tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24740832721681020912024-03-13T05:02:11.027-07:00Our Bountiful LifeAdventures of the Howard Family, from California to Alaska and beyond.Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-24180969053826817072020-07-10T23:26:00.000-07:002020-07-10T23:26:13.290-07:00No Crazy Here<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Girl, you’re
not going crazy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Seriously, I
don’t care if… <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Your kids
tell you you’re crazy because you have repeated yourself exactly eight times in
four minutes…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Your husband
looks at you with one eyebrow raised, like he’s just a little bit scared
because you asked him the same question six times in one hour…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You lost
your crap on one of your kids because they walked into the room the wrong way
and it annoyed you…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You can’t
remember anything without writing it down, when a few years ago you could keep
track of ten appointments, your shopping list, your kids homework assignments,
deadlines at work, bill due dates and a week’s worth of meal plans all in your
head without ever missing a beat…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You showed
up to work with your shirt on inside out….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">True story…I was on my way to a meeting with a client and
stopped at my fav coffee hut for my daily shot of that which I cannot function
without (ok, I just recently discovered it’s a whopping 11 shots if I’m being
honest, holy crap! 😲) and my dear, sweet,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>twenty something barista who is always smiling and always dressed super
cute with gorgeous curly locks says to me, “Girl….did you know your shirt is on
inside out?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, no I did not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good lord, can I not even dress myself
anymore?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no time to go home and
correct the situation, because you know, as usual I’m running late, that helpful
young lady suggests I pull up behind a building and do a quick switcheroo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I apologize to anyone who had the misfortune to witness that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I mean, I
could go on and on about the ways in which we FEEL like we’re going crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me tell you, you’re not going crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no crazy here, ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s called living
life in the hood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Motherhood.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Your hood is
where you live, where you’re from, where your heart is, where your homies
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a beautiful place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But it’s
also a place where a lot of shit goes down. A lot of rough, smack you in the
face, make you want to down a bottle of tequila and six tacos shit. Maybe even a bowl of guac and a bag of chips while you're at it. Throw in a few Reese's cups for good measure and call it good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">And all that shit that's going down? It usually means one thing. Stress. That evil sneaky piece of #$@*.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">It will get you.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Get you good, my pretty. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The day I
realized I wasn’t going crazy is the day I also realized something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t do it all, at least without
consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, I said it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My name is Brandy and I can’t do it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you know what else?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to do it all anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to be able to do it all and make it
look pretty damn easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could bring
home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
could work full time, do the grocery shopping, pay the bills, juggle soccer
practice, guitar lessons, scout meetings, be PTA President, den mother, help in
my kid’s classes, keep the house moderately clean, nurse sick kids, help with
homework, throw Pinterest worthy birthday parties, buy my husband’s underwear
so he didn’t end up wearing pink Fruit of the Looms. Yeah, I’ll explain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Another true story, one Joe will likely not be thrilled I
shared but it’s kind of a beginning of sorts for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I started to figure out I couldn’t do it
all and stay sane, I started with the other adult in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe, buy your own damn underwear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like Joe
couldn’t buy his own underwear or needed me to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just something I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a caretaker, I enjoy taking care of
things for people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hates to shop, I
enjoy shopping and am in the stores more often, so it just made sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did I choose to start with this random,
menial task?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t fricking know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe’s like, no problem, I can buy my own damn
underwear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he gets on Amazon and
orders a pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy peasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Fruit of the Looms show up and it’s a
multipack of pink, purple and turquoise briefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He missed one tiny detail; there was a color choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course I thought this was hilarious (him
not so much) and shared it with a friend, who when she saw him next, asked if
he was wearing his pink panties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We died
laughing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All jokes aside, the pink
panty incident is an important reminder that it’s the details, ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the fricking little details, like making
sure you order the right color of underwear, that add up over time and can
become overwhelming and stressful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Girl, it all
may have looked easy, but it wasn’t.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Do
I regret it?</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">No way.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">If I had it to do over, I’d probably do it
the same.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">But I can’t anymore. And more importantly, I don't want to. And
that’s ok.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">It’s time for change.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My name is
Brandy and I can’t do it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m
not going crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I live in a hood where
shit goes down and I love it and hate it, it builds me up and tears me down,
and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My family
and treasured friends live in that hood, and so does that sweet barista who had
my back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too many of my sistas in the
hood are stressed out and feel like they are going crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re gonna change that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girl, we got this. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-86115115111254402432019-03-26T15:08:00.000-07:002019-03-26T18:58:41.383-07:00Yeah, Sure<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ln-urofYrKk/XJrNGb_MZUI/AAAAAAAACe8/zDCjAe8TESw0p8Lz3uZaJwLwruzVvLCNACLcBGAs/s1600/yes%2Bto%2Badventure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ln-urofYrKk/XJrNGb_MZUI/AAAAAAAACe8/zDCjAe8TESw0p8Lz3uZaJwLwruzVvLCNACLcBGAs/s200/yes%2Bto%2Badventure.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm a doer. I like to do things. Whether it's where I live or the places I visit, I like to do things that are </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">the</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> thing to do there, even the touristy things. I also like to do the things the locals do; there really is no better way to experience a place. Back in California I had a few friends who liked to do things too and were always up for an adventure. We rappelled into caverns, zip lined, ate Ethiopian food, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, flew through the air on a giant bungee swing, hiked into slot canyons in Utah, and much more.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-luG_35Atk/XJYZ6bTnKZI/AAAAAAAACeE/neZdrwXPGXcV6vOnyCJOpOI7U9pDFCySgCLcBGAs/s1600/1-29-12%2B043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-luG_35Atk/XJYZ6bTnKZI/AAAAAAAACeE/neZdrwXPGXcV6vOnyCJOpOI7U9pDFCySgCLcBGAs/s640/1-29-12%2B043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Zip lining</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rySbdk2WkHY/XJYZ6kgbCII/AAAAAAAACeM/zGiM2WM0awUh_stOR6e93IH5ECgqzfergCLcBGAs/s1600/1-29-12%2B056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rySbdk2WkHY/XJYZ6kgbCII/AAAAAAAACeM/zGiM2WM0awUh_stOR6e93IH5ECgqzfergCLcBGAs/s640/1-29-12%2B056.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Me rappelling into Moaning Cavern</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvg97WWiffc/XJYZ6shzRBI/AAAAAAAACeI/kSZvxvUu58YGlQlMTEp2_9zaGut3-NuJQCLcBGAs/s1600/1-29-12%2B076%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvg97WWiffc/XJYZ6shzRBI/AAAAAAAACeI/kSZvxvUu58YGlQlMTEp2_9zaGut3-NuJQCLcBGAs/s640/1-29-12%2B076%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRUirW82kco/XJYZ7SeDMFI/AAAAAAAACeQ/HLl8b2NWcwkkob49hO66UV79XNqerpSZwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="960" height="516" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRUirW82kco/XJYZ7SeDMFI/AAAAAAAACeQ/HLl8b2NWcwkkob49hO66UV79XNqerpSZwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6249.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bungee swing at Great America</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watching the original silent film Phantom of The Opera at the historic Tower Theater</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iKz-dou7qpw/XJYZ7-lEyqI/AAAAAAAACeY/zhSp_kQYt4cxz2oIaAh8Xc7yIedt53itwCLcBGAs/s1600/photo%2B4%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iKz-dou7qpw/XJYZ7-lEyqI/AAAAAAAACeY/zhSp_kQYt4cxz2oIaAh8Xc7yIedt53itwCLcBGAs/s640/photo%2B4%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZ_04bpUCNU/XJYbwaOWycI/AAAAAAAACes/PdpQz5J9U1E4rwU9_7lMP9GQB_-qwk8uACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZ_04bpUCNU/XJYbwaOWycI/AAAAAAAACes/PdpQz5J9U1E4rwU9_7lMP9GQB_-qwk8uACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6550.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But here in Alaska, my social circle isn't quite as large or adventurous yet, so I find myself dependent on the one family member who is generally willing to do anything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin, want to go brave the bears and pick berries?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin, want to put on a pink and white shirt and go walk in a breast cancer awareness walk with my co-workers?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin, want to ride the train to Denali and back in one day...like tomorrow?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin, want to go shopping?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok, so maybe he has his limits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those of us who are parents will admit that there are things we absolutely love about our kids, and things that make us want to bang our head against a brick wall. This is the thing I love most about Justin and the thing that makes him most like me. He is literally willing to do just about anything.....except go shopping. I am willing to do just about anything except bungee jump. His refusal stems from sheer boredom, mine from fear of snapping bungees and death. I would say both are pretty valid concerns, and so we'll avoid both when we're together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few years ago my co-workers and I participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign in Fairbanks, which culminated in a walk through downtown Fairbanks to show support for those affected by breast cancer. I use the word "participated" loosely for myself, because all I did was participate in the walk. That morning I hit Justin up to accompany me and received the usual, yeah sure response. He put on an old breast cancer awareness t-shirt I had and came along.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Us at the finish line</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2wDRSAk98w/WH-xWFla7NI/AAAAAAAAB_E/OPKTnKj2s0MxzP41cda_zhaszTi3tz6IwCLcB/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2wDRSAk98w/WH-xWFla7NI/AAAAAAAAB_E/OPKTnKj2s0MxzP41cda_zhaszTi3tz6IwCLcB/s640/IMG_6141.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Robinson & Ward group, Team "It Counts".</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2kx73f55oR0/WH-xNcEKPDI/AAAAAAAAB_A/cT3VphWN2l8JfYN8TWxL86sw14OOBWzwQCLcB/s1600/Making%2Bstrides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2kx73f55oR0/WH-xNcEKPDI/AAAAAAAAB_A/cT3VphWN2l8JfYN8TWxL86sw14OOBWzwQCLcB/s640/Making%2Bstrides.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I stole this picture from the Making Strides Fairbanks FB page. Such a cool shot of downtown Fairbanks, highlighting the fall colors and the ribbon of pink along the Chena River.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In July of 2016 I decided it was time to try my hand at berry picking. Berry picking is definitely a thing here in Alaska, and so, you know, I had to do it . Wild berries are plentiful here and locals spend many hours every summer picking wild blueberries, cranberries and other varieties of berries to make baked goods, preserves, berry infused alcohol, etc.. Joe, the boys, and I had tried the the year before, but had waited too long and found ourselves at the end of the season with little left on the bushes. Correction, there was nothing left on the bushes. The scenery was stunning though and the fall colors were in their full splendor, so it was far from a wasted day. Here's a few pics of that trip, from September 2015.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The view from Murphy Dome</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jason, berry hunting.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't really need a container when there's nothing to pick.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin, not berry hunting.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's official........ fall is definitely my favorite time of year here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So as I mentioned before, in July of 2016 I decided it was time once again to try my hand at berry picking again. Here's the problem with berry picking in Alaska..... as a newbie it's tough to know where to go. Alaskans are super friendly and helpful people in general, however don't expect one to divulge their berry picking spot. There is no greater faux pas you can commit than to ask one to, a crime I sadly committed before being in the know. More than once. It can take years of scouting the wilderness to find your berry honey hole and I think Alaskans feel like you need to do the time. Plus they want those berries for themselves and I certainly can't blame them for that. Not wanting to venture off into the wilderness without Joe..... because well, who else loves berries even more than humans? Bears do, that's who......... I decided to try one of the few places that are pretty openly known and was just a few miles from home. I hit Justin up one Saturday morning and got the usual yeah, sure response. We hit the outdoor supply store, purchased some rubber boots and were off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It didn't take long to figure out why this spot was so "well known". It was like the Great Alaskan Wetlands. Water up to your knees and you had to cross a marshy river dang near as wide as the Yukon to get to where the berry bushes were. Ok maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but when you're standing on it's edge contemplating your crossing with short stubby legs like mine, and you're not all that graceful on said stubs, it might as well be the Yukon. Justin and I made a few test steps to gauge it's depth and then panic ensued as it felt like my foot was going to get sucked into the marshy abyss. At best I'd lose my new cute purple rubber boot, at worst.....I'd never be seen again. We needed Plan B.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It wasn't long before Plan B presented itself. We were lucky enough to find a board someone had left to cross over, so we made it across without incident. I was not so lucky on the return trip, but we'll talk about that later. Once you got to the bushes the blueberries were plentiful enough, but it's back breaking work to pick them. And walking around out there? Ridiculous! There were these mounds hidden by the low growing bushes with gorges deeper than the Grand Canyon between them. If you missed a mound or slid off one, you were lucky to not break an ankle. And it's not like rubber boots are the most agile of footwear, so it happened quite often. Let's not forget that while you're focused on not breaking a leg, you have to keep an eye out for berry hunting wildlife too. I could literally hear the laughter of the local Alaskans.....that'll teach the newbie to ask where berries are...send her to Nordale Road! Lol! Here's the only pic I got of that fiasco.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At least it was a beautiful day.