Getting By in Alaska

I Think I'm Losing It

2009-09-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

When I decided to go back to school, I wasn't really worried. I figured I would have all day to do what I needed to and life would be good. Yeah, right! Now, in addition to playing dad when Eric is out of town (which he has been quite a bit lately), helping the kids with homework and special projects, doing laundry and housework, and playing taxi, I get to do my own homework and study for my own tests. Needless to say, I've been a bit stressed out and overwhelmed lately. I know it's life and that this phase will pass, but right now, I sometimes wonder what I was thinking.

As luck would have it, I ended up getting stuck with a survey type math class, (which encompasses algebra, geometry, and other yucky stuff) as my first class! Math is bad enough for me when I'm learning it in a classroom setting, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame when I am having to essentially teach myself. Fortunately, I am almost done with one math class and have only one more to go. Thanks to my brother-in-law, who lives all the way in California, I may just be able to pull it off. I love my brother-in-law!

Don't get me wrong, even though I think I'm losing it sometimes, there is a silver lining. One of the upsides to my current situation is that, now that we have lived in Alaska for close to two years, I actually have some very good friends I can rely on to pick up some of the pieces for me. I finally feel like it's not just Eric and I against the world. I have friends to go to the gym with, friends to drink and have dinner with, friends to shop with, friends who rely on me to help them out in a pinch, and friends I can rely on to help us out in a pinch. In that aspect, life is good!

The Hiatus Is Over

2009-09-10T09:53:00.001-07:00

After a long hiatus and a little soul searching with regard to whether or not I should continue with this blog, I am back in action. I had a severe case of writer's block over the summer and quite frankly, my life just isn't all that exciting on a daily basis. Friends and family have asked about the blog from time to time and have wanted me to continue posting, but it started to feel more like work than like fun. I suppose I just needed a little time to reflect, refresh and regroup.

So, here I am, the kids are back in school (Logan is in 7th grade and Kaiden is in 5th) and so am I. Yep, you read that correctly! After many years of talking about it, I have finally decided to go back to school to finish my degree. After doing a ton of research on universities, I decided to take the non-traditional approach. I am attending the only accredited, fully-online university in the country. It is based out of Utah and is called Western Governors University. Not only is the learning structure non-traditional, but the tuition structure is as well. By attending WGU, I should have my degree faster than I would in a traditional program and I will save thousands of dollars. I started school on September 1 and someday, when I'm done, I'll have a Bachelors Degree in Inter-Disciplinary Studies. In a nutshell, I'll be able to teach if I want to. I am excited to be back in school, but overwhelmed as well. I know I'll be fine, I just have to figure things out and get into the groove.

I can't believe we have been in Alaska almost two years! The time hasn't always flown by, but I still can't believe it will be two years in December. I also can't believe that I am already stressing out about Christmas! I have spent many evenings recently on the computer, pouring over the Alaska Airlines website, stressing out about how I can please everyone during the holidays without going broke in the process (and I'm not even referring to gift giving). There are some amazing advantages to living in Alaska, but air travel is not one of them. I am finding it incredibly difficult to justify using thousands of frequent flyer miles and still paying $1000+ to get the four of us to Southern California for the holidays. On one hand, it wouldn't be bad staying here for a White Christmas, but I don't know if I could deal with the guilt. The family isn't pressuring us (they don't have to, the pressure is inherently there), but I'm still overwhelmed by the whole notion. We have the only two grandkids on Eric's side of the family and the only other grandchild on my side of the family is just over a year old. Since the boys have been old enough to "get" Christmas, the family aspect of the holiday has always been an awful lot about them. I feel like if we aren't with the family for the holidays I have single-handedly robbed both sets of parents of that joy. Let me tell you, that's A LOT of pressure for one girl to take!!!!!

As I'm sure you've gathered from reading this, unless you have a ton of money, you've lived here your whole life and/or your family is here, life in Alaska doesn't really get easier. Aspects of life certainly get easier (I now have a great support system, some wonderful friends, a Kohls, and the third Target in the state, opening near us soon), but there are constantly new and different challenges. I know Eric, the boys and I are better for our experiences here, but it certainly isn't always a day on the river fishing!

Sleepless in Montana

2009-06-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last night, probably because my dear husband was flying on a red-eye, I didn't sleep very well. I know it's weird, but when Eric is flying over night, I don't sleep well until I know his plane has landed. He didn't text me when the plane landed, so needless to say, I was up at 2:00 a.m., again at 4:30 a.m. and then I was up for good in the 5:00 a.m.hour.

The upside to not sleeping is that I was awake during the sunrise here in good ol' Big Arm, Montana. It was beautiful and the old saying, "the early bird catches the worm" was definitely true this morning. By the way, these pictures were taken off the deck of my in-law's house, AMAZING!!!!

Then, later today, mainly because Logan would most likely never get out to exercise unless by cohersion or force, we ventured out to the Kerr Dam. Some of the gates were open and it was pretty tremendous. My favorite part about observing this dam is that it is wild when the gates are open, but just above it, the water is calm and serene.

Where Do I Even Begin?

2009-06-12T10:26:00.001-07:00

It has been a month since I last blogged....WOW! I guess I can thank Facebook for that! Although I enjoy blogging and sharing the latest happenings with friends and family, I have to have something worthy of posting and then I have to be motivated to do so. Sometimes it's just easier to hop on Facebook and post pictures and/or a quick "status" update and then be on my way. I do, however, enjoy my creative outlet here, on this blog and I like being able to share in-depth about certain happenings. I also understand that there are people who read this blog who are not on Facebook and I want all of you to still be able to know about what's going on. So, in an effort to satisfy everyone...here goes nothin'.......

The boys and I are currently in Montana (Eric stayed behind to work and enjoy some of Alaska's summer. He'll join us later in the month.), on an extended visit with Eric's parents. After our cruddy summer in Alaska last summer, I vowed to get the heck out of there as soon as I could this summer. Of course, I'm sure it was because I made plans to leave, but the weather in Anchorage has been second to none so far this summer! Go figure! We are, however, having pretty decent weather here (in the mid-70s, but we've had some showers), the scenery is amazingly beautiful here too, and I have two extra sets of hands to help with the kids and mostly, to help keep them occupied. I really can't complain.

If you have never looked into travelling to Alaska, you may not be aware that it is generally crazy expensive to fly there, regardless of where you live. Although we have friends who would love to make the trip, financially, it's not always doable. Knowing that I was going to be in Montana this summer, I thought it would be a less expensive way to spend some time with a few of my girlfriends from CA. I started researching cheap flight options. I knew that there is a low-cost airline called Allegiant Air, that flies in and out of Missoula and Kalispell, so I went online to check it out and to my shock, the rates were only $19 each way out of LAX! I quickly invited my friends Sydney (whom I have known since kindergarten) and Amanda (whom I met 10 years ago when I first started waitressing at Anaheim Stadium)to come for a visit.

The girls arrived in Montana two days after the boys and I did and they left on Wednesday to return home. Their visit was short (at least I was sad to see them go rather than pushing them out the door), but we did quite a bit. We insisted that the boys tag along with us on some of our treks and for others, the boys stayed behing with grandpa and Nana. I think the highlight of the trip for both of the girls was going to Glacier National Park. It is an absolutely AMAZING place to visit. We even had the good fortune of coming upon a moose who was enjoying a little alone time in the cool glacier water. It was something I hadn't been lucky enough to see, even in Alaska. It was also funny to find out that although Amanda is not the type to camp in a tent or to even enjoy hiking, she's a National Park nerd! She even has a little passport book that she is obsessed about having stamped at each park she visits! I think I'm gonna' have to get my hands on one of those.

I have several friends back in California who I talk to on a regular basis and/or chat with on Facebook, but it is really a different experience to spend time with them in person. For me, it was a feeling of still being connected and feeling like I belong somewhere. Although I have friends in Alaska and I am starting to forge closer relationships there, it still feels more like a place we live and not necessarily a place I belong. The longer we're in Alaska the more it feels like home, but I will always continue to value the relationships I have with my friends in California.

No Place I'd Rather Be

2009-04-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my blog with any regularity, you know that last summer was pretty excrutiating for me. Considering that I'm a California girl, I was not prepared for overcast skies and temperatures below 70 all summer long. Of course, everyone around here was quick to say that our summer was abnormally cold. I wasn't buying any of it! All I know is that I needed sunshine desperately and I didn't get it.

At the risk of jinxing the rest of our spring and summer, let's fast forward to today, April 29. Already, we have had more amazing, sunny, warm (temps in the 50s) days than we had all last summer. I am LOVING it! Aside from the fact that our family and close friends are thousands of miles away, there is no place I would rather be on days like this. There is something breathtakingly spectacular about Alaska when the sun is shining. I can honestly say, that I would take a sunny day in the 60s, here in Alaska over a California day in the 90s or 100s anytime.

More Rumblings

2009-04-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Although Mount Redoubt Volcano hasn't been in the news much in the last month, we are still seeing activity. Today, I was coming home from running errands and saw a ton of cars pulled off on the side of the highway. I thought maybe there was an accident and a car had gone over the guardrail. I saw a friend of mine on the side of the road and called her cell to see what the commotion was. There wasn't an accident, Mount Redoubt had a massive steam cloud above it, it was very clear across the inlet, and the view was magnificent. Everyone had pulled over to take pictures!

I ran home to grab my camera and instead of heading back to the highway, I walked down our street. Unfortunately, Eric is in Adak and has our better camera with him, but my picture will give you an idea of what I could see.

It's All About Kaiden

2009-04-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Several days ago, Kaiden decided I should post a video of him doing some yoyo tricks. I tried to put the video on, but for some reason I kept getting an error message. Yesterday, I had Kaiden do another performance for me, so I could try my luck again. When he was finished, he decided that I should do a whole blog post about him and it should include pictures of some of his free-hand drawings. Kaiden is far more talented than I could ever hope to be, so how could I decline?

Without further ado, here is a short video of our yoyo maniac:

If you are at all familiar with Sponge Bob, you should have no problem recognizing these guys:

Here is an anime guy and a little Calvin and Hobbs:

It's Officially Shorts Weather

2009-04-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

My theory with regard to the gym is to get in and get out as quickly as possible, with as little fuss as possible. Although we belong to a rather "she-she" gym and it would not be frightening to shower there, that is not my thing. I just don't see the beauty of having to pack up my hair, make-up supplies, and clothes all in the name of using the shower at the gym rather than the shower at my house. Furthermore, chances are I would forget something at home or the outfit I packed would not be the outfit of choice once it was on my body. Showering at the gym just isn't for me.

I believe in arriving at the gym in my workout clothes and leaving the gym in my workout clothes. Today, I decided to be wild and crazy and opted to wear shorts to exercise in. It really isn't a big deal for me to wear shorts when I workout, regardless of how cold it is outside, because I just hot-foot it from the car into the gym and I don't even have time to get cold. It was about 30 degrees this morning and as I walked past the front desk of the gym, in my shorts, I noticed a gentleman casually looking at me. He wasn't checking me out. His stare made me think that he was baffled by something. He then commented to me that I must be a "real Alaskan" because I am able to come in from outside, wearing shorts. I chuckled and explained that I an Alaskan I am not, and that I am actually from California. Go figure!

By the time I had arrived back home, it was about 40 degrees out. I showered and had to get ready to meet a few girlfriends for lunch. As I was picking out my outfit, I decided that if I wore shorts today, maybe I could convince myself and everyone around me that Spring is in fact here. I put on a blouse, a pair of shorts, a jacket, my sunglasses, some flip-flops and was out the door! Today, my friends, was the perfect day (or should I say "few hours") for shorts. Now, I guess the only thing left to do is get my toes painted. Maybe this weekend!

I Live For This

2009-04-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today was probably the best day I have had since moving to Alaska almost a year and a half ago. There has been nothing overly spectacular about today, however, I have felt downright giddy at times. After a bit of contemplation and a little time spent on the treadmill, I now know why today is so great...the sun is shining brightly, it is 40 degrees outside for the first time in I don't know how many months, I went shopping at our brand spankin' new (one and only) Kohls today, and the baseball season is officially under way! I ask you, what's not to love about a day like today?

As you could have guesssed, the highlight of my day was exploring our brand new Kohls store. It opened April 1, but I wasn't crazy enough to venture over to it until yesterday. I had Eric and the kids in tow, so I knew that if I really wanted to look around and appreciate all that is Kohls, I would have to go back on my own, today. It is in the same shopping center as Target, so it's a little haul from here, but so worth it. We have so few shopping options that any new chain store is a welcome sight. Our Kohls is like any other Kohls you might find in the Lower 48, but I think it may be just a tad bigger. Although I would love to have the store a little closer to our house, the good news is that a little distance keeps the spending under control.

The second best thing about today was the weather. Although we do have a slight chance of snow/rain showers in the forecast over the next few days, dare I say, Spring is finally here! We may even see 45 degrees by Wednesday. I am so excited by the notion of sunshine and a little warmth that I can hardly contain myself! I have come to believe that you can't really appreciate 70, 80, and 90 degree temperatures until you have experienced months of temperatures in the 30s and below. I do have to admit though, that I don't think I'll ever appreciate temperatures in the 100s. Once is gets above 90, it's just too hot for me! I suppose I won't have to worry about that, as long as we are living in Alaska. For now, I'll continue to pray for temperatures in the 70s.

The final highlight of my day was the opening of the 2009 baseball season. I was especially happy because the Yankees were losing to the Orioles while I was watching the game at the gym. I love baseball, especially the Angels. For the record, I am not a "bandwagoner" either. I grew up down the street from Anaheim stadium and have been a fan since I was young. As a matter of fact, one of the first places I remember being able to go without a parent chaperone was to the ballpark. My friend's parents had season tickets and many summer afternoons our parents would drop up us before and pick us up after the games. That was back in the days of Reggie Jackson, Brian Downing, and Bobby Grich. WOW! Later, after I had children, I spent 7 baseball seasons working almost every home game that was played at the stadium, waitressing in the seats for the season ticket holders. What a crazy, but fun and lucrative experience. Thanks to that job, I scored some the of the best seats in the house (while working, of course) to every play-off and World Series game the Angels played during those years. I will never forget the sounds of the ballpark when the Angels won the World Series. GO HALOS!!!!!!!

What a day...I live for this!

Cooking up Controversy

2009-04-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Now that we are quite settled in Alaska, I find myself with a little more time on my hands than I have before. In an attempt to stay out of the work force, but to actually stay sane while staying at home, I have decided recently that maybe it's time I actually learn how to cook. Don't get me wrong, I cook enough to get by and I haven't killed anyone or made anyone sick with my cooking (at least nobody has had the heart to tell me I have). I would, however, like to step out of my cooking comfort zone. I would like to make my own spaghetti sauce, rather than always use the jar stuff. I would like to make my own meatballs, not just purchase Costco's frozen ones. You get the picture.

The first step for me, was to find a cookbook that "spoke" to me. Over the past year and a half, I have not tried to hide my obsession with The Biggest Loser from all of you. I love that darn show and have blogged about it more than once. So, it seemed natural that I would gravitate to their series of cookbooks. I wasn't necessarily looking for a weight loss cookbook, but rather, a cookbook that had variety (I'm tired of making the same 5 meals), lower calorie, filling, easy to prepare meals. The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook fit that bill, so I bought it.

Excited by the recipes, and anxious to get moving on them before I lost my desire, I decided I would make spaghetti and meatballs. I went to Costco with my list of necessities and wouldn't you know, I ran into a friend of mine. I was so excited about my new venture that I shared with her that I was making homemade meatballs and sauce from a recipe that I had gotten out of The Biggest Loser Cookbook. In my mind, I was saying, "I got a great new cookbook and I'm excited to try this super easy recipe that sounds yummy". From my friend's reaction, I could tell that she heard, "I think I need to lose weight, so I bought The Biggest Loser Cookbook and now I'm going to try a few of the recipes". She proceeded to give me a hard time and to gently admonish me as to why I don't need to lose weight.

After Costco, I headed to our local grocery store to purchase the items I would need in smaller quantaties. I still had to pick up a few ingredients to complete my recipe, but didn't have them written down. I grabbed my cookbook for reference and took it into the store with me. As luck would have it, I ran into another friend (also a friend of the gal I ran into in Costco). I didn't say a word about my cookbook, nor did I hide it. Sure enough, my friend honed in on the fact that I had The Biggest Loser Cookbook in my cart and she too, started giving me grief!

I do admit that like many women, I wouldn't be disappointed if I lost about 8 pounds, but that really wasn't the point of my cookbook selection. I had no idea my cookbook would create so much controversy. I suppose I should be flattered that my gilfriends think I look great as I am, but this was really just about me learning how to do something new and being somewhat health conscious in the process. It wasn't about me feeling like I NEED to lose weight.

I am proud to say that I have already made meatballs, spaghetti sauce, peppered chop steak, chicken parmesan, Tex-Mex mini frittatas, and a variety of quick, easy, and healthy lunches and snacks. Everything has been delicious, it has all been new stuff for me, and I have made it ALL BY MYSELF! I am pleased to say that we have all had plenty to eat everyday (3 meals and 2 snacks + dessert some nights and even a little libation here and there) and the kids have even liked most of it. Big deal if we end up losing a few pounds in the process!

Burn Baby Burn

2009-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

As many of you know first hand, or can imagine, part of growing up in California can mean lots and lots of sun exposure. Not only sunny days, but also sun burns. I have to admit, I have had more than my fair share of sunburns. Not only am I fair skinned, but quite honestly, I was plain dumb as a kid. In my defense, when I was growing up, skin cancer was just starting to become the buzz. Also, there were times when I would use sunscreen, but who knew you were supposed to reapply?

The worst sunburn I have ever had, I got on a beautiful, sunny, April Day, while on the ski slopes of So. Cal. I was in my early 20s and had no idea that I could get a burn from the sun's reflection off of the snow. My face ended up swelling to the point that I looked almost like I had Down's Syndrome! After the swelling had persisted for several days, I finally went the doctor and he told me I had second degree burns on my face!

Needless to say, I have not had a sunburn in about 15 years and to date, my children have NEVER had a sunburn. For me, that burn was a huge wake up call. My burn was so bad that when I walked out of that doctor's office I knew that I would have to pay attention to my skin for the rest of my life. For many years now, I have been hyper-vigilant in paying attention to my skin and my husband's with regard to moles and any random small changes in appearance. Well, some time in November or December, I noticed a new little spot, the size of a mole, had developed on my right temple. I waited to see if it would go away and it did not, so I made an appointment to see our local "it" dermatologist. In Alaska, when it comes to health care, there are only a handful of specialist type caregivers. The few we have are either top notch or ones you wouldn't send your worst enemy to. There are not many who fall in the middle, so you want the "it" doctors when it comes to the serious stuff and often, there is quite a wait.

The earliest the dermo. could see me was late January. I made the appointment, but unfortunately, had to cancel at the last minute. I rescheduled, but I couldn't be seen until mid-March, so I waited.....When I was seen in March, the doctor took two biopsies, one from the spot on my temple and one from a spot on my lower calf. The office called with the result of the biopsies this past Monday and I was informed that the one on my leg was benign, but that the one on my temple was in fact "cancerous". The good news was, this type of skin cancer is only superficial and it will not infiltrate my body. Obviously though, it did need to be removed.
Generally, the doctor is booked out 4-6 weeks, but they happened to have a cancellation for this morning at 7:15, YIKES! I took the appointment, of course. I didn't think it was appropriate to wait 4-6 weeks because I needed my beauty sleep, although I'm sure I could have justified it.

