Holiday Break

Due to the holidays, travel, and surprise sickness, I am taking the last bit of 2013 off.  However, I will be back in 2014 bigger and better.  I have several projects in the works, including getting to use some of the fun things that I was able to pick up over my Christmas break.

I wish you all Merry Christmas or what ever you holiday de joir is, and Happy New Year.  See you in 2014

Story Saturday- Chapter One Part One

  One man could't make a difference, could it?  Perhaps not, but one man, who joins with another, who then continue to join with more like minded individuals, they then become a force for change and for good.

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    The students were hardly phased when the lights went out.  Ever since the economy tanked, brownouts were common.  Many of the Recreation students at Northern Arizona University were outdoorsy types, and had layered up on clothing to fight off the cold.  Many other students on campus looked like hobos, with their layers of mismatched clothing.  The rec crew was, in contrast, dressed with layers of clothes made to actually layer on top of each other.  It was a record breaking winter, with sub zeros highs, and even colder lows in Flagstaff, Arizona.

     Mat was dressed with thermals under a flannel shirt, and he had removed his two coats, but was still wearing a pair of thin gloves to ward off the chill.  Called the 'Old Man on Campus' by this classmates, He was 32, at least 10 years older than most of his classmates.  A former police officer, he had been laid off when the economy started to really take a dive and the population of the town he worked for went down with it.   When every other town in the area was in the same bind, he was fortunate to qualify for a grant to go back to school and finish his last year.  He dropped out of college when we had the chance a few years ago to apply for the department of a small, rural, Arizona town.   He just hoped that there were still jobs available when he graduated at the end of the semester.  

     A couple of flashlights came out of pockets or bags and lit up the room, Mat's being one of them.  The professor, who insisted to be called Betsy and not Doctor, at the front of the class looked at her watch.  

    "Ok folks, we are close enough that I will just wrap up.  Do your reading assignment online and I will see y'all Wednesday."

     Mat put his notebook into his shoulder bag and pulled out his cell phone and sent off a text.  He put on his wool hoodie and his down jacket before tossing his bag over his shoulder and heading out.  A bitter chill hit him in the face and made him put his beenie on.  His walk headed him off campus towards a set of apartments nearby.  

    "I don't see why you make me walk all the way across campus to meet you here," a voice behind him said in a teasing manner.

    Turning to face the voice, "I make you walk out here because you need the exercise AND because I get free parking off camups."  Mat contested.

    The source of the voice was a large man, about 6' 5" and near 300 LBS, with reddish gold hair and a leather jacket on.  "I know, just teasing you.  But it is wicked cold today, and you're late."

   Mat scoffed at the comment, "No I'm not, you are just cranky, and probably hungry."  He tossed his friend a granola bar and asked, "Ready?"

    "Yeah,"  he took a bite of granola bar and continued with a mouth full, "Let's roll," but it sounded more like "ruts rlll" in almost a Scooby Doo voice.  

    

    His friend, Nick, was actually older than Mat by a year.  They met at church when Mat and his family moved to Arizona, and they hit it off, both being video game loving, sci fi aficionados.  Their wife's also became fast friends as well, both being artists.  Nick also took time off of his studies, to work for a while after he got married, and resumed his schooling after his first child was born, working full time and taking classes on the side.  When Mat started going to school, the two friends took turns carpooling to save on rising fuel costs.

    The two friends hopped into Mat's old diesel Blazer, which had trouble starting due to the cold.  The duo began to make the hour commute down the the Verde Valley where they lived and worked.  They talked for a while about the role playing game that they and their wife's were playing once a week, and about their shared interest in guns.  As the drive turned quiet, Nick, in the passenger seat started on homework while Mat tuned the radio to the local conservative talk radio station.  They continued this way until Mat dropped of Nick and headed out to his house for a quick bite to eat.