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I had finally had enough, Justin and I headed back to the car with our one cup worth of blueberries. Justin hung with me for a while but finally I told him to just go ahead to the car and wait for me there. He might as well have been skipping through a grassy meadow. He made it back in no time, crossed the Yukon and was back at the car while I still had miles to go. When I finally made it to the Yukon, I could not find the board. I went up and down looking for it but the Gods had hidden it (or maybe it was the locals trying to punish me even more for my crimes) and it was no where to be found. Now I'm starting to get tired because the terrain is very difficult and I'm over it. I call Justin on the cell phone and ask him to come show me where the board is. He does and of course it's like a mile away from where I stood. I start to make my way there but my legs are super tired, and finally can't correct a misplaced foot. Down I go, submerged in water (because of course I fell sideways into the Yukon) with only my hand holding the tub of blueberries sticking up out of the water. I was saving those damn berries if it was the last thing I did! I decided right then and there that the next time I decided to go berry picking, I'd be heading out into the wilderness on the four wheeler to find my own berry honey hole. I'll face a bear any day before I'll do that Nordale Road crap again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few weeks later I got bored again and decided it would be fun to ride the train to Denali and back. It was on my Alaska Bucket List after all, to ride the Alaska Railroad. Who did I hit up? Yeah sure boy and as usual he was game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had to be at the depot early, so to get him moving I promised a stop at the donut shop on our way. Justin, aka Mr. Donut Lord (his gamer tag) loves, loves, loves a donut. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The train ride from Fairbanks to Denali would take us 4 hours to traverse 121 scenic miles. We'd have just under 4 hours to explore Denali and then be back on the train for the 4 hour return trip. Wait, 4 hours to travel 121 miles? This clearly was no high speed rail. And for good reason. A person takes the train to enjoy the scenery and hopefully spot some wildlife. That would be a bit difficult if you're whizzing by at top speed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so, with donuts in our bellies and a coffee in my hand, we set off on our Alaska by train adventure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our train was the Denali Star and our tickets were in the Adventure Class (aka the not-so-cheap cheap seats). It's actually quite smart of the railroad to call the cheap seats "Adventure class" if you think about it......makes you sound and feel more like an adventurer than a cheapskate.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Denali Star</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin and I boarded the train and quickly found some seats. The train was maybe 40% full, so there were plenty to choose from. We ended up sharing a car with about 14 older folks who were on a grand Alaska tour, led by a super friendly and knowledgeable older gentleman named Dave. He proceeded to tell them all about the train, where the dining car was, where the restrooms were; all super helpful information for the kid and I. Soon the train blew it's whistle and we were off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just a few minutes in as we're heading out of town, Dave tells his charges to look out the right hand side of the train for a glimpse of the truck yard and offices of Carlile Transportation, the trucking company made famous by the History Channel show Ice Road Truckers. They all stand up to get a better view and one gentleman in particular gets super excited and announces that he's watched every episode of that show. He fills the rest of them in on how dangerous the haul road is and how brave and crazy the drivers who drive it are. Justin and I couldn't help but smile because we live with one of those crazy drivers and have both made the trip up the haul road with him. You can read all about my experience doing that here <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2474083272168102091#editor/target=post;postID=391274029365750881;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname" target="_blank">Take Your Wife to Work Weekend</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After Carlile, the train meanders past the University of Fairbanks and it's experimental farm where they have a reindeer research program. Our train mates were excited to see real reindeer. Justin and I had seen Santa's reindeer up close and personal in North Pole, so we weren't nearly as excited.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin and I with one of Santa's reindeer at the Cruisin' with Santa car show in May 2015</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once the train passed the university it made it's way through the historic gold mining districts that surround Fairbanks. There is a tour guide on the train who tells you all kinds of interesting information about the gold mining history of the area and what you're seeing along the way. She was seated in the Gold car, so us "adventurers" never saw her but could hear her just fine. She pointed out old trapper cabins from the 1800's, beaver dams, wildlife, and the Usibelli Coal Mine which is the only active coal mine in Alaska. That must be where Santa gets the coal he needs for the stockings of those on his naughty list. Here's something cool I learned along the way...... evidently single beavers usually build their lodges on the edge of ponds, but parent beavers will build it in the middle of the pond because it it more protected there from predators. The lengths us parents go to to protect our young......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a bit we decided to make our way to the dining car for a snack. We found ourselves a nice table next to a large window and proceeded to pass the time with a few hands of Uno</span>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's some scenery for you to enjoy while I ruthlessly beat my child at Uno.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The color of the river water makes it look like flowing cement. This is due to the silt in the glacial run off water that feeds the rivers here.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once we made it to Denali we departed the train at the depot and made the short walk to the Visitor's Center. We didn't have much time to explore, so we decided to catch the shuttle to the Sled Dog Kennels and see the new litter of puppies they had. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the puppies as they had not been introduced to the public yet. The park was giving mom and babies some privacy until they got a bit bigger and stronger. So we lavished some attention on a few of the other dogs instead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It being a nice day and all, we decided to make the return trip to the train depot on foot by way of the Roadside Trail. The map said it was only 1.8 miles of moderately strenuous walking and some fellow visitors said it was all down hill, so we should have plenty of time to make it back to the depot in time to depart. I mean, how long can it take to walk 1.8 miles?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was a beautiful walk, that I can say. You meander through birch, aspen and spruce forests, past wildflowers and berry bushes. The scenery is gorgeous, as you would expect in Denali National Park. But it's not all downhill, and isn't always "roadside". A few times we were taking switchbacks up and over a hill and I started to wonder if we had accidentally taken a wrong turn. I wasn't too keen about getting too far from the road, not being properly prepared to encounter an animal that may not appreciate our presence and all. And it took about 1 hour and 45 minutes. How it took that long, I do not know. But it did. Evidently I'm a bit of a slow walker as I enjoy the scenery. Must be my stubby legs.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Roadside Trail, at a point when in was in fact, roadside.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justin waiting for me and my stubby legs.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blueberries! And no Yukon to cross to get to them!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lions, tigers and bears.......</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me and Yeah, Sure Boy</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A storm's a'brewin........</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember that storm that was a'brewin? Well, it cut loose about the last ten minutes of our hike and we had to pull out our rain coats. All in all though, it was a fun and beautiful hike and we made it back to the train depot with enough time to grab a quick snack before the train departed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once back on the train, we headed to the meal car for dinner. I had pot roast, which was actually quite tasty and Justin had a frozen pizza thing. After we ate, this was Justin......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this was me......</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy to have crossed off a bucket list item while having fun with my kiddo. Double win!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com0Alaska, USA64.2008413 -149.493673330.386674799999994 127.88913919999999 90 -66.876485800000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-85314154594787820522017-06-27T20:45:00.001-07:002017-06-27T20:45:39.712-07:00A Story About Life's Unexpected Bounty<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't ask, it's an inside thing. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we decided two and a half years ago to uproot our family and leave everything and everyone we knew and loved behind, I knew it would be a grand adventure filled with new experiences. And that is has been. I knew we would see amazing places, experience natural wonders, eat new foods, meet new people, and freeze our tails off. We've done all that and more. I also knew (hoped) it would teach the boys that leaving your comfort zone isn't as bad as it initially sounds, and that it will actually open your mind to a whole new world of possibilities you may never have realized if you had stayed in your box. I do think they've learned that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, as is usually the case with life, it is the unexpected that is the most profound and rewarding experience of all. And as it turns out, the boys were not the only ones who would learn something valuable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People. We've got some truly amazing people in our life and I count them among our greatest bounty in this bountiful life. I mean, when you're sitting in a hospital thousands of miles from home with a loved one going through a very scary situation and a friend brings you food, you know you've got a good friend. But when they know to bring you Mexican food, well.....that's even better. When they know exactly what to put in that burrito, well that's a special kind of friendship and I have that in spades. Friendships I have cultivated over the years are some of my most treasured possessions and I value them beyond words. Years of fun, laughter, camping trips, birthday parties, babies, travel, taco eating, drinking, and some sadness too have linked us for life. We have a lot of time invested in each other. Time is what it takes to develop that kind of relationship with another person. At least, that's what I thought when I was sitting in my box.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I am not in my box anymore. I'm in a vast new land...... the last frontier. And if I had not come here I would not have learned that you don't necessarily need time to cultivate an amazing friendship. Sometimes circumstances and the people themselves are enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you mind if I digress for a moment? No? Good. So going back to the unexpected being the most profound thing I mentioned earlier.....a few months ago the boys and I went and saw the movie Passengers. We see a lot of movies here during the winter, for obvious reasons. I'm thinking at this point we might own stock in the theater in Fairbanks. Anyway, Passengers is about two people who are among 5,000 passengers on a star ship traveling in hibernation pods on a 120 year journey to a new planet. They wake up too soon and sh#@ gets real. The woman, Aurora, is a writer who decided to take the journey because her father once told her, "<b>If you live an ordinary life, all you'll have are ordinary stories</b>". She wanted extraordinary stories to tell. I was was like, yeah.....that's exactly how I feel. It's part of why I wanted to embark on our journey to Alaska. She also said, "<b>I think we tell each other stories to know we're not alone</b>". Yeah, that too. Dang, totally did not expect this random movie to hit me in the face and bring me clarity, but there it was in a movie theater in Fairbanks, Alaska. I almost dropped my popcorn. Almost. I want a bountiful life. I want extraordinary stories. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so, in that spirit, today's story as I mentioned prior to my little side trip (thank you for that), is about unexpected friendship. When you take inventory of your closest friends, do you find they are all pretty similar people? I mean, it makes sense that we would gravitate to people with the same personalities, beliefs, and interests as ourselves, so it would follow that they would be similar people. I find this to be true of my closest friends. They all have differences of course that make them special, but for the most part they are,well, like me. But what if circumstances are such that you find yourself somewhere new, without your posse, where there aren't a lot of people around like you? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About four months after we moved here I discovered the answer to this very burning (kidding) question........ if you're lucky, you learn that someone who is totally different from you in some ways, can be a lot like you in others when you take the time to find out. And those differences can make for a fabulous friendship. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so the story goes, on the sidelines of a soccer field, I met Heather. She is originally from North Carolina (opposite end of the country from California), she's an avid sports enthusiast (unless my kid or another kid I adore is playing, I'm out), loves the sun and the heat (heat happens to be one of the major reasons I left California), loves sushi (no, give me a taco), has a great sense of fashion (it's jeans and t-shirts for me), likes to get to work early (I'm lucky if I get there by 10am), can quote songs and movies like Google (I can't remember what I said five minutes ago), has a fabulous, flamboyant personality (I don't think there's anything flamboyant about me), her family serves our country in the military and she has lived in a lot of different places (before moving to Alaska at the age of 44 I had only lived within a 3 hour radius of the city I was born in my entire life). But more importantly, she is a great mom and loves her kids, a true and loyal friend, thoughtful, intuitive, social, likes to have fun, is a hard worker, has a great sense of humor, and loves a good taco and shot of tequila......all things I do identify with. And in just two and a half short years of laughter, chips and salsa making (me) and eating (her), and late nights of tequila shots and conversation in my kitchen, she has become a lifelong friend. Evidence that sometimes circumstances and people, not time, are all that's needed to form lasting friendships.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But alas, her family's service to our country has set them on a new adventure to a warm and sunny destination that suits her just a tad bit better (understatement). And while I'll miss her and her amazing kiddos, I can't help but think that yet another quote from that slap in the face movie I mentioned earlier, is so very true.......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We all have a journey. We plan for our future as if we are captains of our fate. But we're passengers. We go where fate takes us."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm just hoping fate takes me to Florida one day, during the winter please, to visit my friend. And yes, I'll make chips and salsa when I get there.</span><br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-3912740293657508812016-12-30T19:48:00.000-08:002017-04-04T19:29:35.313-07:00Take Your Wife to Work Weekend - Ice Road Trucker Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started this post almost a year ago and then life happened and I dropped the ball. Let's face it, I dropped many balls in 2016, but it's almost a new year and there's no better time to re-commit to the things you failed at the previous year. Better the blog than dieting or exercise, I say. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Picture this........it's January 2016 in Alaska, an icy road stretches on for hundreds of miles, a smutty novel entertains (or horrifies) you, a bed so comfortable you can sleep like the dead while bouncing just shy of the ceiling, men communicating like women never knew they could, visions of wild animals, danger at every turn. That's right.......I went trucking with Joe up the Alaska haul road to Prudhoe Bay on what I am calling, Take Your Spouse to Work Weekend. Now, I know at least half of you are stuck on that smutty novel but never fear, we will get to that in a bit. I mean, what good is a story without a little smut?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But let's start at the beginning. Why would I, Brandy, who hates bumpy roads and likes to go #1 more often than every 6-8 hours without dropping her drawers on the side of the road in sub zero temperatures, want to undertake such a journey in the dead of winter? Well......... I've told you before I want to see and experience as much of this amazing planet as I can and Prudhoe Bay is up there, I mean way up there north of the Arctic Circle. And I've never been to an oil field. And I got to spend a few kid-less days with the husband. Believe it or not, people actually pay money to take the exact same journey I got to take for free, so it was a heck of a bargain and I love a good bargain. Joe had a ride along last summer; a grandma in her 60's who was on her second trip up the haul road with a trucker. She had purchased the opportunity at a fundraising event for a whopping $1400! As those of you who know Joe can imagine, he was super thrilled about having a strange grandma ride with him, as he loves to chit chat with people so much. In the end it wasn't as bad as he imagined it would be, though he worried about her a bit as she struggled getting in and out of the truck and was covered in mud because in the summer, the haul road means mud....lots of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But let's get back to me. So, after dropping Justin at a soccer tournament Saturday morning I climbed aboard with my snacks and my pillow, and threw caution to the wind.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe and I ready to hit the road.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My home away from home for the next two days</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Joe's first two comments once we got rolling were:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A...."This thing (pointing to the CB) will be going off and interrupting us a lot. You're gonna have to deal with it". I've been married to this truck driver for a long time and he knows I can't stand it when we're on the phone and some man or woman starts screaming at the top of their lungs over the radio (at least that's what it sounds like when you're on the other end of a cell phone). Joe is usually quite courteous and turns it down when we're talking, but evidently this would not be the case on this trip. Ok, annoying but doable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B...."There are going to be times that you think I am going too fast but I have to so that we have a better chance of making it up the hills, so don't freak out". Ok, a little more concerning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And with that we headed north out of Fairbanks on the Elliot Highway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So where in the world were we headed? Here's a handy dandy map to show you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's right...... we would cross the mighty Yukon River and go all the way to the Arctic Ocean. That's a long way on a bumpy road for a girl who doesn't like bumpy roads. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our first stop was just 20 miles out of Fairbanks at the Hilltop Truck Stop. While Joe fueled the truck I ran inside for my last chance at a usable restroom for many, many miles. After that I checked out the truck and then, with nothing left to do....... I took a selfie. It takes a long time to fuel a semi.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This truck holds 375 gallons of fuel and gets 3.7 miles per gallon. <br />
