[PrairieMule]

Over the last few weeks I have been a good mule watching the kids and such while my wife went and spent the weekend with her girlfriend in St.Louis. In generous offer, my wife has given me a free pass next weekend to go and do my thing. Usually, I head up to the family ranch and take a working weekend to transition myself into the cattle business. Instead, next weekend I am going to do a little solo backpacking and unwind in the Ouachitas of Arkansas or a state park in Texas. Part of the reason I think I get so uptight is like a lot of folks here: the impending peakoil thing. I think instead of worrying about the price of west texas intermediate, world production capacity, threats to civil rights, Israel-Iran situation, American housing bubble market collapse, and future changes in America's consumer retail logistics I'll just take a few days off.

Now I don't want to come across as selfish, so why don't everybody make the appropriate plans in the next few weeks to give their troubled minds a few days off a gauntlet of subjects you have no control over. In a true survival situation I myself put the ability to relax on a equal par with preparation, awareness, or a positive attitude. Now if TSHF later on this year and say all the fish die, I think most of us would regret we did not spend more time fishing when we could have. Or imagine 20 years from now no one is driving cars, would you spend today fretting or go do a few donuts with some rice rocket, german engineering or Detroit muscle while you could have? Or on the other hand if the next year only brings a extra quarter at the pump, well now you have put more wear and tear on your state of mind than was nessesary.

The monsters under the bed will still be here for you when you return.

[PrairieMule]

Hello, I have been out of pocket this weekend and have just returned from a relaxing weekend of backpacking in the Texas Hill Country. Could someone bring me up to speed and tell me if Israel got nuked by Iran? Is a barrel of oil still in the mid 60's? I saw lots of deer, cactuses, cool boulders to hop, fresh air, and slept under the stars in a hammock. There is a great big world out there that will keep on spinning with or without oil.

The point I am trying to make is some folks here are in serious need of a day off from their anxieties.

I mentioned a few months ago my little survivalism mantra or code is PARA. Preparation, Attunement, Relaxation, and Attitude. I see a lot preparation and attunement, the attitude well, could be subjective. When I speak of relaxation should a situation arise can you keep it together? I say you can prepare yourself, be attune to what is going on and have the best attitude but if you cannot relax it all falls apart. A overstimulated high strung mind full of anxiety will not serve you when you really need it. It needs down time. That being said, I'd like to keep this post going and hear from other folks use their down time doing non carbon based energy activities.

[SinisterBlueCat]

Hey PM, glad you are back, and it is very nice to hear you had a wonderful weekend!

You are right, we could all use a little change of pace. For me, I rode both of my horses this morning...nothing strenous, just a good paced ride outside....it was bitchingly cold, but it made the hot coffee when I got home taste all that much better.

[leal]

Yes, you have to relax sometimes. In end of February, I and my girlfriend are taking a vacation on Tenerife It is quite cheap to fly there from Sweden now, maybe that would change soon?