...months ago today we returned. Did it make sense? Was it a good idea? Should we have done it in the first place? Those questions go through my mind nearly every day.
There are times, like yesterday, when it seems clearer. The days when we are surrounded by family, the people from whom we were separated by distance and time for nearly the whole year. The days when I can look at the Christmas tree that we went with Alice to pick out. The days when Alice wanders into her playroom, and the fact that we have the space and the good fortune to provide her that room (she has already drawn on the walls!).
But there are so many days, when I wonder why we left, wonder what is happening with those that we left behind, wonder what the point of the last eight or nine hours was...wonder why we are here.
As summer went on, we started scheduling a "date night," where Alice would stay with a babysitter, while we went out for a few hours. It quickly became the time when we would take care of things that were really hard to do with her around. Appliance shopping. Car shopping. All of the things that we actually now had to contend with as a practical matter.
Toward summer's end, our focus shifted. We began to search for a home. A place to be. Something permanent. Something that we didn't have in our old cycle of four months here, two months there. A place where Alice could grow up, a place where she could bring her friends, a place where we could gather our large and strange (in a good way!) family. A place of our own...
Friday, December 26, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
The Story Continues...
My mood was testy as we left behind our totes in the garage and headed for the freeways of Chicago on the morning of Memorial Day. Traffic was, fortunately, light, and we headed east and, ultimately, north to the state of Michigan.
We were heading to Cadillac, where we had traditionally spent our summers during our time in Alaska. The previous summer, however, we had sold our house to the friends that were renting it from us, because we were not moving back to Michigan. My wife's mother and stepdad had moved to Alabama, and we were going to try to spend some time in both places in summers to come.
One summer's experiment with that and an infant convinced us that we were going to have more of a stationary base of operations, so we rented a house in Traverse City, one of the finest places that one could hope to recreate in. Two months off, two blocks away from Grand Traverse Bay. What a fine plan!
And we had knocked it off the table. I was lucky that someone had rented the place for July, so we got that month's deposit back. I was not so lucky for June. Coming back here involved a lot of trade-offs like that. Less income, different benefits, less time off. On the other hand, real weekends off, more opportunities for Alice to do new things, and convenient stores with reasonable prices easily accessible if we needed supplies.
We spent the first week at my wife's aunt's house, and driving around getting some furniture into the apartment that we had rented. We also got about the business of finding all the stuff that we has stashed around here in various locations. The apartment actually had a basement, so that we had some real storage available without renting a storage locker any more. A week of laundromats convinced us to buy a washer and dryer.
Gradually, we began to settle into life back here. We took Alice to the city park, where she learned that she loves splashing water from a fountain. We enjoyed concerts at the pavilion on Lake Cadillac, and began to explore businesses in town that had opened since we had left. We brought Val and Miranda, and showed them what real trees looked like. They got to see Lake Michigan and Mackinac Island, and some of the things that make this part of the world wonderful...
We were heading to Cadillac, where we had traditionally spent our summers during our time in Alaska. The previous summer, however, we had sold our house to the friends that were renting it from us, because we were not moving back to Michigan. My wife's mother and stepdad had moved to Alabama, and we were going to try to spend some time in both places in summers to come.
One summer's experiment with that and an infant convinced us that we were going to have more of a stationary base of operations, so we rented a house in Traverse City, one of the finest places that one could hope to recreate in. Two months off, two blocks away from Grand Traverse Bay. What a fine plan!
And we had knocked it off the table. I was lucky that someone had rented the place for July, so we got that month's deposit back. I was not so lucky for June. Coming back here involved a lot of trade-offs like that. Less income, different benefits, less time off. On the other hand, real weekends off, more opportunities for Alice to do new things, and convenient stores with reasonable prices easily accessible if we needed supplies.
We spent the first week at my wife's aunt's house, and driving around getting some furniture into the apartment that we had rented. We also got about the business of finding all the stuff that we has stashed around here in various locations. The apartment actually had a basement, so that we had some real storage available without renting a storage locker any more. A week of laundromats convinced us to buy a washer and dryer.
Gradually, we began to settle into life back here. We took Alice to the city park, where she learned that she loves splashing water from a fountain. We enjoyed concerts at the pavilion on Lake Cadillac, and began to explore businesses in town that had opened since we had left. We brought Val and Miranda, and showed them what real trees looked like. They got to see Lake Michigan and Mackinac Island, and some of the things that make this part of the world wonderful...
It's Been A Long Time...
It's been nearly seven months. I haven't had much to say. How do you sum up five years of your life succinctly? How can you even make sense of it all, let alone explain it to others? How do you convey the sense of unreality, the feeling that nothing is quite real, that it is all hazy and just a touch out of reach?
For anyone still wondering, we came back to Michigan on Memorial Day. We hit O'Hare Airport at about 8:30 in the morning, and began to sort out the mountain of stuff that we had managed to bring directly with us. My wife's aunt had brought our new Chevy Traverse up to one of the discount lots at the airport, and finding it was very easy. Big Red Chevy with Alaska plates.
Loading it was a little trickier, though. We put two dogs into the same kennel, and broke the other one down. Despite the cavernous space in the Traverse, we could not fit all of the totes that we had brought with us and the kennels. I ended up disgorging the contents of the totes into the back of the car, and leaving three out of four totes sitting next to the garbage can in the parking garage.
The days leading up to our departure were crazed and emotional. We sold everything that we did not take and just left the rest for the next residents of the building. We never did get postage on all 28 totes that we were shipping before we left. Our postmaster was kind enough to permit us to leave 21 of them in a very small building until we could get postage in the Lower 48 and ship it back to him. Our house was filled with people coming back and forth shopping our going out of business sale. Our friend Charlotte Larson was kind enough to come over and take Alice back to her house to play with her little girl, so that we could concentrate on packing and selling, packing and selling. Alice's babysitter, Valerie, and her cousin, Miranda, helped us every day, even though they knew that a painful parting was coming in a few days.
On Saturday night, we were invited to the house of some friends under a pretext. Because my wife was accosted by someone else wanting to do some shopping, I went over myself, with the idea that she would follow. I walked in to the house, and it seemed as if half the village was there. A beautiful going-away dinner, with words of thanks from all. A beautiful quilt that different hands joined to make. Many tears. Nice.
Sunday came, and we wrapped up what we could. Val and Miranda hauled our stuff in a trailer that they hitched to Val's dad's 4-wheeler. Off to the airport with Chelsea and Alice, and three dogs they went. Fortunately, Chelsea went back up to our apartment before she left and found the $800 in cash that I had forgotten there. Damn...I clearly wasn't thinking. I walked to the strip myself, and tipped my hat to one of my now former students who stopped on her 4-wheeler to say goodbye. Hugging Val and Miranda goodbye was as heartbreaking as you could imagine, and nothing that I try to describe will suffice. The plane was waiting as I walked up, so the parting was at least relatively brief. (Good news flash: they came to stay with us less than a month later, and ended up staying for 3 1/2 weeks.)
We had a last supper with our friends the Jungs in Bethel, and then boarded the Alaska Airlines jet in Bethel for the last time in our Alaska sojourn. We were leaving the life that we had known, and heading back to Michigan to see what kind of life we were going to find...
For anyone still wondering, we came back to Michigan on Memorial Day. We hit O'Hare Airport at about 8:30 in the morning, and began to sort out the mountain of stuff that we had managed to bring directly with us. My wife's aunt had brought our new Chevy Traverse up to one of the discount lots at the airport, and finding it was very easy. Big Red Chevy with Alaska plates.
Loading it was a little trickier, though. We put two dogs into the same kennel, and broke the other one down. Despite the cavernous space in the Traverse, we could not fit all of the totes that we had brought with us and the kennels. I ended up disgorging the contents of the totes into the back of the car, and leaving three out of four totes sitting next to the garbage can in the parking garage.
The days leading up to our departure were crazed and emotional. We sold everything that we did not take and just left the rest for the next residents of the building. We never did get postage on all 28 totes that we were shipping before we left. Our postmaster was kind enough to permit us to leave 21 of them in a very small building until we could get postage in the Lower 48 and ship it back to him. Our house was filled with people coming back and forth shopping our going out of business sale. Our friend Charlotte Larson was kind enough to come over and take Alice back to her house to play with her little girl, so that we could concentrate on packing and selling, packing and selling. Alice's babysitter, Valerie, and her cousin, Miranda, helped us every day, even though they knew that a painful parting was coming in a few days.
On Saturday night, we were invited to the house of some friends under a pretext. Because my wife was accosted by someone else wanting to do some shopping, I went over myself, with the idea that she would follow. I walked in to the house, and it seemed as if half the village was there. A beautiful going-away dinner, with words of thanks from all. A beautiful quilt that different hands joined to make. Many tears. Nice.