    To Be Continued

Every Day Carry For the Gentleman, Practical, Tactical, and Everything In Between Part 1

In the preparedness community there is a fetish for everything militaristic and tacti-cool, which has led to many sporting military style ruck and haversacks bursting with all sorts of gear. While I do enjoy looking at, fondling and playing with all manner of mil-spec, surplus, and mil-style tools and toys, I do believe that there is a time and place for everything. As a proper gentleman, you should look sharp, and stand out in a positive manner, as opposed to looking like the odd man out.  

Every day carry (EDC) is a mentality embraced by the preparedness community that states that the tools that you carry with you  every day is your EDC. If you don't have it on you everyday then it isn't EDC.  There are a number of things that compose different people's EDC, some to the extreme of ridiculousness in my mind. I knew someone who used a blanket as a jacket in case they were somewhere and wanted to take a nap, but by doing this she couldn't use both hands at the same time. Like ever. Others keep gas masks in their bags in case there is a gas terror attack on their place of work. A person's EDC is a personal choice, based on individual daily needs and routines. if you're looking to put a useful EDC together, here are a handful of things that I feel should be part of any lady or gentleman's EDC. 

1. A pen. I know many of you are thinking, 'say what?' complete with classic sassy tone. The number one question I get asked at work is 'Do you have a pen?' With the forms that I had to fill out daily as a police officer, and now in my current work place, a pen is the tool I used the most. The reason that I get asked is because nobody carries their own anymore! I keep at least two on me, one that I can lend out and don't care if they forget about returning it to me. Usually it's a free pen that some company, someplace, gave away as swag. The second pen is only for me, usually a nicer, better quality one. I also carry a mechanical pencil out of habit from being an officer. 

2. A proper pocket knife. I use mine just about everyday, whether to do some whittling, cut cordage, or pick gunk out from under my fingernails. I also said “proper” meaning, in my mind, to be made of a good steel that can sharpen easily, stay sharp with simple use, and isn't dull.  I wish I had a dollar for every time I came across somebody who had a knife, but it was too dull to use safely. If you are going to carry a knife, at least make sure it is useful. 

3. A pocket flashlight. For $15-$40, you can find a flashlight smaller that a highlighter marker, that is wonderfully bright for many of the simple tasks that you might need it for. I have helped others find dropped keys, found my own dropped keys, hooked up jumper cables, found light switches in unusual locations, and changed the batteries in my other flashlight. I carry mine in my back pocket and never leave home without it. I use good rechargeable batteries in mine, change them weekly, and never have to worry about it going dead. In my shoulder bag I carry extra AAA batteries just in case. (Be prepared) 

4. A handkerchief or two. I have allergies, and get sick on a regular basis, and have found that a good cotton handkerchief has been wonderful to have on hand. I carry one in each one of my back pockets, one for me, and one to lend out, usually to my wife.  I always keep the used one in the same pocket, no matter what I am wearing. The unused handkerchief is also available for first aid, if needed. 

5. A belt. A belt can be used to keep your pants up, something many younger people need to learn to do properly.  It can also be used for first aid, a short rope, to keep things together, and a lot of other things. It is also a handy way to carry things, via holsters and pouches. I have learned that a properly dressed gentleman is never without a belt. 

6. A Multi-tool. I love a good multi-tool: having a tool box in your pocket. Ask anyone that carries one and they will share with you all manner of stories about how they have used it. I have even seen a gentleman use one to hold a door open. My usual model has a small pair of scissors that I use often, as well as an interchangeable screwdriver.  I will discuss models in the next post.

7. A CPR mask + Nitrile Gloves. I have seen people carry large first aid kits in backpacks to everyplace they go, only to mostly use adhesive bandages and triple antibiotic ointment. Please understand that I am not negating the benefits of having a proper first aid kit nearby. However the most common life threatening event most will encounter is a heart attack. On my key chain I carry a pocket sized CPR mask. In this day and age, I don't want to get any sort of transmittable germ from some stranger I locked lips with while saving their life. The gloves are for first aid purposes, also to protect me from unseen unknowns.

8. Duct Tape. The handyman's secret weapon.  I carry a few yards wrapped around an old credit card (which is another trinket that has proved quite useful in many of my adventures.).

