The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

jk0

unrecordings wrote: »

As I don't drive, I've traditionally been navigator, which with a very good sense of direction, i'm pretty good at on the hoof directions. I did also get lost in Bristol once though

Bristol always reminds me of the joke about the guide book for foreigners visiting Britain. It says: 'During the 2nd world war, Britain removed all road signs to confuse the enemy. We have not yet completed the process of reinstating them.'

Thriftkitten

GreyQueen wrote: »

TW, I had a delightful sojourn up some lanes in West Sussex last summer when hacking across the wilds in pursuit of a Roman villa. Saw some beautiful things (and nearly got wiped out by a manic farmer type in a Landie, but that's a whole 'nother anecdote).


The proper way to said villa was barely better than the unothodox way we arrived, in terms of quality of roads/ driving, but I got to experience two routes instead of in/ out on the same one. I think the ability to think on your feet is a useful lifeskill to hone.

I get lost most Sunday's, My partner and I have a metal detecting hobby and when we go to our club digs you can be sure the hubby wanders off and leaves me tootling along, before you know it I'm fields away.. I always take my flask and sarnies in a back pack for this reason as most of the time I end up further away than when originally lost...:eek: One way we have tried to solve it is that he has purchased me a 'Binman's' bright yellow warm coat, so I can be spotted miles away hahahaha!! I am a driver but I have a terrible sense of direction. It's a regular giggle at my local club now, but I'm warm, waterproofed and armed with a flask and sarnies.:T

DigForVictory

Has anyone else spotted a correlation between drivers & dreadful navigators?

It may just be my lot, but my mother in law (who has never driven in her life) can not only find her way back to bargain-filled locations after one trip but gives me adequate notice of junctions etc whereas various driving family members preface their guidance with "you can't miss it" and yell "down there" as I have passed the junction...

My aunt (whom I cherish) has a (possibly) unique talent when navigating - you keep tabs on her hands in peripheral vision as they point the right way whereas the verbal "left" & "right" can be completely out.

Frankly, those immediate family who try to override the satnav tend to enjoy bus lanes, & get stroppy when I suggest they may want to pay the fine I am about to get landed with...

Offhand, no-one we know is in Crete, Albania or Bosnia? Earthquakes are really not in my ideal holiday plans.

THIRZAH

We got totally lost in Bristol in the summer. the sat-nav told us to come off the M5 as there was a traffic jam and took us on the M32? into the centre of Bristol then it seemed to totally abandon us. Would have been better staying on the M5 which is what I wanted to do but DH insisted on following the sat-nav.

unrecordings

Having worked with a few of them, I'm reminded that anything 'tech' requires teams of 'developers' who generally have zero basic common sense

DigForVictory

unrecordings wrote: »

'developers' who generally have zero basic common sense

Not going to debate that terribly hard, as memories still leave me weak with laughter, but technically I was a software developer for several years.

Mostly running the tea club & coaxing users through testing (with chocolate biscuits and lavish praise to their management). For some reason, we had no problems recruiting testers, and got on well with site security as well. (Well, fire practice included evacuating the building & I'd just happen to take the biscuit tin with me... Made certain the important people were gently plied with the little morale boosters.)

unrecordings

DigForVictory wrote: »

Not going to debate that terribly hard, as memories still leave me weak with laughter, but technically I was a software developer for several years.

Mostly running the tea club & coaxing users through testing (with chocolate biscuits and lavish praise to their management). For some reason, we had no problems recruiting testers, and got on well with site security as well. (Well, fire practice included evacuating the building & I'd just happen to take the biscuit tin with me... Made certain the important people were gently plied with the little morale boosters.)

Sounds like you were on the side of reason, and pretty much the job I also had to do except armed with retail cartons of Marathon/Picnic/KitKat etc from Makro because the development platform had 'inexplicably' gone live and my staff were going berzerk. The best one was when...

On second thoughts - censored.

Even though it's kind of funny now I'll never forgive them for that. The NDA ran out a few years ago but I've other battles to fight these days. All I'll say is thank heavens fo NHS walk in centres.

DigForVictory

Any 'go live' that hasn't got a well-planned high-calorie backup is doomed.
Mind you, prepping certainly helps you to roll over various unexpected activities like a tank...

jk0

DigForVictory wrote: »

Not knowing where the next charging point is sounds a deliberate e car maker gap in the tomtom market & thus I’d put money there’s a samizdat version somewhere, as that information is just too useful!

You inspired me DFV to ask the question on 'SpeakEV', a forum for electric car owners.


Someone replied, and I have been able to download an official list of charge points, filter them with Excel, then turn them into a file that will fit on my car's memory card.


It's a bit of a faff to do, but I think I may have managed it. I swapped cars in my garage some miles away today, so it will be a while before I know for sure.

DigForVictory

I do not wish to sound smug - indeed the truth is nearer only operational due to diligent applications of tea - but I have nailed half the family's Christmas, met their eco standards (oh gods), and having reaped some of the many benefits of prepping can now collapse & enjoy some of the unexpected discoveries.

If you aren't documenting what you have & what you might want to replace (and a Never Again list is also worth maintaining), the difference between preparing & just acquiring is a tad hazier. [It turned out I had acquired rather a lot of rather nice alcohol um-decades-ago, and that has sorted a few more gifts & permitted me to plan a few unexpected treats.]

It need not be complex (and indeed the less so, the easier) but I like to be able to turn my back on a glorious-looking special offer as (a) I already have at about a years worth [depends on item] or (b) I'm not buying any more of whatever unless it is at X or less a unit...