I have been remiss in giving home repair tips, so I am going to do a brief series on plumbing repairs you can do at home. First, things a home plumber should not attempt.
Do not re-plumb your air conditioning (central air, window units are not worth repair, just buy a new one). It is illegal. You are working with pipes containing coolants, highly regulated substances, so call a professional. Second, do not work on pipes carrying natural gas. If you make the slightest mistake, you will blow yourself and your house up and, that's no fun at all.
Do not attempt to run all new pipes. You will find that at certain points you must change the diameter of the pipes and knowing when is the job of a contractor. Do it yourself and you might wind up with little more than a trickle in you shower.
However, it is easy to fix a simple drip, and not to hard to fix a broken pipe. Replacing a toilet flapper or a fluid master is easy. Even replacing a toilet is, while a lot of work, not too complicated. Replacing a shower head is simple and repairing or replacing faucets is fairly simple.
The main thing is to look at what you are repairing and think. When you are done, everything should look pretty much the same, so just keep that mental picture in mind.
Often, you will find connections that are threaded, various nuts and screws, and, quite often, these will not be easy to loosen. Do not start trying to play King Kong and force the issue. Get yourself some WD40, spray the connection thoroughly, then tap it a couple of time, firmly, but not too hard, with a small hammer or even the back of your wrench. Then wait 5 minutes or so. The connection should loosen up. If not, keep trying it. If it just won't give, the threading might be stripped; that would be the fault of whoever worked on it last. If it is, you will have to cut the connection out and the repair becomes more complex. If at that point, you want to call a plumber, that is understandable and fine. But, if you want to keep doing-it-yourself, there are some steps to take, and we will get into that over the next few posts.
I want to say a few words about the tools you should be using and about patience. A good, fairly large pair of channel lock pliers will usually do the trick for most home repairs but a Stillson wrench also called a pipe wrench, gives a better grip on the connection. If the wrench starts slipping on that connection, slow down and be careful. You run the risk of chewing the whole thing up so badly that you will not be able to continue getting the wrench to grip. Do not get in a rush. Also, sometimes, okay, often, you will not have a lot of room to work in. If that is true, you just have to go slow. Sometimes, you sill only move things a fraction of an inch at a time before you have to rest your wrench. Sorry, there is no way around that. Just remember, a plumber would have to go just as slow, and he would be charging you for all of that time.
Next, post, PVC.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
Learn To Duck
Times are downright weird, that is undebatable. If you have a nice secure job that you love (okay, love may be too strong a word, let's try 'find tolerable', instead), count yourself lucky and hang on for dear life. But, trust me, I know from hard earned personal experience, that nothing is secure. That is just how the World is, and things are especially shaky now.
So, the smart and practical person learn how to duck. When trouble rears its head, you need to be ready to move quickly. There are a few things you can do.
First and most important, relax. If you are all uptight, your vision and reflexes will not be at their best. It is easy to freeze when the unexpected arises and you cannot afford to waste time. Just remember, you are smart and like a cat jumping from a tree, you will land on your feet, if you do not tense up.
Second, try, try very hard, to keep caught up on your bills. Nothing is worse than having troubles when you are deep in debt. Stay away from credit, pay down your car and house as quickly as possible. You do not have to live like a monk, but do try to avoid most unnecessary expenditures.
Third, if possible, find a way to bring in some extra money and put that away. Even a few hours a week helps. If you do not want a part time job working for someone else, start something of your own. Use your imagination, If you like to write, try your hand at that. If you like gardening, open a small business doing that. Clean houses, deliver newspapers, deliver phone books (I made some much needed money doing that one summer and it wasn't bad), anything. Again, you need not work 24/7 but those few extra dollars help. And, that part time work leads me to point four.
Fourth, whatever you are doing, learn to do something else. The economy is changing rapidly and a field that had many job openings one year, may have none the next. Learn to be flexible. You can never have too many job skills and being able to work in any of several fields gives you a better chance of staying employed.
