How to Journal - Where to Begin

The keeping of a personal journal has been a pursuit of human society for many hundreds of years. In times past men and women of learning, studiously kept a record of their days, their achievements and their dreams. We owe a great debt of gratitude to each one of them as we have gleaned much insight into the lives of those in times past from many of those journal entries.

How to Journal - Where to Begin

How to Journal - Where to Begin

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How to Journal - Where to Begin

How to Journal - Where to Begin

For some people, the keeping of a journal is a natural extension of their everyday lives. How many of us have lifted the family Bible to discover small snippets cut from the newspaper, flowers pressed between the pages, envelopes with letters or pictures tucked away safely for future generations to discover? I certainly have found such treasures in the most 'ordinary' of books on the shelves of secondhand book shops and at garage sales. It always comes as a surprise and deLight to discover them and then I feel a certain sadness that somehow these treasures have ended up in the hands of a stranger.

The unexpected gift of these objects has been a richer understanding of our desire to record and keep important memories and items and while tucking these treasures into the pages of a book isn't exactly journaling, it is a component of this amazingly creative and satisfying pass-time.

There are a few basic skills when learning how to journal, some of them are:

Make the time and space to do it on a regular basis. Whether you are keeping a dream journal, a garden journal, a baby journal, travel journal or a personal journal of any kind, this one step will make or break your experience. If you have to go so far as to make a 'date' with yourself - do it. At the very least, spend some time once a week to look through your calendar or diary and record the highLights or low Lights of your week. Even after many years, I'm an irregular writer in my journal, but when I do write and commune with my wonderful companion, the value I receive from this is immense. It is always well worth the effort. Begin with something you are passionate about. This makes it so much easier to write regularly, the words and ideas can seem to flow without effort and you will enjoy reading back through the pages of you journal entries. I have more than one journal because I like to keep my gardening knowledge (successes and failures) separate from my personal and spiritual growth conversations. I'm sure you will develop a process and style that works for you. Use materials that Inspire and Motivate you: My journals are ALWAYS beautiful to look at and to use. Likewise my writing implement. I have a preference for a certain type of pen, a certain colour and a certain texture to the paper, This adds greatly to my enjoyment of the writing process and when looking back I can remember what it was about that particular book or pen that attracted me. Layers of enjoyment will build a strong relationship to your journaling process. Find out what you like, experiment with different things until you find the right combination of elements for you. Learn from others: So many times at the beginning of my journaling adventure I longed to peek inside the pages of other peoples journals. What did they do? How did they do it? I was fortunate that some of my friends were willing to share some of their pages with me and I was introduced to the idea of drawing and painting and collage and colour and doodles in addition to the words which I was writing. This immediately reminded me of the newspaper cuttings, pressed flowers and pictures I have always found inside the pages of old books and this idea of adding such visual texture to my journal was so enticing I began right away. I am so grateful to my dear friends for opening my eyes to these new possibilities.

There are many reasons to keep a journal. There are many ways to keep a journal. If you really are concerned that you don't know how to journal, there are many sources of inspiration and motivation is only you will open your eyes and your heart to them. I have recently discovered many books on the subject as well as a number of inspiring examples that have been posted in the Internet. Use these resources if you feel stuck or lacking inspiration and I'm sure it won't be very long before you are enjoying keeping a journal of your days, your dreams, successes and triumphs.

How to Journal - Where to Begin

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Trailer Sway 101

Yaw, more commonly known as sway in the RV industry, is a bad word for trailer owners. The definition of yaw or sway is a side-to-side Movement. Nothing will ruin the way you feel about camping faster than the first time you experience trailer sway.

Trailer Sway 101

Trailer Sway 101

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Trailer Sway 101

Trailer Sway 101

You have tent camped for years and now you decide it's time to Move up to a pop-up. You go to your local dealership and find a pop-up with the perfect floor plan for you and your family. The sales person knows that it will be close to the maximum weight that your vehicle can tow. He really needs a sale because things have been slow. Rather than risk losing the sale he decides not to explain the added expense of the proper hitch work to safely tow your new trailer.

