An advisory from Sonoma Y2K
see also The Y2K Soiree
Rules of the Game
CAUTION: SAFETY FIRST!
1. Explain in advance to family and friends who might telephone
that you will not be answering the phone, and why. If someone
might be calling you in an emergency, answer the phone or make
alternate arrangements.
2. Use extreme caution with fire, especially candles, kerosene
lamps and stoves. Charcoal MUST be used outside. Ventilate heating
devices properly!
3. YOU MAY MAKE ANY PREPARATIONS IN ADVANCE THAT YOU WISH!
4. Transportation: Once you get home from work or school, only
human or animal powered transport. Walk, bike, horse, skis or
dogsled, etc.
5. Electricity: Tape freezer and refrigerator shut. Unplug all
electrical devices. Open the garage door by hand.
*You may use electrical devices only if connected to a working
generator actually operating during the practice.*
6. Heat: Any safe source that does not use electricity: wood stove,
fireplace, bearskin, buffalo robe or long underwear!
7. Light: Any safe source that does not use electricity: kerosene,
oil, and camp lanterns, candles, flashlights.
8. Cooking: Any safe source that does not use electricity or city
natural gas: camp stoves, gas grills, dutch ovens buried in a
firepit, solar ovens.
9. Water: Any safe source that does not use city water or an electrical
pump. No tap water! Toilets must be flushed with stored or carried
water: rainwater, cisterns, streams, handpumps, bottled water.
10. Entertainment: Books, handcrank radio, games, crafts, chocolate,
campfires, making popcorn, telling stories.
This is a test of your wits, wisdom and ingenuity! Enjoy yourselves!
Public access material - pass it on! - Sonoma Y2k
We observed Y2K Practice Day Friday and Saturday. Friday evening
we had an open house, and 15 of our neighbors showed up. The 'kids'
played with the windup toys and the flashlights and the 'adults'
played with the Baygen radio and the windup flashlight. One of
our guests was Chinese and she was fascinated to get a Chinese
program on the shortwave; another found a program in Swedish,
which her family spoke.
People were interested in the soft but bright light of the Aladdin
lamps, and the fact that the lamps were providing the only heat
in our admittedly tiny apartment. Flushing the toilet with a bucket
was a novelty,as was trying out the nonelectric carpet sweeper.
The cooks in the group loved the three-burner low- pressure propane
stove borrowed from our old pop-up camper.
At one point most everyone piled out of our place and went over
to another neighbor's to see how he had cleverly set up his kitchen.
(He was the one who arrived carrying a Dietz lantern to light
the way). He had set up a gravity feed filter for drinking water,
and a seven gallon plastic water container with a faucet for wash
water. The light from the Baygen radio has a magnet on the back
and he showed us how it could be affixed to the metal range hood
to shine on the stove.
After the kids had been taken home and put to bed, some of us
sat around at our place, sipping tea or sparkling cider and reminiscing
about our experiences of growing up. Everyone had memories of
evenings by kerosene lamp with a grandparent, or camping, or trips
to low-tech countries. There was a lot of knowledge in that small
group, and it was relaxing to sit quietly and talk and laugh together...
It was one of the best parties we ever had.
Best,
Donna
Y2K Practice Day #3 This Weekend
From: AlanDonnaJ@aol.com
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999
The Third Y2K Practice Day is this coming weekend. Despite the current lull in national Y2K consciousness, and the understandable desire with the wonderful warm weather to forget it all and go play, the fundamental situation has not changed, and we still must be mindful that we face serious problems in a few months. It has been our experience that you can stockpile all the things you want, but if you are not experienced in living a low tech lifestyle, even for a few days, you are in for some rough surprises. In other words, if you have not practiced, you are not prepared.
As this is Memorial Day weekend, it may be impractical for some people to do it then. If so, it can be done another weekend. Or you may want to take a certain area such as food, electricity, water, or sanitation, and just work with that for a few days instead of doing everything at once. Please send your feedback and experiences to us at AlanDonnaJ@aol.com.
The important thing is to do something, and get used to doing some kind of preparedness discipline at least every two months.
The computers won't all be fixed. Let's at least fix ourselves. And our communities.
Alan & Donna Y2K AWAKE alandonnaj@aol.com (Alan) seraphima@aol.com (Donna)
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Y2K Practice Day #3
Friday, May 28 Noon - 3:00 P.M. Saturday, May 29
Take A Y2K Vacation! Go Camping at Home!
Rules Of The Game
{CAUTION: Safety First! Be Flexible, Adapt This Game To Your Own
Situation! You May Do Only Part Of The Game, Or Do It On Another
Day}
1. Explain in advance to family and friends who might telephone that you will not be answering the phone and why. Change your phone message as needed, and make provision for emergency contacts if necessary.
2. Use extreme caution with fire, especially candles, kerosene lamps and stoves. Charcoal MUST be used outside. Ventilate heating devices properly!
3. YOU MAY MAKE ANY PREPARATIONS IN ADVANCE THAT YOU WISH!
4. Transportation: Once you get home from work or school, only human or animal powered transport. Walk, bike, horse, skis or dogsled, etc.
5. Electricity: Tape freezer and refrigerator shut. Unplug all electrical devices. Open the garage door by hand. (You don't have to shut off the house master switch.) *You may use electrical devices only if connected to a working generator actually operating during the practice.
6. Heat: Any safe source that does not use electricity: woodstove, fireplace, bearskin, buffalo robe or long underwear! IF YOU LIVE IN THE COLD NORTH, YOU MAY KEEP YOUR HEAT ON LOW IN WINTER, rather than risk freezing your pipes.
7. Light: Any safe source that does not use electricity: kerosene, oil, and camp lanterns, candles, flashlights.
8. Cooking: Any safe source that does not use electricity or city natural gas: camp stoves, gas grills, Dutch ovens buried in a firepit, solar ovens.
9. Water: Any safe source that does not use city water or an electrical pump. No tap water! Toilets must be flushed with stored or carried water: rainwater, cisterns, streams, handpumps, bottled water.
10. Entertainment: Books, handcrank radio, games, crafts, chocolate, campfires, making popcorn, telling stories. Have a party with your friends and neighbors!
This is a test of your wits, wisdom and ingenuity! Enjoy yourselves! Practice day repeats the last weekend of every other month. Next regularly scheduled games: July 30-31, September 24-25, November 26-27. Reality begins: December 31-Jan 1, 2000. For more info, or to send your experiences of practice day, contact seraphima@aol.com
Also, see History of Sewers 101: Practicing Up for Breakdowns; One woman's reflections on the toilet and other humble essentials, By Judy Laddon