On This Day Pre-Y2K
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February 17, 1999 Permalink
It was just this past New Year when as a family we were discussing where we thought would be the best place for us to celebrate the new millennium. Having two children ages 11 and 13 we thought that we should do something memorable for them. We usually stay home. Anyhow we contemplated Disney World, but ruled that out. Then we considered New York, but ruled that out too. We came up with going to the UK to spend it with extended family. When we spoke with them over the ‘phone over the past holidays it was apparent that they were missing us not being there. The children and I had just spent the past summer with them. So we thought that it might be a good idea to plan a trip to be with them for next christmas and New Year. (At that time we had no inkling about the Y2K bug). The funny thing was we had heard a news report about the possibility of a champagne shortage for the next New Year and that it might be a good idea to stock up on some now. I wonder how many people heard that report and are stockpiling champagne!
—Carol, Time Bomb 2000 Forums (LUSENET), 02/17/99
I have put an offer on a rural home sitting on 8 acres of land. It has a pre-existing wood furnace and about 6 acres of timber. It’s a well built block home that’s been recently updated. My fiancee really loved the place at first sight. The price was very reasonable, and will let us do a lot more “prep” than I thought I could. It does have some quirks that could make it difficult to resell later on if we have a Y2K “bump”, however.
Now, I’m finding that the local school district is *pretty* bad (graduation rate under 50%), although their standardized test scores are pretty good and getting better quickly. Low teacher salaries, and I think a lot of those dropouts are kids going back to help folks on the farm, but I can’t prove it. Yeah, I messed up and didn’t do all of my investigating up front.
Now, my worry is this: Even though my gut feeling is that we are looking at an 8.5++, of course, I can’t “prove” that. If we move out there, my daughter will most likely finish High School there IF nothing serious happens (she is also expecting an 8++ scenario). She’s 13 and in the eighth grade.
So, do I grab this as my hidey hole, or get out of it and hope I can find something else? Neither my daughter nor I truly expect the school system to survive in its present form, but I’ve been wrong before.
—Jon Williamson, Time Bomb 2000 Forums (LUSENET), 02/17/99
I seem to recall someone on this forum saying that Jane Bryant Quinn Gets It. Ha! In today’s newspaper she said she thinks, “most things are going to work. Maybe the storm will hit and maybe not. If it hits, crews will be standing by to fix things quickly.” She plans to have all her financial records, but leave her money in the bank where it is insured by the FDIC. She’ll have a little extra cash at home. Credit cards will work, because last Christmas she used her ‘00 card without a hitch. She will have the basics (extra food, wood, water, etc.) as for a hurricane or winter storm. She ended by saying, “I don’t think I’ll need them, but I believe in contingency plans.” I don’t think she Gets It.
—Pearlie Sweetcake, Time Bomb 2000 Forums (LUSENET), 02/17/99
