Toilets and sewer backups - yuck

After my post the other day about hardware I got to thinking about the toilets in my house.  We have two.  We also have one in the trailer and have a rather crude outhouse in the yard.  Plus I tell boy to pee in the garden.  OK back to toilets.  I have some items to repair the toilets.  I have wax seals, rubber flappers, etc.  About six months ago I replaced the entire innards of my tank with some new fangled type of system.  It's a push button with a post that floats up and down for the water level.  You push the little button and only a little water flows through. You push the big button and it's a regular flush.  Supposed to save lots of water.  The only problem is it's already broken...cheap China junk.  I threw away the old innards.  After all, they were as old as the toilet...1974.  This means I need to replace everything. The ball cock, the handle, everything.  And get backups for it all.

I was visiting GI Jim yesterday and he gave me some other ideas.  After all, if TSHTF am I going to have the same ease of receiving water?  Am I going to be hand pumping, getting it from a solar powered pump, or will we still be on the grid?  Let's assume no grid.  If IT is today then no solar powered pump.  This means hand pumping for water.  Do I really want to pump enough to flush away 50 or so gallons each day?  NO.  If it's cold weather boy is not going to want to go outside.  How about setting the bathrooms up a bit differently?  We have a five gallon bucket and a little seat to attach to it.  That works fine for the short term.  You do realize that five gallon plastic buckets will degrade with use.  Over the years we've had dozens break apart.  Now these are the buckets we use for food storage that pretty much just sit on a shelf.  These buckets are used to haul stuff, wash the cars, etc.  But nevertheless they don't last forever.  I wouldn't expect the bucket toilet to last forever, nor would I want to sit on it forever! 

A homemade urinal?  And instead of the urinal emptying into the septic a hose (tube) could be attached with a hole through the wall to the outside.  It could either be dispersed instantly or collected in storage buckets or barrels and then used to fertilize the garden.  That's a good idea.  The toilet could be used for solids and the urinal (even make something that works for the girls) for liquids. 

The other thing GI Jim and I talked about was sewage.  I'm on a septic.  It backed up once.  Into the bathtub and shower.  Disgusting.  It was the week before Christmas.  Did I mention that there were 16 people in the house then?  The repair guy came and pumped the tank.  On Christmas Eve it backed up again into the tub and shower.  I called and left a message on his machine to let him know that any time after the holidays we'd be happy to have him come over and pump it again and fix the leach lines.  Christmas morning he was over with his son digging up our front yard.  Millions of blessings to him and his family!!!  Other than that, no problems with our septic system. 

What about people who are on city sewer?  Most people plan on bugging in not bugging out.  If the power goes out the cities will put their sewage treatment plants onto their generator back ups.  Most sewage treatment plants were upgraded due to Y2K preparations.  But generators won't be able to power the plants for very long.  Then what?  The sewage will be backing up. 

Let's hope that your house is on a bit of a rise.  Let's also assume that one of the first preps you city folks do is install a Backflow Valve.  The backflow valve is installed in your sewer lateral (the pipe coming from your house that connects with the main sewer pipe), close to where it leaves your house.  It allows sewage to flow in one direction only (out of the house) and shuts automatically if flow is detected in the opposite direction (coming from the sewer into your house).  The valve will reopen when normal flow is restored. 

That's great if you've installed the backflow valve.  If you haven't make that the next thing on your to do list!  But what happens to the sewage?  It starts backing up into the street as well as into other people's homes.  In one of the local cities near me they pump the sewage uphill to the treatment facility.  That's not a good sign if the power is out and doesn't support the pumps, now is it? 

From what I’ve read, over one million Americans become ill each year just from backed up sewer incidents.  Most of this is from the sewage coming into basements.  Raw sewage contains E coli, viruses, intestinal worms and parasites.  Most of those affected suffer stomach cramps and diarrhea, but untreated sewage can also spread cholera and hepatitis.  Gastroenteritis and cryptosporidiosis are other parasites contained in sewage. These can kill people.

