I was contacted by an employee of Earthwatch who is putting together an article for one of their publications. He wanted some input from an Earthwatch Volunteer, and asked for a short account of one or two of my experiences from the Earthwatch Grevy’s Zebra project. He even gave me a few possible subjects to choose from.
Me being the anal and wordy person that I am, I of course wrote about each one of them. I did manage to keep my responses to about 100 words each, though.
Here's what I wrote:
The census of Grevy’s Zebra
The transects portion of our expedition was the highlight of the trip. My guide was a local boy named Elija. He was probably around 17 years of age with a pronounced stutter. You could tell he was really trying to do a good job, and was so embarrassed because his mother kept calling him. “I’m at WORK, Mother! I’ll call you back later.” He kept us on track and pointed out several interesting plants along the way. He very kindly complemented me on my speed, although I’m sure he was just being nice. He kept offering to stop for a rest and politely declined my offers of water.
Digital Photography and Identification of zebra individuals
We saw many zebra on the way to the park, but only one inside where it counted. He was a nice male specimen; healthy and large. However, he simply would NOT turn the right way so we could get our photos. We kept driving around him, at a distance so as to not startle him – and he kept turning around the wrong way again. It was almost as if he knew what we wanted and was being stubborn about it, just for the sake of being male. We didn’t mind, though, as it gave us a great view of the surrounding landscape.
Using GPS units to monitor zebra, other wild animals and livestock distribution
Using the GPS device is not a good idea for me. I have this strange electrical thing about me that tends to mess with any and all electronic devices: I cannot wear a watch at all, and go thru computers almost yearly. I have short-circuited enough of them to know that the best thing for me is to simply let somebody else handle them and try to find some other way to be of use on these expeditions. For this trip, I took on the roll of Secretary and got to take all the notes for the team.
Clipping vegetation
While Mutiga himself was very nice, I found that his work was very disorganized and confusing. I could not see the point to what he was doing, and did not fully understand all of his goals and/or methods. That might have been due to my lack of scientific knowledge or to his lack of ability to convey his meaning to us. Regardless, I found that the day with him was mostly spent with me on the sidelines watching him and his students do the actual work. I did not really enjoy this as the whole purpose for me being there was to help out.
Visits to Samburu Park
We had a good day at the park, and managed to see just about everything there is to see: great herds of elephants, half a dozen giraffe, gerenuks, oryx, antelope, dik dik, guinea fowl, warthogs, eagles, crocodiles, monitor lizards, baboons – about the only thing we didn’t see were any of the carnivores, unless you count the eagle. We even got to pop the top of our jeep so we could stand up to see everything. It felt like one of those “African Expeditions” you see on tv… And being in a car all day made the heat so much more manageable, what with the natural air conditioning (re: wind).
Aspects of Samburu culture
Several days in a row we got to stop in at a local village in Barsalinga: the first day we stopped by the entire village was preparing for a wedding! People were coming in from miles around to attend, all dressed in their finest with bright colors and lots of beadwork & feathers. The Chief’s son was the bridegroom, and this was his second wife. He made a point of coming over to our jeep to meet us all in person, shaking everybody’s hand and asking us all where we come from. He was very nice, intelligent, and quite talkative.
Other local wildlife
Ask anybody who knows me and they’ll all agree: I love bugs. And let me assure you, Africa has some really cool bugs! One night in particular stands out: we found two rather large hairy spiders that were a little too close to the men’s bedroom. On closer inspection we realized they weren’t spiders after all but were instead a relative to the scorpion, called a Solifuge. You tell by counting its legs: the solifuge looks like it has 5 pair instead of the usual 4 pair. The solifuge is not necessarily poisonous, but it certainly scary looking!
Landscape
I am Alaskan: used to majestic mountains, tall trees, and extreme cold weather conditions – so found the wide open savannahs of Africa to be quite foreign and exotic. The plant life is completely different with pretty much every one sporting some sort of thorn, from tiny little ones that stick to every piece of clothing you have on, to the larger 3” spikes that seem to reach out and grab you as you walk past. There’s even a mid-range one, about an inch long, which can pierce thru the soles of you boots and cause sores on the bottoms of your feet.
Effects of the draught
The effects of the 2-year drought were painfully obvious everywhere you looked, from the animals who were just skin and bones and could barely stand up to the people who were lined up along the halls of the hospital, so skinny and shaking from hunger. We had to have an armed guard with us at all times, not just to protect us from the wild animals but also from the neighboring tribes who were fighting for the few remaining pools of water. It did rain while we were there, and you could hear the entire village come out and sing & dance in the rain.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Ptarmigan Creek
It was such a nice weekend my friend Rob and I decided to go for a hike out to Ptarmigan Creek. We had hoped to camp out overnight, but life got in the way of those plans so we went on a day hike instead. And what a hike it was: absolutely gorgeous out there. The sky was clear blue with hardly a cloud in sight, and the bugs were at a minimum.
The trailhead is about 20 miles short of Seward, just off the Seward Highway. We sat in the parking lot for a while and ate our sandwiches and geared up. Rob had his pack on with extra water, the bear spray, and a windbreaker incase the weather turned on us. He also carried his .44 but thankfully didn’t need it. We hoped to see bears, but preferably on the OTHER side of the creek!
Ptarmigan Lake is about 3.5 miles from the trailhead; the trail continues on for another 3 miles or so, but we only went another half mile or so to find a nice quiet spot to eat our cookies and enjoy the lake. All total, we probably hiked a good 8 miles.
On the way back to the truck, I managed to trip on a concealed root and did a face plant in the ditch. Really, it was quite a spectacular fall – I’m only slightly embarrassed about it. It hasn’t shown up yet, but I’m fairly certain I’m going to have a huge bruise on the side of my knee. I’m also quite sore in the shoulder and hip areas. I even managed to get bruised on the top of my foot – which I really don’t understand, seeing as how I had my hiking boots on.
Once we made it back to the truck and ate another sandwich, we decided that since we were so close to Seward, we couldn’t NOT go to Seward. I do love that place! We parked the truck near the docks and took a walk along the boats, then took a little drive up to the waterfalls. I could easily live there, you know? We daydreamed about that possibility, coming up with all sorts of things we could do to make it work.
By the time we got home again, it was midnight. Certainly a day well spent!
The trailhead is about 20 miles short of Seward, just off the Seward Highway. We sat in the parking lot for a while and ate our sandwiches and geared up. Rob had his pack on with extra water, the bear spray, and a windbreaker incase the weather turned on us. He also carried his .44 but thankfully didn’t need it. We hoped to see bears, but preferably on the OTHER side of the creek!
Ptarmigan Lake is about 3.5 miles from the trailhead; the trail continues on for another 3 miles or so, but we only went another half mile or so to find a nice quiet spot to eat our cookies and enjoy the lake. All total, we probably hiked a good 8 miles.
On the way back to the truck, I managed to trip on a concealed root and did a face plant in the ditch. Really, it was quite a spectacular fall – I’m only slightly embarrassed about it. It hasn’t shown up yet, but I’m fairly certain I’m going to have a huge bruise on the side of my knee. I’m also quite sore in the shoulder and hip areas. I even managed to get bruised on the top of my foot – which I really don’t understand, seeing as how I had my hiking boots on.
Once we made it back to the truck and ate another sandwich, we decided that since we were so close to Seward, we couldn’t NOT go to Seward. I do love that place! We parked the truck near the docks and took a walk along the boats, then took a little drive up to the waterfalls. I could easily live there, you know? We daydreamed about that possibility, coming up with all sorts of things we could do to make it work.
By the time we got home again, it was midnight. Certainly a day well spent!
Car Troubles
The Gods are angry with me, apparently. Or at least, the Car God is.
First: I was on the road to Eagle River the other day, doing probably 65 miles per hour, when my right rear tire blew up! Talk about an exciting road trip… Thankfully a cop pulled over and assisted me. Thank You, APD!
All four tires were pretty bad so I went ahead and got new ones all the way around, to the tune of $500.00. But at least they are good ones and I don’t have to worry about them for a while now.
Then: the “Check Engine” light has been coming on and going off again, over and over, for quite some time now. I had a friend look at it for me, but he couldn’t really do anything about it since it’s all computerized nowadays. He did think it might have something to do with either the O2 sensor or the Fuel Injection System.
The car finally died a rather permanent death Thursday afternoon, to the point where I actually had to push it home and call for a tow truck to take it to the shop for me (and shell out $85.00). R&R Garage is a great place, by the way. If you ever have car problems, I do recommend them.
My car’s problems required them to keep it over the weekend, however – and since this is a holiday weekend, that meant that I went without a car for about 5 days! Thank goodness I have good feet, a bicycle, and a friend willing to let me hang out with him all day.
I’m hoping to pick the car up tonight, but am expecting the cost to be somewhere around $900.00.
First: I was on the road to Eagle River the other day, doing probably 65 miles per hour, when my right rear tire blew up! Talk about an exciting road trip… Thankfully a cop pulled over and assisted me. Thank You, APD!
All four tires were pretty bad so I went ahead and got new ones all the way around, to the tune of $500.00. But at least they are good ones and I don’t have to worry about them for a while now.
Then: the “Check Engine” light has been coming on and going off again, over and over, for quite some time now. I had a friend look at it for me, but he couldn’t really do anything about it since it’s all computerized nowadays. He did think it might have something to do with either the O2 sensor or the Fuel Injection System.
The car finally died a rather permanent death Thursday afternoon, to the point where I actually had to push it home and call for a tow truck to take it to the shop for me (and shell out $85.00). R&R Garage is a great place, by the way. If you ever have car problems, I do recommend them.
My car’s problems required them to keep it over the weekend, however – and since this is a holiday weekend, that meant that I went without a car for about 5 days! Thank goodness I have good feet, a bicycle, and a friend willing to let me hang out with him all day.
I’m hoping to pick the car up tonight, but am expecting the cost to be somewhere around $900.00.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
I’m Famous!
I was contacted thru my blog the other day by the author of Paw Talk (see link below) who asked if I would mind being interviewed for a posting on her blog.
http://www.paw-talk.net/blog/the-alaskan-zoo-volunteer/
Of course, I said “Not at all – ask away!” I think the resulting post is quite nice. What do you think?
Oh, and poke around her blog while you’re there – she has some really good stuff there.
http://www.paw-talk.net/blog/the-alaskan-zoo-volunteer/
Of course, I said “Not at all – ask away!” I think the resulting post is quite nice. What do you think?
Oh, and poke around her blog while you’re there – she has some really good stuff there.
Monday, May 24, 2010
The First Hike of the Season
We had our first Family Hike of the season yesterday at the Ship Creek Trail – and what a great day for it! Well, okay… it was a bit windy at first. But once we all got to walking, it warmed up considerably.
We had Mother, Noel, Hank, Lauren, Roxy the dog, Heather, Tina and her son Michael, Me and Rob this time. A bit later on, we ran in to my roommate and her nephews – if I had known she was planning on joining us, I’d have waited for her at the beginning! But at least she got out and enjoyed the trail on her own.
Summer is just beginning to get going: the trees all have brand new leaves on them, and the grasses, flowers, and shrubs are stepping up as well. Soon enough it will be lush and gorgeous, but for now it’s still a little bit sparse.
The local wildlife was enjoying the day, too. We saw hundreds of sparrows out feasting on the bugs. We saw lots of ducks in the creek paired off and getting their nests ready. We also saw tons of seabirds waiting for the fish to arrive.
After our hike, most of us decided to visit the Saturday Market (which apparently is open on Sunday as well) for a bite to eat: corn fritters, halibut chunks, and fresh lemonade.
We had Mother, Noel, Hank, Lauren, Roxy the dog, Heather, Tina and her son Michael, Me and Rob this time. A bit later on, we ran in to my roommate and her nephews – if I had known she was planning on joining us, I’d have waited for her at the beginning! But at least she got out and enjoyed the trail on her own.
Summer is just beginning to get going: the trees all have brand new leaves on them, and the grasses, flowers, and shrubs are stepping up as well. Soon enough it will be lush and gorgeous, but for now it’s still a little bit sparse.
The local wildlife was enjoying the day, too. We saw hundreds of sparrows out feasting on the bugs. We saw lots of ducks in the creek paired off and getting their nests ready. We also saw tons of seabirds waiting for the fish to arrive.
After our hike, most of us decided to visit the Saturday Market (which apparently is open on Sunday as well) for a bite to eat: corn fritters, halibut chunks, and fresh lemonade.
That’s Just Wrong
I saw something very disturbing yesterday. Rob and I spent the weekend going to various pawn shops and antique stores; he’s looking at guns, I’m just enjoying his company. Yesterday we stopped in at William’s Antique Gallery off of 4th Avenue.
They have some really nice stuff in there: lots of old guns, native art, bone carvings, paintings in ornate frames, etc. In the back of the store, however, we found something that almost made me want to throw up: an elephant’s foot.
An actual. Elephant’s. Foot.
Apparently they used to cut off the feet and turn them in to footstools and whatnot (pun completely intended). This one was – of all the stupid things – a ketchup dispenser!
When we asked the proprietor if it was even legal to be selling such an item, she said “Well, the Marine Mammal Act took place in 1972, but this item comes from the 1960’s.”
First of all – what the hell does the Marine Mammal Act have to do with anything? Pardon my language, but come on…
And second – I don’t think the age of an item has anything to do with the legality of it. Even if it does, it’s still just not right. Morally, it’s simply wrong to profit off of the pain & suffering of any animal, particularly when it’s for such a STUPID item as a ketchup dispenser.
They have some really nice stuff in there: lots of old guns, native art, bone carvings, paintings in ornate frames, etc. In the back of the store, however, we found something that almost made me want to throw up: an elephant’s foot.
An actual. Elephant’s. Foot.
Apparently they used to cut off the feet and turn them in to footstools and whatnot (pun completely intended). This one was – of all the stupid things – a ketchup dispenser!
When we asked the proprietor if it was even legal to be selling such an item, she said “Well, the Marine Mammal Act took place in 1972, but this item comes from the 1960’s.”
First of all – what the hell does the Marine Mammal Act have to do with anything? Pardon my language, but come on…
And second – I don’t think the age of an item has anything to do with the legality of it. Even if it does, it’s still just not right. Morally, it’s simply wrong to profit off of the pain & suffering of any animal, particularly when it’s for such a STUPID item as a ketchup dispenser.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Electro Girl
Move over, Wonder Woman – there’s a new girl in town:
Electro Girl!
Dressed in an Eco-Friendly, Sustainably Harvested, Fair-Trade, Non-Latex body suit (yes, Electro Girl is allergic to latex) Electro Girl is out to save the planet, one beleaguered critter at a time – no matter how many legs it may have.
Wherever you see a tiny caterpillar trying valiantly to cross a busy street in downtown Anchorage – there you’ll see Electro Girl, stopping rush hour traffic to carefully pick the little one up and gently carry it to the other side.
If you should happen to see somebody throwing perfectly good recyclable material into the regular trash bins; stick around – Electro Girl will soon be there to dig it out and place it in the proper receptacle.
But watch out! Electro Girl has a dark side. To borrow the immortal words of Bruce Banner (aka: The Incredible Hulk) “Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.”
Electro Girl has the power to fry electronics from as far away as three whole paces if she’s angry enough. Heck, she just recently got upset at her computer and had to buy a new one because she fried the old one. She even fried her camera which just happened to be sitting nearby, innocently minding its own business, so now she has to buy a new camera as well.
It’s not easy being Electro Girl.
So now it’s time for my confession. Brace yourself. Are you sitting down? Yes, it’s time to come clean. I just can’t hide it anymore and have finally found the courage to come out.
I am Electro Girl.
Electro Girl!
Dressed in an Eco-Friendly, Sustainably Harvested, Fair-Trade, Non-Latex body suit (yes, Electro Girl is allergic to latex) Electro Girl is out to save the planet, one beleaguered critter at a time – no matter how many legs it may have.
Wherever you see a tiny caterpillar trying valiantly to cross a busy street in downtown Anchorage – there you’ll see Electro Girl, stopping rush hour traffic to carefully pick the little one up and gently carry it to the other side.
If you should happen to see somebody throwing perfectly good recyclable material into the regular trash bins; stick around – Electro Girl will soon be there to dig it out and place it in the proper receptacle.
But watch out! Electro Girl has a dark side. To borrow the immortal words of Bruce Banner (aka: The Incredible Hulk) “Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.”
Electro Girl has the power to fry electronics from as far away as three whole paces if she’s angry enough. Heck, she just recently got upset at her computer and had to buy a new one because she fried the old one. She even fried her camera which just happened to be sitting nearby, innocently minding its own business, so now she has to buy a new camera as well.
It’s not easy being Electro Girl.
So now it’s time for my confession. Brace yourself. Are you sitting down? Yes, it’s time to come clean. I just can’t hide it anymore and have finally found the courage to come out.
I am Electro Girl.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Happy Birthday To Me!
I had the best birthday ever this weekend! A very big Thank You to Rob for inviting me out camping with him.
We spent the day Friday getting all the gear in order: camping gear, fishing gear, clothing & food stuff, the truck, the licenses – all of that stuff. It’s actually rather amazing how much stuff is needed, and it was only an overnight camp!
