I had a most productive evening last night: one of those that make you feel really satisfied with the work put in to the efforts. I’m quite pleased with myself, even. All that time spent sanding on my garage door has finally paid off.
Rob came over after work and brought his air compressor. We spent maybe 15-20 minutes cleaning all the dust and debris off and then settled in to the staining. We really slopped it on, too: the wood just soaked it all in. Some of us were a bit sloppier than the others, however. On Rob’s side of the garage door there a considerable amount of drips on the concrete below. My side is, of course, much neater and cleaner. Which may actually mean that I didn’t put enough up there – time will tell.
It looks so pretty now! We finished just as the sun began to set (yes, the sun is actually beginning to set again finally: The Darkness is Coming!); the lighting was just perfect so that my door was glowing a deep reddish brown color. Fabulous! Technically, though, it’s supposed to be a Cedar on Cedar semi-transparent stain that enhances the wood grain yet still protects it from weather & sun. The red color was added by the sun – I hope. I’ll find out when I get home tonight.
While we were at it, we went ahead and stained the Front Entry Deck and the boardwalk leading from the drive way to the front door. Both desperately needed it, although we hadn’t stripped the entry deck so just applied the new stain on top of the old stain. It’s now a lovely shade of really dark brown – and is also still quite wet. Perhaps it will lighten up once it’s dried. The boardwalk soaked all the stain up almost immediately – I’m thinking we’ll have to put another coat down on it.
As an added bonus, Rob installed my peephole! We’ll of course take it out before painting the door, but for now I can see who’s knocking at my door finally. We also got the paint picked out for the door: a nice dark red color.
I had thought to paint both sides of my door – both outside and inside. What do you think?
Rob thinks I should only paint the outside. I have to admit, he’s probably right – but there’s something intriguing about having a red door even on the inside. It would really stand out, that’s for sure. All my walls inside are painted white, with lots of oak trim everywhere, and blue carpet.
Next on the list of chores to finish up on is the roof. The forecast is calling for a whole week of sunshine, so we’re tentatively planning on applying the bleach solution on Thursday evening. This will give the moss 4 days to dry out prior to application, and then the whole weekend to die before Rob gets back up there on Sunday (or Monday) to get rid of it all.
Gosh… I just had a disturbing thought. What ever will I do with myself once all these chores are done!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
House Chores
Am I the only person on the planet who never thought to wash her front door? I’ve been complaining about how dingy and dull my door was, to the point where I’d convinced Rob that we need to paint it bright red. Well, in preparing for the new paint – I washed it.
Wow! What a difference that makes. I’m almost tempted to not paint it now, except I really do want a bright red door. Don’t ask me why; I still can’t figure that out.
Now my door is the same color as the walls inside my house, where it used to be … gosh, I don’t know what to call the color it used to be: somewhere between volcanic ash and 12 years of fingerprints and grime. And for some reason, the inside of the door was dirtier than the outside. I really don’t understand that one, except that maybe the rain showers actually did some good out there.
I also managed to finish sanding the garage door finally today. I probably could do some more touch-up work on it, for at least another week or two – but really, I think it’s ready for the new coat of stain. Then it, too, will look so much better! At the same time, we might end up staining the front walkway and entry way while we’re at it.
And can you believe this weather! The sun is actually shining, without a single drop of rain to be felt. Rob told me I wasn’t allowed to go up on the roof myself – he seems to think I’m a klutz and will fall off and break my neck. I’m tempted to go up there anyway, just to spite him. But knowing my luck, I probably would fall and break my neck. He will be back in town on Sunday and can go up there and kill all the moss himself. I’ve got all the supplies on hand – just need to mix them all together and have it ready for him.
Wow! What a difference that makes. I’m almost tempted to not paint it now, except I really do want a bright red door. Don’t ask me why; I still can’t figure that out.
Now my door is the same color as the walls inside my house, where it used to be … gosh, I don’t know what to call the color it used to be: somewhere between volcanic ash and 12 years of fingerprints and grime. And for some reason, the inside of the door was dirtier than the outside. I really don’t understand that one, except that maybe the rain showers actually did some good out there.
I also managed to finish sanding the garage door finally today. I probably could do some more touch-up work on it, for at least another week or two – but really, I think it’s ready for the new coat of stain. Then it, too, will look so much better! At the same time, we might end up staining the front walkway and entry way while we’re at it.
And can you believe this weather! The sun is actually shining, without a single drop of rain to be felt. Rob told me I wasn’t allowed to go up on the roof myself – he seems to think I’m a klutz and will fall off and break my neck. I’m tempted to go up there anyway, just to spite him. But knowing my luck, I probably would fall and break my neck. He will be back in town on Sunday and can go up there and kill all the moss himself. I’ve got all the supplies on hand – just need to mix them all together and have it ready for him.
Friday, August 20, 2010
A Cup of Tea
The tea I drink has different quotes printed out on the tags of each teabag. I thought I’d share some of the ones I thought were worth keeping:
When God made time, He made enough of it.
Celtic Saying
Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom.
Hugo De Groot (1583 – 1645)
If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.
Moshe Dayan (1915 – 1981)
It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them.
Alfred Adler (1870 – 1937)
First think, and then act.
Wise Saying from the Orient
Whatever is produced in haste goes hastily to waste.
Saadi (1184 – 1291)
A witty saying proves nothing.
Voltaire (1694 – 1778)
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.
Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642)
Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life.
Herbert Henry Asquith (1852 – 1928)
All human actions have one of more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.
Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC)
‘Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865)
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.
Booker T. Washington (1856 – 1915)
In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.
Sir Frances Darwin (1848 – 1925)
When God made time, He made enough of it.
Celtic Saying
Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom.
Hugo De Groot (1583 – 1645)
If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.
Moshe Dayan (1915 – 1981)
It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them.
Alfred Adler (1870 – 1937)
First think, and then act.
Wise Saying from the Orient
Whatever is produced in haste goes hastily to waste.
Saadi (1184 – 1291)
A witty saying proves nothing.
Voltaire (1694 – 1778)
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.
Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642)
Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life.
Herbert Henry Asquith (1852 – 1928)
All human actions have one of more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.
Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC)
‘Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865)
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.
Booker T. Washington (1856 – 1915)
In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.
Sir Frances Darwin (1848 – 1925)
Walking with Dinosaurs
My evening started with meeting my friend Heather at the Bear’s Tooth for, as she puts it: “the best selection of vegan burritos in town.” And I have to say, I do agree: they are quite good, even with my lack of appetite. We had a lot to catch up on, so spent a good hour talking about both of our personal roller coaster rides.
We left the restaurant with plenty of time to get to the Sullivan Sports Arena – or so we thought. Little did we know there’s be a line of cars, pilled bumper to bumper for blocks, all waiting to get into the parking lot. Man, I hate traffic. I didn’t even have my book with me. I should know better by now, and should always have it with me.
Finally, however, we made it to our seats. I am not rich so could not afford the “good” seats. Even the “not-so-good” seats were still $30 each, with a $7.50 fee tacked on for whatever reason. We ended up sitting up in the balcony section – but I didn’t mind at all. This gave us a view of the entire show!
And what a show it was! Oh My Gosh: they had flashing lights, moving sets, booming thunder, majestic music – the works. To borrow a quote from the movie Jurassic Park: “We spared no expense.”
The show opened with a paleontologist giving us the history of our planet starting back at the beginning of the Triassic period. One at a time, moving up thru the years, he introduced us to the various time periods and their respective dinosaurs. He talked about digging for bones, Plate Tectonics, volcanoes, mass extinctions, and all sorts of plants and animals. It was quite educational, assuming one actually listened to the talking.
Most people got distracted by the leading characters, however. It’s hard to listen to a boring old lecture when there is a 23 feet tall Tyrannosaurus Rex roaring at the crowd. Let me assure you, those life-size dinosaurs were incredible!
