Back At It

The view from Tenderfoot Trail

Where to begin? It's been a while. A lot has happened in the past few weeks, and I guess, truly it's been over a month. Uff da. Well, let's see if I can catch you up to speed.

The first thing that happened is that my poor little Mini crashed. Hard drive kaput. Which is why I've had the blogging hiatus. We attempted to fix the little booger, then got busy, and well, it's still in the closet waiting to be fixed while I'm typing away on my new bigger, better, faster laptop.

While the computer was crashed we packed up and moved our meager belongings to our little house in the woods. It's wonderful. Peaceful, serene and more than just a little bit freaky. But we all love it. And I'm getting used to the howling dogs, the pitch blackness, and the presence of animals in the woods. I'm a fraidy cat. Haven't you figured that out by now? Hmph.

After we moved and got slightly settled we hit the trails in search of playtime. What a wonderful place we live in. There are new places to explore for years to come. Friends of ours were anxious to ride the Tenderfoot trail, so we decided to go along. I was reluctant, but willing to ride about anywhere. If I had only known, I would have been loaded up and ready to go hours in advance.

Tenderfoot is a nice leisurely trail. It has some straight ups which inevitably lead to some straight downs, but it's fantastic. We found the resting spot below where we stopped to stretch our legs, let the pooches run and be free, and watched a bald eagle swoop and perch on the tips of the trees.

After we left our part-way-there resting spot we continued upwards and onwards. We came to a grassy knoll on the side of the mountain that was perfect, and as far on the path as we were going to go. We parked and perched to eat our ham salad sandwiches, and munch on freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies, as we took in a view that was more phenomenal than the last.

Being warmed by the afternoon sun, we laid on the knoll and napped, visited and some of us even picked a few late season blueberries. It was a nice relaxing afternoon ride. When the berries were picked, and the sleep was rubbed from the guys' eyes we continued back down for some exploration and sight seeing.

On the way down we stopped at an old cabin. It was really just a shell of a cabin, most likely an old trappers cabin, or so I've been told. It has some beautiful tin work in it, but it was seriously lacking. It lacked a roof, and chinking, and windows, and a floor, unless you count the heavily weeded forest floor. I really don't think it was the place for us.

As we continued along, we stumbled upon an old mine site. From what we hear it's not that old at all, but the abandoned equipment says that it's been around for a long time. We came across this crane, and an old trailer home. I cannot even imagine living up in the wilds of Alaska in a trailer. These people are tough cookies up here! But it seems they lived happily and heartily until a few years ago.

When we reached the bottom we found our way back to a friends place near the trail. When we stopped to park the ATV's, now trailered and ready to hit for home, we stumbled upon these beauties. Aren't they magnificent? And surreal? They look like they're straight out of Alice in Wonderland. There were about a half dozen of them, in various shades of orange, some in the perfect domed shape, and others that had flattened themselves out like an over-extended umbrella.

The following weekend we headed off to Valdez, Alaska to do a little salmon fishing. Silver salmon to be exact. It was a cool and misty morning, not to mention dark, as headed off to the south in search of fish, fish and more fish.

As the sun came up we caught the above view of Summit Lake. This is the first time we've been by it without ice on it. It is a huge lake that seems to go on forever, especially when you're hurling yourself through the mist and darkness around the curves and dips and winding roads that follow along the banks, most often without guard rails. Another example of how Alaskans are much tougher than I!

This was our first trip to Valdez. If I had only known, I likely would have taken a week off of work to just explore. I've heard, from the natives, that you'll either love it or hate it. I, for one, LOVED IT. The entire day it dripped or misted, and moisture hung in the air. It was wonderful. You could smell the salt in the air. The views were magnificent, my only wish is that I had had more time.

We started the day with breakfast at the Totem Inn. They have a wonderful atmosphere, keeping true to their Alaskan ways. We were fortunate to be seated closest to a huge black bear, dead and under glass, of course. We enjoyed a tasty, and inexpensive breakfast of eggs, american fries, and reindeer sausage.

When we were full we headed to the parking lot to check out the produce truck that was advertising fresh peaches. Since produce in Alaska, especially Central Alaska, can be tempermental, I was eager to see what this produce aisle on wheels had in store for me. We bought delicious Anaheim and Jalapeno peppers, a huge Acorn squash and a bundle of those previously advertised peaches. They were juicy and sweet, and they're in my freezer waiting for just the right day to be made into a sweet, flaky peach pie.

