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Category: WuFlu

Thur. Jun. 30, 2022 – gotta get busy

Hot and humid, but a bit less thanks to the rain… which came late yesterday afternoon.  It was 79F when I went to bed, so not exactly cool…

Spent yesterday doing auctions and email.  Felt pretty much back to normal, if a bit fatigued.   Turns out D1 had a Dr appointment, right smack in the middle of my normal day, so that kinda kept me home anyway.   I did get some grocery shopping done, and picked up a few cans and other things for the BOL.  One consideration is, do I stock the BOL with all new stuff, so it lasts the longest, or transfer existing stuff, most of which is aging with some small chance I will use it soon?  I will probably end up doing some of both, but it is a consideration.

There is a fair amount of wildlife at the  BOL.  So far, besides fish and turtles, I’ve seen deer, a beaver, a momma raccoon, and the kids saw a possum.   Snakes too, and birds of course.  Supposedly there are armadillos being pests and digging under foundations in the neighborhood but I’ve never seen one.  The neighbors have also taken wild pigs, so I know they are around in the nearby woods.   The longer I’m up there, and the more I look, the more I see.  Oddly, very few squirrels, although one neighbor is supposed to be death on squirrels so maybe that’s why.  Lots of free range tucker if needed…

But the stories I’ve read have the local animal and vegetable population quickly reduced to nothing, in the event that people start eating them in earnest.  So I am not counting on “living off the land” or even the small part of the land I have as a garden.   I’m stacking food in cans for that.

Definitely, learn about the food that currently surrounds you wherever you are.   And it may provide variety and a supplement to whatever you’ve got stored or can buy.  But don’t think it will be enough to sustain you and yours if push comes to shove.

Stack food.  And friends.  You’ll need both.

nick

 

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Wed. Jun. 29, 2022 – sweet home, or sweat home?

Hot and humid.   Natch.  Being Houston TX and all…   still, unseasonably reasonable would be nice once in a while.   Probably get to over 100F here in the swamp.

I’ll be doing things to get ready for not being here for a few days.   In a few days.   And I’ll be doing the pickups I delayed due to the koof.

And yes, I will be looking at some upgrades to surveillance here…  and a gate latch for the driveway.

This local crime spree (see yesterday’s comments, late) was one kid.   I’m sure we’ll see more going forward though.   Time to review your physical security and cams to prosecute.  Or to know better what happened so you can work on it not happening again.

The easiest thing, and free to boot, is LOCK YOUR LOCKS.   If it has a lock on it, use it.   If it has a place for a lock, put a lock on it.   Your zip code won’t protect you.   It will determine likelihood, but not possibility.

Even if you can’t do the physical hardening now, buy the stuff to do it.    There are several discussions here about hardening your home, the search tool should find them, with specific products listed.  Your  local PD might even offer free review of you security situation, or your insurance might offer the same service.  If you don’t have a good idea what to look for, take advantage of the help.

I’ll note that this kid, and every other one I’ve looked at committing crimes on video, was not at all concerned about lighting.   The motion activated light just helped him search for something to steal.   The lights do make for better recordings, and help YOU to see the perp…  but don’t expect them to keep away bad guys or make them flee.

People are going to get desperate.  They are going to be emboldened.   Harden your home, and harden your heart.

n

and stack some stuff

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Tues. Jun. 28, 2022 – headed home later

Hot and humid, but less of both than Houston proper.  It got plenty hot yesterday but I did a bunch of work anyway.

Weeded the garden.  Not seeing any veg plants.  Could be a total failure.   Well, I’ll learn something in any case.

Cut the grass, did extra string trimming for the big holiday weekend, and poisoned the ant mounds I felt comfortable using the poison on.

Cut the grass in the adjacent community lot and boatramp too.   I was on the mower, had enough gas, and was feeling pretty good.   It coincidentally let me explore an unimproved version of my lot.   I’m pretty sure it was deeded to the HOA because of the little creeks running through it.   There would be some challenges building on it.   Nothing you couldn’t overcome for lakefront land, but not as simple as throwing up a house.  Anyway, we missed the community cleanup event so I felt like it would be a good deed in advance of the busiest weekend of the year.

You might guess I was feeling pretty good.   I’m headed home today because I think I’ve finished with this cold.  Cough may stick around for a while, but I felt pretty much normal all day.

I’ll get a couple more things done, after sleeping as long as I can, and then I’ll head home to reload and head back, in a couple of days.

My buddy is giving me more contractor names, so maybe we can get moving.  Or maybe it will be more of the same, but at least it MIGHT move.

FWIW, this is apparently a great time to be a contractor.   More work than you can do, and people are resigned to paying high prices.   If you can get the stuff to do the job, Robert is your father’s brother…

If you think you might need work done, you better stack up the stuff you will need.   Because it might not be there later.

