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!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 09, 2010
Riding a 4-Wheeler in a Blizzard is Fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
I guess I figure if I keep saying that enough, I’ll actually believe it. In reality, riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard hurts: the ice particles that are pretending to be snowflakes really sting when they hit your cheeks. I learned very quickly to wear eye protection, too – even though I’m the one on the back, behind the driver.
The driver is my guide. I hired a local lady to help me, and as in Perryville she has been indispensable. She’s a real go-getter, too, which is what I need. I have more time on my hands this go around, but still I want to get it done so I can spend my time with the QC portion of the job.
And yes, I’ll admit it: riding a 4-wheeler is fun, even in a blizzard.
It’s a good thing I’m not scheduled to fly out of here tomorrow. Not only am I not done with all the paperwork, but I really don’t want to be in a tiny little airplane in this weather. Winds are gusting up to 40 miles per hour, rain/snow/sleet/slush is coming down so thick I can barely see out my windows, and the waves out in the ocean are up to at least 35 feet!
Oh, and the barge that was supposed to have come in today at 9:00 showed up at 5:00 instead. That would be 5:00 in the morning, by the way. So I missed getting to watch them unload things
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
Riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard is fun.
I guess I figure if I keep saying that enough, I’ll actually believe it. In reality, riding a 4-wheeler in a blizzard hurts: the ice particles that are pretending to be snowflakes really sting when they hit your cheeks. I learned very quickly to wear eye protection, too – even though I’m the one on the back, behind the driver.
The driver is my guide. I hired a local lady to help me, and as in Perryville she has been indispensable. She’s a real go-getter, too, which is what I need. I have more time on my hands this go around, but still I want to get it done so I can spend my time with the QC portion of the job.
And yes, I’ll admit it: riding a 4-wheeler is fun, even in a blizzard.
It’s a good thing I’m not scheduled to fly out of here tomorrow. Not only am I not done with all the paperwork, but I really don’t want to be in a tiny little airplane in this weather. Winds are gusting up to 40 miles per hour, rain/snow/sleet/slush is coming down so thick I can barely see out my windows, and the waves out in the ocean are up to at least 35 feet!
Oh, and the barge that was supposed to have come in today at 9:00 showed up at 5:00 instead. That would be 5:00 in the morning, by the way. So I missed getting to watch them unload things
Thursday, April 08, 2010
False Pass
I was supposed to have come out on Tuesday but since the planes only fly on certain days of the week - and Tuesday isn't one of those days - I got a bit of a reprieve and flew out on Thursday instead.
The trip was amazing – the final leg of the flight was in a tiny little two-seater! I got to sit right up with the pilot and watch everything up close and personal. The weather was perfect with clear blue skies and the sun glaring off all that snow and ice so bad it gave me a migraine. It was gorgeous!
The lodging that is provided for me turned out to be a Bed & Breakfast! Who knew there'd be a B&B way out here in False Pass? But there is, and they are really nice people. They even came out to the plane to pick me up when I landed.
My room here is great: I have a whole suite to myself! I have a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a laundry room! The lady managing this B&B is really nice: she got the store clerk to come pick me up and take me to the store to buy groceries, then she let me go on a walk with her and the dogs (Digger and Cookie) down to the docks.
I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it should be fun. People are all real nice; the girls down at the clinic may be able to drive me around a bit tomorrow, after they unload the barge that’s scheduled to come in. Otherwise, I’ll be hoofing it again.
I’m tired and headachey, so will head off to bed now I think.
The trip was amazing – the final leg of the flight was in a tiny little two-seater! I got to sit right up with the pilot and watch everything up close and personal. The weather was perfect with clear blue skies and the sun glaring off all that snow and ice so bad it gave me a migraine. It was gorgeous!
The lodging that is provided for me turned out to be a Bed & Breakfast! Who knew there'd be a B&B way out here in False Pass? But there is, and they are really nice people. They even came out to the plane to pick me up when I landed.
My room here is great: I have a whole suite to myself! I have a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a laundry room! The lady managing this B&B is really nice: she got the store clerk to come pick me up and take me to the store to buy groceries, then she let me go on a walk with her and the dogs (Digger and Cookie) down to the docks.
I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it should be fun. People are all real nice; the girls down at the clinic may be able to drive me around a bit tomorrow, after they unload the barge that’s scheduled to come in. Otherwise, I’ll be hoofing it again.
I’m tired and headachey, so will head off to bed now I think.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Another Busy Weekend
I whined. I moaned. I cried. I pleaded. And eventually, I made it home: I got back to Anchorage Friday evening.
Saturday was spent just trying to recover from Perryville. It’s a great place, but I have to admit it wore me out emotionally if not physically.
When I turned my binders in to the main office, I discovered that I had missed a key component to completing them – so technically they’re still not done. There was talk for a little while of actually sending me back to Perryville just so I could get the final signatures I’d missed, but thankfully they found another way. It just didn’t make sense to spend all that money to get me back down there, even if I was the one who had unwittingly screwed up.
So now I’m scheduled for False Pass: a bit farther down the Aleutian chain. This time I’ll be flying thru Cold Pass, which has a reputation for being weathered in all the time. I may or may not get back by the end of the week – but then, what’s new with that statement?
The information packet they gave me about False Pass tells me that they have a total population (as of 2008 at least) of a whopping 39 people. Again, I have 3 binders to complete and will have just myself to worry about. Hopefully they’ll have the travel plans worked out before I get there: that would be refreshing. You can bet I’ll be hiring a local guide again, and can only hope they’ll be as helpful as the one I had in Perryville.
Sunday was Easter. My mother had arranged a bowling party for the family in lieu of a big dinner, and that seemed to have gone quite well. I myself did not attend – and not just because I really can’t bowl (my injured back really does not like bowling). I pled exhaustion and spent my day just relaxing with Rob. We had lunch at Terra Bella and then went for a nice (long) walk up at the Eagle River Nature Center. Back at my house, we watched the movie “Dreamcatcher” but got to sleepy to watch the whole thing.
Today was spent getting ready to leave. As mentioned earlier, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be leaving, nor do I know which flight I’ll be on, or what airline it flies out on – but I do know it will be sometime tomorrow morning. I’ve got my bags packed, the boxes taped together, and the sleeping bag ready just in case I’ll need it this time.
Wish me luck, and keep this blog bookmarked – I’ll hopefully have internet access down there so I can keep this up-to-date.
Saturday was spent just trying to recover from Perryville. It’s a great place, but I have to admit it wore me out emotionally if not physically.
When I turned my binders in to the main office, I discovered that I had missed a key component to completing them – so technically they’re still not done. There was talk for a little while of actually sending me back to Perryville just so I could get the final signatures I’d missed, but thankfully they found another way. It just didn’t make sense to spend all that money to get me back down there, even if I was the one who had unwittingly screwed up.
So now I’m scheduled for False Pass: a bit farther down the Aleutian chain. This time I’ll be flying thru Cold Pass, which has a reputation for being weathered in all the time. I may or may not get back by the end of the week – but then, what’s new with that statement?
The information packet they gave me about False Pass tells me that they have a total population (as of 2008 at least) of a whopping 39 people. Again, I have 3 binders to complete and will have just myself to worry about. Hopefully they’ll have the travel plans worked out before I get there: that would be refreshing. You can bet I’ll be hiring a local guide again, and can only hope they’ll be as helpful as the one I had in Perryville.
Sunday was Easter. My mother had arranged a bowling party for the family in lieu of a big dinner, and that seemed to have gone quite well. I myself did not attend – and not just because I really can’t bowl (my injured back really does not like bowling). I pled exhaustion and spent my day just relaxing with Rob. We had lunch at Terra Bella and then went for a nice (long) walk up at the Eagle River Nature Center. Back at my house, we watched the movie “Dreamcatcher” but got to sleepy to watch the whole thing.
Today was spent getting ready to leave. As mentioned earlier, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be leaving, nor do I know which flight I’ll be on, or what airline it flies out on – but I do know it will be sometime tomorrow morning. I’ve got my bags packed, the boxes taped together, and the sleeping bag ready just in case I’ll need it this time.
