Trailer Wife

Not to be a big fat complainer, but Good Gods, these last two weeks have taxed every fiber in my being. First of all, it's January. In Fairbanks. Which means that the average temperature hovers somewhere around -20F and we have barely 4 hours of daylight. Turns out that the ONLY thing that will keep your synapses firing under these circumstances is high fructose corn syrup and reality television. So I'm feeling GREAT. And then, Gus gets the worst virus of his short life. Just when I thought diaper duty was the bottom line in infant disgustitude, here comes crustified, glue-like, Garbage-Pail-Kid-worthy emissions from the kid's nose. Not to mention a grumpy streak that lasted ten days and got me around 2 hours of sleep a night. THEN, said virus slithers from said emissions and infects the rest of the family. Perfect.

Seriously, Internet. This was the mother of all flu/cold bugs. Alaska germs DO NOT screw around. I honestly felt at times that I was being violently accosted by angry, territorial bacteria. After a solid week of it, I have only today felt even vaguely human. And still, I think my sinuses have sustained irreparable damage.

And of course, it's perfect timing because I have my MFA app due on Feb 1st, and the GREs to take on the 2nd. And then US-FRAKING-Bank raised our credit card interest rate for no reason, AGAIN! And then I lost one of my 1/2 karat diamond studs, the only remaining evidence that I didn't waste 6 years of my life in the soul-sucking cancer pit that was EBS. And then Howard Zinn died.

And now J.D.??? Jerome David himself??

I can't take anymore. So I'm going to bed until the snow melts. Goodbye.

PS - I'll be back February 1st with a whole month of featured short stories. First on the docket - Antonya Nelson.

I know that slingbacks and open-toed stilettos are beginning to take over every shoe counter in the lower 48, ready for spring pedicures and beach romps... but it is still decidedly winter in Fairbanks. Even thinking about flips flops makes my feet hurt. What I really long for right now is BOOTS. Because in a place like Alaska, a good pair of boots is as necessary as engine warmers and fur-lined head wear. Granted, the selection of boots I've seen around these parts isn't exactly what you'd call fashion-forward (see here, here and here), but the fact stands.

So here is a boot round up of all the Alaskan-approved-practical-but-saucy styles I am dying to own, and in no way can afford. Instead, I am saving up, and as soon as I hit my New Years Resolution weight loss goal (probably by my birthday, if I'm lucky) I'm going to pull the trigger.

Donald Pliner Amy 6363 $171.98

La Canadienne Ramona - $324.95

There's nothing like a new job, a saintly daycare provider, a few added minutes of sunlight every day and a talented drive-thru barista to improve your worldview. For a girl who craves order in all things, my new strict schedule is pushing all the right mood buttons. And not a minute too soon.

It's no coincidence, I think, that we are approaching the 6 month mark in Fairbanks. From everyone I've talked to, and from my own personal experience, I've decided that the first 6 months of any major transition suck, full stop. There's almost nothing you can do about it. The compulsion to compare everything in the new place to the old place is positively soul devouring. Add a new climate, a dearth of friendly faces, and some serious cultural contrast and you have a recipe for clinical depression.

I've been thinking a lot this week about Aberdeen, which is making news this month with record cold weather and a foot of stubborn snow on the ground (ironic much?). Scotland now occupies a very special place in my heart, which is made all the more meaningful when I think about how unhappy we sometimes were in Aberdeen. And that makes me think about how often it is the case that you can't really love a place until you've worked through everything you hate about it. Just like all real friendships are cemented after that first big fight.

So I've stopped feeling guilty about hating Fairbanks. I have hope that someday soon the ice fog, insane produce prices and the absence of good Indian food will fade in my mind a bit, and I'll be able to appreciate the supernova sunsets, the hilarious winter headwear, and quilts.

More photos soon. I'm terrified of freezing the camera lenses... it was -40 yesterday, my new personal cold record!

Tonight Sam and I watched Away We Go. Holy Hell, folks. This was a great movie. Probably the best I've seen in the last year. Directed by Sam Mendes (Little Children, American Beauty) and co-written by Dave Eggers (writing rock star, brains behind McSweeny's, adapted Where The Wild Things Are) and starring my new boyfriend, John Krasinski, this movie bowled me over. It was so smart and funny and real. And as a person who has recently procreated, incredibly relevant. Please find a way to watch it. If for no other reason than Allison Janney's brilliant performance and for the painfully accurate portrayal of new age academics.

I haven't felt this good about a movie since I saw Once, In America, or Junebug.

Oh, Internet. There are many, many excuses for my negligent posting, but I won't bore you with them. Let's just say that holiday fun + life with a toddler + Oregon rain falling on fireplace-warmed windows + a few night flights + newly acquired ring tone making skills = one lazy, procrastinating broad. At least I made it almost to Christmas, right? Right.

So, we are back in Fairbanks. It is cold and dark and sherbet colored. But life here is a bit more exciting. I started a part time job on campus today, and Gusser had his inaugural daycare session (he did great, aside from a little hair pulling and a minor sleep strike). It is amazing how much this four hour block of structure completely transforms the day.

And with a new year and a new routine comes... yes, new resolutions. Here's mine.

In 2010 I will:
1. Learn to ride a horse.
2. Read Moby Dick.
3. Capture the eerie twilight glow with the watercolors my father-in-law gave me for Christmas.
4. Write one short story for every month.
5. Take the frakking GREs.
6. Smile at strangers and give change to everyone who asks.
7. Complete at least one phase of P90X.
8. Make a quilt.
9. Try every kind of Alaskan game.
10. Be a better phone friend.