Sunday came, and we wrapped up what we could. Val and Miranda hauled our stuff in a trailer that they hitched to Val's dad's 4-wheeler. Off to the airport with Chelsea and Alice, and three dogs they went. Fortunately, Chelsea went back up to our apartment before she left and found the $800 in cash that I had forgotten there. Damn...I clearly wasn't thinking. I walked to the strip myself, and tipped my hat to one of my now former students who stopped on her 4-wheeler to say goodbye. Hugging Val and Miranda goodbye was as heartbreaking as you could imagine, and nothing that I try to describe will suffice. The plane was waiting as I walked up, so the parting was at least relatively brief. (Good news flash: they came to stay with us less than a month later, and ended up staying for 3 1/2 weeks.)
We had a last supper with our friends the Jungs in Bethel, and then boarded the Alaska Airlines jet in Bethel for the last time in our Alaska sojourn. We were leaving the life that we had known, and heading back to Michigan to see what kind of life we were going to find...
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
USPS-We Love 'Em
My poor wife is trying to negotiate the USPS website in order to purchase adequate postage for the packages that we are having to mail back to the Lower 48. The Postal Service is not our friend in this matter. They don't want our packages, in spite of the fact that they are the only way in which we can get these packages back to where they need to go. It is going to be more costly than we anticipated. We cannot buy stamps adequate to do the job, because they have to be mailed here. Perhaps more advance research was in order.
I am also treading water in the COBRA system. I need one month of coverage. Our insurer cannot get the packages out until Friday. Swell. And that is by email. Our coverage with the district ends the following week. We are in transit during at least part of that time. I just looove me dealing with some bureaucracy. And this one isn't governmental, which is the bugaboo that we are usually offered. This is the private sector at its inefficient best. I have worked in both arenas, and I would advise the reader not to be fooled by the rhetoric out there.
Moving sucks enough without extra stress.
I am also treading water in the COBRA system. I need one month of coverage. Our insurer cannot get the packages out until Friday. Swell. And that is by email. Our coverage with the district ends the following week. We are in transit during at least part of that time. I just looove me dealing with some bureaucracy. And this one isn't governmental, which is the bugaboo that we are usually offered. This is the private sector at its inefficient best. I have worked in both arenas, and I would advise the reader not to be fooled by the rhetoric out there.
Moving sucks enough without extra stress.
It Makes Sense, Somehow
The soundtrack this morning is the Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Session...music that takes me back a solid twenty years. Better descriptive powers than mine are needed to evoke the emotional chord that these songs strike for me. Perfect for a rainy, quiet, contemplative day. The weather is just a bit raw, and it seems perfect for our last day in this building. Lots of emotions to process.
Things in my classroom are mostly clean, and the records are updated, and the reimbursement requests are finished. I am waiting for a COBRA packet so that I may purchase insurance coverage for the month of June. I have to check out with our school secretary, our maintenance man, and the boss at last. I am in no hurry. Packing can wait. Neither of us are in a big hurry to end this, which poses the question of whether it makes sense in the first place. We have already done that to death.
We are starting to plan our activities and the things that we need to get done upon our return, which suggests to me that we are beginning to make the transition in our heads. I suspect that it is a process which has to happen in its own time.
Being posed in the middle of a change is always a strange feeling, and this one is just going to last a while longer. It can't be helped. But it will be all right, I believe. I might even be sublime, and great, and full of contentment and happiness...I like to believe that.
Things in my classroom are mostly clean, and the records are updated, and the reimbursement requests are finished. I am waiting for a COBRA packet so that I may purchase insurance coverage for the month of June. I have to check out with our school secretary, our maintenance man, and the boss at last. I am in no hurry. Packing can wait. Neither of us are in a big hurry to end this, which poses the question of whether it makes sense in the first place. We have already done that to death.
We are starting to plan our activities and the things that we need to get done upon our return, which suggests to me that we are beginning to make the transition in our heads. I suspect that it is a process which has to happen in its own time.
Being posed in the middle of a change is always a strange feeling, and this one is just going to last a while longer. It can't be helped. But it will be all right, I believe. I might even be sublime, and great, and full of contentment and happiness...I like to believe that.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
The Curfew Siren Sounds Later
It is summer here, now. The curfew siren goes off at 11, not 9 pm now. It has been going off for a couple of minutes now, actually. I will be glad when it stops, so it doesn't wake the baby.
We finished up today, and it went better than I think we feared it would. There was sentiment, and the principal gave us a nice little speech, and people clapped and a few tears were sniffled, but it wasn't bad overall. I think that there was just too much to get done for us to have the luxury of extended sadness. Our kids gave us a couple of big going away cards, so I need to scrounge up a cardboard tube to transport them back to Michigan in.
Tomorrow is a work day. I have a lot of the stuff on my list finished at this point. I suspect that I will not be around all day, but I am in no enormous hurry, so I am not going to sweat it. I shut off the alarm on my phone this morning, and I will be glad not to have to use it for a while.
Thursday will begin the big push to get packed and shipped. We have a few days here before we leave, and we can do some visiting, and maybe get a steam or two in before we leave.
A little wistful, a lot relaxed, and looking forward to the next part of our family adventure.
We finished up today, and it went better than I think we feared it would. There was sentiment, and the principal gave us a nice little speech, and people clapped and a few tears were sniffled, but it wasn't bad overall. I think that there was just too much to get done for us to have the luxury of extended sadness. Our kids gave us a couple of big going away cards, so I need to scrounge up a cardboard tube to transport them back to Michigan in.
Tomorrow is a work day. I have a lot of the stuff on my list finished at this point. I suspect that I will not be around all day, but I am in no enormous hurry, so I am not going to sweat it. I shut off the alarm on my phone this morning, and I will be glad not to have to use it for a while.
Thursday will begin the big push to get packed and shipped. We have a few days here before we leave, and we can do some visiting, and maybe get a steam or two in before we leave.
A little wistful, a lot relaxed, and looking forward to the next part of our family adventure.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Trash Day
They were busy and picked up lots of trash. That is done. Now, we do tomorrow's activities. Assembly and some prizes, followed by games and lunch. Send the kiddies home after lunch and clean up and do some grading. My fifth year here finished. My last, at least for now.
I like the kids in this room. They are reasonably ok, for goofballs. I don't know if they are my favorite group or not. They might be. I have some other favorites, and I know that you are not supposed to have them, but so much for that. I think, however, that this group as a whole is my favorite...I think.
Off to home, kid, and dogs.
I like the kids in this room. They are reasonably ok, for goofballs. I don't know if they are my favorite group or not. They might be. I have some other favorites, and I know that you are not supposed to have them, but so much for that. I think, however, that this group as a whole is my favorite...I think.
Off to home, kid, and dogs.
The Last Dance Begins
So we start the final week in our time here. Change is always a challenge, and especially so when mixed with conflicting emotions. Sadness, excitement, apprehension...so many and more, and often one succeeding the other.
It is impossible to write about some of the experiences that I have had here and the impact that they have had on everyone involved. The lessons I learned here myself were often difficult ones, and the feelings were often raw. Some of them still are. Some of them I will not discuss for reasons of privacy of those involved.
I will not understand all of this for a while, and then maybe not even then. We will see if it is possible to prove Wolfe wrong when he said that you can't go home. Maybe you can't. Maybe we will come back out here. Maybe it will be fantastic and joyful and everything our dreams are made of. Facing the unknown is spooky even if you are certain about the decisions that you have made, and more so if you still have doubts.
Today, we clean up. I plan to harness the activity and energy of my students to turn our classroom upside down and get it as clean as possible. In the afternoon, we have a trash pick-up drive that is mandated for 90 minutes. It comes at the end of the day, so we at least get to spend that much time outside. It looks to be a lovely day.
I had a conversation with one of my former students the other day, the first in several years. It showed me that we have done some good things out here. Maybe a fitting conclusion to our time here.
It is impossible to write about some of the experiences that I have had here and the impact that they have had on everyone involved. The lessons I learned here myself were often difficult ones, and the feelings were often raw. Some of them still are. Some of them I will not discuss for reasons of privacy of those involved.
I will not understand all of this for a while, and then maybe not even then. We will see if it is possible to prove Wolfe wrong when he said that you can't go home. Maybe you can't. Maybe we will come back out here. Maybe it will be fantastic and joyful and everything our dreams are made of. Facing the unknown is spooky even if you are certain about the decisions that you have made, and more so if you still have doubts.
Today, we clean up. I plan to harness the activity and energy of my students to turn our classroom upside down and get it as clean as possible. In the afternoon, we have a trash pick-up drive that is mandated for 90 minutes. It comes at the end of the day, so we at least get to spend that much time outside. It looks to be a lovely day.
I had a conversation with one of my former students the other day, the first in several years. It showed me that we have done some good things out here. Maybe a fitting conclusion to our time here.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Progress Comes Slowly
Packing continues slowly. Small humans can be a hindrance. We are one week out, and everything starts to count now. There are ten totes sitting at the post office awaiting postage, which will be purchased online. Some of the kitchen stuff which we are taking will get packed today. We are now using paper plates left over from the Alice/Daddy birthday feast that was held back in March. Some of out plates are packed, and more will be as soon as we scrounge up some more padding. Rumor has it that we can find some.
