OPPORTUNITIES TO TRUST

I’m, for the most part, settled into my new apartment and now have telephone and internet service.  My multi-talented, kind and generous son, Peter, spent much time transporting my furniture from Issaquah to Bellingham, storing and crating it there.  After drilling in the last screw in the last big 8’ x 4’ x 4’ plywood box last Friday, he and a friend drove it all to Fife where it began its journey to Anchorage via barge on Lynden Transport.  From there it will be flown by Northern Air Cargo to Barrow.  There may be a slight delay in Anchorage as Lynden says that they do not deliver household goods to NAC’s dock and NAC says that they don’t pick up at Lynden’s.  I’m not too worried as the Lynden representative on the telephone said that when my shipment arrives in Anchorage, she was sure that it would keep moving through any complications and make its way to the airport in Barrow.  Am learning to trust that everything works out.

Having another opportunity to trust, I’d been wondering how I will get the very large and heavy crates to my apartment.  Not to worry though as a knock at the door of the itinerant housing on Christmas Eve solved my challenge.  A man named Goce introduced himself and another man named Dave.  They were from the North Slope Borough Maintenance Department and were checking on the itinerant house, making sure that no pipes were frozen, etc.  I assured them that all was well and thanked them for stopping by.  Goce and Dave also work with Jovan who had given Darlene and myself a ride home from the airport after returning from health fair in one of the villages.  Goce, who must know that a single person without a vehicle is at a disadvantage in Barrow, said brightly, “Here is my cell phone number.  If there is anything, anything that we can do for you, just call and we will be there!”  What a wonderful Christmas gift!  They have subsequently moved the couch I purchased and was storing at Darlene’s apartment in the E building to my new apartment and have stopped by my office several times to let me know not to worry about the furniture shipment, even offering to help put together the shelves, etc..  There’s something to this trusting state of mind.

I’m still working on believing for a good solution to the lack of laundry facilities here in Barrow.  I learned on Friday that I wouldn't be able to use the washer and dryer at the itinerant house I’d been staying in as it would be personal use of Borough property now that I’m not living there.  I’ve really been impressed by the accountability of resources here, but was a bit dismayed that it was applied to this situation.  I’d been doing some research on purchasing a portable 5.5 capacity washer and a spin dryer that gets clothes 90% dry from Amazon.  Both have many five and four star reviews, being economical, easy to use and having the convenience of using them in my apartment, I decided to order one of each.  At check out, though, I received a message saying that these cannot be shipped to Alaska.  I’m just not trusting enough to see the answer yet, I’ve determined. 

Julie has offered to let me use her washer and dryer on Sunday afternoons.  She lives about a half of a mile away, beyond the grocery store and library.  It’s so kind of her and I appreciate it more than I can say so will take her up on it for the first time tomorrow.  My daughter, Lisa, and I were talking this morning about my walking with a bag of laundry on my back in the 20-30 mph wind and snow over to Julie’s looking like Santa and we couldn’t stop laughing.  I decided to resurrect the Amazon order, have it shipped to her house in Maple Valley, Washington where she’ll send it up via USPS.  A little circuitous way to accomplish having clean laundry, but am feeling peaceful knowing that a solution is on the way.  I will definitely have more empathy if I see someone in scruffy looking clothes walking around Barrow...taking being able to do laundry for granted is a mindset of the past. 

Am humming the tune, "I get by with a little help from my friends (and of course family)..."  It's more than a little help...thank you, Peter, Lisa, Julie, Goce, Dave, and Jovan!!!