Sunday, December 30, 2007

Montana Weather Tip #5

If someone offers to buy you a heavier coat, say YES.

Not that I'm actually getting money for telling you all this, but Stephan and I are the very proud new owners of Carhartt Arctic Quilt Lined coats. With hoods. "How warm are they?" The difference is like going outside naked in the winter, or staying inside and taking a bath.

And I'm never prone to exaggeration.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Just warming back up

Our trip home was so short, and so packed full of food and friends and family but mostly food.

The weather held for the first 10 hours, but we got slammed in the middle of a snow storm in Wisconsin, adding 6 hours onto the drive. After 20 hours in the car, we were happy to be back in Oak Lawn, but mostly tired.

Food, Church, food, presents, food, presents, food, presents, friends, food, food, presents, food, driving, was the schedule. Back in the car, again the weather was ok for a while, but when fog descended at 2am around Fargo, we made the best decision we've ever made together.

Ever.

We stopped at a Super 8 for the night.

We got home at about 5pm, watched a movie and fell asleep. Stephan's got a pretty bad cold, but he only works two days in a row this weekend.

The computer is also fighting a pretty bad hardware problem. The data is safely nestled in an external drive, waiting for me to get the courage up to install a few hard drive. Until then, many email addresses are just out of my reach, so if you haven't heard from me in a while, please use the yahoo.com address listed in the Profile so we can keep in touch.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Which one are you?

There are two types of people in the world... here's the story.

My laptop is now a very flat doorstop. It won't start up. I spent 90 minutes on the phone with tech-support ("Ok, now press the Z Q 9 keys while starting up. No? Ok. With your right hand hold down the apple-shift-P and R while starting up the computer with your left hand") to no avail. What was on the lap top? All my photos, financial information, logos and brochures for the business, things I've written, LOTS of music, etc. etc. etc.

Now, either you're saying to yourself, "Oh, that sucks. Sorry!"

Or, "OH NO! ARE YOU OKAY? DO you need to talk to someone? How are you holding up? Is there anything I can do? Have you tried holding down the eject key and starting up? What about the CD? Does it boot from the CD?"

I appreciate the former. I recognize my universal family in the latter.

So- posting will be really light for a while. Sorry! Enjoy the holiday with your family.

Come to think of it, why are you at the computer at all?? Go. Hug a child. Drink cocoa.

Unless you're Melanie... Melanie, get back to work or your brother is going to fire you.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

General Notes about the Internet

I used to work in an office where I had instant-access to the internet (email, information, music, trivia, news, etc.) for 8 hours straight. I would answer email instantly. I could tell you immediately what the weather was like now, and what it was going to be for the next 10 days. I also knew which gas station had the cheapest gas within 20 miles.

Old habits die hard, but they do die. "Hi. My name is Anna, and it's been 72 hours since I read an email message."

But I owe a huge shoutout to this internet radio station that I listen to every day. Sunday mornings from 8-12 they play 'chill out' music from all over the world, and it helps me to feel more human. I don't have anything against Pink Floyd, but there's more out there people. More to life.

I also applaud this woman for her blog, and especially this post, that everyone with 5 minutes should read right now.

Finally, because nothing really exciting has happened in Baker for 3 days, I'm happy when I think about all the family and friends who read what we're up to and laugh, smile, cry and learn with us. We're coming up to a trip home, and our one-year Montana anniversary.

3-year-old: Do you still live in that place?

Me: What place?

3-year-old: You know that place.

Me: Montana? Yes, we still live in Montana.

3-year-old: Oh. Well, my brother doesn't like it when you live there because he misses you when you live in that place.

Monday, December 17, 2007

How YOU Doin'?

I'm not making fun, just observing a local tradition...

Friend: Hey, how's Stephan doing today?

Stephan: Um, me? I'm... uh... ok.

-----

Other friend: How's Anna doing today?

Anna: Which?... Are you talking to?... Oh, me? I'm good. Thanks.

----

Maybe I'm just not used to being spoken to in the third person, but it does throw me off every time. And, actually, it makes me think about myself in the third person. "How IS she doing?" And I evaluate, and I respond thoughtfully, if not a bit slowly. Causing some people in town to think I'm just habitually not paying attention.

