EMP Alert!

Bum bum BUUUUMMMMM. The government has successfully tested the use of EMPs! This is a part of what our family has been prepping for! Now that America has the technology, it shouldn't be too long before other nations follow suit, especially since it is a devastating non-lethal force. This is a wonderful time to talk about how an EMP could effect the US and what you can do to protect yourself..

EMP stands for Electromagnetic Pulse. What happens is this burst of electricity wipes out all the electronics that it comes into contact with. (I'm sorry for people with pace-makers). There is a way to protect this from happening to your most valuable electronics. It's called a faraday cage. When you encase a space with a mesh container, it will work as a lightning rod, and prevent the inside from being effected. There are some very important items that you should keep in such a cage.

1. HAM Radios- COMMUNICATION IS KEY!
2. Laptop- This is where so many of you are thrown off, I know. The big part of a laptop is seeing what is going on in other places. With so much of our media being technology based, it's very hard to know unless you have a bit yourself.
3. GPS- Yes, always have a compass and map, but a gps is a wonderful tool for seeing where you've been.
4. Generator- The ability to keep these things running is key! 

Another great idea is to have a car that is older than 1974. These cars are EMP proof, so they'll still run even after we've been attacked.

When we survived the great power-outage of 2011, there was looting, crime, and a bit of panic. Here's what we did to survive:

1. Communications- We were both on different parts of the base, and since we didn't live there and didn't know what it was like on the way, we took as many surface streets to get home as we could. We also continually listened to the police stations to check our status.
2. Fine-tuned our plan. - No matter how much you plan, you need to make sure that you can do what you need to. Roads are blocked? Water leaks? Find out what you need to do in order to continue forward.
3. Alerted the team- Now that we're home and with our closest stash, we need to make sure everyone knows what is going on, and what we need. Since our team was currently unaffected by the power-outage, we had to make sure they knew that we were, and what it was like in our area.
4. Bugging in- We decided that trying to get out right then while everyone was panicking was a bad idea, so we filled up the bathtubs with water, decided what was perishable and tried to eat it, and armed ourselves.
5. Bugging out- although we never actually got to this stage, we were waiting to make sure the roads were clear enough for us to head out.

Had it been an EMP, it would have been very different. It would have taken me a day or two to get back by walking. Luckily I was working at a military general store on base, and could easily grab a military backpack, water, food, and anything else I'd need to hike out.

I've been writing this post on and off all day, so if there's anything I forgot to mention, please let me know!

-PrepperKat

Prepping Around the World

I've been hearing a lot from people who read my blog around the world, and I'm so glad to see that the art of prepping is pretty universal! Many of you may have tons of questions about the difference in laws of the US and your countries, and the answer is much more complicated than you think! In America, most of our laws are made at the state level and not the country level. This means that every time you go to a different part of the country it's different!

I've lived in 2 different states (that I can remember) so far, and their views on guns alone are vastly different. In California, people tend to be more afraid of guns, and many guns are banned, or their modifications are banned. Every gun  must be registered, and there are rules about the amount of ammo that you can have in/around your gun at any given time. In Arizona, these laws are either non-existent or much more relaxed. Some states or cities even have total bans on firearms. You never know what you'll find.

Please let me know if there are any laws in your area that prohibit your prepping or make it easier! We'd love to hear from you! One of my readers has informed me that guns are banned in Spain. We know that Switzerland's residents are all a part of a militia,and that when you join you receive a duty rifle. It's illegal to collect rainwater in Utah, Colorado, and Washington state. In Arizona, you don't (and shouldn't) have to register your firearms.

If you're having trouble understanding my blog, or something that you think makes my blog helpful to others, please let me know! I've heard that my google translate helps a lot!

-PrepperKat

Solar Oven Cookery!

Good morning Preppers!

This morning, my mother started her very own blog about cooking with solar ovens when SHTF. Check her out at http://solarovencookery.blogspot.com/ , and let her know if there's anything that you would like to know about her cooking in her comments! This is the woman who taught me all about survival even as a little kid going camping. She was the one who taught me about medicine, camping, and communications.

It's been a very slow morning here in the prepper house. So far I've been helping my mother set up her blog, and Mr. Prepper has been playing the new Call of Duty. We've been talking about him doing gun review videos along with a few videos on things you didn't think of using said guns. It's just an idea right now, but hopefully we can set it into motion!

We've been tossing around a few ideas for transportation in the end of days, and have been looking around at cars. It's not anywhere serious right now, and even though we have our big Trailblazer, we hope to one day get a car that is EMP proof. The problem with these cars is that every car that fits in that category must be paid in full when you get it. No loans. We're not quite there yet, but it's an idea. Maybe we might just go diesel first. Who knows? Again, it's not super serious yet.

-PrepperKat

Thanksgiving

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great time feasting! We spent the holiday with friends eating turkey, playing games, and then doing a little shopping. As shown in my last post, we also erected our first Christmas tree, and I think it turned out pretty well. We've added a few extra knickknacks to it (including a silver skull for my husband) and I think that it looks just if not more amazing. Before we ate, we all talked about how we were thankful to be with each other during the holiday, but there are so many things to be thankful for. Here's a short list of other things I am thankful for:

• Living in a beautiful home
• Having a job I enjoy doing
• Having a husband, friends, and family who support and love me
• Affording to do things that are fun
• 2 wonderful cats
• 2 cars
• Being healthy (except for my allergies. XP)

I go back to work this afternoon, and am really glad to be getting back in the swing of things. I'm starting to get used to the new store, and how different it is. Hopefully I can get more hours, and be better at putting stuff away soon. It'll take me a bit to totally get the hang of the layout, but I at least have a general idea where everything goes.

What are you thankful for?

-PrepperKat

Oh Kitty Cats

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Why can't my kitties leave you be?
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree
Why can't my kitties leave you be?
All through the night I hear them play,
And all my bulbs breaking away.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Why can't my kitties leave you be?

With needles green, you reign supreme,
But how my damn cats eat them clean.
With needles green, you reign supreme,
But how my damn cats eat them clean.
Why do they eat the foliage,
When Jasper is of such old age?
No ser'ously  I don't get it.
They had turkey which should be it.

Next year there will be no glass balls.
Cats make it hard to deck my halls.
Next year there will be no glass balls.
Cats make it hard to deck my halls.
We don't even have chil-der-en,
My kittens are a huge burden.
Next year there will be no glass balls.
Cats make it hard to deck my halls.

Red Dawn!

So, my husband and I just got back from watching Red Dawn... And loved it! We had seen the original and this one was done so well, it still kept my husband guessing. That being said, it is a different movie than the original, and the story line is a bit different.Two thumbs up from this family! Our only complaint was how "motivated" the marines were in this movie. It is a very hard subject for children, and if they are younger, they may not be quite ready to see it. However, if you have older kids- teenagers, preteens, or young adults- this is a great way to explain why being prepared is SO IMPORTANT. Are the chances of this happening very likely? Not especially, but our foreign relations are anything but fantastic right now, and it never hurts to think history will repeat itself (WWII).

As for my house, I got it clean by the time our aunt arrived! YAY! The goal now is to KEEP it clean forever... Hahahahaha. Hopefully we can continually just put things away when we see them, but it's an uphill battle against laziness. We'll work on it.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! The one day in the year where it is socially acceptable to eat 3 times your weight in mashed potatoes and seem neither fat nor like you've never eaten before. I'm VERY excited, and can't wait to join some of our friends in celebration. I'm so lucky to have had so many wonderful people in my life, and I'm glad that I have my family with me every step of the way.

What are you thankful for?

Panic Mode

So, it's the morning that our aunt gets into town and the house is dirty (biggest shock of your life, I know). I've been called into work the past few days, and it's been pushed to the back burner until- voila- the day has come and I still have to work. So, all morning I have been doing my best to avoid getting out of bed and facing the inevitable war on mess. This post is my last ditch effort to kill the last half hour before my alarm goes off and I have to start. XP

So, that being said, I'm very excited to finally have a work schedule this week. Yay! Even better, I have the next few days off to spend with family and get some quality posts done that require thought and skill. We'll be headed home for New Year's (work allowing) and doing some shooting, so hopefully Mr.Prepper and I can show you a little bit of his awesome technique, and a bit about my learning curve. Also, be prepared for pictures of our family Christmas tree here in the Prepper house.

Work is starting to get more and more comfortable as the days go by. I'm lucky to be a part of a company where (if you do your job well) everyone gets a long, and you can actually enjoy yourself. I'm meeting new people who are very different from me, but share the same quirkiness and love of the bizarre. Plus, we all have a great sense of humor. Hopefully, as I meet more people I can continue to have this much fun.

-PrepperKat

Christmas, Cats, and Cleaning

Today was day one of intense cleaning, and I'm exhausted. I'm setting up plans to decorate the house for Christmas. and for that to happen, I need to start with a clean slate. The goal is to get my room clean enough to move a dresser that's been living in our dining room and finally have it in our bedroom. For one reason or another there was an entire pile of sand by my front door. Not fun. Especially when you've been wondering for weeks where the sand in your house has been coming from. Also, our swiffer floor mop is broken. I know how to fix it, but i need an extra hand to make it work, so I'll have to wait on Mr.Prepper to help me out tomorrow.

My job has been very unpredictable lately. So far I have not had a set schedule, which was supposed to change two days ago and yet here I am sitting at home waiting for a phone call. Oh well. I'm flexible. Hopefully I can NOT be called while I'm out Christmas decor shopping tomorrow. I really do like the job though, except for the ladder... (*eye twitch* Still getting over the heights thing in some ways.)

The cats have been as crazy as ever. Today I caught Jasper trying to knock an ice cube tray off of my refrigerator. -.- He got in big trouble for a double whammy. Through cleaning my house, I have also discovered the many hair ties that have been mysteriously vanishing as well. Both my kitties have been cuddling with me at night and in the mornings since it has been so much cooler in the house.

What are you planning for the holidays?

-PrepperKat

New Job, Same Boss

So, last time I told you about my job, I was working 40 hours a week and pretty much on call. Although my old manager does not work here, his place has been taken over by my old district manager. I'm excited to be starting up at my local mall and to be having something a little more permanent. Plus, when we move it means I can transfer! Yay transferring! WOOT! Right now I'm at a regular sales associate, but my boss has told me that he would like to move me up as soon as he "cleans house" and takes care of a few trouble makers. *cough* someone was stealing stuff *cough* All that being said, I should be pretty busy, but I will try to write as much as I can!

So, as for the holiday season, my husband and I are trying to hammer down some specifics. I highly doubt that I'll be able to get tons of time off, especially with the new job. So far, the plan is to celebrate by ourselves, and head over and see family in the beginning of the year. ...Maybe... Hopefully I can pull it off. I'm hoping that they'll count my time off as time with the company, and not as part of the main store. YIKES!

I've got Christmas gifts for my nephews and hopefully I can think of somethings for my family. The hardest is finding something for my husband. It's so hard to find things for him since he is so particular about everything he likes. I guess I can't complain because I'm the same way entirely.

In the spirit of the season, my husband and I have made some deals when it comes to Christmas and how we will celebrate our first Christmas alone. First, we need an actual tree. My husband said no (because he's a Grinch) and I wanted to have a huge decked out one. So, for now, the deal is that we will be getting a little one. Also, I want to move our TV from directly in front of the fireplace to another wall. This is the hard part, but since ours id gas, it's much more cost effective than using the thermostat, and it will make me actually warm instead of hiding out in my big coat holding the laptop to my chest for warmth. All this is attainable to me as long as I can clean up the house. I AM DETERMINED!

What do you need to do for the holidays?

-PrepperKat

36 States Threatening to Secede

Okay world. While everyone is worrying about their latest sex scandal, I'm much more afraid of what is going on in our own backyard. Originally my husband and I figured it was much more of a scare tactic for Obama to realize that we weren't playing around, and he better stop what he's doing. Well, that was 15 states yesterday morning. This morning 36 states are threatening to secede and this could be trouble. I hope you have a plan, because we do!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/petition-to-secede-states_n_2120410.html

Although I would love to go through all the states and their numbers with you, I know they will all change. This article by the examiner (I know, I know) has links to 29 of the states petitions and if you click on them can give you the most up to date information on how these state's petitions are currently going. When I checked as of writing this post Texas had received 78,499 out of 25,000 needed signatures to petition the government.

http://www.examiner.com/article/texas-now-has-more-than-double-the-needed-signatures-for-secession-petition

As for other news, California now has a super majority of democrats and has already created a bill to have citizens turn in their weapons. This does not bode well. Not at all. We'll see what happens here in the near future. YIKES! Good thing I'm not a citizen of California!

