in case someone who is being friendly to them is trying to victimize them. It makes me sad, and I long for people who know that we have a hope. Perhaps they feel the same way that you do in that paying a mortgage, bills, taking care of home maintenance and neighbors are all things that cause pain rather than satisfaction. I do not now nor have I ever felt that way about my home life. I enjoy working in partnership with my spouse to provide a safe and beautiful home for our family. When we work together in the garden we even laugh about the backache we know we will have later that evening. My neighbors (and around here I know I am fortunate) are hard working family people who are considerate. You mentioned your business which caused me to reflect on the many many men in my family (grand-father, uncles, cousins, father-in-law, brother) who have owned private businesses. My father alone in my lifetime owned a limousine service, restaurants, grocery stores, had four journey man cards, etc. I don't recall that we ever had to sleep in a vehicle with no heat because of it. Anything that you have in your life that is more important to you than God is idol worship. So having possessions does not automatically = trappings. Do you worship not being responsible to anyone but yourself? Does it mean more to you than God to continue living off the grid sort of speak? Sure the money you spend at the buffet and local gym contribute to the overall economy but to tell you the truth the country needs more from you and you are receiving more from it. Right now a Hitler with a different name and face can not march you anywhere and torture you because my husband and I provide money to maintain an army to protect you. I know I am not telling you anything you do not already know. Isaiah 43:18-21 encourages me. It is up to you where your life will go from here, good luck . Oh and as for my question about your brother, your post seemed to be implying that he would take care of any lawmakers that might harass you, if I misunderstood I apologize.
Just an update for anyone still following this thread.
I just got my insurance payout today. $1050.00! For a beater truck like I had that is quite good! In fact that is excellent.
Given the higher value of the US dollar at this point in time (don't know how that is in view of the economic problems in the US and the relative strength of the Canadian economy but that is what it is) that is barely enough to buy me the flight and to pay for my first months rent somewhere but, it is enough.
I need to verify a couple of things yet but it looks almost certain that I will be coming down at this point.
It's quite amazing how the Lord has worked all this out!
Just in the nick of time! The weather here has taken a real turn for the worse. Thank God I am staying at my friends place for a few days! It's expected to get down to about -33 C for a few nights in a row with windshield hitting even below that. Several people will undoubtedly be found frozen to death over the next week.
In San Diego if one misses a bus or otherwise gets stranded...well, that's bad but not life threatening. Up here, in this crazy kind of weather, such things are potentially life threatening. At the very least there is danger of getting frostbite and loosing some toes or fingers (I just spoke with someone a couple of days ago who got kicked out of his apartment for lack of rent, had to sleep in his vehicle...which wouldn't start, and ended up loosing a great many of his toes to frostbite! Just insane!).
Of course there is free health care up here so getting them toes and/or fingers cut off won't cost anything but...hey...I'd rather live somewhere where that is not even a possibility!
If things go as planned and I actually make it down...I will certainly let everyone know what my first impressions of your fair city are .
I do not like the idea of coming to live in California one bit in one sense (over-regulation, high taxes, near bankrupt as a state) but at this point I have invested too much time and thought in coming to San Diego to go elsewhere given that I have just a few days left to buy a plane ticket before the Christmas flying time is upon me...with correspondingly higher prices that I can't really afford.
I am banking on there being a fair number of San Diegoans that will still want their windows cleaned. Bad economy and all. Or...if not..that I can land a run of the mill dishwashing job or otherwise until I can save enough to buy a vehicle again (which will greatly increase my options).
I guess I can always move somewhere else if San Diego (California actually) doesn't work out but at this point...it looks like San Diego is it .
Just an update for anyone still following this thread.
I just got my insurance payout today. $1050.00! For a beater truck like I had that is quite good! In fact that is excellent.
Given the higher value of the US dollar at this point in time (don't know how that is in view of the economic problems in the US and the relative strength of the Canadian economy but that is what it is) that is barely enough to buy me the flight and to pay for my first months rent somewhere but, it is enough.
I need to verify a couple of things yet but it looks almost certain that I will be coming down at this point.
It's quite amazing how the Lord has worked all this out!
Just in the nick of time! The weather here has taken a real turn for the worse. Thank God I am staying at my friends place for a few days! It's expected to get down to about -33 C for a few nights in a row with windshield hitting even below that. Several people will undoubtedly be found frozen to death over the next week.
