The Home Stretch

Since Joy left I sure have worked a lot!  Joy left on Monday, 29 Nov. and Tuesday night was the Rodney Carrington concert.  I got to meet him, take a photo with him (I'll add the photo to the blog Monday) and enjoy his concert for free.  It was awesome!  (I have done some pretty awesome things with the reserves.)

I had to work through that weekend for the drill UTA (Unit Training Assembly). 

Day 53 & 54: Saturday/Sunday of the Drill weekend I worked.  Ashley C. worked with me and we got a lot accomplished.  We each wrote an article and covered an event or two.  I photographed a retirement with bagpipes (he is Scottish).

Then Saturday night was the group holiday party.  It was fun and folks voted for Santa (most votes) and the elves (least votes) by putting a dollar into the pot.  Through some careful planning one of the commanders ended up being an elf.  Everybody pooled their money, voting up some folks who were lower than him; making him the lowest guy on the list.  So the guys had to wear tights and elf costumes.  It was a good time.

Although next year I hope they add a few inches to the elf costumes.
But there was some dancing and a little karaoke and we all had fun.

Day 55: Monday I took Vante to the vet again b/c she was having accidents.  Turns out she has sterile cystitis.  It's a stress/anxiety-related problem where her bladder gets inflamed and she can't control herself and urinates in inappropriate places (like the bed--thank-goodness for piddle pads).  I have started giving her glucosomine; it's a capsule that I open and mix in the powder with her wet food.  It's tuna flavored and she seems to like it. 

Day 57: I managed to get Wednesday (8 Dec.) off, thanks to my awesome boss. So I used that day to take care of some Christmas gifts, mail some presents and sleep-in.  It was wonderful and rejuvenating.

 Day 60: Saturday, 11 Dec. Chris, a friend I've made up here and a 2002 Academy grad, and I went skiing here on base at Hillside.  We had a blast.  He had just bought a new helmet camera, so we used it to film ourselves and he put it together.  Follow this link to watch the video on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1734814807938&comments

Soon I'll post a link of the other video Chris made but in this one I am wearing the camera and that's Chris in the orange/black jacket.

 

We made two runs, went in for hot chocolate.  Then we went back out and did five or six more runs.  It was a lot of fun once I remembered how to ski and loosened up a little. 

I only have a week left up here and I'm sad to leave, I have really had a great time.  However, I'm very excited to be going home.  Vane & I will be home for Christmas--YEAH!

Movie Reviews
The Tourist--good, a little slow in the beginning and reminded us of The Thomas Crown Affair in a way.  I would recommend it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1--you can definitely tell it's a part one since it feels like there isn't a good ending.  Some things weren't fully explained and it was assumed you would remember it from the last movie or from the book (and I didn't).  It was long but good.  I would have rather had a movie marathon and seem Part 1 and Part 2 at once.

Life as we know it--good but heavy.  There was less comedy and more heavy issues here but it was cute; good date movie or a red box rental but I won't be buying it.

Thanksgiving Weekend with Joy

Day 43: As I was leaving work on Wednesday afternoon I saw two moose on the roadside - so I called Joy up, had her meet me out by the car and we drove as fast as we could to see them.  So Joy saw her first wild mooses/moose/meese.  (What is the plural of moose?  We voted and decided that it should be pronounced meece.  Why not?)  So Joy saw her first two meese!  The photos were lousy b/c it was so dark.  Bummer.

We had ice cream for desert, which seems kind of crazy - ice cream in Alaska when it's less than 25 degrees outside, but we did.  It was delicious!


Day 44: Thanksgiving was awesome!  We slept in late and then went to Denny's for brunch.  They have these pancake poppers - pancake batter deep fried - it was horribly delicious and both of us felt like we were at the state fair.  They were delicious; thank-goodness calories don't exist on Thanksgiving!

 

We decided to take a walk on the coastal trail around the north side of Anchorage.  It was lightly snowing and we saw some families out walking, some cross-country skiiers too.  We goofed off and enjoyed ourselves.

For our Thanksgiving meal we went to Simon and Seafort's, which is a fancy restaurant nearby.  Fortunately they don't have a strict dress code so jeans, jackets and snow boots were welcome. 

Anchorage got 6 inches of snow on Thanksgiving day! 

Day 45: Friday, 26 Nov. was a Family Day, meaning I didn't have to work.  So we slept in again (YEAH!) and then we went to the south end of town for our massages. 

They were great and definitely worth it.  We saw a bull moose on the side of the highway eating!  (Alaska is awesome!)  When we left the spa the sun was shining and there weren't many clouds in the sky, so we decided to play hookey and kept driving south.  We canceled our manicures and pedicure appointments and drove to Portage, Alaska. 

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was by chance having a free day - so of course we went.  Joy had to see some more moose and wildlife.  Here are the photo highlights. 

 

The Muskox are as advertised: stinky!

