Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

bluebag wrote: »

They are selling papers not reporting the news. The news is what you get when it's too late.

The comment is what they don't know they think they know about what may or may not happen at some time maybe never in the future, usually based on what has happened in the past.

Otherwise known as a guess.

:T That emboldened's quote from bluebag should be writ large on everyone's consiousness. Absolutely spot-on and very very important.

Bedsit Bob, who the heck makes lasagne sheets?! I'd put h.m. pasta up there in mushroom-stuffing territory. The only Italian mama I know personally uses dried pasta. She may be a rogue mama - prolly is, if she knows me.

Back in t'office today and tomorrow, so will be taking the temperature of Provincial City in the next few hours. Have checked in with friend and neighbour SuperGran since I came home. Not too much mayhem over Crimble, the chief beef is the overflowing communal bins.

The recycling bins right beside them are nearly empty, much of the stuff peeking out of the general waste bins clearly belongs in the recycling bins, but people won't modify their behaviour *sigh*.

Hokay, brekkie calls then w*rk. Have a preptastic day. I shall go to the bank and check my DDs have left and remove any excess dosh sloshing around in there. Better in my mitts than theirs.:cool:

katep23

GreyQueen wrote: »

The recycling bins right beside them are nearly empty, much of the stuff peeking out of the general waste bins clearly belongs in the recycling bins, but people won't modify their behaviour *sigh*.

We used to have orange plastic bags for our recycling (which always struck me as somewhat ironic but there you go) then they switched to black boxes. I ordered one each for the cottages where I live but one neighbour refused his as he couldn't be bothered with all that sorting out.

Come April this year, they switched us to blue rubbish bags, gave us 80 for the year and told us we would have to pay for any more - said neighbour popped over to see if we still had a spare recycling box :cool:

It's a shame it takes someone to be financially penalised before they will recycle but hey if it works...

Karmacat

I got back from my Christmas visit last night ... some damp spots have appeared on the plaster, which will have to be investigated :eek: but since I'm in an area that got some of the bad storms, its a miracle I got off that lightly. My wheelie bins for rubbish collection are on their side and jammed into a corner between two brick walls - they've obviously been dancing about in the wind, and a neighbour has made them safe :eek:

And since I managed to travel 300 miles each way, with no weather-related holdups whatsoever, I think I can confirm I had a brilliant Christmas! Being me, I *did* have with me a fully charged kindle, a fully charged phone with credit on, an LED flashlight, 1.5 litres of water and a windup dynamo radio as well as lots more food than I normally carry Just sayin

GreyQueen

Kate, an acquaintance who used to live in Seoul, South Korea, told me that they don't have dustbins. You purchase a rubbish sack from the shop and the price includes the fee to have it removed from the street once you've filled it.

Therefore, people who make a lot of rubbish get to buy a lot of bags and people who produce very little rubbish get to save money. I wonder if they have much of an issue with fly-tipping?

Just hoping we don't have a high wind tonight or the trash will be flying. I have been known to get up in the middle of the night as have been driven spare by a stray drinks can being bowled hither and yon across the carpark immediately outside my flat. It's surprisingly noisy.

I've often thought that if we had a crisis where civil society wasn't able to deliver such things as rubbish collection, we'd quickly suffocate under our own discards.

jk0

I just received two of these electronic timeswitches for use with my bedroom lamps:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002K8I16U/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These have two benefits over the mechanical ones I was using:

1.) They have a 'random' on/off time that will vary the set times by 20 mins.

2.) Because they have a battery backup, they can be plugged into remote control sockets, controlled by the button by my front door.

I guess it remains to be seen whether they will get sufficient charge to hold the program from the time I am out.

elaine241

Hello All

Just back from town where I risked a journey into the massed hordes of shoppers. Only really needed bird food but went to look for next Christmas bargains. ( My stash has dwindled this year) Went to Sainsbugs and they had 150 hour candles for £2.40 and 75 hour for £1.50, they were red and green and the smaller ones had bells on!! Not sure if pence per hour is a good investment ( I'm sure Bob will be along soon to enlighten me, pun intended!) but they were attractive and not exactly xmas only. The two jingle bells are destined for my cats collar so he sounds like a mad morris dancer when sneaking up on birds.
I also bought crackers, cards and wrapping paper so prepped for next Xmas.
When looking at foodstuffs for prepping I read that a sack of oats were a good investment. Just realised I have sacks of rolled oats for the horses (whole grain just slightly broken by rolling) and wondered if they would be suitable in a SHTF situation. The grains are clean, dry and good quality so I dont see why they wouldnt. As I have to "stealth prep" with my OH thinking I'm a looney they would be a good way of keeping this foodstuff without drawing attention, & regularly rotated by feeding.
Saying stealth prep made me realalise he also grumbled about that woman complaining about her power to the PM. Doesnt usually comment but he did say stupid woman hasnt she got any candles, lamps, torches, blankets etc and a little gas stove so maybe my prepping approach is slowly sinking in!!
He didnt bat an eyelid when I asked for a diesel genny to run the freezers ( we have red diesel tanks). Nor did he react when a years worth of logs were split and next years put to season. He's even getting used to three freezers stuffed to the hilt with lots of YS and home produce and cupboards groaning with preps.

Anyone got any New Year resolutions that include or not! prepping?
Mine is to keep a list of everything I have especially in the freezers and make a list of what I will need and then like! I am going to carry a notebook in my bag with a reminder list so if I am in a CS, Bootsale or Auction I have a ready reminder!
I am going to increase the home grown veggies and fruit and ensure I forage from neighbours who have said I can have their fruit/apples as they dont pick it!

