PRACTICE DAY #2: Weekend Warriors for Y2K or, Getting in Touch with Your Inner Pioneer

The first Practice Day I was on top of everything...dishes washed, clothes clean, showered, menu planned, just waltzed through, the perfect y2k hostess.

This one happened in the end of Lent, vegan diet for 5 weeks, protein starved, disorganized, forgot dishes, clothes, shower, etc. There is a vast difference in doing unfamiliar things when stressed, whether nutritionally, mentally, spiritually, or hygienically. Guess Im not going to be the Martha Stewart of y2k.

The first day wasnt too bad, but we decided to continue for two more days because it seemed like a good chance to run out the discomfort and really learn some things. We were right about that!

We got mighty tired of carrying water. Never realized how heavy water is. We learned an enormous amount.....doing a whole load of laundry took 1 and 1/2 hours, 6 and 1/2 gallons of water. That left 4 gallons of rinse water to carry for toilet flushing, and my right wrist sore from wringing. Also, clothes that have not been spin dried take a lot longer to dry, even on a good day. I practically leaped for joy when Fred Beeler subsequently suggested using a mop bucket with a wringer or water squeezer for laundry!

We found out that Dietz lanterns are great for outside, but smelly inside (had to air out the house, glad it wasnt too cold.) One of the Aladdins ran out of fuel, burning the wick down, and when my husband grabbed it to blow it out, spilled fuel from the burner collar all over his hand and the rug. (More water to carry.) That is another good reason not to carry an Aladdin. Got to watch the fuel levels in those lamps.

I suffered from not reading the newspaper or mail...didnt realize how much they were part of my routine. And yes, I cheated by reading some e-mail, lets not even think about that addiction!

It was also interesting how sore one can get from a lot of unfamiliar physical activity. A couple of big bottles of pain relievers are on my list now.

There were, of course, some good moments; having time to candy some violets, taking a ride on my 3-wheeled bike with Alan on his in-line skates, and walking the dogs with Dietz lanterns and having great conversations with some neighbors........ The following week we went to two big y2k meetings, both with many local and regional y2k organizers. At neither one had more than one or two others done this Practice Day.

Why? There were three main reasons given; one, that people did not want to be made uncomfortable before they had to be, two, that they were just too busy, and three, that people disagreed with the scenario in Practice Day (no lights, no water), and so felt no need to practice it.

OK, I can sympathize with all three reasons. What bothers me is that is that SOME KINDS OF BREAKDOWNS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, even if we dont know what particular scenario will play out.

Unfortunately, most people prepare for y2k by just going shopping!

If you believe that a change of consciousness is going to be the big outcome in terms of society, you better be sure you can talk to other people in a loving and rational manner when protein starved, in unfamiliar circumstances, under stress. If your scenario calls for infrastructure breakdowns, then practice that.

When I was an emergency medical technician in the fire department, we practiced scenarios once a week. I dont remember a scenario we practiced happening in the exact same way, but we sure used the same skills on a lot of other calls. It is necessary to practice things like CPR or starting an IV over and over and over again, preferably with all kinds of noise and distraction, just like it really happens in the field. Each time we used CPR or other medical skill was unique, and surprised us, but at least we could fall back on training, practice, trust in our team and equipment.

I dont know of any kind of job, hobby, skill, or sport where you dont have to practice, physically and mentally, to do it well; especially ones that involve stress or feelings of deprivation.

One last thing we decided to do for y2k practice: Take one area and practice it for a week; like water, or lights, or washing, so that we can get really familiar with the subject. Whatever you are giving up doesnt really start to bite until the second or third day.

It doesnt really matter exactly how you practice, but it does matter that you learn to adapt, to perform under adverse conditions. No matter what Senator Bennett says, we are not just practicing for a three day snowstorm.

Seraphima

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), May 26, 1999

Answers

Took a group of eight year old camp fire girls out on a primative campout this weekend. We set up a "outside dishwasher" by heating enough boiling water (heated on fire) to add to a large (30 gal) tub of cold water to make it hot enough to clean with but not so hot as to scald small hands; then had another tub of rinse water.... An assembly line was set up, with two washers, one dryer and one inspector who sent things back to the beginning if they weren't spit spot. The dishwashing won out as "favorite activity" over sleeping in a tent, watching the foxes and racoons sneak around looking for food, swimming in the lake, hikes, cooking, eating, jiffy pop, etc.