Eventually, in everyone's life, there comes a point when the crap hits the fan. The smart, practical person is always ready to duck.
So, the smart and practical person learn how to duck. When trouble rears its head, you need to be ready to move quickly. There are a few things you can do.
First and most important, relax. If you are all uptight, your vision and reflexes will not be at their best. It is easy to freeze when the unexpected arises and you cannot afford to waste time. Just remember, you are smart and like a cat jumping from a tree, you will land on your feet, if you do not tense up.
Second, try, try very hard, to keep caught up on your bills. Nothing is worse than having troubles when you are deep in debt. Stay away from credit, pay down your car and house as quickly as possible. You do not have to live like a monk, but do try to avoid most unnecessary expenditures.
Third, if possible, find a way to bring in some extra money and put that away. Even a few hours a week helps. If you do not want a part time job working for someone else, start something of your own. Use your imagination, If you like to write, try your hand at that. If you like gardening, open a small business doing that. Clean houses, deliver newspapers, deliver phone books (I made some much needed money doing that one summer and it wasn't bad), anything. Again, you need not work 24/7 but those few extra dollars help. And, that part time work leads me to point four.
Fourth, whatever you are doing, learn to do something else. The economy is changing rapidly and a field that had many job openings one year, may have none the next. Learn to be flexible. You can never have too many job skills and being able to work in any of several fields gives you a better chance of staying employed.
Eventually, in everyone's life, there comes a point when the crap hits the fan. The smart, practical person is always ready to duck.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Trade Schools
I don't work anymore, at least not at a regular scheduled job, so I seldom look at job listings. Recently, for some reason, I glanced at some listings and was not surprised by what I saw. There are jobs, just not a lot of good ones. If you have to work, you will find something if you are diligent in your search.
However, surely you want to do more than just get by. Now, if you really want to make it, I would recommend you stay away from business training. Think a minute. You have countless graduates leaving colleges with business degrees. The market is saturated. Same thing for IT work. Yes, that training will get you a job but, with more people trained for that, the harder it is to get a job and the less it will pay.
Hospitality and food service, hotels, restaurants, etc. are areas where you can always find work and believe me, you will work. the pay is low, the stress is high and, having done it, I would stress the fact that these jobs are not for everyone. Some love it, but you should know, you will not be well paid until you work your way up to management. upper management.
Health care is another employment option where you will always find a job if you have the right training but, it is another area that has a lot of qualified people so, again, the wages won't be very high.
There are some areas that always need workers and, since too many young people overlook trade schools, there are always openings and good wages. Welding, tool and die, plumbing, carpentry (finish carpentry and cabinet making), electrician, car repair, air conditioning, refrigeration. All of these jobs require training and there are schools to get that training. Usually, the cost for these programs is not very high and once you are qualified, you will always have a job, a good one.
If those trades are not for you, consider another option, one that requires training, but not a 4 year degree. Many community colleges offer programs in the areas of medical technology and biotechnology, in other words, lab work. There are openings in these fields that pay well. You may never get rich, but you will be comfortable.
To young people out there: if you don't feel that you want to go through a 4 year college program, get yourself into a community college or trade school program. The costs usually are not high, you can go and still have time for a part time job to keep money coming in and the programs generally don't take that long to complete. Think about it.
However, surely you want to do more than just get by. Now, if you really want to make it, I would recommend you stay away from business training. Think a minute. You have countless graduates leaving colleges with business degrees. The market is saturated. Same thing for IT work. Yes, that training will get you a job but, with more people trained for that, the harder it is to get a job and the less it will pay.
Hospitality and food service, hotels, restaurants, etc. are areas where you can always find work and believe me, you will work. the pay is low, the stress is high and, having done it, I would stress the fact that these jobs are not for everyone. Some love it, but you should know, you will not be well paid until you work your way up to management. upper management.
Health care is another employment option where you will always find a job if you have the right training but, it is another area that has a lot of qualified people so, again, the wages won't be very high.
