tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32803907068622252832024-03-05T13:50:11.600-08:00What if IT is today? - A Survivalist's BlogA former California family who thought about surviving, not just "prepping", has taken the plunge. Follow them on their new adventures in Colorado through their trials and tribulationsWhat if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.comBlogger838125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-81770419943182271922017-10-31T10:59:00.002-07:002017-10-31T10:59:44.523-07:00The GreenhouseAlthough our structures aren't completed yet, the greenhouse is completed enough for me to use it. As long as the sun shines the greenhouse warms up quickly. It was in the mid 20s the other night and the greenhouse stayed in the 50s during the night and in the morning the temperature shot up so quickly that I had to open the windows. It will get over 120 inside, even if it's only 50 outside. It's amazing, but with temperatures over 100 the plants won't pollinate the flowers. The greenhouse has heat in the floors, so if we get several days without sunshine we can heat it up, if needed. <br />
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I've never grown anything in a greenhouse before. I was an expert gardener while in California. Anything I planted grew like crazy. Fruits, vegetables...ok, not ornamentals. If it didn't produce food I wasn't that great! So now, I'm trying to figure out how to grow everything in buckets indoors. I bought 70 quart muck buckets for the trees and 40 quart buckets for vegetables. I drill half dozen 1" holes in the bottom. Then I put in a layer of the weed cloth so the soil won't come out the bottom. I also have some 5 gallon buckets and other containers that I'm using. I like the 10 gallon ones better than the 5 gallon ones as the plants seem real crowded in the 5 gallon buckets. The 10 gallon will be more stable for the plants such as tomatoes. Right now they are sprawling all over and the 5 gallon container isn't heavy enough to stick cages in them to hold the plants upright. <br />
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The potting soil makes a huge difference. Our compost isn't ready yet so I've had to buy potting soil. I've used organic soils and they seem to work well. I had some leftover Miracle Grow that I'd bought from Sam's Club. That seems to compact too much and the water ends up going down the sides of the buckets and not to the plant roots. I have to make sure that I mound soil up at the sides so it provides a well for the water to go where it's supposed to go. <br />
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We have tomatoes growing in the Miracle Grow soil. As long as I water it right they are happy plants. Tomatoes will self pollinate with a little air flowing, so I open windows on each side of the greenhouse to bring in a little breeze. That and I have a small paintbrush that I dab from flower to flower. <br />
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We have lettuce growing in small pots. I have these pots set in a plastic bowl that's used to catch water so it doesn't spill all over. I fill the bowl with water and the soil soaks up the water. This makes it so the lettuce doesn't get knocked over as it would when watering from above.<br />
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The green bean plants look sickly. I'm keeping one step ahead of whatever is trying to attack them and we are getting green beans. I've never had anything attack my green beans in my outdoor gardens. I think this is some sort of fungus because I've never seen any pests on them. <br />
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Here, within the first few days, some of the plants were attacked by aphids. How did the aphids find us? I tried using soapy water to kill them but that just killed the pepper plant! Now I search the leaves and squish the little buggers. I also bought a ten-pack of the sticky fly strips. I bought a piece of yellow cardboard, cut it into strips and attached the sticky strips to the cardboard. I put a nail through each one and put a homemade bug catcher into each bucket. I've caught some bugs.<br />
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The best part of the greenhouse are the fruit trees. I've got lemon, oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines growing at over 8000 feet elevation in Colorado! My lemon tree is getting ready to bloom. I'll again use the opening the window method to bring in a bit of a breeze, plus I'll shake branches, and individually touch the blooms with the paintbrush. I'd like to bring some flying bugs in that will help with the pollination, but I'll have to remove my sticky traps if I do so. <br />
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I'll be planting more soon. Right now I've got quite a few empty buckets. I'm hoping to find some local compost to mix with the store bought stuff. Otherwise it's gets to be expensive. Our compost, made up mostly of goat manure and grass hay droppings should be ready next summer. So should our outdoor garden. <br />
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<br />What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-51310033151517784642017-08-02T10:47:00.000-07:002017-08-02T10:47:17.530-07:00Using Your Food PrepsThe local Walmart (local means 1 1/2 hours away) sell Auguson Farms dehydrated and freeze dried foods for cheaper than the company sells it on their own website. Each time I go to that town I stop by and buy something to try. Since our house still isn't done (maybe by next spring) I don't have much space for food storage. I probably still have a year or two of food, but it's packed into the back of the shipping container and unavailable. But if TSHTF it's there. (I do have a 4 foot wide shelf in the front of the shipping container that is crammed with food.) So I try this new stuff. They sell it in #10 cans and I've bought chili and black bean burger. The black bean burger can says it makes 38 patties and it was under $11.50. It's cheaper to buy this can than to buy the already made burgers that are in the freezer section of the grocery store. It's got black beans, rice, peppers, and seasoning in the ingredients. I made 4 burgers the other day. Boy didn't like it because they were soggy in the middle. I think that's my fault because I made them thick. When cooking a regular burger I'll make them thick so the center is medium rare. You can't do that with black bean burger because the center ends up soggy. If I made them thinner it would have been better. The taste was good. This mix would also be good cooked up like ground beef and used in burritos. <br />
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The other item I bought was the chili. It was a bit more expensive than the black bean burger but still worth getting and using in our everyday food preparation. The black bean burger gets soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes prior to making into patties. I soaked it for about an hour because I was busy. The beans came out tender. The chili has different directions. You don't soak the beans, you just cook it in boiling water for 15 minutes or so. That's a lot of fuel to use so next time I'm going to try soaking the chili for a while before cooking. We cut up some hot dogs and put them into the chili just for something extra. The chili was ok. But I'm used to good homemade chili! Boy really liked this chili. The open can of chili has a very strong smell, that can still be smelled through the plastic lid. Once the can is opened the chili needs to be put into a thick Ziplock bag and then put back into the can prior to being stored or your entire pantry is going to smell like chili seasoning. Or you can put it into a glass jar to keep it from smelling up the place. <br />
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I think it is important to use this type of food in your daily eating if you plan on using it in your food storage. I don't use dried food every day, but I'd sure hate to have to go cold turkey from fresh or canned food, or restaurant food, or however you normally eat to dried food. Both of these items are going to be part of our storage plan and I'll buy one of each can each time I hit that Walmart. What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-15402223350013273732017-06-01T10:00:00.000-07:002017-06-01T10:00:03.771-07:00Nothing done but settling into a routine
<br />
We are back in our trailer after having spent the winter at our friend’s
guest house. We had internet access there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At our house we have it but I didn’t have a place to set up the
computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, there isn’t much
wiggle room in a 19’ trailer! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our house
is not complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still nothing is finished.
We keep not passing inspections- electric and plumbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The inspector comes and points out one thing
that needs to be fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he
leaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We fix it and the inspector comes
back a week or two later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s good but now here’s another
item.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can’t give us a complete list
of what needs to be fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one at a
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Job security for the inspector
scum and because it’s new construction we are stuck having to deal with them.
Unfortunately, this means more time and more money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plumbing inspector is coming back
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully that will be a success
as he has been easier to deal with than the electrical inspector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t finish anything or move into
anything without these inspections passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did move my computer into the bunkhouse and have it working, so sometimes
I can get on line. I’m not supposed to be occupying any building, so the
computer looks like it’s just on the shelf being stored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Same with the food supply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A small
trailer doesn’t hold much food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
storage rack filled with food in the bunkhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s allowed since it is being stored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But with all the inspectors and workers traipsing in and out, I don’t
like it so much in the open…but I don’t really have much choice here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no long-term buckets or anything that
looks like I’m storing up food. I just comment that since it’s 100 miles to
Costco I just have to stock up. I still do have food buckets and cans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are stored in the barn, in a pile that
just looks like junk, while the rest of it is in the shipping container with
all my stuff that was brought here last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Spouse hasn’t quite bought in on prepping and just tells people that I like
to shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not quite it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to not run out of anything; not now,
not during winter when the roads are bad, and not if things go sour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spouse gets that and any time a tool or
something is needed we seem to have it on hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spouse will come around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
were at Max’s Spouse asked Max about his food storage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Max’s storage looks about what mine was when
we were in the Great Central Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
will look that way again some day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It snowed last week, the end of May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the Great Central Valley it was over 90. I’m still trying to get used
to the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool in the
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice until right after lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rain or snow in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the greenhouse isn’t done I have my
plants growing in the bunkhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
started asparagus (seeds rather than roots is much cheaper!), tomatoes, onions,
strawberries, blueberries, and salad greens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am trying to root apple and peach trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spouse is hoping the greenhouse is finished
soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it had doors on each end then I’d
be able to use it as it is, but since it doesn’t the goat would find my plants
very tasty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place is so rocky that
it’s impossible to even pound in t-posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You have to dig out the holes with a shovel and pull out all the rocks,
or you use mechanized equipment. So the outside garden is not fenced!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead I’m picking out areas that I can
plant my things that the goats, deer, and antelope won’t find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am putting the asparagus into a swale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can keep the animals away for this first
season they should survive just fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Boy doesn’t realize how good of shape he is getting in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he wants to go visit a friend, he rides
his bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has one friend a mile away
and another 7 miles away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s also
swimming a couple of times a week because I signed him up for lifeguard
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s not old enough but the
instructor is allowing him to participate, he just can’t get his
certificate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has to ride his bike 30
minutes each way just to get to swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If he frustrates me, I send him out for a run of 5 miles or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this at over 8000 feet elevation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I’ve been going out walking each day now that the weather is better. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve gotten on Boy’s bike but walked it back
the last half mile uphill because I was too tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not saying much for my
conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like a lump after
the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But every day I walk, and I’ve
started jogging a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t keep up
with anyone, but it’s making me feel less sluggish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winter wasn’t so awful (after all, I lived through it!), and I’m sure I will
get used to it and be more active next winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-6894212405434513672017-01-26T10:40:00.001-08:002017-01-26T10:40:38.100-08:00Colorado BoundWow, it's been half a year since I posted. I suppose when life gets topsy-turvy posting gets put aside. I didn't have a computer that had internet. I certainly wasn't going to try to type stuff on my cell phone nor was I going to use the library computers to post on my blog. But now I have a computer/tablet that has a real keyboard, plus I have internet access. So it's about time I get back into my blogging world.<br />
<br />
Instead of work going through the layoffs in August as they originally stated, they did it in July. And they gave us less than 24 hours notice that the process was going to happen. I didn't know whether I would be laid off or not. I was going to be told the next day. I had some very pressing work tasks that I wanted to finish, and thinking that the deadline was still weeks away, was able to relax and have lots of fun on my honeymoon. But here it was, my first day back, I was preparing to leave work for the last time, maybe. I spent that entire day cleaning out my office. I walked home at lunch and drove the car back. I then made a couple of trips from the office to home, taking all my books, office supplies (only mine, not what belonged to work), and everything else that was in my cubbie. <br />
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I still had it in the back of my mind that they would possibly keep me. After all, when this thing started, my boss said that of the 9 people in our group probably two would lose their jobs. Everyone in my office joked that because I didn't care if I got laid off or stayed I'd probably end up staying. They were wrong. At 8:30 in the morning I got the phone call at home that my position was terminated and they didn't want to put me into any other positions. (Two kept their jobs, two moved positions, five were laid off.) Since I was living in company housing I was told that I could stay for up to three months if I wanted. Since school was going to start in a month we only stayed two weeks. I figured that the kids should start off the school year at their new school.<br />
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Girl surprised me and asked if she could go live with her mom. If it's ok with her mom, then yes. Drug Daughter (DD) has been off of drugs for over a year and she was interested in having Girl live with her. OK. But Girl can't boomerang this. The deal is she must stay the entire school year, although I'm the one legally responsible for Girl and if things aren't working out I would take her back. We put her on a plane with one very large suitcase. She is now in the American Redoubt and doing very well. <br />
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Boy is still with me. He wants nothing to do with DD. I don't blame him, as he wants stability and can't be assured of that with her. He's also lived with me for about 11 of his 14 years. This is home. He is enjoying his new school and has made new friends. He's also getting along well with Step-parent, even though SP expects a lot more out of him than I did. That's really a good thing. <br />
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So here we are in beautiful, cold (-6 this morning) Colorado. It's quite a change from the beautiful, not cold Great Central Valley of California. Our house is not yet complete. Instead of some of it being ready by November, nothing is ready. We were living in our little trailer, and not killing each other in the process. Yeah for us! That worked until the weather turned cold. I put my foot down and said no. Three in a 19 foot trailer (that's fully extended) is not going to work. It's really a trailer for one. The shower is also the closet, so you have to take all the food and clothes out before you shower. Max offered to let us come to his house and shower. That would work but I needed a more permanent solution. <br />
<br />
Another friend of ours had a little guest house (not little, 2 bedroom, 2 bath) that we could use. It's got wood stove plus wall heaters in each bedroom. We've been in it for three months. We have 1 1/2 more, then they need their guest house back. Our house will not be done by then. We are also building a little bunkhouse. It probably won't be done by then either. We will be back into the trailer but I will have a better exterior set up (for food and other items). The bunkhouse isn't allowed to have a wood stove, and although it can be heated with a couple little room heaters, the county won't sign it off for moving in until the main heat system in the main house is done. That's because the heating system is interconnected between the main house, bunk house, and greenhouse.<br />
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We've been working on the heating system for the past two months. The heating system company said that their price to install this main portion was $17,000. We decided to do the install ourselves. While it is taking several months rather than the week that they would have taken, that's a lot of money to save! <br />
<br />
So how was the move? Most of my stuff got moved by the moving van in May. We still had to move the truck and utility trailer full of stuff. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies. Three cats, dog, goat, food buckets, and several 55 gallon barrels filled with yard tools (why didn't I put them into the moving van???) The trip was very eventful. The main freeway had been closed for 4 hours but had opened to one lane when we hit the slowdown area about ten miles from the closure. We had a full tank of gas but hungry bellies. We ate granola bars and snack foods. We saw the mile long line to get off the freeway at the one and only gas station. No doubt the gas station ran out of gas but people didn't know that. It took us about 10 hours to make it to Vegas, which is normally a 7 hour drive. Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was very late (can't see us driving down the strip with a goat in the back) so we filled with gas, got some more food, and kept driving. Then it started pouring. A river of mud went across the freeway. We drove through it. We ended up stopping somewhere in Utah, pulling over on the side of the road around 3:00 in the morning. We slept sitting up. In the morning, we drove into some small town and I insisted on real food for breakfast. The sun was shining and we stopped at an I-Hop. Best breakfast ever! <br />
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The second day of the trip went well. At least until the last few hours. It started to pour again. But we made it to the house. We were able to pull the trailer into the barn and get the truck covered too. It was late so it was time for bed. <br />
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In the morning I made a little pen for the goat. She was also happy to get out and walk around after having been in the back of the trailer in the pouring rain for a couple of days. She ended up getting sick but I was able to cure her with some shots of penicillin.<br />
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Some of the food buckets lids blew off in the wind and rain and ruined what was in those buckets. Some other buckets ended up getting water in them (cracked lids) but I didn't realize it until quite a while later, when the buckets started to smell! All in all, we made it to Colorado. <br />
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What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-75984866933103754182016-07-04T20:37:00.000-07:002016-07-04T20:37:04.951-07:00Happy Independence Day<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope everyone had a good Independence Day. Around here fireworks were lit last night, on
July 3<sup>rd</sup>. They are set over a
lake and it’s supposed to be really beautiful.
