For those of you with teenagers, do you think they’ll obey a shelter-in-place for long periods of time? Especially if they can’t be in contact with their friends?
If they can still use their cell phones and IMing on the computer we should be ok. If that stuff goes down, no way….(I have 2 teenagers…)
We watched that movie the other night.. Fatal Contact. My teen said .. “Mom do we have any masks? Mom do we have enough food? and What do I do to graduate if I dont go to school?” I think mine will get bored very quickly though. He’s a busy body and plays sports year round so.. it will hard on him not to have that comraderie. Take Care.
Teenagers should be treated like any other intelligent person( providing of course that they are )give them the facts, let them draw conclusions and help them brainstorm for solutions. Kelly
For the busy-body teen, if sheltering in place, and you have a backyard patio, try installing a basketball hoop (but not above a window, as my Dad found out!). It may not allay all of the boredom, but at least they’ll be able to get outside a bit and get some sun and fresh air. Might take their minds off the situation a bit, also…
And go out and shoot a few hoops WITH them…you’ll feel better for it!
We’ve waited to address this issue with our daughter till after she graduates college tomorrow. Not that she is unaware of the possibility. She’s intelligent and follows the news. But she has not chosen to take this seriously yet. The little bit we did discuss over winter break brought the expected negative response. She was shopping with me and it was pretty obvious what I was up to and she mentioned that she thinks we’re a tad bit daft. I said- thats fine- but if this happens and we have to quarentine you’ll be very happy I did it. Her response- No I won’t be happy- not at all- because I’ll be stuck at home and won’t be able to see my friends. She’s not a “teenager” anymore, but still living in the dream world of college-close enough to one, and just can’t grasp the gravity of the situation. After she’s home and the dreamworld has worn off- she’ll note the daily acceptance of the possibility and it the dinner converstaion about solar,wind, generators- food, ammo, gas, news etc….will become common place to her and she’ll fall into the same routine and thought process. Thanfully she’s bright and will probably have some suggestions we haven’t thought of. However- if TSHTF and she is forced to stay home with us I pray that the internet and phones still work. She’ll have her herb garden to tend and loves to cook so will be a huge help there- but she’s very social and will miss her job and friends and likes to learn, having plans to take night courses toward her masters. If the net is up she can take some on-line courses and IM her friends- who will all be in the same boat most likely. If the electricity is working I’ll finally teach her to sew and weave as I’ve been promising for the past few years. I worry a lot for the ‘children’ this age. It’s such an important, formative, time in their lives and the important experience of school sports, academic competition, social gatherings, graduation and heading off to college or making it through and out of college, may be taken away for a time.
A pandemic flu outbreak would be a disaster situation. All resources and services would be stretched to the breaking point. There has been a great deal of discussion on other threads regarding the likelihood of the telephone system, the power grid, and other utilities being unable to keep functioning. It seems to me that in such conditions, to allow or even encourage teenagers to use cell phones and the internet to gossip with their friends would not be a responsible course of action.
Take the cell phones away from the kids.
Sorry, but that’s the way it will have to be.
Unfortunatly teens do bend to peer pressure. “What do mean your parents won’t allow it” sort of pressure. I dare you to jump off, fill in the spaces. Are you a coward? If your teen falls into that type of grouping, nothing you do or say will change what crazy irresponsible thing they will do. Weren’t you a teen once. Just remember what you were. there is a mindless, I’ll live forever, nothing can touch me mindset in many teens. And there are the sensible, sane ones. I was never sensible.
teenagers with cellphones? that’s a problem right there.
I have two teenagers — you are not giving them enough credit. We have board games, video games (stock up on AA batteries!) and many other things for them to keep occupied — we hunkered down through hurricanes when they couldn’t ‘visit friends’ and phone lines were down, they rose to the challenge. There will always be those teenagers who will have a hard time coping but parents can play a big part in how the situation is handled. Maybe this will be a time families will get closer together.
I think if we were truly in the horrific pandemic situation, teens would rise to task at hand. With everyone sick and dying around them, they will be scared and will be responsible.
A small number may choose to create tribes - a hundred youngsters living together - without grown-ups. I don’t know if that would work - probably not, infection-wise; maybe yes, community-wise.
I want them (you!) here on fluwikie. What do (some) teenagers think? If you know some, could you ask and listen?
Maybe some will want to look at the full picture of the world they’re receiving from grown-ups. Some may add things up and say hey, peak-oil, panflu, global warming, it’s all globalization! I’ll go learn to grow food, just in case … maybe start a business on that … join others!.
How many teenagers in the world? There will be variety of options.
Let’s talk.
I can just see the IM message now……”sure, yeah, come on over, we’ve got plenty of trail mix & coke & my folks are downstairs inventorying our stash of food & gas so pick up (insert names) & come on over”!
I think that the gravity of the situation might take a while but if they are capable of seeing what is going on around them then you should be OK.
I have 2 teenagers and 3 younger kids. The two teens are very mature and are obedient without becuase stepford children if you know what I mean.
Will sheltering in place be difficult? Yes, but for reasons other than a need for social outlets. We are a close knit family and will be OK in that respect. It will be the stress of the reality of it that will be tough on the kids.
How did your kids react on 9/11? Use that as a reference point and extrapolate from there.
I plan on taking in my daughter’s boyfriend (who is 19 and living on his own) because I know I won’t be able to keep him and my teenage daughter apart. Unfortunately he will come with two rats, ferrets, snakes, lizards a hamster and a black widow spider.
Perhaps the black widow spider should be deep sixed accidently before he arrives?After all everyone has to make some sacrifices. I’ve been bitten by spiders, and stung by a scorpian. I think he may have read My Family and other Animals, by Gerald Durrell. If he hasn’t trade him a copy for the spider, and get rid of it at some local zoo that specializes in such things.
With no gas for cars; no buses; no trains, etc., getting together with friends is going to be rather difficult.
We can’t forget that at that point in the game when the pandemic has arrived EVERY parent is going to be socially distancing their child. It won’t be a matter that you are only having the argument with your kid.
I plan to take the car keys and refuse visitors. This, alone, will put a huge distance, emotionally and physically, between my sons and their friends. I agree with others that we need to keep them off of the cell phones and computers during the worst of it so that they whole system does not crash.
They will have to deal with it as we do. It won’t be easy. I recently read an interview by adults who lived through the 1918 pandemic as a child. They were asked how they survived. They answered that their mothers refused to allow them to leave the yard. Plain and simple.
He keeps a Black Widow Spider as a pet ?!?