They had 8 dinosaurs recreated at life size:
1 Plateosaurus (10’ tall),
1 Stegosaurus (18.5’ tall)
1 Allosaurus (14.5’ tall)
1 Brachiosaurus (36’ tall)
1 Ornithocheirus (with a 38’ wing span)
1 Ankylosaurus (12’ tall)
1 Torosaurus (13’ tall)
1 Tyrannosaurus Rex (23’ tall).
They also had 5 dinosaurs that were “worn” by actors:
3 Utahraptors (8’ tall)
1 baby T-Rex (7’ tall)
1 Liliensternus (7.5’ tall)
To give you an idea of what was involved in the making of this show, I’m going to borrow some information from their website to share with you:
Each large dinosaur contains: (based upon the construction of a Torosaurus)
433 feet of hydraulic hose
971 feet of fabric
433 feet of foam
53 gallons of paint
7 kilowatts of power from 12 truck batteries
1094 yards of cabling in each body
24 microprocessors control movement along with
15 hydraulic rams and 6 hydraulic motors each
Each large dinosaur:
weighs 1.6 tons a piece (standard family car)
runs on 6 roller blade wheels
To operate one dinosaur, it takes:
A Team of 3 people:
1 Driver,
2 Voodoo Puppeteers -
one operates head and tail gross motion,
one in charge of minor movements: mouth, blinking and roars
If you get the chance to see this show, I highly recommend you do so! It’s worth every penny.
We left the restaurant with plenty of time to get to the Sullivan Sports Arena – or so we thought. Little did we know there’s be a line of cars, pilled bumper to bumper for blocks, all waiting to get into the parking lot. Man, I hate traffic. I didn’t even have my book with me. I should know better by now, and should always have it with me.
Finally, however, we made it to our seats. I am not rich so could not afford the “good” seats. Even the “not-so-good” seats were still $30 each, with a $7.50 fee tacked on for whatever reason. We ended up sitting up in the balcony section – but I didn’t mind at all. This gave us a view of the entire show!
And what a show it was! Oh My Gosh: they had flashing lights, moving sets, booming thunder, majestic music – the works. To borrow a quote from the movie Jurassic Park: “We spared no expense.”
The show opened with a paleontologist giving us the history of our planet starting back at the beginning of the Triassic period. One at a time, moving up thru the years, he introduced us to the various time periods and their respective dinosaurs. He talked about digging for bones, Plate Tectonics, volcanoes, mass extinctions, and all sorts of plants and animals. It was quite educational, assuming one actually listened to the talking.
Most people got distracted by the leading characters, however. It’s hard to listen to a boring old lecture when there is a 23 feet tall Tyrannosaurus Rex roaring at the crowd. Let me assure you, those life-size dinosaurs were incredible!
They had 8 dinosaurs recreated at life size:
1 Plateosaurus (10’ tall),
1 Stegosaurus (18.5’ tall)
1 Allosaurus (14.5’ tall)
1 Brachiosaurus (36’ tall)
1 Ornithocheirus (with a 38’ wing span)
1 Ankylosaurus (12’ tall)
1 Torosaurus (13’ tall)
1 Tyrannosaurus Rex (23’ tall).
They also had 5 dinosaurs that were “worn” by actors:
3 Utahraptors (8’ tall)
1 baby T-Rex (7’ tall)
1 Liliensternus (7.5’ tall)
To give you an idea of what was involved in the making of this show, I’m going to borrow some information from their website to share with you:
Each large dinosaur contains: (based upon the construction of a Torosaurus)
433 feet of hydraulic hose
971 feet of fabric
433 feet of foam
53 gallons of paint
7 kilowatts of power from 12 truck batteries
1094 yards of cabling in each body
24 microprocessors control movement along with
15 hydraulic rams and 6 hydraulic motors each
Each large dinosaur:
weighs 1.6 tons a piece (standard family car)
runs on 6 roller blade wheels
To operate one dinosaur, it takes:
A Team of 3 people:
1 Driver,
2 Voodoo Puppeteers -
one operates head and tail gross motion,
one in charge of minor movements: mouth, blinking and roars
If you get the chance to see this show, I highly recommend you do so! It’s worth every penny.
Car Troubles Again
I was driving home the other day from meeting with a friend for a cup of tea. Just past International Road, I started to notice that the car was pulling to the left – pretty bad, actually. I had to work at holding it on the road. I rolled my window down but didn’t hear anything, so didn’t think it was all that bad. By the time I neared the intersection of Dimond and Minnesota, however, I started to hear the thump-thump-thump-thump sound that only a seriously flat tire can make.
As luck would have it, Rob lives right near there – so I made my way to his house and pulled in to his driveway. Thankfully he was there, having just gotten home from his daily 2-hour bike ride. He and his roommate Bill came out to assess the damage.
I have to say, I was extremely upset. These are brand new tires I’d bought not three months ago; and I got them specifically so that I wouldn’t get another flat tire. Little good that did me… this tire was definitely flat. And apparently my decision to drive to Rob’s house was a really bad one. What I should have done was pull over immediately after noticing the car was pulling to the left. By driving on, I’d ruined it beyond repair, and there was some considerable doubt as to whether I’d be able to cash in on the warrantee because of that.
Rob and Bill got the tire off in no time and put the temporary spare tire on in its place. Rob could see that I was upset about it all, so he valiantly tried to cheer me up. He can be sweet at times. The tire shop was closed by then, so we made plans to meet after work the next day to take the car in and try to convince them to give me the warrantee.
Unfortunately having that temporary on my car meant that I couldn’t attend the Green Building Council meeting the next day: I felt that I shouldn’t drive the car any more than absolutely necessary, since the tire is a tiny little thing and I’m sure my car isn’t happy about being lop-sided like that.
Eventually the day ended and I headed on home. Rob showed up not 5 minutes later, and we headed down to American Tire, off the Old Seward Highway. The guy helping us at the shop was more than a little bit preachy with me (I had run the tire flat and ruined it, after all) but did finally agree to apply the warrantee – so I got a new tire for only the cost of labor to put it on. I suppose that’s worth having to endure yet another man telling me what I’d done wrong.
And Rob continued to be really nice to me, buying me dinner and hanging out with me to cheer me up. As I said, he can be sweet at times. Thankfully – because I really needed it that day!
As luck would have it, Rob lives right near there – so I made my way to his house and pulled in to his driveway. Thankfully he was there, having just gotten home from his daily 2-hour bike ride. He and his roommate Bill came out to assess the damage.
I have to say, I was extremely upset. These are brand new tires I’d bought not three months ago; and I got them specifically so that I wouldn’t get another flat tire. Little good that did me… this tire was definitely flat. And apparently my decision to drive to Rob’s house was a really bad one. What I should have done was pull over immediately after noticing the car was pulling to the left. By driving on, I’d ruined it beyond repair, and there was some considerable doubt as to whether I’d be able to cash in on the warrantee because of that.
Rob and Bill got the tire off in no time and put the temporary spare tire on in its place. Rob could see that I was upset about it all, so he valiantly tried to cheer me up. He can be sweet at times. The tire shop was closed by then, so we made plans to meet after work the next day to take the car in and try to convince them to give me the warrantee.
Unfortunately having that temporary on my car meant that I couldn’t attend the Green Building Council meeting the next day: I felt that I shouldn’t drive the car any more than absolutely necessary, since the tire is a tiny little thing and I’m sure my car isn’t happy about being lop-sided like that.
Eventually the day ended and I headed on home. Rob showed up not 5 minutes later, and we headed down to American Tire, off the Old Seward Highway. The guy helping us at the shop was more than a little bit preachy with me (I had run the tire flat and ruined it, after all) but did finally agree to apply the warrantee – so I got a new tire for only the cost of labor to put it on. I suppose that’s worth having to endure yet another man telling me what I’d done wrong.
And Rob continued to be really nice to me, buying me dinner and hanging out with me to cheer me up. As I said, he can be sweet at times. Thankfully – because I really needed it that day!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Movie Night at the Alaska Zoo
Last night we had our first ever Movie Night at the Zoo! It wasn’t very well attended, however, and we got pushed out of the nicer room down to the classroom. But, it was still fun.
I brought my “LIFE” DVD series for us to watch: the same people that made both PLANET EARTH and BLUE PLANET (both of which I also have) made this series, too – and it’s just as wonderful. We watched the first two episodes: The Challenges of Life, and Reptiles and Amphibians.
The classroom has a nice big screen to watch presentations on with surround sound speakers, so even though it wasn’t exactly comfortable sitting on metal chairs at metal desks - and we had a spastic squirrel insanely bouncing off the walls of his cage the entire time - it was still a good evening.
Heather, our volunteer coordinator, had her friend Mindy with her; I had my friend Rob with me; and another volunteer named Desiree joined in with us. We had plenty of popcorn, too – Heather had hoped for a larger turnout. I’ll have to remember to bring something to drink to the next movie night – and maybe some chocolate, too. Can’t watch a movie without chocolate you know!
