There's nothing wrong with being prepared.

I've been doing more research lately about prepping, and disasters, and all that fun stuff.  I've pretty much come to the conclusion that there is a huge range of preppers, and I'm pretty much on the mild end.  I think we all are on the preparedness spectrum, to a certain extent.  Savings account?  Prepper.  Under your bed savings account?  Slightly more hardcore.  Buried in the back yard?  Even more. 

In Chicago, during the winter, the weather people tell the citizens to keep a few things in the trunks of their cars- a wool blanket, or really any blanket will do, a flashlight with working batteries, kitty litter, water, food, and a change of clothes or two.  Some even keep a gas can with 5 gallons of gas.  This is just in case a snow storm shuts down the interstates, or the person accidentally drives into a snowbank, and can't get out, or the rescue people cannot get to them right away.   I have one, but it's only because I grew up near the city, and worked there for several years.  My dad gave me my first one at 17- it's habit. 

I think as far as we'll go is self sufficiency.  We want to be able to eventually live off the grid at least part of the time, without sacrificing comfort.  At least, that's what I'm researching toward. 

I've become one of *those* people!

Not really, but I've started to become a Prepper.  You know, that television show 'Doomsday Preppers' on National Geographic?  Where families and groups of families prepare for the Apocalypse?  And we all watch it, and make fun because of COURSE, that's NEVER going to happen.
Well, I'm not here to preach my religion at you, because well, that's not my business to do so.  So if you define apocalypse in the religious sense, then keep on walking, because that's not my bag.
But, if you define apocalypse in the government failing, food prices going through the roof, etc, then, welcome!  But, I'm still not a person who thinks that the government is going to fail.  However, I do believe that food prices are on the way up, and that we need to be prepared for the future, whatever happens.
I've been reading a lot about prepping, and what all needs to be done.  And I've come to a very basic conclusion that some people do not consider stockpiling as prepping, and prepping 'cray cray' and hoarding is acceptable, because you got it all free.
Hoarding, as seen on A&E's Hoarders, is not okay.  It's a mental disease, and definitely should be treated as such.  Hoarding as seen on TLC's Extreme Couponers is not acceptable.  It is not a mental disease, and should be treated as those people are greedy, clearing shelves of items they don't need, simply because it's a good deal. 
Prepping is not cray cray.  Prepping is quite simply, preparing yourself for what might happen in the future.  Look at the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma.  How many of those people wished they had a copy of something as simple as their insurance policy?  Or the phone numbers to their credit card companies, because the credit cards were lost/destroyed?
Stockpiling is prepping- think about it.  You purchase something at a low price/free, to save it 'for the future' when prices are not going to be as good.  I think it comes down to when people think prepping, they think clothes, medicine, prescriptions, money, etc.  But going forward, on this blog at least, I will use the two interchangeably.  Because they really are the same thing, in my eyes, one just encompasses more than the other. 
Most of us already have a very basic prep going on.  We (general)  have our marriage certificates, birth certificates, passports (if we have them!), Social Security cards, and assorted other important papers, in a lock box that we keep under our bed, or in our closet, usually with the key hanging out.  Because that's what we do.  But, do you have cash in there? Do you have copies of your driver's license and credit cards? (Front AND back?) Insurance paperwork? Copies of eyeglass prescriptions?  Copies of medical records? What about copies of medical prescriptions?
I will admit, starting to do research on this, and seeing the destruction in Oklahoma, I've come to the conclusion that we are woefully unprepared.  Talking to friends who are much further along on the prepper path than we are shows how much more we have to do, or not do, and decide what will work for us, and our lifestyle. 

Kids hair cuts are overpriced.

I channeled Vince today.  Vince was my grandpa on my mom's side.  He died when I was 19 or 20, but when my brothers and I were younger, he would give my brothers a haircut,  because we were poor.  But, he wasn't very good at haircuts, and they always ended up looking like a bowl cut with one side of the bangs at the eyebrows, and the other thisclose to the hairline.  Both my brothers hated it, and it probably contributes to their refusal to get a cheap haircut to this day.  Every so often, we'll joke about it, and they'll threaten Luke with it. 

Today, however, I finally was able to give Luke a hair cut that wasn't overpriced.  It was not from Cookie Cutters.  Which, come to find out the only reason he likes the place is because they can watch tv while getting the haircut.  I then promised he could watch Goonies while I cut his hair, and well, Mom's cutting his hair this afternoon!  Whoot!  He wanted it short, and then longer on top so he could spike it.  I think it turned out quite well. He can spike it, it's super short for summer, and it's BLONDE!  All the hair I cut off was brown.  Weird.  But, he was happy, because he got to watch the Goonies.  And then he got a bath because he hates the feel of hair on his back.  (I don't blame him, it's yucky feeling!) So I am all excited because we can save money now by cutting his hair when it gets too long.  And he won't fight it like he's been doing.
 

Challenges...

Nope, not the challenges that make you wonder about your life, and how did you go so wrong.  I'm talking about those ab challenges, or squat challenges that are sprouting up all over the interwebs thanks to Pinterest.  I've avoided them for a few months, but two of my friends started one today, and well, I got sucked in to trying them. 
So, from one friend, I had to do the following: 30 Jumping Jacks, 20 second wall sit, 50 squats, 25 Russian Twists, 5 chair dips, and 5 Burpees. 
And from the other, 5 standard crunches, 5 reverse crunches, 5 plank twists, and 5 bicycle twists. 
Combine them all together, and you have 15 minutes of hell.  Just sayin'.  But,  I took measurements this evening, and I am going to measure every Saturday, to track my progress.  I WANT this to jump start my weight loss again, I've been fighting getting back on track.