Just Another Day

If you’ve talked to me in the past two months or so, you’ve probably heard me utter the words, “I hate the cold!” The truth is, I think I’ve decided that it’s not “the” cold that I hate but the act of being cold. I don’t enjoy getting into a cold car before or after work, when I’m dressed only marginally appropriately for the weather. I don’t enjoy the chill when I’m running between our house and Dad’s in my bare feet. I also don’t enjoy the coldness in the air after leaving my cozy down comforter in the morning. But, I’ve discovered the magnificent concept of LAYERS that is helping me to embrace winter.

Today I decked myself out in capelline, smart wool, fleece, and some wind resistant material before snowshoeing back into the BWCA. It was perfect! It didn’t hurt to have the sun shining brightly overhead and the company of my dear William.

We walked back into Hegman Lake, which is a spot we’ve gone a couple of times by canoe. There are some neat petroglyphs there, but crazily enough, I didn’t take one picture by them. (We were busy capturing video for BWCAcast.) So, here’s a borrowed shot.

I think the thing I love the most about getting into the Boundary Waters is thinking about the voyageurs long ago who traveled there. Everything is so untouched and beautiful. It really is an amazing place.

Anyway, there were two short portages and two lakes to cross. I love to look at the snow hanging off the branches of the trees and being the first to crunch through the snow.

The trek was wonderful, but our muscles were tired upon returning to the car. So, Bill called my mom up and asked her to fire up the sauna. It was perfect for taking the chill right out of our bones… not to mention, we got to visit, too!

I’ve come to the conclusion that every day ought to be vacation.

We were fortunate to snag an evening with the Rudstroms last night during their quick break in Minnesota. C.O., AnnMarie, and Harold made the drive out to the lake and we had a great time hearing about how life in Brevig Mission is treating them and of their upcoming adventures.

I was happy to get to meet Harold for the very first time. What a doll!

And, of course, we had to check out their Wii ability. Even the little guy got in on the action!

Thank you guys for taking some time out of your busy break to spend with us. We’ll look forward to seeing you this summer. 🙂

We had gorgeous weather today – perfect for a little snowshoeing out on the lake.

There’s a thick layer of slush on the ice in front of our house, so it doesn’t look like we will have a skating rink this year. Today, we decided to take advantage of the ice rink in town. The ice was choppy, and my skates were dull, so it wasn’t quite the experience I’d hoped for. Bill seemed to enjoy himself enough, though, as he worked at a little pick-up game of hockey with these elementary kids. 🙂

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is already over. I hope each of you had time together with your family and friends to celebrate traditions and togetherness.

Our days were lovely. The festivities began Wednesday afternoon when Bill, April, and I met up with Dad & Arlene and Uncle Glenn to celebrate with g2 at the nursing home. We brought in lunch and sat by the Christmas tree and listened to stories.

Later on, we had the Aune Christmas over at my dad’s. It was quiet this year with only 17 of us, but it was certainly nice to enjoy a tasty dinner and more story time. Bill and I headed home rather than staying at Dad’s (which makes the first year I haven’t woke up in “my” bed…!), but we were sure to head over early Christmas morning for some gift opening and omelets courtesy of Jesse.

Next it was off to Mom’s to celebrate with the Poderzays. Bill and I headed up a little early to take a sauna, but soon the rest of the family showed up. We enjoyed more food (I am stuffed just thinking about it), more story telling, and a few rounds of Catch Phrase Music Edition.

A while after darkness fell, it was time to think about taking off. As everyone started heading their separate ways, Bill and I decided it’d be a great time to catch a movie. So, we headed to Virginia and watched Yes Man!

Today we just layed around ALL DAY – it’s been perfect. Of course I started getting antsy around 5 tonight, so I imagine we’ll have to find something exciting to do tomorrow.

Bill and I had a nice day together. We headed up to Ely to do a little Christmas shopping and then over to Virginia to watch a few of his students perform in the holiday concert. On our way home, Bill caught a glimpse in the rear-view mirror of the car behind us spinning into the ditch. The driver happened to be one of Bill’s students, and luckily he was unharmed. I watched from our car as Bill worked in the cold to shovel out his student and help get the car ready for towing. Of course, I wouldn’t have expected any less from my hubby, but he sure is quite a guy.

Admittedly, I’ve been getting crankier and crankier as the days passed and our pipes stayed frozen. I was losing the adventure in the situation quickly.

Thanks to our local plumbers (one who I happen to be related to – thank you, Jess!), we got a new pipe to run water from the source into our house. This was great news to arrive home to last night. The not-so-great news? Well, the pipes UNDER our house were frozen solid.