There are some areas that always need workers and, since too many young people overlook trade schools, there are always openings and good wages. Welding, tool and die, plumbing, carpentry (finish carpentry and cabinet making), electrician, car repair, air conditioning, refrigeration. All of these jobs require training and there are schools to get that training. Usually, the cost for these programs is not very high and once you are qualified, you will always have a job, a good one.
If those trades are not for you, consider another option, one that requires training, but not a 4 year degree. Many community colleges offer programs in the areas of medical technology and biotechnology, in other words, lab work. There are openings in these fields that pay well. You may never get rich, but you will be comfortable.
To young people out there: if you don't feel that you want to go through a 4 year college program, get yourself into a community college or trade school program. The costs usually are not high, you can go and still have time for a part time job to keep money coming in and the programs generally don't take that long to complete. Think about it.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Stay Calm and Stay Efficent
When you are working, or just when you are living, the unexpected happens. Some freak accident, some unforeseen situation, an unwanted interruption. Your whole routine, your basic plan, is suddenly upset.
All of us deal with this in our own ways. Some yell and curse (always my favorite), some hold it in and fuss and fume for hours, some just quit and walk off. Occasionally, some will resort to throwing things and slamming walls, or simply breaking things. Now, be honest, all of us do one or all of these things from time to time.
None of these are effective. True, you might feel a minutes relief but, when you're done, you still have the same problem. Actually, by the time you settle down, the problem may be worse.
All of us need to find a quick and efficient way to deal with such frustrations. I know of one (no, not having a quick drink or two. I've tried that and it and generally makes things worse). There is a simple technique and if you just trust it, you'll be back at it in seconds, calm and ready to go.
Simply breathe deeply. Deep breath in, hold briefly, then out. Do that 10 times, concentrating on nothing but feeling the flow of air, in and out of your lungs. I guarantee that you will calm right down and feel a whole lot better.
When you are calm, you function more efficiently. It is great to get excited when you are doing fun things but excitement over a problem with a job is ineffective, in fact detrimental. So, learn to take a few deep breaths and just chill out.
All of us deal with this in our own ways. Some yell and curse (always my favorite), some hold it in and fuss and fume for hours, some just quit and walk off. Occasionally, some will resort to throwing things and slamming walls, or simply breaking things. Now, be honest, all of us do one or all of these things from time to time.
None of these are effective. True, you might feel a minutes relief but, when you're done, you still have the same problem. Actually, by the time you settle down, the problem may be worse.
All of us need to find a quick and efficient way to deal with such frustrations. I know of one (no, not having a quick drink or two. I've tried that and it and generally makes things worse). There is a simple technique and if you just trust it, you'll be back at it in seconds, calm and ready to go.
Simply breathe deeply. Deep breath in, hold briefly, then out. Do that 10 times, concentrating on nothing but feeling the flow of air, in and out of your lungs. I guarantee that you will calm right down and feel a whole lot better.
When you are calm, you function more efficiently. It is great to get excited when you are doing fun things but excitement over a problem with a job is ineffective, in fact detrimental. So, learn to take a few deep breaths and just chill out.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Stay Away From The Stock Market
We all like making money and the Stock Market seems, to some, to be a good way to do that. Maybe, at times, but not at this time.
I am not an economist or any sort of financial whiz but I come from a long line of gamblers and con men. I know when someone is trying to hustle me. The current rise in the Market to record highs is a scam. Do not get caught in it.
There are no reasons for the Market to keep rising. The economy, as shown by the last GCP report, is sluggish. Unemployment figures are manipulated. For example, if you do not look for a job in 4 weeks, you are dropped from the unemployment roles. If you take a part time job, you are dropped from the rolls. The real unemployment figures are around 20%, higher if you are black or Latin and sky high for all young people. This is not to mention those who have settled for low paying jobs that don't pay the bills.
Inflation rates are said to be low. That is true in some areas but food medicine and housing, especially rental housing, are through the roof. Senior citizens are getting no cost of living increases.
Add into that the fact that the payments for Obamacare are eating into family budgets and the rates are going up. Top that off with the massive debts young people are coming out of college with. The economy is not good, not at all. Yet, the Market keeps climbing.
There was a big drop right after the Brexit, the the rapid climb began. Now, there was absolutely no reason for that drop except that the Media went into a frenzy of doom saying. The investors saw the prices drop and bought low. Soon, they will sell and reap huge profits. At the same time, prices will drop and, once again, the average investor will be the one hurt, and hurt badly.
Do not gamble your money on Stocks. You may as well take a trip to Florida, head to Gulfstream Racetrack and put it all on the longest shot in the first race.
I am not an economist or any sort of financial whiz but I come from a long line of gamblers and con men. I know when someone is trying to hustle me. The current rise in the Market to record highs is a scam. Do not get caught in it.
There are no reasons for the Market to keep rising. The economy, as shown by the last GCP report, is sluggish. Unemployment figures are manipulated. For example, if you do not look for a job in 4 weeks, you are dropped from the unemployment roles. If you take a part time job, you are dropped from the rolls. The real unemployment figures are around 20%, higher if you are black or Latin and sky high for all young people. This is not to mention those who have settled for low paying jobs that don't pay the bills.
Inflation rates are said to be low. That is true in some areas but food medicine and housing, especially rental housing, are through the roof. Senior citizens are getting no cost of living increases.
Add into that the fact that the payments for Obamacare are eating into family budgets and the rates are going up. Top that off with the massive debts young people are coming out of college with. The economy is not good, not at all. Yet, the Market keeps climbing.
There was a big drop right after the Brexit, the the rapid climb began. Now, there was absolutely no reason for that drop except that the Media went into a frenzy of doom saying. The investors saw the prices drop and bought low. Soon, they will sell and reap huge profits. At the same time, prices will drop and, once again, the average investor will be the one hurt, and hurt badly.
Do not gamble your money on Stocks. You may as well take a trip to Florida, head to Gulfstream Racetrack and put it all on the longest shot in the first race.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Preventative Maintenance
There are a few things I know. Problems will not fix themselves. Small problems will get worse. And, it is far better to prevent problems from developing. The answer, Preventative Maintenance.
How do you do that? Simple. First, periodically, say once a month or so, look around your property. If you are an apartment dweller, just take a glance around. Do you see any frayed wiring? Is your refrigerator making strange noises? Is the air conditioner acting erratically, or, more importantly, does it have a lot of built up moisture. While you're at it, change or clean that AC filter. If it's cold out, check your heat source. Make sure you are seeing no drips around your washer and dish washer and, if either is rattling or clunky, get them checked out.
Do you see any little water spots on your ceiling? Apartment dwellers, call your maintenance staff and bug them until they look at it. Home owners, if you are able, and feel comfortable doing it, check out your roof. If not, call a roofer. Small repairs are quick and cheap. Large ones are not.
Keep your roof's gutters unclogged. If you live where there are serious storms, keep trees properly pruned. If you have a nice garden, check your sprinklers every week or so; it is easier, and, again, cheaper than having to replant parts of your garden or lawn. If you have a swimming pool check the chemicals daily and the flow rate weekly. Once a pool is out of balance, it can be nightmarish to rebalance it.
If your toilet is not flushing correctly, go ahead and fix it and, if you are a home owner, periodically have your drain lines cleaned, either by machine or with one of the many chemical drain cleaners available. I am sure you will not enjoy having your toilets back up.
Take care of your car. Check fluids once a week and do not skip scheduled maintenance, such as oil changes, belt replacement and tune ups. Do not ignore any little drips you see. They may indicate a serious problem.
Most of all, keep your property and belongings clean and neat. People will be surprised just how much this will improve the functioning of autos, appliances and your home in general. Preventative Maintenance does not have to be a huge chore. Just, on a routine basis, give your place a few minutes attention and you will save yourself a world of time, expense and aggravation.
