So, Christmas came and went. It was enjoyable as always and I say it again; there is no greater pleasure in this world than witnessing pure and innocent joy of a child. Isabel came downstairs and quickly checked to see if Santa had eaten the the cookies and Egg Nog she left out (ya, Santa went for the Egg Nog this year. Still follows the basic traditional structure, right?). The generosity of family and friends kept Isabel busy for a while opening presents. We discussed how we weren't going to spoil Isabel this year and only get one present for her in addition to stocking stuffers. We discussed this at length and weighed the pros and cons of seriously limiting the number of presents that she receives from Mommy and Daddy and Santa. It was decided. ONE present from us. So, after Isabel opened the fifth or sixth present from us, we acknowledged that we have failed and justified each and every gift as "educational" and "Something she can use for years to come" which blanketed our shame for the most part.
The gift of discussion is, of course, her bicycle. To say it is pink is a gross understatement. It looks like Pepto Bismol is doing some sort of cross marketing with children's bicycles. And in case she wasn't pink enough, we topped her off with a bright pink helmet. We immediately walked down to the only pavement that was not covered with snow; the airport. Isabel is slowly getting the hang of riding her bike and although we had images in our heads of her refusing to let go of the bike and calling her back from the end of the runway, she was more entertained with running away from her bike and playing on the taxiway.
Christmas was, by all means, a success. Our 32" Christmas tree still looks plastic and bright and Isabel decided that she was going to give away some books to some other kids for Christmas and that has made us happy (although she made it clear that she is not going to give away the stuff she really likes).
With Christmas break upon us, we are scheduled to go into the big city of Anchorage today. It is with a heavy heart and a great sense of Karma that I announce we are not making it into Anchorage today. The plane was cancelled. It has been cancelled in the past due to extreme weather which is completely understandable. Today, however, the plane is not cancelled due to extreme weather. It is cancelled due to the airline not KNOWING the weather. The weather system that is used to report the weather is broken. In this event, the back up plan is to call the highly qualified weather reporter on the island. It just so happens that the man that can fix the weather station and the man that reports the weather were actually scheduled to return on the plane today. I truly hope that the question of "So how is the plane evr going to land on Adak again?" has popped into your head, because it was my initial response also. We will see what happens, I guess. So I am stuck on an island with an incredibly beautiful woman and an adorable little girl that keeps me smiling. I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas break, actually!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Christmas Party, School Play, and A new dish
I know that the rat problem has been at the top of your list of concerns over the past week and we appreciate your thoughts. I am happy to announce that the rodent in question last week was disposed of in the typical fashion. Yes, we did what every household that has had to deal with a rat problem would do; throw it out on the yard and watch the symbol of our nation come swooping down and carry it off to wherever it is that Bald Eagles eat rats. Since then the trap has been empty, the cats have been at ease, and Cassidy and I can try to kick this caffeine addiction we have developed by staying up listening to every sound we hear with absolute terror.
In our newly relaxed state, we did manage to make it to the town Christmas party. It was a Christmas party in the sense that people were there and it was certainly around Christmas, but it seemed more like one of those seminar meals you get roped into in an attempt to buy a time share. Basically 100 people sitting in silence eating the side dish that they themselves brought in a not so subtle attempt to avoid the potluck walk of shame. Santa showed up and gave out gifts to the children. It is actually a great program that the VFW of Alaska does by sending out three gifts for every child on the island. Isabel could not believe it when her name was called to go and see Santa on the sled. She got a Barbie and the requisite barbie clothes (God knows she can't be seen wearing the same outfit twice. Especially now with all the crap those Bratz Dolls have been talking lately), and the Aristocrats DVD (because after seeing it 178 times through Netflix, you just have to own it!). She was adorable and I am certain pictures will be posted. In addition to her Santa gifts, my students have taken a liking to Isabel and have given her several gifts. These gifts range from a Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz to a slightly used (and slightly stained) extremely large purple pegasus that comes with its very own distinctive smell of Pall Mall 100's. Take a wild guess at which of these gifts she won't let go of.
So tonight was the all too entertaining school play. Although it concludes what amounts to tens of hours of my time, it is just the beginning of years of therapy and what I am sure will resemble a grand mal seizure every time I hear the words "children" and "play" anywhere in the same sentence. It is going to make going to the park with Isabel an absolute hell. To put it in perspective, imagine giving twenty children costumes, props, and music. Now try to get them to calm down. The ten "older" kids lack any sign of motivation or enthusiasm. The ten younger children, however,......the only way I can describe these children is with a question (if that makes any sense at all); have you ever seen the movie Gremlins? OK! NOT the cute ones!!! The ones that were fed after midnight (or whatever weird rules they had)!!
Cassidy has done her best to get me through this trying time. She is always the supportive one. Even when I want to try stupis stuff. Yesterday, for example, I wanted to go Ptarmigan hunting. For those of you that don't know, Ptarmigan is a bird very much like a grouse or pheasant. Only dumber. After going out with my friend Ti yesterday, I came home with five of these birds. If I could stop my story here just for a little friendly advice....Whenever you move to a new location and try to experience things that have been foreign to you, ASK THE LOCALS!!! I say this because Ti said I should wait to breast out the birds and he would show me "later". I waited long enough to go in the kitchen and grab a knife. I removed each breast of meat with the precision of a surgeon. It was beautiful. It also took me an hour (keep in mind these birds weigh about a pound). When I was on the last one, our neighbor Rhonda and her friend Elaine came over to the garage. I was all smiles and proud as could be with my plate of eight clean breasts of meat that sat on the table. She said with all sincerity, "want me to show you how to do that?" In about, oh, Id say four seconds she had just ripped the entire chest out of the bird. Little known fact; it is a lot easier WITHOUT the feathers. I stood there as humble as could be and explained that I just wasted the better part of an hour pretending I was doing some sort of poultry transplant. They giggled a little and my wife laughed a lot (she always seems to show up at the right time to do that).
Cassidy took some of the meat and used a simple pan-fry recipe. There was nothing simple about the taste, though. DELICIOUS! Cassidy breaded them up or something and had some sort of sauce (I should be a food critic, right?) that tasted so good! I think I will be hunting those little fellers again!
So, just to recap:
1)Our fear of rats has been replaced by a fear that our daughter will get emphasema by way of second hand stuffed pegasus smoke.
2)When given the choice between ritual suicide and organizing a school play, take a lot of time to decide if you have done enough good in your life to be completely satisfied.
3)It seems that no matter what animal is brought into the house (save for the rat), Cassidy can find a way to make an unbelievable meal out of it!
