Tech savvy minions

Can you see the joy and excitement?

As you can see here, we have a new computer for the RV road school experiment. On my last trip to the local Wally-World with Dos, we looked at available and inexpensive options for buying a new laptop for Jen and the family to use along with the other 'tech' tools our children use for their education. I found a 'hodge-podge' selection of laptops that will fit our needs while not breaking the bank.

While not the Macbook air and the poor experience we received from Best Buy, this purchase was straight forward. No surprises waited for us. Jen actually picked out her new machine. While more expensive than I original was looking for, it was far cheaper than our previously mentioned first choice. I prefer Macs, won't stray from that idea, however this wasn't the computer I was going to be using on a day to day basis.

The computer booted up, I setup the user accounts and downloaded a few apps to help us get started. I spent the evening on my own setup with apps such as Evernote and Dropbox. Both accounts I use on a daily basis for storing notes, writing, and documents that I need to save. Evernote is my go to powerhouse. It is free and makes note taking and searching a breeze. I use it for day to day notes and messages to storing receipts that I scan in. There are a million ways to use the application. Some people have used it to write books to movie scripts. Others use it for grocery lists and daily task management. If you can think it, it is open and free enough to do it. Dropbox is an easy way to have documents readily available and shared at a whim. Need to send out a new resume to prospective consulting firms or clients, it is available to me via phone, Ipad, or computer. Evernote is much the same, synced via the 'cloud', I have access to all my notes, to-do's etc.

Other great ways of using these apps is for price shopping. Walking around and find something you want to buy but wonder if you are getting the best price? Take a snapshot on your phone via Evernote of the serial number, model, and price and then at your leisure, you can shop around. That is how we shopped for a new laptop. I took a snapshot of the different laptops we were interested in and shopped around. I found that the machine could be bought more cheaply online, but didn't want the hassle of shipping and the added costs. The two year protection was far cheaper than other options online, so our choice was pretty clear. That said, Jen did buy a different laptop than the one I was shopping for, but ultimately it was for her and she needed to be happy with her choice. Knowing that I wasn't going to pay a huge premium, and the alternatives were 'refurbished' models, my conscious was clear. 

One of those rainy days...

You know it is one of those rainy days....

On those rainy days, sometimes camping out and
watching a movie is the best thing you can do

The kids are rambunctious and full of energy. Being trapped in the camper, our home, 'Arrakus' to us, tests the limits of controlled chaos. I fully expected Jen's hair to be completely white, and Dos bouncing off the walls from the sheer confinement.

I was greeted with none of that. Jen and Jr. were on the couch reading a book together. Tayla ("T-Rex") was playing with her naked barbies. Don't ask me why they are naked. Rest assured that if you buy this child a Barbie, it will inevitably end up naked. I think, clothes on these figures are just extra wrapping to her. Either way, she was having a great time playing with them.

Jen had stewed chicken on the stove cooking away while I sat and unwind. Uno and Dos were out making new friends and riding their bikes. The weather had been clear for just a short hour and they took full advantage of getting on the bikes and 'vamoosing' away.

Funny thing these kids. They were so worried about not having friends, or being able to make new friends. But not a week goes by and they have made numerous new friends and pen-pals. Is it still called pen-pals when they just email each other? I digress.

I remember the fears of family members that our kids were grow up awkward. They were afraid are children would turn into the 'social pariah' of weirdness. Rest assured, my kids are socially healthy, have tons of interests, and can make friends at a drop of the hat. I challenge the notion to say my kids are better at making friends that 'normal' kids. You see, my kids don't have a social ladder to climb. My kids don't have to have approval from others in order to fit in a specific pecking order. My kids are kids, and can be just that. My kids are not pressured to fit into a specified peer group. My kids are 'free range....'

Free range? Doesn't that sound ultra hip and veggie? Oh dear, does that mean I am a hippy? Well, so far I don't dress like one, I still like to hunt, shoot guns, and guns shows are second or third most important events to attend other than church and evening supper. But yes, I am a little free range I guess. I am happy my kids are home schooled, and I am happy my kids are free to explore the world instead of confined to a specific geographic location. Just this last month, you would be amazed if you could see what I see in my kids eyes. It is like a world is unlocked to them. They have explored, done things, and seen many new things that they would never had a chance to see without this opportunity to be with me on the road.

Minion Bday Hooray!

Sunday...

Happy Birthday Minions!

