It was a very busy day today! I got up early and took Butch to the doctor and we had to wait about an hour, then he told him to go home and get his toothbrush and other stuff because he was putting him in the hospital. We followed the doctors instructions and got to the hospital around 10:15 a.m. I waited with him until around noon because I wanted to catch Stephen at home for lunch so I could tell him about his Father being admitted. Usually I would be able to call him at work, but they are in a class this week and can't have their cell phones on.

I ate lunch with Stephen, then I had to go to the commissary to get some groceries so I called Rachel to see if she still needed to go and she wasn't home. I left a message for her to call my cell phone if she wanted me to pick something up for her and headed off to the store. I was almost done with my shopping when I got a call from Rachel saying that she did need to get some stuff and could I pick her up around 4:30 p.m.? I said yes, I would take my things home and go by and pick her up, but that I needed to be somewhere at 7:00 p.m. She said her husband would be home at 4:30 p.m. to watch the kids so I agreed.

When I got over to her house, her husband was not home yet and she was trying to reach him on the cell phone. The kids were watching "The Grinch" and of course I watched it too! I've only seen the movie once and had forgotten most of it, so I enjoyed it. She finally got in touch with her husband and he made it home around 5:45 p.m. I knew we would have to hurry if we were going to make it back in time for Stephen and I to get to Church for the Finance class. The lines were long at the commissary as they usually are this time of the month (just after payday) and we didn't finish until nearly 7 p.m. Needless to say we didn't make it to our class, but it's a 12 week class and hopefully we can catch up next week. I bought a rotisserie chicken at the commissary to eat for dinner because I was tired of turkey leftovers! It was a nice change.

After dinner, Stephen and I went up to the hospital to visit his dad before visiting hours were over. He has a roommate that is about his age, also a diabetic, and has lots of stories to tell too, so they get along GREAT! The nurse said there were 4 diabetics in the hospital with foot infections right now! Something in the water? I don't know, maybe. We stayed and talked to him for awhile and of course Stephen jumped on him for not taking care of himself and adhering to his diabetic diet and exercise! He said he would have to check his Dad's feet more often since he obviously won't do it himself. But, he promised to do better so Stephen let it go. They are going to operate on his foot tomorrow and we are just praying that he gets to keep his foot and his leg! If he loses it, we will be in a bind because of the stairs in our house. We would have to put in a request to be moved to a handicapped equip apartment, but that would be a major feat because he's not a dependant. We had to get a special waiver for him to live with us so we don't know if they would even approve something that drastic! Aside from that option, I don't know what we will do!

The hospital here on post is an old one and the rooms can have a total of 4 patients in them. The bathroom is down the hall and is co-ed (sort of like a port-a-john) so there is not much privacy. The TV's that they have are wheeled from room to room and are used on a first come, first served basis and good luck finding a remote that works! They are building a new multi-million dollar hospital just down the street, but it's not set to open until 2006! I hope we are still here when it opens, it's supposed to be state-of-the-art!

We left the hospital around 8:30 p.m. because we wanted to get back home for West Wing, one of our favorite shows on TV. I needed some gas because it was just below half and you don't want to let it get much lower than that in this cold weather or it will try to freeze, so we drove to the Chevron station just off post. There is a gas station on post, but the gas in the wintertime tends to be less quality. People also recommend that you add "Iso Heat" (an additive) to your gas to keep it from freezing, and Stephen makes me put one bottle in my tank before each fill up. As Stephen was pumping the gas, two vehicles pulled up and started filling their tanks without turning their engines off! I don't understand how people can be so ignorant! I see people smoking and talking on cell phones at gas pumps all the time! Have they not seen the 20/20 specials on how gas tanks explode! It's real people! It does happen!! Why do you think they put those stickers up that say "turn your engine off" and "don't use cell phones" and definitely "no smoking"?? How lazy do you have to be not to turn your engine off or throw a cigarette away before reaching for the pump? This is not rocket science!! I prefer not to be blown to bits because of their carelessness! Ok, I'm done venting now! Thanks for listening! ;-)

Even Stephen's kiss couldn't wake me this morning I was so sound asleep. I just didn't want to get out of bed and when I finally did it was already 8:30 a.m., but of course the sun wasn't up yet so it seemed much earlier! Will I ever get used to this dark stuff? We'll see!