Merry Christmas, Everyone! Thanks for reading!
In our newly relaxed state, we did manage to make it to the town Christmas party. It was a Christmas party in the sense that people were there and it was certainly around Christmas, but it seemed more like one of those seminar meals you get roped into in an attempt to buy a time share. Basically 100 people sitting in silence eating the side dish that they themselves brought in a not so subtle attempt to avoid the potluck walk of shame. Santa showed up and gave out gifts to the children. It is actually a great program that the VFW of Alaska does by sending out three gifts for every child on the island. Isabel could not believe it when her name was called to go and see Santa on the sled. She got a Barbie and the requisite barbie clothes (God knows she can't be seen wearing the same outfit twice. Especially now with all the crap those Bratz Dolls have been talking lately), and the Aristocrats DVD (because after seeing it 178 times through Netflix, you just have to own it!). She was adorable and I am certain pictures will be posted. In addition to her Santa gifts, my students have taken a liking to Isabel and have given her several gifts. These gifts range from a Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz to a slightly used (and slightly stained) extremely large purple pegasus that comes with its very own distinctive smell of Pall Mall 100's. Take a wild guess at which of these gifts she won't let go of.
So tonight was the all too entertaining school play. Although it concludes what amounts to tens of hours of my time, it is just the beginning of years of therapy and what I am sure will resemble a grand mal seizure every time I hear the words "children" and "play" anywhere in the same sentence. It is going to make going to the park with Isabel an absolute hell. To put it in perspective, imagine giving twenty children costumes, props, and music. Now try to get them to calm down. The ten "older" kids lack any sign of motivation or enthusiasm. The ten younger children, however,......the only way I can describe these children is with a question (if that makes any sense at all); have you ever seen the movie Gremlins? OK! NOT the cute ones!!! The ones that were fed after midnight (or whatever weird rules they had)!!
Cassidy has done her best to get me through this trying time. She is always the supportive one. Even when I want to try stupis stuff. Yesterday, for example, I wanted to go Ptarmigan hunting. For those of you that don't know, Ptarmigan is a bird very much like a grouse or pheasant. Only dumber. After going out with my friend Ti yesterday, I came home with five of these birds. If I could stop my story here just for a little friendly advice....Whenever you move to a new location and try to experience things that have been foreign to you, ASK THE LOCALS!!! I say this because Ti said I should wait to breast out the birds and he would show me "later". I waited long enough to go in the kitchen and grab a knife. I removed each breast of meat with the precision of a surgeon. It was beautiful. It also took me an hour (keep in mind these birds weigh about a pound). When I was on the last one, our neighbor Rhonda and her friend Elaine came over to the garage. I was all smiles and proud as could be with my plate of eight clean breasts of meat that sat on the table. She said with all sincerity, "want me to show you how to do that?" In about, oh, Id say four seconds she had just ripped the entire chest out of the bird. Little known fact; it is a lot easier WITHOUT the feathers. I stood there as humble as could be and explained that I just wasted the better part of an hour pretending I was doing some sort of poultry transplant. They giggled a little and my wife laughed a lot (she always seems to show up at the right time to do that).
Cassidy took some of the meat and used a simple pan-fry recipe. There was nothing simple about the taste, though. DELICIOUS! Cassidy breaded them up or something and had some sort of sauce (I should be a food critic, right?) that tasted so good! I think I will be hunting those little fellers again!
So, just to recap:
1)Our fear of rats has been replaced by a fear that our daughter will get emphasema by way of second hand stuffed pegasus smoke.
2)When given the choice between ritual suicide and organizing a school play, take a lot of time to decide if you have done enough good in your life to be completely satisfied.
3)It seems that no matter what animal is brought into the house (save for the rat), Cassidy can find a way to make an unbelievable meal out of it!
Merry Christmas, Everyone! Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Rodents, Guitar, Work, and Curls
So...a lot has happened since our last post and I am sure we will get to it. However, our thoughts right now are still consumed with the idea of at least one (possibly more) rodents living within the walls of our house. Traps have been set and there have been no official sightings, but we at the Jones house are on the defense equivalent of DEFCON 4. Neither of us having had to deal with this issue before are, well...nervous. I have been assured that they are "more afraid of us than we are of them" (yaddi...yaddi...yadda...) but that is the same thing they say about bears and sharks. You only have to spend an hour on Animal Planet to realize that the bears and sharks...not that afraid. At this point, I am certain that if we have to leave the island prematurely, this will be the cause. Musophobia; We have it.
In an attempt to deal with the insomnia that comes with Musophobia I have begun to teach myself how to play guitar. I am on step two of my program and can, without pause or hesitation, identify all components of a guitar and properly hold a pick (that was the intro and step 1) I smoked through that lesson...my free internet tutorial doesn't speak, but if it did, I like to think he would have said something like, "Mr. Clapton? Is that you?" For the next week I am simply learning finger placement and how to play scales. It is entertaining for me and Cassidy does her best to be supportive. She is very supportive, actually, but the problem is that while I am making noise come out of the wooden box on my lap, she is trying to read. I, of course, have to ask her if my scale sounds good every seventeen seconds. She has read the same six sentences eighty-four times. God Bless her!
Cassidy is in her second complete week of work. She is doing an incredible job and truly enjoys working with Logan. I love seeing her at work and we both think it is great for Isabel to be with Rachel and her daughter, Sienna during that time.
Isabel is becoming quite the little reader. She amazes us every day and we are the ones that think the sun already rises and sets on her adorable little head. She can read and write simple words and well on her way. She loves playing with numbers and letters. We are very excited to see where she will be in September when she starts school. I know, I know, EVERY parent thinks that their kid is the smartest kid in the world and I am here to say that we feel sorry for those parents because ours really is.
Isabel went to bed tonight with curlers in her hair that she has been asking about for weeks. Cassidy put them in and we are probably (who am I kidding? DEFINITELY) more excited to see what her hair looks like than Isabel is. Pictures will assuredly follow.
I think it should be mentioned that Cassidy has become what a like to call a "Kitchen Magician" and shows no signs of slowing her magic. Key Lime Pie to die for. Home made EVERYTHING. Tonight she made Spiced Chicken with Barley that was simply amazing. I don't know who the hell Barley is, but apparently he was in there helping. Thanks, Barls!
Until Next week, let us know if you are reading this, will ya?