You're all packed up for a weekend getaway. You made all of your pre-trip checks and you're ready to go. You load the most precious cargo you have, your family, into your tow vehicle and head out on a new venture. Everything is fine when you leave the house. You take the on ramp to the interstate. You're cruising at the speed limit enjoying the music on the Radio. Suddenly out of nowhere a transfer truck going twenty miles over the speed limit is passing you as if you're sitting still. The pop-up is pulled into the draft created by the truck. In an attempt to correct this totally unexpected event you over steer and the trailer begins to go the opposite direction. Not really sure what to do you hit the brakes and turn the steering wheel to the left, then to the right. Now, that one-ton trailer behind your sport utility vehicle is veering sharply from side to side and begins to affect what little control you have over the vehicle. The results are catastrophic.

Ok, since this is just an article, let's start over and fix this before you even realize there is a potential problem. You purchased your pop-up from a reputable local RV dealership. At the risk of losing the sale your sales person explains that you will require some specialized hitch work to pull your new trailer safely. You are a bit skeptical, feeling like they just want more of your money. Besides, your father never needed any of this stuff. He just hooked the trailer unto the ball and went.

You decide to give the sales person the benefit of doubt and listen for a minute. He shows you in his book that your tow vehicle is rated to tow a maximum of 3,500 pounds. Then he explains what you must factor in to that tow rating. It includes the weight of your new camper, any after market accessories, like the roof mounted air conditioner and Battery the dealership is going to install, all of the cargo and personal belongings that you load in the trailer and in the tow vehicle, and the weight of the passengers in the vehicle. Now all of the sudden the sales person has your undivided attention. You had no idea that all of this had to be considered.

He shows you the weight label on your new trailer. The unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) is 2,100 pounds. The air conditioner weighs 100 pounds and the deep cycle Battery weighs 50 pounds. To be safe he estimates that you will carry about 300 pounds of cargo, and then adds another 300 pounds for your wife and two children. You are amazed how fast things add up.

Now you have 2,850 pounds instead of the 2100 pounds that you thought it was. It isn't over yet. Your sales person starts to explain that every state has different requirements on how much a trailer can weigh before it requires trailer brakes. In your state the weight is 3,000 lbs., but your dealership has brakes installed on any trailer they order that weighs over 2,000 pounds. He explains that even though your vehicle is rated to tow 3,500 pounds the brakes on the vehicle were designed to safely stop the vehicles weight, not an additional ton and a half being pulled behind it.

He takes you to the parts department and shows you a brake controller and explains that this is what activates the trailer brakes and the dealership will install it when they do the wiring for the trailer Lights. You like the features that he explained about the brake controller. The fact that you can manually adjust the amount of braking action so that when you hit the brake pedal the tow vehicle and the trailer work together to stop the weight in a reasonable amount of time. What you really like is the part he explained about the manual override lever that activates the trailer brakes without using the vehicle brakes.

He said if you're on a steep grade and you don't want to prematurely wear out the vehicle brakes you slowly slide the lever and the trailer brakes will slow you down. But what really sold you on it was when he explained that if the trailer starts to sway you could gently Move the lever, activating the trailer brakes, to help straighten the trailer out. He went on to explain that trailer sway is one of the biggest potential problems that you can encounter while towing a trailer. He points out some of the factors that contribute to trailer sway.

o First and foremost poor trailer design contributes to trailer sway. When there is too much weight behind the trailers axles causing the tongue weight to be less than 10% of the trailers weight it has a natural tendency to sway.

o Incorrect tire inflation

o Improper weight distribution hitch adjustments

o No sway control on the trailer

o Crosswinds

o A transfer truck passing from the rear of the trailer

o Descending inclines

o Towing speeds

o Tow vehicle not properly matched for the trailer

o Improper loading, overloading and poor weight distribution

He took the time to explain that for the trailer to pull properly the manufacturer recommends that the tongue weight resting on the ball mount should be 10 to 15% of the total trailer weight. He said if it is more than 15% they have what is called a weight distribution hitch that takes the additional tongue weight and distributes it to the axles on the tow vehicle and the trailer where it should be, and if it is less than 10% when you load your cargo you distribute it to add some additional weight on the tongue. He looked up the pop-up you were buying in the brochure and the tongue weight was 305 pounds. With the air conditioner installed and your cargo loaded you would be between the 10 to 15% range. He explained that a weight distribution hitch was more commonly used with heavier trailers and in some cases with pop-ups depending on the tow vehicle, but in this case it would not be required.

