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I forget sometimes how things are cyclical. Sometimes the words flow out of me without so much as a nudge, and sometimes I'm moving boulders, all shoulder and no movement. I don't know what the catalyst is for change, or even if there is one. I think I write best when I'm teetering on the edge of unhappiness. Happy, and I forget to write entirely. Unhappy, and I write like an angst-ridden 12 year old. Can you imagine writing for a living? Oy.

I read some old journal entries today, remembered how witty I thought I was. And realized how silly I really am. I suppose that's all right. I've been preoccupied for months now, unable or unwilling to spill out more than a few sentences of banality. And it's the best preoccupation in the whole world, and I wouldn't give it up for anything.

Tonight I gave a terrible pedicure, ate pretzels with Nutella and Chubby Hubby and watched Survivor. Tomorrow is our school luau day, which should make for much insanity and many opportunities for picture taking. It should be fun if I can just find enough caffeine to make it though. Happy Friday, and may you never have enough to write about.

This is the float plane marina, now a landing strip for ski planes. (It doesn't compare to last fall, but it is pretty.) I tried in vain to get a picture of a plane landing, but just to get this shot I had to stand in a foot of snow and use the camera without gloves. Sorry, I have limits. It's been pretty nice out. For the past couple of weeks winter has been less harsh and frightening and easier to appreciate. I'm enjoying it.

I went to a tediously boring CPR recertification class today, and then to a coworker's baby shower. Let's face it, showers are really just a bunch of women squealing over gifts. It's worth it for the tiny socks, though. Tiny socks! I squealed, too. I try to pretend I'm crafty sometimes, so I bought some white onesies and embroidered them at the collar. They're not fantastic, but I did stab myself with the needle enough to draw blood, which surely counts for something. My girlfriend and I also got her some tiny socks (squeal!), mittens, diapers, bottles and other little things. Some of the office staff conspired to buy 5 boxes of Cocoa Pebbles, since that's what she's been craving. Yes, the estrogen there probably gave off actual fumes, but it was a pretty fun party.

Tomorrow I want to go walking. I will try for you to get a picture of a plane, OK?

Late February now, and hasn't winter been extraordinarily long? Wow. I think the fact that I came from a place where winter was maybe 2 1/2 months or so has made the transition that much more startling.

We've just within the past couple of weeks had enough sunlight to warm the air up during the day and let it cool at night. It's still been cool in the mornings– 10 or 15 below, but by afternoon it's 10 or even 20 above, which is nice. You'd be surprised how warm that feels. The sunrise still isn't until about 8:30AM, but there's visible light on the horizon when I drive to work now. Last week I saw a couple of beautiful auroras in the morning. I like February.

So, I knew winter would be long and cold and dark here, and yes I was a little worried. I was worried about driving, but a set of snow tires was a good investment for my safety and everyone else's. I was worried about the darkness, but except for mid December it was pretty bearable. Having an outside recess every day helped. I was a little worried about the cold, but you dress warmly and in the end it's not all that much colder than midwinter in Albuquerque with 40mph winds. I don't know what any of this means except some cliche about not knowing what you're capable of until you try it.

There's at least another month of winter to go, so I shouldn't count my chickens yet, but it hasn't been anything as terrible as you might imagine. Want to come visit?

Friday five. A real entry is coming…soon.

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Today was possibly the worst day I've ever had at my job, and that's saying a lot. I thought things would get better this week– it's warm enough that we can go outside, nobody is out sick, our new kids have had a chance to settle in… No luck. I have dealt with, let me count, 6 bathroom incidents in the past two days. The number 2 variety. All of which involved the same two children. I think this is a sign that I need to make more money. Or invest in rubber gloves and Lysol. Remember me the next time you complain about your job, OK?

My car needs a new alternator. My friendly local mechanic (wow, I've really gotten to know him a lot in the last 8 months) is looking at it right now. I thought it might be the alternator belt, but since the alternator is rattling and red and sending off sparks I'm thinking that's probably the issue. On Friday morning my headlights got progressively dimmer as I drove, and my windshield wipers and my heater stopped working altogether. I left it at school all weekend, and then got someone to give me a jump yesterday afternoon so I could drive it to the mechanic's. It barely made it– I got just to the property gate when it died on me. So we got to push it at 10 below. I hope it's not too expensive, and that the alternator is the only problem. I love my van.

On the bright side, my new bed is fabulous, the superbowl was actually semi-interesting, and I am all over the new Survivor and the end of Sex and the City. And it is warmer out. Have a lovely week.