Hello:

I have spent about 400 + hours researching Y2K online and about half that many hours offline reading books, etc. in the last 6 weeks. Formerly, a researcher, this work was easy enough to do... though I must say that my business, web development and communications, has suffered some from my four week distraction with Y2K. Probably like so many others, I find that I have a new attitude towards the future... a dark apprehension, anger and frustration, and anxiety about Y2K. Since coming to some basic grip on Y2K information, I have felt like crying more than once. During the South Central Riots, I was a more confident of things (while the licquor store at the end of my block was on fire and the smoke was thick, it hung about a foot off the ground) than I am now about Y2K.

Just a few months ago, Y2K wasn't even on my radar screen. I probably would have laughed at Y2K survival preparation stories-- if I had heard about them or seen them on the news. Certainly, I expected millenial fears to overwhelm people as we counted down to 2000 (even if the millenium really begins in 2001) and I counted myself among the enlightened. Though a Christian, a semi-recent Catholic convert to be exact, I don't see any necessary correlation with millenial fears and judgment day. Nor do I now see any necessary correlation between Y2K and judgment day. But anything is possible. Back to the point: I don't think that I would have taken anyone seriously who urged me to get prepared. I don't even remember how I ended up at a Y2K site in the first place, perhaps it was a nomination for our web site award, the Eye Candy WWW Site Reviews.

I don't know what level of preparedness you feel is right for you, but I have read quite a number of posts here and have a sense of the range of preparedness that members are recommending or not recommending. In general, I feel like there is not enough time and money to put into the kind of preparations that would give me a relief from my present apprehensions. I get the feeling that very few people have the satisfaction of feeling so well prepared, they can breathe easy and enjoy the rest of their days while waiting for the New Year.

Like most people who will be finding their way to this special forum, I haven't had much time to financially prepare for making Y2K preparations. Just a few weeks ago, I decided to do some *lite* day trading in the hopes of being able to increase my ability to act a bit more quickly and with a few dollars that wasn't otherwise already earmarked for bills. I got a little lucky and am cashing out, but I'm not *that* lucky. The reality is that initially I may only be able to get together bare basics to make sure four to six people can get through a total of 30 days of problems. Even some these kinds of preparations will have to wait while the checks post and accounting is done to make sure all the bills got paid. As far as the people I am trying to prepare for, most aren't concerned.

On the other hand, some of my first (instinctive) orders may not be fulfilled or may not arrive until mid-summer. If looked at the wrong way, these kinds of challenges could overwhelm a person with a powerful sense of defeat and helplessness. Does this mean that I need to find another store/distributor? Does it mean that I need to go back and research an alternative product or service? Do I really this thing that is backordered or to be delayed in delivery? I'm sure some of you have asked these kinds of questions throughout your preparations. This kind of methodology doesn't seemed to be discussed here, but I may have overlooked the post. Anyway, it is something people need to know about when come looking for your recommendations.

It should be no surprise why most people would really rather not think about Y2K. If a person wanted to prepare now for a worst case scenario, the possibility may not be easily apparent. How much money per month does the average person (who lives month to month) have to spend on these unplanned and unusual expenses? At first, some might think they have less than twenty dollars for making preparations. Their credit cards may be maxed out and they might eat out 2 out of 3 meals. How much money would they have every month to prepare for Y2K if they eliminated the luxuries including things like caffe lattes from Starbucks, a 12-pack of beer, or a carton of cigarettes? Some might find that they can manage their money and make a few hundred dollars available every month.

It is just my feeling, but I think a lot of people will be in this kind of situation when they decide to prepare for Y2K and come here for ideas and support. Some of you here will have a good laugh on and off line. One or two have already had a good laugh. Most of you will try to be helpful. You have been so far. Some will scare newcomers or scare them away. I guess people have their bad days. I have noticed that there is a little hostility (intentional and unintentional) here when it comes to some newcomers or those who aren't able or in a position to prepare for TEOTWAWKI -- even if they wanted to prepare for societal breakdown. Overall, I think the people here do care about human beings (like me) who are just getting started-- whether it is at the awareness stage or wherever.

I am trying to figure out how to "insure" the safety of my loved ones and, at the same time, reach out to family, friends, neighbors, and everyone else. I have some ideas on how to do the latter and could use some more intelligence-- especially the kind of digested thinking and sharp insight that I saw on Yourdon's discussion list. Maybe, you could help or refer me to the right people. There is also need for people in this area to help track Y2K concerns and events in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area.

