Change of Plans

The guest post over at The Galaxy Express was a lot of fun. Heather's Parallel Universe idea during the RWA National Convention brought out a nice array of topics and ideas. Thanks again, Heather! I said I'd post the piece that didn't make the cut, but two things happened to kill that idea. First, my modem burned out. No Internets for the entire weekend! I don't know who was more twitchy over the lack of networking, me or my 12 year old. I did slip into the library and checked email once, but I didn't have the file with me anyway. Then, my mother and nephew arrived. Visiting took precedence over posting. And now, well, I've changed my mind about putting the piece up. At least for the time being.

The visit with Mom and Nephew went well. We got out on a few easy hikes, trundled to the glacier 50 miles down the gravel highway for lunch and some awesome calving, and generally enjoyed ourselves. Weather, always a questionable factor here in soggy south central AK, was mostly agreeable. The only downer was our boat breaking. Hubby wanted to take Nephew and our kids out fishing, but not being able to go further than line of sight made it less than enticing. But now Nephew and Daughter #1 are at Science Camp. They are getting plenty of outdoor time, even if it is wet. Yes, after two weeks of relatively dry and pleasant, we have rain. Lots and lots of rain.

The weather has also affected Hubby. He is overseeing a big research event, coordinating scientists from several universities and such on three different boats that should be out in the Sound running instruments and gathering data.

At least that was the plan. He was supposed to leave Monday afternoon, but a winter storm-type weather system roared into the area. Thirty to thirty-five knot winds have grown to 40-45, with rain increasing. Two of the boats had already left and are anchored in the lee of islands somewhere in the Sound, waiting for a break in the weather to get a little work done. Hope they brought a deck of cards.

Hubby and the two science dudes he was working with came back to our house last night for dinner and more comfortable accommodations than sleeping on the boat. They had managed to get a little data, but not nearly as much as they were hoping for. They are going back out today, but the weather is getting worse, so they won't go far and will be back in port this afternoon. We'll have them eat and sleep here and hope they can get out Wednesday. And not lose a $100K science instrument in crappy seas.

While they are anxious about getting the work done, they are philosophical about conditions. The weather is what it is. You can bitch, but that won't help or change it. Just do what you can with what you have available, try to take advantage of small windows of opportunity, and be glad you can come back to a warm bed and a hot meal even when things have gone awry.

It's an attitude I think we need to have more often, for all occasions.