Scraping the muck off your soul

[Stratispho]

Welcome to the forums Tozier. I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. I'm out in the East Valley dealing with the 115 temps today.

[Dodd]

Hey Patriot. It's nice to meet you.

All in all, I do my best to unmuck through reading, blogging, and writing. I finished one book and put it on the web, and am working on a short novel now.

There's a lot to be said for that. I've calmed down quite a bit since I started to communicate with others on this forum. I've always been lonewolf I guess up until getting on the forum here. I've always read a lot (never really an activist though). It's painful to look back on my initial posts but doing some reality testing here has done wonders. And going to the Jamboree this year was just the happiest I've been in a long while. I came back to the city knowing I wouldn't be here long. And even though I often hate the city I'm making an effort to enjoy the short amount of time I have left.

And with the wife, just be always striving to be you, have integrity, direction and a plan and she'll trust you. Even if she constantly tests you to feel your strength and know she can let you lead, it's what she wants. Then she can relax, be woman, and you can laugh at the drama of it all. Until she wants to feel your strength and tests you again because she loves you (maybe by resisting Wyoming or you or whatever). You have to love the challenge to evolve that women are. Like feedback from the universe showing you where you can grow. No escaping it! Rise to the challenge and be the hero that you are! It's God's wish for you. His creative expression of life to be the most it can be.*

There are other men here who have lovingly guided their families toward the safety and wisdom of Wyoming with very happy results. And maybe others not so much...   Uh, but maybe talk to them about it. I'm a bachelor! Woo Hoo! Ahhhhh freedom. But I also don't get to benefit of a great love in my life. Just haven't lassoed the right Philly yet.

* "The Way of the Superior Man" is a great book about this.

[tozierpatriot]

thanks Dodd and Stratispho- Don't ya just love this heat! yeah- I'd rather put on a heavier coat! Encouraging words... but I usually get the deer in the headlights look whenever I talk about prepping and bugging out when tshtf. Then there is "the family'- really, it's why we came back to AZ in the first place. With one sister-in-law living with us and the other needing "cheap" child-care...

Yeah... I'm beyond ready to "leave it all behind"... not to mention all the official reasons to get the heck out... I've even spent a year conditioning my soil to see if I can produce anything decent in this desert. And I am tired of 400 dollar electric bills in the summer!

"listening" to everyone here has definitely given me hope that I can accentuate the positives of moving out and the improvement it will bring to our lives. I've spent my entire life in and around big cities and I want out in a bad way. Hopefully I can arrange a vacation to come see free west. That'll give me a taste of it and a goal to work toward.

Thanks guys
tp

[Brandy]

With one sister-in-law living with us and the other needing "cheap" child-care...

Hopefully I can arrange a vacation to come see free west. That'll give me a taste of it and a goal to work toward.

Just a thought----when tshtf are the extra dependents going to want to go with you, will they be able to survive on their own, will you be stuck their taking care of them................?    Extended family becomes sometimes a burden when your views and their view don't mesh.(jmho)  I am not in anyway trying to pick at you, it was just more of "outloud" musing on this type of situation. 

As for the vacation there are so many FSW'ers around the state that you really could see the state on gas money alone.

[farmermike]

Have you tried to get these extra dependants to prepare and become more self sufficient? If you have and they ignored your advice, then there fate is there own IMHO.

[Dodd]

Hi tozierpatriot,

I've been listening to Jack Spirko on The Survival Podcast in my spare time lately and I think about you for some reason (I often think about all of you as I'm going about my life). Tonight this podcast in particular made me think about you as Jack related a listener's call. She's the wife of a guy who is into preparedness. It's about an hour into the show, I'm not sure exactly. It's decent a podcast anyway. I especially like the gardening segments. Oh yes, not only do I dream (literally  ) about battling multiracial hordes of cannibals after teotwawki....I also dream of moving out of my highrise studio apartment and growing vegetables and killing hooved animals to eat...And battling bastard multiracial cannibal gangs who try to steal from my garden instead of asking nicely. I think that's very reasonable.