Oh, and I want to send out another big Thank You to Shelly for sending me that cool little identification pouch thingy: our I.D.s and fishing licenses fit perfectly in there so neither of us had to bring our actual wallets or purses.
Saturday morning saw us on the road by 9:00, with only a brief stop at the Sports Authority to get some long underwear for Rob. The weather forecast called for rain the entire weekend, so we had to be sure we’d both be warm enough. As it turned out we didn’t really need them after all, but did wear them to sleep in at least. I mean, he did… I wore my own.
Anyway, we drove about 3 hours south of Anchorage, to just past Sterling. We turned off on the Swanson River Road, and then turned off again onto Swan Lake Road. Somewhere about 8 miles past that turnoff was a small parking lot (maybe 4 cars can fit in it) with the trail head we were looking for.
It took us a bit of organization to get things worked out just right. We had the canoe, Rob’s big pack with all our gear, my smaller pack with all our clothing & food, two fishing poles and two paddles – all of which had to be hauled up the trail which was just over a mile to Nest Lake. Rob originally planned on carrying the canoe and his pack, but decided that two trips was a better idea – so he dumped the canoe on the side of the trail and came back for it later.
Nest Lake is a pretty little thing, and somebody very kindly built a little dock leading down into the water so launching the canoe was easy as pie. A nice big female moose was right on the other side of the lake, munching on the grasses in the water. We got some good pictures as she was not bothered in the slightest by us being there.
The portage across to Duckling Lake was easy to navigate. Rob had thought it might be choked off with water lilies, but the local beaver had kept it nice and clear. We only had one log jam to maneuver thru and we were on the other side in no time.
Duckling Lake is a little bit bigger, but just as pretty as Nest Lake. Right away, we saw a pair of loons – the nice big ones with the beautiful voices. I do love a loon! There was also a pair of ducks flying about, as well as a big beautiful eagle overhead. A pair of swans had a nest with two little ones on one side of the lake, and the beaver was busy on the other side. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
We found our camping spot right away, and got started on getting things set up. The tent Rob has is a really nice one, and very easy to put together. The last tent I helped put up was much more confusing (remember that, Elizabeth?) but we had this one up in no time. Then we scoured the area around camp, looking for firewood and cleaning up trash from the other people who’d camped there (which is really annoying: why can’t people take care of things?).
Finally, we got back in to the canoe and headed out for some fishing. That’s when we realized that the person who had put the fishing line onto his poles for him (they did that at the Sportsman’s Warehouse) did not know what he was doing. Rob had specifically asked for line that wouldn’t get all tangled up, and the guy assured him that the one he used would not.
He lied.
It got tangled up each time we cast the bait out. Poor Rob had to untangle the line every time, and was getting more and more frustrated the longer we were out there. So, we finally just headed on back to camp.
I fished for a little while longer, mostly because it was my first time and I was having fun despite the tangles. It’s so cute to see that little bobber out there. Each time the fish got the bait, it would travel around like a little train engine. The fish were too small to actually take the hook – but they took almost all our bait.
Since we didn’t have any fish to cook for diner, we ended up eating our breakfast instead: bacon and eggs cooked over the fire. There’s just something about eating food cooked over an open flame – even a vegetarian has to admit that bacon and eggs taste really good in the right circumstances!
Sleeping in our mummy bags in the tent that night was a bit chilly, I have to admit. I had my long underwear and several sweaters on, as well as a wool blanket over the top of me. But I only woke up once or twice, and ended up getting a fairly good night’s sleep. It did rain during the night, but the tent held up quite well with no leaks or anything like that. We actually slept in a bit in the morning: it was just so nice and comfy lying there all snug in our bags. Plus, it was just so cold neither of us wanted to face the cold clothing waiting to be put on. Eventually we had to, though. It was just too pretty out to be holed up in our tent.
After our breakfast of apples, cliff bars, and coffee/tea we decided to break down camp and load up the canoe to go off and explore the lakes.
Paddling, by the way, is hard work. And I had the easy spot up front – Rob got all the hard work of actually keeping us going while I just did the steering and navigating. Most of the time, he’d just tell me to stop paddling while he got us going. That gave me time to watch all the goings on, though.
Getting all our gear back to the truck took a bit longer than expected – I think we were both a little pooped, although I really don’t know why. But we finally did manage, and got the truck loaded up again. We stopped at a pizza place in Sterling for a bite to eat, then took our time heading on back to Anchorage. We pulled over several times just to see what was there, or to take a break for no other reason than that we felt like it.
When we finally got home, my roommate had a home-made Chocolate Birthday Cake waiting for me: what a great surprise that was!
Yup, it was a Great Birthday this year.
I’m 45, by the way.
We spent the day Friday getting all the gear in order: camping gear, fishing gear, clothing & food stuff, the truck, the licenses – all of that stuff. It’s actually rather amazing how much stuff is needed, and it was only an overnight camp!
Oh, and I want to send out another big Thank You to Shelly for sending me that cool little identification pouch thingy: our I.D.s and fishing licenses fit perfectly in there so neither of us had to bring our actual wallets or purses.
Saturday morning saw us on the road by 9:00, with only a brief stop at the Sports Authority to get some long underwear for Rob. The weather forecast called for rain the entire weekend, so we had to be sure we’d both be warm enough. As it turned out we didn’t really need them after all, but did wear them to sleep in at least. I mean, he did… I wore my own.
Anyway, we drove about 3 hours south of Anchorage, to just past Sterling. We turned off on the Swanson River Road, and then turned off again onto Swan Lake Road. Somewhere about 8 miles past that turnoff was a small parking lot (maybe 4 cars can fit in it) with the trail head we were looking for.
It took us a bit of organization to get things worked out just right. We had the canoe, Rob’s big pack with all our gear, my smaller pack with all our clothing & food, two fishing poles and two paddles – all of which had to be hauled up the trail which was just over a mile to Nest Lake. Rob originally planned on carrying the canoe and his pack, but decided that two trips was a better idea – so he dumped the canoe on the side of the trail and came back for it later.
Nest Lake is a pretty little thing, and somebody very kindly built a little dock leading down into the water so launching the canoe was easy as pie. A nice big female moose was right on the other side of the lake, munching on the grasses in the water. We got some good pictures as she was not bothered in the slightest by us being there.
The portage across to Duckling Lake was easy to navigate. Rob had thought it might be choked off with water lilies, but the local beaver had kept it nice and clear. We only had one log jam to maneuver thru and we were on the other side in no time.
Duckling Lake is a little bit bigger, but just as pretty as Nest Lake. Right away, we saw a pair of loons – the nice big ones with the beautiful voices. I do love a loon! There was also a pair of ducks flying about, as well as a big beautiful eagle overhead. A pair of swans had a nest with two little ones on one side of the lake, and the beaver was busy on the other side. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
We found our camping spot right away, and got started on getting things set up. The tent Rob has is a really nice one, and very easy to put together. The last tent I helped put up was much more confusing (remember that, Elizabeth?) but we had this one up in no time. Then we scoured the area around camp, looking for firewood and cleaning up trash from the other people who’d camped there (which is really annoying: why can’t people take care of things?).
Finally, we got back in to the canoe and headed out for some fishing. That’s when we realized that the person who had put the fishing line onto his poles for him (they did that at the Sportsman’s Warehouse) did not know what he was doing. Rob had specifically asked for line that wouldn’t get all tangled up, and the guy assured him that the one he used would not.
He lied.
It got tangled up each time we cast the bait out. Poor Rob had to untangle the line every time, and was getting more and more frustrated the longer we were out there. So, we finally just headed on back to camp.
I fished for a little while longer, mostly because it was my first time and I was having fun despite the tangles. It’s so cute to see that little bobber out there. Each time the fish got the bait, it would travel around like a little train engine. The fish were too small to actually take the hook – but they took almost all our bait.
Since we didn’t have any fish to cook for diner, we ended up eating our breakfast instead: bacon and eggs cooked over the fire. There’s just something about eating food cooked over an open flame – even a vegetarian has to admit that bacon and eggs taste really good in the right circumstances!
Sleeping in our mummy bags in the tent that night was a bit chilly, I have to admit. I had my long underwear and several sweaters on, as well as a wool blanket over the top of me. But I only woke up once or twice, and ended up getting a fairly good night’s sleep. It did rain during the night, but the tent held up quite well with no leaks or anything like that. We actually slept in a bit in the morning: it was just so nice and comfy lying there all snug in our bags. Plus, it was just so cold neither of us wanted to face the cold clothing waiting to be put on. Eventually we had to, though. It was just too pretty out to be holed up in our tent.
After our breakfast of apples, cliff bars, and coffee/tea we decided to break down camp and load up the canoe to go off and explore the lakes.
Paddling, by the way, is hard work. And I had the easy spot up front – Rob got all the hard work of actually keeping us going while I just did the steering and navigating. Most of the time, he’d just tell me to stop paddling while he got us going. That gave me time to watch all the goings on, though.
Getting all our gear back to the truck took a bit longer than expected – I think we were both a little pooped, although I really don’t know why. But we finally did manage, and got the truck loaded up again. We stopped at a pizza place in Sterling for a bite to eat, then took our time heading on back to Anchorage. We pulled over several times just to see what was there, or to take a break for no other reason than that we felt like it.
When we finally got home, my roommate had a home-made Chocolate Birthday Cake waiting for me: what a great surprise that was!
Yup, it was a Great Birthday this year.
I’m 45, by the way.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Happy Mother’s Day
I feel bad – I’m actually not going out to Palmer today.
But I am going out there on both Wednesday and Thursday, and will spend quality time with Mother on both of those occasions: Wednesday to have lunch, walk with the family, and see her new home – Thursday to help her move a bunch of stuff out of the farm.
Does that count?
And I did send a hand-made Mother’s Day card that was pretty cool if I do say so myself. I had sent flowers earlier as a house-warming gift. Her birthday is this week, too – so I’ll send another hand-made card.
So what is everybody else doing to celebrate Mother’s Day?
But I am going out there on both Wednesday and Thursday, and will spend quality time with Mother on both of those occasions: Wednesday to have lunch, walk with the family, and see her new home – Thursday to help her move a bunch of stuff out of the farm.
Does that count?
And I did send a hand-made Mother’s Day card that was pretty cool if I do say so myself. I had sent flowers earlier as a house-warming gift. Her birthday is this week, too – so I’ll send another hand-made card.
So what is everybody else doing to celebrate Mother’s Day?
Saturday, May 08, 2010
My First Day On The Job
My first official day on the job was actually quite nice. I had about 33 homes to interview; got 5 done, with maybe 4 being vacant. The rest I just left notice that I’d been there. I’ll have to keep going back to those till I get them.
I started at 9:00. Went to the base and picked up my base pass, then headed on over to Muldoon and got to work. I got home by around 2:00, then cleaned up the paperwork and got organized again for tomorrow.
The neighborhood I’ve been assigned to isn’t so bad. There are some really interesting homes, lots of apartment buildings, and a wide variety of ethnic races.
At one apartment, a very young little guy running around in his diapers opened the door for me. Unfortunately his father was in the shower at the time. I know this because the bathroom was directly across from the front door - and its door was open, too. I quickly told the little one I’d come back later and closed the front door again. I could hear the father yelling out to the kids as I left “Who was that?” I wonder if he knows his kids are opening the door to just anybody?
Another house had me interviewing this 89 year old Eskimo woman. She was a sweetheart; told me all about her 8 sons and 1 daughter. She’s been sick lately, but is finally starting to feel better again. Her cousin from Kodiak came to help her out. As I said, very sweet.
To make the whole thing an experience I won’t forget soon: I managed to lock my keys in the car. I had to call a cab to come break in to my car for me. Last time that happened to me was back when Little Debbie’s husband was killed – we were at his funeral… Back then it cost me $10 - this time it cost $25.
Here at home, Rob came over and fixed a few things around the house. He fixed the bathtub in my roommate’s bathroom (the overflow drain cover had come off), he put the rack on my new bike (had to manufacture special brackets out of scrap metal), he fixed my computer desk in preparation for my new computer (drilled air holes so it won’t heat up so bad and got the file cabinet drawer to work properly), he tweaked on my dishwasher and fridge so that I am now able to actually open the door (the fridge got moved over slightly and the dishwasher is now at an angle), he took apart my microwave fan & grill thingy and cleaned them (years and years of grease, grime, and dust), and last but not least, he started building the birdfeeder that I’ve been wanting (took the broom handle, made a hook out of the remaining sheet metal scraps he’d used on my bike, screwed in some smaller hooks to hang feeders off them). I guess guys are good for something, after all.
I ended the day by making a huge pot of soup. It’s a Butternut Squash soup base with tomatoes, corn, and black beans from my pantry downstairs - plus red, green, and yellow pepper strips from the frozen veggie isle at the store – and I threw in some freeze-dried veggies, rice & onions from my stash of soup makings. Then I added some fresh ground pepper, allspice, and a dash of cinnamon. Oh, and lots of garlic.
I started at 9:00. Went to the base and picked up my base pass, then headed on over to Muldoon and got to work. I got home by around 2:00, then cleaned up the paperwork and got organized again for tomorrow.
The neighborhood I’ve been assigned to isn’t so bad. There are some really interesting homes, lots of apartment buildings, and a wide variety of ethnic races.
At one apartment, a very young little guy running around in his diapers opened the door for me. Unfortunately his father was in the shower at the time. I know this because the bathroom was directly across from the front door - and its door was open, too. I quickly told the little one I’d come back later and closed the front door again. I could hear the father yelling out to the kids as I left “Who was that?” I wonder if he knows his kids are opening the door to just anybody?
Another house had me interviewing this 89 year old Eskimo woman. She was a sweetheart; told me all about her 8 sons and 1 daughter. She’s been sick lately, but is finally starting to feel better again. Her cousin from Kodiak came to help her out. As I said, very sweet.
To make the whole thing an experience I won’t forget soon: I managed to lock my keys in the car. I had to call a cab to come break in to my car for me. Last time that happened to me was back when Little Debbie’s husband was killed – we were at his funeral… Back then it cost me $10 - this time it cost $25.
Here at home, Rob came over and fixed a few things around the house. He fixed the bathtub in my roommate’s bathroom (the overflow drain cover had come off), he put the rack on my new bike (had to manufacture special brackets out of scrap metal), he fixed my computer desk in preparation for my new computer (drilled air holes so it won’t heat up so bad and got the file cabinet drawer to work properly), he tweaked on my dishwasher and fridge so that I am now able to actually open the door (the fridge got moved over slightly and the dishwasher is now at an angle), he took apart my microwave fan & grill thingy and cleaned them (years and years of grease, grime, and dust), and last but not least, he started building the birdfeeder that I’ve been wanting (took the broom handle, made a hook out of the remaining sheet metal scraps he’d used on my bike, screwed in some smaller hooks to hang feeders off them). I guess guys are good for something, after all.
I ended the day by making a huge pot of soup. It’s a Butternut Squash soup base with tomatoes, corn, and black beans from my pantry downstairs - plus red, green, and yellow pepper strips from the frozen veggie isle at the store – and I threw in some freeze-dried veggies, rice & onions from my stash of soup makings. Then I added some fresh ground pepper, allspice, and a dash of cinnamon. Oh, and lots of garlic.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
I Got a New Bike!
I hadn't planned on buying a bike. In fact, my sister has one she said I could borrow. But it was such a good deal, I just couldn't pass it up.
Regular price: $379.00
Sale price: $159.00
And it's pretty, too. It's got purple flowers on it! That's important in a bike, you know. One must always be pretty.
Anyway, I'm excited about it. I have the possibility of getting a job not 2 miles from my house, so could quite conceivably ride my bike to work each day. Not to mention going on bike rides with Rob and his kids.
Now all I need are some accessories: a helmet, a bottle holder, a rack so I can carry things, and an arm-band for my iPod.
Regular price: $379.00
Sale price: $159.00
And it's pretty, too. It's got purple flowers on it! That's important in a bike, you know. One must always be pretty.
Anyway, I'm excited about it. I have the possibility of getting a job not 2 miles from my house, so could quite conceivably ride my bike to work each day. Not to mention going on bike rides with Rob and his kids.
Now all I need are some accessories: a helmet, a bottle holder, a rack so I can carry things, and an arm-band for my iPod.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Home Again - This Time For Good
I haven’t been updating this as religiously as I did while out in the field, so thought I should get you all up to date on what’s going on in my life. I’m sure you’ve all just been dying to know…
I did make it out of False Pass finally. The plane flew in on Friday and got me as far as Cold Bay. I flew out of Cold Bay on Saturday and was home in my own house by that evening. I must have smelled something awful, because Rob lasted all of maybe half an hour before he very kindly suggested I go take a shower and change into something clean. Oh well, at least I was home!
I didn’t do a whole lot that first week back in town; mostly just relaxed and got settled back in to my routines again. The girls were beyond happy to have me back: they were like Velcro and wouldn’t leave my side no matter what. They have calmed down since then, so are now able to enjoy the pools of sunshine all over the house.
The second week home I ended up back in the classroom being trained for a new position with the U.S. Census Bureau = I am now an Enumerator, which basically just means I’ll be the one going door to door to interview people, and won't have to worry about supervising anybody. I’ll be working at the military bases picking up all those people who didn’t mail in their form for whatever reason. It’s a reduction in pay, but at least I’m still employed – and even the reduced pay rate is more than unemployment was.
