The lights went out yesterday, and they have been out since. Over 24 hours for us. That means no light and no heat. Last night, it meant no water pressure, either. We were trying to play dominoes by candlelight, which is a pretty tricky endeavor. Each of us ended up using small flashlights to actually see which domino we were trying to play off. We finally gave up and went to bed for a while.
I awoke sometime in the night with my mind racing about what needed to be done today in order to deal with conditions in the building. It served mostly to disturb my sleep. I was damned if I could actually come up with any intelligent ideas about what to do. I finally gave up on being smart and thought about how proud I was of my 8th graders back at the Halloween carnival when they had to run the show mostly themselves because I was helping out with concessions and got stuck there. Then I thought about what a good group of kids I have in the junior high this year and how much I am looking forward to getting back in the classroom on Monday. Then I thought about what an old grouch I am a lot of the time and that I need to loosen up a little and laugh at life. Finally, it occurred to me that this was the perfect opportunity to practice a little bit of that right then and there. I went back to sleep.
I woke up to a still dark, rather colder house. I looked out the front window of our bedroom. Light was streaming from the direction of the school, but there was no light to be seen anywhere else. The generator! Our maintenance man must have started up the generator! Why, that would mean that there might be water pressure! Off to the bathroom...yes! The faucet was flowing, which meant that we could FLUSH THE TOILET! Victory! I managed to rouse my sleeping sweetie, and checked the time...9 am. Maybe Paul (maintenance guy) had even MADE COFFEE!!!! We thought about it and decided to get up and get the dogs out and fed. That involved flashlights and even a head-mounted light. Very technical...then we filled a bag with breakfast stuff and headed to the school. There was light and heat and running water and a kitchen that worked and COFFEE!!!! Paul was here, along with one of the fellas from the power plant and a young mechanic. My wife made breakfast for us and the guys as well. And I got to have a cup of fresh, hot, strong COFFEE!!!! (Does anyone sense a theme here?)
What a weirdly wonderful morning...breakfast and coffee and the internet...I worked a little on my last lesson plan for next week, and answered some emails. At about noon, we got a call summoning us to a Slaaviq celebration that was to happen at 1pm. We ran home and got out of our PJs and into other clothes and walked through the snow to the celebration. The house that we went to had a generator and a wood stove going. It had light and heat in abundance. Maybe even too much. We were hot. It actually felt better on the porch. But the company was good and the food was better-I had a bowl of moose soup and some akutaq (our friend Michelle makes the best akutaq...)After that we headed home to the refrigerator that we call home for a little nap, and headed back to school with my little dog (he gets cold easily) and some dinner supplies.
We have been here for the most part since then. It is nearly 10 pm, and I suspect that we will go home when we get sleepy. Some houses have power, and some do not. It is not clear when we will get power back in the teacher housing, or in the village as a whole. The one good thing in this (other than coffee at the school when I get there) is that the weather has been warm today. The temperature has stayed pretty steady around the freezing mark. Last year at this time, nighttime temperatures were 50-60 degrees colder. I feel very fortunate when I think of that...
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Gray and Chilly...
Not a felicitous combination. It isn't really all that cold as things sometimes go around here, but it sure is gray. Kind of reminds me of Michigan winters, and those don't appeal that strongly to me. It is often much colder at this time of year, but that is in turn accompanied by beautiful and brilliant sunshine. This stuff looks like a faded bruise.
On a plus note, it isn't -30 every night. That gets to be harsh after a while.
I have checked out the weather forecast for the next week or so, and it appears that it is going to be warmer than usual. I suspect that a grocery store run is going to be in order by Friday. Warm temps. low chance of precipitation. We shall see how well that holds.
Lesson plans are nearly complete for next week's return to school. Two days of social studies is all that stands between me and completion. This is going to be the longest break available for a while, so I might as well enjoy it, although writing lesson plans is not the same drudge that it once was. I type faster and understand what I am trying to accomplish better. It still is not what I would call fun, but I can deal with it.
My wife is lurking somewhere in the building. Once it gets to be one o'clock in the afternoon, I suppose it will be time for a trip to the post office. Last I heard, there were still no stamps in town, even though the postmaster ordered them in November. Some days...
