Sat. May 16, 2026 – headed to the BOL to do some stuff

Cool and clear, but warming significantly later. Supposed to be nice. It was mid 70sF when I went to bed. Forecast looks good for a nice weekend.

I spent Friday doing stuff. A few things got done around the house, then I started my errands and they kept me busy until almost 8pm. It’s a great life, if you don’t weaken.

Today I’m headed to the BOL where a huge list awaits my attention. HUGE. But I will get at least a few things done. Well, probably just started, not finished, but we’ll see.

Sometimes the list gets re-ordered, and sometimes it gets ignored. Sometimes things get the attention they need. We’ll see if this is one of those times.

One thing that always gets some attention is stacking. I’ve got stuff and fuel to stack on this trip. And relationships to strengthen. The relationships are probably the part most people skip when they’re prepping. Don’t. They will be critical to success or failure.

n

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Fri. May 15, 2026 – so it’s Friday again. That’s nice.

Cool and clear, but humid, and then warmer and clear, but humid. Clear is good. The sun is crazy hot though, burning my skin. A can of soda left in the truck will explode it gets so hot. And it’s not even summer yet.

I spent yesterday doing stuff. Meetings, pickups, a bust of an estate sale, breaking down scrap, and then watching the kid and her friends do stuff. Busy busy.

Today will be less active, but still should be full of stuff. I’ve got at least one pickup to do. A scrap run and a trash run. A truck to load, and plans to make. Oh, and I need to buy some marine oil for the boat too, and maybe a couple of marine rated fire extinguishers.

Flags in Texas will be at half staff today for Peace Officer Memorial Day. My pole isn’t rigged for half staff, but I’ll add the ‘Thin Blue Line’ flag to my display. Call it protective camouflage or a sincere hope that some of those honored deserve it.

So I’ll be busy getting stuff to stack, and improving my stacks today. You should be too.

nick

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Thur. May 14, 2026 – errands to run today. Lots of driving…

Probably starting the day in the mid 70sF and getting well into the 80s and maybe the 90sF in the sun. And there should be sun as the national forecast has us in the ‘clear’ area for a couple of days at least. It was nice in the shade yesterday, but really hot in the sun. Not quite Summer, but I know it’s coming.

Spent the morning doing stuff. Did a load of domestic bliss, but didn’t fold it yet. Did some hobby stuff, still hoping to get a new venue closer to me. I’m selfish that way. At least I’d like the membership to decide which part of town is most convenient for the most people. Herding cats would be easier.

Then I did pickups.

Today I’ve got a round of pickups, a meeting with the potential venue and Board members, and if time works out, an estate sale to check out. The sale has 4 vintage McIntosh speakers visible in pictures but they haven’t mentioned them or highlighted them in any way. They’re just sitting in the room with other crep piled on them. It’s worth trying to steal them as they sell for about $500 each… and where there are good speakers, there is usually and amp, and turntable, although none were pictured. I’m taking cash with me.

Sometimes, you have to strike while the iron is hot, and the payoff would be worth it.

Other than that, I’ll be stacking auction stuff and getting ready to head to the BOL for the weekend. Lots of work up there just waiting for me……..

Stack what you can.

nick

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Wed. May, 13, 2026 – moar stuff! Get all the things!

Cool to start, but clear and warming later. The sun was like a laser and a phase conjugate mirror aiming system, and my arm was like a giant jiffy pop popcorn… It was HOT in the sun yesterday. Should be again today, and tomorrow.

Spent the morning getting ready for my afternoon. Most of my pickups don’t even open until 10am, and yesterday I had one at 11am and one at 2pm… that’s opening time. So not only am I trying to combine trips geographically, but in time as well. Anyhow, I did my pickups. Emptied the truck after and now I’ve got today’s pickups.

Today I’m on the other side of town picking up. I’ll also be dropping in on my auctioneer to see if he’s really sure he can’t fit some of my stuff in. If not, I’m going to go to a new guy. I need to get this stuff selling…

So I can buy some other stuff. Like a new boat lift at the BOL, or a deck, or replacement for the rotted dock posts, or all the other things… like a shed for the mower and mower stuff. Retaining walls. Tree felling. Mower deck. And the list goes on.

It’s a great life, if you don’t weaken…

Stack. Don’t weaken.

nick

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Tues. May 12, 2026 – busy today, more than usual

Cool then warming, and should be clear. Yesterday ended up clear and with a bit of a cool breeze. Really nice, once again. Moar plz!

Spent the morning doing auction stuff, then did my scrap and trash run. $207 in aluminum scrap, 6 lappy carts. Took the plastic to my secondary location where I have access to a dumpster. Then home. Several minor wrecks on the way home keeping traffic slow. I haven’t seen that many, and sorta ‘clustered,’ in a while.

Dinner was the Mothers Day picana roast (cap off the sirloin roast). Roasted small heirloom potatoes and a steamed broccoli head with a loaf of shelf stable bread rounded out the meal. Easy and delicious. Roasts are generally easy to do, and the cuts of meat can be very economical. They have a reputation as ‘Sunday dinner” but are great for anytime. This roast went to freezer camp two years ago. Delicious.

Today I’m busy with pickups. They’re a bit scattered so I’ll be doing more driving than lately too. Somehow I bought a bunch of small cheap stuff that all needs to be picked up today or tomorrow.

Hopefully I’ll get it all done and added to the stacks.

Because stacking is good.

Do some.

n

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Mon. May 11, 2026 – school year is winding down..

Cool? Maybe if the front comes through, but otherwise, the forecast calls for clear. I’m betting on warmish too. And moist? Oh we’ll probably get moist. It was pretty dang hot yesterday but in the shade and with a breeze it was comfortable to just sit.

Spent the day not doing much. After making breakfast at 2pm, my day was pretty shot. So I read for a bit, did auction stuff, called my mom (who seems to be doing well), and didn’t cook a big dinner. Maybe tonight.

Today I’ve got a scrap and trash run to do, some pickups, one of which needs to happen today, and a couple of which I will grab if they are on the way, and the list. Always stuff on the list.

The kids are busy with end of year testing, and their activities are winding down, but there is an increase in parties and get togethers to counter that. Social stuff. Hopefully good memories for them. It’ll be very important if things get anywhere near as sh!tty as I think they might that the kids have some good memories. That sounds dramatic, but I feel like it’s the 1930s and bad times are headed this way, followed by war and disruption. It’s the pattern of mankind, so why should this time really be much different?

I’m doing what I can to prepare. Stacking up the good stuff should help.

nick

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Sun. May 10, 2026 – Mothers Day, US

Warm and moist, but maybe not wet? We’ll see. We did get rain yesterday, but it didn’t stick, and it was quite pleasant by nightfall. It would be nice to have a mild day today.

Did my hobby meeting in the morning. New location is nice. It’s not hard to get to, if a bit farther than where we used to meet. The meeting for our Fall event was a mess, but some progress was made. Our current president doesn’t listen to anyone, and doesn’t seem to remember previous discussions if they didn’t end the way he wanted. Oh well, I had a boss like that and I can cope but it does up the frustration and stress level. Hobby is supposed to be fun…

Today is Mothers Day in the US. It’s a bit of a ‘Hallmark holiday’ but the thought and intent is fairly noble. I can support it. I’ll probably cook something nice for dinner. Maybe a ribeye roast? Or more likely a ‘picana roast’ which is just the cap off of a sirloin roast.

And then I’ll see about working on the list. Maybe I’ll laze around and just do computer or networking…

Remember to spend time with loved ones.

And stack.

nick

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Sat. May 9, 2026 – non-prepping hobby day

Cool and wet, then warmer and wet. We’re in the T-storm zone in the national forecast, and it was raining when I went to bed. I’m guessing we’ll get more rain today.

Yesterday I messed around in the morning, doing auction stuff and office stuff. Finally settled the insurance claim from being rear-ended in the Ranger in 2021. It’s less than I would like, but I didn’t want them to total it either. The delay is on me.

Then I did pickups and broke down the lappy carts I picked up this week. The trash and scrap are in the Ranger and I’ll maybe get to that later today.

Today is my non-prepping hobby meeting, and quarterly swapmeet. I’m not bringing anything to sell this time. I don’t have anything new since the last one, really, and it’s farther away at a space we’ve never used before. I just wasn’t feeling it. I’m hoping the membership and the BOD will decide on the venue close to my house after next month so we can get settled.

Prepping this week was mostly just salvaging those batteries and inverters, but I also got some coffee for the stacks, and 5 new aquatainers. 2 will stay here and 3 will go to the BOL.

There is always something more you need, or something that aged out and needs to be replaced. So keep stacking!

nick

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Fri. May 8, 2026 – a new life is waiting for YOU in the off world colonies.

Will it be nice? Forecast says no, but it was clear last night so who knows. We are supposedly in the T storms possible zone. It’s sure to be moist, and probably warm later in the day. Like yesterday.

I did only a few things around the house in the morning, then headed out later in the afternoon. Scrapped out 2 of the 6 laptop stands I picked up. I need to get the rest broken down today, because I won a few more… As long as I keep making money with them, I don’t see a downside.

So today will be auction stuff in the morning, then breaking down stuff in the afternoon. And maybe I’ll slap up a camera if things look quiet on that side of the house.

We got through another week, so hurray! Don’t start slackin’, keep stackin’.

nick

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Thur. May 7, 2026 – more stuff to do…

Warm, and warmer later, with some moisture in the air. Overcast all day yesterday, and humid. Sweated through my shirt just loading the truck and strapping the load down. More of the same, with possibly more moisture seems about right.

Well, yesterday I got a nap, did some domestic bliss, did my laptop cart pickup, then headed to the doctor’s office. That took a while for ‘reasons’. Then it was home to dinner, a nap, and bed. Exciting? Nope. But it was the sugar, not boredom that put me to sleep.

Today I’ll just start doing stuff and see where that takes me. I’ve got 6 laptop things to deconstruct, and some other stuff to do too. And since this weekend is my non-prepping hobby quarterly mini-swapmeet, I need to do a little bit of organizing wrt that. I have some stuff I normally bring, but nothing really new. It’s always nice to have something new.

And I will continue going through my stacks as I can and culling the breakage. I can smell that there was more. Time to find it, and see what needs to be replaced.

Stacking. It’s my default setting.

nick

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