Font Size:     

Category: WuFlu

Mon. Feb. 28, 2022 – early to bed and early to rise…

Cool, if not cold, with clear skies, maybe.    Yesterday started cold but turned into a very nice day.  I’m hoping for the same today.

Spent yesterday with other enthusiasts, learning more about our hobby.  About a baker’s dozen of us, no masks, decent sized room.   Felt very normal.  We do still have a couple of members limiting their contacts and avoiding crowds, but we’ve been meeting for around a year now without incident.  Mandates may be reinstated in Cali Lite (Austin) but they won’t fly down here.   People are making a personal choice every day and in every different situation, which is as it should be.

Didn’t get anything else substantial done this weekend.  Feeling a bit guilty about that, but such is life.

Will do some stuff today, hopefully some of it will be advancing my goals.  Short day though as it’s my afternoon with D2.   Given that we are once again under nuclear threat, something I thought was going to be limited to fanatics with improvised devices and limited reach, spending time on building “the good old days” is more important to me than ever.  Bloody hell, I was hoping we were past this sort of thing.  On the other hand, I did say this was one of the times of big change.  Can’t make omelettes without breaking eggs, amiright?

I’ve got empty buckets that need to be filled.  I better get busy on that.  And this is probably as good a time as any to rotate a few gas cans.

Keep stacking my friends.

n

Read the comments: 65 Comments

Sun. Feb. 27, 2022 – Another class day

Cold again.  Maybe some rain.  Probably grey and overcast, but I’ll be inside anyway, just like yesterday.   3pm felt like 6 pm …

I was in class all day, then home.  Didn’t get much done other than that.  Sometimes it be that way.

Plan for today is the same.

Plan for Monday involves some grocery shopping.

Also loading up some bins for a local auction.  I’ve got a lot of that to do.

Meanwhile, the players continue their dance.   The ‘western’ allies voted to cut Russia off from SWIFT, but Russia’s been planning for that for some time.  We’ll see how that plays out.  Could turn out to be the end of SWIFT and the petrodollar.   Force people to come up with an alternative to your fully captured system, and when they do, you are a dead system walking.

It’s important to remember that none of the things we expect as “the way things are” are actually written in stone.   There was a time before the Fed.  There was a time before fractional reserve banking.   There was a time before NATO.   A time before just about anything you care to name, and there can and WILL be a time AFTER too.

Whatever is coming after, that’s what I intend to see, and get through, and get my kids through.

Stack the things.  All the things.

n

Read the comments: 69 Comments

Sat. Feb. 26, 2022 – class all day

Cold and damp, chance of rain.  Friday was cold all day, and grey too.  Not a nice day to be driving all over the place but better than pouring down rain…

I did make my pickups though.  Among them, an inflatable stand up paddle board, and a “septic tank riser ring.”   No idea what the septic tank part is, but it was cheap, it was the first septic tank part I’ve ever seen in the auctions, and I just bought property with a septic tank.   Like the irrigation water pump, I figured that the way my life works, I should probably buy it when I see it.  So I did.   Got some double wall stove pipe too.  That makes 3 or 4  stove pipe pieces so far, cap, pipe, heat exchanger box, and something else too.  Again, my life works in a way that I felt like those things would be good to have.   There is an outbuilding that I’d love to have a woodstove in for heat…

Today my non-prepping hobby has a repair class.  I took it a couple of years ago, so this is a refresher, and a chance to get together with people.  Meatspace baby.

Did not get to the store today.  Did fill up the Ranger with gas.   $3.20/gal at Shell.   Not the cheapest store around, but wasn’t crazy expensive before this.   Most of the signs I passed were $3.10/gal.

Lots of people aware of the world situation.  Not many interested in going to Ukraine to fight .

 

The situation can change in a hurry.   Keep your head on a swivel, and keep stacking.

 

n

Read the comments: 43 Comments

Thur. Feb. 24, 2022 – war, violence, pestilence, plague–all coming soon to a city near you!

Cold again, mid to high 30s Fahrenheit early then slightly warmer and plenty damp.   Yesterday started warmer but cooled all day long.

Spent most of the day doing pickups.  After taking the dog to the vet for vax that he needed to continue going to his training class.   Then I was feeling poorly so I laid down for a bit.   Phone didn’t stop ringing during that hour.  Didn’t ring before or after.  The b@stards know.  All in all, not super efficient use of time.

Picked up D1 and spent the late afternoon thrifting.  She needed some stuff for the theater, so we looked while I picked up a bunch of media, and some resale items.   B&W speakers, for example.  Even with the scuffs they should sell for $175-200 the pair.  They were in the bins at the Goodwill outlet.  There were several other “good score” items as well.  D1 was impressed.   We didn’t get her props.