I received a call this morning from Brandi (the employment liaison on post) informing me of a Web Site Manager position at the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. She said to go online and fill out the application right away, because the deadline for applying is December 9th. I went to their website and, with some difficulty, I found what I thought was the application and started filling it out online. I get so frustrated with applications because I don't feel that they are necessary. Isn't that what a resume is for? so you don't have to write the stuff over and over again? The resume contains all the information that you use to fill out the application so why can't they just look at the resume? I don't get it! Anyway, I did my part and filled it out, but when I hit the submit button, it didn't work! and of course I lost all the information I had entered so I tried one more time to no avail. I finally decided to go to the contact page on their website and find the Human Resources contact for the web department and send her an e-mail with my resume attached and a cover letter. We'll see what happens!

Stephen came home for lunch and we had some sandwiches, then at 12:30 p.m. I switched on the TV to TLC for "Perfect Proposal". I've been watching this show for the last few days and it's really good. They take any ordinary man wanting to propose to his fiancee' and help him pull off a unique and perfect proposal. Today was the best one I've seen so far. The guy bought the ring and put in the floor board of a New York cab (one that was used specifically for the show) and got his girlfriend's friend to coax her to the right cab to find the ring. The ring was in a bag (as if someone bought it and left it behind), with a business card of the jeweler that supposedly sold the ring. The girl was flabbergasted to find the ring and tried it on just for fun! She went on and on about how beautiful it was and told her boyfriend on videotape (the friend was taping) that this was the ring that she wanted! Then to make a long story short, she tracked down the jeweler who asked her to take it to the hotel for the guy that she thought was proposing and imagine her surprise when she got there to find her own boyfriend standing there waiting to propose to her with the ring that she had fallen in love with! It was so sweet; I was crying. I'm a big sap for stuff like that!

Not long after the show, I received a call from Mary, one of the members of my ITC group asking if I wanted to meet her at 2 p.m. at McCafferty's downtown. She wanted to give me the book that we are reading for our book club, so I didn't have to purchase a new one. I said I would be delighted to meet with her and have a cup of coffee. I had a few things to finish before meeting with her so I got right to work.

I had to call all of the ladies in 3rd platoon about the Christmas party on the 13th of December. I was surprised to find out that most of them had no idea that we were having a party, much less when. The girl who volunteered to be the Key Caller for our platoon hasn't been doing her job, so I told our FRG leader, Katie that I would be happy to call everyone. If you read about our Christmas party plans back in November, you will remember that that 3rd platoon is supposed to bring side dishes, so I called the ladies to see what they plan on bringing to make sure we don't end up with 10 bowls of mashed potatoes! Most of them were very responsive and promised to make something and seemed to be happy that I called to inform them. Right now we have stuffing, mashed potatoes, 2 green bean casseroles and jambalaya. I left messages for the ones that weren't home, and hopefully they will get back with me soon so we can complete our mission!

With that out of the way, I sped off to meet with Mary at McCafferty's coffee house. I didn't think I would be there long and the temperature was only -1, so I didn't plug "Ben" in this time. I made my way across the street to the coffee shop and found that I had gotten there before her, so I bought myself a short decaf mocha latte and found a nice place to sit. Shortly after I got seated, Mary walked in and joined me. The book we are reading is "Nine Parts of Desire" The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks. While Mary went to get her own cup of coffee, I read the prologue and I didn't want to put the book down! It's a true story about a journalist, Geraldine Brooks, and her intrepid journey toward an understanding of the women behind the veils, and of the often contradictory political, religious, and cultural forces that shape their lives. I think I will thoroughly enjoy reading this book! Who knows, I might even start an online book club with you guys! If your interested e-mail me at smkatt@yahoo.com and let me know!

I enjoyed talking with Mary and finding out more about her. She's an older woman who has lived in Fairbanks since the 1960's and she's a loner. She likes to rent movies (old ones and new ones) to keep her company while she falls asleep at night and she doesn't like to get out past 30 below! It's interesting to hear how people ended up here and how they cope with the extreme conditions. In her case, she stays inside most of the time, but she said she's trying to get out more and invited me to join her again sometime for conversation and coffee. I look forward to hearing more of her stories.

On the way back on post, I glanced over and saw the baby moose! I whipped my camera out of my purse and snapped a photo as I was driving by. The mama moose was over by the trees, but she had a watchful eye on her child ready to charge at a moments notice. A little further down the road, I noticed the moon bright and full and got a few shots. I sure wish I had a zoom lens to capture the details. Maybe I'll put that on my Christmas list next year!

This evening Stephen and I went to visit his Dad and we found out they are not going to operate on his foot just yet. They are going to do an MRI tomorrow and watch him over the weekend and then decide Monday if they have to operate. The doctor said his foot looked a lot better today so it sounds pretty good!