Next time, we’re hoping to be able to sit upstairs. They have 5 (count them, FIVE) big screen TVs up there, and nice cushy chairs to sit on. Heck, it might even be warmer up there – who knows. Regardless of where we end up though, we still have plenty of movies to watch.
This should keep us entertained throughout the winter months!
I brought my “LIFE” DVD series for us to watch: the same people that made both PLANET EARTH and BLUE PLANET (both of which I also have) made this series, too – and it’s just as wonderful. We watched the first two episodes: The Challenges of Life, and Reptiles and Amphibians.
The classroom has a nice big screen to watch presentations on with surround sound speakers, so even though it wasn’t exactly comfortable sitting on metal chairs at metal desks - and we had a spastic squirrel insanely bouncing off the walls of his cage the entire time - it was still a good evening.
Heather, our volunteer coordinator, had her friend Mindy with her; I had my friend Rob with me; and another volunteer named Desiree joined in with us. We had plenty of popcorn, too – Heather had hoped for a larger turnout. I’ll have to remember to bring something to drink to the next movie night – and maybe some chocolate, too. Can’t watch a movie without chocolate you know!
Next time, we’re hoping to be able to sit upstairs. They have 5 (count them, FIVE) big screen TVs up there, and nice cushy chairs to sit on. Heck, it might even be warmer up there – who knows. Regardless of where we end up though, we still have plenty of movies to watch.
This should keep us entertained throughout the winter months!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
My House
There’s been so much going on lately that I haven’t been able to keep up on my blog here. Mostly because it’s be an emotional roller coaster lately, and I don’t want to bore you all with my personal disasters – but there are few things that I can write about without dragging you on the ride with me.
Most importantly, I’ve been working on my house. One of the perks of working for a construction company is that they have tools – and I can borrow them! So, I got their pressure washer and Rob and I set to work on the exterior of my house. We – or rather I should say He, since I mostly just stood there and watched – spent a good 2 or 3 hours getting rid of at least a decade’s worth of grit, grime, and volcanic ash off my house. While he was at it he stripped the stain off the garage door for me, with the intent of fixing the water damage to the lower left-hand corner.
Once he finished the pressure washing, he showed me how to run his sander to smooth out the garage door and prepare it for the new stain. I’ve been working on that about an hour each day after work (weather permitting, of course - rather hard to sand in the pouring rain). At the moment I have about one day’s work left to do before I call Rob back to help me with the next step. Let me assure you, sanding a garage door is not the easiest thing to do, even when most of the old stain has been already stripped off. For one thing, half of the door is way up high to where I have to stand on my tippy toes just to reach it. It’s been fun, though. And I have lots of eight-legged help, too.
The next step is to use the air compressor and blow all the dust off. I’ve already brushed it off as much as I can, but I’m sure the air compressor will do a much better job. We don’t want any dust in the stain, you know! Although Rob keeps reminding me “It’s just a garage door. It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Once the garage door is finished, we’ll move on to the entry door. I’m going to thoroughly clean it with a Scotch Brite pad and some soap & water, and then we’ll paint it BRIGHT RED! I’m pretty excited about that, actually – although I can’t for the life of me figure out exactly why I want a bright red door. Once the paint is dry, Rob will then install a peep-hole for me. I have needed one of those since I bought the place 12 years ago.
Another job we have in mind is to somehow get rid of all the moss growing on my roof. Rob read on This Old House that you should get up there and spray it all down with a mixture of bleach & water to kill it, and then it can just be swept off with a broom. Of course, the trick is that you have to wait for it to dry out before you spray it with the bleach & water mixture so that it soaks it up. Those of you who live here will know that we are working on – what, 29 consecutive days of rain now? Whatever the number, its set a new record – and the entire world is sopping wet with no chance of drying out anytime soon! But as soon as it does, you’ll find me out on my roof with my spray bottle in hand!
Just pray I don’t slip and fall… that would not be good.
Most importantly, I’ve been working on my house. One of the perks of working for a construction company is that they have tools – and I can borrow them! So, I got their pressure washer and Rob and I set to work on the exterior of my house. We – or rather I should say He, since I mostly just stood there and watched – spent a good 2 or 3 hours getting rid of at least a decade’s worth of grit, grime, and volcanic ash off my house. While he was at it he stripped the stain off the garage door for me, with the intent of fixing the water damage to the lower left-hand corner.
Once he finished the pressure washing, he showed me how to run his sander to smooth out the garage door and prepare it for the new stain. I’ve been working on that about an hour each day after work (weather permitting, of course - rather hard to sand in the pouring rain). At the moment I have about one day’s work left to do before I call Rob back to help me with the next step. Let me assure you, sanding a garage door is not the easiest thing to do, even when most of the old stain has been already stripped off. For one thing, half of the door is way up high to where I have to stand on my tippy toes just to reach it. It’s been fun, though. And I have lots of eight-legged help, too.
The next step is to use the air compressor and blow all the dust off. I’ve already brushed it off as much as I can, but I’m sure the air compressor will do a much better job. We don’t want any dust in the stain, you know! Although Rob keeps reminding me “It’s just a garage door. It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Once the garage door is finished, we’ll move on to the entry door. I’m going to thoroughly clean it with a Scotch Brite pad and some soap & water, and then we’ll paint it BRIGHT RED! I’m pretty excited about that, actually – although I can’t for the life of me figure out exactly why I want a bright red door. Once the paint is dry, Rob will then install a peep-hole for me. I have needed one of those since I bought the place 12 years ago.
Another job we have in mind is to somehow get rid of all the moss growing on my roof. Rob read on This Old House that you should get up there and spray it all down with a mixture of bleach & water to kill it, and then it can just be swept off with a broom. Of course, the trick is that you have to wait for it to dry out before you spray it with the bleach & water mixture so that it soaks it up. Those of you who live here will know that we are working on – what, 29 consecutive days of rain now? Whatever the number, its set a new record – and the entire world is sopping wet with no chance of drying out anytime soon! But as soon as it does, you’ll find me out on my roof with my spray bottle in hand!
Just pray I don’t slip and fall… that would not be good.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Highly Recommended
I am reading a really good book right now, called Poseidon’s Steed by Helen Scales, PH.D. I highly recommend it to you!
Below is an expert:
“What was so special about that encounter with my first seahorse? Why are seahorses different from so many other creatures I have gazed upon during hours and days underwater? It surely has something to do with their unconventional beauty, their unique combination of features, a demure down-turned snout and tightly curled tail, as sensitive and nimble as an elephant’s trunk. Was it the anticipation of seeing one and the satisfaction, after such a long wait, of finally spying one of these wily masters of disguise that can match themselves so expertly to their surroundings? Sharks are breathtaking in their nonchalant efficiency as they slice through the water like sleek torpedoes. Reef fish are instantly gratifying, colorful and brazen, flitting around like butterflies of the sea. But seahorses hold a secret intimacy, a special reward for the keen-eyed. And perhaps deep down I held on to a childhood suspicion, an irrational part of me that didn’t quite believe seahorses really do inhabit the oceans. Seeing one felt like glimpsing a unicorn trotting through my garden.”
Below is an expert:
“What was so special about that encounter with my first seahorse? Why are seahorses different from so many other creatures I have gazed upon during hours and days underwater? It surely has something to do with their unconventional beauty, their unique combination of features, a demure down-turned snout and tightly curled tail, as sensitive and nimble as an elephant’s trunk. Was it the anticipation of seeing one and the satisfaction, after such a long wait, of finally spying one of these wily masters of disguise that can match themselves so expertly to their surroundings? Sharks are breathtaking in their nonchalant efficiency as they slice through the water like sleek torpedoes. Reef fish are instantly gratifying, colorful and brazen, flitting around like butterflies of the sea. But seahorses hold a secret intimacy, a special reward for the keen-eyed. And perhaps deep down I held on to a childhood suspicion, an irrational part of me that didn’t quite believe seahorses really do inhabit the oceans. Seeing one felt like glimpsing a unicorn trotting through my garden.”
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Soup!
The place where I work now is right next door to one of the drop sites for Full Circle Farms CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Each Thursday, they leave all those boxes full of fresh organic produce for people to pick up. If by Monday there are still boxes there, we have been given permission to take them. Apparently the people at the office have been rotating each week, and last week was MY WEEK! I got to take the box home!