Since we had time to kill before our boat would leave, we explored the city of Valdez. We bought tickets for the salmon derby. You can buy a ticket to be entered, in the instance that you catch a monster halibut, or in our case, salmon. We shopped, and wandered the piers, just taking in the marina, the sights, the sounds and the smells.

At promptly 1 p.m. we boarded the English Maiden and set out to catch silvers. We trolled and trolled and trolled, and trolled some more. We didn't have a single nibble for about the first two hours.

We paced the entire length of the Sound, or so it seemed, and even caught a glimpse of this pretty little creature. She was trolling for fish as well. She put on quite the show, swimming, diving and surfacing amongst the boats that were vying for the salmon that she so desired.



Once the games began, we pulled in fish after fish. The mist came heavier and we hooked the fish quicker and quicker. It was fun, and messy, but most important of all, fun.

Here is the catch of the day! 19 Silver Salmon with the largest weighing in at just over 15 pounds. Our limit, for the 4 of us, was 24, so we didn't come up too short on the day. In the end we walked away with 42 pounds of salmon per family. Not too shabby. Next time I'm hoping to stay and play more. But it was a beautiful trip and I am anxious to do it again, next summer.

Autumn has most definitely come to Central Alaska. With each season I solemnly vow that it is my favorite season in the Last Frontier. Winter is bone-chilling cold, but crisp and serene. Everything covered in angel dust and the sky that shifts and moves with the Aurora's. Spring is messy, muddy and alive. The trees are budding, the grass greens, seemingly over night, and the days grow longer in leaps and bounds. Summer brings wildflowers in every hue of the rainbow. There are baby animals and the sun never sleeps. It is hot and dry, with cool summer breezes to take the heat away. And then there's autumn. It is a riot of color. Everywhere you look there are shades of yellows, reds and greens. You can smell the leaves turning, the fireweed fuzzes out and fills the air with wisps of white cottony seeds. Autumn in Alaska is magnificent.

These blueberry bushes have born their fruit and their leaves have turned a crimson shade. They coat the forest floor, and the contrast of the red against the blue-green of the spruce trees is beautiful.

Anywhere and everywhere the plants grow, they also change. This rock is covered in maroon and gold, and reminds to cheer on our home state team...GO GOLDEN GOPHERS!!!

Prairie grasses in shades of red and orange. Against the crispy white mountain backdrop, it is hard to imagine a more wonderful sight.

It's hunting season in Alaska. And despite the threat to his health this brazen bull took a walk on the wild side hear Meadows Road. Isn't he magnificent? Brent told me I couldn't give his exact location, as he'll be on the hunt for Mr. Bull next year. He is not hunting moose this year as we are still on non-resident status. I have to say that I am disappointed. We recently had our first taste of moose, and it's delicious. This from the squeamish, not-so-fond-of-venison, picky eater. I am really looking forward to next year, and having moose in our freezer.

This is a view of Donnelly Dome in autumn. Since I have a photo of the Dome in every other season I had to get a picture of it in it's pre-winter glory.

Here is another beautiful beast! This guy is slightly smarter, and he technically lives in town. When his head was down and he was munching you couldn't even spot him amongst the grasses. As soon as he raised his head, his antlers gleamed in the fading sunlight. We just stopped and watched, and he was in no hurry to leave his buffet.

Darkness has come back to Alaska. I let Chessa girl out to pee before bedtime the other night and caught this view. I stood and looked at it for a while, wondering what on earth that light was. I didn't hear a helicopter, and it took me a minute before I realized it was the moon! It's been a while since I've seen the man in the moon.

We have been enjoying our peace and solitude. The last summer, early autumn, has been good to us, and we're trying to enjoy every last minute of it. These are the colorful poppies that grow along the long driveway that leads to our house.

This is our new home. The front windows let wonderful light into the living room. There is an entry door on either side of the house, and the kitchen is at the back. Once we get settled, completely settled, I'll give you a photo tour of the inside.

In between a very demanding work schedule, and an equally demanding play schedule, we (mostly Brent) have been busy cutting, cutting and cutting firewood for the long winter ahead. I highly doubt we'll feel even the slightest bit of cold this winter! I am fortunate in many ways. Fortunate that we live in such a beautiful place, blessed that we both have jobs that we love, and lucky to be married to a very hard-working man.

Phew, well, that gets us a little more current. I'll be back soon with more photos from this weekend. I'm sleepy... Have a happy day!