Things are picking up again at the zoo, getting ready for the summer season. I’ve had several Tour Guide Training sessions to refresh my memory banks. The way my schedule is right now, I should be able to do several of the Discovery Tours a week: I do love giving that tour. And soon – please, God, let it be soon! – the green will arrive and we’ll actually have leaves and grass and flowers. It’s kind of hard to give a naturalist tour when everything is still in its dormant winter stage.
The Cascadia Region Green Building Council – Alaska Branch (of which I am president) was honored recently by ALPAR (Alaskans for Liter Prevention and Recycling) and received an award for 2009 Leadership in Education "for exemplary efforts to raise awareness and educate Alaska's design and building industry about LEED building standards and incorporating recycling and reuse practices." I attended the banquet along with Lauri - one of our board members, Mark – our State Director, in order to receive the award. It was held at the newly remodeled AK Railroad Historic Freight Shed, which is Alaska’s first historic LEED building restoration.
We also had a Guest Speaker come up from Vancouver (although I suppose that should be “come over” since they are basically right beside us) to give a lecture on The UniverCity Project at Simon Fraser University. That was a really interesting talk, but I have to say I’m not happy with the attendance. There were only about 20 people in the audience! Seems like kind of a waste to bring somebody up here and not have a full house. I blame myself, really. If I’d been at home, I could have sent out a few reminders like I did for our last lecture. That one had plenty of people attending.
Today I’ve been keeping myself busy with yard work, house work, and computer work, and even have a job interview scheduled for later in the afternoon. I’ve had a bit of an emotional upheaval lately, and am really trying to think of ANYTHING ELSE.
On the positive side, I have discovered that I have some really wonderful friends who go out of their way to comfort me when I need it the most.
I did make it out of False Pass finally. The plane flew in on Friday and got me as far as Cold Bay. I flew out of Cold Bay on Saturday and was home in my own house by that evening. I must have smelled something awful, because Rob lasted all of maybe half an hour before he very kindly suggested I go take a shower and change into something clean. Oh well, at least I was home!
I didn’t do a whole lot that first week back in town; mostly just relaxed and got settled back in to my routines again. The girls were beyond happy to have me back: they were like Velcro and wouldn’t leave my side no matter what. They have calmed down since then, so are now able to enjoy the pools of sunshine all over the house.
The second week home I ended up back in the classroom being trained for a new position with the U.S. Census Bureau = I am now an Enumerator, which basically just means I’ll be the one going door to door to interview people, and won't have to worry about supervising anybody. I’ll be working at the military bases picking up all those people who didn’t mail in their form for whatever reason. It’s a reduction in pay, but at least I’m still employed – and even the reduced pay rate is more than unemployment was.
Things are picking up again at the zoo, getting ready for the summer season. I’ve had several Tour Guide Training sessions to refresh my memory banks. The way my schedule is right now, I should be able to do several of the Discovery Tours a week: I do love giving that tour. And soon – please, God, let it be soon! – the green will arrive and we’ll actually have leaves and grass and flowers. It’s kind of hard to give a naturalist tour when everything is still in its dormant winter stage.
The Cascadia Region Green Building Council – Alaska Branch (of which I am president) was honored recently by ALPAR (Alaskans for Liter Prevention and Recycling) and received an award for 2009 Leadership in Education "for exemplary efforts to raise awareness and educate Alaska's design and building industry about LEED building standards and incorporating recycling and reuse practices." I attended the banquet along with Lauri - one of our board members, Mark – our State Director, in order to receive the award. It was held at the newly remodeled AK Railroad Historic Freight Shed, which is Alaska’s first historic LEED building restoration.
We also had a Guest Speaker come up from Vancouver (although I suppose that should be “come over” since they are basically right beside us) to give a lecture on The UniverCity Project at Simon Fraser University. That was a really interesting talk, but I have to say I’m not happy with the attendance. There were only about 20 people in the audience! Seems like kind of a waste to bring somebody up here and not have a full house. I blame myself, really. If I’d been at home, I could have sent out a few reminders like I did for our last lecture. That one had plenty of people attending.
Today I’ve been keeping myself busy with yard work, house work, and computer work, and even have a job interview scheduled for later in the afternoon. I’ve had a bit of an emotional upheaval lately, and am really trying to think of ANYTHING ELSE.
On the positive side, I have discovered that I have some really wonderful friends who go out of their way to comfort me when I need it the most.
Friday, April 16, 2010
They're Coming to Get Me
The plane actually came and got me from False Pass, so here I am in Cold Bay. I don’t leave for home until tomorrow, though. I’m on stand-by for the noon flight which would put me in Anchorage by 4:00 – but might not get on that one. I’m actually scheduled for the later flight, but I couldn’t get them to tell me when that was. I’ll find out tomorrow which flight I get on.
This hotel I’m in isn’t the best one I’ve ever been in. In fact, it probably ranks right down there with some of the worst. But hey: at least it’s not False Pass! There’s no phone in my room, but there is a bar down the hall. I’m tempted to go get a drink; I think I’ve earned it.
Cindy, the girl at the B&B in False Pass was so nice; she actually sent me off on the plane with dinner! I have some of her lasagna and two lemon bars for desert. She handed me a plastic grocery bag with the plate, plastic silverware, and food – all bundled up ready for my trip.
The pilot on the plane was great. He smelled really good, too! I asked him if he could circle around so I could get some shots of FP from the air. We banked really sharp on the turnaround – almost vertical. It was strange: I got disoriented because the sky and the ocean were the same color. I couldn't tell which was which for a minute or two. He asked me if I’d mind if we flew low to the ground, which of course I didn't. So our entire trip was just a few feet off the ground. We even passed over a bunch of Harbor seals hauled up on a rock out in the middle of the sea. It was way cool.
Homeward Bound!
This hotel I’m in isn’t the best one I’ve ever been in. In fact, it probably ranks right down there with some of the worst. But hey: at least it’s not False Pass! There’s no phone in my room, but there is a bar down the hall. I’m tempted to go get a drink; I think I’ve earned it.
Cindy, the girl at the B&B in False Pass was so nice; she actually sent me off on the plane with dinner! I have some of her lasagna and two lemon bars for desert. She handed me a plastic grocery bag with the plate, plastic silverware, and food – all bundled up ready for my trip.
The pilot on the plane was great. He smelled really good, too! I asked him if he could circle around so I could get some shots of FP from the air. We banked really sharp on the turnaround – almost vertical. It was strange: I got disoriented because the sky and the ocean were the same color. I couldn't tell which was which for a minute or two. He asked me if I’d mind if we flew low to the ground, which of course I didn't. So our entire trip was just a few feet off the ground. We even passed over a bunch of Harbor seals hauled up on a rock out in the middle of the sea. It was way cool.
Homeward Bound!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Still Stuck in False Pass
The weather turned nasty again, so I highly doubt the planes will fly. Weather is supposed to be bad thru till Monday, even.
However – the school teacher and her 3 students are supposed to be leaving on a field trip to Anchorage along with me. Apparently Pen Air bends over backwards for the school district, so they are expected to make every possible effort to get them out, and me along with them.
Failing that – my office is now looking in to the possibility of getting me out on the ferry system. The Tustumena comes in to False Pass on Sunday and heads on up to Cold Bay in 4 hours, for only $33.00. This gives me the chance to try one more time with Pen Air on Saturday.
The long and the short of it is:
It would take a miracle to get me out of here today, and miracles are in very short supply so I don’t think God is going to waste one on me. However, he might use one on the teacher and her kids…
The planes are scheduled to try again on Saturday, but the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to cooperate much so I don’t hold out much hope for that. But still, it could happen…
The ferry will stop in on Sunday, early morning – I can hop on that and make it to Cold Bay to catch a flight from there. I’m not sure what the schedule for flights to Anchorage from there is, so don’t know if I would have to stay at the Barefoot Inn a night or not…
On a more positive note: I found out that if I download the Kindle for PC Software onto my laptop, I can actually get the books I ordered for my Kindle! That means I now have something to keep me busy. What I don’t know is what will happen when I turn my Kindle on at home. Will those books load onto the Kindle or will they only be on my laptop? And will my computer at home, which also has the software loaded onto it, sync with my laptop so that all three devices have the same books on them?
Time will tell…
However – the school teacher and her 3 students are supposed to be leaving on a field trip to Anchorage along with me. Apparently Pen Air bends over backwards for the school district, so they are expected to make every possible effort to get them out, and me along with them.
Failing that – my office is now looking in to the possibility of getting me out on the ferry system. The Tustumena comes in to False Pass on Sunday and heads on up to Cold Bay in 4 hours, for only $33.00. This gives me the chance to try one more time with Pen Air on Saturday.
The long and the short of it is:
It would take a miracle to get me out of here today, and miracles are in very short supply so I don’t think God is going to waste one on me. However, he might use one on the teacher and her kids…
The planes are scheduled to try again on Saturday, but the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to cooperate much so I don’t hold out much hope for that. But still, it could happen…
The ferry will stop in on Sunday, early morning – I can hop on that and make it to Cold Bay to catch a flight from there. I’m not sure what the schedule for flights to Anchorage from there is, so don’t know if I would have to stay at the Barefoot Inn a night or not…
On a more positive note: I found out that if I download the Kindle for PC Software onto my laptop, I can actually get the books I ordered for my Kindle! That means I now have something to keep me busy. What I don’t know is what will happen when I turn my Kindle on at home. Will those books load onto the Kindle or will they only be on my laptop? And will my computer at home, which also has the software loaded onto it, sync with my laptop so that all three devices have the same books on them?
Time will tell…
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Good Advice
I’ve been really hit hard by homesickness lately. My friend Rob sent me some advice on how to combat it and make it thru the next 24 hours before I (hopefully) get home again.
Have some tea.
Visit with someone.
Go for a walk.
Give god thanks today.
Tell a family member just how important they are in your life.
Find a rock to bring home.
Have a beautiful restful day!
So, I’ve been ticking things off that list, one by one.
Of course, the first item is no problem: I drink tea all the time. But I must say I miss my Market Spice tea: that’s one of the first things I’ll have when I get home!
For the second item on the list, I went over to the Post Office where Genevieve works. She is the one who invited me over to dinner the night they cancelled the Pot Luck. I like her a lot, and could easily be close friends with her if we lived in the same city. I fully intend to write her a thank-you note when I get home, and hope that she replies so that we can take up a correspondence together.
The third item on the list is an easy one, too – but I do admit to getting stuck indoors too easily. Yesterday, I made myself comfortable on the couch after my leisurely shower and ended up not going out at all. Well, I mean I did go out in the morning: I went to the school and gave the kids (all 3 of them) a presentation on my Earthwatch expedition to Costa Rica. But today, I spent a good 2 hours out there, walking from one end of the village to the other, taking pictures, listening to the ocean, beachcombing, and watching the wildlife. It was exactly what I needed.
The forth item on the list is pretty much a no-brainer as well. I just can’t be outside in such a beautiful place and not give thanks to God.
I haven’t yet completed the fifth task. I’m actually not quite sure how I will do that: shall I post something on Facebook? Shall I send out an email? Use the phone? I don’t know… but knowing me, it’s a pretty safe bet the phone won’t be in use. I really am not a phone person.
While beachcombing on my little walk, I did find some cool rocks & shells to take home. The hard part was finding ones that didn’t have seaweed or other stuff growing on them! That all smells pretty cool right now, out in the open air and by the ocean and all – but I imagine that after sitting in my duffle bag for several hours, it might get to stinking fairly quick.
Last but not least, I think I will have a restful day – but not until I finish up some last minute work. Genevieve, down at the post office, was able to give me a list of all the people she has P.O. Boxes for – I’m going to double check all my records and make sure I’ve counted everybody. I’ve been a little worried that my “official” count turned out to be much lower than I expected. I’ll feel much better once I reconcile my count with hers.
But first, I’ll finish my lunch.
Have some tea.
Visit with someone.
Go for a walk.
Give god thanks today.
Tell a family member just how important they are in your life.
Find a rock to bring home.
Have a beautiful restful day!
So, I’ve been ticking things off that list, one by one.
Of course, the first item is no problem: I drink tea all the time. But I must say I miss my Market Spice tea: that’s one of the first things I’ll have when I get home!
For the second item on the list, I went over to the Post Office where Genevieve works. She is the one who invited me over to dinner the night they cancelled the Pot Luck. I like her a lot, and could easily be close friends with her if we lived in the same city. I fully intend to write her a thank-you note when I get home, and hope that she replies so that we can take up a correspondence together.
The third item on the list is an easy one, too – but I do admit to getting stuck indoors too easily. Yesterday, I made myself comfortable on the couch after my leisurely shower and ended up not going out at all. Well, I mean I did go out in the morning: I went to the school and gave the kids (all 3 of them) a presentation on my Earthwatch expedition to Costa Rica. But today, I spent a good 2 hours out there, walking from one end of the village to the other, taking pictures, listening to the ocean, beachcombing, and watching the wildlife. It was exactly what I needed.
The forth item on the list is pretty much a no-brainer as well. I just can’t be outside in such a beautiful place and not give thanks to God.
I haven’t yet completed the fifth task. I’m actually not quite sure how I will do that: shall I post something on Facebook? Shall I send out an email? Use the phone? I don’t know… but knowing me, it’s a pretty safe bet the phone won’t be in use. I really am not a phone person.
While beachcombing on my little walk, I did find some cool rocks & shells to take home. The hard part was finding ones that didn’t have seaweed or other stuff growing on them! That all smells pretty cool right now, out in the open air and by the ocean and all – but I imagine that after sitting in my duffle bag for several hours, it might get to stinking fairly quick.
Last but not least, I think I will have a restful day – but not until I finish up some last minute work. Genevieve, down at the post office, was able to give me a list of all the people she has P.O. Boxes for – I’m going to double check all my records and make sure I’ve counted everybody. I’ve been a little worried that my “official” count turned out to be much lower than I expected. I’ll feel much better once I reconcile my count with hers.
But first, I’ll finish my lunch.
Reading Lots of Books
I’m still waiting for the plane… weather is good, at least. I’m going out soon for a walk about town: need to talk to the post office to try and get an address for the cannery, and to see if anybody knows anything about Pauloff Harbor for the Census Bureau. They just want confirmation that nobody actually lives there. I’ll also head back out to the old Peter Pan compound to take some more pictures.
It’s quiet otherwise. I have no TV or radio (I miss music!) so have been reading a lot. I brought several books with me on my Kindle, but have read them all. I’m now re-reading one (Fragment, by Warren Fahey). I bought several from Amazon.com, but wispernet doesn’t work here so will have to wait till I’m home to load them onto my Kindle.
Books read while working in False Pass
The Elephant Keeper, by Chris Nicholson
Agincourt, by Bernard Cornwell
The Apothecary’s Daughter, by Julie Klassen
Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman
Mirage, by Nina Burleigh
Books waiting to be loaded onto Kindle
The People of the Mist, by Henry Rider Haggard
Beauty, by Sherri S. Tepper
The List, by J.A. Konrath
The Sleep of the Gods, by James Sperl
Beneath, by Jeremy Robinson
Supervirus, by Andrew Mitchell
Containment, by Christian Cantrell
It’s quiet otherwise. I have no TV or radio (I miss music!) so have been reading a lot. I brought several books with me on my Kindle, but have read them all. I’m now re-reading one (Fragment, by Warren Fahey). I bought several from Amazon.com, but wispernet doesn’t work here so will have to wait till I’m home to load them onto my Kindle.
Books read while working in False Pass
The Elephant Keeper, by Chris Nicholson
Agincourt, by Bernard Cornwell
The Apothecary’s Daughter, by Julie Klassen
Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman
Mirage, by Nina Burleigh
Books waiting to be loaded onto Kindle
The People of the Mist, by Henry Rider Haggard
Beauty, by Sherri S. Tepper
The List, by J.A. Konrath
The Sleep of the Gods, by James Sperl
Beneath, by Jeremy Robinson
Supervirus, by Andrew Mitchell
Containment, by Christian Cantrell
Monday, April 12, 2010
Weathered In
Sooner or later, it just had to happen. When you travel around the Aleutians, in particular, sooner or later the weather is going to get you.
It got me!
The winds were blowing up to 50 miles per hour when I woke up this morning. I still clung to that last shred of hope, though, and got all packed up and ready to leave. Round about 2:00 I got the call from PenAir saying they weren't coming.
They also said I should reschedule for the next flight, which isn't until Thursday!
Thursday! This is not what I want to hear, let me assure you. I like False Pass and the people are all so very friendly - but honestly, I want to go home.
The man who owns the grocery store assured me that the planes would come as soon as weather allowed, regardless of their official schedule. And the teacher who lives upstairs told me the same thing. In fact, he was supposed to have left with me on the plane that should have come today - and is totally planning on leaving tomorrow. He has said he would give me a ride to the airport (really, it's just a runway out at the edge of town) even.
So: cross your fingers, cross your toes, heck - cross everything you can and hope that I get home tomorrow!
It got me!
The winds were blowing up to 50 miles per hour when I woke up this morning. I still clung to that last shred of hope, though, and got all packed up and ready to leave. Round about 2:00 I got the call from PenAir saying they weren't coming.
They also said I should reschedule for the next flight, which isn't until Thursday!
