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Month: February 2024

Fri. Feb. 9, 2024 – weird week. Hopefully get a nice rest and reset this weekend

Cool but not cold, clear. Or maybe not, but that is the reality of modeling a chaotic system. It never got very nice yesterday, but didn’t get worse either. Just an ordinary day. That would be fine for today and tomorrow as well.

I did mostly stuff around the house yesterday. Then D1 called for pickup about an hour and a half early. Good thing I was slacking at home and not an hour away doing a pickup.

Today I’ll be doing that one pickup, and getting ready for my mini-swapmeet for my non-prepping hobby meeting on Saturday. Probably do some more domestic bliss too, as the weekend approaches. There is always something to do.

In the wider world, lots of people are suddenly noticing that SloJoe is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Never was really, cunning yeah, but not a towering intellect. Probably thinks he is, lots of habitual liars think they are a lot smarter than everyone around them… but when your own DOJ declines to prosecute you because you are a doddering old fool with memory and cognition issues, it might finally be coming to an end. It’s pretty ugly when you deny the issue, but then in practically the next breath make a huge mistake that sorta proves the point of the issue…

I’m happy to see him go, but what’s waiting in the wings is even more horrifying. Heck I’d have bet money that he wouldn’t have made it this long. The modern pharmacopeia must be incredible if you are one of the cloud people. Eventually that will trickle down to the rest of us, if we can hold a technological society together long enough. So we’ve got that to look forward to.

Times of rapid change are fraught with danger. Opportunity too, but mostly danger. Keeping one’s head down and avoiding notice is the first strategy that comes to mind and probably works for most people. Some people are going to have to hope they get famous and powerful enough, quickly enough, so they don’t end up road kill. And some are just going to be collateral damage as the new order sorts itself out.

History says we will get through it, whatever “it” is. It is certainly coming, and it is probably coming sooner rather than later.

Get your stuff in a row, and be ready to provide for your needs. Stack.

nick

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Thur. Feb. 8, 2024 – fast or slow, here we go!

Cool and overcast. National forecast is clear for a couple of days, while openweathermap says “light rain” but the daily hour by hour forecast says “0%” chance of rain. Liars gonna lie… We’ll see what actually happens. Only impact on me is if the stuff in the back of the truck gets wet or not…

Did my big loop of pickups yesterday, then did my kid stuff. Nothing of interest with either. Then stopped at HEB grocery for my prescriptions, and to see what was on sale. Bought some more meat. Tasty cow. If it’s on sale, I’m a buyer. I’ll break that down today, and maybe put some brisket in the slow cooker. Gotta find another solid slow cooker recipe.

Hit the chiropractor too. I’m sore. I let my misalignment go too long. Y’all might remember I’ve been trying to learn to manage my typical issues without outside help, for when there isn’t any available. Well, I let the experiment go on too long this time. I’m paying for that now. Use civilization for what you can while you can.

Today I’ve got one more pickup. There have been a ton of dewalt and Milwaukee tools in the auctions lately. I own both, so I’m always looking to get more if the price is right. And it was last week. Dunno why all the brand new tools in unopened boxes are in the secondary markets right now, but there are a LOT of them. Maybe the manufacturers need to generate cash so they’re dumping stuff? I can’t really think of a good reason for it. New unopened current production. Nuts.

Speaking of new, I was behind a flatbed truck loaded with the wheel carriages for freight trains- boggies? No wheels, but the huge casting with the springs inserted. New old stock, casting dates clearly visible from the mid and later 90s. That stuff has been sitting for a long time. It was strapped and stacked, so I think it was finally being delivered for use, and not sent to the scrapper. If they’re just getting to inventory that is 30 years old, I wonder if anyone is still making the parts currently? Houston features a locomotive on the City Seal, and we have a lot of track, switchyards, and other RR infrastructure in use. I see them switching out ties, reballasting, and updating grade crossings, so it’s still important to someone here.

But there is a lot of infrastructure that is going un-repaired, and un-replaced. I don’t see that as a good thing. Wait too long and you lose the facilities and craftsmen who make the stuff. You lose the stuff when it fails catastrophically instead of just having small issues routinely fixed. Look around your area. If you don’t see infrastructure projects, whether new or maintaining the existing, your area is probably in decline and it won’t be long before the failures start, or worsen to the point of no return. Get out while you can if you are facing that.

