O.K., O.K., I know the answer already! I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but I DON'T CARE! Those of you who have been keeping up on my blog already know that we pay a pretty penny to work out at an adequate gym. Now, to make matters worse, instead of that downward spiral I've been working towards, my scale is slowly creeping up! Every time I get on the scale it's torture!
If you know me in real life, you know that I'm not overweight, but I do watch my figure (expand and contract) and I would like to be even thinner. I know some of you would beg to differ, but none of you have seen me naked, nor would you care to, trust me! In my mind, ideally I would be about 10-12lbs. less than my current weight. In an effort to head in that direction, I've been going to the gym 3 times a week and have been watching what I eat. Mind you, I watched what I ate in CA, but I didn't frequent the gym. All that being said, I thought I would lose weight, WRONGO! For the most part the scale has stayed close to the same, but depending on the day, I may be up up to 2 lbs. I never seem to be down though!
I've been doing 30-45 minutes of cardio three times a week and doing a circuit on those three days as well. I know I'm probably building some muscle, but let's be real! Also, can't I build muscle and still drop pounds? I don't have all of the answers, but I told Eric that if I don't start losing weight I'm going to cancel the stupid gym membership. He tries to reason with me that I'm healthier and more fit because I'm going to the gym. I don't disagree, but I worked hard for a certain figure to appear on that darn scale, and when I deviate from that figure it ticks me off! There's no proof that it's muscle and not fat! Any words of advice...I'm listening?????
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
For the record
I enjoyed my husband's first blog and I hope all of you did too. I'll have to put up a new poll to see if he gets to continue to ghostwrite on occassion or if his first attempt was his last attempt. I'll let you all weigh in later in the week.
Eric did make one comment in his blog post that has been "eating" at me. He said that "most" of what has been said in my blog in true. That's not correct, ALL of what I post is true! Where our definition of "truth" differs is in my perception of him vs. his perception of himself. I think I've been extremely kind to my dear husband in my posts so far, but apparantly he took exception to one of the posts in which I stated that he's "not perfect". So in his warped mind I wasn't being "truthful". You have to understand that Eric has a very dry sense of humor, very good self-esteem and is a legend in his own mind! As long as I (and all of you now) know he isn't perfect, I guess we don't have to tell him that I have in fact been truthful all along.
I just had to clear that up because the way I see it, I would have nothing to gain by not being truthful on my blog. I have nothing to be dishonest about. You will find that I do do crazy, airheaded things sometimes, that I have a wacky sense of humor, I'm not afraid to tell it like it is, and that sometimes I have a colorful way of viewing everyday life. You will also find that I'm fairly intelligent, my life isn't always dramatic, that I'm fun-loving, and really pretty darn normal!
Eric did make one comment in his blog post that has been "eating" at me. He said that "most" of what has been said in my blog in true. That's not correct, ALL of what I post is true! Where our definition of "truth" differs is in my perception of him vs. his perception of himself. I think I've been extremely kind to my dear husband in my posts so far, but apparantly he took exception to one of the posts in which I stated that he's "not perfect". So in his warped mind I wasn't being "truthful". You have to understand that Eric has a very dry sense of humor, very good self-esteem and is a legend in his own mind! As long as I (and all of you now) know he isn't perfect, I guess we don't have to tell him that I have in fact been truthful all along.
I just had to clear that up because the way I see it, I would have nothing to gain by not being truthful on my blog. I have nothing to be dishonest about. You will find that I do do crazy, airheaded things sometimes, that I have a wacky sense of humor, I'm not afraid to tell it like it is, and that sometimes I have a colorful way of viewing everyday life. You will also find that I'm fairly intelligent, my life isn't always dramatic, that I'm fun-loving, and really pretty darn normal!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
My Acceptance Post
Wow, what can I say, with a 78% approval rating from the "getting by in alaska" blogspot voters, I feel more popular than most government leaders. Thank you to all my supportive followers (potential followers anyway), for the overwhelming landslide of a victory. I would anticipate that you will enjoy my periodic posts and with time my approval rating will climb even higher. As for the three (3) of you that decided to vote against my occasional contribution, I am pretty sure you can find something better to be doing right about NOW! Not to worry, I don’t get mad, I get even!!! Okay, lets get to it.