Wish me luck, and keep this blog bookmarked – I’ll hopefully have internet access down there so I can keep this up-to-date.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Damn Government
My guide and I worked our little tails off today, man. We got the entire binder done!
We started at 10:00 – about half an hour later than planned on due to the battery in her truck not wanting to start up. And don’t tell my employer, but we worked right through lunch and on into 3:30 before I finally called it quits and let her go. According to government rules, you’re not supposed to work longer than 5 hours without taking a break – but we were on a roll and didn’t want to break it.
Let me just say right now that I could not have done it without her help. She was invaluable: keeping me on track and organized, introducing me to everybody, convincing the recalcitrant ones to let me do my interviews, and telling me all about every dog we came across along the way. I will certainly write a glowing report on her back at the main office so that if they ever need help out here in Perryville again, she will be top of the list.
I must admit, however, that I am not impressed with the government. Not that that comes as a big surprise to anybody – but this has to be one of the most poorly run businesses I’ve ever worked for. The training was laughable, the organization within the office is nonexistent, and the support for field officers is a mere rumor. About the only thing they have going for them is that they do pay – even if the check is almost always two weeks late and full of mistakes.
Case in point: I called the main office today and spoke to the person in charge of Interior Alaska, letting him know that I had just found out that planes wouldn’t fly over the weekend. He told me that he’d look in to trying to get me out of here on Friday, and that I should call back later on in the day to see what progress he’d made.
That’s why my guide and I worked so hard – I wanted to make sure I was finished with everything so I could leave. No offence to the good people of Perryville, but I’d really like to spend Easter with my own family!
So at 3:30, I call back to the main office only to find out that he had forgotten completely about me and my paperwork never even got started. Then I got chewed out by the lady in charge of travel arrangements for even thinking that I could leave tomorrow without having gone thru her first, and she rather snidely pointed out that other people are stuck out here as well and I shouldn’t think that I’d be getting any special favors. I told her that I had called as early as I possibly could in hopes that the man in charge of things might actually be able to do something, so she rather quickly backed off and said that she had some strings she could pull.
Now I am again to call back later and see what progress has been made. Between you and me – I’m not holding my breath. Most likely I will be hanging out here, with nothing to do and no food to eat.
I’ve actually got several hours of paperwork left to do. If I knew for sure what my schedule for tomorrow was, I’d know if I should stay up tonight and get it done or save it for the long weekend ahead of me.
We started at 10:00 – about half an hour later than planned on due to the battery in her truck not wanting to start up. And don’t tell my employer, but we worked right through lunch and on into 3:30 before I finally called it quits and let her go. According to government rules, you’re not supposed to work longer than 5 hours without taking a break – but we were on a roll and didn’t want to break it.
Let me just say right now that I could not have done it without her help. She was invaluable: keeping me on track and organized, introducing me to everybody, convincing the recalcitrant ones to let me do my interviews, and telling me all about every dog we came across along the way. I will certainly write a glowing report on her back at the main office so that if they ever need help out here in Perryville again, she will be top of the list.
I must admit, however, that I am not impressed with the government. Not that that comes as a big surprise to anybody – but this has to be one of the most poorly run businesses I’ve ever worked for. The training was laughable, the organization within the office is nonexistent, and the support for field officers is a mere rumor. About the only thing they have going for them is that they do pay – even if the check is almost always two weeks late and full of mistakes.
Case in point: I called the main office today and spoke to the person in charge of Interior Alaska, letting him know that I had just found out that planes wouldn’t fly over the weekend. He told me that he’d look in to trying to get me out of here on Friday, and that I should call back later on in the day to see what progress he’d made.
That’s why my guide and I worked so hard – I wanted to make sure I was finished with everything so I could leave. No offence to the good people of Perryville, but I’d really like to spend Easter with my own family!
So at 3:30, I call back to the main office only to find out that he had forgotten completely about me and my paperwork never even got started. Then I got chewed out by the lady in charge of travel arrangements for even thinking that I could leave tomorrow without having gone thru her first, and she rather snidely pointed out that other people are stuck out here as well and I shouldn’t think that I’d be getting any special favors. I told her that I had called as early as I possibly could in hopes that the man in charge of things might actually be able to do something, so she rather quickly backed off and said that she had some strings she could pull.
Now I am again to call back later and see what progress has been made. Between you and me – I’m not holding my breath. Most likely I will be hanging out here, with nothing to do and no food to eat.
I’ve actually got several hours of paperwork left to do. If I knew for sure what my schedule for tomorrow was, I’d know if I should stay up tonight and get it done or save it for the long weekend ahead of me.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I Did Good Today
First thing this morning I hired a guide who turned out to be just wonderful. She knows everybody in the village, of course, so is able to tell me who’s here, who’s gone, who’s left permanently, and who can proxy anybody missing. She drove me back and forth in her truck all day (I’m slightly less than organized) and was cheerful and helpful the whole time.
We got a lot of work done, too – more than I thought I would. I finished 2 whole binders and made good progress on the third one! That’s a good thing, because I found out there are no planes on the weekend. If I don’t finish by Friday I’m stuck till Monday.
Needless to say I’m going to try real hard to finish by Friday!
The weather wasn’t the best ever. A blizzard blew in overnight so it was almost white-out conditions at first. I was very thankful for her truck! By the afternoon, however, it warmed up and stopped snowing. I think it may even be melting off now. I took a walk down to the beach and actually overheated.
They have 10 wind generators! My guide says they were installed 2 years ago and are already paying for themselves. I was very pleased to see them – I think more villages in Alaska should have them.
Their school is pretty neat, also. It has maybe 15 students of all ages, and is probably only a few years old. They invited me to eat lunch with them each day I’m here, for just $4.00 a meal. I have to admit I wasn’t too happy with the food, but that’s mostly because it was meat (I’m vegetarian). I’m sure a normal person would be quite happy with the food; it was nutritious and filling. Since it’s my main meal, I made myself eat it – and since I was surrounded by 15 students and several adults, I couldn’t make any faces while eating it either!
All of the people I’ve met so far have been very kind and seem happy. They are all Aleut, with some Russian and/or Yupik mixed in for good measure – except for the teachers, who are all Caucasian. And as everybody keeps pointing out, even the dogs are friendly here! Two in particular came with us on our rounds this morning and where simply overjoyed at the snow.
We got a lot of work done, too – more than I thought I would. I finished 2 whole binders and made good progress on the third one! That’s a good thing, because I found out there are no planes on the weekend. If I don’t finish by Friday I’m stuck till Monday.
Needless to say I’m going to try real hard to finish by Friday!
The weather wasn’t the best ever. A blizzard blew in overnight so it was almost white-out conditions at first. I was very thankful for her truck! By the afternoon, however, it warmed up and stopped snowing. I think it may even be melting off now. I took a walk down to the beach and actually overheated.
They have 10 wind generators! My guide says they were installed 2 years ago and are already paying for themselves. I was very pleased to see them – I think more villages in Alaska should have them.
Their school is pretty neat, also. It has maybe 15 students of all ages, and is probably only a few years old. They invited me to eat lunch with them each day I’m here, for just $4.00 a meal. I have to admit I wasn’t too happy with the food, but that’s mostly because it was meat (I’m vegetarian). I’m sure a normal person would be quite happy with the food; it was nutritious and filling. Since it’s my main meal, I made myself eat it – and since I was surrounded by 15 students and several adults, I couldn’t make any faces while eating it either!
All of the people I’ve met so far have been very kind and seem happy. They are all Aleut, with some Russian and/or Yupik mixed in for good measure – except for the teachers, who are all Caucasian. And as everybody keeps pointing out, even the dogs are friendly here! Two in particular came with us on our rounds this morning and where simply overjoyed at the snow.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Perryville, Alaska
Well, I made it: I’m in Perryville. It’s actually a nice little village. So far, the people all seem to be quite nice and friendly.