Whatever happens in the next 5-10 years, where you are is probably going to be the biggest factor in how well you do, or how poorly.

No matter where you are though, preps will help. Stack!

nick

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Wed. Feb. 7, 2024 – !adelantando!

Cool and clear. Warming later. Nice day in other words. Like yesterday despite the chilly start.

I started the day doing some auction stuff, then messing around on the internet with my friends. Decided to make the carnitas in the slow cooker, but forgot to start that process going. Worked on fixing some things, but after spending 2 hours on it, failed.

Then I checked my texts and saw that I’d missed a call from my auctioneer. They wanted me to bring some more stuff by! They’d used up all the bins I had there already, and needed more stuff. Well. I’m your man! The boss had previously waved me off for this week because they were full up, but I guess they got that taken care of. So I scrambled to get the bins I had ready at the house, and to swing by a couple of storage units and grab a couple of bins worth of items…

D1 didn’t want to ride with me, so she got her own ride home from practice, and I did my drop off. That was the only way the timing would work. Eh, it all worked out and I got a few more things into this week’s auction. And I learned that D1 CAN get herself home, if she’s motivated. Funny how that worked.

I did get the carnitas in the cooker before starting all that mess and it was ready for dinnertime, and it was delicious.

I’ve got 4 solid crockpot meals that I can do with minimal prep and no extra shopping. If I can get a couple more, I’ll be even happier. The crockpot saves a bunch of effort and produces tasty meals, and it will do it for less expensive cuts. If it’s been a while since you used one, take another look. There are plenty of sauces and prepared seasonings to help you succeed.

Today I’ll do a couple of pickups, and kid chauffeur duties. I’ll try to knock a few things off the list in between.

Keep stacking.

nick

(title means “advancing” or “moving forward” (literally “forward-ing”) or so I’m told. It’s also the title of a pretty good album.)

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Tues. Feb. 6, 2024 – well, if not hell, then heck?

Cool and clear. It never did rain on my house yesterday, but it did rain on my wife on her way to work so BOTH forecasts were correct! Hers and mine. Peace in the house, hooray. Today should be clear, and warming later in the day.

I didn’t get everything done, or even started, and what I did do took longer than I hoped. Sometimes it be that way. I got some stuff pulled out for ebay, some for my local auction. I sorted some stuff that has been sitting since October. My back was hurting so I’ll claim that as my excuse for not doing heavier work. Well, hurting more than normal…

Then I had to get the kids from school, and do some cooking. I was going to make some frozen fish, but I started breaking down some bulk meat and vac sealing it, so after doing beef brisket, pork shoulder, and a spiral sliced ham, I decided that I could just throw the ham in the skillet and make that. I was browning chunks of the pork shoulder to make carnitas in the slow cooker. Freeze some, cook some… so the ham was a natural choice. The vintage cast iron performed beautifully. I’ve got a good seasoning on it and with some bacon fat, even the sticky sugar from the ham scraped away with a smooth utensil. A quick rinse, then dry and re-oil with clean peanut oil, and back into the drawer for next time. Cooking with good cast iron is a joy.

The pre-browned chunks of pork will go into the slowcooker today. Some of the ham I packed in 1 pound bags, and I’ll take that to the BOL for when I’m up there alone. It’s a quick and tasty dinner. The rest is in 2 pound bags. The pork is in 3 pound bags, and the brisket is in 4 pounders. That is one bag per meal, with some leftovers. I mentioned before that I have increased the weight of my “per meal” packages. Freaking kids eat like crazy. Buying in bulk, cutting to meal size or portion size, and vac sealing before freezing is economical and convenient. Takes a bit of time, but not much more than putting the groceries away. The savings make it worth it.

Late in yesterday’s comments I linked to a couple videos of shootouts involving cops, and civilians. One is a guy who’s just had enough, the other is a young thug. There are lessons to be learned from watching other people experience violence, and violent situations. Note too the police response and tactics. In the second one, the neighbor threatening to kill people, note when the cop reminds the neighbors that he’s recording and asks if it’s alright. Remember that they didn’t do that while interviewing people on the Rust set, when Alec Baldwin shot and killed his Cinematographer. No Miranda warning, and the video is admissible. Something to keep in mind if you are in a bad situation, or even witness to one. Like I said, lessons to be learned.

