Well Time for those New Years Resolutions as 2012 is ending. I am not resolving to do anything special this year other than stop trying to help everyone. I am done being Mr Nice Guy there to lend a hand and help people out no matter what. There have been times this past year when I have went above and beyond to help people and expected nothing in return. I have also had some seriously low emotional points where I could have used someone, anyone really to spend human face time talking with to sooth my mental well being. These same people that have parasitical leeched my time, money, and kindness would not even answer the freaking phone when I called and needed to talk.
There are two people who were there for me when I needed someone and they know who they are if they even realize that I write a blog. I am done with self involved self centered human leeches. The fact that I am kind, moderately intelligent, and gifted with gadgets people want my time and knowledge for free at their beck and call. I started my new attitude today at work when a co-worker wanted to pick my brain on computer related subject. I stated loudly and clearly that as this place we work did nothing to empower or assist in my education that my knowledge that is not directly related to the skills I am required to perform was something I no longer give for free. My hourly rates start at $40 an hour to look at a computer whether it is an issue that is a quick fix or not. $40 cash in hand or get lost.
I arrived at this number from a friend who does computer repair and he said that the amount normally thin's out the idiots and pests who want their computer fixed and monitored for free. Legit problems then are much more easily dealt with by someone who really needs something fixed and is willing to part with the cash. These are sound rational human beings who are a joy to help and you then cut them a break when possible.
This same mercenary attitude is also being carried over into other aspects of my life in dealing with family and other friends. I have enough friends and do not want to add more life draining friends to the mix. Have plenty of those. I want to add people of substance and value to my life. People who will bring out the positive in me and help me decrease the negative.
MESSAGE ENDS
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Bah Humbug!
Well no work this holiday for me. I am scheduled to be on duty tomorrow morning but thanks to the ass clown I work with who came in sick last shift and announced " I don't give a fuck if you all get sick I am not going home so fuck you all!"Nice colleagues I share a working environment with for 48 hours at a time. So this prick was serious as he did not isolate himself in his bunk-room at all, would come out to the day-room cough all over without covering his mouth then dig through the fridge and cough more into it. I felt cruddy yesterday while delivering Christmas gift but shrugged it off as just feeling blue and crappy spending another holiday basically alone. Without my online friends, the few real world friends living in other states, and one friend here in AZ, I would be lost this time of the year.
So yesterday afternoon the cruddy feeling became full blown fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue, and huge swollen glands in my neck. I was a sick kid growing up; sore throats, strep throat, and tonsillitis were my common ailments. I started a ibuprofen regimen along with hydration plan. I gave in this morning and went to urgent care and spent the required 2 hours waiting with the angry unwashed masses of humanity waiting to be seen by the doctor. The upside to being a 13 EMT, being quiet, well spoken, and polite is that I have an excellent rapport with most healthcare workers.
The staff at this Urgent Care near my residence know me and know I am not seeking pain meds or attention. I am just there for some antibiotics so I can get better and carry on with my life. Smiling and flirting with the Medical Assistants and treating them like worthwhile human beings by asking how they are today and calling them by their first name goes a long way. Some people spend 30 minutes in the back from time they leave the lobby until they are seen by a sent on their way with a prescription. I am in and out in less than 15 minutes normally.
Kindness and patience does pay. I put a mini-seminar on for the one angry man next to me in the lobby about why the wait was so long. He completely changed his attitude towards the Urgent Care practice and the staff during that short 10 minutes. I try to do good things each day some days are better than others. I think I helped this man understand something new today so that is my win for the day.
Well Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone who actually reads these rambling accounts of my life.
So yesterday afternoon the cruddy feeling became full blown fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue, and huge swollen glands in my neck. I was a sick kid growing up; sore throats, strep throat, and tonsillitis were my common ailments. I started a ibuprofen regimen along with hydration plan. I gave in this morning and went to urgent care and spent the required 2 hours waiting with the angry unwashed masses of humanity waiting to be seen by the doctor. The upside to being a 13 EMT, being quiet, well spoken, and polite is that I have an excellent rapport with most healthcare workers.
The staff at this Urgent Care near my residence know me and know I am not seeking pain meds or attention. I am just there for some antibiotics so I can get better and carry on with my life. Smiling and flirting with the Medical Assistants and treating them like worthwhile human beings by asking how they are today and calling them by their first name goes a long way. Some people spend 30 minutes in the back from time they leave the lobby until they are seen by a sent on their way with a prescription. I am in and out in less than 15 minutes normally.
Kindness and patience does pay. I put a mini-seminar on for the one angry man next to me in the lobby about why the wait was so long. He completely changed his attitude towards the Urgent Care practice and the staff during that short 10 minutes. I try to do good things each day some days are better than others. I think I helped this man understand something new today so that is my win for the day.
Well Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone who actually reads these rambling accounts of my life.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Wednesday Blue's
Back at work for another shift. It is weird how when I am at home I just want to be at work and at work I want to be home. I guess the grass is always greener. Home life does suck lately but I try to make the best of it. Mom spending her days watching TV and getting brainwashed by the Mainstream Media is very hard to watch. There is just something not right about it, I feel so much better now that I rarely watch live TV and just get the programs I really enjoy as scheduled viewing events as time allows. Tomorrow brings another payday for me so I will be ghetto rich for a few days. I should just pay shit off and try to find something nice for Mom for Christmas but have not clue what to get for her again this year. Just need to finish small items shopping for two co workers and I be done with the holiday madness.
The Sandy Hook shooting has really changed the national consciousness about guns again. I hate that people no longer can think for themselves and only parrot what the talking heads have to say, their friends on the social media have to say, or other sources in the internet. When going to college I was taught you need to use real source material for any research why does this not apply to the news?
Social life is not a functioning thing. How sad is it that I drove a total of 6 hours yesterday to go to Phoenix area to see a good friend for 2 hours? I am so lonely most days I would do anything and have done things for people who are my friends. I only have 2 friends in the state of Arizona. I know many people but have none I really can count on to show up when I am in need. Unfortunately this is how my life has always been. I have people I can call to talk when I need that but there are times when you need someone there for face time.
Oh well only 1 more day until the world ends. So be it. MESSAGE ENDS
The Sandy Hook shooting has really changed the national consciousness about guns again. I hate that people no longer can think for themselves and only parrot what the talking heads have to say, their friends on the social media have to say, or other sources in the internet. When going to college I was taught you need to use real source material for any research why does this not apply to the news?
Social life is not a functioning thing. How sad is it that I drove a total of 6 hours yesterday to go to Phoenix area to see a good friend for 2 hours? I am so lonely most days I would do anything and have done things for people who are my friends. I only have 2 friends in the state of Arizona. I know many people but have none I really can count on to show up when I am in need. Unfortunately this is how my life has always been. I have people I can call to talk when I need that but there are times when you need someone there for face time.
Oh well only 1 more day until the world ends. So be it. MESSAGE ENDS
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Being a Nice Guy
Another Sunday here in the High Desert in Mohave County. Weather is getting cool for the natives of AZ but just right for this Minnesota Farmboy. O for some real lasting snow and double digit negative degree windchill. That would bring a smile to me face. Yes I know I ain't right.
Yesterday was the first day of my four days off after a mild shift on the funbus. I had a commitment to one female friend to provide transport for her to work until I could pickup her car at the shop. Same car I helped her purchase. Stop rolling your eyes I am not her sugar daddy. She is a good person who has hit a really bad stretch. Been there myself and was helped in this same way by a close friend who did these same things for me almost 20 years ago. Karma is more than just a hippie slogan.
I had to drive from my job to her house and then to her work. Basically when I dropped her off 5 minutes late(Not my fault ass-clowns on the shift after me could not show up if there lives depended on it on fucking time ever)Returned home and on the trip back another female friend called in a panic about her lady bits and excessive abnormal bleeding. This woman is an ex of mine. Long story stupid chick. So after giving her my Emergency Medical Technician perspective on the problem and her choices I am now committed to picking this chick up at her place as her ghetto glider would not handle the trip to the ER.