My kids had some pretty weird pets, and I recomended My family and other animals as a book for this boyfriend. I think Gerald Durrell kept scorpians in a matchbox, which his brother opened to get a match. Scorpians spilling all over, and scuttling around. Well the book is hysterical, charming, and the beginning of a brilliant career for the author as a zoo keeper. I think this spider could get loose, and create problems. Snakes, lizards, rats, O.K. the rats feed the snakes, which is why he has rats. I think I would have second thoughts about the kid unless he was willing to sacrifice his spider.
My daughter is 14 and her boyfriend is 16. His family isn’t preping and they have no food in the house now. I told my daughter he is welcome to come over before the TSHTF and once in he had to stay. His parents will care only because he does all the work in the house and cooks for them. My son and daughter-in-law are 20 and grandaughter is 1. I have a small house and I’m sure I will go nuts but what is the alternative?
Would they try to sneak out to see each other, yea I think so, specially in the beginning of it. They do have the mentality that nothing bad will ever happen to them.
I need to get smarter with the pop preps and hide them better…daughter has gotten into them already, she thinks I;m nuts and nothing will happen, sure hope she is right.
My kids 16 and 19 also think I’m crazy. I think they will listen if it really happens. My daughter is in college, (home for the summer) and I hope they cancel classes so she’ll come home.
My youngest is 19, her older brothers are 23 & 25. While my daughter is very social she is also smart enough to realize the gravity of the situation. Flu has always been a serious issue in our house because my Dh nearly died from it once. She grumbled about getting a flu shot for the first time this year but when all her friends came down sick this winter and she stayed healthy she was glad she listened and got the shot.
I say sit them down for a serious talk armed with the facts. Treat them intelligently and get them to make plans with you that include what will make life easier for them (and you) if you have to self quarentine. Get a list of some things they would like, games, music, foods, whatever it is they like and try to create a secret stash of items to pull out when boredom sets in. Stock up on batteries and battery chargers.
Pray the power stays on. As long as my daughter can stay in touch through email, MySpace and Gaia, she will survive. That is already an issue for us as we are moving soon so she will be 2,000+ miles from ALL of her friends soon. I guess I will get an idea of what quarentine will be like for her just from moving.
The point is teenagers are not stupid, impulsive, yes! but when they understand their very survival depends on following orders they can be surprisingly mature.
“The point is teenagers are not stupid, impulsive, yes! but when they understand their very survival depends on following orders they can be surprisingly mature.”
If TSHTF, and the mortality is still among young people, we will see blanket media coverage of that. Internet talk will also be saturated with it. So I don’t worry about that too much. Have those talks with them, get them to consider what they would need, etc, now, but also let them have their fun now. They will appreciate your understanding their need to be teenagers.
I have 2 teenagers (14 & 17) who are not stupid but are definitely the daredevil type. I have tried talking to them about BF, and they basically either tune me out or tell me I’m crazy. I just let them know that okay, but if this thing does go down I want you to know we have food and a safe place. We are dealing with peer pressure and drug issues, school problems and them wanting to beat the streets right now. They’re really good, intelligent kids, but I don’t know how in the world I’ll keep them from sneaking out short of handcuffing them somewhere. So what then? You can’t turn your kids away once they’ve been “out” in the world. I’m sure there must be others with this problem. Not all teenagers are controllable. I love them and want to protect them, but I feel almost doomed.
My son is 17. I have talked with him off and on about this bird flu. I have prepared him. He sees my prepping. I have told him that I do not know if we might have to start to shelter in place in the next week or next year. He does understand the evolution of this bird flu and what happened in 1918. I have prepared him for what will occur by telling him that when it looks like the situation is imminent, he will have to buy next years text books, stop by the used DVD and book stores to really stock up, and then come straight home. He knows I have everything we need for food, etc. I have tried to get him to pick up extra used pocket books and DVDs, anything, but he has not…he lives in the moment.
He is a good, smart kid, and he understands the seriousness of this situation. He does not like the possibilities, but he understands and accepts. He has asked if he could see his friends, and I have had to say that I don’t think that would be possible. He was not happy, but he understood.
If this happened tomorrow, and I had not discussed this with him over months period of time, I don’t think he would be as accepting. I know I can count on him now.
Mimi - Here is my suggestion which may or may not work. When things look as if they are starting to happen your kids will possibly listen better. So, you sit them down, tell them what is happening and ask for their advise on the best way to get through it. Ask for last minute prep ideas, for entertainment ideas and anything else you can think of for input. IMO, having a set schedule will help my teenagers get through this and not go nuts. We will home school ours with their input as to what classes and have each one help prepare lessons for subject of their choice. Chores, and even leisure time will be loosely scheduled because structure helps prevent panic and boredom. Setting specific goals gives a sense of preparing for a future that will still exist and tells them life will go on. We’ll do spanish and piano. Good luck, Mimi.
anon_22 - Absolutely! Doing that now with the move. She has to get her things packed a bit every day but is also getting loads of time with friends to take the sting out of this move. It will be the same with pandemic flu.
Mimi- You do what you have to to protect them whatever the circumstances. Extreme situations may call for extreme actions.
From my experience, if you give a decent teenager a talking to and let him/her participate in the planning stage and then hand him/her a responsibility to accomplish, they will do well. If you just treat them as a freeloader and immature, even though they might be, they will just act that way.
However, I would simply step on the spider. The owner might be welcome, but his pets would not be. It this is the momebt that TSHTF, it is time for him to realize that he must grow up and your house is not a managerie.
Thanks for all the input and advice. It’s just so frustrating, trying to think of everything you need to do and buy (on a limited budget mind you). I do think that structure for them is important and something I haven’t really considered. Guess I will start working on a plan for that. I’m just praying, like others, that if and when this happens they will see on the news and from friends what is going on and will take things more seriously at that point.
My son lives with his father, and I know I will have a battle even getting him to my home. But knowing his father, he will not quit working and will not quarantine. It’ll probably take me just going there with boxes, packing up his stuff and doing a lot of crying to convince him. Man, this is making me think I need to start stockpiling the Xanax, lol.
Bourbon or chocolate is cheaper than Xanax.
Yep, just put that on my list, liquor store stop …
I told mine in no uncertain terms that they will be in the house for 6 - 8 weeks. They are two very active teens and they think I am nuts. I really don’t care though
Poppy – at 20:29 --- Are you leaving me here, too? Kristy already bailed on me, and now you? Oh, the humanity!!! I’m trying sooo hard to get out of Kahleefohrnia, and y’all are leaving me behind!!! ;-) This is news…where are you headed?