Glad that's not our bill!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a lot of gauges, knobs and switches to keep track of. Oh and look, a tree air freshener. <br />
You will find one in every vehicle Joe drives. Always. Been that way for the 27 years I have known him.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohhhh.....truck sleepers are very cozy places and always have comfy beds. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After Joe was done fueling the truck, he moved about 4,000 gallons of the fuel in the tanker to the front two compartments of the tanker. Putting all that weight on the drive tires helps with traction. More traction means less chance of sliding and dying, so it sounded like a great idea to me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the time he finished, we were one of three trucks ready to head up the haul road. Who would be the one to lead the way, to decide before it was too late if you needed to throw a set (of chains) (like my trucker lingo?) to avoid sliding backwards down a steep ass hill and ending up looking like this?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why us, of course! Awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And off we went. The weather was great, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining brightly. So far, so good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After about 75 miles traveling along the Elliot Highway, we finally reached the world famous Dalton Highway..... also known as the haul road. As is true of many world famous destinations, there is a sign to welcome you. Here's a pic of me there.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gateway to the Arctic ~ The Road to Prudhoe Bay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the truckers who drive this road, every single inch of it from this point forward has a name. Some spots are simply the mile mark, like 5 mile. But some of it has quite creative names that might make you raise an eyebrow. One particular section reads like a trucker romance novel, ok smutty trucker romance novel. Warning, you might want to skip to the next paragraph if smut offends you. It begins with Beaver Slide, then Finger Mountain (which Joe doesn't think looks like a finger but another part of a man's anatomy), on to Old Man and then Gobblers Knob. And let's not forget Oh Shit Corner. Oh shit I just slid off Gobblers Knob or worse, off an old man? I'll stop now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While some of the names might be questionable, their purpose is not. Communication is key to survival on this road and the truckers who drive it are in constant communication with each other.... where they're at, what direction they're driving, what the road conditions are, what the weather is doing, if there's any obstacles on the road like giant moose, or 4 wheelers (cars), etc. Yes girls, it's true...... men can communicate well when their lives depend on it. Every single truck we passed told us about the road they had just traveled and Joe told them about the road we had just traveled. Every... single.... one. Several of them seemed to know I was along for Bring Your Wife to Work Weekend and inquired about how I was liking it. Nice group of guys. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An important topic of conversation was the condition of the hills. Chains or no chains, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler to play it safe or hammer down and go for it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Right off the bat we approached the first hill at 2 1/2 mile. Joe decides no chains and hammers down to get a running jump at it. And it's not like it's a straight shot at these hills.... most of them have curves right before the bottom so you go flying around the turn, all 104,000 pounds of truck and fuel, and me. By the time you hit the hill you're doing around 65 mph, on a snowy, icy, unpaved road mind you. By the time you're halfway up you're lucky to be doing 15 mph, wondering if you'll reach the top before you spin out and can't go any further.... at which point you stop mid hill and pray that you don't start sliding backwards. </span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately pictures do not capture the steepness of these hills. I did find this one though on the internet, taken by someone else, that does kind of give you an idea. This is what is called the Roller Coaster.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yep, it's friggin steep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Evidently (according to Joe) I was supposed to be scared going up the hills. You know, because of the possibility of sliding backwards down them if you're not going fast enough. Well, the downhill side was much more alarming to me. As the truck picked up speed going down the hills I imagined us losing traction, starting to slide, not making the next turn and sailing off the road over a cliff or into the pipeline and bursting into flames (we <i>were</i> hauling 9,000 gallons of flammable fuel, you know). Ok, ok.......so the pipeline isn't really close enough to the road that we would actually hit it if we did go off the road, but all kinds of crazy goes through your mind at times like these.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of the pipeline.....if there is one thing you can count on on this dangerous, unforgiving, lonely road plagued with unpredictable weather, it's the pipeline. It's your constant companion, occasionally disappearing underground or into the side of a mountain but always sure to reappear quickly. The 800 mile long Trans Alaska Pipeline System is one of the world's largest pipeline systems and was constructed to move oil from the oil rich North Slope of Alaska to Valdez, the northernmost ice-free port in North America. That thing is an engineering marvel. It's amazing how they constructed it to survive earthquakes, permafrost, and all sorts of other issues that plague the area. Much of the fuel Joe hauls is used in the operation of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uh oh, Houston we have a problem.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-02HoysbyfF8/VsQ0SYAXBeI/AAAAAAAABu0/EgnF1z9LRsE/s1600/coolant%2Bleak%2B28%2Bmile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-02HoysbyfF8/VsQ0SYAXBeI/AAAAAAAABu0/EgnF1z9LRsE/s640/coolant%2Bleak%2B28%2Bmile.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A coolant leak at 28 mile. Don't worry....I stayed nice and warm in the truck while Joe laid in the snow fixing the problem and then added more coolant. Thanks for worrying about me, though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's enjoy the scenery while Joe fixes the truck.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh, are we both gonna fit???</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my favorite sections of the road was inhabited by snow people, who stood stoically on either side of the road as you passed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The snow people only inhabited about a five mile section of the road. Creepy weird.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Joe had us back on the road in a jiffy. Next up......the mighty Yukon River. It is massive. Joe said the Yukon River impressed him the most on his first trip up the haul road in September 2013, before it had frozen over. I'm hoping to drive up one summer and see it when it's flowing. That is not likely to happen because if you think the Dalton is bumpy in the winter, summer is way worse. Not my thing at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just because we're workin' doesn't mean we can't stop and be touristy. We made a quick stop at the Arctic Circle sign for me to capture the moment. How many people can say they've been to the Arctic Circle?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like Willie says......on the road again, Joe just can't wait to get on the road again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wonder what it's like to ride in a truck on the haul road? It's bouncy. Here's a little video so you can feel the excitement too. I want you to have the full experience.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwi0YsXq74qU39VxRSJxHEN6MCcZVTbl6Qzu20GLYoX6eZ0UbZEhc1PfphgLaF11ofyytstgtj40IgaNIK-dQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then it got dark, as it tends to do in Alaska in the winter. So what's a girl to do? Ahhhh...... the sleeper. That glorious, cozy space is calling my name. Wake me up when we get to Coldfoot, Joe. It's really quite amazing how well one can sleep bouncing several feet off the bed as you travel down the road. And even more amazing for someone who had been lacking in the sleep department for several months. I am dubbing that period of my life "Sleepless in Alaska", and there will be another blog post soon, all about how I nearly lost my mind and my grip on reality. But enough of that for now.....just thinking about those months makes me shudder. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before I knew it, we had arrived at Coldfoot Camp located at mile 175. Way back in the day Coldfoot was a mining camp called Slate Creek, but was renamed in the early 1900's due to gold prospectors getting cold feet as they traveled north up a nearby river. Today Coldfoot is basically a truck stop for truckers heading up to Prudhoe Bay and a tourist stop for bus tours and other adventurous travelers. It consists of a fueling station, cafe, and overnight accommodations for haul road travelers not of the trucker variety. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After Joe roused me from my slumber, we headed inside the cafe for a bite to eat. The first thing I noticed was the special seating area reserved specifically for Dalton Highway truckers only...there's a sign even. In the middle of this big long table was a couple of pots of fresh coffee, every condiment bottle you could imagine, and lots of ash trays. Truckers are notorious coffee drinkers, smokers, and evidently, condiment users. We did not sit at the trucker table as Joe is not one to socialize much or smoke, or use condiments other than Tobasco for that matter. I must say, I felt slightly cheated of the true haul road trucker experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a quick bite to eat and some awkward conversation with a local who lived across the street and frequented the bar in the cafe for TV viewing in the evenings, we were back on the road. The rest of the trip was shrouded in darkness, so I could not see the landscape as we climbed Atigun Pass and made our way over the Brooks Range aka avalanche central. Making your way through avalanche central in the pitch dark with cliffs inches to your right.....a bit unnerving to say the least. I guess the upside is you would never see it coming. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Past the Brooks Range, the road goes on and on, straight and flat, for miles. Just about the time you start to think you've reached the end of the earth, a faint glow appears on the horizon and you think.....have we reached San Francisco?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But no, its the lights from the camps and oil fields of Prudhoe Bay, also known as Deadhorse. As you get closer, you notice these beautiful pillars of light that occur when the bright lights reflect off the ice crystals in the air. It looks like an alien mother ship is hovering just overhead. A spectacular site!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prudhoe Bay, aka Deadhorse</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hpVmx44299U/V1pZbeXY4DI/AAAAAAAABxE/8_zM9Yd36v4ZCh4jPKmNOvhEZ-sJZhHegCLcB/s1600/DSCN1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hpVmx44299U/V1pZbeXY4DI/AAAAAAAABxE/8_zM9Yd36v4ZCh4jPKmNOvhEZ-sJZhHegCLcB/s640/DSCN1565.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Time to unload our fuel.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JY8EdWZw8ow/V1pZcQGbrjI/AAAAAAAABxQ/YBoHnFT9x905ByGHt7xiUfbTcpsZBvCcACLcB/s1600/IMG_4186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JY8EdWZw8ow/V1pZcQGbrjI/AAAAAAAABxQ/YBoHnFT9x905ByGHt7xiUfbTcpsZBvCcACLcB/s640/IMG_4186.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me workin' hard! Peace out.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once we were unloaded it was time to hit the sack. Joe had to be off the clock for 10 hours so we climbed into the sleeper and went to sleep. It had been a few years since I'd been truckin' with Joe and I could have sworn those sleeper beds were larger back in the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next morning we grabbed a quick shower and meal in the Prudhoe Bay Hotel, and then hit the road south. Quick as in, you have 6 minutes to eat that breakfast burrito. Typical Trucker Joe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As you can see below, we didn't have much daylight by which to see the landscape on this end of the road.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gYT5uXP8kBU/V1pZcl7A1LI/AAAAAAAABxU/LrKo3mAYVsI4nu6yoCj-gn84083tgMuigCLcB/s1600/IMG_4189.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gYT5uXP8kBU/V1pZcl7A1LI/AAAAAAAABxU/LrKo3mAYVsI4nu6yoCj-gn84083tgMuigCLcB/s640/IMG_4189.PNG" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, you read that right......37 minutes of sunshine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we left Prudhoe Bay behind and the sun finally appeared, I became slightly confused, wondering if we had traveled to the moon instead of an earthly destination. It was white, flat, and desolate as far as the eye can see.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What are those black dots?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musk Ox!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visibility isn't the greatest. Follow the thin gray ribbon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tyY46i1WFL4/V1pt7rVByLI/AAAAAAAABzo/3zyhjXlma085HFOpEZsi_2FZF8RY_h8aQCLcB/s1600/haul%2Broad%2B074%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tyY46i1WFL4/V1pt7rVByLI/AAAAAAAABzo/3zyhjXlma085HFOpEZsi_2FZF8RY_h8aQCLcB/s640/haul%2Broad%2B074%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are you sure we're not on the moon, Joe?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blanket of low fog ahead.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a while we started climbing back over the pass. It's beautiful but there's that avalanche thing to think about.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back behind us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh oh, wide load ahead.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is there room for both of us?!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was. Whew.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avalanche remnants. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just keep driving, driving, driving......</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey look, it's Robert!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rest of our journey home was pretty uneventful. There was lots of stunning scenery to enjoy until the darkness came again. We stopped back by Coldfoot for a restroom stop and to buy some cookies that were pretty dang good, especially the spice one. Got a bowl of chili too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so I'll leave you with a few more pictures of the beautiful scenery on the way back. As I finish this, it's almost a year later, December 30, 2016, and Joe just left to head back up the haul road in the middle of one of the worst snow storms we've seen since we moved here. Travel not advised. Before this trip it was easy not to imagine the dangers he faces every time he goes to work, now not so much.</span><br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com5Prudhoe Bay, AK, USA70.2556453 -148.3384293000000369.5712873 -150.92021630000002 70.9400033 -145.75664230000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-18687179441956685602015-04-11T20:03:00.000-07:002017-04-04T19:30:03.618-07:00Breaking Up Is Hard To DoWe've all been there, right? Head over heels, weak in the knees, all in........and then something goes very, very wrong. And whether you're the breaker or the breakee, it's never easy and often downright ugly. Yes, Neil Sedaka said it best.....breaking up is hard to do.<br />
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But here in Alaska, "break up" does not refer to the parting of ways of two ill suited individuals. It's more like an extra season; after winter and before spring. Or maybe is replaces spring.....I'm not really sure yet. What I do know is that it is a big pain in the a$$ and it's definitely ugly, so it resembles a traditional break up in that sense.<br />
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Don't take your loovvve, away from meee.......sorry, that dang song is stuck in my head now.<br />