So I got to spend 4 hours with a neurotic self involved judgmental woman in the ER. She wanted the magic pixie dust everyone thinks they will get by going to the ER. She was given antibiotics and told to go she her ob/gyn. Same thing I told her 4 hours prior. I drop her off, add gas to my car to go get my friend at work. Take her back to her car, get my hug good night, and go home alone.
Annoyed, lonely, and horny. Ugh, that is my life right now. Service to others for all the good it actually does me. I know that being a good person is supposed to be it's own reward but come on...at what point will I get to have the happiness I so badly want. I have a best friend that I really need in the first woman.
I just get frustrated going through life eternally alone. I am the one others depend on, fine with that but there are days I need to lean on someone. Guess the correct Catholic answer would be to lean on Jesus but someone here and now would really help me mental state. MESSAGE ENDS
Yesterday was the first day of my four days off after a mild shift on the funbus. I had a commitment to one female friend to provide transport for her to work until I could pickup her car at the shop. Same car I helped her purchase. Stop rolling your eyes I am not her sugar daddy. She is a good person who has hit a really bad stretch. Been there myself and was helped in this same way by a close friend who did these same things for me almost 20 years ago. Karma is more than just a hippie slogan.
I had to drive from my job to her house and then to her work. Basically when I dropped her off 5 minutes late(Not my fault ass-clowns on the shift after me could not show up if there lives depended on it on fucking time ever)Returned home and on the trip back another female friend called in a panic about her lady bits and excessive abnormal bleeding. This woman is an ex of mine. Long story stupid chick. So after giving her my Emergency Medical Technician perspective on the problem and her choices I am now committed to picking this chick up at her place as her ghetto glider would not handle the trip to the ER.
So I got to spend 4 hours with a neurotic self involved judgmental woman in the ER. She wanted the magic pixie dust everyone thinks they will get by going to the ER. She was given antibiotics and told to go she her ob/gyn. Same thing I told her 4 hours prior. I drop her off, add gas to my car to go get my friend at work. Take her back to her car, get my hug good night, and go home alone.
Annoyed, lonely, and horny. Ugh, that is my life right now. Service to others for all the good it actually does me. I know that being a good person is supposed to be it's own reward but come on...at what point will I get to have the happiness I so badly want. I have a best friend that I really need in the first woman.
I just get frustrated going through life eternally alone. I am the one others depend on, fine with that but there are days I need to lean on someone. Guess the correct Catholic answer would be to lean on Jesus but someone here and now would really help me mental state. MESSAGE ENDS
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Paradise
It's another December day here in the high desert. I am oddly glad to be working at the ambulance. Just hate being a home lately, trying very hard to be nice to my Mother, kind, and supportive. It's a challenge to watch someone you live let their health deteriorate before your eyes. She refuses to deal further with her COPD, I know at this point her stopping smoking would do more harm than good as the stress to her heart would be really bad but shit! I still have to live in the house with a smoker, she has her perch in the middle to the kitchen by the sink and it makes life inconvenient as hell. I am doing a good job loosing weight and exercising but fuck I end up eating at 6am 11zm and 4pm to accommodate around her.
I promised Dad on his deathbed I would make sure she is taken care of and I still am but it is a challenge emotionally. Having to family support takes its toll on me. The friends I have all look to me for emotional support and to listen to them and their complaints. Fine I will be a good friend and do that but when is it my turn? When do I get to vent? Oh wait I am not allowed that option. Just eat the shit sandwich, smile, and ask for more...
To me Paradise is someplace where I could have the happiness I long for. Someone to love me for me, a comfortable chair to read in, a decent kitchen to cook in, and a hot tub where I could soak my weary body. Maybe the next time around on the wheel of life I will be allowed some small measure of happiness and not another life spent in service to others.
I promised Dad on his deathbed I would make sure she is taken care of and I still am but it is a challenge emotionally. Having to family support takes its toll on me. The friends I have all look to me for emotional support and to listen to them and their complaints. Fine I will be a good friend and do that but when is it my turn? When do I get to vent? Oh wait I am not allowed that option. Just eat the shit sandwich, smile, and ask for more...
To me Paradise is someplace where I could have the happiness I long for. Someone to love me for me, a comfortable chair to read in, a decent kitchen to cook in, and a hot tub where I could soak my weary body. Maybe the next time around on the wheel of life I will be allowed some small measure of happiness and not another life spent in service to others.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Another Sunday
Another Sunday at work. Doing the 48 hour weekend shift. I love it because there is no administration on the property. Work is work, started year 13 as an EMT-Basic. I have surpassed the burnout phase and turned it into career. This last month has been one of change and acceptance for me. My mother; who I have lived with and stayed in this god forsaken desert to take care of because of a promise to my dying Father in 2002, finally admitted to herself that she can no longer work and quit drawing her unemployment after her wrongful termination this past February. This is a blessing and curse for me as now she is dealing with the depression of being dependent on me financially with no way to control the situation. I make a decent living and have plenty of time off. No wife and no kids so all my income goes to my small bills and student loans. She has really had no idea what I earn as all it has been is an abstract concept that I would always buy groceries and give her whatever she asked for or buy whatever she wanted with no thought to the price. We had a screaming match over my buying of a $2500 1980 Ford Bronco as a second vehicle for myself and a project to fiddle with as it is something I really miss doing since I have been trapped in this existence in this desert wasteland. I finally changed all insurance-renters and auto into my own name and found more reasonable prices. She freaked. I finally showed her my tax return from 2011 and told her I am on course to make $3000 over last year. She read the numbers twice and shut the hell up.
A sweet older neighbor lady that is my Mom's best friend asked me to come over to her home to explain her doctors paper work to her. While there I vented my frustration to this sweet lady who now claims me as an adopted grandson. I told her everything. She said while you are at work she would have a talk with my Mom and give her a reality check. She said my Mom is totally spoiled and does not realize she is the envy of the neighbors having a devoted son who caters to her every whim and asks for nothing other that some peace and quiet the night before he goes on duty at the ambulance. I further explained when this sweet lady asked why I did not go to Med School to become a Doctor. I told her I was conditionally accepted at a Physicians Assistant School in Las Vegas but could not go and work full-time and go to school full-time while caring for Mom. To say she was utterly shocked would be an understatement. Well I worked and came home and my Mom's attitude was changed. I am pretty sure my neighbor gave my Mom an ear full.
This years help someone out before the holiday's project has been my best friend Dani. I got her a decent running car from a guy I work with at the ambulance. Its a land yacht but mechanically sound with a few minor things to fix. I am doing all I can to help her get on her feet again and out of her parents home where her and her children are not treated that well. She is a hard worker with a few health issues but she is really striving to get independent again. She got a job the next day after getting the car. She has done hair for several years and is an instructor as well. She is really talented and its nice to watch her life improving though some minor help from me.
I finally went back to church after another 2 year hiatus. I did a full confession and started attending mass again. Its not cool to be a Catholic in today's jaded society but I was never cool anyway. I forgot the comfort that attending mass and going through the rituals of catholic faith brings me. Now if I could find a woman who would want to love me and have a family I could become a whole man again and move forward in my life. Just have to have a little faith and hope for the best.
A sweet older neighbor lady that is my Mom's best friend asked me to come over to her home to explain her doctors paper work to her. While there I vented my frustration to this sweet lady who now claims me as an adopted grandson. I told her everything. She said while you are at work she would have a talk with my Mom and give her a reality check. She said my Mom is totally spoiled and does not realize she is the envy of the neighbors having a devoted son who caters to her every whim and asks for nothing other that some peace and quiet the night before he goes on duty at the ambulance. I further explained when this sweet lady asked why I did not go to Med School to become a Doctor. I told her I was conditionally accepted at a Physicians Assistant School in Las Vegas but could not go and work full-time and go to school full-time while caring for Mom. To say she was utterly shocked would be an understatement. Well I worked and came home and my Mom's attitude was changed. I am pretty sure my neighbor gave my Mom an ear full.