Took the dog to his last ‘training’ class.   The woman teaching is incredible with the dogs.   They WANT to do what she tells them.  All the dogs made good progress, and their owners learned a bunch of stuff too.

Today I’ll be headed out to my client’s house.(assuming nothing bad happens to my back while I sleep)

My back finally ‘popped’ while stretching in a parking lot, and the worst of the pain abated when everything was properly aligned once again.  Took an extra day  because I didn’t want to use the pain reliever.  Lesson learned. On the plus side, the yoga roller and the inversion table worked to get me back on track without chiropractic visits.  One of my goals was to have the stuff and the knowledge to deal with the situation without recourse to pro help.  Now to get started on prophylaxis.

I like western civilization.  I know a lot of people that wouldn’t be around if not for our high level of civilization.   But.   It is under threat from within and without.  Make your plans for doing without.  Without rule of law.  Without enough food.  Without solid and dependable utilities.  Without civilization in fact.

Stack the stuff you can’t create or replace or do without.  Stack it high.

n

Read the comments: 90 Comments

Wed. Feb. 23, 2022 – 02232022 – Still funny numbers

Warmer, damp.   Misty drizzle or real rain, maybe.   Got some mist yesterday, but no real rain.  Which was ok with me.  Hoping for same today.

Back was killing me, so hanging speakers from a ladder and crawling around in an attic was contraindicated for me yesterday.   We’ll see how it goes today after some pain meds at bedtime.

I did get some pickups done.  Lots of stuff for the BOL.

Will do another pickup today, and swing by the Habitat reStore.  Then if my back is solid, I’ll go out to my client’s place.   If not, it might have to wait another day.

This pattern of working one day, injured the next couple, is not going to let me do all the stuff I need to do at the BOL.  I need to get rehabilitated.  Not sure how that will happen, but I think I’ll start with Tai Chi and stretching.  As soon as this episode is over.

Physical condition, I’ve either been fooling myself, or there’s been a drastic change in the last year or two.  Either way, gotta fix it.

Can’t stack up health, so stack up health aids.  And labor aids, like rope, pulleys, hand trucks, wheelbarrows, carts, winches, and power tools.  You’ll be glad you did.

n

Read the comments: 72 Comments

Tues. Feb. 22, 2022 – or TWOs-day, 2-22-22, I’m not the only one messing with dates!

Or 22-2-22…

Warmer, windy, possibility of rain here.   Didn’t get rain per se yesterday and the sun came out later.  84F at one point…  sure felt like spring.   We’re on the edge of rain and storms for the next three days according to the national forecast.  That usually means we don’t get rained on.

Spent yesterday at home, nursing my back.  Felt ok, right on the edge of bad for most of the day with occasionally solid pain.  Took some pain reliever before bed again.  Don’t want to lose control of this and end up hurting for a week.

Saw the Optometrist yesterday.  I’ve got a long and varied medical history with my eyes.   Not good things either.*  Most Drs are surprised I can see at all, let alone in the 20/20 to 20/40 range when they go through my medical history.  Since I was there with the kid, and she had an appointment open, I figured I’d just get checked.  And it was good.  Some of the really old stuff has healed to the point you can’t even tell.   She wrote a prescription if I want to get some actual glasses and correct the mild astig in one eye, but otherwise they’re close enough to each other, and the diopter is close enough to OTC cheaters, I can keep using inexpensive reading glasses.  That is great news as I’ve been stocking up on cheaters in the auctions.  I buy the ones Costco sells.  The metal rimmed glasses are pretty good quality.  I’ve got a decent stock for a couple of years anyway.

Today I’ll do a pickup or two, then head over to my client to finish up some notes.   That should fill the day.

Stacking money is good too, and I’m working on it.

Things are getting weirder, quicker.  I think the pebbles are starting to roll and pick up speed.  Stack it high and deep.

n

 

*traumatic flap cut in cornea- resulting in scarring and ‘bubbles’, arc flash damage from welding, massive arc flash damage from an electrical accident, chemical burns from laundry soap, laser burn from an industrial accident, LASIK before it was FDA approved, ulcer on cornea that wouldn’t heal for decades (now healed), PRK to correct astigmatism, deep corneal abrasion from poking my eye with my safety glasses (the one she’s most concerned about), infection from dirty contacts, sensitivity to flicker, and eye saccadic movement issues.  I am a firm believer in using safety glasses.

Read the comments: 106 Comments

Mon. Feb. 21, 2022 – 02212022 – Presidents’ Day, or just another day to work

Cool-ish and plenty damp. Misty fog in the forecast.  Probably clearing later.  It’s how yesterday started, and ended.  With parts of Houston getting showers, I only got mist on the north side, and west side.

I spent the day doing stuff, and then the afternoon and evening moving heavy stuff around at my secondary and storage unit.  That made two days in a row with lifting and carrying and my back is killing me.

