What's next for hoarding?

[timo2]

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Originally Posted by Retire2013 I've been cutting my own hair since 2013 when I ER'd so I am all set with scissors.

[not an endorsement, just an alternative with the barbers closed many places ]: If a socially distanced person wanted to grow their hair out until 2024, there is a group that plans an event called 'the great cut: On March 16, 2019, The Great Cut successfully broke the world record for the most hair donated to charity. After the dust settled everyone wanted to know...would we do it again? As we announced exclusively on KUSI Good Morning San Diego, we will go back under the shears in 2024. Since most of us cut our hair, we need a few more years to grow it back, especially El Moreno and many others who shaved their heads completely!

https://thelonghairs.us/pages/donating-my-hair-t-shirt

[Jerry1]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst Any danger in keeping a filled, 2-gal gas can in a hot Florida garage? We used to keep one in the MD garage for the lawnmower, and MD summers get terribly hot, but FL's hot for 6 months at a time. Just wondering.

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Originally Posted by LOL! Not a problem in my personal experience keeping an approved container of gasoline in a very hot garage in Texas.

I agree that gas is not going to explode due to heat in a garage, but I would not try to store too much unless you think it through. I'm no expert, but what I've seen is to have 5 gal cans that are continually being rotated and used up. For example, every time you fill your car, put the gas from the oldest can in the car then go fill up the car and re-fill the 5 gal tank. It's known that gas deteriorates with age and I suspect that heat causes it to deteriorate quicker.

Also, if I was going to store gas, I would find a source of ethanol free gas. I actually do store gas over winter and I use my gas that mixed with oil so infrequently that it goes over a year per gallon that I mix up. Ever since I went with ethanol free gas I've not had any problems with my small engines.

Here's a site that lists ethanol free gas:

https://www.pure-gas.org/

[Rustic23]

In nine months it will be diapers! The Covid Baby Boom!

[Amethyst]

That is a good idea, similar to how we managed when we had a big lawn mower. The gas was always fresh; same might not be the case with a generator, since you do not always need to be running it.

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Originally Posted by Jerry1 I agree that gas is not going to explode due to heat in a garage, but I would not try to store too much unless you think it through. I'm no expert, but what I've seen is to have 5 gal cans that are continually being rotated and used up. For example, every time you fill your car, put the gas from the oldest can in the car then go fill up the car and re-fill the 5 gal tank. It's known that gas deteriorates with age and I suspect that heat causes it to deteriorate quicker. Also, if I was going to store gas, I would find a source of ethanol free gas. I actually do store gas over winter and I use my gas that mixed with oil so infrequently that it goes over a year per gallon that I mix up. Ever since I went with ethanol free gas I've not had any problems with my small engines. Here's a site that lists ethanol free gas: https://www.pure-gas.org/

[Markola]

A friend owns a wine shop and her husband manages 4 restaurants, so I’ve been concerned about them. I biked over and bought a case of various whites and reds from her today. There were other customers in the shop but she is bracing for restrictions to come, maybe causing her to switch to curbside pickup.

[Gumby]

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Originally Posted by Jerry1 I agree that gas is not going to explode due to heat in a garage, but I would not try to store too much unless you think it through. I'm no expert, but what I've seen is to have 5 gal cans that are continually being rotated and used up. For example, every time you fill your car, put the gas from the oldest can in the car then go fill up the car and re-fill the 5 gal tank. It's known that gas deteriorates with age and I suspect that heat causes it to deteriorate quicker. Also, if I was going to store gas, I would find a source of ethanol free gas. I actually do store gas over winter and I use my gas that mixed with oil so infrequently that it goes over a year per gallon that I mix up. Ever since I went with ethanol free gas I've not had any problems with my small engines. Here's a site that lists ethanol free gas: https://www.pure-gas.org/

STA-BIL helps if you have to store gas.

[Jerry1]

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Originally Posted by Gumby STA-BIL helps if you have to store gas.

I used STA-BIL until I found the ethanol free gas. It's not real common, but thankfully I have a station near me that sells it. There's a lot of it around here because marina's (boats) use it. It works better than STA-BIL IMO, but I would definitely use STA-BIL if I couldn't find ethanol free gas.

When I was buying my new snow thrower a few years ago, I was asking him about the reliability of the various brands. His response was that they're all pretty good but his main point was that the main job he has is repairing carburetors from the issues that ethanol causes small engines. And, that in our quest to reduce air pollution, the orifices were getting smaller, making the problems even more common.

[Another Reader]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst Common practice for iced coffee is making milk ice cubes.

Thanks! This wasn't covered in 8th grade home economics in the 1960's...

[Another Reader]

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Originally Posted by timo2 Yes milk freezes great. and bread. Actually some unexpected things. Back in the day (pre-walmart) my parents only shopped at the military Commissary, which was a few hours away. So a reasonable amount and variety of the monthly purchases ended up in the freezer.

I did not know about the milk. I do have several loaves of bread in the freezer, thanks to my mother and the Wednesday grocery ads 60 years ago...

[Gumby]

My mother could afford to go to the grocery only once a month, so she always froze bread. (We used powdered milk. Yuck!)