This years help someone out before the holiday's project has been my best friend Dani. I got her a decent running car from a guy I work with at the ambulance. Its a land yacht but mechanically sound with a few minor things to fix. I am doing all I can to help her get on her feet again and out of her parents home where her and her children are not treated that well. She is a hard worker with a few health issues but she is really striving to get independent again. She got a job the next day after getting the car. She has done hair for several years and is an instructor as well. She is really talented and its nice to watch her life improving though some minor help from me.
I finally went back to church after another 2 year hiatus. I did a full confession and started attending mass again. Its not cool to be a Catholic in today's jaded society but I was never cool anyway. I forgot the comfort that attending mass and going through the rituals of catholic faith brings me. Now if I could find a woman who would want to love me and have a family I could become a whole man again and move forward in my life. Just have to have a little faith and hope for the best.
Friday, November 16, 2012
What the day brings.
It's another Friday night here in the lonely desert in Golden Valley. Looks like it will be another night of me sitting at home in front of the idiot box. This time of year is always hard. The ungodly heat turns in to the cold of the high desert but you get a nice month or so...
Spent the day doing odd jobs finishing projects I needed to work on an as needed. For once I actually account list everything I needed to do. Spent a lot of time thinking about things best left not bothered with, roads not taken, paths not chosen. Things that can really depress a man realized he has hit middle-age. I am slowly coming around to accepting the fact that I probably will be single eternally. It is what it is.
Never understand why when you're with someone all your old exes will show up have all kinds the interest in you but when you're single there isn't a woman willing to look at you even if you're on fire and shitting million-dollar bills?
Spent the day doing odd jobs finishing projects I needed to work on an as needed. For once I actually account list everything I needed to do. Spent a lot of time thinking about things best left not bothered with, roads not taken, paths not chosen. Things that can really depress a man realized he has hit middle-age. I am slowly coming around to accepting the fact that I probably will be single eternally. It is what it is.
Never understand why when you're with someone all your old exes will show up have all kinds the interest in you but when you're single there isn't a woman willing to look at you even if you're on fire and shitting million-dollar bills?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Thank You to All Veterans!
I would like to thank all current and active veterans out there. Your service is much appreciated.
Ugh! It's a Monday Yall, I was up a O dark thirty getting my ME time with my walking routine. Made the 3+ mile was in the dark in just over and hour. I am getting my night eyes back again and now that the temps in Northern AZ are closer to the norm my MN body appreciates I have come out of Summer hibernation mode.
Got home to disaster of the day for my Mom, the 9+ year old home theater surround sound system finally shit the bed. I knew it was coming. I have babied that system and done all I could to extend the life but the bootleg power grid here is so hard on electronics no matter how good the system the power source inside finally went. Trying to find a shop to look at it to confirm my fears was futile on a holiday Monday. I was able to take it apart and show Mom what was the fubar part and why it no workie when she hit magic power button.
She was still not happy but not insane with panic over the event. Just one more small loss of control for her to adjust to now that she has finally fully retired and allowed me to support her. No we just clash on matters of money. Big pain in the ass but I promised my Dad on his deathbed I would take care of her, and almost 11 years later I still am doing that. For better or worse I continue to carry on with my task. Family its not just an ABC channel or political slogan.
Well time to organize my gear for another 48 hour shift at the ambo in the morning. Meh, pays the bills.
Read about this link on Claires blog good stuff go there!
http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/ClaireWolfe/2012/11/12/preparedness-backup-reference-library/
Ugh! It's a Monday Yall, I was up a O dark thirty getting my ME time with my walking routine. Made the 3+ mile was in the dark in just over and hour. I am getting my night eyes back again and now that the temps in Northern AZ are closer to the norm my MN body appreciates I have come out of Summer hibernation mode.
Got home to disaster of the day for my Mom, the 9+ year old home theater surround sound system finally shit the bed. I knew it was coming. I have babied that system and done all I could to extend the life but the bootleg power grid here is so hard on electronics no matter how good the system the power source inside finally went. Trying to find a shop to look at it to confirm my fears was futile on a holiday Monday. I was able to take it apart and show Mom what was the fubar part and why it no workie when she hit magic power button.
She was still not happy but not insane with panic over the event. Just one more small loss of control for her to adjust to now that she has finally fully retired and allowed me to support her. No we just clash on matters of money. Big pain in the ass but I promised my Dad on his deathbed I would take care of her, and almost 11 years later I still am doing that. For better or worse I continue to carry on with my task. Family its not just an ABC channel or political slogan.
Well time to organize my gear for another 48 hour shift at the ambo in the morning. Meh, pays the bills.
Read about this link on Claires blog good stuff go there!
http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/ClaireWolfe/2012/11/12/preparedness-backup-reference-library/
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
It's turning out to be a normal day here at the ambulance nothing new and exciting to report just more of the same. Keep getting messed with day in and day out nothing really changes everything stays the same it gets rather annoying but the pay is good and we get to sleep in a decent bed at night and get paid to start around online.
The election nonsense is over Obama one woo hoo nothing new to report their there be another four more years of more of the same us getting jammed up, an agenda for increased taxes, and other ways to pay for increased entitlements. I'm not against entitlements for helping the poor and needy but charity should be at my discretion not from people back east who have no idea who I want to help or why I should be forced to help in the form of increased taxes.
In other news my idiot doctor refused to see me again tomorrow after I plan taking sick time to go and see him. He canceled for another planned emergency surgery I'm now supposed to see him on Friday morning I hope.
The writing is actually going fairly well for the Nam Mo no contest I am somewhere around my first thousand words and they(words) coming fast, organizing my thoughts is actually taking longer than the physical writing.
message ends
The election nonsense is over Obama one woo hoo nothing new to report their there be another four more years of more of the same us getting jammed up, an agenda for increased taxes, and other ways to pay for increased entitlements. I'm not against entitlements for helping the poor and needy but charity should be at my discretion not from people back east who have no idea who I want to help or why I should be forced to help in the form of increased taxes.
In other news my idiot doctor refused to see me again tomorrow after I plan taking sick time to go and see him. He canceled for another planned emergency surgery I'm now supposed to see him on Friday morning I hope.
The writing is actually going fairly well for the Nam Mo no contest I am somewhere around my first thousand words and they(words) coming fast, organizing my thoughts is actually taking longer than the physical writing.
message ends
Monday, November 5, 2012
Today's blog is going to be a new experience as I am trying to use Dragon speaking 11.5
so far this is becoming fairly easy to use and rather user-friendly I am really quite impressed it was a very affordable by off of Amazon for only $24. This should come in quite useful in this month's writing contest on NaMoNo. The other good thing to know is that today is the last night of those God awful election ads I'm not even turning on the bloody TV.
There has been a lot on my mind today as my good friend gauge Underhill is going through the Academy portion of his combat leadership school back in Tennessee. This is a really remarkable feat for a man who is 44 and reentered the national guard to finish out his 20 years. He is now in better shape at 44 than he was when he was 20.
This new writing device is going to make me very lazy since I only have to do some minimal manual editing even with the low RAM, on my Acer aspire laptop.
so far this is becoming fairly easy to use and rather user-friendly I am really quite impressed it was a very affordable by off of Amazon for only $24. This should come in quite useful in this month's writing contest on NaMoNo. The other good thing to know is that today is the last night of those God awful election ads I'm not even turning on the bloody TV.
There has been a lot on my mind today as my good friend gauge Underhill is going through the Academy portion of his combat leadership school back in Tennessee. This is a really remarkable feat for a man who is 44 and reentered the national guard to finish out his 20 years. He is now in better shape at 44 than he was when he was 20.
This new writing device is going to make me very lazy since I only have to do some minimal manual editing even with the low RAM, on my Acer aspire laptop.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Life is ever changing sometimes. People come in and out at increasing speeds as week age. The dilation of time of awe inspiring. As a child days were like years waiting for Christmas but as a adult one season rolls into the next at a breakneck pace. The modern nature of the 24/7 world does not help this phenomena. But what can one man do, I am not Atlas and I cannot move the world no matter how big a lever I can find.
In other news I have finally pulled the trigger and entered the writing contest. I am behind but will catch up to the 50k word limit by the end of the month. I just scrapped my outline and I am going free form on the mad monkey and interested to see what get regurgitated by my fingers.