Overheard: Making Dinner

Me: How was your day?

Him: You know what I realized? I really do prefer the soap suds enema to the FLEET enema. The soap suds really just goes in and gets a gallon of fluid in, and cleans everything out. With the FLEET, things are much more complicated-

Me: ENOUGH. Forget I asked.

Friday, December 14, 2007

CORRECTION!!!

I was reprimanded just now that I misquoted the ranchers in this post. What was actually said was:

"If we can't bale it or graze it, don't bother selling it to us."

I think I should start donating to wikipedia. Don't you?

Uncomfortable Story about Pork

Me: Excuse me?

Butcher: Yes?

Me: Is it weird for me to ask you for 23 pounds of pork shoulder?

Butcher: No. When do you need it?

Me: Um, really tomorrow morning. Is this weird?

Butcher: Not at all, let me see what I have in back....

...

Butcher: I've got one bag with 17, and I can break into a second bag and give you half. When do you want to pick it up?

Me: Is tonight at 5:30 ok?

Butcher: Sure.

...

Me: Do you want to know my name?

Butcher: Sure.

Me: Anna Koruba.

Butcher (not writing): Thanks!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

FAQ: How big is Montana?



I don't know if this relays it exactly, but here's the state of Illinois on top of the state of Montana. I wanted to put Fallon County on top of Cook county, but I couldn't find scale images of the two.

What I want to get across is that a drive to the nearest airport (Billings) is as far as the drive from Indiana to Iowa.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Putting the "H" in ho ho ho

I don't know what that title means.

Sometimes I can't sleep at night because there are too many things to blog about rolling around in my head. After that happens, I always wake up with NOTHING to write about. Any requests?

We have been super busy lately. Even after conquering Christmas, we have a slough of parties to get ready for. The preparation for the FMC Christmas party alone took about a week. The following day was caught up in creating a dip-and-bread appetizer for a party that evening.

That party was fun- we learned about the oldest registered cattle brand in the state of Montana, and the links between a barrel of oil and a bushel of corn. "If we can't use it for feed if it doesn't grow- don't bother selling it to us!" The dip, however, was one of three spinach, artichoke and cheese dips. That made me sad, and a little competitive.

Note to self: Must find new bring-to-a-party-appropriate appetizer.

Eh, and here's the temp, in case you were wondering...

Chicago right now: 35F
Plevna right now: 9F

But I promise I'm not complaining.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Montana Weather Tip #4


When the guy who lived in Alaska isn't wearing any pants... run like hell.

This is Stephan at the FMC Christmas party Friday night. Dressed like Ginger. Holding a curtain so that Barbara Barker can host the Price is Right. And you thought we'd be bored in Montana!!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Montana Weather Tip #3

When the guy who lived in Alaska puts on two pairs of pants, you should put on three.

Today's Chicago High: 24
Tonight's Chicago Low: 26

Today's Plevna High: 14
Tonight's Plevna Low: 1

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Montana Weather Tip #2

Never go out in skin-tight yoga pants.

Because even at 5:15am, someone you know may see you get out of the car, and ask you about it later.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Montana Weather Tip #1

After November 1st, bring your heavy coat everywhere.

Yesterday morning it was 49F when I left at 10:00 in the morning, and 16F when I got in the car at 5:00pm.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Worth the Drive

Yesterday we drove out to Dickenson, SD to finish up some shopping (yes, I did just say FINISH- can you believe THAT?!) and as a wonderful excuse to stop in Beach, ND to watch a movie. Not just ANY movie, and this wasn't just ANY movie theater.

THIS was the movie.

And THIS is the theater, run by our new friends, Emmanuel and Cheryl. One of them (I'm not telling which) spent some time living about 5 miles away from where I grew up! Crazy coincidence.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Getting in the Spirit

Me: I think we can move the piano and put the tree in the window.

Him: Well, we can put a 3' tree on the kitchen table.

Me: No. I've seen the Boy Scouts tree sale, there's like, a dozen trees and they're all over 5 feet tall.

Him: Sweetie, inside every 5 foot tree is a 3 foot tree waiting for the bottom 2 feet to get cut off.