A few of my girlfriends questioned if I was nervous, considering the doctor was going to be cutting my face. I told them I wasn't, mainly because I didn't see that I had a choice. I have some form of skin cancer (they told me what it is, but I didn't write it down) that needs to be removed and I am seeing "the" dermatologist in Alaska. What other option did I have than to lay on his operating table and take it like a real woman? Then, as I'm laying there, waiting for the procedure to begin, the doctor casually mentions to me that the "spot" is near a nerve and that there is a very small possibility that the nerve would be damaged during the surgery and that I would lose the ability to raise my right eyebrow. GREAT, just a minor detail! What the hell was I going to do now? I thought about jumping off the table and running out the door, but then the rational part of my brain took over. I reminded myself that I was being treated by the only dermatologist in Alaska that I would want to go to, therfore, I really didn't have any other choice. I sat there and took it like the woman I am.

Of course, Eric joked with me on the way out of the house that I was going to return looking like Frankenstein! I laughed at his comment, until I was given a mirror to check out the "incision". An incision was the doctor's polite way of say "gaping hole". Although the hole was only about the diameter of a pencil eraser, it was about as deep as one too. I was shocked! In my mind, he was just going to scrape the spot. I didn't know he was actually going to need a shovel to dig out the spot. He did stitch me up nicely though, and I'm sure the scar will heal just fine. Plus, it's sort of in my hairline, so it isn't that big of a deal.

You should see how big the dressing is that they put on me! It really seems dramatic and RIDICULOUS! I cracked up when I looked into the mirror post-surgery, just as I was getting ready to walk into Bed Bath and Beyond. I thought I might scare everyone away, but I opted to go in regardless. For the record, the cashiers were very polite and did their best not to stare.

The moral of all of this is...although my situation was best case scenario and things could have been far more serious (and I'm honestly not freaked out by it), but this kind of stuff doesn't just happen to "other people". It is important for us all to pay attention to our body. I was told today that there is a less than 1% chance that "cancer" will develop in the same spot again, but now that I've had it, there is a 30% chance that I will have more spots down the road. They said to keep an eye out for any new spots or sores (ie: a pimple) that don't heal within a few weeks and for now, I have to go back for check-ups every 6 months. The upside is, I noticed this spot early and on my own, so I'm doing my job!

Redoubt Overload

2009-03-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

I won't bore you with too many more details with regard to Volcano Watch '09, however, I did want to share a few pictures with you all. The pictures of the actual plume and ash cloud were taken by one of Eric's co-workers who happened to be on his way to Kenai, which is quite a bit closer to Redoubt than we are.

Here are a few pictures of the aftermath at our house Sunday morning. If you can believe it, due to high winds around here, things looked far worse later in the afternoon, once the winds picked up. The good news is, it snowed a few inches overnight last night, so things don't look quite so nasty and we haven't had a big eruption today. Keep your fingers crossed!

Ashes Ashes It All Comes Down

2009-03-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

And now, the news you have all been waiting for.....THE ASH HAS LANDED! It's official, our snow is now gray and we can say that we have been affected by the eruption of Redoubt Volcano. If you enjoy the smell of sulfur, it ain't no big thing!

The wierdest part is that we can be on volcano watch on and off for the next several months. I guess I should start saving for a new air filter for my car. Let's be real, even a volcano isn't going to keep me homebound. I also suppose my contact lenses won't see the light of day for a while. Oh well, such is life when you live in Alaska.

You Never Know Around Here

2009-03-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, Redoubt Volcano was the big topic of discussion around here. As I posted on my blog, the majority of the ashfall was 2-4 hours away from here, in Homer and the Kenai Peninsula. I did, however, hear this morning that if Redoubt erupts today, Anchorage could see trace amounts of ash. A series of eruptions occured around 11:00 p.m. last night and as I type this, I just heard news that we just had another one less than an hour ago. More eruptions could continue to happen for a long time. The last time Redoubt erupted like this, it continued on and off for several months. Crazy!

Considering that the powers that be thought the volcano was going to erupt a month or so ago, most people are prepared, if and when the ash hits Anchorage. I have to admit, I'm not one of those people. I know it's naive, but at this point, there is nowhere I absolutely have to be or any reason I absolutely have to go outside. Eric is prepared, so I figure I can just wait for him to get home before I go out or run errands. Or better yet, I can just run right out to the mall this morning to be there before we have another eruption and I can camp out there for the day if we have one while I'm there. Now that would be a bummer!

This morning, I woke up and was a bit surprised to see that is was snowing! So much for Spring break-up! On a beautiful, clear day (usually as the sun goes down), we can see Redoubt from our bedroom window. I thought I'd take a picture of the view for you all to see that there is really nothing to see even though a volacano is erupting, but...it's snowing and we're socked in. You would have no idea from looking at this picture that through the clearing between the houses, we often have an amazing view of the inlet and can see "forever". I still posted the picture though, so you can see that even living here, you wouldn't know a volcano was erupting nearby. I know they're famous last words, but "it's just not a big deal" YET!!!!!!

No Ash For Anchorage

2009-03-26T11:05:00.001-07:00

WE'RE STILL FINE!!!!!

So far, we have still been unaffected by the eruption of Redoubt. The ash from the eruption this morning is expected to land in Homer, which is several hours from here. To me, the fascinating part about all of this valcano activity is that although the eruption happened around 8:30 a.m. our time, the ash isn't expected to hit land until 12:00 p.m! Who knew? I, of course, didn't expect that ash to fall to the ground right away, but I think it's interesting that it will take hours.

A True Original

2009-03-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Although as parents, we love all of our children equally, it is very interesting to see how each child eventually finds it necessary to find or create his/her own role in the family and in life. Our younger son is at that stage right now, and I imagine he will probably be molding and refining for quite some time. At this moment in time (he is obviously still changing, growing, and maturing on a daily basis), if you asked me to describe Kaiden's personality, I would say that he is our rebel.

Kaiden, is incredibly bright (he can spew random facts about just about anything), but he is also happy to just skate through school while putting forth as little effort as possible. He is definitely not an authority pleaser, so a "C" is more than acceptable in his mind. Kaiden is also extremely gregarious. He prefers to be with people and he enjoys being the life of the party. When he's not out at a friend's house, I can often find him running around our house, singing Wierd Al songs, while doing yoyo or card tricks! For the record, he can yoyo far better than he can do card tricks or sing. Life with Kaiden is a rollercoaster ride at times!

Although Kaiden can tire out the best of 'em, I am enjoying watching him find his place not only in our home, but in society. He certainly keeps us on our toes. Now that I've shared a little background about Kaiden, I would like to share a couple of pictures with you:

This is the "hat" Kaiden chose to wear for Crazy Hat Day recently.

If he was going to wear a crazy hat, it was going to have to be over the top!

A week or two ago, I was asked if we had Scotch Tape. We did, and I told Kaiden where to get it. The next time I looked at him, much to my initial shock, he needed a shave!

No Doubt About Redoubt

2009-03-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

FINALLY...after over a month of anticipation, we have what the experts are considering an "eruption" of Mt. Redoubt. For us here in Anchorage, it is business as usual at the moment. Schools will be in session, the airport is still allowing flights in and out (with a few exceptions) and there isn't even an ash fall warning. There is an ash advisory in the Susitna Valley, which is closer to the Wasilla area. Even there, they are expecting very little ash fall.

No worries here! We are fine and well for now. I'm even going out to blow snow this morning, considering we had about a foot of snowfall over the weekend and we were away skiing.

Things That "Bump" In The Night

2009-03-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

In last week's installment of..."Only in Alaska":

A week ago, last Tuesday, at around 2:00 a.m., Eric and I were both startled from our sleep by a noise coming from our backyard! After we heard the noise a time or two, and after a brief discussion, we surmised that either someone was in our home or that there had to be a rogue moose outside (maybe even on the deck). Of course, if I had been home alone, I would have been certain that there was an intruder, but because both my dad and Eric were here, I was sure it was just a moose. Eric popped out of bed and opened up one of our bedroom windows. Nothing!

He decided the noise was coming from the other side of the bedroom, so he opened that window, looked down, and witnessed a moose chomping away on a limp tree branch that it had just broken of a young tree in our yard! Eric ran down stairs and opened up the kitchen window directly in front of where that darn moose was standing. They looked at each other for a few moments and eventually the moose mosied on. It just didn't mosey far! It decided to stop just to the side of the deck and proceeded to chomp on another of our trees! At that point, Eric came back upstairs and we continued watching the moose's antics from our bedroom windows. Eric knocked on the windows and yelled at the moose a few times, but that stinker definitely had it's own agenda. Imagine that! We went back to bed and in the morning I observed that the moose had broken and gnawed branches off of not just one tree, but off of FIVE different trees in our yard. DAMN MOOSE!

Now let's fast forward to this week's installment of..."Only in Alaska":

Logan was the first one out the door for school this morning. Just as Logan pulled the door closed behind him, Kaiden noticed that there was a "small" moose outside. No sooner had Kaiden mentioned the moose to me, the door opened back up. Logan was coming back in because he had now observed the moose as well. Now what?

We had two choices. I could put the kids in the car and drive them all the way around the block to the bus stop (walking would take them too long at this point), or they could risk it and just move quickly up the back hillside to the bus stop. If they walked up the back hill, the moose would be sure to see and hear them and there could potentially be a "mama" nearby, who would feel threatened by the kids' presence! I observed the moose and the situation and being the good mom that I am...I sent them out the back door, up the hill, as usual!

The baby eyed the boys and continued chomping away on nearby branches. The boys quickly scrambled up the hill and made it safely to the bus stop without incident, just as I knew they would. I was, however, also fairly certain that a "mama" must be somewhere nearby. I opened all of the blinds on that particular side of the house to see if I could spot her. Sure enough, after not too long, I saw the female camouflaged among the trees. We must have some tasty shrubbery in our yard, because those moose stuck around for over two hours!

It's Rondy Time Again

2009-03-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been a year since I first blogged about Fur Rondy. My how time flys! This year though, the boys and I have been fortunate to have my dad along for the festivities. Eric had been in Seattle, on business, since last Saturday and just got home this afternoon. Knowing that things were going to be too quiet around here while he was away, I invited my dad to come for a visit. I had totally forgotten about Fur Rondy and all that goes along with it, so it was a pleasant surprise when I realized there could actually be something to do while my dad is here. Today, we went to Ship Creek and checked out the snow sculptures. As you all know, I have a fascination with ice and snow sculptures, so I was especially impressed at the craftsmanship.

Next week, the Iditarod begins. I thought the ceremonial start, downtown, was going to be yesterday, so we ventured out in the snow to check it out. Once we arrived downtown, we quickly realized there was not an Iditarod start of any kind going on there. Instead, we caught a glimpse of a few hundred crazy people in costumes who were taking part in the Frostbite Footrace. They were also preparing for a "parade", but considering the fact that we come from California, I couldn't subject myself (or my kids, or my dad), to some backwoods, po-dunk parade. Needless to say, we left the falling snow and 20 degree temps for the comfort and warmth of our own home. I did, however, discover today that the ceremonial start for the Iditarod will be next week, so we'll try our luck again then.

Working Mom in Alaska

2009-02-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

My friend Leslie forwarded an e-mail to me the other day that really hit home! As soon as I saw it, I knew it had to go on the blog. The whole scenario is something that could easily happen here. So, instead of forwarding the e-mail to everyone I know, I decided to post it here for you all to enjoy. Thanks to my sister-in-law for the assistance with downloading the picture.

Without further ado.....

Get a load of the picture a school-aged child created at school and proudly brought home for mom to see (be sure to read the parental response that is posted below the picture).

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

What Next????

2009-01-30T09:37:00.000-08:00

Growing up and living in Southern California, there were plenty reminders that we were living in "God's Country". We had fires, floods, earthquakes, winds, mudslides and the list goes on an on. I used to think that someday I might leave California and the advantage of doing so would be to leave all of those lovely acts of God behind.

In a blog post (probably about a year ago) I remember sharing that when we got on the plane to move to Alaska, they were forecasting Santa Ana winds in So. Cal. Sitting on the plane, I turned to Eric and told him the one thing I for sure would not miss about California were the Santa Anas. Then, shortly after we arrived here in Anchorage, we had the luxury of experiencing our own "Santa Anas", only ours are called the Chinooks. Then, if you remember, back in November, the Chinooks hit so hard that we had gale force winds that took down a tree in our yard. As a matter of fact, we had such severe Chinooks and melting two weeks ago that schools were closed for THREE DAYS!!!!! It's Alaska for Pete's sake! Our kids went to school in hurrican grade winds, -18 temperatures two weeks prior and suddenly our schools were closed because it was too warm and we didn't know how to function?????

So, it's a little wind, a few sub-zero temperatures, a little ice, quite a bit of snow and then last weekend... it was an earthquake! The earthquake was not that big of a deal for us, considering we've experienced some doozies in California. The one we experienced last weekend felt like the ones that I felt growing up when they were centered in Palm Springs and we were living in Anaheim. We certainly shook a little, but it wasn't very alarming.

O.K., so now it has been a little wind, a few sub-zero temperatures, a little ice, quite a bit of snow, and an earthquake. What else could nature possibly throw at us? In a year, we have experienced it all...or so I thought. WRONG!!!! Now we are "preparing" (call me naive, but I'm not doing much to prepare) for the possible eruption of Redoubt Volcano, which sits approximately 100 miles from us, out in The Cook Inlet. (We actually have a view of Redoubt from our house). What I have learned about Alaska volcanos is that they don't spew lava, they throw violent ash, rocks and other particles thousands of feet into the air. The concern for the Anchorage area is the ash and projectiles. In the past, I have read that the debris has been so severe that it causes the most damage and injuries as it falls from the sky and hits people and things.

As of today, it has now been a little wind, a few sub-zero teperatures, a little ice, quite a bit of snow, and earthquake, and a possible volcano eruption! Who knew?????? The wierd beauty of it all, is that I am somewhat nostalgic and even a little sentimental about the oddities we have experienced here. I wouldn't trade the experiences we have had here in Alaska for anything. I sit here some days and think about the fact that I had to wait 35 years to experience some of the things we have in the past year and then I think about the fact that my kids are 9 and 11 and will have these memories and experiences to take with them throughout the rest of their lives.

We truly are blessed!

The Joy of Boys

2009-01-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

So, I'm sitting in the kitchen, surfing the internet. The kids are in the living room with the poor cat wrapped in a blanket, with only her head sticking out. Much to poor Guinness' chagrin, apparantly, they were playing some kind of game which involved her in the starring role.

This is the conversation I hear...

Logan: Just go get them Kaiden.

Kaiden: No!

Logan: Come on, just go get the guns.

Kaiden: No, I am not going to play some game where we have to shoot fake poop bombs
out of the air!

Logan: Fine, then we just won't play.

I don't know who got them, when they got them or how, but needless to say, the guns made it downstairs and the next thing I know the boys are shooting guns and talking about how they need to hurry because "the second wave of poo bombs will be coming any minute!"

Now I sit here, questioning how and why I was the one who ended outnumbered in this family.

Happy Birthday to Eric

2009-01-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we celebrated Eric's 41st birthday! Considering the fact that I'm so young ;), 41 sure seems old! I have to tease him, because I know I'll be there soon enough and let's be real, he gives me endless grief about random stuff everyday.

At Eric's office, they have the option of taking their birthday as a floating holiday. Since he hasn't been in the office a whole lot recently (and because we don't have any snow to do anything fun at the moment), he opted to work. We did have an enjoyable family evening though. The highlight of which, at Eric's request, was a family poker game. He just knows that when he's playing poker against a nine year-old, an eleven year-old, and me, he's sure to win. Which, incidentally, he did! We did have fun though, at least until Logan, Kaiden and I lost interest. Because he was winning, Eric could have played all night long. Imagine that!

To Eric's credit, he would be perfectly happy with no gifts and no hoopla on his birthday, but that's not my style. I had been a bit under the weather all week and I had no idea what the heck I was going to get him, nonetheless, what we were going to do. I have learned that in Alaska, when you need a gift for a guy, and all else fails, Sportsmans Warehouse is key. Entering that store creates a whole new set of issues! It's like Toys R Us for the outdoors man. If you roam the aisles long enough, you are sure to walk out with less money than you walked in the store with. Yesterday was no exception! I went in empty handed and walked out with a pair of hunting boots (he just retired his old ones after about 15 years) and a fly fishing reel.

I think it's safe to say, the birthday was a success!

What Do You Get The Guy Who Has Everything?

2009-01-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

Eric's birthday is tomorrow and I am truly STUCK! He, of course, says we'll just skip it this year. Let's be real, I'd never live that one down! So, now, I need your help. Do any of you have any brilliant, fun, or exciting last minute gift ideas?

I Am In Awe

2009-01-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

This morning, I have been sitting in my humble home, watching the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. I am in awe and I am hopeful for our great country! As of today, Barack Obama is now our President, my President. As such, I feel it is my duty to support him. I will do so, and I hope and pray that he is able to hold up to his campaign promises. It's no secret that our country needs a serious economic overhaul right now and I hope that along with Congress, Barack Obama will be the catalyst for that change and more.

I have never really felt strongly about a president, but today, I know I have witnessed history. Not because our President is African-American, but because so many people have put their faith and hope in this one man, to change the future of our country for the better. Now that's pressure for ya'!

Here's to the next four years...

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-01-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

Schools in Alaska were closed for the last three days because of an usual January "break up" that created mass chaos. I decided that if the boys were going to be home, they might as well do some studying and work on some of their school projects.

I put the boys to work on their academic stuff and I proceeded to finish doing laundry upstairs. I had washed some delicate sweaters that needed to dry flat, so I hung them over the upstairs banister. As I was drapin the clothes over the banister, I heard Kaiden ask Logan to quiz him on the countries of South America. Kaiden was going through the map and methodically placing all of the city names with their corresponding dot on the map. First, Kaiden listed cities such as Rio De Janerio, and Buenos Aires. When he approached the dot for Lake Titicaca, he said the name, and then chuckled a bit. Face it, it is sort of a silly name to many of us Americans. The next city I heard Kaiden refer to was Crack-Ass. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

As you can imagine, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I then questioned what Kaiden had said and I repeated it to be sure I had heard him correctly. When I said it, the boys suddenly realized what Kaiden had said and how silly it was. of course, I had to explain that the city is Caracas not Crack-Ass, however, if it makes it easier for Kaiden to remember it for his test, then Crack-Ass it is!

Welcome To "MY" Alaska

2009-01-15T01:52:00.000-08:00

As I type this, the maniacal wind in once again raging outside, keeping me from my sleep. Like last time, it has been blowing for hours and it is fierce and relentless. I have to admit, this is the part of living here that I am so completely and totally over! I thought for sure that after that last freak wind storm (the one when our tree blew down) it would be a very long time before experienced that kind of violent wind again. After all, it had been a very long time since winds like that had ravaged the community. How wrong I was!!!! A few short months was not nearly long enough to be re-living it.

I am siting inside our house right now, typing away and literally ducking as the wind hits the house, anticipating a fallen tree, a broken window or certainly a power outage! I've tried sleeping and even put in earplugs, but let's be real, I couldn't even pretend to not hear the wind roar. This is the part of living in Alaska that I had never heard about when I was living in The Lower 48 and the part the realtors don't warn you about before you purchase. Apparantly, although it doesn't necessarily seem like it, we live in an enclave on a hillside on The Turnagain Arm. I have learned that often times when we experience high winds, the rest of Anchorage is still calm and serene. I suppose, in hindsight, this is the price we pay for a good school and a great view. I guess we kind of sound like those people who live in Laguna Beach in CA. They experience fires, floods, and mudslides, but people still buy,build and re-build homes there. Let me tell you friends, I have learned my lesson and I will be asking about things more trivial things such as wind before we purchase our next home, whenever and wherever that may be.

