Free Range Friday ~ Culebra and Beyond

Culebra and beyond sort of sounds like an intro to a Lost in Space episode (much more than a Star Trek episode and if you know Culebra, that needs no explanation...if you don't know Culebra but read this blog, it still needs no explanation).

Right now, at this very moment, three things are going on. A very loud-mouthed and probably sexually frustrated rooster is standing on my doorstep. "Let me at those hens, human!" Two guys I don't know are weed whacking my yard at the roadsides and the propane guy has PROMISED to come over very soon to hook up my big tank; I await him on hopeful clouds of anticipated elation.

Waiting in hope of clouds of elation for the propane guy to show up sort of looks like this

Yes, I could hook up my own tank to my own stove, but when it comes to things propane, I'd like the expert to lead the way the first time. The little tank, I've got it down, I can and have figured out how to buy/change/install the regulator when the old one went bust without a worry, because I know that tank! But this sucker is a big one and its fittings don't fit into my general knowledge bank and, most important, if I screw it up, I can't fix it....propane under pressure and all that probably doesn't respond well to my (re)boot it first and ask questions later method of last resort, beside the fact that, damn it, I already paid for it.

And. If I knew that much, I could probably make something like this guy did. Ok, I wouldn't make something like this but I could! He did. And if you want to know all about how he did, you can read that here.

I'd just like my stove/oven to cook and bake, not make a guitar influenced light show.

This is very cool, don't try it at home unless you know what the hell you are doing!

Moving along though, this is about doing things yourself and being prepared to do things yourself in case of an emergency/disaster. We're hearing some weird (beyond the tragically horrible) stories out of the Northeast, stories about people so unprepared - and there WAS warning, and there WERE shelters - that some of them are doing some pretty silly things. My favorite is the man who blew up an air mattress and paddled to his city hall, demanding to know why supplies hadn't gotten to him and his family yet. He paddled from an area that had a mandatory evacuation order and chose to stay. Which means, he must be prepared, right? Wrong. So, don't be that guy.

"Tempers flared Wednesday at a staging area outside City Hall, where a man screamed at emergency officials about why food and water had not been delivered to residents just a few blocks away. The man, who would not give his name, said he blew up an air mattress to float over to the staging area."

---AP

Much better to be THIS guy!

The following is a great blog post my brother brought to my attention today, even if the name of the blog bugs me slightly. Though, I must say, bringing back some manliness is a terrific idea. Here is a really good check list that goes beyond the regular hurricane prep list (well, some are better than others), to get you to really think about, hey, what if it's more than the recommended three days? And we all know around here, you better be prepped for three weeks minimum, because it might be three months. Anyway, here is The Art of Manliness - reviving the art of manliness blog's list of how to have the very minimum, should a weather/earthquake disaster strike. Or, maybe it's a simpler disaster, though not uncommon, maybe you lose your job. Wouldn't it be nice to have a cushion for the basic necessities while you are freaking out?

Now, on the other side of the coin, there is Karen's blog, The Art of Doing Stuff, where a really hot chick (you don't have to be a gay woman to think Karen is hot, she just is) who Does Stuff and is pretty funny. This is how hot Karen is. She's worked with Mike Holmes, yeah, that awesome Holmes on Homes for years. Today, Karen is going to fix her dryer by replacing the belt. I've done that; have fun, Karen!

MJ, you are asking, politely or otherwise, where are you going with this? I'm Free Rangin', okay? I've got a lot on my mind and I'm trying to cram it into a somewhat hang it all together post. Give me a break, it's been a tough week!

(One fun thing about writing a blog is that you have can justify online time - the time to learn so much just trying to write a post with some semblance of back up. Or at least I do. Luckily, we have the internet as researching is at my fingertips and I don't have to lug heavy books around or search through the card files or bug a librarian. But, ultimately, it's good to KNOW stuff, just in case the power goes out.)

Ok. Where was I? This is getting unwieldy and the propane guy is due.

There are lists of meals/snacks you can make if you cannot cook anything! I mean, really, don't you want to be the one who says, come on over for some pesto shrimp salad and some brown bread sandwiches while your neighbors are looking behind the fridge for that bowl of Halloween candy that fell back there four years ago? Sure you do! There is even a book dedicated to making excellent meals, The Storm Gourmet!

But if you CAN cook, if you have prepared enough to have a source of fuel and a stove (remember, after the storm/earthquake etc. the sun will shine again, and a solar oven, depending on your location, may be just the alternative source you need - my favorite oven to recommend is the Sport Solar Oven...check it out and you'll see why) you have a world of opportunity to make feeding yourself and your family (and if you can afford to prep this way, your neighbors and strangers who will become friends as well) a culinary treat, a bright spot in a not so bright time. As meals should be.

You already know what propane camp stoves look like

But what foods should I buy, MJ? Glad you asked that! Here's some ideas that will surely spark more of your own.

Ok, so that wraps up another Free the Freaking Rangin' All Over The Place Friday because the propane guy IS here! I believe in miracles~~~

Have a feel your freedom (when you are prepared) Friday! Do something for fun (too).