In an attempt to deal with the insomnia that comes with Musophobia I have begun to teach myself how to play guitar. I am on step two of my program and can, without pause or hesitation, identify all components of a guitar and properly hold a pick (that was the intro and step 1) I smoked through that lesson...my free internet tutorial doesn't speak, but if it did, I like to think he would have said something like, "Mr. Clapton? Is that you?" For the next week I am simply learning finger placement and how to play scales. It is entertaining for me and Cassidy does her best to be supportive. She is very supportive, actually, but the problem is that while I am making noise come out of the wooden box on my lap, she is trying to read. I, of course, have to ask her if my scale sounds good every seventeen seconds. She has read the same six sentences eighty-four times. God Bless her!
Cassidy is in her second complete week of work. She is doing an incredible job and truly enjoys working with Logan. I love seeing her at work and we both think it is great for Isabel to be with Rachel and her daughter, Sienna during that time.
Isabel is becoming quite the little reader. She amazes us every day and we are the ones that think the sun already rises and sets on her adorable little head. She can read and write simple words and well on her way. She loves playing with numbers and letters. We are very excited to see where she will be in September when she starts school. I know, I know, EVERY parent thinks that their kid is the smartest kid in the world and I am here to say that we feel sorry for those parents because ours really is.
Isabel went to bed tonight with curlers in her hair that she has been asking about for weeks. Cassidy put them in and we are probably (who am I kidding? DEFINITELY) more excited to see what her hair looks like than Isabel is. Pictures will assuredly follow.
I think it should be mentioned that Cassidy has become what a like to call a "Kitchen Magician" and shows no signs of slowing her magic. Key Lime Pie to die for. Home made EVERYTHING. Tonight she made Spiced Chicken with Barley that was simply amazing. I don't know who the hell Barley is, but apparently he was in there helping. Thanks, Barls!
Until Next week, let us know if you are reading this, will ya?
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Da Plane! Da Plane! Roast, and a welcome home!
Well, the plane came in. It might not sound like much to people that live closer than 1500 miles to a metropolitan city, but around here there are two things that everyone pays attention to; the weather and the plane. It had been cancelled four times previously to showing up on Friday. This was big news because not only did our friends Ti and Rachel come in from vacation from Hawaii (they got stuck in Anchorage for over a week waiting for a flight back to Adak), BUT we got our mail. Big shout out to Brother Brad for the Coffee and package of assorted goods. Another loud thank you to Rebecca (Mom) and Evelyn (Grandma) for their packages as well. Out here it is quite the treat to get things in the mail. For in the mail we receive luxuries such as butter, milk, and flour. dog food, etc... There isn't really the option of running to the store around here. Well, there is. However, when that option is taken you run the risk of paying fourteen dollars for a gallon of expired milk. SO...the plane came in, Ti and Rachel are here and all is right with the world.
We had company the other night. It is kind of a big deal to have company also. Al came over for a visit before he left for Hanes, Alaska to meet up with his wife and daughter. Al is seriously one of the most genuine men either of us have ever met and it truly was a pleasure to have him over. Cassidy made a roast. Not just any roast, though. This roast was a product of the very caribou that Cassidy had shot just a week earlier. It was delicious. It is so nice to have a beautiful wife that can put such a delicious meal together. I just never thought I would ever be married to someone that killed dinner too. She is the total package.
So...we saw a rat. I was sitting in the living room and Cassidy went to look at the cat staring at the ceiling. She saw a mouse in the light fixture and just laughed and laughed and laughed. She said something like, "Oh, how cute is that? A cute little friend." Actually she spoke very loudly in a language that the clergy do not know and has a look of terror on her face. I know a lot of things, but dealing with rats is not one of them. So...I heard pine-sol and steel wool is a good temporary fix. I have nothing to support this other than it seems like a good idea. I have to be honest, though, if someone said whip cream and Lemon Heads wrapped in tin foil and singing songs from The Carpenters Greatest Hits worked, I would be in thereright now screaming Close To You at the top of my lungs. We will keep you posted on the rat issue. Here's hoping for sleep.
In other slightly less disastrous news, we had an earthquake today! It was pretty powerful and I was at work. Cassidy called me immediately and Isabel was actually awake for this one. She was a little curious about why the house was shaking and really unphased overall. She's a trooper!
Cassidy had her first couple of days at work with her student. She loves it and is doing a great job! It is actually fun seeing her at work and not nearly as freaky as I thought it would be. She actually looks the part, too. I can't wait to see her in action when she finishes school.
So that's the news from Adak. Stay tuned and please feel free to leave comments. Cassidy changed the setting so anyone can leave a comment without having to subscribe or pay into Isabel's tuition fund(it sounded like a good idea at the time).
We had company the other night. It is kind of a big deal to have company also. Al came over for a visit before he left for Hanes, Alaska to meet up with his wife and daughter. Al is seriously one of the most genuine men either of us have ever met and it truly was a pleasure to have him over. Cassidy made a roast. Not just any roast, though. This roast was a product of the very caribou that Cassidy had shot just a week earlier. It was delicious. It is so nice to have a beautiful wife that can put such a delicious meal together. I just never thought I would ever be married to someone that killed dinner too. She is the total package.
So...we saw a rat. I was sitting in the living room and Cassidy went to look at the cat staring at the ceiling. She saw a mouse in the light fixture and just laughed and laughed and laughed. She said something like, "Oh, how cute is that? A cute little friend." Actually she spoke very loudly in a language that the clergy do not know and has a look of terror on her face. I know a lot of things, but dealing with rats is not one of them. So...I heard pine-sol and steel wool is a good temporary fix. I have nothing to support this other than it seems like a good idea. I have to be honest, though, if someone said whip cream and Lemon Heads wrapped in tin foil and singing songs from The Carpenters Greatest Hits worked, I would be in thereright now screaming Close To You at the top of my lungs. We will keep you posted on the rat issue. Here's hoping for sleep.
In other slightly less disastrous news, we had an earthquake today! It was pretty powerful and I was at work. Cassidy called me immediately and Isabel was actually awake for this one. She was a little curious about why the house was shaking and really unphased overall. She's a trooper!
Cassidy had her first couple of days at work with her student. She loves it and is doing a great job! It is actually fun seeing her at work and not nearly as freaky as I thought it would be. She actually looks the part, too. I can't wait to see her in action when she finishes school.
So that's the news from Adak. Stay tuned and please feel free to leave comments. Cassidy changed the setting so anyone can leave a comment without having to subscribe or pay into Isabel's tuition fund(it sounded like a good idea at the time).
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving, No Mail, sledding, stuck, and a Dead Eye!
