The Potty Dance

I am standing here typing this trying to distract myself from having to use the restroom. Here we are again with plumbing issues. Now that we have water, we cannot use it or at least let it drain. There is something wrong with the pump for the waste water. Connell took things apart yesterday afternoon. The part he needed either came on yesterday afternoon's Bering Air flight or it will come this morning. REVISION: It did not come in on yesterday's plane and there are no planes flying this morning because of "blizzard conditions."

I have made an interesting observation about these situations that bar us from the plumbing:  a shower is always what I really need and what I have to wait to take. The last time we were plumbing-less I procrastinated on a shower. Here we are again. Same situation, different day. I woke yesterday thinking, "You can take a shower when Eloise takes a nap...you don't need one first thing..." Why? I ask myself. What was I thinking? Well...never mind...we all know what I was thinking.

**** Brief Interlude where I run to the school in the HOWLING wind and BLOWING snow to use the potty...

Okay, I am back. I was doing the Potty Dance because I was waiting for Paul to get back from using the restroom at the school so that I could go. Now that all of that is out of the way we can move on. Thank goodness. I was starting to feel awkward talking about using the bathroom with all of you.

Some cool new winter developments: Ferocious winds, blowing, and drifting snow. The temperature is about 16, but with sustained 35mph winds, it feels like -6. The wind is blowing out of the northwest. It is blowing anything that is not nailed down with it, that includes ***SNOW***. Upon waking up this morning, I looked out side to see a lovely drift of snow in the playground. It is about 2 feet at its highest point. When I took my turn to use the restroom, I saw that there was a a drift forming in our cunniechuck (I have no idea how to spell that word...I spelled it phonetically. I am sure it is an Inupiaq word and I will bet there is a Q in it somewhere). By the way a cunniechuck is the mudroom/porch on most homes here. We have two front doors. We have a door going to the cunniechuck and then one leading from there outside. The whole concept is pretty helpful. Helpful it is when it is REALLY cold outside, because you walk in the front door and into the cunniechuck. You close the front door and then you walk into the house, thus keeping the frigid air at bay. The cunniechuck is also a great place for storage. In the front we have our freezer and flattened boxes that I plan to keep. In the back I store lots of things aren't affected by freezing temperatures.

Other highlights:
Paul is supposed to be heading off to Anchorage today. With this weather, we will see how that takes shape. Bering Air is not flying right now. Alaska Airlines canceled the morning jet from Anchorage to Kotzebue. I really hope Paul's gets to Anchorage because I have a long grocery list for him. In my economy groceries totally supersede professional development or collegial networking. Let's keep our priorities straight, thank you very much.

Side note:
I cannot see out the back window at all...it is completely caked with snow.

Exciting News:
I won an amauti for designing a logo for a woman in Yellow Knife who makes them. An amauti is a coat worn mostly by Inuit from Canada (in Alaska - Eskimos). It is a pull over. It has a pouch in the back of the jacket to accommodate a little one. The hood is extra large for keeping mom and baby covered and protected. Carrying the baby like this is called Amaaq-ing (phonetic: umuck- where the u is a soft sound). I amaaq Eloise to walk back and forth to the school. There is no other way to keep her warm enough. Even if I bought her a down snow suit (there are such things), her face would still be exposed to the elements. Thousands of years in the frigid cold north has produced this easy and essential way to take car of babies. Thank you Inuit/Eskimo culture for this beautiful and functional way to keep babies warm and protected from harsh weather.

TTFN!!

(tata for now)