Thursday! This is not what I want to hear, let me assure you. I like False Pass and the people are all so very friendly - but honestly, I want to go home.
The man who owns the grocery store assured me that the planes would come as soon as weather allowed, regardless of their official schedule. And the teacher who lives upstairs told me the same thing. In fact, he was supposed to have left with me on the plane that should have come today - and is totally planning on leaving tomorrow. He has said he would give me a ride to the airport (really, it's just a runway out at the edge of town) even.
So: cross your fingers, cross your toes, heck - cross everything you can and hope that I get home tomorrow!
Disappointment
Well, yesterday was certainly a disappointment. There were three things I needed to accomplish but only got one of them done.
The first one was to get all the paperwork done: finish straightening out all the EQ forms, do the QC on all three binders, get the sign-off sheets ready – things like that.
That’s the one I did get done.
The second one was to get with the city manager and obtain a signature on my work. I had spoken to her about that on Friday letting her know I’d be calling on her Sunday, so she gave me her home phone number where she would be that day. I must have called her every hour starting at 11:00 all the way through to 5:00, and never did get hold of her. I’m hoping to catch her at work today before my plane takes off.
The third one was to attend a Pot-Luck gathering with the entire village. I got all ready for it and headed out the door, only to wonder around aimlessly for a while till somebody noticed me and let me know that it had been cancelled.
As I said, yesterday was a disappointment.
On the positive side, the person who noticed me wondering around looking lost ended up inviting me over to her house for dinner! I got to spend a very pleasant couple of hours with her and her family. She has a little boy named Calvin – not quite a year; and a little girl named Camellia – almost 3. She and her husband had just moved in to False Pass from Sqwentna.
The first one was to get all the paperwork done: finish straightening out all the EQ forms, do the QC on all three binders, get the sign-off sheets ready – things like that.
That’s the one I did get done.
The second one was to get with the city manager and obtain a signature on my work. I had spoken to her about that on Friday letting her know I’d be calling on her Sunday, so she gave me her home phone number where she would be that day. I must have called her every hour starting at 11:00 all the way through to 5:00, and never did get hold of her. I’m hoping to catch her at work today before my plane takes off.
The third one was to attend a Pot-Luck gathering with the entire village. I got all ready for it and headed out the door, only to wonder around aimlessly for a while till somebody noticed me and let me know that it had been cancelled.
As I said, yesterday was a disappointment.
On the positive side, the person who noticed me wondering around looking lost ended up inviting me over to her house for dinner! I got to spend a very pleasant couple of hours with her and her family. She has a little boy named Calvin – not quite a year; and a little girl named Camellia – almost 3. She and her husband had just moved in to False Pass from Sqwentna.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Chicken –vs- The Egg
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Or in my case, the migraine or the homesickness? Unfortunately, I got it bad = both of them.
Sigh…
It’s actually been a very productive day. I got all my paperwork done – well, most of it at least. What’s left to do shouldn’t take too long, and I have to save something for tomorrow. I spent pretty much the entire day at my desk here at the apartment, busily working away at the pile.
Finally, around 3:30, I just couldn’t take it anymore and went for a walk. To my surprise and delight, I found that the weather had cleared up considerably from yesterday. There was even clear blue skies in some places, and the mountains were in their full glory. I walked south first, heading down to the old docks at the burnt out Peter Pan Seafoods compound. I’m glad I did, too – because I found that I had missed a housing unit. Apparently somebody is living in the old hospital, so they need to be counted.
The scenery is so gorgeous around here. I just can’t take enough pictures, it seems. The camera doesn’t do it justice, either. I’m hoping my pictures look better on my PC than they do on my little laptop.
After nosing around the old compound for a while, and picking up “my” dog Cookie, I headed off to the new Bering Pacific Seafoods cannery on the North side of town. I’m sure it’s only a mile or two at the most, not a long walk at all – but my head hurt, so I was a little whiney even out in the beautiful great outdoors.
Along the way, I saw a huge eagle hanging out in one of the little scrubby trees. He was either a juvenile Bald Eagle or a Golden Eagle, since he didn’t have the white head. Now that I think on it a bit, I realize that the Goldens probably don’t frequent the Aleutians all that much, so it was most likely a juvenile Bald Eagle. Regardless, he was big and beautiful and was eyeballing all the ptarmigan that were running around in the field below him. Such funny birds ptarmigan are… but beautiful in their own right.
I had been told by many people to watch out for the wolf that’s been hanging around. That’s how I spotted that eagle; I was looking for the wolf. I didn’t see him though; not sure if it was because I had Cookie with me or simply because he wasn’t there. And I’m not sure I really wanted to see him either: False Pass isn’t that far from Chignic Lake, where that teacher was attacked and killed by wolves recently.
Since I was down at the north end of town anyway, I went ahead and stopped off at the store and picked up a little bit more groceries. I’ll be here a few more days and thought it would be nice to have something other than oatmeal and Cliff Bars. While I was there, I ran in to several other people from town so had a nice chat. The people here are all so very nice. I’m tempted to apply for a job here, almost!
By the time I got home, though, my headache was pretty bad; bad enough that I ended up not going to the movie like I had planned to. They have Movie Night at the school each Saturday and had very kindly invited me to attend. The teacher lives right next door to me, and had even offered to give me a ride. Instead, I took a little nap on the couch – which is why I’m sitting here now at 11:00 instead of sleeping in bed!
Sigh…
It’s actually been a very productive day. I got all my paperwork done – well, most of it at least. What’s left to do shouldn’t take too long, and I have to save something for tomorrow. I spent pretty much the entire day at my desk here at the apartment, busily working away at the pile.
Finally, around 3:30, I just couldn’t take it anymore and went for a walk. To my surprise and delight, I found that the weather had cleared up considerably from yesterday. There was even clear blue skies in some places, and the mountains were in their full glory. I walked south first, heading down to the old docks at the burnt out Peter Pan Seafoods compound. I’m glad I did, too – because I found that I had missed a housing unit. Apparently somebody is living in the old hospital, so they need to be counted.
The scenery is so gorgeous around here. I just can’t take enough pictures, it seems. The camera doesn’t do it justice, either. I’m hoping my pictures look better on my PC than they do on my little laptop.
After nosing around the old compound for a while, and picking up “my” dog Cookie, I headed off to the new Bering Pacific Seafoods cannery on the North side of town. I’m sure it’s only a mile or two at the most, not a long walk at all – but my head hurt, so I was a little whiney even out in the beautiful great outdoors.
Along the way, I saw a huge eagle hanging out in one of the little scrubby trees. He was either a juvenile Bald Eagle or a Golden Eagle, since he didn’t have the white head. Now that I think on it a bit, I realize that the Goldens probably don’t frequent the Aleutians all that much, so it was most likely a juvenile Bald Eagle. Regardless, he was big and beautiful and was eyeballing all the ptarmigan that were running around in the field below him. Such funny birds ptarmigan are… but beautiful in their own right.
I had been told by many people to watch out for the wolf that’s been hanging around. That’s how I spotted that eagle; I was looking for the wolf. I didn’t see him though; not sure if it was because I had Cookie with me or simply because he wasn’t there. And I’m not sure I really wanted to see him either: False Pass isn’t that far from Chignic Lake, where that teacher was attacked and killed by wolves recently.
Since I was down at the north end of town anyway, I went ahead and stopped off at the store and picked up a little bit more groceries. I’ll be here a few more days and thought it would be nice to have something other than oatmeal and Cliff Bars. While I was there, I ran in to several other people from town so had a nice chat. The people here are all so very nice. I’m tempted to apply for a job here, almost!
By the time I got home, though, my headache was pretty bad; bad enough that I ended up not going to the movie like I had planned to. They have Movie Night at the school each Saturday and had very kindly invited me to attend. The teacher lives right next door to me, and had even offered to give me a ride. Instead, I took a little nap on the couch – which is why I’m sitting here now at 11:00 instead of sleeping in bed!
Friday, April 09, 2010
Riding a 4-Wheeler in a Blizzard is Fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
I guess I figure if I keep saying that enough, I’ll actually believe it. In reality, riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard hurts: the ice particles that are pretending to be snowflakes really sting when they hit your cheeks. I learned very quickly to wear eye protection, too – even though I’m the one on the back, behind the driver.
The driver is my guide. I hired a local lady to help me, and as in Perryville she has been indispensable. She’s a real go-getter, too, which is what I need. I have more time on my hands this go around, but still I want to get it done so I can spend my time with the QC portion of the job.
And yes, I’ll admit it: riding a 4-wheeler is fun, even in a blizzard.
It’s a good thing I’m not scheduled to fly out of here tomorrow. Not only am I not done with all the paperwork, but I really don’t want to be in a tiny little airplane in this weather. Winds are gusting up to 40 miles per hour, rain/snow/sleet/slush is coming down so thick I can barely see out my windows, and the waves out in the ocean are up to at least 35 feet!
Oh, and the barge that was supposed to have come in today at 9:00 showed up at 5:00 instead. That would be 5:00 in the morning, by the way. So I missed getting to watch them unload things
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
I guess I figure if I keep saying that enough, I’ll actually believe it. In reality, riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard hurts: the ice particles that are pretending to be snowflakes really sting when they hit your cheeks. I learned very quickly to wear eye protection, too – even though I’m the one on the back, behind the driver.
The driver is my guide. I hired a local lady to help me, and as in Perryville she has been indispensable. She’s a real go-getter, too, which is what I need. I have more time on my hands this go around, but still I want to get it done so I can spend my time with the QC portion of the job.
And yes, I’ll admit it: riding a 4-wheeler is fun, even in a blizzard.
It’s a good thing I’m not scheduled to fly out of here tomorrow. Not only am I not done with all the paperwork, but I really don’t want to be in a tiny little airplane in this weather. Winds are gusting up to 40 miles per hour, rain/snow/sleet/slush is coming down so thick I can barely see out my windows, and the waves out in the ocean are up to at least 35 feet!
Oh, and the barge that was supposed to have come in today at 9:00 showed up at 5:00 instead. That would be 5:00 in the morning, by the way. So I missed getting to watch them unload things
Thursday, April 08, 2010
False Pass
I was supposed to have come out on Tuesday but since the planes only fly on certain days of the week - and Tuesday isn't one of those days - I got a bit of a reprieve and flew out on Thursday instead.
The trip was amazing – the final leg of the flight was in a tiny little two-seater! I got to sit right up with the pilot and watch everything up close and personal. The weather was perfect with clear blue skies and the sun glaring off all that snow and ice so bad it gave me a migraine. It was gorgeous!
The lodging that is provided for me turned out to be a Bed & Breakfast! Who knew there'd be a B&B way out here in False Pass? But there is, and they are really nice people. They even came out to the plane to pick me up when I landed.
My room here is great: I have a whole suite to myself! I have a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a laundry room! The lady managing this B&B is really nice: she got the store clerk to come pick me up and take me to the store to buy groceries, then she let me go on a walk with her and the dogs (Digger and Cookie) down to the docks.
I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it should be fun. People are all real nice; the girls down at the clinic may be able to drive me around a bit tomorrow, after they unload the barge that’s scheduled to come in. Otherwise, I’ll be hoofing it again.
I’m tired and headachey, so will head off to bed now I think.
The trip was amazing – the final leg of the flight was in a tiny little two-seater! I got to sit right up with the pilot and watch everything up close and personal. The weather was perfect with clear blue skies and the sun glaring off all that snow and ice so bad it gave me a migraine. It was gorgeous!
The lodging that is provided for me turned out to be a Bed & Breakfast! Who knew there'd be a B&B way out here in False Pass? But there is, and they are really nice people. They even came out to the plane to pick me up when I landed.
My room here is great: I have a whole suite to myself! I have a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a laundry room! The lady managing this B&B is really nice: she got the store clerk to come pick me up and take me to the store to buy groceries, then she let me go on a walk with her and the dogs (Digger and Cookie) down to the docks.
I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it should be fun. People are all real nice; the girls down at the clinic may be able to drive me around a bit tomorrow, after they unload the barge that’s scheduled to come in. Otherwise, I’ll be hoofing it again.
I’m tired and headachey, so will head off to bed now I think.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Another Busy Weekend
I whined. I moaned. I cried. I pleaded. And eventually, I made it home: I got back to Anchorage Friday evening.
Saturday was spent just trying to recover from Perryville. It’s a great place, but I have to admit it wore me out emotionally if not physically.
When I turned my binders in to the main office, I discovered that I had missed a key component to completing them – so technically they’re still not done. There was talk for a little while of actually sending me back to Perryville just so I could get the final signatures I’d missed, but thankfully they found another way. It just didn’t make sense to spend all that money to get me back down there, even if I was the one who had unwittingly screwed up.
So now I’m scheduled for False Pass: a bit farther down the Aleutian chain. This time I’ll be flying thru Cold Pass, which has a reputation for being weathered in all the time. I may or may not get back by the end of the week – but then, what’s new with that statement?
The information packet they gave me about False Pass tells me that they have a total population (as of 2008 at least) of a whopping 39 people. Again, I have 3 binders to complete and will have just myself to worry about. Hopefully they’ll have the travel plans worked out before I get there: that would be refreshing. You can bet I’ll be hiring a local guide again, and can only hope they’ll be as helpful as the one I had in Perryville.
Sunday was Easter. My mother had arranged a bowling party for the family in lieu of a big dinner, and that seemed to have gone quite well. I myself did not attend – and not just because I really can’t bowl (my injured back really does not like bowling). I pled exhaustion and spent my day just relaxing with Rob. We had lunch at Terra Bella and then went for a nice (long) walk up at the Eagle River Nature Center. Back at my house, we watched the movie “Dreamcatcher” but got to sleepy to watch the whole thing.
Today was spent getting ready to leave. As mentioned earlier, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be leaving, nor do I know which flight I’ll be on, or what airline it flies out on – but I do know it will be sometime tomorrow morning. I’ve got my bags packed, the boxes taped together, and the sleeping bag ready just in case I’ll need it this time.
Wish me luck, and keep this blog bookmarked – I’ll hopefully have internet access down there so I can keep this up-to-date.
Saturday was spent just trying to recover from Perryville. It’s a great place, but I have to admit it wore me out emotionally if not physically.
When I turned my binders in to the main office, I discovered that I had missed a key component to completing them – so technically they’re still not done. There was talk for a little while of actually sending me back to Perryville just so I could get the final signatures I’d missed, but thankfully they found another way. It just didn’t make sense to spend all that money to get me back down there, even if I was the one who had unwittingly screwed up.
So now I’m scheduled for False Pass: a bit farther down the Aleutian chain. This time I’ll be flying thru Cold Pass, which has a reputation for being weathered in all the time. I may or may not get back by the end of the week – but then, what’s new with that statement?
The information packet they gave me about False Pass tells me that they have a total population (as of 2008 at least) of a whopping 39 people. Again, I have 3 binders to complete and will have just myself to worry about. Hopefully they’ll have the travel plans worked out before I get there: that would be refreshing. You can bet I’ll be hiring a local guide again, and can only hope they’ll be as helpful as the one I had in Perryville.
Sunday was Easter. My mother had arranged a bowling party for the family in lieu of a big dinner, and that seemed to have gone quite well. I myself did not attend – and not just because I really can’t bowl (my injured back really does not like bowling). I pled exhaustion and spent my day just relaxing with Rob. We had lunch at Terra Bella and then went for a nice (long) walk up at the Eagle River Nature Center. Back at my house, we watched the movie “Dreamcatcher” but got to sleepy to watch the whole thing.
Today was spent getting ready to leave. As mentioned earlier, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be leaving, nor do I know which flight I’ll be on, or what airline it flies out on – but I do know it will be sometime tomorrow morning. I’ve got my bags packed, the boxes taped together, and the sleeping bag ready just in case I’ll need it this time.
Wish me luck, and keep this blog bookmarked – I’ll hopefully have internet access down there so I can keep this up-to-date.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Damn Government
My guide and I worked our little tails off today, man. We got the entire binder done!
We started at 10:00 – about half an hour later than planned on due to the battery in her truck not wanting to start up. And don’t tell my employer, but we worked right through lunch and on into 3:30 before I finally called it quits and let her go. According to government rules, you’re not supposed to work longer than 5 hours without taking a break – but we were on a roll and didn’t want to break it.
Let me just say right now that I could not have done it without her help. She was invaluable: keeping me on track and organized, introducing me to everybody, convincing the recalcitrant ones to let me do my interviews, and telling me all about every dog we came across along the way. I will certainly write a glowing report on her back at the main office so that if they ever need help out here in Perryville again, she will be top of the list.
I must admit, however, that I am not impressed with the government. Not that that comes as a big surprise to anybody – but this has to be one of the most poorly run businesses I’ve ever worked for. The training was laughable, the organization within the office is nonexistent, and the support for field officers is a mere rumor. About the only thing they have going for them is that they do pay – even if the check is almost always two weeks late and full of mistakes.
Case in point: I called the main office today and spoke to the person in charge of Interior Alaska, letting him know that I had just found out that planes wouldn’t fly over the weekend. He told me that he’d look in to trying to get me out of here on Friday, and that I should call back later on in the day to see what progress he’d made.
That’s why my guide and I worked so hard – I wanted to make sure I was finished with everything so I could leave. No offence to the good people of Perryville, but I’d really like to spend Easter with my own family!