Settling In

This part will temporarily have to be documented sans photos. I'm all pictured out. Seriously. But soon enough when our home is beginning to look like a home, I'll post pics. With all the white it's hard to pick out the sky from the filed from the road.

We arrived in Delta Junction, AK about noon on Saturday. We filled out our lease, got our keys, dropped off Ches and some of our stuff and headed straight to Fairbanks. Well, straight isn't accurate, we headed DIRECTLY to Fairbanks.

It was a beautiful drive and the roads were good. I drove there to give Brent a little time to rest and relax. Immediately when we entered Fairbanks we encountered ice fog. It's thick and inpenetratable and really hard to see in. Add to that a new town, complete exhaustion and I experienced a total breakdown. I actually had to leave one store because it was absolutely so overwhelming. Folks, when I can't shop, you KNOW we have problems!! lol.

We managed to get groceries, and some necessities and then we managed to find our way out and home. We were exhausted. I think we both slept about 11 hours on Saturday night.

Sunday we laid around in pj's all day. I unpacked and thawed out our belongings. Brent hauled them to the porch and then I hauled them in and such from there. So far all we've lost in some nail polish, and I can handle that. Our dishes survived!! I thought we wouldn't have a single one left. I broke out the pots and pans a made a nice hot beef stew complete with homemade biscuits.

Today (Monday) we are hoping to hook up some phone, tv and internet. We need to switch over the electric, and then we're going to nap, nap, nap. It's warming up here in Alaska. DJ is -5 today. The rumor is tomorrow will reach 25 above!! Holy Buckets!!

We'll be back with pics and town information soon!!!
STAY WARM!!

We're Here!

Hello Everyone!

We've reached Alaska. We're spending the night inTok. We are happy to be here finally. We'll see our new home tomorrow, then a trip to Fairbanks for a bed and supplies.

The real experience begins

Before we even started out the most common phrase we heard was "what an experience". It has been a journey to the experience until now. I dare say that neither of us really knew what we were getting into. I dare say I would have sold or shipped everything and hopped a plane. The journey to Alaska has been emotional, but fairly easy, until today.

We left Dawson Creek, British Columbia at 9:15 a.m. just before sunrise. We had a nice, semi-leisurely morning. At breakfast Brent was chatting with a local on his way to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory who was putting chains on his truck. Brent decided that we didn't need to put ours on yet, but would if, or when, we needed them.

Two miles out of Dawson Creek we saw our first moose of the day. I, however, had not had enough caffeine yet, so I missed a great photo op despite the fact that my camera was literally in my hand. Grrrr.

Shortly before entering Fort St. John we crossed the bridge in the above photo. I normally am a good sport about heights, I don't like them, but if I feel safe I can handle it. I didn't feel safe. It could have something to do with the fact that the bridge seemed like it was 10 miles long, although in actuality it was only 1/2 mile long, I literally got nauseated. The picture does nothing to show the depth of the drop. Nothing.

Long gone are the nice flat roads that I was claiming to be "boring" just a couple days ago. The roads turned to true mountain roads as we entered the Northern Rockies of Canada early on in the day. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. But the roads are good in some spots, not so good in other spots. Slow going and smart driving was the name of today's game.



We stopped to give Ches a potty break at mile marker 148 on the Alaska Highway. As you can see it was named Suicide Hill at the time the road was put in. It received its name for being the most treacherous hill on the road. I'm really happy that they waited to tell us until we reached the top! In early days travelers received the warning "Prepare to meet they maker" before they headed to the top. Happily we made it up, and down, the hill without incident.

Later in the day as I took over driving the last 60 miles of the day we saw a HUGE moose. S/He lumbered across the road in front of us before trudging through the ditch, as s/he came to tree line s/he became panicked and started to trot before barging through the trees. It was a great sight and I hope we can share it with you all soon.

All in all it was pretty stressful day. Due to the altitude we traveled in and out of snow. A lot of powdery white stuff causing white out conditions for portions of the trip. Other parts we had sun, and we entered the ditch at one point. Luckily Brent was quick thinking and managed to get us out of the snow and out of the middle of the road just as a semi came barreling over the hills. It was scary enough to make me cry for a just a second.

Tonight we are relaxing in Fort Nelson, British Columbia. We checked in early and have been trying to relax despite a water issue. That seems to be corrected now so I'm hoping for a hot bath and a warm bed before we hit the real mountains tomorrow.