On a plus note, it isn't -30 every night. That gets to be harsh after a while.
I have checked out the weather forecast for the next week or so, and it appears that it is going to be warmer than usual. I suspect that a grocery store run is going to be in order by Friday. Warm temps. low chance of precipitation. We shall see how well that holds.
Lesson plans are nearly complete for next week's return to school. Two days of social studies is all that stands between me and completion. This is going to be the longest break available for a while, so I might as well enjoy it, although writing lesson plans is not the same drudge that it once was. I type faster and understand what I am trying to accomplish better. It still is not what I would call fun, but I can deal with it.
My wife is lurking somewhere in the building. Once it gets to be one o'clock in the afternoon, I suppose it will be time for a trip to the post office. Last I heard, there were still no stamps in town, even though the postmaster ordered them in November. Some days...
Monday, January 7, 2013
At My Desk...
That is a little bit of a misnomer, seeing as all the other posts in the last few days have been made from the same place. Our "smartphones" support actual internet usage in only the most tangential and sporadic sense. In order to have actual access, we usually have to come over to the school. We are working on a change to that situation, but it is still going to be a while before we are operational in the teacher housing buildings. The other question at that time will be one of speed and capacity. The local phone/cable company has supposedly completed access to high speed internet service that does not depend upon satellite service, which is not high speed by its nature.
Anyway, I am downloading some information so that I can do some revised lesson plans for next week before we get to the weekend. I am trying to gradually get back on the daily schedule that we will have for the next semester and get off of the vacation pace. I made it up by 8 am today, which represents progress. The usual alarm time is 6:30 am, which some folks likely think to be quite decadent in and of itself. It is what we work with, however, and I still need to get adjusted to that, and I prefer to do it gradually rather than dramatically. Same for lesson planning. Most of my stuff is already ready, but I would like to have the rest of it done so that I am not spending quality time working at it on my last weekend of "freedom" for a while.
Word has it that a friend of the family just had a baby, which prompted my darling wife to message me the news here at the school. She is, needless to say, very interested in all events baby these days. We spent some quiet time last night chatting about our plans for our/the baby's future. It seems right and kind of exciting at the same time.
Now I am off to preview the online content for the health lessons that I plan on presenting next week...
Anyway, I am downloading some information so that I can do some revised lesson plans for next week before we get to the weekend. I am trying to gradually get back on the daily schedule that we will have for the next semester and get off of the vacation pace. I made it up by 8 am today, which represents progress. The usual alarm time is 6:30 am, which some folks likely think to be quite decadent in and of itself. It is what we work with, however, and I still need to get adjusted to that, and I prefer to do it gradually rather than dramatically. Same for lesson planning. Most of my stuff is already ready, but I would like to have the rest of it done so that I am not spending quality time working at it on my last weekend of "freedom" for a while.
Word has it that a friend of the family just had a baby, which prompted my darling wife to message me the news here at the school. She is, needless to say, very interested in all events baby these days. We spent some quiet time last night chatting about our plans for our/the baby's future. It seems right and kind of exciting at the same time.
Now I am off to preview the online content for the health lessons that I plan on presenting next week...
Sunday, January 6, 2013
More Leisure...
Vacation continues. Coffee. Breakfast. Read the "paper" (NY Times on my iPhone). Just realized that I should have brought my iPad over to download the New Yorker from two weeks ago. So funny that I read New York stuff from the Y-K Delta.
I did read what I thought was an inspirational article in one of our local papers recently. It has to do with a young woman from out on the coast who is trying to speak to the kids in our villages about trying to succeed in the world and being afraid to try. She can speak to it better than I can: http://www.deltadiscovery.com/story/2012/12/26/village-telegraph/bailey-village-youth-can-overcome-fear/745.html ...just copy and paste the link into your browser. She strikes me as a good example of what our kids can do. Too many teachers make the mistake of looking at our students and seeing limitations instead of possibilities.
Enough of my soapbox. It is Sunday night, and the menu apparently will consist of spaghetti squash and salad. Remember, no canned spaghetti sauce in my house. It simply isn't done. My wife cooks from scratch, and she is reasonably good at it. That is one of the reasons that my friends that I get the best of the arrangement when I do the dishes and the laundry, because she does the cooking. I suspect that they are correct.
One more week until classes recommence. We would be back earlier, but we have found that classes during Slaaviq week do not work that well. This gives us a longer holiday break, but we do not do spring break. I suppose I will have a break of sorts when the baby is born, but I think that it might not be that restful. It may be a lot of fun, however.
I do think that I will take our new junior high Health textbook home, though, and start going through it. We start with that class new in the second semester. It is time to begin getting ready for the second half of the year. Much is in store...
I did read what I thought was an inspirational article in one of our local papers recently. It has to do with a young woman from out on the coast who is trying to speak to the kids in our villages about trying to succeed in the world and being afraid to try. She can speak to it better than I can: http://www.deltadiscovery.com/story/2012/12/26/village-telegraph/bailey-village-youth-can-overcome-fear/745.html ...just copy and paste the link into your browser. She strikes me as a good example of what our kids can do. Too many teachers make the mistake of looking at our students and seeing limitations instead of possibilities.
Enough of my soapbox. It is Sunday night, and the menu apparently will consist of spaghetti squash and salad. Remember, no canned spaghetti sauce in my house. It simply isn't done. My wife cooks from scratch, and she is reasonably good at it. That is one of the reasons that my friends that I get the best of the arrangement when I do the dishes and the laundry, because she does the cooking. I suspect that they are correct.
One more week until classes recommence. We would be back earlier, but we have found that classes during Slaaviq week do not work that well. This gives us a longer holiday break, but we do not do spring break. I suppose I will have a break of sorts when the baby is born, but I think that it might not be that restful. It may be a lot of fun, however.
I do think that I will take our new junior high Health textbook home, though, and start going through it. We start with that class new in the second semester. It is time to begin getting ready for the second half of the year. Much is in store...
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Lazy...
We didn't get up until 9 am this morning. Of course, we didn't go to bed until 1 am. I am afraid that we are going to have to get back into playing shape for the normal work day in a big hurry this week.
It was mostly one of our traditional Saturday mornings-phone calls back home to loved ones in Michigan, and we recognized at one point that it is just hard to get us to do much of anything on a Saturday before noon. Something tells me that that is going to change, and soon....
I got a new camera so that I can take an endless number of adorable baby pictures that I can then bedevil our friends with. I can hardly to join the multitudes on Facebook. Of course, I am going to have the cutest kid in the world...
I am excited to see a couple of responses to the last couple of posts. I am gratified to see someone out there taking a moment to read these musings.
As for Slaaviq related news, I did copy some song sheets at the request of our local choir director today, so the preparations are getting underway in earnest. I believe that festivities begin here Monday night. More as it develops...
It was mostly one of our traditional Saturday mornings-phone calls back home to loved ones in Michigan, and we recognized at one point that it is just hard to get us to do much of anything on a Saturday before noon. Something tells me that that is going to change, and soon....
I got a new camera so that I can take an endless number of adorable baby pictures that I can then bedevil our friends with. I can hardly to join the multitudes on Facebook. Of course, I am going to have the cutest kid in the world...
I am excited to see a couple of responses to the last couple of posts. I am gratified to see someone out there taking a moment to read these musings.
As for Slaaviq related news, I did copy some song sheets at the request of our local choir director today, so the preparations are getting underway in earnest. I believe that festivities begin here Monday night. More as it develops...
Friday, January 4, 2013
Water? Power? Who Needs it??
The pump at the school, which also supplies our water at the apartment, is down. The parts to fix it apparently have to be ordered from Anchorage, and it is not clear when they will arrive. The lights went out tonight. Another typical day. When things can go wrong, they will. Oh, well...yesterday that stuff made me cranky, but today is Deal With It Friday.
I got the chance to go riding on the river today, and that proved to be a nice alternative to boredom. The trail was a little tough to pick up at first because it was snowing pretty steadily, but it all sorted out as I went up the river towards Bethel. I picked up our veggie box, and 18 eggs at my wife's request, and headed back. A pleasant outing. I actually had some pleasant thoughts about teaching my impending young one his or her way around the river highway...
We actually had enough water pressure tonight to wash dishes, and the kitchen is clean. I guess that the fellas over here are manually pumping the reserve tanks full or something of that nature. Kudos, guys!
