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general furry discussion => furry greetings => Topic started by: Kay Alett on November 16, 2021, 04:58:46 pm

Title: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on November 16, 2021, 04:58:46 pm

Unsure where to put this, mods feel to move it if need be.

So updates.
I wasn't able to continue staying with friends in colorado and I honestly I was getting very tired of the runaround and dealing with all of that stupid "need an ID to get an ID" crap so with nowhere else to go I left Colorado a few weeks ago.

Where am I now? Well I am now staying in something of a homeless camp in the middle of the Sonoran Desert in California. A place called Slab City that is often touted as being "The Last Free Place". it's not the best place to end up. The area has many thieves and meth fiends and it's not exactly the safest place to end up but for the time being I am part of a camp so I'm not alone, and I am far enough from the more troubled areas of town, away from the meth fiends and others.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: DDD on November 18, 2021, 12:31:53 am

Hey Kay,

I am glad you posted.
Life isn't going too crash hot for me at the moment either.
Let us hope things get better in the future.

DDD

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on November 19, 2021, 07:01:06 am

Please be safe Kay.  That doesn't sound fun.  I had no idea what was going on in your life, and I am sorry this has happened.
I now wonder what has happened to your eaglemoss enterprise.  How will you keep doing your model hobby?
 :(

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on November 21, 2021, 02:36:39 am

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on November 19, 2021, 07:01:06 am

I now wonder what has happened to your eaglemoss enterprise.  How will you keep doing your model hobby?
 :(

Had to put that on pause. the editions I got already are still with my friends in colorado, they're holding on to a few things of mine. I hope I can return to it before it's run its course but really that was more of an idea of a display piece for an apartment or home. As it stands now I'm living in a tent in the middle of a desert. Not the best climate for model building.

Frankly I lay the blame heavy on Colorado's stupid anti-homeless legislation that requires a person to already have an ID before they can obtain an ID.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: cause the rat on November 21, 2021, 05:41:31 am

There are legal ways to get your id back. You will need to contact your Vital Records office. They should be able to get you a certified copy of your birth certificate. And start from there. Access places on line that will help as well. Not saying this will go smoothly. I have all my documents and it still took 6 months for the state of Illinois to find my birth certificate. My brother was born in New Mexico. Back in the 1960's they didn't number the certificates. Because they lacked a number he had a hard time getting into the military.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on November 21, 2021, 08:53:41 pm

Quote from: cause the rat on November 21, 2021, 05:41:31 am

There are legal ways to get your id back. You will need to contact your Vital Records office. They should be able to get you a certified copy of your birth certificate. And start from there. Access places on line that will help as well. Not saying this will go smoothly. I have all my documents and it still took 6 months for the state of Illinois to find my birth certificate. My brother was born in New Mexico. Back in the 1960's they didn't number the certificates. Because they lacked a number he had a hard time getting into the military.

I have been over this a thousand times already in colorado. I HAVE my birth certificate. I HAVE my social security card. I DO NOT have an ID. No driver's license, no basic state ID, no passport.

And what would happen every single time is i'd go in, hand them financial records from the IRS, birth certificate, social card, mail from my address and they would say "We just need to see your ID now." Except I don't have an ID so I couldn't get an ID. and if that sounds stupid to you trust me, it just means you have more brain cells than the people who made that a thing.

I know there are ways to get your ID if you lost it, the problem is I didn't lose it, i didn't have one to begin with. and in colorado if you don't have one you can't get one.

It's that simple, you can't.
YOU. CAN'T.

I did this hamster wheel of bureaucracy for a year already. doing the same thing, getting the same result, denial due to not having an ID. Tried to get a passport, same thing, no ID so I couldn't get one. I'm not the only one in this situation!

https://sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/perry-identity-crisis-colorados-holy-grail-is-a-state-id-card-homeless-people-struggle-to-get/

Of course none of that matters now. I'm in California now and they're a lot more easy going about ID's. All one needs is birth certificate and social security card.
So maybe, just maybe, I can get an ID out here and return to Colorado to get a Colorado ID and apply to the housing authority at last but TBH Colorado has ruined my opinion of it. At this point I'm more like to head to the north areas of California if I seek to leave the desert behind.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on November 22, 2021, 03:43:04 pm

Hi Kay,
I am worried about you in a tent city.  Sounds very dangerous.

In an attempt to help, I put some research and thoughts into a spoiler so it can be minimized.  This thread is about Kay's updates, not my research.

Spoiler: show

I am only trying to help.  I am sorry if I am bothersome.

Here is all I could find regarding how to help you.  I suspect you may have been down this road?  If so, ignore.
I think your plan sounds good so far.  I hope it all works out.

