Happy New Year!

I just finished my second Christmas here in Alaska. I'm back at Bronwyn's, house and dog sitting as she basks in the sun in Mexico...hummmm....next year!

I still have my Christmas find from last year--Larry-Ha! Lucky he doesn't read my blog--LOL!

Katie hopefully will be here tomorrow after two travel mishaps--weather in the Midwest is much worse than here--believe it or not! It's been in the low 30's here, but we could use a bit more snow for the ski trails!

Another week of break still to go-- I have been watching movies like it's my job,--saw Mr. Art Critic--set on Mackinac Island...made me a bit homesick, especially when the guy bought a six pack of Bell's Oberon--my favorite! It just so happens that I was wearing my Oberon t-shirt--that made me happy! By the way, local TC crooner Jay Weber was in the film too. I think I have had a couple of Oberons listening to Jay on a deck or two somewhere in Northern Michigan--ahhhh...good times!

I have a week full of activities when Katie gets here--The Chocolate Lounge--Simon's, Nordstrom's, reindeer hotdogs and (don't tell her) outdoor activities!! I Have some X-skis and snowshoes waiting for her--woo-hoo!
By the way, she turns 20 on New Years Day!! No more teenager for me!

Have a wonderful and peaceful New Year!

How did...

I get those pictures so big? I must have hit a wrong button--oh well they are so beautiful!

I should be grading book reports, instead I made cookies, did the dishes, numerous crossword puzzles, read the paper, etc. The semester ends Friday and I can hardly wait--I NEED A BREAK!

Katie gets here December 26th and we are house and dog sitting Lucy--should be fun. Anchorage is stunning in the winter--the Christmas lights are fabulous and there are big fireworks on New Years Eve...

The darkness is getting to me this year. I heard that the second year is when you really notice the lack of light. The long summer days are behind us, and it seems as though it is always dark...cold...and dark! But, the Winter Solstice will soon be here and every day will become lighter than the last!

Anchorage has been socked in by ice-fog. It's cold and creepy--looks like a nuclear winter outside. But once the sun comes out, the remains of the ice is gorgeous. it sticks to everything and adds a shimmery glow about.

By the way, they cannot predict weather here--worse than the TC weather liars--if you can believe that. No one listens to the weather people here--they laugh at me because I do...

Happy Thanksgiving

Here it is, my second Thanksgiving in Alaska--my how time flies! I made the traditional turkey and other assorted "Shirley" recipes--I must say...even after a few years of not cooking T-day dinner, I remembered exactly how "mom" did it! Larry and I just finished the leftovers tonight!

The four day weekend was wonderful. I watched 5 movies, read 2 books, stayed in my PJ's 2 days straight-- Yes, Kathy--I had a clip in my hair and now I can sport a pony tail--HA! We did manage to get out for a ski...right out the front door! They barely plow the roads in Alaska, so you can ski just about anywhere!

We should be getting more snow all week. Tonight we have a high wind warning 40-60 mph--Yikes--the drive home from Anchorage was not only windy, but icy too--definitely not in Kansas!!

Only 13 more school days--but who's counting--ME! I have all my plans in place for the next two weeks and it's going to be exciting, book reports...paragraph writing...Eastern European brochures...those lucky students!!

Seriously, I have a great group of students...they totally crack me up. They are now quizzing me on my personal life--HA--fooled them...I don't have one! No, really, Larry is a secret--I tell them nothing...I should give them a quick write--"What I think Mrs. Carey does in her free time..." No...better not...they may write/guess eating! I could see how it might go, something like... "Well, if I had to speculate, I would say Mrs. Carey eats a lot in her free time. One reason, is that she wears the same pants everyday..." etc. Ha--I have put on a few extra pounds--just to keep warm--everyone in Alaska does it. Don't you read the paper? I think we are the most obese state in the union!

On a different note...I see our esteemed ex-gov has been frequenting the Lower 48--you can have her...we changed the locks... and the Secret Service said she wasn't on the guest list anymore--so there. Michigan could use her...how about Florida, where all things weird happen--you take her! Speaking of weird things--we have a radio morning show that has a bit called "It happened in Florida", you have to guess which outlandish news story happened in Fla.--it's cute. Up here, they think Florida is the weirdest state---all I can say is "WOW!"

Just remember this...the odds are good, but the goods are odd--that goes for just about everything WAY UP here!

Keep warm!

One Year in Alaska!

I arrived in Alaska one year ago yesterday-wow-who would have thought! My teammates at school had a bonfire party at Ginny's house in my honor last night--it was very fun. Seventh grade teachers from Mears, plus other teacher types of friends attended, oh, and Larry too!

It's hard to believe I have been here a year all ready, time has just flown by. I still love it here--my job is great and I have meet some very nice people. And the scenery...well it just gets more and more beautiful each day!

Winter has definitely set in here in the Far North. The mountains are covered with snow and the roads have their base layer on ice. This state needs serious road plowing lessons from Michigan--YIKES! Larry has been my winter chauffeur...

Yesterday being Friday the 13th (good luck day in my world) and my 1st year anniversary, our team celebrated with our students. (Larry wanted to know if they took a collection for a one way ticket back to Michigan--ha ha--he's a card isn't he.) We had team build activities and treats. It was a well needed break for all of us since I am teaching about South America in geography. We had just finished learning about Lake Titicaca and Lake Poopo (Po-op-o). Now just imagine, 27 seventh graders and these two words...yep, I was cracking up too. It gets better though...I showed a picture of Lake Poopo and yep, it looked just like poop. Imagine the jokes... I had to cut my losses and finish up for the day...we ended the class playing "Silent Ball"--a nice quiet game--LOL!

Keep in touch...

Saturday Afternoon...

This view is about 4 miles from the house. With all of the leaves gone, the views are gorgeous!

Student led conferences are Wednesday and Thursday this week--should make for long days! We take our students on their first (of four) field trip Monday. We are headed to The Performing Arts Center to see Ragmala--an Indian(from India)dance troupe. Ought to be fun...Excedrin anyone!

No snow as of yet--most likely it will arrive this week sometime. I'm back at Rabbit Creek B & B for the week--in the Honeymoon Suite all by myself-it has a really big bathtub--totally relaxing!