My daughter read this teen page before we went out for pizza earlier, she was amazed there were this many nutty people and it wasn’t just her mom ;)
She had a small tizzy about no cell phones, I explained briefly in between huffs and puffs about power being down and what could happen ( I have mentioned this all before to her but it never settled in her teen brain obviously)
On the way to get the pizza, she suggested more board games.
Yes about the black widow spider - I think her name is Princess Amidala or something like that. She is a beloved pet believe it or not. Oh, we’re going to be tight! About 2K sq’ for 6 humans, 2 dogs, 4 cats, 4 fish each in their own bowls, and the above mentioned, ferrets, snakes, hamster, rats, lizard and spider. And we’re all high strung and high maintenance!
Hi Bill - Yep! Part of me is sad about it because this is a forced move due to job losses. First my son in January then my husband was taken by surprise last week. They just suddenly laid him off, permanantly, no warning at all. We are still in shock. Part of me is glad to be getting out while I can but I would rather this had been a well planned choice. I am really scrambling here. Moving truck is reserved. Rabbit issues being worked on (need several back-up plans). Housing and jobs still to find. Money? Waiting to know just how the unemployment will play out and cashing in the retirement account. Money will be very tight.
We are planning on East Texas. I have family all over that state. I hope you can get out of the not so golden state soon. How is the house sale/hunt going? Any advice for long distance moving? I’m dreading the dessert in June. So much for prepping. I will have to begin again once we are settled. No choice really.
Felicia - The spider, snakes and rats would never get through my door. The lizard is doubtful. The ferret maybe and I can handle a hampster so long as it doesn’t get loose then it’s a kitty snack. I hope he has made plans to feed and care for all of these creatures in quartine.
Good luck with your move, Poppy; maybe you can swing it so it turns out you are right where you’ll do best.
Don’t forget a year of birth control, just in case anyone needs it.
What if their teenage friends turn up at your door, just wanting to visit, in the first days? Toss them a flyer out the window about quarantine and infection control, and cfr?
Hope they can still write letters, if internet is down?
Maybe journals to write in will help?
Poppy---East TX? Wow!! My GFather was born out there…in a small town called Canton. Sorry to hear about the lay-off. Yeah, it is a nasty way of doing things…companies expect loyalty from employees, but as soon as the bottom line is effected in any way, BAM! layoff time. What type of work did he do? I’ve gone through 3 large layoffs in the past 15 years…really sucks. BUT! Ya hafta look at it as a new beginning…especially with moving out of state and all.
Advice for long distance moving? Hmmmm….are you gonna take 99 south and cut across to AZ, or go over to Reno, then 395 south through Vegas? Stop at every rest stop you see…even if just to get off the road for a minute. It’ll help you get rid of “white-line fever” (and the coffee you drank that morning!). Leave some money in your bank account here until you get “there”. Use your ATM card for gas purchases against that money. That way, you’re not carrying large amounts of cash…a car with CA plates traveling in another state this time of year is an easy mark as “Happy Vacationers”.
Don’t try to drive through blizzards, like I did back in 2000. Really shouldn’t have to worry about that this time of year, but you asked for advice! :-) Drive ‘til you’re tired, then get off the road. Find the first Motel 6 and just crash there…cheap, clean, and they really DO leave the light on! You’re prob’ly only gonna be on the road for 3 days anyway, so it’s not gonna be too bad. One other piece of advice---get yer computer back online asap!
I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to travel through the Southwest, but if you have the time, stop in Sedona. It’s a beautiful town. Then, when you get to NM? Once you cross the AZ/NM border, travel about 50 miles…you should start heading into the foothills there. Stop and just look around…absolutely gorgeous red mountains!!! Enjoy all of that, ‘cuz once you get to the TX panhandle? Nothin. Nadda. Nowhere. At all! :-)
BB hides in a different corner for fear of Watching in Texas reading this…
I have two young teens-15 and 12. My husband is a child therapist and works primarily with teenage boys-It is amazing how all these kids will rise to the occasion and just be real troopers-but you have to include them in your planning-they HATE being left out of things they like to be involved in things.
My 15 year old son and I watched the Fatal Contact Movie-unfortantly dH got held up at work and missed most of it. I think at first my son thought bf was part of Mom’s general anxiety about her family, but when it showed up in Wired Magazine and cover of Nat. Geo, and movie of the week and finally, on Num3ers last night, he began to take it seriously. We talked a little to the 12 year old-shes pretty young yet.
A beloved black widow spider? O.K. I guess I’m old type mom. Kid yes. Spider, absolutely not. Let him say goodbye, have a good cry. I think it must make him feel special, or does he have some career in mind in spiders. There are a lot of good books out there on spiders. I’m sure he finds them fascignating. I’m suprised his landlord hasn’t kicked him out. Felicia,what can an outsider say. I hope the snakes are not poisoness also.
I think the spider has had its poison removed. The kid worked in a pet store for quite a while and he would take home animals that weren’t doing very well and that no one else wanted - snakes that wouldn’t eat and/or shed, the hamster has one eye that’s bigger than the other and looks creepy from what I understand, and so on. He’s a dear boy and very responsible, so I guess I’ll just deal with it. Lily, I believe the snakes are constrictors and not ones with poisonous venom.
Poppy, I believe that you can make a little piece of heaven whereever you live. My mother is an example of that. She lost a huge mansion type house overlooking the ocean on Cape Cod and moved to N.C. to save money. She and my Dad moved into a tobacco row type house which was a real step down for them. It had 6 rooms compared to the 20 room house they moved from. They never really did much to spruce up the outside of the house, but when you entered that little shack of a house, it was magical. She saved her most beloved possessions and art and decorated that little house beautifully and eclectically. She wasted no time in making friends and was open to people who were very different from her: the very Southern woman with the big sun bonnet next door to her who brought her vegs from her garden (my Mom listened compassionately to her problems regarding her health and the health of her old dog), the neighbors to the other side who had been despised by the previous owners because they worked noisily on racecars (my Mom would say, I love the sounds of people working and creating things). Anyway, she really settled in there (it took a while though) and she didn’t dwell on the things she had lost. She made a huge circle of friends which was really a credit to her given that she was a Yankee in a very traditional Southern community. My hope for you is that have a sunny attitude, laugh at adversity and make your home into a place where there is positive energy and that you are surrounded by friends and family who love you. And make REAL friends - limit your time on the computer!
