This forum has been very helpful in many ways. I would now greatly appreciate some down-to-earth, practical ideas as we "count down." Here are a couple from me: WATER...the most important! As a city dweller in an apartment complex, I know bottled water will be needed. For drinking 8 cups a day, one needs 16 gallons for 1 month. Rain water can be collected in a bucket, then filtered into such as a Brita or Pur pitchur. Camping goods departments in stores also have bottles of tablets for disinfection..."Not to be used on a continuous basis," says the label. HUMAN WASTE DISPOSAL...maybe the second-most important if one has no water to flush, and the sewers are not working. Bakeries have large plastic containers, with tight-fitting lids, for low cost, if any. (Save your plastic grocery bags--ask the checker to "double-bag" your things now; use only one each time for garbage.) When the "time comes," place a bag inside the plastic container, and put the container under your toilet seat. Add a little liquid or powdered bleach, or some such disinfectant. After use, or when as full as you want it!, remove the bag, tie it up tightly, and take it to the dumpster--or bury it, if possible. The dumpsters may be overflowing! (I still can hardly believe this debacle is really coming!)

-- Holly Allen (Holly3325@juno.com), June 20, 1998

Answers

Good suggestion, Holly! One thought worth mentioning here is the importance of not only 'purifying' water, but doing it NATURALLY. There are many inexpensive ways to kill germs, but what else happens in the process? The most effective, safe, and stable bactericide, viricide, and fungicide on the market is Aerobic '07', the original 'Stabilized Oxygen'. This product has been by physicians for over 27 years in treating many disease conditions, and is recommended by alternative practitioners everywhere. Aerobic '07' is a non-toxic, chlorine-free electrolyte solution and just 6 drops will purify one gallon of water. In independent lab tests, Aerobic '07' has proven to kill e-Coli; Salmonella; Staphylococcus; and the dreaded Giardia Lamblia, just to name a few. Now the best part... Aerobic '07' has an unlimited shelf life, so what you buy now will last for many years and still be effective when you need it.

Aerobic can be purchased in most good health food stores, but we offer it to list members at substantial discounts. If you want more information, e-mail me and I'll send prices and ordering details.

-- Roy Cave (roy@techcomm.net), June 20, 1998.

Since you defined yourself as "a city dweller in an apartment complex..." I would honestly say your other questions may be moot. Your first priority should be to consider where you want to be during a Y2K crisis. In my opinion, until you can honestly say that you would feel safe walking alone in your neighborhood after 10:00PM, or would not worry if you forgot to lock your doors or windows, you should not worry about "dumpsters" being full.

-- Art Frank (Artfrank@ix.netcom.com), June 20, 1998.

This whole idea of moving to the boonies is not all that it is cracked up to be. I was talking to a woman yesterday who told me she lives several miles out of town. I live in a village of 5000. She has been robbed twice in the past year. I would not feel safe in the boondocks. I think you are a sitting duck, unless you have armed guards and a 10 foot electric fence! Safety in numbers....as the old saying goes!

-- Annie (anniegaff@mailexcite.com), June 20, 1998.

If you have a deck or patio off your apartment and you have a barbecue, consider using it to burn your waste. Keep some newspapers around to start the fire. Make sure you have some fire extinguishers handy. I would stay away from dumpsters because of the spread of disease. Rats and people will target dumpsters looking for food. There are chemicals you can purchase at RV stores to treat human waste. Also make sure your vaccinations are up for chlorea, etc. No sewage disposal means people will be deficating and urinating in the streets! I would store as much water as I can fit into my apartment. If you don't think you have storage for it, you do! Buy cases of water and use for end tables, coffee table, store under your dining room table. Clean out closests of stuff you haven't used for years. Have a yard sale with those items and this will give you some cash to buy more food and water. Be descreet about what you are doing. If you have neighbors that are of like mind, then pool your resources. Otherwise, they may come to your door wanting your stash. Purchase a cookstove as there won't be any electricity. Purchase a fondue pot that you heat buy using a small candle (they always have them at thrift stores. But don't use the pot (that means you have to wash it), place your food in a disposal aluminum pan and heat. Save your empty cans to collect rain water in and treat with a disinfectant. As for living in the country! More people are robbed and burgularized in the city than the country. Have lived in the country for several years and never been burgularized or robbed. You get in line and take your chances! Good Luck!