Kids are home today, so I’m home too.   I have plenty to do but very little interest in doing it.  I feel like I should be doing our normal hurricane prep– what with the things going on on the world stage, and closer to home.

I should feel a sense of urgency, but I can’t muster the energy.  Disaster fatigue?  Who knows.  Time is short though.

Go stack something.  Lots of somethings.

n

Read the comments: 109 Comments

Sun. Feb. 20, 2022 – a day of rest……………. ha! only kidding!

Cool and damp, maybe even cold…   It wasn’t bad yesterday.  Started cold, got cool, then even nice later in the day.  Sun was out and that was nice.  Today should be similar.

Did my volunteer time at the kid’s school.   We updated and installed a bunch of lights in their theater.  Turns out, my wife is working a plan in meatspace, as well as helping out with the theater and PTA.  It’s not an ulterior motive, it’s just that her involvement has multiple motives.

Closed out the basketball season with younger kid.

‘Bout ready to close out winter and start on Spring, truth be told.

No further info about closing tomorrow on the BOL… but we filed and amendment to move closing to next week.  Probably not necessary, but in the current real estate market, crossing every T and dotting every I is advisable.

And none of my tasks got accomplished on Saturday.  So I have more than ever to do today.  If I’m not a groaning sore broken wreck…

Build some relationships out in meatspace.  Move a project or three forward.  Stack some stuff.  Ya know ya wanna….

n

Read the comments: 62 Comments

Sat. Feb. 19, 2022 – it certainly keeps me busy…

Cold and windy, and cold.  Yesterday started cold and stayed cool all day, although the sun did come out and it did warm up somewhat.

I ran a bunch of errands during the day.   Cooked some of the $5/pound T bone steaks for dinner.  Read.  Went to bed early.  I was wiped out.

Today I’ll be helping my wife upgrade the lighting in the theatre in the school D1 attends.  I’ll also be taking a bunch of BOL stuff to my secondary.  I’ve got a plan, but it’s probably not a good one… gonna try anyway.

 

While I do believe bad things will be happening and bad times will come and get worse, I still have to live my life like there IS a tomorrow.  Hence the volunteer hours at school, and the getting together with other families, and buying a lakehouse…   Forecast calls for pain, but the forecasters are wrong all the time too.

So stack, but LIVE too.

n

Read the comments: 100 Comments

Fri. Feb. 18, 2022 – you load 16 tons and whadda ya get???

Cold today.  Yesterday was rainy in the morning, but dried up and got hot in the afternoon. Temps  started dropping in the late afternoon and it was down to 42F at 11pm.  Wind was variable but quite gusty.  Stuff was blowing around in the yard and driveway. Today is supposed to be cold with overcast.  Joy.

Did my pickups.  Got some stuff for the BOL.   Got some stuff for this household.   Picked up a couple of small things to resell to pay for the rest and one item for my hobby.

Got stuff to donate to school.  White man’s burden?  Noblesse oblige?  Can’t call it either, but in our district they definitely expect parents with the means to step up and contribute in some way to the schools and the district in general and there isn’t a lot of diversite’ above certain income levels.   It’s not just income though, it’s free time and the ability to work at something effectively.  The loss of the fraternal service organizations and their ‘women’s auxiliary’ and the womens service clubs was a nearly fatal blow to US society and western culture.  “Moms’ Clubs” and other informal groups are stepping up, but they lack the continuity and structure of the old groups.  The transition from high trust to low trust is everywhere and increasingly common.

Stuff for the BOL is piling up.   I need to close so we can start moving stuff out of my spaces and out to the country.  Unfortunately,  unless the title company pulls their head out of their backside, I don’t think we’ll be closing on Monday.

There is the additional macroeconomic consideration too.  We transferred a bunch of money into one place, in preparation for buying the BOL.  Now Canada has gone and said they will seize bank accounts if they feel like it.   That SHOULD cause a bank run.  There is some suggestion that at least a low key bank run is happening.  A real bank run could cause widespread damage and disruption worldwide, but certainly in their largest trading partner, the US.    So, I want to get the transaction done without delay, so as to avoid getting screwed if the banks shut down.

And all of the vehicles need maintenance of some kind.  Ranger and Expy need oil changes.   Expy is going to need new front brake pads soon.  Wife’s minivan probably needs everything…  it never ends.

The house still needs all the stuff it needed a couple of months ago, with the only exception being that the water heater is installed and making hot water.   Not completely installed, or anywhere near finished, but installed.

After a month or two of feeling resigned, I feel like fighting again.   Not rested, but going back at it anyway.

I’m stacking, hopefully the right things, and you should be too.

 

N

 

(and congrats to everyone that is, Mr Lynn, Mr Atoz, and anyone else who is trying out a prep, or stacking.)

Read the comments: 80 Comments
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- // end of file archive.php // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------