The Alcan Adventure!

About a year ago, Logan and I decided we wanted to get a truck and camper. Having two dogs that always go with us when we go out, it was a little difficult to find sitters for just the cats. That meant we usually didn't go out for longer than a day. There are several trips we've been wanting to make, like Valdez and Homer and Chena Hot Springs near Fairbanks. We did go to Chena Hot Springs last November for one night, since a friend of mine was willing to watch the cats, but Dexter wasn't too keen on that (he spent most of the time in hiding.) But that was a lot of driving in two days and not a lot of time relaxing or enjoying all the fun stuff there.

I remembered my aunt and uncle used to come visiting from their home in Washington to my family's home in California with a camper, their cats riding along inside it. So I asked my dad if he would be willing to sell his old camper to us, as he and Mum weren't going to be using it so much anymore. He was willing.

A crazy plan formed: I would drive down to Idaho and trade in my car for a truck at a huge dealership that has special deals for Alaskans and other out-of-state patrons. Then I would drive to Mum and Dad's house in California to pick up the camper, and drive it back through Canada to Alaska. I asked a few friends to see who would like to share the adventure with me.

See, I didn't think Dad would want to sell his truck. That was his baby and he'd had it for about fourteen years. But Dad surprised me one day by offering it to us with the camper for about 10k. This meant I wouldn't have to drive down, I only had to fly and drive back up.

We jumped on the offer and started saving up, planning on doing the drive and the deal this summer.

Over the course of the year, the plan evolved. Logan decided he needed a vacation, so he invited himself along. My friend Tiffany agreed to come along the drive back. Then my cousin Alex threw her hat into the ring, making us a party of four plus a small service dog, Chloe.

Then Logan's work interrupted, so he had to fly down about four days after me. He only got a couple of days with his family before we started the drive back. We were on a time crunch because the house sitter had her own vacation planned as soon as we got back, so we couldn't extend ours at all.

I spent a week in California with my family. Then, at about 3 in the morning on Sunday, June 15 (yes, it was Father's Day), we started the long trek back home.

We spent our first night at my aunt and uncle's house in Northern Washington. It was very rainy there, of course. I got to see my cousins, we toured their homes and properties, met their animals. I almost had a heart attack when Aunt Christy brought out one of their less friendly cats.

He was a dead ringer for Dusty. So alike, it was scary. My heart ached.

We left after the tour, around 11 in the morning. We rode the ferry (a major trip for equilibrium, to be sure) and crossed the Canadian border that day. We stopped at a nice RV park in Cache Creek, next to a stream. Tiffy and I shared the bed, Alex got the table that turned into a bed with the seats, and Logan sacked out in the truck.

Many areas along the trip were very nice with lots to look at and take pictures of. But some areas, like a long stretch after Dawson Creek, were very boring.

We got lots of pictures of bears and other wildlife. It go so that we'd say, "Oh, it's another bear. Keep going." We even got some video of a bison mock fight. They weren't really fighting all that hard, mostly stamping and lowering heads with an occasional bump of their noggins together. But pretty neat to see.

It was interesting to note that in all the larger cities, A&W was the one restaurant you could be guaranteed to find. There were so many of them! We finally tried a Tim Horton's in Whitehorse, since we passed a bunch of those too. Fast food that is a lot fancier and better tasting than fast food. Almost like a cafe at high speed. Would definitely recommend to anyone who hasn't tried one.

This was not an easy trip. Because we were under the gun to get back by the 20th, we didn't do much other than drive. We spent one night at Liard Hot Springs, which was great except for no showers or laundry. There were several construction areas. We only got stopped at one for about twenty minutes. The others were no problem because we were out past the work crew times.

Getting through the border was interesting. When we crossed to Canada, the lady asked for our passports, asked how we were all related, where we were going, if we had firewood and some other things, and then let us go. Very polite and rather cold.

The guard at the border crossing into Alaska was very friendly and chatty, gave us our passports back and needled three of us for not having signed them, then he and Logan started talking about knives before we went on through. It was such a relief to be back in the States, but I have to admit that I get a real kick out of Canadian money. So colorful and shiny, and who could not love a coin called a "looney?"

We stayed a night in Tok after some debate about whether we should push through for home or not. I wanted a shower and some clean laundry, and we had plans to stop at the glacier on the way home, so we found an RV park to stop. I will never wash laundry at an RV park ever again. Waaaaaaaay too freaking expensive and not worth it. There are even places that have coin-op showers, for crying out loud. If I'd known, I would have changed my vote.

We did hit up the glacier and the restaurant next to it. We had a couple of days before Alex had to fly home, so we went souvenir shopping, stopped at the Alaska Zoo, and even visited Whittier.

My friend Tiffy stayed with us for a week. I learned a very uncomfortable truth about our society while she stayed with us: there are people who don't understand service dogs. A Walmart employee in Canada yelled at us, "No dogs!" We said, "She's a service dog!" and continued on our way. Minutes later, a manager tracked us down to check her tags. At least she was polite and nice about it.

But when we tried to go indoor mini golfing at a place called Putters Wild in Anchorage, the lady behind the counter discouraged us from entering, saying the dog would likely soil the premises. She didn't actually say "no," probably because that would be illegal. You know that boss in "Office Space," the one with the coffee mug saying "Yeeeeeaaaah, if you could come in tomorrow, that would be greeeeeaaaat"? That kind of voice.

Neither of us are confrontational people. Looking back, we both wished we'd challenged her, asking if she was refusing entry. But in my mind, why would we want to spend money in a place that doesn't accept disabled veterans and their service dogs? So I said, "Let's go." And that's what we did.

I was surprised and dismayed that there are people like this. She probably assumed that it wasn't really a service dog, just someone trying to get away with taking her dog wherever she wanted. She didn't ask to see tags or documentation or anything. Just made us feel horrible for even setting foot in there with a dog.

So please, if you ever find yourself in Anchorage, please do not go to Putters Wild. They clearly don't support disabled veterans or service animals.

But other than those couple of down moments, the trip was amazing. I look forward to trying different legs of it each year when we go down to visit family.

My next post will be about the dip netting trip we just took a few days ago, and the cats first adventure away from home that didn't include a vet visit. ;)

My TSA Experience

Pardon me while I brush the dust off my soap box. I try not to use it and abuse it too often.

>cough, cough<

Okay.

As you can probably tell from the title of my blog, I live in Alaska. The only family I have here is my husband. Everyone else in our family lives in the Lower 48. I travel to visit them as often as I can, which isn't very often.

Main method of traveling: commercial plane, of course.

Let me attempt to sum up the other ways of traveling to the Lower 48. You can drive through Canada, but of course they have their own rules, which makes it very difficult to protect yourself with your weapon of choice. Depending on how much time you spend driving each day, it would take at least four days, probably more (maybe less if you drive like a zombie) to get to California. Unless you want to sleep at rest stops or the side of the road, you'll need money to stay in hotels. And this is just one way. You'd double that to come back to Alaska the same way.

Gas alone for a round trip like that would be about $1,000.

