Welcome To "MY" Alaska

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!

I Have Learned...

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

Thanksgiving Fun

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......

Happily Ever After...For Now

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

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

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

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.

Winter Has Arrived

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!

My Acceptance Post

Wow, what can I say, with a 78% approval rating from the "getting by in alaska" blogspot voters, I feel more popular than most government leaders. Thank you to all my supportive followers (potential followers anyway), for the overwhelming landslide of a victory. I would anticipate that you will enjoy my periodic posts and with time my approval rating will climb even higher. As for the three (3) of you that decided to vote against my occasional contribution, I am pretty sure you can find something better to be doing right about NOW! Not to worry, I don’t get mad, I get even!!! Okay, lets get to it.

Let me start with this big broad statement: "Most of what has been stated in this blog as of today is true, with an emphasis on most." I guess it’s okay to take some poetic liberty when writing a blog, why not, I would have to guess that a good majority of the people who end up reading the posts don’t even know who we are or what our lives are all about. I do have to admit, I thought the whole blog thing was a waste of time. I was quite surprised that the site was being visited so frequently. As of this post, the site has been visited 517 times since January 26, 2007. I do in fact find it quite interesting to look at the statistics link, a link that shows you just about everything you want to know about how often your blog page is being viewed, with the exception of who is viewing it. Very interesting stuff indeed. I do find myself reading the comments that people leave, that’s kind of cool to hear from people you know and people you don’t know. I have even told some of the people I know about the blog, it’s a good way to tell people about our journeys and adventures in Alaska.

So, here we are, living and working is Alaska, it is quite a change from Southern California. For those of you who don’t know, both Stephanie and I were born and raised in SUNNY Southern California. I do have to say, you do kind of settle into a routine. One thing that is kind of hard to get used to is the extreme cold. Right now it is –4 degrees and it has been sub zero for about a week and a half. The average temperature in Anchorage is supposed to be about 20 degrees or so this time of year. The weatherman is saying warmer weather ahead and that means snow. Stephanie is lucky though, I am going to Seattle for business next week and she will get to manage the snow blowing, although Kaiden, our eight year old, told me he would do it. Driving in this weather is also a treat and a challenge at times. We have a new 4wheel drive Honda Pilot (we like it) and recently purchased studded tires. The car works well in most, if not all, driving circumstances. Really, like most areas, you need to watch out for the crazy drivers around you. I heard the average age in Alaska is about 34 years old, very young age. When I first moved here, the Realtor told me that people run red lights routinely, so look before you go on green. So far, we have done well, with the exception of our slide down a hill and into a small snow berm. Studs were installed the next day!

In an earlier post, you heard about Stephanie’s Alaska DMV adventure, you know, the trip she was keeping a secret. Well, I am happy to report that I too am legal to drive in the great state of Alaska. Of course I did not get lost trying to find the place and I did not miss a question on the test. I am not saying I am better than my wife, I am just stating the facts.

This next part is primarily for all the guys that are checking into this blog, gals are welcome too, but you may lose interest, unless you already have.

After getting my license on Friday, I drug Stephanie to a sporting goods store, you know, a store with guns. I have been eyeing a specific gun (.44 magnum) for some time and I needed executive (wife) approval to purchase. I have been wanting, maybe needing, to buy a .44 magnum for a while, even before coming to Alaska, so after moving here, the deal was sealed. I am not sure if most of you know this or not, but wild animals roam the neighborhoods here, bears, moose, etc., you can’t be too careful. Anyway, I purchased a Stainless Steel Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum 4" (six shot), it can fire the biggest heaviest loads. It is a big gun, with a lot of power, enough to drop a bear if necessary (with a good shot). I don’t intend to hunt bear, it is more for protection while hunting, fishing, and hiking. I have not fired it yet, I will report back after I do.

A couple more things about guns in Alaska: 1. I was able to fill out paperwork, pay for the gun, and walk out of the store with it, all in about 20 minute. If you are an Alaska resident all they have to do is make a call and check your background, if you are clean, you can take to gun home immediately. 2. While in Alaska you can carry a concealed weapon (CCW) without any special permits. There are some restrictions, but they are minimal. Even in your car, all you are required to do is advise law enforcement that you have a loaded firearm if you are stopped. It truly is like the old west up here.

