I wasn’t going to head back to Bullhead city. I felt like I was done with it, heading to Oatman. But Marlo had convinced me to come back for Sunday to get help with making a video of Bugus, for my Vlog….
The Donkey’s visited us at our campsite before we headed back up to Oatman. The promise of Santa is very tempting for small children. The kids were so happy to be back in town. We watched the first gunshow, different actors with a different spiel. Then the kids painted Ornaments with the fire department. During our little store wanderings, I managed to buy a couple presents for each kid (something for Yule and something for Christmas) without them noticing! The kids needed to go see “Woody” our wood carving, story telling friend, to show him how they decorated their gifted wood burros. Woody said that he’d take us out to dinner if we were still around at about 4PM. I wasn’t really planning on it, but I told him we’d see.
After the smallest Santa parade of the country, we watched the second gun show (same one we’d caught the day before) and then saw Santa. Somehow my phone glitched out (?) and I can’t find the adorable picture I took of them. But the boys were happy to get some lollipops.
I was going to throw out some trash, I actually made it into the trash can when this lady stormed out of the “New Diggin’s” store and told me that the trash can was for tourists visiting the town. I looked at her and told her that I was a tourist and I’d been here all day. She said she knew I’d been here for two days now, and I was to fish my trash out of that can and take it to the dumpster out of view, and MIND that I don’t camp out in town. Her tone was very rude. Like I didn’t just spend most of my money on the dumb tourist shit they sell. I really dislike leaving bad reviews, but I felt affronted two times from people in that store and it was wholly unnecessary. I told Woody what had happened and he said that those guys are the chamber of commerce of that town and that they don’t like me because I’m “different.”
We did end up staying late enough for Woody to take us out to dinner. He said we’d be all over facebook gossip of Oatman. The boys ate well and I had a huge bowl of chilli. Woody keeps blowing his engine (he’s on the 2nd car that did that) everytime he gets to Oatman. I told him his cars are trying to tell him that he belongs there. He counters with his 13 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren being in California and him wanting to be there for them. It’s a very fair point, regardless of what cars say. Though, I think they would all utilize the chance to come out to see him and the cool donkey show.
We headed towards Bullhead after dinner and slept in the Walmart parking lot. Dennis, from the other night came by to say “hi” in the morning. It was nice seeing him again.
Before it was 10AM, I messaged Marlo, to let him know we were back in town and see what the plan was. When he didn’t reply to me, I figured he’d had a long night, so we headed to Rotary park, the location he had suggested at one point and was close enough to his house without being intrusive. I never heard from him, today.
But the kids had a great time playing in the sunshine. Then we busted out the coolest fold out table I’ve ever owned and crafted “thank you” cards for the team of ASR repairshop! It was pretty fun putting together a little package and guiding the boys to do their best in gratitude. Atreyu took one break, but came back very quickly.
It was a little hard getting them to say good bye to the park as I gave up hope to hear back from my friend, but we made it happen. We could really use more funds and I wanted to hang around until Monday, so we could deliver our gifts without them possibly getting stolen from their store front, so I decided to go hang out at target.
I’d just been working on practicing my drop spindle and Andean bracelet for plying, when this guy, Brad, pulled up. He’d passed me a few times already slowing down to look at the bus every time. He peaked inside the bus and saw the kids and told me to come shower at his place. He had a woman in his car, too, Jennifer. I asked them a couple of questions before following up behind them. He only lives a couple blocks down the road and he had us pull up a little incline to a level spot in front of the house.
The kids got to watch TV and I took a shower of amazing warmth. Then I let a bath for the boys. Galixy played for a good fifteen minutes, but Atreyu was in and out of there, probably more eager to watch TV than to wash his hair. I got a little relaxing time, then started laundry and cooked chicken noodle soup. The only way I could agree the boys to eat soup was by adding sea-themed pastas and telling them that that was the only way to keep the sea creatures alive before we ate them all *yum yum* Paddington was on, so we watched that while we ate.