The following illustrates what I have found in 15 min of searching in an attempt to help Kay.  She is correct of course.  There is severe run-around going on.

A golden item to have is a US Passport.  Once you have that, this cycle should be broken. Aka a second government issued photo ID.

For a passport...
I remember needing #1, my birth cert as proof, AND #2 is a GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID. <-- this is your issue of course. I used my drivers license.

Back when I was a little pup, my dad drove me to DMV to do driving test and get learners permit.  Then later of course a drivers license after I passed the test by the skin of my teeth.  I don't mean to pry, did this step not happen for you?   
If it did, where is your drivers license?  If you had one, can you file for a lost drivers license from that state, then try again here in Colorado?  Also an expired drivers license may still help?  It is a government issued Photo ID of you.  If you never had a DL, how did you get to Colorado?  And to buy a car, you need proof of who you are etc too.. so.... confused.  Sorry.

If you do not have the Drivers License etc, the second item #2 can be obtained by...
Obtain documents proving your place of birth and legal name (Birth Cert?). This can be verified by a birth certificate (yes), passport (cyclical reference huh), naturalization papers or visa.

AND

Obtain a second form of ID and proof of residence (here we go again). This can include a school ID, utility bill or a social security card.
The proof of residence is often from a bank statement or bank issued letter on letterhead for the purpose of showing residence.
School ID may work.  I still have an OLD one for myself.  Don't know if it would help me now.
If you do not have social security card or school ID, I do not know what to say.

Normally a parent or legal gaurdian would have those things as they were the ones who were supposed to take care of you. 
I got a school ID in High-school and then again in College.  I still have them.  A social security card, same thing, I got one in my teenage years.  Still have it.
Do you have such things now?  If not, who has them?

then

Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles and fill out the appropriate form for a state-issued ID card. This can often be done online. After presenting your identification documents, you may be required to be photographed and fingerprinted (depending on the state).

Pay the required fee. In some states, you can obtain your ID card immediately; in others, it will be mailed to you within a month.

That would get you a temporary photo ID in some states.

Now with  A Temporary Photo ID,and your birth cert and any other docs you have, you might be able to get a passport.
To be honest, you may need help from family on this one.

Heck if you walked into a Post Office which can do Passport Photos, maybe someone there can see all your documents and see what they can do for you?  It is their job to know about passports to some degree.

All I know is I feel for you, and you show us all an alarming fact that most of us never knew.

Heck if we lose our docs, who are we?  Apparently, no one anymore. Scary to realize the circles they deliberately make people go around just so they do not have to do the work of determining who is a citizen etc.  You need help from someone who can vouch for your natural birth in the USA, and who knows you by name and face etc, and has a document about you.  Aka your dad?  Maybe a notarized doc with you and dad in a notary office?  Would this help?  Notary services can be free to cheap.

Please keep fighting and above all, keep safe.  I do not like the idea of this Slab City.  I feel I know the inner working of human minds well, and that right there says you are in danger.  Keep your head on a swivel.
 :(

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: cause the rat on November 23, 2021, 05:14:37 am

Sorry Kay. had no idea it was that hard. Now that your in Cal I'd personally stay away from Colorado. Get what you need and move east. Mid states are cheaper living and right now plenty of opportunity for employment.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on November 23, 2021, 09:43:40 am

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on November 22, 2021, 03:43:04 pm

.  I do not like the idea of this Slab City.  I feel I know the inner working of human minds well, and that right there says you are in danger.  Keep your head on a swivel.
 :(

Well that's why i have two other people with me in our campsite and they have dogs.
It's also why our campsite is on the fringe of the slabs, away from the main city. We're away from the worst of it, away from the meth fiends and people who are more likely to rob you at knifepoint.

Also I'm not defenseless, without getting into specifics i have...items that i can defend myself with to warn people away from our campsite if need be.

Plus it's not all bad and danger. It's lovely out here and while I miss running water, plumbing, electricity, toilet facilities, etc, i can't deny there's a sense of adventure to it. I'm in a place where if i work at it i can really build a place for myself. Someplace where i can actually be.

It's hard to ignore the appeal of that. As I've said to others, i know I'm a squatter, i know i legally own nothing but here, in this moment, I can look out at this patch of nowhere I've claimed and enjoy the fantasy that I own land.

Just look at this morning

https://photos.app.goo.gl/X9ppeV5dbfdVw1Y86

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on November 23, 2021, 02:19:56 pm

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on November 22, 2021, 03:43:04 pm

Spoiler: show

I am only trying to help.  I am sorry if I am bothersome.