It is hard to mark progress in the middle of a mess, but it is unmistakable. We have relatively little time that will be taken up by school stuff this week, which makes things simpler as well. It will get done...
It is hard to mark progress in the middle of a mess, but it is unmistakable. We have relatively little time that will be taken up by school stuff this week, which makes things simpler as well. It will get done...
Friday, May 16, 2014
Friday, The Last
We have now moved towards the end of our time here. Next week consists of Monday and Tuesday only with students. Tuesday is a half day for them and we have the whole day to get things arranged up. Wednesday is a work day, but its length depends much upon how much we get done Monday and Tuesday.
My kids are done with their work, for the most part, and I am done with the grading, for the most part. I have some stuff to get finished, but I suspect today that we will spend most of our time playing with test scores.
We will focus heavily on packing and getting totes to the post office this weekend, and I suspect that there will be some more sales of household goods. My wife told me that isn't going to happen this weekend, though, because we still need to use a lot of that stuff.
We just had teacher appreciation day, which consisted of pizza, and a cake saying "thanks" to us and our Yup'ik teacher, who is retiring at the end of the year. I got my pin from the district honoring my five years of employment here. It kind of feels like a strange dream. It is hard to believe that all of this has happened so quickly. I wonder what the new adventure will be like.
My kids are done with their work, for the most part, and I am done with the grading, for the most part. I have some stuff to get finished, but I suspect today that we will spend most of our time playing with test scores.
We will focus heavily on packing and getting totes to the post office this weekend, and I suspect that there will be some more sales of household goods. My wife told me that isn't going to happen this weekend, though, because we still need to use a lot of that stuff.
We just had teacher appreciation day, which consisted of pizza, and a cake saying "thanks" to us and our Yup'ik teacher, who is retiring at the end of the year. I got my pin from the district honoring my five years of employment here. It kind of feels like a strange dream. It is hard to believe that all of this has happened so quickly. I wonder what the new adventure will be like.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
I THINK This Is The Last Test...
...maybe. We have reached the point in the testing madness that we will threaten you with endless retesting if we think that you are not REALLY TRYING HARD. Sounds like an incentive for positive behavior, eh? Of course, there are the occasional soreheads that I do not mind seeing on the rack, but my baser instincts might not be the soundest reason to do something.
Spring continues to creep in. The ice in the river is long gone. This was a very un-dramatic year here on the Kusko as far as breakup was concerned. That is a good thing. The one potential negative is that part of the reason for that was a very dry winter. That may not be such a good thing in the long run.
I think we now have it arranged to have our car brought into O'Hare airport, so that it is there when we arrive on the 26th. Many thanks to the generosity of my wife's aunt. We will be staying with another aunt when we first arrive, until we can get furniture delivered and the house at least partially set up. Hooray for aunties!
School ends one week from today. In fact, we dismiss kids at lunchtime, so technically we have less than a week to go at this point. We are both finding that the sadness of leaving is beginning to be balanced with the joy of being reunited with our families, who are all extremely happy that we will be sticking around at the end of the summer.
The glories of a Northern Michigan summer are beginning to call. I have always felt that it is the best place that I have ever been to during summer. Now, we will call it home, some of us again, and one of us for the first time.
Spring continues to creep in. The ice in the river is long gone. This was a very un-dramatic year here on the Kusko as far as breakup was concerned. That is a good thing. The one potential negative is that part of the reason for that was a very dry winter. That may not be such a good thing in the long run.
I think we now have it arranged to have our car brought into O'Hare airport, so that it is there when we arrive on the 26th. Many thanks to the generosity of my wife's aunt. We will be staying with another aunt when we first arrive, until we can get furniture delivered and the house at least partially set up. Hooray for aunties!
School ends one week from today. In fact, we dismiss kids at lunchtime, so technically we have less than a week to go at this point. We are both finding that the sadness of leaving is beginning to be balanced with the joy of being reunited with our families, who are all extremely happy that we will be sticking around at the end of the summer.
The glories of a Northern Michigan summer are beginning to call. I have always felt that it is the best place that I have ever been to during summer. Now, we will call it home, some of us again, and one of us for the first time.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
A Fine Day
I sold our Subaru today. It was a purchase that I was originally reluctant about, but it came in handy this year. It was a good little car, too, even if my junior high kids teased me about my junky old car. It wasn't junky. It ran well, only had 59,000 miles on it, and did everything that I wanted it to. It was really great on the glare ice that we had on the river this year, and it was nice to be able to take trips into Bethel to break up the monotony that can accompany village life.
I sold it to a nice couple from Michigan. I hope that they have the enjoyment from it that I did. It was just a little 4-banger with a 5-speed stick, but every time I successfully navigated the river in it, I liked it a little bit more. Godspeed to my little Bethel Beast.
I went over to Bethel at 10 and was back by about 1. The baby went to visit friends, and we worked on packing, house cleaning, and hauling totes to the post office. I got a text calling me to steam, and our 5th grade teacher and I went down to Joe's house. It was hot, and Joe started pouring right away. Ouch, but in a good way. Kevin, the 5th grade teacher, has his administrator's license, and has been offered the site administrator's post in Goodnews Bay. Longtime readers may recall that I went there in my first year for a district NYO tournament. It is a beautiful site, although it is kind of isolated. He will go out there this week to check it out.
At the steam house, he told a story about stalking moose with a camera in the streets of Anchorage that had all of us in stitches. The short version is basically that he had dumb luck in a couple of situations in which he could have had very bad luck. Kids nowadays.
We also found out this weekend that our neighbor will be taking a District Office job in Bethel next year. That brings the grand total of departures this year to five at site. We are going to coordinate resources over the next two weeks with her to make sure that we can get our stuff out of here, and still have something to eat off of.
Now, I have had a good steam, a good dinner, and the baby is home, bathed, and is headed (I hope) to bed. I would dearly love to follow. Tomorrow, we are having a sale. We will see how it goes. It was a very pleasant day.
I sold it to a nice couple from Michigan. I hope that they have the enjoyment from it that I did. It was just a little 4-banger with a 5-speed stick, but every time I successfully navigated the river in it, I liked it a little bit more. Godspeed to my little Bethel Beast.
I went over to Bethel at 10 and was back by about 1. The baby went to visit friends, and we worked on packing, house cleaning, and hauling totes to the post office. I got a text calling me to steam, and our 5th grade teacher and I went down to Joe's house. It was hot, and Joe started pouring right away. Ouch, but in a good way. Kevin, the 5th grade teacher, has his administrator's license, and has been offered the site administrator's post in Goodnews Bay. Longtime readers may recall that I went there in my first year for a district NYO tournament. It is a beautiful site, although it is kind of isolated. He will go out there this week to check it out.
At the steam house, he told a story about stalking moose with a camera in the streets of Anchorage that had all of us in stitches. The short version is basically that he had dumb luck in a couple of situations in which he could have had very bad luck. Kids nowadays.
We also found out this weekend that our neighbor will be taking a District Office job in Bethel next year. That brings the grand total of departures this year to five at site. We are going to coordinate resources over the next two weeks with her to make sure that we can get our stuff out of here, and still have something to eat off of.
Now, I have had a good steam, a good dinner, and the baby is home, bathed, and is headed (I hope) to bed. I would dearly love to follow. Tomorrow, we are having a sale. We will see how it goes. It was a very pleasant day.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Friday and Graduation
My fifth graduation since I began working here, and likely the last. More than one or two of the students and/or local folks are of the opinion that we will be back after a year away. I'm not sure about that. I don't want to be going into this project only halfway committed to making it work. That does not seem like the right frame of mind. If we do make it work, we won't be coming back except to visit.
We went to a memorial feast for one of our elders who died a year ago yesterday. I told his daughter that he was a role model for me. I remember a conversation with his wife before I actually moved here. I think it was on my second visit. She asked me when I was moving here. I don't remember what I said in response, probably something about not having a job. She said that I should be like Jack, and become a househusband. He apparently recommended it highly, if I understood his take on it. I am still working on getting there. I did realize that we would actually be ahead financially if I did and we stayed here. Funny.
My wife is the featured adult speaker tonight, and I am not sure how we are going to handle that. Alice is in the clingy to mom phase right now, and our babysitter will want to be at graduation for her cousin and all around buddy, who is one of the grads. I'm not sure how she will handle it when she can see Mommy, but can't get to her. I am not sure that I want to watch the speech anyway. Too many potential tears there. Leaving here is just tough, and I don't know how to explain that to anybody back in Michigan. I can only think of a couple people there who might actually get it. I don't want to go back and be all sad and mopy. I think that too many people will take it personally. But sad and mopy is how I feel a lot these days.
