Category: decline and fall

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025 – the year continues to run out

Cool. Yesterday was really cool to start but by afternoon, the sun was intense. Just sitting still in the sun had me soaked through my shirt. Soon enough we’ll be running the heat at night and the A/C during the day.

I did some auction stuff, then I did some pickups. After that, I got sidetracked with the radio in the truck, (and a couple of really small things along the way), and dinner. Dinner was ‘meh’. Frozen veg that wasn’t great to start. Rice in a pouch that was too much chiplotle or ancho. Baked panko breaded cod that just wasn’t all that tasty… oh well, can’t win every day.

Today I’ve got a big circle of pickups. I’m definitely buying less, and spending less time doing pickups, but I still want to get some of the things. I just need balance, and to use my time more efficiently.

That’s kinda the problem most of the time, not being efficient.

I need to backfill some stacks. I’ve thrown out 30# of white flour, and yesterday a quart of dried powdered cream. That definitely doesn’t last forever… and I’ve got to go through more of my canned goods and dump the worst of them. Time to rotate some of the deep storage too, including at the secondary site.

I’ll add that to the list, and maybe I can fit it in while doing other stuff.

Stack while you can, it’s getting spicier out there.

nick

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Tues. Sept. 30, 2025 – and she’ll have fun fun fun…

Cool to start, warming later, hot before the day is done. But the overall trend is clear, Fall is here. Yesterday was beautiful. Fluffy clouds in a blue sky and not crazy hot. Pretty hot in the sun, but not crazy.

I did two pickups, and hit the Lowes store for some supplies. I needed more mortar mix and sand for my “fix the flagstone path in the front yard” project. I also looked at the trees and clearance plants. They have a lot of nice plants 1/2 off right now, including a couple of weeping willow trees. IDK how well they do in Texas, but I would like to find a spot for them at the BOL. I’ve always liked them.

Dinner was a new recipe for pork chops, more sour than our normal sweet marinade and sauce. It was OK. I don’t think I’ll make it again but it’s good to try new things. The cornbread muffins were from old mix (see yesterday’s comments) and were bad. The baked beans were really good though. I added sauteed onion and chunks of bacon, and then cooked it for an hour instead of just warming up the can. Chops were from ’23 and were frozen and vac packed. Nothing wrong with them at all.

Today I’ll do two pickups on the northwest side of town. I’ll also be working on the list, and probably doing some mortar work on the front walk. I’d like to take a load to the shop and clear more stuff out of the house.

You never know what you’ll find when you dig through the stacks. I found the radios I kept for my own use in a bin in my office yesterday. I was pretty sure that bin had at least one radio in it, but it took a while to get to it. Add “install a dual band radio in the truck” to the list. I’ll probably do it at the same time that I upgrade the stereo in the truck.

I’ve finally given in, and decided that I’ll change out the stock radio. I’ve got aftermarket radios with touch screens, and the upgraded version of the stock radio. I’ll have to think about it because I’m torn. The new radios have nice features, mp3 players, card slots/ USB, and big screens, but the stock radio has buttons and can be operated by touch. I don’t need the backup cam and GPS nav that the aftermarket radios offer, and I like the solidity of stock. Choices. Hmmm.

Radios in the truck aren’t a priority, but the list of stuff I need to do to the truck keeps increasing. I might just have to have a day of doing all the things…

The list never gets shorter. My patience, motivation, and free time get shorter every day. Nothin’ to be done but to do it, I guess.

Stack what you can. Learn. Connect. Thrive.
n

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Mon. Sept. 29, 2025 – plans, I got ’em.

Cool and humid. Warming later, but not getting as hot as last week. I think Fall has finally started and the trend in temperature will be down overall. A couple of years ago I needed the Mr Heater while handing out Halloween candy. Last year it was warm. This year should be cool if the trend continues.

So I didn’t go to the BOL. I slept late, and my whole body core was stiff and sore, so I decided to stay and do stuff here. Mainly that meant working in the yard. Since it was just sitting there, mocking me, I took down the kids’ play structure. It was a big and expensive cedar thing, with swings, a small climbing wall, a second level, and originally a spiral slide, although that was removed a couple of years ago.

I’d painted it and replaced worn and rotted wood a few years back, but it was in poor condition. The thinner boards used for the roof and side walls were the worst, but anything that touched the ground was also damaged. Honestly it was no longer safe to use, although I had a heavy bag hanging where one of the swings used to be, and that was kinda useful. I’ll have to figure something out for the bag in the future.

