I decided to go price and possibly buy some new tires for my car. I could go another couple thousand miles on the ones I have easily, but I figured I'd buy myself a Christmas present. Before I left the house I went to the trunk to take out the donut so they could put a real tire in there when they removed my old tires and replaced them with the new.

I know... What would've happened if I got a flat on the way to the garage?

When I tried to open the trunk I found that the key wouldn't go all the way in the lock. That didn't bode well, but I could get around it in the mean time so I popped the trunk from the latch in the car. Everything looked fine until I started rooting around and opened up the plastic box in the trunk that held a good chunk of my gear.

When all was said and done I realized that nearly all of my emergency roadside equipment was gone.

The box that held some of the equipment was still in my trunk, but it had been looted. I also found out that some of the equipment I had in the spaces behind the wheel wells and directly behind the back seat was gone. Needless to say I'm a little cheesed as I really don't have a lot of money to replace it all immediately since I need to get new tires as well.

At least I know it's gone...

Some of the stuff needed to be changed out because it had been in there so long, but dang, I really don't feel like shelling out the money for new tools. The tools I had, though old, were still in good working order.

Then later, as my anger subsided somewhat I got a little psyched about the prospect of putting another emergency kit together... I like the idea of upgrading from what was in there previously as well...

Am I sick? It's a sickness right?

Replaced all of the strike-anywhere matches in my kits with some REI Stormproof matches.

While wandering around as my Darling Bride got some last minute Christmas shopping done I picked up a couple of propane bottles for the Coleman stove and lanterns.

Just bought all available strike-anywhere matches in my metro area <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Including the tiny boxes of half-sized matches (32 count each).

Hey...I was _forced_ to take six days off. What else am I gonna do but shop ?

I haven't seen the small sized ones around here.
today I picked up a 4 pack of waterproof matches to replace the ones I use on camping trips.

Dave,

What headlamp did you get?

I picked 'em up at a local hardware store in the BBQ grill section. Go figure.

Thanks! I'm tryin'!

I stayed at the Holiday Inn. Does that count as preparedness? LOL that's the line used in commercial. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Now you know how to do anything the next day, you stayed at a Holiday Inn the previous night....but don't bet your life on it. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />