The Hobbit Hole VI - And Whither Then? I Cannot Say...

To: Bear_in_RoseBear

I'll keep 'em rotating back in once in a while... just to keep people guessing. But I've uploaded all the current ones here: http://www.the-hobbit-hole.net/graphics/freep/thread-logos/

5,441 posted on 02/13/2004 3:10:08 PM PST by ecurbh

Excellent! Thank you!

5,442 posted on 02/13/2004 3:12:27 PM PST by Bear_in_RoseBear (Get them enchiladas greasy, get them steaks chicken-fried!)

To: Corin Stormhands; 2Jedismom

Had ecurbh out doin' stuff he didn't really want to do today.... Moved 5 shrubs from in front of the trailer to another place where maybe they will be better... cleaned up the rockery by the house afterwards, and then I bleached the mildew and scrubbed the whole front of the place. Looks better.... still trailer trash... but cleaner!

5,443 posted on 02/13/2004 3:18:19 PM PST by HairOfTheDog

Reportin' in... did my workout. Ugh, I'm exhausted. But I did it, and really pushed myself on the last running bit, so I feel pretty good about it.

Gonna go fix some meat in a bit and eat it. Raw.

5,444 posted on 02/13/2004 3:18:59 PM PST by JenB (yakusoku wa iranai)

That's Martha Stewart? I thought it was Linda Tripp! lol

5,445 posted on 02/13/2004 3:25:08 PM PST by ItsOurTimeNow ("By all that we hold dear on this Earth I bid you stand, men of the West!")

Gonna go fix some meat in a bit and eat it. Raw.

Now yer talkin'!

5,446 posted on 02/13/2004 3:28:18 PM PST by ItsOurTimeNow ("By all that we hold dear on this Earth I bid you stand, men of the West!")

To: Corin Stormhands

Okay for us ignorant non-Catholics...is Friday a "regular" church thing or is today a special day?

We have daily Masses. At my parish, most days of the week Mass is in the mornings after I'm already at work, so I can't go - but Friday there's an evening Mass and I generally try to make that one.

5,447 posted on 02/13/2004 3:31:49 PM PST by RosieCotton (53 days to 5k!)

I'm going to try to start week two on Monday! I'm not sure I'll get it, though...

It's going to be considerably harder than week one, I think. We'll see, though!

5,448 posted on 02/13/2004 3:33:11 PM PST by RosieCotton (53 days to 5k!)

Gonna go fix some meat in a bit and eat it. Raw.

Just sliced up some summer sausage and cheese for our "dinner". Rose and I had a late lunch after running some errands earlier.

5,449 posted on 02/13/2004 3:34:19 PM PST by Bear_in_RoseBear (Get them enchiladas greasy, get them steaks chicken-fried!)

Gonna go fix some meat in a bit and eat it. Raw.

Seared?

I got another roast on the way home. And gooey ice cream, too...

5,450 posted on 02/13/2004 3:36:09 PM PST by RosieCotton (53 days to 5k!)

To: Bear_in_RoseBear

Sounds good!

Just got finished with a rib-meat sammich, and I have it on good authority that The Chosen One is making me Breakfast Nachos in the morning for Valiumtimes Day! To whit, I'll be cooking up some chicken & shrimp alfredo tomorrow night when I get home.

5,451 posted on 02/13/2004 3:42:49 PM PST by ItsOurTimeNow ("By all that we hold dear on this Earth I bid you stand, men of the West!")

To: ItsOurTimeNow

Breakfast nachos? Sounds intriguing!

Rose and I were thinking of going out tomorrow night for dinner and a movie... probably *the* movie!

5,452 posted on 02/13/2004 3:48:35 PM PST by Bear_in_RoseBear (Get them enchiladas greasy, get them steaks chicken-fried!)

To: Bear_in_RoseBear

Dunno what to have for supper....

5,453 posted on 02/13/2004 3:51:03 PM PST by Overtaxed (The Medicis started with a pawnshop)

To: Bear_in_RoseBear

I understand... but I remember reading some things back then from people who seemed just a little too excited at the prospect of exercising their survival skills should the worst happen, if you know what I mean.

Sorry it took so long to reply, but what you said is very true. I just want to comment on my observations on the Great Blackout of 2003.