I got lots of really good stuff: a bunch of cherries, three nectarines, three plums, three pluots, two nice sized zucchini, 6 small turnips, a bunch of celery, a bunch of swiss chard, a small bundle of shallots, a small bundle of carrots, three nice sized potatoes, and a small bundle of parsley – and all of it organic! The only thing I had to throw away was the swiss chard – it had gotten to … squishy? Not quite moldy, but certainly not usable.
So, I just made a batch of really good soup! Started with a split-pea base, added a can of corn and a can of organic tomatoes, chopped up some fresh organic zucchini, carrots, shallots, celery, and turnips, threw in a few sprigs of fresh organic parsley, ground some black pepper in there, and added some lemon & orange peel and some allspice. I also added a handful of freeze-dried onions (because I only had 4 small shallots) and two heaping spoonfuls of chopped garlic. As a final touch, I put in a package of basmati rice - because apparently I felt it needed some more fiber. But really, I just like basmati rice.
I have enough soup to feed an army now for a week! Think I'll share with my new roommate, when she gets here.
I got lots of really good stuff: a bunch of cherries, three nectarines, three plums, three pluots, two nice sized zucchini, 6 small turnips, a bunch of celery, a bunch of swiss chard, a small bundle of shallots, a small bundle of carrots, three nice sized potatoes, and a small bundle of parsley – and all of it organic! The only thing I had to throw away was the swiss chard – it had gotten to … squishy? Not quite moldy, but certainly not usable.
So, I just made a batch of really good soup! Started with a split-pea base, added a can of corn and a can of organic tomatoes, chopped up some fresh organic zucchini, carrots, shallots, celery, and turnips, threw in a few sprigs of fresh organic parsley, ground some black pepper in there, and added some lemon & orange peel and some allspice. I also added a handful of freeze-dried onions (because I only had 4 small shallots) and two heaping spoonfuls of chopped garlic. As a final touch, I put in a package of basmati rice - because apparently I felt it needed some more fiber. But really, I just like basmati rice.
I have enough soup to feed an army now for a week! Think I'll share with my new roommate, when she gets here.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
It’s Actually Working!
I went to Eddie Bauer’s today to get a few more pairs of pants to wear, since my job at the construction company looks like it might actually turn in to something more permanent that what I first thought.
Last year, I couldn’t fit into a size 16. Today I found out that I now fit into a size 12. And, in men’s sizes, I fit into a size 33… I don’t even know what size I wore before because I stopped trying them on after I found that a size 36 didn’t fit.
Yay!
While checking out at the register with my size 12 pants (did I mention I fit into a size 12 now?) the store manager commented on my T-shirt, so I got to talk about Earthwatch and how awesomely cool they are. I even gave them my name and phone number along with the Earthwatch website (http://www.earthwatch.org/) so they could set up an expedition sponsored by Eddie Bauer’s for their employees.
How cool is that?
I wonder if I can go, too. I am a very loyal Eddie Bauer patron, as well as being the Alaskan Field Representative for Earthwatch.
Hmmm… something to think about.
Last year, I couldn’t fit into a size 16. Today I found out that I now fit into a size 12. And, in men’s sizes, I fit into a size 33… I don’t even know what size I wore before because I stopped trying them on after I found that a size 36 didn’t fit.
Yay!
While checking out at the register with my size 12 pants (did I mention I fit into a size 12 now?) the store manager commented on my T-shirt, so I got to talk about Earthwatch and how awesomely cool they are. I even gave them my name and phone number along with the Earthwatch website (http://www.earthwatch.org/) so they could set up an expedition sponsored by Eddie Bauer’s for their employees.
How cool is that?
I wonder if I can go, too. I am a very loyal Eddie Bauer patron, as well as being the Alaskan Field Representative for Earthwatch.
Hmmm… something to think about.
Friday, July 16, 2010
I Won!
"I filled up my car this morning, so you don't have to worry about that" I told him as he got ready to trade vehicles with me.
"I filled up my truck last night, so you don't have to worry about it either." he replied.
"I washed my car the other day." I said.
"I washed my truck last night." He laughed.
"Mine's already dirty!" I countered.
"Mine is, too!" He said.
"Oh yea, well I have a giraffe cup in my hand!" I brandished it in his face.
"Okay... I don't have a giraffe cup in my hand." he sadly shook his head.
"I filled up my truck last night, so you don't have to worry about it either." he replied.
"I washed my car the other day." I said.
"I washed my truck last night." He laughed.
"Mine's already dirty!" I countered.
"Mine is, too!" He said.
"Oh yea, well I have a giraffe cup in my hand!" I brandished it in his face.
"Okay... I don't have a giraffe cup in my hand." he sadly shook his head.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Goings On
A lot has happened lately, and I’ve been remiss in updating my blog – so once again I am reduced to clumping it all together in one post. Ah well… you get what you pay for, I guess. So, here it is: my life, condensed down to the essentials.
WORK
My job at Alaska Treeline, Inc. is going well. They like what I do, and I seem to be good at it. It’s rather hit or miss on the intensity scale: sometimes I have absolutely nothing to do, and other times I’m slammed with work. But overall I have to say I like the job, I like the people, and I really like the location. Riding my bike to work isn’t going quite as well as I’d hoped for; after the first week I had to wait another week for Rob to come fix a flat, then it rained for another week, and by that time I just got used to driving my car each day. Oh well, I’ll get back in to it eventually. I really do like my new bike, and really do need the exercise.
I am also back to work for the U.S. Census again: this time I’m to be verifying all the Vacants and Deletes that were identified in the NRFU operation (Non-Response Follow Up). My training day was today and I should have all the material I need by tomorrow so that by Wednesday I can hit the streets and get to work. The nice thing about this is that I can continue to work for Alaska Treeline, Inc. and do this after hours.
And I'm still on the lookout for a “real” job, meaning one that offers full time status and benefits as well. I’ve applied to several positions with NANA Worley Parsons and have even been called by ADT for a position with that company. We’ll see what comes of all this. In a perfect world, the “real” job would start conveniently right after my temporary job with Alaska Treeline, Inc. ended.
THE ALASKA ZOO
I haven’t been doing that much with the zoo lately. Not only does my schedule not allow for it, but I also seem to be a tad bit disgruntled with them. I can’t help but feel taken advantage of. I know, it’s not logical – because I know they’re not taking advantage of me at all… but that’s how I feel. Maybe I just need a break. I have been doing the Discovery Tour each Saturday, though. I do like that tour, and it’s a good excuse to get out there each week to keep up on what’s happening there.
They do have some cute babies now, being as it is springtime in Alaska. Maxine the musk ox gave birth to a bouncing baby boy about a month ago, and he is doing just fine. Amazingly enough, our ravens not only made another nest this year – but they also laid four eggs, and actually managed to hatch them! Who knew baby ravens could be both ugly as sin and still be cute as a button, all at the same time! And last, but most certainly not least, we have an orphaned Sitka black tailed deer fawn, conveniently named Sitka Rose. She is definitely a cutie-pie!
HIKING
I’ve really been hitting the trails this year. You all read about the hike up along Power Line Pass last Saturday. That was followed by a hike up on Potter’s Ridge on Sunday with Rob and his kids, which was then followed by a most excellent day spent hiking up at Hatcher’s Pass on Monday – again with Rob and his kids.
This weekend, I went with my friend Lorna to Alyeska and hiked the North Face Trail, which goes straight up Mt. Alyeska, all the way to the top. Whew! I can’t believe I actually did it. Next weekend is a family hike out at the Eagle River Nature Center where we plan to do the Dew Mound trail. Feel free to join us if you’re in the area; we start at 2:00 and will meet at the center.
EARTHWATCH
I haven’t done any presentations recently, but I have had several opportunities to speak to people who are considering their own Earthwatch Expeditions. That’s always fun: I get to share my own experiences and give them tips and advice on theirs. One gentleman called me from Canada while the other lady emailed me (I don’t know where she was from). Both were interested in the Medicinal Plants project, so I got to tell them all about my recent trip.
Several weeks ago, I got to listen to a scientist speak of her research with the Ice Worm (a totally fascinating creature!) and was fortunate enough to be able to talk to her after the lecture. It came out in our conversation that she was having difficulties finding funding for her project – so I offered to see if Earthwatch would be interested. I thought it would be a perfect match: she’s a female scientist, her project is ongoing, and it involves Climate Change issues. I’m still digging in to it for her, so will have to update you all later on the final word. Cross your fingers: you just might be able to participate in Ice Worm Research next year!