So everyone, welcome to MY Alaska! In "MY" Alaska, we just spent the past three weeks living with temeperatures well below zero (the 7th longest cold spell on record). Then, two days ago, it literally went from zero and below, to 35 degrees. Wednesday, schools were even closed because we had such a quick and treacherous thaw that it was unsafe to travel on the slick, icy roads. Many streets were literally turned to ice rinks and were so bad that trucks with studded tires and four-wheel drive couldn't even get traction. The streets and ditches were littered with cars all day long! Needless to say, it wasn't your typical Wednesday around here. I am starting to wonder if "typical" really exists here in Alaska.

I am all about character building, but this is a bit ridiculous! It is currently 1:20 in the morning and all I want right now is a little peace and quiet so I can get some sleep. Wish me luck!

Right On Cue

2009-01-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

The other day in my "things I've learned" post, I made reference to the fact that seeing moose and bears in our yard never gets old. Well, Saturday morning, as if on cue, we woke up to find a moose just sunning in our side yard. It hung around for about an hour and then went on its way.

I got a kick out of the timing of it.

I Have Learned...

2009-01-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Now that we have lived in Alaska for a full year, I thought it would be appropriate for me to share with you some of the things I have learned.

I HAVE LEARNED THAT...

Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful year-round

Seeing moose and bears in your yard never gets old

Studded tires and 4 wheel-drive are worth their weight in gold

60 degrees is still too chilly for me to wear shorts

The body's need for sunshine and Vitamin D is under-rated

Provided I'm indoors the majority of the time, I will not turn into a popsicle in freezing temperatures

Nose hairs freeze almost instantly when it's below zero

I can leave Chapstick in the car, even in the summer, and I don't have to worry about it melting

There are more hunting and fishing rules than I could ever pretend to know

Not all salmon are the same

Moose and caribou are delicious and they DO NOT taste like chicken

Although it is "dark" during the winter, there is still a period of sunlight everyday

The sun does actually go down at some point in every 24 hour period, even in the summer

In winter, the clearer the sky, the colder the temperatures

We would be broke if we didn't have Costco

We are broke becuase we have Costco

Our children can't get enough of the snow

I love to watch it snow

Our family will be forever enriched because we have had the opportunity to live in Alaska

Living in Intervals

2009-01-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

I decided that since we are in a new year, I should have a new mantra. I have to confess, I didn't set out to come up with a theme for my life, but I was in the gym the other day, mindlessly working out (we all know what happens to me when I do that) and it just came to me. I've decided that I'm going to "live life in intervals".

If you think I'm whacked out, that's o.k. with me. Really though, if you think about it, it kind of makes sense. Here's my perspective...I hate the treadmill, the stair climber, the eliptical machine and lifting weights. I guess you can say, that I hate working out. The crazy thing is, I do it anyway. I was reflecting on that thought the other day while I was in the process of working out and I decided that I am able to go to the gym several days a week because everything I do there is in short intervals.

After all, I can do anything in the gym in 2 to 5 minute intervals. I can raise the incline on the treadmill and walk at some crazy pace for two minutes. I can run at some ridiculous speed for two minutes. I can climb the stair stepper at an uncomfortable rate for 15 second stints. Outside of the gym, I can be around people I don't like or agree with for short periods of time. I can perform a task that I don't enjoy as long as I know it will all be over soon. I can even eat something I don't particularly care for as long as I know I only have "x" number of pieces to swallow. I'm certainly not Super Woman, but I think you get the picture. I will even go out on a limb and say that many of you are probably the same way.

With my gym experience in mind, I decided that when I start to feel a little overwhelmed with the random things that occur in daily life, I can handle it all if I just think about it in terms of "intervals". I'm going to set aside a realistic amount of time to accomplish a task and then do whatever it is that needs to be done in that amount of time.

It sounds good in theory...doesn't it???? I'll let ya' know how it's working for me at a later date.

It's Not Too Stinkin' Cold

2009-01-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well, o.k., maybe I lie, below zero really is cold!!!! As I type this entry, it is a balmy -7 degrees outside and we haven't seen the upper side of zero since we arrived back in Alaska on 12/30 and don't intend to see temps above zero until Wednesday if we're lucky.

When we were in California over the holidays, that region was experiencing an "Arctic Blast", which took temperatures down into the 30s at night and it warmed up to the low 60s on a good day. I wish I could tell you I wasn't chilly and was able to wear shorts, but that just wouldn't be true. Even we thought it was cool out. I do have to say that I was chuckling with my mother-in-law over everyone's cold weather attire in Southern California. It was 60 degrees and people there were wearing what we wear here, when it's well below freezing. It cracked my up! My other observation was that once the weather gets below 30, it doesn't matter if it's 10 degrees or 30 degrees, it's just cold. Even if you are in California! My addendum to that comment is that once it hits below zero, cold has a whole new meaning.

Our dear, stubborn child, Kaiden, got a snowboard for Christmas and has been obsessing over taking it out on the nearby ski slope. We had intended to take him out this past Friday, but the high was slated to be -9. Although Eric had committed to Kaiden that we'd go, as Friday approached, we decided that as parents, we have the right to go back on a committment if it is for the health and/or safety of our children. As you can imagine, with many tears and much pouting, we postponed the snowboarding trip until the temperature warms up to above zero.

In leiu of snowboarding, we took the kids to see Bedtime Stories (my new favorite family movie), on a much anticipated shopping excursion to Target, to have lunch (by Logan's request) at a Mongolian BBQ type restaurant, and to Town Square to view ice sculptures that had been completed on 12/29. We figured that because the weather had been to cool, the ice sculptures would still be in prime condition, which they were. The silly part of the whole trip was that once at Town Square, we parked at a meter. The meter already had 22 minutes left on it and I put in enough change to give us an hour. What was I thinking????? It was so darn cold that even with those fancy little heat packs in our gloves, our fingers about snapped off. I don't even think we lasted 20 minutes out there, but let me tell you, the sculptures sure were beautiful. It amazes me that people are able to carve such intricate, detailed designs out of a simple block of ice. Whenever I find out that there are ice sculptures somewhere in town, I end up dragging the whole family out to look at them. They almost always go without a fight, so they must think they're pretty cool too.

Vacation Recap

2008-12-31T20:12:00.001-08:00

O.K., here's the recap you've all been waiting for...my much anticipated trip to California. All in all, we had a good time, but as you might have guessed if you've been following my blog for any time now, the weather didn't necessarily cooperate. Imagine that! While we were there, Southern California experienced an "arctic blast", which took temperatures down into the 30s while we were there. So much for the much anticipated warmth and sunshine. I do have to say that we did have a few beautiful days toward the end of our stay, so it wasn't all terrible. Just typical for my luck. I was fortunate enough, however, to break out my shorts one day.

As many of you know, going back "home" after an extended absencence has its pros and cons. I feel terrible that I wasn't able to visit everyone I would have liked to, but I can certainly say that I did the best I could to squeeze in as many visits as possible. I want to give a big shout out to the staff at Shull Elementary School, that I sadly was not able to visit with. I had absentmindedly arranged to have dinner the night of the Christmas party and was not able to make it. If it's any consolation, I was thinking of you all while I was plumping up at The Melting Pot.

We sort of played the roles of nomads during our visit and I have to thank our parents, Patty & Cam, and Gary and Leslie for letting us sack out at their homes. Staying with our good friends was a nice way to be able to do our thing, but still spend time with them. The boys and I had a blast visiting with my life-long friend Sydney, at Knott's Berry Farm, and although we were able to spend time with my dear friend Barbara and her family, it just wasn't enough. Her husband happens to be one of the police officers who had to deal with that terrible mass murder in the city of Covina, CA. Let me tell you, something like that sure gives family, life, and friends a whole new perspective.

Speaking of family, one of the highlights of my trip was being able to meet my nephew Andrew for the first time. He even has my brother's blue eyes! My brother and sister-in-law were fortunate to have the opportunity to adopt him as a newborn, earlier in the year and he is such an adorable and easy going baby. We would all be lucky to have babies as chill as him. It was nice to be able to hold him, feed him, and to give him back to his mom when he got fussy. Now that's what being an aunt is all about!

All in all, we had a very busy, but very nice time visiting our friends and family. Eric was able to do a little hunting, I got to shop, we ate a ton of good/fattening food, the boys and I went to Knotts, and we had a fabulous tea at The Huntington Library to celebrate Eric's mom and brother's birthday on 12/27. I don't know that we could have squeezed in any more activities or visits into our trip. Needless to say, I wasn't sad to head back home to Alaska.

Although being away from home for an extended period gives "home" a whole different perspective, I do plan to leave Alaska more than once during 2009. I have decided that living here isn't a terrible thing, but when you're able to leave a few times during the year, living here is even better.

Note to Self...

2008-12-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

I had intended on giving you all a vacation recap today, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I had a "little incident" on the treadmill at the gym today that I thought would be far more entertaining for you all to read. You see, every few years I do something really embarassing and boneheaded, today was one of those occasions. I was going to post pictures of the aftermath, but they just didn't do the injuries justice, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

I was kind of having an off day on the treadmill to begin with, but I had no idea how ugly things would actually get. First, I couldn't get my personal headphones to work on my iPod, so I decided to use headphones that the gym provides. I already had to stop my warm-up to go get clean earpads for the headphones, so I wasn't thrilled when about 1/3 of the way into my workout, my towel fell off the hand rest and flew down the belt to the floor behind me. Instead of turning off the machine to retrieve it, I opted to just hop off the machine. Everything was fine and well until I went to get back onto the machine and totally forgot that the belt was still running! I can't remember for sure, but I was going somewhere between 3.5 and 4.5 miles per hour, so the belt was moving at a decent pace.

It all happened in a split second, but my mind was working just as fast. I quickly determined that I was going to fall flat on my face on the moving belt if I didn't do something FAST! I knew I couldn't stop the fall, so it was a matter of saving my face. As I fell, face first, I threw my left shoulder toward the moving belt, so it would hit the belt before my face did. I successfully broke my fall and to the horror of several other gym goers, my body slid down the belt of the treadmill and landed in exactly the same fashion and place as the towel I had just retrieved!

Fortunately, there were few people in the gym at the time, because they all heard me and saw me! It was also fortunate for my ego that there were only women in the gym at the time. Aside from some serious road rash on my left knuckles and shoulder, and a few bruises on my right knee and a bruised ego, I came out of the whole mess rather unscathed. I continued with my workout at couldn't stop laughing at myself for the next several minutes. I still chuckle when I think about the visual those ladies must have had! At least we all walked away with a good story for our friends.

It Never Rains in Southern California...

2008-12-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

That is, until I'm finally getting ready to leave Alaska after a year in what sometimes feels like isolation. The forecast in sunny CA is calling for rain almost the entire first week we are there. I truly don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I've already been receiving text messages and emails from friends who are sure we're bringing the rain with us. The difference is, they are happy to have rain in CA, where it has been hot (and often smokey) for many months. Little do they know, if we were really bringing the weather with us, the forecast would call for isolated snow storms, highs in the teens and lows below 0. HA!

The saddest part of all of this is that I think Eric is truly convinced that the weather is going to be crappy just because we are going to be there. This is a huge problem for me because if he really, truly believes that is in fact true, he will never agree to let me leave the state of Alaska again. It's one thing for him to leave Alaska (bless his heart) because it's on business and the company pays for it, but if I leave, we have to pay for it ourselves, and it costs a fortune to get anywhere from here.

My only hope is that the weather forecasters in California are as accurate as they are here. I think they might get the forecast right 3 out of 7 days here. Keep yours fingers crossed for us!

Holiday Havoc

2008-12-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

I know everyone has their own chaos and drama around the holidays. In our household, this year is no different. I don't know if I'm coming or going right now. Over the past 4 years, we have been between houses twice during the holidays. One year we were waiting for our house to be built and last year, we were packed for our move to Alaska. This year, for the first time ever, we are travelling for the holidays. In my opinion, I am finding that it is easier to move over the holidays than it is to travel with a family.

Prior to Alaska, we had always lived in fairly close proximity to both my parents and Eric's. I think we learned to take our holiday plans for granted. This year, we are packing up the boys and we are travelling to California so we can still be with our family and friends for Christmas. Fortunately, we are flying out a whole week before Christmas, but this week has still been CRAZY!!!!! I have been picking up last minute gifts, putting together last minute projects, helping the boys wrap up their school work, cleaning the house, doing laundry, and the list goes on. IT NEVER ENDS!!!!

In our house, I will continue to perpetuate the idea of Santa for as long as I can, actually, make that forever. I love Santa and when asked, I have been known to tell my children that they have two options when it comes to believing in Santa: either they choose to believe or they choose not to believe. If they choose not to believe, Santa will stop bringing gifts. It's that simple. Needless to say, Santa still comes to our house. That being said, the whole gift thing has been a little tricky this year considering the fact that we are going to be on the go and we will have to get everything back to here to Alaska. The situation has called for some creativity, but I'm sure we'll be able to make it all work.

This evening, the big project in our house is going to be Christmas gifts for the gals in Eric's office. Eric and I saw these clever "packages" at a craft bizarre. Eric is very handy I'm a little craftsy, so we decided we would try making one for ourselves. The idea has now evolved into making them for each of the seven women in Eric's office and one for me to take to a neighborhood "ornament" exchange. I don't think I have to spell out for you the fact that nothing (including this project) is as easy as it firts appears. The biggest job with regard to this project is drilling the hole in the glass block and the trickiest part of that is having an appropriate drill bit that won't break the glass. We are now on bit number two and I've had to replace a block or two. Wish us luck tonight! As you can see, we are making some with clear lights, some with colored lights, some with clear blocks, and some with cloudy blocks. I know when they're all done, we'll both be very satisfied, but until then...it's one more thing to complete before Friday!

The Obsession Continues

2008-12-04T16:08:00.001-08:00

For those of you who may have been following my blog for a while, you already know that I am a HUGE fan of The Biggest Loser. Without exaggeration, it is the only television program I watch with any regularity. In fact, because of the time difference here, it is on at 7:00 p.m., which is way too early to hunker down for the evening, so we record it weekly and all four of us sit down to watch it after dinner every Tuesday night.

The whole family's favorite part is the last five minutes of the program when they show us what the ousted contest currently looks like. You can imagine the sense of despair in our house when, during the initial episode, our recording stopped right before they showed the transformation! We now set our recording to end at 9:05, so we can sleep in peace on Tuesday nights. The season finale will be in two weeks and as the season progresses the appearances of the booted off contestants get more and more dramatic. It is inspiring and crazy to see women who started out wearing sizes 22/24 now wearing between a size 6 and a size 10! I'm always amazed (and a little bitter) when I watch the finale and the contestants weigh what I do, or in some cases, less. I suppose in reality, that just means I'm a healthy weight/size, regardless, it does play games with your psyche.

Every season (in an attempt to keep up with my t.v. competitors), about halfway through the season, I get motivated to head to the gym to work off some of my own flab. The trouble is, I don't have Jillian or Bob (or any personal trainer for that matter)yelling in my ear, making me workout until I puke. It is funny though, because for the past month, using The Biggest Loser as my inspiration, I have been trying to push my cardio workouts extra hard. When I want to call it quits because I'm too pooped or I'm overexerted, I seriously have flashbacks to Jillian screaming at the girls to keep going. I see what those contestants have the ability to do physically and I have to believe that I have that same ability. I hate to admit it, but for some strange, warped reason, most of the time the visual actually does give me that extra little push I need. I know, I'm wierd!

I have no idea what I'm going to do on Tuesday nights, after December 16. I suppose I'll have to watch reruns until the next season starts, or maybe on some random Tuesday night I'll just have to binge on all things fattening, just to say I can.

Sunrise, Sunset

2008-12-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Truth be told, these days, sunrise and sunset quite frequently feel like they are one in the same. Sunrise was at 9:50 a.m. today and sunset was at 3:47. To put it in perspective, the kids' school day starts at 9:00 and they get out at 3:30, however, they don't actually make it home on the bust until 3:45. They literally go to school in the dark and come home at dusk. It's quite an experience!

According to our local newspaper, we had a total of 5 hours, 57 minutes, 17 seconds of daylight today. It was a loss of 3 minutes, 17 seconds from yesterday. On the rare occasion that we actually see the sun in the sky, it only comes up as far on the horizon as it does when it's going down in California. When the sun is out, it's a challenge driving during this time of year because the sun is right in your eyes and it glistens off the snow something fierce.

I took pictures to give you an idea of what it looks like outside as it approaches 4:00 these days. As you can see, we had quite a snow storm over the weekend and I took the pictures yesterday before I had shoveled the deck. I'm telling ya' they should have a winter challenge on The Biggest Loser where the contestants have to blow snow, shovel snow, and then compete in some sort of outdoor winter sporting activity. Talk about burning calories!

The shortest day of the year (December 21) will soon be here and then it will be all uphill until the summer solstice, in mid-June. I honestly never thought about, nor truly appreciated the idea of the winter and summer solstice before moving to Alaska. If you were to live here for a while I'm sure you would quickly come to appreciate those two days too. Long live the winter solstice!

Thanksgiving Fun

2008-11-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

I know, it has been a long while since I last posted, but I'm back in action once again (for now anyway). When we first moved to Alaska, everyone told me it would take a whole year before I really felt at home. Considering the fact that I'm pretty outgoing and making friends has never really been an issue for me, I thought "everyone" was crazy. We are quickly approaching our one year anniversary of living in Alaska, and I am just now starting to feel like this is home. Who was I to question "everyone".

I had been dreading my birthday for several months because this year it was on Thanksgiving Day and I thought the four of us would be spending the day by ourselves. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I don't love spending time with my kids and husband, but I get to spend plenty of time alone with them all year long. Thanksgiving has always been a time with our extended family and I love that change of pace. I was kind of in a funk when I thought about having to cook a full Thanksgiving meal and bake a birthday cake just for the four of us. Fortunately, in August, my fate changed.

Alaska seems to be a bit more transient than many other places. As such, there are plenty of us here without families (a fact that fares well for many of us when it comes to holiday celebrations). It's a long story, but back in August, we made plans with our neighbors to share Thanksgiving Day with them. I was so happy! When all was said and done, we ended up sharing the day with 5 families (21 people in all). It was so nice because although dinner was hosted by one family, we all pitched in and prepared our own specialties to share. Everything tasted delicious!

For the first time since moving here, I felt a little connected. It has taken almost a year, but I can now safely say that regardless of the grief I give Eric from time to time, I won't be disappointed to come back to Alaska when we wrap up our Christmas visit to California. Don't be fooled, I am practically counting down the days until we leave for our visit (I'm especially looking forward to some much needed sunshine), but I am finally convinced that home really is where you hang your hat, and your coat, and your scarves, and......

I Did It!

2008-11-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

I VOTED!!! DID YOU?????????

Slash

2008-10-31T13:44:00.001-07:00

It Takes Talent

2008-10-21T17:20:00.001-07:00

I will admit that it took great talent to put a hole in the middle of my fingernail. Now, just imagine what it looked like before my nail grew out and that hole was right in the middle of my nailbed! That my friends, took real talent! It's not as impressive without a visual, so I will explain......

It all started one fine Saturday afternoon while I was taking a shower. I decided to shave my legs. No big deal, right? Well, for some lame, unknown reason, I chose to shave with both hands. The razor was in one hand and I was keeping balance with the other hand holding/resting on my leg. That's where things started to go very wrong!

This is the razor I use. As you can see, it has 4 blades, very close to one another and 8 little wires that go down the blades vertically. I have intentionally tried to put my nail between two of the blades and I couldn't do it. This particular afternoon was an exception. Unwittingly, as I was pulling up on the razor, my fingernail slipped right between two of the blades. I couldn't do it again if I tried!

