It was a big errand day today, Dan had a list and we were determined to hit everything on it. We spent the morning working on the van, after another easy start of bacon, eggs and pancakes for breakfast. The important morning routine finished, we figured we’d do a bit of work before heading out. Dan’s Mum, Debbie, had bought a pair of black curtains for the windows and we figured we could knock those out quickly with a bit of sewing.

The two curtains gave just enough material to cover the rear side windows. After undoing the hemming and cutting them in half, we tried stringing them up with lengths of circular dowel, but it was a little too tight so we went with Dan’s idea of using wire which worked a treat. Very dirtbag style, but if it works, it works! For the back window, we cut a piece of blue felt to length and strung it up the same as the side windows.

That was enough for the day, it was errand time. First, we went to Walmart to pick up some propane and a set of jumper cables which would serve as the cables for the dual battery system. Next, we stopped in at Discount Tire to get Dan’s tires rorated since the fronts were worn. We were met with an hour long wait so moved on to the next thing, figuring we’d hit the place on the way back. We found a Laundromat to put the new mattress in for a decent clean since we didn’t know it’s history. After stopping at a Coin-Less laundry that Dan thought meant you would use less coins, we went around the corner to one that took quarters. Washing on, we went to a place called CHC to sort out some court stuff, then back to the Laundromat after a quick stop for beer.

Mattress was ready and smelled perfectly clean. Next, was Barnes and Nobles for some Baja travel info. We found exactly what we needed, getting a “Moon” guide (competitor of Lonely Planet, since they were out of stock) and a map of northern Baja. Things were getting real now! On the way home, we stopped at Discount Tire again where we spoke to a man who told Dan his right front tyre was illegally worn, so they wouldn’t touch it. Ok then, that meant a new tyre as well as the rotation. It would take them a day to get the tire, so we booked the car in for an appointment tomorrow.

We’d been running around for hours now so we were keen to head home. We did a round of shopping on the way, loading up on beer with a sweet deal that got us 36 beers for only $15 and some groceries to make dinner. At home, despite our tiredness, I was keen to get started on the wiring while the weather was a little cooler in the evening and we still had light. I went as far as opening the engine bay and cutting off the jumper cable clips before calling it quits.

Inside the airconditioned comfort of the house, we chilled out the rest of the day, enjoying steak and potatoes cooked by Dan’s Dad. We ate out in the backyard, watching the sun set and polishing off a bottle of red wine. When Debbie came home, she and the three dogs, Ruby, Lilly and Cleo, came out and joined us. She even provided us with desert in the form of cinnamon rolls left over from her dinner out with friends. What a beautiful evening. After Debbie went to bed, Dan and I stayed out, venturing out onto the foot-wide wall that surrounds the house and sitting on it to watch the city lights. Even Cleo joined us, balancing along the narrow wall so she could be near. It was getting late, but when we needed another beer, we got off the wall and went back to the patio by the pool and got the cards out. It was just such a nice time of night, it would have been a shame to spend it inside. We played a while until sleepiness got the better of us and retreated to Dan’s room, Cleo happily taking up her station on the couch in the corner to watch the door.