 Moose are just so freaking cool!

We saw Portage Glacier, a wild Bald Eagle and took in the beautiful mountains.

Then we drove up to Girdwood to try and find some food and failed; so around 3 o'clock we ate pizza at a small place off the highway.  We did some shopping and bopped around town, finally had our manicures and pedicures and had a grand old time.  What an awesome day!
Day 46: Saturday we went to the grocery store then headed down to the Anchorage Museum because they were having a large craft fair.  We looked around at the crafts, toured some of the museum and then I had a bad headache so we came back to the room and kicked back for a few hours.  I took a nap to reenergize, then we hit up the movie Love and Other Drugs.  It was good but there was a lot of nudity (Ann Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal). 


Day 47: Sunday we were up and at 'em early, talking on the phone to Steve and our folks.  Then we headed out to REI to rent some cross-country skis and at lunch at a bagel cafe. 

Towards the south end of Anchorage there is this huge park with lots of areas to cross-country ski and sled. 

We did that for about 1.5-2 hours.  It was much easier than when Steve and I went.  The snow was better, the trails weren't as curvey, small nor as hilly and since it was my second time I knew what to expect. 

Joy said she had fun & we both expect to be sore tomorrow.

We had another fancy dinner and we both agreed that the White King Salmon was the best dish; although the halibut was excellent. 

Alltogether our Thanksgiving weekend was a lot of fun - some play, some relaxation, some pampering, lots of good food and lots of Vante-time.  It was fabulous!

Days 25-42

Alright, I've been busy and a bit lazy so let's try to get caught up on what I've been up to here in Alaska.

Days 25 & 26: Nov. 6 & 7th I had my UTA (Unit Training Assembly) meaning that it was a work weekend - the one weekend a month part of the Reserves.  I met Captain Ashley C..., the Traditional Reservist PA in the office & she's awesome!


Day 28: Tuesday, Nov. 9th Steve flew into town at 1 a.m.  I took a nap before I went and picked him up at the airport.  Vante & I were so glad he came to visit.  However, I had to work while he was here, so he slept in the next day and I went to work.


Day 30: Thursday, Nov. 11th - Veterans Day was a holiday so we both slept in (After working 10 days in a row I needed it.)  We rented snowshoes from REI and drove about 15 minutes north of Anchorage to Eagle Creek to their nature center.  However, as it turns out bluejeans aren't good for snowshoeing and the snow wasn't right, so I ended up carrying my snowshoes and walking. 

It was cold, but we had fun!  Here is the view of the river behind us - isn't it gorgeous!?

We finally decided that for snowshoes you need to be going into an ungroomed area and wear waterproof ski-type pants.  It truly is just walking in the snow. 

Day 31: Friday, Nov. 12th late that afternoon we went south of Anchorage to the Girdwood/Aleyska area and saw the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (yes, again).  But we actually got a few photos of the drive down there to share this time.  (You can thank Steve for that.)

It was beautiful -- cold -- but beautiful.

So once we got to the Wildlife Conservation Center we took some more touristy photos. 

As we were driving to the bear enclosure we saw this Bald Eagle sitting on the dead tree right over the road. 

As you can see it was looking right down at us.  Pretty darn cool!

The bears were out playing with each other; the smaller one is the sister on the left and the brother is on the right.  The sister instigated this playtime though; I think they had fun. 

Then we drove East just a tad and saw parts of Portage Glacier (and some other glacier too, but I forget which one).  These colors aren't photoshopped or anything - isn't it beautiful?

Then we went through a 2 mile tunnel built by the railroad to the tourist town of Whittier, Alaska.  It was dead but apparently folks live there year-round.  They have a school for kindergarten through 12th grade and a few small shops.  However, you have to pay $12 to go through the tunnel, it's a 1-lane tunnel also so they have a schedule for traffic into and out of the town.

We ate supper in Girdwood, next to the ski slope where the ski patrol folks were getting their first ski runs in of the year.  Then we went back into Anchorage and watched the movie Inception with a friend.

Day 32: Saturday, 13 Nov. we drove north to Sarah Palin's town of Wasilla.  No, we didn't see her.  It's not that large a town but it seems to have all the necessities and comforts needed, to include 3 coffee shops.

Then we walked to Thunderbird Falls; there were only a few other folks on the trail so it was very nice and secluded.  The snow started to fall and it was beautiful.

We walked along the river and Steve pointed to some ice and said it could probably hold a human.  I said it couldn't.  So typical Steve style, he went out and did some testing of his own and.... yes, it could hold the weight of a human.  (I had the camera ready though for that shot of him falling into the bitterly cold water - man, that would have a been a great photo.)

Then we made it to the bottom of the falls and it was cold with the spray from the water, but again - beautiful.

Somewhere in Steve's visit we ate at a bunch of restaurants and saw a few movies.  Despicable Me was one of them and it was great - it was surprisingly funny.  I would definitely recommend it.  I'm just so glad he found the time to visit - it was awesome!  Vante definitely enjoyed his company.

