I survived Siberia...

Well, I am pleased to announce that I still have 10 toes and 10 fingers despite conditions like this:

and this:

The kitties, and Krag, are very excited to have me home and I am very excited about 75-degree weather. Small trips like this help remind me why I choose Arizona.

In Arizona, when Mapquest says it will take you 20 minutes to get some where, it takes you 20 minutes. In Michigan in January, however, a 20 min Mapquest trip will take you 45 minutes plus the snow scraping from the car window, the car "pre-heat" program PLUS the time it takes you to personally bundle up in two jackets, one scarf, two glove liners, two gloves, and a hat. Just talking about it takes five minutes.

Waiting for Kim...The Cats Miss You!

I got in late last night from our frigid trip to Michigan...Yep, I had to work on Martin Luther King Day and Kim didn't (not fair!), so I am waiting for Kim's flight to come in so I can get her at the airport.

Though the cats were grateful to have a warm body at home last night, it was apparent their elatedness was dampered a bit by the "other half" not being there, too. And I have to admit, I totally AGREE with them!

The cats and I kept each other company and we played on of all the places that Kim doesn't let them up on, but the house isn't the same without Kim.

Since there were no hypothermia amputations (to my knowledge), it should be a nice relaxing night recovering from a busy, fun-filled weekend.

Here's Kahlua waiting for Kim in one of the many boxes that have come through the house since wedding shower presents have started arriving...

Call Me Crazy...

Well.....if anyone has been watching the weather lately, you will have noticed an Arctic Chill covering much of the midwest. Michigan, in particular, has been setting record lows.

And for some CRAZY reason, Krag and I have decided to visit this frozen tundra! We live in Phoenix...and I'm pretty sure my limbs fall off and I die when it drops below 50 degrees. My uncle said it is supposed to warm up soon, like 8 degrees above zero.....awesome.

I apologize in advance if frostbite gets me and I can write no more blogs. Otherwise, if either of us still has 10 fingers, we will be writing again on Monday.

Oh, and don't forget to vote for your charity in our last post (the save-kim's-frozen-toes foundation is totally fair game)!

Charity Contest - Help us choose the first charity for 2009

After a bit of dicussion, we decided to make January's charitable donation (keeping with our goals for 2009) to one of YOUR charities, in the spirit of doing something new and different to bring in the new year.

So here's how it will work. We both have a reason for choosing the charity we have, which you will read below. We want you to do the same thing. Let us know which charity you would like to see a donation go to and WHY in the comments section of this post (please keep it about a paragraph or two) and at the end of January, we will choose our favorite and donate $50 to that charity...and receive all of their mailings for the next 52 years. ;-)

Because we want as many entries as possible, let your friends and family know what we are doing and have them post as well. The more participation, the more others can read all the stories, and the more impact we will all be having. Thanks ahead of time, because I know these stories can get personal and emotional. Ours are, for sure.

Krag's Charity: ALSA (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association)

ALS is better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease and if you know or have known someone afflicted by this disease, then you will be be able to relate to my experience. My grandfather found out he had ALS late in his 70's and slowly, but surely, he got progressively worse. First, it was his legs and he needed a cane...then, his arms stopped working...it spread to the rest of his voluntary muscles and he became bedridden...next his vocal chords left him and he had to blink 'yes' and 'no'...

At this point, I was 13 and when I went to visit him, I could see the pain in his eyes...Not the physical pain, but the emotional pain because he could not hug his grandson or tell his grandson how proud he was or that he loved him. All I saw as I stood next to his bed were tears slowly going down his cheeks. He could not move, talk, and could hardly breath, but his mind was as active as it was when he was 50. If there's a Hell, ALS is it. There is no known cause and no cure. That is why I give to ALSA in memory of my grandfather. I love him and miss him and will always remember him.

Kim's Charity: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Like Krag, I chose the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society from personal experience. When I was a junior in high school, my grandmother was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Helen was such an amazing woman that even after radiation and chemotherapy, she never stopped smiling (and this is how I will always remember her: smiling). Supporting this foundation not only keeps my grandmother in my thoughts but also helps save other people from suffering the same way she did.

She was not expected to live through my senior year. When she learned I was going to be high school valedictorian and speaking for my graduating class, she decided she had to fight harder to stay longer. She made it to my graduation, which meant more to me than she ever knew. Within the month, she passed. She fought for me, so I hope my contributions can help continue the fight for her and all those affected by lymphoma.

People Who Are the Opposite of Einstein - 1st Edition

I put 1st edition in the title because I have a feeling this won't be the last one of these we throw up here. Part of my 2009 goals is to practice better patience and it helps to write about these kinds of people...Wow, the blog is already helping us achieve our goals!

People who drive aggressively or ignorantly with young children in their vehicle are the opposite of Einstein.

I do not have kids yet, but I will someday, and when I picture the beauty that will be my child, I cannot EVER imagine putting them in danger like some people do when they drive. For gooodness sakes, I drive below the speed limit when I'm taking my CATS to the vet (though if you've seen some of my other posts, I guess that's not too surprising).

But what I saw yesterday goes way past driving like an idiot. I saw a woman driving a giant van, talking on her cellphone. Okay, we all talk on our cellphone while driving sometimes, so not too out of the ordinary, but here's where it all goes wrong: there was someone in the passenger seat, someone in the seat behind the driver, someone in the captain's chair behind the front-passenger, and a 5 year-old girl STANDING UP in between the four seats!

Einstein that woman is not...

Irony: Life is Full of it

I have a rule (that Kim doesn't follow, of course): if you go to the pet store for any reason, you MUST buy a cat toy. That said, I'm thinking twice about my rule.

Kahlua's favorite Turtle keychain - $2.99

Mr. Fuzzy Squirrel - $3.99
Both cats' favorite Santa Mouse - $2.99
Bailey's favorite Mr. Pig - $2.99

Mortimer Mouse - $3.99

Mr. Lobster - $1.99

Fuzzy Duck - $1.99

Catnip Stick - Pack of 5 $4.99

Giant Bee - $4.99

Piece of string from throw blanket - FREE

In which of these pictures is the cat playing with the toy?

That, my friends, is irony.

Krag, Curry, and a Crock-pot

Krag and I have really enjoyed the crock-pot because we prepare it early and have a tasty dinner by the time we get home from work. Yesterday, Krag experimented with his first curry crock-pot dish (I was skeptical...).

I introduced Krag to Thai food, curry in particular, a few months ago and much to his surprise, he really enjoyed it. Since then, we have gone out several times for Thai food. With our 2009 goals of eating more at home, we decided it was time to test our own curry abilities.

Here is the recipe we used. Instead of curry powder, Krag used a curry sauce mixture packet and it turned out perfectly. Oh, and we left out the peas...I don’t like cooked peas…yuck.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium apple, chopped
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 cups MINUTE White Rice, uncooked

PLACE chicken in slow cooker; top with onion. ADD potatoes, apple, curry powder and broth; cover with lid. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours). STIR in peas and rice. Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

My Final Rating: 5 out of 5 Cat Toys

Correction - Family Room

Hi, Krag here again.

So, last night I found out that the mess in the background of the picture in my last post is actually the family room. Paraphrased a bit, this is about how the conversation went when Kim got home from getting her nails done:

Kim: Why isn't the family room picked up?
Krag: The what?
Kim: The family room.
Krag: I thought this was the living room.
Kim: No, that's the living room (Kim points towards the dining room).
Krag: That's the dining room.
Kim: No, next to the dining room.
Krag: Oh, I thought that was the great room.
Kim: No, the dining room and living room together make the great room.
Krag: Oh.
::Pause::
::Pause::
Kim: So, you never answered my question.
Krag: What question?
Kim: Why isn't the family room picked up?
Krag: Oh, I thought you were talking to the cats.

I have a feeling this is going to be a long, happy marriage.

Sugar and Spice and Puppy Dog Tails

Hi, it's Krag!

Just sitting here thinking about how stereotypical Kim and I are being right now. At this very moment, she is getting her nails done while I am on the couch watching football. Could we be any more cliche?

In fact, even our cats are sticking to their stereotypes, both sleeping soundly (and have been for quite awhile).

Included is a quick picture of the sleeping felines. The gray one in the foreground is Bailey and the tannish-brown one barely visible in the background is Kahlua (I would have gotten a better picture, but you see those feet on the left side of the picture...yeah...those are mine and there are rules about waking sleeping lions). Oh, and we're not alcoholics, we just like those names (yeah, right).

Oh, and just ignore the mess in the background...Kim said something about picking up the living room as she went out to run errands, but I can't remember the exact words, so I'm assuming she was talking to the cats.

Achieving my goals AND eating Kung Pao chicken!

Kim here and it's Friday! Woo hoo!

So how did I do in sticking with my 2009 goals this week? Well, I started the week out right...I ate breakfast every morning and had salads every day for lunch. While I finished out the week with eating breakfast every day, today’s lunch is slightly off par. I should have packed a lunch, but snuggling in bed sounded like so much more fun.

Normally, when I'm at work I have short lunches, so a quick salad or sandwich is usually best. Today, however, I have an extended two-hour lunch, so I decided to go out. While I could have driven to Sweet Tomatoes or a salad bar, I found myself with a craving for Chinese food. Since Krag and I have started the healthy weight loss kick, we haven’t eaten out much, so today I am treating myself to Kung Pao chicken…and maybe a few wontons…maybe.

After a lot of healthy eating and a good amount of weight loss, I’ve decided you have to a cheat a little every now and then to maintain that healthy weight. Otherwise, if you constantly deny a small craving, it will blow up and you could binge on something, making it a whole lot worse than if you had indulged just a tiny bit to satisfy the craving.

Krag and I first started our weight loss because we wanted to look great for the wedding (those pictures follow you around for a lifetime) and the honeymoon (beaches...need I say more). At the same time, we didn’t want to be stick figures either, so we calculated our healthy weight and BMI index (no, not on our own...I don't want to do math if I don't have to). This website has a very easy and very quick BMI calculator and best of all, you don't have to sign up for anything, deal with any ads, or give up your e-mail address....You put in some figures and you see where you're at.

We were surprised at how much you can lose by watching what you eat, how you eat, and when you eat. For the longest time I thought exercise was the only way to knock off the extra pounds, but we have lost almost 20 lbs each with healthy food and vitamin choices.

So, for today, I will eat some Kung Pao chicken, but more vegetables than rice and eat a smaller, healthier portion. Its all about checks and balances.

Ksquared's Goals for 2009 - Health, Finance, and Personal Growth

Though this list will most definitely be amended along the way, below are our initial goals, broken into three main categories: health, finance, and personal growth.

HEALTH

• As we both have lost almost 20 lbs. in the last 3 months, our goal is to maintain our current healthy weight
• According to Kim, I have a cholesterol issue, and since my doctor agrees (as of last November), one of our goals is to bring down my bad cholesterol and increase my good cholesterol (FYI...I have an appointment in the next two weeks to get reevaluated)
• Eat a healthy home-cooked meal (together) at least five nights a week
• Maintain and improve current health through good nutrition, a healthy vitamin regimen, and exercise
• Find a fun, recreational activity that we can do together that will promote fitness and do it as often as possible (like HIKING, people)

FINANCE

• Have the wedding paid off by the end of 2009
• Increase household income by at least 50%
• Continue to pay off credit cards in full every month
• Save at least $400 every month
• Donate at least 1% of all income to charity of choice*
• Be generating at least $500 a month in passive income by the end of 2009

PERSONAL GROWTH

• Krag - Further myself in learning Spanish
• Kim - Spend at least one day a month with good friends
• Krag - Maintain patience (especially while driving)
• Kim - Obtain upward mobility within my career
• Ksquared - Continue to communicate openly and honestly
• Ksquared - Keep house clean and free of clutter
• Ksquared - Recycle more, waste less, and increase our focus on Earth-friendly choices
• Ksquared - Love one another deeply, with passion, with full faith and trust, and with no doubts or regrets

*Charity of choice for Kim is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
*Charity of choice for Krag is the ALSA (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association)