My New Office

 I finally got my new office space done, and I couldn’t be happier with it!

The desk we bought was from a used furniture store and is actually a dining table. It’s hand-made, and super heavy. Bryan had to replace the braces that hold the legs on, just to make it sturdier. It’s about 4’ wide by 6’ long, giving me plenty of room to spread out with my two monitors and whatnot.

My chair is just a regular chair, nothing special about it except that the seat is extra wide so I can sit cross-legged if I want to. Viktor sleeps in my lap a lot, so I had to consider that when I purchased it. I also got a floor mat for it, but the darned thing is too wimpy, so I ended up moving it over to the craft area.

The cables running from the monitors and keyboard over to the computer were a big jumble of mess, so I had Bryan drill a hole in the table to run the cables down through to the computer on the floor. He bundled them all up and attached them to the bottom of the table so you can’t see them from across the room. It really cleaned the workspace up a lot! I even have a multi-plug strip mounted up there, in case I ever need to plug more things in.

To finish off my workspace, I had him help me hang some pictures up on the wall. On one side, I have my elephant from Africa (really like that photo) and on the other side I have a poster that was made for me by my sister-in-law’s 5^th grade class from about 10 years ago (they made it to thank me for reading to them on my lunch hours that year). I even have a cat bed made up with blankets, pillows, and a heating pad at my feet for the kittens to nap on.

The computer itself is running smoothly, although we have had a few speed bumps along the way. I am mostly ready to turn my old computer back into the office but will hang on to it a while longer in case I come across something I haven’t thought of yet. I do need a few more programs loaded onto the new one still, but since they do that all online it’s no big deal.

Whiskey Tasting with Jack Daniels

I’m not a huge fan of Jack Daniels, I have to admit. But I do love these virtual tastings, so went ahead and signed up for this one, facilitated by Brown Jug and hosted by Jack Daniel’s brand ambassador, Ed Tecosky.

As usual, we bought out tasting kit earlier from the warehouse in Wasilla:

• Jack Daniel's Single Barrel
• Jack Daniel's Single Barrel - Rye
• Jack Daniel's Single Barrel - Barrel Proof

This tasting was an interesting one in that it was presented in the form of a Trivia game. We scanned a bar-code (no pun intended) they displayed on the screen which loaded the ap onto our phones. The game consisted of 21 questions on the history of the company and of Jack Daniels himself: some True or False, some multiple choice. You got more points the faster you answered, and even more points if you answered correctly.

Bryan and I did not do so well, ending up in 22 place (out of 25 players) – but there were prizes for the top three contestants. I assume the Jack Daniels company got their names & addresses from them after the tasting, to make sure they got what they won.

Somewhere during all that chaos, we tasted our whiskey. It almost felt like an afterthought, truth be told. Like “Oh, yeah… I guess we should actually drink something here.” But Bryan was happy with it, so I didn’t complain.

Viktor’s Appointment

As you all know my Viktor has a rare blood type, so he is a member of the Blood Donor program that his Vet created. To be in the program, the cat must have a good personality - one that tolerates handling and blood draws - and must be of good health. As a bonus to the cat’s human, we receive a free yearly check-up on the cat, including x-rays, full blood works, and flea/tick medicine if necessary. We also get a photo of our cat posted on their Wall of Honor, for all the world to see.

Yesterday was Viktor’s first annual check-up. Sadly, it did not go as well as his initial start-up appointment did. Viktor is upset at me for moving my office upstairs (he doesn’t like it upstairs but wants to sleep on my lap like he’s done since I started working from home). So, when the vet started poking him with needles to draw blood, he started struggling which caused the vet tech to nick him in the neck with the needle. He’s fine, there’s no real harm done – but he did come home with a bright yellow bandage around his neck which was rather startling. He did not like it – but had to wear it for at least an hour to make sure the wound stopped bleeding.

Honestly, though; when I finally took the bandage off there was no blood on the cotton at all. Still, it’s best to be safe.

Viktor has not been called upon to actually give blood yet, aside from that first time to make sure he could give. Cat’s blood is different than human blood in that it cannot be stored for months at a time, so they wait until they actually NEED it before calling for it. Thankfully, no cat has needed my Viktor yet – but we’re just a phone call away, so rest assured when he is called, he will be there.

Weekend Get-Away in Talkeetna

Bryan and I took of Friday afternoon and headed up north to Talkeetna for the weekend. It was our normal Friday Off, so we took our time and ambled our way up the highway. The snow just kept on getting deeper and deeper as we went, ending up with well over two feet at the cabin we’d rented for the weekend. It’s so pretty!