Let me start with this big broad statement: "Most of what has been stated in this blog as of today is true, with an emphasis on most." I guess it’s okay to take some poetic liberty when writing a blog, why not, I would have to guess that a good majority of the people who end up reading the posts don’t even know who we are or what our lives are all about. I do have to admit, I thought the whole blog thing was a waste of time. I was quite surprised that the site was being visited so frequently. As of this post, the site has been visited 517 times since January 26, 2007. I do in fact find it quite interesting to look at the statistics link, a link that shows you just about everything you want to know about how often your blog page is being viewed, with the exception of who is viewing it. Very interesting stuff indeed. I do find myself reading the comments that people leave, that’s kind of cool to hear from people you know and people you don’t know. I have even told some of the people I know about the blog, it’s a good way to tell people about our journeys and adventures in Alaska.
So, here we are, living and working is Alaska, it is quite a change from Southern California. For those of you who don’t know, both Stephanie and I were born and raised in SUNNY Southern California. I do have to say, you do kind of settle into a routine. One thing that is kind of hard to get used to is the extreme cold. Right now it is –4 degrees and it has been sub zero for about a week and a half. The average temperature in Anchorage is supposed to be about 20 degrees or so this time of year. The weatherman is saying warmer weather ahead and that means snow. Stephanie is lucky though, I am going to Seattle for business next week and she will get to manage the snow blowing, although Kaiden, our eight year old, told me he would do it. Driving in this weather is also a treat and a challenge at times. We have a new 4wheel drive Honda Pilot (we like it) and recently purchased studded tires. The car works well in most, if not all, driving circumstances. Really, like most areas, you need to watch out for the crazy drivers around you. I heard the average age in Alaska is about 34 years old, very young age. When I first moved here, the Realtor told me that people run red lights routinely, so look before you go on green. So far, we have done well, with the exception of our slide down a hill and into a small snow berm. Studs were installed the next day!
In an earlier post, you heard about Stephanie’s Alaska DMV adventure, you know, the trip she was keeping a secret. Well, I am happy to report that I too am legal to drive in the great state of Alaska. Of course I did not get lost trying to find the place and I did not miss a question on the test. I am not saying I am better than my wife, I am just stating the facts.
This next part is primarily for all the guys that are checking into this blog, gals are welcome too, but you may lose interest, unless you already have.
After getting my license on Friday, I drug Stephanie to a sporting goods store, you know, a store with guns. I have been eyeing a specific gun (.44 magnum) for some time and I needed executive (wife) approval to purchase. I have been wanting, maybe needing, to buy a .44 magnum for a while, even before coming to Alaska, so after moving here, the deal was sealed. I am not sure if most of you know this or not, but wild animals roam the neighborhoods here, bears, moose, etc., you can’t be too careful. Anyway, I purchased a Stainless Steel Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum 4" (six shot), it can fire the biggest heaviest loads. It is a big gun, with a lot of power, enough to drop a bear if necessary (with a good shot). I don’t intend to hunt bear, it is more for protection while hunting, fishing, and hiking. I have not fired it yet, I will report back after I do.
A couple more things about guns in Alaska: 1. I was able to fill out paperwork, pay for the gun, and walk out of the store with it, all in about 20 minute. If you are an Alaska resident all they have to do is make a call and check your background, if you are clean, you can take to gun home immediately. 2. While in Alaska you can carry a concealed weapon (CCW) without any special permits. There are some restrictions, but they are minimal. Even in your car, all you are required to do is advise law enforcement that you have a loaded firearm if you are stopped. It truly is like the old west up here.
Well, I believe I have written enough for my first ghost post, I hope most of you enjoyed it, and if you did not, that’s okay too.