Not knowing my nail was stuck in the razor, I continued to move in an upward direction, pulling the fingernail away from my nail bed and slicing a hole right into the middle of the nail. Talent I tell you, pure talent! As soon as I felt the nail pull away from the skin, I realized what had happened. As you can only imagine, it did not feel good at all! I have to admit, the aftermath was rather humorous though. I was in so much pain that I immediately hopped out of the shower and beckoned to Eric for assistance/moral support. As I was moaning and groaning and holding back tears, he asked me what I wanted. I told him, "I just want my mom".

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been married for 12 years, but on a rare occasion, I still need a parent. Considering the fact that my mom lives 3,000 miles away, we did not actually call her. Once I had regained my composure, Eric asked if I still wanted him to "call my mom" and I told him not to because it would take too long for me to explain the whole thing and it was so complicated to explain that she'd never fully appreciate what I had done. We did get a nice chuckle out of it though.

I'm not sure you will all be able to follow along and fully appreciate my story either, but I really just wanted to share the picture of my nail and figured you deserved some sort of explanation.

Million Dollar Mouth

2008-10-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

I admit, a million dollars is a bit of an exaggeration, but we seriously have probably spent (between what insurance has covered and what we have paid out of pocket) at least $15,000.00 on my teeth in the last 12 years. From that admission, you probably picture me as a rehabilitated snaggle-tooth. Not quite! I am, to my mom's credit, a night time teeth-grinder.

After my dentist appointment today, I now have not one, but two, "bionic" prosthetic molars of sorts. You see, we were faced with a bit of a dilema. Considering the fact that I had ground down and worn away the majority of the surface area and enamel on two of my back teeth, I was in need of a crown on each one. The problem was that in order for them to hold up for any amount of time, I would need metal crowns, but they would be in a spot that you could potentially see the metal when I smile. We didn't want that. If we used just plain porcelain, I would eventually wear through them and we would sort of just be creating a long-term temporary fix. So, the dentist came up with a rather clever solution. He had the lab create crowns that are porcelain on the outside half (that can be seen) and metal on the inner half.

I am so fascinated by these crowns that I had to take a picture for anyone who in interested in seeing how "bionic" thay look. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me before the dentist put them on. I decided to go out on a limb for all of you and I took a picture of the inside of my mouth. It's not pretty, but I just had to share.! If you get grossed out by this kind of stuff just don't look. If you do want to take a look, notice the 1/2 and 1/2 tooth, that's the one I'm talking about. I'm sorry I'm not savvy enough to be able to crop the picture so all you can see is the tooth, but if you really want to see it, I'm sure you'll get over it.

Pretty cool, huh! I thought it was pretty ingenious. I have a matching one on the other side.

My Boys Dabble in Politics

2008-10-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, both of the boys came home from school and announced that they were running for Student Council. Logan decided he was going to run for President and Kaiden was going to run for Historian. As a 4th grader, the only office Kaiden could run for was Historian and the students had to choose one male candidate and one female candidate for the position.

To be honest, both Eric and I were surprised the boys expressed interest in running, considering the fact that they would have to make posters, and write and give a speech in front of the 3-6 grades. I have to admit that I was less than thrilled with their interest in running for office. I ran for Student Council several times as a child. I won the election a time or two and I lost a time or two. The sad thing is, as an adult, I don't remember holding office as much as I remember how I felt when I lost. As a mom, I think it's natural to want to shelter your kids from that same feeling, but on the other hand, as a good mom, I think it was obligation to support them in their endeavor. I won't lie to you, I also thought it was my perogative to lay out the hard facts. I explained that they were basically signing up to run in a popularity contest and that they both needed to be prepared to lose. I explained that they had been at their school for less than a year and that there were a lot of kids running for each position, which would make it very difficult to win. They both still decided to make a go of it.

Despite our wild and crazy winds on Friday, the boys were beckoned to school to give their speeches. Only in Alaska does the school principal call you personally at 9:50 to let you know that (despite their earlier misgivings) school would in fact be in session and that the kids needed to be there to give their speeches by 10:30. I quickly had the boys get dressed and I ran the them up the hill to school. Since I was already there, I decided to sit through the 54 1-minute speeches. Logan was the very last student to give his speech. Talk about torture! To make matters worse, the results weren't going to be announced until Monday, so the poor kids had to wait through the weekend for the results.

The kids found out at 9:00 yesterday morning who won the election. I, on the other hand, had to wait until the kids arrived home on the bus at 3:45 to find out. If someone has asked me if I thought either of our boys would win I would have said, "no". If someone had told me one of the boys would lose and one of them would win, (based on personality and peer interactions) I would have guessed that Logan would win and Kaiden would not. You can imagine my shock when the boys got off the bus and I learned that Kaiden had won his bid for Historian and Logan did not win for President (he lost to two girls who actually tied and will share the duties).

I give both of the boys a huge amount of credit because neither of them seemed very affected when they came off the bus. Kaiden was not gloating because he had won and Logan was not crying because he had lost. Obviously, the best result for both boys would have been for them to both win, but aside from that, I think it was "best-case" that Logan lost to girls. I don't think the thought ever occurred to him that a girl was even his real competition. The funny thing is, both boys were a little miffed that there are only two boys on the entire Student Council (Kaiden being one of them). Apparantly, girls have been in the majority on the Student Council for several years running and my boys think there needs to be a change.

Now, I just have to figure out what exactly my role, oops, I mean Kaiden's role is as Historian. I joke about it being my job, but let's be real, we all know that as the mom, it's going to be my job to get Kaiden where he needs to be, when he needs to be there. It is also going to be my job to make sure he's actually fulfilling his obligation as Historian. As a parent, life's lessons can be such a double-edged sword. I tell ya', the things we do for our kids!

Happily Ever After...For Now

2008-10-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

It took a UPS pilot, a Chevron engineer, an orthodontist, and a Dir. of Ops., but by golly, after lots and lots of planning and talking, they finally got the tree down. I am telling you, these guys could not have scripted it better.

Jon, our neighbor and resident UPS pilot, came over in the wee hours yesterday to help Eric with a quick fix to get the tree off the house (they used rope and tied it to other trees in order to temporarily pull the tree away from the house). Of course, immediately, the guys started forming a gameplan for later in the day. As you all know, Eric had contemplated climbing up on the roof and topping the tree, but that wasn't the best option.

After an $80 trip to Home Depot (I know, I'm thankful that's all it cost), Eric and Chet (our resident engineer) had put into play a plan that John and Eric had discussed much earlier in the day. They bought a ratchet and the idea was to try to ratchet the tree into an upright position and get it to a point they thought would be clear of the house and garage. Then, someone would take a chainsaw to the tree while the other guys stood in the distance and pulled the tree down into a predetermined spot.

As you could imagine, there were a lot of variables to consider. The main goal was to keep everyone safe and beyond that, to keep the house free from damage. Fortunately, there is a nice open spot between the two houses that are behind ours. The three major problems the guys could foresee were that the tree could land on our house as it fell, it could take out the neighbors vinyl fence or potentially most hazardous of all, it could land on the utility boxes that would be directly in the tree's path if it were to come down right where the guys were anticipating it would.

Considering the length of the tree, the guys didn't really have too many placement options for the tree as it landed. They decided they would pull it down and try to land it between the three utility boxes. The tallest box is the phone line, so we figured worst case, we would be without a landline for a few days. So, after more planning and still more talking, the guys finally decided to go for it. Fortunately, our neighbor Jon spent a summer cutting down trees in New Hampshire, so he had a little insight and experience. Although I'm sure Eric could have pulled it off himself, he decided to let Jon man the chainsaw.

Here's the tree in the upright position, as it's ratcheted off the house (it's the tallest tree in the picture).

Jon was so confident in his abilities that he expressed to Eric that it might be dangerous, but he could definitely do it (thanks, Jon that made me feel much better). Eric still opted to let him give it a go. Talk about pressure, poor Jon!

Here are the guys off in the distance pulling and getting ready to pull even more.

Jon's doing alright. Just another cut or two...........

Perfect landing. The tree didn't hit a thing other than the ground. The guys, amazingly (and just like pros), were able to bring it down right between all three utility boxes. They couldn't have planned it like this!

I guess the moral is, the better the planning, the better the result. Job well done, guys!

It Started As A Nightmare

2008-10-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

I'll let you know how it ends!

The wind started in the night and in the early morning hours it howled like a mad man. Winds on our hillside were clocked at just under 100 mph. At some point we knew something was actually hitting up against our house. When we went out to look, this is what we saw.

The only reason the tree didn't completely uproot was because our house caught it. It certainly could have been worse and it could still get worse. As I type, I hear chainsaws in the near and far distance and we're still trying to figure out a way to get the tree off the house without having it come crashing down on another part of the house. We've already tried to jack it off the house using a wench and a 4x4 atv, to no avail. The next option is going to be for Eric to get up on the roof with a chainsaw and to top the tree. The problem is, there is no great way for him to get his footing once he's up on the rooftop, because of where the tree is in proximity to the roofline. While Eric and our friend Chet regroup, they have ventured to another neighbor's house to see how they can begin to start cleaning up the havoc that the wind wreaked over there.

Considering the chaos here (the picutres don't do it justice), I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be in a hurricane or a tornado. What I do know is a situation like this sure pulls a community together. We're all having to work together to help each other piece our houses and yards back together.

I'll keep you posted once our plan materializes.

Retail Therapy Is Very Real

2008-10-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Just as I had predicted yesterday, I gave in and decided to brave the elements (along with the rest of Anchorage) and I ventured out to the brand new Target store. For those of you who do not believe in retail therapy may think I'm a little off my rocker, but I had no idea how theraputic a simple trip to Target could be.

I have to tip my hat to the Target Corporation for their incredible organizational skills. Although the municipality of Anchorage has left some to be desired by way of traffic issues near the shopping center, my actual experience inside Target was superb. Once I got off the freeway, I sat in bumper to bumper traffic for about 20 minutes, before I even entered the parking lot. I thought for sure once in the lot it would be chaos, but to my surprise, it was very orderly and there was an abundance of parking (I didn't even have to park in Egypt). There was plenty of room to move around the store and all of the registers were open. I was only in line for about two minutes, can you even believe it?

I have to say, those people at Target thought of everything while planning their store here. Not only do we have brand new, completely plastic shopping carts (so we don't freeze our digits off in the middle of winter when we get a cart that has been sitting outside for hours), but in an attempt to eliminate icy walkways in the winter, they also put in a heated sidewalk system along the facade of the store. It's the littlest things sometimes that make a huge difference, especially when you live in Alaska!

I went to Target because of the novelty of it really, and let's face it, I had time to spare. Once inside though, I had an AHA! moment of sorts. I was thrilled to be in Target not because of what it had to offer inside it's doors, but because it was familiar and made Alaska feel a little more like "home" to me. As wierd as it is to admit, Target offered me a strange sense of familiarity. The store was set up exactly like the ones in California. I knew where to find the clothing, the beauty stuff, the toys, shoes, etc. Even the little pieces of paper with the prices and sku numbers on them seemed a little comforting.

I know it may seem bizarre that a store could make a person feel the way I did. Believe me, I wasn't expecting to feel that way either. I guess in retrospect, it makes sense to me though. Here in Alaska it's easy to feel isolated. There are a bunch of ma' and pop type of establishments, but there isn't much that is familiar to someone coming from a state like California. We've learned to make due, but it's often like we're settling for second best. It would sort of be like not having a local Starbucks and having to get your coffee from the barista at the supermarket. It's just not the same! Even the places that we do have one of here are generally substandard compared to what I'm used to. Target wasn't that way!

From now on, just call me on my cell phone. I'll probably be out at Target for a little retail therapy!

Anchorage is Abuzz

2008-10-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

After you read this, you will quickly understand why Alaska is Alaska and why the rest of the states (except HI) are considered the "Lower 48". The whole town is abuzz because Sunday will be the grand opening of our very first Target stores. Yes, that is store(s), plural! They are opening one in Anchorage and one in Wasilla on the very same day. Pretty exciting stuff I tell ya' !!!!! I am so excited I don't know if I'll be able to sleep for the rest of the week!

Although I can barely contain my elation, for the moment, there are a few fundamental glitches with the whole Target idea. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to go spend my husband's hard earned money there, but... we live in South Anchorage and Target is across town, so it will take about a half an hour just to get there. The other issue is that we are so starved for mainstream retail here, that I am certain the store will be jam packed right through Christmas. SCARY!

I've heard that starting today, there will be a "soft" opening. I've toyed with the idea of driving out there to see if I'm the only one who's heard about it (yeah, right), in an attempt to beat the crowds. My other, more reasonable thought, is that I will wait until early November before I even attempt to venture in that direction. Let's be real, who am I trying to kid? I'm sure I'll be pulling into the Target parking lot by the end of the week!

Once I've survived my experience that is the brand new Target in Anchorage, I will be sure to fill you in. After all, it is the little things in life that make it all worth while, right? In the meantime, be sure to think of me as you drive by the four Target stores you will pass in your journeys today.

Fun With Politics

2008-10-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know that I have ever watched an entire episode of Saturday Night Live in my life. It's on later than I can usually stay awake and quite frankly, I don't really get or appreciate much of the humor. Today, based on the recommendation of my grandmother, I went online to track down a download of Tina Fey, portraying Sarah Palin on SNL. I have been reading and hearing many rave reviews about Fey's portrayal of Palin, but I hadn't actually watched any of it myself, prior to this afternoon. I have to say, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I guess what I appreciated most was that the people at SNL keyed in on and were able to mock a lot of the instances when as a viewer, I was thinking, "hugh?" just like they obviously were.

For those of you who may not be extremely internet savvy, I have embedded the SNL skit for you to enjoy right here on my blog.

Since we live in Alaska, I guess by default, we have become a bit of a "Palin barometer" for many of you living in the Lower 48. Friends and family are often asking what our take/view of Palin is. After those SNL skits I'm almost embarrassed to offer my personal perspective on Palin, but I've decided to go out on a limb and I am going to voice my opion on all things Palin (I pasted most of this from an email I recently sent to my mother-in-law before I had even viewed the SNL clips). My view is just that, my view. I'm sure some of you may read this and will be horrified at my lack of political perspective, but the really scary thing is, I still get to vote right along with the rest of you on November 4

The Palin question is a loaded one for me. Eric and I really know about as much as the rest of America knows about her. The one thing I know for sure is that aside from being the governor, Palin really does come from and live in middle America. I still don't know who I'm voting for, but that's her appeal to me. Joe Biden can say he grew up in Scranton, PA all he wants, but he hasn't lived like us in I don't know how long. When Palin tells you she lives like all of us and knows what we are all going through I believe her. Her children go to school in the same exact public school system ours do, she and her husband don't live an extravagant lifestyle, and her house is not any fancier than yours or mine.

I do not think Palin is perfect. I think she has made an error or two in judgement (specifically Troopergate). I think she has looked like a fool in her interviews with Gibson and Couric. I wish that she would have told the world that she reads People and ESPN Magazine and that she doesn't read the local newspaper because they are biased. Instead, she chose not to give Katie Couric an answer, and by default, made herself laughable. All of that being said, I do believe that she wants the governement to provide for her family the same things that I would want it to provide for ours. From everything I can see, her family is in a very similar demographic as ours. I don't completely understand politics, nor do I necessarily know what I want from the government, but I do believe that for the most part, Palin could speak on my behalf. I'm not with her on some topics , but I have to look beyond that and look at the bigger picture.

Like I said, I have no idea who I'm voting for and I probably won't know until I walk out of that booth on Nov. 4. I haven't always given Palin the benefit of the doubt. I wasn't thrilled when McCain brought her on board. Ironically though, as time has passed, Palin's inovolvement in this election has made my decision even more difficult. I am drawn to the fact that she seems to be a lot like me, and that makes me feel like she would want for this country the same things that I would want.

Enough said...

Winter Has Arrived

2008-10-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had our first official snowfall. The flurry only lasted about a half an hour, but as you can see in the picture, the flakes were quite large! It is currently snowing and we are expecting 2"-4" of accumulation over night.

Let the fun and games begin!

The Evolution of Kids

2008-09-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Logan's 11th birthday was on September 20 and it has kind of put me in a reflective mood. Not necessarily just about him, but about both of my kids and kind of just about my life in general. It's interesting to me to think about the way I thought my life, children and family would be like before I had a husband and kids. I don't know that my life has varied from my "script" too drastically, but there has been a different turn here or there. Today, I though I'd share some of my thoughts about my kids.

Before I had two children, I used to always hear people say that their kids "are all so different". I was the type who would hear those words, take them in, and think I understood them. Then, I had two children and I quickly understood first hand what all of those women were talking about. It never ceases to amaze me how two boys from the same parents can be so totally different from one another.

Our boys are 20 months apart in age. When we only had Logan, people would tells us how much he resembled his father in appearance (although my baby pictures tell a different story). If, when I was pregnant, you had asked me what I thought my kids would look like I would have described Logan to a "t". When he arrived, he was chubby with very little white hair, hazel eyes, and fair skin. Then I had Kaiden, though he looked like his father, they could have told me there had been a mix-up in the nursery and I would have believed them. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and an olive complexion. Whose baby was this anyway? Obviously my husbands! Even though my children's physical differences were obvious at birth, over time, they continue to break each others mold.

You see, Logan was perfect by baby standards. He slept through the night at some crazy early age, he never cried, etc. When Logan was a toddler things shifted a bit. He was extremely strong-willed and was full of energy. I can't tell you how many tears I shed and books I read on "strong-willed children", in an attempt to reign him in. Now, in hindsight, maybe I should have been less concerned. At eleven, Logan is once again my mellow, layed back, authority pleasing child. He is very well liked by his peers, he does extremely well in school (because it's expected and he doesn't have to really apply himself to get good grades), and he keeps his emotions in check almost to a fault.

Then there's our dear Kaiden. That kid has always, and continues to, give us a run for the money on a daily basis. Kaiden didn't sleep through the night until he was three and he cried incessantly for a very long time. Mom was his only comfort and if I wasn't around, there was hell to pay! The funny thing is, when he was a toddler, Kaiden was our easy one, he was so mellow and very introverted. We thought for sure he was going to be the easier kid as he got older. So much for perception!!!!!! Kaiden is still a pretty emotional kid, but I certainly would not classify him as and introvert these days. He talks non-stop and would play outside with his friends, roaming the neighborhood 24/7 with his skateboard, bike, and scooter if I'd let him. Although my son is incredibly intelligent, he could really careless about his grades. Hey, as long as he gets a C he thinks he's doing alright (ARGH!!!!). Oh yes, and the best part about our dear Kaiden is that NOTHING is ever his fault. He has become a master at trying to twist things so that it becomes clear to the world that even though he did something inappropriate it wasn't really his fault. How can you not love this kid????

My husband and my in-laws will tell you that aside from Eric's looks, Kaiden is all me. The hard truth is, they're probably right. I was a difficult child for my parents (as far as behavior goes at home), but outside of the home, I was a great kid. Kaiden seems to be much the same way. Fortunately as an adult, I still have some of the same qualities I did as a kid, but I have learned how to channel them differently. Hopefully Kaiden will learn to do the same. Don't get me wrong, I don't think for a minute that Logan will always be fun and games. I'm sure he'll regress back to his toddler days at some point and will be a handful again, but until then, we'll count our lucky stars.

I guess my point in all this is that it's amazing how much your children change and how their personalities continue to evolve over time. I've always said that I can't have a "favorite" because my kids fall in and out of favor with us on almost a moment by moment basis. We have come to terms with the fact that both of our children are a special blessing to us for very different reasons. Although Logan tends to be the easier kid, life would certainly be less eventful if we didn't have Kaiden. Even if it's easier to focus on the negative traits from time to time, we would never trade either of our kids. They have both brought something very different, special, and fulfilling to our lives.