Here is all I could find regarding how to help you.  I suspect you may have been down this road?  If so, ignore.
I think your plan sounds good so far.  I hope it all works out.

The following illustrates what I have found in 15 min of searching in an attempt to help Kay.  She is correct of course.  There is severe run-around going on.

A golden item to have is a US Passport.  Once you have that, this cycle should be broken. Aka a second government issued photo ID.

For a passport...
I remember needing #1, my birth cert as proof, AND #2 is a GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID. <-- this is your issue of course. I used my drivers license.

Back when I was a little pup, my dad drove me to DMV to do driving test and get learners permit.  Then later of course a drivers license after I passed the test by the skin of my teeth.  I don't mean to pry, did this step not happen for you?   
If it did, where is your drivers license?  If you had one, can you file for a lost drivers license from that state, then try again here in Colorado?  Also an expired drivers license may still help?  It is a government issued Photo ID of you.  If you never had a DL, how did you get to Colorado?  And to buy a car, you need proof of who you are etc too.. so.... confused.  Sorry.

If you do not have the Drivers License etc, the second item #2 can be obtained by...
Obtain documents proving your place of birth and legal name (Birth Cert?). This can be verified by a birth certificate (yes), passport (cyclical reference huh), naturalization papers or visa.

AND

Obtain a second form of ID and proof of residence (here we go again). This can include a school ID, utility bill or a social security card.
The proof of residence is often from a bank statement or bank issued letter on letterhead for the purpose of showing residence.
School ID may work.  I still have an OLD one for myself.  Don't know if it would help me now.
If you do not have social security card or school ID, I do not know what to say.

Normally a parent or legal gaurdian would have those things as they were the ones who were supposed to take care of you. 
I got a school ID in High-school and then again in College.  I still have them.  A social security card, same thing, I got one in my teenage years.  Still have it.
Do you have such things now?  If not, who has them?

then

Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles and fill out the appropriate form for a state-issued ID card. This can often be done online. After presenting your identification documents, you may be required to be photographed and fingerprinted (depending on the state).

Pay the required fee. In some states, you can obtain your ID card immediately; in others, it will be mailed to you within a month.

That would get you a temporary photo ID in some states.

Now with  A Temporary Photo ID,and your birth cert and any other docs you have, you might be able to get a passport.
To be honest, you may need help from family on this one.

Heck if you walked into a Post Office which can do Passport Photos, maybe someone there can see all your documents and see what they can do for you?  It is their job to know about passports to some degree.

Regarding your info here, i appreciate your suggestions but this is all information that I know and have attended to to no avail. I'm tired of telling the story of my former texas state ID so let's just make a long story short and say by the time I became homeless last year I had no ID.

No ID, no license, nothing. And yes, i did drive across the country in my car without a license, no insurance, no registration, no tags, no up to date plates on the car. My car is about as illegal as it can be without being flat out stolen.

Please don't start telling me i need to get that stuff, i know. It will be done eventually.

I'm just giving updates on my situation here. This is not a thread for giving me advice on how to move forward, i know how to do that already.

While I appreciate the concern and wish to help, I can take care of myself. I made this thread just to update people here and assuage worries about me.

Also, minor point: No, I'm not contacting or counting on my father for anything. He's the one who put me in this situation.  He tossed me out on the streets in the middle of the corona plague; that's attempted murder.  >:(
So no, i wouldn't count on him.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on November 23, 2021, 04:25:11 pm

Thanks for the update Kay.
I sincerely wish the best for you, and will be glad to hear from you again, so I know you are alive.
It will be a good day when things get sorted out.
Take care.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Iara Warriorfeather on November 23, 2021, 08:19:33 pm

Kay--I am glad you are still around, and I hope things will get better for you.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Amducious on November 29, 2021, 02:13:40 am

I've been to Slab City a couple of times I went there when Cornelius was still running The Libarary. Met a guy named Orlando, it's funny we didn't see him for awhile my dad and I came back to the slabs during the winter to just see what's up and going on there. Low and behold we spot him and he still recognized us. We met some people passing through with some vans and staying there. Funny you mentioning living there brings back all the memories of going out there to just check it out and talk with people.

Just be smart about things with anything and it's already good you're with other people. I'm in Temecula which is only about a 2 hour drive out there towards Anza-Borrego State Park. Just be glad you're there when it's cool because in the summer time it's brutal out there easy triple digits.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on February 19, 2022, 04:26:57 pm

Thought I'd catch everyone up here with this thread.

My first milestone was passed earlier this month, i finally got my California ID.
I spent over a year in Colorado trying to get one with no results and in just four months here in Cali i got one.

And today I've gotten my second milestone by putting up my tent.