But more about my idea, later. Right now. I just want to connect at the deepest levels with other people who are experiencing these strong questions (or have already experienced them). I want to communicate, know, and appreciate other human beings out there-- especially those on the "getting ready" and "ready" side of the Y2K fence. Hopefully, that kind of connecting is happening here on and off line. I'm embarassed to admit this kind of needing to connect, but I think it is very human, I think it is fundamental to our development as persons and human fufillment (in general).

How did you hear about Y2K? How did you feel when you first started to understand that Y2K could be trouble? How did you feel when you got to a clear opinion about what kind of trouble Y2K would bring? How do you feel now?

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), March 29, 1999

Answers

Welcome aboard, Stan. Sounds like you've done your homework. Nope, none of us want catastrophe and chaos...so you've come to the right place. We come from many places, vocations, philosophies...Seems like you can find a place here in our internet family.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), March 29, 1999.

Stan, I have been lurking here for months, and the support and information here is very helpful. Especially when you live with a several people who think you have gone off the deep end. I'm just doing my prepare thing and hope for the best. Eventually I think they will thank me for it. I will never be fully ready, but every item I store makes me feel that much better, and a little in control. My crystal ball changes everyday, and sometimes I question myself, but then I come back here and read what others have to say and feel and am able to stick with my first impression, we are in for some very unstable times and my family and I will not be caught unprepared.

-- a.raye (a.raye@gurlmail.com), March 29, 1999.

Look at it this way, you're behind some of us but you're (alas) ahead of tens of millions of other Americans. Do what you can (and beyond, if possible, most of us can scarf some money from family and friends without being too obvious about "why") and don't worry about doing what you can't.

If you are truly willing to leave where you are later in the year, I'd bet there are actual people on this forum who will/can eventually encourage you about places, communities and families where your skills could be of use.

Most of all, don't let the lateness of the date paralyze you. There are all sorts of preparation, physical, mental and spiritual. Make up for lost time....... you can do it.

If you want to, you can check out the companion Christian forum:

http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=Y2K%20Forum

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), March 29, 1999.

Stan -

Welcome. when I first started to get it - not so long ago (around Christmas time), I thought I was imagining things - nah - it couldn't be that bad. Then our business partners who have a brother in law who does Y2K work was over for some holiday cheer and started telling stories and asking where he could get generators, how to store fuel, etc. and that got me thinking again. Then I happened to catch Ed Y. on a local TV show about Y2K and that did it. I logged on here and startined reading. Then I started buying extra every time I went to Costco - an extra case here an extra there. About the only thing I have bought that is not something I would have bought ordinarily is an Alladin lamp and some oil and 8 55 gal. water barrells from the water dept for $8 ea. If you prepare this way, it is easier on the pocketbook and you can use everything if nothing happens (not likely).

You will find your emotions will be up one day ( there's too much to do and not enough time) and down the next (am I nuts? surely this must be enough or I've still got 8 months). It was a roller coaster ride. Now, it seems to have leveled out and I am more sure every day that planning and preparing is the best thing you can do. I can't remember who on this forum said it, but, it is now my motto whenever I question and that is this: "Would you rather not need it and have it, or need it and not have it?" Says it all.

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), March 29, 1999.

Stan- you've brought up several items. One- in terms of level of prep and $$- nobody really knows "how much" is enough. So how much to do I think depends on what your comfort level is and what you can manage to do. And much of that depends on where you're starting from- my level of prep, living in a rural area on an off the grid farm already is a breeze compared to those who are living in LA in an apt on the 25th floor and so on.

So- what you should do depends on where you're starting from and what you envision. If your primary concern is food- and $ is a problem- my advice is to avoid the dried #10 deals from the food storage companies. Find places to get good deals on basic food and stock up there- pick up large quantities of rice, pasta, beans, peanut buter, jelly, dried/canned milk, sugar/honey, tuna, canned vegies andf fruit, that sort of thing. Also- basics such as tp, soap, matches, basic first aid stuff, etc- look at the site archives for lists.

Water- if a problem, start filling jugs- some say don't use milk kugs but I've never found a problem myself. No need to spend money on water. Get jugs/bottles from everyone and fill them.

Light/heat, etc- don't know if heat is an issue for you. Light- get an Alladin lantern- $50- and oil; supplement this with a couple of cheapie oil lanterns- 5 or 6 buck types. Get a flashlight or two.

