I hate the cold!

It happens sometimes. You go months and make beautiful, satisfying projects and then it happens. You hit a wall. You have knitters block. Maybe the yarn isn't right, maybe it is the pattern that is off. Whatever it is, you just can't manage to make anything work. That is happening to me right now. I am trying to make a sweater for my son, I have started it twice and frogged it twice. It is maddening. What is the cure for knitter's block? I don't know, but I have to make something soon that works right, that's not too boring, and that is quick.

Well, winter has not loosed its icy grip on Alaska yet. The sun shines brightly all day long, but still we are only about 25*. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We will be leaving here, to, YES, Montana. I think we will get out of here the last part of April. It will be warmer by then. The military came through, and we have been confirmed for Montana. My husband called his command and they are expecting us. Whoohoo!

Things are looking up!

March 24, 2006 will be my last day at this job that I love. But, no worries, I am ready to move on. I will be taking the kids out of their private school on that same day, and I will probably homeschool them for the rest of the school year. We have rented a lovely house, and I have finally talked my husband into letting me leave a little earlier. Thankfully, he will have to take care of all the moving arrangements.

I am just so happy!

Well, as of Monday my husband is in South Carolina at recruiting school. We are supposed to get orders next week. I am so excited. It looks like we are still set for Montana. I want to leave now, but I need to wait for some $$$$. We got the house that we wanted to rent. It's in the country, but still 10 min from town. Right now, I drive 15 min. to the nearest grocery store, 40 min to the kids' school, and 1hr and 15 min to work. I am tired of driving. So, I am really looking forward to Montana. The next 3 years are going to be great.

Not much going on in politics lately that I am interested in. The ports thing is semi-interesting.

I started classes recently to get my associates degree online. That is going to be interesting. I am going for an AA in Criminal Justice.

For heaven's sake it is the last day of Feb. Anywhere normal the sun would be shining, the snow would be melting. But not here, here it was -16*. This place is the opposite of hell. You would think that the opposite of hell would be good.  But it's not, it is even worse. God deliver me from this freezing hell!!!!

Okay, enough of the rant.

Not much happening on my front. We are still acting as though we are moving to Montana. That makes me feel good. My husband thinks they will work out the kinks and all will be well.

 

Our Alaska warm spell is over and it is back in the 20's. On the upside, the days are getting longer and it now gets light at about 8am, rather than 10am. That is a big improvement. Which spells a big improvement in my mood.

My husband and I are still struggling in our relationship. But I think we are making some headway. We finally decided that when the other does something upsetting to us that we need to remember that neither of us has the motive to be hurtful, and that we just misunderstand each other a lot. That way, instead of assumming the worst, we are giving each other the benefit of the doubt. I think that this attitude will help. Another thing that will help is that in a week he will be going to recruiting school. so we will have a chance to re-group separately for awhile.

All in all things are good. I am working on another felted purse. I finished my honey's felted slippers and he really liked them.

 

I know the military too well to have just taken their word, w/o written confirmation, that we were going to montana.

I got some news today that, for no explicable reason, recruiting headquarters cancelled all the recruiting assignments that had been made and promised. Well, I took the news with grace, what with my familiarity with the way the Army does things, there is really no other way to take it. Goodness knows, no amount of bellyaching I do will change one thing. So, they say they will go to bat for us, to try and make sure we still get Montana. We will see. As of right now, it is a wait and see game. I shouldn't complain. Practically anywhere will be better than here. Sometimes you just have to wait and see where the chips fall.

I had a great weekend. Took Friday off, and what with Monday being a holiday, it was a quite pleasant weekend. I wish they all could be that way. Actually, as much as I love my job, I really would prefer to be a stay-at-home mom. So, having no job prospects so far in MT may be a good thing. I am still acting as though we will be going to MT. I figure, until I know differently, for sure, might as well be optimistic.

I have the best news. I found out where we are moving. Montana. I am so excited. A place where there are 4 distinct seasons. I found a great private school for the kids, and have found 2 really good prospects for house rentals. I am just so pleased and excited.

I am trying a new trick. I know this comes so easy for some of you.

My latest project. We'll see if I get it done. Of course being fat, one size fits all does not really fit all and I will probably need to make it longer. And, hopefully, i won't look like i am wearing a tent.

Hooah! I got that link to work. I am sooooo talented.

