Life is funny, and by “funny” I actually mean “unpredictable and out of control.” The expression says that sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying, so I find myself laughing a whole lot to keep the sadness at bay. Just six months ago I had a sweet two story house in the suburbs, with a swimming pool in the backyard and a propane grill on the porch. Now I live in a tent, on the banks of a river, about half a mile up river from the city dump. You just never know what sort of curve balls life will pitch to you. In my suburban house, I had an amazing climate control system that responded to a flick of the wrist. The thermostat could be pre-programmed, so that the heating and cooling would always come on at certain times. In my bathroom and bedroom I had radiant heated flooring, to keep my tootsies nice and warm on cold mornings. If for some reason the HVAC system went out, I had a sunken fireplace in my living room, and enough wood cut for three winters! These days the only cooling I get is when there is a cold snap, which can be lethal when you live outdoors. Thankfully cooling is not something I need to worry about very often, so I can keep my focus on things like food and water. At least I have a firm grasp on the skills it takes to light a fire, because without an open flame on the riverbanks I would have no source of heating on cold nights.