MAKE A NOTE!! -- December 26th, 1999
Y2K/STORM SPECIAL-A Rational Approach
CIRCULATION - 2,238
A Free Twice Monthly Ezine with (Hopefully) Useful Info on a Wide Variety of Topics
Previous
Issue | Back To 1999 Back Issues
| Next Issue 
* * * * * * *
 | |
| |
| |
| Joke, Quote, Subscription Info |
NOTE: Each entry has a suggested "POST IT..." location at the end. We recommend that you print out the ezine, cut out each entry, & post it at these locations to make it easier to find when you need it. And if you like what you read, be sure to pass it on to others to check out too.
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
In the beginning of all the hype, people were very concerned about all the Y2K issues. Then we heard so much about it that almost all of us were sick of it & didn't worry about it too much. So now we are probably more balanced and realize that while the world will most likely not come to an end on Jan. 1st, there may be POCKETS of problems here & there, for a day or two, to prepare for. Although I doubt many of you will experience any problems, it never hurts to be prepared. So this last issue of the year is coming out a little early to give you time to take appropriate precautions if desired (next issue will be on January 15th, Y2K and we will return to our regular format :-). This might be a good thing to pass on to others who may be interested too. So let me get on with the checklist and wish you the very best in the year to come.
God Bless,
Sharon
Editor, Make a Note
* * * * * * *
Y2K/STORM CHECKLIST - A RATIONAL APPROACH
The following list is divided into Things to Do Now, Things to Do In The 24 Hours Before, and Things to Do After. Each of these divisions is further broken down into Tasks Outside the Home and Tasks In the Home. The reason I call it the Y2K/"STORM" Checklist is because many of these ideas are good to keep on hand for weather events like storms that you can have advance notice of. POST IT...on your fridge.
I. THINGS TO DO NOW
A. TASKS OUTSIDE THE HOME...TO DO NOW
1. ITEMS TO PURCHASE: The following are items that you should have on hand, so check to see what may need to be purchased: drinking water (at least 7 gal/person-you don't need to buy it, it can be stored in an ice chest or recycled jugs), battery operated TV or radio, battery operated/wind-up clock, spare batteries (keep in fridge to prolong life), manual can opener (you'd be surprised how many don't have one), flashlights (sapphire lights are nice because they are compact & have a lifetime guarantee, but put out a lot of light), candles, matches (waterproof for storm prep), bleach or water purification tablets, charcoal & lighter fluid, other fuel for outside grills/stoves, wood for fireplace, battery operated fans for our readers in the southern hemisphere, disposable plates/cups/utensils, baby supplies if needed, ice chest/ice, a few days supply of non-perishable foods that are ready to eat (canned meats, soups, stews, dried/fresh fruit, cereal, powdered/shelf milk, cookies, crackers, coffee/tea-already prepared, peanut butter/jelly, puddings, bread, dry drink mixes, canned vegetables, etc), and pet food. There are other things you should have on hand like toiletries/personal hygiene supplies, etc, but most people have them in their home already. FUN STUFF - If you don't already have board games (as opposed to electronic) to play with your kids, now would be a good time to buy some. Why not make one night a week a "game night"? You don't know what you are missing if you aren't enjoying this good old-fashioned fun. Games that don't require purchase-charades, 20 questions, memorization games, Eye Spy, etc.
2. ERRANDS TO RUN:
a. Grocery Store - Be sure to make a trip to the grocery store early in the week to avoid the rush and stock up for at least 2 weeks with whatever you usually buy, in case store services are disrupted. But do go easy on the perishables so that if you do lose power you won't have too heavy a loss.
b. Bank - Have 2 weeks worth of cash on hand (credit card services may be disrupted), BUT DO NOT empty your account. In some areas people are being robbed of their savings when they withdraw it all. Also if you do not already have a paper copy of your last statement, ask the bank for one. If you try to use an ATM after the 1st of the year & it doesn't work, remember that at any given time a certain percentage of ATM's aren't working at ANY time of the year.
c. Gas Station - Near the end of the week, fill up your cars' gas tanks in case electricity is disrupted (most pumps are electric). Get any needed maintenance done, so your vehicle is in good working order.
d. Department Store - Purchase any needed items that you cannot get at a grocery store. Do you have a phone with a CORD?? Cordless phones won't work if the electricity goes out, but the cord ones will.
e. Pharmacy - Make sure you have an ample supply of any needed medication on hand.
B. TASKS INSIDE THE HOME...TO DO NOW
Make sure you have paper copies of all records for banks, insurance, etc. If you do not, now is the time to request it. Go to the web site or call the manufacturer of your brand of computer to find out if your computer is Y2K compliant, and if not, what you may need to do to avoid problems later. Mail bills early so they have time to be credited to your account.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS-In light of recent news reports, you might want to consider planning a little Y2K party at your home instead of going out to a public celebration. Especially for parents of teens, you could do a teen party. Now would be the time to start inviting & getting a shopping list together.
II. THINGS TO DO IN THE 24 HOURS BEFORE
A. TASKS OUTSIDE THE HOME...TO DO IN THE 24 HOURS BEFORE
Buy any last minute items needed, make sure you have cash on hand, car is full of gas, etc. If you do choose to go to a public celebration be very watchful for suspicious people, unattended bags or parcels (find out who they belong to, or report them), & possibly try to avoid the largest of the public gatherings, esp. if you live in a large metropolitan area or capital city of your state or country. If you have cell phones or small walkie-talkies you might also consider using them in case you are separated from part of your group. It also might be wise to be home BEFORE midnight in case there are disruptions of services (no electricity for traffic or other lights, or possibly electrically run transportation, no water for toilets). Avoid elevators in case the power goes out. Might also consider running any electric snow blowers over your sidewalks or driveways one last time (or leaf blowers in the southern hemisphere).