Let me start with this big broad statement: "Most of what has been stated in this blog as of today is true, with an emphasis on most." I guess it’s okay to take some poetic liberty when writing a blog, why not, I would have to guess that a good majority of the people who end up reading the posts don’t even know who we are or what our lives are all about. I do have to admit, I thought the whole blog thing was a waste of time. I was quite surprised that the site was being visited so frequently. As of this post, the site has been visited 517 times since January 26, 2007. I do in fact find it quite interesting to look at the statistics link, a link that shows you just about everything you want to know about how often your blog page is being viewed, with the exception of who is viewing it. Very interesting stuff indeed. I do find myself reading the comments that people leave, that’s kind of cool to hear from people you know and people you don’t know. I have even told some of the people I know about the blog, it’s a good way to tell people about our journeys and adventures in Alaska.
So, here we are, living and working is Alaska, it is quite a change from Southern California. For those of you who don’t know, both Stephanie and I were born and raised in SUNNY Southern California. I do have to say, you do kind of settle into a routine. One thing that is kind of hard to get used to is the extreme cold. Right now it is –4 degrees and it has been sub zero for about a week and a half. The average temperature in Anchorage is supposed to be about 20 degrees or so this time of year. The weatherman is saying warmer weather ahead and that means snow. Stephanie is lucky though, I am going to Seattle for business next week and she will get to manage the snow blowing, although Kaiden, our eight year old, told me he would do it. Driving in this weather is also a treat and a challenge at times. We have a new 4wheel drive Honda Pilot (we like it) and recently purchased studded tires. The car works well in most, if not all, driving circumstances. Really, like most areas, you need to watch out for the crazy drivers around you. I heard the average age in Alaska is about 34 years old, very young age. When I first moved here, the Realtor told me that people run red lights routinely, so look before you go on green. So far, we have done well, with the exception of our slide down a hill and into a small snow berm. Studs were installed the next day!
In an earlier post, you heard about Stephanie’s Alaska DMV adventure, you know, the trip she was keeping a secret. Well, I am happy to report that I too am legal to drive in the great state of Alaska. Of course I did not get lost trying to find the place and I did not miss a question on the test. I am not saying I am better than my wife, I am just stating the facts.
This next part is primarily for all the guys that are checking into this blog, gals are welcome too, but you may lose interest, unless you already have.
After getting my license on Friday, I drug Stephanie to a sporting goods store, you know, a store with guns. I have been eyeing a specific gun (.44 magnum) for some time and I needed executive (wife) approval to purchase. I have been wanting, maybe needing, to buy a .44 magnum for a while, even before coming to Alaska, so after moving here, the deal was sealed. I am not sure if most of you know this or not, but wild animals roam the neighborhoods here, bears, moose, etc., you can’t be too careful. Anyway, I purchased a Stainless Steel Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum 4" (six shot), it can fire the biggest heaviest loads. It is a big gun, with a lot of power, enough to drop a bear if necessary (with a good shot). I don’t intend to hunt bear, it is more for protection while hunting, fishing, and hiking. I have not fired it yet, I will report back after I do.
A couple more things about guns in Alaska: 1. I was able to fill out paperwork, pay for the gun, and walk out of the store with it, all in about 20 minute. If you are an Alaska resident all they have to do is make a call and check your background, if you are clean, you can take to gun home immediately. 2. While in Alaska you can carry a concealed weapon (CCW) without any special permits. There are some restrictions, but they are minimal. Even in your car, all you are required to do is advise law enforcement that you have a loaded firearm if you are stopped. It truly is like the old west up here.
Well, I believe I have written enough for my first ghost post, I hope most of you enjoyed it, and if you did not, that’s okay too.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
WE'RE SHOCKED!
One of the oddest phenomenon we have experienced here is the static electricity. The only thing I don't like about our house is the cream colored carpeting. Some brilliant person decided that off-white carpet was the perfect color for Alaska. I strongly disagree! Changing all of the carpeting in the house isn't an option right now, so, we walk around in socks or slippers while we're home. We have found if we are not wearing slippers and are in our socks, especially wool socks, it can literally be shocking! The shocks usually occur as we go to turn on the light switches and they are often so strong that we can actually see the spark (I guess it's technically called "the arc").
