A few more odds and ends arrived today, so I finished securing my seat cushions to their bases, and boy does that make a difference. This is one of those easily-overlooked aspects of user experience; the idea that you shouldn’t have to worry about a bulky seat sliding or shifting when you get in and out. It’s one of those things that your guests won’t notice unless it’s broken.

The trick was to switch to Velcro’s “Auto” version, which has a different adhesive compatible with flexible vinyl. You may recall my headrest cushions loosened up and fell off the walls, so I’ll try the same fix there once three more rolls arrive.

My Keurig coffee maker arrived too. It’s a bit bigger than I expected but the color looks great and the coffee is familiar. I’ll have to find a new home for my Nostalgia Electrics machine now:

I also got a cool skull & crossbones beer cap catcher for next to the sink.

The opener arrives later.

Today I ordered a First Alert combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector. I’m mostly concerned about waking up dead from CO poisoning in an enclosed space, especially with the vents closed during winter.

It’s a pretty good size to install on a wall or the ceiling, and the B&W style matches the RETROvan nicely. There are more complex devices available, but they don’t get very good reviews. This one has a 10-year battery and voice alerts, so you can’t really go wrong for $54.99.

My custom 11-gallon water tank finally arrived. Once I removed the shelf, it fits the galley cabinet nicely. So now I just need to get the right 1/2-inch NPT barbed elbow fittings. Hopefully a trip to George Morlan Plumbing will solve that. On top, there’s the filler inlet and the vent. On the bottom is the outlet that connects to the pump.

The idiots at RONCO Plastic did put the ugly part of the tank on the front (with their embossed logo upside-down), so I had to turn it 90° to hide that. And you can see I still have room in the cabinet for a fire extinguisher, MAGLITE and more tall bottles, cleaning supplies, etc.

I’m going to mount the SHURFLO water pump right onto the plastic with screws, which should work fine for vibration and noise. You can see it above, nestled just under the sink. Next step is to trace the drain hole onto the wall panel and cut it out. But I’m in no hurry to disassemble the galley for the last time. At least not until I have all the correct fittings in hand.

I found a perfect use for my Pirates of the Caribbean flag. It provides privacy from the outside and just enough translucency from the inside. And it reflects my worldview during these dark days of the Zombie Apocalypse.

I also ordered a cool retro USB microphone for working in Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro.

Last night I went to Guitar Center in Beaverton to pick up a music keyboard, which basically makes the RETROvan a mobile media studio in addition to software development.

Meet the AKAI Professional Advance 49, a NAMM Best-of-Show award-winner from 2015. This technology is lightyears ahead of the keyboards, samplers and drum machine kit Gary Tobin and I assembled in the 1980s, when I was really into composing via MIDI. Electronic Arts’ Deluxe Music Construction Set was the bomb on my Mac, back then. It was the one app I’d want to have on a desert island.

No, I’m not a musician per se. I was forced to take music lessons as a kid (piano, wind and guitar), but I was always a better listener than a player. I do have a passion for composition, seeing as how that’s really an exercise in programming. And now I seem to have developed a deeper interest in lyrics and social commentary, inspired in part by recent releases from some of my favorite artists.

Now that Phase 2 of the RETROvan project is wrapping up, I had been researching a variety of equipment options (things to do and see) but as soon as I saw this keyboard it just screamed out Star Trek! It bears an uncanny resemblance to the various control consoles on the original USS Enterprise set, like in the Transporter Room:

The keys are semi-weighted and they have both velocity- and pressure-sensitivity. So they feel great, and the action should get even better over time. But the best feature is all the backlighting. Those drum pads are fully programmable, including the LED colors. When the AKAI is turned off, it’s all black & white. But turn it on and it lights up like Olivia’s face on a warm spring day:

This keyboard comes in three sizes: 25 keys, 49 keys and 61 keys. But the RETROvan’s table/desk is 24×48″ and it has to support my 27″ 5K iMac. So the Advance 49 was just the right length for me. Its control layout is very efficient and compact, measuring 29.5″ x 11.5″ x 3.63″. So both it and my Mac’s keyboard/trackpad fit nicely up front and I can just slide up and down the bench seat. What about the “missing” keys you ask? No worries, most keyboards can span ten octaves by simply hitting the Octave ± buttons. And that’s all you need for composing, versus live performance.