I had a bit of a meltdown earlier. When I got off the airplane upon arrival I had no lodging, no contacts, and no idea what I was doing. A very kind man who flew in on the same airplane took pity on me and let me hitch a ride with him over to the school where they were quite willing to set me up in one of their spare rooms. They also let me use one of their phones so I could call the main office and see if somebody there could finally tell me what I was supposed to be doing.
Thankfully they had finally gotten the lodging straightened out – just that morning, in fact – so were able to tell me that they had reserved a room for me over at the Tribal Office Building. Coincidentally just across the street from the school, as luck would have it. It’s a really cool Quonset hut type of building. I hauled my bags over and got set up.
At first look, the room was quite a disappointment. It’s large, but was almost completely empty except for a twin-size bed with no bedding in one corner and a chair in the other corner. I set my laptop up on the chair and set about trying to get settled in. One of the office workers walking by happened to see me sitting on the floor with my computer on the chair and very kindly pushed a spare desk and another chair in here for me. Then he came back later with an actual phone for me, as well as the secret password to log on to their internet.
I’m in business now!
I even managed to locate the two boxes of supplies that had been sent up here ahead of me, only to find t hat they contained not only the binders I expected but also supply kits for two enumerators.
That’s when the meltdown hit. They told me before I left Anchorage that I was not going to be getting any enumerators, so I didn’t bring the necessary tools to train them and get them up and running!
I totally freaked out and had to call the main office in Anchorage where a very nice man calmly talked me back down to sanity and explained that I really was up here on my own and didn’t need to worry about training anybody with no supplies on hand with which to do so.
Who knew being on one’s own would be such a good thing?
After I calmed down from my little episode, I settled in to the binders to get a feel for what my day will be like tomorrow. Perryville is a small place with only 50 some houses, so really it should go quickly. It’s also quite walkable, so as long as the weather holds out I will be hoofing it unless my cultural guide suggests otherwise. They all drive 4-wheelers down here: my brother will surely agree with me that I am not the world’s best driver on 4-wheelers, but if necessary I can get by.
About that time, a lady showed up with not only sheets and blankets for the bed - but towels too! Slowly but surely this room is sprucing right up. It's very comfortable now, and will be the perfect place to spread out and deal with my three binders.
Hiring a cultural guide is the first thing on tomorrow’s agenda. I have a name of a woman who was recommended; we’ll see if she’ll take the job.
I had a bit of a meltdown earlier. When I got off the airplane upon arrival I had no lodging, no contacts, and no idea what I was doing. A very kind man who flew in on the same airplane took pity on me and let me hitch a ride with him over to the school where they were quite willing to set me up in one of their spare rooms. They also let me use one of their phones so I could call the main office and see if somebody there could finally tell me what I was supposed to be doing.
Thankfully they had finally gotten the lodging straightened out – just that morning, in fact – so were able to tell me that they had reserved a room for me over at the Tribal Office Building. Coincidentally just across the street from the school, as luck would have it. It’s a really cool Quonset hut type of building. I hauled my bags over and got set up.
At first look, the room was quite a disappointment. It’s large, but was almost completely empty except for a twin-size bed with no bedding in one corner and a chair in the other corner. I set my laptop up on the chair and set about trying to get settled in. One of the office workers walking by happened to see me sitting on the floor with my computer on the chair and very kindly pushed a spare desk and another chair in here for me. Then he came back later with an actual phone for me, as well as the secret password to log on to their internet.
I’m in business now!
I even managed to locate the two boxes of supplies that had been sent up here ahead of me, only to find t hat they contained not only the binders I expected but also supply kits for two enumerators.
That’s when the meltdown hit. They told me before I left Anchorage that I was not going to be getting any enumerators, so I didn’t bring the necessary tools to train them and get them up and running!
I totally freaked out and had to call the main office in Anchorage where a very nice man calmly talked me back down to sanity and explained that I really was up here on my own and didn’t need to worry about training anybody with no supplies on hand with which to do so.
Who knew being on one’s own would be such a good thing?
After I calmed down from my little episode, I settled in to the binders to get a feel for what my day will be like tomorrow. Perryville is a small place with only 50 some houses, so really it should go quickly. It’s also quite walkable, so as long as the weather holds out I will be hoofing it unless my cultural guide suggests otherwise. They all drive 4-wheelers down here: my brother will surely agree with me that I am not the world’s best driver on 4-wheelers, but if necessary I can get by.
About that time, a lady showed up with not only sheets and blankets for the bed - but towels too! Slowly but surely this room is sprucing right up. It's very comfortable now, and will be the perfect place to spread out and deal with my three binders.
Hiring a cultural guide is the first thing on tomorrow’s agenda. I have a name of a woman who was recommended; we’ll see if she’ll take the job.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Heading Back Out Again
Well, that was a nice weekend – but now I’m back on the road again. Heading to Perryville this time, leaving Tuesday morning at 8:00 am.
While I was home, I got to hang out with Rob and his kids = that was so nice. We went to the zoo on Sunday where I gave them their own personal tour. I told them at the entrance that my tours usually last about 2 hours, but we managed to stretch that out to a whopping 4 hours! Lunch at Red Robin afterwards made it the perfect day.
Today they all came over at 8:30 in the morning for breakfast; we had rhubarb crunch with vanilla ice cream. How’s that for a nutritious meal? There’s a reason I’m not a mom… but then I headed out to Palmer to see the family before leaving again while Rob and the kids went off to sled the hills.
My family met at Vagabonds for lunch, of course (we are ALL about the food) but did walk it off with a 3-mile walk afterwards. Lauren even came with us, and Noel met us partway with her puppy.
Now I’m sitting here in my living room with all my gear and clothing spread out around me, trying to consolidate 4 large duffle bags into 2. Flying out will be fun, but it is rather constrictive on the luggage allowed.
As with last time, please keep an eye on my blog. I will have my computer with me and will be making regular posts – but will most likely not be able to send out notices to people.
Wish me luck!
While I was home, I got to hang out with Rob and his kids = that was so nice. We went to the zoo on Sunday where I gave them their own personal tour. I told them at the entrance that my tours usually last about 2 hours, but we managed to stretch that out to a whopping 4 hours! Lunch at Red Robin afterwards made it the perfect day.
Today they all came over at 8:30 in the morning for breakfast; we had rhubarb crunch with vanilla ice cream. How’s that for a nutritious meal? There’s a reason I’m not a mom… but then I headed out to Palmer to see the family before leaving again while Rob and the kids went off to sled the hills.
My family met at Vagabonds for lunch, of course (we are ALL about the food) but did walk it off with a 3-mile walk afterwards. Lauren even came with us, and Noel met us partway with her puppy.
Now I’m sitting here in my living room with all my gear and clothing spread out around me, trying to consolidate 4 large duffle bags into 2. Flying out will be fun, but it is rather constrictive on the luggage allowed.
As with last time, please keep an eye on my blog. I will have my computer with me and will be making regular posts – but will most likely not be able to send out notices to people.
Wish me luck!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Home Again – Albeit Temporarily
These past few days have been busy ones! I worked so hard on Thursday that I didn’t have a chance to update my blog even. But I did get my binder done, and even managed to help a few other people out with their stuff, and help do payroll too. Not a bad way to end ones assignment, if I do say so myself.
The following day I packed up my car and headed on home. I had originally intended to start out at 9:00 but couldn’t sleep I was so excited to be going home, so ended up leaving at 8:00 instead. This put me in to Palmer just in time for lunch at 1:00 then arriving in Anchorage by 3:00, exhausted but happy.
My girls were so happy to see me! I missed them so much…
The first phone call I made was to my boyfriend/babysitter to let him know I’d arrived safe and sound and to let him know he should come right over because I missed him, too. My second phone call was to Mother for the same reason – although for her it was a surprise, since she didn’t know I was coming home so soon. I’ll head out there on Monday to see everybody. My third phone call was to GCI to see if I could fix my email problems so that hopefully I will be able to stay in contact with people on my next assignment.
By that time, Rob arrived and announced that he was taking me out on an actual date: dinner & a movie. Dinner was at Pizza Olympia, an absolutely fabulous place with probably the best spaghetti I’ve had in a very long time. I really was exhausted, though – so had to beg off the movie. I promised him I’d go see one with him one day soon, but after I was done with this Census thing.
