My husband and I have been best of friends for twenty years, we dated for two, and have been married for 7 and 1/2 years. Out of that 7 1/2 years we have actually lived together in the same house four years and 4 months. For the other 38 months I have been somewhere else. I came to North Dakota while he stayed in Minnesota, our home state. I moved toWyoming and he stayed in Minnesota. I moved to Louisiana and he stayed in Mineasota, at first. Then he finally moved to Louisiana, found out he hated it and got the job that brought both of us back to North Dakota. Each time I left for a new position he was always there to help with the move. He made sure I was settled, everything worked, and all was safe and sound before he left me there. This move, he won't be there to make sure I am safe and sound. These were my thoughts yesterday morning.
Sully is my somewhat adorable cat. We came together when some person dumped him at Sully's Hill National Game Preserve where I was working. I am not a big cat person. I'm a dog person. But at the time I was having trouble with mice in my home so I took Sully in and told him if he caught mice he had a home if not it was the humane society for him. Next morning he brought a mouse as a gift. So he stayed and I have a cat. Though he doesn't know he is a cat, he thinks himself as a dog. When I move to Alaska I have to leave Sully here, as my job will require me to be gone for a week or two at a time and I have no one to take care of him.
Camille is my half corgy/half german shepard dog, though she takes offense at being called a dog. She was found in an abandon car in Texas after hurricane Rita by the Minnesota Humane Society. She was brought to MN along with her 10 brothers and sisters and her mom. Being too young to adopt they sent the family to a foster home which just happened to be my sister's house. The first time I saw her, I fell in love and we have been together ever since. That was five years ago. She goes with me everywhere. She has gone on all the moves and all the vacations that we take the car. She will not be going either. These were my thoughts yesterday morning. I was going to Alaska totally alone. At least that is what I thought yesterday morning.
Yesterday afternoon, I got a call from my 24 year old son. Each time I move I ask the kids if they want to go with. I'm not stupid, they all are over twenty one and need to care for themselves but they could start a new life with me in the new town. I have never had takers before. Yesterday, Craig called to say he would like to go. At first, I wanted to make sure that he understood that he had to pay all his expenses and described all the details of remote life, what I know of it in my internet informational mind. He still said he wanted to go. This is great news as I will no longer be totally alone and my somewhat adorable cat that thinks he is a dog and my loveable campion that thinks she is a princess get to come along.
Last night we booked two tickets to King Salmon Alaska. Oh My GOSH I have a golden ticket to Alaska. As my granddaughter would say AWESOME POSSUM!!!!!!!!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Moving Companies
I accepted this position knowing that relocation fees were not going to be paid. So when my wonderful husband and I decided to that I should go, we walked through the house deciding what should go with me. (Just to note my husband is staying here in ND.) Number one on our list was a chest freezer. Why is the chest freezer number one? Well, for two reasons. First, most people in King Salmon hunt and fish for sustenance. If Ken were to come up and kill a moose for me that would be about 800 pounds of meat. Much more than a normal, over the refrigerator freezer could hold. Second, a few years ago we talked with someone who lived in Ketchikan, and she told us most people have two freezers. One is for meat and the other is for grocery store specials. If she saw something she liked and on sale she would fill the freezer as you would never know when you would see it again. Definitely need a freezer.
The rest of the list is as follows: small table and two chairs, obvious kitchen essentials, toaster, crock pot, recliner or the couch, TV, DVD player and my Wii. Movies, two book shelves and books to fill them, a bed and a dresser, and my clothes. Doesn't sound like alot of stuff to me. With my short list I spent yesterday working on how to get it all to Alaska.
Using the Internet I asked google what was the cheapest way to move my belongings to King Salmon. First response, U-pack. They brought the container to your door, you fill it at your pace, they pick it up and deliver it to your new door for you to unload. Perfect! I filled out the get a quote questions and waited for an answer. We just wanted a ball park figure.
Ball parks in my mind are a place you go to watch your grandson hit an infield home run because the shortstop watched the ball roll under his legs. The center fielder runs up and grabs the ball and throws to first but your grandson in rounding second base. The first baseman overthrows the second baseman while your grandson is heading for third. The left fielder now has the ball and throws it to home but the ball hardly makes it over third base and rolls to a stop four feet from home plate and your grandson gets his first home run. That's what ballparks are, family, fun and laughter. I don't know where the moving companies play ball but I bet the bases are solid gold.
I got my first of many ballpark figures. The U-pack company doesn't go to King Salmon but they could move my belongings to Anchorage for a mere $8,900. Being a fast thinker, I thought maybe I would rent a U-haul truck and drive my belongings up to Anchorage and then just ship my precious belongings from there. How much could that cost? So I asked for a quote from other companies. Meanwhile I checked to see distance from here to Anchorage. It is a 52 hour drive on the Al-Can but to do that route I would need a passport. I don't have a passport and am not sure I could get one in three weeks. Next thought, I could drive to Seattle catch the marine ferry to Anchorage. Then I would not need a passport. Quickly I looked up the marine ferry schedules while thinking I have beat the system. Another road block, the ferry only goes to Anchorage once in April and I would have to leave on Friday to make it there on time. The ferry does however, go to Skagway from which there you could drive to Anchorage. Checking google map for the number of hours to make that drive I found that the road from Skagway to Anchorage goes through Canada.