Last week Eric walked by Logan's room while the alarm clock was going off. Logan was in the shower, so, being the energy conservationist he is, Eric decided he was going to turn the alarm off. I'm still not quite sure what exactly transpired, but the best I can come up with is that as Eric reached to touch the clock he was shocked and the static actually shorted out the alarm clock!!!! As he came back down the hall, Eric kinda' joked that he had shorted out the clock. When I went in the room to see what had ocurred, the numbers on the clock were all wacky. I unplugged the clock thinking that maybe it just needed to be reset. When I plugged it back in the clock didn't work at all!
Of course, the clock couldn't have just been a basic one, this one was a cool projection one that I can't find in Alaska. The good new is that I had just purchased the clock through Amazon, so I was able to return it and have a new one sent right away. I did, however, claim that the clock wasn't in working order when we received it (shhh...don't tell). We learned our lesson though, apparantly everyting around here needs to be grounded.
Another shocking thing around here.......the gas bill!!!!! We got our much anticipated first gas bill last week and I think that unless we want to live in an igloo I'll have to get a job just to pay for our heating bill. It was $312.00, SHOCKING!!!!! I guess that's no worse than the electric bills can be in CA and AZ during the heat of the summer, but still!
Last week Eric walked by Logan's room while the alarm clock was going off. Logan was in the shower, so, being the energy conservationist he is, Eric decided he was going to turn the alarm off. I'm still not quite sure what exactly transpired, but the best I can come up with is that as Eric reached to touch the clock he was shocked and the static actually shorted out the alarm clock!!!! As he came back down the hall, Eric kinda' joked that he had shorted out the clock. When I went in the room to see what had ocurred, the numbers on the clock were all wacky. I unplugged the clock thinking that maybe it just needed to be reset. When I plugged it back in the clock didn't work at all!
Of course, the clock couldn't have just been a basic one, this one was a cool projection one that I can't find in Alaska. The good new is that I had just purchased the clock through Amazon, so I was able to return it and have a new one sent right away. I did, however, claim that the clock wasn't in working order when we received it (shhh...don't tell). We learned our lesson though, apparantly everyting around here needs to be grounded.
Another shocking thing around here.......the gas bill!!!!! We got our much anticipated first gas bill last week and I think that unless we want to live in an igloo I'll have to get a job just to pay for our heating bill. It was $312.00, SHOCKING!!!!! I guess that's no worse than the electric bills can be in CA and AZ during the heat of the summer, but still!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
To Shop or Not to Shop
This is the to shop part of the blog......
I know you're all aware that we live in Alaska, but sometimes I think some of you think we actually live in Timbuktu. To set the record straight, we do have "real" stores here and I don't have to travel for hours to get to the mall. As a matter of fact, the nearest mall is only three freeway exits away. Among other stores, there is a Gap, Gap Kids, Old Navy, American Eagle, and a Gottchalks. Off that same freeway exit is also a Sam's Club, Petco, Borders, Home Depot, Wal Mart, Costco, Sports Authority, Pier 1 and Bed Bath and Beyond. See, we almost have it all! Target should be here this spring! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!
Now, if I care to venture down the freeway a little further there is (I know this may be shocking) another mall. This mall is a little fancier than the aformentioned and they have a Nordstrom, JC Penney, Banana Republic, Abercrombie, and Coach, in addition to some of the same chain stores I mentioned at the first one. This mall is downtown and if you can believe this, they make you pay to park. It's a minimal cost, but a good trip to the mall with cost ya' a couple of bucks.
The price for clothing seems comparable to the prices in California, but we don't have sales tax here, so that's kind of a bonus. The weird thing is, that so far, I've found much better deals on mens clothing than on womens. I keep going to the mall, looking for a good bargain for me, and I end up walking out with a bag full of bargains for Eric. That man has quite a wardrobe going on. Imagine the damage I could do if his arms weren't so darn long!
This is the not to shop part.......
The prices at the grocery store seem crazy to me. So, all though our family may dress great, we don't eat much (I wish)! Eric keeps reminding me that there is no sales tax, so it's sort of built into the price of the food, but I still can't get on board with that concept. For example, when shredded cheese is on sale in CA you can often get two bags for $5.00, here, the sale is two bags for $6.00 and even at that, it'll only be like Jack and Chedder are on sale, not all of the other varieties. On sale, you can get milk 2 gallons for $7.00 (not such a bargain, especially when you purchase the milk on 2/6 and the expiration date is 2/10). On sale, bananas are .99/lb. I often could buy them on sale in CA for .59/lb. You get the picture.
I almost forgot to mention alcohol! Alcohol is quite a bit more expensive and you can't just buy it at the grocery story! For some reason alcohol is always purchased separately in the state of Alaska. Some grocery stores have a liquor store attached to it or within it, but you have to pay for the alcohol by itself, at a designated cashier. It's the same way even in Sam's....you have to pay for the liquor in the liquor cage.
The other thing about grocery shopping here is that there are two major chains and that's it. There is a Carrs (owned by Safeway) and Fred Meyers (owned by Krogers, I believe). There isn't a whole lot of competition, so they don't have an incentive to lower prices. Also, there are very few coupons in the Sunday paper. The coupons in the paper here are the ones in the insert that I used to not even look at in CA. You know, the insert that has the check order forms and the Lenox crystal and Franklin Mint items for sale in it? Yeah, those are the coupons we get around here!
When I spend money at the mall at least I feel like I have something to show for it. When I spend money at the supermarket all I get is a bulging belly that I then have to pay money for the priviledge to work off at the gym! How is that fair? I guess we'll be having dinner at the mall tonight!
I know you're all aware that we live in Alaska, but sometimes I think some of you think we actually live in Timbuktu. To set the record straight, we do have "real" stores here and I don't have to travel for hours to get to the mall. As a matter of fact, the nearest mall is only three freeway exits away. Among other stores, there is a Gap, Gap Kids, Old Navy, American Eagle, and a Gottchalks. Off that same freeway exit is also a Sam's Club, Petco, Borders, Home Depot, Wal Mart, Costco, Sports Authority, Pier 1 and Bed Bath and Beyond. See, we almost have it all! Target should be here this spring! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!
Now, if I care to venture down the freeway a little further there is (I know this may be shocking) another mall. This mall is a little fancier than the aformentioned and they have a Nordstrom, JC Penney, Banana Republic, Abercrombie, and Coach, in addition to some of the same chain stores I mentioned at the first one. This mall is downtown and if you can believe this, they make you pay to park. It's a minimal cost, but a good trip to the mall with cost ya' a couple of bucks.
The price for clothing seems comparable to the prices in California, but we don't have sales tax here, so that's kind of a bonus. The weird thing is, that so far, I've found much better deals on mens clothing than on womens. I keep going to the mall, looking for a good bargain for me, and I end up walking out with a bag full of bargains for Eric. That man has quite a wardrobe going on. Imagine the damage I could do if his arms weren't so darn long!
This is the not to shop part.......
The prices at the grocery store seem crazy to me. So, all though our family may dress great, we don't eat much (I wish)! Eric keeps reminding me that there is no sales tax, so it's sort of built into the price of the food, but I still can't get on board with that concept. For example, when shredded cheese is on sale in CA you can often get two bags for $5.00, here, the sale is two bags for $6.00 and even at that, it'll only be like Jack and Chedder are on sale, not all of the other varieties. On sale, you can get milk 2 gallons for $7.00 (not such a bargain, especially when you purchase the milk on 2/6 and the expiration date is 2/10). On sale, bananas are .99/lb. I often could buy them on sale in CA for .59/lb. You get the picture.
