Window on Red Lion ن

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Grab 'n' Go Bags

"Grab 'n' Go" Bags" are you first line of defense in a disaster. They should be in a place where you can grab them on your way out the door. These are from the Huntington Beach CERT organization, which I belonged to for a couple of years. Their purpose is to keep you going if you have to evacuate on short notice. The contents of these are based on the Southern California environment, so adjust accordingly.

I sent these to Mr Bingley at The Coalition of the Swilling, and decided that with the approach of Sandy, I put them up here, along with my comments to Mr. B. (Click for full size)

Sone notes:

Adult, left column:

Radio - I have one that runs on its own solar cell, batteries, or juice from its hand crank
Money - change, $1s, $5s, and $10s. If you don't break down your $20s, you'll find that everything costs $20.00
Whistle - make sure it's a damned loud one, not a cheapo toy store one.
Okay/Help signs - 8 1/2" x 11", 72 point print, red text "Help", green text "OK" Put the appropriate one in a street-facing window - lets first responders know how you're doing.
Out of state contact - I expect you be that for your family down south. If they can't raise each other, they call you, and you relay messages.
Important docs - old driver's license/passport
First aid - no kit is too bog. I like the ones at Sam's - $20.00, great for BLS. I'd make sure I had tubes of anti-biotic and cortisone creams as well. Eye drops/wash. Low dose aspirin, just in case. Written first aid guide.

Right column:

TP - the new cash. Need I say more?
Good book - bring some of your favorite adult spirits along w/ the books and cards
Blanket/tent, etc - I have my camping gear backed in a couple of large plastic storage boxes.
Dust mask - I can't use the disposable ones - they fog my glasses when I exhale. I broke down and got an inexpensive (not "cheap") respirator at Home Depot. Works much better...
Tools - I have an old catalog cast that I keep my hard hat and misc b & e tools in (I was the CERT ligtht urban search & rescue team leader for a year.)

Pets - most of the first aid items listed are in a good first aid kit (like the one from Home Depot)

Car

Get an inverter that will run out of the cigarette lighter - this will allow you to charge things like laptops, that need a 110/120 v AC outlet. Got mine at Sam's.

Random Notes:

I have "FirstAid", "iTriage" and the "U.S. Army (sorry, Marines) Survival Guide" apps on my 'Droid.
Keep your phone charged in your car!!
Make sure you have an extra phone charger for each phone. Radio Shack and Office Depot both sell chargers that have interchangeable plugs, so you can use 1 charger to charge several phones (mine plugs into the wall, the cig lighter, and even take a 9v battery!)
Or just get a cigarette lighter powered USB outlet. (Apple people, YMMV)

A good practice is to check the batteries on your smoke alarm, and inventory your survival stuff twice a year, on the day the time changes (or on New Year's Day and the 4th of July if you don't switch to/from Daylight Savings Time). Make sure batteries are fresh (or charged), rotate water and other perishables.

A bottle or two of your favorite Adult Beverage is not a bad thing to have on hand, either.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Pray and Act

The Manhattan Declaration and the 40 day fast for America.

I found this while reading through reader comments at Brietbart about the AFP commercial I linked to in the post below. The responder did not include any links, so, since Google is my friend, I found a bunch of posts about the 40 day fast for America.

I followed the link to the "Pray and A.C.T." page at the Renewing American Leadership (ReAL) website. It describes the why and how of the fast. It also directs you to the Pray and A.C.T. website. as of today, the link fails, returning a "Server Not Found" error. I'll poke into that when I'm done here...

The "ACT" part of the page asks that you go to the Manhattan Declaration webite, and read and sign it. That link goes to the web page. Here is a link to the declaration as a .PDF.

The declaration is about 4,700 words long, so get comfortable. It is a clear and concise defense of life, marriage, and religious liberty from a Christian moral perspective. Two thinks I liked the most about it: first, it strongly and clearly emphasizes human free will, and the fundamental right and freedom to follow one's own conscience. (I inferred that one might add "well informed" as a state of said conscience. Or that could just be the Ghosts of Jesuits Past.) Second, was the mini-lesson on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s from the Birmingham jail: "...citing Christian writers such as Augustine and Aquinas, King taught that just laws elevate and ennoble human beings because they are rooted in the moral law whose ultimate source is God Himself. Unjust laws degrade human beings. Inasmuch as they can claim no authority beyond sheer human will, they lack any power to bind in conscience. King's willingness to go to jail, rather than comply with legal injustice, was exemplary and inspiring."

Read the whole thing. Sign it if you feel so moved. Fast if you feel so moved. And act, if you feel so moved.

Pax Vobiscum.

(Originally posted at Leelu's Place)

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Subway Redux...

I live pretty much at the intersection of PA 24 and PA 74 - Main and Broadway, Red Lion. When I started coming up here regularly a year ago May, there was a Subway shop directly across the street. The Doc and I would go over there pretty often, sometimes for the whole meal, sometimes just for tea and and cookies. Sadly, the owner had just gotten tired of the drill, and decided to close. This was just after Labor Day, 2011. I've been looking at an empty store since then. For most of that time, there was a sign in the window that said "Closed of Remodeling - Opening Soon". It wasn't until about three months ago that I noticed some signs of activity - a couple of times I saw guys with clipboards wandering about the place. Then about 2 months ago, there was a new sign in the window - Help Wanted!!

For about the last 5 - 6 weeks, there has been actual construction going on - the place had been stripped out to the bare walls, and the sign on the roof removed very quickly after it had closed. Now, slowly, the place was coming back. New wall paper, new seating, and a new sandwich line.