An Ode to Fall

2008-09-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

I love the Fall season and all that comes with it...school starting, Logan's birthday, our wedding anniversary, Halloween, my birthday and Thanksgiving (which happen to be one and the same this year). I love the cool air, the colors, decorations and even the comfort foods associated with Fall. Did you notice, the "s" word is missing from my love of all things fall? That wasn't an ovesight on my part. I enjoy the snow, but snow is what winter is all about, not Fall!

I mentioned to someone here that I was looking forward to Fall. That statement was met with laughter. I was promptly told that in Alaska, we go straight from summer (HA HA, that's a joke) to winter. Here I am racking my brain, trying to remember the last time I saw the sun and now I'm being told there is no Fall!!!! Well my friends, my dear acquaintance was not kidding.

Now granted, we do not have snow at the lower elevations yet, but as of this morning, the local mountain tops have had their first dusting of snow. Frankly, after our summer, I'm almost ready for a little snow. I mean really, if we're going to have miserable weather it might as well be more than just overcast and dreary. The problem is, I don't think there is such thing as a little snow here.

I guess I'll continue to patiently wait for my one day of Fall. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to take a picture to remember that one glorious day. I'll soon be thinking about Fall as I put on my winter coat, gloves and hat and head out to blow the snow off the driveway.

Everything Is Bigger in Alaska

2008-09-11T10:25:00.001-07:00

Some time ago, I was browsing through my friend Cathy's pictures of Alaska. Unexpectedly, we came upon some photos she had taken last fall of some wild mushrooms that were growing in a neighbor's yard. The mushrooms weren't your normal run of the mill mushrooms. They were the biggest, most colorful mushrooms I had ever seen. They reminded me of Alice in Wonderland!

Since seeing Cathy's pictures, I have been on a mission. It was not good enough to just see the mushrooms in photos, I wanted to see the real deal. I needed to see those darn mushrooms with my own two eyes and I needed to take my own pictures of them. So, as you could guess, I have tirelessly been on the prowl for amazing mushrooms.

Imagine my surprise and elation when I pulled into our subdivision two days ago and happened to lay my eyes on the biggest, most perfectly beautiful mushroom I have ever seen! I'm not exaggerating when I tell you the cap was about the size of a pancake! Of course, as luck would have it, I didn't have my camera in the car with me. I sped home and grabbed it as quickly as I could. The kids were going to be getting out of school soon and I coudn't risk one of them finding my prize and obliterating it before I could snap any pictures.

I was on cloud 9 when I made it back to the mushroom and it was still in it's glory! It was situated among many other mushrooms that had been smashed into oblivion long before I discovered this lone gem! My pictures aren't much as far as lighting and all that other fancy stuff is concerned. I do, however, have pictures to share with you to prove that everything really is bigger in Alaska............

PFD? BFD!

2008-09-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering what the heck all of those initials are. For a long time, I've known what BFD stood for, but it wasn't until after I moved to Alaska that I heard PFD. Not one to be left in the dark, soon after moving here, I found out that PFD stands for Permanent Fund Dividend. I still had no clue what the Permanent Fund Dividend really was, but when you reside in Alaska, you quickly learn. BFD is the way I feel about the PFD this year, considering the fact that we don't qualify for the gigantic dividend ($2,068 from the PFD, with an extra-added one-time energy rebate of $1,200 = $3,2068 per person in your family residing in AK) this year. I know when we qualify next year my view will change, but for today, PFD, BFD!!!

Now that good ol' Sarah is on the Republican ticket and considering the fact that the PFD dividends will be distributed on Friday, some of you may already know plenty about the PFD. For those of you who don't, and are as fascinated by it as I am, I will try to fill you in. To this day, the concept of the PFD is still quite muddy to me, so I don't know how much clarification you will get from me, but you'll get the basic idea.

The PFD was set up several years ago as a way to share some of the proceeds the state obtains annually from Alaska's oil. Basically (in my over-simplified terms), a certain percent of the state's oil money is put into a stock type fund and based on how much money the fund makes (dividends are caluculated based on a 5 year average return on the fund) dividends are calculated and distributed annually. Dividend checks are usually distributed each October. This year, in an effort to help offset the high price of gas and oil for the winter heating, the dividend is being distributed in September.

So, how do you qualify for this PFD, you might ask? There are several qualifying factors, but the major one is this...you must live in the state of AK for one full year prior to January 1. So, for instance, we moved here in December '07. In December '08 we will have been here for a full year and we will qualify in January '09. Get this though, if you move here early in the year this is how it shapes up...say we moved in January '08. January '08-January '09 would be a full year and then we would not have qualified until January of '10! So, we have some friends who have lived here for 6-12 months longer than us, but will qualify for the PFD at the same time we do.

As far as I'm concerned, the PFD is icing on the cake. It is essentially, in my opinion, free money that we will get for doing absolutely nothing, but living in the state of Alaska. It is funny though for those of us who do not qualify to talk and listen to many of the people around us who will be getting a big fat check deposited into their bank accounts Friday. So many of them act as though they are deserving of the money and that those people who do not yet qualify are in some way inferior.

We have quickly learned that if you do not qualify for the Permanant Fund, you are pretty much a nobody in the state of Alaska. There are several instances when "membership" and "priviledges" in the state, are predicated on whether or not you qualify for the PFD. Don't get me wrong, the state is more than happy for us to contribute to the economy and to take our property tax money. The utility companies are willing to charge us the same amount they charge everyone else for heat and electricty. The oil companies are happy to charge us the same high price they charge everyone else for gas. The great legislators of this state, however, do not think that we should be entitled to the same $1,200/person state energy rebate the those who qualify for the PFD are entitled to. They made their point very clear when they signed the bill for the energy rebate only after taking out the clause that would give the money to anyone who has lived in the state for at least six months. They opted instead, to attach the $1,200 to the PFD disbursements this year. If you don't qualify for the PFD, like the rest of the nation, you don't qualify for Alaska's energy rebate.

My personal take on the PFD is BRING IT ON!!!! I know in our household we can always use a few thousand dollars extra to do with however we choose (save, travel, pay bills, college fund, etc.). I for one, do not think it's money that is owed to us (the energy rebate is a whole different story), and next year when we do qualify, I will feel a little remorse for my friends and neighbors who won't be receiving the same free money we will be. I will, however, like the rest of the state, happily watch my bank account grow overnight! We have no idea how much our windfall will be next year, but it doesn't even matter because the fact is, it will be free money!

Off And Running

2008-09-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

The boys (Eric and Logan), have landed in Ontario, CA and their first official hunting trip will begin in a few hours. YIKES!!! I put on a brave face last night as I gave them kisses and sent them on their way (they took a red-eye flight). Of course, at dinner last night I told Logan that I loved him and then I proceeded to give him the obligatory safety and behavior talk. I know Logan is in his dad's good hands, but I'm still a mom and I won't rest easy until they get back home to Alaska Monday night.

Some of our friends have asked excitedly what the guys are hunting for, you should have seen their displeasure when we told them they were hunting for dove. When you say "hunt" in Alaska, it conjures up images of moose,caribou, bears and other big game, not dove. To me it's all the same, you're still shooting at a live target. In fact, dove hunting may be even more difficult because they are shooting at small, quick moving targets. We'll see how they fare.

In the meantime, Kaiden and I are going to find our own way to party it up! He's off at school today, but tonight we're going to go out for dinner. The menu will be ceasar salad and pizza, YUMMY! It has been quite a while since we have seen any movies. I noticed that WAL-E is still showing, so I think we'll go see that tomorrow. Monday we have made plans to go out for lunch. Knowing that I was going to sign him out for lunch on Monday, Kaiden informed me last night that he knows exactly what restaurant he wants to go to. Of course it couldn't be McDonalds or Subway (something common or near school), he has decided we are going to go to a more high end seafood restaurant in downtown! Whose kid is he anyway?

Wish me luck this afternoon! The boys' school does not have enough noon duty staff, so we parents have been informed/threatened that if we don't volunteer to work (they are willing to pay us) then our children will not have outdoor recess at lunchtime. In these parts, it's a huge deal that the kids get to go outside to play because there are very few months when they are able to do so without the snow and cold putting a damper on things. I, apparantly like many of the other moms in the community, would rather stick a needle in my eye than sign-up for that thankless job on a daily basis. As a compromise, one of my girlfriends and I have offered to work on Fridays from 11:30-1:30. We, however, opted not to get paid. Believe me, it's not as though we couldn't use a little extra shopping money, we were just smart enough to figure out that if we worked strictly on a volunteer basis it would be on our terms rather than on the schools. Am I a glutton or what?

Who Knew??????

2008-09-03T09:37:00.001-07:00

Considering there hasn't been any earth shattering political news in Alaska/U.S. politics in the past 24 hours, I'm going to take a break from political blogging today. I know you're all disappointed, but maybe after Palin's speech tonight I will have more fodder for tomorrow. I suppose only time will tell.

The topic I am most excited to share with you today is: STAINS 101 - Removing Grease Stains From Clothing. As I mentioned yesterday, we ventured to the Alaska State Fair on Friday. For grease lover like myself, the fair is a fried food haven. As any self-respecting fairgoer can appreciate, our family arrived at the fair with empty bellies.

Although Eric, Logan and I decided to go with the caribou cheesesteak sandwich for dinner (among other greasy fare), Kaiden insisted on one of those huge bbq turkey legs. Despite how emphatic he was about eating the entire leg, in the end, his appetite left some to be desired. Kaiden is an incredibly messy eater and this turkey leg adventure was no different. When all was said and done he had inhaled about 1/2 of the turkey leg and was wearing the rest of it on his jacket. In other words, he managed to drip grease down the front of his almost new jacket. I was beside myself, but I tried something new. I decided I would not freak and would just let it go. Surely there must be some product on the market designed especially for these circumstances, right?

First thing Saturday morning, I sprayed the jacket with Shout, let it sit for a while and threw it in the wash. When the load was finished, I took a quick peek to assess the damage. Of course, the jacket was still wet, so it was looking pretty good. I hung it out to dry and kept my fingers crossed. Several hours later, after the coat was dry, I took another look at it and much to my dismay, the grease stains were still there. In the meantime, I had washed and dried another load of laundry and realized that one of Logan's brand new school shirts also had a grease spot on it. I was now on a mission!!!!!

Considering the fact that you have to be fairly internet savvy to even be reading this blog, you have probably already discovered the amazing power of the internet. I too, appreciate the wonder and amazement of the world wide web, that is why I immediately proceeded to Google "getting grease stains out of clothing". To my great joy, I was able to read several suggestions for doing just that. I chose the solution I thought would be easiest and decided if that didn't work I would move on to the next one. After all, what did I have to lose? Either the grease would come out or the jacket would be ruined anyway.

I opted to go with baby powder. Yes, that is correct, plain ol' baby powder. The website said to re-wet the stain and sprinkle baby powder or cornstarch on it. It just so happened that the baby powder I have is 100% cornstarch, so I was in business. I wet the stain and saturated it with baby powder. Just for good measure, I let the jacket lay with the powder on it for several hours. I stuck the jacket back in the wash, hung it out to dry and couldn't believe my eyes when I went back to look at it and the stain was completely and totally gone! I'm not kidding, there is not a trace of turkey grease anywhere on that thing. It is AMAZING!!!!

Kaiden told me last night that he thinks I'm obsessed now. He went on to say that I have "like 10" pieces of clothing with baby powder on them all over their bathroom and that I went crazy with the powder in their sink. For the record, there weren't 10 pieces of clothing, there were 3 and maybe I did get carrried away with the baby powder (just a little bit, though). I don't care, you know why...the grease came out of every single item! Do you even know how many articles of clothing I have thrown away over the years because I couldn't get the grease stains out of them? And to think, after all of these years, the answer was hiding in my very own medicine cabinet.

BABY POWDER! Who knew????

For some reason my picture keep rotating, but if you turn your head...the stain was on both sides of the zipper and went 1/4 of the way across the jacket and 1/4 of the way up the jacket.

All Palin All The Time

2008-08-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

To know me is to know that I am pretty conservative, perhaps to a fault sometimes. I usually vote as a Republican down party lines. Despite what my dad will tell you, I think our country is in a pretty pathetic state and continues to be on a downward spiral. I feel like this country desperately needs change. I don't know which candidate is the answer for our country, but I certainly know that the status quo is not the answer for me! I also know that I will not vote for McCain simply because he has a woman on his ticket. I need substance and clarity from one of the candidates before I will know who I am voting for. Wish me luck with that!

Having said all of that, it seems to be very exciting for the state of Alaska that our female governor is running for Vice President and the state is now directly involved in November's election. Anchorage is buzzing! Friday night we went to the Alaska State Fair and by the time we got there (around 6:00 p.m.), people were already walking around with their McCain/Palin '08 t-shirts on. Let me tell you, the money-makers don't waste any time! Our local newspaper, The Alaska Daily News, has practically been cover to cover with articles about Sarah Palin since Saturday morning. It has certainly been all-Sarah-all-the-time for the past several days. If nothing else, Friday's news successfully gave Obama's campaign, in the great state of Alaska, a t.k.o. The way I call it, McCain just earned himself 3 electoral votes overnight. 3 electoral votes may not seem like that big of a deal, but until Friday, they were 3 votes that were very likely going to go to the democratic party for the first time in many years.

In the few days that have passed since McCain's big announcement, I'm sure we have all learned more about Sarah Palin and her family than many of us would ever care to. I'm certain I wouldn't want the world to look into my family with a magnifying glass. I don't know for sure, but I can't help to think that because we live in Alaska we are perhaps more inundated with McCain/Palin stories than even all of you in the Lower 48 are. Square footage aside, Alaska tends to be very small town.

In fact...

I have to say, my personal favorite by way of bombshells has been Palin's daughter's pregnancy. It is my favorite disclosure, not because of the circumstances, but because several months ago (while visiting with several neighborhood women) I had heard "the rumor" that one of Palin's daughters had been pregnant with Trig and that the Palins were claiming him as their own. I did not know if either of her daughters was currently, or had ever been pregnant, nor did I care. I just thought the whole notion was preposterous! Too many people would have to keep their mouths shut for the rest of their lives, in order to pull off a whopper like that. It would never happen, someone would eventually blab.

Imagine my glee when the news broke yesterday morning that Bristol is in fact pregnant and that Palin went public to curb rumors about Trig's legitimacy! In a wierd, twisted way, I felt like I had sort of been privy to a dirty little secret before it had been made public. To me, the most entertaining part of all of this was reading the McCain camp claim that the Obama camp started the rumor. I am not generally "in the know", especially relating to politics, but I can pretty safely say Obama's camp did not start "the rumor". Now, they may have perpetuated it or brought it to the public light, but they did not start that rumor. When I first heard about it, Obama and McCain hadn't even been nominated and most of the nation had never even heard of Sarah Palin.

hmmm...

Sarah Who??????

2008-08-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

O.K., I think I have suddenly been thrust into the realm of politics by virtue of the fact that John McCain has reportedly chosen our Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, to be his Vice-Presidential running mate. For the record, her last name is pronounced Pay-lin. I have already heard it butchered in the press this morning and I was bugged by it. It would be nice if the big mouth commentators did a little leg work before they started running off at the mouth sometimes.

I will reserve my comments and opinion until I hear McCain officially announce Palin as his runningmate and then, my humble opinion is fair game. Trust me, you don't have to be scared off by my political views. In fact, I'm not very political at all and I don't really care to get into any serious, earthshattering, offensive banter with anyone this political season. I will simply, on a rare occassion (like today), share my "soccer mom" opinion with you all. For the most part, I think you will laugh at my naive viewpoint, but I may piss some of you off from time to time. Just take it with a grain of salt, have fun with it, and "get over it". In the end, we will all eventually have the same President of the United States and in reality, only my vote will count (unless my husband's vote cancels mine out), not my thoughts and opinions leading up to election day.

I'm Seeing Orange

2008-08-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I was seeing orange. No, I'm not seeing things and I'm not sick either. Logan and Eric just completed a two-day, eight hour hunter safety class last night. They came be-bopping in around 10:00 last night donning bright "hunter orange" safety vests, carrying their targets from the required shooting part of the class (I have posted a picture of both targets. Can you tell which is Eric's and which is Logan's?) and a celebratory treat from their stop at McDonalds. I had already received a phone call informing me that "we don't mess around" and that Logan and Eric both got a 100% on their 50 question test.

Even though this wasn't techinically a competitive thing, we know several kids and adults who have taken the test and none of them have received a perfect score. Logan was feeling pretty darn good about himself. Let's just hope and pray he takes the information he has learned into the real world with him. I keep trying to tell him that you can never be too safe with a gun and that it's not him I'm worried about, it's everyone else. I know, that was spoken like a true mom!

Let me say, I am totally against my almost 11 year-old son going hunting. I don't care if he's hunting big game, birds, or rats. I think 11 is too young! Let me also say that over the years, as a parent and as a wife, I have learned that I must pick my battles. That is why Eric and Logan are going on a 4 day dove hunting expedition in Parker, AZ next weekend. I'm already breathing into a paper bag and will be until they arrive home safely.

Logan knows he is going hunting with his dad, Kaiden does not. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck when I have to break the news to him this weekend. I am certain I am going to have one pissed off child on my hands. Not only is he the kid in the family who actually has a burning desire to go hunting, but Logan will also be missing 2 days of school. I've tried to come up with something special for Kaiden and I to do while Eric and Logan are gone, but remember, this is Alaska. It costs a fortune to fly anywhere and there really aren't a whole lot of places to go locally. I am contemplating taking him to Denali (aka Mt. McKinley), but that trip would still cost me several hundred dollars. I may just have to get over the guilt of it all, be the adult in the house, and tell Kaiden to "suck it up and get over it".

I could really use some insight right about now!!!!

Out On A Limb

2008-08-26T22:58:00.001-07:00

Our dear Kaiden has an adventurous spirit. For those of you who know him, you know he is 9 going on 59. Although he is always talking about the next adrenaline rush, the reality is often very different and tears often ensue. We recently went on a cruise of Alaska's Inside Passage. We stopped in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vancouver. Months before we even went on the cruise, Kaiden and I were perusing the cruise documents and he decided we all needed to go on a zipline adventure. Eric and I were game, but convincing my in-laws (who accompanied us on the cruise) might take some doing. Like any good parents, we had the grandchild call to butter up Nana and grandpa for the big excursion. After some clever persuasion on Kaiden's part, we were "all in".

Mostly by nature, and partly as a result of being the only female in my immediate family, there are not many extra-curricular activities that I won't try at least once. I try not to let my boys see me sweat too often! They already think males are the dominant sex and believe me, I do everything in my power to combat that mentality.

This little ziplining adventure was in the rainforest and rain it did. We were not deterred though. After getting in our safety gear, we were taken in a monster truck up to the the first platform. The highest platform was 135 ft. off the ground and the average speed while zipping was 35 mph. We went as fast as 43 mph. We all had a blast from the getgo, except for...Kaiden. He was scared beyond belief after his uneventful first zip. You see, Kaiden tends to overanalyze things and as a result, freaks himself out and makes himself miserable. He watches a lot of Discovery Channel type programming and knows a little about a lot of stuff. Once he was standing on the platform, high above the ground he logically concluded that the platform should not be able to suspend all of us safely at that height. He neglected to take into account the fact that we were tethered on in several locations and were extremely safe and...he cried hysterically.

Being the cruel mom that I am, I would not let the guides give Kaiden an "out". I figured if we were all on this outing at his request, I wasn't going to let him back out. I insisted that he continue with the adventure until the end, just like the rest of us. Our guides were real troopers and quickly came up with an acceptable solution for Kaiden. One of them would clip onto the line directly behind him and essentially, they would go down the zip in tandem. Kaiden was o.k. with this, and much to his dismay, he ended up having a good time (just like I knew he would)!