9. A Cell Phone. 'Nuff Said. Do your best to keep it charged, and have a secondary method to charge it. Mine is a car charger. 

10.  A Concealed Firearm and Permit. Take good training courses to go with it, too. All good gunfighters have a balance of training, a reliable gun, and proper ammo. I won't go into brands or types of guns for you today. There have been hundreds of others fighting that fight and I don't want to involve myself in that today. Any gun made by a big name manufacturer is more than enough. Some guns turn out to be lemons but that is rare, and if made by a major manufacturer it should come with a good warranty to take care of any problems you may come across. Extra magazines should be manufacturers original production.

Stay tuned, in Part 2 I will discuss the other things that I have in my EDC and how I carry it around.

What If- Communications

     What if there were people who wanted complete control of everyone else?  What if in order to control us they wanted to limit our communications in order to restrict our ability to fight back as well as to keep us from knowing each other.  What if we knew each other and realized that we were all the same?  We each want to love and be loved, to have friends and family.  We all want to live to dream and to make those dreams a reality.  To me, we are all children of a wonderful God who loves us and wants the very best for us.  Why then would someone not want us to get along?  Why would whey want us to not be able to communicate and share with each other?  What kind of person wants to control the free exchange of information?  The kind of person who wants to hurt, and oppress, and enslave others.  I do not intend to live that way, I am a free man.

Story Saturday- I used my preps the other day, plus the Christmas Parade lessons

     So, living in Northern Arizona at near 4000 feet, we are used to winters that are far from the warm weather south of us in Phoenix.  However with the unusual influx of Cold Arctic air that has recently swept the US, my family has been affected as well.  On Friday Dec. 6th, I woke up and headed to the bathroom to take care of something.  When I turned on the water for my shower, nothing happened.  No water in my house worked.  My pipes had froze.  We have freezing temps but nothing usually this low.

     Thankfully I had hand sanitizer on hand to clean our hands, water storage for our food, and still had gas and power.  Water started to flow soon enough but it had our family thinking about how things would be if there was a complete shut off of services.  What would we do if our toilet couldn't flush?  How would be heat our home without gas service?  We have good candles and battery powered lights if we lose power but that was it.  I can cook on the grill or propane stove but do I want to do that in 17 degree temps?  Do I want to risk killing my family by bringing that stove into my house?

     On Saturday morning, I sadly had to go to work, where I am writing this post.  On my way I saw our small rural community preparing for the annual Christmas parade.  I told my wife about it and, despite her dislike of parades, she took our little one out to watch.  My wonderful Hobbit of a wife told me that it was quite festive, running down main street, with holiday and patriotic themes.  However, we were shown another week point in our abilities.  Our child does not have proper winter clothing.  We have enough to bundle our little one up to run to and from the car, but not enough to stay outside for prolonged periods of time.

     I enjoyed my impromptu test, as it brought to light some problems with my house, my preps and my family.  I hope that all is well with you this winter season.

Beg, borrow and deal, Money saving tips for preparedness

     I recently lost my dream job because, the simple truth is, I wasn’t right for it. I got that dreaded call to visit my boss’ office in July 2013 and I was laid off. I was blessed to find a job in my small rural area within a month, but it pays half of what my dream job did. This has made it incredibly hard to make ends meet, and all but impossible put extra away for hard times.

     I grew up with sayings in my family like, “a penny saved is a penny earned” “Beg borrow and steal” and the most important one of all, “We can’t afford it.” Of course, my parents also taught us “Thou shalt not steal,” I don’t want you to think I’m endorsing theft, but it taught me that there were other ways to live my life than to pay full price for things.

     Money was always tight, and now is even more so. I have found a number of ways to stretch the all mighty dollar, and I call it Beg, Borrow, and Deal.