My first day off in two weeks. It's minion celebration day... er Dos and Tres's birthday! So up early and off to IHOP for breakfast. Then rushed over to St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Michigan for church at Calvary Chapel Sunset Coast. We finished the day with a movie of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days' and dinner at the Texas Corral.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Our day was busy and fulfilling. I forgot to bring my iPad to church and Jen kept nudging me and I wondered why. I was taking notes on my iPhone with the Mantis Bible App (really cool Bible program). I think she thought I was texting or sending emails. Who knows. Service was great. It was fulfilling and restful. That is what I like about services there. You leave fulfilled and rested. I have never left there feeling drained, discouraged, or tired. Strange, but I think that is exactly what it SHOULD feel like.

The Lorax Movie at home 'Arrakis'

Everybody wished Dos and Tres a warm and happy Birthday. We supplied them with love and gifts and fun for the entire family. I work hard at what I do so that moments like these are the most important. It isn't the things, it is the experiences!

A cat in the 'cat hat'

Jen took them to the Chesterton European Market. If you haven't had a chance to check that out, I highly recommend it. I think that it was crazy hat day at the market this weekend. Jen came home with some crazy and funny knitted hats. Even I got one. While funny, somewhat cute, I don't know if you will catch me wearing it. However for Jen and the kids, they were fabulous!

The Waze To Go

Waze is a life saver!

How can I count the Waze?

How would you like instant notification of police in the area (if you like to drive fast)? You get an audible letting you know that you should be looking out for them.

Need to know if there are hazards on the road? Waze will alert you of cars, or other items on the road that you need to watch for.

Is the weather bad? How about traffic (how fast, how heavy, standstill)? Waze will let you know of the hazardous conditions, speed of traffic if slowed down, and other conditions that make your daily commute more informed.

Would you like a turn by turn navigation for free? Waze provides that as well. I am very impressed with this app. You earn points, can build a social network, , edit maps, and make the experience shared by all much better!

We used it to help find dinner yesterday. I wanted chicken wings. Something called out to my soul... 'Buffalo Wild Wings, Buffalo Wild Wings.' I said to my soul, 'It's not on my diet.' My soul could not be abated. I found myself traveling, with family in tow, and the Waze app running on my phone, delivering me to the promised land of wings.

What a great place, Sports, kid friendly food, chicken wings, buzz time trivia. I asked the manager if we could take up residence. He shook his head no, he said something like 'policy' and 'strange request' and 'you are freaking me out.' So we parted ways, I with full belly and the kids in tow. Even little T-Rex ate her Mac-N-Cheese, so that was a plus.

We were able to leave our table with only one spill. Dos, though drenched, had enjoyed herself too. We finished the evening with some kid movie that was interesting, a little over acted, and well... boring. I left to my comfy bed with book in tow. It was a great evening.

Food Adventures

Working a long day...

and Jen not feeling well...

Time for a night out on the town and out for dinner. We have been focused on all the experiences surrounding the RV, but sometimes it is good just to get out. One of the fun things about being on the road is experiencing new things. The Barnes Family loves to eat. Hey, it's me, the big guy right? I love to eat!

The problem was, all the non chain restaurants (well Red Lobster too) were full. Our first attempt was the Galveston Steak House. From there we tried to find something else and settled at Red Lobster. They were booked and a had a forty-five minute wait. Not conducive to a hungry band of minions who were happy with a choice of McDonald's.

Little Red Riding Hood?

Not going down that rabbit hole. I have paid my dues to the burger clown!

So we found an off the beaten path Indian Restaurant. I got there before the family and ordered some appetizers to appease the minions and distraught momma-san. When they arrived, they were greeted in Nan, and some other delicious appetizers.

My praises go out to the Indian House off 421 in Michigan City. It was a nice, clean, and family friendly environment. The food was delicious and tons of variety. Our children were able to sample several different entree selections and they liked many of them. It enabled for us to have a fun, comfortable, and enjoyable evening!

Chores and minions

T-Rex showing us she can clean like the bigger minions

Chores and the family, it is essential in keeping Arrakis orderly but it does a whole lot more than that. Have you ever met anyone who couldn't boil water, cook a decent meal, or simply forgot to learn basic life skills before reaching adult hood? I know countless examples from my college days. From simple meals such as Ramen Noodles to balancing a check book, there are people who just don't know.

