State of the Homestead

These are unprecedented times.  We're still on the tail end of the Covid pandemic, two straight years of a contagious and dangerous virus and the political shock waves that accompanied everything about it from wearing masks to getting vaccines to gathering in public.

Now there's a European war, and we are wondering what's going to happen here in the United States.  My friends in Alaska, relatively close to the aggressor, Russia, aren't too concerned yet, but likely will be if things escalate.  That being said, Alaskans are tough, and would likely be the second to say "go fuck yourself".  Here in our little Coloradan hamlet, 100 miles from one of the US military's most strategically important command centers, we are simply hoping for a nice, constant, easterly breeze if things go wonky.

The preparations are, however, commencing.  All of our camping and survival gear has gone into our little trailer.  Income tax returns will help fund the maintenance needed for the vehicles.  The question has been raised on whether or not arming up is the best idea.  We aren't there yet, but I have to admit, I have shopped around for a pump-action 12-gauge.  But as much as I do respect being prepared, my first choice would be to avoid making these BattleWagon Chronicles about actual Battle.  I would rather take my family and go to places I know will be off the radar, places where we can live off the land in peace and safety, learning and using skills to accomplish this as a family, as a team.

I don't know what's going to happen in the coming days, weeks, or months.  But I do know that we can explore the world, see the mountains, the deserts, the oceans, the plains, on our time, regardless of whatever the rest of the world sees fit to get itself into.  That is freedom.

Ukraine

I don't know what the future is going to look like, but if it resembles the past at all, I'm not excited.

Snow

It seems we've had more all of the snow since 2022 began. Before the new year, we were dry as a bone. This morning, i woke up to over half a foot of snow since then. It was -1° and windy. I missed Colorado. I'm glad it came back for a minute.

Prophesy in Cheesy 1960s Science Fiction

Star Trek has always been based upon the idea that someday, in the future, humanity will cease to struggle with disease and poverty, transcending the hardships, and moving forward, into space, together.

However, there was a cost to achieve that fictional awesomeness: we had to suffer a third global war, a war that destroyed almost every major city on earth and left hundreds of millions of people dead. It was after that fictional catastrophe that a scientist built a faster-than-light prototype ship on an inter-continental ballistic missile in Montana.

I'm not saying i believe that's going to happen, but i remember that I've never felt so united my friends and neighbors as immediately after a tragedy of a certain magnitude.

I hope that's not what it's gonna take. I hope that's not what's gonna happen.

But hope isn't nearly as tangible as it used to be. 

Public Service Announcement

Pitbulls are scary...

Sick Days

I am thankful for their existence, but i hate taking sick days. I hate being incapacitated, not being able to work. I love sleeping, but i loathe when it's because I'm sick.

Ups and Downs

Lately I've been working hard to stay on track, to go down my checklist of things to do. It's an endless supply of errands, paperwork, planning, and chaos unfulfilled due to lack of funds or time. Still, it's motivating as hell to check that stuff off and build some momentum getting through an evening. It's closer to ten than nine at night. I'm still going. Let's do this.

The Super Bowl

Watching the Super Bowl today with my family. The Los Angeles Rams are hosting the Cincinnati Bengals. The second half just started, and it's a close game. The Bengals are starting to run away with it.

It's an exciting one, and I'm so very thankful that it's not Tom Brady or the New England Patriots. So very thankful.

Pets

This type of companionship cannot be bought or won from another human. Loyalty by a dog is unrivalled, and the calming purrs of the cat are less intrusive than sleeping pills. Surround yourself by those who can't think enough to betray you.

Fleshing Out the First Phase

I just looked at my budget, and took the numbers from last month into my graph. Costs have been going up, but income hasn't. The plan must start now. The first goal is to buy or build a storage shed large enough to hold all of our stuff. We gotta get ready to leave. 

The Coming Storm

Maybe we've been saying it with every generation, that the end is near and all that stuff. I personally don't believe the end is... ever. But i do believe that our society, as it exists on Earth, has the technology to expose the ugliness that is humanity. We can see it now, instantly, from the other side of the globe. We can see racism and sexism and torture and failed military operations and all of the ugly consequences of all that. We can see our political leaders bumble around justifying their corporate-friendly lawmaking. We see it all. We are all disgusted.

That's the first step.

The second step is the action that follows the disgust. Our Black neighbors have been on this for years now. Simply arguing that Black lives... matter, they are on the front. Power has been bringing the disgust to their front door since any of us can remember. They have every right to be mad. We should all be just as mad. And we are getting there. The disgust is coming.

Then...

... what happens once it's decided in our heads that we've had enough disgust? Are you going to fight back? Are you going to talk? Are you going to run? Hide? Or are you just going to tune it out? I challenge you to ponder what this country means to you, and what you think it needs to be. Then look around you, and see what is keeping that from happening.