The survival of the viruses, worms, parasites, etc. depends on a number of things: location (indoors vs. outdoors), season, type of surface contaminated, whether disinfectants are used, and also on environmental conditions such as humidity, temperature, and sunlight. Sunlight (UV radiation) reduces the survival rate of pathogens with numbers decreasing rapidly with increasing exposure to UV radiation. Mild temperatures and higher humidity result in longer survival times.

If you have been affected by a sewage backup and you need to clean up the mess you need to take proper precautions: Wear protective gloves, eyewear, boots, and rain gear.  If you get any cuts or scrapes you better stop what you are doing and wash and disinfect the wound immediately.  Your life may depend on it! 

The following steps need to be taken when cleaning up the mess in your home:  Remove excess water.  Use a dehumidifier and keep windows open (not going to be a pretty scene if there’s still raw sewage running down the road).  All solid waste should be collected and disposed (sure, just put it into the weekly trash pickup…).  Throw away all upholstered furniture and mattresses.  Pull out the carpets and pads.  Throw away the stuffed animals and toys.  Don’t even think about trying to clean them.  All areas of the house need to be washed with a detergent then disinfected and allowed to dry. 

Now it’s time to clean up the outside.  This is assuming that the sewage isn’t still flowing down the road.  If it is, you need to seriously consider bugging out.  If it stops, and it’s summer time, then the microbial population from the sewage flooding onto the lawns and paved areas will be inactivated after a few days due to the UV radiation from the sun.  During the spring and fall the bacterial numbers will be reduced to safe levels after two to three weeks.  But remember, if TSHTF the sewage will not be going away any time soon. 

Stratfor Global Intelligence firm's security breach!

Just thought I'd pass on an interesting email that I received at work today. 

Situation:

This past weekend the hacker group “Anonymous” threatened the release of data claiming to be associated with the Stratfor Global Intelligence firm’s recent security incident, including:

1)    “75,000 names, addresses, credit card numbers and passwords for every customer that has ever paid Stratfor; and 

2)    860,000 usernames, email addresses, and passwords for everyone who’s ever registered on Statfor’s website.”

The State Information Security Office  has received supplemental information that the data was in fact made publicly available for download on several websites (intentionally not disclosed in this message), and that those affected include many current or past state and local government employees who registered on the Stratfor website, purchased products from Stratfor, or both.  Additionally, we’ve heard that fraudulent charges have already been made with some of the compromised credit card data.

The Stratfor website (http://www.stratfor.com/) now acknowledges the security incident and informs its customers about the actions it is taking, including the offer of identity protection services.

Recommendations:

We recommend individuals that registered with Stratfor change their passwords immediately on all systems where the same credentials were used and inform any other appropriate parties of the compromise.

We also recommend individuals that have made prior payment to Stratfor cancel any credit cards used for payment immediately and investigate their credit card statements for signs of unauthorized transactions.  If other means of payment were used, it is recommended that you monitor your financial statements for unauthorized transactions.  Individuals may also wish to take advantage of any credit protection services offered by Stratfor.

Questions regarding the Stratfor incident should be directed to the Stratfor contacts published on its website.

No job after all

Son called up to tell me that two hours before he was supposed to start working at his new job the boss sent him a text saying he hired someone else.  Thanks but no thanks.  No job.  Son was pissed.  I was sort of laughing to myself.  Why?  Because he was complaining about the lousy pay.  How's NOTHING for lousy pay, son?  I guess the $10 a hour wasn't going to be too bad after all. 

He then wanted to know if I've gotten their taxes filed yet.  I do all the taxes for my kids.  Turbotax makes it easy, plus I understand what I'm doing so it's not just letting the computer program do the work.  I understand that they gave me their W-2 info on Sunday.  I wasn't planning on doing the taxes for another couple of weeks.  Why do they want it done now?  Well it seems they don't have any money to pay the rent on the first of the month.  What?  You just bought another new TV.  You just spent tons of money on your kids for the holidays.  Daughter-in-law flew home to visit her family for a few days and you don't have any money set aside for rent?  No because he was expecting unemployment and welfare to cover it but that's not going to start for another few weeks and they won't get any money until way after rent is due.  Sorry, I'm just laughing to myself.  I've got to get off the phone.