Anyway, I cut and broke it apart, stacked the pieces for heavy trash pickup, and cleaned up most of the area. That led to trimming the trees along the back fence to keep them away from the utility lines. Which in turn meant another big pile for heavy trash. With better access to the fence, I decided it was time to install the anti-bird spikes. I’d purchased them some time ago and forgotten them, but I saw the box when I was moving stuff on the patio. I don’t care about the birds, everyone knows birds aren’t real, but I’m hoping to disrupt the wildlife that uses the top of the fence as a nighttime highway.

The possums in particular drive my dog NUTS when he catches them on the fence. Since they freeze when confronted, he’ll bark his half chihuahua head off and jump at them forever. NOT what I want at 3am. If they just kept moving, they’d be out of sight in minutes and away from the threat, but they aren’t smart. They freeze and he has a target for his outrage until someone comes with a stick and moves the possum along – forcefully. We’ll see if the pokey metal wire spikes deter the stinky beasts or not.

Today I have a couple of pickups to do. Small things, but some for the house and some for the BOL. I should be able to loop several pickups into one trip. Then I will continue making progress on stuff around the house. I’m not selling anywhere near what I need to, but I’m the little pebble that hopefully starts an avalanche. The mental logjam is still there, but it’s starting to break up.

If I can start getting rid of stuff, and get some money coming in, then I can do some of the prepping stuff I have been putting off, like the solar project. I can also do some of the many maintenance and remodeling things on the list. It’s a big list. But the journey of miles starts with a single step. Whether that’s picking up a few extra cans of food to start an emergency pantry, or buying night vision scopes for your zombie rifle, STARTING the journey is critical.

Start. Stack. Survive. Thrive.

nick

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Sat. Sept. 27, 2025 – starting at home, might head out

Cooler than the last couple of weeks? It was 74F when I went to bed, so it’ll probably be low 70sF this morning, and get hotter throughout the day. Pretty boring weather for the last few weeks. Better than hurricanes I guess.

Did some office stuff and auction stuff in the morning. Took some stuff out of the house in the afternoon. Then did kid stuff until late. I tested several types of hearing protection last night. It was too loud in the stands and next to the band, so I brought my Walker in ear active noise reduction, my Axil in ear, and some passives that I didn’t get to.

The axil in ears are linked by a wire with two little control things on them. They were pretty much just like I remember, having them in sounds like not even wearing them, except that loud noises are reduced to the base level. They are very transparent sounding, but the lowest level of compensation is slightly too high for me. Ie. they are too loud.

The Walker Silencer ™ in ears are separate units for each ear, and are about the size of a sewing thimble. They are more muffled on the low setting, but you can raise the compensation until they sound transparent. They are VERY uncomfortable in my ears. The earpiece is dense foam in a cylindrical shape, and puts a lot of pressure on the inner canal. I wore them for the rest of the game, and I couldn’t wait to get them out. It takes some getting used to them when they cut the sound too. One ear would often trigger just before the other, which was noticeable. And the active noise suppression makes your ear feel ‘pressurized’ when it’s active.

Also, because loud noises (like the loud and overly enthusiastic mom behind me) trigger the reduction, you lose other sounds too, like my wife talking to me. In all, they don’t have swap-able differently sized earbuds, the noise suppression is not super sophisticated, and they are uncomfortable for me, but they do work on crowd noise and yelling. They do pair with blutooth, so you could link them to a phone or radio, although I’m not sure how the mic would work with blutooth.

Next time, I’m going to try changing the earbuds on the axil actives, and I’ll try two different passives. One designed for shooters, and one designed for ‘concertgoers.’

(Wife tried the ‘silicon loop’ passive ones widely marketed to concertgoers and sleepers. She’s happy with the size earbud she picked and their performance.)

People with normal hearing are probably ok in crowds where noise is in the mid 80 to mid 90s dB. With my existing losses, loud sounds can be painful, and I don’t want to lose any more, so I’m wearing ear pro.

———–
If I stay home today, I’ll be working the list. I’m making slow progress on several fronts, and I don’t want to lose what momentum I have.

I should go to the BOL. I’ve got a truckload of stuff to take up, and I’m sure the yard needs work. I also just don’t like it to sit empty for more than a couple of weeks.

But the easy choice is to stay home. (Both kids have activities this weekend, or we’d all be going up.)