Well, I believe I have written enough for my first ghost post, I hope most of you enjoyed it, and if you did not, that’s okay too.

To Shop or Not to Shop

This is the to shop part of the blog......

I know you're all aware that we live in Alaska, but sometimes I think some of you think we actually live in Timbuktu. To set the record straight, we do have "real" stores here and I don't have to travel for hours to get to the mall. As a matter of fact, the nearest mall is only three freeway exits away. Among other stores, there is a Gap, Gap Kids, Old Navy, American Eagle, and a Gottchalks. Off that same freeway exit is also a Sam's Club, Petco, Borders, Home Depot, Wal Mart, Costco, Sports Authority, Pier 1 and Bed Bath and Beyond. See, we almost have it all! Target should be here this spring! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!

Now, if I care to venture down the freeway a little further there is (I know this may be shocking) another mall. This mall is a little fancier than the aformentioned and they have a Nordstrom, JC Penney, Banana Republic, Abercrombie, and Coach, in addition to some of the same chain stores I mentioned at the first one. This mall is downtown and if you can believe this, they make you pay to park. It's a minimal cost, but a good trip to the mall with cost ya' a couple of bucks.

The price for clothing seems comparable to the prices in California, but we don't have sales tax here, so that's kind of a bonus. The weird thing is, that so far, I've found much better deals on mens clothing than on womens. I keep going to the mall, looking for a good bargain for me, and I end up walking out with a bag full of bargains for Eric. That man has quite a wardrobe going on. Imagine the damage I could do if his arms weren't so darn long!

This is the not to shop part.......

The prices at the grocery store seem crazy to me. So, all though our family may dress great, we don't eat much (I wish)! Eric keeps reminding me that there is no sales tax, so it's sort of built into the price of the food, but I still can't get on board with that concept. For example, when shredded cheese is on sale in CA you can often get two bags for $5.00, here, the sale is two bags for $6.00 and even at that, it'll only be like Jack and Chedder are on sale, not all of the other varieties. On sale, you can get milk 2 gallons for $7.00 (not such a bargain, especially when you purchase the milk on 2/6 and the expiration date is 2/10). On sale, bananas are .99/lb. I often could buy them on sale in CA for .59/lb. You get the picture.

I almost forgot to mention alcohol! Alcohol is quite a bit more expensive and you can't just buy it at the grocery story! For some reason alcohol is always purchased separately in the state of Alaska. Some grocery stores have a liquor store attached to it or within it, but you have to pay for the alcohol by itself, at a designated cashier. It's the same way even in Sam's....you have to pay for the liquor in the liquor cage.

The other thing about grocery shopping here is that there are two major chains and that's it. There is a Carrs (owned by Safeway) and Fred Meyers (owned by Krogers, I believe). There isn't a whole lot of competition, so they don't have an incentive to lower prices. Also, there are very few coupons in the Sunday paper. The coupons in the paper here are the ones in the insert that I used to not even look at in CA. You know, the insert that has the check order forms and the Lenox crystal and Franklin Mint items for sale in it? Yeah, those are the coupons we get around here!

When I spend money at the mall at least I feel like I have something to show for it. When I spend money at the supermarket all I get is a bulging belly that I then have to pay money for the priviledge to work off at the gym! How is that fair? I guess we'll be having dinner at the mall tonight!

Who Am I Anyway??????

It seems as though I've had a bit of an identity crisis lately. In reality, I'm not the one with the identity crisis, the bank is, but I guess their crisis with my identity can be considered mine. Don't worry, my identity hasn't been stolen, it's more along the lines of the Bourne Identity. Just read on and you'll get the picture.

When you live in Alaska, it doesn't pay to not have the Alaska Airlines credit card. When you get approved for the card you instantly get 20,000 miles, every year you can purchase one ticket for $100, and you get one $50 companion fare each year. If you've checked out airfares to and from Alaska, to just about anywhere, you can see why having this credit card makes sense for us. As a matter of fact, we each applied for a separate card so we could both reap the annual benefits.

