hello, laziness

Last time my husband left for any length of time, I slept with the shotgun loaded beside our bed (and worried that drunken bafoons would enter my home), albeit the shotgun wasn’t exactly loaded properly…ahem…anyway, moving on. The point is that I know how to load it now (and shoot it if I might add)!

Now that Captain J is away again, I’m doing much better. I guess it gets a little easier each time as far as doing my own thing and being content with a routine or lack thereof. Yesterday I went on another hike out on Chena Hot Springs Road. The weather decided to cooperate despite the forecast looking shabby so I loaded up the truck with fishing gear and dog number one and hit the road. After a short 3 miler, I drove down the road and hit up our favorite fishing spot. I’ll admit I felt really bad for leisurely fishing while my poor, better half is out training with the U.S. Army. I didn’t feel too bad, though–I was having too much fun!

That night, Nicole, Sarah, and I settled in to watch one of our silly secret indulgences which I can’t tell you about. It comes on the family channel and that’s all I’m sayin’! We had fun talking about past experiences and making fun of ourselves for enjoying the show. The girls evening in made for a late night so I enjoyed sleeping in late and not having to wake up early to cook breakfast.

Today was lazy! Aside from nearly breaking my hand (and that may be dramatic) and missing my husband like crazy, I’m doing well. I miss him, but I’m okay!

P.S.- The dogs played together today! Progress. Yay!!

Solstice

I had a pretty darn tootin’ good weekend. Did I just say that? Anyway, Friday I almost strangled my husband but I ended up sparing him because I knew he had a rough day at the office. Here’s what happened–

We were planning a fish fry for that evening so we could get rid of all that prepare some yummy halibut for the new cadets that are shadowing the officers for a while all while simultaneously making them feel welcome in the Last Frontier. J’s plans to get off work early fell through and we had yet to go grocery shopping for the sides to go with the meal. I offered to help, but he had it “under control.”

The other minor thing he had “under control”? He was supposed to pick up the newest member of our family after she had major surgery! He didn’t do that. Oh well…it all worked out thanks to some awesome friends of mine that offered to drive me all over creation that day.

Anyway, did you catch that earlier? The new family member part? We’ve added another dog to our happy home! Meet Solstice-

We adopted another Alaskan Husky from the animal shelter here in Fairbanks. She’s 2.5 years old and cute as a button. She looks a lot like Drifter, which was what orignially drew us to her. Her coloring is much more brown, though and she probably has about 15 pounds on Drifter. She’s very sweet, but super skiddish. I think she might have been abused. Either that, or she is just way traumatized from being abandoned and forced to live with a bunch of barking dogs that weren’t part of her pack. I felt so bad for her. Her baby blues got me and I knew we couldn’t leave her there.

It’s been a rough road these past few days trying to make these two dogs get along. They’re polar opposites. He just wants to play and she just wants to be left alone. I hope that’s just the fact that she was just spayed that is driving her opinions of sweet Drifter. He has already calmed down a bit. I think she has asserted her dominance over him quite well (You go, girl!), but she is still warming up to us. I hope things get better for her. I really do! Isn’t she purdy?

Drifter says, "Pay attention to me!"

Saturday was nice, too. Captain J and I walked around town for awhile at the Golden Days Festival and then headed to the farmers market where we found an amazing reindeer sausage hot dog with “Georgia sweet tea”! Oh my gravy, was it good! We then rented movies and came home with rib eyes to throw on the grill. Nice little saturday.

Sunday was good, too. We went on a hike–but that is a post for another day because I want to go spend the time I have left with J because he’s off “in the field” again for the next week. Boo!

(*Sooooo, does anyone have any advice on introducing a new pet to the family?)

Love,

Scooby Doo Ending

First off, let me say a big thank you to all who suggested books for me to read. I was truly excited by the responses and I look forward to settling down on my couch and curling up with a good book!

I don’t have a lot to say today but I do have a lot to get done today so I fear that this post will be quite random, but that’s how I usually roll. I have some stuff to catch you up on-

For example:

Our bedroom needed an update (a cheap update) so I went to Walmart to piece together some items I liked and voila! It’s a much better place to be now. I love those colors. It’s kind of ridiculous how I keep going back to them. My bedroom in college had similar colors and my bed at my parents’ house does, too. Well, I guess that’s not my bed anymore…so weird. Moving on…

I also taught Drifter to shake:

He seems to be calming down a lot. I hope the puppy days are coming to a close, but I don’t think I could be so lucky. He has really good days, but he can still be a slight terror at times, too. The good thing is, he’s too cute not to love.