(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/387066983247511555/944675981745094676/20220219_111917.jpg)

Now i can stop sleeping in my car.
It's rather big too. 9 feet tall at the peak and 15 feet wide.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on February 21, 2022, 10:45:10 am

Dang girl you've got a big one there!  Bigger than mine!

Room for us all!
 ;)

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on February 21, 2022, 12:04:54 pm

 :-[ it better be big for as much as I paid for it.
It's just nice to once again be able to lie down to sleep and have a space that's all mine and private where I can stand up and walk around and not feel all exposed.

Next objective is food stamps and then I'll be working on getting some sun shading so i have a place outside to sit and kill time that's out of the heat of the sun and isn't entirely enclosed on top so heat can't build up.

I need to get the shade done before summer gets here.

After that, solar electricity.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kada-Ru on February 21, 2022, 01:05:08 pm

Good luck with your adventure and keep working towards your goals!

I know, when I first moved to PA from OH, I went to update my DL to PA.  I had my OH driver's license with me plus my social security card which were all in my new name, used for 15 years since living in CA. For some reason, in PA, I had to go to court to change my name LEGALLY even though I had been using this one for 15 years!  I'll never understand that but I did go through the rules and it took almost a year to get the new ID for PA!  I went in front of the judge and within 15 minutes he gave me the legal paper with this name on it.  Then, I still had to contact CA for updating my birth certificate with the new name.  Geesh, what a bunch of crap just to get my DL changed from state to state.  After updating the birth certificate, I had to get a copy of it and THEN I could take it to the PA drivers license department.  FINALLY, after almost a year I finally get my PA license. I can some times understand some of the rules and regulations but geesh, some times they seem ridiculous. I'm glad you finally got an ID in CA!

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kada-Ru on February 21, 2022, 01:07:16 pm

Quote from: Kay Alett on February 21, 2022, 12:04:54 pm

After that, solar electricity.

WS, Whiteshepherd, has our place set up with a couple solar panels and regular car batteries.  If interested, he can give you some info if you would like.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on February 21, 2022, 09:32:30 pm

Quote from: Kada-Ru on February 21, 2022, 01:07:16 pm

Quote from: Kay Alett on February 21, 2022, 12:04:54 pm

After that, solar electricity.

WS, Whiteshepherd, has our place set up with a couple solar panels and regular car batteries.  If interested, he can give you some info if you would like.

Certainly, though my campmate Kathy knows a lot about setting up a solar system and will help me out when the time comes. Obviously she's not going to buy equipment for me, i have to that, but she's been showing me deals on batteries and panels that she's found and will help me get good deals, get the right equipment and when I'm ready, how to wire it all up together.

Still, i won't say no to more advice.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Varg the wanderer on March 29, 2022, 11:06:56 pm

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on November 22, 2021, 03:43:04 pm

.  I do not like the idea of this Slab City.  I feel I know the inner working of human minds well, and that right there says you are in danger.  Keep your head on a swivel.
 :(

Just to second what Jade already said.

Quote from: Kay Alett on November 23, 2021, 09:43:40 am

Plus it's not all bad and danger. It's lovely out here and while I miss running water, plumbing, electricity, toilet facilities, etc, i can't deny there's a sense of adventure to it. I'm in a place where if i work at it i can really build a place for myself. Someplace where i can actually be.

Plumbing is over-rated anyway. ;)

Clean water is not, however, and I recommend you figure out what to do about it before it starts getting really warm. I'm working on a similar problem, for while I'm not in a hot desert and my walls are solid instead of a tent, I don't have running water either and it doesn't rain much in the summer here. I'm thinking of getting a few extra 5 gallon jugs. I can use the water out of one and then refill it while I use water out of the next oldest jug. That way if something happens to my water supply I have some on hand while I figure out another place to get water from once the snow is gone.

I hope things improve for you, though it sounds like they slowly are.  I'll pray for your safety and that you can get your life put back together again soon.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on May 05, 2022, 01:30:17 am

Test reply because I get database error

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on May 05, 2022, 01:36:04 am

Earlier in this thread i showed off the tent I'm living in. I recently installed solar powered LED light bulbs on strings and put little pathway garden lights around it at each of the guy line stakes.

My tent is holding up well to the powerful winds that occasionally blow out here. It's been wonderful being able to lay down to sleep again. I had been just sleeping in my car in the driver's seat.

Sun still beats down hard so I bought a large hammer, like a tiny sledgehammer, and hammered some metal poles and sturdy lengths of metal into the ground and threw a tarp over it, clamped it into place and now i have a nice, shady spot to sit under that keeps the sun off me but lets all the wind in.