Weather Update

Ever since Christopher left the weather has been great--sunny, highs in the mid 40's low 50's. The leaves are all gone, but it makes the views incredible--we can see the Chugach Mountains from the house again. The forecast is not predicting snow in the next 7 days--they say it's unusual, we should have snow by now.

It's about time...

I wrote again! School is kicking my &%$! I have so much planning I barely have time to play :(. Christopher's visit was awesome! He helped me in my classroom--graded papers, put together students' portfolios and made keys to geography lessons...hummmmmm...might he be a teacher someday????? We also traveled to Talkeetna to see if we could get a good view of the Mountain--too bad she didn't show her face until the day Chris left. We also explored Anchorage..shopping, brewery, Mexican food, it was very fun! Oh, yes, by the way we did stalk the former Gov's house--LOL!

I just finished grades for the first quarter--my how time flies! I'm very excited for the next one--I have a great group of students. I know they will love grammar, elements of fiction and writing lessons--LOL!! But seriously, I can't wait to try the lessons I have schemed up for these less than popular areas of language arts. Now geography, hummmmmmm.........

Larry's moose hunt was successful--I now have 2 racks to decorate for holidays!

Address

Stephanie Carey
PO Box 111473
Anchorage, AK 99511-1473

Labor Day Weekend

It was a beautiful weekend in the 60's. I went hiking with my friends Cheryl and Frances--Emma and Jelly too. We started at Thunderbird Falls and then moved on to Eklutna Lake. Eklutna Lake in is the Chugach Mountains--it's a very cool state park. You can rent bikes and kayaks--camp, 4 wheel--It's open year round, so I bet the X skiing is awesome!

We then explored the old village of Eklutna--there is a Russian Orthodox-Native Church and cemetery. These are Spirit Houses in the cemetery.

Moose Vandal!

Our garden was trash--the brussel sprout--ripped to shreds! The cabbage--gone! The climbing peas--I found 10! Broccoli--stems! The culprit...just look at the turds! The fence was trampled and at some places the big ole vermin just reached his head over and gobbled up the goods :( Guess what's for dinner next week!?!

Christopher Turns 21

Chris will be here for his 21st birthday. He arrives September 24 and stays until October 12th. I can't wait to see him and buy him his 1st legal beer! We may even go camping--LOL!

Honestly, I am a Teacher--Not just playing one!

It was Open House this past week at Mears Middle School. I was dressed in my finest teacher garb and had a big smile on my face!! Two an half weeks down--how many more to go? Note my awesome Smartboard and brand new textbooks--I had to show those off to the parents. Everything in the text is online as well--I can also project all onto to my "very" smartboard--and write on it as well--in colors no less! WORKSHEET MANIA--here we come LOL! Totally awesome--especially since I figured out how to use it all by myself!

Next to my desk is my Michigan wall--whenever I get homesick I just look at the wall of pictures--you are all there!

My new room is awesome--I have 3 big windows and a view of the mountains. I just love it!

Larry is off moose hunting for 2 weeks, so I am staying at Rabbit Creek B & B (Denise's) during the week. He already got one, so we can eat this winter. I just hope we can harvest enough taters from the garden to hold us over. Thanks goodness for the caribou he got last month--we can trade off vermin for supper! Ha ha, just kidding--I'm not that "backwoods" yet?!? We do have taters though! And Larry brought me back some caribou antlers (shed) from his trip. He kept the "rack" from our soon to be meals. It might turn into another coat rack or perhaps a towel rack for the bathroom, or maybe a flannel PJ rack? The decorating possibilities are endless...

Eventful Week!

Hi All--
The children were "shaking in their shoes" for the start of the school year on Wednesday! Fortunately it wasn't my classroom demeanor that had them shaking, but the earthquake that registered a 5! I was 17 minutes into my very first class of the new school year and was explaining procedures, when my room began to rock and roll into a rumble. I calmly said, "hummmm...this might be an earthquake-what's the procedure for an earthquake"? Quickly, every student got under their desks and covered their heads--LOL--seriously. I remained standing as the smartboard projector swayed over my head--DUH--but my desk is in all the way in the back of the room!

Never a dull moment in Alaska!

I had a very fun visit with some retired TC teachers--Kay Walker, Inra Kirt, Charlene Hamlin, and Kathy (forgot her last name (Retired-TCWJH). Carrie Robbins was also here from Ninilchik, where she and her husband spend their summers. The gals were finishing up their tour of Alaska here in Anchorage. We had dinner before they caught their flight back to the "Lower 48". It was nice to see some familiar faces from home!

Living off the land--dinner Friday night was caribou burgers, lettuce from the garden, and fresh picked blueberries, all washed down with Alaskan Summer Ale--doesn't get much better than that!

Cooler and rain is the forecast for the up coming week--perfect school work weather!

School Already!

Summer vacation is over--I started school today :(
I am part of Panther Pride Camp--a sort of orientation for 7th graders. It runs tomorrow and Wednesday--then the real deal starts on Thursday with 4 days of inservice. The "happy" children arrive for their first day on August 19th!

This year I am teaching language arts and social studies--busy girl aye! I have a new classroom that is just awesome (thanks to Katie and Sue's help!) Let's hope it help motivates the little darlings!

I have done some major traveling this summer from Fairbanks to Seward to Homer! This is all good since my first unit is about Alaska: geography, history and literature.

I went blueberry picking last Saturday at Hatcher Pass (a stunning state park) with Cheryl and Frances--teachers from Kansas City. It was a bit like lions and tigers and bears--Oh My--LOL! We definitely weren't in Kansas anymore! None of us had done this before and were a bit freaked out about bears...no fear though, too many other people picking as well!

It is beautiful today--73 and sunny...figures with school starting!

Her Final Days...

In her final days our Beauty Queen Governor has had a few picnics. I missed the Wasilla event, but you betcha I made the Anchorage soiree--quite an event! The food line was long, Sue and I waited about an hour and a half and it hardly moved--so we just squeezed through the paparazzi and managed to get some good photos! The rain held off, thank goodness--Sarah might have melted she's so sweet! Or even worse, it may have messed up her hairdo--Tee-Hee!