PHOTOS
I have a new tradition: each year, I plan to filter through all the photos I’ve taken and pick out the best ones to be framed and displayed on my walls here at the house. I did that last year and ended up with 9 really nice photos – this year, I chose 10 and am in the process of getting them framed and hung. One photo was so good (if I do say so myself) that I printed it out large (16x20) and will be creating a special montage to display it on my wall. The others are 8x10, just like last years – but are still quite good. There’s just something about seeing your own photos displayed on the wall. It really makes one feel almost professional.
ROOMMATE
My current roommate will be leaving at the end of this month, so I am once again searching for a new one. I’ve placed an ad on Craig’s List and am getting a lot of responses from it. I am quite hopeful that the room will not go empty and I’ll have a smooth turnover from the old one to a new one. Of course, my true preference would be to not have a roommate at all – but since I really do need the income, I can only hope to find one as good as this one has been (despite a few bumps in the road recently). If anybody knows of a college student in need of a room, I’m conveniently located right on the bus route to UAA – feel free to have them contact me!
WORK
My job at Alaska Treeline, Inc. is going well. They like what I do, and I seem to be good at it. It’s rather hit or miss on the intensity scale: sometimes I have absolutely nothing to do, and other times I’m slammed with work. But overall I have to say I like the job, I like the people, and I really like the location. Riding my bike to work isn’t going quite as well as I’d hoped for; after the first week I had to wait another week for Rob to come fix a flat, then it rained for another week, and by that time I just got used to driving my car each day. Oh well, I’ll get back in to it eventually. I really do like my new bike, and really do need the exercise.
I am also back to work for the U.S. Census again: this time I’m to be verifying all the Vacants and Deletes that were identified in the NRFU operation (Non-Response Follow Up). My training day was today and I should have all the material I need by tomorrow so that by Wednesday I can hit the streets and get to work. The nice thing about this is that I can continue to work for Alaska Treeline, Inc. and do this after hours.
And I'm still on the lookout for a “real” job, meaning one that offers full time status and benefits as well. I’ve applied to several positions with NANA Worley Parsons and have even been called by ADT for a position with that company. We’ll see what comes of all this. In a perfect world, the “real” job would start conveniently right after my temporary job with Alaska Treeline, Inc. ended.
THE ALASKA ZOO
I haven’t been doing that much with the zoo lately. Not only does my schedule not allow for it, but I also seem to be a tad bit disgruntled with them. I can’t help but feel taken advantage of. I know, it’s not logical – because I know they’re not taking advantage of me at all… but that’s how I feel. Maybe I just need a break. I have been doing the Discovery Tour each Saturday, though. I do like that tour, and it’s a good excuse to get out there each week to keep up on what’s happening there.
They do have some cute babies now, being as it is springtime in Alaska. Maxine the musk ox gave birth to a bouncing baby boy about a month ago, and he is doing just fine. Amazingly enough, our ravens not only made another nest this year – but they also laid four eggs, and actually managed to hatch them! Who knew baby ravens could be both ugly as sin and still be cute as a button, all at the same time! And last, but most certainly not least, we have an orphaned Sitka black tailed deer fawn, conveniently named Sitka Rose. She is definitely a cutie-pie!
HIKING
I’ve really been hitting the trails this year. You all read about the hike up along Power Line Pass last Saturday. That was followed by a hike up on Potter’s Ridge on Sunday with Rob and his kids, which was then followed by a most excellent day spent hiking up at Hatcher’s Pass on Monday – again with Rob and his kids.
This weekend, I went with my friend Lorna to Alyeska and hiked the North Face Trail, which goes straight up Mt. Alyeska, all the way to the top. Whew! I can’t believe I actually did it. Next weekend is a family hike out at the Eagle River Nature Center where we plan to do the Dew Mound trail. Feel free to join us if you’re in the area; we start at 2:00 and will meet at the center.
EARTHWATCH
I haven’t done any presentations recently, but I have had several opportunities to speak to people who are considering their own Earthwatch Expeditions. That’s always fun: I get to share my own experiences and give them tips and advice on theirs. One gentleman called me from Canada while the other lady emailed me (I don’t know where she was from). Both were interested in the Medicinal Plants project, so I got to tell them all about my recent trip.
Several weeks ago, I got to listen to a scientist speak of her research with the Ice Worm (a totally fascinating creature!) and was fortunate enough to be able to talk to her after the lecture. It came out in our conversation that she was having difficulties finding funding for her project – so I offered to see if Earthwatch would be interested. I thought it would be a perfect match: she’s a female scientist, her project is ongoing, and it involves Climate Change issues. I’m still digging in to it for her, so will have to update you all later on the final word. Cross your fingers: you just might be able to participate in Ice Worm Research next year!
PHOTOS
I have a new tradition: each year, I plan to filter through all the photos I’ve taken and pick out the best ones to be framed and displayed on my walls here at the house. I did that last year and ended up with 9 really nice photos – this year, I chose 10 and am in the process of getting them framed and hung. One photo was so good (if I do say so myself) that I printed it out large (16x20) and will be creating a special montage to display it on my wall. The others are 8x10, just like last years – but are still quite good. There’s just something about seeing your own photos displayed on the wall. It really makes one feel almost professional.
ROOMMATE
My current roommate will be leaving at the end of this month, so I am once again searching for a new one. I’ve placed an ad on Craig’s List and am getting a lot of responses from it. I am quite hopeful that the room will not go empty and I’ll have a smooth turnover from the old one to a new one. Of course, my true preference would be to not have a roommate at all – but since I really do need the income, I can only hope to find one as good as this one has been (despite a few bumps in the road recently). If anybody knows of a college student in need of a room, I’m conveniently located right on the bus route to UAA – feel free to have them contact me!
Do You Know The Answers?
Can you identify these famous first lines?
1. Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
2. Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.
3. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
4. Call me Ishmael.
5. Nihilism stands at the door: whence comes this uncanniest of all guests?
6. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.
7. I am a sick man… I am a spiteful man. I am an unpleasant man.
8. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
9. In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.
1. Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
2. Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.
3. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
4. Call me Ishmael.
5. Nihilism stands at the door: whence comes this uncanniest of all guests?
6. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.
7. I am a sick man… I am a spiteful man. I am an unpleasant man.
8. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
9. In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Rose
A single rose
Stood all alone
Surrounded by a wall of stone
Behind the wall
Were roses, too
Yet neither knew the other grew
So often we,
Like flowers, dwell
So deep within our human shell
We pass thru life
Misunderstood
Nor making all the friends we should
by: unknown
Stood all alone
Surrounded by a wall of stone
Behind the wall
Were roses, too
Yet neither knew the other grew
So often we,
Like flowers, dwell
So deep within our human shell
We pass thru life
Misunderstood
Nor making all the friends we should
by: unknown
If You Should Leave Me
If you should leave me
I shall not die
Nor make grief a trumpet
To shatter the sky
I shall not ask
For anything more
Than to walk according
To natural lore
One foot behind
The other before
I shall use my brain
To earn my bread
Snarl when hungry
Smile well fed
If you should leave me
I shall not die
I shall be dead
by: unknown
I shall not die
Nor make grief a trumpet
To shatter the sky
I shall not ask
For anything more
Than to walk according
To natural lore
One foot behind
The other before
I shall use my brain
To earn my bread
Snarl when hungry
Smile well fed
If you should leave me
I shall not die
I shall be dead
by: unknown
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Saturday
A nice easy day today.
Didn’t sleep well at all last night, though. I’ve been having a lot of trouble with insomnia lately. I’m actually taking over-the-counter sleeping pills during the week so I can work through the day without crashing – but on the weekends, I’m trying to wean myself off of them. It’s not really working.
So, I finally fell asleep around 4:00 in the morning, only to get up around 8:00 four hours later. I poked around in my computer for a while and then headed out at 10:00 to run some errands: go to the bank, go to the post office, go to the Saturday Market. I got 4 really nice big turnips and a bundle of organic kale for my soup this time!
Noon saw me at the zoo, ready to give my weekly tour. No one signed up for it, though – probably because it was raining. Honestly, though – that’s the best time to go to the zoo. The animals LOVE the rain!
I love the rain, too, so took the opportunity to head up to Power Line Pass for a nice little hike. Of course, up there it was pouring down rain. I started out the hike with my coat and hat on. By the time I was on the return trip, I’d taken both the hat and the coat off because even though it was raining, it was actually quite warm.