My campmates on either side of me rather like the setup I'm building out here. One is trying to cobble together and jury rig a tent like mine together out of scavenged stuff and the other wants my help making a tarp shade over her trailer for herself and her dogs.

Said campmate, I'll refer to her as P for the sake of privacy, has become a friend to me. She's shared her food with me frequently, gives me rides to the store to stock up on goods and supplies and I watch her dogs and campsite when she has to go to the store alone.

She recently had minor surgery and been laid up so I've been hanging out with her, sharing my food with her, watching movies on my phone and just helping her out with what she needs

She recently had minor surgery and been laid up so I've been hanging out with her, sharing my food with her, watching movies on my phone and just helping her out with what she needs.
We gotta watch each other's backs out here after all.

More good news, I'm finally on food stamps!
It isn't a whole lot but it helps. Though I do still need to bum and ask friends for some monetary help especially when it gets to the end of the month.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on May 05, 2022, 01:42:07 am

But overall, things are... i hesitate to say good since I'm still living in the wasteland like Judgement Day's come and gone, but stable. Things are mostly stable.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on May 05, 2022, 01:48:00 am

https://imgur.com/ceAL1K8

https://imgur.com/dQAmJ55

https://imgur.com/xGDw0H0

Pictures of my tent

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: WhiteShepherd on May 13, 2022, 08:13:30 pm

That's a big tent and good setup. If it's something you enjoy perhaps if you want you could find a commune somewhere to set up? My brother spent a few years living at some rural communes in AZ, TN, and CA. He enjoyed his time there. It's private land so less risk of getting run off. But anyways good luck!

CA is a good place to get cheap used solar panels and batteries. Solar panels goes to charge controller. Charge controller goes to battery. Battery goes to inverter (pure sine wave if you can). Inverter gives you 120v AC to power small things all night like LED lights, laptops, phones, etc. Pretty easy to set up. But be careful as it's pretty easy to steal if your not in a secure location.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on May 13, 2022, 11:29:31 pm

Quote from: WhiteShepherd on May 13, 2022, 08:13:30 pm

That's a big tent and good setup. If it's something you enjoy perhaps if you want you could find a commune somewhere to set up? My brother spent a few years living at some rural communes in AZ, TN, and CA. He enjoyed his time there. It's private land so less risk of getting run off. But anyways good luck!

CA is a good place to get cheap used solar panels and batteries. Solar panels goes to charge controller. Charge controller goes to battery. Battery goes to inverter (pure sine wave if you can). Inverter gives you 120v AC to power small things all night like LED lights, laptops, phones, etc. Pretty easy to set up. But be careful as it's pretty easy to steal if your not in a secure location.

Yeah my campmate has been trying to teach me how to set up a system for us both to use.
Thanks for the advice on communes but I'm gonna stick to where I am for now. I'm in an out of the way spot on the far end of the slabs, no real danger of getting run off and it's just three of us here in the camp and we respect one another's privacy.

The only real annoyance is the guy here with us who keeps trying to act like he's mayor and runs the whole place but Kathy and I keep setting him straight.
He put on a big song and dance like he was gonna leave and go back to Alabama but he ain't left and i doubt he ever will.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on July 11, 2022, 02:53:49 am

Is there something wrong with this thread that i keep getting database errors whenever I try to post here?

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on July 11, 2022, 02:54:21 am

Oh of course, that it posts no problem

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on July 25, 2022, 11:17:55 pm

So i guess it's time for an update. It's getting hotter here in the wasteland.

Luckily Kathy bought a generator and a swamp cooler the other day and we spent the hottest part of the day holed up in her trailer enjoying the cooler air till her generator ran out of gas. Fortunately by then we had passed the hottest part of the day and it was slowly starting to cool down.


The only issue now is that with rising temperatures I'm drinking more water.

Last month i ran out of water and had to rely on Kathy for water. And this month, since Kathy used most of her check on the generator and cooler I been using my check to cover food and water for the both of us this month, which hasn't been easy.

So now it's getting to be a matter of being able to buy enough water to see me through the month entirely and not running out just shy of month's end.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on August 08, 2022, 12:03:04 pm

Update time

So my friend kathy and I have been planning to pull up stake and leave the slabs entirely and go north together to Santa Cruz.

Unfortunately a couple of days ago she fell ill and I had to call paramedics. She was taken to a hospital and shortly thereafter airlifted to a hospital in San Diego. She seems to be doing well but there's a big issue which now rears its ugly head, getting Kathy back home.

She doesn't have her vehicle and it's a long drive from San Diego to the slabs.

So if anyone has any ideas to help please speak up.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on August 24, 2022, 06:36:08 pm

IDK really.  Is she is very well and brave and able,  is hitchhiking an option?