That scares me quite frankly. At the same time, I remember resenting some of the chores I had when growing up. I remember having to push mow a half acre lawn at least once, maybe twice a week during the summer. I remember also having to weed-eat the entire thing. What was worse, there had to be nice straight lines. No round about in a circle mowing which is easy and keeps you going one direction. Nay, Nay... a nice pristine yard or nothing at all.

Want your own car? Get a job!

Got the job? Great, get your own insurance!

Mine was never this cool....

On down the rabbit hole I go. Teenager to responsibility and self sufficiency was a major piece of the 'raising' I got. Not that it was all bad. I learned how to do things for myself. I had to solve problems. I had to learn to manage money, pay bills, and take care of myself. If my car broke down, I had to buy my own parts. At times, my dad or a friend would assist me in repairs, but the majority of the time, I had to do my own work. I remember replacing the front grill and nose panel on my '78 Pontiac Grand Prix. It didn't match in color, but it looked better than the broken one it had when I bought it for $1000. I put it on myself. The grin on my face, and the feeling of accomplishment was immense.

So in the Barnes family, everybody pitches in. We all participate in getting things done. Basic cleaning to maintenance and repair. We all have our jobs to do. This helps us because it helps the family continue. You could call it 'survive' or better yet 'thrive'. We all are better off by doing the chores. It provides teaching moments, independent skills, and many other life lessons. Think of a goldfish and toilet situation. For us, Hamster and Air Conditioner... long story.

So, here is my list of why chores are important for family life on the road...

• A person who enters the real world with life skills will have a far easier time living, working, and dealing with others.
• Chores teach basic discipline.
• Simple chores around the house teach invaluable things such as time management, prioritization, and organization.
• We are a family, and the chores keep the family moving ahead and thus children learn that everyone has a part that makes the family stronger.
• Staves off 'self-entitlement'. Parents are not slaves to the children and we don't want our children to think the 'world' owes them something. If they want it, go out and work for it.

Breakfast Awesomeness

Come on... Stop drooling!

Off to work. Early in the morning and my wife got up with me and made me probably my most favorite breakfast in the world. "An omelet, light and fluffy...", to quote one of my favorite VeggieTales videos. Rounding it out with Dunkin' Donuts Coffee and fresh blueberries from the farmers market!

Before you start screaming at me for 'making' Jen get up and make me breakfast, I have to say it is a true blessing that Jen is more than willing to help me. I roll out of bed, shower, get dressed and have to be on the road in short order. My drive to the client site is a bit far from our campsite. We looked at others sites but they either didn't have room, or had less than admirable reviews online. We are pretty content with our location. While the drive makes my twelve hour day of work that much longer, a peaceful and restful place to call our home while on the road makes it worth it.

Uno and Minion 'Miss Mayham' find a frog

So Jen helps me tremendously by making me breakfast. It allows me to eat a healthy and well rounded breakfast without having to worry about fast food, junk food that is readily available at work, or other less than healthy options. With her help, I have been able to lose twenty seven pounds and keep it off!

Jen makes 'Arrakis' home everyday. From homeschooling, and keeping up with things, Jen has a lot on her hands. But we are having fun! Even when greeted with the dreaded 'black pyramid' as I arrived home today. For those who don't know about the 'black pyramid', it is what happens when the sewer backs up at the drain pipe and piles up behind it. 

Luckily we have a black water flush system. Hooked up the water hose to the system and ran it for about fifteen minutes to flush it out. Problem solved. It is those little things added to our camper that make it easy to maintain and solve the simple problems. Quick and easy, on to more fun.

One other thing... the door latch on our camper seemed very difficult to open last night. I was constantly getting up to open the door as the kids were coming back from playing or riding their bikes. Frustrated, I grabbed one of the most important tools in any mans arsenal... WD40. With a few squirts in the lock mechanism and along the latch and the problem was solved. 

And the hero for the day is..... Still Jen. One door fix still doesn't outweigh breakfast awesomeness.

The Spice and Bikes

Jen made a new addition to the home. Spice Racks! As you may well know, RV's/Campers are not known for their storage space. There are countless blog posts I have read who have made the decision to live full time on the road and their number one complaint is organization and storage space. Jen and I have thought creatively, took several trips to big box stores, and have start making the camper our home.

