MVP

More initials!! These stand for Most Viewed Post. Can you guess what it is? You'll never guess.

It's this post from 2008 when Stephan and I learned all about rodeo. There are a lot of pictures in it, which is why it gets the most Google hits.

The second most read is How to Cook Antelope for obvious reasons. Unfortunately for many people, the conclusion to that post is to simply NOT eat antelope!

The third one is again about rodeo.

And the fourth one is the most interesting to me. Every year about this time the hits sky rocket for this post. It's a summary of the Sun Dance Stephan and I were invited to. I couldn't take any photos, and I really couldn't post many details. But still, people who search for the Lakota Sun Dance South Dakota seem to find their way there every year.

And the last one is a funny post I wrote to my mom about the cleanliness of our house.

Enjoy!!

The Farm

It's true that a large part of Montana smells like cows and farms. Most of the people we meet here are involved in some way in the farming or ranching business. Our visit to Cindy and Larry's farm on Saturday was amazing. We met a herding dog, which wasn't really trained, he just knew how to help seperate and herd them. We saw, of course, the new calves and their heiffer moms (heiffer means a cow who is giving birth for the first time). There were peacocks roaming around, chickens walking to and fro, and about two dozen barn cats (that we didn't see but just heard about). Oh, and the horses. There were horses there that are actually used to herd cattle. Larry is really a cowboy. He rides "Red" his horse around to check on the cows. Some people have lambs, which, I'm told, usually have twins. It's where the phrase, "the third lamb" comes from. You know that phrase, don't you? No? I didn't either.

Of course there were the turkeys from the other day- we see antelope all the time as well as deer. I haven't yet seen any squirrels. I don't know if we have them here. We do have rattle snakes apparently, and they tell me to just make sure I don't stick my hands where I can't see, and wear shoes every time I go outside.

Larry offered to show Stephan how to break horses, since he has a few that need breaking. I'm nervous about that, but Stephan can't wait. Life on the farm promises to be really interesting. More photos will be on their way, I'm sure!

Trivia: How many seconds do we have to hold the lever down on our toilet before it flushes?

FAQ: How do we get a hold of you?

Well, there are a few ways! You can always email us, though Stephan is notoriously bad at responding to electric mail. You can write us a letter to the PO Box, which is listed at the bottom of the page, or you can call us. Now, the deal with the phones is this- when we got to Baker we realized that we get no service here- not one single bar. So we hopped over to Laurie at Mid Rivers and got new cell phones, and new cell phone numbers. Unfortunately, we can't find our old phone chargers, so our phone books are sitting helplessly inside our dead-battery phones.

I know there are many people Stephan would love to talk to, but he's lost the phone numbers, and until we can dig out the chargers from our packed stuff, we don't know how to call you! If you'd like our phone numbers, please email me and I will be happy to send out the number, but for privacy reasons (and piracy reasons) I'm not posting them on the website. I'm sure you understand.


We have plenty of updates for you- The Director of the Montana Nurses' Association personally called me to tell me Stephan's new MT license number. Hurray!!! And now all we have to do is put together the scholarship application! Thanks again to everyone who was sending prayers and good thoughts. I think they really helped soften the hearts of those working at the Illinois State offices.

We moved a lot of our stuff over into the Plevna garage today, with the help of Matt and Kayle's truck. Woo hoo.

The garage we were keeping our stuff in flooded when everything thawed, so Stephan's brag book and all my Healing Touch documentation are sitting out to dry. We'll see later what is salvageable. I have photos, but my camera is being bad right now.

I applied for a business license in the State of Montana today to start my very own LLC here! The name I applied with is Anjali. It is the name of the gesture that often is associated with the Sanskrit greeting, Namaste. The prayerful nature of the name, and my logo, should help me maintain a respectful attitude toward all my patients and clients.

Stephan works Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week- from 6am-6pm. Long days, but rewarding. Hopefully after this weekend we'll be moved into the house! If anyone sees a cute "The Korubas" sign, please forward it to me, we'd like something other than the Bears Flag to stake our claim in Montana.