If safety is an issue in your area- can you leave if you need to? do you have somewhere to go to? Work on this if needed.

It's not too late I don't think- too late is if you never start.

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), March 29, 1999.

Hi Stan, My husband and I first found out about y2k late last fall from a book hubbies mom gave us, by Grant Jefferies. We both spent hours reading and researching and came to the same conclusion and thus began our preps.

Someone shared with me in the beginning that you will go through a period of denial, grieving, depression, etc. (I guess like the stages of the death of a loved one). Well, I went through it all and it is normal. Others here will tell you the same. I did keep working on my preps even if I didn't feel like it.

Find someone in your area who can point you in the right direction. We learned through trial and error what the cheapest and wisest way was to go on some purchases and gladly share this info with other newbies in our area. Check out food co-ops, their prices can even be better than Sam's because you can buy in bigger bulk.

Don't buy fancy, prepackaged, dried, etc. "food". Buy what you normally eat and buy extra. Start today and then rotate your food. I use some of my food in storage then next trip to Sam's Club or where ever, I replace that item and put it in the back. So I am using older food first! It is kinda neat to have my own little supermarket! Buy what you eat and eat what you buy - that is James Stevens motto. (His book - Making the Best of Basics is excellent).

Save soda and juice bottles. Wash them good and fill with water. Get free buckets from local bakeries and use them to store food in. Wash the buckets good and soak for 2 min. filled with water and few ounces of bleach.

The more I prepare, the better I feel. Right now I am canning my own meats. The best advice my husband gave me was to sit down and plan a two week menu and then multiply that out by the number of months I felt we needed to prepare for. That gave me my shopping list and has saved lots of "careless" or "impulse" buying. It took me about a week to work the menu out, but was well worth the investment.

Keep posting here and ask all the questions you need to. We are all here to help and encourage each other. The best advice I could give you is, you can prepare, but make sure that you also, PREPRAYER! God is in control. Mary

-- Mary Howe (doesnotmatter@thistime.com), March 29, 1999.

Welcome Stan. I GI'd on an overdose of Gary North last fall, but calmed down considerably after some of my more critical items, like a wood stove, were delivered and installed. It's not just prioritizing how to spend money, but also what to go for first, since some things are becoming very hard to acquire. I think by next fall there will be a market for Y2K Personal Shoppers who know how to work the angles with the limited options we'll have by then!

My boss' husband coined the term: the "Law of Conservation of Ambiguity". The idea is that you can strive to know more and more about pieces of the puzzle by dividing it into smaller and smaller modules, but never really come any closer to understanding the puzzle as a whole. Sometimes I feel that way about Y2K.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 29, 1999.

Hi Stan and a.raye. Glad to see that you've de-lurked. I don't have much to add to the above advice. The resources here are truly amazing. About all I can say is that once you get it, you've won the battle. Welcome to the club, and never hesitate to ask for advice. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 29, 1999.

Stan,

All the GIs here have gone through similiar ups and downs. My advice is to keep it simple (at first). Apparently you live in South LA. You absolutely need to identify a getaway spot. You are living in a former desert that could easily return to desert if the viaducts/pumping fail. If a liquor store was burning at the end of your block before, this is a factor of 10 worse potentially. Consider the Hoover dam area. Its a tank of gas away from you. Get some friends together or find a way to put a trailer in the desert near there. Food preps are basically easy to start. A 50# bag of rice is about $16 at Costco. Pinto beans are 35 cents a pound. That 50# bag of rice has a thousand servings! Add some spices, tuna, sugar and you are on you way. Look into www.watertanks.com for water storage ($89/20 gallon bag). Whatever you do, get out of South LA. Good luck.

-- RD. ->H (drherr@erols.com), March 29, 1999.

Stan

Great Post! Should be a primer for new y2k folks.

>How did you hear about Y2K?

Years ago....Macs have always been compliant. Just a selling point.

>How did you feel when you first started to understand that Y2K could be trouble?

Reading newsgroups, at the start of last year and the power issue was just coming into common awareness. Felt uneasy till I got a good woodstove :o) Just a tip, growing sprouts will give me a method of eating that is cheap, easy to store and grow. Being healthy is the best "due diligence" in meeting Y2K.

>How did you feel when you got to a clear opinion about what kind of
trouble Y2K would bring?

In my opinion it takes at least 4 months in the past for people to get a firm grasp on their future plans. One thing a person MUST consider is the risks that folks have in the area they are at. Where I am at now, there is little risk of life threatening failure. I am taking it you are in LA? Now of course the level of information is alot greater.