I had to make a run in to the main office Saturday morning to turn in payroll and restock my supply of forms (this is the government, after all – no shortage of forms required to do my job). While I was there, I got to help out a little bit in “the back room” where they QC all the binders that come in from out in the field. It really helps to know what sort of problems they encounter – hopefully I can make sure they all get fixed BEFORE the binders go back to Anchorage. Well, that’s the intention at least.
Also while I was at the office I got my new marching orders: Tuesday morning I’m being sent to Perryville! My first thought on hearing that was “Where the heck is Perryville?”
Googlemaps shows where it is - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=perryville,+alaska&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.858685,83.671875&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Perryville,+Lake+and+Peninsula,+Alaska&ll=55.912273,-159.125977&spn=10.594359,20.917969&z=6
I’m pretty excited about it, actually. My new boss (coincidentally named Perry – I kid you not) advised me to pack for wind and rain, so Rob and I headed out to The Outdoor Store where I snagged a pair of wind pants for the super-low sale price of only $19.95 (REI had them for around $89.00 and on up). I also got the coolest hat: it’s one of those with ear flaps and a long tassel on top, and it’s all in shades of green.
To celebrate my new destination we had lunch at one of my favorite places: The Organic Oasis. I do love that place… they have the best salads.
Now I’m relaxing at the computer and am contemplating a relocation up to the library to watch some tv for a while.
The following day I packed up my car and headed on home. I had originally intended to start out at 9:00 but couldn’t sleep I was so excited to be going home, so ended up leaving at 8:00 instead. This put me in to Palmer just in time for lunch at 1:00 then arriving in Anchorage by 3:00, exhausted but happy.
My girls were so happy to see me! I missed them so much…
The first phone call I made was to my boyfriend/babysitter to let him know I’d arrived safe and sound and to let him know he should come right over because I missed him, too. My second phone call was to Mother for the same reason – although for her it was a surprise, since she didn’t know I was coming home so soon. I’ll head out there on Monday to see everybody. My third phone call was to GCI to see if I could fix my email problems so that hopefully I will be able to stay in contact with people on my next assignment.
By that time, Rob arrived and announced that he was taking me out on an actual date: dinner & a movie. Dinner was at Pizza Olympia, an absolutely fabulous place with probably the best spaghetti I’ve had in a very long time. I really was exhausted, though – so had to beg off the movie. I promised him I’d go see one with him one day soon, but after I was done with this Census thing.
I had to make a run in to the main office Saturday morning to turn in payroll and restock my supply of forms (this is the government, after all – no shortage of forms required to do my job). While I was there, I got to help out a little bit in “the back room” where they QC all the binders that come in from out in the field. It really helps to know what sort of problems they encounter – hopefully I can make sure they all get fixed BEFORE the binders go back to Anchorage. Well, that’s the intention at least.
Also while I was at the office I got my new marching orders: Tuesday morning I’m being sent to Perryville! My first thought on hearing that was “Where the heck is Perryville?”
Googlemaps shows where it is - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=perryville,+alaska&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.858685,83.671875&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Perryville,+Lake+and+Peninsula,+Alaska&ll=55.912273,-159.125977&spn=10.594359,20.917969&z=6
I’m pretty excited about it, actually. My new boss (coincidentally named Perry – I kid you not) advised me to pack for wind and rain, so Rob and I headed out to The Outdoor Store where I snagged a pair of wind pants for the super-low sale price of only $19.95 (REI had them for around $89.00 and on up). I also got the coolest hat: it’s one of those with ear flaps and a long tassel on top, and it’s all in shades of green.
To celebrate my new destination we had lunch at one of my favorite places: The Organic Oasis. I do love that place… they have the best salads.
Now I’m relaxing at the computer and am contemplating a relocation up to the library to watch some tv for a while.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Stupid Long Underwear
Okay, you know how I was so excited about my long underwear in my last post? Well, I’ve changed my mind. Sure, they’re all nice and warm and all that – but they keep trying to fall down! The only thing keeping them up is my jeans, which are a tad bit too large for me. Every time I get out of my car – which as an enumerator, you do a lot of – I have to reach into my pants to pull my underwear back up where they belong. I’m sure this adds to the good impression I’m trying to convey to people as I flash my government badge at them and try to coax them to give me all their personal information. It’s very annoying.
But aside from all of that, today went quite well. First thing in the morning we all met up in Dallas’s room to learn how to deal with payroll issues. Dallas and Rebecca have well over 20 enumerators that they have to keep organized, so it was quite the madhouse, truth to tell. That’s a lot of hours to keep track of, and this being the government there are something like three forms required for each day’s work, and of course you have to have multiple copies of each form all arranged in the proper order and paper clipped together in just the right manner.
Dallas finally got too frustrated to deal with 8 people in her bedroom, so kicked us all out to go learn how to do Quality Control on binders that had already been done. We ended up in Kate’s room, with Rebecca showing us how to fill out the proper forms and get everything in the right order. Once we had a good feel for it, we each took a binder into our own rooms and sequestered ourselves until we either finished or needed guidance. I ended up with just three or four EQs (Enumerator Questionnaire) needing attention. I called the guy who filled them out so that he could explain why he’d missed the few spots I’d found; once we had that cleared up, the binder was done!
I took a small lunch break, checked my email and facebook, and then headed back out into the field to see if I could finish up my own binder.
The binder that I’m talking about is simply a grouping of homes that the government, in their infinite wisdom, put together in accordance to some esoteric logic that doesn’t really make any sense to anybody else. Some areas have lots of binders, some have very few. One area nearby here has something like 65 binders all showing the Delta River. They actually had to send somebody out there to confirm that nobody lived or built a house IN THE RIVER. Because, you know, they would do that.
Anyway, back out in the field with my binder, I actually was able to make contact with one of my problem areas – but he … let’s just say he was reluctant to talk to me. He wasn’t rude of belligerent or anything like that – he just very forcefully made it know that I would not be getting any information out of him. I did get him to tell me how many people he had living there – and he gave me his name and number, too – so at least I got that much.
But I still have two other places that I need information on before I can turn in my binder. I’m going to meet up with somebody tomorrow morning who can hopefully give me what I need.
One very good thing that happened today is that I got to meet my boss! The Field Operations Supervisor finally made it to Delta just tonight; we all gathered for a meeting at the town hall to go over all our questions and get our paperwork signed - can’t get paid without her signature!
By the time the meeting was over it was dinner time, so Dallas and I stopped off at a Mexican place for a burrito. It was quite good, actually – the first actual meal I’ve had since I got here! Now I’m just relaxing – I’ll lay down for a while and read my book, I think. That sounds good…
But aside from all of that, today went quite well. First thing in the morning we all met up in Dallas’s room to learn how to deal with payroll issues. Dallas and Rebecca have well over 20 enumerators that they have to keep organized, so it was quite the madhouse, truth to tell. That’s a lot of hours to keep track of, and this being the government there are something like three forms required for each day’s work, and of course you have to have multiple copies of each form all arranged in the proper order and paper clipped together in just the right manner.
Dallas finally got too frustrated to deal with 8 people in her bedroom, so kicked us all out to go learn how to do Quality Control on binders that had already been done. We ended up in Kate’s room, with Rebecca showing us how to fill out the proper forms and get everything in the right order. Once we had a good feel for it, we each took a binder into our own rooms and sequestered ourselves until we either finished or needed guidance. I ended up with just three or four EQs (Enumerator Questionnaire) needing attention. I called the guy who filled them out so that he could explain why he’d missed the few spots I’d found; once we had that cleared up, the binder was done!
I took a small lunch break, checked my email and facebook, and then headed back out into the field to see if I could finish up my own binder.
The binder that I’m talking about is simply a grouping of homes that the government, in their infinite wisdom, put together in accordance to some esoteric logic that doesn’t really make any sense to anybody else. Some areas have lots of binders, some have very few. One area nearby here has something like 65 binders all showing the Delta River. They actually had to send somebody out there to confirm that nobody lived or built a house IN THE RIVER. Because, you know, they would do that.
Anyway, back out in the field with my binder, I actually was able to make contact with one of my problem areas – but he … let’s just say he was reluctant to talk to me. He wasn’t rude of belligerent or anything like that – he just very forcefully made it know that I would not be getting any information out of him. I did get him to tell me how many people he had living there – and he gave me his name and number, too – so at least I got that much.
But I still have two other places that I need information on before I can turn in my binder. I’m going to meet up with somebody tomorrow morning who can hopefully give me what I need.
One very good thing that happened today is that I got to meet my boss! The Field Operations Supervisor finally made it to Delta just tonight; we all gathered for a meeting at the town hall to go over all our questions and get our paperwork signed - can’t get paid without her signature!
By the time the meeting was over it was dinner time, so Dallas and I stopped off at a Mexican place for a burrito. It was quite good, actually – the first actual meal I’ve had since I got here! Now I’m just relaxing – I’ll lay down for a while and read my book, I think. That sounds good…
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thank God For Long Underwear
I never thought I’d be saying this, but honestly – Thank God for Long Underwear! Its mighty cold out here, where the land is so flat you can see the mountains that are millions of miles away (slight exaggeration). The cheap clip-on thermometer that I got for my coat zipper told me it was about 25 degrees out, but with the wind chill factored in I’m thinking it was more like -20.
We met this morning as a group over at the City Hall for a very brief introduction to our fellow Crew Leaders and then carpooled over to an apartment building for our on-the-job training. I had been so hot in my hotel room that I severely under-dressed. Thankfully I got to go back to my hotel room to redress after only an hour or so outside, so got to finish out my training in relative comfort.
The apartment building we chose to be trained on turned out to be mostly vacant, so that didn’t really go so well. But we regrouped, got organized again, and headed out to do some actual door-to-door counting (the official term is “enumerating”). I ended up going with Dallas, our trainer, and Aaron, a fellow trainee. We even got to do a group home, which is treated much differently than a normal house would be.
I have to admit that so far, I have not been eating very healthily (is that grammatically correct? I think not). I had some instant oatmeal for breakfast, a Cliff bar for lunch, and a bagel with peanut butter for dinner. The other guys all met for pizza last night, but I declined because I didn’t want to spend my first night here being sick from eating cheese – and if I had gone, I would have eaten it even though I know I can’t anymore. I love cheese!
Anyway, that’s my life so far out here in Delta.
We met this morning as a group over at the City Hall for a very brief introduction to our fellow Crew Leaders and then carpooled over to an apartment building for our on-the-job training. I had been so hot in my hotel room that I severely under-dressed. Thankfully I got to go back to my hotel room to redress after only an hour or so outside, so got to finish out my training in relative comfort.
The apartment building we chose to be trained on turned out to be mostly vacant, so that didn’t really go so well. But we regrouped, got organized again, and headed out to do some actual door-to-door counting (the official term is “enumerating”). I ended up going with Dallas, our trainer, and Aaron, a fellow trainee. We even got to do a group home, which is treated much differently than a normal house would be.
I have to admit that so far, I have not been eating very healthily (is that grammatically correct? I think not). I had some instant oatmeal for breakfast, a Cliff bar for lunch, and a bagel with peanut butter for dinner. The other guys all met for pizza last night, but I declined because I didn’t want to spend my first night here being sick from eating cheese – and if I had gone, I would have eaten it even though I know I can’t anymore. I love cheese!
Anyway, that’s my life so far out here in Delta.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Turn Left
My first day on the job went well – that’s a good omen, I think. Of course, it was just driving from point A to point B, but still… at least I made it in one piece.
And let me tell you – the drive from Palmer to Delta Junction has to be the most gorgeous drive I’ve ever been on! Absolutely stunning scenery: every time you turn a corner a whole new vista opens up in front of you, taking your breath away and leaving you completely awed. I wanted to stop and take a picture each time, but I had a deadline to keep to so I only got a few of them.
I started out from my house at 9:30 and ended up at my sister’s house in Palmer an hour and a half later (I stopped to get gas and wash windows along the way). A cup of tea and an omelet later, and I’m back on the road an hour later heading north. I stopped again, to stretch my legs and eat a bite at Miers Lake around 2:30 and got in to Delta Junction by 5:00.
The title of this posting comes from the fact that everybody that I asked for directions to Delta all said the same exact thing: “Turn left.” And they were right! There are only two intersections to deal with between here and there, and at both of them I turned left.
I found my hotel easily enough; got checked in & settled in. I even met one of my FOS (Field Operations Supervisors) already – we’ll all get together tomorrow morning , bright and early, to start our enumeration training.
I am having email difficulties, though… of course.
And let me tell you – the drive from Palmer to Delta Junction has to be the most gorgeous drive I’ve ever been on! Absolutely stunning scenery: every time you turn a corner a whole new vista opens up in front of you, taking your breath away and leaving you completely awed. I wanted to stop and take a picture each time, but I had a deadline to keep to so I only got a few of them.
I started out from my house at 9:30 and ended up at my sister’s house in Palmer an hour and a half later (I stopped to get gas and wash windows along the way). A cup of tea and an omelet later, and I’m back on the road an hour later heading north. I stopped again, to stretch my legs and eat a bite at Miers Lake around 2:30 and got in to Delta Junction by 5:00.
The title of this posting comes from the fact that everybody that I asked for directions to Delta all said the same exact thing: “Turn left.” And they were right! There are only two intersections to deal with between here and there, and at both of them I turned left.
I found my hotel easily enough; got checked in & settled in. I even met one of my FOS (Field Operations Supervisors) already – we’ll all get together tomorrow morning , bright and early, to start our enumeration training.
I am having email difficulties, though… of course.
The Adventure Begins
Today is the start of my US Census Bureau job.
I’ve got most everything packed and ready to go: one big purple tub full of my manuals and paperwork for the job; one big box of the supplies required to do my job; two tote bags full of food – because you just know that nobody out in the villages will be vegetarian; one backpack full of miscellaneous tools, like my binoculars, my pepper spray, my magnifying glass, etc.; one duffle bag full of underwear, socks, long johns, undershirts, journals, and toiletries; one duffle bag full of clothing; one duffle bag full of winter gear; and several different coats, hats, scarves, and whatnot. Oh, and I’m taking my laptop, too – so that is in there somewhere as well.
That took the entire day yesterday – getting everything organized and packed so that it will be (hopefully) easy to get to everything.
I’ve got my roommate lined up with all the contact information she might need. I’ve got my babysitter lined up with everything he might need to take care of the girls (my roommate can’t because she’s allergic). I’ve got all my contact information disseminated out to my family.
Whew! I think I’ve thought of everything… Now I just have to get it all stuffed in to my car, get the car gassed up, and head out. I’ll start out at 10:00 and stop off in Palmer at my sister’s house at 11:00. If I’m back on the road by noon, I should make it to Delta Junction sometime around 6:00 this evening.
I’ll be posting updates on my blog periodically throughout this adventure, but will not be able to send out notices like I normally do – so keep the link handy and check back in each day! Comments are always welcomed.
I’ve got most everything packed and ready to go: one big purple tub full of my manuals and paperwork for the job; one big box of the supplies required to do my job; two tote bags full of food – because you just know that nobody out in the villages will be vegetarian; one backpack full of miscellaneous tools, like my binoculars, my pepper spray, my magnifying glass, etc.; one duffle bag full of underwear, socks, long johns, undershirts, journals, and toiletries; one duffle bag full of clothing; one duffle bag full of winter gear; and several different coats, hats, scarves, and whatnot. Oh, and I’m taking my laptop, too – so that is in there somewhere as well.
That took the entire day yesterday – getting everything organized and packed so that it will be (hopefully) easy to get to everything.
I’ve got my roommate lined up with all the contact information she might need. I’ve got my babysitter lined up with everything he might need to take care of the girls (my roommate can’t because she’s allergic). I’ve got all my contact information disseminated out to my family.
