Well there have been a few questions posed about life here.  Can’t say I know much as I’ve only been here a month, but I’ll give you my experiences so far. 

As far as housing goes, we did manage to get on-post housing so we lucked out there.  A lot of places around here charge for either heating oil or electricity.  Getting a break on one is nice, but it will still cost about 500 a month for electricity.  I am so glad that we scored the great place we did, and that its on post!

It costs a lot just to get ready to live here!  Clothes, tires, winterizing the car, etc.  I have gone through about 1500 on just getting set up for winter!  That doesn’t include the little things like road salt, snow shovels, etc.  However, its getting to the point now where its futile to use the snow shovel and ice doesn’t work colder than -10.  If it stops snowing for a few days, I get out and scrape off the drive, other than that I just wait it out.  The snow is very dry/fluffy anyway.  It won’t even make a snowball, so a lot of it sublimates and blows away.

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We are now in our nice new government quarters.  This house makes the one at our old base look bad.  If I were the army I would be truly ashamed of that housing.  Anyway, our new house has three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a full basement, a mud room, laundry room, and garage!  Its basically a two story condo.  Its nice!  We have real carpet, not industrial grade crap, nice tile floors, a walk in closet and everything you would expect in a real house.  Not one bit of masonite anywhere, and we can’t hear the neighbors either.  Hopefully, our household goods will be here next week as well as my truck.  Right now e have loaner pots, loaner dishes, and loaner furniture courtesy of post.

Besides that, we have been busy with in-processing stuff most of the past week, with a few more things left to go.  I should get my “Storm Trooper” gear next week.  Its a bit cold here and there is already snow and such on the ground, but it gets a whole lot colder and snowier.  Lucky the army has all that nice new fleece gear to keep me warm.

Finally, nothing in Fairbanks gets done quickly.  You gotta have patience, but it does get done.  I guess it goes with living here.

Ok the flying is finished, the car travel done.  We are now in out temporary lodging (read hotel) in Alaska.  When we left Dallas it was around 80, and when we arrived here it was 26 with snow on the ground!  This is gonna be an adjust ment, but so far it seems like a nice place to be.  There is green grass, actual trees, everyone speaks the same language, and they all seem real nice.  In fact, at the car rental place last night I asked where a good place to buy a snowsuit for my daughter was and the clerk gave us two pair of overalls her kids had outgrown for free!

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Well we have left El Paso and are now sitting in Dallas waiting on our flight to Alaska.  It was a long day!  It ended up being around 12 hours on the highway.  Everyone is at the end of their energy and about to pass out, but we are here.  Let me just say that this hotel is awesome.  We have two rooms, an atrium, and a bunch of amenities.  It feels like we are millionaires!  Granted, its expensive, but with a military discount, I ended up getting around 45% off which made it barely affordable. The only thing is we had to pay for internet. I figure for what it costs to stay here that would have been free.

We went to the Outdoor World and found most everything we need to get by till we settle in Alaska - even gloves!  Outdoor World offers 10% off every item to Servicemembers by the way.  I saved quite a bit.  It’s nice to know my family won’t freeze when we get there, however the forecast does say its supposed to snow the day we arrive.  That’s a fine welcome.

Tomorrow I’ll be turning in our truck for shipping.  I hope that goes easily as that’s the last step short of getting on a plane for Alaska.  Then comes in-processing, house hunting (pray for post housing), and everything that comes with that.

So that’s today’s update.  I’ll try to keep posting on our trip and so will my wife.  Her’s is always by far more interesting reading. 
(That’s a real Texas Roadsign.  Kinda creepy isn’t it?)