Oh, man…Now here’s a funny Drifter story-

(Imagine a scooby doo ending here)

I rolled over early one morning because of the symphony of dog barks and the audible sound of tires crunching over gravel. Too sleepy to pay it much mind, I laid still, willing myself back to sleep. Then the barking ceases and there’s the distinct sound of someone leaving our driveway. I was curious so I peeked outside to see a jeep, speeding away. It was then that I realized I couldn’t hear my annoying sweet puppy’s vocals any longer. I woke up J fully and said, “That’s odd, Drifter is quiet now” to which he jokingly responded, “Maybe whoever that was stole him.” Not funny.

I raced to the window to look out into the backyard at our dog, but he wasn’t there. Frantic, I tried to make sense of the situation. All I could conclude was that someone in a white jeep took off with our furry child. I alerted J to the fact that Drifter was indeed missing and, call me crazy, but I expected him to jump into action. When he did nothing of the sort, I became infuriated. Did he not care that someone stole our dog? I was so worried that he was taken from us because he is so annoying and that he would soon meet an untimely demise. I knew there was no possible way that someone liked him so much that they wanted to take him. I’m a realist, people.

Anyway, long story short- Drifter broke his line trying to get at the neighbor’s dog, Otie, who was taunting him on our lawn. After 30 minutes of near-tears, we see ole D-Nugget barreling at us full force. I was so happy that he was alive and well. I probably hugged him for five minutes, not letting him out of my sight. Sheepishly, I turned to Captain J and apologized for freaking out for no reason but then I scolded him for not jumping in immediately to save the day. His response?

“I track down people for a living. I was just remaining calm and piecing together the facts. There was no need to over-react. Did you want me to chase after the jeep?”

MEN!

It turns out that jeep that I desperately wanted to call the cops on belonged to two of our good friends. Now wouldn’t that have been funny? I guess we can conclude that I love my dog more than I let on 😉

Adios.

“I love your blog!”

I got an award from Jenn over at Chances I’m Taking! Thanks, a lot Jenn. I love your blog, too but since I can’t re-gift, I’ll pass it along to some other of my favorite bloggers, but that is to come a little later. First off, we’ve got some business to get down to. With this award, I must list ten things I love (in no particular order)–

1. My military life I was so glad to have Captain J home for this Memorial Day. Even though the weekend didn’t go quite as planned, I’m thankful beyond belief that he was stateside this year. As we close up the month of the military families today, I’d just like to say–thanks. Thanks to those who serve. Thanks to the families who stick by those service men and women. I’m proud to be an army wife and I feel incredibly lucky to be born in the best country in the world!

2. Wonderful Friends New and old-I’m so glad you’re in my life! For those of you this week who listened to me complain and brought me Diet Dews- You’re the bomb! For those of you who made me laugh from miles away…thank you! To my new “couple” friend- I’m so glad I met you. For my bloggy friends for checking in on me and reaching out, you rock!

3. The fact that I caught a fish this weekend Umm..yeah…Not only did I catch a fish, I outfished 3 guys! I caught 3 fish which was the record for the day. Beat that, boys! Ha!

 

 

4. Technology Skype and video capable cell phones make me happy every week. I get to see my family from many miles away and it helps me tremendously.

5. My sweet puppy Drifter was so happy this weekend. He got to play with his buddies quite a bit! He’s a much more pleasant pet when he’s fully exercised and socialized.

6. Spiced Chai Tea Cheers me up every time.

7. An empty hamper and laundry basket Unfortunately, our closet is what is actually empty. Zut alor!

8.We don’t have to move This was the BEST news I heard all weekend. I was getting really frustrated with Captain J the situation. I was driving him nuts, I’m sure. He said it would all work out and I guess it has! The owners decided not to sell the house. Woo hoo!

9. Chocolate ‘Nuff said.

10. Air conditioning Man, I miss that.

Alrighty, now that those are taken care of- Let’s pass it along, shall we?

Drumroll please…..

I present this award to-

Ashley @ Be Real Be Happy

Mom @ Kimbodarlin’s Blog

Mrs. Dear @ Lovin’, Huntin’, and Fishin’

Amanda @ Where the Boat Leaves From

I was supposed to pass this along to ten people, but in normal Mrs. K fashion…I decided four was good. It’ s more special that way, right? There are tons of blogs I love, but these are worth a look at it. These ladies are fabulous!

