House and Children Sitter and Craigslist

In my quest to clean stuff up I came across a bag of collector cards...at least to those who collect them.  I put an add in Craigslist that I wanted to sell them for $100 firm. I got one response.  I have to include it here word for word.  His emails and my responses:

Can u sent pics of da cards

No.  They are in a big plastic bag.  Some are in page sleeves.  I can bring it into town and meet you someplace either Monday or Tuesday of this week or next weekend.

Wats da least u want

$100.  If you look at the cards and don't think it's worth it then you don't have to buy them.

How mny halos in totl

I have no idea.  You can count them when you look at them.

Whr u from u dnt knoe how many halos.

Does your grandma know about halos - other than the ones around angels? 

Funny, I haven't heard back since!

A few years ago, when son, daughter-in-law, and baby were in their car accident I left the house a few hours after I got the phone call.  I caught the first plane to the city where they were hospitalized.  I had no idea how long I would be away from work or home.  This was before I had the responsibility of raising the two grandkids that I have now.  At 1:00 in the morning I sent an email to work telling them that I was leaving and I didn't know when I would return. 

A couple of days later I contacted work again to give them more information.  They graciously postponed three classes I was supposed to teach...imagine having to contact the 150 students, the training center, and other instructors to reschedule!  About two weeks later I called to say that I'd be happy to come back to work as long as they let me bring the baby with me.  My daughter-in-law had a long recovery ahead and my son was spending his time with her.  The baby was only a week old when they had their accident.  I was now in charge of the infant.  I had enough sick leave and vacation leave to be gone for six months.  If necessary I would just take all that time off. 

Work was gracious enough to say I could bring the baby to work.  Although one of my employees gets reported on monthly about speeding or driving on a holiday or something, amazingly enough nobody ever filed a complaint with the state that I drove a state vehicle with a baby as a passenger.  I even brought the baby with me to the now rescheduled class.  Some of the students were grumbling that they were inconvenienced with the rescheduling until I told them the story of why I was absent - first they got broadsided, then spun around and slammed into the telephone pole, and why I'm now bringing my infant grandson everywhere.  Then they shut up. 

It's now almost five years later and those same students have to come to class again.  I was surprised at how many asked about my daughter-in-law and of course the baby who is now almost 5.   I had one student tell me that one of his employees can't take my week long class because he doesn't have time.  His JOB is too important that he can't be gone for a week.  Yeah, I used to think that perverse way until THE accident.  Then I realized that work doesn't mean anything other than a paycheck and I had plenty of vacation and sick leave available to be gone for 6 months if necessary!  So I asked that student What If?  What if there was an accident?  What if he got sick?  As his supervisor the best thing you can do is make him give up the week and come to class. You need to prioritize and not think that you can't get away.  Someday you may have to leave.  You may as well be prepared for that too.

Why am I reminiscing?  I have to go out of town again this week.  I was gone for three nights last week and the grandkids stayed at oldest daughter's house.  It's not that I'm not grateful that she will watch them when I leave town.  I do appreciate it but for the grandkids, they are better off at home.  I can't afford to hire someone to come in to watch them.  So what can I do?  I know, I'll call Mr. and Mrs. Bug-out renter.  Perhaps they'll be available.  They are.

Still, why am I thinking about the time when I left for almost a month and then came home with the grandson?  Or even about last week?  It's because I leave home.  During winter it's not a big deal to leave home for any length of time.  I have the chickens set up with their feeders to last for about 3 weeks.  The sheep eat off the pasture and there is enough rain and not much evaporation that their water troughs last for as long as I'm gone.  The chickens don't lay many eggs at that time.  I can lock the cat in the house with food and water.  The next door neighbor will feed the dogs at their house (the dogs will go over to beg for their food). 

It's not winter.  It's now spring.  The garden is in full swing and it needs watering.  We have baby ducks in the house and more outside ready to hatch in their mother's nests.  I have chicken eggs in the incubator and chickens setting on eggs too.  It just isn't a good time to leave and summer isn't even here yet.  I often am called away for weeks at a time during the summer.  Sometimes the garden just dies...

Mr. and Mrs. Bug-out renter are going to come and watch the house and children.  That's comforting to know.  The children will have their normal routine.  The animal and garden routine is written down.  The only changes, or additions, are the baby ducklings that how are housed in my living room.  I'm getting a lot of laughs about having the stock tank in the living room with the ducklings in it.  Why not?  That's the only room that it large enough to hold a 2x6 tank and not be in the way! 

I sure am rambling.  Perhaps it's the glass of wine with dinner?  The point of my writing tonight is what if you had to leave for some family emergency?  Perhaps the emergency is YOU? Is there someone who could come in and take over?  Not only with your kids, if you have kids.  What if you had to leave for a month with very little notice?  Would your animals survive?  Would your garden?  What would happen to the ripening fruit on your trees?  What would happen if TSHTF in your family and then TSHTF with the country?  Would you be able to handle that?  I think I would.