Whew! I think I’ve thought of everything… Now I just have to get it all stuffed in to my car, get the car gassed up, and head out. I’ll start out at 10:00 and stop off in Palmer at my sister’s house at 11:00. If I’m back on the road by noon, I should make it to Delta Junction sometime around 6:00 this evening.
I’ll be posting updates on my blog periodically throughout this adventure, but will not be able to send out notices like I normally do – so keep the link handy and check back in each day! Comments are always welcomed.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Interesting Development
Two of them, actually.
First – I’m seeing somebody. His name is Rob, and he is a wonderful man. I worked with him back 20 years ago, but he moved out of state and I forgot about him. He’s back up here now, and looked me up simply because I’m somebody he used to know – and we connected! I’ve gone out with him almost every night since our first date. He’s the type of guy who always opens doors or gives his arm when we’re walking over an icy patch. I’ve never really known anybody like that before.
Second – I may have a job! What I actually have is the possibility of a job, but it could turn in to something pretty cool. It’s for the 2010 US Census: I’d be a crew leader (a supervisory position) out in remote places. I go in for a week-long training course next week (paid, thankfully) then if I “pass” that I could get sent out for weeks at a time. It involves snow machines, 4-wheelers, dog sleds, small airplanes… all means of traveling, since most of the villages out here don’t have cars.
As an added bonus – I get to go to Fairbanks this weekend! My friend Lorna had a companion fare ticket (meaning the second guy goes for only $50) so I can afford it. We’re going to stay at the Chena Hot Springs and take their Geothermal tour, hike the trails around there, and see if we can take some good photos of the Northern Lights (although this is not a good year for that, it being the low point of the sun cycle). Then we’ll head back in to Fairbanks and visit the Cold Climate Housing Research Center for a quick tour before heading on back home.
First – I’m seeing somebody. His name is Rob, and he is a wonderful man. I worked with him back 20 years ago, but he moved out of state and I forgot about him. He’s back up here now, and looked me up simply because I’m somebody he used to know – and we connected! I’ve gone out with him almost every night since our first date. He’s the type of guy who always opens doors or gives his arm when we’re walking over an icy patch. I’ve never really known anybody like that before.
Second – I may have a job! What I actually have is the possibility of a job, but it could turn in to something pretty cool. It’s for the 2010 US Census: I’d be a crew leader (a supervisory position) out in remote places. I go in for a week-long training course next week (paid, thankfully) then if I “pass” that I could get sent out for weeks at a time. It involves snow machines, 4-wheelers, dog sleds, small airplanes… all means of traveling, since most of the villages out here don’t have cars.
As an added bonus – I get to go to Fairbanks this weekend! My friend Lorna had a companion fare ticket (meaning the second guy goes for only $50) so I can afford it. We’re going to stay at the Chena Hot Springs and take their Geothermal tour, hike the trails around there, and see if we can take some good photos of the Northern Lights (although this is not a good year for that, it being the low point of the sun cycle). Then we’ll head back in to Fairbanks and visit the Cold Climate Housing Research Center for a quick tour before heading on back home.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
2010 Oceans Film Festival – Part 2
The second night of the film festival was just as good (if not better) than the first night. Once again, I went with my friend Robert and got to sit up in the balcony. Unfortunately, we were a tad bit late, so didn’t get to see the beginning of the first film – which was a bummer because it was my favorite out of all the films. It was called Rowing the Atlantic and told the amazing story of this woman from London who rowed 3,000 across the Atlantic Ocean all by herself. It was a fantastic film and an unbelievable accomplishment - she confronted storms that broke every one of her oars before she even reached the halfway point as well as claiming her camping stove, stereo, and cockpit navigation instruments; she battled grueling physical conditions, extreme isolation, and months of solitude – not even a bird or an insect to keep her company.
The next film was In Awe of the Shark which interviewed some of the world's leading marine biologists to hear their passionate plea to rethink the shark. There was, again, some amazing footage of all kinds of sharks: Hammerheads, Great Whites, Tiger Sharks, you name it – even some Whale Sharks, which are my favorites. Sharks in general have a bad reputation (thanks to my favorite movie of all time: JAWS) and are quickly becoming endangered.
The third film of the evening was another one that I just didn’t get. It was called The Comfort of Cold and told the story of a 75-year old man who routinely swims out to Alcatraz and back, twice a day. While it’s impressive that a 75-year old man is in such good shape, I do have to wonder about his mental conditions – I personally would think twice about swimming in those waters: they’re not only cold but are not the cleanest waters in the world, either.
After the 15-minute intermission, we got going on the fourth film of the evening: Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. This one was created by the Natural Resources Defense Council and was narrated by Sigourney Weaver – both of whom I like and support. It talked about the acidification of our oceans and what will happen if it continues.
A View from Below was the last film of the night, and I have to admit I just plain didn’t like it. Karl Stanley, an eccentric deep sea explorer, takes his homemade submarine to unprecedented ocean depths in search of creatures never seen before. He even rents it out to paying customers, and takes them down with him. The reason I didn’t like it is mostly because of him: he is a confrontational type of guy who enjoys arguing and getting in people’s faces. Not my kind of person at all – but I have to admit I’d love to go down there!
The films started much later this time than the previous day, so by the time they were over it was 10:00. On the way out of the parking lot we came across a man whose truck had died, so Robert stopped to help him – which meant I didn’t get home till around 11:00 and went straight to bed.
The next film was In Awe of the Shark which interviewed some of the world's leading marine biologists to hear their passionate plea to rethink the shark. There was, again, some amazing footage of all kinds of sharks: Hammerheads, Great Whites, Tiger Sharks, you name it – even some Whale Sharks, which are my favorites. Sharks in general have a bad reputation (thanks to my favorite movie of all time: JAWS) and are quickly becoming endangered.
The third film of the evening was another one that I just didn’t get. It was called The Comfort of Cold and told the story of a 75-year old man who routinely swims out to Alcatraz and back, twice a day. While it’s impressive that a 75-year old man is in such good shape, I do have to wonder about his mental conditions – I personally would think twice about swimming in those waters: they’re not only cold but are not the cleanest waters in the world, either.
After the 15-minute intermission, we got going on the fourth film of the evening: Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. This one was created by the Natural Resources Defense Council and was narrated by Sigourney Weaver – both of whom I like and support. It talked about the acidification of our oceans and what will happen if it continues.
A View from Below was the last film of the night, and I have to admit I just plain didn’t like it. Karl Stanley, an eccentric deep sea explorer, takes his homemade submarine to unprecedented ocean depths in search of creatures never seen before. He even rents it out to paying customers, and takes them down with him. The reason I didn’t like it is mostly because of him: he is a confrontational type of guy who enjoys arguing and getting in people’s faces. Not my kind of person at all – but I have to admit I’d love to go down there!
The films started much later this time than the previous day, so by the time they were over it was 10:00. On the way out of the parking lot we came across a man whose truck had died, so Robert stopped to help him – which meant I didn’t get home till around 11:00 and went straight to bed.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
2010 Oceans Film Festival
I went to the Bear’s Tooth Theatre last night and saw the first 5 films of the 2010 Oceans Film Festival with an old friend from back in my pipeline days. I hadn’t seen Robert in close to 20 years, so was a little nervous about meeting up with him again – but he was great, so after just a few moments we were chatting away like old friends (which, coincidentally, we are).
The films we saw last night were an odd mixture: some really good, a few not so good, and one that I just don’t see how it made the cut at all.
The first one was called White Shark Café about a bunch of scientists studying the Great White Shark. They had some pretty cool footage from underwater of the sharks which really made me wish I were a marine biologist. That just looked like the perfect way to spend your day at work!
The second one was called Surf Bus. This was the one that I just didn’t care for. The basic story line was good enough: an old, worn out surfer chick starts up a program to bring city kids out to the beach for the day to learn to surf. The program grew to the point where they bring up to 500 kids a day to have fun at the beach. But the film itself just wasn't up to par, I thought.