I promise to write more this week. I know I’ve been MIA lately. Blame it on the gorgeous weather!

Guest Post on Tasty Treats

Many bloggers enjoy keeping their site fresh and interesting by inviting a guest writer to share their thoughts on various subjects and/or experiences. I’ve never done so but I’ve found the idea to be attractive. I’m aware that as a personal blogger I easily become somewhat narcissistic in thinking that the rest of the world really wants to know what is going on in my little life so I believe that occasionally it will be nice to take the focus off of me for awhile so I can get grounded again. I mean, you surely don’t want to hear about me all the time, right? With this in mind, I decided to invite a very regal, young gentleman to share with you today about an experience he encountered this weekend. I do hope you enjoy his thoughts! Introducing…

High Plains Drifter

Photo by Joshua Reed

aka “K-Fed”, “Stop It”, “D-Nugget” and just plain ole “Drifter”

Drifter is a dashing young dog with incredible humans watching after him. He enjoys long walks down Farmer’s Loop Road, trips to the dog park, drinking from the toilet and chewing on contraband items (as determined by his owner). Drifter is youthful in age and spirit and has a lot of energy and passion to share with others. Without further ado, here are his latest thoughts:

 

Hello, Mrs. K and Captain J blog readers. I’m Drifter–their mostly happy but definitely whiney Alaskan Husky puppy. I’m 7 months old or so they tell me and I’ve been living with them since February. Dad (aka Captain J) rescued me from the animal shelter in Anchorage as a Valentine’s gift for Momma (you will know her as Mrs. K). For this reason, I try to be extra good and not give her too much of a headache seein’ as how I was a gift and all. When I am good they don’t notice me misbehaving, I am rewarded with treats. Last Sunday, I was allowed my very first scoop of the tastiest vanilla ice cream a pup could ask for. We walked around on College Rd. and came to a delicious ice cream  palace place called Hot Licks. They let me have my very own sugar cone and even held it up for me as I ate. I could scarcely contain myself as I licked as fast as my tongue would allow. I barely even stopped for a breather. It was one of the best days of my short life. I don’t know what I did to deserve such royal treatment, but hopefully I’ll keep it up! Here are some photos from my favorite day-

YUM!

Thanks for taking the time to read about my awesome day! If you want to learn more about me you can look me up on facebook. I’ll let you do the searchin’ , though. I do love games! Until next time–Ruff, Ruff!

(*In all seriousness, if anyone would like to do a guest post on a topic of your choice feel free to contact me at mrskandcaptainj@hotmail.com . I welcome bloggers and non-bloggers alike! Let me know if you’d like to participate or send me your work and a short bio (and pic if you’d like) and I’ll be sure to give you all the credit. If you’re not a blogger, it’s a good opportunity to have your voice heard and get your foot in the wonderful world of blogging. If you are a part of the massive blogging community then you will have the benefit of exposing my readers to your link and possibly upping your follower numbers. Let me know!

 

Miscellaneous

Do you miss me? I have been enjoying my newly found freedom now that the weather has warmed up. Captain J has been driving the jeep much more frequently this week so I’ve been going out and enjoying the sunshine. As it goes, I’ve slacked in the blogging department. Slacking for me, though, is still several posts in one week so I’m hoping you’ll let that slide.

The weather here in Fairbanks has been lovely. For the past week, we’ve had temps in the 50’s and even 60’s during the hottest parts of the day. I have really tried to take advantage of this by relaxing in the sun with a good book and taking Drifter running a lot. We’ve also fired up the grill quite a bit when Captain J is home and we’re very much enjoying our new toy.

Notice Drifter being mischievous. If there’s any food around, it better be way out of his reach or he’ll look for a way to get it into his mouth. Wait, scratch that. He’ll have it in his throat in no time. He knows he’s in trouble when he does it so he’ll try to consume the whole thing in one big swallow. He’s been uber rebellious lately so that has taken some getting used to.

Another thing I haven’t quite gotten used to is all this daylight we’re experiencing! Captain J’s alarm sounds at 0530 and it is as bright outside as it is at noon. When we head to bed at night, it’s still fairly light out there. It finally gets dark around 2300. It’s a cool experience, but a girl needs her sleep! I like it, though. The days don’t feel as if they’re already over when J gets home at night anymore.