In San Diego if one misses a bus or otherwise gets stranded...well, that's bad but not life threatening. Up here, in this crazy kind of weather, such things are potentially life threatening. At the very least there is danger of getting frostbite and loosing some toes or fingers (I just spoke with someone a couple of days ago who got kicked out of his apartment for lack of rent, had to sleep in his vehicle...which wouldn't start, and ended up loosing a great many of his toes to frostbite! Just insane!).
Of course there is free health care up here so getting them toes and/or fingers cut off won't cost anything but...hey...I'd rather live somewhere where that is not even a possibility!
If things go as planned and I actually make it down...I will certainly let everyone know what my first impressions of your fair city are .
I do not like the idea of coming to live in California one bit in one sense (over-regulation, high taxes, near bankrupt as a state) but at this point I have invested too much time and thought in coming to San Diego to go elsewhere given that I have just a few days left to buy a plane ticket before the Christmas flying time is upon me...with correspondingly higher prices that I can't really afford.
I am banking on there being a fair number of San Diegoans that will still want their windows cleaned. Bad economy and all. Or...if not..that I can land a run of the mill dishwashing job or otherwise until I can save enough to buy a vehicle again (which will greatly increase my options).
I guess I can always move somewhere else if San Diego (California actually) doesn't work out but at this point...it looks like San Diego is it .
Carlos
Hey Carlos!!!
It's me, DayoftheLord!! I tracked you down because I've missed you in the Religion forum. Just wanted to tell you that, and to wish you many blessings in your new adventures in San Diego!! Reminds me of that cartoon a few years back....uh....Carmen San Diego, that's it!!
I'm sorry you have had such tough times, but I can see from your last post that God came through for you, once again. He never fails us but He sure can make us wait til the last second!! Best wishes, my friend.
Great to see you again. Yeah...I've been hanging around this here San Diego forum for a while. You ain't seen nothing in terms of how the Lord has provided for me...I've been thinking of writing a post on the religion forum about it. It's absolutely amazing!
I don't know if you read all through this thread...it's quite long but among other things...
My truck breaks down right across the street from my storage unit. I can't begin to tell you how convenient that was.
A complete stranger at a restaurant gives me $110.00 into my hand as he is shaking it to leave after we had talked a bit about my comtemplating a move to San Diego and how the Lord has been providing for me. In no way, shape, or form had I even mentioned my needing any money at all!
An insurance company gives me $1050.00 to buy my truck as a result of someone hitting me two months ago. They gave me that even though they had me over a barrel so to speak in that I needed to get the truck off the road or face a $2800 fine after Dec 14th (the day I had cancelled my insurance).
The check came through just yesterday and my bank graciously decided to cash it for me. The insurance agent really went to bat for me. The adjuster was quite surprised that things went so quickly for me.
A friend offered to let me stay with him for a measly $7 a night (half his monthly rent) just before temperatures nose dived into the -25 to -33 C range. It's presently too cold to be sleeping even inside a truck with dual sleeping bags. My truck has become an absolute ice box.
Just today in walking around...the moisture on my eyelid froze on me. My friend has icicles hanging from his mustache. Absolutely ridiculous!
The towing company that was supposed to get my truck yesterday has given me till Monday morning to get my stuff out of the truck. I just had no time to get my stuff out yesterday. Even though I no longer own my truck...I still get to keep my keys until Monday morning.
My wife, from whom I am seperated, is taking all the stuff I have not been able to sell and her daughter will be stopping by Monday morning to get the stuff. She is also providing me with two nice suitcases. To be sure I have given her hundreds of dollars worth of stuff I just had no time to sell but still...that was gracious of her.
Someone offers me a very good price for my outdated but very nice laser printer!
The plane ticket I am thinking of buying is a seat sale!
It leaves in the afternoon so that I have plenty of time to get to the airport and get on board. I am not a morning person.
Through this whole ordeal I have not had to pawn one thing like my expensive camera or laptop even though there were several times when I came close. Once the Lord even laid it on my heart to not pawn my camera even though I had decided to do so.
And the Lord has been speaking to me almost every day from what I have been reading in the Bible. Over and over again...despite impossible looking circumstances where numerous times I just did not see a way through them...God has tested my heart and I have grown in faith. And the Lord has often not provided until just after I once again would surrender myself to Him and accept whatever He provided while continuing forward with a right heart.