In other news I have finally pulled the trigger and entered the writing contest. I am behind but will catch up to the 50k word limit by the end of the month. I just scrapped my outline and I am going free form on the mad monkey and interested to see what get regurgitated by my fingers.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Furry Friends
Sitting here in my chair in front of the computer killing this morning waiting on the fate of my little 4 legged friend Salsa. 
This little dog is very special to Mother and I guess if I am being honest to me as well. She came to us in 2004 after my Mothers dog was ran over at her alky boyfriends home on Valentines Day. Never liked that guy or that dog. I am an animal person but I never connected with that dog on any level. I was always a big dog person if and when I had space to own one. The dog who died was a nasty little black cockapoo. Bleh, I hated that animal and was glad it was gone but felt bad for Mom.
A friend of hers gave her little Salsa shortly afterwards. This little dog changed my mind about small dogs. For a 7 pound dog she had the personality of a much larger creature. Our time with Salsa has been truly interesting.
This 14 year old little ball of energy has had more money spent on its healthcare than all dogs I have ever owned combined; Rectal abscess repair, ACL surgery on Left ACL, Steroid injections on Right ACL, 6 week grooming cycle for nail trims and anal glad expression, full sedation dental cleaning, Science Diet dry dog food, and now Senior nutrition soft canned food.
Not cheap but Mom has the most faithful companion guarding the home while I am away working for the ambulance company.
This little dog is very special to Mother and I guess if I am being honest to me as well. She came to us in 2004 after my Mothers dog was ran over at her alky boyfriends home on Valentines Day. Never liked that guy or that dog. I am an animal person but I never connected with that dog on any level. I was always a big dog person if and when I had space to own one. The dog who died was a nasty little black cockapoo. Bleh, I hated that animal and was glad it was gone but felt bad for Mom.
A friend of hers gave her little Salsa shortly afterwards. This little dog changed my mind about small dogs. For a 7 pound dog she had the personality of a much larger creature. Our time with Salsa has been truly interesting.
This 14 year old little ball of energy has had more money spent on its healthcare than all dogs I have ever owned combined; Rectal abscess repair, ACL surgery on Left ACL, Steroid injections on Right ACL, 6 week grooming cycle for nail trims and anal glad expression, full sedation dental cleaning, Science Diet dry dog food, and now Senior nutrition soft canned food.
Not cheap but Mom has the most faithful companion guarding the home while I am away working for the ambulance company.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Starting From Nothing: Preparing Quickly, Efficiently and Cost-Consciously
Here is another cut and paste compilation of work that is not my own but intended to be a very good primer to awaken to the current reality.
This is not my own work but a reproduction of the authors with their embedded links to the original website.
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Starting From Nothing: Preparing Quickly, Efficiently and Cost-Consciously, by C.M.F.
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My husband and I are new to the concept of prepping and self-sufficient living, having just begun the process in the last 30 to 60 days. Our journey when world events began to heat up in the Middle East and we started asking “what if” questions. Our ignorance means that we have a lot of learning, practicing and catching up to do. I am fairly confident that we are not the only ones to slowly become aware of the necessity of preparing. I thought that I would share what we have done to get started in the hopes that this information will be helpful to anyone else that is new to prepping. So, how should one start if they have done absolutely nothing thus far?
God Prepares A Way
Even though I titled this “Starting from Nothing”, that is not an entirely accurate phrase. God prepares a way for us, even when we are not fully aware of the long-term ramifications of His design. Our journey has been a gradual one, without us even realizing it. A few years ago I read a book titled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which raised our awareness about where our food comes from. Then we watched the video Food, Inc.. and that really scared us! I began to cook from scratch as much as possible, buying what I could from butchers and farmers’ markets. Unfortunately, we lived in a large city with a tiny lot. Gardening was not an option and I felt limited in our choices. But, for some reason that I cannot really explain, I purchased two books: Back to Basics and The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It.
In June 2011, God opened a way for our family to move to a small community of less than 2,000 residents in northern Wisconsin. We were able to negotiate a 12-year fixed [interest rate] land contract for a good sized house on a larger than average city lot. It was too late to plant a garden, but I was able to negotiate for some fresh produce from neighbors, members of our church and the local Amish community. I learned how to can and borrowed a dehydrator and learned how to dehydrate our food. Granted, it was not enough to feed our family through the winter, but it was a start.
I feel that God was preparing us with this house! Not only is the house a good, sturdy home built in the 1920s, but we found a buried outhouse pit, a buried sand point well, and learned that the house originally had a rainwater cistern and root cellar in the basement. While we are not planning on constructing an outhouse anytime soon (we did dig it up once already and collected over 200 antique bottles) or repair the rainwater cistern (illegal in our state), it is reassuring to know that the house was once self-sustaining. In the meantime, I am working to get the well permitted so that we can install a hand pump, as well as researching ways to collect rainwater and build a root cellar.
During the cold winter months, I had begun reading various blogs on homesteading, mostly to learn more about canning and dehydrating. I came across a recommendation for a video on gardening titled Back to Eden. This video taught us how to garden without rototilling, irrigating, fertilizing and minimizing weeding. My husband and I were intrigued, especially since it emphasizes how to garden in a Biblical fashion. In 2012, we planted our first garden ever. For novice gardeners, God truly blessed our efforts. We also learned a lot! While we enjoyed some of the fruits of our labors fresh, I made an effort to can as much as possible. I was able to preserve almost 400 half-pints, pints and quarts of fresh produce, mostly harvested from our garden. And I learned that we need a much bigger garden to store enough food to feed our family through one winter!
It was while researching and reviewing this Biblical gardening method that I first began to come across various sites, blogs and videos that were written by other preparing families. At first, I admit to thinking it was just another method of hoarding, albeit one that was more politically correct! Once again, God began to work on me and show me in verse after verse how preparing is important. I purchased the one book that everyone seemed to refer to – the LDS Preparedness Manual. I started with the free downloadable version, but soon realized that I needed a printed version in order to share it with my husband. It was while reading the printed version that I first learned about SurvivalBlog. We are now learning and preparing in leaps and bounds.
You Are a Talented Individual
We must also recognize that God has given us some talents naturally. We all have hobbies or activities that we enjoy doing. These same activities, depending on what they are, may stand you in good stead while preparing. For as long as I can remember I have been an avid reader. Until my mid-thirties, I read anything and everything regardless of content. Today I am a much more discriminating reader, but I still read a lot. I love books and absolutely hate returning them to the library or selling them. Because of this tendency, my husband likes to joke that we have our own personal library! This love of reading will be beneficial should we ever be in a grid down situation. I will have a plethora of entertainment and resources that I can turn to as needed. Since we are now focusing on preparing and self-sufficient living, the bookshelf will keep me supplied in new reading materials for at least a few months. (I confess I have already ordered seven of them!) I read three of Mr. Rawles’ books over the course of a few days and am anxiously waiting for the fourth to arrive. (As a side note, I highly recommend that any new preparer read them!)
I am also a crafty kind of person – I love to work with my hands to create things. I love to sew, crochet, cross-stitch and quilt. Some of these skills can be used to help keep my family clothed and warm; it can also be used to fill long, cold winter evenings. I currently have three traditional sewing machines, but I am looking for a good treadle machine. While I can sew by hand and like to hand quilt, I confess that sewing or mending clothes by hand is not my favorite activity! I would much rather use a sewing machine. In addition to keeping me busy now, these activities are also bringing us a small amount of income that can be dedicated to helping us prepare.
I love to cook and for years have been a very good customer of Pampered Chef! I just have to play with different tools and gadgets that help make cooking fun. Fortunately, most of the tools that I have purchased over the years do not require electricity to work and will also be helpful long into the future. I also enjoy trying out new recipes, modifying them so that I can make them from scratch as much as possible. Coupled with my love of books, this means that I have a lot of cookbooks. As we begin to build our food storage, I will be reviewing my cookbooks thoroughly to find those meals that would adapt to wood stove or campfire cooking using cast iron skillets and pots. Now, I am much more aware and selective in the tools that I buy for my kitchen and am slowly converting everything to cast iron cookware.