[audreyh1]

DH’s family had to drive 65 miles for groceries back in the 60s. They bought one month’s worth at a time. Yep, gallons of milk went in the freezer!

[Amethyst]

I use dry milk for various things, including adding to bread dough, and making, well, spare milk when ours runs out. I guess others thought of that, too, because dry milk is now yet another unobtainable item.

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Originally Posted by Gumby My mother could afford to go to the grocery only once a month, so she always froze bread. (We used powdered milk. Yuck!)

[copyright1997reloaded]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst Yes. Whole milk will separate and may need to be shaken up when thawed. I know this as a former child in a rural area full of dairy farms, where milk was still delivered, and winters were cold. Another thing about frozen milk: It expands. Be sure the containers are not full.

I've been freezing some in ice cube trays. I don't intend to use it to drink directly, but will use it in protein shakes and also hope to use it in Cappuccino (TBD, in fact I will test out my theory and update this post.)

I also make home made yogurt (mostly using my Instant Pot these days for it). After making the yogurt I add some sweeter (I use pure Stevia) and perhaps some frozen fruit (e.g. blueberries). Blend it up, and then put that in ice-cube trays to freeze. Works pretty well!

[copyright1997reloaded]

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Originally Posted by Fermion Our local wal-mart had frozen butterball turkeys for $0.68 a pound so I bought two. One in the freezer and one is thawing in the fridge. They were out of chicken but had these turkeys. A roasted turkey with butter coated skin sounds mighty tasty and I don't know why most people only eat turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hurry up and thaw! You can cook a frozen turkey but it is rather hard to get the neck and giblets out...you have to cook it for a couple hours and then take them out and continue cooking. I am always worried the plastic bag for the giblets will melt or something, but it is still icy. I did try it once and it worked and the meat was just as tender.

I made a turkey on my smoker, came out great!

[copyright1997reloaded]

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Originally Posted by cooch96 DW’s instinct is to hoard produce. The woman has no concept of spoilage and it’s one of her most endearing quirks. As summer approaches, beer seems like a good one to hoard. Getting a water filtration kit for the household is prudent and much easier than storing pallets of the bottled stuff.

I haven't brewed in a couple years, just have been too busy with my college gig and because I had a ton of stuff brewed and sitting there. I just spent a day cleaning containers and making sure my Star San was still good (PH meter says good to go). I have lots of grains, so might start brewing some batches to avoid trips to the store. (However, I have cut way way back on beer consumption due to the carbs.)

[Walt34]

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Originally Posted by Another Reader Animal shelters are overflowing. People are dumping their pets over unwarranted fear they will get COVID from them.

That is just infuriating. Dang, I hate stupid people!

On my walk this morning the two friendliest entities I met were two dogs being walked. They haven't "got the memo" yet on the social distancing thing.

[ivinsfan]

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Originally Posted by Another Reader The COVID virus does not jump species. Cats will not catch COVID. Please do not perpetuate this myth. Animals are being dumped because people wrongly believe they can catch the virus from pets.

Where's this animal dumping going on do you have a reliable source. Sadly animals are dumped all the time. Perhaps people aren't adopting new pets leading to overcrowding of shelters.

[statsman]

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Originally Posted by ivinsfan Where's this animal dumping going on do you have a reliable source. Sadly animals are dumped all the time. Perhaps people aren't adopting new pets leading to overcrowding of shelters.

Maybe people are dumping pets because they can't afford to feed them, or more likely, don't want to feed them. I've seen this during lean economic times in the past, albeit at a much slower rate than *may* be happening now.

Fortunately for my wife and I, our three indoor cats have graciously allowed us to remain in *their* house. The agreement required us to stock up at least two months' worth of cat food, litter, and water (house has softened water) to combat possible hoarding by others. We have agreed to those terms!

On a related note, I am glad we got our cats' vet appointments, vaccines, and tests (two are 12 and 13 years old) completed last month. The three year rabies shots were due, and even though they are indoor only, I'm hearing Texas frowns on having overdue rabies shots for pets here, even if studies indicate the vaccines last longer than advertised.

[Another Reader]

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Originally Posted by ivinsfan Where's this animal dumping going on do you have a reliable source. Sadly animals are dumped all the time. Perhaps people aren't adopting new pets leading to overcrowding of shelters.

I have worked with rescue for almost 30 years. Rescues pull from shelters and occasionally take animals from individuals. The calls have skyrocketed. People are uneducated and fearful. There are posts all over Facebook, explaining that you can't catch COVID from your pet. They aren't helping.

This happens during any emergency or economic upheaval. In Phoenix, real estate agents formed a 501 (c) (3) called Lost our Homes Pet Foundation during the foreclosure crisis. Agents went to properties with abandoned (or worse) animals and the shelters were not a good option. Animal Control officers got calls from neighbors and others about animals locked in abandoned houses. Not a happy time for the animals.

[Gumby]

One of my cats has Hodgkins lymphoma. Her next chemotherapy appointment is on April 13th. I'm hoping we'll still be able to get her in.