You could drive part of the way and do part on the ferries. I looked at the cost for a ferry from Whittier (a couple hours drive from where I live) to Bellingham, Washington (I think that was the place). For a round trip with your car, it would cost over $2,000, and that doesn't include sleeping accommodations. You would camp on the deck or sleep in your car. Google Maps suggests doing three ferries, taking you to Juneau, and then to Washington. I didn't look at the cost of this collectively, but it sure doesn't save any time. Also, you are at the mercy of the ferry launch dates, which are extremely limited.

In other words, this is more like booking a cruise vacation, something that you do once in a great while when you've saved up the money. Not the little week-long jaunts I do once or twice a year to see the fam.

I haven't done much research on private planes, but I hear from other people that they're just as pricey, that you have to put a lot of trust in a pilot that you don't know, and that you can't take much with you. (Anyone with experience in this area, please feel free to comment, as I am still researching the cost effectiveness of travel methods out of Alaska.)

Also, getting my own pilot's license is out of the question. :)

That pretty much leaves you with commercial flying as the most cost effective and fastest method of travel to and from Alaska. Especially if you use credit card award miles most of the time, like I do.

I had no issue with flying until recently. I don't like it, to be sure. I'm a Taurus; I prefer my feet planted on the Earth and my nose in the grass. I get migraines easily, so I have to drink a lot of water. I try to sit at a window seat because I develop rashes under my arms when I'm stuck in the middle (due to my nervous sweating). I've had some of the worst seat mates, like the drunk guy trying to pick a fight with the guy on my other side. (I'm pretty sure there's a blog post on that one somewhere.)

Security is annoying, but I was always prepared and swept right through without a problem. The agents love my karate moose that travels with me.

So before, I would have said commercial flight was tolerable.

Here's what happened to me last month to change that.

Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage has acquired the new body scanners. I don't know which ones they are specifically, whether they take nude photos or the generic ones. My heart sank as soon as I saw it. I'd done some research on the subject when the uproar started. As far as I'm concerned, there isn't enough evidence to support the idea that these things are safe. When doctors say they won't go through them, I find this rather damning. Of course TSA isn't going to say anything bad about them. If they admitted anything, no one would tolerate their use.

Take the anecdote that someone related to me recently: when the police started using scan guns to clock speeders, there was a jump in testicular cancer because the officers were putting the "safe" scan guns in their laps.

How about the fact that certain foods are concluded to be safe, then not, then safe again? Do we humans really know that much about something that hasn't been tested for long periods of time?

Here's the trump for me. Forget about whether it's healthy for the individual going through once or twice a year, like me. What about the people that work around these things for full shifts, day in and day out? Have the scanners been tested for the long term health of the TSA agents themselves?

Anyway, I decided it wasn't worth it to me to go through it. And they were sending EVERYONE through it that evening. It wasn't random selection. Maybe it was because there weren't as many people traveling that evening. I don't know.

I opted out.

The gentleman called "Female opt out," and had me stand aside. One traveler got confused when she saw me standing there, thinking she was waiting in line behind me. Other than that, I don't know if anyone else noticed my choice to opt out.

The supervisor was the lady on duty at that time and she walked me over to the pat down area. I was keeping an eye on my stuff and she kept stopping behind me. She mentioned that she had to stay behind me, and I said, "As long as I can see my stuff." She agreed, and my stuff was brought over to a spot within my sight.

Before she got started, I was already shaking. I had prayed that I would never be put through this, but I needed to see it through. I've never been selected for a random pat down, so I had no idea (other than the horror stories) what to expect. But I figured it was my duty to at least see if it was as bad as others say it is.

I informed her that I was very nervous, that I'd never done this before, that I have issues with the body scanners (including worry for her own health). She gave me the TSA spiel about the radiation being less than our cell phones.

I was wearing my fitness instructor outfit: tight sleeveless top with built-in bra, tight black capris that leave no possibility of anything hidden inside, and no pockets of any kind. It was quite clear to anyone looking at me that I carried nothing hidden, unless it was up in my hoo-hoo.

I informed the agent that I was a martial artist trained in self defense for sixteen years, that I was a woman traveling alone, and that I had serious issues with getting touched by strangers on my crotch and my breasts. She told me, in very friendly and polite tones, that if I refused the pat down, I would be escorted out of the airport.

Not that I would be allowed to just take my stuff and leave. But that I would have to be escorted out of the building like a criminal.

She promised to tell me everything she was going to do before she did it, which she did. She started with my hair, down the back of my neck. She used the back of her hands to glide over my bottom.

Then she said that she was going to slide her hands up my leg until she reached "torso resistance." Those were the words she used. As she slid up, one of her gloved fingers caught on the fabric of my pants, which made her hands come up too fast. She bumped me right on the sensitive spot of my groin.

My knee came up.

It was a good thing I had warned her about my training, because I did not hit the agent. She was ready for movements like that. What if I had said nothing, and then kneed her in the face? I would have been hauled off to jail for "assault."

But she apologized, and continued on. There were no further incidents from that point on, but the damage had been done. It took all I had not to burst into tears. I saved it for the bathroom, where I pummeled the stall door in anger.

She managed not to touch my groin on the other leg. And she also managed not to touch my breasts when she cupped her hands under them. She thanked me for my cooperation, and I thanked her for her understanding.

Now I've had plenty of time to reflect. My experience was actually decent compared to what has happened to others. But why was it decent for me?

I lucked out and got a decent human being for an agent, first of all. We understood each other. And while I think she should reconsider her choice of profession, at least she did her job in the best possible way. I don't know if she shared any of my views, but she knew I was very upset being put in the situation.

I am a very thin girl. I have almost nothing in the bosom department. It was very easy for someone to pat down without touching something on me.

But think about that phrase, torso resistance. That means EVERY man that goes through is going to get touched on the junk. Every woman that isn't as skinny as me is going to get touched in the sensitive place. Any woman with a bra size bigger than mine is going to get fondled. Anyone wearing baggy clothes, or adult diapers, or with medical issues is going to get groped.

And I got a NICE person. I've heard about others who power trip, who harass travelers because they have a "badge," who steal stuff because they can get away with it. I saw a little of it myself at the Anchorage airport, as a few of the agents behaved as if they wished they had cattle prods in their hands.

I can't even imagine what it must mean for people who have been sexually traumatized in some way. The very idea makes me sad. And very angry.

Now compare this to my return trip from the Sacramento, California airport. They now have the body scanners as well. But because this was a much busier time I was flying (I assume that was the reason), only a few random individuals were sent through the body scanners. I was not, so I did not even get the chance to opt out and see if my experience would be different there. I did the usual removal of the shoes, putting my stuff in the buckets, and walked through the metal detector without any issue and went on my merry way in seconds. Just like I always used to.

So what is someone in my position to do? If I want to take a stand and refuse to fly, I'm severely limited in my choices if I want to see my family. Basically, I would need roughly three weeks in order to spend a week with my family if I choose to drive. And I would have to spend twice, maybe three times as much to do so, not to mention the money I would lose taking the time off.