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: DDD on October 24, 2022, 04:26:18 am

Hey Kay,

I haven't been on here in ages, but its so awesome to see these updates from you!
Your tent looks amazing at night.
By the sounds of it, you are starting the small strong community there.
Helping others set up tents is a great way to make friends for life.
If it is windy there, you can also get a wind generator.
Another way to harness solar energy without solar panels is to run a long length of black PVC tube filled with water. The sun will heat up the water in the tube, so at night time you can enjoy warm water without ever using electricity!

Looking forward to your next update!

DDD

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on May 24, 2023, 06:23:02 pm

So it's been a while since I updated here and let everyone know how I'm doing.

The sad first. My Neighbor and friend Kathy's dog Sweetpea passed away a few months ago. I helped dig the grave. We laid an old tire on top along with a large stone and put a little fence around her to protect against coyotes.

A couple of weeks ago a neighbor down the street passed away from his alcoholism. His name was Sonny. He was pretty old and i miss him.

Now onto better things. I've been improving my solar setup, still using little panels to charge backup battery banks but it works well for me. I keep my phone charged. I even purchased a USB charging cord for my old "New 2DS XL". Being able to play games really helps mitigate the boredom here. My LDR boyfriend in Australia has also shipped me a Retroid Pocket 3+ stuffed to the gills with a number of games from the NES to Gamecube and PS1&2. Looking forward to that.

Other exciting news, in preparation for the coming summer i have bought a solar powered fan that has its own dedicated panel along with two small USB powered fans that i run off my power banks.

Last acquisition is a propane camp stove so that i can finally cook food of my own and stop eating hormel compleats meals like they're ration packs.

I'm also using powdered gatorade and powdered milk to flavor up my water now heh.

I still intend to work on getting some kind of refrigeration out here. I'm thinking that if i can get something like a jackrey and some solar panels to keep it charged i could get a little DC powered cooler chest off Amazon. But man is that stuff costly...

Some new people have moved into the area as well, most of them living in tents, one has a tent that looks kind of like mine but made of typical tent nylon instead of canvas. They're not horrible people i guess but i wish they'd stop shouting.

Still living in my tent, it's holding up well so far. Life is settling down into an odd kind routine now.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on May 25, 2023, 05:37:48 pm

Thanks for the update Kay. So sorry to hear about the neighbor and dog.  That's sad.  But at least for the dog you all paid last respects and will never forget.

Sounds like you are holding up well so far
 Is it still your long term goal to get ID and move into a town etc? Just wondering if it didn't matter as much now that you are so self sufficient.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on May 26, 2023, 02:57:57 pm

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on May 25, 2023, 05:37:48 pm

Thanks for the update Kay. So sorry to hear about the neighbor and dog.  That's sad.  But at least for the dog you all paid last respects and will never forget.

Sounds like you are holding up well so far
 Is it still your long term goal to get ID and move into a town etc? Just wondering if it didn't matter as much now that you are so self sufficient.

Oh i already got ID. Got that about a month into my life here.
No, i don't think I'm going to go back to civilization any time soon.
I rather enjoy this wasteland living. It's not ideal and can be pretty stressful at times i won't lie, but i have fans to keep cool, i have electric lights, i can keep my phone charged, i have games to play, and now I can cook food again.

It's quite an adventurous way of life here, and there's a certain bent appeal in approaching the challenges of building a life here like a crafting game.
"Stove acquired! Cooking unlocked! New crafting recipes have been added."

Next step is getting running water. And once i have a water tower and tank I'll set about getting some lumber and try building myself an outdoor shower.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on June 15, 2023, 02:05:40 pm

Time for an update I think.

The stove is working out better than I could have even hoped for. It's so nice being able to cook again, granted most of what I do is just heat up canned food that is already cooked but the point is that i can make more varieties of meals.

I've been enjoying mac and cheese quite a bit lately heh. Nothing fancy and it's taken some compromises that lead to a need to develop an "acquired taste" for it. I'm using the really cheapo Walmart brand mac, in place of milk I'm using powdered milk, the cheese powder it comes with is just okay so I decided to improve upon it with some velveeta.

Rice boiled in broth and topped with gravy with quite tasty, especially if you add in a can of roast beef or chicken.

My usual go to for meat is SPAM. I love SPAM, always have.
Cube it and mix it with baked beans, cut it into patties and fry it with a little cheese and put it on grilled bread for a great sammich. Cut into strips, fry it put it on a hot dog bun with ketchup and mustard or a little chili. All time great for survival food.

I'm gonna try and get ahold of a big can of powdered eggs so i can start having a nice hearty breakfast.

