My Summer Nomadic Adventure...

Yo Peeps,

Instead of boring updates on Face crack, I thought I'd just write yall' a short novel on what's up with my new bionic knees and my really weird beautiful life!

EVER HAVE ONE OF THOSE YEARS?  A year that may be kicking your ass but in a new WAY BETTER DIRECTION?  Check this out...

My landlord sold the house I was living in for $1.4M. I got help from my muscle bound pals moving everything I own into my storage unit by the sea in Pacifica, CA. I got rid of tons of stuff. It is a year of "Letting Go" so far. I am on track.

I got a 3% raise and a big bonus at my Bio-tech start-up job again this year. What I wasn't expecting was for them to eliminate my position all in the same week. I got an amazing letter of recommendation and have nothing but positive references. They gave me 4 months severance at my new pay rate, the bonus and 4 months of full Cobra medical, dental coverage. A week after I got the news of all of this change, my Gnaughty Gnome Art Car daily driver died and went to the Big Keebler Heaven in the sky. I donated it to a charitable cause (after I removed the bad boys). My last day at my house and at work was on February 28th.

I was already going to have one knee replaced due to this bloody osteoarthritis, (which I guess is genetic in my family, and totally blows) that was scheduled and approved for March, but when all this happened, my surgeon said we may as well just do both of my knees at the same time and get it over with.  THIS IS WHAT THEY DID TO MY KNEES.

Are you freaking out?  Yea, so, I doubled down! I had double knee replacement surgery on March 27th and was released from rehab after 5 weeks and into the care of a very kind couple friends of mine who have been watching over me as I learn how to walk again and get back on my feet. I am doing my personal physical therapy diligently everyday. I am off of the walker and am using a dazzling black sequin cane to walk more than 300 steps still. If I have to use one, it had to be a FABULOUS ONE!

I am having very sharp pain if I stand or sit too long. The nerves that were cut in my bones during surgery are still healing, and my muscles are getting stronger everyday.  I am weaning myself off of the pain meds into over the counter pain relievers when needed. Ice really helps too.  This shit makes you feel old, but I know that once I am healed, this means I will be able to dance until the day I die!

I just sold the Leopard Lounge VW Artcar Bus to the perfect person. A beautiful redheaded creative VW loving Burlesque dancer with a husband who is a car mechanic.  PERFECT FIT!  She is keeping the theme and is continuing with the next level of epic fun restoration.

I have no art cars today, it feels so weird, but I am always working on some new fun creative project. I needed a cargo van for my events and bought a 2015 Ford Transit Commercial Cargo Van that I am building out into a beautiful camper.  For over 20 years I have been longing to have a comfortable reliable stealth camper.

It started when I wanted a private place to take 30 minute naps during my lunch break at work, but after trying to sleep in a VW Camper Bus Art Car painted like Austin Powers wet dream, with all the attention it got there was no peace at all I assure you, I decided I wanted to become invisible when I needed too.

I love to cook! I also really like to eat low carb with lots of fresh vegetables, and save money, so being able to cook and make my own food in private was also a huge need for me to stay on track for my weight loss goals and over all health.

I am updating my resume and searching for a new job, and have lost a bunch of weight and am feeling good considering I am still slow at walking, bending and doing stairs etc.  I don't want to go into a job interview with a cane if I can help it.

For as hot as it sounds, I also don't want to continue to walk like Frankenstein, which I kind of look like right now.  My new knees are great, I'm just still getting used to them. I have titanium and plastic in them now. The airport security is going to love me.

I think in the past I would be curled up in a corner freaking the fuck out right about now, but honestly - I FEEL HAPPIER THAN EVER. I sat at that desk working days, took work home every night and worked at home on the weekends way more than I wanted too.

I would be helping and giving to people all day long, working long hours and then putting on a sexy black dress in the work ladies room and then helping unload and then set-up the sound system in high heels and then singing a 4 hour jazz gig until the wee hours. Music is what feeds my spirit, singing and expressing such beautiful songs in my own romantic femme fatal way was my refuge for so many years. 

I remember looking out the high rise window from the San Francisco office and wishing I could just change my life somehow. Why was I working so much for other people and not having time to really enjoy my life? Start-up jobs are like that. I love the challenge and I wore several hats there, but the stress was taking it's toll on me.

I need some me time. I have an opportunity to change my life now, and I am doing it. Now with unemployment help and a little cash cushion saved up, I think it's time for an adventure!

So, I have decided to move into my van full time to hit the road starting July 4th for the summer! I'm celebrating our fabulous countries Independence.

I AM CELEBRATING MY INDEPENDENCE TOO!

Haven't you had the fantasy of ever doing this?  I HAVE FOR YEARS!  I actually have been kind of preparing myself for this for a long time.  The cost of living in San Francisco is at an all time high and I have been sharing houses, renting tiny rooms with other people for a long time now. I do not want the burden of being tied to a high ass mortgage payment by myself right now, this late in the game.

Having a van that is custom built for my needs and lifestyle is like having a swanky bedroom with a mini kitchen all to myself, but on wheels. I think my biggest fantasy has been, being able to go to all of the fun music festivals and events I want, and the money I would be paying for hotels, I can spend on better event seating tickets and fine dining.  I am a frugal diva when I need to be, and it's just me right now (no pets at the moment). I am pretty simple and pretty easy to please. I'm very inspired by the young cool kids out there around the world who are living their minimalist dreams traveling in their pimped out stealth van cribs. 

