A Day in the Life of the PPT Posse

From the editor “This is a wonderful, gritty, and heartfelt look at the “PPT Posse” life. Writing from the perspective of the van (PP) gives it such a unique personality!
I’ve cleaned up the grammar and flow while keeping your specific “voice” and the technical details of the build intact.”

A Day in the Life of the PPT Posse

Location: Northeast Alabama | Weather: 50°F (Feels like 46°F)

09:00 AM – The Wake-Up Call

The day starts at 9:00 AM. I can see them through the windows of Kathy’s LA Vincent (her tiny home). JG has the country music going on YouTube, though personally, I’m more of a Southern Rock fan. The “Rat Posse”—Louie and Tippy—aren’t budging; they’re buried deep under the covers where it’s warm.

By 9:15 AM, Kathy is on the move. I can smell the human breakfast cooking, which JG needs to get his engine revving before he starts working on me. While the food sizzles, JG runs his morning routine: checking the banks (“Yep,” he says, “still empty”), scrolling through the PPT Facebook, and updating JGArtis social media. He’s tracking deliveries, making sure the parts I need to become a tiny home are on their way.

Outside, Scrappy the “wolf dog” is on duty. He’s a happy stray who’s guarded the neighborhood for years. He loves watching Kathy cook—mostly because she always has a scrap for him—but he’s a loyal protector who lets us know the second a stranger pulls up.

10:00 AM – The Surgeon and the Nurse

Breakfast is a Posse favorite: scrambled eggs, sausage, and cheese on tortillas. After a quick news catch-up, they head outside with the dogs. Tippy walks like a “drunk wild girl,” while Mr. Louie is a speedster. He does his business, then waits at the steps for JG to take his harness off so he can get back to the warmth.

Then, the real work begins. JG is the surgeon and Kathy Rose is the nurse. They’ve worked together so long it’s a synchronized dance; she hands him the tools and parts, and he installs them. She makes sure he stays hydrated and fed so he can keep at it.

11:00 AM – The Mid-Morning Boost

At 11:00 AM, it’s snack time. Per “Dr. Eric’s” orders to keep her energy from crashing, Kathy has half a PB&J with yogurt or cottage cheese. JG grabs a protein shake with almond milk, blueberries, and ice. By 11:15, we are back at it.

Today, the weather is indecisive. One minute we’re in the sun, the next it’s pouring. While JG is wiring my main charging line from the cranking battery to the DC-to-DC charger (to juice up my four 100-amp hour house batteries), the clouds open up. Kathy doesn’t miss a beat—she just holds an umbrella over his head so the build doesn’t stop.

01:00 PM – Lunch and Logistics

Lunch is served inside LA Vincent. While they eat, the room is full: Louie guards, Tippy provides therapy, and JG manages his “office.” With two phones and a laptop, he’s juggling the Tad Blog, JGArtis.com, and following fellow van-lifers.

02:00 PM – The Afternoon Push

The afternoon is the hardest part. Kathy’s energy starts to dip, and JG’s body starts to complain, but the show must go on. We push through until the 3:30 PM finalization. By 4:30 PM, the tools are packed away, and they head to the small RV for a hot shower—thanks to that gas instant water heater.

06:00 PM – Winding Down

By 6:00 PM, everyone is starving. While Kathy finishes supper, the rat posse is smelling the air. JG is back on the computer, researching the next set of parts. After dinner, it’s TV until 8:00 PM, then “Spreadsheet Time.”
JG itemizes everything I need, from solar components to dog supplies. He even keeps a master schedule for Kathy. With her early-onset dementia, that schedule is her North Star—it keeps her on track and feeling confident. From 10:00 to 11:00 PM, I hear them laughing at cat videos. It’s the best sound.

11:30 PM – Lights Out

Louie tucks into his cubby beside the bed, Tippy hogs the rest of the mattress, and Kathy is snoring within 30 seconds.
Jg? It takes a while for my mind to go quiet. I put on some instrumental jazz to drown out the worry. Did we get enough done? What about that wiring? I trick my brain by planning the next phase of the build.
Before I know it, the sun is coming up, and we get to do it all over again.

“Keep your mind minding your day, because you can’t control someone else’s day.”
Pp and the Ppt Posse