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So what Alaskans refer to as break up is the time of year when the temperatures soar above freezing, like in the mid 30's and 40's, the sun shines and the snow starts to melt. It usually starts in late February or March. For us, it started with dagger like icicles forming on the eaves of the house from the snow melting off the roof. Then a present from one of the cats left on the dining room floor. Yep, the little ground mice started running about and one met it's end while Oreo was out on an excursion in the back yard. Gotta love cats, they're such givers. <br />
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And then the ugly. The snow on the roads started to melt and left a slushy, muddy, slippery, pothole ridden mess. This is not a happy time for your vehicles. They are constantly covered in a blackish brownish film that seems to end up all over your clothes because clearly you can't seem to get in and out of the car without rubbing against it. Or is it just me that can't? The up shot is that you don't need a paper and pen if you need to write something down. Check out this car that Jason snapped a pic of in Fairbanks the other day.<br />
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Uh, ok. Nice to know, I guess.<br />
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And if your suspension survives the gargantuan potholes, your windshield is not likely to survive all the tiny little pebbles all over the road, left over from the gravel laid down throughout the winter to combat the icy roads.<br />
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Yep, that's my windshield. Sigh. <br />
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Oh, you noticed Javier, did you? He was an Easter gift to Jason from his Brazilian Spanish teacher. He lives on my dash now and makes us smile. Isn't he cute?<br />
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Next comes the flooding. Gigantic muddy puddles everywhere. The boys had to give up riding the quad on the trails after getting stuck a few times. It's hard to imagine my home state of California is experiencing an extreme drought when there is water everywhere you look here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School parking lot</td></tr>
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But then, as the snow melts and the puddles start to dry up......grass emerges! I mean, you can actually see the ground! We haven't seen the ground since we moved here and weren't even sure if we lived on a paved or dirt road. Turns out it's dirt/gravel. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grass in the backyard!</td></tr>
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And now the excitement starts to set in. Summer is on it's way. Winter is over. The sky is blue, the temperatures are warm. The ice is breaking up on the rivers. You're ready to get outside and live. Cabin fever starts to become a thing. It's weird, you'd think the cabin fever would hit in the dead of winter but it really hits now. Joe is antsy to fish. The boys are antsy to hit the motocross track. The cats are antsy to climb trees, hunt mice and attack the birds that taunt them as they are stranded on the deck. I am antsy to have all of their antsiness relieved and to enjoy the outdoors. Is antsiness a word? I think no, but who cares?<br />
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Reality check, people. Because if break up is anything, it's a tease. This was our view this morning when we awoke from not only our sleep, but our delusions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 inches of fresh snow.</td></tr>
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I can't really say that Joe and I didn't expect winter to have it's last hurrah, but the boys were not so realistic. And I don't really think we've seen the last snow of the winter even now. But it is a bit of a downer when you've had a glimpse of the other side.<br />
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Despite all this, break up is a glorious time. It is the promise of summer, warmer temperatures, longer days, and outdoor adventures to come. And it's fascinating to watch winter release it's grip on the landscape and give way to a new season, especially for folks who came in the dead of winter and have no idea what the new season has in store for us. I think we are all looking forward to finding out. :)<br />
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On a side note, I am going through a break up of my own these days. In a previous post I mentioned my 27 year love affair with diet soda. Gosh, when you put a number to it like that it's quite alarming! Anyway, I've decided it's time for us to part ways. It's not the soda per say, but more the artificial sweeteners that I'm trying to ditch. Do you know how many products have artificial sweeteners in them? Tons! It's annoying. <br />
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Until next time....thanks for reading my babble and may you find adventure waiting for you around the next corner. :)<br />
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Brandy<br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-8826223772496233822015-04-01T19:02:00.001-07:002015-04-01T22:32:56.056-07:00RegretsEver had the feeling that something was being thrown in your path over and over in really random ways, like a stone meant to trip you up on the path of life? Like the Universe, God, or the Great and Powerful Oz (I believe in a collaboration of all three that I will call Unigoz), was speaking to you through music, movies, social media, supermarket exchanges, dreams, shapes in your bathroom wall texture? <br />
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It's been happening to me for a few months now. My path has been littered with random stones that I keep tripping over. It's bugging me and I'm over it. So Unigoz, you can lay off. I will deal with it. The problem lies in how.<br />
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The catalyst, or shall I say the last stone thrown, was one of those nifty inspirational quotes we see all over social media that speak to our very core. ;) I happened to see it on Facebook. Here it is:<br />
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Geez Unigoz......obviously this was meant directly for me as I have recently made a big life change <b>AND</b> I am living with regret. Alright already, I get it.<br />
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Let's talk about regret. There's a lot of people out there who say they regret nothing, because everything they've done has made them the person they are today. They look at the negative things they have done as life lessons and therefore do not regret them. Bull puckey. I think everyone has regrets; things we wish we would have done differently, words we've spoken or left unspoken, relationships we have let go or let suck us dry. I agree they are part of who we are today and definitely lessons to learn from, but I question anyone's moral capacity that says they have no regrets. Stepping down from the soapbox now.<br />
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Anyhoo.....at this point you may be thinking that my regret lies in our move to Alaska. I'm not going to lie and say that everything here is rainbows and roses. Alaska, like anywhere else, has it's downsides. And moving a family with children over 3000 miles away has it challenges. Here are a few for instances:<br />
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<li>The internet here really sucks. Believe it or not, it is not unlimited and it costs a fortune! Seriously, it's like paying for data on your cell phone. You pay for so many gigs and when you use them up, you either go without or pay for more. We pay $134.99 for 300 gigs per month! Back in California we paid $30 per month for unlimited internet. We didn't have to worry about how many movies we streamed, how much Netflix we watched, how much the boys played Xbox. And we could enjoy the HD picture on our televisions. Not so here, and we're paying over 4 times more! Ugh....seriously, ugh. Who even knows how much data you use to watch a movie, surf the internet, or play Xbox? So annoying.</li>
<li> The power steering system on my Jeep is clearly not designed to withstand the cold temperatures here. It had to be repaired three times in three months. And we can't replace the hoses with arctic grade hoses, which would fix the problem, because that will void our warranty. Very irritating, especially since it's practically brand new and we will continue to have this problem every winter until our warranty is up.</li>
<li>Pushing a grocery cart across a frozen snow covered parking lot is the definition of annoying. It feels like being in one of those machines with the vibrating strap that people use to lose belly fat. It's amazing that your eggs make it to your car in one piece. And forget it if you have a coffee in your hand. </li>
<li>It is difficult to find a tri tip roast in the stores. What?! You can find the tri tip steaks, but a whole roast not so! I found one once at Fred Meyer; it was the only one. I have to ask the butcher at Safeway if I want to get one there.</li>
<li>Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies are not the same here. Whoa! This is almost a deal breaker. It is wrong on so many levels.</li>
<li>Bread goes stale here really fast, veggies do not last long in the fridge and you've got about five days to drink a gallon of milk before it is past it's sell by date. The result is more frequent trips to the grocery store. Just what everyone wants to do more frequently.</li>
<li>The doors on businesses open from the wrong side. Not everywhere of course, but I'd say about 50% of the businesses. Think about it.....when you approach a door that you push open, usually you push on the right side and it swings open to the left. This is a pretty much universal thing. Not here. Many businesses here open on the left and swing to the right. Or is it vice versa? I'm telling you, it's a thing here either way and I'm constantly doing lip skids on doors because I push and keep on going thinking it's going to open.....and it doesn't. At the North Pole post office you have to go through two sets of doors and one opens from the right and the other from the left! Now everywhere I go I have to examine the door before I approach to determine which way to open it. It's the same with doors you pull open too. Am I the only one that has this issue? I'm curious.</li>
<li>It is not fun to watch your children miss their friends. It is not fun to miss your friends. It is not fun to miss your family. It is not fun to feel like you are missing out on stuff. It is not fun to not be able to be there for someone you care about when they are going through stuff.</li>
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Having said all that, I do not regret moving here. Most of the things I mentioned are annoying at best, and superficial. The friend and family thing though, that is real and very tough. However I truly believe we are meant to be here and Alaska Airlines will just have get rich off us.</div>
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So where lies my regret? I have a lot of regrets. I have been accused in the past of being perfect, and not in a positive way. I am here to tell you that I am far from perfect. I have a childhood friend who can attest to that.....she knows who she is. And I'm sure Joe could attest to it now, as could a lot of other people. But the regret that seems to be littering my path right now lies with words unspoken and a missed relationship.</div>
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Many of you know that my father passed away very unexpectedly last summer. He was only 67 years old and didn't really have any health issues that we knew about. But what only a select few of you know is that I had a very strained relationship with my dad. Not good at all. He was a difficult man and I was and still am stubborn, strong willed and opinionated. We clashed. In the last ten years of his life however, he mellowed and I could tell that he wanted a better relationship with me and my boys. I held onto the anger, hurt, and distrust, and didn't let it happen. Then he died.</div>
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My dad was a Marine and a Vietnam War veteran, two things he was fiercely proud of. He never spoke of the war though. After his death, I had the privilege of meeting several men he served with in the war. One in particular knew him well and had helped him in the last several years of his life. Jerry is his name. Jerry knew of our troubled relationship and wanted me to understand why my dad was the way he was. He told me my father suffered from severe PTSD and shared some stories of the war my father had written while applying for VA benefits. It was horrific to read my father's words describing the things he saw and experienced in that war that haunted him until the last day of his life. His words also discussed his failed relationships that were due to the anxiety, stress, depression, guilt, etc. Jerry also told me my father was a hero and had personally saved Jerry's own life on two occasions. He was a highly respected warrior who never shirked his duty and even volunteered on missions so that others wouldn't have to go. Like so many others, he gave his life in that war, even though he lived on.</div>
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So where does all this leave me? With a lot of regret and guilt, that's where. Had I known, maybe I would have been more forgiving and had a relationship with him. I know, I know.....I didn't know so how can I blame myself? I just do. Almost every day lately something happens that makes me think about him and choke up; the man in the post office with the Vietnam Vet hat on, the dang war movies that have been so prevalent lately in movie theaters that Jason really wants to see so I take him, the commercial about the Vietnam Vet appreciation gathering in Fairbanks last weekend, Joe's slippers which are the exact same kind my dad used to wear, watching the movie St. Vincent starring Bill Murray, not realizing until it's too late that it's about a Vietnam Vet who struggles and is misunderstood. And it doesn't help that Bill Murray looks a lot like my dad in his old age. So many dang stones. <br />
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But don't cry for me, Argentina. I'll be ok. I decided to share my story in hopes that someone will read it and fix something in their life before it is too late for them. Because we all have to move past our crap or be eaten alive by it. That's all I can really do. So help a girl out. If you find yourself in a similar situation, reach out and try to fix it. And then if you're really brave, leave me a comment letting me know you did. You don't have to give details, unless you want to. Just leave the word "done". In the meantime I am going to look for ways to volunteer my time with veterans. I just feel compelled to.<br />
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Here's a couple pics of my dad. I love and miss him every day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corporal Charles Arthur Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two in the middle are my dad and Jerry (my dad is the short one!)</td></tr>
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-50166079454451117432015-03-23T19:20:00.001-07:002017-04-04T19:30:47.782-07:00The Last Great RaceOur move here to Alaska has been ripe with good fortune so far......great weather and cooperative kids and cats during our travels here, a mild winter to ease us in, amazing northern lights. Speaking of the northern lights, last week a severe geomagnetic storm produced what they are saying was some of the best aurora activity in the past decade. I have no idea what a geomagnetic storm is but man, was it phenomenal! The sky was lit up with bright green and pink lights that streaked, swirled, and danced before our eyes. Even the boys were speechless as we watched. It was the definition of amazing. My neck started hurting from looking up at the sky for so long that I was tempted to lie down in the snow to watch after a while! Tempted being the operative word. The spectacular lights lasted for several days, but here's a few pics I took on St. Patrick's Day. Please excuse the poor quality as I am quite the amateur aurora photographer. Someday I'll figure it out. As you enjoy the pictures, I'm going to take a moment to go find some wood to knock on, as I have now jinxed my family by gloating about our good fortune.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason and I call this "The Eagle". Do you see it?</td></tr>
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Sigh. I wish you could have seen it. </div>
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As I mentioned earlier, Alaska is having a mild winter this year. Seems crazy to say that, being that we've had 30 and 40 below temperatures, snow, and freezing rain, but evidently the cold spells have been much shorter and more infrequent than what is typical and there have been fewer storms. This is a good thing I suppose.....better to ease into living in Alaska with a mild winter than having a serious reality check right off the bat. As a result of this milder winter, the snow accumulations have been lower than normal, which resulted in yet another piece of good fortune for us! (More wood knocking). For only the second time in history, the Iditarod restart was moved to Fairbanks! Yay for us! <br />
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For those who don't know what the Iditarod is, where have you been all your life? I'm pretty sure most everyone has heard of the Iditarod, but if you haven't, it is an annual sled dog race and the most popular sporting event in Alaska. Normally the Iditarod has a ceremonial start in Anchorage and then a few days later restarts in Willow, which is 80 miles north of Anchorage and 309 miles from North Pole (where we live). The restart is really the official start of the race, which takes mushers and their teams of 16 dogs over a pass of the Alaska Range, through the state's interior region, along the Bering Sea coast and finally ending in Nome, for a total of over 1100 miles. It is known as the Last Great Race and for good reason. The conditions these mushers and their athlete dogs have to endure on this race are treacherous to say the least. Since there was not enough snow on portions of the usual route, race organizers moved the restart to Fairbanks. This meant we could attend without having to travel 309 miles and we could mark another item off the bucket list! And cooler still, the restart just happened to be on Justin's 12th birthday. It also happened to be on a Monday, so the boys got to miss school. They didn't mind that at all. </div>
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What a fantastic experience! You could immediately feel the excitement in the air as soon as you arrived. The city had shuttle buses running from two locations to ease parking at the event, which was extremely organized and worked perfectly. At the race itself, it was very refreshing to find no commercialization of the event; no souvenir, food or beer stands anywhere like you normally see at major sporting events. There was one little tent where they were serving free, yes <b>free</b> coffee and hot chocolate. That's it. People were not there to eat, drink and buy stuff. They were there to cheer on the mushers and their dogs as they embarked on the race.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It began with the singing of our National Anthem</td></tr>
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At two minute intervals, the dog teams were led into the chute by volunteer dog handlers and the mushers. An announcer introduced each musher and gave a little background information on them while the team got set up and waited for their turn to take off. Most of the dogs were super amped and there was a lot of barking and jumping going on, which added to the excitement. The mushers went around and stroked each dog, giving each one what I assume was a pre-race pep talk. We were all very surprised at how small the dogs were. For some reason we expected them to be bigger, but they were actually quite small. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's go, let's go, let's go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You guys ready back there?</td></tr>
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When the announcer yelled "GO", each team took off to cheers from the crowd. It was very exciting!<br />
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Here's a little video clip of one anxious athlete and his team taking off.</div>
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The teams raced down the spectator lined chutes before heading out onto the frozen Chena River and the rest of the race.</div>
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Here are a couple of ninjas taking in the excitement at the starting line.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin</td></tr>
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It was a little chilly, 1 degree above, so we were all bundled up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin, always ready with his trusty phone to get pics!</td></tr>
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I can honestly say that experiencing the Iditarod start was everything I hoped it would be and more! It was a great bucket list item and if it's on yours, I hope you get to see it some day.<br />
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Speaking of bucket lists, I had a little contest on <a href="http://ourbountifullife.blogspot.com/2015/03/on-my-death-bed.html">my last post</a>. I asked you guys to leave a comment about what was on your bucket list. And the winner is...........Barbara Leath!<br />
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So all this talk of good fortune has me wondering what good fortune you've experienced lately. Leave a comment letting me know.........and then go knock on some wood.<br />
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Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-2682059779854015042015-03-11T16:25:00.001-07:002015-03-11T16:25:35.639-07:00On My Death Bed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lists are beautiful things. They keep us organized and on track with our goals, and we tend to accomplish more when working from a list that we have taken the time to create. It's as if we're making some unspoken commitment to ourselves that compels us to actually do the stuff on the list. And as an added bonus, it's hugely satisfying to cross items off the list. Imagine taking a long draw off a cigarette and slowly letting out the smoke in perfect little circles. I wouldn't really know for sure since I've never smoked, but for some reason I feel like it would feel the same. Deeply satisfying.<br />
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There are people who obsessively make lists for everything and then there's people like me, who try to keep track of most everything in their heads on little digital mind lists, which used to work just fine until I had kids and is now one of my biggest failures. And let's face it.....those of you who know me are aware that I am the opposite of organized, so for me to engage in an activity that involves organization is highly unlikely. However.......I do make two kinds of lists: The OMG I'm So Overwhelmed List and the traditional Bucket List; the former to maintain some level of sanity so that I don't go screaming about like a mad woman and the latter to fulfill a desire that may even outweigh my desire to maintain my sanity. Let's be real......my sanity is probably a lost cause at this point anyway. I mean, I live in a house with three male humans and two male felines, where farting is a source of amusement, Captain Crunchberries is the preferred meal, and the seat is always left up.<br />
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Back to the lists. The OMG list, for example, was employed for the move to Alaska. Holy moly there was a lot to do! Packing, passports, school records and enrollments, cat physicals, selling stuff, travel arrangements, housing issues, cleaning (ok, so maybe I didn't do that much cleaning), I could go on and on. And that was just on the homefront. I had a full time job to wrap up too. Have I mentioned before that I'm glad that whole moving thing is over?<br />
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So let's talk about that other desire of mine, the one I said might just outweigh my desire to keep my sanity. Do you ever think about when your time here on this Earth will come to an end? That moment when you're lying on your death bed, knowing you're about done and thinking back on your life? I do. I know not everyone gets that.....that time to reflect. I could get hit by a wayward bush plane tomorrow and never see it coming. But I prefer to envision myself old and gray, lying in bed at home reflecting back on a life well lived. Key word being <b style="font-style: italic;">LIVED, </b>which for me means seeing and doing as much as I possibly can on this amazing planet that has so much to offer in the way of seeing and doing. Enter Brandy list #2, the Bucket List. I'm organized about the things that matter, people. So my kitchen counter and desk might make your skin crawl if you enjoy things neat and tidy. But my adventures in this life will be meticulously planned and documented so that when I'm lying there in my bed, preferably on high quality memory foam, I'll be like.....Hell yeah......I lived. And I had fun doing it.<br />
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I think Alaska probably shows up on a lot of people's bucket lists. It's raw beauty, wildlife, the northern lights, the whole last frontier thing......there is much to dream about. Because that's what bucket lists are.......our list of dreams. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I decided Alaska needed it's own sub-list on my bucket list of life, so I started compiling it based off of things Joe had heard about while working here, but mostly from the one source everyone uses these days to find stuff and organize it......Pinterest. And then I got all crazy in PhotoShop and made it all nice and pretty on one of the photos I had taken on the ferry. Here it is:</span></div>
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I am technically challenged, so no judging! And please pretend that the Iditarod line is lined through, because I created this before we attended it and now cannot figure how to edit it. As I said.....I am challenged. I am ok with it. </div>
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Yes, I want to see a grizzly bear and it needs to be in a river, preferably fishing for salmon. I have this picture in my mind and I want to replace it with a real one. It just seems like that scene is the epitome of Alaska. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So far I'm off to a great start, already 6 things crossed off in just 2 1/2 months! Here's a quick run down. I'll be doing more detailed posts about each later.</span></div>
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<li><b><i>Northern Lights</i></b> - I've already mentioned the aurora in <a href="http://ourbountifullife.blogspot.com/2015/02/lets-talk-about-weather.html">a previous post</a>. I said it there and I'll say it again, if it's not on your bucket list yet, add it. Words cannot describe it or the wonder you feel when standing beneath it as it dances and swirls over your head.</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fly over a glacier - </i>For my birthday in February, we headed to Anchorage and took a flightseeing tour of the Knik Glacier. Kind of like the Northern Lights, glaciers fascinate me. This thing is 25 miles long, 5 miles wide, thousands of years old and absolutely stunning. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before takeoff. I knew the plane would be small but geesh!</td></tr>
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<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">See a moose - </i>We have a mama and baby moose who live in our neighborhood somewhere. They have come to visit us twice. The second time we were BBQing in the evening in the backyard and when I went out on the deck I was startled by a large, dark, shadowy figure standing right next to the deck! It was baby moose munching on some vegetation sticking up through the snow. We got a little worried when it wandered into this small fenced dog kennel next to the house. I imagined it not being able to find it's way out and starting to panic, thrashing it's way out. Mama to the rescue! She was off in the side yard and when the panic started she mosied over and must have told it to look for the door, because it did and found it's way out. Moms are great that way.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't go in there, baby!</td></tr>
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<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry through the Inside Passage - </i>Ahhhhh......beautiful scenery, great sleep.....read all about it <a href="http://ourbountifullife.blogspot.com/2015/01/alaska-by-sea.html">here.</a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYOzo-mcqQw/VQCr3VLuVgI/AAAAAAAAAkw/j2lBtjhiTqo/s1600/Justin%2BIMG_0067%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYOzo-mcqQw/VQCr3VLuVgI/AAAAAAAAAkw/j2lBtjhiTqo/s1600/Justin%2BIMG_0067%2B(2).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Attend an Iditarod start or finish - </i>Lucky for us the 2015 Iditarod start was moved to Fairbanks due to lack of snow on the usual route. What an amazing experience! The dogs were spectacular and the excitement palpitable. More on the Iditarod start to come in another post!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys are in ninja training.</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Attend the World Ice Art Championships - </i>Simply amazing what a person can do with ice, chainsaws, chisels, irons and all kinds of other tools! I'll be doing a separate post on this as well, as we still need to go back and see the multi block entries that were under construction the first time we went. For now, all I'll say is that the artistry of ice sculpture is breathtaking.</div>
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I have left some blank lines on my Alaska Bucket List because I expect it to grow as we discover new and exciting things to do and see here.........if I ever figure out how to edit it.<br />
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Alright people! It's time for a........<br />
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I want to know what's on your bucket list, cause I love ya. Leave a comment below telling me what's on your dream list or better yet, post a pic of yourself doing something from your bucket list. A random winner will be chosen from the comments and will receive something super special from North Pole! The winner will be chosen on Friday evening, so act now!<br />
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In the meantime......who remembers what movie this is from? One of my favs!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fcfae7; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">"Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreamin' - this is Hollywood. Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin'."</span><br />
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Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-5637509941985395682015-02-27T23:46:00.001-08:002015-03-03T17:25:06.951-08:00Life Changing MomentsThat moment when you realize you've been doing it wrong your whole life. This is that moment.<br />
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For Joe and I, it was on Super Bowl Sunday, 2015. <br />
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Let me start from the beginning.......<br />
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Those of you who know me, know that I am a bit adventurous. There is not much I won't try at least once, especially if it gets the adrenaline pumping. I live for the thrill baby! The higher, the faster, the scarier.....the better! And I love trying new things and seeing new places.<br />
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I'm adventurous in the kitchen too. I love to cook and am constantly trying new recipes. I'll be sharing some of my culinary adventures here on the blog as well, and here's the first.<br />
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Grilled cheese sandwiches.....who can imagine life without them? So yummy and so simple to make, most of us can do it in our sleep by the time we're in our teens. How can you go wrong with butter, cheese and bread? But you have been. So very, very wrong.<br />
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May I present the Inside Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich.<br />
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I was first introduced to the Inside Out Grilled Cheese on Facebook, where we are constantly bombarded with all kinds of crazy, unimportant stuff. Someone had shared a video of this guy making it and I blew past it, not giving it the time of day as I usually do. But for some reason it stuck in my craw and several days later I went in search of the video, 'cause you know....I'm a little crazy that way. After watching the video, I decided I'd give it a try sometime.<br />
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Sometime came on Super Bowl Sunday, while putting together our game time snacks. I realized that all of the snacks I had were of the chip and dip variety, so I searched my cupboards for something to go along with all the different chips and dips. I had butter, I had cheese, and I had bread. Voila! I'd make the Inside Out Grilled Cheese sandwiches and cut them into little squares for snacking.<br />
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Let me just tell you.........the seas parted and the angels sang. The guy was right. I would never make them the old way again. Joe and I were like, yep.....that right there is dang good. Crispy caramelized cheese on the outside and melty cheese on the inside. Even Jason liked them, the hater of all things involving melted cheese other than pizza. Can I get an amen?<br />
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Here's a link to the video and my challenge to you. Watch the video and make the sandwich exactly like Chef John says to. Use the dang white bread, all the butter, and for the love of God, do not use sliced American cheese! I used Cheddar and a little Jack on the inside and Cheddar on the outside. Then report back by leaving a comment on this post with your thoughts. Will you ever make it the old way again?<br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-16095120974451869172015-02-27T15:00:00.002-08:002015-03-12T19:02:40.604-07:00Let's Talk About the Weather<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know how when something random reminds you of a song and then it's stuck in your head for like, ever? That's what happened when I typed the title of this post. I've got a little Salt N Pepa bouncin' around in my head now.....<br />
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Let's talk about sex, baby.<br />
Let's talk about you and me.<br />
Let's talk about all the good things<br />
and the bad things that may be.<br />
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Here's a link if you want to get your Salt N Pepa on......<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydrtF45-y-g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydrtF45-y-g</a><br />
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Dates me a little, I know. What can I say, I'm an 80's girl at heart. <br />
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But I digress. Let's face it, the number one thing on everyone's mind when they think about living in Alaska is the weather, or more specifically the cold winter weather. And there's good reason too, because it definitely gets cold here and pretty much everything you do requires that you are mindful of the temperature outside. But it's not just the cold weather that sets Alaska weather apart during the winter. You've also got freezing rain, ice fog, blows and limited sunlight to contend with. For a family moving from sunny central California to Alaska in the dead of winter, you might expect us to be heading to the shrink to have our heads examined by now. At the very least, you're probably thinking......<br />
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It's about variety, people. The spice of life. Keeping things interesting. Staying on your toes. Being in awe of Mother Nature and experiencing her wonder. There's something about experiencing extreme weather that reminds us of how amazing this planet is and how insignificant we are compared to it. It makes me feel alive.<br />
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Not to mention, I had come to feel like the only weather we got to experience in California in the last few years was extreme heat (at least where we lived). We rarely got snow or rain anymore, spring and fall lasted about two days, and the summers were long and blistering hot. And we lived in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, not in the valley! The drought there worries me. Even here in Alaska the last couple winters, including this one, have been mild compared to the norm. Our climates are changing.....call it what you want.<br />
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Anyway, back to the weather here. First things first. When Alaskans talk about the temperature, anything above zero is referred to as "above" and anything below zero is referred to as "below". For instance if you wanted to fit in, you would not say negative five degrees, you would say five below. Ten degrees above zero would be either ten above or just ten. This completes your How to Talk Like An Alaskan lesson for the day.<br />
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Since the end of December (which is when we arrived here), the temperature has fluctuated between 30 above and this...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our coldest day to date.</td></tr>
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Yep, that's cold. And isn't it crazy that in the last two months our temperatures have varied by about 80 degrees and never been over 30 above? Wrap your head around that!<br />
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So what's life like at 30 and 40 below? Other than the obvious, here's some things you might not expect:<br />
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<li>You become very aware of your nose hairs. Most of the time we forget that we even have nose hairs, and are only reminded when we see some old guy who hasn't invested in a trimmer. But let me tell you, the first thing you notice in extreme cold is your nose hairs freezing. The only way I can describe it is you get this tight, dry, crinkling feeling in your nose. It doesn't hurt, just feels weird and a little uncomfortable.</li>
<li>The second thing you notice is your lungs. The cold air hits them and you start to cough immediately.</li>
<li>If you're a man and have facial hair, a runny nose can be a big problem. I suppose that applies to women too. Keep tissue on hand.</li>
<li>You can't make sharp turns in your vehicle, without risking blowing a power steering line. So no U turns or sharp turns into parking spots. This can be difficult when you don't know where you are going in a new town. The day I was having my power steering hose replaced, so were three others.</li>
<li>You need to leave your car running or plug it in if you're going to be in a store or business more than an hour or so, less if you have an older vehicle. Many vehicles here are equipped with block heaters and have cords that hang out the front grill. Most of the bigger businesses like stores, movie theaters, schools, etc. have outlets in the parking lots that you can plug your car into to keep it from freezing up. It reminds me of a drive in movie. One day I left my car running for about 4 hours while I shopped and then took the boys for dinner and a movie! Yes, I lock the doors when I leave it so no one will steal it, but lots of people don't. Crazy!</li>
<li>You can go grocery shopping before a movie, and your cold and frozen stuff will stay cold and frozen while you are at the movie. Pretty handy. Back in California during the summer I couldn't even get cold stuff at two different stores because the stuff from the first store would be melted by the time I got out of the second store.</li>
<li>You realize a hot drink addiction is in order if you don't already have one. And that cold drink addiction needs to go away. Those of you who know me well know that I have a little diet soda thing going on and have for years. But let me tell you, walking across a parking lot with a cold soda frozen to your hand is not pleasant and it does nothing to warm you up during said walk. I have never liked the taste of coffee or tea or anything even remotely flavored like them, but decided it was time to grow up. So I visited one of the local coffee stands here in North Pole called Mochalicious and told the girls there my problem, and they hooked me up. White coffee is where it's at people. Milder flavor than regular coffee and twice the caffeine. Add a little white chocolate and cinnamon and YAHOO!!!!! Diet Pepsi stock is going down.</li>
<li>Snowfall in sub zero weather freezes on your windshield wipers and renders them not just useless, but a hazard. The snow falls, hits your wipers, melts and then instantly refreezes into a layer of ice that scrapes across your windshield making this horrible noise and smearing water all over so you literally can't see anything. Freak out ensues on roadway. Thank God I was following Joe at the time I first experienced this and he was able to instruct me in the ways of wiper de-ice-ification. Basically, you get out and bang your wipers against the windshield to get the ice off.</li>
<li>You can't go outside with wet hair. It will freeze on your head. For people like me who have very thick hair that takes a long time to blow dry completely and frizzes when I do, this is very annoying.</li>
<li>You really don't need an extra freezer.</li>
<li>Your cats get very fat very quickly. Like, borderline obese. Oreo has always been a lazy house dweller, but Tucker spent most of his time outdoors in California, climbing trees and chasing birds. He has gotten so fat, so quickly that we've had to put him on a diet already.</li>
<li>Your cats also start to watch TV, from boredom I imagine. Here's Oreo watching Supercross with the boys.</li>
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<li>You don't see the actual ground from the time the first snow falls until spring. I'm not sure, but I think our driveway might be gravel.</li>
<li>If you throw boiling water into the cold air it will instantly vaporize into snow crystals. This is super cool. I was hoping to get it on video for you and post it to the blog but I waited too long. I don't think we'll see that low of temperatures again this winter, but if we do I'll video it. </li>
<li>The cats' water bowl in the garage develops a thin layer of ice and the garage is heated!</li>
<li>Homes here are heated with boilers that use heating oil and hot water to run. You know in the cartoons when the boilers in the basements come alive like monsters and terrify kids. Yeah, it's like that. Here's ours....it makes all kinds of weird noises and I might be convinced it's a living being.</li>
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Even though this all sounds very extreme, I can honestly say that the cold does not feel as cold as you would expect. In fact, I think that 30 above in California feels much colder than slightly below zero feels here. The drier air here is what makes the difference. I generally run around town in a thin fleece jacket with a long sleeve shirt on underneath. Now granted, I don't spend a lot of time outside. It's mostly going between the car and buildings. I have literally only worn my heavy coat once and that is when I went for a walk when it was 12 above. The boys wear fleece jackets or hoodies to school. They'll add a beanie and some gloves when they head outside to ride the quad and pull each other around on a sled behind the quad. <br />
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While the extreme cold temperatures have their issues, the freezing rain is much more problematic. Last weekend we had an unseasonable rainfall with temperatures in the mid 20's which left the roads so treacherous that everything closed down including the airport, schools, and some businesses. Never heard of freezing rain? Me neither. I actually looked it up because I wondered how it was rain and not snow if the temperatures were below freezing. Basically what happens is snow fall hits a layer of warm air that melts it into rain. Then the rain hits a layer of cold air and cools it to a temperature below freezing. <span style="color: #04054d;"> However, the drops themselves do not freeze, a phenomena called supercooling. When the supercooled drops hit the frozen ground and other surfaces such as power lines and tree branches, they instantly freeze, forming a thin film of ice. This results in all kinds</span> of hazardous conditions and happy kids (no school).<br />
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This weekend we are supposed to be getting another type of weather system that will result in blizzard like conditions people here call a blow. Basically you combine wind and snowfall, and you have a blow. Visibility is a major factor. Looking forward to my first blow!<br />
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So given all this craziness due to the weather here in Alaska, is there anything to like about winter? Oh yes.......first and foremost, the northern lights. They are truly magical and totally worth braving the cold to see at least once in your lifetime. We get to watch them dance across the sky right out our living room window and Justin will open his curtains and watch them as he lays in bed. But standing outside as they streak across the sky over your head is truly an awe inspiring experience. If it's not already there, add it to your bucket list people. Here's some pics I took from our front yard.<br />
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There's lots of other things to enjoy during the winter here too, but this is getting long so I think I'll leave them for another post. I'll leave you for now with a beautiful pic of the snow covered trees in our backyard.<br />
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Have any questions about the weather or anything else here in Alaska? Leave a comment!<br />
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#alaskaweather<br />
#alaska<br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-29803331999258816502015-02-14T13:06:00.002-08:002015-02-14T13:06:48.991-08:00His Name is Freddie<br />
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It seems fitting that I should publish this post on Valentine's Day.<br />
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His name is Freddie and he is everything I have ever dreamed of. It was like he could see inside my soul and give me everything I needed, right then and there.<br />
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That first day, as we got to know each other I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of him. Thank God Justin had wanted to hang out in the car so I could take my time and really get to know Freddie. I mean, who wants to be rushed at times like these, especially by their kid? And here I was all depressed that I had to leave Big Red behind when we left California! When one door closes, another opens. Literally.<br />
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Meet my new love.<br />
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Ladies and gentlemen.....the grand-daddy of stores .... Fred Meyers, aka Freddie's. This one store is like ten different stores under one roof in one giant store. It is truly the epitome of one stop shopping. Imagine a full service grocery, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohls, furniture, sporting goods, toys, automotive, electronics, full service floral, crafts, office supplies, pet supplies, I could go on and on. Gone are the days of multiple stops running errands. Need a pair of jeans, gallon of milk, bed sheets, copy paper, soccer cleats, asparagus, motor oil, craft glue, a sofa and the latest Xbox game? One stop people, one stop. And I was depressed to be leaving Target behind. Oh silly girl.<br />
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Why oh why is there no Fred Meyer in California?<br />
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Here's another shot. Gorgeous, right?<br />
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All kidding aside...this store is pretty great for busy people who don't want to make a lot of stops and get out of their car 10 times in 40 below weather. Even Joe was impressed and he hates to shop! We ended up getting a sofa and recliner there that evening. Finally, somewhere comfortable to sit! Now all we really needed was beds, the rest could wait.<br />
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And today, on Valentine's Day, I am reminded that this store might make my life easier, but it's these men that fill my heart and are all I really need......except for maybe a bed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on the frozen Chena River in downtown Fairbanks.</td></tr>
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-43430313273387173602015-02-10T19:05:00.001-08:002015-02-10T19:13:35.122-08:00Settling In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After traveling over 3,000 miles by land and sea we finally arrived at our new home in North Pole, Alaska. Where in the world is North Pole, Alaska, you ask? Here's a little map to show you.<br />
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North Pole is a small suburb town about 13 miles southeast of Fairbanks in what is known as the Interior of Alaska. Santa Claus lives here (you can visit his house and his reindeer year round) and the town has dedicated itself to expressing it's Christmas spirit all year long. The main streets include Santa Claus Lane, St. Nicholas Drive, Snowman Lane and Kris Kringle Drive. And everywhere you go there are candy cane striped poles, light posts, and signs, lighted Christmas trees, and various other Christmas decorations. Many of the businesses have Christmasy names too, like The Elf's Den and Polar Expresso (my favorite). There is even the world's largest fiberglass Santa statue at the Santa Claus House. How's that for notoriety? I absolutely love the Christmas ooze.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that my exit off the highway coming from Fairbanks is Santa Claus Lane.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the McDonalds sign is perched on top of a candy cane striped pole.<br />
And the street lights are candy cane striped too!</td></tr>
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We live on the outskirts of town in a quiet neighborhood. Most of the houses sit on 1 acre lots and are dotted with beautiful Birch trees and what I think are Spruce trees. I just love the Birch trees. I can't explain why, but I find a grove of Birch trees absolutely stunning. I can't wait to see them with leaves in the spring and summer. And the Spruce trees covered in snow are gorgeous too. Both are so different from the Pines, Oaks, Cedar, and Sequoias I am used to in the Sierra Nevadas. I can't say I prefer the trees here to those back in California or vice versa. They are all beautiful in their own unique way. I don't know.....those dang Birch trees really do it for me, so maybe they edge out all the others just a bit. :)<br />
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Here's a pic of our new home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, of course it was me who didn't back out of the garage straight. We all know it wasn't Joe.</td></tr>
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So we arrived here around 6 pm on December 30th, one day before New Years Eve. It seemed kind of fitting that we would ring in the New Year in our new home. We unloaded the car and about 3/4ths of the trailer within the first hour or so, ate some pizza for dinner leftover from our stop earlier in Tok, and then decided to hit the hay as we were all beat from traveling and our lack of sleep the night before thanks to Tucker. "The hay" was actually air mattresses Joe had purchased and set up prior to flying back to California for the move. Remember that 5x10 foot trailer I mentioned before? Well, not much fit in that thing, least of all beds. In fact, the only piece of furniture we brought with us was Joe's dresser. Other than that we had four air mattresses, one camp chair Joe had brought with him in October and one camp chair the previous residents had left in the garage. That's it people.<br />
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Are you wondering what the heck we did have in that trailer? I mean, when one moves over 3000 miles away and is limited on space, what does one bring? Just the basics, that's what. Clothes, TVs, computer/printer, kitchen stuff, fishing gear (we were moving to Alaska after all), backpacking gear (again, Alaska) important documents, linens, tools, dirt bike riding gear (we are the Howards after all), guns (we are talking Joe here) and a few personal things. It was important to both Joe and I that the boys bring as much of their stuff as possible but we all made sacrifices. Jason brought most of his stuff other than his bike. As long as his guitar, amp, dirt bike, helmet, TV and Xbox were coming, he was happy. Justin left behind his bike, Legos and book collection. He was only really bummed about the Legos and his Diary of a Wimpy Kid book collection. Joe left behind his compressor and toolbox, which bummed him out. All I really brought was clothes, unless you count cooking stuff. Somehow, because I like to cook, cooking stuff qualifies as "my stuff", even though I cook for the whole family. Quite frankly, I think I made the biggest sacrifice of all......I brought none of my scrapbooking stuff. It's a travesty! Luckily I had planned for such a disaster and taken most of it to my mom's on Thanksgiving with the intent of her shipping it to me later. I had packed up one essential box to bring with me that would get me by for a while, but alas it would not fit in the dang trailer. So I left it with a good friend and she will be shipping it to me soon. Where there is a will........<br />
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So clearly when we awoke the next morning, a shopping trip was in order. We needed stuff. Lots of stuff. We needed a table to eat at and something to sit on at the very least. So we headed for Fairbanks.<br />
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And we shopped til we dropped. But by the end of day one, no furniture. We did have a toaster and popcorn maker though....which is almost as important.<br />
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On our way home from Fairbanks we noticed there were firework stands everywhere and tons of people buying fireworks. It looked like Fourth of July in Fresno! Perplexing.....<br />
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When we got home late that evening we were in for our first lesson of living in this new land. The newer houses here are built air tight and equipped with air ventilation systems that control moisture, among other things. When using a wood stove in such a house, you kind of need to be in the know about a few critical things. We were clearly not in the know. Let's just say someone......I'm not naming names.....pushed a button that she shouldn't have pushed which turned on the ventilation system and created a backdraft in the the wood stove, resulting in lots of smoke in the house and the carbon monoxide alarm blaring. To make things worse, said wood stove is not a normal wood stove like we're used to in California. This one is a Blaze King catalyst stove, coveted here in Alaska for it's exceptional heating ability, but a little more complicated to use. Let's just say after years and years of using wood stoves for heat, we had to read the manual on the thing. Not knowing any of this as the carbon monoxide alarm blared, we had a to have a maintenance guy come out. By the time he got here we had figured out what had happened on our own thanks to good ol' Google. But he did fill us in on something we hadn't figured out......the firework stand thing. Evidently New Years Eve is Alaska's 4th of July. Why? Well.....it doesn't get dark on the 4th of July here so therefore, fireworks do not have the same affect. So New Years Eve is when Alaskans go crazy with fireworks. And go crazy they did, at least in our neighborhood. And these are definitely not the wimpy fireworks they allow in California. These are serious shoot em up in the sky kind like you see at firework shows. Having lived in the mountains of California for so long and not being able to set off fireworks at all, we're looking forward to next New Years Eve!<br />