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/#podPressPlayerSpace_3

[Brandy]

Hi tozierpatriot,

I've been listening to Jack Spirko on The Survival Podcast in my spare time lately and I think about you for some reason (I often think about all of you as I'm going about my life). Tonight this podcast in particular made me think about you as Jack related a listener's call. She's the wife of a guy who is into preparedness. It's about an hour into the show, I'm not sure exactly. It's decent a podcast anyway. I especially like the gardening segments. Oh yes, not only do I dream (literally  ) about battling multiracial hordes of cannibals after teotwawki....I also dream of moving out of my highrise studio apartment and growing vegetables and killing hooved animals to eat...And battling bastard multiracial cannibal gangs who try to steal from my garden instead of asking nicely. I think that's very reasonable.

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/#podPressPlayerSpace_3

I only talked to you for a few minutes at the Jam but I knew you were a good guy from the beginning.  Keep those dreams at the forefront. 

Brandy

[Stratispho]

I've even spent a year conditioning my soil to see if I can produce anything decent in this desert. And I am tired of 400 dollar electric bills in the summer!

If you live in an neighborhood you can do this, contact a tree trimming business and have them dump a shredded tree at your place. Then go spread the mulch around the property where you want better soil. You really can make the soil here into something good but it takes a lot of time and work. We also go down to the local dairies and load up a drump trailer once or twice a year to put in the garden and with the mulch.

My electric bill last month was just over $300 and we were trying to be frugal. Had the air up at 85 during the day and turned it down to 78 to sleep. I'm almost thinking it worth paying the extra $100 a month just to keep the air lower so I can be more comfortable. I can deal with being cold a heck of a lot better than being hot.

[Seniortech]

We don't have mechanical a/c, just a roof mounted swamp cooler.  We have been very comfortable
this summer here in NE Wyoming.  My electric bill last month was $95.42.

[Stratispho]

We don't have mechanical a/c, just a roof mounted swamp cooler.  We have been very comfortable
this summer here in NE Wyoming.  My electric bill last month was $95.42.

I'm jealous of that, we're fighting 110+ for the next few weeks.

What's your heating bill in the winter? I don't turn on my house heaters ever, just small room heaters for the kids or a I tell em to put on more clothes. The wife seems to be cold blooded and spends the winter (65 degree's in the day most days and we get down to freezing probably 20 night a year) wrapped in a blanket. *sigh*

[Seniortech]

For the first 8 months of this year:
Average gas bill     $ 57.74 (this is annualized and is the same year round.  Last year it was $54/month)
Average elec bill    $110.36 ($.055 per KWH)

We have forced air natural gas heat, and a gas cook stove/oven.
All the usual elec appliances, 2 freezers, 1/2 hp swamp cooler, 50 gal elec water heater plus elec shop tools, saws, etc.

With the swamp cooler the house cools to the wet bulb temperature in summer.
In winter we set the t-stat between 60 - 65 degrees during the day and all the way down at night which maintains about 50 degrees or a little less.
We have electric baseboard heaters in three rooms.  Two of these are almost never used.  Linda keeps her office toasty warm with the electric baseboard heater.

[Dodd]

I only talked to you for a few minutes at the Jam but I knew you were a good guy from the beginning.  Keep those dreams at the forefront. 

Brandy

Brandy, I'm honored. Thank you. I was bit overwhelmed at the Jam from just everything and so I didn't say much. I just thought I could maybe at least prove myself on the rifle range or make a valiant effort (ended up seeing how much of the fundamentals I need to work on, which was perfect) ...Between that and the higher altitude I was so tired! But happy! I could go on and on, but you know! You were there! 

[Stratispho]

For the first 8 months of this year:
Average gas bill     $ 57.74 (this is annualized and is the same year round.  Last year it was $54/month)
Average elec bill    $110.36 ($.055 per KWH)

Chalk that up as another benefit to living in WY. Thanks for sharing Senior.

[MamaLiberty]

Just for comparison. I have a 1700 (more or less) square foot log home. Top floor is log, basement floor is stick built, well insulated. I do not have any central air or heat. All electric.  Wood stove used at times only this last winter. Electric rates went up some, but my bill didn't because of the wood stove, I think.

Maximum electric bill this year (January) $119.  Minimum bill so far, $42.

Sorry that's not more scientific.

[Dodd]

Hey again tozierpatriot, I just found a good podcast.

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/getting-your-spouse-on-board-with-survival-planning