It was very festive--some sort of military band was playing jazz tunes as our beloved governor passed out hotdogs and burgers. I'd say a few wieners passed by her today!! There were folks that love her and folks not so fond of her milling about the park--but all in all, I think we were all there to bid her a "FOND GOODBYE"!


But the big question remains...Do you think she will go away??????

Rain,Rain,Rain!

It's raining in Alaska--finally! We really need it, but did it have to start the day after I finished summer school?????? It figures aye!

Sue Martilla is here and we went dipnetting with Beth, David and Max at the mouth of the Kenai River and Cook Inlet. Here is the story on dipnetting:
-You have to be a resident of AK for a year
-You can get 25 salmon per person, and 10 more for each family member
-You use this huge net on a very long pole
-You wear waiters and stand waist high in the water
-You wait for a Red (salmon--the best they say) to swim into your net and then you catch it!

Now, let me set the stage...we walk down to the beach (the sand is black) to find Beth's husband and son, a see thousands, and I do mean thousands of people, in various stages of dipnetting. There are fish heads, guts, and seagulls all over the place. The fisher-people are lined up in the water with their nets out ready to scoop up a salmon at any moment. Kids are running around having a blast, tents are set up along the dunes, others are cleaning and filleting the fish, all in all, it is quite a festive event! Check out the pictures because they tell the story better then I could ever! On a more serious note--this is food for the year for most families, not to mention that it is the best salmon in the world they say!!

Going to the beach is definitely a different experience here!!!!!!!!!!

The Best Summer Weather...

Alaskans have seen in years! It has be fantastic--70's and 80' for two straight weeks now. I may even have some sort of a tan! Of course with the dry, hot weather comes fires--currently over 70 across the state. It has been very hazy in the Anchorage bowl--especially over the mountains.

I only have three more days of summer school--yippee--everyone feels that way! On my way home last week a bear crossed the very busy main street in front of me--at first I thought is was a dog...nope...bear! Kinda freaked me out--right in the city! I have also posted a picture of a moose that was grazing across the street from us as we sat on the deck at Cheryl and Frances' home yesterday. We went biking through town yesterday on the Campbell Creek Trail. This trail follows the creek and is beautiful. People were out fishing, sunning, playing, etc. It's hard to believe you are in the heart of the city. At one point on the trail we came across a small lake--people were out in their bathing suits swimming and floating--ahhhhhhhh summer!

Last week we went to the Forest fair in Girdwood. Girdwood is home to Mt. Alyeska and many hippee types. The weather was stellar, the views spectacular, and the art, Alaskan and amazing! Very fun!

Every weekend at least one town has some sort of fair or festival--never a dull moment. Also, this week the Kenai River opened for salmon fishing--well--that's what everyone is doing now--dipnetting! And I do mean everyone--ask students, teachers, parents what are you doing after summer school...FISHING is the unanimous answer. Beth, a friend I work with at Mears, husband, is going to take me dipnetting next week. You have to be a resident for at least a year to get a license to net, so I will have to watch--but what fun!


Speaking of licenses--I finally got my Alaska Drivers License--it took many trips to the DMV for various reasons...
So now I am an official Alaskan resident! :) I did have to surrender my Michigan DL :(
(By the way--the test was really hard!)

Sue Martilla comes up for a visit on Wednesday--it will be nice to have someone from home here. This is Sue's third visit to Alaska--I have all sorts of fun adventures planned!

Drop me a line...stephaniecarey60@gmail.com

Summer in Alaska!

Hi All--it's been a while since my last post. Summer school is kicking my butt! I'm teaching writing to a bunch of students who don't really want to be in summer school (that's an understatement!). It's great experience for me--I'm learning all sorts of new technology. The students on the other hand, are learning how to write essays--ha--I'd be pissed too! This is the best summer Alaska has experienced in years! I will say grading the essays is not real fun!

BEAR ALERT-Today as I drove home from school a bear crossed the 4 lane road in front of me. At first I thought is was a dog--wrong--bear--it's crazy like that here!

Speaking of home, I'm back at Bronwyn's house taking care of Lucy the dog. If you remember, I house sat here at Christmas. Bronwyn is in China teaching English until Aug. 1. Her home is so cute, and is in a wonderful location--very fun to be here. Best of all, she has a cleaning lady and a lawn service :)By the way, the fighter jets (Air Force base is here) practice over the house--very cool!

The weather here has turned lovely--high 60's low 70's and sunny, and no humidity to speak of! It usually is even nicer in the Valley--Wasilla--No, not yet--no sign of the Palin clan!

Larry and I are now proud owners of mountain bikes--YIKES! I think this means I can't fake it anymore--I really have to go outside and produce some sort of exercise. Speaking of Larry, he has a huge....garden at his house--raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, parsnips, brussel sprouts, etc. You get the picture. He also has a very pretty flower garden. I get to decorate with garden chachkies (sp? how do you spell this?)--you can only imagine--LOL!

I was/am missing the sun,fun and company in TC...but it's beautiful here too!

Miss you all-

What a Blast!

Katie and I have had a blast! We have been to Fairbanks and back, Seward and back, and all places in between!
Here's a quick run down of our road trips-
-On Saturday, May 23 we stopped by the Saturday Market in Anchorage before heading north. This is an outdoor market that sells everything from Native crafts to clothing to food--very cool! Then we headed to Wasilla for the night--we checked on Larry's house and watered plants--
We left Wasilla and headed towards Fairbanks-with a stop in Talkeetna. I had been to Talkeetna in the winter but wow, this town is darling in the summer! It was bustling with tourist and climbers-- a starting point for McKinley climbers. We hoped (or I did anyway)that perhaps Larry would be back form his climb--not so!
While walking around town we went into a shop and was talked into taking a flight around McKinley--it was AWESOME! After that we hightailed it to Fairbanks. Our hotel was on the Chena River--it was 85 degrees so we dined on the banks and watched the jet skiers, kayakers, and boaters pass by--who would have thought you were in Alaska!!

