Obligatory, 8/19/15

The little bit of writing about the new propulsion system has gone about as far as it can go.  Really can't do anything with the idea, so it just remains an idea.  Perhaps someone else can do it, or will do it.  It's really not all that different from existing ideas.

I have my own moon shot, so to speak, and it appears to be more of a challenge all the time.  I suppose it is possible that I can make a trip out there on Labor Day weekend in order to determine how my little shack held up over the past 4 months.  If the wind didn't blow it down, it could be a really good sign.  An idea struck me to beef it up a little using concrete cloths.  You put the cloth down on top of the tarp, and then spray some water over it.  When it dries, the concrete sets and becomes a hardened surface.  Substantially more durable than the tarp, I'd say.

Do I order it now so that I have it on my trip?  Or should I wait?  If I order it, it means that I expect the structure to still be standing and worth working on.  If I am too optimistic about that, then buying the cloth is just another expense that I can do without.

While I'm thinking about this, here's the picture so far:  The plan is to put a camper shell on the van, and use this as my "coffin", which will be well insulated against the heat and cold.  I will sleep in it, and maybe use it as a resting place during a work day out there.  The little shack can be used for activities that I cannot do in the van, such as taking a shower.  It may be even useful as kitchen, but maybe that's not so good if it is to be a bathroom too.  I'm going to use a microwave oven for my cooking.  No need for propane.

I'd like to finish the canopy, but that project appears to be on hold as I consider the trouble I had with the wind.  If the concrete cloths go well, then perhaps a super quonset can be used as a canopy.  It's going to have to be tall to accommodate the van with a camper shell on top.  If I can build the canopy, then the van will have protection from the sun.  Lots easier to climate control it in the summer, don't you know.

The idea right now is not to work out there all the time, but to alternate between the city and the country.  I can make some money for Uber in the city, then come out to the country and do a little gardening for saving a bit on food.

So, there's the moonshot for now.  The plan is there, but will it work?  I guess we'll find out.