Networking is like a garden.

Nothing beats the smell of working with the earth. A deep breath of freshly dug clay has a nice calming effect. This is why I became interested in gardening. I still consider myself a beginner even though I'm in my third season. Gardening has made me realize something though. It's a lot like building a network.

Gardening is a process that requires time and effort to get results. The ratios of those components vary, but some level of both is required. Some plants require constant attention, like a high maintenance girlfriend for example. Other plants do just fine on their own. These could resemble the aspects of a best friend. At the end of the day, both kinds of plants require effort to succeed.

This is how I've started to few my networking. I'm trying to sow as many seeds as I can. This helps me make more contacts. Then I try to develop each relationship. I'll make it a point to reach out to my contacts every month, sometimes just to say "hi". I've come to realize that if I don't tend to my contacts, I don't get the desired results.

So far my efforts seem to being doing well. Only time will tell what fruit will bear.

Starting a business

Starting a business is a full time job. I'm helping my wife develop her business. I love every minute because each day I develop or learn new skills. Although we have several disagreements about what business decisions, this whole process is making us much closer.

I highly recommend starting a small business. It can be as complicated as you want to make it. There's a lot of truth in the saying, "Choose a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."

Black Mutt Brewing

I've added another link in my favorites section. It's a great site about home brewing. Check it out sometime if you get the chance. It's entertaining and educational!

My wife's business

I just wanted to say congrats to my wife for starting up her business. It takes a lot of effort to be an entrepreneur, and I'm glad she has the courage to start it. I think this is something that everyone should look into.

Having your own business, even if it is just a side job, seems to be one of the best ways to be prepared. If run wisely, it becomes an additional income stream. Couple that with a budget, and there will be money left over to make life just a tad more easier.

I'd like to start my own business someday. I'm still trying to find my passion though. Hopefully you'll find that passion too.

At the crest...

I'm at the top of the roller coaster hill. Things in my life seem to be going well this year, and it seems like I'm about to be in for a wild ride. Hope I make it through.

My wife is starting a business. This is forcing me to brush up on some skills. That's a good thing though. I am eager for the challenge.

My main focus is time management. This is something I struggle a lot with. I have no problem working. My problem is trying to balance work and life. This causes.... issues.

Sometimes work takes over my life. I get absorbed in projects, and the need to stay busy. It causes me to stress, and neglect other areas of my life. My family starts to get distant, I lose sleep, I eat more. Bad things start to happen.

So I'll stop and re-evaluate. I drop what I'm doing and focus on enjoying life again. I hang around my family more. I catch up on all that TV I dvr'ed. I become lazy. Bad things start to happen.

Then the cycle repeats and flips back to hard work again. So my plan this year is to strike a balance between these areas of my life. I am done with the huge swings in productivity and relaxation. I want to find time for both. Time for a vacation....

I made it!

Last night was a good reminder that it pays to be prepared. This story might sound a bit dramatic. But it shows how being prepared for the big things, pays huge dividends with the small ones.

My basic Tuesday goes something like this. I work till about five, and depending on traffic, get home about time for everyone at home to be starving for dinner. Including me. I have an 11 month old baby to feed and entertain, as well as two girls in high school. My wife does a great job of leaving things ready for me before she heads to work, and I think that is a main reason I've kept my sanity. I'm not that great at taking care of a family, but I seem to be dealing ok with these nights so far.

Last night was a true test. I had a sick baby. The girls were restless from not having school. And there was a possible ice storm coming. About the time I thought I had survived another Tuesday, the power went out.

No big deal though. I made sure to keep the girl calm by giving them light and tasks. I was stuck holding the baby and giving directions. And they did great. It was only pitch black for a few moments. I was able to get my son to venture off to nappy land. The girls helped gather candles, and flashlights. I also had them bring in my backpack of supplies (my BOB), but that wasn't necessary.

This event did shed some light on some holes in our preps. Having an alternative form of heat in our house is among the top on the list. A generator would be nice as well. The wife and I will need to discuss this and figure out a plan.

All in all, Murphy wasn't able to put a damper on the night. Thank goodness our house was prepared. I could have been much worse.

Go Bag aka BOB

So I've been doing some thinking about the Bug Out Bag concept. I came across a thread where people listed the contents of their bags. Some were very military-esque, others looked more like camping gear. I'm not sure what category mine would fall into.

I believe a "Go Bag", or whatever you prefer to call it, is a very personal thing. I'm not saying this in a melodramatic way. I just feel it is an extension of the creator. The person that it will do the most for is the one that put it together. In order to know what to include, I think we have to analyze our lifestyle.

My particular life has the following factors. I have a 20 mile commute. I have an 8 month old boy. My funding is very limited. I'm in good enough shape to walk/hike cover several miles on foot, though I haven't found my limit... I'm strong both physically and mentally. I'm also a great problem solver with tons of creativity. Boiled down, this means I don't mind carrying a bunch of stuff, but if it's in my pack, it better have multiple uses.

Basic stuff I include in my bag are things that could transfer between any one's. I have a multi-tool, knife, basic first aid, water, lighter, change of clothes, flashlight, deck of cards, pencil and paper, compass. I also try to have redundancy with these, but I'll touch on that in a sec. These items are a great foundation for anyone.

Some of the personal items I include are a hatchet for dealing with wood. I also have a folding camp shovel to make digging easier. Toilet paper was thrown in when I realized how nice it would be to have a luxury item like that in a bad situation. Throwing in the TP made me toss in a few other luxuries. I now have 2 sawzall blades, second flashlight, baby wipes, zipties, ziplock bags, duct tape, figure 9's, carabiners, 550 cord, file, wet naps, chapstick, paper clips, sunscreen wipes, vapor rub inhaler, and aluminum foil (in case I need a hat lol).

All that stuff is great, and there are many things I use from it weekly. It's my man-purse. Bottom line though is it will help me get where I need to be. And because I have items for daily use in it, I'm more likely to have the bag with me at all times.

As for the redundancy part I said I'd get back to, my thought process goes something like this...
I have no idea what I'll need to be ready for, but I know what I need to survive most things that will come my way. I don't want to rely on my bag because there may come a time when it is unavailable to me. Many of the items in my pack serve a dual purpose. That way in case something is broken or lost, I have a back-up. The main thing I rely on are my survival skills. I'm not a hunter or Bear Grylls, but I'm confident I could make it back to my family, or stay put and await rescue if need be.