Thanksgiving came and went. We went to Isaac and Crystal's house and a few families got together. It was a lot of fun and I took it well when the ladies cleared all the food off of the table for dessert. I was halfway through plate number four when it happened, but I felt pretty confident there would be a number five. In retrospect, it was probably a good idea. After dessert I felt as though somehow I was wearing iron pants and the couch had somehow become the most comfortable magnet this world has ever seen. Cassidy made the turkey (her first) and it, went over extremely well. Moist and delicious and falling off the bone. YUMMY!
So, it has been over a week since a plane has landed on this island. This, of course, means no mail. The plane is due in on Thursday (weather provided). It has become quite a life for us, really. Since shopping in the traditional sense is not an option, we have become quite reliant on the plane bringing in something special; Not unlike little Ronny Howard in The Music Man with the Wells Fargo train (that's right...I can reference musicals). Only every time I start singing and dancing on the runway, the TSA people pull out their tasers and give me that look. We are very excited about the plane coming in for a couple of reasons, actually: 1)Mail and 2)Our friends are coming back. They have been stuck in Anchorage for a few days waiting for the weather to clear so they can make it home.
Although Ti has been sending me messages reminding me of how awesome Hawaii is this time of year over the past two weeks, I don't think they deserve this. Or maybe they do? Who am I to judge? That may be just the jealousy typing.
The adverse weather has provided some winter entertainment. Isabel has taken to sledding. Actually Isabel has taken to all things snow. She would stay out in the snow from dawn 'til dusk if we let her. The girl truly is fearless. The trouble is that she wants to go outside and really has no regard for the weather at all. Yesterday, for example, it was blowing pretty hard. Not the "Oh wow! Look at that! There is a plastic bag flying down the street! Pretty windy out there, huh?" I am talking about the kind of wind that makes you take a count of all the pets every time the door opens. Isabel wanted to go outside and actually made a break for it at one point. The wind gusts were only at 85 mph, so why wouldn't a four year-old want to go play in the snow?
The snow didn't stop us from trying to get out of the house and have some fun. Friday morning was actually beautiful. Cassidy and I got a baby-sitter and headed out to go hunting at 9:00 am. Hot Friday morning date in the tundra. It's like a scene straight from a classic romantic movie. Something like The Way We Were...Going to go Kill A Caribou. We left and it was a blue sky, fresh snow on the ground. Thermos full of coffee. Great conversation and laughter. Within three minutes the weather had changed to a white out and wind that was shaking old Beatice off the road. It probably would have blown Beatrice off of the road had I not driven into a snow drift that, quite honestly, didn't look that deep. Funny thing about snow is it appears soft and manageable, but in reality it is a cruel, heavy, god-awful curse to all careless drivers that are trying to find big game. Good news is that the weather cleared up and we walked close to town and called a friend named PJ. He came and picked us up and brought us back to our vehicle. When we arrived there were two other trucks behind our car. One pulled us out no problem while the other tried to drive around and got stuck in a much worse position than I had originally been in. The rest of our morning was spent trying to dig him out of the snow. After paying the baby-sitter we decided that we are a pretty good team. I get us into bad situations and Cassidy steps up to the plate and always has a smile and a comment or two. Bad decisions do lead to the best stories.
Not to be defeated, we got back into the car and had a movie playing on the computer for Isabel to watch. We just wanted to see if we could find any caribou. We did. They were at the top of the hill and about 500 yards away. After discussing how we were going to compose our worst parents of the year award acceptance speech, we decided that Cassidy was going to get a shot at one of them. Our justification was that we would never be out of sight of the vehicle and Isabel would be fine. With that we went up the hill and crawled into position. He was about 150-175 yards away and Cassidy got the rifle lined up. It was impressive and, well, as scary as hell to see my wife with the rifle. Adorable and terrifying at the same time. Like those movies that have evil children running around. She dropped a 300 pound bull. Perfect shot. Didn't even move. 300 pound bull. dropped it. This is an impressive shot by anyone's standards, but Cassidy ahd only shot a rifle once in her life prior to this. And that wasn't even aiming at anything other than the side of a mountain LAST WEEK! Annie Oakley looked up at me and asked if she did a good job or something like that. I can't remember because I was still staring at her in sheer amazement. We went to take a look and I told Cassidy that it was a great shot and told her it weighed three bills. Cassidy, in typical fashion, said "How big was the first one you shot?" to which I replied a little more than half that size. She just smiled. A smile says so much. Isabel was pretty impressed with her Mother and reminds me that Mommy is a hunter. To which I reply "I know, sweetheart, and it scares me." We are all stocked up with Caribou until spring, so the hunting stories will be postponed for a few months. You may just have to read about stories of the metropolis that is Adak for a while.
So, it has been over a week since a plane has landed on this island. This, of course, means no mail. The plane is due in on Thursday (weather provided). It has become quite a life for us, really. Since shopping in the traditional sense is not an option, we have become quite reliant on the plane bringing in something special; Not unlike little Ronny Howard in The Music Man with the Wells Fargo train (that's right...I can reference musicals). Only every time I start singing and dancing on the runway, the TSA people pull out their tasers and give me that look. We are very excited about the plane coming in for a couple of reasons, actually: 1)Mail and 2)Our friends are coming back. They have been stuck in Anchorage for a few days waiting for the weather to clear so they can make it home.
Although Ti has been sending me messages reminding me of how awesome Hawaii is this time of year over the past two weeks, I don't think they deserve this. Or maybe they do? Who am I to judge? That may be just the jealousy typing.
The adverse weather has provided some winter entertainment. Isabel has taken to sledding. Actually Isabel has taken to all things snow. She would stay out in the snow from dawn 'til dusk if we let her. The girl truly is fearless. The trouble is that she wants to go outside and really has no regard for the weather at all. Yesterday, for example, it was blowing pretty hard. Not the "Oh wow! Look at that! There is a plastic bag flying down the street! Pretty windy out there, huh?" I am talking about the kind of wind that makes you take a count of all the pets every time the door opens. Isabel wanted to go outside and actually made a break for it at one point. The wind gusts were only at 85 mph, so why wouldn't a four year-old want to go play in the snow?
