One of my coworkers, who knows about my predilection for being prepared, was preparing some supplies for his house after the Katrina fiasco happened. He bounced some ideas off me.

He's storing water and was going to buy some 5- or 10-gallon drums. He and his wife have three young children. His oldest is about12, I think.

I proposed this scenario to him: There's a bad storm moving in. He's stuck in traffic. His wife is at home. She is trying to do too many things at once and is moving to quickly, and slips on the stairs. She wists her ankle or breaks it, or maybe even breaks her leg. It only takes a few seconds for all hell to break lose.

His oldest son is now the man of the house. He's in charge. Could HE lift a 5-gallon drum? When I was 12, I couldn't. I could, however, lift a 2.5-gallon container.

The point I was making was, my friend, who is big and capable, is making plans as if he is going to be there to carry them out, which he probably will be. But what if he isn't? Can his wife do these things? Can his kids?

His eyes popped wide open. I could see he had not considered this. He thanked me and went on with his day. Later on he told me he bought the smaller water containers and that his son can lift them. I suggested "Billy" test lift one full, and that his wife should, too.

Maybe some good DID come from that godawful hurricane.

-- Craig

Well, when I was 8, I could, with the help of a handtruck and a cinch strap or bungie cord, But I was a big kid. IMHO, these are things every house should have (the dolly and bungie, not the big kid) becuase they are so handy. Just make sure to get a good dolly with the curved upright part, a good base, and the big pnuemo, "off road" wheels. The little hard ones break to easy, and don't help you worth beans.

Although, I've started to harbour a suspicion that other than aorund the middle, kids are smaller these days.

Good feeling... opening somebody's eyes for 'em, aint it?

Troy

Indeed it does. Helps validate all the time I've spent lurking here. Guess I have learned a thing or two.

-- Craig

I'll take the opposing view here. I was a small kid. I didn't really get my growth spurt until late. I've been thinking kids are much bigger these days (as in height).

-- Craig

Good going Craig. It's important to make people think.

Regarding kids, I think kids are overall much more out-of-shape these days from sedentary lifestyles. When my kids were in elementary school (15 years ago), they were some of just a few students, who could scamper up a rope climb. My had no TV and they were kicked out of the house to play in the woods and on the rope swings, all the time. Pre-computer games too.