On a fun note we ran into a couple from Denver on their way to Anchorage. They're moving as well, and are driving because of their dog. I thought it was neat coincidence, and it's nice to know that there are fellow crazy people out there.

So, if you're the praying kind...please pray for continued safe travels for us. God is good.

Moose Row

Sorry Folks. No pictures tonight. I took a lot, but I can't get them to load. The wireless connection here in British Columbia is sketchy. So, I'll post for now, and update the photos later.

We left Saskatoon at 6:20 a.m. in the dark. Our goal for the day was Dawson Creek, British Columbia for a total miles of 687. The roads continued to be good today, and we even saw the sun for a great period of time. Sunrise was at 9:30 a.m.

The highlight of the morning was seeing a coyote outside of Edmonton. Edmonton, on the other hand, was a disappointment. The portion of the town we saw was dirty and old, and not well taken care of. A lot of industrial, just not at all what I was expecting. But it was good to see a larger town.

In Vegreville we stopped a wayside rest to give Ches a chance to take a potty break. There wasn't much there, but it was nice, and the giant egg was a bonus! Ches loved it, and we let her explore a little while Brent checked over the trailer and tires.

The afternoon brought us the Alaska Highway in Alberta. Moose Row is where the trip really got interesting. The sign of the day- which I didn't manage to get a photo of the sign- said "Preserve our wildlife and your life- please drive carefully".

Unfortunately the majority of the moose we saw were lying dead along the road. We did see one guy peaking out of the woods about 100 miles South of Grande Prairie, Alberta. It was beautiful day and we enjoyed the rolling hills and the spirally, skinny pine trees. We even reached a temp of 31 degrees ABOVE zero.

Just South of Dawson Creek, British Columbia we lost our light. The sun seems to set faster here. So the last 100 miles were driven in darkness. The roads got slippery as the temps plummeted to -4 degrees F. But all in all, it was a good day.

We're bedded down for the night at Dawson Creek, and plan to leave sometime tomorrow a.m. We probably won't leave at 6:30 a.m. again, but we'll head out before sunrise. The sunrise here is 10:30 a.m. with sunset hitting at about 5:45 p.m.

Gas continues to remain reasonable at approximately $3.00-3.25/gallon. Tomorrow our goal is to reach Fort Nelson, British Columbia. Hopefully the weather will hold off. The trip is only about 300 miles so it should be a much shorter day.

Happy Day!

And we're off...

We officially have 300+ miles behind us. But we've made that trek dozens of times before. Tomorrow the real adventure begins. I'm excited and NERVOUS. The past few days have been so busy that I've had nary a minute to have the reality of the situation set in. Until last night. Now I'm a constant mess. Not overly emotional, or anything semi-psychotic like that. But I'm always thinking about what could be, and I'm nervous which tends to make me bitchy. Yep, I said it. (Kyle- no comments.)

The unknown is very scary for me. Very. I'm a planner. Things in life work best for me when I can put them in perspective and make them make sense. That situation has rarely worked for me, but it's how I function best. The morning is likely to be tension filled. Because I get cranky. But I'm hoping that we pass through the border without incident. This is what I'm most nervous about. I mean really, it could take us hours to get across the border. Hours. Then what? That will screw up the whole plan. Ha! I've learned long ago to go with the flow, what else can we do?

So hopefully I'll be updating you from somewhere in Lloydminster tomorrow night. We'll see how far we get, what the weather holds for us, and if we make it the first leg of the journey without incident. Holy buckets. Could someone out there say a prayer? I'm thinking we could use one or two. WHAT WAS I THINKING? Ha!

"Til Tomorrow Sometime...

Stress, heartache and snow

They all have a little do to with the other. It really is crazy. We are really stressed these past few days. Between knowing that a daunting drive is ahead of us, or that everything we've known is behind us. It's stressful. On top of that Northern MN (where we're hiding for now) is slated to be hit with snow in rather large proportions. Great. Just great. But I'm sure this is not the worst that we will see, so we'll trudge forward, hoping for good roads and some peace.

It's been a fun, crazy, sad last few days. We rang in 2009 with two of my oldest friends. We had so much fun that I had a hard time recovering on Thursday. But the laughter and memories of old, and some new, will carry us along our journey. It's always nice to just be. A couple cocktails, some good and not-s0-good music, and a lot of road ahead. It was great.