I just don't have a good way to resolve it that I can see right now. Guess I will just let it ride, and hope that it eases.
We went to a memorial feast for one of our elders who died a year ago yesterday. I told his daughter that he was a role model for me. I remember a conversation with his wife before I actually moved here. I think it was on my second visit. She asked me when I was moving here. I don't remember what I said in response, probably something about not having a job. She said that I should be like Jack, and become a househusband. He apparently recommended it highly, if I understood his take on it. I am still working on getting there. I did realize that we would actually be ahead financially if I did and we stayed here. Funny.
My wife is the featured adult speaker tonight, and I am not sure how we are going to handle that. Alice is in the clingy to mom phase right now, and our babysitter will want to be at graduation for her cousin and all around buddy, who is one of the grads. I'm not sure how she will handle it when she can see Mommy, but can't get to her. I am not sure that I want to watch the speech anyway. Too many potential tears there. Leaving here is just tough, and I don't know how to explain that to anybody back in Michigan. I can only think of a couple people there who might actually get it. I don't want to go back and be all sad and mopy. I think that too many people will take it personally. But sad and mopy is how I feel a lot these days.
I just don't have a good way to resolve it that I can see right now. Guess I will just let it ride, and hope that it eases.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
The Week's End Aproaches
Thursday afternoon. Health class. Our social worker is doing her end of the year presentation to my kiddies. It should be over in a minute or so. They are watching student videos made by some kids from the Lower Yukon School District. I have learned in the past five years that there are some pretty talented story tellers out here. You just have to pay close attention.
The week draws to a close tomorrow. The magic year-end tests have been given, and re-given (in some circumstances), and it is getting increasingly challenging to keep these kids on some sort of track. We need to keep it together for about another week. Lord give me strength-it will keep me from homicide.
She is done. All I have to do is follow. No challenge there.
The week draws to a close tomorrow. The magic year-end tests have been given, and re-given (in some circumstances), and it is getting increasingly challenging to keep these kids on some sort of track. We need to keep it together for about another week. Lord give me strength-it will keep me from homicide.
She is done. All I have to do is follow. No challenge there.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Every Day, It's A Gettin' Closer...
Two weeks from today, I am done here. The kids will be gone on Tuesday, and I plan to have them doing a lot of clean up in here before they get gone. We will have the rest of the afternoon on Tuesday to wrap up stuff. Wednesday is technically a work day, but the custom has been that we can go if our list is checked off. I was out of here last year before 11 AM. I am in no big hurry this year, and there may be a few more details to attend to, but I will likely also need as much time as available for packing and preparation.
Our moving sale continues. My wife had put a notice out for this coming Sunday. I am beginning to wonder if there will be anything to sell left by that time. Folks have been drifting in since the weekend for early bargains, and a lot of merchandise has already moved out.
We were discussing postal matters with our postmaster, who came bargain hunting last night. We are going to haul totes down to the post office Saturday afternoon. He is apparently going to be gone. He will weigh them and then let us know how much postage we will need. We will then go to the USPS website and buy enough for the totes. Easier than carrying cash. Another example of the fact that logistics are always interesting around here.
Time to get back at it. I have to come up with an assignment for writing class. Another assignment, that is. We already have one going. Hump day continues....
Our moving sale continues. My wife had put a notice out for this coming Sunday. I am beginning to wonder if there will be anything to sell left by that time. Folks have been drifting in since the weekend for early bargains, and a lot of merchandise has already moved out.
We were discussing postal matters with our postmaster, who came bargain hunting last night. We are going to haul totes down to the post office Saturday afternoon. He is apparently going to be gone. He will weigh them and then let us know how much postage we will need. We will then go to the USPS website and buy enough for the totes. Easier than carrying cash. Another example of the fact that logistics are always interesting around here.
Time to get back at it. I have to come up with an assignment for writing class. Another assignment, that is. We already have one going. Hump day continues....
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
More Testing
Today is the day that I do catch-up MAPS testing with my junior high kids. The funny thing is that there are almost no exceptions. I think that there are four kids who will be working independently in the library. Nearly every one of them missed one of the tests or did so dismally on them that the result is likely aberrational. So I test, or re-test, as the case may be. These tests determine student progress, so it is thought to be important to make sure that they give their all, so that we get an accurate picture of their status. That can be a serious challenge at this time of the year.
My wife has been asked to address the graduating seniors, and I am helping to edit her speech. That is my night job. That, and Alice juggling. My wife is also working on writing curriculum for a class that she is teaching, so she will need to spend some more time over here tonight.
This is the nature of our existences these days. Run, run, run.
My wife has been asked to address the graduating seniors, and I am helping to edit her speech. That is my night job. That, and Alice juggling. My wife is also working on writing curriculum for a class that she is teaching, so she will need to spend some more time over here tonight.
This is the nature of our existences these days. Run, run, run.
Monday, May 5, 2014
UP and Running
The kiddies are taking their math test. I have tried to create a calm environment, and they appear to be working quietly. It is a joy to watch their faces at a time like this. At least for the moment, there is no frustration, no distress. They are just concentrating calmly and going about their business.
Ah, my first pause of the day. I can control the test in that fashion, and I have one student who can be counted on to go early. She has.
The first wiggles are beginning to set in, and we have a latecomer. I expect at least one more.
Dang. I need to use the bathroom. Poor planning on my part. Of course, we teachers have super-strong bladders.
Current length of visible light: 18 hr. 30 min. That explains a lot of insomnia and a lot of sleepy heads during the day. It will get worse during the next two weeks.
The temps have cooled off notably from last week. The river is breaking up quickly, however. The ice went out at Bethel on the 2nd. They had the annual breakup party yesterday afternoon. There is a fair amount of ice moving down the river, and there was an ice dam in the slough here this morning. I didn't notice much effect, however. It doesn't seem as if there is a lot of backup going on along the Kusko, at least.
I have grading to catch up on. I find it hard to do so while proctoring. The observation part of it requires too much attention. I guess that my wife and I are going to trade off child duties so that each of us can work this afternoon. I might as well get around to some organization, though. More later.
Ah, my first pause of the day. I can control the test in that fashion, and I have one student who can be counted on to go early. She has.
The first wiggles are beginning to set in, and we have a latecomer. I expect at least one more.
Dang. I need to use the bathroom. Poor planning on my part. Of course, we teachers have super-strong bladders.
Current length of visible light: 18 hr. 30 min. That explains a lot of insomnia and a lot of sleepy heads during the day. It will get worse during the next two weeks.
The temps have cooled off notably from last week. The river is breaking up quickly, however. The ice went out at Bethel on the 2nd. They had the annual breakup party yesterday afternoon. There is a fair amount of ice moving down the river, and there was an ice dam in the slough here this morning. I didn't notice much effect, however. It doesn't seem as if there is a lot of backup going on along the Kusko, at least.
I have grading to catch up on. I find it hard to do so while proctoring. The observation part of it requires too much attention. I guess that my wife and I are going to trade off child duties so that each of us can work this afternoon. I might as well get around to some organization, though. More later.
No One Ever Says Anything Nice About Mondays
And we all know why. Today is kind of a usual Monday, with the extra benefit that we are almost done with the school year. That is not helping with the usual run of Monday morning sleepiness and foolishness. It is often that way at this time. It gets harder to keep pushing that rope uphill.
I am administering one more set of magical tests today. We had a funeral last week, and the absenteeism associated with it kind of knocked things awry. It has pushed our math testing to today. I should be done with the whole thing at this point, and I am glad for that.
The clock tells me that we have about three minutes before it is time to get this show started. Time to move along for now...
I am administering one more set of magical tests today. We had a funeral last week, and the absenteeism associated with it kind of knocked things awry. It has pushed our math testing to today. I should be done with the whole thing at this point, and I am glad for that.
The clock tells me that we have about three minutes before it is time to get this show started. Time to move along for now...
Sunday, May 4, 2014
3 Weeks Left
The emails went out from the boss today. Check out forms for the end of year ritual. The usual stuff. Different this year, of course.
Prom was Friday night, and Alice was a little more active this year than last. She spent a good deal of the evening chasing and kicking balloons. The kids at the school think she is going to be a "baller," because she loves to be in the gym. I think the ball in her life will be a soccer ball. She loves to chase and kick round objects.
We walked down to the river last night, and there was lots of open water. I guess that the tripod at Bethel went down yesterday, and there was video of moving ice on Facebook from Bethel today. I walked to the airport to meet one of our teachers, and there was a lot of moving ice out there. Breakup is officially here. No report of ice jams, mercifully. Late addendum: there is a flood watch out upriver because of ice dams. I spoke too soon. We shall keep our fingers crossed.
I got an email from the boss about catching up with my math grades. First time thing for me. Things have been a little nuts with the dance fest and SBA. I will get that caught up this week. I am leaving, sure. But it is a professional thing with me. Need to keep current.
I saw three moose walking up into the village Friday morning when I had the dogs out. A cow, calf, and perhaps a bull following the two of them. That was a first. I had heard about their presence from a number of people over the past three weeks. Seeing as how I had dogs, and seeing as how moose hate dogs, I went the other way. Still, a cool sight.
I got the car sold yesterday. My friend posted a notice on a Facebook site called Bethel Bargains. A young couple saw it and called her. They came to see the car, and decided they wanted it. We made a deal after a short spell of negotiation. I will go up Saturday to complete the paperwork and transfer the title.
Another week begins in the morning. Only two full weeks of school left. The Monday and Tuesday of the following week are pretty much clean-up days. And then we will be done.
Prom was Friday night, and Alice was a little more active this year than last. She spent a good deal of the evening chasing and kicking balloons. The kids at the school think she is going to be a "baller," because she loves to be in the gym. I think the ball in her life will be a soccer ball. She loves to chase and kick round objects.
We walked down to the river last night, and there was lots of open water. I guess that the tripod at Bethel went down yesterday, and there was video of moving ice on Facebook from Bethel today. I walked to the airport to meet one of our teachers, and there was a lot of moving ice out there. Breakup is officially here. No report of ice jams, mercifully. Late addendum: there is a flood watch out upriver because of ice dams. I spoke too soon. We shall keep our fingers crossed.
I got an email from the boss about catching up with my math grades. First time thing for me. Things have been a little nuts with the dance fest and SBA. I will get that caught up this week. I am leaving, sure. But it is a professional thing with me. Need to keep current.
I saw three moose walking up into the village Friday morning when I had the dogs out. A cow, calf, and perhaps a bull following the two of them. That was a first. I had heard about their presence from a number of people over the past three weeks. Seeing as how I had dogs, and seeing as how moose hate dogs, I went the other way. Still, a cool sight.
I got the car sold yesterday. My friend posted a notice on a Facebook site called Bethel Bargains. A young couple saw it and called her. They came to see the car, and decided they wanted it. We made a deal after a short spell of negotiation. I will go up Saturday to complete the paperwork and transfer the title.
Another week begins in the morning. Only two full weeks of school left. The Monday and Tuesday of the following week are pretty much clean-up days. And then we will be done.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Another Week In The History Books
Friday again, and another week draws to a close. Tonight we have prom, which is fun, because we get to see the kiddies that we see in blue jeans daily in their dress-up clothes. It is always fun. A week from now is graduation. My wife has been asked to do the honors and address the graduates. She is a sentimental soul (one of her fine points) and I suspect that her heart will be very full as she speaks, or tries to. The graduates were my 8th graders in my first year, so I may be a little verklempt as well.
We are making very slow progress on sales and packing. My guess is that we will be going crazy that last week. So much to do, and so little time in which to do it. We are both beat by the end of the day, and Alice keeps us pretty busy without any help. It will get done, I know, and it will be easier if I don't spend a bunch of time fretting about it. I will be happy if we can get our car sold, because it saves me the decision of what to do with it if it doesn't.
Our friends and family back home are getting excited. I am going to have to get used to being something other than a teacher from Alaska...
We are making very slow progress on sales and packing. My guess is that we will be going crazy that last week. So much to do, and so little time in which to do it. We are both beat by the end of the day, and Alice keeps us pretty busy without any help. It will get done, I know, and it will be easier if I don't spend a bunch of time fretting about it. I will be happy if we can get our car sold, because it saves me the decision of what to do with it if it doesn't.
Our friends and family back home are getting excited. I am going to have to get used to being something other than a teacher from Alaska...
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
The Time Just Gets Away...
It's already Wednesday, and I thought I was keeping on top of this thing. We had a couple of days without internet. We have our own network in the building, and we were generously (if I must brag on us) sharing with some visitors that we have had lately. Unfortunately, the high school teacher that was visiting from Fairbanks, apparently used to unlimited service, shared our password with his four students. Needless to say, we reached our limit before the end of the billing cycle. So, we shut off the wi-fi for a couple of days.
I am actually blogging at school, just killing a little time while my kids have some after-school free time on their computers. I can do this here as well, but I lost track of the days.
We are in the midst of more mandated testing, this time computer-based. It tends to work best with machines that are updated frequently. Ours are a little behind. For that, and other reasons, we had some issues with applications that crashed in the middle of a test. It got a little hectic there for a while. I will not miss juggling some of the tech issues.
In other news, the weather is warm again, and the slough had moving ice in it last night. That has come to a halt as of this morning. A check of the ice condition information available doesn't shed much light on the overall condition of the river. It is interesting that less than three weeks ago, I was able to drive my car on the river, albeit for the last time. The vehicle is now for sale...
Three weeks from today, my teaching career is done out here, at least for now. Both of us are excited about returning to friends and family, but we have friends and family here, too. I sense some reluctance, and I suspect that we have been a little lax about getting things organized for our departure. There is no avoidance, however, and we shall have to begin preparations in earnest. The big push will come this weekend...
I am actually blogging at school, just killing a little time while my kids have some after-school free time on their computers. I can do this here as well, but I lost track of the days.
We are in the midst of more mandated testing, this time computer-based. It tends to work best with machines that are updated frequently. Ours are a little behind. For that, and other reasons, we had some issues with applications that crashed in the middle of a test. It got a little hectic there for a while. I will not miss juggling some of the tech issues.
In other news, the weather is warm again, and the slough had moving ice in it last night. That has come to a halt as of this morning. A check of the ice condition information available doesn't shed much light on the overall condition of the river. It is interesting that less than three weeks ago, I was able to drive my car on the river, albeit for the last time. The vehicle is now for sale...
Three weeks from today, my teaching career is done out here, at least for now. Both of us are excited about returning to friends and family, but we have friends and family here, too. I sense some reluctance, and I suspect that we have been a little lax about getting things organized for our departure. There is no avoidance, however, and we shall have to begin preparations in earnest. The big push will come this weekend...
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Sunday Updates...
The baby got a trip to church and a walk, and is now napping. I got my lesson plans finished in my chilly classroom, and I am now sitting in the sunshine warming up. My father-in-law is packing for his epic overnight return voyage. My wife is making a cake for the vigil for our elder who has passed on. Just a spring Sunday. It's warm, and has been pretty consistently lately.
We found a hidden note that our wonderful babysitter had left for us in the junk drawer from back in March. She thanked us for our confidence in letting her watch Alice, and in opening our home to her. Very sweet, and it choked both of us up a little bit. We will miss her very much.
We found a hidden note that our wonderful babysitter had left for us in the junk drawer from back in March. She thanked us for our confidence in letting her watch Alice, and in opening our home to her. Very sweet, and it choked both of us up a little bit. We will miss her very much.
Rest and Recovery...
Yesterday was a day of much sleep and rest. Cultural week, with the dance festival every night, was exhausting. I didn't get home from work until 11 PM or so each night, and I walked in the last night at 11:57. I could barely keep my eyes open Friday afternoon while attempting to write lesson plans. My wife was busting it in the kitchen, working on a feast of staggering proportions for the community. All in a good effort. I thought the week went wonderfully, and that the event was enjoyed by all.
Yesterday was time to catch up on a number of fronts. I did laundry all day. I lost track of the number of loads. We usually wash twice a week. It did get done, and I just have a little bit to put away.
Speaking of Little Bit, as we call her, she did not want to go down for a nap for some reason yesterday. It took one trip to the play deck and the gym, and then a walk, before she finally fell asleep, at three in the afternoon. We obligingly joined her. There were sleeping bodies scattered around the house.
The long-term effect of this was that we ended up walking the same baby around the village at 11 PM last night. My wife went off to steam with one of the Matushkas (priest's wife), and I put Miss Bit to sleep after her bath at about midnight. Craziness. It is hard to get to bed when it is still light out.
We all slept soundly, and are preparing for a walk, and perhaps a visit to church, with my wife's dad. One of our village elders passed on last evening, and I suspect that we will visit the vigil at his house some time later. We need to do lesson plans, but they just seem like less of a priority today...
Yesterday was time to catch up on a number of fronts. I did laundry all day. I lost track of the number of loads. We usually wash twice a week. It did get done, and I just have a little bit to put away.
Speaking of Little Bit, as we call her, she did not want to go down for a nap for some reason yesterday. It took one trip to the play deck and the gym, and then a walk, before she finally fell asleep, at three in the afternoon. We obligingly joined her. There were sleeping bodies scattered around the house.
The long-term effect of this was that we ended up walking the same baby around the village at 11 PM last night. My wife went off to steam with one of the Matushkas (priest's wife), and I put Miss Bit to sleep after her bath at about midnight. Craziness. It is hard to get to bed when it is still light out.
We all slept soundly, and are preparing for a walk, and perhaps a visit to church, with my wife's dad. One of our village elders passed on last evening, and I suspect that we will visit the vigil at his house some time later. We need to do lesson plans, but they just seem like less of a priority today...