Guess what...the ziplines didn't break, none of us fell and the platforms didn't even give way. When all was said and done, we were drenched, but we were still smiling. We all had a good time and I think we would all probably do it again if the opportunity presented itself.

Party Like A Rock Star

2008-08-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

The boys got out of school for the summer on May 22 and just went back to school last Wednesday, YIKES! Talk about a long summer! Actually, we had a ton of family in town, and lots of things to do, so the time flew by. Logan is now in sixth grade and Kaiden is in fourth. It seems like just yesterday I was taking them to kindergarten for the first time.

We have been in Alaska since last December 31, and since then, I have had the luxury of being a stay-at-home-mom. Prior to moving here, I had always had a job of some type (usually part-time) since Logan turned 1. When we first arrived here, it was winter and it was snowy and cold and I had a million things to do to get us settled into life and a routine in Alaska. By the time we were settled in, summer was upon us, and I wasn't going to even begin to look for a job. Now, the boys are back in school and I've contemplated finding a part-time job, but there are some really great gals in the neighborhood who are a bad influence on me, so I don't know if I'll ever go back to work as long as their around.

You see, in Alaska, stay-at-home moms don't sit around and eat bon-bons on the first day of school. No, we meet at the bagel shop for breakfast (at 9:30), if you're me, you then go to the gym (10:00-11:15), and then we meet at someone's house to play Rock Band for the remainder of the afternoon (11:15 - 2:00). At 2:00 the guilt finally set in and I decided I had better get home to at least clean up the dishes from breakfast before the kids arrived home on the bus (approx. 3:45). I felt like I had played hooky all day with 7 of my friends. It was so much fun!

Let me tell you, if you are a stay-at-home-mom or just someone who has a video game system and a little extra time on your hands, I highly recommend Rock Band. I cannot carry a tune, I do not enjoy karaoke, nor do I pretend to be able to play the drums or guitar. For three hours last Wednesday, I did all of the above and I now belong to an all girl band called "The Hose" (it is spelled that way to throw off the little ones). Believe it or not, we had a blast and there wasn't even any alcohol involved.

I have to say, this was probably my most memorable first day of school. Now you all know why I stay home. With the promise of another day playing Rock Band while the kids are in school and Eric is at work, I can't even pretend I'm interested in a part-time job. Band practice anyone?

Leave of Absence

2008-08-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have discovered over the past several months that the readers of this blog are the "quiet type". I know people login and read because the hit counter tells me they do, but if it wasn't for that, I would think only my grandparents and a few devoted web friends were the only ones remotely interested in what I have to share. Since I had been on an unannounced hiatus over the past several weeks, I have been given enough crap by enough of loyal readers that I now know that I'm blogging for more than just three people.

I didn't actually take a "leave of absence" because I was angry, bitter, or pouting, it was mainly because it was summer and I had a lack of fun, interesting, and antecdotal stuff to blog about. Despite how it may appear, blogging is not always easy. I know this may seem shocking, but I like to think that I live a normal, sometimes tedious life, just as many of you do. It's not always easy finding stuff to blog about that other people would care to hear about and I don't like to always complain about the weather or the fact that I don't have friends. The purpose of this blog is not to depress everyone, but rather, to share fun stories, give friends and family a little peek into life in Alaska, be up beat, and to sometimes even give people a good laugh at my expense. Now that school is back in session and I'm back in my regular routine, I have more fodder for the blog, therefore, I'm now officially back in action!

Thanks for patiently checking the blog on a regular basis to see if we are still around. Yes, we're still here in overcast and gloomy Alaska! All the company has left, we're back from vacation and the kids are back in school, so life is good!

LET THE BLOGGING COMMENCE........

They Really Do Exist

2008-07-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

After much debate and denial on the part of Eric and I, it is official, bears really do exist in the state of Alaska!

You see, for months now there have been tons of bear sightings in Anchorage and several attacks on humans. We've read the stories, have seen lots of pictures, and have a friend who seems to see bears almost daily. Despite the fact that we have actively gone out on numerous drives, specifically looking for bears, we had not seen one in the wild. Eric and I were starting to think that everyone around here must be delusional (after all, we haven't seen any bears), the pictures and stories were part of a huge plot, and that bears don't really live in Alaska. Just when we were about to come to terms with the fact that bears don't actually roam the streets, forests, and trails of Anchorage...the phone rang!

Our friend, Cathy, the one who seems to see bears several times a week, was calling. She was calling to tell me that there was a bear in the trash can in her backyard, it had been there for around a half an hour and it was making a mess of the trash! She was also letting me know that after failed attempts to get a hold of her husband, she had called Eric and he was on his way up the hill to her house. Well...anyone who knows me knows that I wasn't going to let Eric partake in this great adventure while I was hanging out at home with the boys, cleaning house. I hung up the phone, grabbed my camera, yelled to the boys to get their shoes on and we were out the door in a flash. We didn't even bother turning off the t.v.!

We pulled up the driveway of Cathy's house just after Eric had arrived. We pull in and see Cathy standing outside, up on her balcony, waving to the boys and I to stay in the car and Eric standing outside of his car with his .44 handgun drawn! It was quite a scene and boy, talk about the drama! Cathy had the best vantage point of the bear from her balcony perch, so as soon as the bear was otherwise occupied, she motioned us to make a run for the house. We ran as fast as we could and slammed the door shut behind us!

It was humorous for me to see Eric with his gun drawn when we pulled up, because he's not usually about drama. I later found out that apparantly, the bear had heard Eric pull up, it peeked over the fence at him and they had a brief staredown before the bear got down and continued to mutilate and devour the contents of the trashcan. Considering that the bear was only about 15 ft. from where Eric was standing and that there was only a wooden fence between he and the bear, I guess Eric decided at some point that it would be a wise thing to pull his gun out. He had a clear shot of the bear and could have easily taken it down, but there wasn't any real threat of danger and that's not what we're about, so we all went about our business.

Once inside the house, we ran up onto the balcony for a better look at the bear and its antics. Despite the fact that there were nine of us watching it, and loudly cajoling it to leave, that darn bear still stuck around for another 10-15 minutes. We had contemplated using bear spray on it, but we were enjoying the adrenaline rush of having it around. We finally just let it leave on it's own free-will.

Although I enjoyed our first bear sighting tremendously, my favorite part of the event was when the bear finally decided to leave. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't my favorite part because he left, it was my favorite part because of what he left. On his way out, that bear had the nerve to stop and take a big dump, right in the middle of the backyard! I may not have been positioned in a way that I was able to get many good pictures of the bear, however, I was lucky enough to get that on film!

Summer Set For Infamy

2008-07-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

On the front page of last Thursday's Anchorage Daily News was an article spelling out just how bleak and cold this summer has been, especially for this California girl. Anchorage is on pace to hit 65 degrees for the fewests days on record! The article, which would be enough to send a lesser person into a very dark depression, even went as far to lay out the staggering statistics in black and white. Let's measure the misery:

Days in a year at 75 degrees or above
Average: 4
Last year: 21
2008: 0

Days in a year at 70 degrees or above
Average: 15
Last year: 21
2008: 2

Days in a year at 65 or above
Average: 44
Last year: 46
2008: 7

Days in a year at 60 degrees or above
(this statistic is my personal favorite)
Average: 88
Last year: 97
2008: 35

Although Eric has been fortunate enough to leave this wonderful place we call "home" for brief jaunts here and there, the boys had I have not been so lucky. We have been in Anchorage every single day of 2008, so far, and have only experienced 35 days of temps. over 60 degrees, and far fewer days of sun. Am I whining? Perhaps. I prefer to think of it as just reporting the facts.

Logan and Eric will be leaving town for a few days at the beginning of September and I'm starting to think that I might just suck it up and pay for Kaiden and I to fly somewhere. It's not cheap to get out of here, not even to just hop over to Seattle, but at this point, I think my sanity is worth more than I'd pay for an airline ticket.

Back in February I was put on a Vitamin D supplement because my levels were extremely "low". I don't know how high the numerical scale for vitamin levels goes, but I know I was only at a 12. Now, six months later and after taking a one-a-week supplement of 50,000 iu of Vitamin D, I am still in the "low" category and have only moved up to a 24. Ideally, I would have been weaned off the supplement and put on a far lower dose of over-the-counter supplements, but so much for that grand idea. I'm going to maintain the initial dosage for 3 more months and then we'll check again.

I'm sure I heard the doctor prescribe a little rest and relaxation in a sunny locale (I just conveniently misplaced that prescription). My husband can't argue with that......can he?

Gas Commentary

2008-07-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

O.K., I know nobody wants to read about the price of gas in their free time, but.......You see, before we moved to Alaska, I had this idea that the people living here probably paid pennies on the dollar for their gas compared to those in other states. WRONG!!!!!!

Just today, AAA put out a survey that says the average price of regular gas in Alaska is the highest in the nation, topping this month's list at $4.64 a gallon. We are followed by California and Hawaii respectively. YIKES!!!!! My intent is not to start a political commentary, I just thought that information was interesting considering the dollar and production figures we see in the papers daily with regard to oil production in Alaska.

As you can see, we're all in the same boat. Even those of us living in Alaska.

26 Glacier Cruise

2008-07-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

For me, the highlight of our "family excursions" in Alaska was a day-trip glacier cruise on The Klondike, a charter run by Phillip's 26 Glaciers. The catamaran left out of Whittier at 1:00 p.m. and we returned back to the port just in time to catch the 6:00 p.m. tunnel back to civilization (aka Anchorage). Several days in advance, we pretty much randomly chose the day we were going to take the cruise and it turned out to be the most beautiful day of the summer so far. We were really lucky!

Whittier is considered "The gateway to Prince William Sound", as you could guess, our journey took us out into Prince William Sound. Of course, the glaciers are always magnificent to look at, but it was such a pleasure just to be out on the water this day. The water in the sound is considered "protected", and as such, the ocean there can be quite calm. On this particular day, the water was like glass at times.

I didn't count to make sure we actually saw 26 glaciers, but I don't doubt that we did. We definitely stopped at plenty and had ample time for photo opps. One of the glaciers even calved right in front of us. It was really something! We were also fortunate enough to be able to see quite a bit of sealife. There were plenty of otters out frolicking in the sun, sea lions, a couple of baby seals, and several bald eagles were seen lounging on the icebergs.

Eric works with a gentleman who is an Alaskan Native and seems to know just about everyone in Alaska. As luck would have it, Melvin actually knows someone who knows one of the ship's captains. Melvin made a few phone calls and was able to get us an invite to join the captain in the wheelhouse. How nice was that!!!!!! It was an extra nice treat for the boys to be able to sit in the captain's chair, see how the ship actually operates, and to share the captain's vantage point.

In August Eric's parents are joining Eric, the boys and I on a seven day cruise of The Inside Passage of Alaska. This day-trip really hyped me up for our impending cruise. The glaciers we've had an opportunity to see thus far have been amazing to me. Now I can't wait to see the really big ones in the middle of nowhere that drop huge chunks of ice off in the middle of the ocean without notice.

THANKS, MIMI!!!!!!

Exit Glacier

2008-07-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you that as I was laying in bed this morning, contemplating this blog post, I had a brief moment of panic. You see, Eric flew out to Dutch Harbor this morning and in hopes of catching a glimpse of all things "Deadliest Catch", he took the camera with him. I thought my pictures for this post were with him, but lucky for me (and you), my brilliant husband downloaded them from his memory card onto the computer last night. By the way, Andrea, I'll have Eric do a Dutch Harbor post for you when he gets back. Keep your fingers crossed, maybe he'll even catch a glimpse of Sig and Edgar in the local bar! For now, I can go about my blogging as I had originally intended.

One of the days my family was here, we took a day-trip to Seward. On our way there, we stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and much further down the road, we made a stop at Exit Glacier. We had no idea what this glacier was going to have in store for us, but we did know that we would be able to hike out to it and actually touch it. Touching it was the big draw for the kids and I, and actually, probably for the rest of the family as well. When we finally made it out to the glacier, it did not disappoint!

At the visitor's center we asked about the "trail" out to the glacier. We were mainly concerened as to how long it was and how difficult the terrain would be. We were assured we could all make it out to the glacier fairly quickly and were warned about a few "little rivers" to cross. The "little rivers" didn't concern us too much because we were told that people had set stepping stones in the water along the way to make the crossings manageable. At this point, there was no mention of wet feet or water deep enough that one false move/slip and it could merit a change of shoes and socks (shoes and socks that we did not have to spare). Armed with the limited knowledge that we had, we set out to touch the glacier.

We started out on the trail and shortly, we approached the "little rivers". Off in the distance we could see Exit Glaicier, but we soon realized that we would have to cross several, a little-deeper-than-anticipated rivers, using not-nearly-enough-stepping-stones-to-ensure-your-feet-would-remain-dry. After crossing the first bit of water and reassessing the situation, Eric and I decided our immediate family wasn't going to be going out to the glacier because we didn't want the kids moaning and groaning about wet feet for the rest of the day. We all decided to turn around and venture a little further along a different trail to see what we could see. At the end of that trail, we ran into some people who had just ventured out from that point to cross over to the glacier. They said it wouldn't be too difficult, so we decided to give it another valiant effort (plus now we had to listen to the kids moan and groan because they weren't able to walk out to touch the glacier). This time, we all decided we were gonna' touch that darn glacier even if our feet and potentially our bodies ended up soaked.

After much fancy footwork, we all finally made it to the glacier (relatively dry) and it was really a neat thing to be able to say we did. This particular glacier has receded so much over time that it doesn't appear to be calving (big pieces braking off) anymore, but little pieces of ice do still come loose from it and they make a little tinkling noise as they bounce down the face of the glacier. Standing there, touching the glacier, was one of those only in Alaska moments. It was one of those times when I was actually in awe of the fact that I live in Alaska. Fortunately, I do have those moments every now and again.

Back In Action...Finally

2008-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

I want to thank those of you who diligently follow my humble little blog, for continuing to check-in even though I've been on a brief hiatus. Yesterday afternoon, after a 5 hour round-trip drive to Seward, we successfully sent the last of our family members on their way. My mom and dad caught their flight back to CA on Saturday afternoon, my brother-in-law and his family set off for an Alaskan cruise yesterday afternoon (thus our trip to Seward), and my brother and sister-in-law actually left on an earlier than planned flight back to AZ in the middle of last week.

Our house is now officially visitor-free until early August and we're going to relish the solitude for a while. We enjoyed having everyone here, but I found that it's not always a cake walk having so many different personalities under one roof. Until moving to Alaska, we had always lived within about a 45 minute drive of our families, so housing relatives for an extended period of time is a new experience for us. Eric and I have been married for almost 12 years, so it has been a while since either of us has had a lengthy amount of "togetherness" with our parents and siblings. The good news is, we all managed to survive (even though my brother tried to melt our Trex deck down, but that's a story for another day)!

I had thought about writing one long blog with an overview of the highlights of my family's visit, but instead, I've decided to draw the excitement out over the course of the week. We visited a lot of interesting local sights and learned a ton. I have some fun stories and neat pictures to share. Check back tomorrow to see the first post of what will hopefully be a "week-long series".

I had better get started on my first installment. See ya' tomorrow!

Portage Glacier

2008-06-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today, the kids and I went with my parents to Portage Glacier. It's about a 50 minute drive from the house, but when you get there, it feels like a whole different world. It's amazing how much the weather can change in what is really, a fairly short distance. When we left Anchorage the temperature was mild and it was mildly overcast. When we arrived in Portage it was rainy, extremely windy, and downright cold (as you can probably tell by looking at our picture).

In order to view the actual glacier you have to pay to take a ferry ride out to it. For all of us, this was our first glacier experience and the trip was well worth it. There was a guide from the National Forest Service onboard who was very enjoyable and shared a lot of knowledge about glaciers in general, as well as the Portage Glacier specifically. It was money well spent, plus, my parents enjoy contributing to the local economy when they're on vacation.

My mom thought we may have picked a cruddy day to view the glacier, but we were told by the ranger that cruddy days are pretty much the norm in Portage. We discovered that glaciers actually have a way of creating their own weather. The cool thing about viewing the glacier when it's overcast is that the ice looks amazingly blue. We learned that the blue color is due to the refraction of light. When it is sunny outside, the ice doesn't have the same blue hue.

I guess we picked a pretty great day for a little Alaska adventure after all.

The Alaska Experience

2008-06-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

My parents arrived for their first visit to Alaska at around midnight on Sunday morning. Considering that Saturday was the summer solstice, I decided to post a few pictures of what it looked like at around 11:45 p.m. Saturday night, on our way to pick my parents up from the airport. Pretty crazy, huh?

Later in the week, maybe I'll have my mom do a "ghost post" on the blog so you can get her perspective of Alaska. So far, we've just kind of stayed local. We spent Sunday cruising around South Anchorage (where we live). Logan had to be at the batting cages for practice, so we dropped him off and headed for the local Fred Meyer store. As you can imagine, it was quite exciting.

After my mom's much needed nap, I drove her around a little to check out some of the nearby views. From our house, if we drive in one direction, there is a fabulous view of Turnagain Arm all the way to downtown and beyond. If we drive another direction, down the coast, there is an amazing view of the coastline and mountains (most with at least a little snow still on them).

Yesterday, my parents, the kids and I ventured into downtown. The Department of Public Lands has a really neat "office" on 4th Street and they have several free presentations that are very informative. We decided to go on a guided walking tour about Captain Cook, that they put on. The walk was easy, well done, and quite informative. It is definitely something worth checking out if you're ever in town.

Today my mom and dad are picking up their rental car. Although I haven't minded chauffering them around, it will be nice for all of us for them to have their own car. It would be great if life stopped because family is in town, but that's just no reality. Even though Nonnie and Papa are here, the boys still have ball games to play, practices to attend, and dental check-ups to go to. Another car will give everyone a little more freedom. I am, however, looking forward to doing some more sightseeing right along with my parents.

We have plenty of places to go to and things to see, so I'll be sure to keep you all posted as the week goes along. Maybe we'll even see a bear!!!!!

Happy Summer Solstice

2008-06-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

After doing a little research, I'm still not sure if the summer solstice was yesterday or today, but I do know that in Anchorage, they are celebrating today! Prior to moving to Anchorage, I had heard of the summer solstice, but didn't pay too much attention to what it was or what it meant to us. Let me tell you, it's not a huge deal even here, but it is a "to do" around town. Several shops in town have been advertising their summer solstice sales and will be open until midnight. Many of the bars are having bands and special events. The zoo will even be open 'til midnight with festivities for the whole family.

There is a "real" definition for summer solstice, but the big deal about it in Alaska is that it is the longest day of the year. In essence, it's all down hill from here! After today, we will gradually start losing daylight and our days will continually get shorter until the winter solstice in December, when we will have the shortest day of the year.

As you can imagine, from many of my blog posts over the past six months, Mother Nature is not cooperating on what is supposed to be one of the longest, sunniest, and most anticipated days of the year. In fact, I woke up this morning to the sound of rain outside. Considering that the weather is fairly cruddy today and that my parents are flying in late tonight, I'm not sure what, if anything, the boys and I will do to celebrate the longest day of the year. One thing is for sure, we won't be boiling to death like many of our friends and family in Southern California are. I certainly don't miss the triple digits!

The Best Gift Ever (Almost)

2008-06-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

I have received many great gift in my lifetime, from many friends and family members. At the risk of offending my friends and family, especially my extremely generous grandma who follows my blog, I have to rave about the Dyson hand vacuum my in-laws bought me for my birthday last year. I LOVE MY DYSON!!!!! The good news is that we gave my grandma one for Christmas, so I don't feel too terribly bad about raving.