Well I feel a lot better for you Felicia. He sounds like a real gem. No venom, the Princess could be allowed, just hope there is no male to impregnate the Princess. Of course male black widows never survive the experience, but it must be worthwhile. Your mother sounds like a gem also. I really would get him the Gerald Durrell books, they are charming and funny and he wrote a slew of them about his experiences in Corfu and the Isle of Jersey. My kids enjoyed them, and they were both pet collectors.The books are enjoyable for any adult also. His brother was Lawrence Durrell a very famous author, and the family was a mix. A vain sister, a hunting brother, a famous brother, a vauge mother, and a cast of interesting friends. The books are worth getting.
Lily, those books sound great. They sound like they would be perfect family read aloud books. I think you and I have the same taste in fiction - as I recall you are an Austen fan too. Yeah the boy is a keeper. Neglectful upbringing, no support by his parents. He puts himself through community college (even though he was accepted into a prestigious school but couldn’t afford it without help from parents), pays for an apartment, works 7 days a week to make ends meet. He could be so resentful, instead he’s diligent, hardworking and is philosophical about the hand he’s been dealt. I think he’s in some ways better off than the typically pampered kids of his generation. He’s determined to make something of himself.
So you are surrogate parents as well. He will be a family friend for life.
crfullmoon - Thanks. It’s a fresh start for us all. A tough way to do it but I think we will be okay as long as we can get jobs. I have family there and shirtail cousins I have yet to meet where we are going, so it will be an adventure to start with. Our family has a reunion where we are going every fall too.
Felicia - Your mom sounds like a special lady who knew how to bloom where she was planted. Southerners like people who are good listeners and appreciate hard work, at least in my experience. Probably why she got along with her neighbors. Hopefully Texas will be our little bit of heaven.
Good luck with the boyfriends menagerie. You’re a dear person to welcome them all into your home. I just get the creeps seeing a picture of a snake.
Hi Bill - Most likely we will go down 99 after stopping in Modesto to say a few goodbyes. DH has half-sibs there. They are much older and he is not all that close to them. Hard feelings on their part about their dad divorcing their mom and remarrying. Those of them he felt close to have passed on. We can’t stay here for graves. Still we will make the stop and hopefully DH will handle it okay. He’s having a tough time with all of this but the move was his idea this time instead of mine. We have contemplated this move so many times but now it is for real.
We plan to drive at night as much as possible through the dessert, because of the rabbits. We just got one as a surprise gift from Boston and the little guy is still adjusting, even in the house where the AC is on he gets warm. We will definately pull over if we get tired. I tend to need to anyway every couple of hours, just to get the kinks out. I will not drive if I am sleepy, that was nearly a major error in judgement once and I know better now. Motel 6 is fine if one needs to just sleep and clean-up, and they welcome pets. They sure do leave the light on! I seriously underestimated my driving time once on a vacation and didn’t pull in till 1am. They were still up and waiting! I’m not too worried about carrying cash. I may just keep the cross bow visible as a deterrent. I can use it and will. I’ve got a few other deterrents as well that would make people think twice about giving us trouble. Plus there will be 5 of us traveling in tandem so we have each other’s back.
I have been through Arizona and New Mexico but it’s been 34 years. I remember the dust devils in the desert and that the weather can change quickly and unexpectedly. The panhandle: Oh God is the landscape boring! (sorry Texans) I have never seen anywhere so flat. The sight of trees becomes exciting. My mom is from the panhandle so I’ve spent some time there. The canyon country is pretty though. I’ll have to remember that about Sedona. I have to pack some film for my camera (I’m an anti digital holdout) because this is going to be the first time my kids have seen anything east of Bakersfield (except Nevada). We may not exactly be on vacation but no reason not to enjoy the experience.
I will remember to push away from the computer and get out. The only reason it will be plugged in at first is to print resumes (and come on FluWiki). Getting involved in community activities will help and this time of year has built-in opportunities for that. My kids have already checked out the store list for the mall where we are going so they will be out meeting people there for certain. We also will have things like rabbit shows and other activities we enjoy that offer chances to meet people. That’s one of the tough parts is leaving the many wonderful friends we have made through rabbit shows that have helped and supported us as rabbit breeders.
Poppy---sounds like y’all have it pretty well planned. Have a very safe and uneventful journey. Just remember to stop now and then on the way…even at night, the desert is magical! Not certain how close you are to big city lights, but your kids will get a thrill out there once you show them that there really is a Milky Way way up there!!!
I was officially NOT a teenager a couple of months ago… but close enough, eh?
I just got married (we’re both 20), and, in a complete switch from most of you, WE are the ones trying to convince our families to prepare for any eventuality (whether bird flu, peak oil, whatever). They are coming around but it’s been up to me to plan what we need, how much, etc. Dear husband was an Eagle Scout and is a mechanical engineering major, so he’s priceless in this. He may be more “paranaoid” than me….
Unfortunately, I haven’t talked to many teenagers about this, as they (and even the 20-ish) do still live in this dream world where “nothing’s gonna happen and if it does, Mom/Dad/the gov’t will take care of it.” A big problem with those already living on their own is that they are strapped too tight (especially in their own minds) to make any sort of provision. It’s a sad situation. Once all of my family prepping is done I hope to put by some extra for a couple of special friends… but I do so truly wish they would wake up NOW.
I was officially NOT a teenager a couple of months ago… but close enough, eh?
I just got married (we’re both 20), and, in a complete switch from most of you, WE are the ones trying to convince our families to prepare for any eventuality (whether bird flu, peak oil, whatever). They are coming around but it’s been up to me to plan what we need, how much, etc. Dear husband was an Eagle Scout and is a mechanical engineering major, so he’s priceless in this. He may be more “paranaoid” than me….
Unfortunately, I haven’t talked to many teenagers about this, as they (and even the 20-ish) do still live in this dream world where “nothing’s gonna happen and if it does, Mom/Dad/the gov’t will take care of it.” A big problem with those already living on their own is that they are strapped too tight (especially in their own minds) to make any sort of provision. It’s a sad situation. Once all of my family prepping is done I hope to put by some extra for a couple of special friends… but I do so truly wish they would wake up NOW.
RipleyRules – at 23:11 --- Welcome to the perils of adulthood! I think you’re gonna find that the “oldsters” still see you as a teen who has a lot of growing up to do. However, it seems to me that you’re thinking well into your future and planning a long life together. Make it happen. Give them the literature that you can print from here on the Wiki and on other sites. Show them the news reports that are coming out of Indonesia right now…you are the bearer of bad tidings, but if you can convince those old folks to prep, they will find that you’re prob’ly the most mature “youngster” they’ve ever met!