Our cabin was a tiny one, with some rather ingenious quirks getting all the necessary items crammed in there while still providing a livable space. There was a TV with cable available for our use, but it was located at a very strange angle from the couch, so watching our movies at night was interesting. The wrought iron ladder leading up to the sleeping loft was right smack-dab in the way of entry to the kitchenette, so you had to duck and twist each time you went in or out of the kitchen.

But honestly, it wasn’t all that bad. We had room for me to work on my artwork while Bryan worked on his computer. The kittens enjoyed exploring the place. Viktor even learned how to climb up a ladder! Mind you, he never did figure out how to climb down the ladder – he’d just sit up there and cry until I went up and got him. Come to think of it – maybe he did figure out how to get down!

This whole COVID thing really does suck. Last year in Talkeetna trip was so much fun with the Taste of Talkeetna, breakfast at the Roadhouse, and lots of Christmas shopping and people watching. This year, the Taste was canceled, the Roadhouse is closed, less than half the shops have managed to keep their doors open, and the whole place is a Ghost Town.

Still, we had Mountain High Pizza delivered to us for our first dinner, went to the Denali Brew Pub for our second dinner (masks required until your food arrives), and got breakfast to go from the Flying Squirrel. All in all, it wasn’t that bad.

More Wine Tastings

We had a couple more wine tastings these last few days, all online of course.

The first one was a set of 8 different wines, hosted by Oracle (a company Bryan works with a lot). The lady guiding us through all 8 wines was in South Africa, so she was up at 1:00 in the morning while Bryan and I had to take time off work at 2:00 in the afternoon to attend. Other attendees were from all across the globe: a very diverse mix of people!

The wines we sampled were quite good, a mix of both reds and whites. The bottles were specially made for the tastings and held just enough for two glasses each. I was tempted to keep the bottles and make something out of them – but that would just turn in to one more project I never get around to.

The second tasting was hosted by La Bodega and featured 3 bubbly wines, 3 white wines, and 3 red wines. They did not have sample bottles, so they let you buy the ones you were interested in without having to buy any you did not want (or could not afford). Bryan got us one red and one white – but we did enjoy listening to the entire tasting event, as the presenters were quite enthusiastic about their wines and had a lot of information to impart.

My New Home Office

I got an email from my Architect last week informing me that there was a new computer with 2 monitors, all still brand new and in their boxes, waiting for me at the office. Was I planning a trip to Anchorage anytime soon? As luck would have it, Bryan had an appointment in town that very next day: so he offered to pick it all up for me.

Once it got home, we set it up temporarily upstairs in order to get all the programs loaded onto it and make sure everything runs properly before taking down my old computer. The IT guy in Oregon worked on all of the new installations remotely. Modern computers are amazing, I have to say. We set up the computer, turned it on, and then just walked away. All weekend long, it chugged away downloading all the programs required without my having to lift a finger! It still needs a few more programs before I can make the big switch, though.

Seeing how big everything was (the monitors are both monster 32” screens!) we decided that the rickety old card table I had been using was neither big enough nor strong enough for the new setup, so Bryan went online and found me a hand-made table that is much bigger. So much bigger, in fact, it does not fit downstairs in my “office” area! But it’s such a beautiful table, I went ahead and bought it and will just relocate myself upstairs.

I sent a quick email off to the main office letting them know the progress we’d made so far, and got a response back telling me to expense the new desk & get a chair, too! So, I went online and found a good deal on a new chair (we just happened to be in time for the Black Friday sales) which Bryan will pick up for me when he gets the new table.

My task this weekend is to rearrange my crafting area to allow room for “my new office” and figure out where Viktor’s heated cat bed will go so that he can be near me while I work. I have an idea in my head of what I want to do: I’ll have to wait until I see the new table to make sure it will actually work.

Stay tuned for more news as it develops!

Happiness is a Drawer Full of Tea

I have a special drawer in the kitchen, full of all my tea & tea paraphernalia. It’s my Happy Place.

First thing in the morning, I have a cup of Market Spice. The jar for that tea is so big it doesn’t fit into the drawer, however – so it goes on the counter next to the stove. Lauren gave me that jar back when she was probably 12 years old: she carried it on her lap all the way from Seattle! I love that jar, and buy my Market Spice Tea directly from the factory to keep the jar full.

All the rest of the tea I drink throughout the day come from the drawer, each cup a different flavor depending on my mood.