Whatever I do, I’ll be stacking and working to improve.

nick

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Fri. Sept. 26, 2025 – who am I kidding?

Same as yesterday, with less rain cloud? National forecast shows clear for Houston, so yeah, cool in the morning, warm later, hot to end the day. Same same.

So, did I get anything done? Well, yes I did. I got my pickups done. I got some stuff out of storage for a project my wife wants to do. I stopped by my auctioneer to see if I could get in line anytime soon (not yet.) I came home and we had leftovers for dinner. And the kid taxi stuff got done too.

Today I’ll be taking a load of stuff to the shop. I’m still on the fence about going to the BOL solo on Sat/Sun so IDK if I’ll load the truck for the trip or not. I have one pickup in my neighborhood. If it’s not too hot, I may spend some time organizing at the shop. I would like to get out of my last storage unit this weekend, if I don’t go to the BOL.

I don’t think I’ll have time to turn money into noise and smoke today. There is kid stuff to get ready for too, as D2 has a football game tonight and would like to see some parental support…
which is one reason I might not head out of town.

Time management has not been my strong suit this past few months.

And time keeps on slipping into the future.

Well, I’ll keep plugging away, and keep stacking too. That’s all I can do.

nick

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Tues. Sept. 23, 2025 – daylight come and me want go home

Same same. More clouds today than yesterday and yesterday there were clouds. Some moisture from the sky even, depending on what part of town you were in. East side had a massive storm cell parked over it in the afternoon, and north of Houston had dark clouds with a spattering of rain. So, did it rain in Houston yesterday? Well, there was none at my house.

Picked up my solar panel, another 200w panel. $13 for this one, new in box. The round trip added some cost. Then I came home and went shopping. Soda is finally on sale again. Meat still is not. It’s been a really long time since pasta was on sale too now that I think about it. Got the kinder some ice cream but I’ve been abstaining for the last month. My gut feels better without it.

Store was completely out of Gold Bond Medicated Powder, original recipe. There was a spot for it, but no product in any size. Grr. I’m down to my last sprinkle and I’ll have to try the drugstore today. Normally I’d go to the OTC drug cabinet, but I must have raided that, or taken it to the BOL and not replaced it. Prepper fail.

Having to make a special trip takes time and effort. Might be easier to order from Amazon… and it would be if I wanted to wait several days. I’ll stop at CVS.

Today I need to do some pickups. I am limiting my buys and which auctions I’m buying from. I shouldn’t need to do a pickup every day. That’s where all my time was going.

And of course I’ll be working the list. At least with D1 driving, she’s doing most of the kid taxi stuff on Tuesday and Thursday. I don’t get to see the kids much though and that’s beginning to bug me. It’s the natural order of things, but still a bit sad.

I’m sure there is prepping to do, stuff to stack…so I better get busy.

nick

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Mon. Sept. 22, 2025 – yes, we have no bananas

Cool-ish, warming to hot. Because Houston. It got to 96F yesterday, and started warmer than the past several days. Then it rained and that cooled everything off a bit. Still was saturated though.

I got up far too early, dunno why, cooked my wife breakfast. Apparently there is this thing called “birthday week” where the birthday girl gets special treatment for the week, not just on the day. Who knew? I made an omelette. Saturday was a frittata. Of course there was bacon too.

Then I moved some stuff around and did some small jobs before deciding to finish the pressure washing and install my new 20ft flagpole. The rain came just as I was finishing that up. I poked at a few more small things after that. Dinner was a take and make meal from Costco. Those sou vide meals are cheaper than Burger King and a whole lot better, and they are very convenient. I usually freeze them until needed.

Today I’ll be working the list. I’ve got more stuff to move out of the house as part of the wife’s push to move stuff around. And I’ve got to do some ebay listing. Time to generate some cash, or at least start the process. I’ve got some outstanding invoices and other monies due me that I need to get on top of too.

And I’d like to take a load to auction. The scrap yard needs a visit too.

I’ve got prepping to do, mainly generator stuff, and I need to make some room to do it, and make some time. All while whittling away at the list.

Always be working. Always be stacking.

nick

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Sun. Sept. 21, 2025 – more stuff to do.

Cool, then warm, then hot. And even into the night, still pretty warm. It was in the 80sF at 11pm yesterday. I didn’t even want to sit out with a tiny little fire and a book.

I did spend Saturday doing the stuff my wife wanted me to do. I made two trips to the shop to move stuff out of the house. It was pretty hot in the shop, and I didn’t have the time or motivation to move much around there. The A/C did start up, and all the ice was melted off of it, but something isn’t right with it.

The compressor runs, even if the control panel is set to ‘off’, and none of the controls actually work, except on/off/and temperature. Good thing I have A/C units to spare. And good thing it’s getting cooler.

I did make a nice dinner for W1 and the kids. It wasn’t cheap, but it was cheaper than going out.

Today she’ll be working D2, and I’ll just continue on the stuff I have on the list. With additions, because OF COURSE stuff got added. D1 has some plastic hanging off the bottom of the car that needs to be zip tied up or removed so it doesn’t drag and catch. And I’m sure there will be some other new thing that needs urgent attention…

But that’s all just normal. Do what you can with what you have, and the time you’ve got. And stack.

nick

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Fri. Sept. 19, 2025 – “… people say we monkee around…”

Cool then hot. When you’re hot you’re hot, so cool you’re hot… I feel like singing today. No idea why. Anyway, yesterday was as expected and today will probably be too. Unless the forecast squeezes just a little rain out on us.

I did get a bunch of things done yesterday, but they were all little, and at home. I put off pickups until I had my pickup back, and just stayed home and chipped away at stuff.

I broke down the brisket, and cooked some. 3 pounds in the crock pot with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and four onions sliced thin. 6 hours later, it was filling the house with good smells. Unfortunately, the beef fat I was rendering on the stove didn’t smell so nice. I did get 2 cups of tallow at the end of the day, and I’d have just thrown that fat out. There was almost a cup in the crock pot too, but I didn’t render that.

As a side I made a recipe for dinner rolls from a magazine put out by our local electrical co-op at the BOL. Every month they feature other co-op members’ recipes. They were quick and easy, even from scratch. Unfortunately, the gamma seal lid on my bucket of flour failed, and the bucket went wet and rotten. I had a backup, so I opened that and made the rolls. That’s the second bucket of flour to turn into stinky glue.

My storage conditions sux teh bunnies, so I’m glad I don’t have even more breakage, but gamma lids are supposed to be good. They aren’t fool proof, and I’m the fool to prove it. Use a real lid for long term, and gammas only for the bucket you are working out of.

Moisture is my biggest problem with long term storage of anything, followed by sunlight. I’m the opposite of a cool dark place, and it shows.

Still, nice to know I can make light fluffy rolls with simple ingredients and only a little time. I think we’re most likely to be eating flat bread during any prolonged event, just because you don’t have the time for rising dough, or the energy for long baking. Just look at what poor people around the world eat, and it’s mostly flat bread.

I may try them with bacon fat instead of ‘solid vegetable shortening’ next time, just because I’ve got more bacon fat, but I try to make a new recipe as closely as possible the first time.

Late in the day I got my truck back. I’m $1500 lighter, but the A/C works again, and the oil got changed. There is a list of things that need attention, but most of it isn’t critical or in the budget for this year. In a couple more years it will be an antique and then maybe I’ll do a half arsed ‘restoration’ for D2. I can’t replace it for $100/ month, and that’s about what I’ve been spending on it. Plus, it’s a simple and reliable design, without all the tracking, ads, and “driver assistance” that I don’t want.

Today I’ll be doing those delayed pickups. And more stuff around the house. I have two specific missions for W as birthday requests, so I need to get them done.

Of course there are all the usual things on the list too, and stacking. Busy busy me…

nick

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Thur. Sept. 18, 2025 – yep, it costs more and takes longer, every time.

Weather is the same today as yesterday. And the day before. And before. And next. Cool to start, hot at the end, humid all along.

So, did I get anything done yesterday? Why no, not really. I did one pickup. Went by my shop. Authorized my mechanic to fix my Ranger, mostly. Did some other stuff, but nothing on the list. Kid 2 came home from school not feeling well. I did make dinner, and it was good.

Today though, today I’m doing stuff. Or maybe not. I don’t have my pickup truck so there are things I’d like to do that will be harder, or that I really can’t do, like moving out of another storage unit, or taking some shelves from one place to my shop. Even going to the Lowes and picking up 10 gallons of kerosene is harder without the Ranger. Wahhh wahhhh wahhh. I’ll figure something out.

It’s just not what I want to do, or thought I’d be doing.

But that’s life. Just gotta keep plugging away.

Gotta keep working and learning and stacking.

nick

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