How do you do that? Simple. First, periodically, say once a month or so, look around your property. If you are an apartment dweller, just take a glance around. Do you see any frayed wiring? Is your refrigerator making strange noises? Is the air conditioner acting erratically, or, more importantly, does it have a lot of built up moisture. While you're at it, change or clean that AC filter. If it's cold out, check your heat source. Make sure you are seeing no drips around your washer and dish washer and, if either is rattling or clunky, get them checked out.
Do you see any little water spots on your ceiling? Apartment dwellers, call your maintenance staff and bug them until they look at it. Home owners, if you are able, and feel comfortable doing it, check out your roof. If not, call a roofer. Small repairs are quick and cheap. Large ones are not.
Keep your roof's gutters unclogged. If you live where there are serious storms, keep trees properly pruned. If you have a nice garden, check your sprinklers every week or so; it is easier, and, again, cheaper than having to replant parts of your garden or lawn. If you have a swimming pool check the chemicals daily and the flow rate weekly. Once a pool is out of balance, it can be nightmarish to rebalance it.
If your toilet is not flushing correctly, go ahead and fix it and, if you are a home owner, periodically have your drain lines cleaned, either by machine or with one of the many chemical drain cleaners available. I am sure you will not enjoy having your toilets back up.
Take care of your car. Check fluids once a week and do not skip scheduled maintenance, such as oil changes, belt replacement and tune ups. Do not ignore any little drips you see. They may indicate a serious problem.
Most of all, keep your property and belongings clean and neat. People will be surprised just how much this will improve the functioning of autos, appliances and your home in general. Preventative Maintenance does not have to be a huge chore. Just, on a routine basis, give your place a few minutes attention and you will save yourself a world of time, expense and aggravation.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Using Ladders
I have seen many, many folks suffer injuries, ranging from minor scrapes to permanent back problems, because they did not use their head when using ladders, If I dwell on accident prevention it is because, as a practically minded individual, I know that accidents cost people a whole lot of money and aggravation. Hurting yourself is going to mean lost work, which means lost pay and it is also going to cost you time spent enjoying your life. I have hurt my back so badly that I could not even sleep without taking a substantial quantity of drugs.
First, make sure your ladders are stable. If the have loose rungs or wobble, fix them or replace them Second, make sure they are long enough. If you have to climb to the very top rung, you know, the one marked 'do not stand here,' then do not use that ladder for that job. This even applies to those little step stools we use around the house.
Whenever possible, if you are using anything more than say a ten foot ladder, have someone steady the ladder, especially if you are carrying tools or supplies. I know, at work, your boss may say no to that and if that happens, do your job, and start scouting around for another. Yes, we all need that paycheck, but in the long run, an accident is going to cost you a lot. If you are on good terms with your boss, and he is generally reasonable, you may want to gently remind him that if you are injured, his workman's comp insurance is going through the roof.
If you are working on scaffolding,, you will be given a harness. If you do not wear it, you are an idiot. Make sure, when working on ladders or scaffolding, that you are wearing appropriate shoes. I have seen guys painting their houses on weekends, wearing flip flops. This is amazingly dangerous, not to mention hard on the feet.
If you are setting up a long extension ladder, insist on help. I saw a guy doing that alone on a windy day. A gust turned it in his hands and he spent several months recovering from his back injury.
Used carefully, ladders are perfectly safe. Well, reasonably safe, anyway; odd things happen occasionally no matter how many precautions you take. However, you must take all of those precautions. Do not hurt yourself.
First, make sure your ladders are stable. If the have loose rungs or wobble, fix them or replace them Second, make sure they are long enough. If you have to climb to the very top rung, you know, the one marked 'do not stand here,' then do not use that ladder for that job. This even applies to those little step stools we use around the house.