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Pure Crazy Today...
We have had a couple of hours of time between the end of the official school day and the beginning of dancing in the evenings. Not today...there is a big community feast scheduled to begin at about 5 pm. The school day goes until 4:30. Figure set-up time, and there goes that bit of respite. Dancing has been going until about 11. I suspect that it might be later tonight.
Having said that, this is a lot of fun. Lots of high spirits and fun, especially in the evenings. So far, I would call it a success. One more grind day, and we will be through to the weekend. I look around the room and see one or two sleepy faces. Who has more endurance, the old man, or the young kids? Stay tuned...
Having said that, this is a lot of fun. Lots of high spirits and fun, especially in the evenings. So far, I would call it a success. One more grind day, and we will be through to the weekend. I look around the room and see one or two sleepy faces. Who has more endurance, the old man, or the young kids? Stay tuned...
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Hanging With The Ladies...
Today, I am in my wife's classroom again, only now some of the girls are in here. The boys had been here, getting set up for the photo part of their storytelling project, but they have departed for the great outdoors. Some girls have mover out of the adjacent classroom, because it was oppressively warm in there.
We are in the second day of the cultural week/district dance festival. Things seem to be running fairly smoothly, thanks to the effort of a lot of different people. We had dancing last night until 11 pm, and I judge it to have been a hit. More of the same tonight, with a different order among the groups. The weather is wonderful for wandering the village, and I know that my father-in-law has been taking Alice for walks in the afternoons. Although I am extremely tired by the end of the evening, this has been fun so far. Tomorrow will be the challenging day, as my experience suggests that kids begin to get a little ragged with their projects at about that point. Then again, it may be no problem at all.
A check of the calendar shows that our school and work year comes to an end four weeks from today. We both continue to react to the reality of our departure. I am just a little concerned that we may be avoiding some of the packing-related activities that we need to complete, because of our reluctance to acknowledge the end of our time out here, at least for now. We still have a lot to get done.
But now, we are enjoying this short burst of crazy for as long as it lasts, and I think that is the way that it should happen. A slow and pleasant farewell seems like an excellent idea...
We are in the second day of the cultural week/district dance festival. Things seem to be running fairly smoothly, thanks to the effort of a lot of different people. We had dancing last night until 11 pm, and I judge it to have been a hit. More of the same tonight, with a different order among the groups. The weather is wonderful for wandering the village, and I know that my father-in-law has been taking Alice for walks in the afternoons. Although I am extremely tired by the end of the evening, this has been fun so far. Tomorrow will be the challenging day, as my experience suggests that kids begin to get a little ragged with their projects at about that point. Then again, it may be no problem at all.
A check of the calendar shows that our school and work year comes to an end four weeks from today. We both continue to react to the reality of our departure. I am just a little concerned that we may be avoiding some of the packing-related activities that we need to complete, because of our reluctance to acknowledge the end of our time out here, at least for now. We still have a lot to get done.
But now, we are enjoying this short burst of crazy for as long as it lasts, and I think that is the way that it should happen. A slow and pleasant farewell seems like an excellent idea...
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Back To The Grind...
I am sitting with a fairly large group of 7th-12th grade boys in my wife's classroom. Jack Dalton, who helped us make a lovely little movie two years ago, is running a writing exercise about Yup'ik dance. I just went down to fetch a large cup of coffee when I realized that I was falling asleep in this chair. This session will last until 4:30, but my check of the evening's schedule revealed that we will be going until 10:30 tonight. I hope to get home for a couple of hours of rest and maybe a bite of dinner, and a kiss from the baby. The next three nights promise to be the same.
This would be an exercise in endurance in any case. The baby got the two of us up at 3:00 am, for reasons best known to her. So, I am definitely running on fumes here. Ergo, the coffee. It is not my usual beverage at 3:55 in the afternoon.
We have been invaded for the district dance festival, which will run through Thursday night. Things have run smoothly enough for the first day. It has consisted, in large part, of groups of students coming into our building in waves. I am helping in the carving room, in which groups of boys are making something out of antler and bone. The task has been relatively simple thus far, but the logistics will get more complex tomorrow with larger groups of boys to shepherd.
I will be interested to watch the performances tonight and on the following evenings. And now, that the coffee is beginning to revive me, I might just make it. This might be fun...
This would be an exercise in endurance in any case. The baby got the two of us up at 3:00 am, for reasons best known to her. So, I am definitely running on fumes here. Ergo, the coffee. It is not my usual beverage at 3:55 in the afternoon.
We have been invaded for the district dance festival, which will run through Thursday night. Things have run smoothly enough for the first day. It has consisted, in large part, of groups of students coming into our building in waves. I am helping in the carving room, in which groups of boys are making something out of antler and bone. The task has been relatively simple thus far, but the logistics will get more complex tomorrow with larger groups of boys to shepherd.
I will be interested to watch the performances tonight and on the following evenings. And now, that the coffee is beginning to revive me, I might just make it. This might be fun...
Monday, April 21, 2014
A Perfect Sunday...And A Day Off!
Yesterday morning began late, and sleepy, at least for me. I was awakened by a smiling 13-month old, who is very happy to be walking. She loves to walk everywhere, and can get fussy in the stroller, even if we want her there for some reason or another.
My father-in-law spent the evening in Bethel, because we believed that we needed to fly him across the river. As it turns out, there were people taking trips back and forth from here on snow machines or four-wheelers. It appears that the ice has lifted, and that some of the water that had been previously present was not an issue, at least not on Saturday.
I think that it was likely for the best, as he got the chance to sleep off part of his jet lag instead of getting hauled off to midnight church services. We set it up for him to fly across on Sunday, on a chartered flight from one of the local air services. He got a chance to meet some friends of ours, and to take a stroll around the AC store and marvel at Bethel grocery prices.
We spent the Sunday taking a stroll around the village, and having a very nice Easter dinner. As a bonus, we had today off from school.
Because of this, the first thing that we did after breakfast was to take Alice to the school, so that she could play in the gym. She loves to walk around and kick a ball. We then took my father-in-law on a tour of the village store, and a walk down to the river. We also ran into Joe on the way, and he invited the two of us to steam tonight. Time to prepare the steam bag!
My father-in-law spent the evening in Bethel, because we believed that we needed to fly him across the river. As it turns out, there were people taking trips back and forth from here on snow machines or four-wheelers. It appears that the ice has lifted, and that some of the water that had been previously present was not an issue, at least not on Saturday.
I think that it was likely for the best, as he got the chance to sleep off part of his jet lag instead of getting hauled off to midnight church services. We set it up for him to fly across on Sunday, on a chartered flight from one of the local air services. He got a chance to meet some friends of ours, and to take a stroll around the AC store and marvel at Bethel grocery prices.
We spent the Sunday taking a stroll around the village, and having a very nice Easter dinner. As a bonus, we had today off from school.
Because of this, the first thing that we did after breakfast was to take Alice to the school, so that she could play in the gym. She loves to walk around and kick a ball. We then took my father-in-law on a tour of the village store, and a walk down to the river. We also ran into Joe on the way, and he invited the two of us to steam tonight. Time to prepare the steam bag!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Pascha...
It is just after 2 am. We have taken some time to celebrate Pascha, the feast of Easter, with our neighbors. I suspect that I have described the church services before. I will probably look to see later in the day. The service makes a dramatic transition from the dimly lit and somber church before midnight. As Easter Sunday begins, the congregation leaves and makes a processional around the church three times. After a ceremony in the vestibule, we are re admitted to a brightly lit and decorated church, full of smiling, happy people in their best Easter outfits.
I could see my wife from a distance. She was in the vestibule with Alice. I was outside on the porch. I tend to let people in front of me. She was crying. One of my former students who now has her as a teacher in high school asked me if she was ok. I told the student that she was just kind of sad.
The evening was like that. Smiles and tears. I am not especially religious. But I enjoy our church here. I am sure that there are many reasons that I feel that way. Part of it has to be the sense of community that exists here. We have been taken into the bosom of this place. We have not stood separate from it, as too many Bush teachers have, and we have been told how much that is appreciated. If we find that no one loves us when we return to the Lower 48, we know that there is one place where we are loved. It makes this parting so much harder...
I could see my wife from a distance. She was in the vestibule with Alice. I was outside on the porch. I tend to let people in front of me. She was crying. One of my former students who now has her as a teacher in high school asked me if she was ok. I told the student that she was just kind of sad.
The evening was like that. Smiles and tears. I am not especially religious. But I enjoy our church here. I am sure that there are many reasons that I feel that way. Part of it has to be the sense of community that exists here. We have been taken into the bosom of this place. We have not stood separate from it, as too many Bush teachers have, and we have been told how much that is appreciated. If we find that no one loves us when we return to the Lower 48, we know that there is one place where we are loved. It makes this parting so much harder...
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Springtime?