I put the initial application in online because I thought it would be faster than calling. The website touts that you'll receive a decision in 60 seconds. Yeah, right!!!! At the end of the process (for both Eric and I) I got a message telling us that they needed a little extra time and was given a secure website I could logon to in order to find out the status after a few days. I diligently went on the site daily, only to see that same darn message. Finally, I called the credit card company directly and listened to a message telling me that I had to wait 10 business days from the date I applied before I could actually speak with someone. I continued to check the site daily, to no avail.

Prior to day 10 I received a phone call for Eric. It was a woman from the credit card fraud department wanting to speak to Eric regarding his credit card application. When Eric phoned them back, he was informed that our current address does not show up on his credit report and in order to send the card to this address, they needed him to fax a copy of a bill, license, etc. that has our current address on it. The day we signed our escrow papers here, Eric ran right down to the DMV to get an Alaska id card. Faxing something with his name and current address was no big deal for him.

Day 10 came and went and I hadn't heard anything regarding my credit application. I called the card company and, like Eric, was told they needed something "official" with my name and current address on it. Unlike my husband, I didn't have an AK id card or my AK driver's license yet. No problem, I'd just fax a utility bill....or not! Because I worked almost up until we left to move here, my dear, well organized husband had taken care of most of the move, including changing over the utilities. All of the utilities are in HIS NAME ONLY!!!!!! I was told I could fax an insurance statement with my name on it.......his name is the only name on the title of our car, so the insurance was put in his name (I'm insured, just not named on the actual statement)! I'm on all of the house stuff, but I had paid everything and like a good girl, had shredded all of the bills/statements. I finally came across what I thought was an insurance statement on the house and faxed it. Whew, I was finally in the clear...or not!!!!!!

The next day there was a message from the cc company telling me that I had faxed an insurance "declaration page", not a "statement". It didn't matter that it had my name and current address on it, it had to be the actual "statement". Here we go again!!!!!! I am not kidding when I tell you I felt like I was in the Bourne Identity!!!!! Every movie I've ever seen where the person had been erased from existence flashed before my eyes!!!!!!!! I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was so frustrated that I started choking up as I spoke with the cc gal that second time. I told her that for their purpose I did not exist in the state of Alaska and I didn't know what else to tell her. I wasn't lying about living in Alaska. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD MAKE UP A STORY ABOUT LIVING IN ALASKA??????????? Apparantly, as a stipulation of the "Patriot Act" which was instituted after 9/11, credit cards cannot be sent to an unverified address. Thus, all of this drama!!!!!!

Finally, after almost crying, I layed out all of the details to the young lady on the other end of the phone. I went on about how Eric's name is the only one on everything, including utilities, and that I don't exist on paper in Alaska (short of faxing her my bank statement or escrow papers, which I wasn't comfortable doing)......at which point she stopped me. She explained that because we are married and they can verify that Eric is my husband, all they need is a utility bill with his name on it. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!!!! Two days worth of drama only to find out that I had the necessary paperwork sitting in my cupboard the whole time!!!!!!!!!!!

You'll be happy to know that the card is in the mail and soon I will be able to start racking up the frequent flyer miles, so I can get away if I get the winter blahs next year or if some great opportunity comes along. Hey......maybe I'll even get back to California for a visit!!!!!!!

Moose On The Loose

One of the most unique experiences we've had in our limited time here in Alaska is having moose roam freely in our yard. The first week we were here Kaiden was looking out the back window while eating lunch and he insisted that he saw a moose. Kaiden had been "seeing" a variety of wild animals for a few days and I was sure this was another of his "sightings", but I humored him and walked the window. Sure enough, right in our own backyard, was not one, but two moose. Naturally, being from California, the first thing I did was make a mad dash for the camera! The movers were still here and they laughed at us for being so excited about seeing moose. I won't apologize!

There are a couple of minor details that I have yet to overcome when it comes to photographing moose in their element, on the "fly" so to speak: if you get too close they run, if the camera flashes or makes the slightest noise they run, if they hear your footsteps they run, and if I'm far enough away to actually snap the picture, they're hidden behind branches. That my friends is why you may not be sure what exactly you were just looking at a picture of. It is in fact a picture of a moose in our backyard!