So at 3:30, I call back to the main office only to find out that he had forgotten completely about me and my paperwork never even got started. Then I got chewed out by the lady in charge of travel arrangements for even thinking that I could leave tomorrow without having gone thru her first, and she rather snidely pointed out that other people are stuck out here as well and I shouldn’t think that I’d be getting any special favors. I told her that I had called as early as I possibly could in hopes that the man in charge of things might actually be able to do something, so she rather quickly backed off and said that she had some strings she could pull.
Now I am again to call back later and see what progress has been made. Between you and me – I’m not holding my breath. Most likely I will be hanging out here, with nothing to do and no food to eat.
I’ve actually got several hours of paperwork left to do. If I knew for sure what my schedule for tomorrow was, I’d know if I should stay up tonight and get it done or save it for the long weekend ahead of me.
We started at 10:00 – about half an hour later than planned on due to the battery in her truck not wanting to start up. And don’t tell my employer, but we worked right through lunch and on into 3:30 before I finally called it quits and let her go. According to government rules, you’re not supposed to work longer than 5 hours without taking a break – but we were on a roll and didn’t want to break it.
Let me just say right now that I could not have done it without her help. She was invaluable: keeping me on track and organized, introducing me to everybody, convincing the recalcitrant ones to let me do my interviews, and telling me all about every dog we came across along the way. I will certainly write a glowing report on her back at the main office so that if they ever need help out here in Perryville again, she will be top of the list.
I must admit, however, that I am not impressed with the government. Not that that comes as a big surprise to anybody – but this has to be one of the most poorly run businesses I’ve ever worked for. The training was laughable, the organization within the office is nonexistent, and the support for field officers is a mere rumor. About the only thing they have going for them is that they do pay – even if the check is almost always two weeks late and full of mistakes.
Case in point: I called the main office today and spoke to the person in charge of Interior Alaska, letting him know that I had just found out that planes wouldn’t fly over the weekend. He told me that he’d look in to trying to get me out of here on Friday, and that I should call back later on in the day to see what progress he’d made.
That’s why my guide and I worked so hard – I wanted to make sure I was finished with everything so I could leave. No offence to the good people of Perryville, but I’d really like to spend Easter with my own family!
So at 3:30, I call back to the main office only to find out that he had forgotten completely about me and my paperwork never even got started. Then I got chewed out by the lady in charge of travel arrangements for even thinking that I could leave tomorrow without having gone thru her first, and she rather snidely pointed out that other people are stuck out here as well and I shouldn’t think that I’d be getting any special favors. I told her that I had called as early as I possibly could in hopes that the man in charge of things might actually be able to do something, so she rather quickly backed off and said that she had some strings she could pull.
Now I am again to call back later and see what progress has been made. Between you and me – I’m not holding my breath. Most likely I will be hanging out here, with nothing to do and no food to eat.
I’ve actually got several hours of paperwork left to do. If I knew for sure what my schedule for tomorrow was, I’d know if I should stay up tonight and get it done or save it for the long weekend ahead of me.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I Did Good Today
First thing this morning I hired a guide who turned out to be just wonderful. She knows everybody in the village, of course, so is able to tell me who’s here, who’s gone, who’s left permanently, and who can proxy anybody missing. She drove me back and forth in her truck all day (I’m slightly less than organized) and was cheerful and helpful the whole time.
We got a lot of work done, too – more than I thought I would. I finished 2 whole binders and made good progress on the third one! That’s a good thing, because I found out there are no planes on the weekend. If I don’t finish by Friday I’m stuck till Monday.
Needless to say I’m going to try real hard to finish by Friday!
The weather wasn’t the best ever. A blizzard blew in overnight so it was almost white-out conditions at first. I was very thankful for her truck! By the afternoon, however, it warmed up and stopped snowing. I think it may even be melting off now. I took a walk down to the beach and actually overheated.
They have 10 wind generators! My guide says they were installed 2 years ago and are already paying for themselves. I was very pleased to see them – I think more villages in Alaska should have them.
Their school is pretty neat, also. It has maybe 15 students of all ages, and is probably only a few years old. They invited me to eat lunch with them each day I’m here, for just $4.00 a meal. I have to admit I wasn’t too happy with the food, but that’s mostly because it was meat (I’m vegetarian). I’m sure a normal person would be quite happy with the food; it was nutritious and filling. Since it’s my main meal, I made myself eat it – and since I was surrounded by 15 students and several adults, I couldn’t make any faces while eating it either!
All of the people I’ve met so far have been very kind and seem happy. They are all Aleut, with some Russian and/or Yupik mixed in for good measure – except for the teachers, who are all Caucasian. And as everybody keeps pointing out, even the dogs are friendly here! Two in particular came with us on our rounds this morning and where simply overjoyed at the snow.
We got a lot of work done, too – more than I thought I would. I finished 2 whole binders and made good progress on the third one! That’s a good thing, because I found out there are no planes on the weekend. If I don’t finish by Friday I’m stuck till Monday.
Needless to say I’m going to try real hard to finish by Friday!
The weather wasn’t the best ever. A blizzard blew in overnight so it was almost white-out conditions at first. I was very thankful for her truck! By the afternoon, however, it warmed up and stopped snowing. I think it may even be melting off now. I took a walk down to the beach and actually overheated.
They have 10 wind generators! My guide says they were installed 2 years ago and are already paying for themselves. I was very pleased to see them – I think more villages in Alaska should have them.
Their school is pretty neat, also. It has maybe 15 students of all ages, and is probably only a few years old. They invited me to eat lunch with them each day I’m here, for just $4.00 a meal. I have to admit I wasn’t too happy with the food, but that’s mostly because it was meat (I’m vegetarian). I’m sure a normal person would be quite happy with the food; it was nutritious and filling. Since it’s my main meal, I made myself eat it – and since I was surrounded by 15 students and several adults, I couldn’t make any faces while eating it either!
All of the people I’ve met so far have been very kind and seem happy. They are all Aleut, with some Russian and/or Yupik mixed in for good measure – except for the teachers, who are all Caucasian. And as everybody keeps pointing out, even the dogs are friendly here! Two in particular came with us on our rounds this morning and where simply overjoyed at the snow.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Perryville, Alaska
Well, I made it: I’m in Perryville. It’s actually a nice little village. So far, the people all seem to be quite nice and friendly.
I had a bit of a meltdown earlier. When I got off the airplane upon arrival I had no lodging, no contacts, and no idea what I was doing. A very kind man who flew in on the same airplane took pity on me and let me hitch a ride with him over to the school where they were quite willing to set me up in one of their spare rooms. They also let me use one of their phones so I could call the main office and see if somebody there could finally tell me what I was supposed to be doing.
Thankfully they had finally gotten the lodging straightened out – just that morning, in fact – so were able to tell me that they had reserved a room for me over at the Tribal Office Building. Coincidentally just across the street from the school, as luck would have it. It’s a really cool Quonset hut type of building. I hauled my bags over and got set up.
At first look, the room was quite a disappointment. It’s large, but was almost completely empty except for a twin-size bed with no bedding in one corner and a chair in the other corner. I set my laptop up on the chair and set about trying to get settled in. One of the office workers walking by happened to see me sitting on the floor with my computer on the chair and very kindly pushed a spare desk and another chair in here for me. Then he came back later with an actual phone for me, as well as the secret password to log on to their internet.
I’m in business now!
I even managed to locate the two boxes of supplies that had been sent up here ahead of me, only to find t hat they contained not only the binders I expected but also supply kits for two enumerators.
That’s when the meltdown hit. They told me before I left Anchorage that I was not going to be getting any enumerators, so I didn’t bring the necessary tools to train them and get them up and running!
I totally freaked out and had to call the main office in Anchorage where a very nice man calmly talked me back down to sanity and explained that I really was up here on my own and didn’t need to worry about training anybody with no supplies on hand with which to do so.
Who knew being on one’s own would be such a good thing?
After I calmed down from my little episode, I settled in to the binders to get a feel for what my day will be like tomorrow. Perryville is a small place with only 50 some houses, so really it should go quickly. It’s also quite walkable, so as long as the weather holds out I will be hoofing it unless my cultural guide suggests otherwise. They all drive 4-wheelers down here: my brother will surely agree with me that I am not the world’s best driver on 4-wheelers, but if necessary I can get by.
About that time, a lady showed up with not only sheets and blankets for the bed - but towels too! Slowly but surely this room is sprucing right up. It's very comfortable now, and will be the perfect place to spread out and deal with my three binders.
Hiring a cultural guide is the first thing on tomorrow’s agenda. I have a name of a woman who was recommended; we’ll see if she’ll take the job.
I had a bit of a meltdown earlier. When I got off the airplane upon arrival I had no lodging, no contacts, and no idea what I was doing. A very kind man who flew in on the same airplane took pity on me and let me hitch a ride with him over to the school where they were quite willing to set me up in one of their spare rooms. They also let me use one of their phones so I could call the main office and see if somebody there could finally tell me what I was supposed to be doing.
Thankfully they had finally gotten the lodging straightened out – just that morning, in fact – so were able to tell me that they had reserved a room for me over at the Tribal Office Building. Coincidentally just across the street from the school, as luck would have it. It’s a really cool Quonset hut type of building. I hauled my bags over and got set up.
At first look, the room was quite a disappointment. It’s large, but was almost completely empty except for a twin-size bed with no bedding in one corner and a chair in the other corner. I set my laptop up on the chair and set about trying to get settled in. One of the office workers walking by happened to see me sitting on the floor with my computer on the chair and very kindly pushed a spare desk and another chair in here for me. Then he came back later with an actual phone for me, as well as the secret password to log on to their internet.
I’m in business now!
I even managed to locate the two boxes of supplies that had been sent up here ahead of me, only to find t hat they contained not only the binders I expected but also supply kits for two enumerators.
That’s when the meltdown hit. They told me before I left Anchorage that I was not going to be getting any enumerators, so I didn’t bring the necessary tools to train them and get them up and running!
I totally freaked out and had to call the main office in Anchorage where a very nice man calmly talked me back down to sanity and explained that I really was up here on my own and didn’t need to worry about training anybody with no supplies on hand with which to do so.
Who knew being on one’s own would be such a good thing?
After I calmed down from my little episode, I settled in to the binders to get a feel for what my day will be like tomorrow. Perryville is a small place with only 50 some houses, so really it should go quickly. It’s also quite walkable, so as long as the weather holds out I will be hoofing it unless my cultural guide suggests otherwise. They all drive 4-wheelers down here: my brother will surely agree with me that I am not the world’s best driver on 4-wheelers, but if necessary I can get by.
About that time, a lady showed up with not only sheets and blankets for the bed - but towels too! Slowly but surely this room is sprucing right up. It's very comfortable now, and will be the perfect place to spread out and deal with my three binders.
Hiring a cultural guide is the first thing on tomorrow’s agenda. I have a name of a woman who was recommended; we’ll see if she’ll take the job.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Heading Back Out Again
Well, that was a nice weekend – but now I’m back on the road again. Heading to Perryville this time, leaving Tuesday morning at 8:00 am.
While I was home, I got to hang out with Rob and his kids = that was so nice. We went to the zoo on Sunday where I gave them their own personal tour. I told them at the entrance that my tours usually last about 2 hours, but we managed to stretch that out to a whopping 4 hours! Lunch at Red Robin afterwards made it the perfect day.
Today they all came over at 8:30 in the morning for breakfast; we had rhubarb crunch with vanilla ice cream. How’s that for a nutritious meal? There’s a reason I’m not a mom… but then I headed out to Palmer to see the family before leaving again while Rob and the kids went off to sled the hills.
My family met at Vagabonds for lunch, of course (we are ALL about the food) but did walk it off with a 3-mile walk afterwards. Lauren even came with us, and Noel met us partway with her puppy.
Now I’m sitting here in my living room with all my gear and clothing spread out around me, trying to consolidate 4 large duffle bags into 2. Flying out will be fun, but it is rather constrictive on the luggage allowed.
As with last time, please keep an eye on my blog. I will have my computer with me and will be making regular posts – but will most likely not be able to send out notices to people.
Wish me luck!
While I was home, I got to hang out with Rob and his kids = that was so nice. We went to the zoo on Sunday where I gave them their own personal tour. I told them at the entrance that my tours usually last about 2 hours, but we managed to stretch that out to a whopping 4 hours! Lunch at Red Robin afterwards made it the perfect day.
Today they all came over at 8:30 in the morning for breakfast; we had rhubarb crunch with vanilla ice cream. How’s that for a nutritious meal? There’s a reason I’m not a mom… but then I headed out to Palmer to see the family before leaving again while Rob and the kids went off to sled the hills.
My family met at Vagabonds for lunch, of course (we are ALL about the food) but did walk it off with a 3-mile walk afterwards. Lauren even came with us, and Noel met us partway with her puppy.
Now I’m sitting here in my living room with all my gear and clothing spread out around me, trying to consolidate 4 large duffle bags into 2. Flying out will be fun, but it is rather constrictive on the luggage allowed.
As with last time, please keep an eye on my blog. I will have my computer with me and will be making regular posts – but will most likely not be able to send out notices to people.
Wish me luck!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Home Again – Albeit Temporarily
These past few days have been busy ones! I worked so hard on Thursday that I didn’t have a chance to update my blog even. But I did get my binder done, and even managed to help a few other people out with their stuff, and help do payroll too. Not a bad way to end ones assignment, if I do say so myself.
The following day I packed up my car and headed on home. I had originally intended to start out at 9:00 but couldn’t sleep I was so excited to be going home, so ended up leaving at 8:00 instead. This put me in to Palmer just in time for lunch at 1:00 then arriving in Anchorage by 3:00, exhausted but happy.
My girls were so happy to see me! I missed them so much…
The first phone call I made was to my boyfriend/babysitter to let him know I’d arrived safe and sound and to let him know he should come right over because I missed him, too. My second phone call was to Mother for the same reason – although for her it was a surprise, since she didn’t know I was coming home so soon. I’ll head out there on Monday to see everybody. My third phone call was to GCI to see if I could fix my email problems so that hopefully I will be able to stay in contact with people on my next assignment.
By that time, Rob arrived and announced that he was taking me out on an actual date: dinner & a movie. Dinner was at Pizza Olympia, an absolutely fabulous place with probably the best spaghetti I’ve had in a very long time. I really was exhausted, though – so had to beg off the movie. I promised him I’d go see one with him one day soon, but after I was done with this Census thing.
I had to make a run in to the main office Saturday morning to turn in payroll and restock my supply of forms (this is the government, after all – no shortage of forms required to do my job). While I was there, I got to help out a little bit in “the back room” where they QC all the binders that come in from out in the field. It really helps to know what sort of problems they encounter – hopefully I can make sure they all get fixed BEFORE the binders go back to Anchorage. Well, that’s the intention at least.
Also while I was at the office I got my new marching orders: Tuesday morning I’m being sent to Perryville! My first thought on hearing that was “Where the heck is Perryville?”
Googlemaps shows where it is - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=perryville,+alaska&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.858685,83.671875&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Perryville,+Lake+and+Peninsula,+Alaska&ll=55.912273,-159.125977&spn=10.594359,20.917969&z=6
I’m pretty excited about it, actually. My new boss (coincidentally named Perry – I kid you not) advised me to pack for wind and rain, so Rob and I headed out to The Outdoor Store where I snagged a pair of wind pants for the super-low sale price of only $19.95 (REI had them for around $89.00 and on up). I also got the coolest hat: it’s one of those with ear flaps and a long tassel on top, and it’s all in shades of green.
To celebrate my new destination we had lunch at one of my favorite places: The Organic Oasis. I do love that place… they have the best salads.
Now I’m relaxing at the computer and am contemplating a relocation up to the library to watch some tv for a while.
The following day I packed up my car and headed on home. I had originally intended to start out at 9:00 but couldn’t sleep I was so excited to be going home, so ended up leaving at 8:00 instead. This put me in to Palmer just in time for lunch at 1:00 then arriving in Anchorage by 3:00, exhausted but happy.
My girls were so happy to see me! I missed them so much…
The first phone call I made was to my boyfriend/babysitter to let him know I’d arrived safe and sound and to let him know he should come right over because I missed him, too. My second phone call was to Mother for the same reason – although for her it was a surprise, since she didn’t know I was coming home so soon. I’ll head out there on Monday to see everybody. My third phone call was to GCI to see if I could fix my email problems so that hopefully I will be able to stay in contact with people on my next assignment.
By that time, Rob arrived and announced that he was taking me out on an actual date: dinner & a movie. Dinner was at Pizza Olympia, an absolutely fabulous place with probably the best spaghetti I’ve had in a very long time. I really was exhausted, though – so had to beg off the movie. I promised him I’d go see one with him one day soon, but after I was done with this Census thing.
I had to make a run in to the main office Saturday morning to turn in payroll and restock my supply of forms (this is the government, after all – no shortage of forms required to do my job). While I was there, I got to help out a little bit in “the back room” where they QC all the binders that come in from out in the field. It really helps to know what sort of problems they encounter – hopefully I can make sure they all get fixed BEFORE the binders go back to Anchorage. Well, that’s the intention at least.
Also while I was at the office I got my new marching orders: Tuesday morning I’m being sent to Perryville! My first thought on hearing that was “Where the heck is Perryville?”