It’s so beautiful up there. I went quite a bit farther than I’d ever been before, making it all the way to the bridge that crosses over Hidden Lake Creek – which I think is about 3.5 miles from the trailhead. I had my newly fixed camera with me so got all kinds of cool photographs of the plants I found along the way. Most of them I could identify, but some of them were a mystery to me. I’ve posted them all on my facebook page in hopes that somebody will tell me what they are.
Once I finally made it back home, I started in on my Weekly Pot O’ Soup. I began with a potato soup base, and added in a can of tomatoes and a can of black beans, threw in a few handfuls of the freeze-dried soup mix (10 different vegetables) and one handful of freeze dried chopped onions, added two heaping tablespoons of chopped garlic, twisted my pepper grinder for several minutes over it all, chopped up the turnips and kale, and threw in a 5-Grain Rice blend for good measure.
I’m going to be eating good this week!
Didn’t sleep well at all last night, though. I’ve been having a lot of trouble with insomnia lately. I’m actually taking over-the-counter sleeping pills during the week so I can work through the day without crashing – but on the weekends, I’m trying to wean myself off of them. It’s not really working.
So, I finally fell asleep around 4:00 in the morning, only to get up around 8:00 four hours later. I poked around in my computer for a while and then headed out at 10:00 to run some errands: go to the bank, go to the post office, go to the Saturday Market. I got 4 really nice big turnips and a bundle of organic kale for my soup this time!
Noon saw me at the zoo, ready to give my weekly tour. No one signed up for it, though – probably because it was raining. Honestly, though – that’s the best time to go to the zoo. The animals LOVE the rain!
I love the rain, too, so took the opportunity to head up to Power Line Pass for a nice little hike. Of course, up there it was pouring down rain. I started out the hike with my coat and hat on. By the time I was on the return trip, I’d taken both the hat and the coat off because even though it was raining, it was actually quite warm.
It’s so beautiful up there. I went quite a bit farther than I’d ever been before, making it all the way to the bridge that crosses over Hidden Lake Creek – which I think is about 3.5 miles from the trailhead. I had my newly fixed camera with me so got all kinds of cool photographs of the plants I found along the way. Most of them I could identify, but some of them were a mystery to me. I’ve posted them all on my facebook page in hopes that somebody will tell me what they are.
Once I finally made it back home, I started in on my Weekly Pot O’ Soup. I began with a potato soup base, and added in a can of tomatoes and a can of black beans, threw in a few handfuls of the freeze-dried soup mix (10 different vegetables) and one handful of freeze dried chopped onions, added two heaping tablespoons of chopped garlic, twisted my pepper grinder for several minutes over it all, chopped up the turnips and kale, and threw in a 5-Grain Rice blend for good measure.
I’m going to be eating good this week!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
A Great Unexpected Surprise
I was all prepared to spend my weekend alone.– Rob and the kids would be off doing whatever, and my other friend Lorna was up on the slope working her regular rotation, so I planned to just take it easy and relax the days away.
Saturday morning, I didn’t even get dressed until around 11:00, and that was only because I had a tour scheduled at the zoo. That tour turned out to be so much fun – I’m so glad I do them.
When I first got there the admissions booth hadn’t sold any tickets yet, so I thought it would be another day where I go home again – but with about 5 minutes to spare, they sold two and I had somebody to give a tour to after all. They were the nicest couple: a bit older than me and vacationing from New York. They had been all over Alaska in the two weeks they’d been here, and were spending their last day with us at The Alaska Zoo. They were actually interested in plants, too – always a bonus since I am so in to them myself.
You have to check this out: when they were in Seward, they took one of those whale watching cruises out in the fjords and saw a humpback whale breaching multiple times RIGHT NEXT TO THE BOAT! They got video of it and posted it on YouTube even. I was so jealous! In all my years of living here and taking numerous cruises just like that, I’ve yet to see even one breach… and they saw well over 15!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkOAGiYATK0
Sunday afternoon found me sitting in my usual corner table at The Perfect Cup, writing letters and eating lunch. I was just finishing up the last few bites when I heard somebody banging at the window behind me. Surprise! It was Trey, with his father and sister along with him. I had invited them to join me, but really did not think they would.
That was such a great, unexpected surprise!
After they all had a drink and we sat and talked for a while, we headed over to Toys R Us so Trey could get himself the Lego’s he’s been saving up for, only to discover that they cost $150.00. His father told him there was no way he was going to spend that much money for a box of Lego’s, so we went back to my house to see if perhaps Craig’s List had any for sale. Trey was not too happy about it all, but he’s such an easy going kid he soon moved on.
From there, we headed on in to town to the Imaginarium where we hoped to be able to see their new Planetarium. Unfortunately the show was sold out for that day, but we got to see everything else at least. And as an added bonus, I ran in to my friend Kristen (she and I used to walk the camel together at the zoo last year) who now works at the Imaginarium. She was kind enough to give us a behind-the-scenes tour where we got to meet all her critters that she’s in charge of. She has lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles, cockroaches, and spiders, as well as jelly fish, sea stars, sea squirts, sea urchins, and all sorts of things for the touch tanks. I thought it was really cool back there, but I don’t think Rob and the kids were as excited as I was. Some people just don’t have their priorities in order, you know?
Anyway, it was a great day topped off with dinner at the Burrito King.
Saturday morning, I didn’t even get dressed until around 11:00, and that was only because I had a tour scheduled at the zoo. That tour turned out to be so much fun – I’m so glad I do them.
When I first got there the admissions booth hadn’t sold any tickets yet, so I thought it would be another day where I go home again – but with about 5 minutes to spare, they sold two and I had somebody to give a tour to after all. They were the nicest couple: a bit older than me and vacationing from New York. They had been all over Alaska in the two weeks they’d been here, and were spending their last day with us at The Alaska Zoo. They were actually interested in plants, too – always a bonus since I am so in to them myself.
You have to check this out: when they were in Seward, they took one of those whale watching cruises out in the fjords and saw a humpback whale breaching multiple times RIGHT NEXT TO THE BOAT! They got video of it and posted it on YouTube even. I was so jealous! In all my years of living here and taking numerous cruises just like that, I’ve yet to see even one breach… and they saw well over 15!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkOAGiYATK0
Sunday afternoon found me sitting in my usual corner table at The Perfect Cup, writing letters and eating lunch. I was just finishing up the last few bites when I heard somebody banging at the window behind me. Surprise! It was Trey, with his father and sister along with him. I had invited them to join me, but really did not think they would.
That was such a great, unexpected surprise!
After they all had a drink and we sat and talked for a while, we headed over to Toys R Us so Trey could get himself the Lego’s he’s been saving up for, only to discover that they cost $150.00. His father told him there was no way he was going to spend that much money for a box of Lego’s, so we went back to my house to see if perhaps Craig’s List had any for sale. Trey was not too happy about it all, but he’s such an easy going kid he soon moved on.
From there, we headed on in to town to the Imaginarium where we hoped to be able to see their new Planetarium. Unfortunately the show was sold out for that day, but we got to see everything else at least. And as an added bonus, I ran in to my friend Kristen (she and I used to walk the camel together at the zoo last year) who now works at the Imaginarium. She was kind enough to give us a behind-the-scenes tour where we got to meet all her critters that she’s in charge of. She has lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles, cockroaches, and spiders, as well as jelly fish, sea stars, sea squirts, sea urchins, and all sorts of things for the touch tanks. I thought it was really cool back there, but I don’t think Rob and the kids were as excited as I was. Some people just don’t have their priorities in order, you know?
Anyway, it was a great day topped off with dinner at the Burrito King.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Winner Creek Trail
We had another fabulous hike this weekend, as part of our annual Family Hiking Series, going on the Winner Creek Trail all the way up to the river gorge – about a 5-mile round trip. We had Mother and Lauren, Me and Rob and his two kids Sierra and Trey, as well as Tina and her daughter & son (I’m so sorry, Tina… I’ve forgotten their names again!) with us this time.
The weather forecast was not so good that day: according to the weather channel it was supposed to be rainy and cold. Rob and his kids had been up near Moose Pass Friday and Saturday, and reported winter-like weather conditions - and not two days prior to the hike I’d overheard some people at the softball game talking about how they actually had to deal with snow up there.
So, we were all rather concerned and bundled up in sweatshirts, windbreakers, and wool socks for the hike - only to find clear blue skies and perfect weather once we got there! Every one of us kept trying to get somebody else to carry our coats for us: poor Rob ended up with his coat, his kid’s coats, three water bottles, and my bag of snacks & other essential items needed on a hike.