• There’s smoky teas (Lapsang Souchong, Russian Caravan, Malawi Mountain Moto)
• There’s plain black teas (Spring Laoshan Black Tea, Connoisseur Tea, Rare English Breakfast, Qianjiazhai Hand Fired Black Tea, Yulu Yan Cha Black Tea)
• There’s flavored tea (Spiced Pear Black tea, Orange Nutmeg Tea)
• There’s Oolong teas (Milk Oolong, Aged Se Zhong Oolong)
• There’s some Pu’er teas (Golden Leaf Shu Pu’er, Gong Ting Shu Pu’er)
• There’s even a green tea although that’s not exactly my favorite (Genmai Cha Green)

The companies I buy my tea from are mostly all on-line, although I do shop at Summit Spice when I’m in Anchorage. As mentioned earlier, I shop at MarketSpice (based out of Seattle) but also buy from Verdant Tea and The Rare Tea Co. as well.

As I’ve no doubt you all noticed, I drink loose leaf teas almost exclusively. To contain the leaves in the water, I use this tea basket from The Republic of Tea. I’ve found that the nylon mesh is easier on my fingers than a metal on (the metal ones get HOT!) and I love how they fit perfectly into my mugs, allowing the tea lots of room to steep!

Of course, the right mug is almost as important as the right tea! Sadly, my favorite mug (the middle one) got broken in the earthquake a few years ago. It’s glued together for now, but it can’t last forever. It is a goal of mine to find The Perfect Mug to replace the broken one: the blue one pictured to the left is a good second choice, but it’s just not quite right. I thought the green one pictured to the right would be a good one, but it is too small.

Sheep Mountain Lodge

Bryan and I rented a cabin up at the Sheep Mountain Lodge for the weekend and had a very relaxing time together.

Check in wasn’t until 3:00 and the lodge is only an hour from home, so we took our time Friday morning getting ready. We packed up the food and winter gear, our toiletries and overnight bags, and since the kittens were coming with us this time we also packed up their litter box, food bowls and several toys. I got their travel crates out and had them sitting in the living room just warming up – and both cats just walked right in and sat down, effectively saying “We’re ready to go!” Certainly makes going places with them easy.

However, Naldo was NOT happy in the truck. She voiced her displeasure LOUDLY the entire trip out there! I thought for sure she’d eventually tire and go to sleep, but no – she just yelled louder. I’m not sure what her problem was: she wasn’t car sick, she was warm, she could look outside. I finally thought that maybe it was that she couldn’t see me very well – so on our return trip I situated her crate with a better view of me, and that did seem to help a little bit. At least she didn’t yell as loudly.

The cabin we ended up in was very nice, with a bathroom in one corner and the bed in the other corner. They provided a small fridge with a tiny little microwave on top for our “kitchenette” so Bryan set up his camp stove on the table to cook our meals for us. That left just enough room for my crafting table and all my card making supplies while Bryan set himself up on the couch with his computer work. We had to get a bit creative with the portable DVD player, though – trying to find a place in between us while still making sure that both of us could watch.

The kittens enjoyed exploring the place. There was a log running across the room up high that Viktor was just determined to examine. Thankfully he never figured out how to get up there – but man, he tried. Finally, right before we left the place I put him up there just so he could say he did it. He got scared, of course. He’s not the bravest little boy in the world. But we love him anyway.

The lodge itself is closed (this whole COVID thing truly sucks) but the caretaker offered to deliver meals if we wanted, so we ordered our dinners from him and cooked our own breakfasts and lunches. We had to open the door a tiny bit each time we cooked, however, just to make sure we didn’t get sick from the propane. It was cold enough out there I didn’t worry about the cats escaping – they peeked outside each time, but chose to stay in the warmth of the cabin.

Best of all, from Bryan’s point of view at least, the Hot Tub was up and running! He went out there three times over the course of two days, relaxing in the heat. I am not a hot tub person, so I just let him go by himself.

They Found A Lump

Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I scheduled my yearly mammogram on the 27^th of that month. As luck would have it, Imaging Associates has an office out in the Valley so I didn’t have to take the day off to go in to town. Instead, I just drove a few miles down the road and got it done in no time at all. 

A week later, I got a message on my phone telling me to call them for an appointment. Since I had just had my appointment, I thought it was a mistake and I almost ignored the message. I did call them, however, if only to just clear up the misunderstanding. I’m so glad I did because it was not a mistake - I really did need to go back in for another appointment. It turns out they had found something they wanted to get a better look at.