Do Your Homework
While some preparations fall along the lines of common sense, it is still important that to research before doing anything else. In our case, I watched a few videos on food storage, solar systems, end time prophecies, etc. Instantly, I realized that we are woefully unprepared should anything happen tomorrow. We needed to start making some changes right away. While the resources I discovered were very helpful, they all had one thing in common – lists of necessities – and some significant capital requirements.
It’s really easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when there are a lot of lists. SurvivalBlog’s list of lists is great because each list is broken out into different categories. While scanning each list, I was able to make notes on what things we already had and to start having discussions about what we needed with my husband. My husband and I tend to complement one another very well – I tend to think more of the day-to-day, as in, what tools would I need to do this task today if there was no electricity; my husband, on the other hand, is more big picture – what do we need to do to protect ourselves from nuclear fallout. By having the lists as a discussion point, we are able to prioritize based on our needs and concerns instead of scratching our head and trying to think of the “what ifs” and “what do we need” questions.
Where Will the Money Come From?
Very few things in this life are free, and unfortunately, everything is going up in price as the value of our dollar drops. Our family is larger than average – we have six children – and so our budget is fairly tight to begin with. With just enough funds to “make ends meet”, our first challenge was raising money to start purchasing things we would need. While the List of Lists is a great resource, I think we can all agree that it still requires some funding!
I began to systematically go through all of the boxes, cupboards, closets and storage to identify those items that would be good for future bartering (clothes, shoes, coats, snow pants, baby gear, furniture, etc.) and those that would require electricity to work or were not even being used. I think that it is safe to say that everyone has things hiding away that they only use rarely or that, in the event of a power grid outage, would never use again. Do we really need to keep these modern “conveniences”?
For example, my husband and I cleaned out the “storage” area in our basement. We temporarily boxed all the clothing items until we could obtain some plastic containers. Eventually, I sorted the clothes by gender and size and generated an inventory prior to relocating the bins to long-term storage in the garage.
We also identified the unused baby furniture and other “able to be traded” items and placed them into long-term storage in the garage. While we currently do not need these items, we felt it was best to save them for two reasons: (1) just in case we were blessed with another little one (which is entirely possible since our youngest just turned a year old) or (2) in the event we needed to barter in the future for something we do need.
We also assembled in a separate pile unneeded but potentially useful items such as crutches and canes. We do not have any first aid kits assembled yet, but we do have a wide range of mixed medical items all throughout the house. We are consolidating what we do have so that we can organize it into one area of the house and make wise choices in purchasing what we need – opposed to purchasing what we think we need and ending up with too much of something and not enough of another.
Finally, we put all the electric items, such as a countertop cookware and electric skillets in one pile and the items that we no longer use, such as a bill organizer and gold embossed stemware into a second pile. All of these items were cleaned; inspected for flaws; tested for condition; and photographed for sale placement.
Depending on the time of year, those items that are set aside to be sold can be managed in a variety of ways, whichever suits your particular family and timing. Because we did not start our prepping until early fall, when rummage sales are at a seasonal low, I opted to post many of our items on EBay for quick auction or sale. I took the time to research a little bit about each item that we were selling, looking at comparables already on the site. This helped me to price the “buy it now” slightly lower than our competitors. It is important to note here that timing is critical – we need to start preparing now and so I was not very concerned about “profit”. Remember, most of this stuff has simply been collecting dust in a cupboard, closet or other storage area so a quick infusion of cash was more important than getting the most profit. With that being said, I am not selling us short either. Researching the competition helps ensure the most “bang for your buck” is achieved.
As items were purchased, the funds became available in our PayPal account. I have opted to not transfer this money to our personal account just yet. Instead, I am using the funds to purchase things that we need, such as kerosene lamps and cast iron cookware, from eBay.
A word of caution when purchasing online – make sure you know what the going rate is for certain items so that you do not pay more than you would elsewhere and always keep shipping costs in mind as they can add up quickly! Resist the temptation to “buy it now” just to get the item quickly – you will most likely be able to get the item for less if you are patient and participate in the auction. For example, I got one cast iron pan for $6.38 plus shipping of $9.36. Had I opted to “buy it now” I would have paid $19.99 plus the shipping. This allowed me to have an additional $13.61 to purchase something else we needed.
Any items that did not sell the first time around were relisted. After a few attempts, if they still have not sold, I put a price sticker on it and set it aside for sale in the spring during the community wide rummage sale.
The lack of funds gave me a feeling of being overwhelmed. There was so much that we needed and the lists seemed to go on and on. By being proactive and conscientious, I have been able to start making the necessary purchases a little at a time. This helped me to feel a little less overwhelmed and to feel like we were at least making some progress.
Shop Once Per Month
I do our grocery shopping once each month, with only occasional trips for extra milk, bread and eggs. I have been shopping this way for almost three years and we usually have plenty of food when it is time for me to shop again each month. This enables me to feel confident that I have at least enough food to feed my family for about six weeks. Throw in all the food that I have canned and I could probably go two or three months longer, although I admit creativity would be required for meal planning. As I started preparing for my family this habit really helped me. I continue to shop once per month, but buy more than my standard maintained quantity. For example, I like to have at least 50 pounds of sugar on hand, especially during canning season. I will gradually increase that to 100 pounds by buying a bag or two extra each month.
For the long-term planning, I am keeping an eye out for an antique ice box to replace my refrigerator with. Unfortunately, the space is tiny for storage, so I am looking at ways to preserve my food while minimizing my dependency on freezer and refrigerator space. We are also researching how to construct a root cellar and have purchased the book Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables. Our home had one at some point in the past, but a previous resident filled it in and cemented it over. We are also looking at doubling the size of our pantry (originally the fruit cellar of the home) so that I have more space to store my canned goods. Finally, I am going to start preparing five gallon food buckets with preplanned meals and recipes for long-term storage by taking advantage of bulk purchases from the local Amish.
Review Your Assets with a SHTF Eye
Every living thing has core needs: shelter, food, water and clothing. As a new preparer, everything we look at and evaluate has to fall into one of these categories. Some are easier than others. Initially, we are preparing within our current residence. We don’t necessarily have time or money to buy a retreat elsewhere, so the first step is evaluating what we currently have and determining the best way to make it work for us. For example, shelter. Check. We live in a house that we are purchasing. But how livable would the house be if we did not have utilities? Here is a list of things that we are reviewing right now with this in mind:
Carpeting – Yuck without a vacuum. Fortunately, under all of our carpeting is hardwood flooring. We are immediately working to refinish and restore the floors. These will be easier to sweep and mop without utilities then carpeting.
Water – We are on the city system even though we have a well in our yard (that a previous resident buried). While we are working to get a permit and to have a hand pump installed, we are purchasing a pump just in case. We are assuming that if TSHTF, permits will not be an issue. We are also adding four rain barrels to the gutters.
Heat – Living in northern Wisconsin means cold, cold winters. We are not called the frozen tundra for nothing. We are starting to research a good wood stove that we can use for cooking and heating. Unfortunately, a stove tends to be very expensive and we have heard from others, cheaper is not better when it comes to stoves. We are watching for estate sales and auctions in the local Amish community. But a wood stove means we need cast iron cookware, too. The cookware is something that I can easily purchase on EBay in the short term and at auctions and estate sales over the summer.
Laundry – I am a traditional American in love with the washer and dryer. But, I also am a bit nostalgic when it comes to seeing clothes blowing in a summer breeze. In other words, we do have a clothesline and pins, but not much else. We are looking at hand wringers, plungers, washboards and galvanized tubs for laundry.
Lighting – Right now, no one really thinks about lighting. A flick of the switch and we have light. One of the first purchases that I made was for kerosene lamps. I chose a mix of metal and glass ones. Our logic is that the metal ones will sit on tables and counters where children will be more likely to use them and glass ones to put up on higher surfaces or in wall mounts, where the children will not be able to reach them. While I would have preferred to purchase only metal ones, there simply were not enough of them available for sale and at reasonable prices. My goal was to have at least six lamps quickly. Once the initial six were purchased, I could be more selective and get exactly what I want. Should we lose power tomorrow, we will be able to have some light (at least, until I run out of kerosene, that is).