-- Barb Douglas (bardou@yahoo.com), June 21, 1998.

Go to Toy Store and buy a childrens swimming pool (about 35 dollars) and put it in your garage or car-port. The 8x18" holds 400 gallons of water. Fill it up from your hose when you feel it is necessary and cover it with a sheet of plastic. A few dropps of Chlorine will keep it pure for several months.

-- Don Alkema (Don29681@AOL.Com), June 21, 1998.

All good ideas. Don't forget the water heater, it has 20-40 gal of water just turn off the supply valve. You might want to flush it this year as calcium deposits accumulate in the bottom.

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), June 22, 1998.

She doesn't have a carport, she lives in an apartment. Does your apartment complex have a pool? Plenty of water there. Not to mention snow. Mother Nature provides water, I am not too worried about it.

-- Amy Leone (aleone@amp.com), June 23, 1998.

Amy, was it not more or less agreed that we would NOT use this forum to promote religion? I find it repulsive that you would dare say that "Mother Nature" will provide water! Mother Nature may be your god, but not ours. Almighty Yahweh is His name, and He will judge those who blaspheme His Holy Son by giving credit for His blessings to a false god or goddess.

-- Roy Williams (roy@techcomm.net), June 23, 1998.

"If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God..."-II Corinthians 5:13 hee-hee

-- Connie L. (cofkee@aol.com), June 24, 1998.

To Roy: Take a chill pill! I'm a Christ Follower and I knew exactly what she was talking about! Nor was she trying to promote religion! "As you judge, so shall you be judged".

I'm with Amy, a rainwater collection system is the way to go.

Father Cumulus will supply us with waters from his puffy cheeks!

-- Sam Loy (sloy@iphase.com), June 24, 1998.

Since asking this question originally, I have found an amazing product to share with other. It's called Crystal Water, and I found it at a local outdoor, Saturday Farmer's Market. It's a "non-toxic, synthetic polyacrylamide co-polymer." Whew! For $3.00, you get a packet with a tablespoon of little white "crystals", soak 'em, drain, put them in containers and plant whatever you want into it. One tablespoon swells up enough to fill a bowl the size of one you'd fill with mashed potatoes for the family Thanksgiving meal. The stuff looks and feels like clear gelatin. A week ago, I took a small house plant out of its soil, washed off the roots, and stuck it in a jar of Crystal Water. The plant is doing just great! I also planted basil seeds in another container, and they're sprouting just fine. One need add water only every 4 - 8 weeks. The "crystals shrink as water is extracted by plant absorption or atmospheric evaporation. When water is added, the granules will swell again. The granules remain effective throughout thousands of shrink and swell cycles." The lady said it would be fine for indoor hydroponic gardening; something I had thought about doing in my little apartment, starting late in Dec. 99. This makes me feel a little better, knowing that I may have fresh lettuce, radishes, etc., during the debacle. If anyone is interested, you may Email me and I'll send you the name and address for the person selling it. I don't know her personally, but she lives near me. Her card says the price includes shipping and tax.

-- Holly Allen (Holly3325@juno.com), July 04, 1998.

Waterbeds hold lots of water, just don't add the chemicals. Chlorine bleach does a great job at keeping the water clean. You can also fill up your bath tub with water when you feel its important. Grocery outlet stores carry tons of things at very low cost. Stock up on canned foods, powdered milk, etc. You can hide your stash of food under the beds, unfold all your blankets and spread them out on top of each other under your mattress. Then you can use the place where your blankets were for food storage. 2 liter soda bottles can also be filled with water when your done with the contents. Buy a food dehydrater and start drying veggies and fruit . You can even make jerky(beef, turkey) with these little machines. You can find them at Target and Walmart stores for about $35. God help us all... Sal

-- Sally (nuts4herbs@integrityonline5.com), July 08, 1998.