72-Hour Kit

I've never really lived in an area that I considered to be "dangerous."

Sure I grew up in the Ring of Fire where I have been through my fair share of big earthquakes (including the famous 1994 Northridge Earthquake). I lived in Utah for 9 years which also has earthquakes, along with blizzards, and is a little too close (~250 miles) to the Yellowstone caldera. And then I moved to Colorado which also has it's fair share of blizzards, extreme weather, and is in "Tornado Ally", but I never really felt scared about experiencing a natural disaster until I moved to North Dakota. 

Tornados scare me. Like really freakin' scare me. The first time I heard the tornado siren go off in Kenmare, ND I almost peed my pants.

I know we are not technically in "Tornado Alley" like we were in Colorado, but there have been tornados close to Kenmare (one in 2010 that killed two people) and there have been two F5/EF5 tornados recorded in North Dakota! AND there is a warning system in Kenmare (I've heard the siren a few times) that has made me more aware of tornados! It's just all too real! 

As a result of my paranoia, I have decided to update/put together a really good 72-hour kit. I know that it is unlikely that a tornado will hit us here but it's good to be prepared for any kind of emergency. 

A few Christmases ago my mom made all of us kids a little 72-hour kit. I've been keeping mine in my car (you know, just in case) for all of these years. I finally took it out of my car and went through the items. A lot of the food/liquid items were expired so I decided to update those and add more to it.

After doing a lot of research online I've compiled a really nice and fancy 72-hour kit for me and Josh. It cost a lot of money and it took me a few months to get together but I am really excited about it!

Here it is in the back of my X Terra. The 72-hour kit is in the big green bag underneath the two fold-out chairs (gray and blue cases).

All full of goodies!

There are just a few more things I need to get to make this kit complete, but it's pretty close to being done. All I need now is either in our storage unit (I really wish it wasn't so far away!) or at REI. Oh how I wish we lived closer to an REI!

Here’s a list of what is in my kit in case you were wondering. Keep in mind that this is for 2 adults (Josh and I):

First aid kit & medicine, fire extinguisher, food (packaged, canned, and snacks), water jugs (2), folding buckets (2), potassium iodide, can opener, stove & fuel, water & windproof matches, fire starter kit, plates (2), bowls (2), utensils (forks, spoons, and knives), zip lock bags, garbage bags, change of clothes & shoes, ponchos (2), hand & foot warmers, dust masks, emergency blankets (2), blankets (2), sleeping bags (2), tent, plastic tarp, 100-hour candles, light sticks, lighters, dry sacks, moist towelettes, feminine hygiene products, soap, toothbrushes (2), toothpaste, comb & hair brush, sunblock, bug repellent, toilet paper (4 rolls), hand sanitizer, lotion, Kleenex, deodorant, face wash, shampoo/conditioner, Clorox wipes, towels (4), solar showers (2), tools, pocket knife, shovel, axe, rope (2), duct tape (2), binoculars, gloves (2 pairs), umbrella (2), flashlights (2), AA & AAA batteries, wind-up radio, whistle (2), prepaid cell phones (2), walkie-talkies, mirrors (2), watches (2), cash, ID & documents (photo copies of IDs, credit cards, and other important documents), paper & pens, books & games, and a small backpack.

Personal Finance & Investing

I've always been good at managing my money. I've had my little checking and savings accounts for a long time, but beyond that I haven't really done anything else with my money. 

Now that Josh is making good money I figured it was time to start looking into investing and our financial future.

I've been talking to my dad a lot and reading "Personal Finance for Dummies" and "Investing for Dummies." I was a little hesitant at first about the books but they turned out to be very well written and informative. 

I love planning for the future, making budgets, and thinking about finances. I'm not obsessed or anything. But I do think in another life I was supposed to be an accountant or something :-)

Three's a Crowd!

Josh and I had our first visitor. He showed up on Saturday and is having so much fun that he is having a hard time leaving!

The truth is, I really want him gone. I hate him! He drives me crazy! He poops in our kitchen drawers and on the floor! Ugh! I really wish I could communicate with him about my intent to kill him, but that's just life. It will have to just be a surprise!

