Looking back on the last day of the year

2016, one heck of a wild ride. I thought 2015 rotted. Little did I know what 2016 would bring. It wasn't all bad, of course. Few things are.

Time takes its toll. Please have correct change. Change that we can believe in? That would be nice, but unlikely coming from the mouth of a politician. So it goes.

I see Mr. Trump has already disappointed many of his supporters. In that fashion he's proven himself to be a politician after all. If you aren't disappointed in him yet, you are either not paying attention or have very low expectations. Give him time.

The Democrats just did not get it. There are a lot of people out there who's needs and concerns were not being met. Many of those peoples' votes were taken for granted. It was Clinton's election to lose, and she lost it. Judging from the post election comments it doesn't look like they've learned anything from the loss.

It's been said that many people voted for Trump because they wanted to break the system. Congratulations. Looks like your wishes will come true. Judging from the lack of political experience of the new administration it will be at least a year and a half until they figure out their jobs. It will be interesting to see how that shakes out. I actually like a few of the new people coming in, but that doesn't mean they won't have a troublesome time of it.

Running government is not like running a business -or at least it shouldn't be. A business exists to make money. How it does that almost doesn't even matter. Government is supposed to provide services. Governments that make money do so for a corrupt elite at the top. We used to point to third world countries that ran that way as a cautionary tale. Now they look like blueprints. I really hope the incoming leaders have more public servants than opportunists. Time will tell.

Personally, I expect a time of troubles. However, there is opportunity in adversity. If nothing else it tests one's mettle and builds character. Now is not the time to ignore your preps. Natural disasters and man made problems continue no matter who wins the beauty contest known as a presidential election. There is no reason to give up on being vigilant.

It's time to double down on my preps.

This year I've decided to drop my medical insurance. Thanks to loopholes in the systems I don't qualify for a subsidy. That means I'm going to have to be more careful about my health, which is something I should be doing anyway. The money can be spent in other ways. Maybe I'll spend it on another old sailboat. Sailing is a healthy lifestyle for me. All that sunshine and exercise does me good.

My solar electric system needs a new battery bank. That'll cost a few bucks. Right now it's just barely adequate for emergency backup, never mind day to day use.

Food storage has been drawn down in some categories, but expanded in others. A complete inventory is due to sort out exactly what needs replacement. One thing I've added this year is freeze dried food. It's good travel food due to light weight and good long term storage. Prep is quick and easy too. During an emergency you don't want to spend all your time preparing dried beans and grinding wheat berries.

I do believe that having more cash on hand will probably be a good thing for most people. There's economic disruptions all over the world and we are not immune from those problems.

2016 was an interesting year and I don't expect 2017 to be any less interesting. Strap in it's going to be a wild ride.

-Sixbears