Almost Merry Christmas!

Well last time I wrote it was Thanksgiving! It's Christmas next week! It has been a busy month! Right after Thanksgiving Brian and I flew to Wisconsin! What a whirlwind of events! It was great seeing everyone! We saw almost all of my family and almost all of our friends. We haven't seen some people since the wedding six months ago. It was so cold but it was a good change from California! We had 3 early Christmas celebrations so it has already felt like Christmas. Only 1 more Christmas left for the year, and that will be starting tomorrow. We will be going to the Puckett's for Christmas this weekend. It's been almost a month so it will be great to see family again!

Other than going to Wisconsin and back not much else has gone on. Brian is back at work and I've been around the apartment trying to keep busy. I did have one exciting thing happen though! I am applying for a job I really really want! It is only a seasonal job. It is a fire prevention tech job. The job is back at Sequoia National Park. I will find out if I am hired around the end of January. I have a really good chance of getting the position! I'll be crossing my fingers. I would start work at the beginning of May. I'll keep you all posted about the position.

Brian will be headed to the Sand Dunes again over New Years Eve. He doesn't know how long he'll be down there yet. He's excited to go back. He was there last over Thanksgiving. He will possibly find out tomorrow how long they need him for. I'm sure I'll be able to let you all know.

Well, it's time to make some lunch. I just thought I should probably write a little bit since it has been so long! I will try and be more on top of things for the rest of this year and next year :).
We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Long Time, No Post!

Sorry it has taken so long since the last posting!! A lot has happened since I last posted. I was in Wisconsin and now am back in California! Next week I'll be in Wisconsin again! I am so excited to go back. This next trip will be on much happier circumstances. My last visit was to attend my Uncle's funeral. This visit home I can hopefully go and visit his burial site. I had to fly back to California before he actually showed up. Nothing anyone could help so oh well!

So most of you know that I have been trying to lose weight. It has been a little hard to try and I mean really try these past couple of months. With school, getting married, moving to a new state, new job, etc. When I lose weight it just comes right back. Well I started watching a little more of what I eat and Brian and I are trying to cook healthier. I've lost 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks so I'm happy about that. My ultimate goal is to lose 50 pounds. Over the past 5 years I have gained 70 pounds. Out of that 70 pounds, 50 of the pounds were gained in the past 3 years. So I am hoping by this time next year I will be 50 pounds or more lighter. Wish me luck. Our apartment has a mini workout room so I've been visiting that almost once a day. Living in an upstairs apartment helps too. Also, our mailbox is about a block away too! Anyway, the hardest part for me is the cooking and eating part! I am having an issue with portion control. I also don't have a lot of easy recipes so if any of you guys have a great easy tasty recipe, we would appreciate all the help we could get!

Speaking of food....Happy Thanksgiving! Brian and I had to celebrate earlier this week. Brian is down at the Glamis Sand Dunes again. He was there on Halloween and they eagerly asked him back to help out. He is one of the only paramedics down there so he is very valuable to the BLM. We had a good dinner of garlic and herb Parmesan crusted chicken.

It was delicious! This was our first big holiday together married and away from family.

I am writing this blog at midnight here in California. I was up watching the TV show "Top Chef". I love the show. I like to watch people cook. I also am watching the show with interest this season because of my roommate from Sequoia National Park. Her brother is on it! So for those of you who watch Top Chef keep watching for Josea! He is doing well and is still in the contest after 3 weeks. It is on Bravo and is on Wednesdays. So there is my plug! I'd say vote for him but it is not that kind of show.

So I have been rambling on because I drank too much coffee today! So I'm up and realized I have left my fans without reading material! Sorry!

So for an update....Brian and I will be in Wisconsin in one week. Brian will be back from the sand dunes on Monday and we fly out Tuesday. It will be a whirlwind of events. Once we get back Brian will continue working and I will start looking for a job here in Bakersfield. I will begin taking a Calculus course in January to complete my degree. Hopefully the 4th time taking calculus and taking it at a different school and state will help me get through it. Also having less stress.

Sorry there are no video or pictures posted yet of the apartment. I know I promised, don't worry it will be worth the wait! It will be a surprise! You'll just all have to keep reading to see it!

Ohh and today is my Half Birthday! There is another reason to celebrate haha. I celebrated by cutting my hair! I would post a picture but I wanted it to be a surprise for my family next week! I think they will like it but I'm going for the shock factor!

It is also almost 6 months since Brian and I got married! Hard to believe that it has been that long! I think maybe out of the six months we have seen each other for a total of 2 or 3 months. It seems like we are still running opposite schedules! Hopefully after the holidays things will slow down! One good sign of things slowing down is the rain! Bakersfield got over half and inch of rain! So now it's rained 3 days since I've been here! This is the most rain that we have gotten here! It rained today and yesterday. So hopefully no fires for awhile!