The snow didn't stop us from trying to get out of the house and have some fun. Friday morning was actually beautiful. Cassidy and I got a baby-sitter and headed out to go hunting at 9:00 am. Hot Friday morning date in the tundra. It's like a scene straight from a classic romantic movie. Something like The Way We Were...Going to go Kill A Caribou. We left and it was a blue sky, fresh snow on the ground. Thermos full of coffee. Great conversation and laughter. Within three minutes the weather had changed to a white out and wind that was shaking old Beatice off the road. It probably would have blown Beatrice off of the road had I not driven into a snow drift that, quite honestly, didn't look that deep. Funny thing about snow is it appears soft and manageable, but in reality it is a cruel, heavy, god-awful curse to all careless drivers that are trying to find big game. Good news is that the weather cleared up and we walked close to town and called a friend named PJ. He came and picked us up and brought us back to our vehicle. When we arrived there were two other trucks behind our car. One pulled us out no problem while the other tried to drive around and got stuck in a much worse position than I had originally been in. The rest of our morning was spent trying to dig him out of the snow. After paying the baby-sitter we decided that we are a pretty good team. I get us into bad situations and Cassidy steps up to the plate and always has a smile and a comment or two. Bad decisions do lead to the best stories.
Not to be defeated, we got back into the car and had a movie playing on the computer for Isabel to watch. We just wanted to see if we could find any caribou. We did. They were at the top of the hill and about 500 yards away. After discussing how we were going to compose our worst parents of the year award acceptance speech, we decided that Cassidy was going to get a shot at one of them. Our justification was that we would never be out of sight of the vehicle and Isabel would be fine. With that we went up the hill and crawled into position. He was about 150-175 yards away and Cassidy got the rifle lined up. It was impressive and, well, as scary as hell to see my wife with the rifle. Adorable and terrifying at the same time. Like those movies that have evil children running around. She dropped a 300 pound bull. Perfect shot. Didn't even move. 300 pound bull. dropped it. This is an impressive shot by anyone's standards, but Cassidy ahd only shot a rifle once in her life prior to this. And that wasn't even aiming at anything other than the side of a mountain LAST WEEK! Annie Oakley looked up at me and asked if she did a good job or something like that. I can't remember because I was still staring at her in sheer amazement. We went to take a look and I told Cassidy that it was a great shot and told her it weighed three bills. Cassidy, in typical fashion, said "How big was the first one you shot?" to which I replied a little more than half that size. She just smiled. A smile says so much. Isabel was pretty impressed with her Mother and reminds me that Mommy is a hunter. To which I reply "I know, sweetheart, and it scares me." We are all stocked up with Caribou until spring, so the hunting stories will be postponed for a few months. You may just have to read about stories of the metropolis that is Adak for a while.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
New Job, Pies, Boots, odd movie!
So Cassidy took the job at the school. So now the list is as follows: Amazing Woman, Mother, Wife, Friend, Cook, Homemaker, and Co-Worker! She is excited about the job and even more excited that her application to graduate school is complete and sent in. The opportunity to work at the school will help her out with her own schooling and, well, that pretty much Rocks!
As if Cassidy's awesomeness wasn't already well established, it would have been solidifird by her receiving a phone call to bring pie to the town Thanksgiving get-together on Saturday. Not "A" pie. Not "A Couple" of pies. Not even a "Few" pies. After receiving the call Thursday night, Cassidy had six pies ready by Saturday morning: Lemon Meringue, French Silk, Butterscotch Meringue, Pecan, and two pumpkin pies. Unbelievable, right?
The gathering was actually quite nice. It is everything that you imagine it would be. The entire town sitting in long rows of tables with yellow tablecloths, Children running and playing, the large Samoan man sitting by the back door with it propped open so he can step outside and drink without having to buy any alcohol at the bar, and all the typical goings on at a potluck setting. My favorite part about potlucks is the look on the women's faces as they go to retrieve their dish that they brought the food on. It is comparible to watching facial reactions to women at the Oscars or the Grammy's. If the plate is clean, they take the nice approach and say something remarkably humble with a smile that can only mean success like, "Oh, wow! I guess I will have to give my aunt Edna a call and let her know that her mashed potato recipe went over so well."
But in the much too often case that the dish is still occupied with roughly the same amount of food that it came in with, the women take several different approaches. My personal favorite is the abandoning of the dish as a sacrifice to the gods of embarrasment so to avoid walking out with the dish full of food, but that is a technique seldom used. The more popular approach is to blame it on marketing and product placement. This can get ugly if not handled properly. In this approach, the retrieval of food is usually followed by something close to this, "If whoever made that god-awful Waldorf Salad hadn't pushed my Mother's yam recipe to the back of the table I wouldn't have to worry about bringing this damn food home! Who the hell made that salad, anyway?"
So...I find that potlucks are entertaining on so many levels. I will say that at this particular potluck I saw something that I really can't recall seeing before. A plate of bananas cut in half while still in the peel with toothpicks in them. It is just nice to see that elegance knows no boundaries. All in all it was well worth going and I ate way too much food. Cassidy's pies went over well and Isabel had a great time showing off her new boots.
OH! Her new bots are rain boots that have bunny rabbits on them. They were supposed to be snow boots, but (see if you can pick up the sarcasm here) Lands End "Accidentally" sent the rain boots instead. OH NO! What happens now? Cassidy came to a very quick, very bright idea; instead of shipping the boots they "accidentally" sent to us, let's just keep them and order the snow boots that are"just as cute." I am finding it amazing how many times companies "Accidentally" send us stuff that we order and pay for. Oh well. A happy wife is a happy life, right?
We spent last night watching Harold and Maude. I have seen it before, but it had been a long time. Cassidy had the same look on her face during the movie that I had when we went to get massages; Didn't know what to expect, uncomfortable at times, somewhat embarrased to be in the room to begin with, yet very enjoyable. We actually liked it a lot.
Until next week!
As if Cassidy's awesomeness wasn't already well established, it would have been solidifird by her receiving a phone call to bring pie to the town Thanksgiving get-together on Saturday. Not "A" pie. Not "A Couple" of pies. Not even a "Few" pies. After receiving the call Thursday night, Cassidy had six pies ready by Saturday morning: Lemon Meringue, French Silk, Butterscotch Meringue, Pecan, and two pumpkin pies. Unbelievable, right?
The gathering was actually quite nice. It is everything that you imagine it would be. The entire town sitting in long rows of tables with yellow tablecloths, Children running and playing, the large Samoan man sitting by the back door with it propped open so he can step outside and drink without having to buy any alcohol at the bar, and all the typical goings on at a potluck setting. My favorite part about potlucks is the look on the women's faces as they go to retrieve their dish that they brought the food on. It is comparible to watching facial reactions to women at the Oscars or the Grammy's. If the plate is clean, they take the nice approach and say something remarkably humble with a smile that can only mean success like, "Oh, wow! I guess I will have to give my aunt Edna a call and let her know that her mashed potato recipe went over so well."
