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.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
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.
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