Whenever possible, if you are using anything more than say a ten foot ladder, have someone steady the ladder, especially if you are carrying tools or supplies. I know, at work, your boss may say no to that and if that happens, do your job, and start scouting around for another. Yes, we all need that paycheck, but in the long run, an accident is going to cost you a lot. If you are on good terms with your boss, and he is generally reasonable, you may want to gently remind him that if you are injured, his workman's comp insurance is going through the roof.
If you are working on scaffolding,, you will be given a harness. If you do not wear it, you are an idiot. Make sure, when working on ladders or scaffolding, that you are wearing appropriate shoes. I have seen guys painting their houses on weekends, wearing flip flops. This is amazingly dangerous, not to mention hard on the feet.
If you are setting up a long extension ladder, insist on help. I saw a guy doing that alone on a windy day. A gust turned it in his hands and he spent several months recovering from his back injury.
Used carefully, ladders are perfectly safe. Well, reasonably safe, anyway; odd things happen occasionally no matter how many precautions you take. However, you must take all of those precautions. Do not hurt yourself.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Emergency Preparedness
Hurricane season is here, California is having earth tremors and before you know it, snow and blizzards will set in. It is simple to be ready for any emergency. I, having grown up in S. Florida, hurricane zone, have a bit of practice at this, so let me give a few pointers.
Loss of electricity is likely. It may be a few hours, or days. After Hurricane Andrew, power was out in some areas for a couple of weeks. Generators are great but, if things are bad, you may have trouble getting gasoline. If you use a generator, use it sparingly. Propane grills are excellent, but, you better have extra tanks. A plain old charcoal grill is a great idea and charcoal is cheap and easy to store.
Make sure you only use grills outdoors, away from buildings. I have heard of people setting them up inside and dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. I have known people who set them up on their porch and burned their house down.
Water is vital and you do not want to be one of those people standing in line for hours to get a case of bottled water. I do not approve of using bottled water for every day use, the disposal of all that plastic is a n awful problem. However, having 2 or 3 cases around for emergencies only, is a fine idea. Or, you can buy hard plastic or glass jugs, like you would use for tea or juice, and just fill them with water from the tap. You cannot have enough water on hand and you must drink water.
Toilets can be a problem if the water is shut off (this sometimes happens during severe hurricanes). If you have room, fill a few 5 gallon buckets and keep them handy. Just pour water into your tank, from the top, and you will be able to flush. Note: when the danger is past, empty those buckets, unless you want to breed mosquitoes.
Food may not be available as grocery stores may be damaged. Keep some canned food around. Tuna, salmon, chicken, and ham are good as are beans. You do not want to have to heat up the grill every time you're hungry so stay away from canned chili, spaghetti and soups unless you like to eat them cold. Crackers keep better than bread (if it's hot and humid, it will mold). Dry foods, such as nuts and fruits are a great idea. Remember, you are not eating for pleasure. These are emergencies and you are in survival mode. You see advertised, dry meals; just add boiling water and eat. That is great, but again, if you have no power and no grill, they are useless.
If you are on any medications, try to have some in stock. Keep a well stocked, reasonably extensive first aid kit. Make sure you have a good fire extinguisher; the fire department may have trouble getting to you. If you live in hurricane zones, the winds will stir up rotting vegetation and you will want something on hand to deal with allergies and sinus issues. Also, at certain times of year, you will be advised to keep something like Off away. There will be no air conditioning and with the windows open, mosquitoes will be ready to feast on you.
Make sure you have a basic, minimal tool kit handy, just because you never know what you might need
If you have advanced warning, fill your car's gas tank, and, if possible, fill a couple of 5 gallon cans with gas( store them safely, in a fairly well ventilated area). You do not want to be sitting in 2 mile long lines at the gas station. Also, keep some cash on hand as ATMs and banks may be shut down for awhile.
One last thing. You will do yourself know good if you sit and brood. Keep some non electronic pastimes on hand. A few books and a deck of cards will do.
I sincerely hope you never go through an extreme emergency, but they do happen. A little planning, and you'll come through just fine.