But in the much too often case that the dish is still occupied with roughly the same amount of food that it came in with, the women take several different approaches. My personal favorite is the abandoning of the dish as a sacrifice to the gods of embarrasment so to avoid walking out with the dish full of food, but that is a technique seldom used. The more popular approach is to blame it on marketing and product placement. This can get ugly if not handled properly. In this approach, the retrieval of food is usually followed by something close to this, "If whoever made that god-awful Waldorf Salad hadn't pushed my Mother's yam recipe to the back of the table I wouldn't have to worry about bringing this damn food home! Who the hell made that salad, anyway?"
So...I find that potlucks are entertaining on so many levels. I will say that at this particular potluck I saw something that I really can't recall seeing before. A plate of bananas cut in half while still in the peel with toothpicks in them. It is just nice to see that elegance knows no boundaries. All in all it was well worth going and I ate way too much food. Cassidy's pies went over well and Isabel had a great time showing off her new boots.
OH! Her new bots are rain boots that have bunny rabbits on them. They were supposed to be snow boots, but (see if you can pick up the sarcasm here) Lands End "Accidentally" sent the rain boots instead. OH NO! What happens now? Cassidy came to a very quick, very bright idea; instead of shipping the boots they "accidentally" sent to us, let's just keep them and order the snow boots that are"just as cute." I am finding it amazing how many times companies "Accidentally" send us stuff that we order and pay for. Oh well. A happy wife is a happy life, right?
We spent last night watching Harold and Maude. I have seen it before, but it had been a long time. Cassidy had the same look on her face during the movie that I had when we went to get massages; Didn't know what to expect, uncomfortable at times, somewhat embarrased to be in the room to begin with, yet very enjoyable. We actually liked it a lot.
Until next week!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Essays, Jobs, and Adorable huntress.
It has been kind of crazy around here (By Adak standards, anyway. Which is to say that SOMETHING happened). My boss came out from Anchorage with another administrator for the Aleutian Region School District whose name is Jay. Jay flew in from South Florida. Jay was not on vacation or visiting family from the south of Florida. Jay actually lives in Florida. You may ask yourself, "Why would they have an administrator on full salary who lives 4,155 miles (that's right! I Google Earthed it)away from the actual school he is administrating?" This is a perfectly legitimate question and, like many other perfectly legitimate inquiries, there is no definitive answer. It is as mysterious as building of the pyramids at Giza and Stonehenge. We can rule out efficency as a leading reason, I guess.
Jay did my evaluation and I, in typical fashion, planned my lesson and then completely winged it. The lesson was on the three branches of government and about five minutes into it the kids had the same look that POW's have in military films. That they haven't completely given up hope that they will be released someday, but at that precise moment, it appeared the darkest moment of their lives. I just said screw it and divided up the class and made up a law that no music or games could be played (Children of the Corn style). They passed the bill, it got vetoed, was overridden, overrode, overrid??? by congress and then found to be unconstitutional by the supreme court. I am giving you the details only because I want you to know that this was all completely winged! In my post-conference I was asked how I came up with the idea and how well it worked with the kids. How they truly 'got it.'
I am an awful liar, so I told Jay and my superintendent that I did, in fact, completely tap dance my way through the entire class. Fearing that I would be in somw sort of teacher trouble, I was actually commended on how I "Incorporated so many strategies to reinforce the material." I didn't think it was so much reinforcing as it was desperately trying to find some sort of positive response/feedback from my students. Anyway, No reccomendations for improvement!
Cassidy just finished her essay for the grad program and has sent it to Jim, a friend at the University, for review. She is pretty excited about starting her program. And...in a related topic, Cassidy was asked to apply for a position at the school as a teachers-aid. Her official interview is tomorrow, but seeing as how she was requested to apply by the same people that will be interviewing her, I don't think she will be sweating too much. My wife ROCKS!
The experience will be invaluable for her while attending school. She is hoping that Isabel can attend school with her, which will be discussed tomorrow (wish her luck).
Cassidy will need some time to fill because my student-teacher and friend of both Cassidy and I, Mia, has returned to Denmark. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I provide this news. Not so much for her leaving, but mostly because I actually have to work now! Seriously. Mia will be missed, though. Getting a student-teacher that you actually like is comparable to getting a college roommate that you truly like. Otherwise it is just somebody that you pretend you can't see and farts a lot with the only discussion being if you or they plan on buying certain condiments so to avoid having a mustard surplus.
Speaking of hanging out with people that I like...Cassidy and I went on a little outing today. It is always fun to do pretty much anything with Cassidy because whenever she isn't laughing, she is usually making me laugh. Either way it is a good time. An outing on Adak is basicall just going for a drive. Today we took the rifle and went looking for Caribou. We found a herd of about 15o and we were only about 150 yards away when we sneaked up to a hill to see them. Cassidy looked through the scope and had a perfect shot on one. We sat for a while and discussed where to aim, how to pull the trigger, etc.... The only problem is that the 150 yards between us and the caribou was occupied by a lake. Us not having an all terrrain vehicle, weighed the pros and cons of Cassidy hitting a caribou. The pro is obvious. The cons were much to geographically visible in the 1 mile hike all the way around the lake. And the thought of the trip back while dragging a 250 lb caribou was enough for us to just appreciate the herd as it was. Cassidy did fire a shot into the hillside just to see if we could move the herd closer to a road. It was mildly effective, but not enough for us to make the hike. Cassidy did seem to like shooting the rifle. I wish I could say she looked natural, but the truth is she just made hunting adorable. Which it never should be. Cassidy is a lot more interested in the bird hunting with a .22, but is still willing to go after the big game. We joked about how on our first date we never imagined we would be walking through the snow in Adak, Alaska, discussing how to kill dinner. Funny where life takes you, right?
Isabel is spelling simple words and making friends wherever she goes. Today she just ran up to a hunter to say 'hi' and ended up with his binoculars and a giude to where the caribou herds are. She really does know how to ham it up!
Jay did my evaluation and I, in typical fashion, planned my lesson and then completely winged it. The lesson was on the three branches of government and about five minutes into it the kids had the same look that POW's have in military films. That they haven't completely given up hope that they will be released someday, but at that precise moment, it appeared the darkest moment of their lives. I just said screw it and divided up the class and made up a law that no music or games could be played (Children of the Corn style). They passed the bill, it got vetoed, was overridden, overrode, overrid??? by congress and then found to be unconstitutional by the supreme court. I am giving you the details only because I want you to know that this was all completely winged! In my post-conference I was asked how I came up with the idea and how well it worked with the kids. How they truly 'got it.'