     Beg- The act of using your words, just asking. I am not meaning to grovel on hand and knee, but open your mouth. The worst thing that can happen is they can say is no and you stay in the same situation you were already in. Nothing lost. In this way I have gathered several buckets from the bakery section of local stores and used them for my garden and for food storage.
     I was talking to an old cowboy who oversees a corral where I work and I found out that he is a Farrier, or a horseshoer. He also uses his forge to tinker around and do some blacksmithing. I have always wanted to learn blacksmithing, and have done some learning on my own but never have had access to a forge. I asked if I could come to work early and pound some metal with him. He was more than happy to let me come use his forge. He even has a box of scrap metal that I can use as much as I’d like.
     I also scrounge. Yes, I dig in the trash or ask people to bring me certain things from theirs. I have made a few things for camping and home organization just by pulling it out of the trash, cleaning it up and giving it a tweak. I love to repurpose old items into new tools or toys. The catch is to not hold on to a lot of junk with the mindset of ‘someday’. When some workers trimmed my apricot tree to repair my roof, before they hauled the wood away, I took my saw and axe out and collected some great branches for woodcarving, campfires, or to use in my grill for smoking meat.
     Just think of what is available for you if you just get out and about and ask! Wooden pallets, tires, scrap metal, firewood, old oil and old barns are just the start of the things that you can get for the price of not being shy. The free section of craigslist is a wonderful source of many things ready just for the asking.

     Borrow- Nothing special here, just good, old fashioned borrowing. Just like our grandfathers did. My wife needed some clothes mended, and I had a project that I wanted to do, and we both needed to use a sewing machine. A mention to a friend at church, and I was able to bring home a sewing machine for us to use for a week.
     We were also blessed to find other good friends who, when my car broke down, offered us the use of their car for a weekend. We also share books with each other that cover topics of mutual interest. My wife, an artist, made a friend who is an art teacher at a local school, and they get together after school hours to share techniques and use the equipment at the school.
     There are two things that I have noticed as critical for borrowing. First is you need to know people, and know what they have. Please do this in the proper manner by introducing yourself to people and making friends. You could get to know people by peering through their windows but that is just creepy and wrong. Second you need to return what you borrow! Don’t be ‘that neighbor’ who nobody wants to lend things to. Third, be willing to lend what you have. Share a little extra produce from your garden, lend your time, tools and talents to your new friends. By doing this you build a community that will do more than you thought possible before.

     Deal- This is good old fashioned trade. As a bit of a craftsman, I am often on the lookout for materials for projects. On a forum, I found a thread that was for trade. It was fun. The forum members posted what they had, and what they wanted and then worked out deals with each other. I made a trade for some Osage Orange wood, which does not grow in my area, for some leather that I had laying around. I also made another trade of pecans, which I have coming out of my ears, for flint, which I’m excited to use for fire-starting.
     As I increase my ability to craft items and the sharpen knives, my wife and I want to talk to some of the vendors at the local farmer’s market to trade these items for fresh produce and eggs. I have also had the opportunity to see my friends trade skills for skills, babysitting for a pie, tannerite for ammo, computer repair for homemade Christmas fudge. Whether it is a proper trade or not, my wife and I have a regular game night with another couple we met at church, and we take turns bringing treats to share.
     Deals can also be found by shopping on sale, at thrift or consignment stores, online, using coupons and ad matching at stores, and just asking others. I have saved alot of money when looking for thing by putting it out on Facebook that I am looking for something, and often someone I know has seen it for sale somewhere, or knows someone who is trying to get rid of it.

Communication builds community. Community builds sustainability. Sustainability means survival.

What If??- Stranger Danger

While driving back for this weekends Thanksgiving festivities, my wife and I were discussing things that we would like to add to our child raising philosophy. One thing that was covered was how we would like to cover 'Stranger Danger'. My wonderful wife, The Hobbit, shared that she had recently read a blog post about one woman's social anxiety problems and how this woman believed that a big part of it came from the modern philosophy taught to our children. We talked about how most child predation came from people the child knew, friends of the family or a family member. I had a thought pop into my head, what if the Tin Foil hat powers of the world created 'Stranger Danger' in order to slowly cause a drift to irrupt between us as people. What if they didn't want us to talk to each other as neighbors, to get to know each other? If we didn't build community to lift and help and love each other. Why would someone want us to live that way? I'd like to know your thoughts, please leave them in the comments below.