We are hanging out at the school doing the net surf thing because we haven't gotten our wi-fi set up in the building. That will be a project to come after the neighbors return. It will be nice to have reliable Internet service at the house for the first time in nearly two years. Life's little luxuries...
Everyone here is getting excited about Slaaviq, which is coming up next week. I am working on getting our apartment building cleaned up so that people can come over and celebrate. We need to get on the official list. There seems to be surprise and happiness that we are here for this. This will be our first Slaaviq, and I am looking forward to it.
I got the chance to go riding on the river today, and that proved to be a nice alternative to boredom. The trail was a little tough to pick up at first because it was snowing pretty steadily, but it all sorted out as I went up the river towards Bethel. I picked up our veggie box, and 18 eggs at my wife's request, and headed back. A pleasant outing. I actually had some pleasant thoughts about teaching my impending young one his or her way around the river highway...
We actually had enough water pressure tonight to wash dishes, and the kitchen is clean. I guess that the fellas over here are manually pumping the reserve tanks full or something of that nature. Kudos, guys!
We are hanging out at the school doing the net surf thing because we haven't gotten our wi-fi set up in the building. That will be a project to come after the neighbors return. It will be nice to have reliable Internet service at the house for the first time in nearly two years. Life's little luxuries...
Everyone here is getting excited about Slaaviq, which is coming up next week. I am working on getting our apartment building cleaned up so that people can come over and celebrate. We need to get on the official list. There seems to be surprise and happiness that we are here for this. This will be our first Slaaviq, and I am looking forward to it.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Happy New Year
Back in PKA for 2013, although we actually rung in the year in Bethel (in our sleep, thank you). We had flown up from Anchorage, where we spent Christmas and a few more days, on New Year's Eve. When all the bags came out, we had two dog kennels, five totes (loaded to the max and maybe a little beyond), two backpacks, one small dog bag (Buddha), one duffel-type suitcase, and something else that I may have forgotten.
What we lacked was a ride down the river. No fault. We had ridden up with Joe, who was in Anchorage. Alex had his truck, but had to be at his VPSO job at 8 pm. He hoped for a quiet night so that he could get some sleep and come and get us around noon. Our delightful friend Sandy graciously lent us the use of her apartment so that the five of us had a roof over our heads and a warm place to pee (well, at least the humans did).
We looked out the window at the fireworks being shot off to celebrate the new year, and felt fortunate to be together. The new arrival is scheduled for March, and we will have six to keep track of at that time. I have this vision that we will end up doing the Mary and Joseph routine..."I thought he/she was with you..." Kind of unnerving, when you figure that Mary and Joseph were SELECTED specifically for that job. What chance do we have?
Alex didn't get his wish for a slow New Year's Eve. He was kind enough to come and get us the next afternoon, however, and we were back in our little home by five in the afternoon. It feels good to be back, and we will get ready for the second semester, which is bound to be eventful, what with childbirth and long-term substitute teachers. And then, of course, we will try to get the mess that is us when we travel through the busiest airport in the world with one more member of our little traveling circus. It will be...bliss.
What we lacked was a ride down the river. No fault. We had ridden up with Joe, who was in Anchorage. Alex had his truck, but had to be at his VPSO job at 8 pm. He hoped for a quiet night so that he could get some sleep and come and get us around noon. Our delightful friend Sandy graciously lent us the use of her apartment so that the five of us had a roof over our heads and a warm place to pee (well, at least the humans did).
We looked out the window at the fireworks being shot off to celebrate the new year, and felt fortunate to be together. The new arrival is scheduled for March, and we will have six to keep track of at that time. I have this vision that we will end up doing the Mary and Joseph routine..."I thought he/she was with you..." Kind of unnerving, when you figure that Mary and Joseph were SELECTED specifically for that job. What chance do we have?
Alex didn't get his wish for a slow New Year's Eve. He was kind enough to come and get us the next afternoon, however, and we were back in our little home by five in the afternoon. It feels good to be back, and we will get ready for the second semester, which is bound to be eventful, what with childbirth and long-term substitute teachers. And then, of course, we will try to get the mess that is us when we travel through the busiest airport in the world with one more member of our little traveling circus. It will be...bliss.
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