The above are only a few examples. But how do you determine what you need and in what priority? For me, the best way to determine this has been fairly easy because I make lists of things that would not work as they are currently set up should TSHTF. As I do my daily chores, I am very conscientious of what would have to change for us to be more self-sufficient. For example, doing dishes made me aware that I need more large pots to heat water and a way to make homemade dish soap. I have discovered that once you start to have a mindset of preparing, God will open your eyes to what you are dependent on for “convenience”.
Finally, I just want to advise you to keep your chin up and take one day at a time. Try to do something that will help your preparedness level every day – no matter how small or insignificant it appears. Keep a small, portable notebook close by so that you can jot down any ideas or concerns right away. Pray and ask for guidance on which direction you should focus on next. You may just be surprised at the direction God will take you – I know I was!
This is not my own work but a reproduction of the authors with their embedded links to the original website.
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Starting From Nothing: Preparing Quickly, Efficiently and Cost-Consciously, by C.M.F.
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My husband and I are new to the concept of prepping and self-sufficient living, having just begun the process in the last 30 to 60 days. Our journey when world events began to heat up in the Middle East and we started asking “what if” questions. Our ignorance means that we have a lot of learning, practicing and catching up to do. I am fairly confident that we are not the only ones to slowly become aware of the necessity of preparing. I thought that I would share what we have done to get started in the hopes that this information will be helpful to anyone else that is new to prepping. So, how should one start if they have done absolutely nothing thus far?
God Prepares A Way
Even though I titled this “Starting from Nothing”, that is not an entirely accurate phrase. God prepares a way for us, even when we are not fully aware of the long-term ramifications of His design. Our journey has been a gradual one, without us even realizing it. A few years ago I read a book titled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which raised our awareness about where our food comes from. Then we watched the video Food, Inc.. and that really scared us! I began to cook from scratch as much as possible, buying what I could from butchers and farmers’ markets. Unfortunately, we lived in a large city with a tiny lot. Gardening was not an option and I felt limited in our choices. But, for some reason that I cannot really explain, I purchased two books: Back to Basics and The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It.
In June 2011, God opened a way for our family to move to a small community of less than 2,000 residents in northern Wisconsin. We were able to negotiate a 12-year fixed [interest rate] land contract for a good sized house on a larger than average city lot. It was too late to plant a garden, but I was able to negotiate for some fresh produce from neighbors, members of our church and the local Amish community. I learned how to can and borrowed a dehydrator and learned how to dehydrate our food. Granted, it was not enough to feed our family through the winter, but it was a start.
I feel that God was preparing us with this house! Not only is the house a good, sturdy home built in the 1920s, but we found a buried outhouse pit, a buried sand point well, and learned that the house originally had a rainwater cistern and root cellar in the basement. While we are not planning on constructing an outhouse anytime soon (we did dig it up once already and collected over 200 antique bottles) or repair the rainwater cistern (illegal in our state), it is reassuring to know that the house was once self-sustaining. In the meantime, I am working to get the well permitted so that we can install a hand pump, as well as researching ways to collect rainwater and build a root cellar.
During the cold winter months, I had begun reading various blogs on homesteading, mostly to learn more about canning and dehydrating. I came across a recommendation for a video on gardening titled Back to Eden. This video taught us how to garden without rototilling, irrigating, fertilizing and minimizing weeding. My husband and I were intrigued, especially since it emphasizes how to garden in a Biblical fashion. In 2012, we planted our first garden ever. For novice gardeners, God truly blessed our efforts. We also learned a lot! While we enjoyed some of the fruits of our labors fresh, I made an effort to can as much as possible. I was able to preserve almost 400 half-pints, pints and quarts of fresh produce, mostly harvested from our garden. And I learned that we need a much bigger garden to store enough food to feed our family through one winter!
It was while researching and reviewing this Biblical gardening method that I first began to come across various sites, blogs and videos that were written by other preparing families. At first, I admit to thinking it was just another method of hoarding, albeit one that was more politically correct! Once again, God began to work on me and show me in verse after verse how preparing is important. I purchased the one book that everyone seemed to refer to – the LDS Preparedness Manual. I started with the free downloadable version, but soon realized that I needed a printed version in order to share it with my husband. It was while reading the printed version that I first learned about SurvivalBlog. We are now learning and preparing in leaps and bounds.
You Are a Talented Individual
We must also recognize that God has given us some talents naturally. We all have hobbies or activities that we enjoy doing. These same activities, depending on what they are, may stand you in good stead while preparing. For as long as I can remember I have been an avid reader. Until my mid-thirties, I read anything and everything regardless of content. Today I am a much more discriminating reader, but I still read a lot. I love books and absolutely hate returning them to the library or selling them. Because of this tendency, my husband likes to joke that we have our own personal library! This love of reading will be beneficial should we ever be in a grid down situation. I will have a plethora of entertainment and resources that I can turn to as needed. Since we are now focusing on preparing and self-sufficient living, the bookshelf will keep me supplied in new reading materials for at least a few months. (I confess I have already ordered seven of them!) I read three of Mr. Rawles’ books over the course of a few days and am anxiously waiting for the fourth to arrive. (As a side note, I highly recommend that any new preparer read them!)
I am also a crafty kind of person – I love to work with my hands to create things. I love to sew, crochet, cross-stitch and quilt. Some of these skills can be used to help keep my family clothed and warm; it can also be used to fill long, cold winter evenings. I currently have three traditional sewing machines, but I am looking for a good treadle machine. While I can sew by hand and like to hand quilt, I confess that sewing or mending clothes by hand is not my favorite activity! I would much rather use a sewing machine. In addition to keeping me busy now, these activities are also bringing us a small amount of income that can be dedicated to helping us prepare.
I love to cook and for years have been a very good customer of Pampered Chef! I just have to play with different tools and gadgets that help make cooking fun. Fortunately, most of the tools that I have purchased over the years do not require electricity to work and will also be helpful long into the future. I also enjoy trying out new recipes, modifying them so that I can make them from scratch as much as possible. Coupled with my love of books, this means that I have a lot of cookbooks. As we begin to build our food storage, I will be reviewing my cookbooks thoroughly to find those meals that would adapt to wood stove or campfire cooking using cast iron skillets and pots. Now, I am much more aware and selective in the tools that I buy for my kitchen and am slowly converting everything to cast iron cookware.
Do Your Homework
While some preparations fall along the lines of common sense, it is still important that to research before doing anything else. In our case, I watched a few videos on food storage, solar systems, end time prophecies, etc. Instantly, I realized that we are woefully unprepared should anything happen tomorrow. We needed to start making some changes right away. While the resources I discovered were very helpful, they all had one thing in common – lists of necessities – and some significant capital requirements.
It’s really easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when there are a lot of lists. SurvivalBlog’s list of lists is great because each list is broken out into different categories. While scanning each list, I was able to make notes on what things we already had and to start having discussions about what we needed with my husband. My husband and I tend to complement one another very well – I tend to think more of the day-to-day, as in, what tools would I need to do this task today if there was no electricity; my husband, on the other hand, is more big picture – what do we need to do to protect ourselves from nuclear fallout. By having the lists as a discussion point, we are able to prioritize based on our needs and concerns instead of scratching our head and trying to think of the “what ifs” and “what do we need” questions.
Where Will the Money Come From?
Very few things in this life are free, and unfortunately, everything is going up in price as the value of our dollar drops. Our family is larger than average – we have six children – and so our budget is fairly tight to begin with. With just enough funds to “make ends meet”, our first challenge was raising money to start purchasing things we would need. While the List of Lists is a great resource, I think we can all agree that it still requires some funding!
I began to systematically go through all of the boxes, cupboards, closets and storage to identify those items that would be good for future bartering (clothes, shoes, coats, snow pants, baby gear, furniture, etc.) and those that would require electricity to work or were not even being used. I think that it is safe to say that everyone has things hiding away that they only use rarely or that, in the event of a power grid outage, would never use again. Do we really need to keep these modern “conveniences”?
For example, my husband and I cleaned out the “storage” area in our basement. We temporarily boxed all the clothing items until we could obtain some plastic containers. Eventually, I sorted the clothes by gender and size and generated an inventory prior to relocating the bins to long-term storage in the garage.
We also identified the unused baby furniture and other “able to be traded” items and placed them into long-term storage in the garage. While we currently do not need these items, we felt it was best to save them for two reasons: (1) just in case we were blessed with another little one (which is entirely possible since our youngest just turned a year old) or (2) in the event we needed to barter in the future for something we do need.
We also assembled in a separate pile unneeded but potentially useful items such as crutches and canes. We do not have any first aid kits assembled yet, but we do have a wide range of mixed medical items all throughout the house. We are consolidating what we do have so that we can organize it into one area of the house and make wise choices in purchasing what we need – opposed to purchasing what we think we need and ending up with too much of something and not enough of another.
Finally, we put all the electric items, such as a countertop cookware and electric skillets in one pile and the items that we no longer use, such as a bill organizer and gold embossed stemware into a second pile. All of these items were cleaned; inspected for flaws; tested for condition; and photographed for sale placement.
Depending on the time of year, those items that are set aside to be sold can be managed in a variety of ways, whichever suits your particular family and timing. Because we did not start our prepping until early fall, when rummage sales are at a seasonal low, I opted to post many of our items on EBay for quick auction or sale. I took the time to research a little bit about each item that we were selling, looking at comparables already on the site. This helped me to price the “buy it now” slightly lower than our competitors. It is important to note here that timing is critical – we need to start preparing now and so I was not very concerned about “profit”. Remember, most of this stuff has simply been collecting dust in a cupboard, closet or other storage area so a quick infusion of cash was more important than getting the most profit. With that being said, I am not selling us short either. Researching the competition helps ensure the most “bang for your buck” is achieved.
As items were purchased, the funds became available in our PayPal account. I have opted to not transfer this money to our personal account just yet. Instead, I am using the funds to purchase things that we need, such as kerosene lamps and cast iron cookware, from eBay.
A word of caution when purchasing online – make sure you know what the going rate is for certain items so that you do not pay more than you would elsewhere and always keep shipping costs in mind as they can add up quickly! Resist the temptation to “buy it now” just to get the item quickly – you will most likely be able to get the item for less if you are patient and participate in the auction. For example, I got one cast iron pan for $6.38 plus shipping of $9.36. Had I opted to “buy it now” I would have paid $19.99 plus the shipping. This allowed me to have an additional $13.61 to purchase something else we needed.
Any items that did not sell the first time around were relisted. After a few attempts, if they still have not sold, I put a price sticker on it and set it aside for sale in the spring during the community wide rummage sale.
The lack of funds gave me a feeling of being overwhelmed. There was so much that we needed and the lists seemed to go on and on. By being proactive and conscientious, I have been able to start making the necessary purchases a little at a time. This helped me to feel a little less overwhelmed and to feel like we were at least making some progress.
Shop Once Per Month
I do our grocery shopping once each month, with only occasional trips for extra milk, bread and eggs. I have been shopping this way for almost three years and we usually have plenty of food when it is time for me to shop again each month. This enables me to feel confident that I have at least enough food to feed my family for about six weeks. Throw in all the food that I have canned and I could probably go two or three months longer, although I admit creativity would be required for meal planning. As I started preparing for my family this habit really helped me. I continue to shop once per month, but buy more than my standard maintained quantity. For example, I like to have at least 50 pounds of sugar on hand, especially during canning season. I will gradually increase that to 100 pounds by buying a bag or two extra each month.
For the long-term planning, I am keeping an eye out for an antique ice box to replace my refrigerator with. Unfortunately, the space is tiny for storage, so I am looking at ways to preserve my food while minimizing my dependency on freezer and refrigerator space. We are also researching how to construct a root cellar and have purchased the book Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables. Our home had one at some point in the past, but a previous resident filled it in and cemented it over. We are also looking at doubling the size of our pantry (originally the fruit cellar of the home) so that I have more space to store my canned goods. Finally, I am going to start preparing five gallon food buckets with preplanned meals and recipes for long-term storage by taking advantage of bulk purchases from the local Amish.
Review Your Assets with a SHTF Eye
Every living thing has core needs: shelter, food, water and clothing. As a new preparer, everything we look at and evaluate has to fall into one of these categories. Some are easier than others. Initially, we are preparing within our current residence. We don’t necessarily have time or money to buy a retreat elsewhere, so the first step is evaluating what we currently have and determining the best way to make it work for us. For example, shelter. Check. We live in a house that we are purchasing. But how livable would the house be if we did not have utilities? Here is a list of things that we are reviewing right now with this in mind:
Carpeting – Yuck without a vacuum. Fortunately, under all of our carpeting is hardwood flooring. We are immediately working to refinish and restore the floors. These will be easier to sweep and mop without utilities then carpeting.
Water – We are on the city system even though we have a well in our yard (that a previous resident buried). While we are working to get a permit and to have a hand pump installed, we are purchasing a pump just in case. We are assuming that if TSHTF, permits will not be an issue. We are also adding four rain barrels to the gutters.
Heat – Living in northern Wisconsin means cold, cold winters. We are not called the frozen tundra for nothing. We are starting to research a good wood stove that we can use for cooking and heating. Unfortunately, a stove tends to be very expensive and we have heard from others, cheaper is not better when it comes to stoves. We are watching for estate sales and auctions in the local Amish community. But a wood stove means we need cast iron cookware, too. The cookware is something that I can easily purchase on EBay in the short term and at auctions and estate sales over the summer.
Laundry – I am a traditional American in love with the washer and dryer. But, I also am a bit nostalgic when it comes to seeing clothes blowing in a summer breeze. In other words, we do have a clothesline and pins, but not much else. We are looking at hand wringers, plungers, washboards and galvanized tubs for laundry.
Lighting – Right now, no one really thinks about lighting. A flick of the switch and we have light. One of the first purchases that I made was for kerosene lamps. I chose a mix of metal and glass ones. Our logic is that the metal ones will sit on tables and counters where children will be more likely to use them and glass ones to put up on higher surfaces or in wall mounts, where the children will not be able to reach them. While I would have preferred to purchase only metal ones, there simply were not enough of them available for sale and at reasonable prices. My goal was to have at least six lamps quickly. Once the initial six were purchased, I could be more selective and get exactly what I want. Should we lose power tomorrow, we will be able to have some light (at least, until I run out of kerosene, that is).
The above are only a few examples. But how do you determine what you need and in what priority? For me, the best way to determine this has been fairly easy because I make lists of things that would not work as they are currently set up should TSHTF. As I do my daily chores, I am very conscientious of what would have to change for us to be more self-sufficient. For example, doing dishes made me aware that I need more large pots to heat water and a way to make homemade dish soap. I have discovered that once you start to have a mindset of preparing, God will open your eyes to what you are dependent on for “convenience”.
Finally, I just want to advise you to keep your chin up and take one day at a time. Try to do something that will help your preparedness level every day – no matter how small or insignificant it appears. Keep a small, portable notebook close by so that you can jot down any ideas or concerns right away. Pray and ask for guidance on which direction you should focus on next. You may just be surprised at the direction God will take you – I know I was!
2012 Drought and the potential Effects
Here is a cut and paste of an article I recently sent to my circles of friends on the verge of awakening
Hat tip to the fine author of this excellent article
************************************************************************************
Preparedness and Frugal Living
frugal-living
by Bev Sandlin
Whatever you are prepping for, food is a part of that prep. With the drought affecting 80% of U.S.farmland food prices will be rising. I found this article on “Frugal Living”—an excellent site for concerned minded individuals to explore.
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/stockpiling/a/What-To-Stockpile-Due-To-The-Drought.htm
The 2012 drought is expected to have a big impact on 2013 grocery prices. Minimize the damage to your grocery budget by stocking up on these items now:
Corn Products
Why You Should Stock Up: 88% of theU.S. corn crop is located in drought areas.