Boy and Girl were really excited, that is until their friend’s mother
came home and said that the parking is crazy at the lake and it was only 3 in
the afternoon. Then Boy and Girl didn’t
want to go. Today they wanted me to
drive into the city to watch the fireworks.
No. I’m not going to. Yet, if we had gone the night before I’d have
been more than willing to watch them twice.
Sometimes they forget that it’s the family experiencing things together
that makes the memories. And, there
wouldn’t have been any traffic or parking or traffic issues because we would
have parked and walked less than ½ mile, plus on our way out everyone else
would be heading down the mountain and we would be heading up! But instead I read a book and played cribbage. </div>
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Today I read Boy and Girl the Declaration of Independence. I do it every year. Most people have no clue what that document is. I think many confuse the Constitution with the Declaration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Boy brought home a cribbage board from San Diego sister’s
house although he didn’t know how to play.
I don’t know why I never taught them, so yesterday and today were their days to
learn. I have such fond memories of
playing all kinds of games with my brothers and sisters and parents. It was a great way to spend a rainy day. Now I think that it would be a great way to
spend time, if TSHTF or if it’s just a lousy day outside. Boy had absolutely no interest. Girl, on the other hand, gave it a try for a
couple of games. Then she wasn’t
interested. She was having fun but
because she actually had to think when adding up the points, she decided that
it wasn’t for her. She would have had
more fun if I just said you only get points for reaching 15, 31, or having the
last card. I wonder if Future Spouse
likes to play cards? Odd that I don’t
know the answer to this. I’ll find out
soon enough!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Future Spouse had a surprise visit by one of our new neighbors. Yes, blogging buddy Max came by the new house. I wasn’t there. I’m still in California but FS was
there. FS doesn’t quite understand how I
met Max (I read his blog!) although I’ve tried to explain it. We’ve communicated by email and blog
for five years, and I’m a bit jealous that FS got to meet him in person first! I was going to stop by last Christmas but the
timing didn’t work out. I have to wait,
but not too much longer. FS did get a
picture of Max in front of my new house.
The house is looking good. Max
was too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have been experimenting with making my laundry
detergent. I had about 1 1/2 years worth
of regular powered detergent but it’s now gone.
I have enough ingredients here to last me another year of making my
own. I’m mixing washing soda, borax, and
either Fels-Naptha or Zote bar soap. I’m
also adding some new nice smelling blue pellets. Those don’t do anything other than give it a
nice smell. The amount of smelly stuff that
would normally be used in one load I’m adding to a month’s supply of homemade
detergent. The ingredients aren’t exact
but it’s somewhere between 1 and 2 cups of washing soda, 1-2 cups of borax, and
one bar of soap. I have a stick blender
that came with a blade/bowl attachment.
I cut the bar of soap up and then put it into the bowl. The stick blender turns it into a fine
powder. I mix all the ingredients
together and put it into a jar. I could
add this to boiling water and make gallons of liquid laundry detergent, but the
powder is so fine that it dissolves just fine in cold or warm water. I use about 1 or 2 tablespoons of powder,
depending on how large of a load of clothes and how dirty they are. But really, that’s all I’m using. I’m not washing in a front loader, the machine
here in our company housing is a 20 year old Maytag. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m getting excited about finally moving to Colorado. I will know the first week of August whether
I’m going to still be working or getting laid off. The way the company lays people off is the
week prior they set up a meeting with each individual in the group having the
layoffs. Even if they are keeping you,
you still have your meeting. If they are
laying you off or transferring you to another location, your meeting is
scheduled for about an hour but if they are keeping you, the meeting is 15
minutes. So, one should be able to tell
if they are laying you off or changing your work location if you look at the
right calendar. They want everyone to
have their personal stuff out of the office the day before the meeting and all
your work things brought to the office.
If they lay you off then you get walked out the door. If you left anything at your desk (backpack,
purse, lunch, it doesn’t matter) you don’t get to go back and get it. You can call one of your coworkers and they
can bring it out of the building. It’s a
brutal process if you aren’t expecting it.
But me, I hope they lay me off.
If they do, I’ll get some severance plus money for reeducation. I’m looking forward to taking gardening and
animal courses! I’d also like to get the move over with before school
starts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I just learned about some seeds which can grow into a tree, a bush, or as a small plants that you can trim every month. The plant is called Moringa. It grows outdoors, and becomes a tree or bush, in areas that don't get as cold as where we are moving. It's too bad I didn't know about this plant when we were in the Great Central Valley. I would have grown it. You can buy the seeds on-line with prices varying from $25 for one ounce of seed down to $10 for several ounces. If it grows into a tree or bush then the seed pods have about 2.5 g of protein for every 3 1/2 ounces of pods. You can cook the pods or eat them raw. I can probably grow the bush in the greenhouse but you can also grow it like a bed of lettuce and cut the leaves and stems each month. You can eat that raw or cook it. That also contains protein, iron, calcium, and minerals. It's considered a miracle food in some parts of the world. </div>
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Best news is my wedding is coming up this Sunday
afternoon. I don’t mind planning and
cooking but since we moved from our farm in the Great Central Valley I don’t
really have a good place to hold the event close by that’s convenient for
people. I could have held it here in the
company town in the mountains but most people are afraid of winding mountain
roads and towns without shopping, hotels, or gas stations. For some reason that’s preferred by most of
FS and my relatives over blue skies, open views, trees, lakes and rivers. So the wedding will take place in Southern
California, with one of my sister’s hosting at her home. She is also doing a lot of the planning and
decorating, which she is good at. The
weather is supposed to top out at 79 that day. <o:p></o:p></div>
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-67690683570965664032016-06-15T15:07:00.000-07:002016-06-15T15:07:26.552-07:00Big move is over but we are still in California...for now<div class="MsoNormal">
The main move is over! The house sold and closed without any
problems. My stuff got loaded into the
moving van and unloaded into the shipping container at the new house a few days
later. The moving van had to put the
delivery off for a day because of snow but I didn’t get charged for it so it
didn’t matter to me. When I was packing
a taped fluorescent green ribbon on the boxes that needed to be put into the
shipping container last. These items
included my tool chest, small tools, hardware, the table saw, and other items
that would be necessary for helping with the house building. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mostly the moving of items went smoothly. One issue I had was that Salvation Army was
scheduled to come pick up stuff and it happened to be on the same day as the
moving van showed up. So I put the SA
pile in one corner of the garage and flagged it off so the movers wouldn’t
accidently put it into the van. In the
house the SA was going to take the piano and the queen bed. When they got here they changed their mind on
the piano. I wasn’t going to bring it
with me so what was I supposed to do with it?
The new people didn’t want it, as I’d already offered it to them. They already had a piano and didn’t want
two! I had a little fire pit that cost
about $100. I wasn’t going to take it
with me and SA didn’t want it either.
One of the movers asked if he could have the fire pit and I said
sure. Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used Mayflower, yes I am purposefully advertising for
them. They were really good. They gave me an estimate, which was a couple
thousand dollars less than other name brand movers. But they said that they would guarantee the
price, which nobody else seemed to want to do.
Because I packed my own boxes, the other movers figured that I was
hiding heavy stuff in boxes that was marked as stuffed animals or
whatever. I guess they couldn’t read the
boxes that said “extra heavy” or maybe they thought those were really
light. But when I had Mayflower go over my stuff I
told them the piano wasn’t going.
Neither was about 100 pieces of particle board shelving that went with
the metal shelves in the garage and house. I had figured that if I couldn’t stuff them
all into my sister’s trailer then I’d just buy new pieces once I got
there. Particle board is really heavy so
it would cost as much to get new as it would to ship the old. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I was trying to get SA to take the piano, I think they
were too lazy to move it because there was about 10 feet of rocked driveway
that they had to maneuver through.
Anyway, the Mayflower lead person said that they would take the piano
for me. They also said that there would
be plenty of space in the moving van for the 50 or so pieces of particle board
that didn’t fit into the trailer. No
extra charge. I don’t know what they did
with the piano. I don’t care. All I know is they added the shelving to the
load and it didn’t cost me any extra even though it wasn’t on the original
shipping list. And, as far as I could
tell, everything made it to Colorado in one piece! Go Mayflower!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The kids schooling change went pretty smooth. Boy wasn’t actually able to stay at his old
school so he transferred to the local mountain school. It’s a K-8 with less than 60 kids total. Not bad for a California public school. He was able to make a bunch of new friends
and now that it’s summer vacation he has kids to hang out with during the day
when I’m working. Girl’s new school was
also much smaller. She went from a high school
of 3,000 to about 400. She wasn’t so
lost in this new school. In fact, for her last 5 weeks of school I never got
called once and she never got suspended or had detention. She made some
friends, although none of them live in our new little town. That school has kids that are so spread out,
one of the friends Girl made lives 1 ½ hours away! Girl decided that the 6 or 7 kids in our town
that also went on the bus with her to the high school are all stupid and not
worth her time. This translates to those
kids are all nice and respectful. Oh well.
She has been hiking and started running a little again. She has also
played with some of the younger kids, so she’s keeping herself busy enough to
not be getting into trouble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of the kitchen
things got moved. This was my plan as we
are half-way living off our stored food and using paper plates and cups and all
non-electric appliances (other than the refrigerator and oven). Unfortunately it doesn’t do me a lot of good
to have several hundred pounds of wheat with me when the wheat grinder is in
Colorado. The Sun Oven is also in the
shipping container. But the garage is
full of food as is the closet in my room.