I always hesitate to use the word, especially in Northern climates. The latest accumulating snow that I remember seeing in my life would have come after the first of May. Spring is a season that flirts, and often disappoints, its worshippers.
Having said that, things are looking steadily in that direction here. It is a sunny day, and we have the windows open in my classroom. Things that can melt are doing so rapidly. Bethel Search and Rescue has strongly discouraged any traffic, whether auto or snowmachine, on the river. The superintendent of the district has forbidden river travel using distict vehicles. The Weather Service is issuing spring breakup forecasts. Soon, the peepers will be singing in the ponds. And there are lots of ponds around here.
My father-in-law is to fly in Saturday evening, and it looks as if he is not going to be able to make it here on the river. An evening flight with one of our local air services will be a necessity. The forecast temperatures for next week are in the 50s.
Easter is Sunday, and I have to imagine that we will begin to hear the calls of migrating waterfowl soon. This may be my last spring here, and I want to savor it while it lasts.
Having said that, things are looking steadily in that direction here. It is a sunny day, and we have the windows open in my classroom. Things that can melt are doing so rapidly. Bethel Search and Rescue has strongly discouraged any traffic, whether auto or snowmachine, on the river. The superintendent of the district has forbidden river travel using distict vehicles. The Weather Service is issuing spring breakup forecasts. Soon, the peepers will be singing in the ponds. And there are lots of ponds around here.
My father-in-law is to fly in Saturday evening, and it looks as if he is not going to be able to make it here on the river. An evening flight with one of our local air services will be a necessity. The forecast temperatures for next week are in the 50s.
Easter is Sunday, and I have to imagine that we will begin to hear the calls of migrating waterfowl soon. This may be my last spring here, and I want to savor it while it lasts.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Little Bear
I have changed the picture to one from last Halloween. We traditionally dress up on that day. All of the teachers wear costumes. This year, my little family came as the Three Bears. A crowd-pleasing choice, to be sure. I get a kick out of the picture with Alice and me. I will have lots of memories like this sitting in photo files on my computers. It feels lovely...
Sleep Deprived...
Alice is definitely cutting more teeth, which leads to 4 am daddy calls...I love her, but there is not enough coffee in the world today...this could be a long afternoon.
We have a meeting of the district dance festival committee this afternoon. I am one of the two people apparently on said committee. Logistics remain to be worked out, and this is the day on which it must happen.
For now, I have a class full of giggly girls and silly boys. It is funny how quickly one can learn how to command their attention. Where will I use that skill in the future? I am not sure how transferable it is. I can, however, apparently turn students to stone with my gaze-that may come in handy with recalcitrant witnesses in the future.
(From Wednesday's perspective): We managed to make it through the day unscathed. I find that my students get a little better as the week progresses, as routines kick back into place. These kids are a pretty good bunch on the whole, and I find that I am usually satisfied with their behavior as a whole. This is not the same thing as suggesting that they are perfect. But they are pretty darn good...
We have a meeting of the district dance festival committee this afternoon. I am one of the two people apparently on said committee. Logistics remain to be worked out, and this is the day on which it must happen.
For now, I have a class full of giggly girls and silly boys. It is funny how quickly one can learn how to command their attention. Where will I use that skill in the future? I am not sure how transferable it is. I can, however, apparently turn students to stone with my gaze-that may come in handy with recalcitrant witnesses in the future.
(From Wednesday's perspective): We managed to make it through the day unscathed. I find that my students get a little better as the week progresses, as routines kick back into place. These kids are a pretty good bunch on the whole, and I find that I am usually satisfied with their behavior as a whole. This is not the same thing as suggesting that they are perfect. But they are pretty darn good...
Wednesday and Sunny...
A good day, so far, on the balance. All hands appear to have slept well last night, a fortunate thing with a teething child. She appears to be getting two more on the top side. She only has two on the bottom, and with these new ones, she will have six on the top. Kind of odd, but she is my kid, after all...
There is not much to report. This week is winding towards its conclusion. The weekend will be long (Monday holiday) and relatively relaxing. Next week, we have the festival, and I have a bunch of essays to read for our union's scholarship committee. Maybe I would be well advised to get a start on that THIS week...
There is not much to report. This week is winding towards its conclusion. The weekend will be long (Monday holiday) and relatively relaxing. Next week, we have the festival, and I have a bunch of essays to read for our union's scholarship committee. Maybe I would be well advised to get a start on that THIS week...
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Now For What Happened Today...
Spring is quickly coming upon us here in the Delta. The snow is mostly gone, except in shady spots here and there. There is still ice in the ponds, but it is receding fast. I drove my trusty 2003 Subaru Forester up to Bethel on the river ice road Friday afternoon. I would not have wanted to do that today.
It was a quiet and pleasant day, including lunch at our neighbor's across the hall, some quick lesson planning, and a walk with Alice. A couple of years ago, the village got an extension to its existing boardwalk system. There is now a very nice loop of approximately three miles that goes around the entire village. Because the light goes later daily, and because the weather has been getting nicer, we have been taking more walks with Alice. Alice has recently begun to walk some of the route herself. There is a straight section where it is easy to see oncoming traffic from a distance, and there are high rails that keep her from wandering into the muck. You can see the rails in question on the picture above, which was taken there a couple of years ago. It is the perfect place for a 13-month old with wandering footsteps.
I washed our snow pants this evening, so that they can be packed and shipped back to Michigan. I suspect that they will come in handy. Cadillac has some pretty badass winters itself, and the snow amounts can get to be pretty deep. Ironically enough, they had much colder weather in the whole than we did this year. I think you could convince a few Yup'ik Eskimos about the existence of climate change. Another good reason to keep our winter gear is that we plan to visit here in the future. And if this return to lawyerin' thing doesn't work out...
The baby is still cutting teeth, and not too happy about it, but I suspect that we will all get through it. Tomorrow starts another week. Next weekend, my father-in-law arrives, we get a three-day weekend, and the LKSD district dance festival will be upon us. More about that to come. But this week, it's just teaching and learning. We will see how much of each gets successfully done...
It was a quiet and pleasant day, including lunch at our neighbor's across the hall, some quick lesson planning, and a walk with Alice. A couple of years ago, the village got an extension to its existing boardwalk system. There is now a very nice loop of approximately three miles that goes around the entire village. Because the light goes later daily, and because the weather has been getting nicer, we have been taking more walks with Alice. Alice has recently begun to walk some of the route herself. There is a straight section where it is easy to see oncoming traffic from a distance, and there are high rails that keep her from wandering into the muck. You can see the rails in question on the picture above, which was taken there a couple of years ago. It is the perfect place for a 13-month old with wandering footsteps.
I washed our snow pants this evening, so that they can be packed and shipped back to Michigan. I suspect that they will come in handy. Cadillac has some pretty badass winters itself, and the snow amounts can get to be pretty deep. Ironically enough, they had much colder weather in the whole than we did this year. I think you could convince a few Yup'ik Eskimos about the existence of climate change. Another good reason to keep our winter gear is that we plan to visit here in the future. And if this return to lawyerin' thing doesn't work out...
The baby is still cutting teeth, and not too happy about it, but I suspect that we will all get through it. Tomorrow starts another week. Next weekend, my father-in-law arrives, we get a three-day weekend, and the LKSD district dance festival will be upon us. More about that to come. But this week, it's just teaching and learning. We will see how much of each gets successfully done...
Time to Wrap Things Up
This monstrosity began as an assignment for my alternative certification program. It became a sort of obsession for a while, a place where I could explain and think at greater length than in a Facebook post. It was even a place to vent, although the warnings of friends and family convinced me to delete a few of my more caustic comments. It was even a place to tell the occasional long story, and a few people seemed to enjoy those.
As time went by, I don't know if I had less to say, or whether I figured I had already said what I was thinking before. Many experiences were later versions of the same thing that I had written about previously. And a lot of the things that were central to my daily experience were not things that I felt it proper to write about here. The number of posts declined in response. By the time that the baby was born, I just had gotten out of the habit.
At this point, it is hard to know what to say anymore. We have the same events yearly. We have the same test-driven obsession that has apparently permeated education. More of our time is spent preparing for, administering, and "interpreting" bubble-based tests. Life outside of work centers on Alice, and time spent with her diminishes our time spent on school-related activities in the evening and on the weekends. There are social activities that we pass up because we don't have the time with a toddler, and there are ones to which we are simply not invited.
We have become kind of isolated on staff here. Our neighbors, and friends, across the hall decided that they needed a change of scenery and left at the end of last year for Bethel. We have seen them from time to time when we get up there, but they have not been able to make it down here, because of their schedule. Our new neighbor is great, but we do miss our friends. We have little dinners with our neighbor and our 5th grade teacher occasionally, but the rest of the staff seems to cluster in a group from which we are excluded. It's kind of childish and annoying, and I hate to give it a lot of thought.