This second appointment was quite different: first they took a series of pictures on one machine and then had me wait in the dressing room while the doctor looked at the results. Then they took another series of pictures on a different machine and put me back in the dressing room to wait while she looked at those images. This went on for two or three times before the doctor finally decided that a biopsy was needed.

The very next week found me back at the office bright and early on Tuesday morning. The procedure itself really wasn’t so bad. I laid down on the table, face down with my left breast over an opening. They raised the table up pretty high so the doctor could get underneath and work with her needles and knives. They gave me a topical anesthesia so I really didn’t feel a thing except the pressure of the clamps holding me in place. The whole thing took maybe an hour, which really isn’t that bad. They were actually quite pleased with how quickly it went – apparently sometimes it can be hard to find the lump but mine was right where it was supposed to be.

Once it was over and they brought the table back down to a normal height, I got up to head back to the dressing room – and proceeded to almost pass right out! I had completely forgotten that my body tends to react that way, so was not prepared for that at all. They had me lay back down for a while and then gave me a ride in one of their wheel chairs out to the dressing room. Once I got changed I spent a little time in the waiting room drinking some apple juice just to make sure I was capable of driving myself home.

The test results came back on Thursday with a clean bill of health: the lump is benign! Now I have a lovely bruise and am waiting for my shower today to finally get rid of the tape holding my wound together. It’s been 5 days: plenty of time to heal I think.

Kind of Like a Book Club

My niece started a book club last year called Kind of Like a Book Club. It’s mostly family members, but others are welcome to join too. If you’re interested, let me know! I’ll send you an invitation.

We meet roughly once a month, although it’s not an exact thing. We have been meeting on Zoom because of the whole COVID-19 thing, but maybe someday we’ll meet in person. It’s been working pretty well on the computer, however, so I’m happy with continuing for a while longer, until I feel safer out in the real world.

These are the books we’ve read so far:

Sabriel by Garth Nix

This was the first book for the club, which I totally missed because I hadn’t joined in yet. Tara chose it, and I like the way Tara’s mind works – so I’m probably going to go back and read this one on my own. I just know I’ll enjoy it!

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

My niece Laurel chose this book, and I have to admit I would never have read it if not for the book club. I can’t say I liked it all that much, but it was most definitely interesting. There was a lot in there that resonated with me, even if I don’t like to admit it. You’ll understand what I’m talking about once you’ve read the book.

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Sister Kelly chose this book, and I really enjoyed it. It’s told from the perspective of the wife of a serial killer – which just sends shivers down my spine to think about. Ugh! I can’t imagine the horror of finding out that your husband did those things to women right in your own garage.

Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow

This was my choice for the book club – and I like to think it was well received. I had come across it about 9 months prior and really, REALLY enjoyed it. The other members of the book club did say it was a bit confusing at first, but they all liked it once they figured out what was going on.

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

Bryan introduced this book to the club, and I have to say it made most of us read the next 5 books in the series as well – it was just that good. You can read it all by its self, but the story is so good I’m sure you’ll want them all.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

This one was Noel’s pick, and was another one that I probably would never have read otherwise. However, I really enjoyed it. It’s a window into a whole other world where people live and work and laugh and love, all in a dump! And yes, it’s based on real people. There’s a documentary somewhere about it that I keep meaning to watch. If somebody finds it, please let me know so I can finally watch it!

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Heather didn’t know what book to choose when it was her turn, so she went online and looked up “books for book club meetings” and this one had high recommendations – so that’s what we read. Not my favorite book, by any means, but it was very well written and evoked some pretty strong emotions from me. I did not like the lead character: I thought he was too self-centered for my tastes.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Laurel was supposed to choose our next book, but she passed the torch on to Kelly – so we ended up reading this one. And what a good one it was, albeit a tad bit confusing at first. I liked it so much I went and got the second one in the series, too. As Kelly had said: it was even better.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

This is the book we’re reading now, chosen by my niece Tara. I really love the author and have read numerous books by her – but this one is very different. I am only about 20% of the way into it, but am finding it hard to understand what is going on. It is getting better, however, so I have hopes of one day having a clearer picture in my head of the story.

 

Music From My Travels

When I travel, I like to bring home some of the local music to remind me of where I have been.

My first time in Costa Rica, I spent a week with 5 other people at a research station up in the mountains. One of my fellow volunteers had brought his music with speakers so everyone could listen. He would play Amos Lee each evening as we sat out on the porch watching the wildlife of the forest. It was MAGICAL – so of course that is what I brought home with me that time, even though I do know he is not a local native.