Even today...I found out that window cleaners in San Diego are not doing so well. Both because of the winter and because of the economy. My heart was tested all over again in that it looked like, at the last minute, that San Diego might not be so good. And I could not for the life of me confirm my housing. I did not know where to go or what to do.
But despite that, I prayed and looked to the Lord again and lo and behold...God opened doors for me again. I placed an add on a popular listing service on the Internet and got multiple offers to stay at places in San Diego! One couple offered to rent me a living room for $200 a month! Another offered to let me stay on their couch for free! And the place I had been wanting to go to finally responded enough to have me feel somewhat comfortable at renting there.
$175 for the rest of December, $275 for January, and $350 thereafter. It includes cable, wireless internet, laundry machine use, kitchen privaleges, jacuzzi, and more. It's in a hostel type environment but I don't mind in the least.
There is so much more that I could write a small book on all this but the above are the highlights that come to mind.
I am truly blessed and I would not have traded all these experiences of relying on the living God for anything. What a hard, very hard, but incredibly enriching experience this has been with respect to my faith in God!
I am a bit sad at leaving yet another place and starting over again in a strange city. Sometimes I have been so sad that it has overwhelmed me to tears. I have been here close to ten years. Lots of friends and good memories associated with this place. Some of my friends have almost started to cry when I have told them of my leaving.
But there is no sense remaining at this point. I have looked at everything countless times and from all kinds of different angles and going South seems like the best thing to do at this point.
Even now I must continue to look to God and take one step at a time. If I think about it too much...my knees start to buckle (figuratively speaking) until I remember all that the Lord has brought me through already whereupon I gain courage to keep moving forward one step at a time.
I know not where I am going other than perhaps the name of the city. I don't know anyone there. I've never been there before. And I barely have enough money to get there and pay for a short stay somewhere but, the same God that has been with me during this trying time in my life...is with me still and will never leave or forsake me. To Him belongs all the honor and glory.
I was not able to leave on the flight that I wanted to leave on as I could not confirm housing until yesterday (at a Christian hostel) in part but also because I just could not finish off clearing out my storage unit in time. I had and still have a mountain of paperwork I have to sort through, scan, and put on CD to reduce weight.
But I had a question for anyone still following this thread.
The possibility seems to exist for me to be a caretaker in someone's very nice home while they are out of the country. I would have to pay $200 a month + do some window cleaning. That's it! It sounds a bit too good to be true and I am sure you all know the saying...that if it does...it usually is too good to be true.
Now the Lord could also have opened this door for me so it's possible it may be legitimate but....
Has anyone living in San Diego heard of scams whereby one's must fill in personal information on an application form (which I must do to proceed) aimed at determining if one is a good caregiver or not...only to have one's identity stolen or some such?
My name is like John Smith in Spanish so there is not much possibility that my identity could be stolen with just my name along. But I would have give out my birth date and some other identifying information too which, to be sure, could be used legitimately to check my credit history and so forth but which could also be used illegitimately to impersonate me somehow.
These people (a supposed couple) had a very bad experience with another caregiver and it costs them a lot of money so rather than go through an agency they are looking to find another caregiver directly. That's how they found me. They responded to an ad that I had placed in a shared housing wanted list.
It dawned on me this morning while reviewing their rather simple application (though it does ask for things like my name and date of birth) that I don't know much about them at all other than the circumstances of their looking for a new caretaker.
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Actaully I sold my 3 houses, worked for 2.5 more years saving additional money, bought and fitted out a brand new van, and traveled. 30,509 miles, over 35 National Parks, 30 National Forests, 25 State Parks, etc. ; I have now seen every state in the US except 3. Backpacking, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, etc. etc. with over 20,000 high quality photos to enjoy the remainder of my life.
Just got a nice bonus and my teeth are nothing short of beautiful because I have a dental plan, but nevertheless that does not mean I am not happy for you! Enjoy yourself! For time passes quickly, James 4:14
You would LOVE Spring Valley!!! Everyone there lives out of there truck it seems and its just a hop skip and a jump away from affluent areas such as Eastlake, Bonita, Rancho San Diego, and Dictionary Hill/Mt. Helix areas. Come on down!
They have the best Swap Meet anywhere and you'll find all you need to succeed.
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Good morning Carlos!
Best wishes, my friend.