I almost forgot to mention alcohol! Alcohol is quite a bit more expensive and you can't just buy it at the grocery story! For some reason alcohol is always purchased separately in the state of Alaska. Some grocery stores have a liquor store attached to it or within it, but you have to pay for the alcohol by itself, at a designated cashier. It's the same way even in Sam's....you have to pay for the liquor in the liquor cage.
The other thing about grocery shopping here is that there are two major chains and that's it. There is a Carrs (owned by Safeway) and Fred Meyers (owned by Krogers, I believe). There isn't a whole lot of competition, so they don't have an incentive to lower prices. Also, there are very few coupons in the Sunday paper. The coupons in the paper here are the ones in the insert that I used to not even look at in CA. You know, the insert that has the check order forms and the Lenox crystal and Franklin Mint items for sale in it? Yeah, those are the coupons we get around here!
When I spend money at the mall at least I feel like I have something to show for it. When I spend money at the supermarket all I get is a bulging belly that I then have to pay money for the priviledge to work off at the gym! How is that fair? I guess we'll be having dinner at the mall tonight!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Random Blogging from the Watermans
We had a nice relaxing weekend, so I don't have anything fun and exciting to blog about today. Having said that, I thought I'd offer some random thoughts:
At the risk of offending some of you.........GO GIANTS!!!!!! If you read this blog long enough you will find that I do follow sports and that I usually root for the underdog. Plus, I didn't want Eli to be left out of the whole "ring thing". What's good for one brother is good for the other brother, right?
Now that I've plugged the Giant's Super Bowl win I can get on with the rest of this post...
I am so happy to see so many people have been "tuning in" to check out this humble little blog! I've been having fun doing it and I hope you all are having a good time reading it. I try to keep it on the lighter side because I figure if you're taking time out of your day to see what's going on around here you should at least kinda' enjoy the few minutes it takes to read about it.
I'm going to throw my husband under the bus right now and tell you all that he kind of thought it was a joke when I told him I was starting a blog. The first thing he said was "who's gonna' read it?" I told him my girlfriends back in California would...and I kept my fingers crossed that you all actually would so I wouldn't look like a fool. Thanks girls (and guys), you did me proud!!!!!!
When I set up the blog I put the hit counter on it simply so I knew if people were actually checking out the site. I don't really care how many people are looking at it, I was just hoping somebody was actually looking at it. When Eric was looking over my shoulder one day while I was online and saw how many hits I had, I could tell he was impressed. The best part is, unbeknownst to me, he actually reads the blog on occassion and I think he logs in more often than I do to check the stats! I go on once in a day to post and then another time or two to see if there are any comments, but he'll be on several times during the evening to see what kind of activity is going on. It cracks me up! Eric knows what day my blog has the most traffic, he knows what the heaviest traffic time is, and get this........he's now sending the blog link to his friends! Of course, he tells his guy friends that their wives will probably enjoy reading it more than they will, but obviously he doesn't hate the blog! Get this...he has even expressed interest in adding his own post now and again. What do you think, should we let him sit in as a ghost writer on occassion?
I know some of you who read this are more blog savvy than others. For those of you who don't know or who haven't figured it out yet, you can add a comment to any of my posts. It's really easy and you can do it anonymously if you choose. Just click on the "comment" link at the bottom of the post you want to comment on and you will be walked through it. You can choose not to set up an account and your comment will post anonymously so you don't have to give out personal info or be intimidated. I'd love to hear from you all when you have an opinion or comment about something I've written. I don't bite and my feeling aren't easily hurt!
Just for giggles and because several of you have asked, I've posted a couple of pictures of the inside of our house (we'll start with the living rom and dining area). Some of you may not know this, but my husband picked out this house all on his own. I'm pretty happy with it and think he did a great job selecting a house we would all like.
I also want to thank my sister-in-law Chris for mentioning my blog on her blog. Her blog is http://lovehopeandfaith.blogspot.com/ I know she wouldn't mind if you checked it out! I've been able to steal several blogging ideas from her and I appreciate that. She and my brother have been struggling with infertility and are now working on adoption, so you will find her blog touches on some interesting topics. Chris is pretty eclectic in her choice of topics, so I'm sure there is something for everyone. Check it out!