One of the major improvements has been push lights for the kids at night. Instead of struggling to reach up to flip the switch for the over head lights, they can simply push on the dome tap lights to give them enough light to make it to the bathroom and back. Another addition is hooks. We got that inspiration from our dear friend Dee Grom. She taught us way back in Tulsa, the wonders of hanging hooks to keep what could be a mess, much more manageable. 

With the modern inventions of sticky backed wall hanging, we are using the 3M Command products and a Velcro variety we found at Walmart to hang our tap lights and anything essential on the walls. Jen found these lightweight spice racks to hang on the wall. We are in pursuit of a larger one for the odd size spices she likes to use for seasoning. Instead of taking up space on the counter or in the cabinets, this limited space can be used for the essential items.

I worked twelve hours today. With a long drive back to the camper, my mouth began to water as I was greeted with the smell of flank steak on the grill to be finished off in the skillet and made into fajita style steak. Cooked with peppers, and onions, add in a dash of salsa, and the dinner made for a welcome ending of my day.

The gruesome twosome's (AKA minions two and three, AKA the twins's) birthday is next Sunday. Jen decided that it was time to buy them new bikes. They had outgrown their old ones, and the chain on JJ's bike had broke. For an early birthday present, Jen bought them two very cool bikes with security locks to keep them attached to the camper when they are not using them. We never had bikes this cool when I was a kid.

My last 'cool' bike I had when I was a kid got stolen. It was found at the elementary school I attended slipped over a fire man pole. I don't know how they did it, but to my dismay, they had to cut it in order to get the bike free. Thus, expensive bike, my cool bike, lost to unknown criminals out to make mischief. I am happy that I can give my kids a bike that they can love as much as I did at their age.

Jayelle (minion numero uno), also got a bike. Sure, it slightly diminishes the joy of getting a bike for your birthday, but Jen and I plan a couple more gifts for the twins. The caveat, was that Uno would only get a 'normal' bike while the dynamic Duo (I have endless names for them), get more high end fancy bikes. At first, I wasn't a fan of this idea. Ultimately, I see the wisdom in it. Jayelle didn't bring her bike and was feeling left out. Her razor scooter isn't conducive to the surroundings. Having a bike, will allow her to be a part of the gaggle of kids roaming the park and have fun. It goes to show the heart of the Duo that they wanted her to have a bike too. Gotta love these kids!

It's the little things

It wasn't too long after getting my new camper when things started falling apart. Don't get me wrong, I still love the lifestyle. In my mind, I just want things to be perfect. Don't know why I expect that, maybe when you spend the money for a shiny new thing, you just want this to stay nice for a while. Thanks to my step-mom Lorelei for imprinting this on me during my teenage years.

As you can see in the photo above, the gas arm and hinge popped off the outside kitchen door. Right now, I am propping the door open with a shower curtain rod that I purchased from Walmart. It works, but less than ideal. Maybe it is God telling me that as far as I travel, and important I think I am, I am still a redneck.

In an earlier post, I wrote about how frustrated I got over a brand new computer not working that I had purchased for my wife to aid in road schooling. You just have to appreciate the lessons God gives us. This lesson learned yesterday played out to lesson applied that night. 

I am in the middle of an implementation for my client site. They have two hospitals going live and this by far is the most stressful times. It is a month straight working with little to no time off. Sure the overtime is a huge blessing, and will be well used to help pay off the last of our debt, but it runs you down something fierce. With my family in tow, having 'down time' really isn't an option. This could be a recipe for disaster. God used that computer fiasco to temper me for the evening.

More things broke. Piva, our family cat decided to lounge in between the slide out and trim for one side of the kids bunk room. My oldest daughter was worried about her being there and attempted to fetch her down. In doing so, she reached for the trim piece to give her a little support. As you can imagine, the entire trim piece came completely off. Our new camper is not so new anymore.

Instead of getting angry, I decided to inspect it. I know that material cannot be super sturdy and strong for this camper to be light enough to be pulled by a standard truck. They made it that way so that people could enjoy the larger campers like the fifth wheels without having to purchase a new truck to handle the load. It is an easy fix. I could do it my self. I could use gorilla glue epoxy and adhere it back to the original surface and you will not know that there was ever a problem. 

I debated fixing it myself. Instead I chose to get in touch with our RV dealer who is actually close by. We were planning to get the gas arm replaced with lower strength ones (the cause of our problem). Since I was going to pay for them to come out (the issue is covered under warranty), I might as well have them come out and professionally repair this as well. Jen will call today to work out the details. In the event it is not covered, I will fix it. 