I also got to speak to Brad. He says he lived on the streets in LA in his younger years, that he was a very bad man and was now just trying to make up for it to maybe make it to the pearly gates, because if he walked into a church today he’d probably burst into flames. He was hard into drugs in the day and in and out of prison, but managed to raise 5 kids on his own. He said he knows what it’s like living on the streets and that he’ll help me get off of them to actually start living a “real” life.
I really appreciate this man trying to do good for other humans and help out. I just feel like he doesn’t want to accept or hear my perspective that a) it’s warm out to us b) we may not have a lot of money, but we’re happy, c) we’re not actually sleeping in backalley’s on mattresses but have a nice home I call comfortable. I don’t just feel like that, I know that! Multiple times he’s told me to save my bullshit for other people and he continued arguing that I should sleep in the house where it’s warm. It was more than warm, it was fucking hot. Brad had lit a fire in his fire place and my ass was starting to feel swampy.
All I could do was reassure him that I was beyond appreciative of his kindness and letting us clean up, but we truly WANTED to sleep in the bus, it’s our home and my safe zone. I’m glad that he’s trying to do good for the workd and his fellow humans. I admire his fervor and tenacity. I’m also a little sad that he won’t try to look at my perspective. He keeps saying “I get you” but I really don’t think he does. The statement of his that best describes this misunderstanding was “Your kind of people go out chasing happiness.”
Like whoa dude, I have no energy to chase anything. I seek out things that make me smile or enrich my life in another way, but my happiness is taking the time to sit down and write, having something I feel important enough to share with this world (our journeys), reading, feeling the sun on my face, playing with the kids, getting excited with them about something awesome we stumble upon…. It comes from within and I make time for my happiness, I don’t run after it.
Very exhausting, I’d say. A couple loose ends I should thread in: I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone to the boys and they’re already itching for more! Good kids. Atreyu’s on a school book he finds rather easy and enjoyable so he’s been doing well on that. I’m sure we’re behind on site words, but I’m determined to not let school go under and keep him on the path of reading and writing. It does the soul good to exercise the mind.
I also got a little internet time at the park (wifi at a playground f* yeah) and used the chance to chat off Saliha’s ear a little bit. I’m sure there’s a lot more I could’ve done connection wise, but the sun and warmth and kids playing had me blissing out. Much more worthy.
Im wanting to wrap a pendant for Galixy for Christmas to hang over his bed. Something that has Rose quartz and fluorite in it to help him deal with his frustrations that get him to whine. My anxiety sky rockets with that sound, and I know I must somehow be triggered and that it isn’t his fault, I’d just like to help him with it, cause he won’t even listen, even if I’m trying to figure out what he’s saying calmly, it seems to frustrate him, too. But I’ve got to do that while he’s not watching or it won’t be much of a surprise.
I’m getting tired, but I’m also feeling a little wired, like I haven’t gotten it all done yet, or something’s been missing from the day? I bet it’s just the meditation missing and I’m about to do that. Or maybe the reading too? It’s been so nice to regularly read a chapter book out loud that you can tell the kids are interested in.
Tomorrow, we’ll be stopping by the shop on our way out of town. I want to go back to Lake Havasu and then make it towards something, i don’t know what yet. Where will we spend Christmas? Probably in our bus! Which is the best place to have it anyway, at home. Where are we going to spend Yule? At a campsite! So there may be a fire!! OH! I still gotta find a log of oak wood! It’s getting to be time to decorate. The boys are excited for that. I’m excited for it because they’re the decorations we had last year, so I feel sustainable about it.
At any rate, there shall be more movement and more adventure in our lives, whether some people disagree with being able to call it “life” pft. I am Life. I mean we all are. I’m alive, I create life, I witness life. We are so immersed in life….
Whatever your reality, you’re living. I hope you’re enjoying yourself with it.
Grateful for you! Grateful for life and love and air!
I hope you find all the things you can be grateful for and have a clear enough head to keep them before your eyes as much as possible.
Loving you!
Matilda the Bugus 