Month: October 2019

Cooler and just as wet as always, probably. [not so much, 76F and 98%RH]

It got HOT and slimy wet yesterday. Really unpleasant. I did get a couple of things done, or at least started.

I am working on moving stuff, putting stuff away, and organizing so I can get rid of a bunch of stuff. I got some of that accomplished. So much more to do though.

I made a couple of trips to the hardware store to try and advance my roof rack project. If I can get it installed, it won’t be in the driveway. Winner winner… I managed to get the bracketry installed on the truck. Maybe I’ll have time to try to get the rack on today.

I have auction pickups, so I might not get to it.

I need to do grocery shopping too. I couldn’t find any spaghetti for dinner Friday. That’s a prepper fail! In my defense, I took a bucket of pasta to my secondary location last week, so that’s where it ended up.

I picked up some veg for the garden. I got broccoli, cabbage, collards, and brussels sprouts. They are mostly supposed to be cold tolerant. I guess we’ll see. I got some shake on veg fertilizer too. I would like to add a couple of bags of dirt to at least 2 of the beds. Maybe I’ll get to that later today. I’ve had brussels sprouts develop a couple of little heads, and one year got a stalk of broccoli, so I’m hoping to get some result this year. For me, collards usually take a year to establish and then I harvest for a whole year. I don’t have any in the ground atm, just peppers, which are still producing. I was thinking of trying a potato tower this year, but I haven’t done anything about it yet. I still have the fence mounted “window boxes” to consider. I think I’ll try some salad greens again. Turnips and beets did well…

It’s easier to focus on the garden/yard/house/holidays, but man o man is it getting crazy in the world. (see the comments late yesterday for some examples) I think we’re on the downhill slide, and it will pick up speed rapidly. Look at Venezuela as a guide. Our post industrial cities aren’t in any better shape, our spending is out of control, the invaders are everywhere, as are the homeless. Trash piles up, and infrastructure falls down. Medieval diseases are returning, and so is the feudal system. Superstition and feelings replace science and rationality. Trump is buying us breathing room, a change to the slope, but I don’t think anyone can reverse the trend any time soon.

I can’t grow enough food. I suck at gardening. That is starting to really bug me.

It occurs to me that some of you might not be willing to share your progress for OPSEC reasons. If so, please consider using a new name and posting about your success or failure. And for any of the couples/families that RBT helped anonymously, I’d love to do an update post on your experiences. Drop me an email to my last name at aol dotcom. I’ll change or summarize whatever you’d like.

I hope I’m wrong. But I bet there were folks sitting in Venezuela hoping the same thing a year ago…

nick flandrey

Not so cool and still humid. [78F and 99%RH @9am]

Got some stuff done yesterday. Cut the grass, blew the leaves and debris. Weedwacked around the driveway, along the fence as part of my cleanup and get rid of stuff plan. Got some camping gear out for my wife to use with the Girl Scouts next weekend.

Didn’t get any decor set up, and left all of Friday night’s stuff in the truck. It was over 90F Sat. afternoon, and I just wasn’t ready for that.

FEMA national forecast calls for Houston to get rain. I hope it holds off for at least a little while. I’ve got to get some decor set up and do some work in the driveway and patio or my wife will finally lose patience and call 1800 Got Junk. Can’t have that.

My apple tree that had fruit this year suddenly looks like it’s dying. The leaves are shriveled and brown. No clue what might have killed it. I’m hoping it’s just fall, but the other tree looks fine, and when the leaves turn they don’t usually shrivel. Dammit, I got ONE golf ball sized apple. ONE! That’s $50 per apple, not counting water…

Maybe I’ll get to the garden today. Hope springs eternal.

n

Cool and humid? yeah, we got that.

Today should be a good day to do yard and house stuff. One volleyball game late morning, and nothing else on the calendar.

I lost three days for the funeral trip, and before that three days for the inlaws anniversary party trip… that’s a week out of this month. No wonder I feel behind.

