Poor Doug

He didn't know how deep his was getting into it all when he flew his toddler and pregnant wife to visit 1 rowdy dog, 1 naughty toddler, 2 whiny girls, a (slightly) grumpy sis-in-law and an over worked brother in law.

Dumb Dog

So, it's warming up and staying daylight pretty late now, but it's still Alaska, so no green lawns and only the pussy willows are blooming. However, the ground is nice and dry now after all the snow has melted and the rivers and creeks are breaking up. I took the dog and kids to a park last weekend. Being a boy, the first thing Jamison wanted to do was throw rocks in the creek...being diligent sisters, the girls stood right beside him and made sure he was OK...being a dumb a$$ water dog, Kenai hopped over the ice chunks and played in the water. It was a misty cloudy day...there is NO WAY she was cooling off from too much sun on her black coat...

Airborne Humvee

Here's a picture Tim took of a humvee exiting their C-17. The picture is on the front page of the post newspaper. And a quick clarification, the other airborne pic down below was NOT taken by Tim.

More moose on the loose

OK, I guess if I confess that I went out to dinner and a movie with my neighbor (whose husband is on a ship in the middle of the south seas) the very night Jamison got terribly sick, I might not convince you all that it's all "woe is me" all day long. But, I'm willing to sacrifice your pity so I can show you what we encountered on the way home.

On Northern Lights Blvd...a 4 lane busy road we came to a stop to allow 2 moose to cross the street and then head down the other side with traffic. The pictures aren't that clear, but you get the idea!

E is for Easter and.....

Emergency Room.

Yep, that sinus infection kept us up all night long and prompted a trip to the ER instead of a photo op in the parking lot of church. Here's what Jamison thought of the Easter Bunny's special delivery. And the ER trip got him a breathing treatment and some meds to try and clear his lungs. So far, so good.

How to tell when Daddy is gone

Match the illness to the above creatures:

A. Sinus Infection
B. Recent Head Trauma
C. Ear/eye infection

Never fails!!!

The muse is loose

Yep, he's gone again. Jumped into Donnelly Training Area yesterday. I haven't talked to him, but he sent these pics this morning. I'm guessing he used his new camera!

No, really, it's not April Fools

OK, for those of you that actually still come and see if I actually posted anything new, try not to have a heart attack.

I guess my problem has been that my muse has been gone more than home, so without inspiration I lack motivation.

None the less, it's 45 degrees here today and we are slowly starting to see the ground. There is still 2 inches of packed snow/ice on my driveway, but I have hope by this time next week I will have been able to chip through it all.

The sun is a wonderful old friend that has come to join us again. By 6:00 AM the sky is starting to glow and we all are usually out of bed before 7:00...even during Spring Break over a week ago. We also had a suprise visitor a couple of days into the break-look below for the picture. I should add that the girls Spring Break started off with atleast 6 inches of fresh snow but most was gone by the end of the week.

As I said before, Tim is just a novelty around here lately. Looks like it will continue that way until May. We had our 10 year anniversary this week and it was a biggy for me because I got 2 phone calls AND an email!!!! I also went and bought myself an anniversary IPOD, so when you combine that with a new house, new car and new couch, I'm coming out on the good side of it all.

Jamison gets to go to a birthday party this afternoon. This is his second big boy party in the last month. He's very excited.

The girls got their report cards this week and I'm so proud of them. They have really improved since the first report cards came out. Not that those were bad, I just knew they could have done so much better-and now they've proved it. I'm proud of their efforts, improvements and accomplishments. They even managed not to kill each other during spring break.

Alright, no April Fools here...you actually got an update...and I promise to be better-muse or no.

Don't even get me started

Have you all seen anything about this?


David MacAnally/Eyewitness News

Kokomo, February 27 - For the family who lives in a modest home in Kokomo, the fatal Iraq attack came last week.

Then the attack at home followed.

Vandals defaced the home of Sgt. Rickey Jones' family. Eggs were thrown and flags were stolen. Sgt. Jones, a Kokomo High School graduate, was one four soldier's with the 101st killed west of Baghdad last week.

So who, one week before his burial in his hometown, would vandalize a fallen hero's house?

Neighbor Robyn Ousley is at a loss to explain. "I have no idea, somebody pretty, pretty awful."

Another friend, Bill Swaggerty, says there is more than vandalism for the family to deal with. They're calling here and saying, 'I'm glad your son is dead' and it's wrong."

The family's neighbors have closed ranks, bringing food and flying flags at half-staff. All are signs of respect for Sgt. Jones...

If I were anywhere near Indiana, I would be in Kokomo with a gun right now. Honestly, this is beyond wrong.



A great military blogger expands a little more at BlackFive so check out what he has to say.

If you are as outraged as me, here's a way to positively focus your energy...write to the family

Kokomo High School
2501 S. Berkley Road
Kokomo, IN 46902

My New Hero

You have got to read this. Go on, do it.

Fur Rondy (Part Two)

This morning we headed out on a balmy 40 degree Sunday to ride with some sled dogs. The Chugach Express took over a baseball diamond near down town and brought dozens of sled dogs for rides. The dogs were all chained up to the ball diamond fence anxiously waiting their chance to pull. Anxiously, but not patiently. They would sit almost silently when the "musher" was standing around, but once he looked their way, it was almost as if they thought the loudest barker would get to pull. And then, once he started, all those remaining on the sidelines barked the pulling team on. It was so fun and facinating to watch.




After a little dog sledding, we headed down the road to the snow sculptures. This is where I have to agree with the crazy Alaskans...it was a little too warm for the festivities. The sculptures that people had worked soo hard on were melting. The really detailed ones had nearly melted away. Here's a few shots of some bigger ones. The girls are in front of Little Miss Muffet and Jamison is in front of a triceratops.

Fur Rondy (Part One)

Last night kicked off the celebration Fur Rondy...a build up for the Iditarod. This morning we headed out to catch the parade and play on the ice sculptures. I was pleasantly suprised at how low key and not crowded the events were. Don't get me wrong, there were lots of people...just not millions of people. We left the house at 9:45 to see the 11:00 parade. We parked with in blocks of the parade in a parking garage that charged us $2 for the WHOLE DAY and found a great place to stand and watch. When the parade started, there wasn't a huge mass of people pushing us forward...people stood and chatted with each other and kids ran into the street to get the candy thrown from the floats.

The big news has been the weather. Everybody seems to be disappointed that it is so warm. They are honestly acting like it's 110 degrees at the Texas state fair. By the way, the high was supposed to be 33 degrees. None the less, after experiencing Thunder Over Louisville and Northern Virginia, I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the crowds, but this was so pleasant that I can't wait to head into town tomorrow and see what else there is to see.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

Kenai is back in the arms of the one she loves the most


Well, I guess I was initially trying not to announce to the world that Tim was in Fairbanks, but that didn't seem to work out. None the less, he got home safe and sound Friday night. And with freezing rain-no jumping. As a matter of fact, me and Jamison were the only ones doing the daredevil stuff. We got to slide down our hill in MY NEW CAR!!! on our way to pick up the girls from school. 3 complete spins in the Pilot was enough for any Moma to want to hang it up for the week. However an hour of an uninterrupted hot bath on Saturday washed away any accumulated stress and I'm a happy wife and Moma ready to face the Artic world-ice and snow and all!

I'm also excited it say that coming this next weekend, the "build up" for the Iditarod starts, so hopefully I'll have lots of new and interesting things and pictures to post. Let's face it, January was a little dry. I'm excited to get out and do some of the fun activities. So stay tuned.

Tell me something I don't already know

So, it's a slow week in the Davis household. Except for getting locked out while Jamison was locked in-thank god for good neighbors.

Here's something if your looking for entertainment. However, I'm sure, like me, you won't be suprized by the results.