I don't understand how people can have their values all screwed up.  Now it's one thing if you bring in very little money and you are just surviving and then you stop bringing in the money.  But even then, beans and rice, rice and beans, boring but nutritious.  I'd think having an emergency fund would be more important than the TV or travel.  Guess not.  Do I have any money to spare?  Not for that.  After all, I'm excited that we are saving five to ten dollars per day by not heating the house during the living without heat for a month experiment. 

I guess what ticks me off more than anything is that when the kids were growing up I worked hard...often with them in tow since I was a single parent.  Even now raising the grand kids I am able to work at home some days but some days must go into the field.  When possible they get dragged along with me.  I make sure they understand I have to work or they have no roof over their heads or food in their bellies.

Almost everywhere I go I see help wanted signs.  I think a lot of people are comfortable living on unemployment or welfare that they'd rather not have to put in the hours at a job (unless it's under the table so they can still collect).  (Now don't get on me if you are one of my several readers on disability or such, I'm not saying you are lazy, I promise!) It's all for minimum wage or not much more but if one parent works during the day and the other at night they may not see each other but at least their bills would get paid.  Or my son could do what so many others do.  Stand outside of Home Depot or Lowe's with a sign "willing to work hard".  People get picked up for day labor jobs all the time.  He could also go out door to door and if they have any odd jobs that need to be done.  If someone showed up at my property and was looking for a job, I wouldn't have them inside but there's outside stuff for someone to do.  They could work on the fencing.  That's one job I hate doing but would pay someone minimum wage to do.  Not to son though.  He can find a job somewhere else.  I've experienced his "helping". 

Hardware necessities

I write a lot about food.  Today it's about hardware. A couple months ago I went to Orchard Supply Hardware and at the door was a store directory handout.  So, of course, I picked it up and brought it home.  It went on my pile of items to put on the list.  As I read through the directory I decided to check off the items that I had and circle the ones that I thought I may someday need but don't have on hand.  I was pleased to know that I'm pretty well stocked but at the same time alarmed to realize that if things go wrong I could be stuck with a lot of items around here that will not be worth much more than paperweights. 

I'd like to include the entire list but I'm not going to.  It's a double sided paper with four columns of items on each side.  I scribbled notes all over it.  If I get another one I will scan it and include it in a posting.  Just not today. 

Some of the items just aren't necessary but many are very useful.  Let's go down the alphabet with some examples:
A - adhesives, auto batteries, axes (10 items listed)
B - batteries, bolt cutters, boots, brackets, brooms (20 items listed)
C - cable ties, camp stove and fuel, candles, caulking supplies, clothes line, coffee filters (43 items listed)
D - dowels, drain openers, drill bits, drop cloths, duct tape, dust masks (14 items listed)

Q, X, Y, and Z are not represented.  The rest of the letters are.  I'd suggest the next time you are at the hardware store you pick up a directory.  Same goes with the grocery store.  There may be things that you may only need once a year or once every five years, but you will be up a creek without a paddle if you don't have it and you can't get it.

Can I shop only every couple of months? And the house is still cold! And friends for the grand kids.

I will start off with the house.  Son built a fire into the wood stove yesterday.  He didn't like visiting with the house at 59 - they keep their apartment around 80 (but 60 during the summer).  Not a problem.  I figured we may have the fire going when we had company.  Once everyone left I didn't put any more wood into the stove.  We were done heating the house.  The wood stove did bring it up to 70 degrees by the time it was all over.  It felt warm and I had to push up my sleeves to cool down!  Now the house is back down to 64.  The temps outside are about the same.  It's supposed to be in the mid sixties during the day all week and it's not supposed to drop into the 20s at all at night.  This is going to be an easy week to keep the house unheated.  If it costs $150 a month to heat the house then so far we've saved $35! 