Don't fret...the moose (I'm sure it's a mama and her baby) have been around almost daily lately and I'm sure I'll eventually get a great picture for you all to see. Over the weekend, Eric and I were out shoveling snow in -1 degree weather and the neighbor alerted us that there was a moose lurking. Eric walked around the corner of the house and there, pressed up against the side of the house, eating the tips off of all of our plants, was a big mama moose. I tried for a headshot of her, but I was only able to get a picture of her butt. I didn't think you'd care much to see that angle, so I spared you this time! If the moose continue to be elusive on film, you may not fare as well next time.

I'M LEGAL!!!!!

O.K. O.K., I've techincally been legal for several years now, but...I went Friday to get my Alaska driver's license. I'm now officially an Alaskan (well...kinda' anyway)! If you haven't already figured it out, there is pretty much a story for everything with me. Nothing can ever be simple, straightforward, and uneventful!

Let me start by telling you that I love my husband dearly. He's not perfect, but he's the one I chose and we're happy to be stuck with each other. Having said that, he's not always the most understanding person in the world. In his defense, I admit that I can be a ditz at times. With that in mind, you can understand why I didn't want to tell him I was going to the DMV to get my license. Much to my displeasure, there is a computerized test you have to pass in order to actually get it. If I didn't pass the test I figured nobody needed to know and it would be my little secret.

I'm still not real familiar with Anchorage and I decided I needed to figure out how to get to the DMV without asking Eric for directions. I have a GPS, but it doesn't have Alaska in it, so until Garmin sends me an update, GPS isn't an option. Like any resourceful woman, I decided to "google" the DMV. I looked the map over, but because the directions were so simple I decided it wasn't worth printing them out. Remember those ditzy moments I was telling you about earlier, yeah, well...I got lost! Not just kinda' lost, but way lost!

Now, I could suck it up and call Eric at work to ask for directions, but that would require that I divulge I was on my way to the DMV. I wasn't that desperate! Coming clean was not an option at this point. So I did what any brilliant daddy's girl would do...I called my dad in California to "google" me around Anchorage. The only problem was...daddy wasn't home! Should I call Eric? Nah! I called my friend Barbara, in California, to google a map for me. She wasn't home! Now what? Call Eric? Oh no, I wasn't that desperate yet! I called the DMV! Resourceful I tell ya'!!!!!!

I finally made it to the DMV in one piece. Wouldn't you know, I actually passed the test! It wasn't a big deal and I knew it wouldn't be, but you just never know with the DMV. Of course, as soon as I walked out the door of the DMV I called Eric to tell him I had my new Alaska driver's license and I never spoke a word about getting lost. That Garmin update I mentioned....I should have it in 7-10 business days!!!!!

The Alaska Way

For me, the hardest part about living in Alaska has been remembering that we are living in Alaska. I grew up in California and until now, have raised my kids in California. As a mother, it is not in my nature to let my children roam around unaccompanied at all hours of the day or night. Around here, it's perfectly normal for a neighbor kid to come to the door at 8:00 pm to see if my boys (ages 10 & 8) want to go sledding. Granted, the sledding hill is just at the end of our driveway, but the answer is still "no"!

Last week, two neighbor boys were allowed to come inside our house to play and stay into the evening even though their parent had never met us. This seemed a bit odd to me (I know it occurs in CA too, but it seemed a bit strange to me). When it was time for the kids to go home I asked if they needed an escort (considering that it was already dark outside, they are only 7 and 10, and we live among moose and bears), they both declined. I explained that I'm still used to the California way of life and I gave them our phone number and told them both to call me when they arrived at their homes safely. They looked at me like I was off my rocker, but both boys politely obliged and gave me a call upon thier safe arrival home.

Which leads me to my real story......

Now that you all can imagine how protective my husband and I can be (my husband more so than I)....let's go back to the second week my children were in school here. We have free district school bus service to and from school if we choose. The boys have never taken the bus in their lives, but decided they would like to give it a try. We insisted that I pick them up from school the first week and then we'd let them give the bus a try on week 2.

At dinner, the evening before the "big day", we had a family discussion about riding the bus. The boys new which bus number they were to take (we had drilled them a million times the week before), where to get off, not to cross the street until the bus had pulled away, and to look both ways before crossing. I sent Logan with a cell phone and instructed him to call if there were any problems or if they missed the bus.