What I learned is that, it is most important to teach the kids to respect and treat this camper with care. Thinking before acting is going to be important. That said, I know from reading other blogs that campers are a luxury, they are not perfect. They have a purpose to serve and while you may try to make it perfect, in the end, you sacrifice quality for weight reduction.

The biggest plus from this all, is that the family is together. I have noticed some important changes in the last two weeks. We are closer both physically, spiritually, and emotionally together. We cannot run and hide in our rooms, or get involved in too many other distractions in the RV. What a blessing that is. We keep the important stuff, important! Everything else doesn't matter

.

Drums and Soda

Trying to keep our children well rounded on the road, we have tried to keep our children's music lessons as part of our program. Both my oldest and middle daughter keep busy with guitar lessons and piano lessons. However, my son is much more laid back and both of those options didn't seem to be a good fit for him. Well, while trying to get new strings for Jayelle's guitar, Jen and the minions visited a music shop. They were quite friendly and helpful. They even installed the strings for Jayelle. That is a plus because normally, I am the one having to do it for her. I don't mind, however this gave her the opportunity to practice during the day while I am at work.

JJ found his calling I believe. He wanted drums. While we don't have the room for a full percussion ensemble, we did find a djembe. It allows him to practice rhythm and work on different sounds made by striking the skin of the drum in different ways. I am excited for him. Normally, he loses interest rather quickly. I think when things become difficult or a sibling may be more gifted, he likes to stray away.  Since nobody in the house plays the drum, it is his opportunity to shine all by himself. We may have to struggle with him banging his lil' drum for a while, but I say 'bang on, my son!'

We also ventured out to the local outlet mall in Michigan City. Pretty cool place. The weather was nice for walking even though T-Rex, our littlest decided not to cooperate. We visited one of the chef supplies places and found a SodaStream with all the different flavors. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Diet Dr. Pepper. Being a soda addict is an affliction, I know. However buying all those expensive cans and bottles does hurt the budget a little. More so, having storage for all of it doesn't make good sense. We are so limited in space, buying extra and storing like we normally do at home is not an option. There have been nights I have had to do without (how sad, right?). With the SodaStream, they even have a Diet Dr. Pepper flavor. I guess that is all I needed to splurge on the unit.

I am very impressed .The flavors are great. They taste so close to the real thing, you will be surprised. The added benefits of cost, no plastic bottles to throw away, and the reduced calories in the other flavored drinks  makes this a real win for the Barnes family on the road!

I was skeptical, but I was desperate...

I was skeptical, but I was desperate as to whether or not I could ever get any satisfactory wireless internet at the RV. Often times in the evening, I am logging in to make sure there are not problems and to prepare for the next day. Having a decent wireless connection speed saves me tons of time. Instead of fighting to connect, hopefully not getting dropped or suspended for an indefinite time, I want to log on, do my stuff and log off so that I can do something more meaningful like playing with the kids, fishing, or just about anything else.


As for road schooling, we don't have the extra room to store books and lots of 'paper' materials. A lot of the work has to be done online or using products such as Google docs to get the work done. Each of our children have a Amazon Kindle Fire we bought when they were selling refurbished ones for $149. This allows us to use them in conjunction with one laptop computer instead of having a laptop for each child. As you can imagine, for road-schooling like we are, connectivity is a must. Nothing like having a toddler upset that she cannot watch her PBS kids on her Kindle Fire! With the Kindle Fire's loaded down with books, and materials for homeschooling, it is just a matter of having connectivity to the Internet to allow us to facilitate and guide them through the process.


Over the last couple of years, I have tried several products from wireless tethering on my phone to buying a separate service such as Clear.com (don't get me started on them), paying for a data plan on my iPad, and just being frustrated all the time.


However, from a good suggestion I found perusing forums to find a way to amplify or extend an existing wireless network that would work well in an RV setting, I came across the NETGEAR Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender. The price was $67 and available at the local Walmart.  I have spent far more to try and get connected only to feel like I have utterly wasted my time and money. Often times products are so hard or complicated to setup or worse, they just don't work as described.


However, I did try this product after some glowing reviews in the forums along with great reviews on Walmart's own website. I was surprised at how easy it was to setup. I don't own the wireless at the campground but I was easily able to connect to, extend, and fully use it with this extender. As you can see, it takes up very little room and makes a world of difference.