Thursday brought more goodbyes. My older brother and his wife took their day off to come and say good bye. It was so nice of them to brave the snowy roads and winter weather. It was short, but sweet, and we're hoping they plan a trip to see us in Alaska.

Today was filled with more visitors. My younger brother, his girlfriend, and Hondo (his dog) came by to say Hi. Again another long drive on wintery roads, but I guess we should all be used to that by now. I managed to get out with Ches some and play in the snow. It was fun to just watch her run. I kept instructing her to "hunt 'em up" and hunt she did. I think the best thing she may have found was her ball, but she was happy.

And now, the anticipation, nervousness, excitement are all starting to set in. It's nearly 1 a.m. and I'm having a hard time finding sleep. It's quiet, so I decided to write and get it off my chest.

I will miss everyone. But I'm really going to miss my dad. We talked nearly every day, and while his advice is sometimes annoying, I will miss it, and him. I know with distance, long distance and the time change we won't talk as much. That's going to be tough.

Homeless

We finished packing up, and cleaning up around 7 p.m. last night. It was a long, exhausting day. However, it felt good to just be done. Ches took off for one last night of spoiling at Cindy & Rick's and we headed to Darryl & Audrae's for a little pampering of our own.

This morning we woke at the bright and early hour of 3:30, much to my dismay. It seems that Brent was particularly restless last night and glanced at the wrong clock that read 5:30. He woke me, and I was starting to get dressed when he realized his error. We did go back to bed, but sleep eluded us both until morning.

Darryl & Audrae came with to our house to help Brent with the trailer. I just don't like to show off my She-Ra strength that early in the morning. Chessa returned home from her sleepover, we packed up, said our good-byes and headed out on the road.

We had great roads until the Hutchinson area. The snow started to fall and the roads just weren't great. We took it slow and easy, assuming that this won't be the worst we see in the days/weeks to come. So we kept trucking. Luckily we managed to drive out the snow and roads North of Akeley, and the rest of the way was clear sailing.

I was supposed to have pics to show you, but I can't find my USB cable so I'll have to share them later. It's been a long day, and I'm wiped. I'm off to find a shower and a bed. Ches and Brent are happily snuggled.

Heart on a Platter...Coming Right Up

Did you know the words "But I don't want you to go" can physically tear your heart out and serve it to you on a platter? It can. Especially when issued by the cutest 3 year old I know. I have known her since long before she came to be laid in her mother's arms. I have loved her just as long.

Tonight I tucked her in, and she gave me the biggest bear hug ever, and a big ole sloppy kiss. It seems like a simple ritual, but it's a privilege. I read her a book, and we talked a little. I told her to take care of her baby brother and her mommy for me. We tucked, I put on her music, left the room, and as I came back, I whispered I love you. From the dark I heard "I love you, too. I think at that particular moment, my heart left my chest, and fell to my toes.

I will miss her. She is a very special girl, not because she can read the dictionary upside down, or recite Chaucer, though she is marvelously smart, but she's special for so many reasons. She loves, and laughs, and I love when she pulls open the door and hollers "Kahla's here!!!" It always makes my day. Always.

I'm sad that in time she may not remember me. But I remember the way her black hair laid like a thick wool cap on the day she was born, or how she loved to curl up on my chest and I could hold her for hours and kiss her head, or how she loved the Itsy Bitsy Spider sung over and over. I know she loves Polly Pockets and Noggin. She loves her baby brother, and her pink blankies. She's a little naughty and a lotta smart and sassy.

Savannah, I love you. I'll miss you. And your mommy and RJ too. :)

Good Byes

When we packed up and moved to Colorado in 2001 saying Good Bye was easy. I remember lying in bed, both of sleepless with anticipation. I would close my eyes and try to sleep, and then they'd pop open to find Brent looking at me as if to say "how can you sleep at a time like this"? The truth was, I couldn't. We jumped out of bed, threw our clothes into bags and stumbled down the steps to break the news to Brent's parents. I know they weren't happy with our decision, not because they were'nt happy for us, but just a little sad to see us go. But go we did. Without looking back.

This time is different. I have stronger bonds with those in my life. And this time the leaving is truly bittersweet. Being so far away will inevitably cause us to miss important events in our loved ones lives. I just hope we don't miss too many. We will certainly try to come for some, but all will not be possible.