Googlemaps shows where it is - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=perryville,+alaska&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.858685,83.671875&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Perryville,+Lake+and+Peninsula,+Alaska&ll=55.912273,-159.125977&spn=10.594359,20.917969&z=6
I’m pretty excited about it, actually. My new boss (coincidentally named Perry – I kid you not) advised me to pack for wind and rain, so Rob and I headed out to The Outdoor Store where I snagged a pair of wind pants for the super-low sale price of only $19.95 (REI had them for around $89.00 and on up). I also got the coolest hat: it’s one of those with ear flaps and a long tassel on top, and it’s all in shades of green.
To celebrate my new destination we had lunch at one of my favorite places: The Organic Oasis. I do love that place… they have the best salads.
Now I’m relaxing at the computer and am contemplating a relocation up to the library to watch some tv for a while.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Stupid Long Underwear
Okay, you know how I was so excited about my long underwear in my last post? Well, I’ve changed my mind. Sure, they’re all nice and warm and all that – but they keep trying to fall down! The only thing keeping them up is my jeans, which are a tad bit too large for me. Every time I get out of my car – which as an enumerator, you do a lot of – I have to reach into my pants to pull my underwear back up where they belong. I’m sure this adds to the good impression I’m trying to convey to people as I flash my government badge at them and try to coax them to give me all their personal information. It’s very annoying.
But aside from all of that, today went quite well. First thing in the morning we all met up in Dallas’s room to learn how to deal with payroll issues. Dallas and Rebecca have well over 20 enumerators that they have to keep organized, so it was quite the madhouse, truth to tell. That’s a lot of hours to keep track of, and this being the government there are something like three forms required for each day’s work, and of course you have to have multiple copies of each form all arranged in the proper order and paper clipped together in just the right manner.
Dallas finally got too frustrated to deal with 8 people in her bedroom, so kicked us all out to go learn how to do Quality Control on binders that had already been done. We ended up in Kate’s room, with Rebecca showing us how to fill out the proper forms and get everything in the right order. Once we had a good feel for it, we each took a binder into our own rooms and sequestered ourselves until we either finished or needed guidance. I ended up with just three or four EQs (Enumerator Questionnaire) needing attention. I called the guy who filled them out so that he could explain why he’d missed the few spots I’d found; once we had that cleared up, the binder was done!
I took a small lunch break, checked my email and facebook, and then headed back out into the field to see if I could finish up my own binder.
The binder that I’m talking about is simply a grouping of homes that the government, in their infinite wisdom, put together in accordance to some esoteric logic that doesn’t really make any sense to anybody else. Some areas have lots of binders, some have very few. One area nearby here has something like 65 binders all showing the Delta River. They actually had to send somebody out there to confirm that nobody lived or built a house IN THE RIVER. Because, you know, they would do that.
Anyway, back out in the field with my binder, I actually was able to make contact with one of my problem areas – but he … let’s just say he was reluctant to talk to me. He wasn’t rude of belligerent or anything like that – he just very forcefully made it know that I would not be getting any information out of him. I did get him to tell me how many people he had living there – and he gave me his name and number, too – so at least I got that much.
But I still have two other places that I need information on before I can turn in my binder. I’m going to meet up with somebody tomorrow morning who can hopefully give me what I need.
One very good thing that happened today is that I got to meet my boss! The Field Operations Supervisor finally made it to Delta just tonight; we all gathered for a meeting at the town hall to go over all our questions and get our paperwork signed - can’t get paid without her signature!
By the time the meeting was over it was dinner time, so Dallas and I stopped off at a Mexican place for a burrito. It was quite good, actually – the first actual meal I’ve had since I got here! Now I’m just relaxing – I’ll lay down for a while and read my book, I think. That sounds good…
But aside from all of that, today went quite well. First thing in the morning we all met up in Dallas’s room to learn how to deal with payroll issues. Dallas and Rebecca have well over 20 enumerators that they have to keep organized, so it was quite the madhouse, truth to tell. That’s a lot of hours to keep track of, and this being the government there are something like three forms required for each day’s work, and of course you have to have multiple copies of each form all arranged in the proper order and paper clipped together in just the right manner.
Dallas finally got too frustrated to deal with 8 people in her bedroom, so kicked us all out to go learn how to do Quality Control on binders that had already been done. We ended up in Kate’s room, with Rebecca showing us how to fill out the proper forms and get everything in the right order. Once we had a good feel for it, we each took a binder into our own rooms and sequestered ourselves until we either finished or needed guidance. I ended up with just three or four EQs (Enumerator Questionnaire) needing attention. I called the guy who filled them out so that he could explain why he’d missed the few spots I’d found; once we had that cleared up, the binder was done!
I took a small lunch break, checked my email and facebook, and then headed back out into the field to see if I could finish up my own binder.
The binder that I’m talking about is simply a grouping of homes that the government, in their infinite wisdom, put together in accordance to some esoteric logic that doesn’t really make any sense to anybody else. Some areas have lots of binders, some have very few. One area nearby here has something like 65 binders all showing the Delta River. They actually had to send somebody out there to confirm that nobody lived or built a house IN THE RIVER. Because, you know, they would do that.
Anyway, back out in the field with my binder, I actually was able to make contact with one of my problem areas – but he … let’s just say he was reluctant to talk to me. He wasn’t rude of belligerent or anything like that – he just very forcefully made it know that I would not be getting any information out of him. I did get him to tell me how many people he had living there – and he gave me his name and number, too – so at least I got that much.
But I still have two other places that I need information on before I can turn in my binder. I’m going to meet up with somebody tomorrow morning who can hopefully give me what I need.
One very good thing that happened today is that I got to meet my boss! The Field Operations Supervisor finally made it to Delta just tonight; we all gathered for a meeting at the town hall to go over all our questions and get our paperwork signed - can’t get paid without her signature!
By the time the meeting was over it was dinner time, so Dallas and I stopped off at a Mexican place for a burrito. It was quite good, actually – the first actual meal I’ve had since I got here! Now I’m just relaxing – I’ll lay down for a while and read my book, I think. That sounds good…
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thank God For Long Underwear
I never thought I’d be saying this, but honestly – Thank God for Long Underwear! Its mighty cold out here, where the land is so flat you can see the mountains that are millions of miles away (slight exaggeration). The cheap clip-on thermometer that I got for my coat zipper told me it was about 25 degrees out, but with the wind chill factored in I’m thinking it was more like -20.
We met this morning as a group over at the City Hall for a very brief introduction to our fellow Crew Leaders and then carpooled over to an apartment building for our on-the-job training. I had been so hot in my hotel room that I severely under-dressed. Thankfully I got to go back to my hotel room to redress after only an hour or so outside, so got to finish out my training in relative comfort.
The apartment building we chose to be trained on turned out to be mostly vacant, so that didn’t really go so well. But we regrouped, got organized again, and headed out to do some actual door-to-door counting (the official term is “enumerating”). I ended up going with Dallas, our trainer, and Aaron, a fellow trainee. We even got to do a group home, which is treated much differently than a normal house would be.
I have to admit that so far, I have not been eating very healthily (is that grammatically correct? I think not). I had some instant oatmeal for breakfast, a Cliff bar for lunch, and a bagel with peanut butter for dinner. The other guys all met for pizza last night, but I declined because I didn’t want to spend my first night here being sick from eating cheese – and if I had gone, I would have eaten it even though I know I can’t anymore. I love cheese!
Anyway, that’s my life so far out here in Delta.
We met this morning as a group over at the City Hall for a very brief introduction to our fellow Crew Leaders and then carpooled over to an apartment building for our on-the-job training. I had been so hot in my hotel room that I severely under-dressed. Thankfully I got to go back to my hotel room to redress after only an hour or so outside, so got to finish out my training in relative comfort.
The apartment building we chose to be trained on turned out to be mostly vacant, so that didn’t really go so well. But we regrouped, got organized again, and headed out to do some actual door-to-door counting (the official term is “enumerating”). I ended up going with Dallas, our trainer, and Aaron, a fellow trainee. We even got to do a group home, which is treated much differently than a normal house would be.
I have to admit that so far, I have not been eating very healthily (is that grammatically correct? I think not). I had some instant oatmeal for breakfast, a Cliff bar for lunch, and a bagel with peanut butter for dinner. The other guys all met for pizza last night, but I declined because I didn’t want to spend my first night here being sick from eating cheese – and if I had gone, I would have eaten it even though I know I can’t anymore. I love cheese!
Anyway, that’s my life so far out here in Delta.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Turn Left
My first day on the job went well – that’s a good omen, I think. Of course, it was just driving from point A to point B, but still… at least I made it in one piece.
And let me tell you – the drive from Palmer to Delta Junction has to be the most gorgeous drive I’ve ever been on! Absolutely stunning scenery: every time you turn a corner a whole new vista opens up in front of you, taking your breath away and leaving you completely awed. I wanted to stop and take a picture each time, but I had a deadline to keep to so I only got a few of them.
I started out from my house at 9:30 and ended up at my sister’s house in Palmer an hour and a half later (I stopped to get gas and wash windows along the way). A cup of tea and an omelet later, and I’m back on the road an hour later heading north. I stopped again, to stretch my legs and eat a bite at Miers Lake around 2:30 and got in to Delta Junction by 5:00.
The title of this posting comes from the fact that everybody that I asked for directions to Delta all said the same exact thing: “Turn left.” And they were right! There are only two intersections to deal with between here and there, and at both of them I turned left.
I found my hotel easily enough; got checked in & settled in. I even met one of my FOS (Field Operations Supervisors) already – we’ll all get together tomorrow morning , bright and early, to start our enumeration training.
I am having email difficulties, though… of course.
And let me tell you – the drive from Palmer to Delta Junction has to be the most gorgeous drive I’ve ever been on! Absolutely stunning scenery: every time you turn a corner a whole new vista opens up in front of you, taking your breath away and leaving you completely awed. I wanted to stop and take a picture each time, but I had a deadline to keep to so I only got a few of them.
I started out from my house at 9:30 and ended up at my sister’s house in Palmer an hour and a half later (I stopped to get gas and wash windows along the way). A cup of tea and an omelet later, and I’m back on the road an hour later heading north. I stopped again, to stretch my legs and eat a bite at Miers Lake around 2:30 and got in to Delta Junction by 5:00.
The title of this posting comes from the fact that everybody that I asked for directions to Delta all said the same exact thing: “Turn left.” And they were right! There are only two intersections to deal with between here and there, and at both of them I turned left.
I found my hotel easily enough; got checked in & settled in. I even met one of my FOS (Field Operations Supervisors) already – we’ll all get together tomorrow morning , bright and early, to start our enumeration training.
I am having email difficulties, though… of course.
The Adventure Begins
Today is the start of my US Census Bureau job.
I’ve got most everything packed and ready to go: one big purple tub full of my manuals and paperwork for the job; one big box of the supplies required to do my job; two tote bags full of food – because you just know that nobody out in the villages will be vegetarian; one backpack full of miscellaneous tools, like my binoculars, my pepper spray, my magnifying glass, etc.; one duffle bag full of underwear, socks, long johns, undershirts, journals, and toiletries; one duffle bag full of clothing; one duffle bag full of winter gear; and several different coats, hats, scarves, and whatnot. Oh, and I’m taking my laptop, too – so that is in there somewhere as well.
That took the entire day yesterday – getting everything organized and packed so that it will be (hopefully) easy to get to everything.
I’ve got my roommate lined up with all the contact information she might need. I’ve got my babysitter lined up with everything he might need to take care of the girls (my roommate can’t because she’s allergic). I’ve got all my contact information disseminated out to my family.
Whew! I think I’ve thought of everything… Now I just have to get it all stuffed in to my car, get the car gassed up, and head out. I’ll start out at 10:00 and stop off in Palmer at my sister’s house at 11:00. If I’m back on the road by noon, I should make it to Delta Junction sometime around 6:00 this evening.
I’ll be posting updates on my blog periodically throughout this adventure, but will not be able to send out notices like I normally do – so keep the link handy and check back in each day! Comments are always welcomed.
I’ve got most everything packed and ready to go: one big purple tub full of my manuals and paperwork for the job; one big box of the supplies required to do my job; two tote bags full of food – because you just know that nobody out in the villages will be vegetarian; one backpack full of miscellaneous tools, like my binoculars, my pepper spray, my magnifying glass, etc.; one duffle bag full of underwear, socks, long johns, undershirts, journals, and toiletries; one duffle bag full of clothing; one duffle bag full of winter gear; and several different coats, hats, scarves, and whatnot. Oh, and I’m taking my laptop, too – so that is in there somewhere as well.
That took the entire day yesterday – getting everything organized and packed so that it will be (hopefully) easy to get to everything.
I’ve got my roommate lined up with all the contact information she might need. I’ve got my babysitter lined up with everything he might need to take care of the girls (my roommate can’t because she’s allergic). I’ve got all my contact information disseminated out to my family.
Whew! I think I’ve thought of everything… Now I just have to get it all stuffed in to my car, get the car gassed up, and head out. I’ll start out at 10:00 and stop off in Palmer at my sister’s house at 11:00. If I’m back on the road by noon, I should make it to Delta Junction sometime around 6:00 this evening.
I’ll be posting updates on my blog periodically throughout this adventure, but will not be able to send out notices like I normally do – so keep the link handy and check back in each day! Comments are always welcomed.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Interesting Development
Two of them, actually.
First – I’m seeing somebody. His name is Rob, and he is a wonderful man. I worked with him back 20 years ago, but he moved out of state and I forgot about him. He’s back up here now, and looked me up simply because I’m somebody he used to know – and we connected! I’ve gone out with him almost every night since our first date. He’s the type of guy who always opens doors or gives his arm when we’re walking over an icy patch. I’ve never really known anybody like that before.
Second – I may have a job! What I actually have is the possibility of a job, but it could turn in to something pretty cool. It’s for the 2010 US Census: I’d be a crew leader (a supervisory position) out in remote places. I go in for a week-long training course next week (paid, thankfully) then if I “pass” that I could get sent out for weeks at a time. It involves snow machines, 4-wheelers, dog sleds, small airplanes… all means of traveling, since most of the villages out here don’t have cars.
As an added bonus – I get to go to Fairbanks this weekend! My friend Lorna had a companion fare ticket (meaning the second guy goes for only $50) so I can afford it. We’re going to stay at the Chena Hot Springs and take their Geothermal tour, hike the trails around there, and see if we can take some good photos of the Northern Lights (although this is not a good year for that, it being the low point of the sun cycle). Then we’ll head back in to Fairbanks and visit the Cold Climate Housing Research Center for a quick tour before heading on back home.
First – I’m seeing somebody. His name is Rob, and he is a wonderful man. I worked with him back 20 years ago, but he moved out of state and I forgot about him. He’s back up here now, and looked me up simply because I’m somebody he used to know – and we connected! I’ve gone out with him almost every night since our first date. He’s the type of guy who always opens doors or gives his arm when we’re walking over an icy patch. I’ve never really known anybody like that before.
Second – I may have a job! What I actually have is the possibility of a job, but it could turn in to something pretty cool. It’s for the 2010 US Census: I’d be a crew leader (a supervisory position) out in remote places. I go in for a week-long training course next week (paid, thankfully) then if I “pass” that I could get sent out for weeks at a time. It involves snow machines, 4-wheelers, dog sleds, small airplanes… all means of traveling, since most of the villages out here don’t have cars.
As an added bonus – I get to go to Fairbanks this weekend! My friend Lorna had a companion fare ticket (meaning the second guy goes for only $50) so I can afford it. We’re going to stay at the Chena Hot Springs and take their Geothermal tour, hike the trails around there, and see if we can take some good photos of the Northern Lights (although this is not a good year for that, it being the low point of the sun cycle). Then we’ll head back in to Fairbanks and visit the Cold Climate Housing Research Center for a quick tour before heading on back home.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
2010 Oceans Film Festival – Part 2
The second night of the film festival was just as good (if not better) than the first night. Once again, I went with my friend Robert and got to sit up in the balcony. Unfortunately, we were a tad bit late, so didn’t get to see the beginning of the first film – which was a bummer because it was my favorite out of all the films. It was called Rowing the Atlantic and told the amazing story of this woman from London who rowed 3,000 across the Atlantic Ocean all by herself. It was a fantastic film and an unbelievable accomplishment - she confronted storms that broke every one of her oars before she even reached the halfway point as well as claiming her camping stove, stereo, and cockpit navigation instruments; she battled grueling physical conditions, extreme isolation, and months of solitude – not even a bird or an insect to keep her company.
The next film was In Awe of the Shark which interviewed some of the world's leading marine biologists to hear their passionate plea to rethink the shark. There was, again, some amazing footage of all kinds of sharks: Hammerheads, Great Whites, Tiger Sharks, you name it – even some Whale Sharks, which are my favorites. Sharks in general have a bad reputation (thanks to my favorite movie of all time: JAWS) and are quickly becoming endangered.
The third film of the evening was another one that I just didn’t get. It was called The Comfort of Cold and told the story of a 75-year old man who routinely swims out to Alcatraz and back, twice a day. While it’s impressive that a 75-year old man is in such good shape, I do have to wonder about his mental conditions – I personally would think twice about swimming in those waters: they’re not only cold but are not the cleanest waters in the world, either.