I plan to spend some time learning the system along with Apple’s Logic Pro X software. That DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) can also produce music notation (sheet music) with lyrics. And yes, I have a trove of lyrics that are begging to lay down tracks. I also have about a hundred 8MM home movies and old independent films that I’d like to do some narration over, and some sound-tracky stuff.

My son Steven is an accomplished bassist, so maybe he’ll collaborate. And of course my in-laws (Robbie, Conor and Kevin) are all brilliant musicians. Me? I can get a sound outta almost anything. Just ask Mazy.

When the cat’s away, the mice will play…

I’ve been joking to Olivia that the RETROvan needs a disco ball for future dance parties with our friend Addie. And then I found this on Think Geek:

Too bad it’s so big (16 inches in diameter).

And now I’m trying to figure out how to make wheel covers out of these 15″ cast aluminum 35mm film reels.

Here’s an old one I already have. The diameter nestles in there pretty nicely. My friend Dave says custom wheels would cost $1K each, so that option’s out.

Today I hung a few more things and also mounted the headrests to the walls with Velcro. The strips are 2 inches wide and 54 inches long. The first step was measuring things out and marking the top with a strip of Frog Tape. Then I stretched out the Velcro and will simply slice it at the panel edges with a utility knife. I had to use my heat gun to set the adhesive better on the vinyl, and it seemed to work.

Here’s the passenger headrest floating above the backrest cushion. The ergonomics are good. My dad had helped me find the right height, and you can still sit sideways and use the backrest as an armrest too.

Olivia is in Tampa this week, spending some time with her and family while her mother clings to life. So last night I slept in the RETROvan and watched home movies. But I may need to head east soon.

Ooh, I hear the UPS truck approaching…

Well whaddayaknow. Today I dodged torrential rain and finished installing the flooring!

I had picked up some nice vinyl and laminate tile samples from Home Depot, but I ultimately decided to use the six boxes of flooring I had purchased months ago. Mostly because the RETROvan is a woodgrain- and Earth tone-free zone.

I started dry-fitting the tiles from the back moving forward, carefully bisecting the van down the middle. And to my surprise, the tiles finished nicely at both points of egress. I encircled all three pedestals by using a 12″ platter and a 9″ plate as a template. Then I cut the holes with a utility knife. I used my table saw and a fine blade for most of the straight edge cuts.

To slip the tiles under the heavy helm, I just slid it back and forth and tipped it a bit. The refrigerator was pretty easy to pull out and lift back in, being careful not to scrape the flooring or spill any beer.

If you missed it earlier, this product is made from the same rubber as flip-flop shoes — a high-density non-toxic EVA foam. The tiles fit together as a puzzle, and they feel really great to walk on. Just the right amount of cushiness, with some sound-damping and insulation benefits too. I didn’t bother using any adhesive, but I can always apply some silicon if necessary later. This stuff is really cheap, so if some tiles get dirty or damaged I can easily replace them.

And man does it give more of a finished look to the RETROvan. It’s 7 PM now and Mazy is here watching The Twilight Zone with me. I think she likes the floor too. It must feel good on her old lady kitty paws.

Today I ordered a smallish trash bin. Originally this was going to be secured inside the galley cabinet but the water tank plan changed all that.

My dad pointed out that I might need to screw the bin to the floor so it doesn’t move around in transit. But maybe it’s heavy enough on its own — we’ll see. It’s also about the right height to put your feet up on from the passenger seat.

It will need a special decal, of course.

And speaking of biohazards, I pulled the trigger on this Keurig K250 coffee system, saving $40 on CyberMonday direct from Keurig. The color is Plum Gray (not Imperial Red), which will go nicely with my new cabinet and countertop colors. This color is also prominent in my retro dish set. The reservoir holds 40 ounces of water but overall it’s pretty slim.

This version 2.0 machine can brew our favorite single K-Cups, plus Travel Mug Pods and Carafe Pods — which make four cups at a time and keep it hot in this double-insulated stainless steel carafe. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!And then there’s this retro heated travel mug. Very cool — er, hot.

I spent the rest of the day updating my various iOS and macOS apps, having a blast working in the RETROvan. I even took a hot-tub break in the middle of the day. Try doing that in some cube farm! 🙂

Today I moved my 5K iMac into the RETROvan and got to work, slinging code. Gigabit Ethernet, 65 Mbps Internet tap and a Hogan’s Heroes marathon on the Apple TV. That plus a couple bowls of Crunch Berries and I’m set.