Day 34: Monday, 15 Nov. Steve left that evening.  Boo!  But he's now taking care of Amelia and Callie Mae.  A big thanks to Marie for taking care of them while Steve was up here with me in Alaska.  Thank-you Marie!  You're awesome!


Day 37: Thursday, 18 Nov. I took my Radiology final & finished my last class of the semester - all As.  :)  (I'm so glad I'm done with classes for a couple months.)

Day 39: Saturday, 20 Nov.the going-away party I planned for my boss was that night & it went off w/out a hitch.  Everybody was happy, said it was great and they enjoyed it (to include the guest of honor and his wife) so I was very happy. 

That night around midnight I picked up Joy from the airport.  She's here for the week, keeping me company through Thanksgiving. 

Sidenote: Tuesday, 16 Nov. an F-22 crashed north of Elmendorf AFB and Capt. Jeff Haney was killed in the crash.  It was a terrible loss for the whole base and especially his family.  I didn't personally know him but it's a tragedy.  Please keep his family in your prayers. 


Day 40: Sunday, 21 Nov. Joy and I bopped around town and enjoyed each other's company.  I was tired from the week and enjoyed not doing a lot of driving or anything stressful. 

Day 41 & 42: Monday & Tuesday, 22-23 Nov. has brought an ice storm down on Anchorage.  We've had terrible road conditions and have sent folks home early and told them not to drive or come into work.  Monday night we tried to get a few extra food supplies and the grocery store was closed early (the Monday before Thanksgiving and it closed early - craziness).  That tells you how bad of an ice storm this is.

So now I'm all caught up on the blog.  I'm sorry that I got so far behind.  Hopefully I'll have some more great adventures to tell you about here shortly, after the ice storm is gone. 

Day 18-Saturday, 30 Oct.

This past week has been busy.  I finally met my boss.  I'm planning his going-away party in late November, so I'll get to know him well by the time he leaves.  Steve bought plane tickets to come out here (YEAH)!  A guy at work came back from school and apparently we went to the Zoo (USAFA) together and he was best friends with a guy in my squadron.  So that's pretty cool; I actually sorta know somebody out here.

Now for today's happenings:
USC Gamecocks beat Tennessee Volunteers 38 to 24
USAFA Falcons lost to BYU 28 to 23

I went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which is 40+ miles south of Anchorage.  It was a 1.5 hour drive from the base and it was gorgeous. I was driving right beside the Turnagain Arm, a waterway, and apparently I was on one of the most scenic highways and failed to take any photos.  It was gorgeous. 

The AK Wildlife Conservation Center center was great, it was nestled in some gorgeous mountains.  It was a cold day, but I was able to drive my car around to all the different viewing areas.  Most of the animals were waiting to be fed, so they were pretty close to the viewing areas.  They had all the big wildlife that's in Alaska (except Polar Bears, which they never have & the Lynx, which were at the AK Zoo b/c their habitat is being renovated).  Here are some highlights.

Elk

 

The Musk Ox were stinky!  This is the only photo I got b/c the others were too far away and were showing off their 'best sides'.  (That's 3 inches of bone and 4 inches of  horn on the top of their heads.)

Apparently their undercoat is called qiviut & it is the warmest fiber in the world.  Eskimos spin and knit it into clothes (expensive ones judging by what was in the gift shop).

Jack the Moose

As you can tell from his expression, he was 'very' impressed by me.  

(It was supper-time apparently.)

Here are some friendly moose facts I learned:
-Only male moose have antlers and they can weigh up to 75 pounds. 
-A moose is upset if it's ears are back, the hair on its neck is raised and licks its lips.  If you see this, then get behind a tree!

-If a moose hits you curl into a ball protecting your head & lie still until it goes away.  (Of course if a moose hits you, you're probably lying still b/c you're either unconscious, if you're lucky, or worse, but I'm just telling you what the sign said.)

The Grizzly Bears were HUGE & they came right up to the fence.  I was very impressed by them and enjoyed watching them walk with their pigeon-toed back feet.

Now on to the birds of Alaska.  They had a Bald Eagle and a pair of Great Horned Owls.  And try as I might I could not snag a photo of the ever-elusive Raven.  They were everywhere but I somehow never managed to get a photo of those huge black birds (they must be camera-shy).

I saw the Caribou and suddenly I felt like singing Christmas Carols.

By far my favorite and the most striking animal of the day was the Black Bear.  His fur didn't blend in at all like most of the other animals.  There's no other word for it, he was just striking. 

Afterwards I drove back to Anchorage and found a quilt shop.  Turns out they have sewing machines that I can use for free.  So now I can do some sewing if I get bored at night or on the weekends!  

I explored a few shops, rented a movie, went home and curled up with Vante on the bed.  

It was a great day!