Bus Building – Ceiling and Interior Metal Frame

Previously unused space in upper back of bus now framed out.

As I took out the old metal ceiling I realized that my roof was leaking – and pretty bad at that. When I painted the bus November I resealed the entire roof, but upon inspection I found that two of the piece of sheet metal that make up the roof had come apart, probably due to walking on the roof. At this point I decided to reseal most of the at risk parts of the roof. Doing some research, I decided to use 3M’s 4000 – a heavy duty UV resistant marine application sealant. It went pretty smoothly, but rain will be the true test.

Recycled cotton insulation and new partially built shelf above driver

Letting the recycled cotton insulation air out, I started building some framework in the front and back of the bus where the bookshelves and suspended bed are going, respectively. Using space efficiently is crucial when building any small house, so cutting into previously unused space (in the upper back part of the bus), and into a underused space (in the upper front part of the bus) was a must.

Once it was dry, I cut up my first piece of reclaimed wood. I had taken it out of my brother’s house during a remodel almost a year and a half ago and driven 1600 miles with it strapped to my roof rack (unfortunately losing the whole load on the 101 at one point – no one was hurt and good lessons were learned). The side of the paneling that was supposed to be exposed was a really ugly faux wood finish. The other side however is a beautiful thin plywood, ready to be sanded and finished.

Score

Originally, my plan was to steam bend the pieces for the tight radius curved pieces. I build a steam bender powered by my large teapot, but the wood didn’t seem to take the moisture and wouldn’t bend enough to make the radius. After some deliberation and talking with other builders (it’s nice to have so many around the shop and island), I made the decision to score the back of the wood every 1/2″ with a depth of less than a 1/16″ for the tight radius. It worked like a charm, although now that it has been finished, you can see all the gradual flat strips that make up the wood between the scores.

Boiled down tea for stain

I gave it a stain made of extremely steeped black tea with roses (Gypsy Love), although it didn’t darken it too much. The process is simple: Boil four times as much water as you want of stain. Add more tea bags than the box recommends, and let it boil until it is 1/4 the amount of liquid. It should look just like regular wood stain. Because tannins are one of the things that give dark wood their rich color, this process of over-steeping and releasing lots of tannins from the tea brings out those colors in the wood you are staining. The final finish was a satin water resin from Bioshield. It was by far the best coating of all the test pieces I did (compared to OSMO Polyx-oil and Hemp oil cut with a pure citrus thinner). The water resin actually made a separate protective layer over the wood, whereas the other two just oiled the wood (you could still feel all the grains, etc.). I have a hard time imagining that the Polyx-oil would be very good for floors, like some people use it for.

Jorgan helps weld the interior framewor

As the ceiling was coming together I started working with a local metalworker named Jorgan to get a metal frame built as part of the benches, kitchen, and platform for the suspended bed to come down and rest on. It was an ideal situation. He taught me a few basics about using some of the tools in his shop I had never used, and I got to work cutting and clamping metal together. Once I had enough together, he would take a break from what he was working on to burn some welds, and the process would repeat. In this way we built the majority of the frame in the better part of a day and I came back later to finish the rest. It wasn’t that I wasn’t comfortable welding it myself, but I only have a 110v welder and I figured that a professional like him with the right equipment should build the foundation to my whole interior setup.

More welding

He’s an interesting character, and one that I do enjoy very much. His vagabond lifestyle, traveling with the Dead and on a motorcycle, as well as his anarchistic tendencies, vibrate well with me. He came to Orcas Island with nothing but his motorcycle (10 years ago?) and now is the maintenance man at a sawmill. Using their huge shop space, as well as an addition he built on for blacksmithing, he has created an amazing zone for working all things metal, and lives out back in a simple cabin. We shared stories from the road and compared my pop can stove to his zip stove and sipped tea with the resulting hot water.

With the metal framework mostly done, I brought it all home to make some final touches with my welder, grinder, and some paint. I was trying to use all low or no VOC paints, but I couldnt get a metal primer in time, so I used an ACE brand primer. It turned out well, but when I went to do a coat with some Bioshield environmentally friendly paint, it didn’t stick to the primer real well. That, along with some bad color choices made each of the three frames (built to be taken out if necessary) different colors (primer red, white, and what has been called baby poo brown). If I could do it over, I would have only painted them with the primer…

Interior framework with butcherblock

The framework built is to be the foundation for benches, a kitchen counter, storage, and it builds a level surface for the bed to lower down from the ceiling and rest upon. And I’ll tell you, it is STURDY. Bolted, welded, and screwed.

I finished the ceiling shortly after the framework, although I still have to trim it out. Things are coming along… Bit by bit. I am realizing that this kind of process takes a lot of time. Time to get the right materials (because I am trying only to use salvage and green). Time to do test staining. Time to wait for people to help. Time to build it all. When you want quality, quantity (or speed) suffers. But it’s okay…

Steam bender

Scores every 1/2 inch

Almost done

Boiling down the tea

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STEM – Our New Shop – Orcas Island, WA

Edna in STEM

Finally we’re here! My friend Matthew has offered up part of his shop here on Orcas Island. The plan is to get as much done on Edna as humanly possible in the next few months. The interior remodel is to include benches, kitchen, closet, drawers, cabinets, fold down desk, wood stove, sink with running water, etc. I am also going to try to get some of the WVO system installed, as well as the solar system, and a little but of other exterior work as well. The trick here with the remodel is to use as much salvaged, recycled, and environmentally friendly parts, pieces, wood, material and hardware.

I feel overwhelmed with the amount there is to do, but one thing at a time, right? For now I am collecting building materials, drawing up plans, figuring out the tool situation (there’s lots here at the shop!), organizing what I do have, and getting settled in.

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Sustainability Fair/Farmers’ Market – Orcas Island, WA

Our first day on Orcas Island brought much joy. The Sustainability Fair alongside the Farmers’ Market brought out a lot of people. I hadn’t seen many of my Orcas friends for months or years, and even folks I knew from off island were sipping tea.

Edna and I arrived on Orcas Island just the night before on a mission to get settled into a shop space here called Stem. It’s a warehouse where my friend Matthew builds these small movable structured called Pods. It also has ended up turning into a community shop space where Edna and I will be spending an undetermined amount of time remodeling the Edna’s interior and installing a solar panel, water and plumbing, a woodstove, etc. This should be fun!

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Sunken Park – Friday Harbor, WA

A quick stop on San Juan before heading to my new home on Orcas brought out a dozen people to come and drink tea. Josh came an jammed his accordion, Grisha rocked the guitar, Chris was beat-boxing, Tea was tap-dancing, Rosa danced with a dog, there were kids, and teenagers, and by the time it was all said and done all of the people playing basketball down in the park were clapping. Yay, Friday Harbor!

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Springtime Journey – Northern CA to WA

Shelter Cove

Oh, and what a journey it was! A little break time in Shelter Cove at the house of the Andrews Family –  a great crew of folks who have helped me immensely with the bus and keeping me fed, showered, and well-loved. I can’t think of a better way to start a journey than spending some time with good people who help make this tea thing possible.

Reading Poetry

I visited the tea house in Shelter Cove, which is much more formal and of European influence (which is usually the style of tea that I am less inclined to be interested in). Nevertheless, I had a wonderful lunch and some delicious tea, followed by a good chat with one of the owners, who was excited about the Free Tea Party. Another woman, who ended up being a writer, followed me back out to the bus where she recited poetry from her book of beautiful scrawls. With her words and the spectacular lighthouse and ocean in front of us, I was in heaven.

Hopland Breakdown!

I broke down in Hopland late that night after a sketchy snowy drive over the hills out of Shelter Cove. As I was driving I thought to myself, Jeez, why did they make these dash lights so dim on this bus? Just then I flashed my brights on, only to have the stereo shut off. What is happening? I flashed my brights off and the stereo came back on. Oh no, I’m running out of juice. I pulled over and tested my voltage. 9.6, oh crap. A normal battery at charging voltage should be more in the 14.4 volts rage.

With dim lights and fear of the engine shutting off (fortunately diesel engines take less electricity to keep them running), I drove a couple miles back to Hopland and parked across from a gas station and off of the main drag. After testing the voltage and knowing there was nothing I could do, I shut her off. Oh Edna…

A Ford diesel truck pulled into the gas station across the street. I was tempted to ask him if he had an extra alternator (my diagnosis at the time, even though I had just replaced it and my voltage regulator a year ago). I decided against asking him, but less than 5 minutes and he came over to the bus, which had the hood open. Well, yes, I do actually have a couple extra alternators. The man was a good man. A long line of trucking filled his veins going all the way back to his grandfather hauling logs out of the forest on mule trains. I bought him a midnight dinner at a truck stop in Ukiah before we headed to his family’s property (just a few houses from where I broke down).

The property was filled with truck trailers and big engines, fuel tanks and a broke down Ford diesel truck. We spent hours pulling out my alternator, trying another one, swapping charge controllers, trying not to wake his parents, pulling off pulleys, getting another mechanic involved, testing wires, etc. By the time I hit the hay, my bus still wasn’t running and the sun was coming up. But, by morning we had discovered a worn down wire leading out of the alternator and figured that to be the culprit. And it was, I realized a few days later as I installed my third charge controller and it didn’t change much. I taped the wire and she ran like a charm.

It was a shame to break down, but it was amazing how people came together and helped out. Free parts, advice, and labor. I thanked the people who helped and was on my way.

Healdsburg was a good stop off with good peeps. I picked up a discounted solar panel from my man Hans at DC Power Systems (thanks so much, word up!), and got to visit with the good folks of Sonoma. I love you guys!

Shana and Toto

Dual sunset tea party

San Francisco beckoned with a new tea bus in town. Run by a woman named Shana, the vehicle was called Toto. We arranged for a beach-side sunset tea party and the masses came out! There were people who had rideshared with Edna and I, peeps I knew from college in Colorado, friends from the Bay, Shana’s crew, and randoms from the beach there at Ocean Beach, SF. Truly a great night of hair-cutting, tea-sipping, bus-meeting, conversation-having, friend-reuniting, etc.

Tea party at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market with the Story Bike

In Oakland we went to work with Case at Patchwerk Press making a screen for inking up some FTP patches, and served tea at the farmers’ market. It turned out to be a great day in the East Bay. My friend Maria showed up, who has this project with a bike trailer that shares stories if you listen, and records stories if you tell. It’s way too amazing to describe here. You have to check it out here.

Also stopping by was a good friend Natalia, Serena (who wrote an article about FTP on her site Meridian Collective), a woman who is doing a hug and music bus, my mom’s friend from high school, a girl from Russia, and many more.

Ashland tea sippers

A rideshared ride to Oregon was great! Once we got to Ashland, someone told me that this was the first day that had been really nice this spring, so lots of people were out in the park. It was incredible to have so many wonderful people come for tea. We had just received a good donation from Eco Teas (based here in Ashland), so we brewed up a batch of sun Mate with fresh squeezed lemons and agave nectar. We also made some hot tea, and provided people with a great selection of hot and cold teas, which is fun to give people so many options. I love Ashland!

That night we parked outside of a B-Side Players show at Culture Works. This was a fun venue, where I ended up kind of knowing the doorman/security guard – a nice kid who kept coming back to the bus whenever he could to grab a cuppa tea or some conversation. Teenagers, a friend of mine from Idaho, college kids, etc… It was super fun, although the cops were harassing people. That night, when I was looking for somewhere to sleep, I drove past a drunk college couple who stuck their thumbs out half jokingly. I picked them up and drove them home. They were so nice that they let me crash on their couch. It ended up that the girl was from Healdsburg (where I had been a few days prior) and I knew her sister. Small world!

Eugene Saturday Market

In Eugene we served tea at the Saturday Market, right in front of the courthouse. And what a great weekly event it is. It is a combination of a farmers’ market, a crafts market, and a rainbow gathering. Lol! We sipped tea with all sorts of folk – randoms, randoms we’d met before in other places, old friends, etc. It is definitely an interesting culture here in Eugene. Sun-brewed Mate all day!

That Sunday we went out to an event put on by the Circle of Children, which was a community-building, ecovillage dreaming event. It was good to be around good community-minded people creating a fun event based around kids, healthy food, workshops, alternative building, etc.

Lost Valley peeps

That night brought Edna and I to Lost Valley, a permaculture learning center and homestead. I was served tea by a woman who I had met a couple weeks prior at Arts Alive in Eurkea, and then again in Eugene at the Saturday Market. Now a good friend, Sarah Popp brewed up pu-erh in a Yixing teapot for me an Adrien (a Common Vision crew member this year referred to me by friends). It was good to get more of that Chinese style tea party. Inspiring…

Morning tea at Lost Valley was a hit. Even a class held their morning “check in” on the bus while sipping green tea. Everyone was super appreciative and happy. The groundskeeper evidently has a tea plant growing on site, but I didn’t get to see it. Oh well, next visit.

Serving tea at Mountain Rose Herbs

For lunch I set up right in front of Mountain Rose Herb‘s headquarters in nearby Pleasant Hill. As one of my main and most helpful supporters, I was happy to serve some tea to people on their lunch break. I was right outside the window of the break room, so many faces came out to see what the bus was all about. I just have to remark (not because I am obligated to) that I really really appreciate MRH as a company. They just do it right. Environmentally, socially, the work atmosphere, the employees, etc. Much praise…

Rooftop yoga

In Portland my friend Nick and I snuck Edna into the Earth Day celebrations at PSU and set up shop all day. I accidentally ran into so many people I knew and I have barely even served tea in Portland: one of my first ridesharers two years ago (who I ran into at Lightning in a Bottle and later in Santa Barbara);  Sarah Popp (again! four times randomly in a few weeks). I also kicked it with a girl I’ve known since I was a young boy, a friend from high school, and a girl I met in Berekely, among so many others.

It was the kind of day that started out slow, real slow, and I wanted to show nick a good time, and show him what this tea thing was all about. But man, it was unusually slow for something like an Earth Day celebration. But then it picked up dramatically.

It was interesting that Portland is considered one of the greenest cities in America, but we could only find one Earth Day event on the day of. I guess that all the P-Towners are in that “every day is earthday” mindset and are in their gardens anyways.

Roof rack at its full potential

On my drive from Portland to Seattle, I stopped to drop off a ridesharer in Olympia and noticed the smell of fuel coming from my engine. After a short inspection at a gas station, I realized on of my high pressure fuel lines was leaking fuel onto my engine. Despite an attempt to tighten, and another to disassemble and re tighten to line onto the injector, the leak persisted. Needing to get my other two riders to Seattle, we continued despite the small leak. Once I dropped off the riders and was safe on Capitol hill, I checked the fuel line again, only to find that it had completely separated from the injector, meaning that I was losing probably an 1/8th of my fuel since it broke. I shopped around for a new line, and the prices were outrageous. It ended up being somewhere over $100 for the line and it wasn’t even the exact right one (it was made for the Ford diesel truck, which has the same engine, but the fuel filter is in a different location). I had to bend it and work it in there after taking off multiple of the other injection lines. Man it was a hassle.

After this breakdown and the long journey, I was worn out… No tea parties in Seattle – just visiting my father and seeking out some building materials. I salvaged a bunch of tongue and groove bead board from a house being remodeled and rummaged through some salvage and green building stores. I was eager to get to the islands, take a rest, and get settled in on Orcas Island at the Stem wharehouse.

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Leaving Town – Eureka, CA

After spending the winter serving tea every Tuesday on the Arcata Plaza we had made many new tea sipping friends, and plenty of the old ones were still kicking around as well. We set up at Arts Alive with the MARZ project at the smaller plaza in downtown Eureka. They set up interactive music, art, and projection with blessings from the city.

It was so good to see folks one last time before heading out on a springtime journey. Even with all the old faces, many, many more new ones showed up. Jaqueline of the Poem Store came and wrote poems for people. Even Virginia Bass, the Mayor of Eureka, made it out and signed my guest book! “What a cool way to stimulate conversation and warm the spirits! Thank you for brightening people’s lives!” I was so stoked. I had to keep myself from bringing the guest book down to the shopkeeper that had called the cops on Edna and I for serving tea just months before (blog entry here). I had to remember that it wasn’t about being right in this instance. Bringing down the guest book might just appear to the shopkeeper as a method of antagonizing and I didn’t want that. I just had to keep sending her love and hope she got over whatever personal issues she had.

There were lots of hugs goodbye. Many sad and smiling faces (including mine). It is often easier for me to leave than for the ones I am leaving. I am off onto new places and faces, but for them the role that I fulfilled in their community in has vanished. I guess I always hope that someone else will step up and fill the gap. This should probably be you, if you’re reading this.

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Edna’s Birthday – Samoa, CA

Beach fire


Two years ago today, the first day of Spring, I bought this fabulous vehicle now known as Special Edna Lu, the tea bus. Wow, she really is spectacular. I couldn’t ask for a better girlfriend. She really has shown me a lot of places. Granted, she has broke down here and there, but always it has worked out for the better. I can’t say how much I love this vehicle (in a non-attachment kind of way, you know).

Several of us met up out at the beach in Samoa. Hot tea in Edna turned into a blazing fire on the beach. We trekked down the beach with snacks, tea, musical instruments, and just a warm feeling of friendship. The ocean enticed us to go for a swim, and the fire and tea kept us warm. Ahh, it is so nice to have a fire on the beach, even if Edna couldn’t make it all the way down to enjoy it with us.