--We spent Monday, Memorial Day, driving back towards Denali National Park, with a stop a the Pipeline before leaving Fairbanks. It's a pretty cool site to see--
We stayed right outside the Park entrance at the Princess Lodge--same place Kathy, Jenny, Sue and I stayed. We decided not to do the bus trip but to drive in as far as we could--we did see McKinley, but not any animals--figures! Twice I been... and no animals!!
--On Tuesday we went back to Wasilla--hoping Larry was back--this was the projected return date--but nope--no Larry.
--Thursday back to Anchorage to get ready for our trip to Seward--a Kenai Fjord day cruise. We went with some friends of mine (teachers from Kansas)Cheryl and Frances. The weather was rainy in Anchorage but upon arriving in Seward (3 hour drive)the sun came out--yeah! Our cruise was wonderful--we saw puffins, goats, Fin whales, Orcas, sea otters--incredible!! On the ride back to Anchorage I finally heard from Larry--he was back and did summit McKinley!

Larry had quite the adventure--He made it to the "top of the world" on Memorial Day. But not before he spent 10 days at 17,000 feet waiting for the weather to break so they could summit. He said it was so cold that they pretty much stayed in their sleeping bags all day! 4 out of 9 made it all the way. Once they got back to base camp a snow storm almost kept them from flying out--they made it back without their gear--they had to wait a few more hours for their stuff!!

Katie and I headed to Wasilla to hear about the climb--driving into Larry's subdivision we spotted a bear in the middle of the road--Katie screamed like a girl--LOL! We stayed the weekend then headed out Monday morning--late--because we were held hostage by a moose cruising around the yard!! Who needs to leave home--we saw more wildlife in the backyard!!

Summer school starts on Friday with 3 days of training, and students beginning next Wednesday. Katie leaves on Saturday night--I will miss her--but I think she's ready to be home in TC with sandy beaches!! Although, we have had better weather here!! We did visit the university here...maybe???????????

Katie's Here and School's Out!

Katie arrived last week--we have been having great fun! She has been a big help with the last week of school! She helped me pack-up my classroom to move inside the building. She kept the "heathens" in line too! Katie is now the "Dream-girl" for many 13 year old boys!!

I can't believe how fast the school year went...I did it!!!Yeah!

I start summer school June 5--Katie leaves the 6th, so we have 2 weeks to explore Alaska! This weekend we head to Fairbanks and Denali National Park.

Hopefully we will take many pictures so I can post them!

I need news--drop me a line!!

(No news from Larry--hopefully he's on his way down the Mountain)

Summer School!

Awesome! I got one of the highly coveted summer school teaching positions--teaching writing for middle school. I start June 5 and finish up July 15th. I'm also back at Bronwyn's house and Lucy (dog) sitting from June 23 to August 1st--

Good Times here in Alaska!

Check this out!

http://alaskahockeymomsforobama.com/

This website is posted by the Brownyn's mom the lady I just recently house sat for--

Gives you a good feel about how this state feels about their "Politician" now!

Katie, Katie, Katie

Only a week before Katie arrives--I can't wait! My students are excited as well--they can't wait to meet her--I think they want to see the daughter of the "meanest teacher ever"--LOL!
Katie will help me finish my last week of school and pack up to move into the building for next year. I have some very awesome trips planned for us. The first weekend here we are going to Seward to take a 6 hour cruise into the Kenai Fjords National Park. We will see glaciers, whales, sea lions, etc. Ought to be a blast. Then the last week of school, finishing up before Memorial Day weekend, and then off to Denali and Fairbanks. If the views are good we will take the bus into the Park--no Kath and Jen we are not going way back into the Park like we did--frightening!! Actually, you can't travel real far back until June--thank goodness! May is a great month to be here and play tourist everything is discounted. There are so many other day trips we can take from Anchorage--we should have a blast. My students asked if Katie and I were going camping--I just chuckled--yeah at Princess Lodges LOL!

School is winding down--everyone is ready to be done, done and done! We are finishing a poetry unit--my students are wonderful poets--I'm very impressed. We have had fun with it.

I do have a Larry update: He flew to base camp this morning after a grueling training day yesterday. Last Thursday the first group of climbers made it to the summit--88 more are on they way as of Monday. Larry's group will take about 3 weeks depending on the weather--so far we have had exceptional clear skies--I hope it keeps up. (Fun Fact--over 900 climbers are registered to climb Denali this season.) I also hope he can email me some pictures so I can post them.

I will keep you all posted on the events as they unfold--never a dull moment in Alaska!

Hope!

Howdy All,
Saturday Larry and I took a short road trip to Hope. Hope is on the Kenai Peninsula about 2 hours from Anchorage. People go there to hike and camp--one of my roommates Jackie, lives there with her husband and son. There are 13 students in the entire school--K-12, so you can imagine just how small the village is! Anyway, the area is magnificent--woods, whitewater river, ocean--sounds like paradise-aye! Well the village is a dump! It looks like each house has it's own landfill only no one has bothered to "fill it in"!! What a bummer--really, Alaskans just pile stuff up where ever--porch, yard, neighbor's yard, etc. I did get some nice nature pictures though.

Larry is getting ready for his McKinley climb--seriously--who does that! He goes for about three weeks starting on May 5th. He goes on "hikes" every other day and sends me photos from the top of whatever peak he's climbed. I'll try to download some of them--amazing. I don't go with him because he's faster than me (explanation follows). Besides, really, you all know me--I'd rather read a magazine!!

Most people in Alaska have some sort of whacked out, extreme hobby. If it includes the outdoors you can bet they are going to recruit you--I know this first hand because they did it to me until I figured it out--duh! These people love to recruit naive newbies because chances are they run, hike, ski, walk, bike, etc. slower--being new to the terrain and all. Here's the thinking--always go outdoors with someone slower that you--that way the moose and bears will get the slower party and not you!! See how it works--I wondered why I kept getting invited to things--hell, they have a whole club that works on this theory!! So, now I'm recruiting pokey people to go outside with me--LOL!

I start teaching poetry this week--ummmmmmmm--not really my thing! I told my 7th graders that we are writing "love sonnets" first thing on Monday--Ha--imagine a bunch of hormonal 7th graders writing love poems-LOL! I crack myself up!