Mother and Lauren turned around after about a mile and a half, pleading the 2-hour drive back home. They still had a good hike, and got to see some beautiful scenery along the way. The rest of us went on up to the gorge, where we got to ride the “bucket” that swings out across the sheer 100’ drop-off with gallons and gallons of water gushing through at 100’s of miles per minute. What a spectacular sight that is!
Rob and Trey were the first to cross over, and then had fun working the rope & pulley system to get the “bucket” across for other people (I say that in a half-way sarcastic tone, since it’s a lot of REALLY HARD WORK to get that thing across). Sierra was a little apprehensive about crossing over, but she bravely stepped in with me and went across. The way back was easier for her, since she was an “experienced traveler” by then.
After that we sat for a while and recuperated from all the hard work, then slowly made our way back down to the car. We went at a very easy pace, stopping mid-way to eat our snack and investigate the nearby meadow. The whole hike took us about 4 hours, but as I said - we went very slowly and took our time.
The weather forecast was not so good that day: according to the weather channel it was supposed to be rainy and cold. Rob and his kids had been up near Moose Pass Friday and Saturday, and reported winter-like weather conditions - and not two days prior to the hike I’d overheard some people at the softball game talking about how they actually had to deal with snow up there.
So, we were all rather concerned and bundled up in sweatshirts, windbreakers, and wool socks for the hike - only to find clear blue skies and perfect weather once we got there! Every one of us kept trying to get somebody else to carry our coats for us: poor Rob ended up with his coat, his kid’s coats, three water bottles, and my bag of snacks & other essential items needed on a hike.
Mother and Lauren turned around after about a mile and a half, pleading the 2-hour drive back home. They still had a good hike, and got to see some beautiful scenery along the way. The rest of us went on up to the gorge, where we got to ride the “bucket” that swings out across the sheer 100’ drop-off with gallons and gallons of water gushing through at 100’s of miles per minute. What a spectacular sight that is!
Rob and Trey were the first to cross over, and then had fun working the rope & pulley system to get the “bucket” across for other people (I say that in a half-way sarcastic tone, since it’s a lot of REALLY HARD WORK to get that thing across). Sierra was a little apprehensive about crossing over, but she bravely stepped in with me and went across. The way back was easier for her, since she was an “experienced traveler” by then.
After that we sat for a while and recuperated from all the hard work, then slowly made our way back down to the car. We went at a very easy pace, stopping mid-way to eat our snack and investigate the nearby meadow. The whole hike took us about 4 hours, but as I said - we went very slowly and took our time.
Giving Blood
A comment was made on an earlier posting stating now that I have this eyebrow piercing I won’t be able to give blood for a whole year. This had me worried enough that I actually went down to the local blood bank and talked to them about it.
Turns out I’m safe. The place I had the work done is on their “good” list, which means I only have to wait one month. I would have had to wait one whole year if it had NOT been on that list.
I have to wait whole year anyway, after my trip to Africa. I’m half way though it right now, and would really have been bummed if I had to tack on another year to that. Thankfully, the moth’s waiting period fits right nicely inside the year from Africa, so it won’t make even the slightest bit of difference.
December 1st will see me laying down in those horrible chairs down at the blood bank, giving my bi-monthly pint – just you wait and see!
Turns out I’m safe. The place I had the work done is on their “good” list, which means I only have to wait one month. I would have had to wait one whole year if it had NOT been on that list.
I have to wait whole year anyway, after my trip to Africa. I’m half way though it right now, and would really have been bummed if I had to tack on another year to that. Thankfully, the moth’s waiting period fits right nicely inside the year from Africa, so it won’t make even the slightest bit of difference.
December 1st will see me laying down in those horrible chairs down at the blood bank, giving my bi-monthly pint – just you wait and see!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Getting My Eyebrow Pierced
I found myself eating lunch all by myself last Sunday and decided that I needed to do something exciting for once. Getting my eyebrow pierced seemed to fit the bill quite nicely.
I emailed a friend and asked if she knew anyplace to recommend: she told me about The Hole Look. I called them and got the basic information (such as how much it would cost - $45 – and where they’re located – on Dawson Street, between Benson and Northern Lights) and headed out the door.
When I got there, I found the shop to be very clean – almost sterile, and smelling cleaner than a hospital almost. I was the only customer, so got to spend some time talking to the lady at the front desk. She went over the particulars and made sure to answer any questions I had.
I had a few: How do I take care of it after it’s pierced? (I have a saline solution that I spray on it 6 times a day to help it heal and keep it clean) How long will it take to heal? (Up to 6 months) Will I get any diseases from your shop? (No - they sterilize everything according to medical standards to ensure no blood-borne diseases get passed on) That sort of thing. She was more than happy to assuage all my fears, and soon enough I had signed the paperwork and was ready to be pierced.
My piercer for the day was Blake, a very nice man with several piercings and tattoos on his own body. He led me back to a room that was set up just like an exam room might be at the doctor’s office. Again, it was very clean and sterile, and again smelled very strongly of bleach or some other cleaning solution. He had all his tools laid out and ready for me, and was very thorough in explaining exactly what he was going to do.
First he had me sit up on the table so he could clean the area to be pierced. He had a q-tip covered in the cleaning solution that he swabbed me with, making sure to get every possible contamination off.
Then he took a sharpie (yes, a sharpie!) and made dots where he would be piercing me. He was very particular about the placement, erasing the dots several times till he was satisfied with the results.
Next came the measurements to determine what size ring I need. Apparently some people have fatter eyebrows than others do. Which only makes sense, since people come in all sizes: I just had never really considered that before.
Once he had the ring ready and all his tools on hand, he then had me lay down so he could do the actual piercing. He told me, “I want you to take a deep breath in through your nose and then blow it out through your mouth. When you breathe out, that’s when I’ll do it.”
So, I took a deep breath in and slowly blew it out my mouth – and he stuck the needle in. It hurt, of course. It actually hurt a lot, and it wasn’t a quick poke either. In fact, he eventually had to tell me to “Keep breathing!” because I had apparently stopped.
Once he had the needle all the way through he then had to back it out while at the same time threading the ring through. I just kept on breathing very consciously: in through the nose, out through the mouth – in through the nose, out through the mouth. Once the needle was out and the ring was in, he closed the ring.
And then he was done. I lay on the table a while, to make sure my body adjusted itself to its new pierced condition before attempting to stand up. I’ve feinted before, and don’t enjoy it!
Now, here’s a very interesting side effect that I totally did not expect. When I finally sat up to see if a vertical position was at all possible yet, I discovered that my toe had turned completely black! (Yes, I was barefoot) What in the world would cause my toe to turn black from getting my eyebrow pierced? It was the toe right next to the big toe, and it took a good 10-15 minutes for color to come back to it.
Very strange.
I emailed a friend and asked if she knew anyplace to recommend: she told me about The Hole Look. I called them and got the basic information (such as how much it would cost - $45 – and where they’re located – on Dawson Street, between Benson and Northern Lights) and headed out the door.
When I got there, I found the shop to be very clean – almost sterile, and smelling cleaner than a hospital almost. I was the only customer, so got to spend some time talking to the lady at the front desk. She went over the particulars and made sure to answer any questions I had.
I had a few: How do I take care of it after it’s pierced? (I have a saline solution that I spray on it 6 times a day to help it heal and keep it clean) How long will it take to heal? (Up to 6 months) Will I get any diseases from your shop? (No - they sterilize everything according to medical standards to ensure no blood-borne diseases get passed on) That sort of thing. She was more than happy to assuage all my fears, and soon enough I had signed the paperwork and was ready to be pierced.
My piercer for the day was Blake, a very nice man with several piercings and tattoos on his own body. He led me back to a room that was set up just like an exam room might be at the doctor’s office. Again, it was very clean and sterile, and again smelled very strongly of bleach or some other cleaning solution. He had all his tools laid out and ready for me, and was very thorough in explaining exactly what he was going to do.
First he had me sit up on the table so he could clean the area to be pierced. He had a q-tip covered in the cleaning solution that he swabbed me with, making sure to get every possible contamination off.
Then he took a sharpie (yes, a sharpie!) and made dots where he would be piercing me. He was very particular about the placement, erasing the dots several times till he was satisfied with the results.
Next came the measurements to determine what size ring I need. Apparently some people have fatter eyebrows than others do. Which only makes sense, since people come in all sizes: I just had never really considered that before.