Today we started our rounds of Good Byes. I think I'm still kind of numb to it all really. I don't think it's hit me. I truly don't feel as though it's good bye. It feels to me like I'll see them all at the next holiday or event, even though I know that's not true. The first event will take place on the day we are hoping to arrive in Delta Junction. That will hurt, for just a little while.

So we said good bye, and hugged our hugs, but it still doesn't feel real for me. Brent isn't saying much, though I suspect the Good Byes are just as hard for him. He usually keeps that kind of thing a little more to himself. I know it's affecting our loved ones too. It's hard for them to say good bye, and to watch us go. But we'll be back, at least to visit, and we have email, and phones, and texts, and blogs...

We love you. We'll miss you. Come and visit!

3 days and counting...

So, this is what I would look like if I were showered and wearing pearls. The fact is, I don't have time for a shower. I also don't have time for blogging, but I'm doing it anyway, to keep myself sane. Sanity is key. Tension is high, and stress is through the roof.

In days, yes, days we will be leaving our home. Sure, we'll get a short vacation at my parents for a few days, but we'll still be stressed out. It's the way our days go these days. I'm excited to be away from errands to run, and items to drop at Good Will, and this to do, and that to do. I'm really looking forward to just sitting on my bum, at least for one day.

However, today is not that day. So I need to go, and pack! The kitchen is nearly done. Only one little spice cabinet to eradicate. Then the freezer. However, since we're existing on frozen fabulousness the freezer won't be completely empty until Monday.

We had a great Christmas. What a great day to recharge and regroup. We managed to get some help in hauling a load to the storage unit, and hauling our chair and a cabinet to Brent's parents. Thank you Bryan and Loren! So, I'm off...to pack and plan and make some more phone calls.

'Til Later.

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

May you have a wonderful day filled with family and friends and peace.

Last night I went out for dinner with my husband. Well, that was rouse anyway. What I thought was dinner with him turned out to be a surprise party with my friends. It was so nice of those that came to take the time. It's such a busy time of year, and I know how hard it is to make time, so I appreciate it all the more. Thank you all! And thank you Shannon for planning it. I'd never had a surprise party thrown in my honor, so I was doubly appreciative.

Today is Christmas Eve. Brent is working today, of course. I have a busy day as well, though I have no right to complain as I'm having a massage this morning. Certainly doesn't compare with slaving. I also have to run to my old job and drop off some things, then home to sell more furniture (?), and wait for some of the sold stuff to be picked up. In between there I hope to get some true packing done for time is running out. Can you see the sands falling faster to the bottom? Eek.

Tonight we will go to Brent's parents for oyster stew. His family tradition. And then we'll all go to church together. There's no more appropriate place to be on Christmas than church. It's where it all started after all. So we will go, and listen, and celebrate, and sing, or mouth the words as Brent does. Ha!

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

I think I'll bury my head in a snow bank

By normal standards, today stunk. Truly, honestly just stunk. But "this too shall pass". So we charge forward. Ready to tackle whatever is thrown at us next. For about 30 minutes today I had a strong urge to just stick my head in the snow bank like this guy. I think he might have had the right idea. Put it in and wait for whatever comes next. The backside is the side those wishing to harm you are looking for anyway.

Let me be clear. No "one" hurt me. But sometimes I think God has a lot of fun seeing what obstacles he can put in our way. Watching us jump, sprawl, crawl or just sit down and bawl. Today, I almost sat down and bawled, but I didn't. I'm fortunate, I have a very snarky hubby. He called me to tell me that he forgot about a little money he had put away. He informed me that it's 62 million and it's sitting safely in his wallet. I could use a little windfall, and I certainly don't need 62 mil. I wouldn't turn it down though.

Brent lost his wedding ring somewhere in the hoopla. Seeing that he has no time to buy boots, that also means he has no time to buy a new ring. That lucky bastard is single again. Why didn't I think of that? Sheesh.

In all seriousness things will go. I'm sure we'll have a few more challenges along the way, but I'm expecting them to all be minor now. Goodness, let's hope so.

Only 2 days to go until Christmas. I scheduled myself a wonderful gift. A full hour massage. Why not? Life's short.

Tomorrow is a new day, and incidentally it begins in 14 minutes. It will be better.

Later.

A place to call home

This is our new home. They are situated on a farm, about 6 miles North of the town of Delta Junction. I found it on a whim. And I couldn't be more thankful. Our new landlords sound great. Just great. And I'm very much looking forward to meeting them upon arrival in Delta. We've put down our deposit and we'll see what everything else brings when we get there. YIKES!