Today I’ll be doing the same, over and over again. It’ll be fun! Well, it’s never boring.

Learn something new today. Practice a skill, or start on a new one. Stack experiences like you’re stacking food.

nick

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Mon. Feb. 5, 2024 – what fresh hell will this week bring?

Cool and clear, according to the national forecast, overcast and clouds according to openweathermap. Guess we’ll see who guessed better. It was cool and clear yesterday, but windy as all get out. Crazy windy. I suppose it helped dry things out, but it blew stuff all over my yard and driveway.

I did stuff close to home yesterday. Worked in the garage doing a little clean up. Very little compared to what needs to be done, but it was a start. Moved some stuff around in the house too. Spent some time on the computer doing auction stuff, and worked on some pipes. I’m finding it to be very relaxing to refurbish them as I watch videos or work on the computer.

Today will be more of the same, with some domestic bliss added in.

And it’s time for me to start thinking about the Hamfest, and what I’m bringing there for sale. I re-read my posts from last year and I haven’t done any of what I thought I should, mainly selling the higher value stuff on ebay. I guess I’ll give it one more try since it’s only a few weeks away. I’m definitely adding some of my test gear to the sale pile. I have stuff I haven’t even turned on in 3 years, and barely know how to use. That’s not in itself an issue for me, I’ve got lots of stuff I only use occasionally, and only to the extent I need to get something done. But there are things that someone else might better use, and that are so specialized that I might never learn to use them properly. Since it’s mostly radio test gear, the Hamfest it the place for it.

My non-prepping hobby will be having a mini swapmeet next weekend at our usual meeting too, so I should get some stuff together for that. Suddenly, I feel really busy…

That’s just par for the course I guess. Note to self, don’t falter…

Stack what you need, get rid of what you don’t.

nick

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Sun. Feb. 4, 2024 – 02042024 – Not surprising…

Sunny and cool, still damp. Should be clear. It stayed clear most of yesterday with only scattered clouds. I was in shorts and shirtsleeves, so nice temps too. Hoping for more of that, rather than heavy rain. Most of the bayous I crossed were at normal or only slightly elevated levels so they are doing a good job of managing the flow.

Shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone here that I didn’t get as much done as I’d have liked. I picked up another 200w panel, and a dented in “gub safe” that is really just a heavy sheet metal cabinet. I’ll knock out the dents and add a lock, and use it for ammo or accessories. Maybe use it for the air rifles.

I was going to make a scrap run. I might have mentioned picking up a stove and oven for only $12 total. If not, I got the stove for a ‘garage kitchen’ or summer kitchen at the BOL. It’s an ordinary GE gas stove and oven. I also got a Whirlpool 24″ wide gas oven for $2. It’s black glass and kinda dated, and was only $2, so when my wife wasn’t interested, I thought I’d just scrap it. Then I looked a bit more closely and it works for either natgas or LP gas… you only have to flip an internal part and close an air shield. I’m taking it to the BOL to sell up there, or maybe putting it on Craigslist here. Propane appliances sell for good money. Even if I only get $40 or 50 to move it quickly, the ROI is pretty good, and I’m helping someone out.

I missed out on some auction stuff I’d have liked. Ate dinner and fell asleep in the chair while waiting for the lots to close. There was a nice small woodstove, and a smaller fridge, and a mechanical clothes washer. The woodstove sold for $55, the washer for about the same, and the fridge for $35. There was another fridge in the sale that sold for $7. It was an ordinary top freezer Hotpoint, a little on the small side, but looked nice and clean. WAY nicer than my current beverage fridge at the BOL. I don’t NEED another fridge but I’d probably have bid on it if I was going up to the sale to pickup anyway…

My point is that there are still some great preps out there, and there are sales with low prices. I think this one closed low because of the late Saturday time, and it’s a bit far from Houston proper, which reduced the bidder pool. Oh well, I’d have been glad to win the items, but then I’d have had to pick them up and get them to the BOL. On the plus side, the sale was about a third of the way to the BOL.

Today I’ll keep working the list, and maybe deal with a pop up issue or two. There’s always more that needs doing.

And maybe I’ll stack something. I’ll want to, and mean to, but might not get to it. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t!

nick

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Sat. Feb. 3, 2024 – rain rain go a-way, come again some other day. –Ok. I’m here now.