I consider myself lucky, because I have the luxury of being able to see the stop and kids get off the bus from my kitchen window. I don't ever have to wait in the elements for the kids to get home! The boys get out of school at 3:30 and the bus usually arrives at our bus stop at around 3:40. I decided I would go out and meet them as they got off the bus, since this was their first day riding. As 3:30 came and went, I knew the boys had made it on the bus safe and sound because I didn't get a call from Logan...or had they????

The bus finally pulled up, the doors open, and I'm anxiously waiting to see my boys' smiling faces. Several children pile off the bus and I finally see Logan step off, at which point I knew I could rest easy, until...I asked where his brother Kaiden was. Logan assured me Kaiden was somewhere on the bus, he was sure he had seen him. When the last child had come off the bus and it wasn't Kaiden, my heart stopped!!!!!! The bus driver called for Kaiden, but to no avail! Upon further interrogation, Logan revealed that he didn't actually see Kaiden get on the bus, but that he thought he saw Kaiden already on the bus. HE NEVER THOUGHT TO WAIT FOR HIS BROTHER BEFORE GETTING ON THE BUS!!!!! The one and only rule we didn't clarify, because we thought common sense would have told them to do so, but NOOOOOO!

I was surprisingly calm for a moment and then reality (well, my reality anyway) set in! Logan and I ran home so I could call school, I was sure there had been a misunderstanding of some kind, Kaiden probably got on the wrong bus, but then...my mind started wandering and I started to panic! What if he had gotten off the bus at the wrong stop and was now lost, somewhere in the middle of Alaska, not knowing our phone number or address (remember this was only our third week in AK)! I about lost it! What was I going to tell Eric, he would flip (he didn't want the boys taking the bus in the first place)??????

As I was getting ready to dial the phone, I noticed that I had two missed calls on my cell phone. The phone rang and it was Eric's voice on the other end. Figuring he knew something I didn't. I blurted out "where is he???" Eric informed me that Kaiden had waited for Logan at school, but never saw him, so he didn't get on the bus. Our (one and only) friend, Cathy, had Kaiden and called Eric to let him know. Eric also informed me that they (Kaiden, and Cathy's two children) were all were sure Logan had taken the wrong bus home! Little did they know, he took the right bus and was standing next to me, safe and sound, in our house! I explained that I had Logan, Cathy brought Kaiden home, and life was good again! DISASTER DIVERTED!!!!!!

As you can imagine, we had a long discussion with the boys that evening, explaining that one is not to get on the bus without the other. They have since taken the bus several times without incident. I have to say, I don't rest easy until I see their little bodies cross the street for home each afternoon. Part of me thinks it would be easier to just pick them up from school everyday, but I know I have to give them some independence eventually and this might as well be a step in that direction. After all, I'm not letting them walk home among the moose, alone at night, right?????

Is it really dark all winter in Alaska??????

Many people have asked, "is it really dark all day in Alaska during the winter?" The answer is "no"! When we came here to visit in December I was expecting it to literally look like nighttime all day long. It doesn't!!!!! There is a point when it looks like dusk most of the day, but now, on January 27 that is not really the case any longer. As a matter of fact, when it is the coldest outside it is usually the most beautiful outside.

I've decided to post some pictures so you can see for yourselves that there really is sun in Alaska during the winter!!!! These pictures were taken from various bedrooms inside our house. I thought you might like a snapshot of what we can see from inside our house when we look out to the great outdoors.

Blogging to Stay Sane in Alaska

My sister-in-law has been blogging from AZ for a while now, and had encouraged me to start my own blog. Prior to moving from sunny California to freezing Alaska, I didn't feel like I had any insight to share that would be fun or interesting. Starting a new life (well, kinda') in Alaska has changed my perspective on blogging a bit. Let me tell you, I now have stories to tell!

My family has been in Anchorage for almost a month now and for me, making friends here has been slow going. My husband has his friends at work and my kids have made friends at school and in the neighborhood, but me.... I haven't faired so well yet. Fortunately, I have several very good girlfriends back in California with whom I share my stories of life in Alaska. I always have a good story to share about something wild and crazy that has gone on with me that day or week. Based on popular demand and with lots of encouragement from my friends back homein CA, I've decided to start my very own blog to share my wacky life with all who care to go along on this wild ride with me and my family.

To quote from the Thunder Mountain ride at Disneyland "hold on to your hats and glasses 'cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness."