Okay, people, usually I'm not one for posting personal pictures, initially out of paranoia and now out of just plain laziness, but I thought I'd throw a few your way because I am so amazingly, over-the-top proud of Mr. Poppins and how cool he is. You see this trailer:
Mr. Poppins built it. As in a couple months before Secret Lulu was born we brought some tires to a welder guy and got them welded to a base frame (the visible black below the silver, a whole 2% of the trailer) and then we put it behind the car and towed it home. It sat in the garage for a while, being a flat frame thing with wheels. Then Secret Lulu was born and Mr. Poppins put some plywood over the frame and bolted it on and, little by little, year by year, for the last four years, he added pieces, wired stuff up, built cabinets, cut metal, riveted and hammered, measured and fitted, and researched door handles and built doors and found reading lights and wired them in. Seriously, a lot of work. And here it is again:
So every time we go camping, we have only to fill the cooler and water jug and pack our clothes, and then we hitch up, and presto, with less than an hour total prep, we're out the door. And then we get to camp and set up basically involves putting out the table cloth on the picnic table. And did I mention the sleeping quarters:
Yeah, that's Secret Lulu up there, before her matching LL Bean pillow came in and she's in a bunk that Mr. Poppins built from scratch, and the bed is full size with a real (high-end futon) mattress, and we can lock the doors and I just made little curtains for the windows, which is my only contribution to date.
The best part is when people look for a logo and try to figure out what brand it is, because it is that attention-to-detail, manufactured perfect that it never occurs to anyone that it's homemade. Did I mention a lot of people stop by our camp to look at it? Yeah. Mr. Poppins actually talks to them and is all friendly and social-like, and looks forward to the visits from strangers, which I didn't even suspect was possible.
And yes it's insulated and that's a ceiling fan up there, so we are never too hot or too cold regardless of the weather. And Mr. Poppins does all the cooking and at least half the clean up.
Yeah.Mr. Poppins rocks.
i told mr. poppins that i was watching an episode of "california's gold" about tear drops.
they're an intense bunch.
Posted by: pandora | July 29, 2009 at 06:49 PM
Very cool. And thanks for restoring me to your lucky seven for the time being.
BTW, if you think Mr. Poppins rocks, and he does, then possibly you will like this. I did.
http://open.salon.com/blog/persephone13/2009/02/02/white_middle_aged_male_underrated_sex_object
Posted by: DF | July 30, 2009 at 01:39 PM
It came out fabulous! I remember seeing the frame in the garage.
Posted by: Diosa | July 30, 2009 at 06:03 PM
I'm confused, are we looking at the trailer he built or the beauty you built together? :)
Posted by: J | July 31, 2009 at 04:58 AM
That is truly awesome!
Posted by: loafingcactus | July 31, 2009 at 05:41 AM
Holy smokes! (Or as my forebears would say, ciboire!) That is one beautiful trailer.
Posted by: Kit | July 31, 2009 at 01:34 PM
"Seriously, a lot of work."
Yeah, I'll bet. The cabinetwork alone is amazing. How much research went into this work of art...? I am thoroughly impressed.
Posted by: Ichimonji10 | July 31, 2009 at 08:57 PM
Of course people want to come over and check it out. It's freaking awesome.
Posted by: The Dol | August 01, 2009 at 08:16 AM
OMG. My children and I are weeping over the cuteness of the teardrop. The children asked about Secret Lulu, "Is she famous?" Then they wondered, "Is that your friend?" No, kids, mommy's friends are imaginary and live inside the computer. They are really little people.
Posted by: B. | August 02, 2009 at 02:23 AM
Bitsy, dear. Let's call ourselves real friends.
Posted by: Polly Poppins | August 02, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Ok,Why hasn't Mr.Poppins popped in to explain to us how he came up with the idea of this? Has Mr Poppins ever guest posted? I think it may be time. Because I wonder if he sketched it out first and stuck with that sketch or just made it all up as he went along?
Next, I'd like to know how he knows how to build these things? Did you learn as you went, had you done something like this before? How did you get all the necessary tools?
Nevermind, I have too many questions.
Posted by: Alice | August 02, 2009 at 01:39 PM