And what if I opt out of the scanner and get an agent who is not polite, who does a full on grope instead of an accidental bump? I'm trained to prevent this kind of treatment. Parents tell their children not to let anyone touch their private parts. Why is this any different? I don't know these people. I didn't do a background check on them.

Will it take a slew of cancer to show the dangers of body scanners? And who says any terrorist will get caught in the first place? Drug smugglers were getting through with TSA assistance. All it takes is for one to get hired that's willing to help them.

Some people would say, "Well, why don't you move?" Those people don't understand what that would take. That is not a cheap option either, not if you want to keep all your stuff and your cars. And I feel that the economy is worse in the Lower 48 than it is here. Why would we want to move? Why should we move just because we want to avoid plane travel?

There have been so many articles about pat down horrors, about ways to get stuff through the body scanners without being detected, and health issues, and TSA corruption and incompetence. All I can really say is, "Do your own research." See what you can find on your own. Don't listen to the TSA, and don't listen to only one or two individuals like me.

For myself, that line has been crossed. I can't just blindly go along with whatever someone orders me to do in the name of safety that actually isn't safer.

For those in Alaska, I found this group: Alaskans Freedom to Travel USA.
http://akfreedomtotravelusa.org/
They tweet a lot of articles about the TSA, so they are a useful reference to get you started.

This is a very important issue for Alaskans because our travel to the rest of the nation is so limited. There is so much more that I could say about the subject, but it would fill a book. Just remember that we only really know what we're told by others. So try to hear as many different voices on the subject as you can, and see what the majority is saying before you make your own decision.

Okay, time to put my soap box back in the closet.

New Releases, California Sunburns, and Jumping Back In

Let's begin with the latest releases of my work!At long last, Wicked East Press has released Twisted Fairy Tales V II! This was my third accepted story (I think.) It's been a while in the making, but I think the anthology will be well worth the wait. Also, my latest attempt at horror has been published at SNM Horror Mag for their September Silhouettes issue! It didn't place, but I was informed that I have tied with another gentleman for the most published authors on their website this year. Big happy grin from this girl.

The new links are posted in the sidebar. Keep an eye out for updates.

I just returned from a visit to my family and friends in California. It was exactly what I needed. A lot of hot sunshine, bad food (well, good food that's bad for you), and fun times with those I love. Five days wasn't long enough.

But it sure was long enough to make exercising torture again upon my return. It's going to take me a few days to get back to where I was. And my sitting bones are going to make me work for that. >.<

The hardest part about coming back from vacation is trying to catch up with all you missed at home, and getting back into the rhythm of routine. I have new routines to practice and a lot of emails to read.

I hope I can get back to writing soon. I miss it.

The "Bordello Secrets" are out!

My erotic romance tale, "Bordello Secrets" is up on the Breathless Press website! It's scheduled for official release on August 12, 2011, but you can pre-order if you're hot to get it now. The link is in the sidebar with links to my other publications. It is in ebook form only at this point. I'm not sure if Breathless Press does print form at all.

http://www.breathlesspress.org/Book/360

In other news, my husband and I rented a yurt to stay overnight at the Eagle River Nature Center in the Chugach State Park. It was a hike of about a mile and a half. The Rapids Camp Yurt sat overlooking the river, and had a shed for wood, an outhouse, a campfire ring, a deck, and a bear-proof storage locker for your food. The inside had a table and camp chairs, a wood stove, and a set of bunk beds. You can fit two to a bed, but I'll tell you right now it was an awfully snug fit. No room to stretch out. And the bunks are miserably hard!

We had a lot of fun hiking there and playing cards after eating our sandwiches and cookies. Bruno wore his pack full of the dog's water, travel bowls, food and cookies, so he actually behaved like a dog who was leash trained. I guess the extra weight made it hard for him to act up like he usually does! Uffda we let walk on her own since her hips aren't so fantastic, so it's better to let her go at her own pace. After a bit we knew we wouldn't be passing anyone else (it was getting late), and she always stays with us. It's cute how she'll stop and wait for me if I'm lagging behind.

The downside was the wind and rain. They were both rip-roaring that night. The yurt shook and rattled, and the dogs would bark every once in a while, waking us up. We didn't really get any sleep at all. And we had planned on taking the long way back around a loop we haven't hiked before. (It often gets closed because of bears fishing in the river.) But it was raining so hard and we were so tired in the morning, we took off and went straight for the Jeep.

It was a fun trip, even without the sleeping. I would definitely recommend it for families who like camping. It was $65 dollars for the night, and it included firewood. If you're staying one night, you can get in after 2 pm and check out is noon. Here is the website, if you'd like to check it out:

http://www.ernc.org/rapid-camp-yurt.html

Heading Home

Tonight I hop on the plane to head back home to Alaska. I was kind of hoping it would be pouring down rain today so I wouldn't be leaving such gorgeous sunshine behind. Ah, well.

I've got my hair tied back for the first time this week, since the nasty winds are blowing at home. I still have all my hair; I haven't decided whether I'm going to cut it off or not. The weather here in California is so mild, hair length is not the issue that it is in the Mat-Su Valley. We shall see what I decide later.

It was a week packed with delights. I finally reached a point where I felt like a normal person. I mean, I would eat and feel satisfied. I teach so many exercise classes I'm usually in calorie deficit, so I'll be full but still hungry most days.

Of course, my diet has been horrendous and I haven't exercised a bit. Monday is going to be hell. I'll be subbing for a lot of classes and practicing my new routines when I get back.

I got to see a lot of my family and friends. I managed to reign in my spending this year. I'm hoping my husband and I will be able to visit home together this summer. We may actually be able to use our companion ticket for the first time.

I'm extremely grateful that the weather was so nice while I visited. But it will be nice to return to my hubby, home, animals, and "normal" routine.

Normal. >snort<

Alaskan Health Issues

I lived in one state for the first 30 years of my life. I've lived in Alaska for three years next month.

I believe I have been sick more times here in Alaska than I have the rest of my life. And those sicknesses have been longer, more miserable, and nearly piggyback to each other, especially this year.

In summer 2010, I've been significantly sick three times. The second time included strep throat and ear infections that caused some deafness. The first two each lasted a month long, give or take a few days. That means since May (the first illness of the summer), I've been sick every other month. The third one, I've been adding things back into my diet that may have curtailed it a bit, though it is still not gone.

So what's up? My doc mentioned a couple of things when I went in for the strep and ear infections:

One: We have a lot of tourists, people moving here from other countries, etc. They bring with them all manner of diseases that our bodies have never defended against previously. Even the most diligent of hand washers and antibacterial wipe users can still get sick if they haven't encountered certain bugs before.

Two: This summer was spectacularly awful. I still say the summer of 2008 (our first) was worse because we only saw the sun a handful of times; this summer started off with almost three weeks of gorgeous weather in May. I blamed my first illness this summer on the dust from the duplex building going on right next to our house. I've been more sensitive to dust since my first illness in Alaska (November 2007) was made quite severe by the extreme amounts of dust in the store I worked at.

