Part Thirteen: "Monkey Wrenches"

July,  2017

I just cannot believe that half of a year has gone by since our last blog post! That's just crazy! So much has gone on in our lives this past six months that it's difficult to even wrap our minds around it! We were making great progress on the Astroliner project when we were hit with the most devastating news ever; Michael was diagnosed with cancer. Since then our lives have been turned upside down and inside out! Twenty-Six days in the hospital. Fifteen days of continuous bladder irrigation. A team of four doctors. Surgery. Chemotherapy. Radiation. As you can imagine, it has taken its toll on all of us. But... We believe God is greater than any illness or disease! We know He is in control! Therefore, being confident in that, all is well for us! Michael continues to improve daily with treatment. And the build continues on! So here you go friends... The latest in this epic journey!

When we left off, waaaay back in December, we were working on building in the bed and mapping out the walls. Very little was accomplished through the Holidays and into the New Year.  We got the bad news about Michael's health in February, so things on the camper build came to a grinding halt! But like the old Alabama country song goes... "You can't keep a good man down!" Little by little he has made his way back into the shop, tinkering, creating and building alongside his faithful brother, Matt, who helps him keep the project moving forward and his spirits moving upward, bit by bit!  He will work for a while, then has to lay down to rest his weak and tired body. Like a robot, he needs to recharge every 15 minutes or so.  But he's determined! We are thankful for the project because it gives him a creative outlet and something to focus on that is positive and takes his mind off the darker part of his challenging life. 

That's Michael above, before the diagnosis...

Here he is, in the hospital this past April/May:

This was at his lowest point this year... But, "Camper Time" is always a healing time and the build is something that he looks forward to and keeps his mind occupied. He is planning and building almost constantly. In his mind, in his hospital bed, or during chemo. He is always coming up with new ideas and designs for the project. He says some of his best ideas come to him at night in his dreams! 

Here he is in the Astroliner, taking a break during Saturday "Camper Time" with his Brother:

Chemo killed the Viking Beard, but he continues to improve physically and mentally every day.

Because he has been unable to work since February 2017, people continue to ask us how they can help us in some way.  Michael's daughter has set up a "GoFundMe" account to make it easy for those so inclined to help in big and small ways. If you are one of those people who would like to help, here is the link: 

Miracle for Michael

As you would expect, we're not where we hoped to be progress-wise. But we're taking life on life's terms right now. It's one day at a time for us; one moment at at a time even. But we know who we are, we know Who holds tomorrow and we see life with a clearer vision and perspective these days. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is all you got. Be thankful for every sunrise and every sunset. Take time today to stop and look someone boldly in the eyes and tell them how much you love them. Believe in something greater than yourself... and never stop dreaming!

Check back in again for the next chapter when we promise you will see new progress on the Astroliner!

Until then, Happy Creations!

Michael and Carrie
           xoxo

Part Twelve: "Interior Design"

December 28, 2016

Here we are at the end of 2016 and we hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This will be our last post for the 2016 year as we look forward to 2017 and more camper building!

We finally have the exterior buttoned up and all the exterior lighting is wired and functional.  One of the last bits we finished was the porch light over the door.  The LED's are bright and it looks like it will do the job perfectly!



Next we move on to the interior.  

Since the bed is at the back of the coach, everything builds off of it. So we started with the bed and the framing.  












The space under the bed will provide a lot of storage and has access from both the interior and through the exterior hatch. 

The finishing piece is the Birch for the face.  After quite a bit of indicision and research, it was decided we would go with old school Lacquer for the finish.  The reasons for going with Lacquer were:  
a.) We wanted to be able to spray the finish rather than brush it
b.) We wanted a finish that would age gracefully and naturally to a beautiful amber color just like the vintage coaches 
c.) We like the way Lacquer can be sanded and buffed to perfection.

Here is the final piece after the Lacquer has been applied, sanded and buffed.  It looks like a piece of furniture.






Here it is installed:



Now that the bed is in place, it is time to start designing the walls. We began with the floorplan that Carrie scaled to size



And we transfered the lines onto the floor with tape so we know where the walls go





If you think the lines look angled you're correct!  We have decided on angled walls and lines to optimize space and create something a bit less "conventional."  We're hoping in the end it will be fabulous! Now we're ready to start installing "cleats" or attachment points on the floor, walls and ceiling.  We're not quite there yet, but in the meantime, here's a couple pictures of the new interior lighting that we installed...



And lit...



And the pendant for over the dinette...



That's about all the time we have for now!  See you again after the first of the year!

Until then, Happy Creations!

Michael and Carrie