Category: personal

Cool and damp in Houston. Slightly warmer than the BOL though. Still, chilly to start the day and a bit overcast too. The end of the week is looking better, so I’ll take a little grey now, if it helps.

Did my cleanup and closing up, then headed home from the BOL yesterday. Hit two auction pickups on the way home. Got mostly household stuff. I’m buying fewer things as I have most of what I need. And I’m considering the travel time and miles, and adding that to the price. Some of the auctions have had very high prices lately. That usually means new money is coming in. I’m guessing that more people have found the auctions. The sellers support that as they are complaining that the new buyers don’t really understand what they are bidding on and buying. I’ve been cheerleading for people to start shopping in the secondary economy, so I can’t really complain if they do, and if they run prices up because they don’t know any better…

Today I’ve got a Dr appointment in the morning, and then at least one pickup. I need to hit Lowes and get the stuff I need to finish at the BOL too. Plus, Tuesday is my big ‘kid taxi’ day. I’ll be busy, putting miles on the truck today. I guess I can complain, but no one really cares. And I really don’t either. I chose this, and I generally like it.

Doesn’t mean I won’t TRY to complain though. And of course, I’ll be stacking while doing it…

nick

Wet and cool. Not freezing any more, and certainly not dry. Misty drizzle all day Saturday, and all night, and probably all day today too. Grey and ugly.

I did a couple of things Saturday, but mostly avoided work. I had a pickup to do, a Mr Heater unit and some solar panels, and it was a new auctioneer in an area I don’t usually get too. I decided to hit a couple of estate sales that were in the same area. The sales were a bust, but I found a pocket neighborhood I didn’t even know existed. BIG lots, crappy houses, minutes from a major commuting route, and unincorporated. You’d never know it was there.

I checked it out when I got home, and there wasn’t much for sale, but the prices suggested that other people found it too, recognized the potential, and are willing to pay to get in. It’s like being out in the country, right in town. Unfiltered country, leaf burning, trucks in the yard, “can’t tell me what to do” country, not manicured horse owner county. But two lots down from the guy with a junkyard on his acre plus lot is a $1.6M mansion… it will change and quickly. I’d love to buy a lot there as an investment, but it’s probably already too late. There are still areas like this in the Houston metro area, but they don’t get advertised.

Today I’ll do some more, and less than I hoped.

Wife is working on taxes. We recently found out our accountant died. We didn’t even know she was sick, and we thought she was prepping her assistant to take over when she retired, but it seems not, as her husband just mentions returning any personal paperwork she might have had. It’s a tragedy for her and her family, and just an inconvenience for us, but it was shocking. I’ve been with her for about 30 years… finding someone good who is taking new clients is hard, so my wife is giving it a go, based on the paperwork for the last 10 years. With the solid examples, she thinks she can just keep doing what our CPA was doing, at least for last year and this one. I’m still gonna look for a new accountant.

You never know what life will throw at you. I didn’t have a good backup for this, other than good record keeping and the ability to get online, and to download software. None of us are getting younger, and that includes our business partners, and service providers too. Take a good look at how changes could affect you, and make sure you are ok with what you find.

I’ll add the Mr Heater, and the solar panels to my stacks. I’ll add “find a new accountant” to my list. And I’ll light a candle.

nick

keep stacking.

Another cold but sunny and dry day? Dunno. Hope so. Yesterday went a long way toward drying out my remaining Christmas decor. I’d like to have today to dry out the rest. And not freezing all day would be nice. It was below freezing with frost on the ground and cars yesterday morning. I think I’ll sleep late to avoid that today.

Yesterday was my non-prepping hobby meeting day. It was nice to get together with everyone. Several people who I didn’t get to see or talk to last month at the potluck dinner were there Saturday. It was a good day to just hang out and talk a bit. No one can believe the incompetence displayed in Cali, and no one found the idea that it could be intentional at all scoff worthy. We’re at a point where anything could be true. Or all lies. It’s very disconcerting.

Afterwards I came home, napped for a bit, did some domestic bliss, and avoided doing any major cleanup.

Today I’ll be paying for my slackitude. We need to get the house back together and get my stuff sorted out. I’ll be talking with a new auction to sell some of my stuff, and hopefully getting some of it out of the house. W is starting to send my articles about the negative effects of clutter and disorder… and it’s past the point where I should have been more proactive.

So that will be a priority, once I actually get my thumb out and get started.

The reorganization of my office and workspace needs to continue too.

Lots of opportunities coming up to miss deadlines and fail to complete tasks…

But the stacking will continue, at least a little bit, and mostly ‘targets of opportunity.’

I urge you to do so too.

nick

Cool and kinda damp in Houston. But supposed to still be clear. Florida meanwhile is getting some cold air, and who knows what the temps there will be? I’ll find out though…

Did my mileage for taxes. Did a bunch of personal care and grooming. I don’t usually do it all at once, but I did yesterday. Did laundry too. Even folded my clean clothes. In other words, lots of domestic bliss, not a lot of other stuff.

Today will be a bit of packing, a bit of cleaning, and a bit of getting ready to go out of town. I’m headed to Florida to see mom and sibling… Wasn’t my idea, but maybe it’s for the best. I really don’t like holiday travel. And I don’t like all the rushing and activity we’ve had this break. But my likes don’t really matter much at the moment. I’ll suck it up and soldier on.

I’m thinking ahead though, and trying to decide what I can do a few more “long form” posts on. If and when I start poking at the solar, that should be good for a few posts. Maybe I should refine my milk crate food storage system, or look at redundancy in cooking/water/heating/cooling/energy etc. Or maybe I should turn some focus on my physical condition, and look at improving that…

Not sure what will come, but I’ve been slacking in the actual content department. I’m going to consciously try to change that this year.

It’s hard to keep repeating the basics, even if new people come to prepping all the time; and some of the more advanced stuff will either seem too narrowly applicable or too far out…and I’m not an expert by any means.

The default will be more of the same. Hopefully that is enough.

And there will be stacking, of course.

Welcome to New Year, like every day, and yet somehow different. Let us hope and pray, work hard, and work smart, to make it a good year.

Thank you all for joining me here.

nick