My little group of girls has been experimenting with a number of "old- fashioned" ways of doing things over the last year, from making a solar oven and cooking with it, to hand sewing....

Perhaps we will have a 1900's slunber party next....

My hope is that the children will experience less stress and depression if they have already have had some success in dealing with new and challenging situations.

-- karen (leckels@msn.com), May 26, 1999.

Seraphima

Your series of posts are some of the best I have seen for prep. in the last year and a half checking out Y2K. I have lived 2 years (at least) in situations that had no running water or outside power. One question though you mentioned a propane stove in your apt. Did you keep the tank inside or outside somehow? Having a 20lb and up tank in an enclosed area is very risky. I would buy an air hose and somehow extend the tank ourside. Always double check for leaks with soapy water.

Another thing you might want to consider is a small generator for your complex and use it to charge banks of 12 volt batteries. Having a CB, Light and Music is so important for sanity in my opinion. By having 2 batteries you can use one while the other is charging. Get a little toy wagon and haul around the battery.

Karen

That is Great! Good to hear the childern getting a bit of a reality check. The next time you do the camping thing and have animals around, you really should have a pole that is strung between 2 trees and ropes holding anything that smells in bags, packs hung up on the pole. I am sure racoons can make quite a mess, but this practise is preferable if there are bears around.

Good luck folks!

-- Brian (imager@home.com), May 26, 1999.

You have now found out why I never intend to live like that again. Can I do it if I have to? Yes, but never intend to.

And there is a huge difference between knowing you can quit any time you want to, and being stuck there.

People like North and Horsley, who talk about how they have wished for the destruction of modern society, really make me angry. Long odds THEY don't intend to carry any water, they intend to have servants.

When I was seven or eight, I made a small net from a piece of an old veil and a coathanger. I used this to dip minnows from the barrels of water my father filled at a local stream that ran in front of Humble Valley Baptist Church. At one point, my collection of minnows was about 75. I kept them in a large fish bowl my aunt gave me.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), May 26, 1999.

I love to read about people's practice days or weekends. One of the first I read was Arnie Rimmer's, and it was so interesting. After reading his long ago post I tried some new soybean recipes and had very good results.

I wish more people would post their experiences, that is if unlike us, they don't keep putting them off.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), May 26, 1999.

Paul

I don't give a darn what G North will do but

>>And there is a huge difference between knowing you can quit any time you want to, and being stuck there.

this is a good point. But it doesn't mean that folks shouldn't give it their best shot on knowing what they have to do and watch out for. Some times life doesn't deal everyone the same cards as you. Or are you talking about the kids going camping and sleeping in a tent (E GADS) At one time it was a source of recreation and peace of mind for many people. They called it a VACATION and did it of their own free will. Strange eh?

Of course Paul has his bug out spot by a stream and he doesn't have to carry water far.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), May 26, 1999.

Arnie was recounting his practice weekend at the same time my woodstove was being installed and the bulk of my supplies were arriving. Arnie, I hope you have found a way to include your kitties next time!

Other than trying to develop a proficiency in revving up the wood stove, my main practice has been trying different types of baking recipes on it. Two main problems - for the 400+ degree recipes I had to keep the windows open, and it blew apart my goal to take off some weight last winter!

You certainly need to try out all of your equipment to make sure it works, to make sure it is fully assembled or installed, and to make sure you know how to use it. I still have some toys, like my water filter, that I haven't checked out. I do now know that oil lamps don't produce much light, and I wish I had purchased Lamplighters' wall-mounted variety for safety reasons. On the other hand, I'm thoroughly enjoying the solar-powered feature of my hand crank Baygen radio when I'm out gardening during the day!

Seraphima, you're right about how tedious it is to lug around water. It is one of the reasons I haven't filled my containers yet, because I am so not looking forward to emptying them if nothing happens. (But I'll probably always have extra around from now on, just not in the big, bulky containers.)

Another part of the drill would probably be really knowing what you have, where you have stashed everything, and making sure it is adequately organized.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), May 26, 1999.