A few years ago, on Father's Day, DearSweetDave and I went over to his father's home to share the day with his dad. I will share with you that DearSweetDave's father, my FIL, is a very passionate man with a very big heart. He is also a man who believes in following your heart. In going after the golden ring. In making your dreams come true. And he especially believes this for his own children.
On that particular day, the big news and excitement, as we gathered in the kitchen, was that Katrina, Dave's middle sister, was in hot pursuit of a 40 ft. GMC turbo diesel RV-converted bus. On Ebay. She had never seen the bus in person. She had not had it checked out by a mechanic. She had exchanged just a few brief emails with the sellers of the bus. However, Katrina had already decided that she was going to purchase this bus (with what money was still to be determined as she had absolutely none) and she was going to drive it to Mexico. Cabo, to be precise. Where she was going to live in it. 
I think at the time the plan was to make and sell beaded and shell jewelry. Make it there with the local crafts people and sell it here in Santa Cruz. But I'm not positive about that part of the story. I just know that she had some plan for making lots of money in Mexico. Once she had her house.
Our entire morning was spent as Katrina kept refreshing the page on the Ebay auction site to see if anyone else had possibly outbid her on her "dream". She would rush downstairs to the computer and then rush back upstairs completely flushed with adrenaline and exclaim that the bus was still hers.
And then, just as the auction was about to end, someone did outbid her. So she quickly decided that she would have to spend even more than she planned and upped her own bid. But then so did the other bidder. Back and forth it went. Each time by just $100 dollars. Katrina actually sent an email to the other bidder telling the person to please stop bidding on her DREAM.
As the minutes quickly passed, things got more frantic. The page was refreshed and refreshed again. And each time, Katrina would add yet more money to her bid! When the final bell tolled, she was the winner! She had outlasted all the others, she had purchased her dream.
Well, sort of. As I mentioned, Katrina didn't actually have the funds to purchase this Hunk of Burning Love RV that she had just won. But remember, her father, my FIL, believes in making dreams come true. So on Monday morning he went with Katrina to the bank and co-signed a loan with her so the big pink bus could be her new Mexican home.
It was a good dream. A life in Cabo, living in the bus, making and selling jewelry to the tourists, a simple and uncomplicated life. Only, Katrina never made it to Mexico. She instead found herself drifting from job to job in Santa Cruz and also soon found herself unable to make the proper payments on her DREAM. Her dream became a big fat financial burden. An albatross around her neck.
DearSweetDave's dad stepped in. He's like a superhero that way. He often will swoop in to rescue the fallen angel. In this case, Katrina who was sinking under the weight of her Big Pink Bus. He took over the payments and financial responsibility for the RV. He also found a place to store it and paid for that, as well. And I think the dreamer in my FIL kept hoping that somehow Katrina would still be able to have her own Dream if he just helped her along.
What he's realized, though, is that Katrina gave up her dream. And this RV? It is not my FIL's dream at all. So now he's got this 40 foot GMC Turbo Diesel RV Bus conversion that he certainly doesn't want or need. He's about to move to the Big Island and last we checked this bus isn't exactly sea-worthy.
So he's selling it. For a bargain price, I might add. Again, like I said, he's on his way to the Big Island. He doesn't want to complicate his life by owning a bus that is residing in Santa Cruz.
It's absolutely perfect for a wandering soul. Maybe even some of you folks who were interested in my own Magic Bus. You might find this bus an even more enticing offer. Or if you're a Burning Man regular, maybe you'd like to add this Bus to your own camp's provisions.
I actually considered getting it for myself, quite honestly. With the price of real estate in Santa Cruz, I told DearSweetDave we could live in it parked next to the ocean and have an ocean front home! But DearSweetDave couldn't imagine living in just 40 feet with the terrible twosome and I suppose he's right.
Still, for someone out there, it could make a very plush home! Or maybe even the start of a beautiful dream. 
NaBloPoMo links for today:
