Category Archives: First Person Accounts

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When I mention the importance of having extra car keys, I speak from experience.

GM Key Fob

Last year I had a problem with my car’s clutch and had to pick it up late after work.  The shop was closed and my mechanic locked the set I gave him inside the car.  I was going to use the second key to open my car, start it up, drive it home, and use it to get to work the following morning.

That’s what I thought at least.

What I neglected to do was test both keys *before* I dropped my car off.  You see, I switched the keys and had the dealer reprogram one of the fobs when I was going through my divorce five years ago.  My goal was to ensure my ex would not suddenly decide to drive off with my car, which I was able to successfully prevent.  However, in doing so I messed-up my second set of keys.

Fast forward to a dark night in the late fall of 2012 with a fixed car but a non-working key.  Oops, had to go home and get the plastic emergency key to finally get into my car.  That weekend, I went to the GM dealer and had both key fobs reprogrammed and two brand-new keys cut so everything matched.  Oh, and I tested both sets at the dealership before I left.

The moral of the story is even an ostensibly prepared individual can make mistakes through oversights.  Learn from me, test your additional keys and fobs to ensure they work before you need them to.  Testing your preparations is a key component in making them so don’t forget this step.

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You remember a while back I wrote about the importance of redundancy?  Well, here’s a story that will emphasize the importance of it in a harmless yet illustrative fashion.  It start with an automobile, kinda like this one:

Mazda MX-5

My girlfriend and I were going to take her car up to Flagstaff a few weekends ago to get out of the heat.  We figured it would be fun to go to the mountains, drop the top, and drive in the cool pines for a while.  It didn’t happen that way because of a little mistake that caused unnecessary stress and frustration.  Thankfully, the story has a happy ending…but let me describe what happened first.

Its a Saturday morning and we are getting ready to leave.  As we are preparing to load her car, both of us notice that the keys to the Mazda are nowhere to be found.  When she purchased the car, she only received one key from the dealer.  This wasn’t a problem…until now.  For the next three hours we searched in vain for the key, we even drove to a Mazda dealer to attempt to get a duplicate key.  Because of the programming of the key however, even if we were able to purchase one, it would have required programming to start the car.  We decided that since we couldn’t find the key it was best to take my car and salvage what we could out of the weekend.

My girlfriend and I were stressed, both of us were frustrated at the situation and each other.  The looming problem was getting her car working so she could get to work on Monday and the expense of getting her car operational again.  She was looking at several hundred dollars out of pocket to resolve the situation.  Having a second key would have prevented all of this, which is why locksmiths recommend you have at least two keys for each automobile.

Despite the rocky start to our weekend, we had a great time in Flagstaff.  Both of us needed time to relax and we took advantage of the cool weather to be outside and active.  As the weekend drew to a close though and we started heading back to Phoenix, the question of what to do about the missing keys came up.  We decided to do one last search together to see if we could find the one and only set of keys.

…and we found them.

Luckily, it took us only about five minutes of searching before we recovered the keys and breathed huge sighs of relief.  Later that week, she got a second set of keys so this wouldn’t happen again.  Both of us were glad things turned out alright in the end, but the moral to this story is to have two of everything you might need.  Redundancy comes in handy both during emergencies and in weekend getaways.

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I was ten minutes late getting into work today, here is the reason why.

Credit: KTVK

Violence can happen at any time, any where.  In this case, a road rage incident that turned into a shooting took place during rush hour about two blocks from where I work.  More details on this particular case will emerge as the investigation progresses but the takeaway from today’s event is you need to be ready no matter where you are.

If nothing else, make sure your car has a first aid kit so you can render assistance to either yourself or others.  You may not be able to prevent a road rage incident from becoming violent, but you should be ready in case that happens.  After all, incidents like this can happen any where, any time.

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My girlfriend and I were in San Diego over the long Independence Day weekend.  It felt great to get out of the heat and relax just a few blocks from the ocean.  What made the trip even better is I had a chance to apply preparation in practice during non-emergency situations.  Doing so made the four days even more enjoyable and stress-free for both of us.  Here’s what happened:

My girlfriend has a iPhone and needed to charge her battery.  Her charger cable was getting frayed and she did not have a backup.  Before we left, I got one from my stash of cables and gave it to her.  Not only did this enable her to recharge her phone, it built additional goodwill between us.  I had an extra cable because the dual-mode USB charger I purchased came with both a micro-USB and iPhone cable.  My DroidX uses the micro-USB cable so I had a spare one.

Not only did I have a spare cable, I had a spare charger too!  I brought my Go Bag with me and amongst its contents is…a dual-mode USB charger and cable.  Since I already had another one in my automobile, we could both charge our phones at the same time!

While I have a first aid kit in my car, I also have one in the Go Bag as well.  After a busy day walking around, my girlfriend got a blister on one of her toes.  Since I had several extra bandages in my first aid kit, she was able to apply one and not have any more problems with her toes.

Remember how I wrote a while back about redundancy and dual-use?  Well, I was able to do some of that while in San Diego as well.  One night my girlfriend surprised me with some treats from a wonderful Italian cafe downstairs from where we were staying.  However, we needed a knife to cut the cannoli and the brownie she brought so we could share them.  Enter my Gerber folding knife.  In no time both treats were cut cleanly and we could enjoy both of them.  After a quick clean, the knife was back on the outside of my Go Bag.

You see, preparation is not just about getting ready for the next disaster.  Everyday life can become much more enjoyable when you have the products and tools you need nearby.  So put your preparations to work for you whenever the need arises, its good practice.

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A couple of years ago I purchased a small Worthington Industries propane tank, which has turned into a great purchase.

Initially I purchased it for camping trips.  Since I camp several times a year, I thought it would be a good idea to have a pony cylinder rather than the small, disposable ones most people use.  One of these tanks will usually last me a season’s worth of camping and ensures that I never run out of fuel.

The bonus is, having an extra propane cylinder really comes in handy around the house too!

Case in point, my sister’s BBQ grill.  A few months back, she ran out of fuel while cooking some ribs for a family meal we were having over at her place.  She called me in a panic and I said that I would bring my tank over right away.  In a few minutes, she was back to grilling and the dinner was only delayed slightly.  There have also been a few times when I started running low on fuel on my grill and swapped out the large tank with the small one.

Preparation is not just for disasters and calamities, being ready can get you out of a tight spot in normal situations too.  Having the right tools or extra supplies on-hand makes life easier and minimizes the impact of interruptions.  So if you already have a propane cylinder around the house, consider purchasing another, smaller one to have as a back up.  It will come in handy more often than you think.

Bonus:  Here is a good article on when you should replace your propane tank.

Click here to purchase a Worthington 1-Gallon Steel Propane Cylinder

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Last weekend my girlfriend and I were in Las Vegas.  As we were leaving I re-learned an important lesson that I want to share that can be applied in many other areas.

Vegas is an odd combination of wealth and want, prosperity and poverty…up and down Las Vegas Boulevard (aka “The Strip).  On our way out, we stopped by a gas station just north of Freemont Street to fuel up for the trip home.  Looking back, it wasn’t the best idea.  Even during the day, there are scary parts of Las Vegas that you will want to avoid.  Even though we still had a half tank of gas we decided to stop in town instead of heading out and fueling up somewhere along the highway.

Nothing happened but it was uncomfortable for my girlfriend.  There were a few homeless people bothering station patrons and a couple suspicious-looking people waiting in their cars.  Its not the place you want to be if you can avoid it, as I filled-up I kept a close eye on everything and was keenly aware of what was happening.  Both of us were glad to get on the road and leave that station behind us.

The lesson, don’t put yourself in a situation where you could be at risk.  The area just north of Las Vegas Boulevard and Freemont Street isn’t particularly clean or safe, it should be avoided.  Should you find yourself in a similar situation and have enough fuel to travel a bit further, do so.  Avoid sketchy areas particularly if you are from out of town and don’t know the area well.  Doing so will prevent a lot of potential problems and keep your mind at ease.

So when you find yourself on a dirty boulevard, heed Lou Reed’s advice and fly, fly, fly away…

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Sometimes you need to be prepared for encounters with wildlife.  I was reminded of that recently and wanted to share some information on how to handle one particular type of animal:  the rattlesnake.  The goal is to educate so you know how to deal with rattlesnake encounters in a manner that protects both you and the animal.

The story begins a few days ago when I was visiting my parent’s house for a family dinner.  They live on 2.5 acres in the desert outside of Casa Grande, Arizona which is on the northern side of the Sonoran Desert.  After the sun set, I was getting ready to go back home to Phoenix by loading my car.  I heard a noise and stopped for a second, then I heard the same noise again.  It was a rattlesnake like this one:

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Since I could not see it, I went to the front of the house to get back inside.  I had no desire to get bit by a snake after all.  However, what happened next was an example of what not to do in such a situation.

My dad decides he needs to see where the snake is.  So he takes a light and grabs a hoe from the (open) garage in search of the snake.  He finds it underneath a bush at the edge of the driveway and proceeds to shine his light on it.  The snake starts rattling again, mostly because it is angry and wants to be left alone.  As it slithers out to find some other place to hide, my dad bangs the hoe in its general direction and the snake coils up and gets angry.  By this time my mom, my sister, and myself are yelling at my dad to get away from the snake.  After all, my dad is in his mid-seventy’s and not in good health right now, so a snakebite could prove fatal.  However, my dad doesn’t want the snake to get into his new truck so he keeps shining his light on it.

By now, both my sister and I decide we need to call the fire department so they can remove the snake safely.  I call and tell the dispatcher about the situation, my parent’s address, and the type of snake we found.  All the while my dad is still annoying the snake, even though it is now hiding under his new truck.  Eventually, the fire department comes out, catches the snake, and puts it into a 5-gallon pail for removal.  My dad finally turns off the flashlight and puts the hoe away, much to our relief.

This situation ended well, but could have gone wrong in an instant.  Here is what you should do if you encounter a rattlesnake:

  • Remember that rattlesnakes want to avoid contact with humans, if you leave the snake alone it will leave you alone.
  • If you have pets in the vicinity, get them away from the snake.
  • Don’t back the snake into a corner, cornered snakes are dangerous because they feel threatened.
  • Do not threaten or harass the snake, leave it alone.
  • Call a professional (ex. Fire Department) to safely remove the snake.

Key takeaway from the National Parks Service:

Rattlesnakes are only dangerous to people when they fail to respect the snake’s personal space. Rattlers typically strike at human beings when they feel threatened by them. Statistics show that most bites occur when a person provokes a snake by either accidently stepping on one or purposely trying to capture, harass, or kill the animal. Statistics show that more than 65 percent of rattlesnake bites are provoked by the person who is bitten.

If you ever encounter a rattlesnake, don’t provoke it and you are likely to walk away from the encounter without any bites.  Otherwise, you take your chances…

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How many times have you heard people say “It can’t happen here…” after something bad or unexpected takes place in their neighborhood.

Guess what, it can happen here!

Case in point, my quiet neighborhood just the other day. I came home from work to the sight of six police cruisers, a K-9 unit, and a police helicopter circling overhead. I have no idea what the situation was all about but apparently it was serious enough to involve a bunch of police assets.  Keep in mind that I live in a golf course community in a nice section of town populated by middle-class families and wealthy retirees.

Bad things will happen no matter where you live, no matter what your income, no matter what the color of your skin is, no matter what god you worship, and regardless of your age.  Even though normalcy bias conditions us to think otherwise, bad things happen everywhere.  If you take this into account, you can be ready for the unexpected and be better prepared to handle the situation.  For the most part, “security” and “normalcy” are just abstract concepts that reside in our minds.  The reality is, even in “safe” neighborhoods like mine, the unexpected can happen at any time.

Plan accordingly…

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Some of you may have noticed my posts have become sparse over the last few weeks.  There is a good explanation for this, and its not because I am being a lazy bum.  The truth is, I have been spending time with this lady:

Preparing and learning are ongoing activities that should be continually improved over time.  The relationships we have also need to be constantly maintained, lest they whither due to neglect.  Family, friends, spouses, teammates, co-workers, and others deserve some of your time.  After all, strong and lasting relationships are a key component in building a real, robust social network.  This network is crucial to the well-being of communities and societies, which are especially important during troubled times.

While I have reduced my blogging to increase my time with Jennifer, I still make time to fine tune my preparations.  Take a balanced approach towards life and you will be happier, healthier, and more able to handle stressful events.

After all, none of us know the number of our days…