Protect Yourself

I refuse to be dragged into the politics of the various mass and public shootings we have recently had in this country.
What this post is about is Protecting Yourself and anyone who is with you if a shooting happens where you are.
I will map out, simply, what you can do to help insure your survival in a situation such as the Walmart shooting in El Paso or the bar shooting in Dayton.


1) Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Get used to knowing where exits are, or areas of concealment in any public setting you go to.

2) Glance around at other people in the area. If someone looks *sketchy*, casually, but quickly, get out of their area.

3) If shooting starts, your first three thoughts should be CONCEALMENT, EVASION and ESCAPE.
Look for anything, any place that will conceal you from the shooter.
Evade the shooter by moving behind racks of clothing, structural columns, jumping behind a bar or counter, crawling under a restaurant booth, whatever you can find.
If you know where the exits are, get to one as rapidly as possible without getting the shooters attention. Most retail establishments have emergency exits, loading docks, employee exits, etc. located at or near the back of the store.

4) Fighting back.
You may be in a situation where you will HAVE to fight back to save yourself or a loved one.
You may be an experienced shooter, you may be unarmed.
If you are armed, and fairly confident about your skills, do your damnedest to take the shooter out and save lives.
If you are unarmed (as most of us are in these days of stores and other establishments setting themselves up as *gun free* zones), find a weapon.
Fire extinguishers make an excellent weapon. You can spray a shooter and use the extinguisher itself as a blunt force weapon if you can get behind the shooter.
Anything heavy you can throw. Sharp objects you can throw or wield.

5) Distraction and confusion can be your friend in such situations. See a fire alarm? Pull it and set it off! A light switch you can turn off to reduce the shooters visibility? Flip that switch off! Break a window behind the shooter to distract them.
Remember, you are fighting for your life in this situation.
If the shooter is distracted, it gives them less time to concentrate on finding victims and gives others in the area more time to escape.

It is extraordinarily sad that I felt I had to post this, but this is how we live now. Not just in the USA, but in other countries as well.
In the UK and Europe, they have similar happenings. Sometimes guns, but also knife attacks and vehicle attacks.

Prepare for these situations as carefully as many of you approach food storage or homesteading.
Avoid crowded environments. I realize, it is very hard to avoid crowds. You have to limit attendance at concerts (Las Vegas), shopping (El Paso), a night out at pubs (Dayton), etc. It's incredibly unfair to those of us that just want to live our lives.
But, unfortunately, it's the "new normal".
So, continue to go shopping, go to concerts or for a night out, but please, BE MORE AWARE!

Be Kind...

The political silly season has started already leading up to the election next year.
Being in New Hampshire, we see more of the candidates and see them more often than folks in other states.
They make promises, oh, they make LOTS of promises! Most of which they will conveniently forget the day after the election.
This go 'round it looks like it will get very nasty.
It is not just Republicans vs Democrats now.
They are ALL sniping at one another. Democrats at Democrats, Republicans at Republicans, Everybody at Everybody.
"Acting ugly" as my grandmother used to say.

Everyone is rude these days, and that applies to politicians, too.
No one is kind anymore.
I am weary of it, but there is little I can do about it.
Except this:
Be kind.
Be kind to other people that are being rude, maybe they had a bad day or have worries you know nothing about.
Hope that your kindness will rub off on them and maybe they will be kind to the next person they encounter. Maybe it will spread.
There is a facebook page for the Bangor Police Department written by an officer by the name of Tim Cotton. If you don't follow it, I suggest you do.
His *tag line* at the end of every post is perfect:
Keep your hands to yourself, leave other people's things alone, and be kind to one another.
Best advice ever!

I do wish the politicians would take this advice.

So, Changes and More Changes

I decided to focus on my health this year.
I need to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, yada yada yada, all the things we tell ourselves all the time.
Well, I started small.
I decided to have one meatless day per week. Then twice a week, then three times a week...
I am now down to 8 to 10 ounces of meat per month. I use meat as a condiment more than as a main dish.
Result?
Blood sugar? Down.
Cholesterol ? Down.
Blood pressure? Down.
Weight? Down.
Energy levels? Up.
Sleep quality? Much improved.
Health-wise, it has improved my quality of life so much.
Plus, my food budget has decreased drastically!
Almost effortlessly.
I eat a lot of vegetables, salads, beans, grains, etc, now.
I still eat cheese and other dairy.

My smoking has reduced, also without much effort.
I switched to a "light" cigarette.
But I have noticed that with less meat consumption, my craving for cigarettes has gone down.
My beloved Dr Pepper?
I am drinking WAY more sparkling water than soda these days.

This may not be the answer for others, but it is helping me.

What a Long Strange Trip Its Been....

Wow....
Yup, still very much alive, still very much kickin'.
House sharing with a friend here in New Hampshire.
Working at the grocery store still.
My health is MUCH better.
Only on 2 medications.
New laptop, just got internet last week.
The friends I had stayed with before had so many family issues, that it was best that I absented myself from that environment.
My house was taken by the city for taxes, I expected that. Actually, not having that looming over me has been a relief.
Have changed my diet and my general lifestyle to help my health, and, I am glad to say, my health has improved by leaps and bounds.
Changed my mental outlook as well.
I have chosen to be happy.
More on that some other time, but suffice it to say, I am happy, I am content and I am surrounded by good friends.
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I am still getting used to this new laptop, so bear with me.