There's a saying we have about food: Get what you can and can what you get.  In other words, if you can grow it, someone offers you some extras from their garden, you pick it from the wild, you find the super sale, or sometimes even stop on the side of the curvy road to pick food up where the overloaded produce trucks drop bucket loads of produce over the top of the truck, get the food and do something with it!  If you don't eat if fresh then you'd better figure out a way to put it up.  Can it.  Freeze it.  Dry it.  Smoke it.  Don't throw it away!  Then use it during the year. 

I was wondering if I could cut my shopping back to every couple of months.  Even when I did the experiment of no shopping for a month I was worried that if IT happened during that time then I would have used up a months worth of supplies that weren't replenished.  Now, don't think because of that statement that I shop daily or something.  I don't.  I usually do a big shopping once a month or so but will stop by the store to pick something up if it's on sale.  I won't ever drive into town just to shop.  That's a waste of two gallons of gas! 


Some things I buy yearly.  I know that prices of baking goods go down at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas - things like sugar, flour, etc.  I stock up then if I'm buying at Winco.  Otherwise I'll just make my major purchases at Costco. 

What kind of food do I purchase more frequently than monthly?  Bananas, fresh milk, potatoes (we didn't grow a years worth) and whatever is on sale for cheap prices.  Could we live without the bananas and fresh milk?  Yes.  The kids don't even mind powdered but fresh is often cheaper!  Would I save money by shopping only a couple of times per year?  I don't think so because I'm good at shopping sales.  I will buy stuff that's not on "the list" but I've always figured if we eat it then it doesn't go to waste. 

I know how long some nonfood things around here last.  For example, I buy the bucket of Costco laundry detergent.  It lasts between five and six months.  How do I know this?  I write the date I open the container right on the container.  When it's done I get the new container and write the start and end date of the previous container, which then gives me the start date of that container.  By showing not only when I start this new container but also how long the previous container lasted I can figure out if something has changed.  I have four or five full buckets of laundry detergent in the garage.  Since I bought those I thought about making my own from washing soda, borax, and bar soap.  So I bought that too.  I probably have enough laundry soap for three or four years. 

I have several gallons of hand soap and lots of bars of soap.  I keep all the bits of soap from the hotels when I travel and also keep the small slivers from home use.  They can be melted down and reused.  I know how to make homemade soap.  During the 1970s it was popular to do things like that, so I did.  I rendered the tallow, soaked the wood ashes, and made nice bars of soap. I'm assuming that I have enough soap to last as long as the laundry detergent.  So I guess, if all goes well, in about two more years I will go shopping for two or three more years worth of soap and detergent.  I write down the start date and end dates of the liquid hand soap and liquid dish soap as well as the dishwasher detergent...just like I do on the laundry soap.


How long does toilet paper last?  Forever if kept dry and bug free.  (Mice like it too so watch out if you are storing it.)  I buy that from Costco too.  One roll has 450 sheets.  We don't use nearly as much as most households.  We go through it very slowly.  One roll will last me over a month.  I go back and forth between "family cloths" which are the baby washcloths and toilet paper.  The grand kids use the toilet paper...when they remember to wipe!  When we have guest over then the toilet paper disappears quickly.  All totaled we probably use two to four rolls per month.  I haven't had the septic pumped in seven years, mainly because very little goes into it that doesn't decompose quickly.  We have about 100 rolls on hand.  This is about three or four years worth. 


Did you know that if you dry off your razor after using it, this includes not keeping it in the steamy bathroom while others shower, then it will last much longer?  I buy the Gillette razors at Costco.  They come in a pack of 52.  Sounds like it's supposed to last for a year.  I know people that use up the pack in 6 months or less.   But for ladies, if they dry it each time, one razor can last a month or longer!  This means that your pack of razors can last for over four years.  Same for men.  Sometime they will last a month, more often it's about two weeks.  So the pack can last for two years.  Still not bad.

