Moving Across the Nation?

As I am trying to return to school to obtain a professional degree, we had a family discussion about our options. We compared the traditional programs with accelerated programs and decided that the accelerated track was the right choice. In three years I can achieve what traditionally would take four. This means that we can begin our family sooner, but not too soon :)

New England

We also had to take out a map. Because these accelerated programs are limited compared with the traditional track we have fewer choices, and they are spread all over the country. We have a great program in our backyard. This is the easiest choice, and will likely be the front runner if I get an offer. But today I have only one interview... across the nation in New England! As winter approaches a snowstorm recently knocked out power to the school. So my email to accept the offer in still in cyber-space awaiting power! Our discussion about location included how my husband, who I have followed for his career, will likely have to follow me for the next move. While he is okay with the concept, the reality may prove different and we are trying to emotionally prepare for this difficult decision.

The pins in our map of possibilities include Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. We have rolled the dice and are awaiting interview offers. My first interview offer is a weight off our shoulders, we have a chance to make this happen. But it will be a whole new life in a whole new location. Let's hope I get more offers and have a wide range of possibilities from which to choose. We'd rather more options to make our decision difficult rather than being forced into only one option.

So, will we be moving across the nation? Tick-Tock... Time will tell :)

Mother-in-law at 1am?

My mother-in-law lives 3  hours ahead of my husband and I.  So, she does tend to be up and ready for the day before us simply because our wonderful sun rises for her before it rises for us.  She likes to communicate, though within her time zone, with no consideration of ours.  We receive text messages often at 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning.  Since we only have cell phones we sleep with them near us, just in case work calls about an alarm, or  often because we use them as our alarm clocks. But this is risky, because then there are 'her crisis' situations.

'Her crisis' is a much different definition than 'our crisis.'  Last winter we had mountain climbers who got lost in a snow storm. Sad & unfortunate, but certainly not a life threatening event for my husband or I. But the mother-in-law texted us at 3:30am and  insisted that we cancel all plans to scale the mountain in this storm! We don't scale mountains. We don't visit the snow during big winter storms. And it was the middle of the week, so we both had work the next day.  Why did she jump to the conclusion that we were going to join the lost hikers?

This year was our 1st Valentine's as a married couple! I wanted to be the first to wake my husband with a sweet kiss and ask him to "be my valentine."  But, no, 4:00am we got both the text message from her. What a way to start the day - with your mother-in-law saying 'I love you' to your husband before you.

And the most recent world tragedy, the tsunami in Japan.  Barack Obama received the message (his time 4am) 20 minutes before we received our text at 1:20am! Why, oh, why did we need to get an update on the world weather that early in the day? Her thought was that because we live on the Pacific Ocean we would be in danger. Her text was "WAKE UP!...Fill your gas tank up and drive away from the water!...Fill you bathtub up with water for drinking!"  In any scenario why would we simultaneously fill up our tub with water for drinking while driving away from our apartment?

This could be looked at as a sweet loving act.  But the facts don't make sense. We live 80 miles from the Pacific Ocean with a coastal mountain range between us and any possible danger. We were never in the path of destruction.  Even if we were living directly on the coastline, the after-effects of the tsunami wouldn't reach our coast until midday after the event. So, a message in the middle of the night demanding we get up and flee our apartment is not a logical, rational, or helpful suggestion.

We have decided on a logical solution of our own. Silent ring tone for her, and her alone. She will never again demand our immediate attention. She has cried wolf too many times and has now lost that privilege. So, we will return her phone calls and text massages when we are available. Do you hear it? Yes, silence, and good night's sleep :)

Good Night,
Mrs. Wife