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The next day consisted of a lot more shopping for furniture and by the end of the day, we had a dining room table and chairs, and a TV stand. This place was starting to look like a home!<br />
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On the afternoon of day three, Joe and Jason went to load Joe's trailer as he needed to get back to work the next day. Justin, Tucker, and I headed to town for more shopping (Justin's favorite thing in the whole wide world to do). Yes, you read that right.....I said Tucker.....or should I call him the hitchhiker? About half a mile from our house I decide to turn around and go back to the house to check on something and as I slowed down to make the turn I noticed a black and white animal bounding through a field of snow towards a grove of trees. It was Tucker, who had hitched a ride in the engine compartment of the Jeep and decided he didn't want to go shopping after all. The snow was at least a foot deep. We pulled over and Justin tore across the field after him but didn't catch up to him before he entered the grove of trees. At this point I'm thinking we're never going to see him again and he's going to die a slow, frozen death, but luckily he started to meow and Justin found him. Holy crap. That was close. Anyone who does not believe in fate, well let this be your proof! What made me decide to turn around and check on something at the house? What made me look towards that field which was in the opposite direction of which I was turning? If I hadn't, Tucker could have fallen out on the highway or made it all the way to Fairbanks and taken off without us noticing. What a sight we must have been with our California plates, pulled over on the side of the road, a cat bounding through a field covered in a foot of snow with a kid racing after him in sneakers, and a mom stuck in the middle of the field because her sneaker had come off her foot and stuck in the snow while pursuing said cat and kid. Oh.....did I forget to mention that part? Yes, well....lucky for me the snow here is very dry and my sock didn't even get wet. Just very cold! :)<br />
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Here is a picture of the hitchhiker, I mean Tucker. He is starting to get a little irritating.<br />
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Once the hitchhiker was secured safely at home, Justin and I headed out once again for town and it was that very afternoon that a new love entered my life.<br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-6043840118505929802015-01-29T10:42:00.001-08:002015-01-29T10:42:59.729-08:00The Road Less Traveled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yay! Welcome to Alaska!<br />
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As the ferry docked just outside of Haines, Alaska we sadly said goodbye to the ferry and our restful sleep. We would not have restful sleep that night, thanks to Tucker, but we'll get into that later.<br />
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The next (and last) leg of our journey to our new home would take us through the town of Haines and along the Haines Highway to Haines Junction, which is in the Yukon Territory of Canada. That's a lot of Haines'!<br />
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It is only 146 miles to Haines Junction from Haines, but once you get past Haines Junction there is nothing but the wide open Yukon Territory for a really long time. Thus we decided to stay overnight in Haines Junction and then finish our journey to our new home the next day. And let me tell you, for not being much of a town, Haines Junction had quite a bit to offer in the way of entertainment ....including a drunk Canadian lady getting sassy with the Chinese guy running a Chinese restaurant/bar/motel because his Canadian waitress would not serve her more alcohol and she being such a good customer and all, he should cash her check for her. And the food at said establishment was a little more authentically Chinese than I think I would like to admit. The boys had burgers which they deemed amazing, but I went with the Beef and Broccoli with chow mein since the waitress said the Chinese food was really good. Let's just say, the broccoli and chow mein were really good, but I'm not convinced the beef was in fact beef. But really, what did I expect from a Chinese place in the middle of nowhere in the Yukon Territory of Canada? I'm really not sure.......but beef at the least.<br />
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Here's a little map to show you where in the world we were.<br />
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But I'm getting ahead of myself. I think the memory of the not-so-beef beef got me all discombobulated. <br />
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The ferry docked in Haines at 11:45 a.m. You would think that it would take a while to unload all those cars but we were off within about 10 minutes of docking. We stopped in Haines briefly to buy Jason a jacket. Yes, we moved our children to Alaska in the middle of winter and one of them did not have a warm jacket, only a thin fleece jacket. Cue bad parent sign.<br />
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But in our defense, we had bought him the jacket he really, really needed (wanted) which arrived by mail two days before we left and then didn't fit. So there. Anyway, we didn't buy him a jacket in Haines either.....things were a bit pricey there. He would continue to layer a flannel and another fleece jacket of Joe's until Fairbanks. Rest assured he stayed toasty warm. :)<br />
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Here is a pic of downtown Haines. Not much to it, but quaint and beautiful.<br />
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After the jacket shopping stop, we hit the Haines Highway. Here is how the Milepost describes the Haines Highway:<br />
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"Noted for its grand views of glaciated mountains and the variety of its scenery--from coastal forests to alpine tundra--the Haines Highway winds through the Chilkat River flats outside Haines before beginning a long climb up to the summit, where it meanders through a wide alpine valley before descending to Haines Junction via a series of long, easy grades." My description.....absolutely stunning scenery. But before we got to see much of that scenery, one or both of the cats had finally had it and let loose a stinky deposit in their kennel, of the #2 kind. We quickly pulled over and all spilled out of the car trying to get away from the stench.....our first introduction to the Alaska cold. Here's Justin taking a selfie while Joe and I deal with the situation.<br />
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Once the situation was duly handled, we were back on the road in a jiffy. This part of the highway followed the beautiful Chilkat River that was mostly frozen over. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilkat River</td></tr>
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About 20 miles from Haines is the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Large concentrations of bald eagles gather here during the winter months due to a natural phenomenon that results in about five miles of the river remaining ice free during the winter months, which allows the chum salmon to spawn later in the year. The open water and salmon food source bring the eagles to the area every winter from November to February. What an amazing sight! These birds are spectacular! They were perched in the trees all along the highway. At one point we saw a group diving down towards the water but there was no where to pull over and watch them. Ugh! Here's a few pics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not a good picture of the eagle, but I love how the branches of the trees are in focus and the eagle sits in the background. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since there was no foliage on the trees, they were really easy to spot. Do you see the eagle?</td></tr>
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As the highway left the river, the scenery changed, but was equally beautiful. </div>
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There is not much traffic along the Haines Highway this time of year and we rarely saw other vehicles, except for four who had also disembarked the ferry in Haines and were traveling the same way we were. They all passed us by when we were dealing with our stinky situation on the side of the road, but we met up with some of them again when we stopped for lunch at the only place you could stop, the 33 Mile Roadhouse. Yep, it's located 33 miles from Haines. This place is known for their fantastic burgers and according to Joe and the boys, they did not disappoint. I had some really great soup. The place looks like a cabin with an old gas pump out front, and a few smaller cabins behind it. Joe and I figured their main business during the winter must come on ferry arrival days. Here's a funny tidbit......If you go on their website, it says that their price for gas is <b>about</b> $5. The price of diesel is also about $5. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool old gas pump still works.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">33 Mile Roadhouse Restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys heading back to the car with burger-filled stomachs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view across the street from 33 Mile Roadhouse.</td></tr>
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Another fifteen miles or so we came to the Canadian border, paid our $50 to pass through with guns and were on our way. They didn't want to see said guns and make sure we were claiming what we were really bringing, only the $50. Joe was bummed he had left the handguns in California to be shipped to us later (you cannot legally bring handguns into Canada).</div>
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From the Canadian border the highway climbed to an alpine valley and the scenery changed again. It was stunningly beautiful as well. We passed our ferry mates along the way, which we did several times between Haines and North Pole. Joe was clearly more comfortable driving the icy roads than they were and the ice road trucker had no problem passing while I closed my eyes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset. I love this pic.</td></tr>
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That evening we arrived at our motel, the Alcan Motor Inn in Haines Junction. There were not a lot of choices for accommodations in this small town, but I had booked the Alcan based on really great customer reviews. It did not disappoint. Though is was really dated, it was exceptionally clean, comfortable and had all the amenities of home. Not surprisingly, one of our ferry mates was already there when we arrived and the ones we passed earlier showed up later.</div>
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After settling in, we went about a block down the street to the only food establishment open and well, I've already told you about how that went. After dinner we went back to our room and settled in for a good night's sleep. Or so we hoped. Dear little Tucker was finally at his whits end with the traveling and once the lights were out started meowing loud enough to wake the dead. And he would not stop no matter what we did. This went on for a couple hours. Finally I decided to give him one of the sedative pills the vet had given me, hoping he would just calm down and sleep. Nope. Instead he just stumbled around the room like a drunken kitty, still meowing. Desperate, I stuck him in the cabinet under the bathroom sink and boom, he was out. A few hours later he was up again, stumbling and meowing. This time I stuck him in one of the dresser drawers, where he stayed quietly until we got up. Thank God for cabinets and dressers, and Tucker's love of them. To this day, he sleeps almost everyday behind one of the bottom drawers in the kitchen. He opens it himself, climbs in, and some days stays in there all day. This is how I know where Tucker is these days:</div>
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That morning we were back on the road for the final push to North Pole. Just down the road from our motel we made a left turn onto the world famous Alcan Highway, which would take us home.</div>
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As the sun rose we passed through Destruction Bay, a small community on the shores of Kluane Lake in the Yukon Territory. The sunrise was gorgeous!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kluane Lake sunrise<br /></td></tr>
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Later that morning we crossed the border back into the good ole' U S of A and into our new home state of Alaska!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the Yukon Territory</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pit stop so Brandy can get a picture of the Welcome to Alaska sign!</td></tr>
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Later that afternoon we stopped in Tok, Alaska for lunch at a place called Fast Eddy's, along with several of our traveling ferry mates. By 6 pm that evening, we were pulling into our driveway at our new home in North Pole, Alaska, ready to begin another new adventure.......living in Alaska!<br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-55215885576699381062015-01-22T17:22:00.003-08:002016-08-04T20:32:37.237-07:00Alaska By Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me just start by saying, the next leg of our trip treated us to the most restful sleep we have had in years. So if you're having trouble getting a good night's rest.....book a trip on the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry.<br />
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Ok, there's my bit of advice for the day. Do as you will with it.<br />
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I also need to say that this is going to be a very long post with lots of pictures. Please try not to fall asleep.<br />
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As we waited to board the ferry, we decided we better get whatever we wanted to take on the ferry with us out of the trailer. Our trailer has one of those ramp doors that comes all the way to the ground and we figured it was pretty likely the vehicle loaded behind ours would be too close to open our door. So we piled a ton of crap on top of the boys in the back seat, on my lap, on the floor at our feet......basically every free space in the Jeep was filled in with luggage, pillows, snacks, blankets, etc. And we sat there like that for about an hour. It's times like these that I miss my Tahoe.<br />
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Finally it was time to board the ferry! Here's the view driving onto the car deck.<br />
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And a little closer......<br />
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And a little closer.....<br />
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You almost felt like you were driving in there, didn't you?<br />
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And yes, we were right. Vehicles were loaded bumper to bumper, so there was no way we were opening the trailer. Middle row on the left was our spot. This is where the cats would live for three days, and I would visit them every 6 hours or so, even in the middle of the night. It was like a brother/sisterhood of sorts. The same dedicated group of us would meet at the stairwell, in pajamas, red eyed and barely awake, patiently waiting for the car deck to open. For fifteen minutes we would feed and water our pets, some would take pent up large dogs for very lively walks around the deck, some like me waiting patiently hoping the dang cats would just use the litter box already! The guy from Colorado would pass me as he walked his dog and ask..."Any luck yet?" as his dog pulled him down the row. One of the boys would usually accompany me during the day, but I was on my own at night...so I made friends. Where was Joe, you ask? Sleeping. Surprisingly, the cats did really well. No accidents in their kennel, no freak outs, no escaping from the car and jumping overboard....all things I worried about. Kitty troopers.<br />
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Here's some pics of the car deck.<br />
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Once we got the cats settled, we grabbed our stuff and headed up to the cabin deck to check out our cabin. It was pretty small, but had four bunks, a shower, toilet, sink, closet and one chair. We had everything we needed. I will say.....there's nothing like the family bonding that occurs when you share a space that small for three days. I'm actually being serious.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hallway to our cabin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason demonstrating how low the ceiling is.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-63ykgyhDMJk/VME_PeBlxNI/AAAAAAAAAK8/vijXAZvpnv8/s1600/photo%2B(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-63ykgyhDMJk/VME_PeBlxNI/AAAAAAAAAK8/vijXAZvpnv8/s1600/photo%2B(9).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin...cozy with the new fuzzy travel blanket Grammie got him</td></tr>
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None of us can explain exactly why, but all four us slept better those three nights/days than I think we possibly ever have. I don't know if it was the comfy bunks, the hum of the boat engine, the slight swaying of the boat, or a combination of all three. For Joe and I, it was also the first time since he got home that we really had a chance to relax and rest. Whatever the reason, man.....sleep was good on the ferry! And we did lots of it.<br />