But then it started raining. And raining. July was (I believe) the wettest July Wasilla has ever seen. And it kept on raining. The last couple of weeks here in September have been sunny, but fall is on the way and it's already getting cooler. First frost just a few mornings ago. Leaves are golden and starting to drop. Darkness is encroaching more and more.

My doc pointed out that Vitamin D is already hard to get the natural way here in Alaska, but a summer like we just had probably led to a seriously depressed immune system for me, judging by how many times I've been sick, and in such close succession. He told me to add a supplement to my diet, which I have.

I'm considering other options, too. One is a sun lamp, another is an air purifier. I wear a mask whenever I clean the house because my dog is a digger and brings tons of dirt into the house with her. I don't burn incense as much as I used to (though I do miss those sweet scents.) Since we've reached all our main purchase goals (house, vehicles, etc) we're considering what we want to add to our place to make winters more tolerable. I decided a sauna would be great, and fewer issues than a hot tub. Maybe we could put a sun lamp in the sauna for a little more "sun."

I'm trying to improve my diet, as well. Taking a multivitamin as well as extra D and calcium, but also trying to find good tasting fruits and veggies (that's kind of difficult in this state. Some of the fruit tastes like paper towels.) Adding lemon to my water helps me drink more water.

I admit that my fitness class schedule was probably a little much this summer, too: so many instructors going on vacations, and me not minding the extra money subbing for their classes, it was probably walking the line of too much. One eight-day period I taught 14 hours worth of exercise classes! I'm trying to curtail things a bit by learning to say "no" every once in a while.

I think the vitamin D has helped with this current cold: hardly any soreness, only one day of extreme mucus movement, and the last few days has just been an annoying cough that won't go away. It's still taking its own sweet time to stop, but the healing process is a little faster this round. It is my dearest hope that I reach a point that I experienced in California, only getting very minor colds that last no more than three days and happen once every couple of years. At the very least, I want to stop losing my voice every time I get sick.

No wonder most people who move here don't stay here. It's a very difficult place to live, for sure. Even my doc mentioned that everyone in Alaska should leave at least twice a year and stay somewhere warmer and sunnier, just for their health. I heartily agree. If only it weren't so expensive to do so!

Birthdays and Reminders

Received a reminder from a friend today that I hadn't blogged for a while. I find it most appropriate that the last time I blogged was on my birthday, and my reminder to blog came from my friend on HIS birthday! Thanks, Matthew! Hippo birdie two ewe, too!

I haven't blogged lately because there hasn't been much going on until last week. Well, I did get into the play "Pride and Prejudice." For those of you who know that book, I play the second snobbiest character, Caroline Bingley. Unfortunately, many of the lines I loved in the book (and my favorite BBC version) have been cut, as it is a condensed version and made to have no stage set changes. Still, it's gonna be great to be back on the stage again. I think this is going to be a fun cast.

Last week my parents arrived for their second visit to Alaska. They went to visit my aunt and uncle in Washington first, then took a cruise to Seward. We'd never been there before, so we got to drive down to pick them up. It was a gorgeous drive, definitely worth every ounce of fuel, but Seward is incredibly tiny for a port town! By the time we realized we'd missed the turn to the boat, we'd reached the end of the line! Cute place, but I don't think there's any chance Logan and I are going to want to move them.

We had fun trying to figure out how to pack the luggage and the people into the Yaris, but we managed it. Mom and Dad were like prisoners in their own cells, though; we had to set the guitar on top of a box between them. I could hear Dad all right, but I couldn't hear Mom most of the time. She sounded so far away!

I arranged for subs for most of my classes, except one. My mom wanted to see me teach anyway, so she joined in. She made it all the way through the end of the class! I was so proud of her. (My mom is not exactly an exercise freak like me.)

I think the best day was when we went to see the glacier. I hadn't been there before, either, so this was an adventure for me, too. When the lady selling the tickets looked at me and asked, "Are you over 18, dear?" I stuttered in confusion before answering, "Yes." Mom laughed at me because of my reaction. It's been so long since anyone asked me that question, I thought I was well past the danger. I stuttered because I nearly asked her, "Are you kidding?!"

Amazing how quickly it gets colder as you hike the trail to the glacier. Wear boots, not just for the cold, but for the water everywhere. I nearly soaked my sneakers. It's not the most level of trails, lots of opportunity to twist an ankle. But definitely worth the effort.

Like all of Alaska, it was a long, pretty drive, and Dad and I were both hungry soon after arriving. Mom's camera battery had died, so we headed for the nearest restaurant, the Long Rifle Lodge, or something like that. Cute log cabin with a bar when you first walk in. We weren't sure of it until we reached the dining room: big windows showing off the glacier in the distance (and the sun was shining at that moment!), rough-hewn furniture glossed smooth, and good food. Decently priced, though not an obscene amount of food. And to answer Logan's question, yes, the waitresses were cute. :p

The sun was playing hide and seek the whole time my parents were there. It was mostly cloudy, but every once in a while the sun would put in an appearance. It was still a little better than the last time they visited, when there was only one day it was really sunny. But they said they were satisfied with their trip. We spent a lot of time together, I cooked them a salmon dinner one night, and we played guitars.

The only down side: they took the sun with them when they left. It's been raining EVERY SINGLE DAY since!

RENT!

First things first: I have read Fairest, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Salamandastron, and I'm in the middle of Melting Stones. Still haven't touched that big reading list, but I did get my library card right before leaving on my vacation, so that'll help me accomplish that in a more cost effective way, I hope!

I am here in California once again, getting my fill of friends and family and extremely MOIST air before heading back to the dry cold and regular life. I miss my hubby, my animals, and my body misses my teaching. But I'm having tons of fun.

My friends and I went to see RENT in Sacramento last night. While it's usually difficult to get me to go see shows (I want to be IN them a lot more than WATCH them!), I was sold on the fact that the two lead roles were being reprised by the original actors, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp.

While I am not the type to get starry eyed, I will admit that Anthony Rapp is right up there with Nathan Fillion on my "nearly rabid fan-dom" list. I read his book, I love his voice, and he is someone I would love to meet.

So when I heard that the actors were coming outside to meet and greet after the show, I was torn. Two of my friends went to get autographs; two other friends and I hung out on the fringes of the occasionally screaming crowd and watched. We were not fond of the idea of joining the giddy masses just to shake a famous person's hand or get their indecipherable signatures on a program that will probably get shoved into a drawer and forgotten.

However.

For a brief few seconds I saw Anthony's face as he signed posters for the people pressing close. (I found out later my two friends got to talk to him and some of the others.) It was soooooooo hard to resist the urge to rush up, beat my way through the crowd, stick out my hand and screech, "Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm a huge fan!"

What a war going on inside my head. I hate rabid fans: actors are human, too. Rabid fans can be scary and nerve-wracking. Drooling and foaming at the mouth is like saying these people are better than us little creatures that scurry around them begging for a touch, a glance, a smile.

