Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

God yer all mad but you're cheering me up on a bad day so thank you!

She's worser than me, Miss!

Although I do worry that Nursie, my fictious personal tea-maker and all-round (she's big enough to be in two postcodes simultanously) domicilary helpmeet has seemingly drawn substance from the ether and travelled around the world to Prudence and Softstuff. Not to mention her little sojourns in the households of a couple of long-suffering Brits.

This week a colleague [STRIKE]accused[/STRIKE] errr I mean remarked upon me being absolutely unique.* We laffed. My entire department are certifiable in the nicest possible way. I wish I could tell you what we're doing for Red Nose Day but it'll prolly be in the meeja so better keep schtumm. Gonna make loadsa money for the cause and we'll have a ball, too.

* the reason for my uniqueness is that when they made me they broke the mold, ground it into small fragments, encased it in concrete and sunk it into the deepest part of the deepest trench in the Atlantic seabed. You may have seen pix in the meeja this week; I'm the lump of stone resting against the Coke can.

Mar, chin up lass. Eat more sweeties.

ETA Mrs LW, they've re-issued it with the pix from the recent series on it. But it's still the 1975 book underneath.

Eeek, vodka being burned. I'd be tempted to keep it to wash wounds or drown sorrows in an emergency. I saw an instructional on how to make "trangia" stoves out of two alu beer cans, let me find it for you.......

http://www.mungosaysbah.com/2009/01/tutorial-on-how-to-build-coke-can-stove.html

katieclampet

Been away for a few days, so just having a catch up. I noticed someone mentioned vodka. I dont drink spirits myself, but did wonder if it was worth investing in a bottle of brandy or whisky for my store cupboard, for I wonder if any one has a small alcohol stash? or even a large one!

I do usually have a few bottles of wine stashed away, but those are for regular use, not emergencies!

katie

GreyQueen

katieclampet wrote: »

Been away for a few days, so just having a catch up. I noticed someone mentioned vodka. I dont drink spirits myself, but did wonder if it was worth investing in a bottle of brandy or whisky for my store cupboard, for I wonder if any one has a small alcohol stash? or even a large one!

I do usually have a few bottles of wine stashed away, but those are for regular use, not emergencies!

katie

Hi Katie, I did read a blogpost from a man who'd gone through the war in Bosnia. His family had looted a building (supermarket?) when it was broken open early in the war and salted a lot of cases of spirits away. They were able to eke these out as barter goods. Booze and smokes have long been an alternate currency.

The branch of my family which has lived in Europe since just before WW1 found themselves living in occupied territory after the German advance in WW2. The trouble was slightly-lessened by having been able to nab some chests of tea left behind by the retreating British forces. The country cousins were able to keep the extended family in the stuff for the duration, which was a blessing.

I suspect booze would be very useful if SHTF, but would be something to keep extremely well-hidden, IMO.

[Deleted User]

Madam GQ I wish it to be known that when they made me they didn't use a mould!!! The result is somewhat freeform and definately inclined to spread to fill available spaces it is however really useful when confronted with odd shapes to be able to achieve comfort in the recumbent position!!! NaNanenana!!!!!!

maryb

When I was working full time and the DDs were small I had a series of au pairs to pick them up from school and look after them till I came home. They always arrived with a local speciality as a present. One girl from Hungary arrived with some local Aquavit type hooch in an old Famous Grouse bottle. That stuff was probably close to 100% proof:eek:

A strong man couldn't drink it,God alone knows what it would have done to our livers, but I found it again recently when I was clearing out a cupboard. I'm using it to make my own window cleaner instead of surgical spirit and it seems to work well.

siegemode

GreyQueen wrote: »

siegemode, I can get so stressed at times that I get like a manic wind-up toy and spin and spin my wheels until I crash. Not sure if we ME-ers have a common character type or whether it's a symptom of the illness. Sometimes, I just accept that I maybe can't get a better deal on XYZ and let it stop at a few quotes. Otherwise you can damage your health still further, I find.

I'm sure there is a common character type, I'm not the only one in my family and a very close friend also has ME. We all have anxiety issues and we all like to do things right and all get ocd at times, but not over the same stuff. I've often been told I don't know when to give up. I am often much more driven and focused in a crisis, often of my own making. I have a habit of putting things off because of energy low levels and then rushing about at the last minute, be it getting ready to go out or filling in forms etc. I also have no concept of time unless its running out and I have an important deadline which drives oh mad. My brain never shuts down and I'm an information addict. I really wish I could relax, but the only thing that shuts me down is (a bit like dried leeks nudge nudge wink wink and I'm not doing that or) trauma. I guess the need for info stems from my need to stay in control of my destiny and prepping is all part of that.

