So, I am just getting accustomed to the Blog format. I spent the past few days snowboarding, visiting grandchildren and watching the, "Rat City Rollergirls", with about 12 other women. I tend to stay busy to keep my mind off of my fisherman. I also managed to check in with another fisherman's wife.

Marci is an upbeat brunette in her forties, married to a tall Bill Gates look-alike. Tommy works for a company that fishes in the waters west of Chile on a 400ft catcher processor. His schedule is supposed to be 90 days at sea and 90 days at home with her. Unfortunately for them this schedule has not been realized just yet. She has endured long periods without him and not been able to enjoy him at home for the time promised. They are hopeful with changes in the company that this schedule will soon take become fact rather than fiction.

The biggest challenge for Marci other than missing Tommy is the fact that she is left alone to raise their nine year-old special needs boy Andrej. Andrej was adopted as a baby from Russia and they came to find out that he has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. They picked him up from an orphanage at 15 months old and brought him back to the United States as their son. He has brought much love and joy to the family but has taught them some of the issues faced by parents raising special needs children. This year has been especially emotional for Marci. At age nine the learning disabilities that Andrej was born with have become more apparent. He has required the help of specialists who can help with his disorders, and his ADHD. Andrej has a difficult time with change and so the arrivals and departures of his father are taxing on the whole family as they adjust. Tommy and Marci enjoy travelling when he's home and also camping, and skiing. Sometimes it takes a lot of encouragement to get Andrej onboard with the game plan but he settles in eventually.

Marci says she copes with Tommy being gone by attending Hot Yoga for stress and hanging out with her girlfriends who give her emotional support. She arranged for a few of us fishwives to attend Bon Jovi in Seattle this February 20th. Should be a hoot. The positives to her husband's fishing are that she can afford to stay home with Andrej and is available to volunteer at the school and partake in his educational needs. Also she is able to pursue her passions for cooking and gardening.