It's -8 today, just a tad bit chilly! I'd prefer a shot of whiskey, but since it's 11:20 a.m., I guess I'm off to warm up with some hot tea. UNTIL TOMORROW...
Friday, February 1, 2008
Who Am I Anyway??????
It seems as though I've had a bit of an identity crisis lately. In reality, I'm not the one with the identity crisis, the bank is, but I guess their crisis with my identity can be considered mine. Don't worry, my identity hasn't been stolen, it's more along the lines of the Bourne Identity. Just read on and you'll get the picture.
When you live in Alaska, it doesn't pay to not have the Alaska Airlines credit card. When you get approved for the card you instantly get 20,000 miles, every year you can purchase one ticket for $100, and you get one $50 companion fare each year. If you've checked out airfares to and from Alaska, to just about anywhere, you can see why having this credit card makes sense for us. As a matter of fact, we each applied for a separate card so we could both reap the annual benefits.
I put the initial application in online because I thought it would be faster than calling. The website touts that you'll receive a decision in 60 seconds. Yeah, right!!!! At the end of the process (for both Eric and I) I got a message telling us that they needed a little extra time and was given a secure website I could logon to in order to find out the status after a few days. I diligently went on the site daily, only to see that same darn message. Finally, I called the credit card company directly and listened to a message telling me that I had to wait 10 business days from the date I applied before I could actually speak with someone. I continued to check the site daily, to no avail.
Prior to day 10 I received a phone call for Eric. It was a woman from the credit card fraud department wanting to speak to Eric regarding his credit card application. When Eric phoned them back, he was informed that our current address does not show up on his credit report and in order to send the card to this address, they needed him to fax a copy of a bill, license, etc. that has our current address on it. The day we signed our escrow papers here, Eric ran right down to the DMV to get an Alaska id card. Faxing something with his name and current address was no big deal for him.
Day 10 came and went and I hadn't heard anything regarding my credit application. I called the card company and, like Eric, was told they needed something "official" with my name and current address on it. Unlike my husband, I didn't have an AK id card or my AK driver's license yet. No problem, I'd just fax a utility bill....or not! Because I worked almost up until we left to move here, my dear, well organized husband had taken care of most of the move, including changing over the utilities. All of the utilities are in HIS NAME ONLY!!!!!! I was told I could fax an insurance statement with my name on it.......his name is the only name on the title of our car, so the insurance was put in his name (I'm insured, just not named on the actual statement)! I'm on all of the house stuff, but I had paid everything and like a good girl, had shredded all of the bills/statements. I finally came across what I thought was an insurance statement on the house and faxed it. Whew, I was finally in the clear...or not!!!!!!
The next day there was a message from the cc company telling me that I had faxed an insurance "declaration page", not a "statement". It didn't matter that it had my name and current address on it, it had to be the actual "statement". Here we go again!!!!!! I am not kidding when I tell you I felt like I was in the Bourne Identity!!!!! Every movie I've ever seen where the person had been erased from existence flashed before my eyes!!!!!!!! I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was so frustrated that I started choking up as I spoke with the cc gal that second time. I told her that for their purpose I did not exist in the state of Alaska and I didn't know what else to tell her. I wasn't lying about living in Alaska. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD MAKE UP A STORY ABOUT LIVING IN ALASKA??????????? Apparantly, as a stipulation of the "Patriot Act" which was instituted after 9/11, credit cards cannot be sent to an unverified address. Thus, all of this drama!!!!!!
Finally, after almost crying, I layed out all of the details to the young lady on the other end of the phone. I went on about how Eric's name is the only one on everything, including utilities, and that I don't exist on paper in Alaska (short of faxing her my bank statement or escrow papers, which I wasn't comfortable doing)......at which point she stopped me. She explained that because we are married and they can verify that Eric is my husband, all they need is a utility bill with his name on it. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!!!! Two days worth of drama only to find out that I had the necessary paperwork sitting in my cupboard the whole time!!!!!!!!!!!