I did purchase some of the big things I knew I wanted for the van, so for now I am holding off on buying the other possible big ticket items for the van until I know what I really can't live without. But will have the basics all ready to be comfy, safe, cool and stealthy. I have never really done anything like this before. I want to learn and enjoy the process of building out this van.  I know I want to stay connected with you all, and you know what a kind of clean freak I am, so having it orderly and well appointed is a must for my mobile boudoir. San Francisco is freezing in the summer, I may need a good heater!

I am a little nervous, but I am more excited to try this out just for the summer until I land the next awesome bio tech project manager/sr. executive assistant/corporate event planning position. Then I'll find a cute apartment or share a big house with fun friends and move into new digs.

Eventually, I'd like to put a tow package onto the van and tow a sweet 30 ft. travel trailer. My glamping style is getting easier - with lower gear setup plans as I get older. I have a vision of an art car camper trailer - doing metal art and an artistic brushed aluminum on the exterior of a vintage restored Airstream and add a fiberglass claw foot bathtub inside.  Towing it with the cargo van, it could be my garage, so most of what I am putting in there now is removable.

Imagine an Airstream that looks like this on the outside!

For this summer, I'd like to take advantage of the freedom and opportunity to travel the west coast of the U.S. and Canada and visit friends. I also have a great gym membership, so I can use the pools for low impact physical therapy in my rehabilitation and start some weight training for getting a tighter body. I won't have a shower in the van, but I do have a high end nice flush-able portable toilet.  I like to shower everyday, so taking Pilate's, spin, yoga and swimming are what work well for me and are helping.

The outside of my work van looks like all of the other nicer newer (slightly used cosmetically : ) commercial vans out there with a roof rack. I have 4- 100 watt glass solar panels, and 4 enclosed large Universal 12v 100AH Deep Cycle AGM Batteries. I also have 2 Fantastic roof vents. They feel like skylights inside.

The roof rack is painted white, so it all just blends in. It's not that stealth, but it's clean, and just looks like every other work van out there. I may add an event business logo to it once I design it, but I don't want to draw attention to the van and or make it a "MILF Dwelling", but the van is for my glamping events long term. 

I have a new steel bulkhead partition with a door. No windows on the sides of the van, just 2 on the back with limo tint. 3 LED lights, and one warm white strand of copper string fairy lights on a USB 12 volt connection. It's a low roof van. I'm 5'6", so I can't stand-up in there. I have an adjustable stool on wheels to sit on and move around the van inside, to save my knees.

Nice commercial work van outside, romantic beautiful Tuscany summer cottage inside.

The full size custom built super soft memory foam bed converts into a dining room that seats 4 comfortably. I am sewing a screen curtain for the back so I can open the doors to see the ocean while having morning coffee. I just want to take the time to read, study, take song writing and art classes, write, teach myself new software programs, make cool stuff and sell them on ebay & ETSY, and make working out at the gym and walking on the beach my new day job for now.  By the end of summer I expect to be happier, sexier, stronger and walking like no one would ever guess I had a double knee replacement surgery. I mostly want to be ready for the next great move in my career and it's time I learn everything I can about how to start my own business and make it successful.

I may just end up working for myself doing something I love!

After managing and performing live music for so many years, it was nice to take a break, but I really
miss crooning my favorite toons on stage. I'd like to have all of my jazz charts/arrangements professionally redone and have them in pdf for my new jazz quartets ipads.  Writing and adding spoken word poetry into my sets has been something I've wanted to do for years. I've been too chicken to do it yet. I am reinventing myself and finding new music in my heart to share with the world.

I would like to finally take all of the courses to become a professional astrologer, I have been studying for over 30 years now. I want to become better at film making too.  I love well produced and edited YouTube videos. It would be fun to create some great ones to share with the world. I want to do my own jazz & blues radio show at a collage radio station. SO MANY FUN THINGS I WANT TO DO!

What would you do if you had all the time and money to do what you want with your days, what would you be doing? 

I am into creating, learning, and sharing with a fun community! Living a life that feels like a vacation and enriches the soul, while looking and feeling good doing it.

I also miss one more thing. I miss kissing. I've been married before and have had a few other long term relationships, but I took a break and it's been a few years now since I have really kissed someone. I love my freedom. I don't see myself ever "settling down", but maybe I would if I met someone who could keep up with me and who also an independent spirit. He would have to be exceptional, super outgoing and fun, a man conscious of his own sacredness, who may be getting older on the outside, but not on the inside.

I could see myself worshiping a Leo man forever or racing with a dare devil Aries man all over the globe.  I have adored the witty smart ass Gemini guys. I think a sweet Pisces man may be what is a good fit for me. WHO KNOWS?  I'm open to the possilites. I'm going to let my new path lead my way.

So I'm off to explore my new life in a whole new way. I'm like a sensual sillier version of Kung-Fu from the television series journeying the world in search of Truth, good micro brew, BBQ, natural hot springs, little French Bistros, as much MUSIC as possible and meet other weirdos doing this out there who are not afraid to just say fuck it and get out and be present and really experience all we have been missing.

I'll post some pictures of the van build and adventures soon. STAY TUNED!