Menoodling...Upgrade!

While parking at my alternative address of New Lanark (yes, it's fast becoming a bolt-hole when not actually travelling but not being back at The Hutch), I indulged in a little retail therapy. Where I park, down near the historical village (which was technically only 'new' in relation to the older town of Lanark, up the hill a bit), there are no facilities beyond rubbish bins. Every third day or so, one treks up the hill to the 'old' town centre. where The Grey gets his dose of power, and I top up my grocery items.

I went to a store I hadn't used before - Lidl. It's very like Aldi, which I have used a few times. So there are lots of unfamiliar products, but all seem pretty good. Then there are those centre aisles with all sorts of nonsense contained in them. Most of it is trashy and not necessarily all that much of a bargain. But every now and then...

Anyhoo, there was one of these and one only left in the bin... 

Why would the YAMster want an ottoman, for heaven's sake? Well, let me tell you. Until this came along, I had a packing box from the Bluetti power bank serving as an extra seat/footstool. It served no other purpose and while useful at that one thing, took up a lot of space for little return. I require anything taking space to serve multiple purposes, storage, for example. I had also been considering (and designing in my head) all sorts of scenarios for extending the width of my bench/cot. Nothing was quite managing to manifest.

Then, for £19.99 (that's about $25US/$40AUD), I spotted this—the last one. The decision had to be made. I checked the dimensions—82cm/40/40—perfect! Here is the answer to at least two of my queries. Not only does it fit perfectly behind the front bench seat to form a rear bench seat (potential for two tushies), but it will also provide a load of storage (currently hiding the original packing box!) It makes the perfect leg rest when sitting in bench mode for work, eating, and watching the world go by. Then, it turns around just right to abut the bench/cot and provides extra width for safety and comfort. 

I have managed perfectly well on my available 70cm, but the extra 40 is a proper luxury. Look!

I'm cock-a-hoop with myself! I very nearly didn't go to Lidl but to Tesco instead. However, the rainy day and time getting on, meant I opted for the closer of the two stores. What's more, a very cheery chappy (I think a manager) came and carried the quite heavy unit out to the van for me. As soon as I got parked back down the hill, I unpacked the unit (it is just a folding walls thing with that cushioned top to hold it in place), and instantly, the van took on a yet more homely feel. The perfect upgrade at a very decent price. 

I will have to do a proper update video showing all the new shelving and how I work things. There is still a way to go. I suspect van building is a bit like painting bridges—it never really ends! There are a couple more videos up on the tubular, in case anyone has missed seeing them. Not brilliant, but a record nevertheless. I am frustrated because what looks like a perfectly good video on the laptop somehow gets mangled by YouTube, and the end result is rather 'murky'. But it's real and a decent enough reflection of life on the road.

Hey ho...