The fishing gear all got shipped but I’ve rigged up a line and Boy has
gone fishing a couple of times. He can
dig up a bug or worm to hook but hasn’t caught anything. He is learning patience – sort of.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our new home is coming along. The bunkhouse is much more complete than the
main house/barn structure. But the main
house is partially built. The barn space
is a big dried in area. The greenhouse
hasn’t been started yet but it should go up quickly once it gets started. All three buildings are going to be heated by
a large wood burning boiler with a propane backup. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have learned something about future spouse. He wants everything to look really nice from
the outside as well as the inside. I’m
more of a plain, non-showy person, on the outside. I remember reading one of the Survivor’s
series books and one of the characters has a trashy looking car (at least from
the outside). The inside is spotless and
modern but it doesn’t give the impression that someone who has money is driving
the car. Our new home is truly massive
and impressive. Because the barn and
house are one building it’s over 9,000 square feet (4,500 on each level). It’s not good if you don’t want to stand
out. It’s going to have to have a real
good defense system because it’s so visible.
The entire property has been fenced with barbed wire but that’s all we
have so far. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am looking forward to our final move from California to
Colorado. It will either happen at the
end of this summer or by the end of the year, depending on whether I keep my
job or get laid off in August. I’m
hoping they lay me off. It will be a
little harder financially but I’d get a year’s head start on some of my
projects that I’ve planned. If I keep
the job we’ll stay in California until the main house is done. <o:p></o:p></div>
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-52375813210274802062016-04-21T21:00:00.003-07:002016-04-21T21:00:34.678-07:00It's Really Hard to Move When You are Well Prepared<span style="font-size: large;">I haven't posted in a very long time. So much has been going on these past few months but tonight, I have found a few moments and post I shall! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As I've been writing about our move for the past year, I can say that moving is not something that I ever want to do again. Our farm has been sold, it actually sold in less than a month for almost the amount I wanted. Our new house is not ready. We've had a really hard time finding a builder. It's either too difficult of a project for those who just put up square tract homes or it's not expensive enough for those who build custom homes. We even had one builder tell us that he only builds multimillion dollar homes and ours isn't worth his time. So what are we to do since our house is closing escrow at the beginning of May? We have to go somewhere. I was hoping to find a house to rent along the school bus route for Boy and Girl. I want to keep them in their schools for the last 1 1/2 months of school. I found one house and it was going to cost $3400 per month. Not in my budget! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Next week we are moving up into the mountains to be closer to my work but our stuff is going to Colorado. Boy's school has said that if I bring him a day or two each week then he can home study the rest of the time. Girl is going to change schools. I'm sure the high school she goes to now will be happy to see her leave! Things should be fine at the new school because she will be the new girl and instantly popular. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">With the house not ready, Future Spouse has ordered a 40' shipping container that had better get to the property before the moving van does! San Diego sister lent me her 20' trailer, in which the tractor, gardening tools, t-posts, animal water troughs, and wood shelving has filled it to the brim. But I haven't had the time off work to drive it the 17-20 hours each way out to the new property. I'm hoping to maybe go over Memorial Day weekend, but that would pull the kids out of school so probably as soon as school gets out would be better. She would like her trailer back soon as they use it a lot. The moving van is going to pick up most of our things next week. The rest I will bring up to our new little house in the mountains by my work. We aren't bringing much up there, just beds, the kitchen table, kitchen supplies, plus lots of food, cleaning supplies, everything that I'm not putting on the moving van, plus the dog and cats. After the moving van goes I'll have two days to clear everything else off the property. The weather is forecast to be good.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure I won't have to shop much once I'm there in our new temporary small house in the mountains by my work, which is good because the closest grocery store is 50 minutes away. It's about the size of the store in our new Colorado town, which means it's good for picking up items here and there but not for full blown shopping. To get to a chain grocery store is a drive of almost an hour and a half.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I brought most of my goats to the auction and got a good price for them. I still have my buck and two does. I may sell the buck and just keep the does. I don't know. I haven't figured out what I am doing with them yet. A relative of one of my coworkers had said that I could house my goats at their house since they built a small shed. This person just last week said that they wouldn't be able to house my goats because their shed is too small for their animals plus mine. A friend of Future Spouse said that I could put my animals on his cattle ranch three hours away. I'd need to spend time fencing that up, and I just don't have the time. A coworker just bought some fencing from me and I promised a great deal on fencing panels in exchange for watching my goats. I think we have a deal. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I told the new owners of our farm that I was taking a lot of my 16' fence panels. I would still keep most fencing here and if I hadn't pointed it out they may not have really noticed. But you aren't supposed to take that stuff unless you disclose it first. The coworker is going to get what he needs and then I'm going to store extra fence panels at his place. Then I'll be able to bring those with me to Colorado when I bring the animals. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have so much stuff! You pick a category of items and I have it. In trying to figure out what to bring and what to sell or give away, I'm going strictly by replacement costs. The moving van charges about fifty cents a pound. Obviously my 40 pounds of salt (a lifetime's worth) isn't being put into the moving van. On the other hand, my egg incubators weigh a couple pounds but cost $50 to replace. They are packed. Some things, like my 40 year old wooden boxed electric wheat grinder with a backup crank handle weighs a lot but it can't really be replaced with anything other than cheap plastic. It's packed. So is the Sun Oven, and 200+ other boxes! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Most of the food is not going onto the moving van. Driving round trip in my truck will cost about $500. I can put a lot of low value items into the truck and trailer (after this first trip carrying the tractor, garden, and animal supplies). But added up, it's not low value! Having a full house, garage, and barn, which held everything I need takes up a lot of space. It's going to be interesting being up at the small house in the mountains by work. I am already stressing because I won't have most of my preps with me. But I will have more stuff than anyone else there (at least whose homes I've been in). This week I've filled the garage shelves with food: canned meats, noodles, vegetables, and condiments of several gallons of vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, and mustard. I still have to bring up the buckets of flour, wheat, the "emergency food" buckets, and the cases of water. Those will wait until I get the ok to put thing into the house rather than just filling the garage. This small house is a short walk from a creek so water will not be in short supply. Still, the cases of water bottles are coming with us. I brought up 24 rolls of paper towels and 36 rolls of toilet paper. Amazing that we still have 36 rolls of tp left! I haven't bought any in several years. Because of the big move, I've been trying to find that perfect balance between using up my preps and not feeling insecure because I've used my preps!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So how long are we going to be in the small town in the mountains by my work? While FS and I are getting married in July, the grandkids and I are probably going to end up staying here in California until the fall. They will probably start the next school year still here. We are hoping the new house is ready by November so that's when we will make the final move. Until then I will keep working and socking money away to help pay for our new home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After this big move next week I will be spending much more evening time on my computer reading what is going on in other people's lives and also learning more prepping skills. I am really looking forward to that. Boy is looking forward to getting to go fishing every day if he feels like it. Girl is looking forward to not having farm chores to do.</span> <br />
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What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-6001925974379059392016-01-17T08:25:00.003-08:002016-01-17T08:25:33.394-08:00Underground Shooting Range<span style="font-size: large;">People make the comment all the time that gun regulations are only there for the law abiding citizens. The criminals don't worry about the laws. What's concerning are the gang members. They are getting much more sophisticated in their training. If you go to a local gym and look around you will see that gangs are there working out. They know that you have to be physically fit to be able to outrun or just outlast your opponent. Most "regular" people, including myself are not fit enough. I use the excuse that I don't have enough time in the day. That's true, but I can make more time. Five or ten minute spurts can be done at anytime, even at work. If the gangs are getting into better shape, we had better as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Gang members are also joining the military. They are being taught fighting tactics as well as being given expert weapons training. Gang members have been found on police forces and as prison guards. Nothing like them building community! While I live a half an hour outside a big city, the gang presence is pushing its way further into the countryside.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Just this week there was an interesting find here in the Great Central Valley, in a town about 45 minutes from here known for more gang members than not, an underground shooting range. It made the news for about ten seconds. Someone dug a large hole (or a small tunnel) in their backyard, in the city. The hole wasn't noticed by anyone. They covered the entrance with old mattresses to deaden the noise. People thought that kids were playing with airsoft guns because the noise wasn't loud. There were no arrests for the shooting range. No arrests for any felons in possession of guns. Only one arrest for possession of drugs. This is the same little community where a man in his late 50s and his mother were out walking at 2 a.m. and he was shot and killed and she was injured. Was the tip about the shooting range in retaliation for the shooting? Who knows. All I know is the gangs hold no value or respect for human life and they are spreading throughout the country. Don't think they aren't! Gang violence is a great indicator of what may become normal life for all, not just in those little pockets of larger cities.</span> What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-45731891291682902552016-01-12T13:50:00.001-08:002016-01-12T13:52:39.790-08:00Fixing the eye infection and visiting/researching the new town<span style="font-size: large;">I did get to go to the property during Christmas break. Unfortunately for me I ended up with an eye infection. I wasn't sure if I had pink-eye, as I was near someone the previous day who had pink-eye, or if it was an irritation because I got a piece of sawdust in my eye. Either way, my eyes were all gunked up and I was well blinded for a day. My vision was like I was looking though waxed paper. Is this what glaucoma is like? Future Spouse has NO medications at home believing things can be healed naturally or you need a trip to the emergency room - there's no middle ground. (This will change once I move in!) There was no Neosporin, no Benadryl, nothing, and it was Christmas and we were in the middle of nowhere, meaning no stores were open. The next day we were back in the city. I went to the local CVS and bought Benadryl, Claritin, and Neosporin. Yes, you can put Neosporin into your eyes if you don't have the kind for eyes. In two days my eyes cleared up. Now if this was pink-eye and I didn't have any medication to put into my eyes, it would still clear up on it's on after a few weeks. But having antihistamines and Neosporin made me much less miserable!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The property is in a beautiful location. It's on the slope rather than in the valley. It's higher elevation so we will have more snow that will stay on the ground longer than down in the valley. The property overlooks the entire valley as well as the mountain range on the far side of the valley. It has a great view, but that means that others have a great view of us. In fact, coming over the pass to reach our valley provides a direct view of our slope. Not private at all, but it can be fortified. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I stopped at the local grocery store and was impressed with their selection of fruits and vegetables. I will shop there to help the local economy but absolutely never rely on that store to keep us supplied. I could imagine the place running out of everything within a couple hours if everyone in town came in on the same day to buy a weeks worth of food. I expect to do monthly shopping in the city an hour or so away. I will immediately build up the food supply once we get there - number one priority even before all the boxes are unpacked. (I'm figuring I'll be bringing 6 months worth with me.) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have been reading the local weekly paper for our new community. In a county of under 5,000 people, the local paper is a good way to learn about people before you actually meet them. Reading the letters to the editor one can figure out who is for self protection and who is for waiting for the authorities. You can also figure out who wants to be self supporting and who wants the government to provide all their services. They also have a section on police activity for the week: how many people were arrested, including their names and offenses, who got tickets and for what, where domestic disturbances are, burglaries, fights, everything gets listed. I am keeping the papers and will start mapping the locations soon. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately for me Max in Colorado is vetting a lot of people to see if they would fit into his group. I hope our family fits in with his, although if we don't, it will still be good to know that there is another group close by. But he will know who not to include. To me, that's as important as knowing who to include. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I met one of our next door neighbors. They are a nice younger retired couple but they certainly don't seem to be preppers. They never spoke about putting in a garden come spring. They gave me a tour of their home and they showed me the pantry. It held a dozen cans of soup and about two dozen bottles of wine. Not quite enough to sustain them. This is their first winter on the property and it will be interesting to hear after winter is over about how often they had to leave during stormy weather to go get groceries. </span><br />
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What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-54134203055055164742015-12-19T19:53:00.001-08:002015-12-19T19:53:44.961-08:00Dead chickens - dead bobcat<span style="font-size: large;">Getting ready to head out for over a week. Boy and Girl are going to spend the time with their cousin in San Diego and I am going to head to Colorado. I'm looking forward to seeing first hand our new property. However, it's not easy to go away for over a week when you have a bunch of animals. The dog is going with Boy and Girl. The cats, goats, sheep, and chickens are staying home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Boy did a good job today putting hay bales out for the goats and sheep. Although there's grass and leaves to eat, if the weather is bad the animals will stay in the barn and go through at least two bales per week. I'd rather put out extra bales for them in case we get delayed or they get extra hungry. He also checked on the chickens and made sure their food bin was full. All was good.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We got all our bags packed. The car is loaded and ready to head out in the morning. All day I was telling the kids to eat whatever leftovers are in the refrigerator. No making any new dishes. Let's use up what's here. After dinner I cleaned out the refrigerator of all the leftovers they didn't devour. It all went into the chicken food bowl. Boy, I need you to do one last chore for me. Please bring this bowl out to the chickens. He asked if he could do it in the morning. No. I know it's raining but go do it now. He asked Girl if she wanted to go with him. Of course not. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Boy came running back into the house. Bobcat in the chicken coop! I went out and shot it. Fortunately it only killed two chickens. I'm not sure how the bobcat got into the coop. I asked Boy if the coop was open or locked up when he went in. He said it was locked up. Girl said that there was a hole in the fencing a while back but she fixed it. I will try to figure it out in the light of day. Hopefully it will be an easy fix since we are supposed to leave early. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We told future spouse and FS wanted to know why I didn't have Boy shoot it. Actually, the thought never crossed my mind. That was a good suggestion, although I hope we don't have a repeat so that Boy gets the opportunity!</span> <br />