After that we watched one called Lost on a Reef about 6 marine archeologists searching for ship wrecks off the coast of Hawaii. Very cool underwater footage of fish, reefs, ships, and all sorts of things. It had a fair amount of history, too – which is always nice.
They paused for a brief intermission and then started up the remaining two films for the night. The first one was called Bicycle Trip which basically just followed this kid who was biking down from the mountains to the beach for a day of surfing. There was no dialog in the film at all, just scenery shots of him in all the different habitat he went thru to get there. Not my favorite film of the night, but it did have some really interesting shots.
The final film for the evening was really an interesting one called Paddle to Seattle. It documented the adventures of two guys who build their own kayaks (out of wood) and then paddle them from Skagway to Seattle; a three month journey down the inside passage. I once though I’d like to learn how to kayak, but after seeing what they went thru I’m not so sure I could do that! Particularly the part where they get visited by a pod of Humpbacks out in the open ocean = OMG what a fantastic experience!
Robert and I had such a good time chatting with each other we went ahead and had dinner after the films, and even decided that we’d go to the next day’s films together. I’m looking forward to it tonight.
The films we saw last night were an odd mixture: some really good, a few not so good, and one that I just don’t see how it made the cut at all.
The first one was called White Shark Café about a bunch of scientists studying the Great White Shark. They had some pretty cool footage from underwater of the sharks which really made me wish I were a marine biologist. That just looked like the perfect way to spend your day at work!
The second one was called Surf Bus. This was the one that I just didn’t care for. The basic story line was good enough: an old, worn out surfer chick starts up a program to bring city kids out to the beach for the day to learn to surf. The program grew to the point where they bring up to 500 kids a day to have fun at the beach. But the film itself just wasn't up to par, I thought.
After that we watched one called Lost on a Reef about 6 marine archeologists searching for ship wrecks off the coast of Hawaii. Very cool underwater footage of fish, reefs, ships, and all sorts of things. It had a fair amount of history, too – which is always nice.
They paused for a brief intermission and then started up the remaining two films for the night. The first one was called Bicycle Trip which basically just followed this kid who was biking down from the mountains to the beach for a day of surfing. There was no dialog in the film at all, just scenery shots of him in all the different habitat he went thru to get there. Not my favorite film of the night, but it did have some really interesting shots.
The final film for the evening was really an interesting one called Paddle to Seattle. It documented the adventures of two guys who build their own kayaks (out of wood) and then paddle them from Skagway to Seattle; a three month journey down the inside passage. I once though I’d like to learn how to kayak, but after seeing what they went thru I’m not so sure I could do that! Particularly the part where they get visited by a pod of Humpbacks out in the open ocean = OMG what a fantastic experience!
Robert and I had such a good time chatting with each other we went ahead and had dinner after the films, and even decided that we’d go to the next day’s films together. I’m looking forward to it tonight.
Brrrr - It’s Cold Out There!
It actually took me a couple days to realize it was cold in here, too. Come to find out, my furnace hasn’t been working right for quite some time. I should have just asked Thing and Junie = THEY knew it was too cold in here. They tried everything they could think of to convince me they needed to be inside my sweaters with me.
Finally, though, I called the repair man. If ever you need furnace work done, I highly recommend Mountain Mechanical. I called them at 9:30, they were here by 10:00, and they finished up and left by 10:30!
And it only cost me $550.00 – seems they had to replace the control panel. I wasn’t even aware that furnaces had control panels.
My task for today is to go get some filters for the thing.
Finally, though, I called the repair man. If ever you need furnace work done, I highly recommend Mountain Mechanical. I called them at 9:30, they were here by 10:00, and they finished up and left by 10:30!
And it only cost me $550.00 – seems they had to replace the control panel. I wasn’t even aware that furnaces had control panels.
My task for today is to go get some filters for the thing.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I had a fun weekend.
I met my friend Lorna out in Palmer at Vagabond’s Café for a bowl of soup on Saturday. I wanted her to see the place because they show artwork on their walls and I want her to get on their list for a showing. She is a painter as well as a photographer, so she could do either type of show. I also just love their soup – they always have great hunks of home-made bread to go with it.
Right next door to the café is a bookstore that was having a book signing by one of Alaska’s own authors, Dana Stabenow. Her books are set in the Alaskan Bush and will soon be made into a television series, I think. We both wanted to meet her, and who could turn down a trip to the bookstore? Funny thing: once we saw what she looked like we realized that we’d just sat next to her over at Vagabonds for lunch! We also just happened to sit next to the Mayor of Palmer, who also happened to be having lunch there.
And since Palmer is a small town and you can’t go anywhere without running in to somebody you know, I did manage to run in to an old flame of mine. We had gone out 15-20 years ago - but it didn’t end well, so we both avoided eye contact and pretended we didn’t see each other. Which is a shame.
Once we got our books signed, we headed over to my niece’s house to meet up with the family for a game of cards. Have you ever played Apples to Apples? It’s a fun game – I recommend it. We had my Mother, my sister Kelly, her daughter Laurel, my sister-in-law Heather, myself, and my friend Lorna playing. We also had food, of course – can’t have a family gathering without lots of food. Laurel’s son Corbin was there, too – but since he’s barely two years old, he really didn’t play much. In fact, he went down for a nap soon after I arrived.
3 hours later, Lorna went back home while Mother and I headed over to my brother’s house to inspect his new fridge. I also got the tour of his new plumbing and plans for the new on-demand hot water heater and generator. And I managed to hit my head really bad on the way back up the crawl space. Not a good thing to do when you’re prone to migraines!
Back at the farm Stan, Mother, and I ended up playing the board game called Sequence – very similar to Gin Rummy, but on a board instead of in the hand. We played for an hour or so, then settled in on the couch to watch the Olympics till bedtime.
Sunday morning was pancakes and home-grown eggs = a very good way to start off your day! Especially when your mother cooks them for you. I don’t do eggs all that often, but once in a while they’re pretty darned good. I headed off to Heather’s house while mother went off to church.
I had my card-making supplies with me, so sat and made a card or two while Heather graded papers (she’s a 4th grade teacher) until it was time for Family Movie Night. Food prep started around 1:00 so that we could all have our food ready to eat by 2:00 for the start of the movie. We’re watching the BBC program “Blue Planet” and got to learn all about the Open Ocean and The Deep (see below).
Disc 2: Open Ocean
Venture into the largest section of open ocean in the world, where endless blue stretches in every direction. This blue wilderness can seem like an empty desert, but here the ocean's fiercest, fastest and most ruthless predators stalk their prey over immense distances.
Disc 2: The Deep
Two-thirds of the earth is covered in water, but we've only explored about one percent of the ocean floor. With the help of space-age submersibles, take a spectacular journey to previously unreachable depths.
Right next door to the café is a bookstore that was having a book signing by one of Alaska’s own authors, Dana Stabenow. Her books are set in the Alaskan Bush and will soon be made into a television series, I think. We both wanted to meet her, and who could turn down a trip to the bookstore? Funny thing: once we saw what she looked like we realized that we’d just sat next to her over at Vagabonds for lunch! We also just happened to sit next to the Mayor of Palmer, who also happened to be having lunch there.
And since Palmer is a small town and you can’t go anywhere without running in to somebody you know, I did manage to run in to an old flame of mine. We had gone out 15-20 years ago - but it didn’t end well, so we both avoided eye contact and pretended we didn’t see each other. Which is a shame.
Once we got our books signed, we headed over to my niece’s house to meet up with the family for a game of cards. Have you ever played Apples to Apples? It’s a fun game – I recommend it. We had my Mother, my sister Kelly, her daughter Laurel, my sister-in-law Heather, myself, and my friend Lorna playing. We also had food, of course – can’t have a family gathering without lots of food. Laurel’s son Corbin was there, too – but since he’s barely two years old, he really didn’t play much. In fact, he went down for a nap soon after I arrived.
3 hours later, Lorna went back home while Mother and I headed over to my brother’s house to inspect his new fridge. I also got the tour of his new plumbing and plans for the new on-demand hot water heater and generator. And I managed to hit my head really bad on the way back up the crawl space. Not a good thing to do when you’re prone to migraines!