The next door neighbors have their grand kids over visiting for a week.  I'm really glad because my grand kids don't have other kids around for them to play with.  During the school year it doesn't matter because they are so busy with school and then helping around the house that they don't notice that the only kids they play with are their cousins.  But they have three weeks off of school right now.  They've played with each other and their cousins for the past two weeks.  Now they have other kids to play with, nice polite kids, so hurray for them.  The neighbor grand kids came over to ask if mine can go to the movies with them.  They are going to a late matinee to watch We Bought a Zoo. Sounds like a fun movie. 

Happy New Year and thanks to my readers

Last January I had 15 followers and 5,000 hits on my blog.  I now have 55 followers and over 45,000 hits.  Wow.  I'm surprised and also grateful.  I write this to keep me motivated.  I'm hoping I'm helping keep you motivated to prepare for survival as well.  Happy New Year.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all. 

Son and his family and Army Daughter and her family came over for dinner.  Son-in-law was going to cook but instead Army Daughter cooked with the help of daughter-in-law.  Dinner turned out reasonably good.  Son made a cake.  It was a honey orange cake. He was excited because it was his first cake from scratch.  The cake was good, the frosting was horrible.  He was so proud of the frosting that I couldn't give him a suggestion on how to make it better.  Maybe next time.

Son got a job, starts tomorrow.  He's already complaining that it doesn't pay enough.  Excuse me?  You haven't worked for a year, your wife got let go from her job a month ago and you are complaining?  Shut up.  To celebrate his new job he decided to take care of some things that he thinks are in need of repair here at my house.  I'm not sure if he did anything outside or not.  He decided that he needed to hook the TV antenna up to all three TVs.  Right now we have the digital antenna connected to the TV in the living room - no cable or satellite here.  I just hadn't gotten around to moving the antenna to the attic and connecting the wires together for all three TVs.  I figured it would be an easy job.  How could he screw it up?  Oh yeah, it's my son.  He will take any job and make it ten times more difficult, ten times more messy, and ten times more expensive. 

My suggestion, and why listen to me, I'm just old... was that if the satellite TV came into the house on a cable that he should just hook up the antenna to this same cable.  Unhook it from the satellite, hook it to the antenna.  Sounds reasonable.  Except he doesn't work on reason.  He got into the attic and started pulling wires.  Don't pull wires.  You can't pull them up without unhooking them from the wall.  The wires are all hardwired to the little plastic connector at the wall and they are attached to guides in the walls.  It's not like your apartment where it's just got a wire coming out of the wall and running across the room.  No.  He pulled wires.  This meant that he pulled the wires out of the connectors.  Then he complained to me that whoever put the wires in did a lousy job connecting them.  I put the wires in when I helped with the house remodel. 

I was able to reconnect the wire in my bedroom but it's just coming through a big hole in the wall.  It's not connected to the outlet anymore.   In the the family room he tugged on the wire so hard that it's half way up the wall.  This was a sound proofed wall and is full of insulation.  He can't just drop the wire.  He'll have to fish for it and of course he doesn't have the tools.  Then he wanted to pull the wires connected to the plug in the garage and use that since it's got a good connection.  NO!!! Don't touch it.  How about putting a hole in the ceiling in the family room and running the cord right behind the TV?  NO!!!  I don't want the wire hanging in back of the TV.  He took this to mean that it was OK to punch a hole in the ceiling over the bookcase so it wouldn't be as visible.  STOP HELPING!!!!   

They ate dinner and went home.  The TV in the bedroom and family room still aren't hooked up to the antenna.  The living room TV is working great, but then again it was working great when he started.  There's a lot of insulation all over the house.  What a mess.  And he got nothing accomplished other than making a mess in the house, putting a hole in the ceiling, and pulling out the connecting boxes.  At least it's not costing me money.  Just time to clean it all up.  Just what I wanted.   

Note to self: Make sure you have extra connectors, wire, and other electrical and cable items in your storage for when son comes over to help.

The new year is starting off just like it ended.  Should be a good year!