I am an awful liar, so I told Jay and my superintendent that I did, in fact, completely tap dance my way through the entire class. Fearing that I would be in somw sort of teacher trouble, I was actually commended on how I "Incorporated so many strategies to reinforce the material." I didn't think it was so much reinforcing as it was desperately trying to find some sort of positive response/feedback from my students. Anyway, No reccomendations for improvement!
Cassidy just finished her essay for the grad program and has sent it to Jim, a friend at the University, for review. She is pretty excited about starting her program. And...in a related topic, Cassidy was asked to apply for a position at the school as a teachers-aid. Her official interview is tomorrow, but seeing as how she was requested to apply by the same people that will be interviewing her, I don't think she will be sweating too much. My wife ROCKS!
The experience will be invaluable for her while attending school. She is hoping that Isabel can attend school with her, which will be discussed tomorrow (wish her luck).
Cassidy will need some time to fill because my student-teacher and friend of both Cassidy and I, Mia, has returned to Denmark. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I provide this news. Not so much for her leaving, but mostly because I actually have to work now! Seriously. Mia will be missed, though. Getting a student-teacher that you actually like is comparable to getting a college roommate that you truly like. Otherwise it is just somebody that you pretend you can't see and farts a lot with the only discussion being if you or they plan on buying certain condiments so to avoid having a mustard surplus.
Speaking of hanging out with people that I like...Cassidy and I went on a little outing today. It is always fun to do pretty much anything with Cassidy because whenever she isn't laughing, she is usually making me laugh. Either way it is a good time. An outing on Adak is basicall just going for a drive. Today we took the rifle and went looking for Caribou. We found a herd of about 15o and we were only about 150 yards away when we sneaked up to a hill to see them. Cassidy looked through the scope and had a perfect shot on one. We sat for a while and discussed where to aim, how to pull the trigger, etc.... The only problem is that the 150 yards between us and the caribou was occupied by a lake. Us not having an all terrrain vehicle, weighed the pros and cons of Cassidy hitting a caribou. The pro is obvious. The cons were much to geographically visible in the 1 mile hike all the way around the lake. And the thought of the trip back while dragging a 250 lb caribou was enough for us to just appreciate the herd as it was. Cassidy did fire a shot into the hillside just to see if we could move the herd closer to a road. It was mildly effective, but not enough for us to make the hike. Cassidy did seem to like shooting the rifle. I wish I could say she looked natural, but the truth is she just made hunting adorable. Which it never should be. Cassidy is a lot more interested in the bird hunting with a .22, but is still willing to go after the big game. We joked about how on our first date we never imagined we would be walking through the snow in Adak, Alaska, discussing how to kill dinner. Funny where life takes you, right?
Isabel is spelling simple words and making friends wherever she goes. Today she just ran up to a hunter to say 'hi' and ended up with his binoculars and a giude to where the caribou herds are. She really does know how to ham it up!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Shout outs, Caribou, Halloween, Danish Barbie!
If you are reading this, I have the following to say: 1) Thank you; It truly is appreciated that you are taking the time to follow our somewhat unorthodox way of life out here on Adak. 2) It should be noted that there is nothing hyperbolized or embelished in any way shape or form in previous posts (save for obvious comedic effect)and this place is really this weird. Picture Northern Exposure and The X-Files bastard child that was left in spin-off obscurity; this is our lives. 3) This truly is our contact to the outside world, so any and all communication is greatly appreciated. Thanks Again for reading.
Now, I don't have a lot of big game dishes to compare this too (unless you count the three orders of Nico's Nachos Grande I ate at last years Super Bowl) but caribou is GOOD! Nay! GUUUUUUUUUUD! In the last week we have had caribou roast, caribou stew, and tonight we had fajitas with sliced caribou heart. Cassidy, in typical fashion, had completed the nutritional value of caribou prior to allowing me to climb a mountain and shoot one. Turns out it is actually pretty healthy. Who knew?
This last week was, of course, Halloween. Like everything else out here, it was odd. First, there was a Halloween party Friday night at the School/Community Center/Police Station/Post Office/Clinic/Explosive Ordinance Device Offices/Church. It puzzles me that a community will not come together to help a family that may need items such as, say, a window or light bulbs, but has absolutely no problem flying in thousands of dollars in Halloween decorations and candy. They should change the name out here from Halloween to something more indicative of what really happens. Something like 'Juvenile Diabetes Day' or something more in tune with Pop Culture like 'A.D.D. Gone Wild.' There are approximately 25 people on this island under the age of sixteen and approximately 300 lbs. of candy was distributed. I was an English major and Cassidy a Psych major, so our math isn't great. But it just doesn't seem to add up to anything remotely resembling healthy.
The Halloween party was kind of fun, actually. We went with a Wizard of Oz theme for our costumes. It went over really well and Isabel was about the cutest Dorothy you will ever find. Pictures are sure to be posted if they aren't already.
Cassidy has been baking bread and pies all week. Her French Silk Pie is (and I am not overstating this) life changing. Her bread is what everyone wants their bread to taste like, but juuuuust can't get it right. I am constantly enjoying amazing dinners and baked goods. Life could be A LOT worse, I guess.
In addition to Cassidy's baking, she has been doing home pre-school with Isabel on Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays. Isabel tells me what she learned at lunch after class and today I was pleasantly surprised that she is learning to tell time. She has the basics (Big Hand/Little Hand) down and can tell you when it is one. two, three, etc... O'clock. Not too shabby, right? (We are filling out her mensa application online after this blog is posted...or maaaybeee...just maybe, she can fill it out herself?).
In addition to learning all her letters and beginning to spell simple words, she has also learned how to whistle. This brings an incredible amount of joy to the house and we now have a four year old that does her best Louis Armstrong impersonation (without the trumpet, ofcourse) and walking around the house. Right now it is adorable. Let's see how long that lasts.
As if Isabel wasn't adored enough locally and throughout the Tucson area, she has become an international sensation. My student-teacher, Mia, is from Denmark and has been giving her Mother back home updates on Isabel. The woman has been so taken by the pictures and stories that she has knit outfits for Isabel's Barbie Doll (again, pictures will follow). They arrived today and they really are amazing. Just to show a sign of generation gap, when I told Isabel that we had to send a 'thank you' card, she wanted to just type an Email instead. She just turned four a couple of months ago.