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After we got settled in our room, we did some exploring of the ferry. The ferry was still decked out for Christmas which made it very festive.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hiCZXFqnsg/VMFFnARkJ8I/AAAAAAAAALs/lyfjA6MmdU8/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hiCZXFqnsg/VMFFnARkJ8I/AAAAAAAAALs/lyfjA6MmdU8/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(10).JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmoose!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGoQKfLcYqo/VMFFlmcHirI/AAAAAAAAALg/xkgBvwF3k0o/s1600/photo%2B(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGoQKfLcYqo/VMFFlmcHirI/AAAAAAAAALg/xkgBvwF3k0o/s1600/photo%2B(7).JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Really the only thing negative about the ferry was the Cafe; more specifically...the food. Yikes, the first night Joe and the boys had hamburgers that were unidentifiable as burgers. All of the food was bad, like really bad. And expensive, which we expected and would not have minded had the food been edible. So when the ferry docked in Ketchikan the third day, we went straight to the grocery store.</div>
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For those of you planning to book a trip on the ferry to get some good sleep....be sure to bring your own food.</div>
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Here is a picture of our itinerary and voyage details. It goes from the bottom up....which I found weird. Don't most people read from the top down? We were sailing from Bellingham to Haines, the second to last stop (second from the top....again, weird).</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_WelMKB9WQ/VMFFm66wUVI/AAAAAAAAALo/orWZaQA9r8U/s1600/photo%2B(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_WelMKB9WQ/VMFFm66wUVI/AAAAAAAAALo/orWZaQA9r8U/s1600/photo%2B(8).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a map of our ferry sailing, for those of you who are more visual. Keep in mind we only went as far as Haines.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-al5kUW1dvRw/VMGpT-0YEXI/AAAAAAAAATk/S0F4jsyH-RE/s1600/Alaska_Marine-highway_route-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-al5kUW1dvRw/VMGpT-0YEXI/AAAAAAAAATk/S0F4jsyH-RE/s1600/Alaska_Marine-highway_route-map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we weren't sleeping, we spent the majority of the trip watching the beautiful scenery go by. There was no wifi on board (something that made the kids gasp when they heard), and it was nice to be unplugged from the rest of the world. It was smooth sailing most of the time, but on day two there were two open water crossings that were quite unsmooth. Like.....we're on an episode of Deadliest Catch kind of unsmooth. Thankfully none of us got sick, but others did. The cool thing about that day was there were patches of rain here and there, which resulted in the most beautiful rainbows and stormy skies. Here's a few pics.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OoHX6Q5rZ_E/VMFOtWOacEI/AAAAAAAAAMc/Tt9jfDSq0qc/s1600/DSCN0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OoHX6Q5rZ_E/VMFOtWOacEI/AAAAAAAAAMc/Tt9jfDSq0qc/s1600/DSCN0013.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double rainbow. Photo credit to Justin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1jF-_4lTjVA/VMFOybt8EQI/AAAAAAAAAM4/LtATGyRe0Dg/s1600/Justin%2BIMG_0065%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1jF-_4lTjVA/VMFOybt8EQI/AAAAAAAAAM4/LtATGyRe0Dg/s1600/Justin%2BIMG_0065%2B(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit to Justin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6PmJBP-3q8/VMFOzhpP7rI/AAAAAAAAAM8/5yrUpzDqDo0/s1600/Justin%2BIMG_0067%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6PmJBP-3q8/VMFOzhpP7rI/AAAAAAAAAM8/5yrUpzDqDo0/s1600/Justin%2BIMG_0067%2B(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our favorite photos...taken by Justin.</td></tr>
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The forward observation lounge was our favorite spot to hang out and watch the scenery. Views were best from there and the seats were comfy. They had this monitor in there that showed our route and had a little green boat on it that showed the ferry's specific location. It was cool to watch the ferry's progression.<br />
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Here's some misc pics of the first couple of days of our ferry trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-4Z8MYO6_E/VMFRURjdSDI/AAAAAAAAANY/Ml0T6YGJI58/s1600/DSCN0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-4Z8MYO6_E/VMFRURjdSDI/AAAAAAAAANY/Ml0T6YGJI58/s1600/DSCN0061.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe and the boys checking out the monitor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out in the observation lounge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMNWXJnjfqQ/VMFXAPwWp2I/AAAAAAAAAN8/HtjuwP6TWII/s1600/DSCN0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMNWXJnjfqQ/VMFXAPwWp2I/AAAAAAAAAN8/HtjuwP6TWII/s1600/DSCN0010.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waters are rough, but picture does not do it justice!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xmW6XHr-64/VMFXAaZE_BI/AAAAAAAAAOE/_NXzGtdial4/s1600/DSCN0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xmW6XHr-64/VMFXAaZE_BI/AAAAAAAAAOE/_NXzGtdial4/s1600/DSCN0016.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe and Justin in the Solarium. It's a heated space on the top deck where a lot of people pitch tents and sleep during the summer. Not heated enough during the winter though. Cold and windy up there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0NZBHYGrNX4/VMFXL8aFfdI/AAAAAAAAAOc/FyZNVADhPcY/s1600/DSCN0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0NZBHYGrNX4/VMFXL8aFfdI/AAAAAAAAAOc/FyZNVADhPcY/s1600/DSCN0033.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason.....ain't he handsome?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin kicking back in the Cafe. Ain't he handsome too?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe and I enjoying an adult beverage in the Lounge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps7kX146SVc/VMFXR6oe3OI/AAAAAAAAAO0/9LuZKYMg_D8/s1600/Jason%2Bphoto%2B(6)a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps7kX146SVc/VMFXR6oe3OI/AAAAAAAAAO0/9LuZKYMg_D8/s1600/Jason%2Bphoto%2B(6)a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset. Photo credit to Jason.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FmCG0lkP8KI/VMFXT59zLNI/AAAAAAAAAO8/zveTQC7FjNA/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FmCG0lkP8KI/VMFXT59zLNI/AAAAAAAAAO8/zveTQC7FjNA/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(6).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe and Justin hoping to see some marine life. Earlier in the day they saw a whale and a couple of porpoises.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe and Justin<br />
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The first place the ferry stopped and the only one that it was light enough to see anything at was Ketchikan, Alaska. It's a cute little town nestled along the coastline. We got off the ferry and headed straight to the grocery store to stock up on food for the rest of the trip. That's really all we had time for. Here's some pics of Ketchikan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ferry docked at Ketchikan.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another ferry dry docked at Ketchikan.</td></tr>
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After Ketchikan, the ferry stopped at Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau. It was too dark to see anything when we stopped at Wrangell and Petersburg and we were only docked for 45 minutes, so there wasn't time to get off the ferry anyway. We docked at Juneau at 4 am and no one even got out of bed to see it, which was a bummer since it's the state's capital. The passages between Wrangell and Petersburg are very narrow and they use a series of flashing lights to guide the ferry through them safely. That was pretty cool to watch in the dark.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrangell</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrangell</td></tr>
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The scenery became increasingly beautiful as the trip progressed. Eventually we were seeing the rugged snow capped mountains you expect to see in Alaska during the winter. It was getting increasingly colder too, which made it more difficult to stand out on deck and take pictures. We still managed to get some stunning photos though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wind did not do good things for my hair. Just sayin'.</td></tr>
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Unfortunately our relaxing ferry ride had to come to an end. But we were all excited to start the last leg of our journey that would take us to our new home in North Pole, Alaska!<br />
<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-37582580170332707662015-01-17T21:25:00.000-08:002015-01-17T21:25:12.644-08:00The Road to BellinghamBeing that we were traveling over 3,000 miles with two kids and two cats, Joe and I decided that one or more of us might not survive if we attempted to drive the entire way. Instead, our plan was to drive 935 miles to Bellingham, Washington, where we would board the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry for a three day ferry ride up the Alaska Inside Passage, and disembark in Haines, Alaska. From Haines, we would drive the remaining 626 miles to our new home in North Pole, Alaska. This would cut our driving time in half, and on the ferry we could all relax and take in the beautiful scenery of the Inside Passage (well, the humans could......the cats, not so much).<br />
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So the first leg of our trip, the road to Bellingham, got underway Christmas morning at 10:30 am, which surprisingly was only 1 1/2 hours behind our planned departure time. For those of you who know our family well, you will understand that statement, not to mention it was Christmas morning, after all. Why leave on Christmas morning, you ask? We wanted the boys to finish the fall semester at their schools in California and start the spring semester at their new schools in Alaska. The only ferry departure that would accommodate our time frame departed Bellingham on December 26th. The next ferry did not leave until mid-January. Hence, the Christmas day departure.<br />
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Here we are, packed into the Jeep like sardines......<br />
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And here are the cats, Tucker and Oreo, wishing they had a can of sardines.</div>
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And here is our route......</div>
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The plan for the first day was to drive to Portland, Oregon and stop for the night. Our day was pretty uneventful... beautiful weather all day, no howling cats, no traffic. Justin entertained us much of the way talking with Suri on his new iPhone he got for Christmas. I have to say, Suri is pretty freaky. Her responses to some of his questions and comments were absolutely hysterical, but so human like. Here is one of our favorites: Justin says..."I love you, Suri". Her response...."Oh, I bet you say that to all your Apple products". I am convinced there is a tiny person inside each and every iPhone. <br />
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Our only issue that first day was finding an open place to eat, being that it was Christmas Day. We got excited when we spied an In-N-Out Burger, but were disappointed to find it closed. There is no In-N-Out in Fairbanks, one of our few concerns about moving to Alaska. Although I would have loved one last delicious In-N-Out burger, I am glad they were closed to allow their employees to be with family on Christmas. Jack was not so accommodating.<br />
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The scenery in Northern California is beautiful, especially Mt. Shasta. Justin and I agreed it looks like the Abominable Snowman's mountain. Here's a bad pic I took with my phone, through the window, driving down the road. Road Natzi Joe would not stop so I could take a proper picture.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Shasta</td></tr>
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Here's Justin's take.....<br />
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We arrived in Portland that night as planned. Justin thought that the view of downtown Portland from the freeway looked like District 11 from the Hunger Games. I kind of had to agree. </div>
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Let me just say, La Quinta Inns are very pet friendly and clean, considering that they are indeed pet friendly. Everyone, including the cats, were glad to stretch their legs and get some sleep. Cats, as a general rule, are not great travelers. We were very surprised though, and eternally grateful, that our cats were handling it well. It was at this hotel that Tucker started a new habit that he continues today.....sleeping in cupboards. He got inside the cupboard under the bathroom sink and slept through the night.</div>
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The next morning as we headed out of the hotel parking lot, Joe and the boys were excited to see a Ferrari dealership next to the hotel. So of course we had to drive through the parking lot and look at the cars. Duh. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit to Justin</td></tr>
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Our plan for day two was to stop in Seattle on the way to Bellingham and go to the Space Needle. The boys and I had never been to Seattle, other than the airport changing airplanes, and Joe had only passed through back in his younger trucking days. It seems like a really cool city, with lots to do and see. We will definitely go back when we have more time to explore. We did make it to the Space Needle, but alas could not go up inside it. The lines were super long and we were too afraid of missing the ferry if we hit traffic and were late getting to Bellingham. It was a major disappointment for all of us, but at least we got to see it and now we have something to look forward to later. Man, that thing is really tall when you are standing beneath it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Space Needle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Seattle from the freeway by Justin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason got a kick out of this tour bus/boat at the Space Needle. Photo credit to Jason.</td></tr>
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We arrived at the ferry terminal later that afternoon on time, got checked in, and lined up with the other vehicles boarding the ferry. We were all super excited to board the ferry and start the next leg of our journey to Alaska!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alaska Ferry Terminal<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ferry, the Malaspina from the terminal window. Photo by Justin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In line to board the ferry</td></tr>
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2474083272168102091.post-21650896609468170252015-01-13T14:33:00.002-08:002015-01-13T14:33:38.614-08:00Our Journey to Alaska - The Decision<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I promised I would do it, so here it is. I am a woman of my word, well....most of the time....when it counts ;). Anyway, a blog to share our family's experiences moving from California to Alaska. Shocking, I know. Seems extreme, I know. It's flipping cold up there, I know! But people, we have one lifetime (debatable by some, agreed) to see and experience all that this amazing planet has to offer and we cannot do that staying put in one place. But you have kids, a high schooler and a middle schooler....I know. It is more for them than anyone. To teach them that change is good, to be adventurous, to learn and see new things, to meet new people, taste different foods, to face their fears......live, not just exist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so the decision was made, the die cast.....we're doin' this thing. Everyone's on board. Joe went back to work for Carlile Transportation based out of Fairbanks, Alaska in October 2014, driving truck on the Dalton Highway, aka "The Haul Road". Not for the faint of heart, this 360 mile ice road is the main supply route for the Prudhoe Bay oilfields. It's scary dangerous, straight up. Period. I try very hard not to think about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's some pics from Joe's trip up in October. As you can see, he took the Howard family jewels up with him. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe loaded and ready to head out.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrangell - Saint Elias National Park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And here's some of Joe's pics from the haul road. Frozen beauty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The boys and I stayed in Coarsegold making arrangements for the move and starting the packing process. In November I flew up to Fairbanks to meet Joe, find a place to live, check out schools for the boys, and see Alaska for the first time. We decided on a little house in a small town about 20 minutes south of Fairbanks called North Pole. Yes, I said North Pole. Yes, Santa lives there. We visited his house, here is a pic of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to visiting Santa's house, I also got to see the Aurora Borealis my last night there. There is truly no way to describe how amazing the Northern Lights are, but I am here to tell you that every one of you needs to see them before you die. It is one of this planet's most amazing natural phenomenons. Go. Just do it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Joe arrived home on December 19th, five days before the move, it became very apparent that not enough packing had occurred. Yikes, people. What an ordeal. Moving is tough under any circumstances, but this was different. Most of our stuff was being put in storage. We were only taking what we could fit in a 5 foot by 10 foot trailer. So with each and every item we had to decide.....chuck it, store it, sell it, take it for sure, or take it if there's room. Eleven years we had been in that house....eleven years of stuff. Sigh......it was ugly. I will not go into detail for the sake of our reputations. I must however acknowledge three people who were life-saving help to us.....Sarah Campbell, Phil Thearle, and Linda Clay. We could not have done it without their help and are truly grateful for their friendship. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Four long days of ugly and three storage units later, we were out of there. Whew, glad that's over!! Two adults, two kids and two cats headed to Sonora to spend Christmas Eve with family. Christmas morning we would start our journey to Alaska!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18144638056900084325noreply@blogger.com4