Northern Light

gaining

2012-01-20T18:31:00.000-09:00

I did it!
I escaped from work before the sun went down!

I came home, put on 17 layers of clothing and headed out to stroll the neighborhood. It felt good to be taking in the last of the daylight despite the frigid temperatures that have dominated the Anchorage bowl for over a week. It has been below zero now for at least a week. Not pleasant at all.

Anyhow, here is a glimpse of my world through a frozen camera before my fingers froze.
I didnt venture far, think a mere 6-8 block radius from our abode.

Did I mention we have a lot of snow?

brrrrrrrrr

2012-01-15T21:35:00.000-09:00

We are in the deep freeze, but the sun is beginning to reappear.
This weekend was spent in the lovely hamlet of Girdwood. A little downhill skiing, a little xcountry skiing, a little pool time, and a lot of fun with friends.
Despite the sub zero temps, it was very nice to be outside chasing the sun, and it finally feels as though we might be rounding the bend and gaining on winter.

This pic was taken on the drive home, thru a dirty and cracked windshield. I added this funky texture layer in photo editing. Like, or dislike?

just the facts

2012-01-12T21:31:00.000-09:00

Time: 9:20 pm
Location: the couch
Weather: 10 degrees and snowing for the past 18 hours
Listening: to the wind chimes
Eating: olives
Drinking: vodka
Wearing: fleece
Feeling: restless
Wanting: a maid
Needing: more hours in a day
Thinking: about owning the home in the blueberry field behind my brother
Enjoying: Everyday in Tuscany
Wondering: if I'll ever get out of this place

Mission Accomplished

2011-12-28T05:59:00.001-09:00

Vitamin D tanks are inching upward. Holiday stress is non existent. Life, my friends, is good.

Christmas day was spent on the beach just inside Sian Ka 'an with a few other local families. This wide expansive beach is an extension of Tulum beach just inside the reserve. If you can over look the fact that a modest amount of trash washes up and there are no hotels or staff to clean it up, it's a pretty impressive place.

For first timers, this reality is shocking. Sad to say, that after all these years of coming here, this has not changed much.

We have also visited both the ruins of Coba, and Tulum. In Coba you can still climb to the top of a pyramid. We did this on the solstice and it felt just perfect.

We managed to meet a dear couple from Virginia who invited us over to their rented Tulum beach house for the day. They have been coming to the area for 30 years and to that house for the past 4 Christmases. They were like minded, fun and absolutely lovely to meet.

We had a fantastic day there with a desolate stretch of beach to ourselves. Needless to say it was an au natural day. It was simply divine to hear Jaden proclaim after playing in the waves; "being naked makes me feel so free!" It was tough getting both boys to put their clothes on at the end of the day.

So here we sit with two more days to go. I dare say that I will almost be ready to return home then.
And that my friends, is a sure sign of a great vacation.

Location:Tulum,Mexico

Traveling light

2011-12-18T16:37:00.001-09:00

I know the very few, dedicated peeps who peek in on this blog from time to time, typically keep coming back because of the beauty that is AK.
Unfortunately, I've been a rather pathetic blogger, the camera is dusty and motivation is lacking when you eat, sleep, and work in the dark.

But, if you can stand some cheerful beauty, from points much, much farther south, look no further.

The family and I have flown the coop and headed to the Yucatan Peninsula to spend a quiet, non-commercial Christmas together. This beautiful land is home to the ancient Mayan, and they are warm and welcoming.
This place feels like an old shoe, comfortable and safe. It was a short hop from our old stomping grounds in Colorado, and we have spent considerable time here over the years, but it is a haul from latitude 61.

Four jet planes and 21.5 hours later, finds us slowly and sweetly refueling our vitamin D tanks.

Feliz solsticio indeed!

Cold fun

2011-11-20T16:06:00.002-09:00

SNOW!

2011-11-13T11:56:00.000-09:00

Snow, snow and more snow!
I have often said, that if you are going to have winter, it's better to GO BIG than to have cold weather without the white stuff. If we keep going at this rate, its going to be a banner snow year. We've got a solid foot on the ground here in Anchortown with snowfall daily for the past 5.

The funny thing about snow in AK is that once it comes, it doesnt budge until April. No mid winter thaw. No sunny, snow melting days. It just piles up for 6 solid months.

This naturally, makes snow maintenance here, a bizarre and ongoing ritual. There is simply too much snow as it gets plowed up on the sides of the road, so big dump trucks and front loaders cruise all over town hauling snow off to that magical snow storage place. Then, it all gets hauled back in to 4th avenue, put right back down on the street, for the annual start of Iditarod.

Jade has 4 different snow forts in the yard. He's a happy camper. Haven't busted out the skis yet because we are up to our neck with house projects. I anticipate a massive slow down here in about 2 weeks and then we will be hitting the trails and hills.

I am participating in a 30 day photo challenge on Facebook. This was day #3: Clouds.
It was a fortuitous thing that this immature baldy flew over just as I was pointing the iphone skyward.

Has winter started in your part of the world?

October

2011-10-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Wowzer.
I've let an entire month slip past.
The camera has barely been out, but the small one on my iphone is always on hand. I have recently cleaned out those pics and put them on the computer.
The ease at which that small, portable camera is lugged around makes snapping photos a breeze. Here are some of many taken over these past several months.

Our little Red House is shaping up. We are nearly buttoned up and ready for winter. The place is only 3/4 construction zone at this point. Things are looking up!
There is snow on the surrounding mountains, but Anchortown has yet to see any of the white stuff. Its bliss that we've not turned that corner.
I am beach bound late next week so the scenery is going to change on this little slice of the web.
Stay tuned....

9/11

2011-09-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

Consider this installment part two of; "Hiking in Alaska in September RULES"

This weekend I skillfully conned Beth of Popcrush talent, into going on an easy, afternoon hike with me and the fam. Little did I know at the time, our little hike would end 5 hours and 10.5 miles later.

My legs are still screaming, but the views and company were well worth it.

Williwaw Lakes Trail is another "Anchortown back yard" hike that begins at the Glen Alps parking lot. The lot is overcrowded and impossible to park in on the weekends, but I have a coworker who lives just up the way from there, so we poached a spot in her yard and headed onto the Powerline trail.
There are two potential routes to the lakes. We took the beautiful, winding valley trail to reach the lakes, however, we all agreed to try The Ballpark trail back to Glen Alps.
This was a rather interesting (SCARY) and amazing (VERTICAL) route which shortened the return trip by a few miles.
Have I mentioned? Our 8 year old is an amazing hiker.

One of the several Williwaw Lakes

Heading up from Williwaw toward The Ballpark route

Must click to enlarge to see ZEN OF HIKING

The moonscape known as The Ballpark

flattop

2011-09-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

One of the nicest things about living in Anchortown is discovering the quick and easy "city hikes" that abound.

Undoubtedly, the most popular hike in the Anchorage bowl is Flattop Mountain.

This urban, flagship Chugach wilderness trail is a fantastic afterwork workout with an amazing view to boot. The people watching isnt half bad either.

The trail begins at the Glen Alps parking lot. The total distance is 3 miles round trip with a 1300 ft. elevation gain.
The amazingly spacious flat topped peak has carved out picnik spots with 360 views.
On a night which promises a warm glowing sunset, you cant go wrong.

summertime

2011-08-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

Sweet Colorado and dear friends

Is there anything like that Colorado skyline?

Hot sunshine and bluegrass music makes Mama happy

Tres Amigas cooling off in the St. Vrain

Return to Anchortown in the nick of time for the first day of THIRD grade

Suddenly, fall colors abound

with mossy undergrowth

And camping spots to be found

Six mile hearts

and photographed shacks

and Alaskan sized SHROOMS!

Coral mushrooms?

Beautiful fanned, oyster shrooms too

The Gull rock trail outside of Hope

Six mile camping spot

Morning view

It aint over yet.

September typically ROCKS in AK.

July

2011-07-26T22:47:00.001-08:00

Bzzzzzzzzzzz

2011-07-16T09:14:00.003-08:00

Hey friends! Check out and participate it this amazing event. Its easy and berry important!

July

2011-07-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

2011-06-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

once upon a time, we lived on the banks of a very mighty little river.

then, the unpredictable urging of wanderlust tugged at my sleeve, and then grabbed my pant leg,
until it just would not let go.

away we went.
knowing not, what we would find.
nearly 5 years have passed.
no regrets. amazing adventures.
alaska continues to be a wonderful experience.
this land is massive, beautiful and tough.
it has not however, grabbed my heart and mind, to become home.

home really is where the heart is.
and that's a good thing.

380 miles

2011-05-29T09:49:00.001-08:00

sweet girlfriends from upstate NY and CO here to see AK
three gals + one westy + flawless sunshine= one perfectly lovely road trip.

i took that photo class a few months ago and really feel like i owe carl a big thanks.
all these pics are SOC (straight out of the camera) no editing what so ever. they are not perfect, but i think i finally am starting to get it.

spring fever

2011-05-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

got it.
you?

warm sunshine, high country melting snow.
leaves! glorious leaves!
(allergies soon to follow)

daffodils
greening grass

endless daylight

being a mom

2011-05-07T13:17:00.003-08:00

home

2011-04-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

ive been away too long.
we've moved into this wonderful little place and are slowly trying to find our way out of the boxes.
please stand by~

springing

2011-03-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

bare ground.
melting snow.
last years leaves.
alder cones?

happy family.

the brother visits....

2011-03-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

my wonderful little bro is visiting all the way from maine.
this makes me happy.

slacker

2011-03-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

slacker n: one who shirks responsibility.
im a slacker.
i have not been motivated to blog and i really can come up with no good excuse.
well, except for life.

and the fact that this blog was started long ago to show off photos of the greatland.

i finished the photo class with carl, but havent really been out and about with the camera much. ~except for the catching this amazing northern lights show recently.
i had some newly learned tips from the class which enabled me to take a few decent photos.
the priceless part was pulling my sleeping child out of bed and loading him into the warmed van and driving out the earthquake park to see them. the city lights were too bright and the 10 minute drive toward the inlet was worth it. it was an informal party out there. people in their cars watching the show.
in the nearly 5 years we've been here, this is just the 3rd time seeing them and definitely the best.

in other news, the weather has been slowly warming. we have had nighttime temps in the teens to twentys and daytime temps exceeding 30. this has led to some nice melting and exposed pavement for the first time in months.
i spied some grass in south facing lawns today. its an absolute wonder to see vegitation after 5 months of frozen landscape.

my baby bro and his girl are heading up for a visit all the way from maine on tuesday. they will spend a week, meeting alaska in the late winter. 12 hours of daylight already, i think they will be nearly manic when they leave.

i am so very excited to see them!

found

2011-03-09T17:58:00.001-09:00

it is likely many of you heard about this story.
i was captivated with it and when i saw the first piece a few months ago, and i agreed, the photos were beautiful.
today, i read the film owner had been found.
the first video explains the story and the second is the reunion of the owner and her photos.
an uplifting, thoughtful journey. kind of cool.
hope you enjoy.

iditarod 2011

2011-03-05T21:54:00.001-09:00

the 39th running of the great race is (almost) on. with the ceremonial start today in anchorage, 62 teams begin tomorrow from willow and will spend anywhere from 10-17 days running 1150 miles to nome.

today we joined friends along a very nice spot on the trail, away from the throngs of people downtown and watched as all 62 teams passed by.
a short distance up the trail from us, someone was giving out hot dogs to the mushers. its not all business on the back parts of the trail, away from the media and tourists. instead, just a bunch of alaskans looking for a good time and an excuse to barbecue with down, fleece, hats, hand warmers and hot drinks to keep warm.
i must say, a good time was had by all.

for those of you who are interested, the official iditarod web site is quite informative. you can click here to find it.

there are some very interesting people who run this race.
i'll be keeping my eye on lance mackey's step-son, cain carter. the 19 year old rookie has some big shoes to fill being lance's son and running this race for the first time.
of course, lance himself will be looking for his 5th win. an amazing feat for a man who has been through fairly serious cancer treatment a few years back. he's a machine, that one.
then there is zoya denure, who's dogs are all rescue dogs, love that, love her. mike williams jr. is yupik eskimo and one of the only natives running the race, i'd love to see him do well.

a peek of my world today~ hope you enjoy.

handsome hub

scott janssen of anchorage with his team

lance, the man, mackey

rogue rider on the trail

"wait, what, did you say NOME?"

love the thumbs up here...

officially keeping us "in line"

the view from the trail

handing newton

(the musher from jamaica) a hot apple pie, fresh off the grill

just a little jog in the park.

go dogs go!

one of the prettiest teams

full tank

2011-03-03T18:55:00.000-09:00

im here, im back, my tan is fading. i keep picking little grains of sand out of my scalp and this makes me wistful.
certainly a great mid winter break. we are gaining daylight like gangbusters and although the temperatures have been practically evil, the sunlight is making it all pretty bearable.

i have been busy with work and getting jade back into the swing of routines, like say... school.
i've also been taking a photography class at the museum with this guy. he's pretty awesome.
ive learned a ton and will be heading out this weekend to capture some good old stereotypical dog sledding shots at the ceremonial start of the iditarod, which begins on saturday.
dont give up on me!

Mahalo

2011-02-15T09:56:00.001-09:00

We are enjoying a winter break.
The vitamin D tanks are slowly refilling. With this bliss, we just might make it through our 5th Alaskan winter.

10 days

2011-01-30T12:46:00.000-09:00

until this.

yes.
im counting.
the view through my lens will be changing dramatically in a mere 10 days!
stay tuned for the sights and sounds of big island love.

so far i have not found a way to blog from the ipad and im really not wanting to take the laptop.
anyone out there in the blogosphere heard of a way to do this?
ive heard apple hasnt made an app yet for blogger.
bummer.

chillaxin

2011-01-29T19:55:00.000-09:00

the family took a ski day today.
its official. i can no longer keep up with my 7 year old. sad, scary and true. he's rocking the alpines and begging to try telemarking like his dad. love it. it was a beautiful day and even though the mountain is far below average in its annual snowfall, conditions were very pleasant. alyeska has a great vibe.

its been a few weeks since ive ventured out of the anchorage bowl. work seems to be all consuming lately.

as we headed to girdwood i shot these pics.
photo disclaimer: a couple of these images are from the iphone, so the quality is not good.
the rest were taken through the windows of the westfalia, cruising down turnagain arm at 65 miles an hour.

gimme some love

2011-01-27T20:51:00.002-09:00

i want to tell my friend beth to quit her day job and just be a blogger full time, but i dont want to insult her. she's a damn fine doctor.

but her blog... well, its just priceless.
if you like poking fun at celebs, while trying to find that amazing outfit or haircut you saw at sundance, then check this out.
you'll love this.

fixed!

2011-01-25T20:26:00.002-09:00

thanks blogger. the banner pic is now clear again.
whew!

patterns

2011-01-23T19:15:00.000-09:00

blogger is experiencing some technical difficulties. if you've noticed the banner at the top looks abit fuzzy, no need to adjust your glasses, you are correct.

this glitch has caused quite a ruckus in the blogging community, considering blogger is a free platform i am sitting by patiently hoping they will get it fixed soon.
it doesn't seem to matter if i try to upload a photo which looked just fine in previous uploads, they are all turning out blurry.
its weird.
it has been a working weekend but i did manage a nice long winter walk yesterday where i tried to find some beauty in the ordinary.

the days are growing longer~ sunrise 9:39 sunset 4:45, a gain of 4 minutes and 53 seconds over yesterday.

the speed hump sign just makes me giggle.

uninspired?

2011-01-20T18:29:00.000-09:00

check out this website (especially good as an ipad app) if you're feeling slightly ADD.

http://www.brainpickings.org/

deep freeze

2011-01-15T13:08:00.001-09:00

well, we are holed-up inside due to sub zero temps.

last weekend i walked along the coastal trail with the dog. while all bundled up, we saw some beautiful sights. the inversion has caused ice fog which coats every thing with a fine layer of frost.

its really quite a sight.

the ice skating at westchester has been amazing. we've had no recent snow which has made the maintained rink smooth and shiny.

as i rounded the trail toward the inlet the sun was setting. i am still enamored by the ice chunks.

this morning, jeff and i were awakened by the strangest sound. it sounded quite like a hail storm. the sun was up and the sky was blue. the temperature was well below zero. our sleepy minds took a moment to adjust our thinking.
as we peered outside we saw thousands of beautiful bohemian waxwings. they were in all of the trees surrounding the house, they were dancing on the roof. it was an amazing sight.
they stayed, chirping and stripping the mountain ash of its bright red berries for about 15 minutes and then, rose in a cloud and moved on to another yard.

it was a very nice way to begin a saturday.

kodiak

2011-01-08T10:19:00.000-09:00

work recently took me to kodiak, which has certainly been on the list of must-do's while here in ak.
the middle of january, however wasn't really the time of year i had dreamed of.

the quick visit exceeded expectations with amazing weather (highly unusual) and incredibly hospitable people. we made the most of our 48 hours and managed to squeeze in some sightseeing after teaching at the hospital.

kodiak island is located approximately 250 air miles southwest of anchorage. it is known as the emerald island due to the incredible amount of precipitation and lush greenery that results from it. the island itself is the second largest island in the united states and you must (obviously) arrive by plane or boat. incidentally, we are counting the days until we visit the largest island in the u.s., the big island of hawaii.

our plane ride on the dash 8 was a quick one hour and 15 minutes. the loud turbo prop plane is capable of take off and landing on very short runways. many times people get stuck in kodiak due to weather, we lucked out with clear blue skies and virtually no wind.

i would very much like to visit between may and september to see kodiaks most famous attraction, the kodiak brown bear. they were presumably snuggled in their dens for the winter, so i guess another trip is in order.

2011

2011-01-01T15:57:00.001-09:00

the song "hard days night" comes to mind this first day of the new year.
my three boys (if you look closely rocket is the third sleeper in the photo) cat napped today to make up for late night festivities.
i moved slowly around the house after 24 hours of gastrointestinal misery. i believe now i might live, but this belief was questionable for a while.

im not one for resolutions, but perhaps some gentle reminders wouldn't hurt as i make my way through 2011.

happy new year everyone.

~listen more than talk
~be friendly first
~make memories
~plan for fun, dont wait for it to happen
~enjoy the process
~stop comparing myself to others
~accept life as it is and embrace it
~remember everyone is human
~chose words carefully; words are important
~be content
~when i begin to think the grass is greener, i should remember to water what i have

merry

2010-12-25T13:53:00.000-09:00

hope everyone out there in cyberspace is having a wondrous holiday.

moon

2010-12-21T17:31:00.000-09:00

what an amazing sight we had here last evening.

i did not anticipate being able to see the moon, let alone get a half decent photo. (believe me when i tell you that a half-decent photo simply means not a bright white blob in the sky- its not like you can see the man on the moon or anything, but its better than any past moon i've tried to capture.)
after sunset- there it was, hanging in the sub-zero sky for all to see.

i am so incredibly grateful for the beginning of winter and the milestone that is solstice.
the amazing lunar eclipse was a great way to usher out long nights and ring in the promise of long alaskan days.

ha!

2010-12-19T21:30:00.000-09:00

silver balls make for fun photos

and so do brand new babies.

say hello to julian.
isnt he darling?
how lucky we are to be friends with new parents.
all the fun with none of the work.

reflect

2010-12-19T16:36:00.001-09:00

there are at least 900 things i should be doing.
instead, i'm wasting time surfing my favorite sites~ should be xmas shopping, instead "window shopping" on line.

don't you just love this fern dress?
if it were mine, i would wear it with a pair of skinny jeans and my favorite brown suede boots....

or these mittens? aren't they divine??

they are made in homer ak by some crafty gal, but she's not taking any more orders till after xmas.... sigh.
im addicted to the idea of this too:

but im so lame i don't have a single bulb ornament.
contemplating a run to the store, simply so i can run around with one in my pocket snapping reflections all week...
there is a whole flickr site dedicated to it as well.

you can check it out here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1271960@N20/pool/with/4218255068/

mom

2010-12-14T21:54:00.000-09:00

today would have been my mother's 60th birthday.
i think she may have hated turning 60, but this is no comfort.

it goes without saying my minds eye played small snippits of her all day long. over time, i see her smiling mischevious face more than the pain or sorrow she often displayed. this is sweet relief and leads me to believe in the wisdom that time does heal all sorrow.

i remember her incredible sense of humor, her beautiful auburn hair, that big space between her front teeth, her pride for her children.

you died too young mom, but you taught me well in our time together.
you live on in me, in the way i view the world, in the way i love my family and in my gypsy soul.
i miss you every day.

wind

2010-12-03T20:49:00.000-09:00

our winter camping adventure was FUN.
the new propex heater rocked. we were snug as bugs in a rug.
our morning ski at gold mint trail was peaceful and lovely. we had the place to ourselves.
anchortown is under a severe winter storm advisory tonite with 80 mile an hour winds forecasted.
we are supposed to have snow and blizzard conditions.
i say~
BRING IT ON!

gray

2010-11-27T13:21:00.000-09:00

we are fat and happy here all tucked in under a blanketed sky.
the thanksgiving snow that fell has brightened up our otherwise darkened days, and for this, i am grateful.
we are heading up to the valley to do some nordic skiing and overnite camping in the westy.
pics to follow.

this was the view on thursday during our walk on the coastal trail.
we had the place to ourselves~

im amazed at how big the ice chunks are on the mudflats already.

chutney

2010-11-21T12:46:00.001-09:00

for those of you looking for something other than the jellied canned cranberry sauce~ (my hubby is particularly fond of the canned stuff, he claims it is the rings imprinted in the jelly that makes it so good.)
an old colleague of mine long ago shared this recipe with me.
i have made it almost every year since. it is hearty and flavorful and is quite amazing spread all over a slice of whole wheat bread with turkey leftovers piled on top.
give it a whirl, you too might make it a tradition.

cranberry chutney~ from joe's grandma
1 pound fresh whole cranberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 T cinnamon
1 1/2 T ginger
1/2 T cloves
1/4 T allspice
1 c h2o
1 c chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery

simmer 1st 8 ingredients uncovered for 15 minutes on stove top- stir frequently
saute onion and celery
add sauteed onion and celery to the simmering pot and continue to simmer until thick~ about 15 minutes.
store in fridge up to 2 weeks.

war-who?

2010-11-20T17:30:00.000-09:00

ahhhhh.
warhol.
great exhibit at the anchorage museum running through january.
check it out if you're local.

just

2010-11-17T20:47:00.000-09:00

i have completely run out of blogging steam.
i guess thats why i have that blogging without obligation thinggy over there on the side.
it does make me a bit sad though- all these undocumented weeks.

winter has settled itself over the anchorage bowl. the streets and sidewalks are now coated with a fine layer of treacherous ice.
the snow that arrived just after halloween will last until late april. and believe me, by then, its real dirty and gross.
mother ungulate and her teen were spotted just across the street from here when i returned home today. not a perfect moose habitat, but the promise of frozen jack-o-lanterns was just too sweet, i suppose.

my art class is almost over and its been great. i have yet to actually see the warhol exhibit from which is was inspired, but we now have our prints hanging outside the classroom.
"i showed at the anchorage museum you know, with the warhol exhibit"

i plan on doing a tutorial for "poor womans lithography with a pasta machine" (i know, it makes you curious, doesnt it?) but im waiting for etching ink to arrive because no one in this town sells it. (what, me, bitter?)
the idea of taking my photographs and printing them on watercolor paper is very appealing. the few that i did in class made me smile.

we have many weeks of falling darkness now- the bright spot is making it to solstice, and hey, thats only about 6 weeks away! i think i can, i think i can....

we have a wonderful handful of friends here finally and a couple we enjoy hanging out with very much just had their first child today.
happy birthday baby cardinal! welcome to this big old mixed up world.
its been a very long time since anyone in my life had a baby. i am so looking forward to some gentle cuddle time.

work rocks.
there has been a lot of attention in the media lately about palliative care. my dream is that someday this will be a normal part of the health care continuum. we've got a long way to go, but at least people are talking.
thats it for now.
i'm gonna throw another dog or cat on the bed and snuggle up.

anyone reading anything good?
i have been plowing my way through "the dirty life"
its wonderful!

vote

2010-11-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

for those of you who are as tense as i during this midterm election, go ahead and try this at home.

HUFFPOST HILL ELECTION NIGHT DRINKING GAME - Take a sip of your favorite bevvy every time you hear or see any of the following:
• A hologram.
• "Narrative."
• That awkward pause at the beginning of the hour when they're about to call a race(s) but mistimed the graphics.
• "Would you have thought that just X months ago we'd be here talking about Y?"
• "Wave."
• "1994."
• Stirring orchestral intros and outros.
• A Fox News pundit/anchor tying an obscure House race result to Iran policy.
• "Referendum."
• "This isn't about me."
• "Tonight we start to take America back."
• "Disconnect."
• "Let's go to the map."
• Any and all missed cues.
• "Thanks, Chuck."
• "Tsunami."
• "Speaker Boehner."
• "Looking ahead."
• Overwhelmed TV correspondents who can't hear the anchor over the din of the election party they're covering.
• "Pocketbook."
• Bill Bennett looking pleased-as-punch.
• "Stayed at home."
• "Well, [Anchor's name], voters sent a message loud and clear tonight."
• "Hard-fought."
• Contradictory turnout reports within 30 minutes of one another.
• "Day of reckoning."
• Any time Wolf Blitzer continues to talk past the point when the average human being would need to take an in-breath.
• If you look in the mirror and see a Democrat.

holding on

2010-10-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

well here we are, october 31st and holding on to fall as tightly as we can.
this is the first halloween in alaska that we've spent with no snow on the ground.
although it was a chilly 31 degrees, there was no tromping through snow to get the goods.

we haven't lived in a neighborhood in years.
i worked the door while jeff and jade hit the streets.
obi wan kenobi made out like a bandit. the parent tax will go largely unnoticed i believe as i've already mined the bag for my favorites this evening when he wasn't looking and he is still smiling as he peers into the bag.

life is good.
termination dust has turned into snow capped peaks, daylight is fading and yet i have not sunk into the depths of depression. im ahead of the game this year and feeling good.
have a wonderful week.

observations

2010-10-18T22:23:00.000-08:00

the art class is wonderful.
i havent had the camera out much.
too much work and shrinking daylight. boo!
but....prolonged autumn! yay!
working on the school swing with j-man. (not been easy.)

this is peering over our neighbors fence.
he's been working on it for weeks. its some sort of moose soda dispenser. (please note: 8 foot fence)
nope. not joking.
and there are far too many people with "halloween lights" up around here.

hub and i are heading to sin city this weekend.
i'm bringing my lucky underware and my camera.
catch ya on the flip side.

falling

2010-10-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

remember these folks?

they are friends and neighbors who found out shortly after this trip that they were expecting their first child.

yesterday in the damp fall air we tromped around the neighborhood looking for that fun baby bump shot.

here are some of my faves.

speed hump was an idea endorsed by both mom and dad.....
eh hemmm.
they insisted.

preparing

2010-09-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

fall just headed out the door and wintry cold, (damn cold) air has made itself at home here in the greatland.
the amusing parade of city dwellers briskly walking their dogs have been sporting down and fleece these past 48 hours.

there is no joking around here when the seasons change.

several weeks ago, before the (amazing and drawn out) summer vacation i took to maine, i spent many days lamenting our summer.
all that gray sky and rain began to freak me out as i thought about the looming winter ahead.

on a whim i signed up for an art class at the anchorage museum.
it begins on thursday and i am incredibly excited.

the class is being taught by craig updewood, and this is a sample of his work.

its a silk screen class~ which i haven't done since high school.

FUN!

hmmmmmm...

2010-09-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

i did something weird and disabled comments for that post and am not sure how to enable them.
sheesh.
4 years of blogger and suddenly we aren't getting along?

i heart seward

2010-09-27T23:42:00.001-08:00

and those two beautiful kiddos....

autumn

2010-09-23T19:20:00.000-08:00

take two women who have known one another for nearly 2 decades.
give them much needed time away from the day to day responsibilities of life, a milepost, trusty cameras, tripods, snack foods galore, and a reliable westfalia and after 650 miles, this is a glimpse of what you get:

if anyone out there in cyber land has any tips on photographing at night- bring em on.
the northern lights were amazing. i only included the lame ass photo to prove we saw them~ but the sight was beautiful~
trust me.

sunny september

2010-09-11T22:19:00.001-08:00

throughout the entire wet, chilly summer i had a deep secret prayer to the universe.
it went something like this: "please, oh please, oh please let september be one of those cool, blue-skied, sunny septembers, with crisp mornings and cool nights and the sweet smell of composting leaves that makes autumn so memorable and loved."

you see one of these septembers can make the difference between going into your 5th alaskan winter with trepidation and even slight despair (who am i kidding- major despair. one might even elude to wrist cutting despair...) or with a hopeful and determined attitude.
it appears that although a few days late, the universe is going to grant us some of that september love.
and i'd like to say thank you.

yesterday after work we headed to kincaid park to hit the beach.
bet you never gave much thought to the fact that anchortown has a beach, right?
well, it does. and in true alaskan style, its a little weird and a whole lot beautiful.

the weird part is that the inlet is very shallow but the tide moves in and out with amazing force and current. this leaves beautiful swaths of mud and rivulets.
the walk to the beach is a beautiful, albeit confusing stroll through kincaid park. the park itself is a lovely, forested swath of land which encompasses just over 1500 acres. there are numerous biking and ski trails, many of which are groomed and lit during winter. there is also a fierce frisbee golf course. frisbee golf is very popular in anchortown.

so, we go to the beach here to allow kids to walk and play in the mud.
no. really. we do. and its fun.

around turnagain arm there are many places where you are strongly advised against walking on the tidal flats because you can become stuck in muck and sink like you are in quicksand. ( people have drowned venturing out too far, getting stuck and having the tide come in....) but it seems that on this little stretch, its okay to go out and get your feet muddy.

if you bring your dog, or your kid for that matter, you dont want to forget the towel or you wont allow them back in the car.

sunday snaps

2010-08-29T23:01:00.001-08:00

real life

2010-08-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

so, here i am back in real life, smelling autumn and catching glimpses of winter in my rear-view.

and while i'm rooting for a long played-out fall, it doesnt really happen that way around here.

in order to mentally prepare myself for subjecting my body and soul to another 8 months of alaskan winter (no, i do not exagerate... winter is like 8 freaking months long- trust me)
ive been putting lots of effort into figuring out what i can do (besides the obvious eat, sleep and drink) to get through it.

im fresh out of vacation time (and money), so we've got no winter holiday in the sun planned so far. this makes me a wee bit nervous.
im hoping the old fairy god mother will come out of retirement and grant me some wishes... but,
i probably shouldnt hold my breath on that one.

thus far, ive signed up for a fantastic looking printmaking class at the anchorage museum of art.
in preparation, ive started playing around with some photos that ive taken on picnik while trying to find an appropriate design to transfer onto an art print.

this is what ive come up with so far.
i rather like the looks of them.
hubby's eval however: "not so much."

everyone's a fucking critic.

heading home

2010-08-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

after an amazing time here in new england, i am getting ready to head home.

jade and i have had a great time visiting family and friends, got our moneys worth from the rental car, and played in the most spectacular summer weather during the past 2 weeks.

i dare say, im almost satiated.

there are hundreds of photos to chose from, but here are some of my faves so far.

the wedding pics are from my beautiful friend aimee's wedding.
she married her wonderful sweetheart on the coast of maine yesterday.

life is good.

i heart maine

2010-08-10T17:34:00.001-08:00

more maine

2010-08-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

playing hard.
not sleeping.
enjoying family and sun.
more to come....

maine

2010-08-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

its hot and sticky and sweltering and i cant get enough. my boy is being spoiled beyond belief.
we are having fun and still have so much to do here.

hooray for long summer vacations and jobs which allow such pleasure.

new england snaps

2010-08-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

please stand by

2010-07-28T22:38:00.003-08:00

i am experiencing technical difficulties.
technically, its summer.
in reality, we've had 10 plus days of dreary rain with temperatures in the low 50's.
any semblance of a tan is long gone. my healthy glow is green.

i know it seems like all i do is jump a plane every chance i get... and well.... i do.
i have no fancy pictures to share as photographing in the rain is not my strong suit.

so please stay tuned as i am heading east to the homeland.
im heading home with the boy to eat blueberries and look for sal. to cook lobster and find the worlds most delectable whoopie pie. to relax with the baby brother and his girl in his world. to play in the barn and on the lake and to listen for loons and to see the atlantic and remember it smells different than the pacific. i am going to be patient with the grandpas and their grandmas and to somehow soak in the love of my gone-so-long mother and her beautiful mother before her, in the northwoods they both called home.

heres a little something to enjoy in the mean time.

see you soon.

chicago

2010-07-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

we have hopped a jet plane to the windy city.
its dreadfully hot and delicious to be here.

kennecott

2010-07-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

so. the weekend found us and what were we to do, but hit the road?
really. we had no choice.

a trek to mccarthy/kennecott has been on the must-do for a while.
we crossed it off the list this weekend!

in summary:
640 miles
approximately 60 of them washboarded-
endless stream of campers
funny looking black spruce
one moose
one lynx butt!
tons of mtn bikers
18 hours of sun/clouds and little precipitation
fireworks in the half light
abondoned mine with palpable history
first episode of car sickness for the boy who then proclaimed; "I FEEL BETTER NOW THAT I PUKED!"
endless peanut butter and jelly
3 happy dogs
great company
amazing camp pad
westy did not break down, instead ran like a champ and asked for more

in brief- mccarthy is located at the end of the road system.
the infamous road itself is a 59 mile stretch between the copper river and the kennecott river.
this, in plainest terms, makes it downright weird.

its an isolated place surrounded by beauty, where the majority of folks are most certainly looking for something main stream america cannot provide.
i saw more "dont tread on me" flags here on 7/4 than ive seen in one place, my entire life.

end-of-the-roaders.
take 'em seriously.

and for god's sake, when you pass the spot on the road where there are fresh pies for sale, stop and get yourself one.

12 on and where's that weekend?

2010-07-02T15:38:00.002-08:00

twelve days on is too many in a row for any job.
my job is a particularly draining one and at the end of this run, i am ready for a break.

i havent written much about my job since getting hired, as the blog has really morphed into a place of refuge for me. a place to put up photos of goings-on here in the largest state in the union.
i hope someday it will serve as a great journal for jade who will likely forget all about eagles, moose, bear and vast views.

today i am compelled to write a bit about the phone call that came from a man who's father would die while under the care of my service.

the patient was elderly and frail and died quickly and peacefully.
he was free of pain and anxiety.

his son flew in from away as his father slipped into unconsciousness.
his wife, a medical professional, was kind and honest, recognizing her father in law would not want aggressive, life-prolonging treatment.
his son was abrupt and suspicious upon meeting me.
he demanded to speak with the physician.
after calmly explaining it was the physician who has sent me because of the expertise my service offered, he began to listen.

his sister wondered out loud if i was part of obamacare.

(thanks palin for making my already emotionally draining profession something now viewed with fear and hate. its incredibly helpful to me, my patients and their families.)

despite our rocky start i returned again and again to the room to assure them, to adjust medications and to answer questions. when the sister again tried to bait me with mention of obamacare and death panels i looked her square in the eye and calmly stated; " i will not engage with you" and moved on to address questions about breathing patterns and fever.

this time, i could see the son wince when his sister went after me. i (remarkably) stayed even and calm, knowing i was providing essential information and support to all of them despite hostility and fear.

the patient died peacefully with all three family members present a short while later.

today there was a message from the son on our answering machine in the office.
i was hesitant to call back, but i did.

i was so grateful to receive a heart felt thank you from this son, and more importantly, an acknowledgement that my job must be difficult.
he expressed that guiding families through a process most are unfamiliar with seemed natural for me and it put them at ease. he also said that to face families who are scared and grieving was viewed as grace under considerable pressure.

my professional life is incredibly gratefying.
my time away from it is as well.

heres to a wonderfully long weekend.

this article came out earlier this week.
take some time to read it and let me know what you think.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100628/ap_on_he_me/us_med_overtreated_final_days_7

saturday snaps

2010-06-26T22:18:00.002-08:00

magpies are the worlds most noisy birds.
i do not like them.

my dog wont go out in the back yard because they nip at his tail.
he weighs about 80 pounds.

today, as i was standing in the kitchen, i saw a very nice looking black cat whom i have never laid eyes on.
she caught my eye because she was lazily lying on the fence looking all content.
-until the magpie spied her and then all hell broke loose.

they've just had babies in the back yard, and they're a bit protective, of the entire block!
part of me wishes, i would have taken the advice of the old woman who lives across the way, and knocked down the nest in early spring..

but i didnt, and now we have more magpies.

light!

2010-06-22T21:58:00.001-08:00

let there be light.
and there was!

happy belated solstice all.
we are enjoying the long alaskan days here now with sunrise at 4:20 and sunset at 11:42.
its an amazing time of year here.

last weekend sent us packing off to girdwood to attend the first annual fiddlehead festival.
we had all kinds of fun, despite the very un-summer-like temperatures and the rain.

this is me flirting with vince and vince asking jaden "so, what do you play?" and jade, without missing a beat telling him; "baseball."

after a good laugh and some 7 year old embarrassment, jade promises to think about learning an instrument, like say, the guitar or mandolin...

on sunday we celebrated jeff- as he is beyond a doubt the worlds best papa to his son j-man.
not to mention an incredible husband and partner. <3

we headed south to the portage valley to find the sunshine and ended up doing an easy and enjoyable walk up to byron glacier.
this is another great visitor destination as its only about 60 or so miles from anchorage, and the walk is family friendly.
the end result is a beautiful snowfield with hanging blue ice up in the valley.

rocket enjoyed a bath and rolled around and around and around in the snow.
its a dogs life.

happy summer!
its gonna be a good one.

weeks end

2010-06-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

happy friday everyone. we've made it through another work week.
anyone got any fun weekend plans?
we have some ideas, but nothing set in stone.
camera in hand.
will likely find something wonderful to do out there.

in the mean time....

listening: http://www.koto.org/ to the live broadcast of the telluride bluegrass festival and wishing we were there
eating: apples and peanut butter
drinking: soy hot chocolate and jalapeno peach margaritas. but not together.
wearing: cardigans in all kinds of pretty summer patterns
feeling: pretty darned settled
weather: grey and not minding it- still endless light
wanting: more travel, more time off and more money
needing: none of the above
thinking: about running a marathon
enjoying: life
wondering: if that feeling of restlessness will ever really completely disappear..

got ice?

2010-06-09T21:30:00.001-08:00

my hubby thinks i am a little over zealous about this place.

i just happen to think walking on a glacier is over-the-top cool, quite literally.

summah'

2010-06-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

work? what is this work you speak of?
hmmmmm. yes, i suppose i need to get back there soon.
tomorrow perhaps.

when friends make the effort to come to the greatland, there is no choice but to play hookie and show 'em around.

over the weekend we headed down to the kenai by way of skilak lake, which is inside the border of the kenai national wildlife refuge, then to ninilchik, clam gulch and homer.

then we made a mad push to seward for the night, had a visit at the sea life center and of course hung out with the wonderful r & l and l <3.
on sunday it was home again via the alaska wildlife conservation.

today its off to the matanuska glacier.
it looks cold and cloudy up there via the webcam. (sheep mountain is the closest cam to the actual glacier.)

did i mention i recently upgraded my camera to one of these????
woooohoooooo!

denali highway

2010-06-02T21:42:00.002-08:00

i did not fall off the edge of the earth, just into endless daylight in the greatland.
summer is upon us here in alaska. the bugs are biting and we are all waiting for the salmon to run.

last weekend we took off in the westfalia to drive the 600 mile trek from anchortown to cantwell, across the denali highway to paxon and home again.
our 27 year old girl ran like a champ with no major mishaps except for the requisite flat tire after 135 miles of gravel.

for anyone reading nearby who has not "done" the denali highway; i have one thing to tell you: DO IT!

this beautiful road runs through some of the finest alaskan scenery along the south side of the alaska range. the land on either side of the drive is administered by BLM which allows for endless camping and exploring possibilities.
the road was built in 1957, long before the parks highway, to provide road access into denali national park from the richardson highway.
since the completion of the parks highway in 1972, this road has been left largely for recreation.

the scenery is as breathtaking as the park itself with no crowds to speak of.
so, what are you waiting for?

guard dog--

caribou (aka: vixen)

happy dog

ground cover

trumpeter swans

the fam, with maclaren glacier in the background

on the edge of the storm

westy love

valley view

2010-05-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

on friday we headed to the valley to attend a graduation celebration for this lovely young woman.

last fall we took these senior photos together. i've never done anything like that, but everyone was pleased with how they turned out.
i was told she had by far the best senior picture. how nice is that?

she will be heading to NYU in august.
remember when you were 18 and the world ahead was filled with possiblity?

it was nice being back in the valley.

it really is an amazing place. pioneer peak was looking splendid.
things were popping up all over the place.
the moose havent found these tastys yet.

from there we headed over to eagle river to a birthday party.
the company was fantastic and the snow line is receding.
life is good.

how was your weekend?

recent shots

2010-05-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

the birthday boy and his new bike

watching the planes come in at earthquake park

when you come visit, we can do this.... its crazy shit.

anchortown from earthquake park on the coastal trail.

its beginning to feel like spring around here...

mudflats at the inlet

the view from westchester now-

ice skating no more.

just so

2010-05-02T21:26:00.002-08:00

the birthday week for j-man is finally over... we have a loved (spoiled) child.

~and he is testing out the bounds of 7 at full throttle.

the days are again ridiculously long with sunset outside our west facing bedroom at 10:06.

its hard to face monday with such false light.

the summer calender is filling up fast with lots of fun.

did i mention i dig the hipstamatic app for the iphone?

today my little baby brother turned 33.

i love him very much.

there's really not much more to say about it.

happy birthday brother.

seven

2010-04-25T13:38:00.001-08:00

seven years ago today a baby boy was born.
he came 6 weeks early, which for him, was a good thing.
his tiny self was cared for by an amazing group of intensive care nurses and physicians.
he didn't have the instinct to suckle on a nipple and had an uncomfortable tube down his nose for feedings, but it didn't seem to phase him one bit.

the day i met him, he was nearly 3 weeks old.
his court appointed lawyer and i where the only two authorized to see him.
i spent hours in a rocking chair holding him, marveling at the tiny size of his fingers and nose.
he looked at me with big brown eyes as if none of this phased him.
none of the worry or bustle of the intensive care unit, no part of the the ride to denver in an ambulance to children's hospital for tests and care and back again, seemed to matter.
he is a child who was born with the ability to take things as they come without worry or hesitation.
he is a beautiful child.
he is handsome and lean.
and brown and funny.
and he loves his family and his friends and isn't afraid to show it.

his birth mother and i communicate frequently.
this makes some people uneasy.

it makes me swell with happiness and hope.
she has made incredible changes in her life and they seem to be sticking.
i am hopeful and grateful for her.
i want her to succeed and be part of our lives, because without her, our family would be very different.

someday jade will want to know more about her but for now, he seems very satisfied to know that he is loved by many of us.

valley barn

2010-04-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

ive always wanted to stop and snap this old barn. i passed it every day for several years when we lived out in palmer. today i was out in the valley and finally pulled over, braved the barbed wire and fired a few shots.
love the rusted old roof and the faded aqua blue paint.

sunday update

2010-04-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

its a cold and dreary sunday here in the anchorage bowl.
spring keeps poking its hopeful head out and retreating.
i hope it will be worth the wait.

we've been exploring the neighborhood on our bikes. jade is learning to navigate city streets, driveways and alleys.
it will be hard to convince him that going back to live some place rural is a good idea. city living is suiting him well.

there are bits of dirty sidewalks and mounds of old dirty snow everywhere.
in the small south facing nooks the grass is tinged green.

we spent a small amount of cash recently, updating the bathroom of this old house.
its hard for jeff and i to sit idle and when there are so many repairs that need to be made. this place survived the quake of 64 and is a grand old house in need of alot of t.l.c.
some investor is simply renting it out with an occasional coat of new paint in between.
meanwhile the ceiling leaks, the exterior paint is peeling and the kitchen tiles are cracked and worn.

while we remind ourselves that we need not spend time and money on someone elses place, there is value to making it more pleasant as it is likely we will reside here for a while.

this was our before bath.
although the vintage wall paper wasn't the most hideous i'd ever seen, it was bad enough.

after 10 hours of wall paper stripping, 1 gallon of primer and 1 of paint, 2 boxes of vinyl floor covering and one dent/damaged vanity later, we have a pleasant place to sit on the throne or enjoy a bath in the deep, old, tub.

meanwhile, jeff has left for a week to join our seward friends in moving their 32 foot cape george cutter up from sitka. the 500 mile sailing journey will take about a week if all goes well.
i begged and then threatened jeff that he'd better return with some photos of the adventure.
hopefully he'll have some great pics to share.

jade and rocket and i will be heading to seward to meet them when they arrive next weekend.
it will be my first solo with the westy. im packing the jiffy pop, the hot chocolate and anticipating a great time waiting for my ship to come in.

2010-03-30T21:07:00.000-08:00

i am experiencing technical difficulties.
i have not had any inspiration.
every day i have good intentions to return from work and hit the streets, camera in hand, to take interesting photos and post them here for all three of you to see.
i see anchorage waking from its long winter nap, and i'd like to show it to you.

but you see, its breakup here.

oh, dont be sad, breakup is a happy, albeit, dirty time of year here in alaska.
in fact there are many of us who actually pine for breakup for months before the fateful weeks arrive.

breakup describes what happens around these parts when the snow (after 5 long months) begins to retreat.

all sorts of things emerge from here.
some not so pretty.
truth: most not so pretty.

walking the dog yesterday there was the remnants of an old stuffed animal, nose stuck frozen to the alley, ass end up in the air all tattered and dirty.
poor guy had a long winter only to emerge and be pawed at by dog who only wanted to pry the stuffing out of it.

people.
people walking dogs and riding bikes and holding hands and cradling steaming coffee.
smiling.
sunglasses.
squinting.

so, as i watch the increasing activity and people scurrying about in the ridicoulsly long daylight hours, i am trying to gather inspiration and grab the camera for a walk.

so please, stay tuned.

anew

2010-03-21T17:44:00.001-08:00

well spring is springing here in the far north.
pavement is being exposed, on a short showshoe today we saw brush and ground cover peaking up through the snow.
and we saw this beautiful sun dog.
i know to most of you you arent going to get it when i write, spring is springing.
but trust me, it is.

and this is encouraging.

we had a perfect day at mt. alyeska yesterday.
its a beautiful thing when you can sleep in on a saturday, have a leisurely breakfast and head to the mountain at the crack on 2 and still get in 6 solid hours of daytime runs in.

jade was pretty excited about the prospect of skiing at night, but we've missed the mark on that as the runs close at 9 and sunset is close to 8:30 now.
he did get to make a few runs under the lights with a friend of his- sans parents. (unnerving for me, and an absolute delight for the two of them.)

not many 6 year olds can say they took the double up for 4 runs without parents tagging along.
we sat at the bottom, (me clutching my ipa) watching them race each other to the lift line.
good times.

ive been starting to dream of gardening under the midnight sun. we are currently in a rental so i dont know how much lee way we'll have in the back yard. might have to be container gardening but im looking forward to getting dirt under my nails.

i miss lots of things about colorado, but my garden there is up there on the list.

hows spring coming along out there for you folks?

come on, lets hear some bragging about cleaning out those closest and watching the tulips come up.

hipsta!

2010-03-14T17:35:00.001-08:00

any iphone owners out there?
these funky looking pics were taken with my new favorite app- well worth the $1.99.
hipstamatic! check it out.

beautiful day in the neighborhood

2010-03-10T21:42:00.000-09:00

people elsewhere are bragging about the warm weather and signs of spring.
here in AK we've got a long way to go.

we've just had a dumping of nearly a foot of snow, covering the old crusty layer that has been around for months. i think we saw temperatures in the teens today.

this is the time of year when the daylight grows by incredible leaps and bounds.
we have just crossed the tipping point to excessive.
our daylight was near normal the past couple of weeks, but now its starting to get strange again, but in a very needed and happy way.
sometimes strange is what you need.

the iditarod has begun.
as usual, there are some characters running the last great race this year.

i particularly liked hearing about the few, now adult offspring of former race runners.
in fact, dallas seavey (dad mitch is also competing) is currently in second place and ramey smyth and his brother cim smyth (offspring of legend bud smyth) are running as well.

the jamacian (yes, jamacan) man, newton marshall blows my mind and apparently he did quite well in the yukon quest.
we've got a woman who also happens to be a rookie currently in 6th place.
you go girl!!

the race lasts aproximately 11 days. it is now day 3 so it will be intersting to see how things turn out.
check out the web site. its pretty cool.

its spring break here and jade is busy at camp all week.
he's really loving it.
they have been cross country skiing, snowshoeing and fort building and the boy is coming home worn out. we love that!
yesterday they disected an (unfortunate) electrocuted owl and he got to bring home some of the stomach contents. (i know, i know, you're thinking how lucky i am, right?)

he was thrilled to lay them out on a paper towel and show us what the creature had in its belly.
little bones of mice and things.
facinating stuff to an almost 7 year old boy.

thats all the news here...
i will endeavor to get outside with the camera one of these evenings soon.

boston

2010-03-07T13:36:00.000-09:00

im just home after wrapping up a whirlwind tour of my favorite city.
i had the great opportunity of traveling there for a conference, which was fantastic!

i also got to share this beautiful old city with two friends who hadnt ever spent any time there.
i also got to see my amazing brother and his beautiful girl and alex who came into town from her suburban digs to spend the night with us.

hooray for family and friends!

when i was a much younger girl, just after graduating from high school, i went to art school in boston at the art institute. it is now a part of lesley college.
although seems like a life time ago, the city holds tremendous memories for me and its like going home. (i grew up in maine as well. this is truly my part of the world.)

since jeff is originally from beantown, i tend to rely on him when we venture back.
but this time it was all me as jeff was here in ak. holding down the fort.
i managed to navigate our way around a small portion of the city by foot and by T (subway) cramming in the high points between conference sessions.

i didnt take my nice camera because i didnt check a bag and its too cumbersome to juggle with only carry-on luggage, so these are some power shots from the little hand held.

now, time to get back to the grind- although today is a bluebird day- lots of sunshine and snow. i have a restless child who needs to get out of the house.
until next time, cheers!

ps- anyone out there checking in need to share any new and creative blog space with me? i could use some fresh reading and photo looking.

rondevous

2010-02-28T22:35:00.000-09:00

this weekend is the kick-off of fur rondy here in anchorage.
fur rondy leads up to the iditarod which begins next sunday.

historically, the rondy began in the 1930's as a 3 day festival coinciding with the miners and trappers coming to town with their winters yield.
initially, it was a sports tournament of sorts, with skiing, hockey, boxing and a childrens sled dog race.

today, it has evolved into a week of activities including curling, ice bowling, outhouse races, fireworks, sled dog races and carnival rides at ridiculous temperatures.

(kiddies: do not put your tongue on the fuzzy metal bar on the ferris wheel!)

there is also a whole lotta fur and people strutting around in said fur.

this is our 4th rondy and being that we are now within walking distance of it all, we took some of it in on saturday.

i cannot believe that PITA has not caught wind of this madness and made it up here to see this... not that i think thats a very good idea, being that most alaskans are armed and opinionated...

doesnt jade look swell in dead/red fox, skunk and crystal fox?

and these two below.
whoa. is all i have to say. they were so happy to pose for a photo!
i think the lynx is pissed.
as he should be.

really.
people are on these rides. it was about 15 degrees.

holy tongue!

and this beautiful native elder captured my heart.
isnt she lovely?
fur and all.

I heart SF

2010-02-16T13:17:00.000-09:00

dear sweet san francisco with your multitude of races, languages and smells, i want to thank you for a real good time.

i have known you to be damp and white with your trademarked fog hovering below the skyline.
i have found you to be cold and uncaring and have almost certainly always been chilled to the bone visiting you.

but this glorious visit you made me love you.

you wrapped you sun-filled skies around my shoulders, encouraged me to walk your hilly streets and to seek out your public spaces.
you reminded me of the beauty of diversity in all its definitions and in every context.
you tugged at my empathy, my sympathy and my inner desires.

i inhaled your salt water, ate your food and drank your wine and in the end, i found that i did indeed love you.

breathe.

2010-02-10T20:27:00.002-09:00

so zen lasted all of about 3.5 days. it was real nice.
now, the tan fades, the skin itches and my job is giving me some shimmering gray highlights.

but hey, 40 is the new 25.

as some of you faithful readers may remember, last summer i took a new position at an unnamed hospital someplace in alaska.....
(all that HIPAA crap keeps me from divulging any of the gory details in the event i get carried away)

i really like it.
its my dream job, and i like it so very much more that my other unnamed position at that clinic in that other town someplace else in alaska.
i dont regret my last endeavor, lets just say this one is a much better fit for all parties involved.

however, my new gig can be somewhat emotionally demanding.
life sucking, if you will.
not every day.
most days it's amazingly fulfilling.
and for that i am grateful.
but today was one of those days where i was left pondering the complexities of life, wondering if my actions were right or wrong.
wondering how i could have managed to tell the truth without being quite so blunt.

on a lighter note, im taking an online photography course which i am enjoying very much.
it is specific to my camera which i really havent taken the time to learn about extensively.
there are about 20 of us enrolled.
there are people from australia, canada and several places across the u.s.
it wouldnt be a bad thing to make a connection with someone else with a love of photography in a place like australia, right?

jeff and i are heading (sans child) to san francisco this weekend.
i feel like a rockstar, jetting off for the weekend to catch one of our favorite bands, seeking out some fantastic food and sleeping in until we want to get up.

i will likely return with some photos of our time in the city by the bay.
until then-
namaste
and dont forget to breathe.

zen found

2010-02-02T19:10:00.000-09:00

one blissed out family has returned home.
we are satiated, tan and relaxed.
i wish i could say, excited to get back to the grind, but you know how that goes...

ahhh, the big island.
i had no idea i would fall so hard.

it is such a great, diverse land.

we began our journey on the east side of the island in hilo where we met terri and bud of happy campers who were better than we could have imagined!
they were kind, hospitable and friendly.
and man, do they have a good gig going!

they picked us up at the airport in the shuttle westfalia with lei's of pink orchids for us.

right there- i was sold.
the mood button was pushed firmly to HAPPY!
it was a fantastic way to begin our hawaiian journey.

we were shuttled to the bus lot which is truly a wet dream for the westfalia lover.
there, we found a fleet of 9 ( i believe) westfalias with the newest addition being a synchro.
we were introduced to silver holo holo who was to be our home on wheels for the next week.

(jeff was up before me this morning plotting our next trip. he is determined that we will rent the 4x4 next year.)
looks like ive created a monster, and who doesn't love a monster?

terri gave us the ins and outs of holo holo, which means just for fun, which was appropriate.

after our introductions and instruction, it was off to the farmers market to stock up the cooler.
avocados, peppers, bananas, apple bananas, starfruit, rambutan, and all sorts of other amazing fresh produce. the farmers market in hilo is amazing.

we were already in heaven.

we took our time day one and headed to the lava bottomed swimming hole on the coast, then up to volcano national park where our friends rich, les and lydia from seward were waiting.
they are spending a little more than an month in hawaii (lucky ducks!) and had rented a house there.

we had a great evening together and popped up the top in the yard amongst the 4 foot ferns.

the next day we headed to the kilauea iki caldera which was surreal. the volcano area is a lush high altitude landscape (4000 ft) and is cool and green.

we hiked across the kilauea iki caldera which i found to be both awesome and unnerving.
there were steaming vents and crackling sounds and this creep-ed me out!
but here i am.
we survived without being blown to smithereens and there aren't many people who can say they've hiked across a caldera.

after the hike we packed up 4 adults and 2 kids into the westy and headed south to the kopoho tide pools which were very cool. the snorkeling was beautiful with numerous kinds of coral and small colorful fish. we even saw an eel (eeeeewwwww) which was about 16 inches long.

when we returned to the rented mountain home, we popped the top of the westy in the yard and settled in.
the next morning we headed out, visiting the thurston lava tubes before heading down toward the coast, continuing south.
the lava tubes were DARK and creepy. the boys loved them.

we made a quick stop at punaluu black sand beach to see the turtles (with a couple of tour buses, we did not stay...) then continued south after checking out this fellow.

we drove really far south, in fact, the southern most point in the US.

this place was amazing with whales jumping and breeching off shore over and over again. the color of the water and the surrounding land was beautiful and desolate.

there were old defunct wind turbines swaying eerily in the breeze.

we continued on to the fishing village of milolii, where the small campground was full of locals barbecuing.
we avoided the stink eye by parking and promptly heading to the hiking trail toward the beach. (although most locals are very friendly, we were warned that if the place was taken over by locals, give them a wide berth.) we followed the directions to the secluded black sand beach, marching right on through the no trespassing signs and onto honomalino beach.

being that it was late in the afternoon, we had this blissful place all to ourselves.
jaden was in heaven.
we had found a sandy beach at last.

we hiked back out at sunset and camped that evening at milolii as all the locals had gone home for the evening.
there was just one other camper there besides us.

we parked the van near the break wall and spent the night listening to the waves.
it was amazing to wake up again with whales breaching off shore.

packing it in, we continued up the highway with the scenery changing from immense lava flow to lush green hills.
we landed at hookena beach which ended up being our favorite camping and hang out spot.
this place has recently been taken over from the county by a group of locals who patrol the place and sell permits on site ($5 per adult and $1 for the kiki) to camp.
the place had such a nice feel with locals and not too many visitors.

it was there we met mike and denise of... alaska!
they moved to the big island after being long time ak residents.
denise is a native alaskan and she and mike have 6 grown children. hookena is their home beach where they come to swim frequently. they gave us a big hawaiian welcome and chatted us up for a good long time. mike even tried to convince us to hunt down the hidden camp spot adjacent to neil youngs pad when we headed north, but we're not that bold. we now have directions though, so maybe next time.

we spent all day hanging out at hookena. this is where jaden watched the local kiddos boogie board and definitely learned some valuable techniques that he perfected as the week wore on.
we spent an entire day there and camped for just one night.
all in all blissful.

we continued heading up the coast into kona.
we stopped at the coffee shack, a well known breakfast joint which probably has the best views around. we watched the geckos feast on jelly and stuffed ourselves on brunch.

we headed on up the road stopping at south kona fruit stand which made me want to change professions and get myself a little piece of paradise. i can see it now: paradise fruits, paradise organics?
avocados do grow on trees you know.

we stopped at greenwell farms which is a giant producer of kona coffee and learned lots of interesting things about the revered coffee bean.

did you know its a sweet little fruit?
did you know the bean is really a seed and there are two per fruit?
we enjoyed the short and informative tour very much.

i am ashamed to admit that we took a whirlwind drive through kona.
we basically went to check out a piece of paradise that our good friends michelle and arron from alaska are in the process of buying.
it looks amazing!! macadamia nut trees and sweeping views.
i have my fingers and toes crossed for them!

we stopped at the grocery store to refill on ice and provisions and we headed to a beach called makalawana.
we parked at the end of a large and bumpy lava flow (about 1.5 miles to the parking area) then hiked across said lava field for approximately 1/2 hour landing here....

we spend the several hours here with just 4 other people and about 6 roosters, until we had to leave because they close and lock the access road. it was heavenly.

we planned on camping at hapuna which was just down the road, except there is no camping at hapuna- despite what every guide book says, take my word for it: there is no camping at hapuna.
so we ended up pulling off on a little dirt side road (very close to neil youngs place!) to park for the night.
the moon was enormous and it was quite lovely.

hapuna beach day!
we spent the entire next day in some of the biggest surf i have ever seen up close.there were 8 foot waves breaking close to shore and the rip tide was evident.
jaden perfected his fearlessness and his boogie boarding technique while i tried not to freak out, and we watched Joy the amazing hawaiian lifeguard do 3 rescues.
stupid howilies.
hands down.
no question.
best beach day.

ever.

we hit the road the at the end of that perfect day to have dinner with our friends up in waimia at tako taco.
great vibe, open mike nite and fantastic food.
then we rolled back down the hill to camp near the north shore at mahukona beach park.
this was a quiet little beach park where we parked right on the side of a break wall over looking the ocean.

the next day we headed back down south a few miles to check out mauna kea beach for the day.
this beautiful cresent sand beach was quite lovely. it was less crowded that hapuna as it is flanked by a golfcourse and large resort. the resort limits parking to non hotel customers to 40 cars at a time.

the waves were big there but the rip current was not so strong.
it made for a relaxing day.
at the end of the the day and after very little contemplation, jeff and i decided to splurge on a room at the resort. we went from beach to van to the lobby and checked right in.

no regrets.

i havent had a shower feel so good in a long time.
this was to be our last night in hawaii.

the next morning we began our ride over to the east part of the island by way of waimea to make our way down to hilo.

we diverted onto the old mamalahoa highway (gorgeous!) and into honokaa which was a lovely little town with a cute downtown area overlooking the cliffs and ocean.
we then headed west on 240 to the end of the road where we took in the stunning views of waipio valley.

it was here we were wishing we had that 4x4 because without it, we could only admire the cliffs and beach from above.

we then headed east again, towards hilo.

we made one final stop at the botanical gardens which were AMAZING and beautiful.

we gave back our beautiful wilted leis to the ocean, saying a little prayer to pele and reluctantly headed into hilo to return holo holo to its owners.

whew.
i'm ready to head back and do it all again.

have you been to hawaii?

please stand by

2010-01-20T22:36:00.001-09:00

we are heading to the big island to escape the freezing temperatures and soak up some sunshine.
its the time of year where our skin is so pasty, we practically look green, and quite honestly, i dont look so good in green.

since we are renting a westy (check this out!) and living in it for a week we are doing our best to leave the electronics at home. i'll be taking lots of photos and posting when i return.

i can hear the ukelali's and taste the mai tais already.
aloha!

overloaded

2010-01-17T18:48:00.000-09:00

my plate is full
the list is long
there is light.... sunlight in fact
a small pin point dot of it shining through the tunnel
if i can manage to take the list
and clear the plate
and meet all the obligations that are crying out to be met
then on friday
just 5 short days from now
i will be stuffed into a seat that even my small self considers uncomfortable
hurling through the sky at amazing speeds
in a metal tube
sipping a mai tai
and arriving finally into the wet warm hawaiian air

until then
i reminisce and avoid the plate
and the list
for just one more moment
and smile when remembering this

my beach brown yoga boy

rejoice!

2010-01-10T11:43:00.000-09:00

let there be light: and there was.
3 minutes a day folks.
there is light at the end of the tunnel, in fact i had to hunt down the sunglasses yesterday for our trip to the lagoon to ice skate. they hadnt been used in months.
our current tally; 10:05 am sunrise-4:08 pm sunset.
now when i get off work, the sky is a beautiful deep dark blue, but its not dark.

as mentioned, we ventured to the lagoon to ice skate yesterday. i grew up ice skating but jeff didnt. jade seems to be catching on quickly and jeff is a great sport.

the lagoon is maintained by parks and rec and hot mopped. on the weekends they maintain a burn barrel and have free hot chocolate. its pretty cool to see all kinds of people, young and old, some playing frisbee, some passing hockey pucks back and forth out on the ice.

we are counting the days until our hawaiian escape...
we will be camping around the big island in a rented westfalia. i am looking forward to sand between my toes and going without long underware.

2010!

2010-01-02T12:16:00.000-09:00

i hope everyone survived the holiday frenzy.
we did and now are gearing up for jade to begin school at his new place on monday. exciting stuff.

its been c-c-chilly cold here. we ventured out for breakfast this a.m. and are now putzing around trying to figure out what to do with our day. its 3 degrees so none of us are particularly motivated to be outside.
we had planned on a trip to seward, but our friends there are all feeling under the weather, so we aborted.

here are a couple of photos of the sunrise this morning as the moon was setting over sleeping lady.

wow- blogger has some new things to play with up there. where the heck is spell check?
we can change color now. thats ~~interesting~~ handy, i always wondered how people did that.

i wonder if they made inserting and moving photos around text easier?

wow. they did.

merry xmas to ME!
happy new year everyone.

for fun

2009-12-17T15:31:00.001-09:00

http://svt.se/hogafflahage/hogafflaHage_site/Kor/hestekor.swf

sunday

2009-12-13T18:08:00.015-09:00

come, lets go for a walk.
its a cold and icy sunday, and if you dont get out and off the couch, the sadness of northern winter will attempt to steal your soul.

so, lets go.
shall we?

we'll start by walking through the frosty neighborhood.
as i mentioned before, we've been locked in a perpetual state of ice fog.
its been over a week now since we've seen the sun, except for the few moments we got up in girdwood yesterday.

the anchorage bowl is called a bowl for a reason.
as you can see, the snow removal crew has been busy. they have an elaborate system of moving snow to the center of the street and then picking it up and removing it elsewhere outside of the city. otherwise we'd have mountains of snow until may. something i never thought much about.
they also have this ridiculous sidewalk thingy that will eat small children and dogs if you are not careful. a sight to see- i'll try and capture it the next time we get snow and its chugging and banging down the sidewalk.

as we head toward valley of the moon park to pick up the chester creek trail we pass some fun flags.
they look cold.

anchorage has an amazing network of trails. the tony knowles trail hugs the coastline of knik arm and cook inlet from downtown anchorage to 10+ miles south to kincaid park.
in the summer time it is full of runners, bikers and moose.
in the winter it is full of runners, bikers, skiers and moose.
the trail is kept groomed in the wintertime.

anchorage really is an amazing city when it comes to its maintained public outdoor spaces.
it boasts 10,946 acres of municipal parkland, 223 parks, 250 miles of trails and greenbelts, 110 athletic fields, 5 pools, 11 recreation facilities, and 82 playgrounds. impressive, right?

okay, back to our walk.we connect into the coastal trail near westchester lagoon. just about 4 blocks from here.
there is ice skating at the lagoon, maintained also by parks and rec, but maintenance hasnt yet begun.
with city budget cuts, im hopeful this year they will carry on the tradition of hot mopping and maintaining a burn barrel because it sure sounds like fun.
i'll keep you posted.

as the coastal trail winds toward downtown it hugs the shore. the inlet is full of giant, broken, sheets of mud and ice.
its really an amazing sight to see.
ice is everywhere, on everything.as we wind our way back home, hands kept toasty by that incredible invention "little hotties" we will walk through a neighborhood called bootleggers cove which is located just west of downtown.

there sure are some amazing little homes around here.
remember i said we are renting a great older home in downtown?
well, this isnt it.
and neither is this one.
but arent they lovely?
its getting to be all festive around here.that being said. we have arrived back home. we now have a nice bottle of wine out with some crackers and cheese. its time to wrap up a great weekend.

we bought a chrismas tree today.
a beautiful little fraser fir tree.
abies fraseri.
she's a beautiful little thing and she smells so sweet. be paid the big bucks to minnesota bob.
you can read all about him here. a very interesting story.

your other option here is to cut yourself an alaskan spruce.
they generally do not smell sweet and can be quite charlie brown, if not tall.

so its off to decorate the tree.
thanks for walking with me.

brrrrrrr

2009-12-12T20:33:00.006-09:00

more of what life looks like in our frozen world.

this juvenile eagle was hanging around looking frosty.todays view of the ski patrol hut at alyeska, with the first glimpse of blue sky seen in over a week.

our back yard-

palmer hay flats, mid-day.
our new favorite place.

ice fog

2009-12-09T20:43:00.007-09:00

the city is blanketed by a thick, wet, cold layer of fog, making every surface shine with soft rime. the bicycle i passed, locked sadly to the rack outside of city market, would make an inexperienced child want to run right up and stick his tongue on the fuzzy surface.

it is thick, surreal and hauntingly beautiful.
very unfortunately it is also impossible for me, the amateur photographer, to capture it in the dark, and these days i leave the house in the dark and return home in it.
i might have to sneak out and stroll through the woods surrounding the hospital campus one of these days with the camera to see what i might find in our limited light.

its been nice to be snuggled in this anchorage bowl with heavy, white, frozen vapor.
it is so pretty it almost makes you forget about the bone chilling, snot freezing temperatures.
-and it sure makes the christmas lights look pretty.

mumbo jumbo

2009-12-03T20:30:00.007-09:00

we have reached the deep part of winter with sunrise at 9:50 and sunset at 3:48.
it is cold and hard to get moving in the mornings.
solstice, where are you? only 18 days to go.

one of the biggest difficulties for me with this darkness is my inability to take night time photos- this makes for some lame blogging on my part, since most of this little space on the web of mine is filled with photos of our goings on.

here are two for fun.
one of jade and lyd as we walked to a production of the nutcracker recently.
how nice to have dinner and walk downtown to the performing arts center! the other is the view from the alcove office space in this house, looking out through the very large skylight.

we are still in the long and drawn out process of getting settled into this old anchorage house with its creaky floors and crackling heat ducts.
the house feels good, comfortable.
the kitchen unfortunately, not so good or comfortable.
im having a hard time unpacking that room with its old and peeling contact paper and sticky surfaces no matter how much elbow grease has been poured on- but i'll get over it.

it is bitter-sweet leaving the palmer house. i loved that space. i loved the surrounding woods and the beautiful view of the talkeetna range.
i loved having a vision and making it happen.

tomorrow we will close the sale and hand over the keys to a very nice family with three kids.
they really love the house and have plans to do the addition we dreamed of. their kids are psyched to play in the woods and sled down the driveway.
this part feels good.

here are the parting shots finally, from an incredible seattle weekend.
too much fun had by all.
really. good times.
a sweet condo on the 2nd ave across the street from SAM.
pikes market daily for fruit, bread, cheese and veggies.

(i will pine for fresh figs from now until my dying day. a delectable treat shared by alex- cut figs in half, drizzle with olive oil and honey, put a small lump of gorgonzola on top and bake until warm and bubbly. oh, heaven!
my kingdom for the fig dish!)

and lovely friends to share a weekend away with me.
life, as hectic and ever changing as always, is good.

seattle snippets

2009-11-23T22:27:00.003-09:00

i am too tired to manage a real post, but heres a glimpse of a wonderful weekend away.
i have more photos and the whole story coming right after we weed through a few more boxes and i have a spot to sit a while.

life is crazy.

nothing like leaving for a weekend right in the middle of a home sale and move.

good times.
and my sweet husband reminded me today, this birth-day, that i am now middle aged.

wow.

cardboard boxes

2009-11-15T21:47:00.004-09:00

i should be packing, but i'm over it.
here's a little peek of our new space, complete with jaden in front of a computer watching speed racer. you can click to enlarge.we're going from talkeetna mountain views, birch trees and moose, to moose and urban landscape.
i will admit that walking to and from downtown on saturday was pretty cool.
i think everything will be just fine.

transitions

2009-11-08T19:45:00.009-09:00

winter is making an appearance this evening.
its a chilly 24 degrees outside and snow is swirling through the air. we haven't had any snow so far this year, which has been remarkable and wonderful for the commute.
its all coming to a screeching halt today.

i've been busy organizing and packing. trying to figure out what can be put away for a few weeks and what we'll be cursing when we cant find it because its in a box somewhere.
its a fine line between being frustrated and being s.o.l.
that gets me thinking.... wonder where my snow boots are?
hmmm.

life is going to be hectic these next few weeks. we will start moving into our new digs next weekend-slowly, and anticipate a closing date here in early december.
living between two residences 60 miles apart with a kiddo in school in one location and work in the other will leave little time for blogging. so bear with me and i'll keep you posted when my feet land on the ground again.

i am looking forward to wandering around wintery anchorage with my camera in a few short weeks.
i am also heading to seattle soon, which has me excited about capturing some of that gritty city through my viewfinder.

until then, peace out.

ode to novem

2009-11-03T21:55:00.005-09:00

dear sweet november,
go easy on me, for i have always been fond of you.

you do not always behave so nicely here in alaska, i've noticed.
and if i may, this far north does not suit you.

is it the darkness november, approaching at a startling rate?
or the fact that the earth here is frozen, but winter play ground has yet to arrive, leaving us all restless and in-between?

you are long and solid. you usher in the holidays, the gathering of friend and family and you blanket us with darkness.
it is you that helps us to see the light again.

october check in-before its gone!

2009-10-25T09:22:00.005-08:00

current books: olive kitteridge a winding road of a story which manages to capture some of what small town maine might be.
being a native of the state has me reading the story with a jaundiced eye. but i am eating it up anyway. and also, my bread by jim lahey.
i will, i repeat, i will master the fine art of bread baking before the winter is over.

current playlist: david dye and the world cafe mixes it up for me every weekday on knba.
also loving ray la montagne right now.

current guilty pleasure: chocolove baby. chocolove.

current color: all of em. i mean really, who can pick just one?

current drink: westlake unsweetened vanilla soy hot chocolate, homemade in my kitchen.
im trying to stay away from the coffee cart stops. coffee carts are prolific here.

current food: feta zucchini delights; apples and peanut butter.

current show: no tv. try it. its quite liberating. but, when you need the mindless box, its the daily show, netflicks or hulu for me.

current wish list: besides the obvious world peace, and wishing for sarah palin to drop right off the edge of the planet, there is self motivation, self preservation and having a better understanding of what makes my husband so fucking grumpy all the damn time- oh yeah. he's a gemini. sucks to be me, but just half the time.

current needs: see above.

current triumphs: landing my dream job as an advanced nurse practitioner in palliative care in a reputable hospital with wonderful coworkers.
hellllloooo career move.

current bane of my existence: commuting to said job 100 miles each day with darkness closing in at a terrifying rate. but, there is relief in sight.

current indulgence: subscription renewal to vanity fair.

current blessing: our house just sold with winter approaching and the economy in the toilet.

current slang: i drop alot of f-bombs.

current outfit: bahhhhahaahahahahahahahaha! thats funny.

current excitement: going to seattle for a girls weekend to celebrate a birthday in just 3 weeks. lookout! maybe i'll work on that current outfit thing above.

current mood: unsettled.