Loss of electricity is likely. It may be a few hours, or days. After Hurricane Andrew, power was out in some areas for a couple of weeks. Generators are great but, if things are bad, you may have trouble getting gasoline. If you use a generator, use it sparingly. Propane grills are excellent, but, you better have extra tanks. A plain old charcoal grill is a great idea and charcoal is cheap and easy to store.
Make sure you only use grills outdoors, away from buildings. I have heard of people setting them up inside and dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. I have known people who set them up on their porch and burned their house down.
Water is vital and you do not want to be one of those people standing in line for hours to get a case of bottled water. I do not approve of using bottled water for every day use, the disposal of all that plastic is a n awful problem. However, having 2 or 3 cases around for emergencies only, is a fine idea. Or, you can buy hard plastic or glass jugs, like you would use for tea or juice, and just fill them with water from the tap. You cannot have enough water on hand and you must drink water.
Toilets can be a problem if the water is shut off (this sometimes happens during severe hurricanes). If you have room, fill a few 5 gallon buckets and keep them handy. Just pour water into your tank, from the top, and you will be able to flush. Note: when the danger is past, empty those buckets, unless you want to breed mosquitoes.
Food may not be available as grocery stores may be damaged. Keep some canned food around. Tuna, salmon, chicken, and ham are good as are beans. You do not want to have to heat up the grill every time you're hungry so stay away from canned chili, spaghetti and soups unless you like to eat them cold. Crackers keep better than bread (if it's hot and humid, it will mold). Dry foods, such as nuts and fruits are a great idea. Remember, you are not eating for pleasure. These are emergencies and you are in survival mode. You see advertised, dry meals; just add boiling water and eat. That is great, but again, if you have no power and no grill, they are useless.
If you are on any medications, try to have some in stock. Keep a well stocked, reasonably extensive first aid kit. Make sure you have a good fire extinguisher; the fire department may have trouble getting to you. If you live in hurricane zones, the winds will stir up rotting vegetation and you will want something on hand to deal with allergies and sinus issues. Also, at certain times of year, you will be advised to keep something like Off away. There will be no air conditioning and with the windows open, mosquitoes will be ready to feast on you.
Make sure you have a basic, minimal tool kit handy, just because you never know what you might need
If you have advanced warning, fill your car's gas tank, and, if possible, fill a couple of 5 gallon cans with gas( store them safely, in a fairly well ventilated area). You do not want to be sitting in 2 mile long lines at the gas station. Also, keep some cash on hand as ATMs and banks may be shut down for awhile.
One last thing. You will do yourself know good if you sit and brood. Keep some non electronic pastimes on hand. A few books and a deck of cards will do.
I sincerely hope you never go through an extreme emergency, but they do happen. A little planning, and you'll come through just fine.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Get a Grip on Your Weight
Many of us are fat and, many of the rest are too darn thin. This causes a world of health problems and health problems create a loss in quality (and often quantity) of life. They are also expensive. So, the practical thing to do is get a grip on your weight.
We all do not have to look like super models or Olympic swimmers, but we all should strive to have a reasonable weight. If you are too fat, you are going to feel sluggish, stress your circulatory system and, especially as you age, have a bunch of aches and pains. I can certainly testify to the latter. I am, now a bit heavy. In the past, I have lapsed into obese and spent many years wavering between fat and chunky. I have arthritis and I am sure that my weight has contributed and, in recent years has caused unnecessary pain. I am now, slowly, getting rid of excess baggage. I stress slowly because losing weigh too fast is not a good idea and, even if it works, the results will be temporary. You cannot stay on a diet your whole life, nor should you. You also, should stay away from any fad diet, all quick loss weight loss pills (they're usually mostly caffeine) and there is no need to send away for pre-packaged meals (they are expensive).
The answer is simple; eat less and exercise more. You lose weight when you burn more calories than you eat. It is that simple. You do not need to count calories; if you eat less and are still not losing weight, you need to eat even less or exercise more or both. You do not have to hire a personal trainer or head to the gym; walk more, ride a bike, do some old fashioned calisthenics, work in the garden, chase the family dog around the back yard, anything that gets you moving.