I’ve been attempting to catch up on several things I need to get done. One of my favorites on my To Do list is working on my scrapbook. If you keep up with this blog, you know I just now got around to doing the Halloween page. I’m very behind! I just finished a couple pages on our trip to New Zealand, but I have several more to go. We took lots of pictures! Here’s the latest page-

 

 

I have fun doing this. It makes me feel like a kid again, being crafty. Which brings me to my next point…Can one force someone to have fun? I think not. Yet, that is exactly what the Army is going to do to for Captain J tomorrow. They call it “mandatory fun days,” I kid you not. Instead of giving them the day off to do whatever fun activity the soldier pleases, they require them to come into work for all day game playing. It’s sort of like the adult version of Field Day. I think the idea of giving them all a break is a good idea, but mandatory fun? Odd! The Army does have some perks in this department, though. Alaska, in particular, has what is called “Arctic Family Time.” This is cool because my husband actually comes home for this family time! 🙂 It’s usually just an excuse to get off work early, but I’m a fan. Speaking of fans…this totally cracked me up the other day when I saw it. Do you know how people are fans of everything on facebook? I mean, EVERYTHING. I rarely ever become a fan of anything because it gets out of control. Well, I’m officially a fan of this picture:

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes… He’ll be off playing games and I’ll be at the salon with a friend making myself as lovely as possible for the Army ball tomorrow night so I really can’t complain. I do think it’s fun to get all dressed up for the night and remind Captain J that I do own makeup and clothes besides tshirts, but I am not really looking forward to this one. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because it’s going to be the whole brigade, which means a lot of people. Crowds freak me out. Did you know that? I don’t like to be in a room with tons of people. It makes me feel like the world is too crowded and it’s closing in on me. Ha! I do like my space which is why I’d never make it in a big city. I’m a country girl at heart. Just flying into LAX makes me feel like I can’t breathe well. Just thinking about walking around down there, surrounded by buildings, without a patch of grass or a big tree in sight gives me the heebie jeebies.

I like my simple life out here in the woods of Central Alaska with my husband and dog. I’m all about experiencing new places and seeing what else the Earth has to offer me, but I hope I can do all that with a little elbow room along the way.

More from this week:

Yum, yum! It’s a good thing I’ve been running a lot. All this food is bound to catch up with me soon.

Lastly, I want to wish my mother-in-law, Laura, a very happy birthday. I hope your day is splendid! We miss you and love you very much!

In spirit of Earth Day, I think I’ll go pick up trash along the highway if Drifter doesn’t eat it all before I can. Have a great day all!

 

Dear…

Dear Sweet Loving Husband,

Thank you for being so kind as to leave the truck for me today. I felt like a whole new woman after I got done working out at the PFC. Also, thanks for sneaking home for dinner last night. I’m glad I got to see you!!

Dear In-Laws,

I love the picture frame you sent. I finally got the right photo in it. Now, every time I walk by it, I smile. Love it!

Dear Readers: Linn and Laura,

I’m so glad you suggested the book, The Help. I’m really enjoying it and it’s a great excuse to not do anything around the house all day!

Dear silly dog,

You’re wild and crazy, but I sure do like you a whole lot. Please don’t run off again- it makes me worry. Besides, you’ll get the punishment bib again if you’re not careful-

Dear Debra at ourimperfectlife,

Thanks for giving me something to post today 🙂

Dear Mom,

I MISS YOU!!

Dear Sister,

I got the dress you sent me for the ball. I must say…I look pretty darn good in it! ha Thank you so much. I sent you a check for the shipping earlier today.

Love,
Mrs. K

TYT!

What comes to mind when I ask you–What are you thankful for today? Maybe it’s your little old lady neighbor who baked you the yummiest sprinkled sugar cookies yesterday or perhaps you’re just thankful you got through yesterday. Sarcastic or not, I want to hear about them and so does Captain over at Our Imperfect Life. She started this blog carnival called Thank You Thursday so if you want to join in the fun, go check out her page for more direction! (Note: I’m aware I have one more hour until it’s technically Thursday for me, but most of you who are reading are coming from the future so will you just let this slide this once? THANK YOU!)

My Thank Yous-

1. Thank You, Lord, for some how willing Drifter to do the impossible. He passed puppy class–all glory to God! Seriously. Miracles do occur.

2. Thank You bloggy friends for seriously helping me to maintain my sanity. Honestly, I get so bored during the day without all of your witty, crazy hilarious, & entertaining posts.

(Click here for my weirdest but funniest find of the week: A Booger Dare)

3. Thank You, Shutterfly, for finally sending my wedding announcements. I mean, it’s really no big deal that the cards say “We are happy to announce our RECENT wedding…” when recent was many moons ago.

