I apologize for not writing consistently. My grandchild was born quite sick last weekend and I flew to
What if everything crashed while I am here? If I needed to GOOD where would I go? I know
How did I pack for this trip and what I could have done differently? I've been here for almost a week and there are things that I did right and things that I definitely did wrong. I'm still in the learning mode and always think nothing will happen this time. Everything seems stable enough. But didn't we feel that way on Sept 10, 2001?
What's in my backpack? This isn't my bag that I have in my personal vehicle or my work truck. It's not what I have set aside at home or in the trailer. I packed this one specifically for hanging out in the hospital and maybe going to religious service a time or two.
Clothes. I blew it here. Why? I packed three pairs of shorts. Stupid. I wear one to bed, intended one for working out and one for just because. The "just because" pair was a waste of space. I brought four t-shirts. Two are for blending in and two are fire department shirts. I wore a pair of jeans and brought one pair of work pants. I figured if there was some disaster, it's nice to look official. You can go past all kinds of blockades this way. I wore my boots and brought a pair of tennis shoes. I didn't pack anything warm. I blew this! Just because it was 100 the day I left doesn't mean that for the next week or two, or month or two if things go wrong would not having something warm be acceptable.
I brought a blanket that is able to be rolled up and placed inside the backpack. I packed rope disguised as a zipper pull. I brought gauze and a rollable splint (I didn't know how that was going to go over in my carryon). I had medications (keep them labeled, even if you pack pills in baggies). I packed money. I packed a map book. I packed my empty water bottle that has the filter built in (fill with bad water, drink the good water). Also packed is a flashlight with spare batteries, a small flattened roll of toilet paper, a small sewing kit, sunscreen, a bandana, and a spare pair of glasses.
I brought lots of cash. I have a secret compartment in the backpack and some of it is there. Some is in my pocket. Some is in my purse. Some is in a secret pocket in my pants leg. Each location has enough to get me back so I brought four times as much as I think I should need.
The place where I'm staying had about three days worth of food and water. Certainly not enough. I have use of a car so one of the first things I did after going to the hospital was to hit the grocery store. They now have a two week supply of food that doesn't need cooking (since they have an electric range and no bbq or camp stove). I've also taken over the cooking using these storable foods and explained how easy it is to cook this way. Yes, I've included fresh food because it's available, but they'd be able to eat well without the fresh food. I'm going back to the grocery store today and will get another two weeks of food. They will then have at least a three week supply.
While at the store I picked up a knife with screwdrivers. It's not big, nor was it expensive, since it won't be coming on the plane back with me. It is practical. I also picked up several books of matches and a box of matches. I bought a box of "sabbath candles" in the kosher food isle. There are 12 candles in the box for $1.79 and each candle burns for around 4 hours.
If I have to walk home or partially home I wouldn't carry the computer but I would pull the hard drive from the computer and leave the laptop anywhere.
What did I forget? A jacket. Paper. I usually carry a small rite-in-the-rain notebook. I forgot it. Aluminum foil. A space blanket. Something to read. I feel naked without a gun and the home I'm in doesn't have any.
Both daughter and son-in-law are ex-military so maybe with enough training they can become part of my group. Their intent is to move to
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