Being underemployed is boring, so go on an adventure!.

I had a stroke when I was 40 and nearly died, within a year my wife filed for divorce, I got laid off from my job and let the bank have my house. I looked for work for awhile with little luck, then relocated to Florida from Wisconsin and found work only to be laid off again in 6 years (2008).

A lot has happened since 2008, I went back north only to be unable to find anything but very low paying part time jobs which didn't earn enough for me to get by, then broke my shoulder and lost the job that I did have, now I'm back in Florida doing odd jobs and living in a run down RV.

I'm not complaining so much about money or employment or my living situation as I have learned how to live on very little, but sometimes when things are not happening, as in little money, it's better to do nothing than to waste resources on what has proven to be nothing but a drain on resources driving around looking for a job, even driving to work too great a distance doesn't work with what a lot of employers are paying even at jobs which require particular skills....Rent,Gas prices, insurance and maintenance....

So.....

I have a bicycle and a trailer which I rode from Florida to Wisconsin in the summer of 2011 and had an awesome time but it was expensive because I was paying the way for two people and two dogs on the trip. It would be awesome to do it again.....but.....

What I was really getting around to is a crazy idea I had to go north via intra-coastal waterways on the east coast with my canoe. I like the idea of getting out in the fresh air and seeing things go by really slow, different place every day and so on. Canoes are unstable though, and I was wondering if anyone here at ATS knew where to find an outrigger for as cheap as possible, or knew of anything which could be used as one as I do not like the idea of dumping my gear into brackish water, especially my dog and very pricey bicycle. I have done fiberglass work and suppose I could make one myself, but that crap is expensive and nasty.

I have waterproof pelican cases for my computer and other stuff, a U.S. military waterproof medical case that's pretty huge and plenty of gear to stay warm and dry, I am even considering toting my gun along just in case in a case (in case of what I don't know, I really have no desire to kill anything and would probably end up selling it).

Please don't anyone start with the concealed carry jibberish, as the gun is disassembled in a locked case with a trigger lock, like that'll be of any use to me in an emergency situation anyway. It's pretty heavy, I guess I could throw it at someone defending myself....Yeah, the word is useless, concealed carry laws vary from state to state, I might as well bury it in the yard instead of bring it along anyway...

Anyway...

I actually have a course mapped out on Google Earth already that goes as far north as New York. It would be nice to find a river that runs continuously from a waterway on the east coast to the bottom of lake Erie, and I am in the process of searching one out. No luck so far, but the reason for wanting to hit Erie is that I can go around to Milwaukee on lake Michigan and catch the Glacial Drumlin (I think) Bicycle trail to Madison Wisconsin, although I couldn't imagine why the hell for, it sucks everywhere....

What I would like to do is get an outrigger set up to increase stability and provide more lashing points for cargo, plus rig it all up so it can be towed behind my bicycle if it becomes necessary to go some distance across land as it is beginning to appear I will have to. I have a background in metal fabrication and can do pretty much everything myself but Hobie Cat pontoons ( I already have 2) are not particularly light, in fact they're actually particularly heavy for what they are...Maybe another canoe to make it a twinoe?....nyuck nyuck..

I have a 45 watt solar panel setup that I could use to charge a battery and run a trolling motor also, but for the sake of simplicity and cost effectiveness that would be considered a luxury, aside form the added weight.

...And I can't think of a better way of finding out if I will ever be able to use my shoulder again, it's gonna friggin hurt a lot!...

Maybe I should just load up my car and trailer and drive till I run out of money, sounds like a hair-brained plan to me and amounts to what nearly everyone (Lemming) does every day anyway.


Any comments, suggestions or........ ?........

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner

Hey man , my hats off to you, you know how to deal with adversity, some would have given up and it's an inspiration to hear your story! I really do believe that the material world is definitely the temptation, it's great to have possessions but truly it is even more important to be able to understand one's own true self and nature without enslavement, debt and servitude just to have a roof over your head, coming into the world through the birth canal knowing nothing of the material is about as basic human as you can get, we are all equal, until we get plugged into the matrix and build the false self based on material acceptance.
Thanks again for your inspiring story!

Hey Thanks, and I was born breech with two black eyes from having an oversize head and getting stuck and nearly suffocating by the time they got my big ole head outta there too, seriously.

I have always had dreams of suffocating, and wonder if that is where they originate from.