I been enjoying the heck out of my new gaming system, it's called a retroid pocket 3+ running an emulator called retroarch. I can play everything i grew up playing again. Nes, genesis, TG16, dreamcast, sega cd ps1, ps2, gamecube, all the gameboys, it's fantastic. And since it's basically a kind of a modified smartphone it charges exactly like my phone.
Tbh I'm still in awe over how technology has advanced from when i was a kid and this system is like magic to me.

My neighbor Kathy finally stopped using her large ice chest which really wasn't doing her any good because she kept it in the doorway of her trailer where the sun always hit it.

That's pretty much it as far as things are around here. Just a day to day survival challenge.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on June 15, 2023, 08:55:55 pm

I have been wondering... what's a person to do for bathroom breaks? Sorry just curious.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on June 17, 2023, 12:56:37 am

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on June 15, 2023, 08:55:55 pm

I have been wondering... what's a person to do for bathroom breaks? Sorry just curious.

It's okay. Basically you get a thing at Walmart called a camp toilet which is like a toilet seat and lid that plugs on over a standard 5 gallon bucket.
I'll let you figure out where things go from there.
The best thing to do is use a garbage bag to line your bucket for ease of cleaning.

EDIT: Additional - Standard practice out here is to bury your waste.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on December 11, 2023, 04:04:08 pm

Sooooo much to tell everyone where do i begin?

Sorry about being gone but first I had to get my login info back. Thanks Weissman!

So back in September 1st I unfortunately lost everything I had. My tent, my transformers collection, my new stove, everything except for my car, phone and some solar panels and batteries.
(EDIT: I neglected to clarify that this was a flash flood that hit the whole Slabs and the nearby town of Niland)

I also very nearly drowned!

Just outside of my camp was a canal that i had been swimming in it was probably about 12 feet deep from the road to the very bottom of the canal. That entire thing was under a couple of feet of water.
I got caught by the current and washed into a line of trees. I could feel the current trying to pull me under the trees and I was having debris pile up against me.
With everything I had i pulled myself out screaming at myself "I have survived the desert! I have outlasted hurricanes and I will not be beaten by mere hedge and shrubbery!"

I got out only to be dragged by the current out of camp, through the driveway, across the road and over the canal to the opposite bank. I managed to grab some plant thing that was under the water but sticking out of the ground and kept myself from getting carried out into the wider desert.
I sat in that freezing current for about an hour or so just trying to ride it out. Once i started to feel the initial effects of hypothermia i swam against the current, back across the canal and clawed my way back to camp...

And that's when the real trouble was to come.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on December 11, 2023, 04:10:53 pm

My neighbor kathy decided the very next day that she was going to leave the Slabs. Unfortunately the road was a fine mess of mud and quicksand so she called paramedics and they brought a helicopter into our camp. Telling me to watch her camp and her dogs.

She didn't come back. Because it turns out she called her son who came and got her and took her up north, leaving me here, alone, holding the bag and on the hook for all her stuff and dogs.

Since I was alone my other close neighbor, a guy named Tinman, started to steal stuff every time i left camp for food and water and with the road washed out no vehicles could get to me. So i just had to do what I could to keep the wolves from getting my stuff.

Once Tinman was done picking the bones of camp he threatened me with arson if i didn't get out...

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on December 11, 2023, 04:21:08 pm

So i messaged as many people as I could, including Kathy who kept saying "I'm coming back soon" and then... didn't.
Managed to get help and got my car moved along with all of kathy's camp that hadn't been stolen yet.
The move was finished at the start of October and kathy was still saying she's coming back as soon as she has the money for a bus ticket.

So i call kathy's family to find out what is going on and I'm told that she's been lying to me about paying them rent, lying to me about not having money (sorta) because apparently had enough money to buy a blu rat player and a couple of sewing machines and lots of junk food, sodas, cartons of cigarettes and bags of candy. Just not enough for a bus ticket.

Kathy continuously lied to me about paying her family rent and lied to her family about paying me the money i spent to rescue her jeep and trailer and little travel trailer.
On top of all that she was being hostile to me about moving the camp, hostile to my new campmate Robert who was just trying to get her jeep key so he could move it behind his fence out of sight of scavengers, and kept saying "I'll be there next month" and making excuses for why she hasn't come back yet.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on December 11, 2023, 04:31:42 pm

So kathy finally came back last week and started raising cane the second her feet hit sand. I cleaned out her trailer of all her belongings and told hervin no uncertain terms that because of the way shes treated me, lied to me, left me here all by myself to the mercy of a merciless environment full of people that aren't trustworthy (she actually had the gall to tell me that Slab City is the safest place on earth as if that justified her) and left me looking after all her dogs for three months without so much as a thank you that i would be taking the house trailer for my own to live in.