You'll be happy to know that the card is in the mail and soon I will be able to start racking up the frequent flyer miles, so I can get away if I get the winter blahs next year or if some great opportunity comes along. Hey......maybe I'll even get back to California for a visit!!!!!!!
When you live in Alaska, it doesn't pay to not have the Alaska Airlines credit card. When you get approved for the card you instantly get 20,000 miles, every year you can purchase one ticket for $100, and you get one $50 companion fare each year. If you've checked out airfares to and from Alaska, to just about anywhere, you can see why having this credit card makes sense for us. As a matter of fact, we each applied for a separate card so we could both reap the annual benefits.
I put the initial application in online because I thought it would be faster than calling. The website touts that you'll receive a decision in 60 seconds. Yeah, right!!!! At the end of the process (for both Eric and I) I got a message telling us that they needed a little extra time and was given a secure website I could logon to in order to find out the status after a few days. I diligently went on the site daily, only to see that same darn message. Finally, I called the credit card company directly and listened to a message telling me that I had to wait 10 business days from the date I applied before I could actually speak with someone. I continued to check the site daily, to no avail.
Prior to day 10 I received a phone call for Eric. It was a woman from the credit card fraud department wanting to speak to Eric regarding his credit card application. When Eric phoned them back, he was informed that our current address does not show up on his credit report and in order to send the card to this address, they needed him to fax a copy of a bill, license, etc. that has our current address on it. The day we signed our escrow papers here, Eric ran right down to the DMV to get an Alaska id card. Faxing something with his name and current address was no big deal for him.
Day 10 came and went and I hadn't heard anything regarding my credit application. I called the card company and, like Eric, was told they needed something "official" with my name and current address on it. Unlike my husband, I didn't have an AK id card or my AK driver's license yet. No problem, I'd just fax a utility bill....or not! Because I worked almost up until we left to move here, my dear, well organized husband had taken care of most of the move, including changing over the utilities. All of the utilities are in HIS NAME ONLY!!!!!! I was told I could fax an insurance statement with my name on it.......his name is the only name on the title of our car, so the insurance was put in his name (I'm insured, just not named on the actual statement)! I'm on all of the house stuff, but I had paid everything and like a good girl, had shredded all of the bills/statements. I finally came across what I thought was an insurance statement on the house and faxed it. Whew, I was finally in the clear...or not!!!!!!
The next day there was a message from the cc company telling me that I had faxed an insurance "declaration page", not a "statement". It didn't matter that it had my name and current address on it, it had to be the actual "statement". Here we go again!!!!!! I am not kidding when I tell you I felt like I was in the Bourne Identity!!!!! Every movie I've ever seen where the person had been erased from existence flashed before my eyes!!!!!!!! I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was so frustrated that I started choking up as I spoke with the cc gal that second time. I told her that for their purpose I did not exist in the state of Alaska and I didn't know what else to tell her. I wasn't lying about living in Alaska. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD MAKE UP A STORY ABOUT LIVING IN ALASKA??????????? Apparantly, as a stipulation of the "Patriot Act" which was instituted after 9/11, credit cards cannot be sent to an unverified address. Thus, all of this drama!!!!!!
Finally, after almost crying, I layed out all of the details to the young lady on the other end of the phone. I went on about how Eric's name is the only one on everything, including utilities, and that I don't exist on paper in Alaska (short of faxing her my bank statement or escrow papers, which I wasn't comfortable doing)......at which point she stopped me. She explained that because we are married and they can verify that Eric is my husband, all they need is a utility bill with his name on it. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!!!! Two days worth of drama only to find out that I had the necessary paperwork sitting in my cupboard the whole time!!!!!!!!!!!
You'll be happy to know that the card is in the mail and soon I will be able to start racking up the frequent flyer miles, so I can get away if I get the winter blahs next year or if some great opportunity comes along. Hey......maybe I'll even get back to California for a visit!!!!!!!
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