Your Career Type: Artistic

You are expressive, original, and independent. Your talents lie in your artistic abilities: creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. You would make an excellent: Actor - Art Teacher - Book Editor Clothes Designer - Comedian - Composer Dancer - DJ - Graphic Designer Illustrator - Musician - Sculptor The worst career options for your are conventional careers, like bank teller or secretary.

What's Your Ideal Career?

I took these pictures

I took these pictures tonight to remember...

...that no matter how many pieces of cheese you eat while dinner is in the oven...






...no matter how much your helpfulness backfires...









...no matter how many expensive winter gloves you lose...







...you are my sweet sweet babies, and I am so blessed by God to have you in my life everyday.

Introducing one cool new blogger

Here's a cool new up and coming blogger to look out for. Stay tuned for more cool new bloggers.

My new favorite

Artic Eyes

Tim called last night and told me he had been pulled over by the military police. While he was running. Because it was too cold. His thermometer in the office read -40, but with the wind chill it was -51. I guess this is too cold even for the Army. I wonder what the Marines standard for too cold is? Probably 31 degrees.

Anyhow, if you want to know what Tim is up to in technical terms, head over here and read away. But if you just want to see, scroll down...

Finally...

Just when I was running out of things to blog about, this little gem was announced to the rest of the world. Can't wait 'til August!

Dad

I keep forgetting to tell you...guess where we ate a huge, but delicious breakfast one morning.

A favor...

SarahBeth is sick. Nothing to be alarmed about, just a good old cold/fever. She started showing signs of getting sick Sunday night when she kept complaining she was so cold. This is a child who would sleep in a sleeveless satiny short nightgown, with no socks, in January, at -20 degrees if I let her.

Monday morning she got up and got ready and only complained of being cold. She said she wasn't sick, so I sent her to school. After school I picked the girls up and we headed to WalMart to pick up a few things. LeighAnne tells me about her day, but SarahBeth rides silently. When we got to Walmart, she wanted to ride in the cart-Jamison didn't, so I let her. The whole time she is sitting like a zombie, and I can see her temp. rising in her face, but she is still swearing she's not sick. We are in there about 30 minutes and she only moved once to take off her coat and put her gloves on either side of her.

As we leave, she slowly pulls on her coat and starts searching for gloves. Her brand new, just bought 2 days ago gloves. The child sat in that shopping cart for 30 minutes, without moving and still managed to lose her gloves! This winter I have bought at least 9 pairs of gloves, and only 2 remain-and that's because I bought them 2 days ago and the girls haven't discovered them yet.

So here's where the favor comes in...as things start going on clearance would you all be willing to pick up a few pairs here and there? Now I'm talking big time clearance when you can find them for like a dollar or two. Also, I have to be a little picky. The thin little cotton ones won't cut it around here. I'm looking for the thicker ones usually with Thinsulate in them. Color doesn't matter. Of course, if your worried, they have pink and purple coats this year and some I already got on clearance for next year. Size wise, LeighAnne and I pretty much wear the same size gloves...SB can wear slightly smaller ones, but adult size works for her too. (I know because she's lost my gloves also).

So there you go, next thing you know I'll have a link to Amazon.com for my anniversary registery! (Hey, not a bad idea...)I'm kidding Mom. None the less, thank you.

Frozen Fighters

Here's the guys of 1/40th Cav jumping in -30 degrees. Tim was part of the early group into Fairbanks last week, so he didn't get to jump, instead, he got to stand out in the field and watch for a couple hours. Wow, how fun!

OK...brrrrr.....

Yesterday Tim went on a "conversion run". Maybe you didn't know this (I didn't) but at -41 degrees, Fahrenheit and Celsius converge. Don't believe me, try this. Tim said you just got colder faster. He also said being outside is like being somewhere where the chemical fumes are so strong you feel like you can't get your breath.
That's a picture from my backyard
We've been at -15 to -20 here in the Eagle River Valley and I know what Tim means in a 20 degree warmer way. I ran outside earlier to move the truck and had to stop before I "plugged" the truck in to warm my hands. We are talking 30-60 seconds of time. (And no gloves)

I have to say, I have ALOT lately been feeling the old timer syndrome. How can I possibly have been married nearly 10 years...out of high school-well, more than that...I have a 9 year old...I've given birth 3 times...3! But, more than all that, lately I've had the absolutely overwhelming feeling of oh my gosh, wait-OH MY GOD, I live in Alaska. ALASKA!!!