Time for the weekly round up. What did you guys do to prep? Thanks to pcb_duffer for his update on post hurricane Florida, anyone got anything from the Cali fires and blackouts?

About the only pure prepping thing I did this short week was feeding the family Sweet Sue canned chicken and dumplings over a slice of white bread with white gravy. All but the bread from stores. It wasn’t poison, but it wasn’t a hit either.

So what have you done??

n

Cool and damp? Probably. [54F and 99%RH]

Got a bunch of stuff done yesterday but not anywhere near enough to make TODAY easier….

I’ll start at the rent house installing the craigslist/facebook dryer. If it actually works, I’ll be happy. If not, the number of jailhouse and gang tattoos on the seller will have me pulling parts and putting them on ebay, while trying to find another replacement. Guy and his girlfriend might be completely honorable, but I don’t need to find out for the small change I’ve got invested…

Then some personal care, and placing some items where they might sell locally.

Then to round out the afternoon and evening, I will be installing temporary and fun! lighting for our school’s Fall Festival today. Then I’ll be packing it up, a bit later. No roadies or tour buses for me, but my wife will help. I’ve got a 400w long throw UV floodlight, a rock concert venue sized fog machine, and some colored lights to put the fun! in dis-functional… I can’t wait until my daughters need me to start supplying sound systems or bigger light shows. I’m a one man rental house 😉 and I like my geezer rock LOUD…

n

It was 63f and wet when I went to bed. Probably the same today. [57F and 94%RH]

Auctions, school stuff, and Halloween stuff to do today. Lots of running around. We are on the edge of the rain band on the FEMA National forecast, but I’m hoping for dry. Everything I need to do would be complicated by rain.

Oh, rent house stuff too. Almost forgot about that. Well, actually did forget, but got a text from the tenant. Dang. Already full day got fuller.

Time to make the donuts.

n

No idea what the weather is like Wed. morning. It was hot and very humid when I got home though.

Late night and early morning means I’m not at my best today.

Getting the kids and wife out the door, more later.

n

Probably another chilly morning.

Long day for me.

Starts with the funeral this morning. Forecast had called for rain, but I’m hoping it’s wrong. Even the very light drizzle predicted would suck.

A luncheon follows the funeral, then back to my sibling’s house. Then dinner with my family, and finally, back to the airport.

Flight after 9pm, arriving IAH at midnight. Probably 130am before I’m home in bed. So, long day.

n

Cool this morning, after a cool evening. Hoping for sunny and clear.

Plane was a 777. That’s the first big plane for me in years. I slept most of the flight though.

Better get started.

Wake later today, then maybe dinner.

n

Mid 50s and damp, probably. [Looks like 60F and moist] I’ll be winging my way to Chicago by the time most of you read this. It was 54F yesterday morning. It got warmer, but not quite to ‘hot’.

Fall is definitely here. HIGHS of 54F forecast for my brief trip to Chicago.

Traveling until noonish…

Talk amongst yourselves.

n

mid 50s? and moist?

It got down to 54F and windy before I went to bed last night. No idea what it will be like today.

I’ve got my non-prepping hobby monthly meeting today so that will fill my morning.

Afternoon is dedicated to getting a new range over to the rent house and installed, and possibly a new(-ish) dryer. Met with the plumbers yesterday and they cut out some old pipes and replaced them with pex. The first leak was in a plastic fitting where it transitioned to galvanized pipe. While they were working, another fitting popped. Old plastic, poor installation, and movement. It adds up to $$$. Got an estimate to replace the extremely rotten hot water heater and it’s $3200. I really should be proactive with that as a leak will ruin the ceiling that I’ve already fixed once. Still, $3200 on a tear down… it will take a while to recoup $3200. I might just have to do that one myself. Ug.

Of course, none of this running around and plumbing work was on my calendar. So some other stuff will fall behind. I’m seriously falling behind. It feels like further each day…

And with that, I’m out the door…

n