Do you have a headache yet?
By the time I had looked all this information up I got the first quote on the cost of moving my junk from Anchorage 1 1/2 hours to King Salmon. $9,325. Determined I talked with nine different companies. U-pack was the most expensive. The cheapest cost from ND to King Salmon was $5,500. I have to look at this financially. If the job is for 13 months and moving to and from is going to cost $11,000, well, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that its not very feasible even for a dream job.
So I am leaving in 29 days, with only what I can take on the plane and have UPS deliver. How much is that? That's another days project.
Footnote: If money is no object and your moving to Alaska I would suggest using Royal Alaskan Movers. They have been in business since 1985 and provided me with the best service and the lowest cost estimate.
The rest of the list is as follows: small table and two chairs, obvious kitchen essentials, toaster, crock pot, recliner or the couch, TV, DVD player and my Wii. Movies, two book shelves and books to fill them, a bed and a dresser, and my clothes. Doesn't sound like alot of stuff to me. With my short list I spent yesterday working on how to get it all to Alaska.
Using the Internet I asked google what was the cheapest way to move my belongings to King Salmon. First response, U-pack. They brought the container to your door, you fill it at your pace, they pick it up and deliver it to your new door for you to unload. Perfect! I filled out the get a quote questions and waited for an answer. We just wanted a ball park figure.
Ball parks in my mind are a place you go to watch your grandson hit an infield home run because the shortstop watched the ball roll under his legs. The center fielder runs up and grabs the ball and throws to first but your grandson in rounding second base. The first baseman overthrows the second baseman while your grandson is heading for third. The left fielder now has the ball and throws it to home but the ball hardly makes it over third base and rolls to a stop four feet from home plate and your grandson gets his first home run. That's what ballparks are, family, fun and laughter. I don't know where the moving companies play ball but I bet the bases are solid gold.
I got my first of many ballpark figures. The U-pack company doesn't go to King Salmon but they could move my belongings to Anchorage for a mere $8,900. Being a fast thinker, I thought maybe I would rent a U-haul truck and drive my belongings up to Anchorage and then just ship my precious belongings from there. How much could that cost? So I asked for a quote from other companies. Meanwhile I checked to see distance from here to Anchorage. It is a 52 hour drive on the Al-Can but to do that route I would need a passport. I don't have a passport and am not sure I could get one in three weeks. Next thought, I could drive to Seattle catch the marine ferry to Anchorage. Then I would not need a passport. Quickly I looked up the marine ferry schedules while thinking I have beat the system. Another road block, the ferry only goes to Anchorage once in April and I would have to leave on Friday to make it there on time. The ferry does however, go to Skagway from which there you could drive to Anchorage. Checking google map for the number of hours to make that drive I found that the road from Skagway to Anchorage goes through Canada.
Do you have a headache yet?
By the time I had looked all this information up I got the first quote on the cost of moving my junk from Anchorage 1 1/2 hours to King Salmon. $9,325. Determined I talked with nine different companies. U-pack was the most expensive. The cheapest cost from ND to King Salmon was $5,500. I have to look at this financially. If the job is for 13 months and moving to and from is going to cost $11,000, well, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that its not very feasible even for a dream job.
So I am leaving in 29 days, with only what I can take on the plane and have UPS deliver. How much is that? That's another days project.
Footnote: If money is no object and your moving to Alaska I would suggest using Royal Alaskan Movers. They have been in business since 1985 and provided me with the best service and the lowest cost estimate.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thirty Days Until Move
Hello, I have 32 days before I begin a new stage in my life as a wildlife biologist at Katmai National Park. This is a dream position for me and I am very excited. My father on the hand, thinks I am crazy.
I have a thirteen month contract that can be expanded up to four years depending on the federal budget. Needless to say, I am planning on thirteen months. I will be writing about my journey through this time period as I study Brown Bear, Moose, Caribou, Wolves, and Bats. Yes, I said Bats. I hope to explain this after I, myself, find out how Bats got on the list with such majestic creatures. You will have to stay tuned. Together I hope we have quite the adventure!
I have a thirteen month contract that can be expanded up to four years depending on the federal budget. Needless to say, I am planning on thirteen months. I will be writing about my journey through this time period as I study Brown Bear, Moose, Caribou, Wolves, and Bats. Yes, I said Bats. I hope to explain this after I, myself, find out how Bats got on the list with such majestic creatures. You will have to stay tuned. Together I hope we have quite the adventure!
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