1. Drinking water that does not need boiling or filtration is the number one priority. I'm a weirdo who does have a sub-micron filter, but that's only if I have to live out in a field somewhere. Staying at home, I felt the $12 I spent for 70 half-liter bottles of water was a cheap investment. I didn't feel like a "hoarder", and I didn't have to go out looking for water, although most big food stores produced tons of bottled water seemingly out of nowhere.

2. "Stock up for three days only, we will relocate you by then" is not just fanciful, but reckless. When you have 100 million people in the same predicament, nobody is moving anybody anywhere. Everyone has to either stay where they are, or decide to move on their own. There's absolutely nothing wrong with "three day supply", but even some natural disasters may last longer than that. "Three week supply" gives more "cushion", and can handle larger problems.

3. Nobody had any plans for handling an electric outtage that vast. Hospitals and other buildings had diesel generators, but with no power at the refineries and fuel depots, new fuel could not be pumped to get tankers out for refueling. The hospital system I work for was almost ready to collapse after 24 hours on generators because they couldn't get more fuel. Everything was planned under the assumption that tankers could get there on a regular basis. Refineries and fuel depots need their own backup power supplies so they can keep pumping. Millions of gallons of fuel doesn't do anyone any good if you can't get it into the trucks.

4. Power company "emergency procedures" developed post-911 were a joke. Special emergency communications circuits were never tested, and failed.

5. Government "emergency procedures" post-911 were an even bigger joke. Multi-millions spent on sophisticated radio systems didn't work, because nobody bought any radios. The Macomb County "emergency communications center", which was built with millions of taxpayer dollars, turned out to be a room in a county office building with a table, two chairs, and two phone jacks in the wall. Nobody knew who was expected to do what with the room. So they want more money to fix the fixes.

Actually, I'm grateful for the blackout. It was a benign way of testing the system, and finding much lacking, without killing too many people. One thing that I found encouraging was there was no civil upheaval. I credit that to the post-911 attitude, where the first person to start trouble will be gunned down on the spot.

5,454 posted on 02/13/2004 3:51:13 PM PST by 300winmag (FR's Hobbit Hole supports America's troops)

To: Overtaxed; Bear_in_RoseBear; Jen

My dinner: fried an onion in leftover bacon grease until starting to get brown, then put in green peppers, some slices of leftover beef, garlic, mushrooms, and some Worchester sauce. Cooked until everything looked and smelled good.

It's tasty.

5,455 posted on 02/13/2004 3:56:20 PM PST by RosieCotton (53 days to 5k!)

Heh....you need some hurricanes or ice storms up there...it'll put your power out for a week or more.

5,456 posted on 02/13/2004 3:57:46 PM PST by Overtaxed (The Medicis started with a pawnshop)

To: 2Jedismom; ItsOurTimeNow; g'nad; Wneighbor

"The Elves stirred and murmured with astonishment, and Celeborn gazed at the Dwarf in wonder, but the Lady smiled. 'It is said that the skill of the Dwarves is in their hands rather than in their tongues ' she said"

I know I risk the box fan, but I have to ask if she's a talkin' about the kitchen or the peein' in the woods part...

5,457 posted on 02/13/2004 3:58:11 PM PST by Corin Stormhands (people come and go so quickly here...)

Of course, the ultimate lesson is that you can't count/rely on The State to help you in a time of crisis...which, obviously, makes perfect sense.

Unfortunately, far too many people don't know the first thing about survival, and would be utterly helpless in a catastrophic situation.

I consider myself prepared, but not nearly prepared enough...there's always more one can do.

5,458 posted on 02/13/2004 3:58:41 PM PST by ItsOurTimeNow ("By all that we hold dear on this Earth I bid you stand, men of the West!")

To: Corin Stormhands

You know...I'd guess elves do more peeing in the woods than dwarves do...

5,459 posted on 02/13/2004 3:59:21 PM PST by RosieCotton (53 days to 5k!)

Thanks. I'll be barbequed if certain posters from the religion forum see me say this, but I think we protestants have much to learn from the Catholic church...not the least of which is your measure of devotion.

5,460 posted on 02/13/2004 4:00:39 PM PST by Corin Stormhands (people come and go so quickly here...)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794