Yes, I am still alive, despite presently livingin the shithole that is the San Francisco Bay Area. Normally, I stop by this page about once a week to clear the messages and look at new deviations. No artwork from me, sorry.

So what has been up with me these past seven months? Well, I'm managing to stay alive here in Oakland, where people have no respect for others and the unemployed waste their time by rioting and protesting. I hate it here in California. The state is going to hell, and I realize just how good I had it in Alaska.

Work is going well. The first few months were very slow and rough, but I am happy that I am being kept busy doing things that I like. I am getting plenty of opportunities to travel for work.

Speaking of travel, I am fortunate enough to be able to fly home about once a month for a 3 or 4 day weekend. I would go crazy and be depressed if I had to stay in California and not be able to escape. Scott makes this possible for me.

Scott and I are still together and going strong. He is still back in Alaska, and he helps to pay for my airfar to come home. He has been down to see me once and he will be ocming down for another visit next week before we head to Mexico to celebrate our 2-year anniversary. I miss him so much, and he misses me. So much that we are making this work.

I am determined to be back in Alaska by Halloween this year. I have to serve one year with the Bureau before I can qualify for a transfer, and from wat I've been told, my chances are very good in gettng back to Anchorage because no one wants to go there. And if Scott and I become engaged, I certainly don't intend to stay beyong my lease. I *will* be back in Alaska by the beginning of November. I promise myself that.

So that is it. I still check in one peoples' deviations but I'm afraid my own creative juices have run dry. Still, I like to see that others are still going.