Oh yea, our visitor is a mouse! 

He's been leaving me little "treats" since Saturday and Sunday night I actually saw him. I screamed and ran into the bedroom to wake Josh up. Dumb idea. What was I expecting him to do? Catch it with his bare hands?

So, on Monday I went to the store and bought 4 "No See" mouse traps and a bunch of poison. We laid them out throughout the kitchen and the living room (the only places I have seen poops). I've also taken all the pots and pans out of the drawers and put them on the couch. I don't want his dirty paws all over my nice clean dishes! 

What now? We wait, right? 

Well, it's been a few days and the mouse is still leaving poops around. Maybe he is just taunting me. Maybe he knows what the traps are and what the poison looks like. I was really hoping it wouldn't take this long. He's gotta either die or leave soon right? As far as I can tell he can't reach the food (I keep it in the high cupboards) and none of it has been tampered with. I'm also a really clean person so I make sure the floor is swept and the table and counters are wiped down before I go to bed. What is keeping him here? What is he eating?! 

Ahh! I just want him gone and if he brings any friends over I'm gonna call an exterminator!! 

Summer Time in ND

Fresh produce is hard to come by in North Dakota. If you can find it it's either a little shady OR it's really expensive. It seems like during the Summer there is an abundance of local produce which is great! It is still expensive but I need to have my fruits and veggies! 

While I was in Minot during my last grocery run I came across these little beauties:

Since the weather has been so nice this season, we have been grilling as much as we can. One night Josh decided to make some "Death Burgers" which included jalapenos, habaneros, and Ghost Peppers.

He made some normal burgers for me before he added the heat. I didn't even try one (even jalapenos are too hot for me!), but Josh seemed to really enjoy his! He said next time he'll add more Ghost Peppers to really crank up the heat! Crazy guy!

Excited About My Lakers

I am actually really excited about my Lakers this year!

Steve Blake, Kobe, Gasol, Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Jamison, Chris Kaman, Meeks, Morris, Nash, Sacre, Mark Madson (maybe he will dance for us again!), and Jordan Farmar!

We got rid of the Dwight drama! Yes!

I think what makes me the most excited is that the team is filling up with guys that want to be there. They are excited about being in LA and being on the team. 

Also, there is no pressure... well, maybe a little bit... we are still in LA. 

But this is viewed as a "rebuilding year" and a "trimming the fat year". The Lakers got rid of some of the big-buck-guys (Howard and World Peace) in order to save up for some big-buck-guys that are free agents next season (Lebron and Melo). I don't care about the 2014-2015 season. I am going to focus on THIS season! I hope the guys have fun. I hope they realize that we are not expecting a Championship this year. Just make it to the Playoffs and we will be happy :-)

Since Josh and I went to a Packers game for Christmas this last year I'm hoping we can go to a Lakers game this year while we are in CA for Christmas visiting my family! How fun would that be?! We will need to get Josh a jersey though :-)

Guess Who Got Engaged?!

Suzi and Clay!

Josh's mom and her boyfriend got engaged a few days ago and we couldn't be more excited for them!

They are adorable and seem like they are so crazy about each other!

Congrats! :-)

Retiring the Shoes

I have had my current running shoes for almost 5 years. They have seen a lot and are well worn. I've had the hardest time giving them up. I think it's because they are so broken-in that it feels like I am running barefoot, which I love, which is also why I have FiveFingers.

Anyways, the time has come for retirement. 

While we were in Hawaii I mentioned to Missy that I love my FiveFingers and the feeling of being barefoot. So she recommended that I try out the Nike Free Run shoes! 

I've been using them for two weeks now and I love them! They are really snug (good thing I have narrow feet) and super light. I feel like I jump higher and run faster because I'm not as weighed down (I don't know if that is true or not).

Just in case you were wondering, I didn't throw my old shoes away. Not because I'm too attached, but because I decided to really invest in a great, homemade 72-hour kit (post is coming up soon) so they are going in there.