I hope to go on a beekeeping course ( or send OH as I dont really like them!) as we have a hive that someone left here a couple of years ago and it still has bees in it!
My long term goal is to learn a new skill each year , currently learning to sew (slowly!). I am going to learn to weld as we have the equipment in the shed.

I would like to hear of your resolutions and long term goals as I may add them to my own.
Elaine

ALIBOBSY

Some interesting discussions on here about the banks and issues with money. We are saving to do some various bits on the house, but mostly to do a garage conversion. As we will do most of the work ourselves we can manage it for around 3-4 k we think, but given financial uncertainties we are thinking we may be better doing each stage as we can afford it to avoid the cash sitting around. Already got the roof sorted and had the leaky stop tap mended. Hmmm decisions lol.

Was reading in the paper-OH went to in laws this morning and she saves and send the papers for us to read and reuse for various stuff, an article was going on about the timebomb of all these children and youngsters who are obese. Now apart from the fact when I look around the local area and the kids schools I haven't seen a massive jump in the number of big children so I wonder about the reality of these figures, I have wondered if its in the interests of TPTB to actually encourage obesity. People get obese by over consumption, often of processed food. This boosts the economy and its is clear TPTB want to encourage consumption on all levels. Plus long term obesity shortens lifespans, hence savings on pensions?

The same sort of thoughts would also apply to alcohol sales/usage and cigerettes.

I'll bet somewhere in whitehall there are calculations as to how much the economy gains and pension is saved due to people in effect legally "killing" themselves versus the costs to the NHS for any health issues along the way. I reckon they are that cynical.

Meanwhile a local substation blew up around the corner here last night at about 8pm-those nearby report the doors blowing open (reminded me of Micheal Cains famous narrative lol). Our power was off for about 2-3 hours, those right next to the station all night. Gave us a chance to get out various lamps and candle holders etc, as well as testing what stuff works and what does not when the electric is off.

Things we learnt, our next door neighbours are woefully unprepared for anything, they had 6 tealights and that was it, no torches, nothing. They were also really worried as one of them had an op this morning and they had to be up early to get there on time, their only alarm clock is plug in and the mobile was run out. They also only had cordless homephones so couldn't make a call if they wanted to.

Also discovered the numpties across the street have an old fashioned alarm that went off constantly during the WHOLE 3 hours.

The gas hob worked-but not the ignition, but easily sorted so could have boiled water. The heating doesn't work despite being gas, I assume this is because of the electric thermostate and pump?
But the multipoint gas water heater does appear to work?

Kids get bored quickly and we thought they would just play with the games they had, but now think it will be worth having a box stashed away with specific items just for power cuts to keep them entertained. Think we will start seaching the CS or look for cheapy games like cards and dominos and put them somewhere easy to find if the lights go off.

Definately also pushed the windup radio up the wish list lol.

But light we were fine for and that worked well, also suprised how much heat the flames from the candles and the parafin lamp give out, it was appreciable warmer in the main room lit by the candles/lamp, than in other rooms you went into with the windup/rechargable torches/lamps.

Also saw some people struggling to walk along the path past our street, there is not much traffic and without the street lights it was so very dark. So need to get a new keyring torch I think, not bothered so far since the other got broke by the kids, but decided it would be useful it we ended up having to walk home in a power cut.

Ali x

Karmacat

elaine241 wrote: »

Anyone got any New Year resolutions that include or not! prepping?

I would like to hear of your resolutions and long term goals as I may add them to my own.
Elaine

Prepping goals ... getting fit! Fitter, anyway - I've been researching aerobic fitness methods I can work on inside (shingles pain is aggravated by the cold), and without using the joint at the balls of my feet - so I've hit on squats and a few others like that.

The other is maintenance, house maintenance - I'm great at starting new projects, but if you don't maintain what you've got, then you're in trouble. There's a nasty smell of damp in the porch, along with those spots of wiggly plaster got to do something about that.

Otherwise, use time more efficiently - I've managed to stop playing computer games (I allow myself a couple a day at the weekend, otherwise I wouldn't manage to stop during the week), but I also have to finish off these projects I love starting and learn to use what I've already got.

School report says: "is doing well. Could do better"

GreyQueen

Very good posts from Elaine and ALI. The caliber of posts (as well as the delightful silliness at times) makes this thread a real pleasure.

I've long been of the opinion that the reluctance of TPTB to enforce nutritional standards in school, to limit the advertising of carp food on children's TV and to restrict the activities of food companies has a deliberately malign socioeconomic effect.

Obesity tends to be concentrated among poorer people and co-travels with any number of unpleasant and life-limiting illnesses. Seems to me that it would suit some of TPTB very well if most ordinary people didn't survive very long past their retirement age. Use 'em up and let 'em eat themselves to death.

Accordingly, I'm going to get slimmer and healthier, in order to be able to be around and be a PITA for as long as possible. Living well is the best revenge, hey?

Re the garage conversion, it might be prudent to work your way through the project sooner rather than later, just in case something were to happen to cause the materials to escalate in costs or your pounds to dwindle further in value. I do know that the £15k from maturing insurance policies which my parents elected to spend on their extension in 1998 would have made very little capital growth in the intervening years and certainly wouldn't buy the same amount of bricks-and-mortar now. They've no regrets about their decision.

Righty, off to source some grub for tea. It'll have yellow stickers on, as is traditional.:p But it includes cabbage, so immortality beckons.

[Deleted User]

No new years resolutions for us, just keep on doing what we do, keep on being in touch with what is happening in the world, keep on looking out for useful things to add to our prepping equipment, keep on living the simple life and growing as much of our food as we can and never losing sight of the fact that life can change and go upside down for any of us in a nanosecond, so stay on our toes and try to stay ahead of any problems, can't do more than that can we? Lyn xxx.