Greetings, Folks!
I wanted to share with y’all what’s been happening here at The Bunker in the way of preparedness - especially in the Anything Can Happen Department.
As most everyone knows from the recent nuptials, Sarge and the Bride have two girls, Brainiac and Jailbait, who live with us. The son, Maniac, was living with his family in El Paso.
Was.
It seems that Maniac, his wife Mocha, and their girl Little Diva, were staying with family while they built themselves a nest egg. HER family (Holder’s People) threw them out with barely any prior warning (the words “white boy” were used repeatedly). So after a kitchen-table conference, Sarge and The Bride got them moved here to The Bunker. It took a four-day trek across five states, two packed vehicles with one limping all the way, but they bugged out successfully and we got them here safe and sound.
Now, we have a new situation. Five adults, an emo teen, a toddler, two cats and a dog are now under one roof. And the activity level has quadrupled. Furniture has been relocated; The Bunker has been GI’ed; appliances and storage space reorganized; food and menus replanned; and future ops discussed.
It REALLY helps if your new tribe members enjoy handyman chores, fixing and building things, creative cooking, campfires in the backyard, and socializing as a group. Maniac and Mocha are also EAGER to learn everything Sarge can teach them about weapons and marksmanship. Mocha now wants her own handgun; this chick is a rare treat.
We now hold weekly Tribal Councils to discuss ways and means, and upcoming events. All vehicles are combat-parked, fuel topped off, and necessary maintenance completed. All pleasure trips, cruising at the mall, and non-essential errands are curtailed, pending on how the tactical situation develops. Purchases are now done after a voice vote. Physical improvements to The Bunker are discussed, then carried out with all hands on deck (and that includes Jailbait, after much whining, protesting, and wall-to-wall counseling).
Maniac and his detachment report that El Paso, and San Antonio, are pretty much hostile territory. There is no sustainability for long-term survival. Local municipal gun laws are restrictive; Maniac was shocked to realize how relaxed the gun laws are here in the Sunshine State. And the race-relations climate in El Paso is a suitcase full of ugly.
We are adjusting fire on a whole list of preps very shortly. One big thing is the food stocks. Preps for four now have to stretch for seven, including Little Diva’s needs. Milk is now a rationed item. Consumables are being revised; the biggest being tobacco products.
But the biggest challenge of all, is behavior modification. The family before Sarge’s arrival had a “just-in-time” mindset. Nightly trips to the stores for cigarettes and Red Bulls. Less than two days’ stores and supplies. The hurricane box was badly depleted. Thankfully the Bunker is off the grid for water, with a well-pump and a septic tank; but the family couldn’t spell “water conservation”, let alone practice it.
This has been Sarge’s greatest achievement. Food storage has tripled. Water issues are improving. Redundant systems are all over the place. Locks repaired, security lights installed, vehicles secured, and blackout curtains over vulnerable windows.
We’re now, just like you, watching the drama unfold, with our plans in place and our powder dry. Here’s hoping you do the same.
SARGE
On food costs... having specialized in feeding large numbers of hungry airmen... bulk pasta is about the cheapest meal that Americans will eat and enjoy.
Poverty cooking is a specialized art.
If you need help with meal planning, ping me in freepmail. I will do whatever I can to help.
/johnny
I’m really enjoying these updates. What does ‘combat parked’ mean?