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What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-7038713362259370382015-12-02T14:52:00.001-08:002015-12-02T14:52:18.517-08:00Realtor sleeze-balls and starting to pack things<span style="font-size: large;">I have brought three realtors over to the house so far to ask several questions. None of these questions are out of the ordinary. In fact, I would assume that they are the typical questions asked. But three realtors gave me three very different answers. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What are you going to do for me? The answers ranged from taking video, having its own YouTube channel, paying for up front posting on realtor sites, open houses, and lots of photos, to I'll tell you more once we sign the contract. How are you going to market my house? Same as above.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What repairs or changes need to be made to make the house more sellable? This was really interesting. I made the comment that Boy's room is going to have carpet put in as right now it's just the cement slab. One realtor said good idea and provided color suggestions. Another said carpet both kids rooms. The third said just leave it as is. But, I countered, the crack in the slab, although it hasn't changed in 18 years makes the house not able to get a mortgage if the appraiser doesn't believe that it isn't an issue. It won't take much to fill in the crack and put down carpet. The realtor still said no I shouldn't spend the money. Really? And possibly lose a sale because some idiot appraiser can't tell the difference between a new crack and an old one? How do I know they can't tell the difference? Because several years ago I wanted to refinance and was told no because I had to hire a structural engineer to guarantee the repair. I was also told to make the bathrooms look spotless and sparkling. I spent the day before Thanksgiving regrouting my shower. That was easy. I also pulled two tiles that were buckling outside the kids shower and cleaned off the mortar and remortared them onto the wall. Looks great. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What needs to be packed up prior to putting the house on the market? I sure didn't like walking even the realtors through the house for them to see the hidden closet with the safe or the home store with all our food. Nobody said to pack up the home store. One realtor wanted to show pictures of all the food and show how well prepared this house was. No, I think showing all the fruit trees, garden, and barns, along with a fairly empty pantry is better for me. Another said to pack up as much as possible and also to move out half the furniture. That's what I'm going to try to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How much is the house worth? This was really interesting. All three asked how much I thought it was worth before they would tell me their opinion. Well, the house down the street that is the same exact size as mine only they have a pool and the house is older sold for XX. I think mine should sell for the same. More because my house is more updated. One of the realtors said that I should market it for $50k less and have people start a bidding war. Sounds great if we had a really hot market. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How's the market? Slow... Then who is going to create a bidding war? Sounds more like they want the house to sell really fast at a much lower price. They get their money faster. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What is the market like for sellers around here? Things priced right are selling for just about full price in a few months. It has picked up a lot over the past few years. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When should I put the house on the market? As soon as possible said one, in March said the second, and beginning of summer said the third. I actually like the one who said as soon as possible. He said that although there aren't as many buyers during the winter there aren't as many houses on the market either which means that my house can stand out. And if it doesn't sell there's always spring and summer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So for now, I am trying to pack up stuff. Did you know that if you buy boxes at U Haul you can return what you don't use? Or in my case, a bundle of 25 boxes didn't have enough glue and had to be returned. Not a problem as long as you return them to the U Haul you bought them from. This meant driving past two U Hauls to get to the right one. I've packed around 30 boxes so far. It hardly looks like I've made a dent in any room other than the family room and there it's because most of the bookshelves are empty. I think we have around 200 feet of shelves throughout the house just for books. I did go through them and give away a lot. But we are keeping a lot as well. Same with the games. I got rid of as many as we are keeping. Although the house still looks full, most of the drawers are much less cluttered or are completely empty. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I packed my wheat grinder, water bath canners, pressure cooker, canning jars and lids, and all those items that I'm not going to use this year that have to do with food preservation. It's really strange to know that I won't be canning fruits and vegetables this year and that other than the citrus we won't be enjoying any of the other dozens of fruit trees. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Trying to do any of this work while working full time is a real challenge. On top of that, our weekends are full. Every single weekend from now until the end of year we will be away from home at least one of the two days and some weekends both days. Can't get much done that way. But I do get to take a trip to Colorado to see future spouse and our new property. That will be a great motivator to get things going in the house and get it on the market soon. I think I will interview another realtor.</span><br />
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-42117004168593489392015-11-17T16:05:00.003-08:002015-11-17T16:05:51.391-08:00Putting in a winter garden and Girl problems again<span style="font-size: large;">I had a realtor come over the other day and he gave suggestions to make the outside of the house and garden look good. He was pleased with the clean up that we did. He wants me to take down the front pasture fencing to open the front yard up. OK, about a week or two before the house goes on the market. Next week the animals are going out to the front pasture to eat all the mulberry leaves that are falling to the ground. They save me lots of time by taking care of this task and I don't have to feed them any hay while they are cleaning up the leaves and brush. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The realtor thinks planting the garden will evoke someone looking at the house to be able to imagine the garden belonging to them. I wasn't thinking about putting in a winter garden because I didn't want to spend any time on it, but after looking at my empty garden space I realized that I have to put in a winter garden. Where I live a winter garden is easy - as long as the goats don't get out and eat it all. I am going to put in broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, and all those "winter" crops. Once they are planted I really don't have to do anything to them. I'll keep the weeds down to give it the glamorous look. After all, when the house goes on the market it will all be about "staging".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Girl is still being challenging both at school and home. After she was suspended for three days the school took away her I-pad. Now she is on the old-fashioned books, paper, and pencil routine. She is also no longer able to access Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Kik, and Twitter. Because she is no longer occupied with the I-pad at home she is a bit more pleasant. Just a bit. She is doing her homework and reading again. She still isn't helping with anything around the house or yard but at least the school attitude is better. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why do I write so much about the antics of Girl? Since my goal is to be
self-sufficient as much as possible as well as to watch out for our safety when
the SHTF as well as any time we leave our home, problems with family members have
an impact on everything we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if
it was a SHTF situation, she is still not an adult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t dump her on the street (although at
times it crosses my mind).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t pretend
that her parents will somehow come to their senses and want to take back their
obligation to raise their child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is
still my responsibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I
balance my preps with her actions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
knows why we store things but she has an overwhelming need to do what she
wants, no matter who it harms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So what is it this time with her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
tell her that if she doesn’t keep her room clean then I will be happy to clean
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not really happy but it gives me
the opportunity to go through everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now I cleaned out her drawers just a few weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with the house rule of only eating in
the kitchen or dining room, she had eaten in her room and stashed 4 yogurt
containers, a box of cake mix, 2 cans of beef stew, a container of frosting, a
couple bottles of Gatorade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a
baggie filled with Ibuprofen, another with Tylenol, and another with aspirin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Topping off my find was a container with over
100 pills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were about 15 different
types of pills. She had gone into the medicine cabinet and taken some of
everything she could find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I took all the pills back and put them back into the proper bottles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I was very tempted to get every type of
laxative I could find and exchange her pills! Of course, she’d have gotten sick
and I would have gone to jail!) I locked everything that was a prescription
medication into the safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of
the medications are still in the cabinet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked her why she had them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
said that she wanted her own supply for when she needed them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I have a bottle of the three main pills
in the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are always
available but you still need to ask before you help yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody needs a stash in the dresser
drawer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about the container with
mixed pills?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that she uses them
to help her sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doctor said if you can’t sleep then you
should take a Benadryl. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason Benadryl
helps people sleep and is non-addictive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I even offered that to her before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had also given her other tips if she can’t sleep – mainly get up and
clean something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll be tired soon
enough, and if you aren’t then at least something will have gotten cleaned. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Girl pulled her normal if I loved her then I’d let her have the pills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No. Because I love you you cannot have the
pills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot self-medicate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wanted to know why not since there’s no
law saying she can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to explain
that it is against the law to use prescription medication in a way other than
to who and what the doctor prescribed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She just complained that she doesn’t want to live with me anymore and
that she wants to live with her friends parents because they would let her use
whatever pills she wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So with Girl constantly eating the preps and hiding what she eats, and now
getting into the meds, I’m realizing that I have to keep things locked up from
my own family, not just the roving masses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have to figure out how, in our next home I am going to arrange things
so she can’t get into our preps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
it’s normal to lock up dangerous items when you have little children around, it’s
frustrating to have to do so for a fourteen year old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times she’s mature enough that she can
really be counted on, but more often than not, her behavior is that of a temper
tantrum throwing two year old. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-74227582730584669072015-11-11T16:58:00.001-08:002015-11-11T16:58:27.361-08:00UC Merced - It was a terrorist attack after all<span style="font-size: large;">My hunch was right. Last weeks terrorist attack at UC Merced was just that, a terrorist attack. I was not surprised by the comments that came from the students though. The students were saying that they need to be more inclusive and make sure everyone is friendly to everyone else. They shouldn't have kicked him out of their study group. After all, if everyone was more friendly then the student who stabbed four people certainly wouldn't have done what he did. Right? Wrong! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The sheriff is still trying to state that it wasn't a terrorist attack. Why, because his parents and family are not radical so he couldn't possibly be? His family has apologized. They didn't know he was taken in by radical Islam. Unfortunately that doesn't mean it wasn't a terrorist attack. Let's go over a couple of facts, not the twist it so people don't worry. Faisal Mohammed carried an ISIS flag with him. He had a manifesto which stated that this was an attack and praised Allah. His plan was somewhat juvenile though. He wanted to use the petroleum jelly not for making a bomb but to grease the floor so people would slip. Easier to attack them I suppose. He also wanted to confront the police and try to take one of their weapons so he could use it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What isn't known yet, at least by the public, is whether he was being directed by someone else or if he was doing this on his own. Isn't that was the terrorists are asking for? For people to strike on their own? They don't actually have to have an association with the terrorist group, just want to participate. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Individuals committing terrorist acts in this country has started. The biggest may have been the Boston Marathon bombing but I'm sure they are happening all the time. They just aren't being publicized as terror attacks. After all, most Americans want to put their head in the sand and pretend it's happening everywhere but here. If we don't pay attention then it's not really happening so we are all safe. Just as safe as those students and staff at UC Merced.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The other day I was doing some research and came across a vulgar website that was run by a "Christian" group who hated Jews and blacks and was pushing the same agenda as the radical Muslims. Those "Christians" aren't Christian just as the radical terrorist "Muslims" aren't Muslim. I just read that the man who killed the people in Kansas because he thought they were Jews (oops they were Christian!) has received the death penalty. Good. </span><br />
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What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-21512348061814262782015-11-05T15:01:00.002-08:002015-11-05T15:01:48.885-08:00Extra people means less supplies and the knife attack at UC MercedLast week we had a family and friend gathering at our home for the weekend. Some out-of-towners stayed with us, either sleeping on mats, extra beds, the couch, or in the trailer. Feeding 25-30 instead of 3 uses up a lot of supplies really quickly. I used 10 times as much food and supplies during that one 3-day weekend. Yes, that's equal to one month of food and supplies used up in 3 days.<br />
<br />
While we plan to supply ourselves with food and household goods, and we daydream about having our family and friends join us when TSHTF, last weekend sure was a wakeup call! If you open your house to extra people, are they bringing a full range of supplies? <br />
<br />
Future Spouse came out to California last weekend. FS was asking some of the relatives, especially those in Southern California, what they plan on doing to prepare for a disaster, even if it's an earthquake. The relatives gave responses such as they didn't need to do anything or they had a few days of food in the house. I think they are complacent because they've lived through many earthquakes and haven't ever really been affected. <br />
<br />
FS is back in Colorado and now is planning on building my greenhouse. I made it very clear that I wanted one big enough to grow all the vegetables that we would need. I have never had to do intensive gardening as I've always had as much room for a garden as I wanted. It's a different way of thinking. I was asked how large of a building do I want. How should I know? As big as we can afford? I was told that there is a greenhouse building boom in Colorado right now. That's because they are being used for all the new pot farms. <br />
<br />
FS is also planning on building a root cellar. I'm not sure if it's going to be built into the side of the hill or if it's going to be built like a storm cellar. I don't always know what FS has in mind. All I know is I'm pleased that FS is taking a proactive approach to the requirements needed for a full scale homestead. While FS is an avid hunter, it's good to prepare for a well rounded diet. <br />
<br />
On a different note, the person at UC Merced that slashed four people with a knife prior to being shot and killed by the police was being identified yesterday as "a Californian". I knew there was something strange about that. The person's identity couldn't be made public until the next of kin were notified. Normally the news still says something about the person, just not their name. Why was this person being identified as "a Californian"? Illegal alien perhaps? No, it's because his name was Faisal Mohammed. <br />
<br />
He was described by one of his victims as looking scared but at the same time looking like he was having fun and he was smiling as he was stabbing people. Now if this was just an attack by someone who was having an argument, he wouldn't have been looking like he was having fun and smiling. Perhaps he was following the orders of the Gaza Imam? I'm sure we will be told that he was just a lonely teenager who was unhappy because he didn't have a girlfriend. <br />
<br />
I wrote the above paragraph during my lunch break at work today. Then I had to leave the office. On my drive I listened to the news conference put on by the university. They made it very clear this was not intended as a terrorist act. Yet, they said they have no idea because they couldn't find anything on social media nor through his family. So that rules it out? He had a backpack on him that the bomb squad had to neutralize. After doing so they were able to go through his pack to see what was in it. Zip-tie handcuffs, duct tape, and Vaseline and some other items. The sheriff said the Vaseline could have been used as a poor man's napalm. Really? Why would the sheriff say that in one sentence and a minute later say it's not terrorism? His dorm room was searched and they found his checklist of items needed to be included in the backpack. The only thing on the list that they didn't find in the backpack was a pair of scissors. <br />
<br />