So stack it up.   And start collecting names of contractors and tradesmen.  You will need them eventually, and it can’t hurt to be known to them.  Meatspace.

Oh, turns out there was some petty crime drama at home while I was up here.   More on that later.

Stack it up!

nick

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Mon. Jun. 27, 2022 – rain last night

After a quiet and hot  day, it rained late last night.  Temps dropped, moisture fell from the sky.   NO idea what effect it will have on today’s weather, but I’m guessing it’ll still be hot and humid.

Did some small thing yesterday but mostly hid from the heat and continued my convalescence.  No point in taking a step back because I pushed too hard.

There were a bunch of piddle around things to do, so I did some of them after dinner.   Unboxed and set up the new string trimmer, a couple of small ottomen, brought the tv in from the garage and set it up.

The TV powers on, has internal menues but no channels, and can’t see the external blueray player, so more to do there.    I have an amplified antenna, but may not set it up.  TV isn’t a priority for us, and especially not here but having the ability to watch a movie would be nice.  As to no picture, the TV could have a blown input card, the blueray player might be NFG or, most likely, the HDMI cable is bad.  Everything came out of my junk box, and I didn’t bring spares.   I guess I could try the wii console later, if I get motivated.

Today’s plan will depend on how I feel, and the weather.   I would like to cut the grass before it gets too hot.  And I can do more sprinkler work if I go slow.  Or there is plumbing inside that needs attention… we’ll see how it goes.

Seems like summer riot season started a bit late this year, but I suppose it’s getting in full swing.   Keep your awareness up, and avoid trouble.

You should be able to stay away from trouble, if you’re prepped up….

More than one reason to stack all the things!

Seriously though, stay safe out there.

nick

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Fri. Jun. 24, 2022 – still sick with the ‘rona, if that’s what it is…

Hot and humid.  83F when I went to bed, and only hotter after getting up and facing this day.   (unless something very strange happened after I went to bed.)  And it will probably be well over 100F today.

Spent yesterday asleep and online.  Did some auction stuff but mostly just hung out and went back to bed.

Plan to do mostly the same today.

Cough is worse.  Sounds worse anyway.   More stuff coming up too.   I still feel like it’s just a bad cold, with a bit of goofiness around the edges.  I am not flying to Chicago next Wednesday.  Pretty sure about that now.  And I’m not going to be out and about, because even if it is just a cold, no one wants me coughing around them.

OF COURSE, when I’ve got both kids out of the house, and big plans to get a bunch of work done…   I don’t.  And I’m not going to the store.  Or doing a whole bunch of stuff that will then push into next week, or the week after.  Gah.   Getting sick sucks.   Although it’s hard to b!tch if this is wuflu, as it’s been pretty mild.

Just ‘cuz I’m sidelined though, doesn’t mean YOU can’t keep stacking… so get to it!

n

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Thur. Jun. 23, 2022 – faux xi flu update, and general nonsense

Hot and humid, not really much relief due to yesterday’s small rain.  It did rain at my house, so that was nice.  It was still 80F when I went to bed for the night.

Spent the day alternately online and sleeping.   Felt only slightly worse when I went to bed.  Coughing is slightly more frequent, and is productive.  Aches continue.   Brain feels a bit fuzzy.   Still just self medicating and sleeping.

Still have weird patches of sore skin, that move and change with time.  Only hurt with contact.   Weirdness.

Can taste and smell.

Don’t really feel up to real work or even reading, but if I had to, I could.   Really just like a cold so far.

Hope I’m done by the time the kids get home, and that the wife avoids getting it.

Hope the rest of you are still stacking…

 

n

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Wed. Jun. 22, 2022 – chinese bioweapon update, and stuff

Hot, because Houston.  Humid, because Houston.

Over 100F yesterday and some parts of town did get rain.   The freeway was wet in the downtown area as I did my pickups.  The sun was like a laser burning my scalp too.  Blue sky and fluffy clouds LOOK nice, but whooo boy it was hot.

Posting the Tuesday night so I can get to bed and sleep in.

Went to bed Monday with a vague headache, but then had really bad chills.  No fever, just felt cold.  Double blanket solved that.  Woke up feeling like I had a mild hangover, some body aches, like I needed to stretch after sitting too long, and the barest suggestion of  a headache.  No fever.

Started my day, but my wife suggested I do the covid test just to be sure, and WHADDA YA KNOW.    Chinese “certificate” in the box didn’t exactly inspire confidence.  It did inspire anger that they are STILL profiting from this mess.

Kids had a test Sunday before camp and were negative.   Wife did her test when she got home from work yesterday and was negative.  I hope that continues to be the case.

Me?  I’m off to bed again.  I’ll check in during the day.  Sleep is usually my best medicine.