And yet I sincerely appreciate what they do. It was clear Adam had a cold or a sickness of some kind while he was performing last night, and yet he still delivered a powerful, electric performance. I think about the amount of time and effort they put in, and yet they still take the time to come out and show some appreciation for their fans. (Well, some of them did, anyway.) And rabid fans I think have a tendency to forget that these actors have their own needs that should be respected.

So when my friends brought me a program signed by a few of the cast members (not Anthony, unfortunately, but "Maureen," "Mimi," and the female soloist for "Seasons of Love"), I was totally floored by their generosity and thoughtfulness (my friends' and the actors'!) And very happy to have a piece of memorabilia of such a fantastic experience. Nothing beats seeing such a passionate show in person, no matter where you're sitting.

So I will admit to being a closet rabid fan: I do my drooling and frothing at the mouth inside my own private thoughts, as is proper. Hee hee hee!

Home again, home again

Well, I did all the things I said I wanted to do in the last blog post. I saw my friends, family, and my cats. Gerry jumped onto my back, Damien grabbed my lap, and Schmendrik hovered around close by so I could scratch his cheeks. Boothie is now the oldster kitty of the group and lays around a lot, though he still appreciates a good pet. The dogs are all gray around the muzzles, except Buster, who is white to begin with. But he's showing his age, too; Dad built a set of stairs so Buster has an easier time getting up to the bed.

My parents are chugging along just fine. Dad and I played guitar together a couple of times while I was there, but my fingers got sore quick. I haven't been able to practice as much as I would like, so my fingers remain newbie tender. Their gardens are flourishing and they even have a greenhouse now!

I did stuff my face with Chinese food and wish to God I could have stuffed my bag full of it so my husband and I can eat some together. The Chinese food here in Alaska is just not that good. Even the Panda Express down there is better than the best Chinese we've eaten here so far.

I got to take my friends out to lunch. We went to Red Robin and the conversation ranged from theatre (of course) to the death of Michael Jackson. I love these people and wish I could have spent so much more time with them while I was there.

I went to see the latest show that's opening at the Olde Coloma Theatre, "Six Flags Over Coloma." Anyone who lives in that area of Northern California should see it. They have a talented cast (and many different accents abound, which is hard to do!) and lots of beautiful costuming. The dress my best friend wears in the second act will knock your socks off! (Or at least burn out your retinas, but you'll still find yourself saying, "Thank you. Can I have some more?") And trust me, I'm not just saying that because she's my best friend! Watch out for those hoops!

I got to see Moonshadows, my favorite metaphysical book store in the world. Though it is no longer owned by the sweet lady I loved to chat with, it still has lots of great stuff. I left the store with a bottle of locally made lotion that has bug repelling and sunblock properties. I haven't smelled it yet, since I wanted to wait until I got home to open it, but I knew it would be the perfect lotion to have here in Alaska during the summer! (Though the summer is pretty much over now, sniff.)

My family went to Alder Creek the day after I arrived. There were lots of photos and video taken while we splashed around in the creek and then hiked up to the pool. A fellow hiker's dog joined us in the water and begged us to throw sticks for him, a nice old Golden retriever named Al. I missed my own Bruno quite a bit at that point. I actually wore a bikini, something I haven't done since I was a real little girl! It covered more than most bikinis do, though, since my chest is practically concave. (I can hear my mother gasping at me mentioning that on a public blog.)

I will have lots of pictures to post on Facebook and Myspace eventually. I arrived home after 2 am, and my husband had to get up at 6:30 for work, so I am functioning on little sleep right now. In fact, I think I will put off doing the dishes my husband piled up while I was gone and go back to bed for a while. Yawn.

It was a great trip.

Yay for vacations!

I will be leaving for California tomorrow night. My flight leaves at 12:30 am and I'll be arriving in Sacramento by a bit after 9 am. I long to see my family, my friends, my cats, stuff my face with Chinese food, and visit my favorite places, including Moonshadows and Alder Creek. I want to take all my friends out to dinner to say happy birthday, some belated, some quite early. I want to forget work.

Logan and I have been trying to get outdoors since the summer is nearly over. Leaves are already changing color here and it's chilly in the mornings, though still warm during the day. We hiked a trail near Lake Eklutna, which was a very steep one. We took the dogs with us and during the last mile, Uffda lay down every chance she got. And made a few opportunities of her own as well. She was quite tired, poor "little" girl. Bruno, however, trotted briskly every second and was still tearing around the yard when we got home. So we decided next time, he gets to carry their water, cookies, and travel bowl!

We had bought a pack for him. It hangs on both sides of him, fitting like a harness with a loop on the back to clip the leash. We just never had an opportunity to use it yet.

So we went on a hike at Hatcher's Pass, called Archangel Valley. The drive up the trail was rocky; Logan had to put the Landcruiser into four wheel drive for the last part. When we reached the gate where the hike started, it had begun to rain. It had been sunny at home when we left, but clouds loomed over the mountains as we got close to the pass. We thought it would pass along and clear up.

Boy, were we wrong. It got harder as we went. Logan forgot his hat, though we were both wearing the tops of our Frog Togs. I put on the hood of my sweater, but it was soaked through by the end.

This was the most frustrating (and scary) hike we'd ever been in. We would have been better off leaving the dogs at home. I'm sure Bruno had a blast, but some things went wrong that made things ... sticky.

The trail got really thin and hedged in close by thick bushes. We got to a point where the path forked and we took the wrong trail. We reached a place where we had to jump across some big rocks with the stream running over them. I thought the dogs would slip and fall when they jumped. Uffda almost refused to jump, and I can't blame her. I almost didn't want to, myself.

We had read that there were some abandoned cabins at the end of the hike, so that was our aim, to check them out. After the rocks, we topped the hill and saw we were on the wrong side of the stream. By this time, it was more river than stream. We tried to find a place where we could jump or cross without soaking our feet. One place looked good, but when Logan stepped into the water, his foot sunk. He had high boots on, so it wasn't a problem for him, but it would have been for me. So I went farther down and found a place where there were more rocks and less water. This was a worse idea, because the rocks were slippery and I soaked my right foot, anyway. I was wet from head to toe by this time and starting to get chilly. There was nothing to dry my hands on. My fingers got pretty stiff after a while and I worried about hypothermia.

So we were starting to feel really stupid when we finally hit the ridge and saw a large expanse of field to cross before reaching the cabins. As we started across, we discovered it was mostly swamp. I soaked my my other foot and we decided to finally call it quits.

Logan had some spare wool socks in his pack, so I switched out my soaked ones. Then Logan took our packs and I took the dogs and the dog pack. We let the dogs run around free since they usually stay close. That was our other big mistake. Bruno likes charging around. He wanted to chase a bird that streaked out of a bush, but that would have meant diving off a big rock. I'm so glad he listened to me when I yelled at him, though it took three times to turn him around.