Due to privacy issues the neither school nor the sheriff can release the names of the victims. Now the contractor wasn't someone he planned on stabbing, the contractor walked in and interrupted the attack. But Mohammed did attack two students in his class and then stabbed a staff member in the back. It would be interesting to note what sex, race, and religion the victims were. I'm sure the results will be played down. What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-17926601723969058352015-10-12T17:26:00.002-07:002015-10-12T17:26:43.475-07:00Yard Clean Up - Preparing for Winter and Preparing to Move <span style="font-size: large;">I spoke with a realtor and was told to clean up the yard to make it presentable. In other words, make it look empty, sanitized, open. Never mind that I had cords and cords worth of firewood rounds. They weren't split, but they were cut to size. Much of it was eucalyptus which burns nice and hot. I also had oak plus other some other nicely burning wood. There was also the scrap wood pile. I did give some of that away so an acquaintance could build a shelter for her lamb. I have about 3/4 of a cord of wood that we will use for the winter. I'm sure if there's some wood in the shed the realtor won't have a fit about that. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Last Friday morning I had a 30 yard dumpster delivered to the house. When the guy delivered it he said that along with the rental price for the dumpster it's $50 a ton to dump it if it's mixed items but it's $60 to dump the entire 30 yard dumpster if it was all wood products. All wood products it will be! I started filling the dumpster on Friday and decided that since I was going to save so much money by not having to pay the $50 a ton that I'd hire someone to come and help load it. I have grandsons who could use extra money but they certainly don't work hard. Boy and Girl were at school. I called Labor Ready. I used them many years ago and at that time the price was $15 an hour. Now it's $20.99 per hour with a four hour minimum. They sent someone over within the hour but he was only able to work for five hours. Since I had to let him have a lunch break if he worked over 4, I knew I'd get 4 1/2 hour of work out of him. We filled over 20 yards in that time. OK, he filled 15 or 16 yards. I filled the other 4 or 5, maybe. I was home but also working from home that day, so I would do some office work and go out side for my break and load wood. I was able to get my eight hours of work in plus those few yards. I felt pretty good about that. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This same person came back yesterday morning and worked for another 3 hours. I paid him cash rather than going through the labor company and he earned $15 an hour rather than the $10 the company gave him. Saved me money and he got more. The dumpster was completely filled with wood product and there's still more in the yard. It is really frustrating to know that people want to buy a place that looks perfect and then they will just turn around and buy their own cords of wood. Stupid. Since he was here I picked up 15 bales of hay and had him stack it. I had to show him how I wanted it since he'd never done that job before. It's not hard as long as you can handle the 100-120 pound bales. You just have to offset them when you stack so they don't fall over. He was happy to learn a new skill and I didn't mind not having to deal with 3/4 ton of hay!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm off today for Columbus Day. It's the last time the company is giving this holiday. Starting next year they are giving MLK Day instead. Works for me! I'll take another holiday in January since I won't be with the company to get next October's holiday. It was really nice to be off during the week and the grandkids were in school. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Early this morning I had the dumpster picked up and emptied and then had it brought back. I still have stuff in the barn that I am getting rid of. It's cheaper to get rid of some of it and repurchase it used once we get to Colorado. Boy has decided that he wants to earn money so as soon as he got home from school today he went outside to do yard work and fill the dumpster. I went to check on him and he's not filling it right. You have to start at one end and work your way to the other. Otherwise it will be full of empty spaces, and we can use all the space there is. You want to get paid, do it right. It's a lesson he needs to learn now. There are so many people who think that just because they show up they should be paid. Or if they do the job but not right, they should be paid. According to our labor laws they have to be paid whether they do the job right or not. Show up, get paid. He needs to learn to do it right. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He gave me the excuse that he was just dumping it at the door end and once that area was full he was going to move it to where it was supposed to be. No. Do it right every time. You never know when you are going to have to stop and I don't want a pile at the wrong end when you leave. He had a little bit of attitude and told me that he was going to do it. Then about 30 minutes later he came in the house. Is it done? No, I have a splinter. See, you are stopping and you left it wrong. Let's get the splinter out but if you don't have it done right you don't get paid. Tough grandparent! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I moved the trailer into the front yard. We are having company at the end of the month and one is allergic to cats. This person usually sleeps in the trailer. So I'll get it cleaned up for the company before it's sold. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We are finally going to have a garage sale next weekend. I've always had sets of everything, especially because of owning the bugout place, the travel trailer, and our house. I'm selling the trailer because future spouse already has one. Bugout place is on the market so it's empty of my stuff. FS isn't quite as redundant as I am but we really could just pack a clothes bag (and the electric, with a hand crank, wheat grinder, and canning jars, and...we've got lots to bring!). Is anyone going to buy any of this stuff? I have no idea. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was given a five gallon can of linseed oil - over $100 worth. Work was going to throw it away because it didn't have the right coding on it. I don't know what I'll do with five gallons but I knew what I wanted 1/2 gallon for. I put a nice coat of linseed oil on the oak floor in the dining room. It's a 40 year old oak plank floor. About twice a year I oil or wax it. Linseed oil is perfect for it. The rest of the year I wash it with a mop and Murphy's Oil Soap in a bucket of water. It's certainly not the way I treat the finished wood floors in the rest of the house! I have another 4 1/2 gallons of oil. The wood furniture is going to get coated. The floor is going to look great by the time the house is ready to sell! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I picked the last of the persimmons from the tree. The bees are desperate for food this year. They normally go after the persimmons once they are bright orange and starting to soften, around Thanksgiving. This time of year they are hard as a rock and green with a tint of light orange. This past week the bees ate them all, except four! I've never seen anything like it in the 15 years or so that I've had the persimmon tree. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We still have pears and apples on the trees. I wasn't going to can any more pears and I canned lots of apples. I may can some pears anyway. We had people over yesterday so I offered them pears. Take as many as you want. They took six. Take apples as well. They took four. That's not what I meant. Take 100! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-13206394809901374852015-10-06T16:04:00.002-07:002015-10-06T16:04:59.738-07:00Discontent
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Interesting that my
last post I wrote about how brother analyzes evil in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then not long after that I saw an article
that the DIA analyst reports were being changed and sugar coated prior to being
handed out to the important government officials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess the picture wasn’t rosy enough, so
it’s better to just make it all up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
country is too interested in seeing who Trump is going to insult next or what
some tv star is wearing so that story didn’t last long on any news program. It
then popped up again just yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess it was a slow political day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This topic worries me and brother can’t say
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just remember that his wife
said he insists on them keeping lots of extra food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Future Spouse’s son
passed away a last month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously it’s
affecting FS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Makes me wish I lived
closer than 1500 miles away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can hear
the improvement in FS’s mood each day, which is good. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
went to Oregon for FS’s son’s memorial service. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drove the 750 miles each way without
trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t get out of my hometown
until 5:30 in the evening so I ended up at the rest stop at the top of the
state. I had my weapon with me, as well as a full tank of gas (about 500 miles worth)
and a fully provisioned car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan
was to only be away from home for 2 ½ days, but I always have to plan for the
worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially in this area, where
roads can be closed due to earthquakes or wildfires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around 1 in the morning I folded the back
seat down and was able to sleep in the back of the Prius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t recommend it for two people, but
for just me, it worked fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Like California,
Oregon doesn’t recognize other state’s concealed handgun licenses so sleeping
on the California side was more comforting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
I was able to legally keep the weapon by my side while I was sleeping. </span>I wouldn’t mind being the one to challenge that decision of
non-reciprocity, bringing it all the way to the Supreme Court, if I had an
attorney who wanted to volunteer their time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each year Congress puts forward a bill for federal constitutional
concealed carry reciprocity but it never goes anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Act of 2015’s latest action occurred on
2/12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was read twice and sent to the
Committee on the Judiciary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t
new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone puts out this bill each
year and same old nothing happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">While I was driving up
the 5 in Roseburg I was listening to local radio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were talking about their wonderful
program for disenfranchised youth and how they are able to help them and keep
them in school, including college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
once again there’s another school shooting. I don’t think their program is
working very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last night Girl was
singing praises about herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is
perfect just the way she is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> She rarely does anything to help anyone other than herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>I don’t believe her D
average is perfect, and yes, I told her so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She wants to be a forensic pathologist, at least this month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Darling Girl, you do know in order to do that
job you have to have a Masters or Doctorate. Ds aren’t going to cut it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Girl got suspended from school for tomorrow for calling a substitute teacher a name in her English class today. </span>Yet, all she does is
complain that life isn’t fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long as she has it in her head that she is
perfect, the fault will lie with everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is an attitude that breeds discontent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the shooter in Oregon who complained
that he had a lousy job, no life, no girlfriend, and was not successful, their
attitude is a big reason they have no life and no success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">FS’s son’s passing has
slowed down the new house building, as FS took a three week break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now FS is trying to beat the weather, which
is coming quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the
electricity in, the well in, the road and house pad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FS is trying to get someone to come and help
set up the forms for the stem walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
this area it’s just about impossible to find people willing to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not that everyone is employed, it’s just
that they don’t want to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">work</i> when
looking for a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think FS will
be able to get the building framed with a roof on by the end of November, which
was the initial plan (or was it by the end of October?). If it can’t get built
until next spring that will be ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
will put off the next set of projects which is the chicken coop and garden, but
I am patient, after all, we aren’t moving to Colorado until next summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">This past week I was
up in Washington State for a conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was in the area described in <em>The Road Home</em> by Andrew Baze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one of Boy’s favorite books so I spent a
lot of time thinking about what if scenarios while I was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t hard to daydream about this,
especially since my drive from Seattle airport (point A) to point B included rush hour traffic
getting out of the city plus a very slow stretch on Interstate 90.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The state was conducting nightly blasting
along the side of the road, which meant closing the freeway for an hour or two
each evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have gotten off a
few miles before the stoppage but I was hoping to beat the 6:00 road
closure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat on a closed freeway for an hour. But it
was a fun use of my imagination and made a good story to tell the grandkids. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">While I was at my
conference interesting things were going on back at the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After three months of company indecision and
the boss on leave, the boss was able to retire rather than get fired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our section at work really hasn’t noticed any
difference having a supervisor there or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We believe his job entailed more than just supervising us, although we
don’t know what else he was supposed to do, nor do we see that anything has
been dropped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least we haven’t gotten
any citations by the state or feds, so we must be doing something right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Today I was asked by
someone if I had heard the latest work rumor of buy-outs if we retire or leave
the company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No I hadn’t heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In January, supposedly they are going to be
asking for volunteers to leave or retire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two years ago the package was severance pay plus up to $10,000 for two
years of additional education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my
age and so very few years of company seniority, I would receive almost six months of
pay! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because one volunteers for the
buyout doesn’t mean the company will accept it from everyone who
volunteers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they do conduct the
buy-out I will definitely put my name into the hat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After all, I'm leaving next summer anyway. I wouldn't mind leaving several months early but still get paid. Since it sounds too good to be true, either they won't be doing another company reduction or they will be but will decide that my position is too valuable and not give me the buy-out.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m buying a new
breeding goat from one of the FFA kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I bought a goat from her last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She does a really good job working with the goats and has produced some
very well behaved critters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately for me, I haven’t put in the same kind of time with our
baby goats and they are more on the wild side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll probably end up selling this years baby goats and well as next
spring babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plan is to move one buck
and four does with us to Colorado. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Boy and I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curtain Fall</i> and I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lamp
Black, </i>which was the second of The Gatekeeper series<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>written<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>by Kenneth
Cary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an interesting combination of
massive volcanic eruption, earthquakes, and a not yet revealed surprise…a
nuclear explosion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main character
has visions and is given help by his not yet born grandson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The visions and dreams confused Boy, who then
didn’t enjoy the book as much as he otherwise would have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curtain
Fall</i> takes place in three days (plus some flashbacks of previous
dreams).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> John, t</span>he husband/father, has a
vision plus he sees a quick news story that disappears after one airing. He
believes that a major natural disaster is going to happen soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He decides to act immediately to bolster his
preps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lamp Black </i>is the second of the series. The ash starts to fall and chaos isn’t far
behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second book is a little more
graphic, although still mild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy hasn’t
read it, but his still young and mostly childish mind would be rather disturbed by some of the detail
(one woman is found bound to her bed naked and spread eagle, other women are
naked and tied up in a trailer used for men’s folly). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The books
are supposed to be for ages 8-18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
guess I’m just old fashioned because I wasn’t reading about naked ladies spread eagle when I
was eight. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve read reviews on the
third book and although the actual survival story line is good the main
character spends a little too much time on the supernatural side – including deciding
he doesn’t need a gun since he can foretell the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Since I like to pick apart the preparedness
part of books, I was able to overlook some of the grammar and misspelled words
(e.g. plane instead of plain) but I wasn’t happy about his comment on the
propane tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family had a little
more than half a tank of propane, I’d guessing around 300 gallons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The author then states that this will last a
couple of months if they are careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Texas? If they are
using the propane to cook and for a very short shower every few days but not
heating the house they should be able to make 300 gallons stretch for an entire
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the author hasn’t ever
used propane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-72827407293497718322015-08-26T15:22:00.002-07:002015-08-26T15:22:38.775-07:00The past week<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
had a full weekend with several out of town relatives coming for a family
celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brother who lives in Europe
and can’t really tell me what he does for a living came as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There aren’t too many people under 50 who
aren’t on Facebook or aren’t found on a Google search.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is one of those people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His
wife, SIL, grew up in Appalachia in a pretty poor family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes she has to be reminded that she can
buy good food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knows how to make
moonshine and her relatives brought bottles of it to their wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was giving SIL a tour of our house since
she’s never been here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we walked
into the home store I said it was my favorite room and it would probably be hers
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She then made a comment about how
Brother requires that they have at least two years worth of food in their
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said they do but it’s hard
because they don’t have a specific room to store it all. They also grew a large
garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
found her conversation really interesting because Brother always tries to say
things are fine and nobody should worry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His job has to do with analyzing all the evil in the world yet he when
he talks to family and friends he downplays the evil in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know he can’t give away secrets but he must
be worried if two years of food storage is their plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He
also said that he only has one more year overseas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that they are coming back to the US to
stay and they need to figure out where they will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He mentioned Colorado, which would make us
happy since that’s where we are going next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 20 years ago he worked at NORAD so I’m
sure there’s work for him back there again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
got a Facebook message from a realtor who said she may have a buyer for the
Bug-out place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wanted to know if
I’ve picked out a realtor yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told
her I hadn’t because I was waiting until I was finished with the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is going to come up to the property on
Saturday morning and look at the place and give me a pitch on why I should
choose her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her last name is an old
family name in the area where I work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought she may be the wife of my coworker so I asked him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said that she was married to his cousin
about 15 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The marriage lasted
for less than one year and produced no children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She kept the last name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me wonder if she did to try to drum
up new business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
boss is still off work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been about
a month and no word as to whether he is getting fired or is coming back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s interesting because we really don’t miss
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His boss (who works 5 hours from
our office) shows up each week for a day or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything that’s come up he has been able to
deal with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I finished reading the book that I won from
an Apartment Prepper give-away,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Time To Endure</i> by Kyle Pratt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t great but it was not bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s ok for Boy and Girl as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s much less graphic than some of the books I’ve read and again makes
a teenager a hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shootout scene
with the teen and his girlfriend against the gang was farfetched, but boy liked
it because the teen made some mistakes but reasoned out his strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main character is a few years older but
still on the young side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has a lot of
integrity and is very sensible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
are good qualities for a main character that I like having the kids read
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the second of a series and I
haven’t read the first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Max in Colorado
Springs gave Boy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curtain Fall</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lamp Black </i>written<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>by Kenneth Cary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy is
half way through the first book and is enjoying it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him to hurry so I can read them
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girl said she wasn’t interested but
if Boy and I like them then she will want to read them to see what she is
missing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can’t believe the price of
eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to the store to shop for
the family gathering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I wasn’t
buying eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just noticed the price as
I walked by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One dozen cost between
$4.75 and $6.99.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one dozen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some places in the country I’ve been told
that egg prices are up because birds have died of disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not the case here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of years ago a law was passed that
hens needed more room to be happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
farmers have cut the number of hens in half in order to provide additional cage
space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also a lot more who
have gone to free range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just a lot
more expensive and makes my home grown eggs much cheaper!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">While I know that I’m moving and I am very
happy about that, it is still an uncomfortable feeling to sell the bug-out
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also uncomfortable to not be
putting away more and more supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While it’s nice to be saving a bunch of money right now by using up the
supplies, I sure will feel better once the new place is built and we’ll be able
to start stocking it. With the stock market going crazy this past week, I think
many people are on edge. I am a little but only because I've pretty much
stopped my prepping due to the upcoming move. I really could stay away
from all stores for the next year until our move, if I choose to do so.
That would mean no dairy until next spring since we dried up all the goats, but
we'd get through it fine. I haven't thought about putting money that
would normally be spent on preps into a separate account. I am
going to do that so when I get to Colorado I wouldn't be breaking the bank
when I go make a mass purchase of all the things I'm not buying this
year. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
ended up canning 20 jars of applesauce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would normally can more but since we are moving I wanted to can just
enough for the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not canning a
several year supply is another thing that’s bothering me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am getting impatient for my new home and
new garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span><br />
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What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-41834241667947211032015-08-06T23:07:00.002-07:002015-08-06T23:07:44.308-07:00Girl's surprise<span style="font-size: large;">Today Girl turned 14. I hope this year is better because 13 was a terrible year. Girl is very musical and of her long list of gifts that she wanted, and most were absolutely never going to be given to her by me, I saw one item on the list that I thought would be great. She asked for a clarinet. Here at home we have a piano and accordion. I don't think the piano is going to make the move, and who, other than me enjoys accordion? She wanted a clarinet so I figured that would be a good gift. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I didn't want to buy a new one and I saw an ad for one that was being sold by someone who buys used instruments and repairs them to sell to school kids. Perfect. So he and I made a deal that we were going to meet at a McDonald's in V-town, about an hour from our home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday Girl asked what we were doing for her birthday (other than her party on Saturday). I told her that we were going to V-town to have lunch at McDonald's with one of my childhood friends and her mother. Then I had to work for about 15 minutes another hour further away. Girl was not happy about having to eat lunch with Boy, and three old people, then sit in the car for several more hours. She wanted to hang out with her friends but I said no. She'd see them on Saturday. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I gave the clarinet seller a description of what we looked like and the vehicle we were driving. When we got there we sort of stalled in the parking lot looking for my friend. I noticed a person inside McDonald's staring out at us. The clarinet seller. I told the kids that I didn't see my friend's car so we were just going to go in and wait inside. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When we walked in I said to girl, "Look, that looks like a clarinet salesman. Let's see what he's selling." She's so gullible! We walked over and I said, "That is a beautiful clarinet. It is Girl's birthday and Girl, would you like the clarinet?" She said she would so the clarinet seller took it out of the case, put it together, and handed it to Girl. She started playing there in McDonald's. I sent the kids to a different table and I paid the man. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When I went over to our table Girl started quizzing me. What perfect timing to have a clarinet salesman sitting there at McDonald's in V-town an hour from home. Was that really a coincidence? I thought about my answer for a second. No, it was planned. Then I showed her the texts on my phone and told her that was why she couldn't send a text to one of her friends. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After lunch she serenaded us for the hour drive to where I had to work. It was nice. Tonight she told me that the older she gets the more she realizes that birthdays aren't really fun but they sure are nice. This is the best birthday that she can remember. Yes, I hope this year is a good year.</span> <br />
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-2204874740221649282015-08-04T21:57:00.000-07:002015-08-04T21:57:09.143-07:00Fitting Everything into the Schedule<span style="font-size: large;">What a title! I can't ever fit everything into the schedule. If there's free time then I have something to fill it with. Each weekend I make a list of about 20 things. I'm lucky if I accomplish half. But, I'm realistic and know that I won't actually finish it. I don't feel bad at the end of the weekend because of the unrealistic list. If I did then I'd cut down the list. After all, if you feel like you aren't accomplishing enough you become less motivated. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I think the less motivated part has happened to me lately on weekdays. I feel overwhelmed when I get home from work. It's still light out and not too hot so I should be taking advantage of the time and DO SOMETHING. Lately though, I come home, make dinner, and sit down and sort of read. Just sort of, because it's taking me forever to get through my book. That makes me feel bad because I won it from Apartment Prepper and I wanted to write a nice review. I will, just really late.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This week I decided to make a change. I'm not going to put off all my chores on to the weekend. I WILL accomplish something when I get home from work. It won't take up too much time and I'll still be able to end my evening reading. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday I stopped at Home Depot and picked up another gallon of paint. (After my typical 12 1/2 hour workday including commute, spending an hour running into the big city to pick up paint is an accomplishment!) Today I finished painting the mud room. I started the room on Sunday and would have finished except Girl helped roll out the walls and knocked over the paint can in the process. OK so knocking over the paint can didn't help... Tomorrow the coat hooks and shelf go back up on the wall. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Girl has been behaving very well the past couple of weeks. She is even being nice to her brother, in an almost 14 year old sister to 12 year old brother way. Why? Her birthday is coming up and she has planned a party for herself in town. I told her that she could invite 7 friends, plus herself, Boy, and me. She knows if she isn't good I will have no problem cancelling her party. Too bad she can't have a birthday every month or so! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Our division's new VP started today. This is the 3rd VP in my 2 1/2 years with the company. Our supervisor has been put on leave of absence for the past two weeks, as well. Who knows if he will get fired. The first one I had did. So glad I am no longer a supervisor!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Work was crazy today. I was told about a project over one year ago. About 2 months ago the company had a job walk so everyone involved would be on the same page. They are in a huge "rush" to get this done because it's mandated by the state regulators. At that time I found out that it wasn't my project, I was just supposed to provide support to the other specialist. Great! Then I was asked to actually take the lead because I had more knowledge on this topic. I've been asking for specific documentation since even before the job walk. Every week I get a different story about what their project is, which then changes what I need to accomplish. Last week I got what was supposed to be their final decision of how the project was going to take place. So, I again asked for a copy of their documentation. I can't do my work without including a copy of what they said. Just today at noon they finally emailed it to me. Then one person wanted to know if I could get my work completed either today or tomorrow. Sure, even though I had something else planned for tomorrow, I could start today and finish up my document by tomorrow. Then someone else emailed to say it has to be in the mail today. This was at 1:00! I only had 3 1/2 more hours to work and I didn't feel like working extra. Normally I say sure but my response was I'll try. Then I realized their documentation was flawed so I asked more questions. They got pissed and someone else sent me an email and asked if I wanted the original person to take over this project. Of course. After all, it was supposed to be that person's project and I was supposed to be the technical expert. It wasn't supposed to be dumped on me at the last minute. Anyway, our local post office closes at noon. Even if I had finished my part today it wouldn't have made it into the mail. I didn't see a copy of the other person's report tonight, so I wonder if it got done.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have two fun days for work tomorrow and the next day. Tomorrow I have to go to a federal office to look at some of their documents. Oops, the company planned a project and I realized that part of the project is ok and the other part is would be breaking some federal regulations. So we are going to work out a deal. We will do the federal government's work at no charge to the government. They should like that. It's reasonable so probably not!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then on Thursday Boy, Girl, and I are going to drive for two hours to get to another project. This project isn't mine to work on but it's at a facility that I'm responsible for so I need to do a double check. If I recall right, I saw something a little over a year ago there that wasn't documented. On the other hand, I keep thinking that maybe I'm imagining that I saw something and I really didn't. After all, if it's been inspected a dozen times and nobody else has noticed then does it exist? Perhaps I'm just that good at my job? We will see on Thursday! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The apples are almost ripe on the trees. They are very early this year. I will be doing a lot of canning. We only have two jars of applesauce, four jars of cinnamon apple slices, and three jars of apple syrup left from last year. That's pretty good planning. But now should I make double the jars of apples because I doubt I'll be wanting to can apples next year right before we move. If I make lots of applesauce the kids will be happy. One thing I do with the apple sauce is put it into the dehydrator (on plastic wrap) and make fruit rollups. I can add a tablespoon of any flavor jam to about a cup of applesauce and it will change the flavor. I like blackberry and the kids like strawberry rollups. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I think the pears are going to be about a month early also. That's too bad because we always have pears on the trees at Thanksgiving and I doubt they will still be on at the end of October if things progress like they are. But canning a bunch of pears will be good too, so I'm not complaining! </span><br />
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-24618093542404034672015-07-16T09:16:00.001-07:002015-07-16T09:16:23.246-07:00Talking Survival Works! Silver Doesn't
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">With all letdowns I’ve dealt with this week (at the end of
the post) I was really thrilled to hear about the 16 year old girl who walked
through the mountainous woods for over two days after her grandparents planed
crashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her parents said that one of
the things that they did as a family was watch survival shows and also talk
about survival issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the same
reason I talked with Boy about walking 200 miles home from camp if a big
earthquake struck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t expect that
he’d really have to walk even ¼ of that distance ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These discussions and small challenges we
give them give the kids the strength to KNOW that they can take care of
themselves and get themselves to safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This 16 year old girl proved that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She set her mind to it and didn’t give up on herself even though she
couldn’t rescue her grandparents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I got thinking about silver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You know we are all told to save silver and, if we can afford it,
gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget to save nickels too
since they are worth more than a nickel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have about a month’s worth of take-home pay in silver and small bills
sitting in the safe at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What good
is the silver really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we read all
the survival books they all use silver coins for payment when they aren’t
bartering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When will this need really
happen where silver coins need to be used rather than dollar bills?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not during Katrina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not during Sandy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not in Greece when the banks were closed for
a couple of weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only if the entire
country completely collapses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If China succeeds
in having world’s oil bought and sold in their currency rather than in U.S.
dollars would this destroy our economy so bad that we’d be paying in silver
coins?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would the price of silver
skyrocket?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to do a little
research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the websites that show
silver prices don’t give a full picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found one that gave me just what I was looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bdho72l-eik4biXzXltZfPVZNGrMnLOEgmdT0bUzTfpaVbJFGoJeawQxXflWPfPdXcLMyxRq1cNxHMWe8iG3Rz8fqrCiwYTTYGnBiyCNe0TjcrWifZ2rN5m69klS9_rJQxeKAAXOlmc/s1600/chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bdho72l-eik4biXzXltZfPVZNGrMnLOEgmdT0bUzTfpaVbJFGoJeawQxXflWPfPdXcLMyxRq1cNxHMWe8iG3Rz8fqrCiwYTTYGnBiyCNe0TjcrWifZ2rN5m69klS9_rJQxeKAAXOlmc/s400/chart.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><br />
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o:title="silver 100 year chart"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">This chart shows the price of silver for the past 100
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not the price with
inflation included, just the price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
do you see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twice in the past 100 years
has the price of silver skyrocketed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the late 70s through 1980 it was caused by a frenzy spurred by political issues
and investors clamoring to get into the market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Industrial use during that time fell about 25% although everyone was
told that there was a shortage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
about just a couple years ago? Do you remember that spike?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People were standing in line to buy silver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silver dollars were all sold out in my area
and 1 oz. silver coins were all that was available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought some and felt really happy that I
bought it for $26 an ounce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Industrial
use wasn’t causing a shortage. It spiked because of political frenzy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But isn’t the political frenzy the reason hold
silver?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The state of Utah will take
silver value as payment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some stores,
mostly survival minded stores will take silver and bit coin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t find any place that has reverted to a
silver economy during disaster, have you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So silver just sits and waits along with the storage of survival
foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least with the foods we rotate
the stock!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The bug-out place didn’t close escrow and the reason was
because the buyer worked too far away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine
that!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bug-out place is not close to
San Francisco!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the lender,
and I got it straight from his lender, they can only consider it a second home
rather than his primary residence because of the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that we may not have enough money
to put up the barn/apartment this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think we still do, at least the barn part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apartment portion can be completed once
the building is weather-tight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also
means that I have to put more money and time into the bug-out place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t have a kitchen or any flooring and
the bathrooms still need repairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
really hoping that I wouldn’t have to spend any more money on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Am I thinking about selling some of the silver?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s weighing on my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">New property has the permits for the septic and also has the
arrangements for the electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
going to cost $17,000 to put the electricity in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The county has an interesting program that if
anyone, within the next five years, uses the additional line that we are having
put in then we will get a refund for their portion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that mean I want to hope we get more
neighbors?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Girl has been really obnoxious around her brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy was home for one day before heading back
to camp and Girl was with us for the four hour drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He couldn’t say one sentence without her
telling him to be quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was sitting
in the back seat entertaining himself quite nicely by reading road signs out loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was really annoyed because he was “stating
the obvious,” as she put it and that he should be quiet because nobody
cares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as I dropped him off her
attitude completely changed and she was happy and cheerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t in the mood to be happy and cheerful
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She started doing the same thing
that he was doing to keep herself entertained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I told her she should be quiet because she was “stating the obvious.”
She said she thought it was perfectly fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I told her she was a hypocrite. She said that people have told her that
before. It’s not something to be proud of.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-35180583386724034512015-07-12T20:03:00.000-07:002015-07-12T20:42:23.579-07:00And How Would Boy Get Home?<span style="font-size: large;">Boy spent the last two weeks at camp in the Bay Area (San Francisco area for non-Californians). Today I picked him up, drove 400 miles round trip in the process and get to repeat it tomorrow. Why? Because he asked if he could go back for another session and being the wonderful grandparent that I am, I said yes. Before I told him he could come back I explained that the two sessions of this camp costs about the same as going to Fresno State for half a year. He offered that neither he nor his sister should get anything extra bought for them for the rest of the year. Why your sister? I'm not spending all this money on her. He said he was sure she would want to pitch in. Right...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately there wasn't going to be anyone at the camp who could keep him for two days. The camp really starts Tuesday afternoon but I told the head of the camp that I could not get him there then since I had a mandatory meeting each Tuesday and two weeks ago I missed it because I brought Boy to camp and last Tuesday I missed it because I was sick. I'm sure work would not be happy if I missed it again. The head of the camp said that I could bring Boy back tomorrow afternoon since the counselors would be back at the camp the evening before the next session starts. So 400 miles today and 500 miles tomorrow, including driving to work. It's a good thing I have the Prius.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Each time I drive up there we go past the PG&E substation that was hit in the terrorist attack a year or two ago. Very few people remember that one or the one just last spring down in southern California where "someone" loosened the main bolts on quite a few transmission towers, hoping that the towers (and electrical transmission lines) would fall in a domino effect. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On the way home from camp today I started quizzing Boy. What happens if a big earthquake hits and you have to leave camp but I can't get there to pick you up? We figured it would take him 5-7 days to walk home if he had to walk the entire way. Fortunately, crazy panic wouldn't set in the city until a few days past the disaster and he'd be out of the city by then. But does he know how to get home? After all, he's 12. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The first thing he said was he'd go buy a map. You can't buy a map. The stores are all closed. Pretend you can't look at a map on a cellphone. The phones may not work in or near the disaster area. How would you get home? Which way would you go? He said he'd walk along the 280 freeway. Where is that? How do you know which direction to head when you leave camp? Look at the mountains. The mountains are west of you. If you are facing the mountains your left hand will be the direction you will want to go - south. After he was able to verbalize that he told me which other roads he would follow. He got all the freeway numbers right. The 85, or if he couldn't walk there then just continue onto the 101. Go South! Once he got to Gilroy he'd head east on the 152. Once over the Pacheco Pass he could continue on the 152 all the way across the Great Central Valley or he could head south on the 5 and head east at any time. But, he concluded, the 152 is a good highway and if I was trying to find him we should have the main plan all squared away. He figured that he would be somewhere along the 101 or the 152 by the time I was able to reach him. I did remind him that he would probably be able to call me once he got out of the bay area. His last remark was that he should pack his life straw so he could get a drink anywhere along the way that he could find water.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He also has a small get-home bag in his suitcase. It's filled with snack foods. He knows that he's not supposed to eat these at camp. They are for an emergency where he has to come home. He has a little blanket in his bag. He doesn't need it for warmth, but if he has to find his way home, having something to wrap himself in while he sleeps is good for the morale. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was really pleased that he was able to figure out how to get home and smart enough to realize that we needed to work together on the plan for me to find him and also that food, and more importantly, drinking clean water was necessary. There's more to disaster planning than just preparing for an earthquake and how to escape from the city but getting a child comfortable by filling him up with the knowledge and ability of being able to do this on his own is really important. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Am I not going to worry, now that he has a plan? Of course I'm going to worry. He's a 12 year old in camp in the Bay Area, 200 miles from home.</span> What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-55788212480362420442015-07-11T21:37:00.001-07:002015-07-11T21:37:42.099-07:00Disorder and debt - how to not be at peace <span style="font-size: large;">Today is just a complaining session. I will get back to updating on the new property and going through everything here on my next post. It's really a fascinating process to go through boxes of "treasures" and figure out which ones I actually want to bring to the new home. Of the things that I've collected over the years as a prepper, what is really needed? Am I overstocked on things of little importance and things that are really necessary I am lacking? Yes, that's for another day. Today I really have on my mind how much damage you do to your peace of mind when you live your life in a disarray. And how thankful I am that I try to keep order in my life because Boy and Girl, especially Girl give me enough stress. I don't need to be my own cause of stress. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Army daughter and family moved out today and into an apartment across town. It's a nice area across the street from a family park. They should like it. Littlest granddaughter was in tears when they left. She has enjoyed being back on the farm and seeing me everyday for the past couple of months. I will miss her too. She is a very messy four year old but the only one in the house who continuously offers to help out with farm chores. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I will not miss their greasy cooking and never having fresh vegetables, nor the mess they would leave in the kitchen, bathroom, and every room they occupied. I spent this afternoon cleaning and straightening. Not the little things, the big things. I cleaned and defrosted the big freezer in the garage and I cleaned the freezer in the house. AD didn't like using any stored food and would spend about triple or quadruple the amount I normally spend on food each month. Much of it would go to waste, or it would get put into the freezer never to be seen again. I am pretty organized, meat on one shelf, fruits and veggies on another, flour and rice on the next etc. (I always freeze flour, rice, and cereals when I bring them home from the store. Even dog and cat food gets frozen. I do that to kill moths that may be in the food. After they are frozen for a week I repackage them and then don't have problems with my stored food.) The freezer was such a mess that I couldn't find anything. After I just straightened out the house freezer, without getting rid of anything, somehow the freezer was about half full, yet when everything was shoved in you couldn't get anything else in and things would fall out when you opened the door. That's not a good home storage method. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> I didn't get to the refrigerator yet. It's just as bad. I can't see anything because it's all jammed in and in such a disarray. Left overs get put into storage containers but if I don't take it to work for lunch then it gets lost as it's shoved further and further back on a shelf. AD and son-in-law buy lunch out each day so they don't often eat the leftovers unless we eat the same thing for dinner for two or three days in a row. I have a feeling when I clean it tomorrow the chickens are going to have lots of food to eat. The way AD and family keep the house and refrigerator and freezer is pretty much the way they keep their lives. In a constant disarray. The way I see it, when they live their lives that way it adds a bunch of stress. They both are stressed and are taking meds to keep themselves "normal". They don't see the connection between the house and everything else being a mess and their mental stress. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Another stress they have is debt. I don't mean house debt, which they do have because they bought their house in Texas, nor do I mean car debt. They have a lease on their car so when they are done paying for it they will still owe a bunch of money or they will have to turn it in and buy something else. But that's not the debt that is stressing them. It's that they are living way beyond their means. They owe credit card debt on top of credit card debt plus student loans to boot. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When they sold their house here in the Great Central Valley prior to moving to Texas for six months, they came out with some extra money. They told me they paid off their debts. Then they said the debts were paid except for the student loans. OK, when you get to Texas just rent and live within your means! They lived with son-in-law's family for two months and then rushed out to buy a house. I advised against it until they had some money saved up and they knew they were going to stay. Instead they put less than 5% down, including all the closing costs. Then they decided that their jobs weren't satisfying and they needed to come back to the Great Central Valley. Fortunately they have a renter in the house because if they sold it, they would have to come up with money out of their pocket to pay the closing costs and realtor fees. Money they don't have. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, they are making almost double what they made when they left six months ago! That should be a blessing and they should get their debts paid off. They aren't going to be able to because their cost of living is so high that they are still broke and still racking up more debt. They rent movies almost every day. They have gym memberships. Dry cleaner bills, manicure bills, new clothes almost each week, and even the four year old gets her hair trimmed every month. They go out to eat one or two meals per day, including weekends, and they buy lots of prepackaged food...yes she still buys egg whites in the quart carton even though we get a dozen eggs a day from the chickens. AD tells me she likes convenience. I tell her I like not having debt and being able to sleep at night without the aid of Prozac or sleeping pills.</span> What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-50333698959836505532015-07-07T21:32:00.004-07:002015-07-07T21:32:57.795-07:004th of July and Gaining Independence and missing Tylenol<span style="font-size: large;">Every year I read the Declaration of Independence to everyone who shows up at our home to watch fireworks. This year it's just Girl, Army Daughter, Son-in-law, and Cutest little granddaughter. The rest of the family is off at the public fireworks shows. Boy is at camp for two weeks. I doubt they read the Declaration of Independence at camp. I doubt most people would recognize most of the Declaration.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is interesting when people get into the debate over God and how society is being destroyed by a Godless group, or by those who skew God's word. It just all depends on whose side you are on. People debate whether God is part of our country's history or not. So, I'll start this evening off with this. God, the creator, was mentioned four times in the Declaration of Independence (that 4th of July document). In the Constitution God isn't mentioned. It is stated <em>in the year of our lord</em>. So God isn't mentioned but Jesus is, just not by name. God shouldn't be included in our laws? I don't believe that at all. The Constitution was built on the Declaration. Much of the guidance for writing the Constitution came from the bible. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The problem comes when we want to use the bible word for word in our laws rather than using the concepts. What do I mean? Let's take the 10 commandments for example. They are the 10 commandments, we all know them right? Wrong. Protestant and Jewish commandments 1 and 2 are different. The Jewish version starts one line in the bible earlier. 3-10 are the same. The 10th is split in two for the Catholics as it is 9 and 10. Same document, just read differently so when we want to quote exactly we fight. Stupid. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But what about money and the pledge of allegiance? In God We Trust and Under God were added in the 1950s as our answer to the growing concern of communism. Or at least that is what you would be led to believe if you believe everything you read on the internet! I've included an interesting article from the US Treasury, which provides a history of In God We Trust on our money. </span><a href="http://www.treasury.gov/about/education/Pages/in-god-we-trust.aspx"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.treasury.gov/about/education/Pages/in-god-we-trust.aspx</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> In God We Trust was first included in 1864 on the 2 cent coin, 90 years earlier than most websites will tell you. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The pledge of allegiance was changed in the 1950s to include Under God. It was due to a push by religious leaders and groups. I think by associating it with anticommunism it was able to get pushed through. I just don't believe that was why it was added. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">OK, enough of that, I just had to throw some of that in. People get so caught up in this that they don't think about the big picture. Future Spouse stated it really well on the 4th of July during our daily phone call. What do we celebrate on the 4th of July? Independence! Our independence from England because we didn't like the lack or representation and the extreme taxes. So how about now? FS says we as a family are declaring our independence from our own government because we don't like the lack of representation and the extreme taxes. Because so many people are getting something from the government, rather than contributing to it, the government is perpetuating the desire of more and more people to just let the government take care of them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">FS wants to be as self sufficient as possible so we don't have to rely on the government to help us out. Stay out of our life! OK, not total independence from the government, I have to pay my taxes or I go to jail. But I will try to pay as little as possible. I can't ignore the fact that they are there, and at times I wouldn't want to not have them around. I like the local sheriff to be there when I need them. Same with the fire department. And the schools (just not all their curriculum). And the military. Those things I don't mind paying for. On the other hand, just today the county government took over $500 of my money in fees for my new property. A fee to put in a culvert, a fee to put in the septic tank, a fee to put in a road... Now these fees are cheaper than in California but fees nevertheless. And after they saw the thoroughness of the paperwork for some of these items they said that they weren't going to come out an inspect. Yes, it was just a money grab, with more to come. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">With moving next year, my normal thoughts of prepping are changing. I am still trying to stay as independent as possible. Trying to stay as prepared as possible while cutting back on some of the things I've collected over the years. We sold most of the chickens. I still have enough for all our egg needs and will butcher the extra roosters. The broody hen may still raise another clutch or two of chicks. I could have butchered the extra and put them into the freezer but instead I am trying to clear out the freezer. All while still keeping a good stock of food on hand. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I got sick yesterday and found a hole in the prepping while I was trying to self-medicate. A hole due to theft? I had a terrible sore throat and ear ache. It hurt to swallow but worse than that was the pressure in my ear. I gargled with salt water and took some aspirin. It's interesting because my medical guidance book says to take aspirin for a sore throat, not Tylenol or Advil. That wasn't enough so when it was bedtime I decided I was going to take a Tylenol with Codeine. Went to the medicine cabinet. No Tylenol with Codeine. Went to the drawer, none there either. Went to the safe where I keep some of the strong stuff. It wasn't there either. Nowhere could I find the Tylenol with Codeine. I know that I have plenty. Or at least I had plenty. Who swiped it? Mrs. Bug-out renter hasn't been here for a long time. I always had to put all the meds into lockup because she would "borrow" some because she needed it. Adult grandsons have been here. Did they get into it? Son-in-law hasn't had a drink since he's been here. Is he compensating for lack of alcohol by downing the Tylenol with Codeine? Is it Girl? I have no idea where it went. I took 1500 mg. of regular Tylenol and went to bed. Fortunately when I woke up this morning the ear ache was gone and the sore throat much better. I'll continue with the gargling with salt water but next time I see the doctor I need to get another prescription and into the safe it will go.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Life is an adventure. We will be fine. After all, it's life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we strive for, not the government providing for us. 4th of July, Independence Day from England in 1776 and in 2015 from the overreaching arm of our own government. I think I'll go pick some fruit.</span><br />
<br />
What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-73825475832759627532015-06-30T21:42:00.000-07:002015-07-11T21:42:38.717-07:00Leaving the State<span style="font-size: large;">All my family knows, so now I will post it on my blog. Why are we moving to Colorado when I was planning on staying here in the Great Central Valley forever? I could say that it's the politics, or the weather, or the lack of water, or the taxes, or lots of things, but those are not the reasons. I am getting married. I have been divorced for 10 years and next year, summer of 2016, that status will change. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The person I am marrying lives in Colorado, and while future spouse (FS) has lived in California, FS doesn't want to return to California. I agreed to Colorado but only if I can have farm animals. FS, who hails from the city, agreed. We now own 35 acres outside a very small town. I have no idea what I am getting in to as I've never really experienced the cold. OK, I have been to Antarctica, but even then it was during summer so the temperature during the day most days was in the balmy 40s. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Both Boy and Girl are excited, which is good. In fact, Boy thinks it was his idea. They like the idea of the country schools on a four day per week schedule. School starts at 8 and ends at 4, Monday through Thursday. No more 1/2 days every other Wednesday like they have now. FS skis so both Boy and Girl are looking forward to that, plus learning how to hunt, as well as getting better at fishing. Yes, I am going to marry someone who likes useful outdoor activities, winter and summer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's funny because FS does not want to admit being a prepper or more hard core survivalist, but FS is. Where FS has lacked is on food storage. FS always figured that shopping once a month will always be available and if things got bad, one can just hunt and fish. I've pushed the gardening, chickens, goats, and food storage for years during our phone conversations. This past spring FS called to ask how to can peaches. I had to explain canning jars, boiling water bath, and other things - over the phone. But they came out fine...at least FS hasn't killed anyone from botulism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280390706862225283.post-58195277517083218202015-06-24T15:50:00.001-07:002015-07-11T21:42:56.310-07:00After 18 Years In One Place...<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">So many months of not writing. Way too much
going on in life and sometime it's just overwhelming. But I now have time dedicated a couple of days per week to writing
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am looking forward to it.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The biggest news is that next summer we are moving to
Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means I have one year to
sell the two properties and bigger than that, figure out what I get rid of and
what makes the 17 hour trek to Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, I’m not getting rid of Boy or Girl…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been working on the bug-out place, going there about
one or two days a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things go
slowly when you aren’t there much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got
the entire place cleaned out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the
windows replaced, all 23 of them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would have done it myself but none of the windows were a common size so each
one needed to be special ordered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got
them ordered and had the window company install them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took 4 workers two days to complete the
job of taking the old windows out, putting the new ones in, and trimming the
inside and outside around the windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It looks good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I put five new interior doors in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put standard height pre-framed doors in,
which meant I had to tear apart the old framing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t the quick and easy project I was
expecting but still only took a couple of days to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But on our timeframe, a couple of days meant
a month until the next project could get started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy and Girl had to figure out how to put the
doorknobs on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I patched all the holes in
the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I completely tore out the
kitchen down to the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything
was painted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ready to purchase the
carpet and flooring and had just gotten an estimate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glad I didn’t put in the order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was out at the house on a Sunday and one of the neighbors
and their cousin came by and asked if I was selling the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I gave them a tour of the house and said if I walk away now, without a
kitchen or any flooring, nor updating the bathrooms, then I’d sell it for X
price now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I finish the place, I’ll
add another $50,000 to the property and also list it with a realtor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cousin said he wanted it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I’m selling it then!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is supposed to close escrow next
week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we will see how that goes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bigger issue is our home that we’ve been in for 18 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I had intended to stay here forever I
accumulated a lot of forever things plus extra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have to figure out what should stay with the property or what I take
with me or what I sell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will it add
value to the property?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, I
have about 250 cattle/hog panels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
are 16’ panels that work better than any wire fencing ever could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are probably about 50 that I am going
to take down to open the place up and make it look better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These 50 cost about $1250.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They won’t add $1250 to the price of the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I sell them for $500?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I take them with me, which would fill up the
trailer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But will cost $500 round trip
just in gas to drive the truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds
like I sell them and buy new (or used) ones once I get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">What about the food and household supplies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an interesting dilemma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I want to keep a supply of at least one or
two years of food and household supplies on hand, do I move them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I use them up and start stocking up in
Colorado on each trip I make out there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
if TSHTF when I am in the middle of using up these supplies yet due to whatever
circumstances, we can’t head to Colorado?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then what?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
are we headed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our new home, which is
now just an empty plot of land with a good well, is just a hop, skip, and a
jump from a fellow blogger’s place who I’ve communicated with quite a bit over
the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t planned that way but it is nice to
know there are like-minded people in that community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While many people use the area as their second
home, it will be our permanent, full-time place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barn will be built and should be finished
this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house will be started but probably not
finished by the time we are ready to move.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span>What if it's today? - A survivalist's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06291866801645327324noreply@blogger.com4