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MilSpouse (First) Friday Fill-In #80

Posted on April 5, 2013
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Happy April! It looks and feels like spring – even in Alaska! Assuming that the weatherman is completely, completely wrong and we don’t get snow this weekend…. Since it is the first Friday of the month, it’s time for the Friday Fill-In, hosted by Wife of A Sailor!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed? March was a great month, nothing to be changed. We had a great time in Tucson, AZ, over the spring break week, and went to see Ice Sculptures in Fairbanks, AK. Work was busy as always, got quite a bit stuff done for my research project, …. but I would have needed a couple of extra hours here and there. It was pretty hectic when I had to grade students’ midterms, quizzes and homework within a week or so.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in March? Our travels in and out of Alaska, like always. Hilton El Conquistador resort in Tucson was a great place to stay at – we were treated super good at the resort, had a blast. And look forward to going again! Yeah, we are travel addicts, big time…

3. What are you looking forward to in April? More travels. Are you seeing the trend here? I have some work stuff to do in Chicago, and will have a chance to see my super awesome in-laws. I’m already counting days to being on the plane again. I am also speaking in a couple of conferences, which is always a blast. Public speaking is fun, and one of the best things I know.

4. What is your favorite thing about Spring? Daylight! It’s so great to have normal 12 hours of daylight, instead of a few hours that we experience here in Alaska during the winter time. And melting snow is awesome too!

5. What is your ultimate guilty pleasure? Running. Nothing makes me happier than heading out for a long run. Or bike ride.

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MilSpouse (First) Friday Fill-In #79

Posted on February 1, 2013
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MilSpouse Friday Fill-In is here again! And another month down ….. spring is hopefully on its way to Alaska in very near future. Cold is getting too cold for me. But let’s get to the questions. If you want to join the fun, check out Wife of A Sailor‘s Friday page!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed? Like next month, there are not really too many things I would like to stay in January. But I would have been happy to skip the sickness, or two of them. First I got sick as a dog with the flu (nope, I don’t believe flu shots). And then about a week ago I got food poisoning from fresh berries that I didn’t rinse. That was miserable. I don’t usually have any kind of stomach problems and I manage to avoid the stomach bugs so it was extremely miserable. In fact that was my second food poisoning ever, after eating at street kitchens all over the world from China to Venezuela, go figure I get sick from berries at home, and after eating at a fancy restaurant in Paris a few years ago.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in January? I had some pretty good trips to California and Seattle. Jason and I had a wonderful weekend in Seward. Overall, it was another great month! And right at the end of the month I got a message about one of my research papers – it got accepted to a large convention in Hawaii as a presentation.

3. What are you looking forward to in February? We don’t have any big plans for this month, some travels – as always. I am teaching at the university, which is always a blast. And of course there is Valentine’s Day – there will be more love in the air than normally.

4. What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? No plans as of today – it’s hubby’s task to come up with something romantic, cute and creative. So I will sit back, wait and see. Even once.

5. What is your best advice for a MilSpouse whose spouse is deployed for Valentine’s Day? Obviously, send Valentine’s Day care package to your spouse, then do something fun by yourself, get pampered! Remember that there is Valentine’s Days to come, and you can always celebrate together  a bit later when your other half comes back.

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MilSpouse (first) Friday Fill-In #78

Posted on January 9, 2013
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MilSpouse Friday Fill-In is here again! Happy New Year to all of you who are coming here through the link-up on Wife of A Sailor‘s Friday page! And if you are hanging out here, check her page, grab the questions, and join the fun!

And then to the questions….!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed? The month of December wasn’t too bad, just terribly busy with all the work and pleasure travels, holidays preparations and grad school finals. So a few extra days wouldn’t have been a bad thing! And I wish I hadn’t gotten sick on New Year’s Eve. That was a misery. I first thought I got cold after my trail run in ice cold water here in Alaska but afterwards I have started to believe I got a real flu. I don’t usually get sick and I don’t believe in flu shots, at all. This time my body was achy from head to toe, and I was seriously tired. Actually I was seriously considering of taking a sick day after New Year’s but eventually just sucked it up and handled my meetings. Well, five days later I started to feel a lot better, and by now I am annoying myself again.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in December? Jason and I did quite a few trips in December, and I have a bit hard time to decide between San Diego, CA, and Boston, MA, which was our favorite. We also had a really, really nice Christmas although it was just two of us. We cooked traditional Scandinavian Christmas delicacies, I baked too many cookies – baking is fun but I don’t really like cookies a whole lot.

3. What are you looking forward to in January? The spring semester! I can’t wait it to start! I have been appointed as Adjunct Professor teaching at the Computer Science department, so I am excited beyond excitement this year.

4. What did you do for New Year’s Eve? Nothing. I was sick as a dog so I spent a good part of the New Year’s Eve on the couch until blankets and kept whining about my misery. I got up to cook and eat but was back to bed well beyond midnight…. Hopefully I am not getting old.