About 10 years ago I spent 16 days in Mongolia at a research station out on the Steppes of the Gobi Desert. While working there, I had the chance to experience their Throat Singing (Oh my god… how do they DO that?) so of course I once I got home I bought two CDs by Huun-Huur-U and listen to it quite often.

My African trip gave me African Rhythms & Instruments – because the rhythms of Africa are amazing. I also came home with Nyaz - not exactly African music, but one of the volunteers I worked with on that trip was Egyptian. 

The two weeks I spent on the Amazon River gave me EvaAyllon and Musica Folklorica de los Andes as well as Sarah Tavares who admittedly is not Peruvian but is still an incredibly good musician.

Making my way through the crowded streets of Market Day in a small village about four years ago I heard some interesting music. I do not speak the language, but eventually got the street vendor to understand that I really liked what I heard so he let me take a picture of the CD he was playing. I was able to order it when I got home, so now have Juan Luis Guerra to remind me of my time in the Canary Islands.

A New Cider Lover

I’m not particularly fond of ciders, so when La Bodega sent out an email advertising their next Virtual Tasting I wasn’t very excited about it. I forwarded the information along to Bryan anyway, just in case he was interested. Turns out, he was. He stopped by the shop and got the tasting kit for us on his way to doing some chores at the rental this last weekend.

The tasting was via Zoom again, but it was a more controlled session so we didn’t get Zoom Bombed this time. They also limited participation to just 10 people, making it was a lot more intimate and personal. Connection was an issue, however; the guest speaker kept cutting in and out so we’d miss what he was saying periodically.

The three ciders being featured were made by a cidery located out of Eugene, Oregon, called WildCraft Cider Works, founded by Sean Kelly. Sean gave us a tour of his shop and explained how he came to be the owner of a cidery. He told us how he sources apples, pears and botanicals within a 30-mile radius to craft his ciders. He uses natural yeasts to lend characteristic complexity to every bottle. Fermenting each ingredient individually, he harness the natural flavors before hand-blending to perfection. You’ll never find juice concentrates, added sulfates, extra sweeteners, or commercial yeasts in his high-quality beverages. 

The first cider to be tasted was called RUN OF THE MILL. Each year they harvest from thousands of trees and hundreds of varieties of apples. This cider is blend of ALL of these apples to create a complex yet simple and delightful sip. The method of blending utilized is called the solera method which is style of blending aged liquids year over year. Each year’s harvest is fermented and barrel aged in American oak barrels for 9 months before being added to the previous year’s blend. This cider contains the aged fermentation’s of 3 consecutive harvest seasons.

Next on the lineup was THE DANDY LION made from peaches, dandelion wine, and cider; aged in Granache Barrels until just right. This one had a very distinctive flavor that definitely put you out in a field of dandelions.

We ended our tasting tour with a special bottle of STRAWBERRY SPRUCE TIP cider, made with – you guessed it – strawberries and spruce tips. It was a very unique taste, and one that we were very lucky to get since it is not one that he makes very often.

I am happy to say that by the end of the tasting, my mind had been changed. I now like ciders! More to the point, perhaps, is that I like THESE ciders – and can confidently buy them knowing that I will be getting good pure cider, and nothing else.

Virtual Whiskey Tasting, Part 2

The final tasting for the week started out well enough. There were perhaps 35 people online, in addition to the Brown Jug Host and the speaker from the HeavenHill Distillery in Kentucky, Jack Choate. As before, we bought our tasting kit from the local store and were all set to learn about the featured whiskeys.

Jack started by telling us a bit about the distillery, their history and the products they make. I won’t go in to too much detail here, since you can read it for yourself on their website, but I will say they have been in business since 1935, so they really know their stuff.

We then got down to business with the tasting, starting with the 86.6 proof and working our way up to the 110 proof.

At least, that was the plan. 5 minutes in to tasting our first pour - the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage, a very nice and smooth one – we got Zoom Bombed!

I didn’t even know that was a thing. Apparently some people just have too much time on their hands, so they look for Zoom meetings and crash them, filling the meeting with obnoxious loud music and filthy texts. From what we could tell, there were at least three of them. They took turns blasting us out of our meeting and filling the message box full of horrible words. Jack tried everything he could to get rid of them, but ended up having to just cancel the whole thing and shut down the meeting.

Thankfully, Heavan Hill had printed out a little booklet of the 5 whiskeys in the tasting kit, so we were able to conduct our own tasting. But I have to say, we were both so disgusted with the Zoom Bomb it was not a very good experience.

However, I will say that our favorite whiskey from last night is by far the Elijah Craig, with Pikesville coming in at a very close second.