By the way, It's light out from about 6am to 10pm--weird! I'm off to by "blackout curtains"--NOT!

It might get over 50 degrees this week!! Here's to Hope-ing!!

Beautiful!

The snow is almost all gone and is it ever beautiful here! Although I'm a bit confused navigating through town without my snow pile landmarks--LOL!
I'm house and cat(s) (5 eeek!) sitting in downtown Anchorage. The neighborhood is called Bootlegger's Cove--right on the Cook Inlet and one of the oldest neighborhoods. There's a trail that runs along the Inlet--The Coastal Trail. It's quite long and tons of people are out and about running, walking, skating etc. I walked to Earthquake Park last week--yep, Earthquake Park! Beautiful--We also have the solar system walk like TC on the trail.
The house I'm at is very cool. It's all been redone--kind of French Country and Spanish influences. There's a huge mural on the living room wall and terracotta tile through out. Better yet, the fridge and cupboards are stocked with all sorts of gourmet foods. There's even an organic market in walking distance--love it here!

Larry and I went to the theater this weekend--we saw Spamalot--very funny! We even had BIG BROADWAY stars up here in Alaska--John O'Hurley, the Dog Show guy!!!!

The days are getting longer 6:30AM to 9:30ish PM--Now all the Alaskans can talk about is getting the studs (not men--tires) off their cars and buying blackout blinds--complain, complain! I love the light!

Still having a blast!

Break-up!

No, I know what your thinking...but it's what the Alaskans call Spring up here. The name fits too--Not only is the snow melting and the ice on the inlet breaking -up, but all of the roads are broken up too! I thought I saw some deep potholes in Michigan--nothing like Alaska--I saw craters as big as the volcanoes and cracks that look like the earthquaked-- lol--of course everything is BIG here!

The days have been long and sunny--our highs have been in the mid 40's. I was out walking this week and almost ran into a moose--literally! YIKES! There he was, just hangin' out in the park--Mary's dog went into a barking frenzy--scaring the bejeepers out of me, Kris and the moose! After the initial fright...we yanked on the dog's leash and walked swiftly (understatement) away. Definitely NOT making any sort of eye contact with the beast!

This week was state testing for the Anchorage School District. What fun--the students were burnt out and the teachers exhausted--glad to be done!
I have been teaching writing and after correcting over a 100 papers I'm glad to report that something I'm doing must be working--for the most part everyone is getting it!


I'm watching the local news as I write this and of course not a newscast goes by without a reference or interview with my friend Sarah...so, it reminded about a local columnist in the Sunday paper--guess what he calls her.........Belle......isn't that perfect--she's been on the news 5X's tonight--I just threw-up a little in my mouth this last time! Speaking of throw-up, Sarah's sister-in-law, Todd's half sister, got caught breaking and entering. Not to mention--that Bristol's baby-daddy, Levi was on Tyra this week--damn, if it wasn't for testing I would have taken a sick day to watch!!!! Here's another tidbit--many residents of Wasilla are fondly nicknamed "Valley Trash"...sorta like "Trailer Trash" (do you capitalize 'trash'???). I think sometimes people can qualify for both titles! They might be called Valley Trailer Trash--that's so not nice...


People in Alaska have a lot of STUFF in their yards...it's amazing and interesting--kinda like a car wreck--you just have to look. I'll take pictures this weekend and post--you just gotta see it to believe it!

I'm house and cat sitting next week--I just can't say "no"! LOL Get this 5 cats-- it's a huge home on the Cook Inlet...but...it could ruin my reputation...you know English teacher, middle aged, stringy hair, cats......................

Speaking of hair.........ewwwwwwweeeeee.......you should see mine--YUCK! I haven't cut it since I got here! And I messed up the color and it's brown--nasty, ugly brown to be exact! I'll take a picture so you can all get a good laugh!!
I'm lookin' Alaskan!

What Next?

Now we have to beware of avalanches- 

Two moose were in the median on my way to school today--just a nibblin' on the trees, paying attention to no one--just hangin' out!!

The volcano is still eruptin'...you should see the weather forecast here (kind of like blizzard forecast, but for volcano ash) they have colors for the wind speed , trajectories, amount of ash that may or may not fall in any given 500 mile radius.  And another color system for the warnings--of course we are at RED--LOL!

Go to ADN.com--Anchorage Daily News--What a hoot!

Good thing I have a roll of duct tape in my classroom!

Spring In Alaska?

Seriously...volcanoes, snow storms, moose sightings, people climbing trees to get away from bears, bonfires--who has time for spring?  

These are just a few of the topics in our news here in Anchorage--LOL!  

Yes, the volcano continues to erupt--the ash has been going northeast, so it is missing Anchorage--darn, no "Volcano Day" off!!!  We are all still hopeful though!

On Saturday night Anchorage got 6 inches of heavy wet snow--Alaskans say this is the type of snow that melts the other snow--REALLY--I guess you have to reach where ever you can!  I was in the Valley (that's what Wasilla and area is called) so I didn't have to experience the snowfall.  Yesterday it was almost 40 degrees so it's melting!!  Speaking of Wasilla, I still haven't spied Sarah...I think she has been in Juneau actually working?!?  She's falling out of favor with Alaskans--they all figure she just has her own agenda--duh--a little slow here--you betcha!

 Moose are everywhere--I was driving in the middle of town--one just crossed the 4 lane highway--he wasn't even near the moose crossing sign--I yelled at him, much like Art would, and told him to cross at the sign!!  There was also one just hanging in the yard last week--Mary's dog went wild.  No one here ever tires of seeing moose--it's good luck!

The big news story last weekend was the man who was hiking and had to climb a tree to get away from the bear--you see he was lucky for two reasons--I'm told bears are slow this time of year (still sleepy) and he was able to yell at some people walking their dog near by--the dog scared the bear away.  Now I know why everyone here has multiple dogs--no, not just a couple--multiple!