We were all teens once (I think I was…way back in the early 70′s, pre-disco). At that time, I too decided that I was invincible. What a come-uppance the world had for me!
To quote a “not-so-popular” guy: Stay the course!
Bronco Bill - I didn’t want to say this on the Indonesian thread but your no news comment to Many Cats had me rolling. I have been reading your posts to my family as we drive home from a party in Vegas. Thanks for the entertainment. Okay, now back to the subject at hand. I am going to very interested in how my teenagers react to what will now be a very different situation if/when BF hits. My nephew is a young attorney in Vegas with three tiny girls. After I got done sharing, they asked if they could come to us if it hits. We will have an interesting mix with three girls five and under and these big boys. So many of our plans have to be rearranged and more preps added. My head is spinning.
AllQuiet etc. --- A young attorney? Tell ‘im to spend some money and prep for himself! LOL!! Living in the Vegas, I bet he drives a new Mustang! Sell it, buy a used VeeDub bus, then get to preppin’! He’s got three (probably gorgeous) little girls to look after! LOL!! Tell him “Hell no!! Buy yer own beans!!!” ROTFLMAO!!! I’ve always wanted to say that to someone!!
I’ve got to say…I take this virus more seriously than most anything in my life…but I also take the attitude that ya half to laugh at things, or yer head’ll explode! I do have a rather warped sense of humor. If I get stuck in my house for three to six months, I’m gonna hafta come up with some new material. I’m already thinkin’ of “How many beans does it take….” jokes.
Glad I could help y’all keep awake on your drive…I’m just really upset that I wasn’t invited to the party. I haven’t been to the Vegas in almost 25 years…and I’m a native Californian…
half to laugh? Is that like a partial smile? Sheesh..must be time for some sleep….
Hey Poppy, I’m from Texas and I can cheerfully say there are all sorts there — it tends to be an interesting (occasionally bizarre) state. With my teens I try to find a way to say “yes” alot — as, yes you can go out, but I need to know where you are and you need to call when you change locations. I’ve said yes to some fairly big adventures and they haven’t disappointed me yet (knock on wood) — I say “maybe, let’s talk” alot too because the devil is often in the details — but when I say “NO WAY” it is final and nonnegotiable. (although they try).
This I learned from dog training. You don’t ever give a command unless you are ready and willing to make it happen — so you say “come” and Fido doesn’t come, you can’t just sit there and repeat yourself. You have to chase the pup down and go through remedial training (good things happen when you listen, you get your butt dragged through the grass when you don’t)-- it’s interesting — once you make a commitment to really follow through on your orders, you actually get less bossy. I turn a blind eye to lots of stuff — but everybody in the house knows when Momma ain’t kiddin’ — so when I say “It is time to stay home” they are going to hear me — if they snuck off to a friend’s, I would follow and make the world’s biggest stink (they hate that). It’s interesting that some parents feel they can’t “make” a kid do the right thing as if physical dominance was needed. One of my kids is 6 foot 5 — he’s gonna do what I say because he knows I’d give him the green light as soon as I could and if I say no, I mean it in the “I will chain the sofa and the aquarium to the bumper of your Civic and you will be seeing your friends with six feet of plaid upholstery and six goldfish attached” sort of way. There’s no telling just what I would do to make my point and that’s far more terrifying to him than my physical size. If it’s important, he will be hearing me — I won’t shut up until he does. Good luck out there!
Oh, yes.
BB - I’m a native California too. Funny, you nailed it, my nephew’s daughters are drop dead gorgeous. They are willing to prep and want advice but I doubt they’ll do enough or get the best stuff so I’ve got to cover bases. My hubby is an attorney but we aren’t rich. Most attorneys don’t make big bucks. And these two actually aren’t evil. Half to laugh…one last chuckle before sleep. Thanks. I know you take things seriously, and we seriously need your humour.
Olymom - I wish you would give mom lessons to most of the moms in America. Yer my kind of lady. Hey, I didn’t mean that in a…ah forget it!:-)
Olymom - Sounds like you and I would get along just fine. I was raised by no-nonsense parents and my kids got the same growing up. My two boys are both 6ft+ and look a bit like football linemen (one was in HS). They still know who is boss. I have and will get between them when they (rarely) have a serious argument. My Daughter thinks she is a princess but she knows I am the queen.
RipleyRules - Glad to know there are responsible young adults like you out there. Even more surprising is that newlyweds would even have this on their radar. Good luck with getting your loved ones to prep. As a mom of an Eagle Scout I know you probably have a husband who can handle many of the little details better than most. Welcome to FluWiki.
Hi Bill - We used to live in a tiny town when the kids were small. The stars were amazing! We used to lay in the yard on a blanket and stargaze for hours. I bet they will be even better in the desert. You’re making me look forward to the trip itself.
I really believe that our teens will rise to the occasion as someone else said. Very intelligent young people. They will hold it together. I truly believe it. Phones or no phones.
Thanks BroncoBill for the suggestion. I am sure playing hoops will get the blood and motivation flowing. He loves playing hoops with his momma.
Take Care all.
The kids might feel that their friends would ridicule them. Like that one boy who goes around muttering stupid, because his teach thought being worried about bird flu was stupid. That teacher is a fool. If they do some of the foot work, the planning, the googling up of information it would make it their game, their project.
I have an 17 & 20 year old and they are both weel aware of the dangers of BF and have watched me prep but are not keen on a lockdown. They both fear they stand a greater chance of death from each other than BF if they are couped up without TV, internet access etc. for an extended period.
Since I know a lot of teenagers… ;)… I do definitely think many of them would rise admirably to the ocassion and blow everyone away with their ability and willingness. But that’s only when TSHTF. Until then, most of them will grumble and most of them won’t prep, and then all of the ability and willingness in the world might not save them. It’s so very sad.
My teenage daughter would be stuck at home alone with her dad who she doesn’t get along with….so she just recently asked if she could come to the hospital with me. Since she has a first aid certification/background I told her yes. Would I….could I…..should I…don’t know but it made her feel better for right now. I don’t know just wouldn’t cut it for her. Domestic violence would go through the roof, as would suicides I think. The hospitals will have to deal with trauma, serious illness, etc… and we are barely able to do that now. Just ask any ED nurse how many admitted patients weekly have to spend at least one night in the ED while they are waiting for a bed anywhere in the hospital….much less the specialty floor ideally they should be admitted to. Anything that is signficant and geographically broad will collapse our current fragile national hospital situation.
None of my friends think there will be a pandemic. I agree with them, but it’s ok to be aware of current events.