Well I feel like I have done enough rambling. I am going to try and get some sleep. I will be heading to Brian's parents today. It will be nice to celebrate Turkey day with family. I hope that you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and if you are traveling be safe!

Happy Birthday Aaron!

Happy Birthday Aaron! Hope you have a good birthday!

It's November! I'm back in Bakersfield. I'm getting the apartment back in order and packing for Wisconsin. I'll be in Wisconsin for a whole week! I can't wait to see my family and of course my dog Taylor! This is the longest I have ever been away from my family. Usually it is only 3 months at most. I'll be in Wisconsin, the land of happy cows, for a week and then come back to California for a couple weeks and then back to Wisconsin!

Also, Brian and I have a new phone number so if you want it let us know. It is our home phone number. We have a bad habit of going over on our cell phone minutes so hopefully having this phone will help out a little bit.

Pictures of the apartment and the Imperial Sand Dunes to come soon!

Happy Halloween

It's Halloween! It feels weird though. I am sitting in a hotel room without a costume. :( I do however have a t-shirt that says Trick or Treat. I got it awhile ago and am finally excited I can wear it. I am in El Centro, California. Brian is working the Algodones Sand Dunes as a paramedic for the Bureau of Land Management. I decided to come with Brian so that I could spend some time with him! I also wanted a break from Bakersfield. I love our new apartment but I needed a change of scenery. We are down here until Sunday. Brian is having a great time and I'm sure there will be lots of pictures.

On another note, I will be heading back to Wisconsin when I return to Bakersfield. Sadly my Uncle passed away earlier this week. I will be flying out I think on Wednesday and then staying for a week. It all depends on the ticket I can get.

Well, I have been trying to type this blog for the past two hours and I am just a little distracted! I'll add more later!

Quick Post

I have some good news and some really bad news. Good news is that Brian got back from the fire last night safe and sound. I am really happy to have him back. He was only gone for a couple days but it felt like a lot longer. It might have had something to do with the fact that I was moving a lot of boxes by myself. Ok, so not A LOT of boxes but it always feels like a lot when you have to go up and down the stairs! I promise I will post pictures today or tomorrow. I Want to have the place looking nicer before I take pictures! I will be waiting for the gas company to come today to turn the gas on. They told me they would be here between 7am and 5pm. So since Brian is at work from 9 am till 6:30pm. I have to be here waiting for them. Grrrr. I hope they come soon! I don't have any hot water, a stove, or a dryer until they turn the gas on.

Now for the really bad news. I know some of you already know, but I got a phone call this morning informing me that my Uncle is not doing well at all. I don't know the whole story yet but my Uncle had a heart attack. He is in need of a heart transplant. He is on the waiting list and I am hoping that he will get one and it will work. I just needed to let you all know to get this off my chest. Please keep him in your prayers for me and my family.

Santa Ana Winds!

I know it's been a little while! So the day after my last post Brian came home from the Chalk Fire! He came back on October 11th! I was very happy. I was getting ready for my weekend in L.A. that night and since Brian had just gotten home he wanted to spend more time with me and come with me to L.A. So we left after he was done with work on Saturday. We had a great time visiting Blair and her boyfriend Brandon. We went to a great Italian restaurant, a farmers market, and the ocean! It was a whirlwind of excitement in a day and a half!

Sunday we left L.A. to go and borrow Brian's parents truck so we could move into our new apartment! We now have a new address! If you want the address let me know! Pictures to come soon, I promise! We started moving into the apartment on Monday afternoon. By Monday night Brian got a phone call from work asking if he was available to go to the fires that broke out over the weekend due to the Santa Ana Winds. So now it is Tuesday and Brian is on another fire! This time he is on the Juliet Fire near Camp Pendleton. It is a marine base near Oceanside, CA. He left this morning at 4:00am. Lucky for me we got almost all the large furniture moved into the new apartment so I can take my time and move the rest over before October 31st. If Brian is gone on this fire for 2 weeks then he will come back just in time to have us check out of our old apartment. He doesn't think he will be gone the full 14 days but I don't believe him. Hahaha

It has been awhile since the last post due to the fact that we were in L.A. and then moved into the new apartment. We had no Internet until today. We also do not have any gas until Friday. So I am between apartments. No gas means no hot water and no dryer. That's right we have a washer and dryer in this apartment!! I never thought I'd be excited for a washer and dryer! Anyway, the apartment is beautiful and tomorrow I will try posting some pictures...maybe even a video!

It's Fall!

It's October and it is starting to feel like fall...Well as close to fall as it will get here in California! It is finally starting to cool down. It did not even make it to 80 degrees today! It is wonderful! I am ready for it to be a little cooler. Once Brian and I move to our new apartment we can leave the windows open at night. I am still waiting for Brian to get back from the Chalk Fire. He could come home tomorrow at the earliest or Tuesday at the latest. I am hoping for tomorrow. This fire feels like he has been gone forever. I suppose it feels a lot longer because I am not working to get my mind off of it.