Saturday, I went to a Spring Equinox Beach Party.  Let me describe my outfit--down coat, snow pants, mittens, boots, long underwear, heavy socks, hand and feet warmers...you get the picture.  I ask, does that sound like spring attire?  Well, it was a blast and I forgot my camera--sorry.  About 50 people showed up--we cooked-out hot dogs and huddled around the bonfire.  It was held at Kincaid Park--the walk to the "beach" was beautiful.  The park is located on the west side of town, across from Fire Island.  It was a clear day and had tremendous  views of Denali and Redoubt (volcano)--although it had not erupted yet.

I played Bunco with a bunch of school folk--the host makes dinner--Yum!  A free meal and dice--I'm living large here in AK!

By the way--I brought out my "Spring- Winter" jacket--maybe I can retire the "Down-Winter" jacket for the season--HA!

Happy Spring!

I didn't Iditarod!

Due to many unforeseen circumstances (see previous post about the lock out) I missed the Official Iditarod start (Sunday) in Willow--bummer! But I did attend a dinner at the De'nina Center--that's the big conference center in Anchorage--for the Mushers to draw their starting place/post for the race. It was very cool--the Mushers went up on stage and drew a number out of some famous Musher's mukluk for his/her starting place. It was very festive and fun--I think you have to be kind of important or spend money with Wells Fargo Bank to get invited. Since I don't qualify for either of those, I think it could be 'who you know' thing too!

I did (sort of) make it down to the Saturday ceremonial start in Anchorage--well I saw the end of it and all of the Fur Rondy activities. I even tried a reindeer sausage hot dog that was sold on the street--yum! Poor Donner or Blitzen! There was a carnival--rides and all--outside, (yes, I took pictures!) and also, a snow sculpture contest, a fur auction, sled dog rides and many assorted street vendors selling things from food to Native crafts.

It's Anchorage's equalivent of the Cherry Festival--

More AK Quirks-

• Ice cream stores everywhere--from Cold Stones to Dairy Queens to mom and pop shops, you can get ice cream everywhere and at anytime. What-is it not cold enough already? Or does eating ice cream make you feel warmer???
• You don't have to prove you have car insurance to get your drivers license, but you do have to take a test. They like tests in AK--you have to take a test or fill something out to do just about anything in this state. To graduate, all seniors must take an exit exam, ironically, AK has a high drop out rate!
• On the car insurance topic, you have to carry extra coverage so you are covered in case the person who hits you isn't...follow that? Me either!
• People give driving directions according to the mile markers on the highway. They'll say "oh, we live at mile marker 25", well that's nice, but if snow is covering the marker or your clueless as to where that is you are so SOL. But never fear, because you can buy a book that tells you everything about each mile marker--restaurants, gas stations, etc. The book is called Milepost, of course--I kept seeing this book everywhere and keep thinking what the hell is that--a religious book????? Well no, I was much confused with the Guidepost--isn't that the Jehovah's Witness book? You can buy it at Costco. By the way, that leads me to my next quirk...
• Costco! The place to shop--I haven't been yet--but everyone else in the state has! When asking "where's the best place to...", the answer is always Costco. Even if it's just a family of 1--people stock up here like there will be no tomorrow!

Spring Break...

...what was I thinking? I should have gone somewhere warm--although beautiful, sunny and about 35 degrees, I could still use some good ole Fla sunshine!
I'm house sitting at the border of the Chugach State Park, with a full view of the Chugach Mountains. It sure is spectacular, and it sure is still winter! Spring Break-HA--that's an oxymoron!

I haven't done a whole lot being out here in BFE--The puppy gets up reeeeeal early--5:30 or so--UGH! I did manage to walk and snowshoe a bit...the dogs demand it--lol!

Oh, and speaking of walking , the first morning here I managed to lock myself out again--duh--I must be a slow learner--lol! I can't rehash the 3 hour ordeal--way too embarrassing! Let's just say this time I was dressed--and credit cards rule!

I hope to post some pictures of the area...

George W. would be Proud!

Exciting news--I am now officially certified (and most-likely certifiable) to teach in the State of Alaska--I'm also deemed Highly Qualified by the Anchorage School District to teach Language Arts and History 6-12!!!!  I received my Alaska Teaching Certificate on Thursday in the mail--I may have to stay awhile now!!

It snowed about a foot on Saturday--nice white fluffy stuff!  The ground is so cold the snow just turns to ice--making for very slippery roads.  Sunday, I had to drive to Eagle River--that's where I'm house and dog sitting over break for my assistant principal.  It's about a 50 minute (only 35 miles) drive from Anchorage and I did it all by myself!!  Really, I don't venture very far if I have to drive, it scares the %$#(* out of me! Anyway, they have two Chesapeakes--Lager-about 8yrs and Bitsy--8 months--ought to be fun!  I can already tell that I will never come into town!!  A bit of Alaska gossip--I think they might attend the same church as Sarah--this might be my in for a picture!!!

Write and fill me in on the latest!  Miss you all!

5 Minutes or More...

Wow--the sun has been shining for days now!  The sun rises at 8:16 and sets at 6:09--the days are getting longer.  It's amazing we get 5 minutes or more of daylight everyday!  Denali was out in her full glory this weekend--I got a peek on Sunday!  The mountains always amaze me and they look different every day depending on the weather!

Last Friday we took our students to the Performing Arts Center in downtown Anchorage to see Soul Street--a breaking dancing troupe.  Boy, I haven't been on a bus in a long time...let alone with 7th graders!!  I managed to get back at a few of them by threatening to sit with them on the bus.  I also danced--yes, the white girl, Elaine style, at the performance--all in all it was a good, embarrass your students, kind of trip!!  Oh--we only lost one student--Eddie Munster (seriously, this kid is a dead ringer for Eddie)--but damn--he found us before we got away! 

Wild Life!

No not me....well...I forgot to mention all of the creatures I saw on my trip--eagles (of course), Dall sheep, moose and sea otters!!  Very cool!

It's snowing today--we need it!!  I did ski last week--it was great!  The days are getting much longer..........

Weekend in Homer!