I had reached the narrow part of the trail where bushes clustered thickly on the edges, hip high. Bruno decided to plunge head first into the downhill side bushes. All I could see was an occasional wiggle. Uffda decided to follow him. I yelled and yelled and eventually Bruno emerged with some difficulty. I kept calling Uffda and saw the bushes wiggle here and there.

Then the wiggles stopped and whining started. She had gotten stuck just a foot from the path. I pushed through the branches and saw that she was stuck down under a bush behind a rock wall. She couldn't jump the wall and the bush on top of it and was freaking out. I tried pulling her up, but only succeeded in pulling on her fur. She didn't even so much as whimper. So I dropped down the where she was and scooped her up in my arms. She's at least 60 pounds now and it was all I could do to lift her up. If she'd been like Bruno, she would have leaped from my arms and scrambled over the bush to the path. But she was scared and would not move. I couldn't throw her over the bush, so now I was stuck, too. I was so afraid she was hurt. Logan had caught up and asked if I'd got her and I said, "NO!"

He came down, managed to wrap his arms around her while still up on the ledge, and lifted her to the path. I was so relieved, I almost cried. And as she walked down the path, I saw no sign of injury. I immediately put their leashes on after that event.

I was never so excited to see the Landcruiser as I was that day.

And here's the kicker: As we drove down the rocky road, the sky behind us showed patches of blue. Logan took pictures of it as a way of shaking his fist.

While much of this is embarrassing to tell, as it makes us look like unprepared greenhorns, I wanted other people who read this blog to know that you can never be too prepared in Alaska. Even something as a simple hike on sunny day can turn into a disaster. Just want you all to know that because I care about you.

Visiting California!

So I just made my reservations for my second trip back to California this year. It's the last "free" trip I'll get for a while, using up the last of the miles I've accrued on my card. I even had to "borrow" some miles from Logan in order to make it as free as possible. Of course, the airlines charge for that transfer, but that is just a small percentage compared to what I would be charged for a full price trip. Even through all those travel websites that boast lower prices. Yeah, lower prices, but lousy bookings.

This is the first time I checked out some of those websites and I wasn't too impressed. Yeah, I would have saved about $300, which is nothing to sneeze at, but the long layovers and the weird destinations for flight changes steered me away. Why the heck do I need to fly to Denver and change planes to get to Portland and then to Sacramento? Ridiculous.

The bookings for my award flights were only slightly better; the layovers are much shorter and the destinations are more reasonable, Anchorage to Seattle to Sacramento and back. But they're late-at-night flights. I'll be leaving at 1 am from Anchorage, and when I return, I'll be arriving around the same time. Not very convenient when hubby and I have to get up early to go to work after my return. But that's what I get for being a cheapskate, right?

It's all worth it, though. I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss some of the old haunts. I only get to see them twice a year at the most.

Gotta remember to bring presents for all the birthdays that will be coming up or that just passed. Goody, I get to shop!

Watch your backs, California!

Logannie-poo is headed your way!

Logan is going to visit his family for a bit. It's a good time for him to go, job-wise. I can't go back until after the show is over, so I've booked a flight for February 21. That's a Saturday and I'll stay until Friday, the 27th.

Rehearsals are getting better and better. I kind of wish we had one more week of rehearsals rather than one more night. But then, that's because I don't want the show to end. I'm having too much fun, I love the people I'm working with, and I don't want to drift apart when the show is over.

Sigh. Going to bed to dream.

The Whittingtons in Whittier

While Logan's brother Ben was staying with us, Logan's boss, Steve, invited us on a fishing trip on his new boat. So we drove to Whittier on the coast of Prince William Sound. (Please forgive me if my nautical terminology is wrong. I am only speaking from my own limited experience.)

Whittier is reached by going through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. It is a highway and a railway tunnel and it is the longest tunnel in the United States (about three miles, I think). There are 20 minutes waits because the tunnel is single lane and is shared by trains and cars. So you have to wait until it is released for the direction you are going. The picture is of the entrance on the Whittier side of the tunnel.



Whittier is a tiny sea town, the "dead end" after going through the tunnel. Unless you are there for fish and fish related activities, the only things to do are some guided tours and some gift shops. But it's so quaint and has many breathtaking views. And the homemade fudge was to die for!

So the three of us went out on the boat with Steve, his wife Karen, and his five-year-old-soon-to-be-six son Dillon. Steve is an extremely experienced guide and we were very lucky to have this opportunity to go fishing our first time with him.

Here are some of the views we captured on Prince William Sound:





Steve had a fish finder on board, which I would suggest for this type of fishing. These guys landed fish after fish after fish. Ben caught the most and the biggest, a halibut that was probably about 40 lbs we guess.



As for me, I was fighting seasickness most of the way. I got an inner ear virus years ago that pretty much ruined carnival rides for me forever. I can't even watch little kids spinning in circles for their own amusement. But I did my best to grin and bear it. At least I didn't puke.



Even if you aren't into fishing, it looked like there were some fun sightseeing trips and the gift shops and fudge are definitely worth a look-see. Here are a couple of pics of the sights around the harbor:





We had also dropped shrimp pots and caught 12 of them. I'd never seen a live shrimp before. They don't look anything like the ones on my dinner plate.



And before Logan squawks that I gave his brother all the glory, yes, Logan caught some fish, too! Even though he hasn't caught any more since that day, lol!

Our Alaska Adventures... Mahay's Riverboat Service

Okay, I'm finally going to start posting about some of the tourist things we've been doing this summer with a few pictures for each one. There will be a ton more pictures on my Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/sparklecat_in_alaska

So when hubby's brother came up for a visit, we took him to Talkeetna, where supposedly you can see Mt. McKinley on a nice day. There aren't too many of those, so we didn't see the mountains that day. But my parents and aunt and uncle did when they came up for their visit, lucky dogs.

Talkeetna is totally a tourist town. Gift shops and cafes and all kinds of guide services galore. We chose Mahay's Riverboat Service:

http://www.mahaysriverboat.com

They do fishing trips and jetboat adventures. The fishing trips are fairly pricey, but the jetboat trips are affordable, especially if you do the the short one. We chose the middle length one that gave us a ride on three rivers: the Talkeetna, Chulitna, and Susitna. The neat thing is where those three rivers converge, you can still see the difference between the waters because the silt is different colors. One is more green, one is more gray, and one is more tan.

The first thing I would suggest is get there early. The three of us arrived just in the nick and ended up sitting in three different seats, all on the aisle where it's harder to see out the window. Especially if your seatmates are wearing big hats. You can see in the pic that we're at the back of the line.



The next thing I would suggest is get a seat next to the window (see the previous suggestion). This way you can take pictures when the wildlife decides to be photogenic. On our trip we saw several bald eagles perched on logs and one nest with an eaglet in it that only the people with really good zooms on their cameras could see. It was amusing to listen to the tourists ooh and aah. I kept a straight face, though. I'm technically not a resident yet, so I'm almost as touristy as they are at this point!

After traveling around on the rivers for a bit, we stop for a little nature walk that includes several old structures used many years ago when it was much colder in the area. These included big lean-to huts, pits covered in sticks which were used as "refrigerators", and beaver traps. The trap was basically a big log held up by another log and when the beaver chewed on it, the big log would drop on its head.



