completely enamoured with it. This did not stop us from using it of course, and
despite Zak telling us that it was only really for emergencies we each used it
at least three times a day – anything to avoid going outside late at night or
early in the mornings. Zak had also told us that it would need to be emptied
after every six uses and of course we kept to this advice, well, give or take 50
or so...
Another, rather obvious, way that Harvey was different from a normal house
was that he moved, and therefore we learned not to do certain things that you
can easily do in a house. And no, we are not talking nighttime activities here,
though the van did rock when we walked round inside.... Seriously though,
you could not leave any water in the sink - unless you wanted to wash the
floor, cupboards, bed, in fact anything else in the splash zone. Second, you
had to make sure all cupboards, and particularly the fridge, were properly
closed otherwise they swung open when cornering. Third, you could not leave
loose articles on top of the work surfaces. Unless secured, they would fall on
the floor and - if travelling downhill or braking sharply - slide forwards to the
cockpit. Certain things made a regular habit of 'coming to see us' while we
drove along, shoes, mobile phone and camera chargers, empty bottles - very
friendly! Remember, we were alone a lot...
Part of our morning routine was therefore making sure everything was
in its place - at least the breakables! This was also essential in order to keep
the place tidy, as there was no room for mess. Putting our clothes away each
night was a habit that we actually adopted quite quickly - and dropped just as
quickly back in the UK.