The next thing he asked was if your vehicle had a receiver. You reply, do you mean a hitch? He explains that the part that is bolted to the vehicle is called a receiver, and he shows you a chart that has several different classes of receivers depending on the amount of weight you will be towing. The class II receiver was rated for 3,500 lb. gross trailer weight and 300 lb. max tongue weight. For a small difference in price he recommended a class III receiver rated for 5,000 lb. gross trailer weight and 500 lb. max tongue weight since your trailers tongue weight exceeded 300 lbs.

With that done he said let me show you the one component that our dealership strongly recommends to anyone purchasing a pop-up. He walked over and picked up a part from the shelf. This is called a friction sway control. We mount one end of it to the ball mount and the other end to the tongue on the camper. You adjust the amount of friction by turning the lever clockwise for more friction and counter clockwise for less friction. He explained that you turn it in 1/8" increments until you get it adjusted where you feel comfortable. This will not totally eliminate sway, but once the forces of sway are in motion it will dampen the sway and help you control it when you're towing your camper.

Well, he said, that about does it. For less than 10% of the price of the pop-up you can get all of the hitch work done and ensure that your family is safe when you go on a trip. At this point you're convinced that the sales person has your best interest in mind and was not just trying to make more money.

You're all packed up for the first weekend getaway with your new pop-up. You make all of the pre-trip checks that the dealership explained to you and you're ready to go. You load the most precious cargo you have, your family, into your vehicle and head out on a new venture. You take the on ramp to the interstate. You're cruising at the speed limit enjoying the music on the Radio. Suddenly out of nowhere a transfer truck going twenty miles over the speed limit passes you as if I you're sitting still. You feel a sLight Movement behind you. It was just enough to remind you that you're pulling the pop-up. You look at you're Watch and tell the family that you should be at the campground in a couple of hours.

Knowing how to react when a trailer begins to sway can be the difference between your safety and disaster.

Happy Camping,

Mark

Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101

Trailer Sway 101

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How to Make an Impression With a Snack Bar

Sitting down by drawing a stool or a chair up to the bar counter, snack or otherwise, is such a dream component. With a few snack bar ideas you can now step ahead and actually give your home or office the convenience of flaunting a counter to serve snacks, to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. While lining up meals for the family members, checking your accounts, cleaning silver etc. the spacious counter suffices well.

How to Make an Impression With a Snack Bar

How to Make an Impression With a Snack Bar

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How to Make an Impression With a Snack Bar

How to Make an Impression With a Snack Bar

Foldable shelves and generous counters:

A number of ideas can be obtained by looking up plans and pictures online of counters to serve snacks. If you don't have much space in the kitchen, against the wall you can have a fold down shelf. A pull out shelf or a table can be made by considering the possibility of widening the ledge of the window. Piping hot food can be served on the counter and members of the family can take their servings from there.

With some interesting bar ideas, you can have a generous counter, which curves gracefully around a peninsula range. For a speedy over-the-counter service, a counter is an excellent idea. There is always space to line up dishes and meals whether you are hosting a dinner party or a luncheon. It is an excellent place for teenagers to study and entertain themselves. For having snacks or breakfasts, counter seats can be arranged to ensure a good start to the day.

Create extra space:

With some interesting counter options, the kitchen can be divided from a living-dining room with a wide counter to serve snacks fitted ingeniously with some cabinets. Dinners and lunches can be made comfortable by using high stools, padded hacks and footrests. The cabinets can have glass doors, displaying beautiful pitchers and silver trays. For extra space, arrange for a sliding shelf which can be pulled out from under the snack counter, in which you can store pots and pans etc.

The snack counter can be an interesting workplace too by keeping a telephone there within easy arm's reach. Not only a meal counter, but also a workplace is thus created. With roomy cabinet overheads, glassware, dishes, sugar and creamer containers can be kept within easy reach. With your own creativity, and good snack bar ideas an interesting bar to serve snacks can be designed and used for many different purposes. An additional counter like the counter to serve snacks provides convenience and better usage of space.

How to Make an Impression With a Snack Bar

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LCD TV Wall Mount - 5 Things To Consider For Your LCD TV Wall Mount

LCD flat panel TVs have been flying off the shelves in recent months. If you have been one of the lucky ones to have purchased a new TV or if you plan on purchasing a new flat panel in the near future, you are no doubt considering mounting your flat screen on the wall. A properly mounted flat screen TV will not only provide optimum viewing for your new TV, but will also help spruce up the décor of your room.

LCD TV Wall Mount - 5 Things To Consider For Your LCD TV Wall Mount

LCD TV Wall Mount - 5 Things To Consider For Your LCD TV Wall Mount

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LCD TV Wall Mount - 5 Things To Consider For Your LCD TV Wall Mount

LCD TV Wall Mount - 5 Things To Consider For Your LCD TV Wall Mount

When considering an LCD TV wall mount take these 5 things into consideration.

1. Size of TV - When purchasing a wall mount, one of the first things you will see is that there are different wall mounts for different size TVs. There is a huge difference in size and weight in a 22 inch LCD compared to a 50 inch model. Mounting hardware will provide more support for bigger TVs such as connecting them to multiple studs instead of just one. The brackets for fastening to the TV will also obviously differ from a large TV to a small one.

2. Type of wall - Flat panels can be mounted on various types of wall. The most common type of wall is one with wood studding. You will need a stud finder in order to locate the center of the studs which you will mount your TV to. Another common mounting option is to mount the TV to a solid concrete wall or a cinder block wall. In order to install on these walls you will need to use concrete anchors for a secure connection. Most wall mounts will include the proper fastening hardware.

3. Type of LCD TV wall mount - There are many types of wall mounts to choose from.

o A fixed wall mount does not have the bells and whistles of the other types. Once your TV is mounted you will not be able to Move it at all so take extra care in making sure the TV is exactly where you want it to go.

o A tilting mount provides some extra flexibility by allowing you to tilt the TV up or down to ensure a proper viewing angle. Generally a tilting mount will rotate up about 5 degrees and down about 15 degrees. This is a good choice for many large screen flat panels often times found in a home theater or family room.

o Another option is an arm mount. These are more common for smaller LCDs as opposed to big screens. These will allow your TV to be flat against the wall or will allow them to swing out a foot or more from the wall in order to view it from a variety of locations and angles. Many arm mounts will also allow the TV to swivel or tilt as well and are sometimes referred to as articulating arm mounts.

o For the ultimate in wall mounts you can consider a motorized wall mount. They allow virtual silent operation allowing you to rotate the TV for an optimum viewing angle with the touch of a remote button. These can certainly provide a "wow" factor for your home theater.

4. Cable management - You will want to make sure you plan on how your TV will be connected to the rest of your home theater components. Some people simply install molding in order to hide the wires, while most people will install a wall plate that allows the connectors to be run through the wall to ensure a clean clutter free look. Be aware of the proper electrical code and consult an electrician if necessary. Power cords should not be run through the walls and most times a receptacle will be installed behind the TV in order to provide Power to the TV. HDMI cables have simplified things by allowing both Audio and HD video signals through one cable, but make sure to also consider adding component and composite connections as well since it is much easier to do it now rather then adding them later. Many LCD TV wall mounts will have cable management options built in to them for added convenience.

5. Where to mount your LCD flat panel - Finally you will need to figure out where to mount your TV. The location will be dependent upon your room environment as some people choose to mount above things in the room such as a fireplace. It is generally agreed that for an optimal viewing experience you should mount the center of the TV sLightly above eye level of your viewing position. Also keep in mind to leave enough room for your center speaker and front speakers of your sound system.

A clean install of a high quality LCD wall mount will be a welcome addition to your home and a great way to showcase that new LCD flat panel.

LCD TV Wall Mount - 5 Things To Consider For Your LCD TV Wall Mount

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