In other news, I am going to L.A.! I'm going to visit my friend Blair. We haven't seen each other since the wedding! It will be wonderful catching up and learning more about SoCal life!

It's been such a change but I'm glad to have the support of such great friends and family. Thank you!

October!

It's officially October! A new month means new changes! Brian is on another fire, its the Chalk Fire. It is in a part of California where Brian has already been earlier this year. He was on the Indians Fire in June. Now another canyon close to where the Indians burned is on fire. He left on Sunday and is still gone. I expect him to be gone for the full 14 days. If you want updates on how the fire is doing go to http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1551/ They update the website at least twice a day, usually 6am and 6pm Pacific time.

Some good news! Brian and I just found out we got our new apartment! I asked when we can move in and they told me tomorrow. I got really excited! Unfortunately, I have to wait to move in until Brian gets back from the fire. He has to be with me to sign the lease. So I have been trying to keep busy today by packing things that we don't use everyday. I am really excited to start moving! Well, maybe not excited to do the physical moving but I am excited for a nice new gated apartment! I am also very excited to have a washer and dryer IN the apartment! No more crazy people when I do the laundry!

We'll try to keep you updated! Happy October!

Fire Update

I am done with the fire :(. It's OK though, I had a blast and got to network with a lot of great people who understand what I really want to do! The fire was great and the people I worked with were even better. I have an opportunity to hopefully go out on more fires this year in California if everything falls into place. I really enjoy informing and educating the public about fire! This is exactly the job I did while I was on the fire crew at UWSP....except on steroids! This was a real fire started by lightning and it was larger than a couple acres!! So I will continue to look for a job in natural resources and public information. I hope that it will involve fire!

Ok, so back down from cloud nine! Brian and I finally get to spend some time together! I am back from the fire and done with the park until next summer at least. I will be spending my time here in Bakersfield hopefully preparing to move into that new apartment we applied for. We are still waiting to hear back from them. Hopefully they will call tomorrow and we will be able to move in early October. Until then, I am studying for my tree exam coming up in December and organizing our apartment. Brian is still busy working at Midway Fire Station. They are preparing for a move as well. Brian's station will be moving to Taft, Ca. I am not sure when this will take place but I believe they will be completely moved before Fire Season 2009.

Brian and I just finished visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park on Friday and Saturday. We decided that since I won't be up at the park that we should play tourist and finally see more of the park. It was beautiful! I will post some pictures soon! We had a great time finally being together! We miss you all! Take care!

Fire!!

I know it has been awhile since the last update...Sorry! We have been busy! Brian just spent 5 days on a fire in the Sierra National Forest. He is home now and busy in Bakersfield with his job. The Kern County Fair will be starting and he will be doing some PR work for the fire department.

I have been also keeping busy! Today I received a phone call from our Fire Management Team! I am now a new Public Information Officer a.k.a. PIO on the Hidden Fire. Sequoia National Park has been fighting a fire that began on Sept. 10th in the park...it's getting bigger so they need someone to come in and inform the public! That would be me!!! I am very excited. I don't have to work with my new replacement! I get to do a job I love even more! Fire and Public! Sweet! Just wanted to update you all!

Also, Brian and I have applied for a new apartment complex and will hopefully moving into it sometime in October! We will keep you posted! If you want up to date information on the fire I will be on or any fires that Brian may be on you can log onto http://www.inciweb.org/state/5/ It has all the information about the Fires in California!

Bakersfield!

I am on my two days off for the week and am in Bakersfield visiting Brian. We had an opportunity to go and explore the town we will soon be living in together. We found a nice park right around sunset. So here are some actual pictures from the town we live in! The pollution makes the sunsets really pretty! Hope you enjoy!

Work Update

Just an update on my job...I am still sad that I am leaving. I just met my replacement....I don't like her. I know it's mean but it is so frustrating working so hard at my job this summer to be replaced by someone who does not have a high school degree. She has worked here in the park for more than 17 years but worked as a snow plow driver. She has never had any contact with visitors or with collecting fees. I have tried to give her a chance but I can't any more. She has come into my job and while I am training her she starts telling me that I am doing things wrong! She has worked her for a week now and everything that I do is wrong. I am going to miss my job but I am glad I am done on the 27th so I don't have to work with her! Sorry to be so negative! Hope all is well with all of you!

Sunny California!

California! It's still here and it's still hot! It hasn't rained here since March! I can't wait for the rain. It's at least 90 degrees everyday! I love being outside but I can't during the day when it is so hot! I'm in Bakersfield for a couple days until I go back to work. With it being so hot it allows me to get the apartment put together! I'll be posting some pictures of our place when it gets a little more put together. Stay tuned for pictures and updates!!!

Summer is Ending!

Well the summer is coming to a close.... It feels really weird not going back to school this year! I will be working at Sequoia until September 27th. It feels good knowing I have an end date. I will be sad however when my work here is done. I love this job. More good news... I have my phone number back up and working! The number here at the park through Sept. 27th will be 559-565-3622. Call me anytime! My roommate Sandra and I share the number so if she answers just let her know that you called and she will let me know!

Brian is still working and loving the BLM. No big fires for him right now. He is keeping busy in Bakersfield though. Soon we will both be together at the end of September. Then fire season will pick up!

We also purchased our plane tickets for Dec. 2nd through Dec. 8th! We will be in Wisconsin those days!

That's the update so far! I'm just taking a break at work during this busy Labor Day Weekend! Hope all is well with everyone!

Hola From Sequoia!

I just wanted to write a quick note while I had a break from work here in Sequoia National Park. I am working until Wednesday and then will have Wednesday and Thursday off this week. I have a small update on my last day... I am working until either September 9th or September 13th. Maybe longer, I'll keep you all updated when I find out more details.

Also, my phone at the park has been disconnected for some reason. Unfortunately, my roommate has the service under her name and I cannot have it reconnected without her. So until further notice I have no phone here at the park. Hopefully it will be up and running soon. I'll let you know when it gets fixed. Another reminder, I don't get facebook at the park so if you are trying to communicate by facebook, I cannot access the site on a government computer. Please send your emails to michelle.l.puckett@gmail.com or to brian.s.puckett@gmail.com .

On Thursday I will be in Bakersfield so I will have a cell phone. If you need to call me you can reach me at my cell number. I will also try and post more pictures at that time! Take care!

News From California

I am still in Bakersfield, CA until tomorrow morning when I have to go back to Sequoia. I am trying to enjoy my days off and get our apartment put together. I will post some pictures soon. Brian is working almost this whole week so I don't see him very often. I have to keep telling myself that as soon as fire season is over then I will be able to see him more often. That won't be until late October or early November. Only a couple more months!

In other news... my job at Sequoia may be over here shortly. With soaring gas prices not as many people have been coming to the park as anticipated. This means fewer dollars coming into the park. This also means my job has been cut early by a month. I may be done on September 8th. I really hope that a lot of people come in during Labor Day and help bring more revenue into the park so I can work a little while longer. Until I find out I will continue to work and continue the search for a new job. I am hoping to find something closer to Bakersfield so Brian and I can be closer. Hopefully the Bureau of Land Management will be hiring soon.

Now for some exciting news! Brian and I will be coming back to Wisconsin the first week of December! I have to take a forestry exam in Stevens Point on December 6th. So we are looking at purchasing our plane tickets for the week of Dec. 2nd through the 8th. We will be in Stevens Point Dec. 4th through the morning of the 6th. and in Eau Claire from Dec. 2nd through the afternoon of the 4th. Make sure to mark your calendars!

Here are some more pictures from California!

Pictures: Sequoias!, A bear was just crossing the road so I snapped a quick picture. It is a yearling, A butterfly that landed on me while I was working, Me during my first week on the job.. Yes my name tag says Michelle Stelzig, I still could not change my name until I got the marriage certificate. I finally got it in July!, and the first tarantula I have ever seen! He was right outside the door at work! They are everywhere right now! All the guys are looking for their mates! Someone told me they wait 20 years to find their mate...most of them are killed here by visitors and cars. Its kind of sad. I hate spiders but these guys are pretty cool...as long as they stay out of my house!

First Post!

Brian and I wanted to create a blog to keep you, our friends and family, updated on our new lives together. Let us know if you like what your read, and what you would like to hear from us. We are both living very busy lives together so we will try and keep posts current.

Brian has been keeping busy since we moved to California in June. Brian has been here since March getting everything ready for my move out here to California. He did not have any large wildfires until June. He was kept busy preparing his engine and crew for fire season 2008. He participated in many prescribed burns throughout California from March until June. As soon as June hit he was out protecting California from wildfires. Fire season 2008 began in June and is in full swing.

I have been working at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park since June. My official position is the Lead Visitor Use Assistant. My main duties include supervising a staff of visitor use assistants, collecting entrance fees, informing visitors about the park resources, and ensuring the money collected is deposited. I love my job and love working for the National Park Service.

The biggest shock to me with the move to California is the heat and the lack of water. I have been here since June and I have only felt one sprinkle of rain. The last day it rained in the foothills of Sequoia National Park was Memorial Day! The monsoons season should be starting soon so we should get some relief. Brian says it has not rained in Bakersfield since March! I miss the summer thunderstorms!

It is late here and I need to get some sleep. I will add more to this blog tomorrow. Hope you enjoy the news.

Downtown Bakersfield and Sequoia National Park