Off and On

Frank started a job on the slope in July. He's still a mechanic. He has the typical 2-week on, 2-week off shift.

The pay doesn't seem to be any different right now, there are still some struggles; but, we are paying debt and not using more, so I guess that's good.

Speaking of the good: 2 weeks home. It goes by fast! Projects at home (although nothing major right now) and school. Me not having to take the kids to school, but seems I still do. We talk twice a day, and the kids talk to him 3 times a week or more. We have only used skype once.

We went to Kasilof this summer, in the middle of the week :)

He was home for Thanksgiving and will be for one week of the winter break, plus Christmas. If I did it right, he may also be home for those two next year! And maybe for the 6th grade camp trip in May!!

The bad: 2 weeks gone. It goes by. It's not fun handling the evening stuff on my own, but manage (seems I was the only one doing it anyway). What I really don't like is when I have meetings at school in the evenings; I'd rather they were home because I can't watch them while I'm in my meeting. He travels on Sundays, which takes away one day of the weekend.

He missed my birthday (eh) and Joey's. Jessie and Joey were sick on their actual birth days, and Frank was at the tail end of his R&R, so we had to wait another 2 weeks before we could have their parties. And now, a month after Joey's birthday, we still haven't had it. He didn't know what he wanted to do while Frank was home - plus he was still kind of sick (and is again, UGH).

The ugly: adjusting to the day time life. He has the night shift - which isn't so bad up there. What else is there to do besides sleep, eat and work? However, back on shift is hard, and so is end of shift. Adjusting from night to day every two weeks has to be hard; from waking at 4PM, working from 6pm-6am, breakfast, short nap, get ready to board plane at 10am, arrive in ANC at 2pm. He will have been awake 22 hours. It takes about 3 days to get back to the day life. It's the flip side going back up to work; get up at 8ish, board plane at 2pm, arrive in Prudhoe at 4pm, rest/settle in, eat, on shift at 6pm.

I can't say it's affected our relationship in either good or bad, it's still kind of new. And I have my own routines and schedules and such; I know how to keep busy! I just have to fit him into my day when he's here - I do make an effort to stay away from school while he's home. With Elizabeth on maternity leave, it's been easy. He has stuff of his own to deal with when he's home, too. Wyatt's teacher seems to think it affects him, but I don't let him think that way - almost as if he's allowed because Frank is gone. I think it will be much different when summer comes; how we'll deal with the kids being home all day and him not (though we've dealt with it before), but also how we'll be able to do more stuff when he is...hopefully. Even during the winter break, maybe go snowmachining. Or he can take Joey snowboarding. We'd certainly love to be able to travel while he's on R&R.

Right now Frank is in the middle of his shift; he returns in a week. Today the Anchorage Unangax Dancers are performing at 12:30 and tomorrow the school choir and dancers are performing at the museum (the dancers are also performing, but at the same time as AUD).