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There was also a tiny cabin with the floor dug out and an old broken sled next to it. The tall structure was where food and valuables would be kept, away from bears and other inquisitive animals. Trappers would have trap lines that stretched for many miles, maybe even 100, so they'd need these little cabins to warm up and stay in while checking the traps.



After this walk, we clambered back onto the boat and traveled up the river (I forget which one we were on at that time) for about 45 minutes to where all the people staying at the Princess something or other would disembark. There were only the three of us and two other passengers left for the trip back, so the captain (who was very cute, BTW) pulled out the stops and we practically flew back to our starting point. We were going so fast, it felt like a roller coaster ride!

I would definitely recommend this outfit for sightseeing.

Next to come: Fishing out of Whittier in Prince William Sound!

Swords and Flowers

Haven't posted in a while because being unemployed, I don't have much to say. I spend a lot of time at home. Mostly cleaning up for the guests we'll have this month. First Logan's brother and then my parents and aunt and uncle.

But other than that, my life is pretty dull right now.

I've signed up for a CPR class so that I can take the ACE exam and get certified to teach group fitness courses.

I've applied for a temp teaching position at the local college. I hope that will get my foot in the door there and lead to a permanent position.

And a friend of ours gave me swords!

Yes, Heather has swords now! Yahoo, yippee!

He'd been trying to sell them and no one was buying. (People are nuts.) Since he wanted to get rid of them, he asked if I'd like to have them.

I was totally floored that he would just give these beautiful items away. I don't care what true sword collectors would say about them. I think they are absolutely gorgeous. Here's a picture of one of them, my favorite:



I also took some pictures of the flowers that are sprouting up all over the place here in the valley. These are just the ones in abundance at our apartment complex:



Normal everyday dandelions. But get a load of the stems on these suckers!



They look like they'd reach out and choke you if you got too close. "Feed me, Seymour, feed me!"




It alternates rain and sun here almost every other day, and what with all the daylight hours we have, we get a lot of green and some colors, too. It is beautiful here.

Where was I, where was I...

... oh, yes! (Name that musical!)

Actually I can't remember all that I was going to write about before I was so rudely interrupted by my affectionate husband... who has not been able to be affectionate for the last month or so.

But all his hard work has paid off. He got a glowing report from the corporate people who came to check things out.

Only problem is today he should have been able to come home a decent time. With me. To actually have dinner at dinner time.

But scheduling snafu has left him stuck till closing time. So here I sit. Alone again, naturally. (And quoting from songs of all genres. Sheesh.)

Snow. I mentioned snow last time. Ha. Hardly any of it stayed on the ground. It was gone by morning. And it wasn't even sunny today! Still very chilly.

California was, of course, beautiful weather-wise. About 70 degrees, blue skies, etc. My best friend's wedding day was absolutely perfect for a game of croquet with the Queen on the lawn.

Yes, she had croquet at her wedding, complete with flamingos, a la Alice in Wonderland. And lots of tea pots, flowers, and little sandwiches with the crusts trimmed.

I admit it was a very rocky start. The bride's mom and sister were bickering back and forth about things that didn't need to be discussed right in front of the bride (sorry, Mom and Sis, but it's true), who, by the way, looked like she was about to vault across the room for a trash can to throw up in. We were running late, to boot.

Walking up the aisle, she looked like she was trying to hide behind the ringlets around her face and shrink inside her veil. I snuck a look to make sure she wasn't wearing sneakers.

But the moment she stood by her husband-to-be's side, it was like everything snapped into place. The rest of the wedding was fantastic and the bride and groom looked very happy, even during the cleanup time afterward.

The funniest thing happened to yours truly during the wedding toasts. I didn't have a chance to prepare anything, though I was wracking my brains with what I could say. Listing all our inside jokes would take hours and make no sense to anyone else. Making her blush was out, too, because she was already the proverbial blushing bride. Besides, the ones before me got to say the corny things that I could come up with last minute, anyway.

I soon discovered I had another problem; the garter that the maid of honor had created for each woman in the bridal party had several charms attached to it. I had it on my left leg and had crossed my right leg on top of the charms.

My pantyhose became affixed to said charms, causing quite a difficulty in standing up. Not to mention the fact that detaching it hastily could create a big hole in my hose.

When the torch was passed to me, I had my skirt hitched up almost to my hips under the table, trying to unweave the hose from the charms. When I realized it was my turn, I put my hands on the table and said, "No, thanks."

Several people were shocked. After all, I had known my beloved Mellybean for longer than anyone else up there (I think). In fact, if I wasn't already married, I met as well have married her myself.

Matthew even commented, "The ham is passing up the spotlight?!"

But they moved on rather quickly and I think my makeup did a good job of masking my flaming cheeks.

Of course, now that it's over, I can think of a million things I could have said.

But I'm sure deep down, Mellybean knows it all anyway. That's what best friends are for.

But what are vampire eggbeaters?!

Don't Fly At Midnight...

... 'cause that's when the weirdos like to take their trips!

I took a midnight flight to Seattle and from there to Sacramento. The midnight flights were cheaper, so I thought hey, it's cheaper and maybe it'll be nice and quiet and not too packed.

Huh.

It was packed to the gills. On my left side sat a decent enough young gentleman, a little on the chatty side.

On my right flopped a scruffy-looking man in his forties. The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't breathe. A cloud of alcohol hit my face so hard I swore I could get drunk off it myself. The nice guy on my left said, "No, oh, no."

The drunk guy kept alternating between staring at me and reaching across me to poke the other guy and bother him with phrases that made me think they were having trouble before they even got on this flight. Inwardly, I groaned. Three hours of choking alcohol stench and two guys who won't let me sleep. I knew before the flight was through I'd be standing up and chewing this drunk guy out for something. He'd probably have to be stuffed in the airline restroom for lack of space. Or maybe they could've chucked him in cargo or something.

Anyway, at one point the drunk guy starts bothering me. "So what do you do?"

With deadpan expression, I replied, "Martial arts."

Didn't phase him. "Oh yeah? For how long?"

"Mmm, about 12 years."

"Oh." Long pause. "Is that all?"

"Yup."

"Ever break any boards with your head?"

"No, but my husband has."

"Ever break any boards at all?"

"Oh, yeah, several with my fists."

Apparently, all my hints of "I can tear you to tiny pieces if you try anything" are slipping right through one ear and out the other. This man was lost to cognitive abilities of any kind.

And then my angel appeared: One of the older flight attendants swooped down like the wrath of the great Warrior Goddess and demanded to see the drunk guy's tickets. She asked if he had any stuff in the overhead racks. When he said no, she said, "Well, grab all your stuff. You're getting off this plane right now." She hustled him out of there without a single peep of argument from him.

The moment he was gone, the other guy and I looked at each other and breathed twin sighs of relief. He then told me of the trouble he'd been having with this guy in the airport. He didn't know him, but the drunk guy took exception to him for some reason and had been trying to cajole him into a fight. He had warned the flight attendants as soon as he got on the plane. It was just plain bad luck that the guy ended up sitting in the same row.