Above is a pic of the kitchen/living area. The unit is small. It's a duplex. But it's new, and efficient and it has indoor plumbing, which is a bonus if you ask me! It's 2 bedrooms, and we should have plenty of room for guests. I guess we'll see in time.

In other news we've managed to get a good portion of the house packed up. There is still much to do. MUCH. but I'm confident now that it will all be accomplished in time. On time. So, for all the positive things that are taking place despite the Southern Minnesota blizzard, I'm so happy. I'm jumping up and down...can you tell?

So, for now, I'm looking forward to making it ours. I will certainly have a lot of shopping to do! Have a very happy, merry, safe and warm Holiday!

Last Day

This Crazy Bunch

As you can see in the photo above, I work(ed) with a crazy bunch. See that Santa in the middle? He's the boss. You can use your imagination on his style of bossing. Ha! This crazy bunch sent me off with a top-rate going away party, complete with a big, unpackable gift. Huge. I cringed a little when I saw the box. Just a little. I thought- 19 totes and this is going to take up one whole tote! AWWWWWWWWW. I should have known. I should have...

My gift started out big, and got smaller in succession of um, 23 boxes. I swear. Me in the front of the entire room, with way too many pairs of eyes staring at my backside. (Although some would say it's my best side.) So I unwrapped, and unwrapped, and unwrapped, until my fingers bled, to find the nicest gift. Cash. Which is easily packed. It wasn't necessary, by any means, but it was greatly, GREATLY appreciated.

I left with such a warm send off, that I almost wanted to put back all the staplers and tape dispensers I made off with. Oh wait! I don't think I'm supposed to tell people that. Ha! No seriously, it almost made me want to take back my resignation. However, the commute is just too long. Too long. So, I bid farewell to the craziest, funniest, smart-assiest bunch in the land. And I'm sure some of them are cringeing about now at my spelling and grammar errors. They're probably going to go back and retract everything I've proofed in the last 6 months!

Thank you. Seriously, thank you. For making my stay sooooo much fun. And I can guarantee you won't like my replacement nearly as much as me. You're soooo gonna miss me.

Just Another Wednesday?

I never said all the parts of moving were easy. Some of them really suck. (Sorry Mom- I know you hate that word). Sometimes saying good-bye is really hard, even though you know you have to.

I'm a lucky girl. I've been blessed. It's true. I have a lot of great friends. Some are part of my daily life, others are in my thoughts a lot, and some others I see sporadically. All of them are important to me.

Shannon, the bride on the left, is a very close, dear friend. She knows she means a lot to me, well, at least I hope she does. But we're not the gushy, huggy type of friends. Though I think that in some ways we are huggy, gushy people, just not together. I know, it's weird.

Anyone that knows us, knows the story of how we met. I swore we'd never be friends, and ate my words. You see, we're different. In a lot of ways. She wears high heels and skirts to clean her windows, and I'm more of a tee shirt and flip flops girl. However, 4.5 years ago we fell into a fast and easy friendship.

As with most relationships we've had our ups and downs. We are strong-willed, opinionated, independant women. Of course we've had ups and downs. Along the way, our UPs have far surpassed our downs. We've laughed so hard we've cried, we've cried over baked potatoes at the mall, and we've wondered and conspired about the most intimate and special of secrets. With her I was free to feel pure joy and extreme sorrow.

Our relationship is probably mystifying and intimidating to some. We are fiercely loyal, and wildly different, yet synonomus. From the get go we preferred eachother's company to others. It was comfortable. At a certain neighborhood picnic one neighbor made the mistake of assuming we were "partners". I never wore those damn shoes again! In the early days on the loveseat side-by-side in the "nursery" to house to house to house to house to house. Did I get all the moves Shan? Ha!

We spent the majority of our time togerther. First every Thursday and Sunday, then nearly every night during a particularly hard time, then back to Wednesdays and Sundays. Which brings us to today. Today is Wednesday. Just a normal Wednesday to some. But for us, it was the last Wednesday. Next Wednesday is Christmas Eve, and we'll be in seperate cities spending the holiday with family. The following Wednesday I will be gone. Moved.

I cannot begin to explain the void I will feel without her (and Savannah and RJ) in my daily life. But I know, that we will stay close, as close as you can with 3000 miles between you. But we have email, and facebook, and phones, and letters. But ultimately our relationship will change. I will miss Wednesdays.

