Hi, I am back online....

Just a quick note as I know some of you are wondering where I have gone.  Yes, I have been busy, but the biggest reason I have been absent from the blog is my computer.

I had brought with me a little Dell Latitude computer that I had gotten a couple of years ago for traveling.  It has worked well but the farther along my drive to Fairbanks, the slower and slower it was working.  There was a lot of lagging and sometimes it took a good five minutes just to get the computer to catch up with my typing.  Many times, I was ready to throw the computer against the wall.  It made it very difficult to update my blog.

This morning, as I woke the little computer, the little screen went black and I could not get anything to show up.  So, I headed out to Walmart and Costco to find a replacement.  I spent the day getting things set up and I am finally back online.

And since I had to go get a new computer, you can probably guess that I still have not gotten reunited with my stuff.  I called on Monday and the van is still parked in Great Falls, Montana.  There are 5 vans ahead of it in the queue to be moved to Alaska. Hopefully I will have more news as to progress of my stuff on Friday.

This week has been setting up the Ring Alarm system.  Got it up and running only to get a notice from Ring that Fairbanks requires a permit, so I will be getting an application for a permit and getting that submitted.

Miss Gaddy the Caddy is now a full blown, Alaskan car.  She has heaters and warming pads all over her engine and a trickle charger to keep her battery always at full charge.  She has four new studded tires on four new rims.  I had told Corry at Peger Road Auto Repair that the rims for the tires were to be functional and not pretty and that is what she told the tire companies.  We selected the company with the rims that were immediately available and had the best price for tires.  I expected to see really ugly generic rims.  But Miss Gaddy has some really good looking rims, making her look even more sporty than she did when I bought her.  I will get pictures soon, but I am tickled with them.

Had dinner tonight with Rob and Kate.  They meet their good friends, Seth and Jen, every Wednesday for dinner out.  Last week we had Indian food.  Tonight we went to a Brew Pub and had some really good comfort food.  Friday we are going to see a comedy at one of the local theaters and Saturday is a bonfire party with some of Kate's knitting friends.

It was raining in Fairbanks proper today.  Rob and Kate had snow at their higher elevation.  It will probably not stick around too long, but it is only a matter of time before it will be here as well and begin to accumulate on the ground.  Hopefully my furniture will arrive before that happens.

In the meantime, I am still working in the kitchen getting shelves lined, making some simple meals with the few things I have purchased after realizing how long I might be without my stuff.  I really miss my stuff.  But I look at it this way, the longer it takes me to get the stuff, the farther into the long, cold, dark winter it will take me to get unpacked and set up for living.  Tomorrow is cleaning the lower level.  The dogs and I have tracked in fall leaves from the Birch trees in the yard and I need to wash their toys and bedding.  

So, I will be doing a better job of keeping up with the blog, now that I have a computer that responds to my every touch.  Keep in touch.  I love hearing from you all.