Saturday, August 27, 2011

It's Time For "That" Talk

Ok, now that everyone is snuggled in their own little bunkers and I have seen the stories of the shelves in every store being empty, it is time to say, we told you so.

Not that I ever, ever wanted to see something like this happen but here it is and don't you feel just a tiny bit bad for chasing around looking for D batteries at the last second?
I can't begin to count the times I have seen people roll their eyes and look down their noses at "Preppers".

Not quite as stupid as you thought we were, are we?

I feel bad for folks that are staring at the weather event of their young lives with no fucking clue where to go or what to do.


I just had this conversation with my new wife, I have been dancing around the topic for quite a while now, she has a pretty good idea that at least some form of supplies are in her future.The first thing she asked me after I brought it up again was whether or not I have a dehydrator.
Told ya she is a keeper.

I love her dearly and before we got married her excuse was no where to store anything.

Ahem.

Even in an apartment, there are places to store some survival supplies.

Now every Tom Dick and Harriett on the East Coast just figured that out.

My heart goes out to those just figuring this out.

We still have no place to live together but just had a short conversation about this very subject.
As most of you know, I live in a 35 foot long Fifth Wheel Travel Trailer.

I had a guy build me a pantry out of a closet that I have no idea what the original intent was for. It is right next to the fridge in the kitchen area.
At one time, I had enough food stored to last me six months, easy.

Where I live, water is not that much of a problem in an emergency, The Columbia River is a mile wide and five blocks away with another, small tributary eight blocks the other way.

I saw another post today complaining about toilet paper. That is a biggie.

When you have ladies and young children with you, buy that by the truck load.

For those of you who are telling yourselves that I have never been through a Hurricane, let me tell you about the storms we get on the West Coast that qualify, they just don't get names.

I have been through storms with sustained winds of 125 mph before, tornadoes and Ice storms that shut down a city with a million people for days.


What I am trying to do is open up a dialogue with some folks who are getting a pounding and never thought it would happen to them.
It's only too late if you are dead.

I sure as shit wouldn't be ready for a major shit storm like what is happening back East right this second but I can guarantee you that I would be one thousand times better off than seventy percent of those who just sat on their hands, watching this blow right into their front yards.

Even without a major hurricane coming your way, just inflation and food shortages alone should make you look around and see if you can't find a way to put a little emergency stash away.

Take my word for it,come what may, it is a great feeling of security to know that if the lights go out, that you know you and yours are going to be safe, healthy and sound when the lights come back on.

You certainly don't have to be a full on Prepper but as they always say, the more the merrier.

These aren't weirdos, they are fellow Americans and they would love to talk to you.

They would love to show you how to throw a screw right back into your grocery store by using coupons and have a wealth of information gathered from friends and family, including the things our parents and Grandparents learned the hard way during the last Depression.
They still work folks.

God Bless ya and I am anxiously awaiting the safe return of some of my Blog buddies.

10 comments:

  1. Put simply, When people poo-poo our prepping, I ask: "would you rather eat or stare at a new car with no gas or insurance on it?"

    Other variations are:

    "I can snack AND watch TV while your satellite TV is disconnected."

    "We shower ever two days - or less - and eat steak for supper while you have your pedicure, facial, spray tan and McDonalds."

    "We have a fishing boat, golf cart, NEW riding lawn mower with attachments, a 97' F150 and 96 Crown Victoria while your Dodge Hemmie truck sits in the driveway because you have to PAY for it MONTHLY and drive it SOMETIMES!"

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  2. For a year, I have been mailing food with birthday and Christmas gifts to my daughter and two grandchildren in NYC. I tell her to eat one can and save the other for when the electricity goes off. She is frugal but sees no need in stocking up, I thought. It turns out 9/11 frightened her and then husband so badly that they lived with a bedroom full of food and other prep stuff that would not fit in the kitchen shelves.

    Christmas presents for them this year will be a water filter, water purification tablets, headlamps, and things for emergencies.

    About tp. I have quit using it for several reasons.
    I use washcloths and wash them. Hey, it is less soiled than any diaper I ever changed! People can use torn up tshirts, towels, sheets. Wash or toss.

    My blog is full of crazy things like not using tp. Some people think I am nuts; some think it is applaudable.

    TP is here when I have company.

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  3. PP, this is what I was referring to.

    Thank you and Treesong both for stopping by, you are both awesome examples.

    Hugz to ya both.

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  4. Great post, Busted. I hope you and the Mrs find your communal nest soon. I'm sure she loves you dearly too and neither of you likes living apart.

    When I started my current job in 2009, we were relatively new to prepping ourselves and I had that 'new mission' enthusiasm ...so the subject came up from time to time with my co-workers. They are mostly 10-15 years younger than me. They were polite (respect your elders, I guess) but they thought I was nuts, I could tell. Now two years later, they seek me out because they want to learn how to can or dehydrate food, how to grow a garden, how to figure out how much is enough for how long. I smile, answer their questions and, if the opportunity presents itself, add something to make them think ...such as keeping extra TP or medical supplies handy.

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  5. Yup, a weed sprayer next to the throne with a damp wash cloth to finish up.
    Ya need to wash them hands afterward anyhow. Do it while rinsing and soaping up the cloth for next time.
    Much healthier anyhoo....
    Save that store bought for those that want to walk around with residoo

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  6. Even after seventeen years of active marriage, I never figured out what women do with all that toilet paper.

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  7. Every year it's the same thing down here. A hurricane in the Gulf sends the nit-wits running to the Home Depot, and they strip it bare of plywood. Bottled water and batteries disappear, as does all the beer and junk food. The idiots never seem to learn to get all that crap in advance, KNOWING full well when hurricane season is. Sigh, you just can't fix stupid...

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  8. Yup, you is correct Craig.
    Stupid can not be fixed.
    However ignorance most certainly can.
    If one has the will.

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  9. One thing about growing up feeling deprived is you tend to hoard stuff. I'm not talking like on "Hoarders", but you do stuff like buy multipacks of toilet paper whenever it's on sale. People laugh at me because I don't feel secure unless I have 3 multipacks (or more) of TP in the house (or in the trunk of the car, which is where I usually store it so Mr. Brilliant doesn't think I'm crazy). So it's nice to hear someone affirm the TP thing. Now, you don't want to be like my mother, who once had so much toilet paper that she was able to fill an entire outdoor toolshed. I threatened to make a sign that said "The Charmin Building" to han above the door.

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  10. TJ Creed2:14 PM

    I remember Katrina. When I saw those radar maps showing Irene as big as Katrina on Friday I prepped. Out came the gen and laid out the cord to keep the sump working and water pump pumping. Wife got the batteries and made sure all the flashlights were working.
    Where we keep our vacation trailer, in Phoenicia, NY the proprietor moved it to high ground and that saved it because every county around got gob smacked really bad.
    Here in my area (10958)we never saw it get as bad as it did. Never. We got blasted. But we were ready!

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