My birthday is in November and shortly before that, I saw that Dyson had created a hand vacuum. I knew I had to have it. I have never found a hand-vac worthy of using, but I knew this would be the one. Let me tell you, I wouldn't give my Dyson up for anything. I use it ALL THE TIME!

When you combine a kitten and kids, you get unlimited use out of the vacuum. That hand vac has picked up more cat litter, cat food particles, and food crumbs than I can tell you about. I know plenty of people who own hand vacs, but none of them compare to my Dyson. It picks up the little stuff around my house whether I'm using it or my sons are.

I know this isn't one of my more exciting blogs, but I'd be doing you all a disservice if I didn't give Dyson a proper "shout out". If you're in the market, don't give it a second thought. Buy one!!!!!

Three Strikes And I'm Out

2008-06-16T00:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice leisurely Father's Day. We started the day without any plans, but soon formulated one. We decided to go hiking on a popular, local hiking trail. It was all downhill from there!

We were going to stop at Subway to grab some sandwiches to eat on our hike. I made the decision to stop at a Subway that is a little off the beaten path and we soon realized that it is closed on Sunday! STRIKE ONE! We went out of our way a bit, stopped at another Subway, grabbed some sandwiches and were finally on our way.

Before we left the house, I had done a little research to figure out where exactly we were going. As I read the directions, it dawned on me that I have seen signs for the trailhead before and I was confident that I knew where we were going without printing out the directions. Well, because of our little Subway detour, we came in from a different direction and I directed Eric to turn before we actually should have. We ended up at a totally different trailhead. STRIKE TWO!

We eventually arrived at our intended destination. As we pulled in, we noticed a sign that read: FEE. We parked the car and needed to figure how much this excursion was going to cost us. Just to park in the lot was going to cost us $5.00. $5.00 isn't that big of a deal if you have $5.00 on you. Eric only had $1.00 and I left my purse and wallet at home, so I had zero, zilch, nada! STRIKE THREE! Our options were to risk a $60 ticket, to turn around and get $5.00, or to go somewhere else. We left and decided to save that hike for another day.

When all was said and done, the day was not a total loss. After a brief stop at Play It Again Sports to purchase discs, we ended up at a downtown park for a round of disc golf (aka. frisbee golf). We all had a good time in spite of ourselves and we will definitely be playing again. Once you buy the discs, it's fairly inexpensive, it's decent exercise, and it got us outside.

After my three strikes, I needed some alone time in the form of a nap. Once we got back home, I slept and Eric bonded with the kids. It ended up being a fairly decent Father's Day... for me anyway.

On The Cutting Edge

2008-06-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I was literally "on the cutting edge." You see, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to cut into a bread roll with a sharp knife while using my hand as the cutting board. I know, I AM BRILLIANT!

To know me is to know that I don't do blood very well. The instant I cut into the meat of the inside of my left pinkie finger I knew I was going to need some kind of medical attention. I applied pressure to the cut instantly, but the minute I let up on it, the blood started oozing again. I was o.k. with the fact that I cut myself and I was even o.k. with the fact that I was bleeding, but I wasn't o.k. looking into the cut to determine how deep the knife had actually gone.

The boys happened to be on their way home from a baseball clinic and fortunately, our friend Cathy was bringing them home. She happens to be a nurse, lucky me! I called her cell to make sure she didn't just drop the boys and take off. I explained that I needed her to stop in to assess my wound and to offer a prognosis. Needless to say, after checking out my self-inflicted wound, she headed for home with my children in tow and I was headed to the urgent care.

When all was said and done, I ended up walking out of the urgent care with dermabond on my cut and a bill for $126.00 (and I only had to pay 20% of the entire bill, YIKES)! I could have used stitches, but because the cut was in such an awkward spot, the doctor decided to try the "glue" first. It was a success! The glue has already come off of the cut and I'm none the worse for wear. My pinkie will soon be as good as new.

Now for my Public Service Announcement:

After the doctor gladly took my money, he was happy to inform me that in the future, I can purchase dermabond at the pharmacy and can fix myself and my children up for considerably less money. He gave me a whole demo on how to stop the bleeding, clean the wound, and apply the glue. If, after the tourniquit is removed, the bleeding doesn't start again, you're good to go. If the bleeding continues, obviously stitches are the next option.

I'll send you a bill if you try it and it works.

Potpourri

2008-06-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

In the next few days we are going to start getting ready for the madness that is....family! The beauty of having moved to Alaska recently is that the whole family wants to come and explore the Last Frontier. Don't get me wrong, I am actually looking forward to everyone coming to visit, but regardless, there's still work to be done in advance. My parents will be here from June 21-July 5, my brother and sister-in-law will be here from June 26-July 5, and my brother-in-law and his family will be here July 3-July 5. Whew! We will have an empty house for close to a month and then Eric's parents will be coming to visit.

In anticipation of all of our company, the boys and I have had a fairly mellow summer so far. I figure with the cost of gas and the expense that will be involved with sightseeing, it would be better for us to wait for family to get here before we set out to explore Alaska. Needless to say, I should have a lot of good stuff to blog about in the near future.

Now for the potpourri part of this post:

For those of you wondering, we haven't bought a convertible yet (nor do we ever plan too), but I did give in to the gardening frenzy and purchased two hanging baskets for my front porch. Word on the street is that they will be crazy huge by the end of summer. I'm optomistic, but I won't hold my breathe! The good news is that Eric received a gift card to the local nursery for winning the chili cookoff, so no harm no foul.

For inquiring minds, I have yet to actually do anything about the bird "spot" on our bedroom window. I will someday soon, but for now, I'm just prolonging the inevitable.

As for the wild life, we haven't seen or heard anything in the past few days. I take that back, we did see a lone moose yesterday and a rabbit on our lawn. We see moose and rabbit so often they don't really count anymore. Are we jaded or what?

Last but not least, I will address the topic of weather. Our weather simply SUCKS! Kelli recently posted a comment that her friends from Washington thought our weather was nicer than theirs is right now. Their weather must be really terrible, because it has been cold, windy and down right dreary here in Anchorage all Spring. I think we've had two real days of sunshine since winter has ended, but don't feel too bad for me, I've had a good cry about it and now I've moved on. I have to look at the bright side, my in-laws had snow in Montana yesterday!

Where The WIld Things Are

2008-06-10T08:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one of the nicest, if not the nicest days, we've had all Spring. Of course, I had to open up all of the blinds and all of the windows to take full advantage of the day. When we went to bed last night, Eric closed the blinds and didn't close our bedroom window. No big deal, until......2:00 this morning.

Was it a cat fight? Could it have been a lynx? An unhappy baby bear? I unfortunately don't have an answer to that question and, of course, my imagination is running wild. At about 2:00 in the morning, we heard an animal yowling out our bedroom window. It sounded like the start of a cat fight, but I've only seen one domestic cat roaming around the entire time we've been here and the yowl was so incredibly loud and primal. I obviously know we don't have lions or tigers in Alaska, but if I didn't know better I would have thought I had one in my backyard last night.

Reality tells me it was just that one random neighbor cat on the prowl in the middle of the night, but if somebody told me it was a lynx, I would not be shocked. I know people around here have seen them from time to time. My other thought is that maybe it was a mama bear and her babies passing through and it was the babies causing a raucous. Too bad I'll never know for sure.

I wasn't able to catch a glimpse of the "wild thing". Although it isn't really "dark" outside at 2 a.m., it was still pretty dusky and by municipality ordinance, our backyard is the forest (read: kinda' jungly and overgrown). I heard the yowling and did what any good Alaskan would do, I closed the window and went right back to sleep.

It's For You

2008-06-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

As my children quickly become "tweens" (I think that's the new phrase for pre-teen), I knew it was inevitable. I knew that one day the phone would start ringing for them more than it would ring for the adults in the family. Considering the fact that I only have boys, I wasn't sure at what point this phenomenon would actually start occuring. I can tell you now, that the time has come!

I AM SO SORRY, MOM AND DAD!!!!!! At least in this day and age we have caller id and we can quickly tell before we even pick up the phone if the call is for us or the kids. I now understand that for my parents, it was a craps shoot everytime they picked up the phone. Until yesterday, my children rarely paid attention to the phone when it would ring. After my tirade yesterday, it is now their responsibility to look at the caller id and to decide if the incoming call is for Logan or for somebody else.

The up side to all of this is that at least we don't have girls calling the house yet!!! Logan is a video game junkie and apparantly his friends are too. Logan has one particular friend who will call to encourage him to login and play some online game (don't worry, I know what game they're playing and what they're doing. It's all on the up and up). They'll then hang up the phone. Once Logan starts playing the game, Dustin will call back several more times in a very short period of time in order to discuss the latest happenings in their online realm. Logan has another friend who calls. They will have a very brief conversation, they hang up the phone, and the minute Logan walks away from the handset the boy calls back. I don't get it!

Yesterday was the final straw for me! It was 11:00 in the morning, my boys were laying up in bed still, playing a video game and the phone rang. It wasn't for me. I answered it because I knew the boys wouldn't it. I proceeded to holler up the stairs for Logan. Being the prince that he is, Logan chose not to even acknowledge me. He has a way of tuning me out under the hospice of not hearing me, so I assumed he didn't hear me. I was wrong...as I walked up the stairs, hollering at him once more, it quickly became apparant that Logan has my "number". He knew that if he ignored me long enough I would bring the phone upstairs to him. Needless to say, that is the last time he'll play me for a fool (for a while anyway)!

After a long rant and rave, I made it quite clear that since the phone rings more for Logan these days than it does for anyone else, he is now in charge of looking at the caller id. If the call is for him, they need to answer it, if the caller is someone they don't recognize they need to holler for me or the answering machine needs to pick it up. Their slave is officially on strike!!! I guess the moral is: let me know if you need my cell phone number.

We're On the Prowl

2008-06-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's official, the bears are on the prowl, so we are now on the prowl! You see, my in-laws spend a lot of time in Montana and in years past, they have been fortunate enough to share their yard with a female bear and her cub during the spring and summer. When we have gone to visit we've kept our eyes peeled, but we have never seent he bears in person. When we moved to Alaska we were all excited by the prospect of seeing moose and bears. We've seen the moose, but we're still patiently waiting for the bears.

On Monday night we got a phone call at about 10:00 from our friends who live about 2.5 miles away, telling us they just saw a bear run by their house with it's fat flapping side to side. The day before that, I ran into someone I know who lives in a neighborhood adjacent to ours, they saw a bear at their house on Sunday. Yesterday morning I received a call from our friends who saw the first bear on Monday, and she had just had the pleasure of seeing a Mama and her three tiny cubs just outside of their yard!

The boys and I are sooooo jealous although I'm sure we'll freak out when we do actually see a bear in real life. Apparantly the bears are out in full force around here this season because it is taking so long for the salmon run to begin. They are sticking around the local woods in hopes of snagging a moose calf (which have also been spotted by several of our neighbors and friends) and where there is still plenty of water. I guess our best strategy is to just take our camera with us everywhere we go and to wait quietly and patiently. I'll let you all know how it works for us.

Where's My Pixie?

2008-06-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that my Weather Pixie has been MIA for the past several days. When I try to logon to their website there is no server! I've tried to find a replacement for her until I can figure out what is going on, but there really doesn't seem to be a comparable replacement. My Weather Pixie had so much character. I'm going to give it a few more days before I remove her from my blog. I hope the sight comes back up and we don't have to bid her farewell!!!!

Out Damn Spot

2008-06-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

A few afternoons ago, I walked into my bedroom and was baffled by the big "spot" that is now on the outside glass of our picture window! My best guess is that a bird flew into the glass! We have yet to find remnants of a bird and from what we can tell, the smudge is not guts. Hmmmm! When I first noticed the spot, however, there was another little spot nearby and there were a bunch of fine little feathers stuck to the window. The little feathers have blown away and now we're left with this big spot in the middle of our beautiful view.

Of course this had to happen on our second story window, so the question now is.....what to do? Do we stand on the ground and use a high powered nozzle to spray it off and then have streaks all over the window? Do we plunk down a nice chunck of change for an extra-long ladder so I can clean the window? Do I just suck it up and call someone to come out and clean all of our windows???????? Hey, maybe I'll put up a poll and you can all participate. In the meantime, has anybody tried that Windex window stuff that you attach to the hose and spray? Does it work?

Lazy Days of Summer

2008-06-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since I last posted, so I thought I had better get on the stick today. I'm happy for me, but sorry for all of you (because I haven't had much to report lately), that it has been a verry mellow start to summer. I promise I'll come up with something good to blog about tomorrow.

For today though, I'll tell you that because it never really gets dark here anymore, the whole familly has been staying up until around midnight. The good news is, we have blackout shades in all of the rooms in our house. The shades make for an interseting phenomenon, because without them we wouldn't be able to sleep, but with them, even the kids have been sleeping in every morning until 10:00 or 11:00! Poor Eric, he's the only one with obligations right now, so he still has to get up to be out the door by around 7:45. I feel for him, but not too much, after all....somobody has to bring in a paycheck, right?

As I sit in my robe, typing this blog at 11:00 a.m. I am reminded what a luxury it is to be stay-at-home mom.

Gardeners and Convertibles

2008-05-29T11:00:00.001-07:00

It was quite strange to me that all winter long I would see garage doors open and close throughout the neighborhood, but rarely saw signs of real human life. It is even more bizarre to look back on winter now that spring has arrived. I am now hard pressed to go outside, even at midnight, at not see someone! It's almost like the people here are robots and they know exactly when they are suppossed to come out of their houses for spring and summer.

The funniest thing to me is how the minute people emerge from their houses, they have gardening and convertibles on their minds. I grew up in Southern California, not far from Huntington Beach, and I have never saw as many fancy convertible sports cars (particularly Porsches and T-Birds) as I have seen on the road here in just the last month. Apparantly many people in Alaska have enough disposable income to drive SUVs all winter long while their paying to store and probably pay monthly on their convertibles.

There is a beautiful little nursery in town that I frequented often during the winter. It's close to home and it was kind of an escape for me sometimes. The nursery has a quaint little gift shop inside and outside, in a covered and heated area, they have a really neat William and Sonomaesque cooking shop. The gift and kitchen shop keep the nursery in business during the winter months. As you can imagaine, parking spots are a dime a dozen in the winter. Now that Spring has arrived, my "quaint" nursery in now a mad house and parking is at a premium. I am amazed at the amount of money being spent there on any given day. People are walking out with 6-7 hanging baskets of flowers, to the tune of $25-$80 each! They are purchasing flats and flats of flowers and bags and bags of fertilizer and mulch. It's insane!

As I walk through our subdivision, I continue to be amazed by how green everyones grass is and the fact that many of our neighbors literally have flats of flowers sitting on thier driveways, just waiting to be planted. I often go for a walk later in the evening (it still looks like about 5:30 and 10:30) and I see people out planting flowers, pruning, fertilizing, or mowing their lawns. Eric and I laugh at how often some of our neighbors mow their lawns. In California, mowing your lawn becomes a necessary evil and many people put it off as long as possible. Here in Alaska, people can't wait to mow their lawns!

So, for the past month I have continued to wonder what the obsession is with gardens and convertibles in Alaska. I don't enjoy convertibles much, so that continues to be lost on me, but I kind of "get" the gardening aspect. Although I continue to think many of my neighbors are ridiculously obsessed with their lawns and gardens, I guess they can be because they only have to put the time, effort, energy, and money into them for a very short few months.

Long live Spring and Summer!!!!!!!!

The Secret, Magical Meeting

2008-05-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

By nature, I am not really an obsessive person. Sure, I obsess about random little things from time to time, but I obsess and then I'm done. For some strange, whacked out reason, of all the things I could truly obsess about in my life, I choose to obsess about trashday almost every week. What do you think Dr. Phil would have to say about that?

Trashday in our neighborhood is Wednesday. When we first moved here, making sure the trash got put out was HUGE because we had so much rubbish from the move that our garage was quickly filling up. When you need to get two cars, all of your belongings and a bunch of broken down empty boxes crammed into your garage, trashday can't come soon enough. We quickly learned that it was imperative to put our trash out Tuedsay night, regardless of the weather outside, because the trash collector would often be here and gone in the 5 o'clock hour (a.m. that is). As you know from a previous post (see: Trashcanpalooza), I've had trashcans full of stinky stuff blow away in the wind in the name of having my trash disposed of.

As spring approached, people started talking more and more about bears (no, we haven't seen any yet). The HOA has made a huge deal about the fact that you shouldn't put your trashcans out until the morning, for fear that bears will scavenge. So, in the name of appeasing our neighbors, on Tuesday nights I have been sleeping like crap, worrying that I won't wake up early enough to get the trash out. As soon as the clock would hit 4:30 a.m., I was running outside to get the trash to the street before the trash man came. The odd thing was...I would be up at 4:30 putting my trash out, but none of the neighbors were up dragging their trash out! One morning I decided to pay a little extra attention to my neighbors, I was going to see what time they all take their trash out. I noticed that as they were leaving for work, they would just take the trash to the curb and would go on their merry way. They weren't sleeping like crap, nor were they waking up at 4:00! HEY!!!!!!!!!! At what point did the trash man decide to start coming to pick up trash later in the morning? Apparantly when you're new to the neighborhood you don't get that memo!

I guess on some magical Wednesday morning, on some secret spring day, the trash collectors decide that they will pick up trash later in the morning. Do ya' think somebody could have said something? Now that I have zero faith in my neighbors, I'm presented with another dreadful trash dilema...holidays! You see, Monday was Memorial Day. Back in CA, if Monday is a holiday, your trashday is delayed by one day that week. Today is Wednesday, is there going to be trash pick-up or not? Needless to say, I've been laying in bed with the window open, listening for the sound of the trash truck, obsessing since 6:30 this morning. Was that a trash truck.....no, it was an airplane. Was that the trash truck.....no, it was a motorcycle. Was that the trash truck.... I think you get the picture. Finally, at 8:00 I heard the unmistakeable sound of the trash truck, I ran my garbage out to the curb, and now I sit and wait.

I'm sure we won't get the memo about the magical , secret day in the very near future when the trash man decides he's going to start picking up our trash at 5:00 a.m. again! I guess I can be glad we actually have trash service and I don't have to shlep it all to the dump! Maybe they'll even offer recycling services in Anchorage someday. I won't hold my breathe! I will, however, continue to obsess about our trash every Wednesday morning.

Fish On???

2008-05-27T11:11:00.001-07:00

Eric took the boys fishing on the Eklutna River bright and early Saturday morning. I wasn't going to fish (we aren't considered residents until we've lived here for a year, and the non-resident annual license fee is ridiculous) and I needed my beauty sleep, so I drove out to meet them a little later in the morning. The river is about a 45 minute drive toward Palmer and the drive was BEAUTIFUL! There must be a bit milder climate just a short distance out of Anchorage, because everything was already so green and lush! We're just starting to get a little green around here.

Apparantly, because we've had such a late start to our Spring, the salmon haven't quite started their infamous "run" yet. There weren't too many people out fishing at our spot on Saturday, but out of the ones that were, nobody caught a thing! The boys were patient and enjoyed casting, but their treasures came up short. By the time I arrived, the boys had been fishing for several hours to no avail and the little ones were ready for some carb intake. Below, you will see a vast difference between how dad fishes...

and how the boys fish (NOTE: Grandpa, close your eyes)....

In the end, a good time was had by all!

Schools Out For Summer

2008-05-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I just typed those words! School is out for summer and it is only May 22! That's almost a whole month earlier than the kids in Southern California get out of school and they really don't start back to school much earlier. The first day of school will be August 20 here.