Anyone else here have ME or experiences of it ?

Popperwell

Looks like my final few teeth are ready to give up so I will be looking foward to finding a dentist and accepting I need dentures(My own personal hell)I always looked after them but for some reason Mum and me were no longer registered and then with all that has happened, it was the last thing on my mind. Oh well...

If they knock me out I won't know anything...I can't keep my mouth open for long as my jaw aches.

I used to be so good and looked after them for decades...

I also received word today of my rent and water rates increases so there's another £8 to find but in theory more because of the bedroom tax and the rent increase will mean the BT is more.

I dislike the way the Housing Association has informed me of how much I'll be paying.

Instead of a letter saying that as of the 1st April you will be paying(Insert the amount)They have said you will be paying upto(and have given an amount)but not the exact figure.

So I am trying to work it out myself and I am hoping it is slighty less than I feared(but it will only be £1-£2)either way.

I said I was annoyed, the reason is instead the HA sent what looks like a Birthday greetings card and when you open it a little house pops up like a child's pop up book with the information written on the side of the house. What a way to tell bad news...

I wonder what they spent on these little purveyors of good news? Times may be hard but they send out things like this and every few months glossy magazines.

Popperwell

Siegemode, Officially I don't have ME but I do have times where I am very tired and suffer fatigue due to having various medical contitions. And I know others have talked about being tired on MSE. Also I am on strong medication that have side effects.

I have been very much out of it this past 3 weeks and been blaming a head cold, I mean today I have slept best part of it away...but when you only have yourself to think of, there is isn't anywhere to go out to and you don't want to spend money for the sake of it, what else are you going to do?

Besides, the weather has been horrible today that misty, damp of rain and there is the possiblity of snow again so they say from the weekend.

VJsmum

siegemode wrote: »

I'm sure there is a common character type, I'm not the only one in my family and a very close friend also has ME. We all have anxiety issues and we all like to do things right and all get ocd at times, but not over the same stuff. I've often been told I don't know when to give up. I am often much more driven and focused in a crisis, often of my own making. I have a habit of putting things off because of energy low levels and then rushing about at the last minute, be it getting ready to go out or filling in forms etc. I also have no concept of time unless its running out and I have an important deadline which drives oh mad. My brain never shuts down and I'm an information addict. I really wish I could relax, but the only thing that shuts me down is (a bit like dried leeks nudge nudge wink wink and I'm not doing that or) trauma. I guess the need for info stems from my need to stay in control of my destiny and prepping is all part of that.

Anyone else here have ME or experiences of it ?

I don't have ME but can recognise myself from the above - last minute, brain not shutting down, information addict. Hmm, goes off pondering what this means.......

JayneC

Hi there,

I only have 12 loo rolls in should I be worried?

Just been cutting up strips of corrugated card to make pocket stove with. Have 3 tuna tins ready to go, but no lids, thought I might put them in a plastic bag to keep dry just in case. Have been watching tutorials and thought I might try a slight variation with a vaseline covered cotton wool ball in the middle to make lighting easier. Whadaya think? I have copious amounts of cardboard due to being an Avon rep, so good to find a use for it.

Been pondering finances again ( I should get out more:p) and reconsidering throwing as much as poss at my debts. I'm now thinking I should invest in some good quality equipment instead, that I can use if TSHTF or even if not. I've been sawing some firewood in preparation for the forecast snow:(, trying to use what I've scavenged rather than buy any more logs, and my hand saw and bow saw blades are getting a bit worn and need replacing really which got me a thinking about what i would do if I couldn't replace them - how would I saw my wood?? So am now contemplating a good quality axe, which will be good for splitting anyway, but could be used for chopping if needed too, or maybe a machete??? And there's other things too, been looking at this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002BSZ7R0/ref=s9_simh_gw_p86_d12_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=0SQGG9XBJT54ENMM4G57&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549367&pf_rd_i=468294
as I was thinking about getting my logs delivered by the load instead of going to get them and so would need to transport them around the back of my house to stack, but could also trundle around the park (or neighborhood skips - see told you I should get out more:rotfl:) to gather fallen branches and abandoned bits of wood and I thought I could use it to transport tools etc to/from my lottie then I could walk there instead of driving - and wander back via the park collecting firewood:D