Firewood!

Mikey and Eghan

Greg

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Miracle at Wabash and Union – Eureka, CA

Looking out at the Miracle

One year ago I was on the Free section of Craig’s List when I noticed a discussion starting about an evident prankster. Someone had posted an ad stating that there was free food and clothes for needy people and families at Wabash and Union on Christmas. Several people had gone to that intersection only to find that there were none of the promises awaiting them. Instead they found an empty lot. After posting their findings on Craig’s List, several people decided that this prank should be turned into reality. Within hours several Craig’s List surfers had organized food, clothes, and toys for people. This year one of those Craig’s List surfers, a woman named Helyn, brought the event back – this time more organized, bigger, and with more food, toys, clothes, and fun…

Sara sips tea

My friend Sara and I arrived later than expected as Edna had lost her brakes due to a small cylinder leak and we had to quickly bleed her brakes. It was a hectic day, but once we got set up, it was good. A couple hundred people came through for food, toys, clothes, face-painting, and tea. ‘

This was the first place we ever used disposable tea cups. My conscience has always told me to use reusable cups. This is for two reasons: one, because it is better for the environment, and two, because it encourages people to stay for a while while they sip. I thought I would be serving a massive amount of people, so I bought a few hundred cups (made from recycled paper). We didn’t even go through a tenth of them, so I was disappointed that I didn’t just use regular cups… At least now I have them and can use them if ever needed, but it really just reinforces the idea that I should come equipped with massive amounts of reusable cups. I can’t wait until my water/sink/wastewater system is installed. It will make it a lot easier to wash.

The event

Face painting

A unicyclist juggler

This guy was great

Free clothes

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5000th Cuppa Free Tea – Arcata, CA

Gaia with the 5,000 cuppa free tea

People often ask me how I count my cups of tea. I do have to admit that it is an estimation, not an exact science. Basically, I estimate that there are 20 cups of tea in a gallon of water, which equates to 6.4 ounces per cuppa tea (128 ounces in a gallon). I think this number is a pretty good estimate because a large mug holds about 8 ounces and a small cup holds around 5 ounces, and since I serve about as many of each, 6.4 ounces sounds about right. Every tea party I look at my 5 gallon water jug and estimate how many gallons we went through. From this I derive a number of cups served and update the number on my homepage as often as I can.

Excited Gaia

With this math at work I knew that the first winter Tuesday Tea Party in Arcata was going to be the occasion for celebrating the 5,000th cuppa free tea. People were eager and trying to count down when I threw out “22 cups left.” One of the most excited people was a guy named Gaia. When he asked for a refill I took his cup from him and filled up another cup I had bought from a local ceramist. I handed it to him and he asked why I had given him the cup. I told him that it was his, to keep. Why? “Because you’re the 5,000th cuppa tea!” He was SO excited. Everyone was cheering and laughing.

Along with the cup, I bestowed upon him a traditional Japanese-style mini cast iron tea pot, as well as a certificate that said: The Bearer of this Certificate is entitled to One (1) Free Tea Party, whether private or public, whether in the tea bus or elsewhere. I signed it Guisepi and Edna… He also had me sign the bottom of his cup.

Reflecting on the number 5,000 I think about how many people we have met, how many taste buds have tingled, how many tea parties that might be, and how many more there may be. What is it in a number that is satisfying? We always try to set high scores, get good grades, make a lot of money. But beyond the numbers, I think I would feel satisfied if it were only five cups of free tea. Here’s to 4 years of free tea parties and 5000 cups of free tea!

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Anarchist Book Fair – Manila, CA

Proper Tea is Theft

 

This was the beginning of a 16 hour, 3 event tea serving day. Whew, exhausting… I was actually surprised at how few people at this fair came to drank tea. I thought that of all people, it would be anarchists that understood best what I am doing – bottom up, grassroots, no permission from above, sharing of the wealth, while creating community and consciously expressing what I have to offer to the whole. But no, probably less than two dozen people showed during the few hours Edna and I were there, which is fine, as sometimes I think I am spoiled with the greater amount of people that usually show up at tea parties. Having less people actually helps me get to know individuals better and provides a more intimate space for people who do come. So cheers to that!

It was a good mellow beginning for the rest of the day, which included Arts Alive in Eureka, and Galactivation in Arcata. We didn’t stop drinking tea ‘till 3 am… I think that may be the latest tea party yet…

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