B. TASKS INSIDE THE HOME..24 HOURS BEFORE
Start the day before making additional ice & when your freezers won't hold any more then start filling ice chests. Turn refrigerators & freezers down to coldest settings possible and stuff empty spaces in them with towels and/or blankets to help keep them colder longer (do not stuff AFTER the power has gone out or if they won't have time to get cold before midnight). Fill bathtubs & sinks with water (not to drink, unless you really want to :-), to use to flush the toilets if the water goes out. Clean any dirty clothes or dishes in case you lose power & can't do it later. Prepare foods that can be at room temperature and easily eaten, like popcorn. Unplug any un-needed electric appliances so they will not be damaged if there are any power fluctuations.
2 HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT - Northern Hemisphere...Turn Heat up to the hottest setting you can stand, in case you lose power/heat later. Southern Hemisphere...Turn Air Conditioning down to the coldest you can stand. Turn air conditioning/heat off just before midnight though in case of fluctuations, then if all goes well, return to normal settings. Turn any un-needed appliances off & unplug in case of power fluctuations. Stay off the internet and off the phone. Some phone companies are saying the only problem they may have might be due to "everyone" picking up their phone at midnight to see if they are working. Put items that you might need if the power goes out in easy to reach places, especially flashlights and/or candles & matches.
IF YOUR POWER DOES GO OUT - REPORT ANY OUTAGES TO UTILITIES!!! This is one of the biggest mistakes that people make... assuming that the utilities already know or have been notified. One time I came home & I could tell by our clocks that the power had been out about an hour & when I called the electric company, they said that they hadn't been notified until I called. They can't fix it if they don't know there is a problem and the more people that call from an area the better. If they start working on your area, they will be less likely to be reassigned to another area until the service is restored. Turn off & unplug as much as possible, perhaps leave one light on so you will know when the power comes back on. Remove any items that you think you might want to eat that do not HAVE to have refrigeration from the fridge/freezer. Then tape the freezer/fridge doors shut so people will be less likely to open them absent-mindedly. A good freezer, especially one turned down to the coldest setting, can keep food frozen for days if it isn't opened much. Take a hot shower/bath while you still have hot water.
III. THINGS TO DO AFTER...
Examine your statements closely to make sure that everything is as it should be. Call offices where you have appointments to confirm that they still have you down for the correct day BEFORE you go to the office.
* * * * * * *
GOOD WAYS TO START THE NEW YEAR
This is unusual for us to have an issue dedicated to a single topic, so I thought I would just share some assorted ideas with you from issues too old to even be retrievable "back issues". This is a great time to go through the kids' toys & clothes (when they have all the new stuff to keep them busy) & pass things on to others less fortunate. Ask the kids to pick out at least 1 bagful of old toys to give away (you can decide how big the bag is). In some cases the kids handle it better or don't even notice it at all if you do it while they are sleeping. Maybe you didn't get around to making goodies for everyone, but any time of the year is a good time to write a thank you note to those people we take for granted like teachers, service folks, pastors, mechanics, a favorite waitress, etc. If the person is an employee of someone else, then call their boss & tell him how fortunate he is to have such an employee. Going rate for tips...haircut 10%, grocery baggers 25 cents/bag (but watch for those who only under fill bags), waitresses at self-serve places or who do a poor job 10%, average waitress 15%, great waitress 20%, car wash staff $1-$2, food delivery people (pizza, etc)20% (most people say 10%, but considering the danger of their job in most areas I think 20% is much fairer-besides once the word gets out about how well you tip, they seem to get there faster :-). How long is it appropriate to wait to write a thank you note for a gift received...about 20 minutes. Don't let the day go by without writing thank you notes for those Christmas presents. Even young children can draw a picture of them enjoying the gift to mail out. POST IT...on your "to-do" list.
* * * * * * *
There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope-filled optimist. "Everything is coming up roses!", he would say. The other twin was a sad & hopeless pessimist. He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy's Law (everything that can go wrong, will go wrong), was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist. He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins' personalities. "On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, & give the optimist a box of manure." The parents followed these instructions & carefully observed the results. When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, "I don't like the color of this computer...I'll bet this calculator will break...I don't like the game...I know someone who's got a bigger toy car than this...". Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in & saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling. "You can't fool me! Where there's this much manure, there's gotta be a pony!"
Let's all resolve to be optimists in 2000 and beyond. :-)
* * * * * * *
QUOTE
"It is not by regretting what is irreparable that true work is to be done, but by making the best of what we are. It is not by complaining that we have not the right tools, but by using well the tools we have. What we are, and where we are, is God's providential arrangement, --God's doing, though it may be man's misdoing. The manly and the wise way is to look your disadvantages in the face & see what can be made out of them. Life, like war, is a series of mistakes, and he is not the best Christian nor the best general who makes the fewest false steps. He is the best who wins the most splendid victories by the retrieval of mistakes. Forget mistakes; organize victory out of mistakes!"
Frederick W. Robertson (1816-1853)
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
BACK ISSUES
Issues from 6/99 to Present: http://www.egroups.com/group/make-a-note
Issues from 8/98 to Present: Send a blank email to make-a-note-issues@xc.org and follow directions you will receive by return email.
FEEDBACK TO THE EDITOR
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES W/NEWSLETTER RETRIEVAL/SUBSCRIBING/WEB SITE
Thank you Pastor Wilson for all you do.
TO SUBSCRIBE TO MAKE-A-NOTE EZINE
Send a blank email to: subscribe-make-a-note@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM MAKE-A-NOTE EZINE
Send a blank email to: unsubscribe-make-a-note@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
*******************END MAKE A NOTE******************
Previous
Issue | Back To 1999 Back Issues
| Next Issue