Once he had the ring ready and all his tools on hand, he then had me lay down so he could do the actual piercing. He told me, “I want you to take a deep breath in through your nose and then blow it out through your mouth. When you breathe out, that’s when I’ll do it.”
So, I took a deep breath in and slowly blew it out my mouth – and he stuck the needle in. It hurt, of course. It actually hurt a lot, and it wasn’t a quick poke either. In fact, he eventually had to tell me to “Keep breathing!” because I had apparently stopped.
Once he had the needle all the way through he then had to back it out while at the same time threading the ring through. I just kept on breathing very consciously: in through the nose, out through the mouth – in through the nose, out through the mouth. Once the needle was out and the ring was in, he closed the ring.
And then he was done. I lay on the table a while, to make sure my body adjusted itself to its new pierced condition before attempting to stand up. I’ve feinted before, and don’t enjoy it!
Now, here’s a very interesting side effect that I totally did not expect. When I finally sat up to see if a vertical position was at all possible yet, I discovered that my toe had turned completely black! (Yes, I was barefoot) What in the world would cause my toe to turn black from getting my eyebrow pierced? It was the toe right next to the big toe, and it took a good 10-15 minutes for color to come back to it.
Very strange.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Impulse Buying
I did something today that rather shocks me. I'm usually way more conservative and reserved... definitely NOT the type to do something like this without having thoroughly weighed every option and researched every tiny detail of it first.
Not that I haven't ever thought about doing this: I have. Every time I see somebody else who’s done it, I always think "Oh, I want to do that." But to think that I'd actually go and do it - now, that's something a bit out of the ordinary for me.
What did I do, you ask? I got my eyebrow pierced!
Yes, you read correctly: I got my eyebrow pierced. I walked in to The Hole Look after lunch and simply got it done.
I feel so… so… so rebellious!
They are very nice over there, by the way. If you ever are in the mood for a piercing (they will pierce just about any body part you can think of) I do recommend them. Their shop is nice and clean; the people are very friendly and understanding of nerves & anxieties; and they made the whole ordeal as pleasant as possible.
They even do tattoos! I am seriously considering having them do my Black Widow, whenever I decide to get it done.
Not that I haven't ever thought about doing this: I have. Every time I see somebody else who’s done it, I always think "Oh, I want to do that." But to think that I'd actually go and do it - now, that's something a bit out of the ordinary for me.
What did I do, you ask? I got my eyebrow pierced!
Yes, you read correctly: I got my eyebrow pierced. I walked in to The Hole Look after lunch and simply got it done.
I feel so… so… so rebellious!
They are very nice over there, by the way. If you ever are in the mood for a piercing (they will pierce just about any body part you can think of) I do recommend them. Their shop is nice and clean; the people are very friendly and understanding of nerves & anxieties; and they made the whole ordeal as pleasant as possible.
They even do tattoos! I am seriously considering having them do my Black Widow, whenever I decide to get it done.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
These Are The Days Of My Life
So , here’s the latest on the soap opera that is my life.
My job at the US Census came to an end a few weeks back, but I managed to hire on with another temporary job – this time with a construction company that builds Decks, Docks, and Pilings.
http://www.alaskatreeline.com/
I’m back on the computer drawing up plans, so that is a good thing. I started just this week, and already they’re telling me I was better than the other girl who’d been there 6 months (she must have been really slow is what I’m thinking). As I said, it’s just a temporary thing – from March to September – and it hardly pays at all… but it’s a job. And as an added bonus, I get to ride my bike to work.
My roommate told me that at the end of her contract she will not be extending her stay with me. This means I need to find another roommate – which I hate doing. I really don’t want a roommate at all, but just can’t afford to do it on my own. She’ll be gone August 1st, which gives me a little bit of time.
I had a bit of a blow-up with her this past week: she has this boyfriend who stays over EVERY NIGHT since like April. I’m very annoyed at that – and not just because they have loud noisy sex all night long (although when they started to make MY bed rock, I did throw a fit). If I had known she was going to have a boyfriend stay over all the time, I would not have rented the room to her in the first place. I do not want two roommates, especially one who doesn’t pay a thing to live here!
Part of my blow-up was the boyfriend thing – but part of it was also the whole “new job” thing. Plus the whole Guy thing, too. And that is a whole other story.
Want the condensed version, or the whole story?
The condensed version: my boyfriend's kids are up visiting him for the summer, so while they’re here – I’m basically out of the picture. He doesn’t think they are ready for Dad to have a girlfriend so soon after splitting up with his last one. If you take all emotion out of the picture, I agree with him: they aren’t. However, I’m still hurt… and sad… and lonely… and terrified that he’ll get used to not having me around and won’t ever come back to me.
The messes I get myself into.
On the plus side, my diet is working quite well. I started actively trying to lose weight about three months prior to the Africa trip. Last summer I weighed somewhere around 196 lbs. When I weighed myself and all my gear for the trip, I was around 182. I don’t have scales here at the house so I have no idea where I’m at now, but the clothing I wore in Africa are a few sizes too big for me now so I know I’ve lost some more.
My goal is to get down to around 150 pounds. I think I’ll be happy with that. Less would be nice too, though. I used to wear a size 8: I’m in a 14 now, so still have a few more sizes to lose.
Stress over the new job, the whole Guy issue, the whole roommate thing, and the fact the my job doesn’t pay me enough to cover all my bills and get food, too = all this will contribute to my weight loss plan, I’m sure. And riding my bike to work each day will help as well = it’s about a 6 mile round trip.
My job at the US Census came to an end a few weeks back, but I managed to hire on with another temporary job – this time with a construction company that builds Decks, Docks, and Pilings.
http://www.alaskatreeline.com/
I’m back on the computer drawing up plans, so that is a good thing. I started just this week, and already they’re telling me I was better than the other girl who’d been there 6 months (she must have been really slow is what I’m thinking). As I said, it’s just a temporary thing – from March to September – and it hardly pays at all… but it’s a job. And as an added bonus, I get to ride my bike to work.
My roommate told me that at the end of her contract she will not be extending her stay with me. This means I need to find another roommate – which I hate doing. I really don’t want a roommate at all, but just can’t afford to do it on my own. She’ll be gone August 1st, which gives me a little bit of time.
I had a bit of a blow-up with her this past week: she has this boyfriend who stays over EVERY NIGHT since like April. I’m very annoyed at that – and not just because they have loud noisy sex all night long (although when they started to make MY bed rock, I did throw a fit). If I had known she was going to have a boyfriend stay over all the time, I would not have rented the room to her in the first place. I do not want two roommates, especially one who doesn’t pay a thing to live here!
Part of my blow-up was the boyfriend thing – but part of it was also the whole “new job” thing. Plus the whole Guy thing, too. And that is a whole other story.
Want the condensed version, or the whole story?
The condensed version: my boyfriend's kids are up visiting him for the summer, so while they’re here – I’m basically out of the picture. He doesn’t think they are ready for Dad to have a girlfriend so soon after splitting up with his last one. If you take all emotion out of the picture, I agree with him: they aren’t. However, I’m still hurt… and sad… and lonely… and terrified that he’ll get used to not having me around and won’t ever come back to me.
The messes I get myself into.
On the plus side, my diet is working quite well. I started actively trying to lose weight about three months prior to the Africa trip. Last summer I weighed somewhere around 196 lbs. When I weighed myself and all my gear for the trip, I was around 182. I don’t have scales here at the house so I have no idea where I’m at now, but the clothing I wore in Africa are a few sizes too big for me now so I know I’ve lost some more.
My goal is to get down to around 150 pounds. I think I’ll be happy with that. Less would be nice too, though. I used to wear a size 8: I’m in a 14 now, so still have a few more sizes to lose.
Stress over the new job, the whole Guy issue, the whole roommate thing, and the fact the my job doesn’t pay me enough to cover all my bills and get food, too = all this will contribute to my weight loss plan, I’m sure. And riding my bike to work each day will help as well = it’s about a 6 mile round trip.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
What Are You Reading Today?
I just got a book I’ve been waiting a long time for: The Angel’s Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
I read his other book, called The Shadow of the Wind, and thought it was just wonderful – so am really excited to see if he really is a good author or if that was just a fluke.
What are you reading?
I read his other book, called The Shadow of the Wind, and thought it was just wonderful – so am really excited to see if he really is a good author or if that was just a fluke.
What are you reading?
Another Writing Assignment
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.
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.
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.
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