Teenager: My sons don’t feel there will be a pandemic and I would think most of their friends feel the same way. However, they have been persuaded to get a pneumonia shot, to get an annual flu shot, to be more careful with handwashing and sharing glasses, etc. The also allow me to store prep items in their apartments and have listened (in small doses) to me talk about the flu.
I know that my older son reads the Yahoo news on the Internet every morning and comments on bird flu events.
So, all in all, they don’t believe it but they aren’t closing their minds to it.
So, my advice to all young adults is to keep your minds open, practice better hygiene, and empower yourself with knowledge. If your parents are prepping, don’t discourage them. They are afraid for you and want to protect you. Help them out. If this all blows over in a couple of years (we pray), you can be proactive in taking any of the extra preps and taking them to a food bank or church food drive. Nothing you do now will be a waste.
Stay positive, yet be informed.
What was it that someone said here that was so poignant….every can of food stored for you is someone’s way of saying “I love you” to you. (Pardon me for not knowing the exact quote).
I’m working on it: I have vivid memories of my mom storing food and water in fear of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was young and did not understand why, however, in looking back on it I knew she did it because she loved us. I swear, most of those canned good stayed on the shelves for years and years after the crisis passed, and we teased her unmercifully for being such a “worry-wart”, but I know now (more than ever) why she was worried and anxious and needed to prep. She did not do it because she enjoyed worrying or loved anxiety…..she did it for her 5 kids.
We always referred to the basement as our own private “bomb shelter” because she had water, food, medicines and sleeping bags stored down there.
My mom died two years ago. I so wish she were here now so that I could tell her that I now understand and thank her for it. Little did I know at that time that she was building a “shelter” not necessarily to protect from a bomb, but to protect her children from known and unknown threats and dangers.
Teenager: I hope this makes sense if your mom and/or dad is prepping and you don’t understand why. They are protecting you as the generations before protected us.
Janet, she knows already.
I meant your mom knew already & knows now that you’re thankful. Love always knows.
On the spider — I wouldn’t worry about it. I had one as a kid, kept it in a jar with tiny holes in the lid. Feed for it would be whatever bugs (moths, pill bugs, flies, crickets, etc.) that the kid could catch, and it would need a drop of water now and then. Rather a low maintenance pet. Because I wasn’t supposed to have it *grin* I kept the jar in a trunk of clothes, at the bottom, so my mom wouldn’t find it.
Black widows don’t move all that fast; there’s little chance of it escaping. Fascinating creatures.
(I squish the ones I find around my house occasionally, without any regrets, however. While not a lethal bite, black widow bites are reportedly VERY painful and will make you “wish you were dead.”)
Watch the cats and the ferrets. Ferrets and cats don’t always get along, and it’s not always the ferret that loses. Also, ferrets can be REALLY destructive and can chew holes through drywall. Make sure he has a secure cage for them, and plenty of litter.
Ferrets are also funny, intelligent little critters — I like them, but they definitely need a good cage!
If you’re SIP, a herd of animals may provide a welcome diversion and entertainment, as long as there’s food for them.
I have a 22, 16 and 14 year old daughters at home and a 22 year old daughter away in California. (Blended family, not twins). Last year I sent my Calif. daughter a starter emergency kit that would be good for her and her dad (she lives with). I’ve sent her articles, talked with her and gave her a copy of my paper I wrote on EOW scenarios including Avian Flu. She loves me but treats me like a loveable but eccentric parent with crazy beliefs. The good news is, she’s kept the kit I gave her, and when TSHTF she will recognize the situation and know what she has to do to survive. That’s the best I can do. The ones here at home with me; well, shouldn’t they be happy and live life? Until the real crap happens, why not? Don’t they deserve some happy memories? Think about it. They will recognize the threat when it’s pubicized and they will center on our home and what we need to do to SIP. They know about the prepping I’ve done and why. I say, let the children know what’s going on, and then, let them live life. They’ll come home, and stay home when the time comes. That’s what I believe.
I’m-workin’-on-it: I loved that statement, too! It so aptly describes how we Fluwikians feel.
I’m a little stunned with what I’m reading. It’s quite wierd to hear this mindset amongst all the planning for an Armageddon-type situation. First of all, cell phones will be the least of anyone’s concerns, even teenagers. Initially there will be services, that will taper off and eventually fail, because the busy little worker bees that keep the matrix intact and in operation will no longer be seeing to it. All of our taken-for-granted services will not operate with reduced maintenance. Assume that services will be suspended at least to some degree. And you will not have someone to call and complain. Imagine that there will be limited electricity if any. Second, children are born resiliant and flexible. They are as strong and as capable as we allow them to be. And that we model for them. Unfortunately, we routinely model terrible things to them as they grow - gossip, judgemental behaviour, “unchristian” ethics, helplessness, failure to take responsibilty. We rearrange an 8 year-old’s uncomplicated and naturally reasonable priorities, replacing them with a high value on appearance, material things and “keeping up with the Joneses” by the time they are 14; it doesn’t take long to ruin a child. We teach them to care more about where someone lives and what car they drive, than who they are. Folks, the reality is that in other countries and even in our own, teenagers work, contribute to supporting families, clean toliets, care for children and are valuable assets. This is an opportunity to get in touch with your kids, assess their skills, teach them some self-reliance and REAL independence. Can your teenage daughter check oil in a car and change a tire? Can your teenage son care for a newborn, soothe a three year-old or wash dishes the old-fashioned way? In the end, your children are going to amaze and please you with their abilities to cope. Third and most important, talk to them about civil unrest, anarchy and how to handle dead bodies in the street. Talk to them about the unimaginable - how to manage in the event of your death, walking across the state to find grandparents and relatives, scavenging for food, stuff like that. They’ll really think you’ve gone over the edge… My 17 year-old and I are talking about these things gently and slowly, a little at a time. If I cannot ensure that I can take care of her, I will ensure that she be able to take care of herself. More stuff to get: good cross-trainers or light-weight hiking boots that fit well, good quality hiking and athletic socks, heavy work jeans (you do not want your teenage daughter coming out during emergency times in low-cut hip-hugging pants with underwear showing and a camisole top), good athletic sports bras for girls, plain t-shirts and tops appropriate to any company, several pairs of leather work gloves that fit (not easy for women to find, check a tack shop), lightweight pile pants - comfortable, easy to launder, quick to dry, invaluable for sleeping in mixed company, and perfect for long hikes in bad weather, rain gear parka and pants. Get caribiners and attach a mini mag-lite to the jeans belt loop and to the inside of the parka, so it’s already there when it’s needed. Now’s the time for every teenage girl in America to have her own Leatherman. Teach your girls to shoot a gun and how to use a GPS. If they never have to - great! You’ll have opened up a whole new world and when it’s all over, they can go on an expedition to Machu Picu. I’d rather have my kids on my team than some of my adult friends.