I just read a comment on one of my blogs. It had to do with returning veterans and how, with as much as the military is doing for our vets, there are still so many problems.

This issue is at my front door.

I'm not sure what is going on with my husband, but we have been having a lot of problems since he has been home. Just yesterday we had a huge fight about nothing. It is so frustrating. I am starting to feel like a casualty of war. Of course, it is very hard to get a vet into counseling. Believe me, I have tried.

But it is not just him that changed. I changed too. I am more independent. I don't want to be told what to do all the time. I don't want to have to check in with him all the time. So, I have to work on that too.

I attended a reunion conference in Dec. and the VA did a presentation. He said that they have already seen homeless vets from this war. That is scary. That someone has so much trouble Re-integrating that they become homeless.

 

 

So an hour drive to work this morning took 2 and a half hours for my husband. Courtesy of the Alaska highway system, Alaska weather, and Alaska drivers. None of which are good. I guess the roads were a little slick.   And the visibilty was low. So instead of heading straight to work today, I went to get my nails done, and my toes, oh, and then I went and got my hair done. All of which was a lot more fun than sitting, nay, driving 2mph, in traffic. That's one of the oddities of Alaska traffic. It never stops, it just moves very slowly. I'd rather stop, at least that way I could get some knitting done.    No, I would never knit while driving.

I finished another hat last night. I decided that I could begin to mass-produce these. Anyone need a hat? Hee Hee.

As far as I am concerned it is a pretty slow day politacally.

Well, I made a rocking hat yesterday, but my scanner does not work, so I can't share it with you. It is charcoal grey with a light lavender pattern in it. I am going to make a mirror image hat as well. With a different pattern.

I'm still getting a chuckle from the whole Cindy Sheehan incident. Don't get me started on John Kerry, who this morning said that only 53% of our high school students graduate. I ask you, is he on drugs?

 

Hee Hee. Listening to the State of the Union Address, and I just heard that Cindy Sheehan was arrested for disorderly conduct earlier this evening. Apparently she was to have been a guest of a California senator. Hee Hee. I just can't get over it. Now she knows who is in charge. She can act like an idiot whenever she wants elsewhere, but not in this venue. Ha Ha.    

....of January. Which, in Alaska, is a very good thing. Jan. always has the worst weather (i.e. coldest), and it pretty much sucks. So, now, entering into Feb, it will begin to warm up, we will gain more daylight day after day, with some weeks gaining as much as 1/2 an hour. That adds up. I will begin to feel much better, have more energy, be more perky, and I won't be so sleepy all the time.

My honey promised me this weekend that this will be my last winter in AK. YES!!!!!!!!! I don't know if I could have survived another one. Now, we just have to figure out where we can move. You know, hurry up and wait. It is the miliary way.

As for knitting. I finished up the shawl that I was working on. It is very nice. I just need to block it. I started (and am almost finished with) a baby sweater for a pregnant friend at church. I am wanting to make myself a poncho, and I have been searching high and low to find the "perfect" one. That is a hard task, considering the time and money investment into such a project. So, next, a hat or two that I have been thinking about, and for which the yarn has been purchased.

My husband tried to tell me last night that I couldn't buy anymore yarn until he got the parts he needed to make a fishing rod he has been wanting. And I said, "Honey, to me knitting is like breathing, you can't take away my air!" Once again, logic and common sense have prevailed. Yea, no yarn restrictions. Phwew!

 I just heard a news story on NPR about soldiers marrying so that someone w/o health benefits can get benefits, and so that the soldier can get the extra money for housing because he now has dependents. Not for love, just to take advntage of the benefits. I just think this is so wrong. But, as they pointed out in the news story, the military can do nothing about it unless there are laws broken. They made light of the story like it was something cute, but, morally, this is soooo wrong. I think it is less wrong than giving same sex partners benefits, but wrong nevertheless.

I knew this was happening, but it still makes me mad. I think, if you would get married anyway, and you find out that your SO is leaving, and you get married before they go, well, that is one thing. But marrying for benefits alone???????

This morning it was -20 degrees at home. BRRR. Plus the high pressure gives me a giant headache. On the other hand it is nice and sunny.

Yesterday was a deeply depressing day for me. Found out that it will be some time before we will know where the military is sending us. It is scary because he is not really working now. And I am not sure I can make it another winter here. January is the worst, because it is the height if darkness, and compounded with the cold, it just gets me down.