But next month begins the build up to the Iditarod. They call it the Fur Rondy (Rondevous?) and I'm guessing it's a Derby Festival of sorts. Then they run the Iditarod the first Saturday in March...next is Easter...then a little Derby Party in AK (the first Saturday in May!) and then before you know it, the weather is warmer, the snow is gone and the sun is my constant companion.

So here's to end of January-see you next year!

Intelligent Design

I stay away from politics on my blog. For one, none of you all are here for that reason...secondly, I don't want strangers coming on here and making rude comments. But I came across this letter to the editor titled 'A vaild scientific theory'and just had to share. Obviously a brilliant person wrote this...probably passed on some pretty intelligent genes in his lifetime.

Lonely little dog

So, for those of you in the know...the HIGH today in Fairbanks will be -12 degrees and somebody is feeling so terribly sad!

The reason I blog

I responded to the question "Why do you blog?" today. And I have to tell you and show you.

1. I'm miserable at following thru. I have a letter/check for someone sitting in front of me right now that has been sitting here since stamps were 37 cents (damn 2 cents)

2. I never manage to take a picture, develop the picture and send the picture in the same year. I have undeveloped film from LA's kindergarten field trip.

3. I don't write thank you cards. When we moved here, I came across undelivered thank you cards from my WEDDING (also see #1)

4. I lose phone numbers all the time (right Kristen?)

5. I can start a blog entry, walk away and the computer will save it for me. Handwritten letters get lost in the piles of paper.

I could go on and on. but, but, but moments like this...moments where you feel so blessed to be able to raise a child and watch them grow...moments that you can't wait to tell/share with everyone...blogging for me are for these moments...



Jamison started sleeping in his new big boy train bed this week. I can hear him playing after I put him down, but if he doesn't cry, I don't bother him. Here's what I found after the noise died down. He carefully lined those trains up into the grooves of that bed and fell asleep playing trains.

This is my train boy. The boy who won't say "Go Cats"(just training for Uncle Doug's visit) instead he says "no, Go Trains"...who thinks potty training just sounds wrong...and will tell any and everyone who will listen that he sleeps in a choo-choo bed.

This is why I blog. I hope you enjoy these moments as much as I do.

Jack Frost

The temps have been staying below 20 degrees for awhile now. I've notice when they do, frost starts to accumulate on anything not moving. It's sort of the mushrooms of the north...except they won't get you high...or so I've been told... Here's couple of pictures. One is obviously of my house numbers, the other is a post on my front porch. The extra thick layer you see swooping across the top is a little Halloween fake spider web that wouldn't come off.

except for one...

Brandon came last week for a class and a bit of a visit...we were all excited to see him-except for Kenai...Uncle Brandon said he was stinky so...

Brandon and Snowzilla

Oh and did I mention...???

LeighAnne got her some glasses. They are reading glasses, so she only wears them while reading, but she likes them so much that I often have to remind her to take them off. During her appointment, I also had an exam and the Dr. told us our eyes were identical...I ,however, didn't get a prescrip. I could if I wanted, but she said it was so slight that I don't need to bother. (did I say LA had been having headaches?)

Ok, so back to 2005

Looking through my December pictures, I realized I left out a few events, so let's go back-shall we?

LeighAnne had her school choir concert the same night as one of the balls (formal events) on post. When I realized the conflict, I called Tim and told him to take me off the RSVP list, and (I never do this) I gently reminded him that this time next year he probably won't be here to see LA's concerts. So, he too came off the list.

That night was crazy. It had been exceptionally warm and most of the roads had started to thaw. However, by the time we got in the car a nasty wind was blowing and everything was a solid sheet of ice. When we were leaving, there was a blown over trash can in our way, so I got out to move it. When I hit the driveway, I literally slid all the way down. I then waved to let Tim know to just drive down and pick me up. I watched the cars wheels stop rolling, but the car kept going!!! Tim gave a warning honk to make sure I was out of the way. As we slid down our neighborhood to the school I wondered how many people would actually show up to the concert.

Now, you all know I've been to a few choir concerts in my life, but I have to say I was initially turned off by the casualness of the event. No trees, lights...the kids were in blue jeans and their choir shirts. But I was impressed with the energy of the music teacher-and the energy he pulled from the 165 students.


Here's a picture of LeighAnne. Notice how she's not facing the same way as the rest of the group? That's because she's singing to Jamison. It absolutely killed me that she wasn't watching the conductor. I could hardly relax during the first couple of songs. But Tim gave me the evil eye and mouthed the words "she's nine!" so I settled down and enjoyed the moment. And I was glad I did-she made this Moma proud.

Just for Brandon

This is a great place for anyone to visit...but I'm posting it just for Brandon.

The Day Tim Forgot

Here's a nice picture of the girls right after they finished their first ski lessons. There's a slope on Elmendorf Air Force Base (more like a big hill) and the girls went with Tim on a quiet Thursday evening for lessons. Tim got some snowboard "refresher" lessons at the same time. Tim however, remembers none of this.

Meanwhile, Mom and I (and Jamison) stay home and get momma ready to fly out that evening. I convince mom to leave early so we can try and catch the girls skiing. As we pull up into the parking lot and start looking for the girls, we see someone wipe out big time...

I get out of the car and walk around the lodge just in time to find the girls finishing up their lesson and Tim standing talking to the girls instructor. After the instructor leaves, I ask Tim if he would like for me to take the girls with me to the airport so he can do a few runs and he replies, "I just hit my head really hard"...after I quiz him a little more, he admits he shouldn't drive home. "OK" I say, "you turn in your equipment and the girls equipment and I'll meet you at the car" 10 minutes later-no Tim. I go back and find him in the same spot(with 2 bored and confused girls lying at his feet)all still in their equipment. OOOOkkkkkkkkkay

Long story short, take mom to airport, come home and call angelic babysitter and head to the ER. Tim's short term memory was shot and I endured(poor me)the same questions over and over and over again. For example, Tim bought new boots earlier that day, but didn't remember it, so I had to reassured him every 30-90 seconds that those were, in fact, his boots. While we were in the ER he asked me so many times "where are the kids?" That the nurse asked me if I was going to be alright taking care of him. He also kept asking if he just woke up from a long nap and I assured him, it wasn't just a nightmare-he was in fact married with 3 kids. I found it a little sad that one of his biggest concerns was if he was on leave and did he have to be into work soon. But, I should also say, he asked a million times if the girls were OK-and kept checking to make sure we hadn't left them at the slopes.

He got a CT a was given an "all clear" of sorts. No crazy stuff for 6 weeks. And he's less than thrilled that he paid for lessons that he doesn't remember. But all 'n all, I thank God he was OK. And that's how we ended 2005.

...and Momma saw some Moose

OK, youmay not see them...squint your eyes and focus on the 2 black things in the background...now you too have seen you some Moose.

We caught a glimpse of 5-yes 5! of them in a greenbelt right off a very busy 4 lane road. 'Round here, the best way to find wildlife is to pull over whenever you see a bunch of other cars pulled over. While you do run the risk of finding yourself in the middle of a drug bust, chances are good that you'll find some kind of interesting mammal instead. (Not that drug bust wouldn't have it's own kind of interesting mammals involved) None the less, it was nice to finally show off a little Alaskan flair to a visitor.

Whittier

We went to Whittier while Momma was here. We went once while Tim's parents were in town so we knew what to expect. I guess this time we went for the novelty of riding thru the 2 1/2 mile tunnel-Jamison loves tunnels. The one way tunnel is also shared with a train, so the tunnel runs on a 15 minute schedule of in and out times.
The town itself is basically a parking lot with the exception of a few old military buildings. One tall former Army tower houses 80%-90% of the 184 population. From what I've been reading, it also has a church, grocery and medical facilities in the one tower. Surrounded mountians on 3ish sides, it's the only port near Anchorage and leads into the Prince William Sound. It's quaint to say the least, but fascinating too. Can you imagine living in a town where EVERYBODY lives in the same BUILDING! Anyway, it's something you have to see to grasp, but once you see it-that's all there is.

Thar' she blows

My girl Augustine didn't let me down. I've been waiting for her to go for awhile, and with 180 miles separating us, I know we aren't in immediate danger. But it is just enough excitement to have the school district to call me with an automated message updating me on school volcano policy. How cool!

I've been following all the volcanoes via the Alaska Volcano Observatory and just happened to check in this morning around 9:00 when the site went a little crazy and locked up on me...after refreshing it, I was surprised to see Augustine updated to a RED. I was so excited to share the news, but would you believe there wasn't a soul was home to talk to!


Anyway, the ash is blowing west, so we are OK for now. I have to admit I don't want the ash to come this way-doesn't sound like alot of fun...but I'll keep you updated on any more excitement.

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Oh My!!!

Nana and Snowzilla

Ice Fishing

Wow, I'm just now realizing how terribly busy my December was. Sooo...SarahBeth's class had a field trip to Jewel Lake where the Alaska Fish and Game hosted an ice fishing thing, as mentioned in this here article.

I figured this was my one and only chance to ice fish, so I drove SarahBeth, 2 other classmates and Jamison to a beautiful frozen lake in the middle of town. There were about 20-30 holes in the ice and each kid got a pole. The adults were in charge of baiting the hook with tiny "salad" shrimp and then the kids lowered the line. For whatever "magical fishing" reason, some kids caught multiple fish, but most caught none. What was amusing was watching the "non-catchers" flock to other holes based on the "catchers" telling them how many fish they caught in their holes. No amount of explaination could get the kids to understand that all the holes lead to the same lake..the same body of water...the same fish supply.

Mary-Kate, Ashley and SarahBeth...

...Olsen. SarahBeth loves to hang out in her jammies. She has a special twist to her lounge wear a la MaryKate and Ashley Olsen.

Snowzilla

The Anchorage Daily News had this article on Monday and then a new one today. After reading the article on Monday, I loaded everyone up in the car for a surprise visit to the 16 foot snowman.

It's really cool-for lack of better words, but my favorite part of the whole thing is not the snowman, it's the decor surrounding the snowman. This guy isn't one bit worried about a sad melting snowman littering his lawn this summer (yeah, it'll probably be there that long) The snowman's yard is comparable to any yard one might find deep in the hills of Kentucky or Virginia (or the Northern Neck). However, this is in the heart of Anchorage, just down the street from a mall. Snowzilla is just one of many many ornaments in the yard on this quiet neighborhood street. Yes, that's the guys house behind the truck and tree. I'm sure the neighbors are thrilled.

Eagle River Tree Lighting Cermony

So, way back earlier this month, LeighAnne's choir sang at the Tree lighting ceremony. Tim was out in the field so I loaded up everybody, including Kenai and headed out. (I also had the fore site to borrow a sled made with a back support for little ones.) There was a ton of snow on the ground and it was contining to snow.