Well, considering I am a teenager, I realize that this question isn’t exactly directed at me, but I’ll comment anyway.
In my opinion, it really depends on what type of personality your children have. If you’ve got a social butterfly on your hands, then going through a quarantine situation might be well-nigh impossible. However, I’d imagine you could introduce the issue of a pandemic, gradually informing your son or daughter of the current danger associated with the virus, as well as the consequences that would come with a full-scale pandemic.
If you can get a light bulb to go on inside a person’s head about how real a threat H5N1 is, then they’ll be more receptive to the idea of preparing and an extended isolation.
Of course, I can see that introducing the topic might be a bit awkward. Speaking from my own personal experience, it’s easier to accept something that’s very gradually presented. Taking your teen aside and doing a PowerPoint presentation to broach the topic might turn off some. As I said, the more gradual the introduction the better.
Again, my amateur opinion follows: It’s best if your kids are the ones bringing up the issue instead of you. Try leaving a news story about the recent Indonesian clusters on the computer in plain sight, or maybe print a story about the outbreaks in Romania and leave it on a table or counter. Casual hints that introduce the topic, hints that play on a person’s natural sense of curiosity. Perhaps you’ll be consulted as to what exactly this whole “avian flu” thing is, or your teen might go research the topic him or herself.
Now I think I’m starting to ramble. Moving on.
If H5N1 does break out into a pandemic and your kids aren’t educated about it, you will have problems. Let’s say a pandemic happens in mid-summer, when school is out. Your average 15-year old might see the news and say, “Okay, there are a bunch of people dying in Europe and some big cities here in the U.S. But how does that affect me? The virus isn’t in our city, and so I’m not going to let it mess up my summer vacation. I’m going to go see my friends.”
Education is our best weapon against this virus, right now.
So, in summary (Cliffs Notes, shall we say), the best way to deal with a teenager’s reaction in the future is introduce the issue now. Tell them everything they’re willing to hear. I follow avian flu very closely, and because I know what breaking quarantine would mean, there’s no way I would do it in such a situation.
I’ll stop now before I overload the server with my blathering.
ML,
Please stick around and let us know how it all looks from your perspective.
Will do.
As to how it looks from my perspective: Grim.
Indonesia is flaring up with clusters sprinkled throughout, and there are tens of thousands of people displaced by both the recent earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks, and Mount Merapai’s rumblings.
Even a barely human-to-human transmissible version of H5N1 getting into one of these crowded refugee camps would be utterly disastrous. The poorly transmissible aspect becomes as irrelevant as whether it would matter if you dropped a lit match into a vat of gasoline as opposed to a burning newspaper. The gasoline all goes up regardless.
That coupled with the reports of flu-like symptoms among some refugees doesn’t allow for a deep sleep.
Boy, ML, you have had a broad education on this topic. You “speak” like a seasoned adult whose studied this for years…..how’d you get interested??
ML: Are you my daughter? (and if so- where did this handle come from?!)Your writing style is almost identical to hers? I would be surprised, but then not, to see you here.
Well, if you are not my daughter- I sure am glad to see there are other sensible, intelligent, teens out there. You do yourself and your parents much credit. Mayhap you could start up a group for people your age in your town? I would think that some fantastic ideas and suggestions could come out of such a gathering, and you could build a support network for yourselves for later on. Please keep posting with us worried parents with your suggestions and thoughts- I for one find them invaluable. Cindamum
Someone (I think above) mentioned a teenager setting up a teen fluwikie or something like it using that myspace website….maybe ML has some suggestions & can be proactive there.
Cinda, your daughter must be well educated to have such a broad vocabulary & concise writing style…..did you homeschool? It’s funny but I haven’t seen a thread here on homeschooling…just brief mentions here and there.
Thanks Workin’! Actually, my daughter isn’t really a teen- she just graduated college- (magna cum laude - and we are struttin damn proud of her!)but she has friends- younger siblings of her friends- who are teens and she is concerned for them, as are we. But we can’t just grab them from their parents ya know?
ML’s style is remarkably similar- actually kinda scarily similar-to hers, could be one of her cousins.
We did not home school-she did not want that, but in my family- extensive vocabulary and the ability to use it are set to be the highest goals. My Uncle who had a big hand in raising me, told us that we should always strive to attain the ability to use vocabulary like an artist uses paint on a canvas. We have passed that expectation to our children and they have all been able to out-write any of us 6 ways to Sunday since about freshman year in high school! I’s also a bit disconcerting to read something your child wrote and realize that even at 45- you could not do better, and never ever could have. We are constantly amazed.
But more importantly -No matter who ML is- I hope there are more teens like her/him out there to hold the rest of them together- their generation has the most to lose if Pan flu happens. Some might miss attending and/or graduating from high school- others might not be able to go to, or return to, or graduate from college, for a long time. An awful lot of once in a life time opportunities and rites of passage, that we take for granted right now may be lost to them and I sorrow for them if it happens. We can never get those years back for them. They would not be able to experience the events of those years with that unique perspective that teens and young adults have because of their age.
Fresh insights can always be valuable.
Workin’: Actually, I have been studying this for quite a while. I first became aware of the issue in late December of 2003 after following a link on Reuters from the story I was reading to a study done on the virus’s potential impact. I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by virology, so I looked a little deeper into it, and I’ve been closely monitoring it ever since. And so here I am.
Cinda: I think I can safely say I’m not your daughter, as I’m a male.
Regarding your idea, it’s a good one. I’ll definitely act on the suggestion. However, I think that it’s not just teenagers who are unaware of the problem. In my estimation, a sizable majority of people within a one mile radius have very little to no information on the subject. Perhaps I’ll bring up the issue during the next Homeowners Committee meeting, and get a community-wide H5N1 discussion arranged, something like the state summits that have been going on in the past several months. My neighborhood is a pretty sheltered and quiet place, and it wouldn’t be too hard to raise awareness throughout. The more the merrier certainly applies to preparedness.
The better informed the population, the better equipped we’ll be to deal with whatever comes down the road.
Hmm. Then again, the next meeting is a few months away, I believe. I’ll try and get the subject introduced when that meeting does roll around, but I don’t want to waste time waiting.
I suppose I could always design a small booklet of information on avian flu and pop it into mailboxes. Write out an overview of what the virus is, what it does, how it spreads, the dangers involved with a mutation, how to prepare for a pandemic, and so on.