To think that I used to sit around just prior to June 20 many years, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my kids all summer. The beauty of being in Alaska is that it is a little different in the summer here compared to many places in the nation. For starters, we will have almost 24 hours of sunlight pretty soon and there are many outdoor activities to participate in that are easily accessible and don't cost much money. I have a strong suspicion that many company's run on almost a skeleton crew during the summer months. I venture to guess I'll be seeing Eric around here more than I would probably like to.

The other nice thing about living in Alaska during the summer (especially our first summer) is that we will have many visitors who will help break up the monotony. My side of the family will be coming to visit in late June. Eric's brother and his family will be passing through for a few days in early July, on their way to cruise The Inside Passage. In early August, Eric's parents are coming to town and after about a week here, we'll all be going on a cruise of The Inside Passage. We figure we don't know how long we'll be here, so we might as well see and do everything we can while we're here.

I'm off to have breakfast with some of the girls from the bus stop (they are all quickly becoming my saving grace) and then it's over to the school for an afternoon bbq. Such is the life of a mom! I'll be thinking of all you moms with kids still in school for another month, as I sleep in, don't have to worry about lunches being made or homework getting done. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!

Birthday Booty

2008-05-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, here's the birthday booty breakdown:

Ripstick
Calvin and Hobbes books
Pirateology Set
Trail/Mountain Bike
Remote Control Race Car

and, drum roll please............

a Tempurpedic type memory foam mattress (he claims that he slept like a baby last night)

It's Party Time

2008-05-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAIDEN AND PAPA!!!!!!

May is a crazy month for birthdays in our family (my grandma, Eric's grandma, my sister-in-law, my dad, & Kaiden plus Mother's Day)! May 21 is usually extra fun though because not only is it Kaiden's birthday, but he is lucky enough to share his birthday with his Papa (my dad). It's funny because I know some kids wouldn't want to "share" their birthday with a family member, but for Kaiden, sharing the day with his papa seems to make it extra special for him.

I have an admission to make, I am a terrible daughter! This is the first year we aren't going to be with my dad for their shared birthday and I didn't even send a card! I feel guilty about it, but the mail isn't real fast in Alaska and with everything that's going on around here I neglected to get a card in the mail. I know my dad loves me anyway and we'll make it up to him at Mooses Tooth when they come to town in June.

Speaking of everything that's going on around here, I'm not really even sure what we're going to do to celebrate Kaiden's birthday. Heaven knows he has enough presents (you'd almost think it's Christmas around here), but both boys have baseball games tonight and Eric left to go to Cold Bay overnight on business. Kaiden wanted me to take him out to lunch, but tomorrow is the last day of school and they have a field day planned for today and I don't want him to miss that. The good news is, Eric is taking Friday off and we have a long Memorial Day weekend without any obligations. I think the new Indiana Jones movie is in the cards for us on Friday morning.

Tomorrow I will post a breakdown of the birthday bootie, stay tuned!

What a Bunch of Hooligans

2008-05-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, we took a family hike and then we drove to a small fishing town called Whittier. We had never been to Whittier and decided we should take a drive down there before family comes to town. Whittier is the closest place to go out on fishing charters, day cruises, and the major cruiselines. In my humble opinion, the town is rather sleepy and not very impressive, but it serves its purpose.

The thing I found most fascinating about our trip to Whittier was not the actual town, but rather, what we saw on the side of the highway on our way there. As we drove down the main highway, with the ocean just to our right hand side, we noticed a line of cars parked on the shoulder. I could not for the life of me figure out what the big draw would be. As pedestrian ran across the highway in front of our car, my eyes followed them. It didn't take long for us to realize that, just over the guardrail, people were dip net fishing.

I'm sure you could have figured it out, but in case you didn't, dip nets are big nets on the end of a long pole. At certain times of the year, in certain areas, while fishing for certain types of fish, people use dip nets instead of actual fishing poles. When you see all these guys lined up in the water with their waders on and poles in hand it all seems very surreal. It's the kind of stuff you definitely don't see in California, but would catch a glimpse of in a movie.

The whole experience definitely gave me a new appreciation for the "stupid" things some people do at times. If you were to pull over on the side of the freeway to fish in Southern California, people would think you were crazy and you'd most likely get a ticket. Here, if you don't pull over on the side of the freeway when the fishing is good, people think you're crazy. It's all a matter of perspective I suppose. I'll certainly think twice before I get mad at someone for being "stupid".

Fishing, camping and gardening are about all anyone in Alaska talks about during this time of year, so I didn't really put much thought into what these guys were fishing for. I opened up today's newpaper and there was a small write up on the front page about the hooligan running. Apparantly they fish for hooligan on Twentymile River where it empties into Turnagain Arm along the Seward Highway. Commonly called hooligan, eulachon are oily fish that were traditionally used as candles when dried and fitted with wicks. Until the 1900s, large groups of Native Alaskans gathered along rivers to dry the fish and extract their oil using simple presses. Today, they are important as a subsistence species and are frozen, dried, and smoked mostly for human consumption.

I came across a little visual of hooligan fishing for you all on YouTube. I think it's about 3 minutes long. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, I would at least suggest you watch the first 2 minutes. It's crazy how many fish they come up with in one quick scoop.

And The Winner Is...

2008-05-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend, our homeowner's association hosted a chili cook-off. My dear husband is fairly competitive and it wasn't good enough for him to just show up to enjoy some chili, he wanted to compete. With a little help from his dad, who provided the recipe, Eric took home the blue ribbon. He actually took home something far better than a blue ribbon. He was awarded a $100 gift card to a local nursery/gift shop, called Bell's Nursery. There are a million and one things I would like to buy there, so I'm very excited about his winnings.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the winning chili wasn't just your ordinary, everyday, run of the mill chili. Eric's chili was caribou chili (compliments of his most recent trip to Adak) and it was FANTASTIC!!!!!! In the unlikely event you ever have some caribou you need to cook up, I'm sure Eric would be happy to share his award winning recipe with you.

My New Best Friend

2008-05-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

I know many of you will be happy to know that I now have a new best friend. My best friend is not a good listener, and is of few words. I even had to pay my best friend $40.00 to agree to be seen with me. I figure $40.00 is a small price to pay if my best friend has to save my life or the lives of any of my family members, so I willingly forked over the cash. As you've probably guessed, my new best friend isn't even human. It's Counter Assault Bear Deterrent!

During this time of year in Alaska, the locals swear by bear spray. I'm not yet convinced that we actually need it, but when it comes to bears and the safety of my family, I'm not going to be a nay-sayer. Before we go on a hike or even a walk in the neighborhood now, we grab the bear spray. We haven't seen a bear yet, but we did see three moose just off the trail we went hiking on this morning. We didn't bother them, they didn't bother us and we all went on our way.

Basically bear spray is a very strong pepper spray. Recent studies claim the spray is 98% effective against bear attacks. In theory, the spray has a range of 32 ft. and the canister can be emptied in 9.2 seconds. That's pretty crazy! I do admit, because I'm not convinced I will actually have a close encounter with a bear, I do feel silly carrying the spray while I'm on my walk. I figure many women carry pepper spray for other reasons, so I'm no better or worse.

How Do They Do It?

2008-05-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

I often wonder how single parents do it. I certainly don't envy them. I am married, stay home and I still have a hard time keeping the house clean, laundry done, everyone fed, and the taxi in service.

I don't know how anyone does it when their children are in multiple activities. Both of the boys are playing Little League and just this one activity is quickly becoming overwhelming. Logan was drafted into the majors and Kaiden is on a minor team. We couldn't be fortunate enough to have practice for one kid on Mondays and Wednesdays and one kid on Tuesdays and Thursdays, no, we have practive for both kids on Mondays and Wednesdays at exactly the same time at two different places. Logan will actually have practice everyday this week and both boys have games at exactly the same time on Saturday, of course, at two separate locations. In between all of this, the boys still have homework, need to eat on occassion and Logan has to memorize The Gettysburg Address.

I know most, if not all, of you have had a similar experience with your kids or something else in your life. I'm not crying the blues or seeking sympathy, I'm really just wondering out loud (so to speak). I honestly don't get how single parents and parents with more than two kids do all that is required of a parent. My hat is off to them! I'm blessed to have the support of a husband and I'm smart enough not to over-schedule my children, but just the minimum can still be a lot to handle.

I will go on the record for just one moment and say that I don't get paid enough and I think I deserve a raise.

A Pop of Color

2008-05-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

We finally have a pop of color in one of our flower beds. I get so happy when I wake up in the morning, pull open the blinds, look out my kitchen window and see a little punch of color staring back up at me.

Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

2008-05-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Our oldest son, Logan is just finishing fifth grade. Fifth grade has been an amazing learning experience. I feel like he has learned more this year than he has in any other single year of school. I of course understand that vitally important stuff has been taught to him each year he has been in school, but this year he has really learned a ton, particularly about U.S. history (and Shakespeare's works). He has memorized all of the states and their capitals, he has learned about the Revolutionary War, about Westward Expansion and the Oregon Trail, he studied about life in the Colonial Days, did reports on a president (John Quincy Adams) and a state (Oregon), memorized the preamble to The Constitution, and they have just finished learning about the Civil War. As a matter of fact, Logan is currently pacing around the living room working on memorizing The Gettysburg Address. He's making me dizzy, but considering the fact that he has always been a kinesthetic learner, I'm not about to tell him to sit down.

I have never been required to memorize the Gettysburg Address, nor had a I ever read it all the way through, prior to Logan bringing it home. When I read it, it really struck a chord within me and the words were quite powerful. I don't want to get too deep and philosophical, but if you haven't ever read Lincolns' Gettysburg Address I thought you might find it worth your while (it's short):

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Kaiden's Birthday Wishlist

2008-05-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

I have to post Kaiden's birthday wishlist for you all to see. As you review the list, keep in mind he will be turning 9 and he neglected to put the iPod he has also asked for on the list. For the sake of anticipation, I have listed his wishlist in descending order. Get a load of the number 1 item on his list!

5. Flat Screen TV

4. Snowboard

3. Ripstick

2. Bike

1. Temperpedic Mattress

The Simple Life

2008-05-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

For the record, I am not one of those moms who claims she has only been to the mall twice since she's been in Alaska. I grew up loving the mall and I still love the mall. I'll admit that I don't go to the mall as often as I used to back home, but I do still go once or twice a month. If you don't go to the mall here, you are in and out of the same few stores over and over again. We buy our clothes at the same store we buy our toilet paper and deodorant at.

I don't think I realized how pathetic our shopping is here until recently. The boys' Little League season is starting and we had to go out and purchase a few items such as cleats, socks, sleeves, etc. There is really only one place to shop for said items and that would be at Sports Authority. If Sports Authority doesn't have the size, color, or style you need you better start looking online. Literally, when it comes to specialty type items, we have one store with only one location. We have one Sports Authority, one REI, one Pier One, one Toys R Us...I think you get the picture.

Aside from the lack of variety, I find that because competition is lacking here, prices are sometimes higher. For example, if you need baseball pants, socks, cleats, etc. you have to pay the price Sports Authority is charging. We don't have the luxury of going to the Chicks down the street or to Target (there's one coming soon though) to see if they have the same thing for a lower price. A dollar doesn't seem to buy much in this neck of the woods, but then again, where does it these days?

I do have to say that because we lack shopping variety, it has simplified our lives a bit. If we went to every store in town looking for a particular item, we would only have a handful to choose from. If the kids are looking for something special and we can't find it, we can't find it. Driving to another store isn't always an option. The kids know, if you see something you like at Wal-Mart nobody will care that you bought it at Wal-Mart, just buy it. We're all in the same boat.

The next time I call and ask you to go to the local store to see if they have something specific, please take pity on me. The amazing thing is, although there aren't many places to shop, I still manage to spend plenty of money. Go figure!!!!!

Proud Member of the Rocket Club

2008-05-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right, you are reading the blog of one of the newest members of the Elton John Rocket Club! I want you to know that in the name of entertaining you all, I am putting my head on the chopping block. If my husband reads this and finds out I spent $40 of his hard earned money to join Elton John's fan club, I will never hear the end of it. Let's just hope he has been too busy to keep tabs on my blogging.

Before you think I'm totally off my rocker, let me plead my case. As I mentioned yesterday, Elton John is coming to town and his concert sold out quickly. Eric and I went online last night and as we can all imagine, ticket prices are already out of this world on Ebay. People are getting upwards of $500 for one ticket and are selling pairs for close to $3000. There is no way I'm even gonna' go there! Lucky for me, good ol' EJ decided to add another show, on May 30. Tickets will go on sale Monday morning.

Always being the one looking for another angle, I decided to check out eltonjohn.com to see if they offer any special way of getting pre-sale tickets. What I found was that if you pay $40 to join his fan club, you get the priviledge of purchasing pre-sale tickets to his concerts. The site claims that the tickets are generally quite good (my words, not theirs) and each member is limited to 2 tickets. According to the newspaper this morning, out of the 8,000 seats in the arena, about 1,000 are set aside for promotional purposes and fan club members. Considering that each member can only purchase 2 tickets, my chances of getting tickets as a member of the Elton John fan club could certainly be better than those of the general population.

I figure at a membership price of $40, if I am in fact able to purchase tickets, I will have only paid a mark-up of $20/ticket. That's a far more reasonable mark-up than what people on ebay are paying and a portion of my 40 bucks goes to charities that Elton John supports. If I don't get pre-sale tickets I'll probably be pissy for about a day, I'll swear at myself for throwing away $40, and I will have made a charitable contribution.

After carefully weighing my options I decided that I have spent $40 on worse causes and, if nothing else, the drama over these darn tickets has been worth my $40. Who knows, I may even walk away from this whole thing with 2 tickets to an Elton John concert in my hand. Then we'll see who's laughing! If nothing else, I'll have a great Elton John poster to hang somewhere in my house. Are you jealous yet?

Sold Out

2008-05-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I read in the newspaper last week that Elton John was going to be in concert here in Anchorage. Elton John is one of those performers I have always wanted to see, but never thought I would get to, because tickets for his performances are always in such high demand. I remember growing up in So. Cal. thinking that if we lived in some out of the way place it would be so much easier to get the hot concert ticket. I discovered today just how wrong I was.

Tickets went on sale at 10:00 this morning for the concert on 5/28. I decided I wasn't going to wait in line with the rest of Anchorage. I was going to sit on my computer, waiting for the clock to strike 10:00 and I was going to be all over Ticketmaster's website. In my warped imagination, I was going to have tickets in my hand shortly after 10:00 and every fool who waited in line for hours would be jealous. Yeah, not so much!!!! I was on Ticketmaster.com at 10:00, but I didn't stand a chance. For the next 45 minutes I sat at our computer typing in secret code words and clicking on the "back" link. For 45 minutes I received message after message informing me that there were no tickets available. In a last ditch effort I even called my dad in So. Cal. for their local Ticketmaster phone number so I could try getting tickets through them, but that didn't pan out for me either.

All of you living in a large metropolitan area can take comfort in knowing that even when you live in Timbuktu, when a big star comes to town, it suddenly becomes as populated as Los Angeles. As I type this today, I wasted 45 minutes of my life on Ticketmaster.com and I still do not have Elton John tickets to show for it. Some neighbors and acquaintances I've talked to fared better than I did and some met the same fate. When it comes down to it though, I have to admit that I am pretty resourceful, so don't count me out just yet!

Baby Bear to Goldilocks...

2008-05-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

As I've told you all before, adapting to the parenting lifestyle in Alaska as opposed to California has been quite a difficult transition for me. I have come to the conclusion that you can take the mom out of California, but you can't take California out of the mom. We went from living in a state where many parents are paranoid about child predators, to a state where parents are still paranoed about child predators, only the predators that they worry about here are moose and bears.

As our kids get older, in the name of independence, I have slowly been letting go and have been letting the kids venture a little beyond my personal comfort zone. The "letting go" is gradual though and I don't think we have ridiculous rules or restrictions for our children in the first place. I'll admit that I just can't find it within me to drop my 10 year old son off at the movies without an adult we know somewhere in the building. I know there will be a time very soon when dropping off will be a reality for me, but I'm not there yet. Maybe when Logan is 12 or 13, but not at 10. He still can't even remember our new phone number and address, SCARY!!!!

Although I won't drop Logan off at the movies, I have decided that it's time to allow Kaiden to wander up to the neighborhood park unattended on occassion. I can, after all, see the park from my kitchen window and could actually yell at or run to him very quickly if he was in danger. Regardless, letting him go up there alone is still out of my comfort zone. In an attempt to give myself a little more "control" with the situation, and a false sense of security, I have decided that if Kaiden and I use walkie talkies while he is at the park he can easily call me if there is danger (a moose, a bear, an accident, or a yucky person).

Considering that Kaiden is fairly paranoid by nature, he's okay with the whole walkie talkie idea. The first time he went to the park with friends we turned on the walkie talkies, talked about how to use them, and he was on his way. I figured I would keep my eye on hime while he was playing and I wouldn't hear from him again until he came back home. Well, I was wrong! He was just steps away from the house when over the speaker I hear..."Baby Bear to Goldilocks, come in Goldilocks, do you read me?" I about fell on the floor laughing! Where does that kid come up with these things? So now, on the occasion Kaiden wants to play at the park he knows the drill. He grabs the walkie talkie, walks out the door, and does a radio check, "Baby Bear to Goldilocks..."

If you can believe it, by all accounts, Kaiden is our more "difficult" child. He is also our more "unique" child and as such, he provides us with as much laughter as he does grief. As you can tell from the stories I share, I am grateful for his quirkiness even though he gives us a run for our money. I think my parents call it "pay back".

The Meltdown

2008-04-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

In the early morning hours of April 26, 2008, the sound of what appeared to be several gunshots shattered the silence of a sleepy Anchorage, AK neighborhood. In reaction to the disturbing sounds, the Anchorage Police Department received several calls. After receiving the calls, Police Officers were dispatched to investigate the shots fired reports.

When the Officers first arrived in the reported area, they did not see anything unusual, nor did they see anything out of place. The area was still white from the freshly fallen deep snow cover. The whole City had received a record snowfall during the previous 24-hour period.

Just about the time the Officers were ready to call off the search, they spotted what appeared to be the shape of a portly body partially snow covered in the yard of one of the homes. As they cautiously walked up the driveway of the residence to investigate further, a ghastly and horrifying scene of a crime played out in front of their eyes. Not only were they surprised and shocked by the sights, but they also had to take swift action to restrain and apprehend the possible shooter.

After gaining control of the scene, it was apparent that the damage had already been done. The Officers immediately called out the Homicide Detective to take over the scene and investigate the crime. As you could imagine, time was of the essence due to the unstable nature of the scene, suspect, and victim.

The Detective made quick work of the case and with the assistance of a key witness, was able to get a confession out of the suspect prior to his melt down.

Case Closed!

This has been another ghost post from Eric, who obviously enjoyed this recent snowfall a little too much!

Snowman Homicide in Anchorage

2008-04-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

SHOOTING.....POSSIBLE SNOWMAN DOWN.......INVESTIGATORS ARE IN ROUTE......WITNESSES HAVE REPORTED GORY SCENE........DETAILS AND PHOTOS TO FOLLOW! CHECK BACK SOON!!!!!

At The End of The Day

2008-04-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

It continued snowing well into the night. I don't know what time it stopped exactly, but I know it was well after 9:30 p.m. Remember those pictures I posted yesterday at 2:15? The pictures currently posted are the one I took this morning, from the same vantage point!!!! To think I thought there was a lot of snow by yesterday afternoon! Eric measured 14 inches of accumultion last night, so much for the 3-5 inches they predicted. I would be remise if I didn't remind you all that there are only 4 more days of April and this is what it looks like in Alaska today. HOLY COW!!!!!!