In our area we now have a very good awareness level. Just had a special article on the Y2K efforts of a major local food supplier. The province has a good site. How is the local news treating Y2K where you live? If you are not hearing anything then it is bad. Community awareness starts with individual awareness. If you are LA I would plan on seeing some relatives during the holidays.

>How do you feel now?

Worried about you.....

Good luck

-- Brian (imager@ampsc.com), March 29, 1999.

Welcome to the Group Stan,

Year 2000 is seriously exhausting stuff. You can help yourself by pacing your efforts. Take a break every now and then. Maybe a week off the Net after you have met your first targets.

How do I feel now?

As a 'wave rider' I take the view that most of my life has been a preparation for the next ten years.

There is a huge wave out in the bay and I'm in for the ride....

and hoping to avoid a wipe-out over the next year or so!

-- Bob Barbour (r.barbour@waikato.ac.nz), March 29, 1999.

Stan, I first became aware we were in trouble about 4 years ago when I read a book,The Final Hour by Micheal Brown.Since reading this book I have seen many signs the y2k is the most obvious.This latest action in Kosovo really looks bad according to past prophets.I am 99%complete on my preparations and am ready to help others when the time comes.There are many of us who have been getting ready for years.The people I have talked to who are best prepared seemed to have an idea that something was going to change years ago.Don't worry if you are meant to survive you will we may all be preparing for someone else. Joe

-- Joe (joer@epix.net), March 29, 1999.

Stan....I heard about Y2k from my Mother. When I first learned about the potential trouble Y2K could pose, I felt very helpless and panicky. This all started around september of 1998. I knew I had to research and when i did, a wide range of opinions or outcomes came to mind as how to cope with it. A am not a gambler professionally but play poker often enough. I usually never lose because I know the odds well and know when to get out. The proverbial hand of Y2K is a hand I will not be in on. I have family members who are pollyanna's, DGI's or DWGI's...not sure but life in the 20th century can be full of fantasy. I have heard about self fulfilling prophesies enough that my counter to that is: Doing nothing to prepare for an unknown world at the turn of the century is also a self fulfilling prophesy. Take the middle ground. In addition to this, think to yourself of all the insurance programs you have paid money into...ie home, car, health.... etc. and where every dollar put out...nothing comes back in any form of value. Considering consumers insurance....paying for goods in advance, you get all your money back. The items I suggest for you are simple and lasting. Of course grains, legumes, TVP (textured vegetable protein), sugar, salt, liquid potassium are good choices to store, however, do not overlook key items (besides toilet paper and water) such as vitamins, vitamin C for scurvy lasts 3 yrs (get plenty!) and Olive Oil (mono-unsaturated fat) also lasts 3 years. Olive oil is imported and lasts much longer than any other vegetable oils (poly-unsaturated). Quart Jars for canning with spare lids for future canning may also be of importance to you just as a pressure canner (low acid foods) and a boiler canner (high acid foods) may be. My concern regarding Y2K will always be there. The baby steps are the only way to deal with it. Less obvious ways are responsible ways. I hope you are successful with your preparations...whatever you choose to do. sincerely ...W.J.Turner

-- W.J.Turner (wjturner@swbell.net), March 29, 1999.

Stan....I heard about Y2k from my Mother. When I first learned about the potential trouble Y2K could pose, I felt very helpless and panicky. This all started around september of 1998. I knew I had to research and when i did, a wide range of opinions or outcomes came to mind as how to cope with it. A am not a gambler professionally but play poker often enough. I usually never lose because I know the odds well and know when to get out. The proverbial hand of Y2K is a hand I will not be in on. I have family members who are pollyanna's, DGI's or DWGI's...not sure but life in the 20th century can be full of fantasy. I have heard about self fulfilling prophesies enough that my counter to that is: Doing nothing to prepare for an unknown world at the turn of the century is also a self fulfilling prophesy. Take the middle ground. In addition to this, think to yourself of all the insurance programs you have paid money into...ie home, car, health.... etc. and where every dollar put out...nothing comes back in any form of value. Considering consumers insurance....paying for goods in advance, you get all your money back. The items I suggest for you are simple and lasting. Of course grains, legumes, TVP (textured vegetable protein), sugar, salt, liquid potassium are good choices to store, however, do not overlook key items (besides toilet paper and water) such as vitamins, vitamin C for scurvy lasts 3 yrs (get plenty!) and Olive Oil (mono-unsaturated fat) also lasts 3 years. Olive oil is imported and lasts much longer than any other vegetable oils (poly-unsaturated). Quart Jars for canning with spare lids for future canning may also be of importance to you just as a pressure canner (low acid foods) and a boiler canner (high acid foods) may be. My concern regarding Y2K will always be there. The baby steps are the only way to deal with it. Less obvious ways are responsible ways. I hope you are successful with your preparations...whatever you choose to do. sincerely ...W.J.Turner march 29

-- W.J.Turner (wjturner@swbell.net), March 29, 1999.

