O.K. I've been a "troll" here for a while and although some of the questions and responses irritated me to no end, I would like to know if any of those who prepared for "TEOTWAWKI" have any regrets, or was preperation, in itself, was it's own reward or a means to get closer to loved ones?

-- rob (troll@bridge.net), December 31, 1999

Answers

B.

Would not have missed it. Results were great.

-- art welling (art@thatplace.com), December 31, 1999.

How can storing food and emergency medical supplies, etc. possibly be something anyone could regret? Every family should have a decent emergency supply of essentials.

Also, isn't it a bit early to be counting your chickens?

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), December 31, 1999.

Don't regret a minute or dollar spent. Also, the "game" is far from over. No one really expected a big bang when the clock struck 12. Economic impact won't show for quite some time, same with oil, on and on. Too early for pollies to get smug .

-- Tiara (sorceress5@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999.

I wouldn't breath a sigh of relief till the end of the first quarter if I were you...but then I'm not you.

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), December 31, 1999.

We just discussed our contingency plan if all goes well:

Buy half as many groceries for the next year.

Run the kero heater when we are home so reduce our oil bill by about 20%.

Use up some of our stored gasoline so reduce our gas bill for the next few months.

Spend some of our extra cash instead of charging on charge cards.

I know this life sounds tough, but someone has to live it. ;-)

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), December 31, 1999.

Got one poster claiming to be a IBM worker getting swamped for IBM mainframe parts... IF true... pollies are toast. See familyman's posts on NZ...

BuT we need verification ...confirmation that this is a credible news source from within IBM.

-- RC (racambab@mailcity.com), December 31, 1999.

I would never have regrets. This world is far too unpredictable to not be prepared. I was unable to find work for 3 mos last summer and our preps made that much easier to take. We have snow storms and tornadoes in this part of the country and usually have at least a day or so without electricity a year. Don't have to worry about that.

Besides Y2k can't be counted out for several weeks or months. Add on the sunspot activity, normal weather related problems, natural disasters (earthquakes, volcanoes, etc), economic uncertainty (what goes up must come down sometime) and other things I am sure I have forgotten - how can you not lived prepared??

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), December 31, 1999.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as smug. I just assumed that it would be somewhat of a letdown (although I'm sure no one wished for the end of the world) to have devoted so much time into preparing (living on the coast, I prepare for non event hurricanes 3-4 times a year and actually feel deprived when they are for nothing)

-- rob (troll@bridge.net), December 31, 1999.

Dear Rob the Troll,

No, we do not regret for one moment all the time, dollars, and energy expended to prepare for Y2K. We are ready for almost any kind of emergency now. We live in Florida, and although we had many things on hand for a possible hurricane, we were not as fully prepared as we are now.

But what truly is the greatest gift this Y2K situation has given us is a whole new awareness of what it really means to be self-sufficient in a modern technically sophisticated society.

We now have the ability to face a lot of challenges with confidence.

Also, we are going to a simplified life-style. This is something that we already had been working on to a limited degree before Y2K.

So, Mr. Troll, after studying and working on this subject for over 14 months, we are as ready as we can be for the year 2000 and beyond; and, yes, if we had to do it all over again we would.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.Net), December 31, 1999.

It's not over yet....preps may have been for the wrong emergency but when the the right one is here we will still have preps...terrorists, Russia, Solar flairs.....all legit reasons to prep

-- Moore dinty Moore (dac@ccrtc.com), December 31, 1999.

I would have felt guilty if I didn't prepare, so to the extent it let me sleep at night it was worth it. It's ok with me if I never hear about Y2k again, though.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), December 31, 1999.

The y2k wackos will never admit how stupid they were. See above responses. Lots of "Oh, it's good to be prepared for emergencies anyways." Hey y2k wackos - you're not fooling anyone. The fact is you swallowed the hoax hook, line and sinker, prepared for y2k disaster, and now you look like fools. Don't expect any credibility in the new millenium.

-- Mark Zupancz (mjzupancz@aol.com), December 31, 1999.

I just posted a message on here entitled, " I have a Change of heart... Do you??" I got downright blasted for it, and this is the last time i will ever post on this board. You can all go to my message and read for yourself.. I admitted that I am glad that i prepared because anything can happen... emergencies, etc... But that i am rethinking this y2k stuff.. What's the big deal with that? The countries that are less compliant than us are doing ok right now... and that's all i said. But the rudeness and snappiness of some of the people that replied to me just floored me... I am not a doomer.. I am honestly looking for answers, but all i got here was harshness. Got called a troll, polly and other things. I am a caring person that just posted a question and got blasted. The attitudes of many here are appaling. But, there were some that were helpful and kind that posted also. Thanks to them.

-- Philip (none@there.com), December 31, 1999.

Rob,

Why don't you leave then? Y2K is A-OK right? Not an immediate heart attack... yet. Could be cancer. Or not.

Get an off-line life, okay? Choices. You can depart now.

Lessons to learn... for those who so choose.

Diane, prepared for "life"

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 31, 1999.