After the 15-minute intermission, we got going on the fourth film of the evening: Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. This one was created by the Natural Resources Defense Council and was narrated by Sigourney Weaver – both of whom I like and support. It talked about the acidification of our oceans and what will happen if it continues.
A View from Below was the last film of the night, and I have to admit I just plain didn’t like it. Karl Stanley, an eccentric deep sea explorer, takes his homemade submarine to unprecedented ocean depths in search of creatures never seen before. He even rents it out to paying customers, and takes them down with him. The reason I didn’t like it is mostly because of him: he is a confrontational type of guy who enjoys arguing and getting in people’s faces. Not my kind of person at all – but I have to admit I’d love to go down there!
The films started much later this time than the previous day, so by the time they were over it was 10:00. On the way out of the parking lot we came across a man whose truck had died, so Robert stopped to help him – which meant I didn’t get home till around 11:00 and went straight to bed.
The next film was In Awe of the Shark which interviewed some of the world's leading marine biologists to hear their passionate plea to rethink the shark. There was, again, some amazing footage of all kinds of sharks: Hammerheads, Great Whites, Tiger Sharks, you name it – even some Whale Sharks, which are my favorites. Sharks in general have a bad reputation (thanks to my favorite movie of all time: JAWS) and are quickly becoming endangered.
The third film of the evening was another one that I just didn’t get. It was called The Comfort of Cold and told the story of a 75-year old man who routinely swims out to Alcatraz and back, twice a day. While it’s impressive that a 75-year old man is in such good shape, I do have to wonder about his mental conditions – I personally would think twice about swimming in those waters: they’re not only cold but are not the cleanest waters in the world, either.
After the 15-minute intermission, we got going on the fourth film of the evening: Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. This one was created by the Natural Resources Defense Council and was narrated by Sigourney Weaver – both of whom I like and support. It talked about the acidification of our oceans and what will happen if it continues.
A View from Below was the last film of the night, and I have to admit I just plain didn’t like it. Karl Stanley, an eccentric deep sea explorer, takes his homemade submarine to unprecedented ocean depths in search of creatures never seen before. He even rents it out to paying customers, and takes them down with him. The reason I didn’t like it is mostly because of him: he is a confrontational type of guy who enjoys arguing and getting in people’s faces. Not my kind of person at all – but I have to admit I’d love to go down there!
The films started much later this time than the previous day, so by the time they were over it was 10:00. On the way out of the parking lot we came across a man whose truck had died, so Robert stopped to help him – which meant I didn’t get home till around 11:00 and went straight to bed.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
2010 Oceans Film Festival
I went to the Bear’s Tooth Theatre last night and saw the first 5 films of the 2010 Oceans Film Festival with an old friend from back in my pipeline days. I hadn’t seen Robert in close to 20 years, so was a little nervous about meeting up with him again – but he was great, so after just a few moments we were chatting away like old friends (which, coincidentally, we are).
The films we saw last night were an odd mixture: some really good, a few not so good, and one that I just don’t see how it made the cut at all.
The first one was called White Shark Café about a bunch of scientists studying the Great White Shark. They had some pretty cool footage from underwater of the sharks which really made me wish I were a marine biologist. That just looked like the perfect way to spend your day at work!
The second one was called Surf Bus. This was the one that I just didn’t care for. The basic story line was good enough: an old, worn out surfer chick starts up a program to bring city kids out to the beach for the day to learn to surf. The program grew to the point where they bring up to 500 kids a day to have fun at the beach. But the film itself just wasn't up to par, I thought.
After that we watched one called Lost on a Reef about 6 marine archeologists searching for ship wrecks off the coast of Hawaii. Very cool underwater footage of fish, reefs, ships, and all sorts of things. It had a fair amount of history, too – which is always nice.
They paused for a brief intermission and then started up the remaining two films for the night. The first one was called Bicycle Trip which basically just followed this kid who was biking down from the mountains to the beach for a day of surfing. There was no dialog in the film at all, just scenery shots of him in all the different habitat he went thru to get there. Not my favorite film of the night, but it did have some really interesting shots.
The final film for the evening was really an interesting one called Paddle to Seattle. It documented the adventures of two guys who build their own kayaks (out of wood) and then paddle them from Skagway to Seattle; a three month journey down the inside passage. I once though I’d like to learn how to kayak, but after seeing what they went thru I’m not so sure I could do that! Particularly the part where they get visited by a pod of Humpbacks out in the open ocean = OMG what a fantastic experience!
Robert and I had such a good time chatting with each other we went ahead and had dinner after the films, and even decided that we’d go to the next day’s films together. I’m looking forward to it tonight.
The films we saw last night were an odd mixture: some really good, a few not so good, and one that I just don’t see how it made the cut at all.
The first one was called White Shark Café about a bunch of scientists studying the Great White Shark. They had some pretty cool footage from underwater of the sharks which really made me wish I were a marine biologist. That just looked like the perfect way to spend your day at work!
The second one was called Surf Bus. This was the one that I just didn’t care for. The basic story line was good enough: an old, worn out surfer chick starts up a program to bring city kids out to the beach for the day to learn to surf. The program grew to the point where they bring up to 500 kids a day to have fun at the beach. But the film itself just wasn't up to par, I thought.
After that we watched one called Lost on a Reef about 6 marine archeologists searching for ship wrecks off the coast of Hawaii. Very cool underwater footage of fish, reefs, ships, and all sorts of things. It had a fair amount of history, too – which is always nice.
They paused for a brief intermission and then started up the remaining two films for the night. The first one was called Bicycle Trip which basically just followed this kid who was biking down from the mountains to the beach for a day of surfing. There was no dialog in the film at all, just scenery shots of him in all the different habitat he went thru to get there. Not my favorite film of the night, but it did have some really interesting shots.
The final film for the evening was really an interesting one called Paddle to Seattle. It documented the adventures of two guys who build their own kayaks (out of wood) and then paddle them from Skagway to Seattle; a three month journey down the inside passage. I once though I’d like to learn how to kayak, but after seeing what they went thru I’m not so sure I could do that! Particularly the part where they get visited by a pod of Humpbacks out in the open ocean = OMG what a fantastic experience!
Robert and I had such a good time chatting with each other we went ahead and had dinner after the films, and even decided that we’d go to the next day’s films together. I’m looking forward to it tonight.
Brrrr - It’s Cold Out There!
It actually took me a couple days to realize it was cold in here, too. Come to find out, my furnace hasn’t been working right for quite some time. I should have just asked Thing and Junie = THEY knew it was too cold in here. They tried everything they could think of to convince me they needed to be inside my sweaters with me.
Finally, though, I called the repair man. If ever you need furnace work done, I highly recommend Mountain Mechanical. I called them at 9:30, they were here by 10:00, and they finished up and left by 10:30!
And it only cost me $550.00 – seems they had to replace the control panel. I wasn’t even aware that furnaces had control panels.
My task for today is to go get some filters for the thing.
Finally, though, I called the repair man. If ever you need furnace work done, I highly recommend Mountain Mechanical. I called them at 9:30, they were here by 10:00, and they finished up and left by 10:30!
And it only cost me $550.00 – seems they had to replace the control panel. I wasn’t even aware that furnaces had control panels.
My task for today is to go get some filters for the thing.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I had a fun weekend.
I met my friend Lorna out in Palmer at Vagabond’s Café for a bowl of soup on Saturday. I wanted her to see the place because they show artwork on their walls and I want her to get on their list for a showing. She is a painter as well as a photographer, so she could do either type of show. I also just love their soup – they always have great hunks of home-made bread to go with it.
Right next door to the café is a bookstore that was having a book signing by one of Alaska’s own authors, Dana Stabenow. Her books are set in the Alaskan Bush and will soon be made into a television series, I think. We both wanted to meet her, and who could turn down a trip to the bookstore? Funny thing: once we saw what she looked like we realized that we’d just sat next to her over at Vagabonds for lunch! We also just happened to sit next to the Mayor of Palmer, who also happened to be having lunch there.
And since Palmer is a small town and you can’t go anywhere without running in to somebody you know, I did manage to run in to an old flame of mine. We had gone out 15-20 years ago - but it didn’t end well, so we both avoided eye contact and pretended we didn’t see each other. Which is a shame.
Once we got our books signed, we headed over to my niece’s house to meet up with the family for a game of cards. Have you ever played Apples to Apples? It’s a fun game – I recommend it. We had my Mother, my sister Kelly, her daughter Laurel, my sister-in-law Heather, myself, and my friend Lorna playing. We also had food, of course – can’t have a family gathering without lots of food. Laurel’s son Corbin was there, too – but since he’s barely two years old, he really didn’t play much. In fact, he went down for a nap soon after I arrived.
3 hours later, Lorna went back home while Mother and I headed over to my brother’s house to inspect his new fridge. I also got the tour of his new plumbing and plans for the new on-demand hot water heater and generator. And I managed to hit my head really bad on the way back up the crawl space. Not a good thing to do when you’re prone to migraines!
Back at the farm Stan, Mother, and I ended up playing the board game called Sequence – very similar to Gin Rummy, but on a board instead of in the hand. We played for an hour or so, then settled in on the couch to watch the Olympics till bedtime.
Sunday morning was pancakes and home-grown eggs = a very good way to start off your day! Especially when your mother cooks them for you. I don’t do eggs all that often, but once in a while they’re pretty darned good. I headed off to Heather’s house while mother went off to church.
I had my card-making supplies with me, so sat and made a card or two while Heather graded papers (she’s a 4th grade teacher) until it was time for Family Movie Night. Food prep started around 1:00 so that we could all have our food ready to eat by 2:00 for the start of the movie. We’re watching the BBC program “Blue Planet” and got to learn all about the Open Ocean and The Deep (see below).
Disc 2: Open Ocean
Venture into the largest section of open ocean in the world, where endless blue stretches in every direction. This blue wilderness can seem like an empty desert, but here the ocean's fiercest, fastest and most ruthless predators stalk their prey over immense distances.
Disc 2: The Deep
Two-thirds of the earth is covered in water, but we've only explored about one percent of the ocean floor. With the help of space-age submersibles, take a spectacular journey to previously unreachable depths.
Right next door to the café is a bookstore that was having a book signing by one of Alaska’s own authors, Dana Stabenow. Her books are set in the Alaskan Bush and will soon be made into a television series, I think. We both wanted to meet her, and who could turn down a trip to the bookstore? Funny thing: once we saw what she looked like we realized that we’d just sat next to her over at Vagabonds for lunch! We also just happened to sit next to the Mayor of Palmer, who also happened to be having lunch there.
And since Palmer is a small town and you can’t go anywhere without running in to somebody you know, I did manage to run in to an old flame of mine. We had gone out 15-20 years ago - but it didn’t end well, so we both avoided eye contact and pretended we didn’t see each other. Which is a shame.
Once we got our books signed, we headed over to my niece’s house to meet up with the family for a game of cards. Have you ever played Apples to Apples? It’s a fun game – I recommend it. We had my Mother, my sister Kelly, her daughter Laurel, my sister-in-law Heather, myself, and my friend Lorna playing. We also had food, of course – can’t have a family gathering without lots of food. Laurel’s son Corbin was there, too – but since he’s barely two years old, he really didn’t play much. In fact, he went down for a nap soon after I arrived.
3 hours later, Lorna went back home while Mother and I headed over to my brother’s house to inspect his new fridge. I also got the tour of his new plumbing and plans for the new on-demand hot water heater and generator. And I managed to hit my head really bad on the way back up the crawl space. Not a good thing to do when you’re prone to migraines!
Back at the farm Stan, Mother, and I ended up playing the board game called Sequence – very similar to Gin Rummy, but on a board instead of in the hand. We played for an hour or so, then settled in on the couch to watch the Olympics till bedtime.
Sunday morning was pancakes and home-grown eggs = a very good way to start off your day! Especially when your mother cooks them for you. I don’t do eggs all that often, but once in a while they’re pretty darned good. I headed off to Heather’s house while mother went off to church.
I had my card-making supplies with me, so sat and made a card or two while Heather graded papers (she’s a 4th grade teacher) until it was time for Family Movie Night. Food prep started around 1:00 so that we could all have our food ready to eat by 2:00 for the start of the movie. We’re watching the BBC program “Blue Planet” and got to learn all about the Open Ocean and The Deep (see below).
Disc 2: Open Ocean
Venture into the largest section of open ocean in the world, where endless blue stretches in every direction. This blue wilderness can seem like an empty desert, but here the ocean's fiercest, fastest and most ruthless predators stalk their prey over immense distances.
Disc 2: The Deep
Two-thirds of the earth is covered in water, but we've only explored about one percent of the ocean floor. With the help of space-age submersibles, take a spectacular journey to previously unreachable depths.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Feeding My Addiction
There’s a name for a person who gets somebody addicted to a substance, and then feeds it just enough to keep it going and preventing the person from recovering. I can’t quite put my tongue on it, but I know there is a word for it.
Whatever the word is – that’s what my niece is!
She’s got me addicted to watching several TV series on DVD and periodically feeds me the next season – thereby ensuring that I will be hooked forever.
She is an evil, evil person. Evil, I say!
She started out by loaning me season one of Dexter, a show that apparently airs on HBO. If you’re familiar with Dexter, you’ll know that it’s a bit unsettling – but I quickly got hooked. Then, when I was ready for season two, she also loaned me season one of Criminal Minds. Again, I got hooked.
So today she loans me the following:
Seasons two and three of Criminal Minds
Season one of all three CSI shows (CSI, CSI Miami, and CSI New York)
Season one of Burn Notice
Season one of Quantum Leap
Seasons one and two of Eureka
And on top of all of that she went and bought me 6 movies the other day (I paid her back, though – she just got really good deals). I now am the proud owner of:
Whiteout
Galaxy Quest
Practical Magic
Prince Caspian
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
District 9
Added to which I have a friend who got me hooked on the series Supernatural, so I’ve been watching those too… I may never need to watch regular television again!
Whatever the word is – that’s what my niece is!
She’s got me addicted to watching several TV series on DVD and periodically feeds me the next season – thereby ensuring that I will be hooked forever.
She is an evil, evil person. Evil, I say!
She started out by loaning me season one of Dexter, a show that apparently airs on HBO. If you’re familiar with Dexter, you’ll know that it’s a bit unsettling – but I quickly got hooked. Then, when I was ready for season two, she also loaned me season one of Criminal Minds. Again, I got hooked.
So today she loans me the following:
Seasons two and three of Criminal Minds
Season one of all three CSI shows (CSI, CSI Miami, and CSI New York)
Season one of Burn Notice
Season one of Quantum Leap
Seasons one and two of Eureka
And on top of all of that she went and bought me 6 movies the other day (I paid her back, though – she just got really good deals). I now am the proud owner of:
Whiteout
Galaxy Quest
Practical Magic
Prince Caspian
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
District 9
Added to which I have a friend who got me hooked on the series Supernatural, so I’ve been watching those too… I may never need to watch regular television again!
Monday, February 08, 2010
A Whole Lot of Nothing
As you probably noticed, I haven’t been writing very much lately. That’s mostly because nothing is happening – it’s all pretty much the same old stuff, just over and over again. But, I will give you a bit of an update here, just in case you’ve been wondering.
Job Status: I’m still unemployed. There are no real possibilities on the horizon, either. I’ve had a few job interviews here and there, some of which I was quite hopeful for, but nothing has panned out yet. I still apply for jobs left and right, and am not really even paying any attention to which company or what position any more. I have, however, come to the realization that I can no longer consider myself a Drafter. It’s painfully obvious that I am not one, so should just give it up and move on. The problem is that I really don’t know what I am if I am not that. I just need to figure that little detail out, and then perhaps I can find THE job.
Living Conditions: I have a roommate again. Her name is Elizabeth and she just moved up from Kansas. She is working out quite well as she is a very likeable person. It’s hard to have somebody in the house with me, though – I really do not like that part of it. But I think I can get used to it easily enough. It helps that she is always cheerful and easy to get along with.
Computer: I got hit with a rather nasty virus a few weeks ago. It was extremely irritating; to the point where I just hauled the whole thing out to my brother’s house and let him deal with it. He worked on it for a few days and got it all cleaned off for me = thank God for older brothers! It was amazingly stressful to be out of touch with everything for those few days: no email, no internet, no schedule, no BRAIN basically. Everything I do is in here…
My Website: I finally got all five of my travelogues finished, and Stewart did a fabulous job with the layout and design work. You should check them out on my website, and then sign my guestbook letting me know what you thought! My next task is to go around town and get pictures of all the buildings I’ve worked on so they can be added to my portfolio page. I’m thinking that might need to be a summer project, though. Most buildings look best in the summer time.
Zoo Volunteering: I haven’t really done that much with the zoo since I came back from vacation. Not only is wintertime the slow time for me, but I’ve just needed a break I think. I did help out with their Polar Bear Birthday Party, and have been to a few of the monthly meetings. In fact, I did a presentation of my Africa trip at the last meeting!
Earthwatch: I’ve had a few presentations these past few months, one at the Eagle River Nature Center, one for the Alaska Prospector’s Society, and one for The Alaska Zoo. I have a few more coming up in the next few months as well – one for the USGBC and another one for the Prospector’s group. I’ve been having fun creating all these power point presentations, too – it’s a cool program that lets you do some really fantastic stuff.