After visiting Butch, we drove to Burger King to grab a quick bite to eat. The girl at the drive through window was an outstanding employee; she was friendly, not pushy and very efficient. We like to report good experiences as well as bad ones, so when we got home, I called and asked for the Manager and told her about our pleasant encounter. She thanked me for calling and asked me to fill out a customer comment card on her because for every one they receive, they get a $5 gift certificate for food. It's not a lot, but I think it's a nice gesture and a great incentive in this new world of shrinking customer service!

I was sleeping soundly this morning when the phone rang. I stumbled to answer it and managed a weak hello. My friend Angel from Alabama was calling to chat for a minute then, all of a sudden she realized that it wasn't 11:00 a.m. like she thought it was to begin with, but it was actually 5 a.m. She was thinking we were 3 hours ahead of her instead of 3 hours behind! I told her it was ok, we get a call like that every once in awhile from someone in the lower 48 who forgets what time it really is here. Anyway, It was good to talk with her and she told me she was going to try to purchase her plane ticket to come see us in May! I'm so excited!! Now I have to get the guest room ready ;-)

While chatting with Susan this morning, we both discovered that the other needed to go to Sears and some other places around town. We wanted to go Christmas shopping for our husbands, so we decided to go together. She picked me up and we went to Sears where I bought some stuff for Stephen, but I can't tell you what because he might read this. (nice try, but I'm not telling you Stephen!). After Sears, we went to Fred Meyers because I was looking for another Christmas Card List Book because the one I have now is about to run out. They didn't have what I was looking for, but I did get some padded envelopes to mail out the ornaments that I purchased earlier and some Christmas recipe cards for my gifts in a jar. Our next stop was Office Max where I bought some beautiful Christmas letterhead for our family newsletter. I was looking at refills for my Day Timer and was shocked to find that they are nearly $30 up here! YIKES!! I usually only pay around $20. I decided to wait on that purchase until after Christmas.

We were getting a little hungry around 2:30 p.m., neither of us had eaten yet, so we ended up at Food Factory for a late lunch. We swap off who picks up the check and it was my turn today! I had the Captains platter with fish and fries with a salad and Susan had the hot ham and cheese sandwich with fries. We've eaten at Food Factory many times before and it has become one of our favorite places to eat. It's one place we know we won't get food poison, at least not yet! ;-)

After a delicious lunch, there was one more place I wanted to look at. I wanted to go to Waldens Books in the mall to see if maybe they had the Christmas List Book. After all, I saw it on their website! Well, as usual they didn't have it either so I guess I'm just going to have to order it online and pay the shipping cost. That's one thing that is really frustrating about Alaska, they always seem to be out of or don't have what you want. I guess it has to do with trying to get stuff shipped up here, we'll just have to adjust.

Having a day of retail therapy with a friend can be inspirational. When I got home I started working on our newsletter and I'm just about finished! I want to take a current picture of Stephen and I, but I won't be able to do that until Friday. I want to get the picture in the snow (for a real Alaskan feel), but with only 4 hours of daylight it will have to be around 1 p.m.and Stephen has off on Friday. For some reason, they have a 4 day weekend coming up. We can't figure out why because it's not a Holiday and it's so close to Christmas, but we're not going to argue! We will enjoy the extra time together.

We were discussing plans for Christmas tonight and I think we are just going to have Christmas at home just the three of us, and then maybe go to the movies, that is if Butch gets out of the hospital in time. Speaking of Butch, the doctor confirmed that he did take his big toe. And they don't know weather the skin that was left will grow to cover the hole in his foot. It's pretty much a waiting game for now.

Ornament of the Day


My Favorite: Mouse on a Plate
Stephen gave me this one in 2001. I think he's so fat and cute eating the cookies left for Santa!


Stephen's favorite: Hot Wheels
He also collects the Hot Wheels ornaments. I gave him this one last year I think.


Weather for tomorrow:
Mostly cloudy. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Over Hills gusts 25 mph with blowing snow. Highs zero to 15 above. Lows 5 below to 5 above.

(here comes the snow again!)


Sunrise tomorrow: 10:43 a.m.
Sunset tomorrow: 2:43 p.m.

(solstice approaches)

What were we seeking you ask? The beautiful sunrise that we saw this morning on the way to the PX. We both woke up this morning with a headache so we decided not to go to the gym like we had planned. We still needed some garland to decorate for the company Christmas party this weekend so we thought we would run over to the PX to see what they had. On the way, we noticed the beautiful sunrise with it's orange and pink hues and were determined to get a shot of it. We put off the shopping for just a bit to try to find a spot to capture the beauty before us. We drove over to the golf course and it turned out to be the perfect location. This shot was taken at 11:30 a.m., but it looks like it should be around 6 or 7 a.m. The sun makes its way and peeks over the horizon, hovers there for a few hours and then goes down again. December 21st is Winter Solstice (the shortest day of the year), we will have 222 minutes of daylight then we start gaining minutes of light everyday after that. In other words, this is as bad as it's going to get so I think I can handle it.