What to Stockpile:
Cornmeal
Corn starch
Popcorn
Soda
Any foods that contain corn syrup
Dairy Products
Why You Should Stock Up: Cows are producing less milk due to the current high-temperatures, and the milk they are producing contains less fat and protein than usual (because the heat is causing them to drink more water and eat less food), so it’s going to take a lot more milk to produce products like cheese.
What to Stockpile:
Cheese
Powdered milk
Powdered buttermilk
Sweetened condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Butter
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Meat Products
Why You Should Stock Up: Much of the damaged corn crop was supposed to go to animal feed, so meat prices are likely to spike. Many farmers are choosing to send cattle to slaughter, rather than continue to feed them, so there will be a short-term dip in prices (as the market gets flooded with meat) before the increase hits.
What to Stockpile:
Meat (fresh)
Canned meats
Chicken and beef broth
Fruits, Vegetables and Legumes
Why You Should Stock Up: Higher than normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall have slowed plant production, and destroyed many crops.
What to Stockpile:
Fruits (fresh, frozen, canned and dried)
Veggies (fresh, frozen and canned)
Canned/bottled tomato products (sauce, paste, salsa, etc.)
Beans (dried and canned)
Soy Products
Why You Should Stock Up: 87% of the soybean crop is in drought areas.
What to Stockpile:
Soy milk
Soy sauce
Other products containing soy
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/stockpiling/a/What-To-Stockpile-Due-To-The-Drought.htm
Hat tip to the fine author of this excellent article
************************************************************************************
Preparedness and Frugal Living
frugal-living
by Bev Sandlin
Whatever you are prepping for, food is a part of that prep. With the drought affecting 80% of U.S.farmland food prices will be rising. I found this article on “Frugal Living”—an excellent site for concerned minded individuals to explore.
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/stockpiling/a/What-To-Stockpile-Due-To-The-Drought.htm
The 2012 drought is expected to have a big impact on 2013 grocery prices. Minimize the damage to your grocery budget by stocking up on these items now:
Corn Products
Why You Should Stock Up: 88% of theU.S. corn crop is located in drought areas.
What to Stockpile:
Cornmeal
Corn starch
Popcorn
Soda
Any foods that contain corn syrup
Dairy Products
Why You Should Stock Up: Cows are producing less milk due to the current high-temperatures, and the milk they are producing contains less fat and protein than usual (because the heat is causing them to drink more water and eat less food), so it’s going to take a lot more milk to produce products like cheese.
What to Stockpile:
Cheese
Powdered milk
Powdered buttermilk
Sweetened condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Butter
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Meat Products
Why You Should Stock Up: Much of the damaged corn crop was supposed to go to animal feed, so meat prices are likely to spike. Many farmers are choosing to send cattle to slaughter, rather than continue to feed them, so there will be a short-term dip in prices (as the market gets flooded with meat) before the increase hits.
What to Stockpile:
Meat (fresh)
Canned meats
Chicken and beef broth
Fruits, Vegetables and Legumes
Why You Should Stock Up: Higher than normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall have slowed plant production, and destroyed many crops.
What to Stockpile:
Fruits (fresh, frozen, canned and dried)
Veggies (fresh, frozen and canned)
Canned/bottled tomato products (sauce, paste, salsa, etc.)
Beans (dried and canned)
Soy Products
Why You Should Stock Up: 87% of the soybean crop is in drought areas.
What to Stockpile:
Soy milk
Soy sauce
Other products containing soy
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/stockpiling/a/What-To-Stockpile-Due-To-The-Drought.htm
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Day After Debate 3
For the love of GOD, this election cycle crap is truly getting old. The sheeple can parrot the talking heads talking points. There is a reason I avoid the Facebook political rants about my Guy can save us no my Guy will. Good Grief! Wake the hell up America we are in the decline of the American Empire and both candidates are leading us off a cliff, chosen by the power elite.
I was raised a Catholic and enjoyed the fellowship of the church and the way they provide for the approved charities(don't get me started on this topic,this is a whole other potential blog). Charity begins and ends with whom I choose to be charitable to by donating at a time, place, and manner of my choosing. Re read the last sentence, my choice of when I want to help, not imposed on me in the form of unjust taxation.
I am a single man with no wife, no children, and white; I get anally raped by the tax man each pay day. I can increase my withholding's and pay the IRS out of pocket at the end of the year, but the last 10 years the dollars value has crashed so much this not a viable option. So I monitor my expenses, track my spending, and create a balancing act leaving me breaking even.
Oh the mocking I receive each tax season from the sheeple and breeders. They laugh at my skull sweat and deride me for not having the gubermint payday in February. I eat the crap sandwich and drive on. While these same people are helping in driving all of us over the quickly approaching cliff.
So what is my point?
Proverbs 27:12 -
“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
I was raised a Catholic and enjoyed the fellowship of the church and the way they provide for the approved charities(don't get me started on this topic,this is a whole other potential blog). Charity begins and ends with whom I choose to be charitable to by donating at a time, place, and manner of my choosing. Re read the last sentence, my choice of when I want to help, not imposed on me in the form of unjust taxation.
I am a single man with no wife, no children, and white; I get anally raped by the tax man each pay day. I can increase my withholding's and pay the IRS out of pocket at the end of the year, but the last 10 years the dollars value has crashed so much this not a viable option. So I monitor my expenses, track my spending, and create a balancing act leaving me breaking even.
Oh the mocking I receive each tax season from the sheeple and breeders. They laugh at my skull sweat and deride me for not having the gubermint payday in February. I eat the crap sandwich and drive on. While these same people are helping in driving all of us over the quickly approaching cliff.
So what is my point?
Proverbs 27:12 -
“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
Sunday, October 7, 2012
WOMEN and CATS
Time to Quote my favorite author. “Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” Robert A. Heinlein.
Well life has changed again. I had a great date on September 29 and now have a girlfriend again. Kind of fast but nice. This is odd as she has a good career and not just a job, like me for me, and has ignited my interest in life again. Kind of crazy really but I am just not going to over think anything and go with the flow for a change.
It has actually been a highly enjoyable four days off for a change. I had an awesome first day off with my lady. Got to see the movie Looper which was decent but predictable. And I was able to take her to Coco's for lunch. Score for me I am actually socializing again. I am really into her but she does not see herself as anything special. The fact she is an intelligent woman who is well read and an excellent communicator turns my motor. Downside is she is an intelligent and independent woman as well so there is that as well. It is a double edged sword but I am more than willing to get cut.
I actually spent time this weekend reorganizing my preps and sealing up beans and rice into 5# bags. Did auto maintenance, reorganized my BOB and car gear, and did some firearms maintenance. She is a good influence on me and has many similar thoughts as I do now just to broach the subject of the prepper lifestyle at some point.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Reality of life.
Once again I was brutally awoken to the reality that is life in 2012. I realized I am not a Native Arizonan but after being here 13 years I have become aware of the cultural differences between rural southern Minnesota and Northwestern Arizona. I won't even mention little things like good manners and respect for others. I know there are slow people, ignorant people, and uneducated people everywhere. Here is Mohave County people revel in being blatantly ignorant, rude, and hateful. Little things like loyalty to friends, family, and employers are considered obsolete. Good God people! End of Rant
October Blues
Ten months since the last post with no significant changes in my personal life. I am technically in a relationship now (According to my Facebook Status)It is nearing election time and the bullshit is getting so fucking deep its not even funny. Left or Right you are still a slave to the fed.gov
My work life is drama filled with little punks fucking with old bulls who need to earn to support families. Some folks just don't get it, treat others how you want to be treated. But noooo little pricks suck cock of the boss, tickle his nuts, and tongue is ass to get away with behavior that would land most people in jail.
The sheep of the world need to wake the hell up soon before its too late.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
New Year-2012
Well its a New Year with no changes in my life. Still single, had a blip on the relationship radar. Turned out to be just another chick looking for a sugar daddy to take care of her. I should have known better but since she was my ex-fiance from 2001 I had a huge blind spot for her. Oh well live and learn.
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