And I’ve got stuff stacked if I don’t feel better today.

Stack some stuff,

nick

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Tues. Mar. 15, 2022 – The Ides of March. Beware! If you’re Caesar.

The rest of us can probably not worry much.

Cool and wet in Houston.   Last I heard from up north a storm was rolling in at the lake…  but because of the complete lack of comms there, I’ll find out when I get back up there later today.

 

Regarding Barbara… I put up a post on her site and did an update comment late yesterday.  Long story short, her knee got infected (some MRSA variant) the knee replacement implant was removed, and she’s at a facility where they are both managing the infection and doing PT to get her strong enough to return home.  She is doing ok, better than the last time this happened, almost exactly 2 years ago.   She expects to be at home in a couple of weeks, and will probably not post until then.  If I have any news I’ll post here and at her site.

 

Regarding my adventures in BOL land… no comms.   My older cell booster couldn’t see anything.  The neighbor says his booster works ok, but only with verizon.  I’ll try my newer booster, but even if it works, someone in the family will be getting a verizon phone plan.   The neighbor is amenable to sharing his starlink service if it ever arrives, so that should ease things a great deal.

My wife spent the day painting out 70s plywood paneling.   I was messing with the antenna and booster most of the afternoon.   We got a late start, and wanted to take the first full day there a bit easy.   Kids were inflating stand up paddle boards, and kayaks.  Maybe we’ll get out on the lake today, if the weather opens up.   It was cool in the morning but got uncomfortable in the sun by afternoon.

I came home to reload the trailer and make a second run.   I also brought a bunch of scrap home to dispose of here.  No trash service up there.   I spent the evening loading up, and will load a bunch more stuff before leaving this morning.  I’ll unload and head back to Houston in the afternoon.  I have to return the trailer before 6pm.  I will probably spend tonight in Houston like last night, and head back up Wednesday morning.   I’ll load some more in the pickup, if it’s not raining.

It’s very unnerving to be completely without news up at the BOL.  No AM radio during the day, only a few FM stations, mostly church stations, and a country station.  No news breaks that I heard all morning.  I’m taking a shortwave with me today.  Funny if that works better than local.   I can also take my XM radio.   I will be putting up a tower at some point, for TV, cell, and ham radio.    We don’t have to watch or listen, but that’s a bit different than not being able to.    At some point I might try my DirecTV “camping” system.  It’s a dish on a ground supported tripod with 50ft of cable.   I’ve got plenty of DirecTV gear, but no active subscription.   It didn’t occur to me yesterday morning to try the XM in the car.  In any case, the world survived another day.  Gnu willing that will continue.

 

Busy days, lots of driving, and WWIII rumbling in the distance…  interesting times.

Stack something new today.

n

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Sat. Mar. 12, 2022- non-prepping hobby meeting today

COLD.  Windy last night, cold today.  40F when I went to bed with temps falling.  Hopefully clear and warming later.

Short shrift today as I was very tired and went to bed early.

I’ve got my hobby meeting today, then loading the vehicles, and then possibly heading up  to the BOL.  I say possibly because I’d like to do the driving on Sunday instead.   I might have to ‘stub out’ all the week’s posts too, in case I don’t find any internet, so that at least the door gets opened and the light’s turned on…

 

Spent yesterday doing errands to get ready for next week, and finishing up at my client’s.   Stopped at the bank to do some business too.  This time there wasn’t a line.  Needed cashier’s checks for an application with an agency.  In this day and age, no internet payment option, no credit cards accepted.    Pain in the backside.

(See, I’m living as if there will be a tomorrow, following the rules, because most often there IS a tomorrow.)

I really want somewhere outside the city to go, if I have to go, and this is all working toward that.

So stack what you can, learn what you can, and get ready for whatever comes.

nick

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Fri. Mar. 11, 2022 – Plenty to do, and getting ready for more work…

Cool again, but clear.  Yesterday was pretty nice by the time I got going.  Clear sky, warmish…  put me in mind of washing the vehicles.  Won’t do that, the paint needs its protective layer.

Did auction stuff, then did a pickup.  Swung by my storage unit and headed home.  STILL haven’t gotten to Costco.

Today I will swing past Costco.  I need gas in the Ranger, they have the Breathe Right strips on sale this week, and I want more rice and flour.  If they have any.  Plus, I need TP and paper towel for the BOL.

I need to also swing by my secondary and then drop something off out at my client’s place.  One trip to Conroe in there somewhere too for some auction stuff for the BOL.

I’ll be busy all day.

Some of it will contribute to my preparedness level.  Some will just contribute to domestic bliss.  And some will be a distraction.

Don’t let the news get too distracting for you.  Eyes on the prize!  Stack something…

n

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