Winter one way...

This is winter one way...

This photo was actually taken last fall. If you tossed an inch or two of snow around areas that would be shaded all the time, you'd have the Not-So-Great-White-North today. What the picture can't show is the temperature. For the first time all winter, we have actually achieved "normal' temps! It's nine whole degrees outside!

Woo Hoo it's cold outside! (and yes... I'm kidding.)

I do have to admit I'm thankful that the previous three months have been a great deal of help for me financially. I'm not in the hole with my winter heating bills! (Yet.) But it has helped tremendously, there's no denying that.

The mild weather has also helped keep my pain levels off the charts. I still throb with pain daily, but at least it's not been as debilitating as years past. The cold coupled with damp (Like the foggy days and storms) was it's usual misery of being horrid and wanting to cry eveytime I moved.

I could tell the temps dropped overnight because Ludie crawled under the covers. He does this on occasion, usually just to bug me. He paws at the covers until I lift them. Then he gets under and puts his cold paws on my toasty body. (who said you need a man in bed to annoy you? It seems that just being male qualifies!)

Then after he's flopped around trying to get comfortable, he lays there just long enough for me to fall alsleep so he can crawl back out. Last night he stayed under until early morning. It makes me a little sad that.

It reminds me of his age and there is that small part of me that whispers inside my heart, "Stay..."

Almost all the snow's gone! YAY!

I wish I could say it was like this...

Sadly, here in the Not-So-Great-White-North...

this would be a dream I'd take in a heartbeat!

All we have left right now, is dirty looking piles of snow compacted by the plows. The yards are left with just the "middles" in the them. Anyone that doesn't believe the pollution isn't as bad as the experts say, should take a good look at the melting, "virgin" snow.

My backyard has snow that's quite far away from the road or the plows or even shovels but it's as gray and dirty looking as the road snow does! A thought to reflect upon isn't it? Yikes.

I've been struggling with a sinus problem. It's simple to describe... it feels as if someone has pounded my face with a hammer. Even my glasses hurt on my face. Sucks that.

It's been two days, but at least now it's starting to open up and the pressure is starting to back off. I don't mind blowing my nose... (That's what Puffs with lotion are for!) But when it's just all stuffed up, I can hardly stand it! I guess I should stop sounding like a wuss. It's a small nothing compared to what others are going through.

But sometimes you just have to vent to keep the bat shits away. (I either read that or heard that somewhere and liked it... so I'll give credit to the author by stating "Author Unknown!")

Maclaren Glacier

Maclaren River, Alaska

Photo by Zoya De Nure

It's now 46 days until I experience my Alaska adventure! I can't remember the last time I felt this level of anticipation for anything! Probably as a kid the night before Christmas... I only have a few more things to get, long underwear, bibs for being outside. I'm just hoping my footwear will be adequate. More than anything else I'm just pumped because I'm doing something so incredible!

I guess I should sign off for now, I've got tons of stuff to get done, and I'm fairly certain that sitting at the computer and drinking coffee pot number three is not on that list!

How can it possibly be 2007?

As you can see... Ludie is wondering too.

Or more likely... he's playing, "I'm a panther... fear me!"

Okay... now the obvious. Wow! The year has flown by! Happy New Year everyone! I hope you coming year is wonderful and prosperous! Okay, that's done.

No... I'm not a bah-humbug about the new year it's just that for me it's more of a, "Yeah... whatever." emotional response. I'm certainly thankful it's 2007. I've beat the odds. (Why can't I do that with a Powerball ticket?)

I'm alive when there was little chance of it. I have to face it, I'm nearly twenty years past what they gave me as a million to one chance of survival past three years! (Again... begs the Powerball question.)

But I am happy to see the new year... mainly because the messy white Christmas snow is melting!! Yay!! I'm also so extremely excited because in a mere 56 soon to be short days...

I LEAVE FOR THE IDITAROD!!!!!!!!

I am beyond excited really. A big part of that has to do with the, "Do before I die" list I made after I had went into my first remission.

Number Three was, "See Alaska." Not only am I going to see it... I'm going to see the start of something that is completely symbiotic with thoughts of Alaska. How cool is that?!

For now, I have to close... finally the stomach "trouble" has settled down, so it's off to Dad's.

More later!

And without the sarcasm: Happy New Year & Best Wishes To You And Yours!