She has all her belongings and she has setup a new camp elsewhere (although apparently she called police on some people who were harassing her because she decided to camp in a spot that was owned by a guy who just recently died and the cops ordered her to camp in a different spot). She's been back for only a few days and she's already telling lies to the people around her. Saying she just hot out of the hospital and she had to leave her son's house because he and his wife were abusing her and just generally talking smack about people who were trying to help her and only turned against her because of her own nasty attitude and constant lies.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on December 11, 2023, 04:39:04 pm

But things are settling down now. I'm in a new camp, away from thieves, away from the drama of kathy, I'm on the main road of Slab City and best part is i can now finally get deliveries from Amazon! Which means i can order food and water in bulk and it's cheaper.

I am still rebuilding my life though. All my stuff that i had is gone. My laptop. My transformers that I've been collecting for years. A stuffed animal doggy I've owned since I was 2. My last picture of my birth mom. All my clothes. My dresses. The flood even took my shoes and my wallet!

It's hard having to let all of that stuff go. I'll never get it back. But all i can do is move forward. The floodwaters took everything from me and tried to take even my life but i survived it.
I will survive this too.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Jade Sinapu on December 11, 2023, 08:00:43 pm

I am dang near speechless!
Just... omg.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Varg the wanderer on December 12, 2023, 03:23:01 pm

Quote from: Kay Alett on December 11, 2023, 04:39:04 pm

But things are settling down now. I'm in a new camp, away from thieves, away from the drama of kathy, I'm on the main road of Slab City and best part is i can now finally get deliveries from Amazon! Which means i can order food and water in bulk and it's cheaper.

I am still rebuilding my life though. All my stuff that i had is gone. My laptop. My transformers that I've been collecting for years. A stuffed animal doggy I've owned since I was 2. My last picture of my birth mom. All my clothes. My dresses. The flood even took my shoes and my wallet!

It's hard having to let all of that stuff go. I'll never get it back. But all i can do is move forward. The floodwaters took everything from me and tried to take even my life but i survived it.
I will survive this too.

I wish I could mail you a hug. Loosing everything is really hard, especially without a network of close friends and family.

Since joining the local fire department I have seen several people loose everything they had. Houses reduced to rubble, homes becoming smoking holes, piles of charcoal and twisted metal. It is hard for all of them. One thing I have learned, though, is focus on the positive- which it seems like you are doing already. Your life was given to you as a gift, and it sounds like that despite the hardship you are now in a better place in part because of the trial you went through.

You are loved. Is there anything you need like durable food or stuff to cook with?

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on December 12, 2023, 03:55:04 pm

Quote from: Varg the wanderer on December 12, 2023, 03:23:01 pm

Your life was given to you as a gift, and it sounds like that despite the hardship you are now in a better place in part because of the trial you went through.

You are loved. Is there anything you need like durable food or stuff to cook with?

You can look at it as a gift, personally I feel like I have my life because I fought for it. Nature tried her best to take me out of the game and I spat in her eye and told her that if she wanted to kill me she better put some real effort into it and stop wasting my time.

No, really, i shouted that straight up at the sky while i was hanging on the bank of the canal and getting pelted with hail and debris. Some folk have a can-do attitude. I have a F-U-attitude. You wanna kill me? Screw you, I'm not dying that easy. The sun has not yet risen on the day when i will face death graciously no matter how much I may look forward to my finale. I will bite, scratch, kick, and spit my last breath in its face.

As for things. I could use some replacement clothes. And a new Colman stove to cook on.
I'll be clear though. I am getting back to good already. I don't need donations or things like that but i will accept them.

I'll post my amazon wish list later along with my address where things can be sent. I'm not sure if I can take mail in donations cause the us post office doesn't deliver to the slabs but it can reach me if you use UPS or FedEx.

But again, I'm doing well and i don't require donations. I will accept them if you insist but you don't have to feel any kind of obligations. I am fine as in you don't have to worry about me.

Title: Re: UPDATES ON ME
Post by: Kay Alett on December 12, 2023, 04:26:08 pm

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/16L41YAWFO7LU?ref_=wl_share

These are only ideas. With my new location on the main road I decided to start buying in bulk because it's typically cheaper.
I also threw in some clothes.
Once again, no one should feel any obligation to donate to me. I am recovering fine.

Address anything to me at

Gary Snider Jr
668 NE Beal Rd.
Slab City
Niland, CA 92257

(I still haven't been able to legally change my name, i go by Kay)
If you can't get anything off that list and want to ship something from your home you will have to send by UPS or FedEx.