You will lose weight. It will be slow. You need to eat a balanced diet, with small amounts of each food group. Do not eliminate fats, carbs, or proteins. You need some of each, just cut the amounts. If you get a little hungry between meals, a small snack, very small, of nuts, crackers, cheese, fruit, yogurt are good ideas; just a bite or two. Note: if, during these hunger spell, you feel faint, shaky and mentally weird, you may be a bit hypoglycemic. Eat a high protein snack and get to a doctor as this may cause serious problems and may have underlying causes. If you go out to dinner are a party and overdo things, do not beat yourself up. Just start back the next day and move on.
As for being underweight, I have no experience with that, but, everyday, I see people, usually young women, who are so thin they look sickly. Obviously, they should eat more but, I am told that they have body image difficulties and see themselves as fat. In those cases, there needs to be some sort of counselling available. If there is none, or, as is often the case, it is not affordable, I suppose the best thing is for family and friends to be supportive and loving and try to reason, gently, with the individual. I mention girls here because I see this extreme thinness most often in them and hear it mentioned more often as a female problem. I imagine there are males with the same problem and I would think they should be treated the same. In any case, the individual should see a doctor and make sure there are no underlying conditions.
We are a culture bombarded with images, in advertising and entertainment, of slender, athletic young men and women. You do not have to look like that but, for your own health and well being, neither should you look like Homer Simpson.
We all do not have to look like super models or Olympic swimmers, but we all should strive to have a reasonable weight. If you are too fat, you are going to feel sluggish, stress your circulatory system and, especially as you age, have a bunch of aches and pains. I can certainly testify to the latter. I am, now a bit heavy. In the past, I have lapsed into obese and spent many years wavering between fat and chunky. I have arthritis and I am sure that my weight has contributed and, in recent years has caused unnecessary pain. I am now, slowly, getting rid of excess baggage. I stress slowly because losing weigh too fast is not a good idea and, even if it works, the results will be temporary. You cannot stay on a diet your whole life, nor should you. You also, should stay away from any fad diet, all quick loss weight loss pills (they're usually mostly caffeine) and there is no need to send away for pre-packaged meals (they are expensive).
The answer is simple; eat less and exercise more. You lose weight when you burn more calories than you eat. It is that simple. You do not need to count calories; if you eat less and are still not losing weight, you need to eat even less or exercise more or both. You do not have to hire a personal trainer or head to the gym; walk more, ride a bike, do some old fashioned calisthenics, work in the garden, chase the family dog around the back yard, anything that gets you moving.
You will lose weight. It will be slow. You need to eat a balanced diet, with small amounts of each food group. Do not eliminate fats, carbs, or proteins. You need some of each, just cut the amounts. If you get a little hungry between meals, a small snack, very small, of nuts, crackers, cheese, fruit, yogurt are good ideas; just a bite or two. Note: if, during these hunger spell, you feel faint, shaky and mentally weird, you may be a bit hypoglycemic. Eat a high protein snack and get to a doctor as this may cause serious problems and may have underlying causes. If you go out to dinner are a party and overdo things, do not beat yourself up. Just start back the next day and move on.
As for being underweight, I have no experience with that, but, everyday, I see people, usually young women, who are so thin they look sickly. Obviously, they should eat more but, I am told that they have body image difficulties and see themselves as fat. In those cases, there needs to be some sort of counselling available. If there is none, or, as is often the case, it is not affordable, I suppose the best thing is for family and friends to be supportive and loving and try to reason, gently, with the individual. I mention girls here because I see this extreme thinness most often in them and hear it mentioned more often as a female problem. I imagine there are males with the same problem and I would think they should be treated the same. In any case, the individual should see a doctor and make sure there are no underlying conditions.
We are a culture bombarded with images, in advertising and entertainment, of slender, athletic young men and women. You do not have to look like that but, for your own health and well being, neither should you look like Homer Simpson.
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