It’s 51.1° outside and a cozy 65.3° inside, thanks to the PuraFlame “fireplace.” The humidity is 95% outside and only 54% inside, thanks to the Ivation dehumidifier.

The only thing I’m second-guessing today is my choice of coffee makers. The Nostalgia Electrics unit looks nice and retro, but I’m more of a Keurig K-Cups guy. It’s more convenience and less messy. So I’m toying with this CyberMonday deal at $30 off:

The only downside I see is that the Keurig consumes 1500W, while the retro model comes in at 1000W. And remember, my inverter tops out at 2000W while my fireplace is 1250W! Not a problem when I’m moored on the RETROpad on shore power, but something we’ll have to load-balance on trips.

Last night Olivia and I were talking about how we never see our doe and the raccoons at the same time. And then right on cue, we spotted two raccoons up in the fig tree dropping ripe figs to the ground for the doe — all right outside our bedroom and sunroom windows.

If you look closely, you can see one of the raccoons climbing down the tree trunk, face-first. Not sure whether this is coincidental behavior, or if the doe is offering protection (from us) in exchange for top figgage.

Last night I finished the Proteus model. There are a lot of details on the inside that you can’t see anymore but it turned out pretty good.

We didn’t do much on Sunday besides send Shannon home on the bus, eat leftovers, take a nap, clean up the garage and watch football.

Tonight is trash night — The Most Wonderful Night of the Week. Because tomorrow my last round of RETROvan construction debris will be gone and I can fill those bins up again. And this week, Olivia will even get to park her car in the garage. 🙂

Next up for the RETROvan: Flooring. I’m still having second thoughts about the rubber puzzle tile, but I want to give them a try first and make sure they can be cut cleanly. My backup plan is either hardwood or industrial carpet. We’ve seen that the floor will get wet and dirty, so that’s a concern.

Shannon goes back to school tomorrow and Olivia will be visiting her mom in Tampa shortly, so this morning we picked out a cute little Festivus Tree at Al’s Garden Center. Then while the girls shopped McMinnville, I spent the afternoon reassembling the cabinetry and installing the appliances. There were some adjustments to be made to the height of the cabinets, but it all worked out in the end — just in time for a very cozy happy hour.

I’ll just let the pictures do the talking, here…

Steven had to drive back to Bellingham for work this morning but Shannon (aka Rosie the Riveter) is still here to help. So we trimmed the dinette table by tapping the 12-foot aluminum strip into its slot.

We’ve never done anything like this before of course, but it turns out to be pretty easy. That is, once we realized you can’t use tin snips to cut out the fins. They cut the metal just fine, but the scissor action twists the piece. Fortunately the aluminum was pliable enough to coerce back into shape.

So instead I formed a simple miter saw jig out of a yard stick and protected the trim’s face with Frog Tape. Then while Shannon supported the long piece we cut slots into the barbed tee. These slots form fins that allow the trim to bend along the table’s 3-inch radius corners with only a slight ripple effect. All it took was a few taps and a little leverage. We could only cut one corner at a time between fittings, but this took less than an hour. The final trick was trimming the end just right so it abuts the beginning at a clean seam. My first attempt at marking this was 1/4″ too long, so I had to trim the rest with my Dremel tool. But then I nicked it and had to cut it 3/32″ short. Oh well, it’s not that bad.

My only concern is whether the trim will stay in place over time. Once you tap it in and pull it out a couple times, the plywood slot loosens up a little. So for the final fit I ran a bit of Gorilla Glue into the slot wherever it looked like it wanted to pop out.

I’m glad I ordered two 12-foot pieces of trim. That was mostly for backup in case I screwed up the table. But now we have a stick left over for the galley counter top and the two shelves. The shelves were super easy, just 24-inch straight pieces. I can’t install them just yet because I won’t know which edges are the fronts until I match the screw holes during assembly. But then the trim will just tap into the slots I pre-cut.

The countertop has one slight bend and one prominent 90-degree bend. So for those I just cut out slots big enough to make sure the tee never obstructed itself during bending.

Here’s the galley corner. It came out great if you ask me. No one is going to scrape themselves slipping into the port berth bench past that corner. It’s smooth and pretty — much better than two pieces mitered together.

And here’s the dinette table, ready for a future car show. 🙂