I Just Shake My Head

Anymore it seems trying to discuss preparedness with people is like talking to a wall. Not sure why but I seem to run into these morons in clusters.

Example #1:

Youngest sis called looking for my Dad. She asked what I was doing and I said I was fine tuning my shopping list. "Don't you have enough?," she asked. "Never," I said. Then she tells my about her latest shopping trip. "I bought a few groceries, some wall border and more paint." When I asked why a "few groceries" she claimed she "needed" the wall border. I asked how her new job was going and she said she's now scheduled "on call." So, in the flush of two 36-hour a week paychecks she's painted and papered her rented home, bought more subliminal CDs and a "few" groceries. Before month's end she'll be at the food pantry.

Example #2:

The neighbor's girlfriend has found a part time job. She had one last fall but left after the boss "kept screwing with" her schedule. Working weekend nights interfered with their barroom antics. Now she's working as a babysitter. "The hours are great and by June 1st I'll have enough saved that we won't have to worry about being broke on the weekends." In other words, they'll have money to party all summer long.

Example #3:

Someone heard from my children that I'm "a prepping nut." She stopped me at the gas station and said, "So what if you have all that food? If the lights are out you won't be able to cook or see anything anyway." Sorry, but I couldn't resist. "You might not be able to cook or see but we will," I boasted. "How's that?" she asked. "A woodstove, propane camp stove and grill; kerosene and Coleman lamps with plenty of fuel; candles, flashlights and spare batteries, oh, and a solar oven," I boasted again. She looked lost a moment, then said, "Okay, suppose all those things don't work. How you gonna eat then?" I smiled and said, "Open a can or jar and insert a spoon." The thought of eating unheated food straight from the container mortified her. "Yuk, Yuk Yuk!" she screamed, as though she'd swallowed sour milk.

Example #4: The neighbor and I met while our for our walks - me heading north, she going south. "You gonna pick a lot of blueberries this summer?" she inquired. "Of course," I said. "And this year we'll can most of them to save on freezer space." She stopped in her tracks. "Why would you want to go through all that trouble?" she said. "Besides, they're small berries and hey'll be floating around in juice." Had to agree with her regarding their size and the juice. "The whole point of picking and preserving them is to have enough to last until the next crop." She laughed and said, "It's too much work. Go buy them already frozen if you're not going to freeze them yourself." As I retired State Police trooper I'm sure she can afford this. I can't and wouldn't consider it anyway.