Job Status: I’m still unemployed. There are no real possibilities on the horizon, either. I’ve had a few job interviews here and there, some of which I was quite hopeful for, but nothing has panned out yet. I still apply for jobs left and right, and am not really even paying any attention to which company or what position any more. I have, however, come to the realization that I can no longer consider myself a Drafter. It’s painfully obvious that I am not one, so should just give it up and move on. The problem is that I really don’t know what I am if I am not that. I just need to figure that little detail out, and then perhaps I can find THE job.
Living Conditions: I have a roommate again. Her name is Elizabeth and she just moved up from Kansas. She is working out quite well as she is a very likeable person. It’s hard to have somebody in the house with me, though – I really do not like that part of it. But I think I can get used to it easily enough. It helps that she is always cheerful and easy to get along with.
Computer: I got hit with a rather nasty virus a few weeks ago. It was extremely irritating; to the point where I just hauled the whole thing out to my brother’s house and let him deal with it. He worked on it for a few days and got it all cleaned off for me = thank God for older brothers! It was amazingly stressful to be out of touch with everything for those few days: no email, no internet, no schedule, no BRAIN basically. Everything I do is in here…
My Website: I finally got all five of my travelogues finished, and Stewart did a fabulous job with the layout and design work. You should check them out on my website, and then sign my guestbook letting me know what you thought! My next task is to go around town and get pictures of all the buildings I’ve worked on so they can be added to my portfolio page. I’m thinking that might need to be a summer project, though. Most buildings look best in the summer time.
Zoo Volunteering: I haven’t really done that much with the zoo since I came back from vacation. Not only is wintertime the slow time for me, but I’ve just needed a break I think. I did help out with their Polar Bear Birthday Party, and have been to a few of the monthly meetings. In fact, I did a presentation of my Africa trip at the last meeting!
Earthwatch: I’ve had a few presentations these past few months, one at the Eagle River Nature Center, one for the Alaska Prospector’s Society, and one for The Alaska Zoo. I have a few more coming up in the next few months as well – one for the USGBC and another one for the Prospector’s group. I’ve been having fun creating all these power point presentations, too – it’s a cool program that lets you do some really fantastic stuff.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Egypt
I’m thinking of going to Egypt for my next trip abroad. I just might have a local guide who will let me stay with him in Cairo, but other than that what should I see? Where should I go?
I’ve started reading up on the subject so I’ll at least be able to ask intelligent questions once I’m there. I got the following items to help me:
Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction
http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/HistoryWorld/Ancient/Egyptian/?view=usa&ci=9780192854193
Ancient Egypt Knowledge Cards
http://pomegranate.stores.yahoo.net/k156.html
Mummies, Gods & Pharaohs Fandex
http://www.workman.com/products/9780761117575/
Explore Ancient Egypt
http://www.nomadpress.net/explore-egypt
I’ve started reading up on the subject so I’ll at least be able to ask intelligent questions once I’m there. I got the following items to help me:
Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction
http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/HistoryWorld/Ancient/Egyptian/?view=usa&ci=9780192854193
Ancient Egypt Knowledge Cards
http://pomegranate.stores.yahoo.net/k156.html
Mummies, Gods & Pharaohs Fandex
http://www.workman.com/products/9780761117575/
Explore Ancient Egypt
http://www.nomadpress.net/explore-egypt
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Slowly Making the Transition
I wondered about owning a Kindle: Would I miss an actual book? Could I get used to reading from a computer screen? How well would the unit stand up to traveling in the outback?
Turns out, I really should have been worrying about other things like: Getting addicted to being able to shop in the comfort of my own home and overspending because with just the click of a mouse I can buy so many books it would take years to read them all.
One thing I’ve found that I really like: the on-line dictionary. I tend to read scientific books, so quite often I’ll come across a word I don’t know. Easy as pie, I just highlight the word and the dictionary automatically tells me all about it. I actually found myself reading a normal book the other day, and got frustrated because I’d found a word I didn’t know and couldn’t look it up right then.
And I’ve discovered that I have a habit I didn’t realize I had. Apparently, when I’m reading a book I often will close it with the bookmarker in place just so I can see how far along I am, and how much farther I have to go. Can’t really do that with the Kindle. It took me a while to get used to the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen. Somehow it’s just not the same.
Turns out, I really should have been worrying about other things like: Getting addicted to being able to shop in the comfort of my own home and overspending because with just the click of a mouse I can buy so many books it would take years to read them all.
One thing I’ve found that I really like: the on-line dictionary. I tend to read scientific books, so quite often I’ll come across a word I don’t know. Easy as pie, I just highlight the word and the dictionary automatically tells me all about it. I actually found myself reading a normal book the other day, and got frustrated because I’d found a word I didn’t know and couldn’t look it up right then.
And I’ve discovered that I have a habit I didn’t realize I had. Apparently, when I’m reading a book I often will close it with the bookmarker in place just so I can see how far along I am, and how much farther I have to go. Can’t really do that with the Kindle. It took me a while to get used to the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen. Somehow it’s just not the same.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Saving Money Already
So I went to the GCI store today to see about adding my new roommate to my cable/internet service, thinking it might cost an additional $40.00 or so.
Turns out, with a few adjustments here and there, I will actually pay about $10.00 less each month and now have more service than I originally had!
How cool is that!
I told the guy at the service counter that if he could lower my monthly bill I would love him forever. So, I guess now I have to live up to my promise. At least he’s cute…
Turns out, with a few adjustments here and there, I will actually pay about $10.00 less each month and now have more service than I originally had!
How cool is that!
I told the guy at the service counter that if he could lower my monthly bill I would love him forever. So, I guess now I have to live up to my promise. At least he’s cute…
Thursday, January 07, 2010
A Very Good Day
I know the week isn’t even halfway through yet, and I’ll probably jinx it by saying this – but I’ve had a really good week so far!
On Monday, I spent 7 hours working on my Earthwatch program. I’m really happy with how it turned out, although I did have to borrow a few pictures from my fellow volunteers. Their cameras were able to get much better shots of the animals than mine did.
That afternoon, I got a phone call from a girl who’d seen my ad on Craig’s List for the room I have to rent. She came over right away to take a look at it, and liked it!
As she was leaving, I said “I’m sure you’ll want to think about it for a while, but please let me know as soon as you can what you decide – I’ll take down the add if you want the room.” She replied, “Well, depending on what my references say – of course – but if you’ll let me, I definitely want to live here. You’re the most normal person I’ve met, so far!”
As her references all came back with glowing recommendations, I now have a new roommate! Finally!!! Her name is Elizabeth and she moves in on the 1st of February. This gives me plenty of time to clean the place up and get it ready for her.
Tuesday was another good day; I finally got the write-up for my Costa Rica Expedition done and sent off to my brother to be put on my website. I took the diary I had kept and translated it into a Word document, word for word exactly as I had written it out in the field. Then I went thru and fixed the grammar and spelling issues, and then went thru one more time to make sure it read properly and didn’t have any holes in it. After that I went thru all the pictures I had and picked out the best ones – not that they’re all that good. It was my first time with a digital camera, and it was continually wet as well. But, all in all, I am happy with the results – and will let you know when it’s up and running.
In the meantime – have you checked out my website?
http://nopeople.com/Ruth/
I have the travelogues for Africa, Mongolia, and Nova Scotia up now, and of course will soon have Costa Rica. My next goal is to get London written and up.
On Wednesday, I went out to the zoo to do a test run on my Africa presentation. Lisa & Mary, in the education department, both agreed to be my guinea pigs and to give me feedback. We set up downstairs in the classroom, with the pull-down screen and everything, so I could get a feel for how it will be when I present it officially. Both Mary and Lisa liked it, so I think I’m good to go now.
When I got home, I had a message on my answering machine from a company I had applied to: they wanted to talk to me about a job interview! I’m meeting them today (Thursday) in about half an hour. Wouldn’t that be something: to get a job finally?
Cross your fingers for me, please!
On Monday, I spent 7 hours working on my Earthwatch program. I’m really happy with how it turned out, although I did have to borrow a few pictures from my fellow volunteers. Their cameras were able to get much better shots of the animals than mine did.
That afternoon, I got a phone call from a girl who’d seen my ad on Craig’s List for the room I have to rent. She came over right away to take a look at it, and liked it!
As she was leaving, I said “I’m sure you’ll want to think about it for a while, but please let me know as soon as you can what you decide – I’ll take down the add if you want the room.” She replied, “Well, depending on what my references say – of course – but if you’ll let me, I definitely want to live here. You’re the most normal person I’ve met, so far!”
As her references all came back with glowing recommendations, I now have a new roommate! Finally!!! Her name is Elizabeth and she moves in on the 1st of February. This gives me plenty of time to clean the place up and get it ready for her.
Tuesday was another good day; I finally got the write-up for my Costa Rica Expedition done and sent off to my brother to be put on my website. I took the diary I had kept and translated it into a Word document, word for word exactly as I had written it out in the field. Then I went thru and fixed the grammar and spelling issues, and then went thru one more time to make sure it read properly and didn’t have any holes in it. After that I went thru all the pictures I had and picked out the best ones – not that they’re all that good. It was my first time with a digital camera, and it was continually wet as well. But, all in all, I am happy with the results – and will let you know when it’s up and running.
In the meantime – have you checked out my website?
http://nopeople.com/Ruth/
I have the travelogues for Africa, Mongolia, and Nova Scotia up now, and of course will soon have Costa Rica. My next goal is to get London written and up.
On Wednesday, I went out to the zoo to do a test run on my Africa presentation. Lisa & Mary, in the education department, both agreed to be my guinea pigs and to give me feedback. We set up downstairs in the classroom, with the pull-down screen and everything, so I could get a feel for how it will be when I present it officially. Both Mary and Lisa liked it, so I think I’m good to go now.
When I got home, I had a message on my answering machine from a company I had applied to: they wanted to talk to me about a job interview! I’m meeting them today (Thursday) in about half an hour. Wouldn’t that be something: to get a job finally?
Cross your fingers for me, please!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Boys
Several weeks before my vacation I got a phone call from my friend Tracy, in Seldovia. Tracy is the one who allowed both Thing & Djuna to come live with me, for which I am eternally grateful. This time, she had news of two boys in desperate need of a home.
I have inherited many traits from my mother such as my strength of character, an inordinate fondness for socks, and the complete inability to say no to an animal in need. I am smart enough to realize that I simply cannot have 4 cats, however, so I agreed to rescue the boys only as a foster parent. The Devon Rex Rescue Group agreed to find them a permanent home as soon as they could, and I agreed to house them until then.
So that’s how Floyd and Thorvald came to live with me. I put them up in the spare room upstairs with a litter box in one corner, a scratching post in another corner, and an electric blanket on the bed.
Thor was a tiny cream colored cat, and was beyond cute with a smudgy little face that just made you want to kiss him every time you saw him. His favorite thing to do was to curl up in your lap and snuggle.
Floyd was white with big green eyes, and was huge. The average Devon weighs perhaps 7 pounds – he weighed 18. His hair was softer than a chenille blanket, though, and he had the biggest ears I’d ever seen on a cat. Oddly enough, he was completely deaf. He also had some sort of neurological thing going on, making his head wobble all the time.
First thing I did after their arrival was get them a doctor’s appointment. Dr. Kavenaugh, at The Pet Stop, gave the boys a thorough examination, administered their shots, clipped their toe nails, and cleaned out their ears. She sent them home with eye drops to clear up some conjunctivitis, and pronounced them healthy.
Finding a home for them turned out to be more difficult than I expected, and took a lot longer than I ever thought it would. The issue was exacerbated by the fact that I needed to clean that spare room out and get it rented to help pay my bills. Thankfully, however, a home was eventually found – the boys are now happily (I hope) living in Homer with their new human.
I have inherited many traits from my mother such as my strength of character, an inordinate fondness for socks, and the complete inability to say no to an animal in need. I am smart enough to realize that I simply cannot have 4 cats, however, so I agreed to rescue the boys only as a foster parent. The Devon Rex Rescue Group agreed to find them a permanent home as soon as they could, and I agreed to house them until then.
So that’s how Floyd and Thorvald came to live with me. I put them up in the spare room upstairs with a litter box in one corner, a scratching post in another corner, and an electric blanket on the bed.
Thor was a tiny cream colored cat, and was beyond cute with a smudgy little face that just made you want to kiss him every time you saw him. His favorite thing to do was to curl up in your lap and snuggle.
Floyd was white with big green eyes, and was huge. The average Devon weighs perhaps 7 pounds – he weighed 18. His hair was softer than a chenille blanket, though, and he had the biggest ears I’d ever seen on a cat. Oddly enough, he was completely deaf. He also had some sort of neurological thing going on, making his head wobble all the time.
First thing I did after their arrival was get them a doctor’s appointment. Dr. Kavenaugh, at The Pet Stop, gave the boys a thorough examination, administered their shots, clipped their toe nails, and cleaned out their ears. She sent them home with eye drops to clear up some conjunctivitis, and pronounced them healthy.
Finding a home for them turned out to be more difficult than I expected, and took a lot longer than I ever thought it would. The issue was exacerbated by the fact that I needed to clean that spare room out and get it rented to help pay my bills. Thankfully, however, a home was eventually found – the boys are now happily (I hope) living in Homer with their new human.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Cow
One day, as we were driving back to base camp after our work in the field was done; we came across a herd of cattle in the road. Mind you, “road” is rather misleading: we were on a trail in the dirt. Also, the cattle, as well as every other animal in Kenya, were basically just bones with skin hanging off them. They are “recovering” from a 2-year draught.
So, anyway, we come across this herd of cattle in the road. Our Land Rover was moving at perhaps 25 mph at the time, but as he saw the cows the driver, Hassan, slowed down. The cows didn’t move, so Hassan slowed down some more. Eventually it was fairly obvious that the cows were not going to move, so Hassan had to basically stand on the brakes. He didn’t stop in time, however, and ended up hitting one of them. In reality, it was more like he bumped one. But he did hit the cow. And the cow went down.
Now, I’m sitting in the passenger’s side - which over there means I’m on the left side of the vehicle. This also means I have the best view of us hitting the cow, and I start to freak out. “You hit the cow!!! You hit the cow, and the cow went down!!! You hit the cow, and the cow went down, and it’s not getting back up!!!” I kept shrieking this over and over again – I couldn’t help myself. But it’s true; the cow was not getting back up again.
So, Idi (our guard, a local man) got out of the vehicle to assess the situation. I think part of what was freaking me out was that I was absolutely positive that he was going to shoot the cow, right there in front of me. Thankfully, he didn’t. What he did was actually pick up the cow and set it back on its feet again. He then held it for a minute while the cow got its balance back, and then helped it across the road to the other side where the rest of the herd was.
These animals are so weak from the draught, they can barely stand up. It was so … so… I don’t know what to call it. And I’m still sitting there, shrieking “You hit the cow!!!! You hit the cow and the cow went down!!!” over and over again…
So, anyway, we come across this herd of cattle in the road. Our Land Rover was moving at perhaps 25 mph at the time, but as he saw the cows the driver, Hassan, slowed down. The cows didn’t move, so Hassan slowed down some more. Eventually it was fairly obvious that the cows were not going to move, so Hassan had to basically stand on the brakes. He didn’t stop in time, however, and ended up hitting one of them. In reality, it was more like he bumped one. But he did hit the cow. And the cow went down.
Now, I’m sitting in the passenger’s side - which over there means I’m on the left side of the vehicle. This also means I have the best view of us hitting the cow, and I start to freak out. “You hit the cow!!! You hit the cow, and the cow went down!!! You hit the cow, and the cow went down, and it’s not getting back up!!!” I kept shrieking this over and over again – I couldn’t help myself. But it’s true; the cow was not getting back up again.
So, Idi (our guard, a local man) got out of the vehicle to assess the situation. I think part of what was freaking me out was that I was absolutely positive that he was going to shoot the cow, right there in front of me. Thankfully, he didn’t. What he did was actually pick up the cow and set it back on its feet again. He then held it for a minute while the cow got its balance back, and then helped it across the road to the other side where the rest of the herd was.
These animals are so weak from the draught, they can barely stand up. It was so … so… I don’t know what to call it. And I’m still sitting there, shrieking “You hit the cow!!!! You hit the cow and the cow went down!!!” over and over again…
Monday, December 07, 2009
Coming Soon!
I finished my Africa Travelogue today. Got the write-up done and spell-checked, the pictures chosen and arranged properly, and the captions all figured out. Now we're just waiting on my brother to put it together on my brand new website!
Keep your eyes peeled... it'll be up and running soon.
The link is to your right >
Keep your eyes peeled... it'll be up and running soon.
The link is to your right >
Sunday, December 06, 2009
That's Just Wrong
I wrote something today, fully intending to post it on my blog for all the world to see. What stopped me is the realization that my family would all see it, and read it.
Isn’t that funny: I’m okay with the entire world knowing personal things about myself, but I’m not okay with the people who are supposed to be closest to me knowing those same things.
That’s backwards… don’t you think?
Isn’t that funny: I’m okay with the entire world knowing personal things about myself, but I’m not okay with the people who are supposed to be closest to me knowing those same things.
That’s backwards… don’t you think?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)