But now, our lives are about to change dramatically. Some friends of mine own a law firm in Cadillac, MI, our old home town. They needed some help, and one thing led to another. I will be starting a new job around the first of June. I am going back to practicing law. I had not considered it, and was sure for a long time that I would never go back. I figured that I would retire from this job. Every year, I would grumble about renewing my lawyer license back in Michigan, and swear that this was the last year for that. I guess I was wrong...
My wife is going to take the next year, and stay home with our daughter. There is some loose talk about another child. She is going to finish working on her Master's degree in Special Education. This means some evening classes that will go on until nearly midnight in the Eastern Time Zone. But it will also mean that Alice can be a Shrimp for swim lessons at the YMCA, and that she can go to the library and go for bike rides in the trailer behind Mommy and Daddy. There will be a lot more activities available to her there. Having a child radically changed our outlook on things.
It took us literally weeks to make the decision. We agonized about it to the extent that we finally agreed to just stop talking about it for a week. After we decided, we hesitated before we told people at work and our students. We hesitated about turning in our resignations from the district. We waited to post it on Facebook. We thought about changing our minds afterward. It has just been a hard process.
But it is time now to quit temporizing. Six weeks from today, we will leave the Delta. Six weeks from tomorrow, we begin to construct our new lives in Cadillac. We have an apartment rented for the next year, which should give us time to make more permanent decisions about long-term housing. We will need furniture, which will keep us busy during that week of Memorial Day. Our car is apparently going to be driven from Alabama to Chicago, so we will be able to take it north after we arrive. Logistics will be a challenge, but they appear to be working out so far.
Until then, we are about the business of preparing to either ship or sell our possessions here. I predict a couple of yard-sale type events. We sold our snow machine yesterday, and we are working on getting the car sold. That may prove to be more challenging.
More on all of this to come. I have come back to this blog to begin to wrap it up. There had been something around 946 entries on it when I logged on to do this one. My plan is to get the number up to an even thousand and call it good. We have six weeks to go, and there will likely be one or two things to write about between now and then. We will see how it goes...
As time went by, I don't know if I had less to say, or whether I figured I had already said what I was thinking before. Many experiences were later versions of the same thing that I had written about previously. And a lot of the things that were central to my daily experience were not things that I felt it proper to write about here. The number of posts declined in response. By the time that the baby was born, I just had gotten out of the habit.
At this point, it is hard to know what to say anymore. We have the same events yearly. We have the same test-driven obsession that has apparently permeated education. More of our time is spent preparing for, administering, and "interpreting" bubble-based tests. Life outside of work centers on Alice, and time spent with her diminishes our time spent on school-related activities in the evening and on the weekends. There are social activities that we pass up because we don't have the time with a toddler, and there are ones to which we are simply not invited.
We have become kind of isolated on staff here. Our neighbors, and friends, across the hall decided that they needed a change of scenery and left at the end of last year for Bethel. We have seen them from time to time when we get up there, but they have not been able to make it down here, because of their schedule. Our new neighbor is great, but we do miss our friends. We have little dinners with our neighbor and our 5th grade teacher occasionally, but the rest of the staff seems to cluster in a group from which we are excluded. It's kind of childish and annoying, and I hate to give it a lot of thought.
But now, our lives are about to change dramatically. Some friends of mine own a law firm in Cadillac, MI, our old home town. They needed some help, and one thing led to another. I will be starting a new job around the first of June. I am going back to practicing law. I had not considered it, and was sure for a long time that I would never go back. I figured that I would retire from this job. Every year, I would grumble about renewing my lawyer license back in Michigan, and swear that this was the last year for that. I guess I was wrong...
My wife is going to take the next year, and stay home with our daughter. There is some loose talk about another child. She is going to finish working on her Master's degree in Special Education. This means some evening classes that will go on until nearly midnight in the Eastern Time Zone. But it will also mean that Alice can be a Shrimp for swim lessons at the YMCA, and that she can go to the library and go for bike rides in the trailer behind Mommy and Daddy. There will be a lot more activities available to her there. Having a child radically changed our outlook on things.
It took us literally weeks to make the decision. We agonized about it to the extent that we finally agreed to just stop talking about it for a week. After we decided, we hesitated before we told people at work and our students. We hesitated about turning in our resignations from the district. We waited to post it on Facebook. We thought about changing our minds afterward. It has just been a hard process.
But it is time now to quit temporizing. Six weeks from today, we will leave the Delta. Six weeks from tomorrow, we begin to construct our new lives in Cadillac. We have an apartment rented for the next year, which should give us time to make more permanent decisions about long-term housing. We will need furniture, which will keep us busy during that week of Memorial Day. Our car is apparently going to be driven from Alabama to Chicago, so we will be able to take it north after we arrive. Logistics will be a challenge, but they appear to be working out so far.
Until then, we are about the business of preparing to either ship or sell our possessions here. I predict a couple of yard-sale type events. We sold our snow machine yesterday, and we are working on getting the car sold. That may prove to be more challenging.
More on all of this to come. I have come back to this blog to begin to wrap it up. There had been something around 946 entries on it when I logged on to do this one. My plan is to get the number up to an even thousand and call it good. We have six weeks to go, and there will likely be one or two things to write about between now and then. We will see how it goes...
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
The Long Run...
Our trip back to the Lower 48 was pretty uneventful, once it got going. We stayed in hotels, played in the pool with the baby, and generally relaxed and had a good time. I got to meet one of my wife's high school classmates in Seattle, and we hung out with him and his family. I got reminded of how nice it is to fly first class. We had it for each leg of the flight. Free drinks, real china and flatware...such luxury.
Alice did very well with the travel, for the most part. She does not, however, like to be in a car seat. She made these feelings especially evident on the ride from Atlanta to my in-laws' house in Jacksonvlle, Alabama. Much crying and fussing. Of course, she had not been confined like that in over four months. Village life can do that to you.
We actually arrived in Alabama on the evening of Christmas Day, two days late, but happy to be in one place for a little while. We opened presents, had yummy food, and drank a few toasts. Ah, civilization...
Alice did very well with the travel, for the most part. She does not, however, like to be in a car seat. She made these feelings especially evident on the ride from Atlanta to my in-laws' house in Jacksonvlle, Alabama. Much crying and fussing. Of course, she had not been confined like that in over four months. Village life can do that to you.
We actually arrived in Alabama on the evening of Christmas Day, two days late, but happy to be in one place for a little while. We opened presents, had yummy food, and drank a few toasts. Ah, civilization...
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
There and Back Again
I think it was actually the original working title for The Hobbit, or something like that. We did see the latest installment of that series over the holidays. It was fun to watch, which is not a horrible recommendation these days.
We have been back since January 14. Our trips were long and eventful. On the way out, we had our originating flight from Bethel canceled because of inoperative runway lights. We had an idea that it might happen, because it had happened on the two previous evenings. We decided to go to Bethel anyway, reasoning that any rescheduled flight might be early in the morning, and we didn't want the aggravation of trying to fly across the river in time for that. The river never did freeze up well enough for us to drive.
We had gone to the terminal and checked in all of our stuff. We left to get some dinner. As we returned, I could hear the cancellation announcement coming over the loudspeaker outside of the terminal. Damn.
My wife went inside and got on the phone immediately with Alaska Airlines to make alternative plans, while I stayed in the car with a mercifully sleeping Alice. The process took her an hour. Alice continued to sleep in the car with me. She can be a very adaptive baby at times, and I am thankful for that.
The bad news: the cancellation had knocked all of our connections awry. We could either stay in Bethel for two days, and then fly three legs back to back, as was the original plan, or we could fly to Anchorage the next morning, overnight there, fly to Seattle, overnight there, and finally fly to Atlanta on Christmas day. We chose the latter alternative. We decided to make a mini-vacation out of the trip itself...
We have been back since January 14. Our trips were long and eventful. On the way out, we had our originating flight from Bethel canceled because of inoperative runway lights. We had an idea that it might happen, because it had happened on the two previous evenings. We decided to go to Bethel anyway, reasoning that any rescheduled flight might be early in the morning, and we didn't want the aggravation of trying to fly across the river in time for that. The river never did freeze up well enough for us to drive.
We had gone to the terminal and checked in all of our stuff. We left to get some dinner. As we returned, I could hear the cancellation announcement coming over the loudspeaker outside of the terminal. Damn.
My wife went inside and got on the phone immediately with Alaska Airlines to make alternative plans, while I stayed in the car with a mercifully sleeping Alice. The process took her an hour. Alice continued to sleep in the car with me. She can be a very adaptive baby at times, and I am thankful for that.
The bad news: the cancellation had knocked all of our connections awry. We could either stay in Bethel for two days, and then fly three legs back to back, as was the original plan, or we could fly to Anchorage the next morning, overnight there, fly to Seattle, overnight there, and finally fly to Atlanta on Christmas day. We chose the latter alternative. We decided to make a mini-vacation out of the trip itself...
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