Step By Step

Everyday gets us closer to departure, and everyday I begin to get a little more excited and a little more freaked out. Luckily the excitement is starting to make headway on the freak outs.

We have found a potential subleaser for our property. Potential because I have to make sure he's legit, and also because we have to him okayed with the landlords. He's a geophysicist, from the UK. So potential, we'll see if it's legit. I'm certainly not counting my chickens before they hatch.

I also called on another rental. They don't want pets, and would require us to kennel Ches if we're not there, not gonna happen. So I think tomorrow I'll call the boarding house and see what they're weekly rates are, and then perhaps wait around for the February 1 opening at the tri-plex. The apartment, aforementioned, is for sale and would require a 4 month lease. Blech. But I'm not going to turn it down just in case. We'll see...

I'm putting together a moving sale for Saturday. I was going to do it the following weekend, but frankly I just want to be done. So, it's all up for sale, and I"m hoping that we get a lot of lookers. A lot. OF BUYERS. I just want the stuff gone. I'll sit on the floor. Really. Don't care. :) So, that's my week.

I didn't update yesterday because I had some oral surgery done. Tomorrow will hopefully bring more progress, and I have 7 days of work left. Count them, 7!! I have a lot to do in the days following them. Unfortunately.

Pray for my mom, she fell and broke her ankle today. She'll find out tomorrow if she needs surgery or not. Bummer.

Have a blessed day!

No More Negative Nelly

Well, it seems like I haven't really been giving any real information. I'm feeling the squeeze, and so is Brent. In an effort to keep us both sane, or semi-sane anyway, I'm taking over most of the moving stuff, and just helping him focus on his day to day.

So, I will admit that the stress is getting to me a little bit and I'm finding it hard to fit everything in. So, I've decided to make everything semi-easy on myself. I'm having one moving sale, on Saturday. Am I prepared? Um, at this moment no. But things will change and we'll make it work. I'm almost there, at the brink of having everything ready, or ready enough to go. I have a lot of work in the next couple days, but we're ready, set, go. I hope. Ha!

In addition, I'm having oral surgery tomorrow. Nothing major, but it does put a little kink in my timeline. So, that portion makes me nervous and my goal is to recover quickly and get my stuff together. I'll keep you posted on that.

In other good news we managed to get a head's up on a rental, two, in DJ that are available now, and so we'll see what we need to do, and if we're interested in those. The tri-plex isn't available until Feb. 1, so that's not totally out yet. I'm hoping it's as nice as it seems and I'm thinking we may still try to acquire that rental in February.

It's snowing. It's beautiful, and worrisome. But I'm taking the time to just enjoy the look and the feel of it, and if nothing else, it truly is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Spinning my Wheels

Well, our trip is certainly growing closer. Closer day by day. And I am officially in the FREAK out portion of the journey. Truly. Freaked. Out. Ugh. It seems like my time is running out quickly. It's the holidays, and I'm worried about everything. Do I have enough warm clothes? Will we find a place to live? Will we find someone to sublet our place? Is it even remotely possible to make everyone else happy without killing myself? The answer to that last question is a resounding NO. No, it is not. I simply do not have enough of anything to give. Not anymore.

I know in the end everything will come together. Things will truly be fine. But right now I'm going to take my freak out and run with it. Because it's my prerogative and I just need to. So, now I'm off to plan a freakin' moving sale.

Today I have a dentist appointment, tomorrow I have oral surgery. Then I'm done. With all of it. Oy. This moving crap is hard. I don't want to do it for quite a while. Ha! Wishful thinking.

Have a happy day!

Chugging along

Everyday, or evening, we get one more task accomplished. Last night I managed to clean out the closet in the second bedroom. Oy, I'm much more of a hoarder than I thought I was. However, now that it's all gone, gone, gone, I feel great. I threw out 2 HUGE bags of trash, sorted what to sell and what to keep, and now I just have to decide if the keep goes or stays in storage.

Still no place to live. I'm hoping we'll here very soon on something. Anything. I'll be calling more people and seeing what I can find. So, why don't you all just say a little prayer, and keep your fingers crossed. Ha!

This weekend is busy with activities, and with stuff to get accomplished. I'm hoping to get a lot more stuff cleaned out, off and packed. I plan on working like a dog. Or maybe a pack horse/mule would be better. :)

That's about it. I'll update again...soon... I hope.

Happy Day!