Stan - You are 90% prepared now that you have faced the beast and are determined to survive. Its not $$$ as much as lifestyle. As per previous posts keeping it simple is best for the buck.

Channel that anger and frustration into some psoitive prep, even getting in shape physically will help a great deal. So go for it. You have made a good choice.

-- D (C.D@I.N), March 30, 1999.

The emphasis on the basics is key for those who just got it. I agree and I'm all ears! Preparing for the worst (whatever you imagine it to be) demands intelligent decision-making-- though making good decisions can be difficult under pressure. In a 1999/03/25 post, Arnie Rimmer outlines some basic issues or first things to deal with: location, water, food, shelter, heat, and sanitation. Focusing on first things needs to be strongly emphasized to new GI's, who (for any variety of reasons) might be spending money on secondary preparations. Even if the new GI is focusing on first things, resources may be such that mistakes can not be afforded in the problem-solving process. New GIs need general and local expertise in order not to waste money on inappropriate products and services-- not to mention that one needs to keep paying bills!

Narrowing one's focus to first things is not just good advice; it is great advice for the new GI who has a tight budget. It may also be hard advice to follow. For example, you drive by the camping store (that you've driven by a thousand times)and you're curious enough to turn around and check the place out (since you know from your copy of the F.E.M.A. disaster preparedness check list that you should consider getting some camping gear). You pull in, go inside, and start looking around at the tents, sleeping bags, and other stuff. You see a fantastic four person tent that is on sale at 50% discount (say, it's now selling for $150) and, heck, why shouldn't you get it now! You shouldn't get it now: you need to focus on first things. I almost did this, yesterday. Big Dog's advice about not worrying about the things I might not get to was helpful when I decided not to buy the tent.

Ok, so you are a new GI and you are focusing on first things, but you may be focusing too hard on getting the "best in breed" of preps or what may seem to be the best preps. Unless you have the financial position, this also is not a reasonable way to proceed. This kind of focus can also lead you to an early defeat: things can be very expensive and some things may always be way out of your price range. For example, you decide to bring in a back hoe, drop a 3000 gallon plastic cistern/tank into your backyard, fit the tank with a hand pump, and all for $1,200. But if you only have $1,800 for Y2K preps, this is a bad decision. I still haven't figured out how much I have to spend in the short and long term, but I want to be careful that I get all bases covered in terms of first things. I may have water to last me a long time, but I don't want to have to relocate to a shelter because there's no heat or food after a week. How much water, calories, vitamins, and heat is needed for each person are things that new GI's need to know and calculate-- if they are going to make good preps. Posts from Anita, D, Rd, Valkyrie, and W.J. Turner about keeping simple in the preps helped me to further clarify this issue for myself.

Another problem to be avoided when preparing for Y2K is panic-buying. It really doesn't matter that the last generator is on the shelf at Hechingers (or wherever) and you can buy it. If you are on a tight budget and don't have a medical reason for that generator, forget it! I think these kinds of mistakes are likely to be made by new GIs who are trying to sort out their apprehensions and plans for preparations at the same time. Sometimes, rumors can panic new GIs who just feel like they need to be doing something now and fast! About four weeks ago, I was at a web site that said that gold coins of the 1/10th and 1/4 ounce American Eagle and Canadian Maple variety were not going to be available for much longer. Another site had a post saying the same. "Move it or lose it!" the author exclaimed. I called around and there wasn't any shortage of supply. But you know, those web sites and posts are still online. I can only imagine that some people are feeling pretty bad that they won't be able to get their gold coins. Of course, for me, gold coins are not an option at this point.