But anyway, Thanks.

a reply to: phinubian

Screw it, you should go and be a monk, lol. You may be able to get lodging in a temple, where at least, you will have a proper roof over your head, and a steady supply of consumable materials. You could probably even stay there until the economic and employment prospects lighten up.

Heck, i'd do it if i was in a sticky situation. Would be an interesting experience...

Even though you had to lose so much you seem to have a great outlook on things. What your describing sounds like lots of fun indeed. Can I make a suggestion? Somewhere on the net I had seen where you can post up something and raise $$ for things you need. Heres my idea if you have access to a video camera. Go to one of those sites and post your planned trip, take along your camera and video as well and record your adventure. I am sure there are many people out there who would love to go do what you are planning but would never be able to in a lifetime. These folks might even offer up some kind of donation to fund your trip. And what an experience it would be upload the days events to a site and keep trucking on. I could imagine all the interesting things you'd happen upon along the way. Well good luck and I hope my suggestion offers up some ideas to ya...

I'm a disabled veteran so I have a meager income every month which keeps it bearable, but becoming a monk won't be an option I don't think, because I have this old dog.

The dog in my avatar is Shiner, she's yawning because she doesn't like having her pic taken...

a reply to: daaskapital

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner

you are rich in something ....

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner

Any comments, suggestions or........ ?........

Plant trees along your route.

I really wanted to do that on the way north after quite a few people did suggest it on the trip, but had no laptop or camera.

We did get lots of pics after we passed through East Dublin Georgia though, an awesome fellow who offered us a place to rest for a bit donated a camera as we were leaving after being there for about a week.

Did you know you can't even buy BEER on Sunday there?...

Anyway.

a reply to: jaynkeel

We got it half right the first time, we left plenty of fertilizer in wooded areas along the way....

We literally camped under the Georgia Guidestones on the way too by the way, here's a pic of us in all our sweaty and dirty glory.

Well maybe not, couldn't get it to load.....

a reply to: Snarl

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner
Wow ok, drive on with your airborne mission!

I have been trying to put a photo on this site for quite some time and am never successful at it, what is the secret procedure for doing so?.

Funny you should say that, I was in the 82nd Airborne back in the early and mid80's.

1st BattalionN AirBorNe 1/319 Field Artillery Ft Bragg NC, 82C1P/36F (field artillery surveyor/forward observer).

This is where I fine tuned my taste for the outdoors, and my distaste for being mean to people.

Of course I was too young to understand exactly what I was until too late.

a reply to: phinubian

Ahhhh, heres how it works, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the photo I was trying to put up here earlier...

This is a great idea!!

a reply to: jaynkeel

I probably will look into that suggestion.

On the first trip on bicycles we were asked what our cause was several times.

We were confused by the question at first, but just said we were doing it because we felt like it.

We got confused looks in return...

Nothing at all bad happened on the whole two month trip except my dog falling out of the trailer on a steep mountain decent and going underneath and getting a bit scraped up and a few broken parts and flats, and RAIN, yechhhhhhhhh.!

a reply to: jaynkeel

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner

You are my hero dude! I don't know if these are happy tears
in my eyes, from your relentless up beat spirit, all in the face of
adversity. Or if thier tears of sadness because I'm so familiar
with your situation. But your story is so Joe Dirt, Behind the
Music ( with out the music ) inspiring. Well, hell lets put some
music to it, shall we?



Huge SnF

Ain't gonna let a little rain get me down cuz it's always raining somewhere.

Thanks BTW, and Joe Dirt?, damn he had a much better car than my Corolla so I just can't quite measure up to his level of AWSOMENESS.. My hair is a bit longer though...It costs money to stay well groomed.

Here's a pic of my well groomed bicycle though.

files.abovetopsecret.com...

to: randyvs

If you can get some money together and zip on over to Oneco, Florida you could buy some Expandacraft pontoons for your canoe. They also sell complete kits for around $1800 which come with the pontoon sections, aluminum frame and some netting.

Or for $575, they have a canoe stabilizer kit which is just two small pontoon sections.

Check them out:
www.facebook.com...
or
www.expandacraft.com...

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner

You are 40 plus with ZERO future. Does it matter what you do?

Unfortunately you are destined to be a statistic sooner or later. No JOB, NO CAREER, no luck and no hope!!

What is with people these days? Finding a stable career for your remaining 20 years would be my advice. Not that you want to hear that.

Good luck being a bum!!