Back at the farm Stan, Mother, and I ended up playing the board game called Sequence – very similar to Gin Rummy, but on a board instead of in the hand. We played for an hour or so, then settled in on the couch to watch the Olympics till bedtime.
Sunday morning was pancakes and home-grown eggs = a very good way to start off your day! Especially when your mother cooks them for you. I don’t do eggs all that often, but once in a while they’re pretty darned good. I headed off to Heather’s house while mother went off to church.
I had my card-making supplies with me, so sat and made a card or two while Heather graded papers (she’s a 4th grade teacher) until it was time for Family Movie Night. Food prep started around 1:00 so that we could all have our food ready to eat by 2:00 for the start of the movie. We’re watching the BBC program “Blue Planet” and got to learn all about the Open Ocean and The Deep (see below).
Disc 2: Open Ocean
Venture into the largest section of open ocean in the world, where endless blue stretches in every direction. This blue wilderness can seem like an empty desert, but here the ocean's fiercest, fastest and most ruthless predators stalk their prey over immense distances.
Disc 2: The Deep
Two-thirds of the earth is covered in water, but we've only explored about one percent of the ocean floor. With the help of space-age submersibles, take a spectacular journey to previously unreachable depths.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Feeding My Addiction
There’s a name for a person who gets somebody addicted to a substance, and then feeds it just enough to keep it going and preventing the person from recovering. I can’t quite put my tongue on it, but I know there is a word for it.
Whatever the word is – that’s what my niece is!
She’s got me addicted to watching several TV series on DVD and periodically feeds me the next season – thereby ensuring that I will be hooked forever.
She is an evil, evil person. Evil, I say!
She started out by loaning me season one of Dexter, a show that apparently airs on HBO. If you’re familiar with Dexter, you’ll know that it’s a bit unsettling – but I quickly got hooked. Then, when I was ready for season two, she also loaned me season one of Criminal Minds. Again, I got hooked.
So today she loans me the following:
Seasons two and three of Criminal Minds
Season one of all three CSI shows (CSI, CSI Miami, and CSI New York)
Season one of Burn Notice
Season one of Quantum Leap
Seasons one and two of Eureka
And on top of all of that she went and bought me 6 movies the other day (I paid her back, though – she just got really good deals). I now am the proud owner of:
Whiteout
Galaxy Quest
Practical Magic
Prince Caspian
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
District 9
Added to which I have a friend who got me hooked on the series Supernatural, so I’ve been watching those too… I may never need to watch regular television again!
Whatever the word is – that’s what my niece is!
She’s got me addicted to watching several TV series on DVD and periodically feeds me the next season – thereby ensuring that I will be hooked forever.
She is an evil, evil person. Evil, I say!
She started out by loaning me season one of Dexter, a show that apparently airs on HBO. If you’re familiar with Dexter, you’ll know that it’s a bit unsettling – but I quickly got hooked. Then, when I was ready for season two, she also loaned me season one of Criminal Minds. Again, I got hooked.
So today she loans me the following:
Seasons two and three of Criminal Minds
Season one of all three CSI shows (CSI, CSI Miami, and CSI New York)
Season one of Burn Notice
Season one of Quantum Leap
Seasons one and two of Eureka
And on top of all of that she went and bought me 6 movies the other day (I paid her back, though – she just got really good deals). I now am the proud owner of:
Whiteout
Galaxy Quest
Practical Magic
Prince Caspian
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
District 9
Added to which I have a friend who got me hooked on the series Supernatural, so I’ve been watching those too… I may never need to watch regular television again!
Monday, February 08, 2010
A Whole Lot of Nothing
As you probably noticed, I haven’t been writing very much lately. That’s mostly because nothing is happening – it’s all pretty much the same old stuff, just over and over again. But, I will give you a bit of an update here, just in case you’ve been wondering.
Job Status: I’m still unemployed. There are no real possibilities on the horizon, either. I’ve had a few job interviews here and there, some of which I was quite hopeful for, but nothing has panned out yet. I still apply for jobs left and right, and am not really even paying any attention to which company or what position any more. I have, however, come to the realization that I can no longer consider myself a Drafter. It’s painfully obvious that I am not one, so should just give it up and move on. The problem is that I really don’t know what I am if I am not that. I just need to figure that little detail out, and then perhaps I can find THE job.
Living Conditions: I have a roommate again. Her name is Elizabeth and she just moved up from Kansas. She is working out quite well as she is a very likeable person. It’s hard to have somebody in the house with me, though – I really do not like that part of it. But I think I can get used to it easily enough. It helps that she is always cheerful and easy to get along with.
Computer: I got hit with a rather nasty virus a few weeks ago. It was extremely irritating; to the point where I just hauled the whole thing out to my brother’s house and let him deal with it. He worked on it for a few days and got it all cleaned off for me = thank God for older brothers! It was amazingly stressful to be out of touch with everything for those few days: no email, no internet, no schedule, no BRAIN basically. Everything I do is in here…
My Website: I finally got all five of my travelogues finished, and Stewart did a fabulous job with the layout and design work. You should check them out on my website, and then sign my guestbook letting me know what you thought! My next task is to go around town and get pictures of all the buildings I’ve worked on so they can be added to my portfolio page. I’m thinking that might need to be a summer project, though. Most buildings look best in the summer time.
Zoo Volunteering: I haven’t really done that much with the zoo since I came back from vacation. Not only is wintertime the slow time for me, but I’ve just needed a break I think. I did help out with their Polar Bear Birthday Party, and have been to a few of the monthly meetings. In fact, I did a presentation of my Africa trip at the last meeting!
Earthwatch: I’ve had a few presentations these past few months, one at the Eagle River Nature Center, one for the Alaska Prospector’s Society, and one for The Alaska Zoo. I have a few more coming up in the next few months as well – one for the USGBC and another one for the Prospector’s group. I’ve been having fun creating all these power point presentations, too – it’s a cool program that lets you do some really fantastic stuff.
Job Status: I’m still unemployed. There are no real possibilities on the horizon, either. I’ve had a few job interviews here and there, some of which I was quite hopeful for, but nothing has panned out yet. I still apply for jobs left and right, and am not really even paying any attention to which company or what position any more. I have, however, come to the realization that I can no longer consider myself a Drafter. It’s painfully obvious that I am not one, so should just give it up and move on. The problem is that I really don’t know what I am if I am not that. I just need to figure that little detail out, and then perhaps I can find THE job.
Living Conditions: I have a roommate again. Her name is Elizabeth and she just moved up from Kansas. She is working out quite well as she is a very likeable person. It’s hard to have somebody in the house with me, though – I really do not like that part of it. But I think I can get used to it easily enough. It helps that she is always cheerful and easy to get along with.
Computer: I got hit with a rather nasty virus a few weeks ago. It was extremely irritating; to the point where I just hauled the whole thing out to my brother’s house and let him deal with it. He worked on it for a few days and got it all cleaned off for me = thank God for older brothers! It was amazingly stressful to be out of touch with everything for those few days: no email, no internet, no schedule, no BRAIN basically. Everything I do is in here…
My Website: I finally got all five of my travelogues finished, and Stewart did a fabulous job with the layout and design work. You should check them out on my website, and then sign my guestbook letting me know what you thought! My next task is to go around town and get pictures of all the buildings I’ve worked on so they can be added to my portfolio page. I’m thinking that might need to be a summer project, though. Most buildings look best in the summer time.
Zoo Volunteering: I haven’t really done that much with the zoo since I came back from vacation. Not only is wintertime the slow time for me, but I’ve just needed a break I think. I did help out with their Polar Bear Birthday Party, and have been to a few of the monthly meetings. In fact, I did a presentation of my Africa trip at the last meeting!
Earthwatch: I’ve had a few presentations these past few months, one at the Eagle River Nature Center, one for the Alaska Prospector’s Society, and one for The Alaska Zoo. I have a few more coming up in the next few months as well – one for the USGBC and another one for the Prospector’s group. I’ve been having fun creating all these power point presentations, too – it’s a cool program that lets you do some really fantastic stuff.
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