Play it safe

Picked up an emergency thermal blanket for the car kit, a couple of light sticks (for either emergencies or for our next acid drop, hehe), and some waterproof matches. It didn’t even amount to $10 and I had a gift card anyway.

This feels like the best way to approach this goal – keeping it mind whenever I’m out shopping and buying only a few things here and there.

On a tangential matter, I’ve recently become acutely aware of how much fear I carry around all the time. I’ll probably add a goal about it at some point, when I understand it a little better and am able to formulate a goal out of it. But it’s interesting to me that the idea for this ‘play it safe’ goal came on the eve of my realizing what a fraidy cat I really am. I wonder if I’ll still need it as I explore my various fears and anxieties more deeply.

I went shopping last weekend and bought the first things: a 4L bottle of water, some canned food, and a few first aid supplies. When I laid it all out to show Marty, he was … puzzled, I’d say. And then when I reminded him of London’s power outage a few years ago, and the ice storm that devastated Ontario & Quebec a few years before that, he actually seemed rather supportive of the idea of collecting a few emergency provisions. That made me happy because A) he rarely engages in any pre-planning of anything and seems generally annoyed when I bring it up with him; and B) I already feel a bit silly about this idea, and it’s nice to have it affirmed, even just a little.

I’ve done a little research into ‘emergency preparedness’. Public Safety Canada offers all kinds of information, a lot of which I’ve condensed into a little check-list to take shopping with me, when I have the time and money to do so.

Confession: I feel a bit like a freak about this stuff – I find myself reluctant to post or chat about it with friends and family. I guess I feel like I’ll appear paranoid or kinda crackers to people who wouldn’t waste their time considering ‘what ifs’. And it isn’t as though I lie awake at night thinking about emergency escape routes or anything, I just figure that it can’t hurt to have some provisions set aside, and should anything ever happen (such as the region-crippling ice storm of 1998), I’d rather M and me, and anyone we can get to, be fed and watered and as comfortable as possible for the duration.

So, crackers or not, I’m going forward with the plan. That said, I haven’t purchased a single item on the list because there isn’t room in the budget at the moment. Maybe I can do $10 per week for the next few weeks and see what that gets us from the list.

Marty has decided to re-install the hand railing I removed from the basement staircase back when I moved in. Finally, we’ll have something to grab onto before we slip/bump/crash all the way to the bottom landing. How refreshing!! :o)

I’ve had my car since 2001, and my house since 2003, and never once has the person who is identified on the paper work as my “broker” ever called me. In fact, twice she hasn’t even returned my calls. Also fact: I’ve never seen her face.

Two years ago I called her well in advance of my renewal date to ask if she would kindly investigate for competitive prices, thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to at least look. She flatly refused. She sounded really annoyed and put out by my request, and simply stated that I was already receiving the best rate going and that I’d only hurt myself by shopping around.

I’ve never made a claim, I pay on time in one annual lump sum, and beside the aforementioned telephone inquiry, I’ve never called her with any complaint or request.

For years I have forked over thousands of dollars to an insurance company I have no relationship with, by way of a broker-woman I have no relationship with. Well, I’m done with that. From now on, if I have to write a cheque, it’s gonna cost the payee at least a moment now and then.

I made a couple of calls yesterday (I work in the periphery of the auto insurance claims industry, so I had some great contacts) and I think I’ve found my guy. I was really straight with him – told him that yes, I’m looking for insurance, but more than that, I’m looking for an agent who bothers to know my name.

Without schmoozing at all, he was respectful and responsive. He suggested that he’ll draw up a quote for the car, but for the house, he’d better come on over and have a walk through. Wow!!! A real live insurance agent – in my house!!! I can hardly wait. I’m going to make him tea and serve him cookies. We’ll look each other in the eye. We’ll chat about safety and protection.

At this point, I don’t even care (much) if my insurance rates go up a little, as long as I get some personal attention. I want to know – to trust – that if (touch wood) my house ever falls down or my car goes boom, I’m well covered financially and known by my agent as more than just a policy number.

Bought four brand new snow tires for my car yesterday… and man! It’s like driving a different vehicle!!

I do pretty well to stay on top of things, but lately I’ve been haunted by thoughts that I’m not doing enough to keep myself/us/our home safe. So here’s the list:

• put snow tires on my car
• buy condoms
• put together an emergency kit for the home and for the car
• notify insurance co. of all our new expensive stuff, both cars, the shed, the deck, and the water trough/sump pump reno
• take the fire extinguisher in for a check-up
• buy a carbon monoxide detector
• buy a second smoke alarm for the basement
• for krikey sake, install the first smoke alarm that I already bought!
• take a self-defense class at the martial arts studio down the street
• get Marty a knee protector before the ball season begins
• review first aid & CPR and teach Marty the basics (could make for a fun evening, really :o)
• prepare or buy a first aid kit (I don’t even think we have band-aids in the house right now – jeesh! Some nurse I am!)

And all of that is just off the top of my head!

Any other suggestions?