I almost forgot! Trivia: How did George Armstrong Custer rank in his class when he graduated from West Point? (I made this one easy, there are PRIZES people!)

This is a Snowball

Theoretically, with enough of the proper insulation and care, and if the snowball was travelling at a high enough rate of speed both into and out of, a warm southern climate, it could potentially have a chance. At least, that's what we spent the day experimenting with.

Our snowball is a verification letter from the State of Illinois of Stephan's passing grade on the NCLEX exam. It's destination is the desk of the Montana Board of Nursing. If the snowball arrives at the destination, it will then be in the hands of a human being. A living, breathing, caring, loving human being. There is a rule in Montana that in order to qualify as a "new nurse", without requiring licensure in another state (see previous post about getting the Illinois license), you must take and pass the NCLEX exam IN Montana. It's the exact same test, folks, that Stephan took in Illinois. What we are counting on, what our dear little snowball needs to survive, is for the person sitting at that desk to think to themselves, "Well, he's sent everything he needs to in order to qualify, and, although he didn't take the test here, he does already have a job here. So, what the heck, we can bend the rules for this one."

They will issue him a license, we will get that before March 9th, and we will apply for the scholarship that day. Everything will be postmarked by the 9th, and we will breath full deep breaths.

A related problem that the medical center has is that without a state license, Stephan is not allowed to cover a shift by himself. They have him on the schedule for the month of March on his own, so today the Director of Nursing (DON) was scrambling to get supervision for Stephan as long as he will need it. That's costing FMC more money, and more time. Not a happy thing for them- DON Michelle spent some time on the phone today as well with the Montana Board of Nursing, trying to plead our case.

If you're involved in a prayer group, please remember our little snowball on its journey this week.

Trivia: In the Butte mines, why were unstable slabs of rock that were prone to collapse without warning known as "duggans?"

Only in Montana

This is an email that Melanie sent me last night in response to yesterday's post. When I read it I cried so hard I was sobbing. I have her permission to share it with you...

Only in Montana…

…can major home repair be put on hold because of a cow giving birth.

…can tourists watch 12 foot tall fake bulls peeing.

…can a town multiply in size because of a fair.

…tight blue jeans, denim shirt, cowboy boots and hat are the top fashion.

…can you get two alcoholic drinks for under $5.

…there are more cows then people…3 to 1.

…can you buy a house.

…you need heaters for you car so it doesn’t get too cold at night.

…can you learn everyone’s name in your town.

…is liquor still regulated by the state.

…you can find 3 bars, but 12 churches.

…may your car actually be more expensive then your house.

…are the sweaters that your mother gave to Salvation Army 10 years ago are still in fashion.

…can you buy a house that comes with a chicken coop.

…can you call up Illinois Department of Big Jerks and get hung-up on and then call up Montana and talk to someone nice and then realize Montana, with all it quarks and laid back nature, might be exactly were you need to be at this point in your life. That people might be way different then where you came from, but they are very welcoming. You realize that this is going to be your home for a while so might as well start acting like it is home. You come to the conclusion that your life has been thrown up side down and that, even though you don’t have all your underwear or the shampoo and conditioner you would usually use, you are truly a survivor. Although there have been tears, you’ve wiped them away and have carried on. Suddenly a feeling comes over you. No longer a feeling of sadness or self-pity, but strength that you did it. And then the Dora the Explorer song runs through your head as you gently close your eyes and go to sleep.

At Melanie's request, here is more trivia: How long can a moose keep its head under water? (we have moose in Montana!!)

Bob-bob

I'll get to the calf in a minute. This morning, after a short nap, Stephan called the Illinois Department of Big Jerks Who Could Really Care Less About Your Question (and that's putting it nicely) and found out that the person who told me that his license would be processed in 2-4 days was fired. She was fired because she was wrong. There is no way, no amount of money, or urgency, that will get the Illinois Board to process a license faster than 4-6 weeks.

Then, we tried just applying for licensing in Montana (Montana, where you can be a licensed "Wrestler"). They need Stephan's test score sent over... from the Illinois Board, which apparently 'owns' the score once the testing center gives it to them. The testing center claims to not even have the score anymore. And quess what? The Illinois Department of Kiss My Butt will, under no circumstances, release that information to anyone. Ever.