A new diesel-fueled heater and a very patient husband later, I’m happy to say that our water is working and so are our drain pipes. Yahoo.

A very valuable lesson has presented itself as well… let me not take anything in life for granted – even the convenience of indoor plumbing!

Wishes for Happy Holidays to you all!

My rosy attitude is begining to wilt after day 6 w/out water…

When I got home from work yesterday (seriously, I’m almost afraid to come home from work some nights…), I found that we had standing water in our kitchen sink. How is it that we even HAVE water in the kitchen (?) – well, that’s just the stuff we’ve hauled. Anyway, we pulled apart the drain pipes under the sink and confirmed that there was nothing lodged – thereby pointing towards the conclusion that our drain pipes are probably also frozen.

For good measure,  we decided to try some more Max Strength Drano before chalking it up to the cold. So, I ran into the (only) grocery store we have in town to get this magical liquid, and I also decided to buy a plunger (as I saw Bill eyeing up the toilet plunger for this job… not okay). Our pipes are still not draining, but I did come away with this… A plunger is one of those awkward purchases – particularly in a small store – because this screams urgency! I mean, at least I wasn’t also carrying a 24 pack of double roll Charmin, but still, this situation was not cool. And, I swear, if you ever want to run into people you don’t see often, think of some embarassing items you might carry around in your cart at the local store. I think I knew EVERYONE in line around me. Of course that’s the beauty of a small town…

I begin two weeks of vacation tomorrow evening. Bring it on!

We’ve got reasons to celebrate!

You see, I arrived home Friday evening to find that our water was froze up… again. Bill got here shortly after and plugged in the under-the-house heater. My grandparents’ house started as a small cabin decades ago. It’s been added on to layer by layer, and well, I love this place but it’s got its quirks. So, we patiently waited for the heater to work its magic, but that time never came. Dad got home in time to weigh in on the verdict… it wasn’t looking good. And that was the crucial point for me. I could decide to become annoyed and cranky about the fact that we will be without water until a plumber can get to us. Or the other option was to see some adventure in the situation. Having dealt with plenty of inconveniences the first way, I decided to try the other. I’ve made it my mission to find the fun and the positive in this minor setback. So, here’s how we’re managing:

The camp shower has once again proven to be a great buy! Though we have a great neighbor (read: my dad) who lets us haul all the water we want and use his shower. We’re so lucky that his water isn’t frozen as well, because that makes things far more difficult. Anyway, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the pipes will be thawed out this week.

I spent the weekend lounging, reading, baking (for my cookie exchange), watching bits of Elf, and hanging with family. We got a nice winter storm here yesterday, and by 6:00 last night we knew we were all off the hook for today! The area schools canceled, and I got to sleep in this morning. This is going to be a crazy week at work with the holiday play and parties, so today gave me that much more time to prepare for the whirlwind that’s to come.

Of course, if you’ve made it to either of my sisters’ blogs, you’ll know that I am going to be an auntie this summer… twice! I’m enjoying the time to plan showers in my head and think about how Bill and I can fill the roles of coolest aunt and uncle. I suppose this is probably my favorite reason for celebrating right now.

I always enjoy the holiday season so much, and tonight we finally got our tree decorated. I pulled out a few of Grandma and Grandpa’s ornaments, because it seems strange to have a tree here but not them… Every year we’d decorate the tree at Dad’s and Gram and Gramp would walk over to come and see it. We’d do the same when there’s was ready. I’m glad to be celebrating here in their house. This is the first tree Bill and I have put up together, and I realized that we are in the process of forming our own traditions. How could I possibly NOT feel lucky?

Bill and I hit a Christmas concert last night. A handful of his students were performing in the jazz band, concert band, and wind ensemble at VHS, so we decided to check it out. I am always amazed by musical folks. I mean, I like to belt out Brittney’s latest as much as the next guy, and I do a mean rendition of “chopsticks”, but we were talking serious talent at this concert. It was fun to watch and probably the only way I’ll ever get Bill to voluntarily sit and listen to Christmas tunes.

Lo was out this past weekend. That was nice. She added a little mario kart excitement to our lives. April joined us on Saturday, too. It’s always fun to just hang out with my sisters. They are silly as ever, and that makes me happy.

I’ve got a moderately busy work week which includes an evaluative observation and a parent activity on top of the normal holiday craziness. I actually sort of like these overloaded days. They go by quickly and keep me hopping.

I hope each of you is finding time for yourself through the hustle and bustle!