4. Thank You to the current administration for this awesome healthcare plan. Oh, wait…scratch that altogether. I think it blows.

5. Thank You to my mom and mom-in-law for the recipes. I had fun trying something new in the kitchen!

6. Thank You to Myxer.com for the free ringtones. I especially love when my mom calls and I get to hear Renegade by Styx…”o mama I’m in fear for my life…” Makes me giggle.

7. And finally, I’ll just throw a big Thank You out to the universe for all the little things in life. Seriously, I know I’m a nerd but hear me out… I arranged some apples in a little candle holder I had laying around and the beauty and simplicity of it made me smile today. Doesn’t take much 😉

So tell me, what are you thankful for?

 

Stories

I’m sitting in front of the t.v watching a typical love scene on a bad soap opera and nothing stands in my way from the remote on the other half of the couch except a sweetly sleeping puppy with his head on my lap. How can I wake him? I’ve always had this problem. A couple days after I met Captain J, he invited me to go to the beach with him. During the ride to salty water and windy beaches, he fell asleep on my lap so I tried desperately not to breathe deeply so I wouldn’t wake him. I also was somewhat excited that he felt comfortable enough with me to go to sleep on my lap until it hit me that he’s just a guy and he was surely only concerned about sleeping and easily passing the time in the car! Oh well. Still, nothing has changed. If J is sleeping, I tip toe around the house. If he’s sleeping on me, I’ll endure thousands of those tingly things that attack my arm just before it falls “asleep” so as not to wake my dear husband. It’s because of the look he gives me when he is just waking up. I imagine it’s the look he would give me if I rolled his 1985 CJ8 (which can be seen here) off the nearest cliff.

So, here I am…stuck watching the “stories” which aren’t mine! I’ll take this opportunity to catch you up on what’s been going on the past couple of days. Monday we took Drifter to puppy class yet again. I wish dogs could ignore nature in some way and not act on their sexual instincts because it grosses me out. Drifter was being quite the male harlot and I was slightly appalled. I can’t wait to get him neutered! Other than that fiasco, he did pretty well. He didn’t bark the entire time this class period.

After class, Captain J loaded Drifter in the jeep while I jumped in the truck to head off to a night out with my girls. I met Kim, Allison and her two children, and Kristel for dinner at Boston’s. Sometimes I get into funks and feel as if I don’t have any friends here, but after spending time with these ladies, they always seem to cheer me up. I find it hard to find balance between reaching out and making plans with friends when I feel like I rarely get to see J as it is. I’m sure they feel the same way because all of their husbands are Army guys, too and I’m sure they’re working just as hard as J does. I was thankful we had that time to meet up because it truly lifted my spirits in knowing that I do have some girlfriends up here in Alaska.

Tonight we are headed back to obedience class, so wish us luck!

Dog Days I

Monday brought with it a new era of doggy behavior (or so I’m hoping). Yesterday, we took Drifter to his first lesson at obedience class. I was so hoping to be a proud Mama that I even wore my Drifter socks in support of him. For those of you who do not know, I love weird socks. They are basically all I wear in the winter. Well, class number one just didn’t work the miracles I was yearning for, but realistically I suppose he did alright.

He literally barked the entire class period (an hour and a half). I was like a parent who was embarrassed by their kid’s behavior for the first time. I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t calm down and be good for five minutes! All the other furry friends barked for awhile and then settled down. Not my little terror! I’m so glad J was there to restrain him. After awhile, I noticed it wasn’t an aggressive bark. Drifter just wanted to go around and meet all his new pals. Still, he was easily the worst kid in class.

There were lots of cute puppies there. There were a few sweet, older dogs, too. We are hoping these lessons pay off. If nothing else, he’ll be more socialized. There was a moment that I was very proud of our little husky…

The task at hand was to take the dog into the center of the circle and give him the command to “watch.” The others in the cirle would then vote, after all the dogs had accomplished this task, who did the best this week. I will say that Drifter at least deserved second place. He watched the longest by far, but I guess people just couldn’t get past his annoying behavior during the rest of the class period!

Now, he’s got some homework to do. It depends on how you look at it, though. I guess I’m the one with the homework! Here’s Drifter on his big day before class:

I look pretty evil in this pic, but this is the best one I could get of Drifter and me because he was anxious about being in that parking lot again. I think he thought he was headed back to the vet, which will happen soon enough.