So not only did that creepy drunk get kicked off, but I got to move over to the aisle seat and we both got as much room to stretch out as we could want.

Besides that uncomfortable experience, I learned even midnight flights have their share of babies and noisy talkers. There is no advantage to taking a midnight flight except for the price. Those seats aren't good for sleeping in, either. I kept cutting off the circulation to my hands.

Ah, well. Live and learn. Tonight we karaoke in California! I can't wait!

WTF, ALASKA?!

What's with the weather, for crying out loud? One week it's getting down to 17 below with the snow finally reaching interesting depths (like gastrocnemius deep - wait, did I spell that right?)

All of a sudden, it jumps up to the low 40s and starts RAINING!

I didn't come up here for the rain in wintertime! I want SNOW!!!

Now most of the snow has melted and there's a solid inch of ice on all the parking lots that's slicker than hair gel. Not cool.

Ah, well. I'm in California right now, so it's not like it really matters. It's pouring down rain here. Was hoping there would be a little bit of that famous sun, but so far, no such luck.

It's been fantastic seeing my parents, my friends, my cats. Lily, my brother's dog (formerly my grandmother's dog) actually did not recognize me at first. She ran up to the house and stood their growling until she got a good whiff of me. The tail shot up and waved at once.

My boys recognized me, though. Gerry jumped on my back and Schmendrik and Damien perked right up and demanded pets. Tomorrow I will invest some lap time.

I heartily admit that I started crying when I had to leave my husband at the security line of the airport in Anchorage. I had just smothered my puppy Bruno with kisses and left him in the car while Logan walked me up. Then I started sniffling and wiping my tears away. I was scared to fly by myself, I tell you what!

But the flight was actually really decent. I was by the window with a nice lady on my other side. I watched Shindig, an episode of Firefly, on my iPod, had a turkey sandwich, and listened to music.

I had frozen yogurt and talked to Logan, my mom, and my best friend on the phone while I was waiting out the layover in Seattle. Saw the news that Heathe Ledger was dead and sat there with my mouth dropped open in shock.

The second flight was so smooth. We left early and we got to sit wherever we wanted because there were so few people on the plane. I totally spread out and dozed while listening to my music.

Unfortunately, the same thing happened that has happened every time I fly: I got a nasty headache. I think it has to do with that inner ear virus I got years ago and the pressure in the cabin. Everything about this trip was perfectly pleasant except my head.

Tomorrow I'm going to stop at the Rocklin store and see the people I used to work with and stop at the kennel to visit those people I used to work with. I can't wait to see their faces.

I return to Alaska on Saturday. I probably won't post again until after that. Hopefully our internet access will be up and running AGAIN.

There are big changes looming on the horizon. Won't post about them yet, as I don't know what's going to happen. But it may spell the end of this blog...

I'll Be Back...

Yep, it's true, my devoted readers. I'm going back to California for a few days to visit family and friends! In fact, my bestest buddy in the whole wide world is going to pick me up at the airport when I arrive Tuesday night! My boss is so totally cool about my need to see home every once in a while.

It's freaking expensive, though, even with all those websites that promise low ticket prices. Well, it seems they're only really lower if you book a hotel in conjunction, which is not something I need to do when going to visit family! It's over $800 dollars for roundtrip from Alaska.

At least I've got an Alaska Airlines card now, so I'll be able to rack up the miles and get companion tickets and other benefits that I can use. Seems every one up here has one and I can see why!

Logan is a little freaked because he will have to take care of the puppy and kitties all alone. But he insisted on me going because he knows how I've been feeling.

It's not the lack of light bothering me. In fact, there's more daylight than I had been led to believe during the wintertime here and we've already passed the longest night of the year.

It's not the constant snow and cold. As long as you dress for it, it's not problem. I can't wait to break out my shorts when I get to California! Ha ha! Not to mention the puppy loves that white powder and burrows in it every time he gets a chance.

The job is all right. (Sorry, Wendy, I know that's not what you were hoping for.) I still don't think I'm management material, but I work with some great people and I really like my boss, too. I've been lucky in bosses (Steve, Wendy, Perus.)

It's homesickness, pure and simple. It's hard to find time to talk to them on the phone. It's mostly email. My mind still reels when I ponder exactly how far away they really are.

Logan and I were almost ready to give up and go back when the next California store opens (later this year). Who knows? We might still do that.

But we want to give this a decent chance. We haven't really been able to get out in Alaska and experience it. I want to see what the summer is like.

Anyway, I'll be flying out Tuesday, January 22nd, arriving in Sac around 9:42 pm. I'll be in town Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and flying back to Anchorage around 9:15 am Saturday morning. I want to see everybody and do a million things and eat really good Chinese food! (The Chinese food kind of sucks here.)

Then I'll be back again at the end of March for my bestest buddy's wedding. By the way, Myn, so you still want me to sing? What do you want me to sing? Did we ever decide on that?

And Dad, I'm bringing my guitar. I just need to find a hard case for it so I can bring it as checked luggage on the plane!

Moose Sighting!

At long last, after THREE MONTHS of living in Alaska, we finally saw our first moose today!

We had the day off, so we decided to just pick a direction we hadn't gone and drive for a couple of hours. We ended up going through Willow to Talkeetna.

Well, there isn't a whole heck of a lot going on in the towns we passed by along the way. Winter really does shut most stuff down. Half the gift shops we passed weren't even open. They might open on the weekend, though.

Passed firework central; three or four gigantic firework stands bunched together near the road, all closed up and deserted now that New Year's has come and gone. I wonder if that's the only time of year they can sell them.

Talkeetna was pretty tiny and cute. We kind of drove in a circle looking at the sights buried in snow and headed back home. We stopped at the Sheep Creek Lodge and had a delicious, although expensive, dinner. I had Chocolate "Moose" Cake for dessert. It reminded me of those organic Trader Joe's truffles that we got as gifts from customers at the kennel. Very rich, not too sweet, decadent to the hilt. Logan shared it with me.

The restaurant was in a spacious log cabin and looked very cozy and inviting in the snow. It was also empty; no one but us and the waitress and the cooks. I know we prefer quiet restaurants to busy and noisy, but this was almost as bad because it made us feel conspicuous. But we still liked the place very much.

Along the drive we saw a moose checking out the edge of the road way ahead. A large black blob in the snow, we thought hey, cool! We'll finally get a good look at a moose that isn't a photograph! So we slowed down a bit in case she (?) decided to wander out in the middle of the road.

Well, along came a huge truck going the other way, so she turned around and rapidly lumbered off before we could get close enough for a real good look. But at least we saw one, so we know they really exist.

Of course, we saw our boss later that evening and he'd been out hunting. Said he saw 30 or 40 moose during the day. Talk about sucking the wind out of your sails.

But the evening was very special for another reason that I will disclose tomorrow with pictures. I have a new foot warmer! More to come...