But my husband sweetly romanced me last night, so I do feel better today. What a joy it is to have a great husband. We go at it together, even when things look dim. It makes me think of my favorite verse in Ecc 4:9-12:

 9 Two are better than one,
       because they have a good return for their work:

 10 If one falls down,
       his friend can help him up.
       But pity the man who falls
       and has no one to help him up!

 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
       But how can one keep warm alone?

 12 Though one may be overpowered,
       two can defend themselves.
       A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Anyway, that is a great verse to keep in mind when things go badly. I kept it in my head while my husband was in Iraq, and even though we were apart, I knew that we had each other and nothing would change that.

Well, my husband is finally home. And my friend is home too. So now I can go back to being a mom of only 3 kids instead of 5.

The weather has taken a turn toward the nasty. It is supposed to be -9* the next three days. I get sooooooo cranky when it is that cold.

And one more thing - John Kerry, would you please SHUT UP!

I love Friday!!!!!!! I am so exhausted. Thank goodness my husband comes home tomorrow. And my friend comes home Sunday evening, so I will go back to only 3 kids! I wish I could take a week off.

Last night, when I got home to my friends house, I was informed that one of the hamsters had gotten out of its cage and was loose. "Great," I thought, "I hope one of the dogs finds it and eats it." (This thought stemmed from the night I had to clean the cages and the whole thing fell apart and I was cussing before I finaly got the thing back together.) Later that evening I was sitting in bed watching TV, and I saw something moving on the floor. Sure enough, there was the dumb hampster. I went to pick it up and put it back in its cage, and the DAMNED thing bit me. TWICE! and drew blood. I am not being sacreligious calling it damned. I really want it to be damned! But, alas, it is not my hampster. If it were, it would be dead, believe me. I HATE RODENTS.

I know I always complain about the cold, but it's nice today. Of course the trade-off is snow, but I can live with that. It makes driving tricky, but I have 4 wheel drive.

I heard the tape from Osama BinLadin today. What a victory for us. He would only feel like offering us a truce if he thought he was losing. (Which he is.) Imagine! Yes, lets cooprate with AlQuida and rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan so that they can have free reign there to terrorize those poor people. NOT!!!!

This cold and darkness really gets me down. I never feel like I get enough sleep, no matter how long I sleep. I cannot wait until next week when we will supposedly find out where we can move. Please! Somewhere warm!!! I am so jealous that, not only is my husband in Hawaii, but my best friend is in Hawaii with her husband, too. AND I am taking care of her kids, which makes a total of 5 kids 10 and under. Now, THAT is a job!  I will be lucky if I survive this week with my wits intact.

On a happier note, I am knitting a beautiful shawl (for myself). I am using NORO yarn in such a beautiful shades. I think I need a couple more skeins, and at $25 a skein, that will be expensive. In the last few weeks I have completed a poncho for my daughter, and a little purse to match. I knitted a bag for myself, too. I feel so productive. It comes from knitting during every possible free moment. I have even considered knitting at stoplights. NO, I won't do it! You don't have to flee from the roads!

I am going to take this time to rant about the cold. Of course, this is normal for January. Just one more reson that I hate it here. I had to plug in the car last night. Do you know that there are people who don't even know what "plugging your car in" is? I want to live where they live.

Good news, my honey got a job as an AGR recruiter. So, with any luck, we will be relocating soon. We should find out in about 2 weeks.

I had a heck of a week last week. My sweet dog (she's a pug/terrier) got attacked by a husky on Sunday. She is okay now.  But it was fun to baby her, and be a dog mom. I even brought her to work with me yesterday. She is better behaved than the kids.

 

Have you heard about the Navy Chaplain that is on a hunger strike? I agree with the statement he is trying to make, but starving yourself? What is that about?

One thing that I know about the military is that he will not get the response he wants by doing that.

 

Okay, now i am mad. Something erased all that i had written. Oh well, no great loss to humanity.

I was just chatting about my weekend, which was great. I think we all need more 3-day weekends.

I am jealous of my honey, who is going to Hawaii for "Warrior Leadership Training". Now, I wouldn't want to go through the training, but I would love to get back to Hawaii. I have never been so happy in my life, as I was those 11 days in Hawaii. That sun is really good for you!