We were discussing how we couldn't understand people who get depressed and stay inside when there's this type of scenery awaiting them. How can you be down in the dumps looking at beauty like this?

We finally made our way over to the PX, but the selection was slim. They didn't have any garland and what little ornaments they had cost way too much in our opinion. We got a few things and then headed to the Musher's Roadhouse to eat lunch. It was Susan's turn to pick up the tab and we wanted to see if they had a special like the Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken for only $4.95 that we got last time. Well they didn't have that, but they had Turkey Pot Pie. It was a little different than the pot pie I'm used to because it had two biscuits in a bowl with a stew mixture poured over the top. It was really good and was only $5.95. I told Susan I was going to suggest Musher's the next time it's my turn! ;-)

After eating we drove down to Fred Meyers to find some last minute Christmas gifts for family and then ended up back at the PX because the prices for Alaska Souvenirs is much cheaper there!

Susan dropped me off at home around 3:30 p.m. and the sun was already down. I worked on the computer for awhile and chatted with a few friends and one of my nieces'. Stephen got off work early today because it was the last day of the week for them and usually the last day they get off at 15:00 or 3 p.m. for Arctic Family Time. Well, he decided to take advantage of his time off and go shopping for me. I called him around 6 p.m. and he was still at it. I told him I had to go to the Church to practice with the women. We are singing "Mary Did You Know" for our candlelight Christmas program and only a few of us know it. I am a soprano, but I usually sing the melody. In this song there are two soprano parts and I'm singing the 2nd. It's much different than the melody so it's very challenging. It's so pretty though and I think we'll be able to pull it off, I hope anyway! Our first performance is a week from Saturday at Golden Towers. We are going to try to have it recorded.

It's 9:18 p.m. and my dear Stephen is still out shopping! What in the world could he be getting me that takes 6 hours?? Lord only knows with that man!

He finally made it home around 10:30 p.m., but of course he wouldn't tell me where he had been, he's sneaky that one! Anyway, I need to get in bed because my headache is back and I have a busy day tomorrow. I'm going to the gym, then I need to go grocery shopping because I need to get some sort of side dish to take to the party Saturday night and we've invited the new Lieutenant to dinner on Sunday and I'm making tacos, then at 2 p.m. we are decorating for the party, then we have choir practice at 7 p.m. at Church! Huff Puff!

Ornament of the Day


My Favorite: Purple Glitter
Stephen bought me a set of these purple glitter balls because my favorite color is purple!


Stephen's favorite: Cement Truck
Yet another Tonka!


Weather for tomorrow:
Mostly cloudy with flurries. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Highs zero to 10 above.



Sunrise tomorrow: 10:45 a.m.
Sunset tomorrow: 2:42 p.m.

We woke up this morning to get ready for Church and we were already running late! I feel like I'm always in a hurry and there's never enough time in the day to get everything done. Anyway, we made it to Church, but we almost didn't get a seat. The children were having their annual Christmas program so the Church was overflowing with people. We found a spot to squeeze into just as they were beginning. The program was called "Homeless" and was a touching modern day story on how if Jesus were born here today he would probably be born on the streets. There wasn't a dry eye in the place at the end!

After Church, we had to rush home so I could put my pan of Lasagna in the oven before the party. I got one of the Stouffers Meat Lasagna's because I didn't have time to cook anything from scratch. While it was cooking, Stephen and I changed clothes and suited up to go out in the snow for our Christmas picture. We grabbed Toofy and Tiffy in their new sleigh so we could get some photos of them in the snow as well and drove around looking for a good backdrop. We didn't have to go far, because right around the corner was a group of trees that provided a great spot.

We waded through about 2 feet of snow to get in place and set the tripod up right across from us. I discovered that I didn't have my remote control for the camera and asked Stephen to look in my purse. He said it wasn't in there, so I had to jump in "Ben" and run home to try to find it. Meanwhile, I had him cover the camera with a cloth because the snow was falling and I didn't want it to get wet. I couldn't find it at home and I was on my way back to him when I decided to look one more time in my purse and viola! there it was right in the center pocket! MEN!! I got back and we took a few photos of us and then a couple of Toofy and Tiffy and drove back home to get ready for the company Christmas party.