5. What are your hopes and wishes for 2013? This year will bring lots of changes. Teaching at the university, new home, hopefully I will become a horse owner, some travels and adventures, Ironman race(s) …… so I am truly looking forward to 2013 and all the exciting opportunities and memorable moments that it will bring. I am sure this will be another awesome year for Jason and I.

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MilSpouse (First) Friday Fill-In #73

Posted on July 7, 2012
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The first week of July is pretty much behind us…. time is definitely moving fast.  And it’s time for another MilSpouse Friday Fill-In. So far the summer days have been few and far between: few warm, sunny days here and there, and more gray, overcasted days. But at least it is not raining nonstop like last year. I have been lucky to keep my running and biking miles up (read: Ironman training is progressing), as well as have been playing golf quite a bit. Earlier in the spring I made a decision to get my golf handicap down to where it used to be before moving to Alaska, around 2. Right now I am closer to 20 than 10 but direction looks good.

But let’s check out this month’s questions! Thank you to Wife of A Sailor  for hosting this lovely tradition of getting to know fellow MilSpouses.

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed? Nothing. Not a single thing. June was a great month, even though work was crazy busy, and I was running behind on my research stuff, including the IRB paperwork.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in June? Super awesome bear photography excursion on McNeil River. We were incredibly lucky to get a spot to go there, and furthermore the weather truly cooperated. Even a little bit too much based on my sunburns. Photos turned out great, and my photo agencies’ editors have been praising them. I also started two new blogs. While Adventures of The K Family is not going away or anything, I wanted to have a separate blog for my professional writing in the field of behavioral sciences: Action Potentials, and From Rough To Green, covering my golf adventures.

3. What did you do to celebrate Independence Day? Not a whole lot. We went to see the parade in downtown Anchorage, as well as saw the flag ceremony and reading of the Declaration of Independence. After that we were just hanging out at home, cooked steaks with steamed vegetables. And of course had corn on the cob! Jason had Thursday off but I was working, and since the Independence Day was (awkwardly) in the middle of the week, it was hard to get into any longer adventures. But nevertheless, we had a great 4th of July!

4. When you PCS, what items do you take with you and not let the movers pack, and if you do a DITY, what do you take with you and not box up (thanks to Sespi at And You Never Did Think for inspiring this question)? Important papers, some clothes, all the external hard disks and data storage system, laptops, iPads…. Everything else I can usually find along the way or at the destination if the HHG are taking for a while.

5. What are you looking forward to in July? Getting the IRB approved for my research, keeping on track with Ironman training, ….. and we have our Anniversary on Monday, July 9, as well as my birthday is coming up in about 20 days, followed by my husband’s birthday a few days later (in August though). So lots of celebrations in this month. I will also head out to California for a business trip, which is always a blast!

And I am also coaching kids’ soccer on post this summer. I can’t wait to get the practices started – that should be fun!

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MilSpouse (first) Friday Fill-In #72

Posted on June 1, 2012
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Hello June! It’s time for a new MilSpouse Friday Fill-In… Hard to believe that it really is summer now. At least if you look at the calendar. We have had a few chilly days here in Alaska lately, and I am truly hoping June comes with sunny, warm days…

But let’s check out this month’s questions! Thank you to Wife of A Sailor - once again – for hosting this lovely tradition of getting to know fellow MilSpouses.

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed? The weather… while we had a bunch of nice, sunny days, there were too many gray and rainy rays. After such a long, snowy winter it would be great to have looooong summer!

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in May? Last month was another wonderful month in our life. I had my university commencement, we had a great Memorial Day weekend in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, a fun trip to Colorado ….

3. June includes the first day of summer… what are your plans for the summer? Quite a few Alaskan adventures: long backpacking trips, bear photography at McNeil River…. maybe a few trips to Lower 48 as well, in addition to my business trips.

4. Do you use the services on base (gym, financial planning, family services, daycare)? And if so, what’s your favorite one? Yep, I do, and love them! I am a real gym rat and work out on post once, sometimes twice a day. I also stop by at the library every once in a while, eat at DFAC when I am too lazy to cook lunch or breakfast at home… We also use the veterinary clinic on post for minor stuff such as vaccinations and dental cleanings.

5. What are you looking forward to in June? Sunshine! And our McNeil trip. I am also hoping that my schedule slows down a bit: recently it has felt like I am working 24/7, and at the same time I am running out of hours all the time. That being said, I also look forward to getting back on track with my Ironman training. I have been slacking like no tomorrow for past 2-3 weeks, thanks to all travels and about a million deadlines that hit me like a steam train. I hope to get my weekly biking miles over 200 miles/week, and running miles to 60-80 miles/week in June, and if not adding, at least keeping them there.

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