april showers bring...october storms???

it's been awhile since i've released the verbiage in my head, but that's what tends to happen when life is busy! in addition to working full-time, for the month of october (at least) i'm working 5 days/week at the pool with the swim team instead of the original 3 days/week. while i'm completely ok with this because of the extra income (since the state of ak so *graciously* denied my pfd application this year; appeal still out), being surrounded by kids ranging from 6 yrs to 18 yrs of age for about 9 hrs/day is mentally EXHAUSTING, not to mention the physical energy drainage that occurs! makes me definitely realize that i am sooo not ready to have my own family; i like coming home to a quiet & peaceful house with few responsibilities.

another possible factor in this lack of energy phenomenon is that it is october: officially the rainiest and nastiest month of the year in ketch. so far, we've had about 2 hurricane-force storms and the power has been knocked out sporadically (almost continuously out north) for the past 2 weeks. trees have been downed, cable crews out non-stop, etc. our property has lost 2 trees, a japanese maple and pussywillow that couldn't survive 50-100+ mph winds and 20 in. of rain. other than that, just a few leaks and drafts sneaking through seams...

i haven't been able to go out & do much trekking lately due to work and the weather, so the knitting projects have been pretty continuous, but i dragged my aunt & i out of our houses last night to go to the monthly grind with many other local alaskan families...it was fun listening to great local musicians and be surrounded by some of the most artistic, community-minded ketchikanites. perhaps one day i'll screw up the courage to go up on that stage myself and entertain the locals!

on a parting note, a friend found a way to blog more often...30 topics, 30 days of blogging. i plan to start tomorrow, hopefully i won't drop the ball and miss a day...