So we got a respite from the rain, and now it’s back. Cool morning with rain throughout the day, or so I’m led to believe. It was grey, with occasionally sunny spots, most of Friday. It got so dark at 330pm that I thought my watch was wrong… but the rain held off. Just a sprinkle before the kid’s school musical.

Did a big loop of pickups yesterday. Got stuff for the BOL, and stuff for my solar experiment, as well as a couple of tools and some supplies. There are future projects percolating in my brain that I’m already accumulating stuff for.

Ran into a couple of the other dads at the school play. One is our friend that got us into the BOL. He’s an auction buyer too (on my recommendation) and it turns out we actually bid against each other on the solar panels. It would be nice to avoid that, but it’s possible you could consider it to be illegal collusion… certainly the auctioneers wouldn’t like it. I’m going to try to keep in better touch to avoid it if possible.

Today’s activities will depend on the weather. I’ve got one local pickup to make, and can do it in the rain if needed. I’ve got a ton of other stuff to do around the house, garage, and for auction stuff, so there won’t be any shortage of projects. We’re all at home this weekend so maybe we’ll sneak in a family movie or game night too.

Gotta stack memories as well as goods.

But stack the goods, for sure, so you can make good memories later.

nick

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Fri. Feb. 2, 2024 – ah the smell of cardboard boxes…

Cool and overcast, possibly wet… some chance of rain today. Yesterday ended up kinda cloudy, not really overcast, but pretty grey later in the day. No rain though, and the temp was very nice. Today should be comfortable, but wet.

Did my pickups. It’s been a while since I bought anything from the city surplus warehouse, but I got something I’ve wanted for a long time. It’s a bit of infrastructure that could be used surreptitiously around town. I intend to use one at the BOL, and sell a bunch. I also had a good chat with my other auctioneer, the one who wants to start prepping. Gave him some links from the old MD Creekmore site, and from his current site. Had an issue with pointing him here, as that would out me to him and I’m not sure I want that, at least not yet. While I was there he sold me a Renogy flexible solar panel. I won two more in auctions last night, so I’m spending money like crazy (and saving it too) but I’m advancing my solar project. I’m buying it when I see it.

As you can imagine, I’ve got a mish mash of panels, charge controllers, inverters, and batteries. I think I’ll end up with a bunch of small systems rather than one big one, but I’m not ruling it out yet. I just think it has to be easier if they are all similar panels, which is not what I’ve got.

One auction had a match to my Honda I3000 inverter gennie. I really wanted it so I can slave it to the other, and get 240v from the pair. Unfortunately, someone else wanted it more than me. I dropped out at $1k. IIRC I paid $500 or $600 for the first one, and put a couple hundred more into it to get it running. After buying the panels, I didn’t think I wanted to go higher than $1k for an unknown quantity.

I’m doing what I can to get my own infrastructure together, at least at a minimal level. You guys should be thinking about it too. One of the signs of the decline is that formerly reliable services become unreliable. Any armed strife, or terror act could add to that.

I think we’ll see both, for whatever it’s worth.

Get your ducks in a row, they’re tasty!

Stack like your life depends on it.

nick

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Thur. Feb. 1, 2024 – cookie day

Cold and clear, or maybe cold and overcast, but probably cold. Yesterday started cold, warmed significantly, and was very comfortable with the windows down driving in the late afternoon. It will be nice if today is the same.

I spent a lot of time yesterday doing chauffeur stuff and driving. Took back the broken solar panel. Took the kid where she needed to go. Went to the chiropractor. In total, spent almost 2 1/2 hours sitting in the truck waiting for kids or other people. Good thing I have kindle on the phone.

Today I’ll do some auction stuff in the morning, then maybe grocery shopping. Our eating habits have changed as the kids have grown so I’ve had to adjust what I buy and stack. MUCH less bread. No peanut butter. A lot more snacks and stuff for school. I don’t mind the ‘hangover’ with having more peanut butter than we need, it’s a great prepper food that keeps well. Push comes to shove, we can eat it again. We are eating a lot more meat, just because the kids eat more. I’ve been packing it in single meal quantities and now those older packages are a bit too small. Probably should have seen that one coming, but didn’t. Monitor and re-evaluate…

But certainly keep stacking.

nick

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