We were lucky to find good parking, but we still had to hurry and finish wrapping up in our coats (and gloves and hats and boots and hand-warmers and snow pants...) With all the layers, it was a little hard for Jamsion to bend at the waist and sit comfortably in the sled, but he managed. The dog was beside herself to be out and about and allowed to socialize, so I put the sled rope and dog leash in the same hand and let Kenai do the work. Everything was OK until we hit the "spectator area". To my suprise, under all the new fallen snow was an ICE RINK!!! We were expected to stand on a concealed ice rink and watch the festivities...remember, I had a grumpy 2 year old in a small sled and a wild puppy attached to it. It was sooo much work just remaining vertical that I was exhausted afterwards, but we all stayed until the very end, after everyone else had left and played under the town Christmas tree sliding across the ice rink with the snow falling all around us. It was two hours well spent.

What Tim wants for Christmas

and he got it!!!

Another blog to check out

(or should I call it Amazing Ramblings and Run-on Sentences)

So I was checking out some of the Alaska Bloggers and found a fellow Anchoragian...Anchorager...Anchoraganee...he works on Fort Richardson and has really captured some of the feel of things around here. He has some of the very same pictures that I have tried to (un)successfully capture. Check it out. Not just this once, but every once-n-awhile and see what he's got.

As a continued sell...we have had this crazy thaw the last week and a lot of the snow has disappeared. Wait, let me back track and tell you about the road maintenance here.

The snow falls...and falls...and falls...everybody has killer SUV's with killer tires to get them thru the falling snow without batting an eyelash. Seems to me, no matter how much snow is falling, the city keeps going. But the snow removal-the same kind of trucks you see in KY, VA, shoot, even Germany-those big trucks you see sitting on the side of the highway just waiting for the first snowflake...well they come out a day or so later. Later, after we have all driven on it over and over and packed it down to a nice thick layer of ???. It's really not that scary to drive on...it's like nothing you've really driven on before. But you learn, and you adjust and you take your time changing lanes because each lane has formed its own groove so you have to thunk-thunk your way between. The main highways get almost cleared completly, but neighborhood roads hardly at all. And they don't use salt. They use gravel. I don't know about you all but I recall most idiot teenagers flipped their cars on gravel roads...so tell me how gravel and snow and ice mix?!?!?!

Now the thaw. The main road get scrapped and scrapped (is that scrape or scrap?-you know what I mean)and have come out with nearly dry roads. The side roads however, not so good. With 3 inches of snow/ice on roads that don't ever get direct sunlight (a whole other post)nothing short of a ton of SALT will clear it. So the temps melt all the nice easy going grooves we've all worked to hard to create and leaves us with a literal ice rink in the mornings. I can go to the "access road" in front of my house and count the layers of gravel suspended in the ice. All I can say is, it's crazy...just put a little salt down...the enviroment and the eagles be damnmed, I have a new Pilot that I don't want dented!!!!!

Anyway, the gigantic tractor machines that they use to "scrape" the ice off are incredible steel monsters that look like some farmers science experiment. The dog goes bezerk when they (rarely) pass by and even my "guk" boy gets a little freaked out, which all brings me back to my fellow Alaskan Blogger who captured the monsters, along with so much of the beauty that surrounds me everyday. It's pleasant to look at...and since I seem to be lacking in the picture department lately...

On the subject of video clips

Have you seen this commercial?

Come on, watch it real quick...I'll wait...


Ok, is it just me or doesn't it bring an incredibly large boo-hoo to your throat? Or maybe it is the darkness getting to me, or just plain old home sickness? None the less, I know a little/big brown haired girl that is getting an extra long hug from me today (and a red head and a blonde boy too!)

Birthday Boy

I feel a little bad not posting Jamison's birthday pictures earlier. I guess part of the problem is the party was more eat cake real quick and open presents kind of party.

We got an ice cream cake and put it on the front porch after the party. Best thing about being somewhere cold is your fridge space really expands during the winter. However, yesterday it warmed up into the 40's(!!!) and Jamison and I were forced to eat chocolate mint and red velvet ice cream cake for lunch.

Well, I guess I should say, Jamison had cake for lunch. Look and see.

Now that you've watched, I need feedback. Does the video come out OK? Does it take forever to load? Do you even bother to check them out? The idea of sharing little clip like this are great, but if it doesn't work well, then I'll either find another image hosting service or just not bother. Post on the comments or let me know.

Rumbling in his Sleeping Bag

The weekend before Thanksgiving Tim and his fellow soldiers had to prove they had absorbed all the knowledge bestowed upon them by cold weather instructors. "Prove" by sleeping out in the open in 20 degree weather all night. According to Tim, they road marched out to the firing ranges...did a little training and then bedded down where ever. Tim told me he was warm enough and his poncho (small thin blanket) draped over two trees provided enough shelter to keep the freezing rain and snow out of his face. He said his biggest concern was some Moose (yes, it should be capitialized) might tromp over him while he slept. Gee, I said, didn't you sleep close enough to other people that a Moose wouldn't mistakenly tromp over a pile of bodies. Nope...these men, in honor of the we're straight-see the chair between us code, sleep several dozens of yards apart. Idiots.

Now, to the rumbling...it was not of Tim's own doing when he felt a rumbling in his sleeping bag that cold Friday night. He felt an earthquake...about a 4.0. Now for my couple of CA friends, I know that's not much...but where I come from, that's pretty cool. Not everyday ya feel an earthquake. Or so I thought. If you notice, I have convienently provided a link to Alaska Earthquakes in the sidebar. Alaska is like Santa's belly at a comedy club (shook when he laughed like...OK, bad, I know) The Cook Inlet is where we are and we seem to be a shakin' and a shimmin' all the time.

Time for another installment of...

Only in Alaska

5 years ago I was listening to 99.7 on the radio on my way to Nuremberg to do a little Christmas shopping, keeping my ears peeled for the words Autobahn drei und neunzig to make sure there wasn't a stau I should be aware of.

3 years ago, I was listening to Christmas music on Lite 104.5 and wondering if Shelbyville Road mall traffic (who puts 2 malls less than a mile from each other?)was backing up.

2 years ago I was heading one last time into Elizabethtown listening to Quicksie 98.5 trying to finish any final Santa shopping before a new little creature consumed all my energy.

1 year ago I was heading to Mecca (Potomac Mills) listening to a litany of traffic reports...all of which made translating German seem easy...to try and decipher if I-95 was backed up to Woodbridge.

Today...today, today, today...I was driving into Anchorage for a little Christmas shopping (are you seeing a pattern) when the DJ advised us all to avoid Northern Lights Blvd. and UAA Dr.(University of Alaska, Anchorage) Why? Why should the city avoid a very busy road during rush hour? Because, stupid, there is a TransAm off the road and two Moose have decided to bed down and watch the tow truck excitement from the median. Ofcourse!

Showing Off

It's been awhile so I though you might need some recent pictures of the kids. While the girls were dressed up to go to The Nutcracker with Popa, I thought I might get a Christmas Card worthy picture...yeah right!

The Darkness

Everyone wants to know about the short days here. We are now at 6 hours of day light and by Sunday I expect it will be less than 6 hours. At one point we were losing nearly 6 minutes of light a day, but it has now slowed to 3-4 minutes a day. I have to say, over all it hasn't been too bad yet. In the mornings we are busy getting ready for school and by the time I drive the girls to school, there is enough light peaking out from behind the mountians and bouncing off the snow that its quite bright, but I still need my headlights. Here's a picture I took today at 9:15 a.m. There's a bit of cloud/fog coverage so it's a little "blue-er" than normal, but you get the idea.




Now I have to admitt, the early evenings are starting to get to me. Two days ago I left the kids with my dad and ran down to the store for bread. As I was heading home, I felt awful for staying at the grocery for so long...it was getting so dark...I must have been in there nearly an hour. Nope-only 20 minutes. At 4:30 I felt like I should be washing the dinner dishes and getting the kids ready for bed. So, I pulled over in my neighborhood and took a picture.



The snow makes everything so bright during the day and when the moon is full it's unbelievably bright. So again, it's not as bad as I expected...I know I have 3 more weeks of light loss and I am looking forward to gaining momentum the other way come December 22!