I spoke with the new owner, James, last Sunday. In answer to my "When are you opening?" question, he told me that he'd planned on opening last week, but he had some (what I've come to call) "supplier issues". He invited me to an open house, scheduled for this evening. I felt that I needed to being a "host" gift as a sort of "Welcome to the Neighborhood" gesture, so I baked a double batch of my Weapons Grade Chocolate Brownies, and took them over at about 6 this evening. Well, the health inspector hadn't made it by in time, so the party was postponed until tomorrow evening. But, since I'd brought brownies, I was invited to have what turned out to be the first sandwich. (On the house!)

It turned out to be a training night for the new kids, so I had the experience of having the preparation of my sandwich critiqued but the trainer. There were a couple of small glitches, but in the end, my Roasted Tuscan Chicken sandwich, (although not actually roasted) was still tasty and satisfying. So, before I head up to York for the debate party, I'm going to swing in and get my open house 6 inch meal.

I owe my daughter a debt of thanks for getting me back to Subway, when we took our last road trip together in '97. Say what you will about fast food, Subway makes a damned good sandwich to order. I've only found one that was a tad off, and that was only because the cookies were obviously from an inferior vendor. The sandwich was OK.

So, James and crew, welcome to the neighborhood!!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Garden Finale

This is pretty much the end of this year's garden.

The Thai Basil and Thai Peppers are going gangbusters. I believe it's the double layered bed that made the difference. As you will see, the other peppers, planted at the same time, are nowhere near luxuriant! There are garlic and onion trying to survive on the Shaded Jungle Floor.

Looking across to the Poblano peppers, with Thai Hots on the right. Ya see what I mean?? Poblanos grew after most of the squash/melon vine died back, so I'm not expecting too many, but hey...!

Thai Hots get their close-up:

Mini Honeydew:

Micro Watermelon (note the paving bricks for size reference... very sad.)

The Thai Basil. That bed is 4 feet by 4 feet, again, for reference. Going to pick all the basil (Thai and Sweet) and dry it. I noticed that I had two spontaneous Thai Basil plants pop up in the original kitchen garden. Maybe I'll have some come up next spring?!

The tomato jungle:

And the Nectarine stick. Note the spontaneous, late blooming tomato.

Lessons learned:

Plant a bit earlier. (Also, keep an eye on the local farmers. Follow their lead. They might know a thing or two about this...)
Plant deeper - single layer beds aren't deep enough with this soil. At least 10" of soil.
Not so many squash and melons.
Definitely no Tigger Melons. Tasted yuck.
Deep tomato beds, too.
Miracle Grow Soil is the bomb!
Might go for 1 season ground cover on the beds, to reduce the incidence of weeds
Gotta be creative about squirrel defense. Chicken wire fence tacked across the tops of the beds to keep the critters from digging. Maybe I'll get more than 2 puny ears of corn.
Save old CDs and DVDs to make Shiney Twirleys to scare away the birds. (Suspend them on string so they blow and twirl in the wind, reflecting random sunlight at random birds. Saw this years ago in a big garden up the Sierra Madres.
Thinking tomatoes, peppers (Thai, Poblano, Jalapeno and Sweet), corn, watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew, basil, garlic and onion, maybe lettuce.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

2012 Street Fair

Today is Red Lion Street Fair day. The boro blocks off Main and Broadway, for about a block in all four directions. Most of the usual suspects - police, fire, commercial booths for wireless phones, insurance, home repair/upgrade and solar energy.

Main Street, looking south from Broadway.

York Area Regional Police Mobile Command Unit

Remains of the RLFD rescue demo.

My favorite just down the street from me, the Big Green Ice Cream Machine!

I took the opportunity to visit a couple of places that I had not ventured into previously.

First was the American Legion Post. Since I am not a veteran, I'm not normally allowed. But today, they were open and selling food, so I stuck my head in. Large hall, with a bar along most of one wall. Don't think a photo is appropriate, since it was pretty full of members and guests.

My next stop was the train station. They were running the trains on the big layout, and Ed, the society president, gave a little talk about it.


The original station sign. Affectionately known as "The Ma and Pa" line.

Ed giving his talk. Says he was "railroaded" into being president.

Round house and turntable

Looking across town east to the coal mine.

Balancing rocks. Note gramma on top! Whimsy abounds.

Hand built - not a kit!

Membership info.

Ed invited us back at Christmas time, to see the addition of two levels above the existing layout, complete with three waterfalls!

My last stop was the Fitness Factory. I met Larry, the owner. He's a (young) retired basketball coach, who bought the gym about a year ago. Really reasonable rates. I'm going to have to join!

Next door to the Fitness Factory, I met the young woman who runs the massage therapy place that the dogs and I go by several times a week.

Relaxing Note Therapeutic Massage

I also met Dr. Joe, the Dallastown chiropractor. I'm looking for someone who isn't going to try and lock me into "the program". He seems a promising candidate.

More, later!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

A Walk in the Park

Turns out there's a really nice park about 3 blocks from the house. It has become the dog walking site of choice on really hot days. I noticed that Dakota especially was beat up after even a short walk thru as much shade as possible around downtown I did a little research, and discovered that dogs not only cool themselves by panting, but also thru the pads on their feet.

Dakota seems much more energetic when we get back from our walks in the park. My theory is that the abundance of shade, coupled with the shaded (cooler) ground, plus a usually nice breeze makes for a more dog-friendly (and me-friendly) walk.