Wow--what a beautiful place.  Homer is at the end of the road (literally) on the Kenai Peninsula.  It took us about 5 hours to get there--we left after school on Friday.  The drive was spectacular--so many lakes, rivers and mountains--incredible!  The Kenai River is a big fishing (salmon) area, while Homer is known for halibut fishing (you should all be impressed I know my fishing areas). There are also many hiking trials.  On Saturday we woke up to a gorgeous day--the weather was about 40 and sunny.  At ten am everyday the eagles get fed, there were hundreds and they were not afraid of anything--it was way cool!!  But what I really wanted to do was to sit out on the spit (beach) with a beer!!  I could live in Homer--it would give me my "water" fix!  

On Sunday it started to rain so we headed back towards Anchorage to Girdwood, and stayed at Mt. Alyeska--nice.  No skiing for me though--not a place for beginners!!!  We left about noon on Monday (no school-- holiday-- you gotta love it here) and on the way home saw some Dall Sheep--just hangin' out on the rocks.

My plan is to travel when I can... so much to see! 

The first picture I added is of the mud flats in the Cook Inlet as you come into Anchorage from Seward--in the winter the ice builds up--it always looks different and is way cool! 

Another Year in Alaska!!

It looks like I get to stay at Mears another year!!  I'm so excited!!  I had my post observation meeting with my principal and it went wonderful--I couldn't have asked for anything better!!!  This school is just perfect for me--I'm even getting fond--(choke, choke) of 7th graders!  

I'm hoping to teach summer school this year to gain even more experience.  

So plan your trips to Alaska, I'll be here for (at least) another year!

Pictures!

I've finally been able to post some new pictures thanks to Mary--she helped me figure it out! Some of the pictures are from a month or so ago, but at least you can see what I have been talking about!!
The weather has been sunny--but cold. We did get some nice, fresh snow last week--it just makes everything prettier--as if that's possible!

School is going really well--I just love it! The 7th graders are finally getting the hang of my teaching style or I'm getting use to them :)
Progress reports went out last week and for the most part it looks as if the little darlings are learning--whether they like it or not--damn it!!

We had a staff vs 8th grade girls basketball game last Friday--Wow, was I ever impressed by the girls--they played like high-schoolers. I teach a study skills class 7th hour--it's a mix of both 7th and 8th graders the mix of students is a hoot--they all try to get away with doing nothing--not so in my class!! Last week they told me I was their favorite teacher--I'm thinking --wow--I'm so strict--now I think I better go observe the teachers "meaner" than me so I can improve--LOL!

The volcano is still a rumbling....................

I Moved this Weekend!

Hi All,

I move to another B & B--but I can stay here for as long a I would like!!  It's a great house close to where I was--I'm closer to the Cook Inlet with great views of the volcano!  It's an awesome subdivision with beautiful homes and good walking roads!  Mary is the owner--she's about my age and single--she's very cool--we get along great!!  Jackie, also lives with us part time.  She's a nurse and comes in from Hope ( a real small village) to work 3 days a week.  She has a son and husband in Hope.  She also brings her very large Golden named Rusty--he's a typical Golden--a bugger, but very sweet!  Mary has a Border Collie mix name Lucas--he's awesome.  This place feels like home--I'm glad to be here!!  The house also has a hot tub, treadmill, and two fireplaces, decks, sunroom and a great yard--really nice!

Here's the website to my new place:  www.jarvihomestay.com

I also changed my address to a P O Box--

PO Box 111473

Anchorage, AK 995 11-1473

I'm still having a blast!!

Write me!!

Still waiting....

for the volcano to blow!!  I went to ACE on Friday and bought a tarp and some bungie cords to cover my car--some people say to cover--some say don't worry about it!  Never a dull moment in AK.  By the way--all the face masks are sold out all over town!!

Mt. Redoubt--Too Funny!

I just had to share this--

At school today, in my mailbox was a large plastic bag--I pulled it out--looked at it--and asked the secretary what it was for?????  She replied, "To cover your computer when the volcano blows!"  You would never hear that one in Michigan!!!  LOL!  

You've got to love it!

PS--If it blow, and the wind goes the right way, we may get a "Volcano Day"!!!!!

Never a Dull Moment in Alaska!

Earthquakes,volcanoes, and moose.......we have it all up here! The weather has been beautiful--20 degrees and sunny! We had an earthquake on Saturday morning about 9ish. It was about 65 miles out in the Cook Inlet. I felt a big bump and then thump--I just thought it was Denise leaving--she drives a big ole Hummer! I didn't really hear anything about it until Dawn and Kathy called to see if I was okay!
Then the local volcano, Mt. Redoubt--which I can see from my window at the B & B is ready to blow--now this is all over the news (go to Anchorage Daily News )--so we just wait!

And to top it off, no pun intended, I made moose stew with Shirley's recipe--yum, yum!

So, AK is filled with all sorts of fun--you just never know what's going to happen next!!

Getting a Life...

Hi All--
It's been a while since I've written--the ice days through me off! Monday was MLK day so no school again! Needless to say, Tuesday was a killer at school.

Last weekend I ventured to Wasilla--home of Governor Sarah Palin--didn't see her--bummer! It's a cute town north of here--they have a big, brand new Target (we only have 2 in AK)--yes, I had to go in!! I had dinner at a friend's house --he made halibut--of course he caught it too (the halibut)! I also managed to get to Talkeetna last weekend. This is the cute little town that the show Northern Exposure was modeled after. It's also a launching point for climbers heading up Denali--it was clear last weekend so we thought viewing might be good--just ok though. Weird thing is, I didn't see one moose or any other wildlife--hummmmmm.....
When Kathy, Jenny, Sue and I were up here on '06...we were unable to get to Talkeetna--the road was washed out--you guys have to come back up and see it--too cute!

This week at school I was observed by my principal--I wasn't a bit nervous and all went well--the little heathens even behaved--I think they all thought they were in trouble!! LOL!

Last night I went to the UAA vs. Michigan Tech hockey game. I put it on my board at school on Friday--my students love Michigan hockey teams! Two boys said they wanted to go to Tech and one said MSU--isn't that funny! They all told me that UAA sucks! Well the game ended in a tie, so they didn't suck that bad!!!!! Funny how the word "suck " has made it into main stream vocabulary--didn't we get in trouble for saying it?????