Heck, I’ll get started on that right now.
Maybe if it’s of any quality, I’ll put it here on Flu Wiki for others to improve and distribute.
Massive Lemon: Ricewiki and a few other members just recently completed a flyer. It is really informative and might suit your needs. I am not sure where it is stored on the system in that it was literally just written.
Ricewiki: you there? Or can anyone else remember where the flyer is stored. I made copies for myself to distribute but can’t remember where the link is.
Sounds interesting, Janet. I’ll browse around and see if I can find it.
It is on the thread “Successes in Raising Awareness”. Scroll to the bottom. Hope you find it informative.
“Perhaps the black widow spider should be deep sixed accidently before he arrives?”
We found 2 black widows late last fall and they both ended up in gallon jars on our dining room sideboard, getting fed crickets a couple times a week. Until we woke up one day to a huge egg case in one of the jars. We let that go on for about a week and then, mysteriously, there were 2 clean gallon jars in the dishwasher one morning. *shrugs*
I think my teenagers would go along with a quarantine, even though they think I’m nuts now for having such a huge pantry. 2 of my girls have boyfriends I wouldn’t mind inviting to stay with us as well. The 3rd daughter’s b/f would just sit in the kitchen and whine so that’s right out.
As long as there is still internet and games and tv, I think they’d do ok.
Drummagick: We all might want to think twice about inviting in boyfriends and girlfriends. It is a tempting idea (I have two sons), but can you imagine the very real possibility that they won’t be so fond of one another after a few weeks and THEN WHAT?
It will be hard enough for families to be isolated together for weeks or months at a time. I would just caution taking in a boyfriend/girlfriend where we already know that emotions (good and bad) run very, very high. Whoever we decide to take in when TSHTF will be with us through the duration. It is not like we can invite them to go home! Blood is thicker than water no matter what.
Huge commitment worth alot of thought. It goes without saying that we should take care of our immediate family and some extended family…we may even have to deal with in-laws and even ex’s. But taking on someone boyfriend/girlfriend might be asking too much.
I have an 18 year old that will graduate from high school this week. His peers are his main lifeline, as it was for me at that age. We are a close family, but he has appropriately become independent and will need to stay in touch. I am ordering “Sidewinder” hand crank cell phone chargers for my family so that he can keep in touch. If we don’t let them talk to each other, they will find a way to go see each other. I too believe that teens aren’t given enough credit. He does understand the idea of social isolation, and if the situation is bad somewhere in town, then I don’t care if he knows about it. Lying to them, or trying to keep the truth from them will only backfire.
anonymous - at 16:01
I have also been concerned with the desire for my teenager to talk to his friends. As I understand it, cell phoines will probably not be able to be used during a pandemic because of the technology they use. Correct me if I am wrong. Cell phones were not an option in NO during Katrina.
I wracked my brain as to what to do. The best I could come up with is GMRS two-way radios. I searched around, and the best I could find is a Midland one that states it’s range is as far as 18 miles (like in the desert!). Probably it is at best 8 miles of range, it could be far less though if there are trees and buildings in between contact areas (it is just line-of-sight). I bought mine from Costco online. That is the best price I could find (two for $59.99): http://tinyurl.com/s6xko
I live in Seattle, fairly on top of one hill (there are many here). I am hoping that I can connect to a few friends, and my son can too.
Now, these radios each take 4 AA batteries. From Sundance Solar, also bought NiMH rechargeable batteries, and a solar recharger for each family I plan to give these to: http://tinyurl.com/negg9
I can’t assume any family will have rechargeable batteries, or a solar recharger, when I give them a two-way radio (when this pandemic hits…if it does). I know this is expensive, and I am very happy that I can manage to afford this. This is a true luxury, but being able to talk to others that are your close friends is quite valuable in times of need. This is a splurge for me! I don’t have money to throw around.
Using the GMRS, each family has to buy an FCC license for $80 (for 5 years). Everyone in a family can use a GMRS radio if just one license is bought. I will buy my license, and I figure if this pandemic is coming and looks bad, when I give the other families their raidios and rechargers and batteries, they will purchase a license too. I will not be responsible if they use their radio and do not buy the license. You can just go online and buy the license from the FCC at the last minute. I will give them all the info.
Unfortunately FRS radios will not work for our family. Their range is too short 1–2 miles. I just got my 1st level HAM license, and I am studying for the next two tests, but my friends do not have HAM radios, and they are not going to get them. So communications with my friends will have to be limited to GMRS I am afraid…if the phone service or cell phones don’t work.
Maybe most folks have thought this all through. But I just finally figured this out myself. If I am wrong in any way, please inform me!
ML- well I’d be proud to call you a nephew!! We here are all aware of and worried about, the distressing lack of understanding around us in any age group. But I think your age group has the most potential for banding together. Teens do love to run in packs (I was one once- long ago)and they can latch onto new ideas far more quickly than us old fuddy duddies. I think you are most likely a real leader with tons of charisma and you could act as a liason between the young people and their elders because it is obvious that you can communicate on many levels. Maybe you could get a group of friends together and have a drive for canned goods for a reserve for your town or association to stockpile for people who “miscalculate” their needs for dealing with the situation. I’m sure you have may great ideas and I hope you act on them- but don’t put the flyers in mailboxes- I believe it’s against federal law, only postal workers can put things in mailboxes!
Yes, you’re correct about the mailboxes. Flyers can’t go inside unless they are sent by the USPS.
Of course, as with any piece of legislation, there are loopholes. For example, you can legally place it between the mailbox itself and the red semaphore arm, interestingly enough.
I’ve also noticed that a proponderence of flyers often appear in the space reserved for the newspaper under the box. I’ll have to look that up and see what the status is with that as well.
I enjoy the comic strips in the papers, the first thing I read (you can see my mentality). One is Zits. Oh my god, a hugh spider is running down the yellow wall next to me. Well he’s safe from harm, can’t see where he got to. Well anyhow The girlfriends, girlfriends has told her she and Jeffrey aren’t suited. She’s been brooding about it for weeks. Now Jeffrey is completly besotted. He is sitting on the couch, and she is sitting on the floor. Thoughts. Jeffrey. “I’ve never been so happy in my entire life.” She brooding, “I’ll tell him now that I want to break up.” And that’s how it goes. Right now the wiki has a few touchy sites, I think its time for me to take a few days off. I can do it, kids, no matter how good and tight with each other, well, they won’t be able to take a few days away.
Old thread - Closed to increase Forum speed.