Cool and damp, continued chance of rain. It rained on and off all day Friday, making my auction sorting kinda problematic. I managed to pick up the base for my 10″ dobsonian in between showers, and got an item out of storage for an ebay sale.
I went by ‘the bins’, and got a ton of stuff I’ve been looking for. Crazy how it works sometimes. I’ve been trying to buy a “stand up desk” converter (scissor lift thing sits on your regular desk and has adjustable height) for months. Pretty much the exact one I wanted (some are sturdy, some are not) was sitting in a bin, waiting for me. No good collectibles, no vintage or mid century modern, no pokemon, but I still filled a tub with stuff for the auction and me. Oh, and half a tub of Christmas lights. If they’re not all balled up, I’ve been buying Christmas lights. This last year I found that a lot of mine are looking pretty ragged, and I’ve got the BOL to decorate now too. So time to upgrade for cheap…
Today I’ve got my non-prepping hobby meeting, some stuff for show and tell, and then if the weather is clear, a freezer to deliver. Might deliver the last of the cookies too. The season is over for us, but there are a few boxes left in the ‘cookie mom’ just in case inventory.
It’s meatspace, and it’s important. We are part of a community. Several in fact. We are part of groups. Again, several. Some of us might only be part of a group we aren’t even aware of – that old loner nut down the street – but we’re part of groups. The challenge is to not be ‘outed’ as a prepper, or someone to be robbed or take advantage of, but to still be a helpful and valued member of whatever group it is. Helpful and valued members are less likely to be dimed to confiscation squads. Helpful and valued group members are more likely to be tipped off to trouble, or opportunity.
The web and online services have ‘disintermediated’ a lot of our relationships and transactions. When things get spicy, personal will once again reign supreme. Who you know and who knows you might determine your access to resources, aid, and work. It takes time and practice to be comfortable in the person to person marketplace. Get some now, spend the time. I know I’ve talked about it before, but it is becoming more and more clear to me that the future is personal and local.
Stack up some experience while you are stacking up goods. This week, go to a grocery store you haven’t been to. Walk the aisles. See what they might have that your normal store doesn’t. Bonus points if the store caters to a different ethnic group than yours. Ask at least one person something about an item. Chat. Get a feel for the pace and rhythm of the place. Buy something and pay with cash. If you don’t use cash normally, this is a good time and place to start. Cash is king in the secondary economy. Learn to use it.
Learn something this week. Stack something this week.
nick