The weather has been in the 20's--no snow--we need it bad--the lawns are almost bare. I haven't been out playing since Christmas.

I hope all is well with you!

Hugs,
SC

Another Ice Day!

Yep...no school again today--the winds were howling and the rain was pouring... all night long. It's called a Chinook wind--a warm wind from the south. Our snow is almost gone and the back roads are like ice rinks. But no worries--it gets cold again next week!

Ice Day!

Finally no school today...not because of cold, not because of snow, but because of warm!! It's 31 degrees and raining--:( All of our good snow is turning to yuck!! The city is at a stand still--100 mile an hour winds in the Valley--Wasillia, Mat-Su, Palmer.......hang on to your hat Sarah!!

AK Quirks cont.

• The Glen Highway is the only highway out of Anchorage--towards the north-- Wasillia--Fairbanks. It's always icy--so the traffic is always backed up due to road conditions and what the the radio calls "Ditch Diving"... yet another Alaskan sport!
  

BALMY!

It's just not right when you think +17 degrees is balmy!! We finally had a warm-up today--Yippee! My car is much happier--it doesn't growl when I try to start it now!!

I'm settling into Alaskan life here--last night we (the B & B gang) cooked 2 huge red salmon filets. A teacher at school brought some she had in her freezer--yum! Her husband and son went dipping for them--you have to be a resident for a year in order to dip net. Everyone does this dip netting fishing thing--you are allowed 25 salmon a season which equals several hundred pounds. Therefore, by January many Alaskans are sick of salmon and just give them away!!

Anchorage has another festival--more than TC I think! It's called Freeze (isn't it ironic)(http://freezeproject.org/alaska/) which has real cool (no pun intended) ice and snow sculptures. We are taking our 7th graders on Friday--How fun--I'm kidding--yuck-- field trip with 7th graders outside in the freezing cold--where's the Excedrin! My team at school previewed this on Saturday when the temp. was -2...we didn't stay real long--it was pretty neat though!

Moose Sighting-- two mailboxes down on Saturday--they're everywhere--looking to get warm!
I'd post a picture but I can't get them to download on the blog :( I'll be working on it!
The Mountain was out yesterday too! It's always an awesome sight!

Still lookin' for Sarah--you betcha!

Oddities--Alaska Quirks!

No, not me-I'm not a resident yet!! I thought I'd start an ongoing list of Alaskan quirks, etc. What, with my short memory capacity--I'll post 'em as I remember 'em--It will be the Quirk List!

• There are a hundreds of Mexican restaurants in this town--at least 2 on every corner--no kidding--you need spicy food to stay warm here! It's sooooo weird how many there are here???????
  
• Next to, plus on every other corner is a small drive thru coffee/espresso hut. They have cute, catchy names like "Bad Ass Coffee" or for the "cooler" caffeine drinker "Organic blah-blah (I forget now) Coffee". You can get a cup of coffee every 1/4 mile--I kid you not! Some even have food--like hot dogs, burritos (see above), or muffins--convenient aye--because you never, never want to turn your car off in the winter if you don't have a remote start! Plus we have lotsa oil here!!
  
• Alaska is a perfect place to live if you are a menopausal women--well...this I've been told--

To be continued.............

Fireworks at Minus 20--Who Does That?

Me! That's Who! Anchorage had the big 50th birthday celebration last night. The road downtown was closed off and the park had ice sculptures. There was free music -- 25 different types of bands and performers at 2 different indoor venues. We saw a bluegrass group all from Alaska--Barefoot is their name--they just recorded a CD due out in May. The group formed in high school and are in their 20's now--very good! The cutest thing--the gals in the group all wore dresses--flowey (sp) type--with their Sorrel boots--they called it the Alaska cocktail outfit--lol!

The place was mobbed--then everyone went outside to watch the fireworks--the biggest Alaska has ever seen! Okay--they were awesome--even in the subzero temperatures!! They shot them off 3 different buildings simultaneously--I was impressed (like Alaska really cares what I think!).
By the way, the event was sponsored by Blue Cross--they passed out hand warmers to the crowd--LOL! My fingers just now thawed-out....hey...where are my toes!!!!!!

I'm spending today psyching myself up to deal with 7th graders.................

What Was I Thinking?????

Oh my, the high temp today is -20...that's right...the high! The low was -27--Maybe next year I'll teach in Hawaii!! Alaskans are a funny sort--they say "it's not been this cold for this long since...blah, blah, blah". Who cares--it's really cold NOW!! I can take 0 or even -1-maybe, but this is ridiculous!

Okay, I might be a bit cranky because I haven't been outside playing, but I have managed to get a social life--yep that's right--me. I've been on 2 dates--yep count em--2. I went to a New Years Eve gathering before the fireworks--which happen at 8pm--because, for the real world that's when the New Year started. Watch the fireworks ( Cherry Fest. is better) from the car because it was a balmy -12!
Last night the Art and History Museum opened for a Singles night--wine, food, and tons of single women--just like every other city--LOL! It was very fun--This matchmaking company put it on--1200 bucks and they'll find you a long-term match...I think I'll take my chances and save my $$$$-HA!

Since it's the New Year, I thought I'd review a few of the "oddities" I've found about living here:

• The highways stop and start for no apparent reason
• The roads also change names for no apparent reason ( I'm told this as due to the economic growth stopping and starting over the various years)
• There are not any drug stores--like Rite-aid or Walgreens--???????
• Haven't seen a K-mart
• The big festival is Fur Rendezvous or Fur Rondy as the locals call it--this is a week long event this leads up to the Iditirod--I'm told it's an outdoor carnival and festival--(I hope it gets a tad bit warmer!!) It's at the end of Feb.
  
• Everyone counts how many minutes of daylight are added each day
• Alaskans think they have the market on cold and snow--cold maybe, not snow though, as you Michiganders know!!
• No sales tax or state tax
• Every man, women and child got over $3000. for the state personal fund--oil $$$
• Drill, baby,drill, is the motto
• Along with... fish, baby, fish!
  

Tonight's the big kick-off celebration for Alaska's 50th birthday--more fireworks and events downtown--should be fun!

Happy 2009!
PEACE