Our kitties have been rather... special lately. Jasper has been a mad man now that he is no longer a little chubby... Which is very annoying. He broke a bowl by jumping onto it while it was sitting on my counter. I am not pleased.

So far, the plan is that we will have in-laws in town for Thanks-giving! Yay! Hopefully we can have everything clean and ready to go for their arrival! (And we will. So help me, we will.)

The biggest battle I've had this year is getting my husband to agree to have a Christmas tree. We didn't have one last year, and this year, I have finally worked my way up to a tiny table top tree. Next year he has agreed to a full sized one since we will be in what I hope will be our "forever home". For now, we'll just have to try and avoid making more boxes than we need to haul by having small trees... V.V

What are your thoughts on the petitions? Do you think that they will go anywhere?

Building the Community

We aren't shy about our prepping with close friends, and encourage them to join us should a disaster occur. Generally we'll be talking about the economy or a natural disaster  and eventually those "crazy preppers". Will come up. When you open up to someone about your prepping, there are a few things you have to remember.

1) Most people don't understand "prepping" so sometimes it's best to drop the labels at first. Most people will understand being prepared for problems that have happened recently, like the super storm, or the California blackouts. Remember that all prepping starts in small chunks. It'll start with 3 days, and move all the way to a week, then a month. And then you may begin to pick up even more skills.

2) Trust is key. I've encouraged our group to get together even if what is happening isn't a physical disaster. "If you ever need help..." kind of a thing. Make sure you're doing things as a group way before a disaster hits. Understanding people's strengths, weaknesses, and what they may be able to help with, are very important to your survival. If someone can't shoot the broad side of a barn, don't send them out hunting elk. Plain and simple.

3) No matter what your skill is, you must bring your own supplies. We can store everything together, but you need to contribute food and water at the bare minimum. The worst feeling in the world is turning down a friend in need, but if you are already eating your bare minimum and add someone else to the mix, then you're all dead. This needs to be explained to everyone. More people means more mouths to feed and more water gone.

4) People won't want to join you if you make it scary. So, make it fun! Go camping together to build trust and test out new supplies. Have dinners where you try out new recipes. Or even get together, watch prepping shows, and takes notes. My husband and I have watched a few shows that show good and bad prepping at its most extreme. We're adding good ideas to our list, while trying to still be practical. But most importantly we're we're seeing what we don't want to do, and writing it down with our friends.

Everyone's prepping strengths and ideas are different, so use that to your advantage. My husband and I are very food/water oriented, which is essential, but when one of our friends brought it up to her husband, he was very keen on "self defense first"  and that's okay, too. You do need some balance, but having a niche is never a bad thing.

-PrepperKat

EDIT: So, It seems that Jasper was walking on the keyboard in the first version I put up. Lol. So, no, I'm not sending out secret codes.

End of The Season

Halloween has come and gone which means only one thing... The manual labor is just beginning. Yes. It is time to do inventory and tear down the store. On the bright side it means that I don't have to deal with pesky customers who want to return things that have obvious alcohol stains, and the occasional cigarette burn. It also means that small children will no longer  be breaking merchandise in the store. And for all this, I am thankful.

Originally when I started my job for the season, I thought that I would probably be gone by the time December came around. In fact, we thought that for almost a year, but soon after receiving my promotion, I learned that we were very wrong. Not only will it not be December, but it might not even be this year anymore. -.- Grrr... Hopefully we will be out by the summer, and we can (FINALLY!) buy a house and settle in.

These last two years living in the wonderful (*cough, cough*) state of California have been very trying. Although my new job added to us moving into a much better apartment have helped tremendously. I've gained a few life experiences, and I'm glad for the friends that I have made, but now it's time to go home and not have allergies or deal with people who don't understand how to merge. Also, I don't like having my husband ripped away from me and having to approve every where we go.

That being said, we're looking at houses to get ideas on where to live. We're super excited by what we're finding! There seems to be tons of houses in our price range that we like, and can agree on. YAY! Plus we will be closer to family!

What are you excited about?

-PrepperKat