Category: personal

Cool and clear, but still damp. Achingly damp. There were scattered rain showers in various parts of town yesterday. I could see them when I was driving around, but nothing that affected me. Today could be the same… or it could pour on me no matter where I am, but the money is on “same.”

I got my pickups done. Didn’t do a drop off. Chatted with one of the staff guys at one auctioneer. He’d been gone for a while with health issues. A sinus infection turned into a tooth problem turned into life threatening sepsis. Many people tied from abscesses in their mouths. Many people died from simple infections. Anesthetics and antibiotics have made all the surgical interventions modern medicine is so fond of possible. And the antibiotics have made interventions unnecessary in many cases. We live in an age of miracles and don’t even realize it.

There were an awful lot of people sneezing and sniffling when I was out and about, myself included. I actually handed out some tissues. I am a bit fatigued and might just go back to bed for a while today. I have stuff to do, but rest and fluids sounds better right now. I’d like to kick this thing in the @ss and move on, especially with my other testing and appointments.

So I’m going to just play today by ear. Might do stuff, might not. Wife is traveling on the day of Jihad, so that’s fun. I think I’ll stay close to home.

And stack. Or re-arrange stacks. Or maybe clean and double check some needful things. the smell of Hoppes is like aromatherapy…

nick

Cool and clear after yesterday’s misty drizzle. I stood with D2 under an umbrella waiting for the bus in the morning, but had to shade my eyes from the sun when I drove home from my appointment in the evening. It would be nice to have a sunny but cool day.

Did my pickups yesterday. Mostly health and beauty stuff for the teen, and a few items for the BOL. I’ve got a couple of pickups today too.

Did my imaging appointment yesterday, but won’t hear anything until a week from now. It was interesting to have a scan I’ve never had before, but I’d really just as soon not needed it. It’s amazing what we can do with tech. Western civilization has been very good to a huge number of people.

Today I’ll be doing auction stuff, and hopefully dropping some stuff off for sale.

I’ll also try to get to Costco for Halloween candy, and whatever else I can get.

I didn’t lose a whole day, but I lost a part of it, and I couldn’t spend it on the stuff I thought I would. I have to make up some of that time.

And time feels very short. Get your preps stacked, you might need them sooner than you think.

nick

Cooler this morning, but maybe not actually raining. Yesterday started out misty and got to drizzle, with scattered downpour around town. I was driving on the ring road in heavy downpour, but to my left, and 1000 feet away it was sunny and blue sky, for miles. Houston. Even if you think you know the weather, it’s only YOUR weather. Today could be much the same.

I spent too much time messing around yesterday, and not enough time driving. It was messing around that needed to be done, certainly, but still it took up more of the day than it should have. I ended up doing my farthest pickup, after bypassing two other stops thinking I’d get them on my way back. Nope, the rain had traffic messed up and I ran out of time. I was able to get to my doctor appointment on time, but skipped the pickups.

So today I am driving in opposite directions to get my stuff done, and starting earlier in the day than I normally would. That’s the plan anyway. Something is sure to interfere or cause me to be “flexible.”

On a related note, as I’ve been driving around I’ve had a few things catch my eye. I’m seeing more burned out buildings that ever before. I think I’ve commented on this recently, but it struck me again. And I’m seeing more closed businesses, and ones you don’t often see, like national brand fast food. Normally when they close, they remove all the identifying marks from the building. Not Church’s Chicken, not in Houston anyway. I have seen a half dozen closed stores now, and in all different parts of town. I’ve seen Jack in the Box stores closed too. Closed gas stations. Sit down, “fast casual” restaurants. Retail storefronts. BIG retail stores sitting vacant. And Houston’s economy is booming. They are redeveloping one of the failed malls on the north side of town (Greenspoint area- or “guns-point” as it’s known…) into new multi-story multi-family residential. I have a feeling it will be an insta-slum within 3 years. Only out of towners would move to that area, no matter how nice the building, or the amenities, and I can’t see them staying once they find out what the area is like.

The only language I heard spoken at the grocery store yesterday was spanish, other than the checkers, who spoke to me in english, and one black lady speaking english. I might have been the only white person in the store. That is a BIG change from when we moved to this neighborhood in 2008. The increase in blacks as a percentage is massive too. A huge demographic shift has taken place and continues to take place here. People are on the move. Globally and locally.

Jack needs to be nimble and Jack needs to be quick. Keep your eyes and options open, and stack something.

nick

added- the emergency broadcast test will be ringing everyone’s phones today, take the helpful and friendly advice on the cover of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And pay no attention to any black helos that might be zipping around.

Slightly cooler, then just as hot as ever. Well, high 90s, not low 100s but it will feel the same. We’re on the downslope toward winter, but still have a way to go. It certainly got hot enough yesterday afternoon for me to be moving slowly when outdoors.

Speaking of which, I got little done. I got to my rent house, intending to finish the lock work, and discovered I’d left the locks at home. Brought the re-key kit, but left the locks. Ended up taking the trash to my dumpster which is nearby so it wasn’t a total loss.

Had my auctioneer beg off for this week. Dang. I was on a roll and had momentum. That’s gonna delay getting stuff out of here. It will mean I can focus on other parts of the list though.

Like getting this tree branch off my roof. I have a plan. It might be dumb and foolhardy, but it’s a plan. I think it can be done safely and without a lot of fuss. We’ll see. Then once I find the locks, I’ll head to the rent house and finish up there. I can continue to an auction pickup, or head to school to pickup the kid when I’m done with that.

Should be a full day. If I don’t falter.

Keep improving. Keep stacking.

nick

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another absent friend, Dave Hardy, or OFD as he was usually known here. It’s been five years since his passing, and I miss his perspective and (cough) willingness to share. The religious aspects, from someone who rediscovered his faith, were particularly interesting to me. Raise a glass to “Absent Friends”.