Today my grandmother who is 89 moved into an assisted living facility. Initially, I was upset with my family pushing her into this. However, she is very happy with the move. She’s been living with family for about a year now and needs a place of her own. It was one of the hottest days of the year thus far but thankfully, both her home and her new apartment had very good air conditioning.
Some of the family is skeptical that she can live on her own with minimal assistance. However, I think she can do a lot when not treated like a child.
I was glad I could be around to help. Work has been incredibly stressful and busy. We closed a big deal Friday and are right back into today.
Slowly but surely things are being removed from the huge to-do list at work and the one at home. And I think, finally, not as many are being added on as removed. So, I feel like I am making some progress. For the hours I’ve been putting in at work, I should be making progress.
At home, we’ve gotten some jalapeno jelly canned. I have a bunch of tomatoes to get canned. I’m just not sure what to make with them. I am leaning towards tomato sauce. It’d be a good base for pasta or pizza. I’ve got a little more work to do on my pantry so I can put boxes and odd shaped items away.
Our tomato plant is starting to flower again after moving it to a lightly shaded spot. Typically full sun is what they need but since most of the last six weeks has seen days with highs above 95*F, I guess it needs a little relief from the heat. I also got a cherry tomato plant and a bell pepper plant to have some fall produce.
We are in the process of getting a shop built at home. Once that is done, we can look at getting a final garden spot mapped out and tilled. I’d love to get a garden in for the fall but I’m thinking it will probably happen more for late winter/early spring. Alabama has a wonderfully long growing season, especially if you extend it with cold-frames, etc.
We’ve been shooting regularly. My performances haven’t been great. Part of it is lack of practice and part of it is I change bullets for every match. We are trying to decide on a combination that works for me, the gun and the rules. We’ve had some issues with heavy leading with some bullets we got from a supplier here in Alabama. I like Magnus bullets but the supplier of those in South Alabama is 3 to 4 hours away and limits how many you can buy at a time. If I ever stop changing bullets, maybe I can improve. Then, the past match, my front fiber optic tube fell out. It’s hard to see a black post when you are used to a green dot.
Gotta run, work calls. We’ll be shooting again this weekend then camping at the lake.
Things are still really hectic at work. I’m exhausted. However, I’m still finding plenty of time for family and shooting. My blogging, reading and knitting are suffering. We have gotten some canning done. I hope to post more soon.
My workload has exploded. I worked through every lunch last week and worked late every day. One day was only a few minutes but the rest were at least an hour and one was nearly three hours. It’s all good and should level out soon. A raise should follow eventually. Unfortunately, while our business is good now, it will be a while before we get paid.
I’m keeping up with news. The Supreme Court decision yesterday was on the right to own guns was fantastic. Kagan’s comments to the confirmation committee was on the same was encouraging. The oil issue in the Gulf just sucks. The beach Cricket and Bugaboo first swam on (and did each time down), is covered in crude oil. NASA satellite pictures of the slick are disgusting.
The weather here has been hot but I’m not complaining. It’s better than the frigid cold we had during the winter. Today is the first day in something like 25 that the high for the day was below 95. We hit 101 here at the house on Sunday before the .01 inches of rain we recieved. That was enough to ignite a swarm of huge mosquitoes. How can we go from none because the land is so dry is won’t support life to hundreds the size of locusts from such a tiny bit of rain? Perhaps, in my spare time, I need to research that. You know, I have so much of it now.
Work is keeping me swamped and at home this week, DH and I have celebrated our 20th anniversary, Bugaboo turned 10 and this weekend includes camping and our monthly IDPA match. Maybe some blogfodder and time will come my way.
I’ve never really thought much about a Bug Out Bag (BOB) as our home is where we’d stay. The only other place we can consider in a TEOTWAWKI situation is close enough that anything that would make us leave our home would make that place uninhabitable also. However, we spend a great deal of time away from home. We work “in town.” We go to the range on many weekends. So, I have spent my time concentrating more on what I’d need to get home if somehow my truck can’t get me there. In recent months, I’ve been traveling a bit with work so my bag has expanded to allow me to have what I need should the SHTF while I’m on the road.
As I learn more and my habits change, my GHB changes too. Now, as the world comes closer to the edge of a massive depression, I am putting even more thought into what is in my bag. I need more food. And I need better shelter for those trips away from the immediate area. I’m wondering about a main GHB and a secondary GHB that would have items pertinent to a longer trek home.
One thing I’ve noticed in researching what others feel they need in their GHBs is the lack of bug repellant and little comfort items. Perhaps because I’m in an area where mosquitoes can carry you away and chiggers and ticks abound, this would be near the top of my list, fairly close to food. Then, there’s those little comfort items that could make the most stressful time bearable. For me, it’s Yummy Earth’s Mango Chili candies and pictures of my loved ones. Reminding myself of what I’m trekking home to may help me fight the desire to set up camp and sit it out.
I’ve also noticed a lack of maps in many people’s lists. You may not be able to take your typical route home. In fact, I’m counting on not being able to. So, I’ve got road and terrain maps of the two counties I have to go through to get home. They are in my purse at all times. I don’t even leave them in my truck. My purse is my main bag. If I had to, I could leave from anywhere without my truck and get home. I’d be less easy as some very important things are in my GHB in my truck but I could do it. If I were one of those women that could carry a suitcase for a purse, I’d not need my GHB. But, the size is the only part of that fashion I find useful.
What are your thoughts on a Get Home Bag?
Today, especially, it seems like everything that could go wrong has. However, I’m home now with a nice weekend planned. This evening is being spent quietly listening to the thunder in the distance and watching the
. Tilapia will be on the grill soon.
Tomorrow, there is a HAM club picnic. Bunches of nice people and lots of food. What could be better? Then Sunday, USPSA.
Our TV and flourescent lights in the kitchen don’t like the warm humid air we’ve decided to live in. You have to gently coax the lights on and the TV cuts out sometimes. It’s not even warm in here. Right now, it’s 80*F. It’d be cooler if I hadn’t fried zuchinni for Bugaboo. b WE’ve grown accustomed to life without AC. It’s a lot easier when it’s by choice. Last time we did this, three summers ago, it wasn’t by choice and we didn’t have the nice metal roof. Then, if it reached 80*F in the daytime, it’d easily be 90*F in the house. Now it’s opposite. It can be 90*F outside and be only 80*F in the house. Galvalum is wonderful.
With all the focus on stopping the gusher down below, I haven’t heard anything about what’s being done to contain and remove the oil making it to the surface. I did hear one blurb about shrimp boats being hired to deploy containment bouys. BP needs some sort of giant vacuum that only sucks up oil.
I wonder what summer around here will be like with the beaches inaccessible.
Life, Survival, Work | EmmaPeel | 
July 24, 2010 8:03 pm | 
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