The party was to start at 5 p.m., but those of us on the decorating committee decided to get there around 4 p.m. to make sure everything was set up and we didn't have to run get something at the last minute. People started arriving about 10 minutes to 5 p.m. and kept coming in all through the party. We had a great turnout of people and Santa came in to visit the kids. He gave them a gift bag and we took photos of each child with him and then let them make their own picture frame to put the picture in. The piñata was a big hit, no pun intended, but was a very tough Santa to break! We had to string him up by the neck because he kept falling and then in the end, we had to put him on the ground and let the kids beat the smack out of him before he would break open! We played several games of "tape the nose on Rudolph" and "Musical Chairs" then we called it a night and started packing everything up. It was a lot of work, but I think everyone had a great time.

When we got everything loaded back in the Jeep, we went to Safeway to pick up some drinks for Butch before going to visit him in the hospital. He was craving some Diet Ginger ale and Diet Dr. Pepper because he's getting tired of drinking tea and he doesn't like the Crystal Light they give him. We got to the hospital and saw a moose as we were driving in the parking lot! I didn't have time to set up my tripod, so we just admired him or her and went on our way. As we walked in Butch's room, he had a pained look on his face. I asked him what was wrong and he said he's had the hiccups off and on for the past three days and they are driving him crazy! I told him we would have to try to scare them out of him, but he didn't think that would work. We brought him a Christmas tree, his stocking, some sugar free candy canes and chocolate and some more movies to watch. He might still be in the hospital when Christmas rolls around so we wanted to help him stay in the Spirit of things with a little decoration. He was happy we did.

On the drive home, we couldn't help but notice that the snow looks so magical! It looks like someone is pouring thousands of buckets of fine glitter all over everything. It shimmers like little diamonds and It's so beautiful. I wish I could capture it on film, but it just doesn't show up!

Stephen is calling for me to come watch TV with him, so I guess I better go spend some time with him! He says he always has to compete with my computer. I think he's actually jealous ;-)

Ornament of the Day


My Favorite: Cycling with Santa
Stephen's Mom got him this one back in 1994. I think it is so cute!


Stephen's favorite: Fire Engine
Yes it's Tonka, but at least it's a little different than the rest!

Tree with all the trains set up

My new cat

Weather for tomorrow:
Partly cloudy. East winds 10 mph. Over the Hills gusts 20 mph. Highs zero to 10 below...except 15 above in the Hills.

Sunrise tomorrow: 10:49 a.m.
Sunset tomorrow: 2:40 p.m.

There are 2 deer kissing by a babbling brook with a stone bridge, an Alaska type setting with a moose, a bear, a wolf and even an eagle in a tree. He has 4 different size trains, one is N-gage, one HO scale, one L scale and one S scale. The N-gage is the smallest one right under the tree. One of his favorite scenes is the accident complete with ambulance and person sprawled out on the road!

Chad showed up about 6:15 p.m. and we ate our mexican meal and dessert. I think he really enjoyed the meal, at least he said he did. We enjoyed talking to him and getting to know him. We are happy that he's nice guy, we didn't know what the new Lieutenant would be like and Stephen has to work in the same office with him. I think they will get along just fine!

He probably thinks we are crazy with all the stuffed animals, trains and toys around, but he must have enjoyed the company because he ended up staying until 10:30 p.m. Stephen made his awesome hot chocolate (secret recipe) and then he said he had to go finish his laundry before bed.

After Chad left, I took some photos of my new cat! I got a box in the mail yesterday and when I opened it there was a cat inside! It looks so real, has real fur and even meows at you! Stephen says it's creepy, but I love it!!

Well, I better get in bed, it's midnight again and I have that interview tomorrow at 1 p.m. with the school district! Be praying for me!!

Ornament of the Day


My Favorite: Rudolph
Stephen bought me this one this year and I love it because if you push his nose you can hear a clip from the movie.


Stephen's favorite: Reindeer
Stephen made this one himself in 1977. He made it and painted it!

Weather for tomorrow:
Increasing cloudiness. A slight chance of snow. Local northeast winds to 10 mph. Highs 5 below to 5 above.

Sunrise tomorrow: 10:50 a.m.
Sunset tomorrow: 2:40 p.m.

Ornament of the Day


My Favorite: Cowboy Snowman
I just got this one in the mail from my friend Lesa in Texas. He had the wrong mouth, but I fixed him!


Stephen's favorite: Bob and Larry
I gave this one to Stephen two years ago, because we both love Veggie Tales and Bob and Larry are our favorite characters in the show!

Weather for tomorrow:
Mainly cloudy. Light winds. Highs zero to 8 below in the valleys...near 10 above in the Hills.

Sunrise tomorrow: 10:52 a.m.
Sunset tomorrow: 2:39 p.m.