I agree with Sysman, this forum has really made an effort to maintain a quality of information standard... and that really helps people when dealing with rumors that can cause panic and leave one with a sense of defeat. New and old GIs communicating more and more publicly about the realities of actual availabilities, shortages, and delivery delays (nationally and locally) could be a real improvement to this forum. I realize that this happens here, I've learned a lot and so have others like a.raye. But giving more attention to this would really be great for us new GIs-- especially for those GIs (1) who are spanning the web in their Y2K research and (2) who are not yet clear about what is quality information and what's disinformation or bunk.

If you are in my financial situation, you can't even afford to make these kinds of mistakes, much less mistakes of the trial and error variety. The insight of those who have done prepping (or those who are prepping) can really help newbies from avoiding trial and error mistakes. I'm sure some must feel like they are beating a dead horse when ideas are repeated, again and again... and again in lots of different posts. Perhaps, a better organization of the archive could help answer frequently asked questions and frequently given advice on first things and secondary things. Unfortunately, repeating the basics like a mantra will be the happy/unhappy lot of some helpful people. Nothing drives home like an actual answer to an urgent cry for help.

Obviously, local insight on stores and prices is important as Mary Howe pointed out to me. Whether you are near or far from the newbie, I think that (more often) the newbie (myself included) may not know the right questions to ask regarding first things (and second things). As Brook mentioned those who are a good way into their "remediation" have insight that may save the new GI hundreds or thousands of dollars. I believe that the insight of GIs like Joe who are well into their remediations will provide the "edge" that new GIs need to get through the troubles ahead. You may not have ever thought of it this way. You may never have imagined that you might actually be saving lives by helping people make important decisions. Donna was the first to welcome me aboard. Thanks Donna. It was great to get such a quick welcome. Thanks also to Brian who says he is worrying about me! Bob Barbour's advice to get off the net for a break after the first targets have been achieved is great advice. I look forward to following the wave-rider's prescription! Thanks also to everyone else for the answers, suggestions, and responses to my post. I hope this thread will be useful to new GIs and old GIs (when they are dealing with new GIs). While I'd like to say that the good news is that I don't live in South Central Los Angeles anymore, it seems ungracious to those who may be living there now or in places like it. Currently, I live in the Washington, D.C. metro area... in a Virginia suburb just outside the beltway. I don't know my neighbors, but I plan to get to know them soon or, at least, give them UTNE's guidebook.

By all means, I am open to ideas about wintering elsewhere and with others, but don't see my skills as particularly interesting to others if Y2K is really bad. Not unless people have need for a teacher with a classical education, need to debate a philosopher on life and human nature, or need for web development. Of course, I don't know yet how many come with me. Shouldn't be more than six. In fact, I really would be interested in hearing how some people plan to winter in the country without taking on a mortgage or having problems with an extended stay. Probably, there is a great number of people in the cities who would like to evaluate affordable wintering options.

If you didn't have time before to answer my questions or add to the responses, please do-- especially the lurkers who are where I am or still thinking about things. Commmunicating with people and being involved with people (even here!) is humanizing, and I think that's what we often need most during hard times: to feel human. I know some of you might feel that you don't have any thing to add, but you do. I also would like to hear about how you first heard about Y2K, how you felt when you first started to understand that Y2K could be trouble, how you felt when you got to a clear opinion about what kind of trouble Y2K would bring, and how do you feel now?

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), March 30, 1999.

Stan ,

Welcome.

How you first heard about Y2K ...

Mid-October 1998. Saw a copy of Ed Yourdons book on a friends coffee table, read the introduction, bought a copy, and went online to check and verify.

How you felt when you first started to understand that Y2K could be trouble ...

Stunned, amazed, and every other rolling emotion in the book. The first two weeks were ones of extreme tension, little sleep and light eating while glued to the internet, trying to figure thing out. It was the worst part of the process. (So far).

How you felt when you got to a clear opinion about what kind of trouble Y2K would bring ...

Calmed. Then instead of trying to figure out how good, bad or ugly it MIGHT be, focused on figuring out what to do and where to go and how to find out what I needed to know. Also, found myself increasingly fascinated by the ever changing newsmedia, government and military story (or lack thereof) and am keeping up on Y2K briefings by researching whatever captures my curiosity.

How do you feel now?

Still a Y2K middle grounder at a 5. Focusing on life choices, career changes, community issues, networking, investigating sustainable living, gardening, taking time out, renewing the spirit, and paying attention to all the other things I love doing (and learning) that Ive been putting off, for years, and now have a compelling reason to assign a higher priority to.

Make it fun, on the good days, and reflective and nurturing on the bad daze.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 30, 1999.