Today I worked to tear down an old swing set and turn it into a pile of firewood. I made $80. Not much, but quite good for a favor for a friend’s Mom. I gave it all to my roommate, who gave half back to me. I had a little extra money in the bank from some other stuff as well. I finally spent some money on something other than food. I spent $42 on a backpacking alcohol stove and a Nalgene water bottle. It worked out perfectly because I basically turned a swing set into firewood for a friend and new camping gear for myself.
I have an alcohol stove already, but I made it from a ginger beer can and it doesn’t work right. I tried to use it once while camping and it wouldn’t stay lit. I decided to buy one that I could be fairly certain would actually work. One requirement was that it could use other fuels, like leaves, cardboard, and wood. This one I found for $25 will do just that. Hopefully it actually works. I won’t have time to return it and replace it otherwise. I wasn’t going to take any cookware with me on this trip, but decided it would be best. Processed foods and ready to eat stuff gets expensive fast, and very boring. I’ve got my 12 volt heated mug that I can slow cook stuff in, but it’s not the same as having a frying pan, pot, and flame. Sometimes I just want an egg sandwich or something hot and fresh. Those cold desert nights will be much nicer with a mug of hot cocoa.
As for the water bottle, I bought it for the lid. I’ve got a 48 ounce Nalgene bottle with a wide mouth and standard lid. I recently bought a water bottle carrier with a shoulder strap that fits it perfectly. The lid is terrible for drinking out of though. I found that the On The Go kids are much better for drinking out of directly. I bought the entire bottle instead of just the lid, and will swap the lids. I’ll end up with an extra 24 ounces of water storage with me, which is great. I need a ton more for the desert, but I’ll figure that out when I get there. I need to carry a bottle with a convenient lid because I’ll forget to drink water otherwise. This will be the last missing piece to the water bottle puzzle. Next up is the water filter so I can drink gross water from puddles and such.
Here’s what’s left of a very old and dangerous swing set I tore down today. Good looking pile of very well seasoned firewood.
I spent about 6 hours working to take down this pile. Most of that was actually either loading and unloading tools, drive time, or chatting with my friend’s Mom, who hired me to tear this giant hazard apart safely. I used a dead blow sledge hammer I made from plumbing pipes, a pry bar, a cordless circular saw, and tons of brute force. No injuries, no sunburn, no problems with the heat, and I only hit my right foot with a hammer twice. No major injuries. Just annoying. I had some fun and got cash and Wendy’s out of it. And a workout. It felt so good to actually complete an entire project in a single sitting. Today was a flawless victory for me. Everything was just so easy. There is such a massive difference in the outcome of a workday when things are done well and with skills, versus without. I’m no stranger to working in the heat, in dirty and dangerous environments, and doing demolition work. I wore my old canvas work pants, my long sleeve reflective safety work shirt, my new sun hat, clothes dust mask, new boots, and a nice pair of gloves. I also had my glasses. It was so easy to just lay out my tools from my well organized boxes and get to work. I brought water, cough drops for my allergies, and a sweat rag.
I’m very happy with how my projects have been turning out lately. I don’t worry about too much anymore. I’m finally good enough at what I do to just do it without much thought or struggle. It’s a very nice change of pace. Life will only get more interesting as I go and get better at things.
I’m quite tired now, so I’ll end here and start getting excited for the upcoming adventure of a lifetime.