Then, just for fun, I went with Laurie to see the house we're "moving into" tomorrow. Turns out that the previous tenant physically tore the washing machine from the wall and water supply, thus breaking the water line in a way that required the water supply to the house to be turned off. And then the pipe leaked. There's not much damage, but there is no water. Laurie's husband can fix it tonight if (seriously, I'm not making this up) the two cows he's watching give birth their calves by then.

Stephan promises that I will look back at today and laugh at everything that's happening. Once we figure out how to pay back his student loans without the scholarship, once we start moving into the house we've bought, once I've set up my corporation and get back to work, I will think that the birth of a calf being responsible for the water condition of our house is hysterical.

I'm not there yet. Not even close. After I dropped Stephan off at work (an hour early because they were short-staffed all day due to the snow storm) I sat on the couch. Elysium crawled up to me, wearing nothing but a diaper, and sat in my lap. She pulled a blanket over the two of us, and we watched Sponge Bob together. For 30 minutes there was nothing more important in the world than whether or not Patrick Star was going to get a driver's license and win a boat-mobile.

Trivia: What is the only North American gem to be included in the Crown Jewels of England?

FAQ: Does Stephan have a sense of humor about being a male nurse?

Answer: no. He asked me to take down the Male Nurse photo. I figured I could leave it up if I made it more fair.

He got home this morning (Tuesday) at about 7:45 and went straight to bed. He slept until 3pm, when he ate, made a few phone calls about his student loans, and left for work. I stopped by just now to bring him 'lunch' and he asked if he could come home with me. He has about 6 hours left, but he said they haven't gotten a chance to sit down yet! It's a busy night. They had one ER patient when I was there, and with the snow coming down in blankets, they may have a few more before the night is over.

He was upbeat about it, though. I could see he was tired, but I also know that the excitement keeps him going. I would feel more sympathy if things were boring and he wanted to leave. Last night we talked a bit about a patient he has who may die soon. That will be something new for him. He seemed a little cautious about spending time with her, but it's his favorite part of the job. I know he sits with patients, talks to them whenever he can, and really takes time to make sure all their needs are being met. Beyond just temperature and physical comfort- he holds their hands. Kayle says he has a way with the older women. I don't doubt that. I think he has a way with everyone he meets.

Even though I miss him tonight, I know he's with people who need him. As important as he is to folks, I don't mind sharing at all.

Trivia: What is the ratio of cows to humans (or humans to cows) in the state of Montana?

Goat-pond

I figured that I might as well post something, since I've been sitting in front of the compter most of the day, refreshing the Illinois Division of Professional Regulation License Look-up page constantly. I've been wanting to post about two things for a while- one is the old, "if I could have changed anything about this move, what would I change?" The answer to that one is simple- I would have packed more. I would have been just slightly more prepared. I would have carried more than 5 days of underware with me, more comfort items, like pillows and conditioner. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be too prepared. As my mom has always pointed out, the only kid who's mom brought an extra set of clothes to the zoo is the only kid who falls in the goat pond.

Which brings me to my second thought. My Dad used to tell us stories as kids, right before bedtime. One of these stories, and it's one of my favorites, was "Super Goldilocks." Never heard of it? Well, it's Goldilocks, but instead of coming upon a clean house and messing it up, she comes upon a messy house and cleans it until it shines. Why have I been thinking about this? Because for the last 3 weeks I've been completely unable to sit still. I've done laundry as soon as it was dirty, reorganized the cupboard upstairs in the kitchen, cleaned our bathroom every few days, and organized, and reorganized our pile of bills/important papers/things to do. Somewhere in my little impressionable head, Super Goldilocks became an idol. If you see something that needs to be done, go ahead and do it.

I really hope this hasn't annoyed our guests too much. But I do think it's about time for me find a job.

Trivia: For many years, outside the Prairie Schooner Restaurant located in which Montana town, were tourists entertained by two 12-foot tall oxen statues that would 'urinate' whenever someone in the restaurant turned the secret handle?