Cassidy just got back from craft night, which involved creating a Christmas penguin out of a 60 watt light bulb. Craft night is to Adak what coffee houses are to you in the real world. Even if you don't like coffee that much, you go just to get out of the house and meet some new friends. Until next week....
Now, I don't have a lot of big game dishes to compare this too (unless you count the three orders of Nico's Nachos Grande I ate at last years Super Bowl) but caribou is GOOD! Nay! GUUUUUUUUUUD! In the last week we have had caribou roast, caribou stew, and tonight we had fajitas with sliced caribou heart. Cassidy, in typical fashion, had completed the nutritional value of caribou prior to allowing me to climb a mountain and shoot one. Turns out it is actually pretty healthy. Who knew?
This last week was, of course, Halloween. Like everything else out here, it was odd. First, there was a Halloween party Friday night at the School/Community Center/Police Station/Post Office/Clinic/Explosive Ordinance Device Offices/Church. It puzzles me that a community will not come together to help a family that may need items such as, say, a window or light bulbs, but has absolutely no problem flying in thousands of dollars in Halloween decorations and candy. They should change the name out here from Halloween to something more indicative of what really happens. Something like 'Juvenile Diabetes Day' or something more in tune with Pop Culture like 'A.D.D. Gone Wild.' There are approximately 25 people on this island under the age of sixteen and approximately 300 lbs. of candy was distributed. I was an English major and Cassidy a Psych major, so our math isn't great. But it just doesn't seem to add up to anything remotely resembling healthy.
The Halloween party was kind of fun, actually. We went with a Wizard of Oz theme for our costumes. It went over really well and Isabel was about the cutest Dorothy you will ever find. Pictures are sure to be posted if they aren't already.
Cassidy has been baking bread and pies all week. Her French Silk Pie is (and I am not overstating this) life changing. Her bread is what everyone wants their bread to taste like, but juuuuust can't get it right. I am constantly enjoying amazing dinners and baked goods. Life could be A LOT worse, I guess.
In addition to Cassidy's baking, she has been doing home pre-school with Isabel on Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays. Isabel tells me what she learned at lunch after class and today I was pleasantly surprised that she is learning to tell time. She has the basics (Big Hand/Little Hand) down and can tell you when it is one. two, three, etc... O'clock. Not too shabby, right? (We are filling out her mensa application online after this blog is posted...or maaaybeee...just maybe, she can fill it out herself?).
In addition to learning all her letters and beginning to spell simple words, she has also learned how to whistle. This brings an incredible amount of joy to the house and we now have a four year old that does her best Louis Armstrong impersonation (without the trumpet, ofcourse) and walking around the house. Right now it is adorable. Let's see how long that lasts.
As if Isabel wasn't adored enough locally and throughout the Tucson area, she has become an international sensation. My student-teacher, Mia, is from Denmark and has been giving her Mother back home updates on Isabel. The woman has been so taken by the pictures and stories that she has knit outfits for Isabel's Barbie Doll (again, pictures will follow). They arrived today and they really are amazing. Just to show a sign of generation gap, when I told Isabel that we had to send a 'thank you' card, she wanted to just type an Email instead. She just turned four a couple of months ago.
Cassidy just got back from craft night, which involved creating a Christmas penguin out of a 60 watt light bulb. Craft night is to Adak what coffee houses are to you in the real world. Even if you don't like coffee that much, you go just to get out of the house and meet some new friends. Until next week....
Sunday, October 25, 2009
New Friends. AND...I killed something
So...it happened. We didn't think that it would. Frankly, we had given up hope. It is not that we are bad people. In fact, we feel that we are actually fairly likeable people and have nothing to be ashamed of. Anyway, it happened. We met FRIENDS!
Ti and Rachel are a couple on the island that we have become friends with. Rachel is actually my boss at the airport where I put in, on average, one hour of hard work each and every week. I am actually there for six hours, but four to five of those are sitting around waiting for the plane, so....
Anyway, we made friends! They are really cool and we feel very grateful to have them in our lives right now.
Ti took me hunting (I just have to interrupt this thought to inform you that my wife is currently taking about fifteen pictures of the cats that are curled up together at my feet. Now I ask you, who really wants to see fifteen different angles of the same cats? I am convinced that my beautiful bride is constantly fighting the demons of being THE CRAZY CAT LADY!) SO...Ti took me hunting Thursday after work. We were originally just going to look and see where the herds were moving without leaving the truck. I was wearing brown leather shoes, jeans, a bright blue jacket and a blue baseball cap. I am giving you the wardrobe rundown because one half of one hour after leaving I found myself a half-mile away from the truck climbing a mountain with a rifle in one hand and hypothermia in the other. We reached the top of the mountain (eventually...the climb seemed to be interrupted with thoughts of how they would just leave my body there on the mountain as a symbolic warning to others to be prepared. You know, like they do on Everest.)and I low-crawled into position. I had to get my heart rate below 200 before I felt I could hold the gun still enough to get a decent shot off (which, surprisingly, took quite a while). Bang! I saw it drop and was, frankly, quite surprised. I doubt that I was more surprised than Ti, however, who responded with a "You want to chase 'em or head home? Your feet have got to be cold in those shoes." I told him I think I got him and he grabbed his rifle to look through the scope and said with as much surprise as he possibly could "Holy shit! You did get one! Nice work, man!" (it was, in fact, an awesome shot by the way) So, that night, I learned of the darker side of hunting; hanging carcass in the gargage.
My new hobby has led to Cassidy's new obsession which is shopping for all things meat preparation. My belief is that if she attacks her Masters Program with the even half the tanacity as she has looking for meat grinders, hunting supplies, Caribou recipes, meat storage, and meat processing accessories, she is a shoe-in for Valedictorian. Cassidy could probably (and I am being serious here) give you a run down on every specification of meat grinders and vacuum sealers in the western hemisphere. That includes shipping costs!
I am pretty excited for her because it gives her the opportunity to explore more of her cooking and baking obsessions. This past week has been filled with soups, breads, cakes, apple sauce bars(friggin' delicious!), and a turkey (from our new best friends at Omaha Steaks!!) In addition to Cassidy's cooking skills, she is also incredible at finding the best deals financially. FREE SHIPPING has become our two favorite words!
Cassidy has also become the 'go to' lady for child care (which is no surprise, really).
Gio (short for Giovanni) is a three and a half year-old that will be at our house all this week. He is adorable and his parents are incredibly nice. It will be nice for Isabel to have a playmate around here also!
It snowed!! We know this because our weather girl in-training let Milo out at 6:30 in the morning and then screamed "Mommy Daddy it SNOWED, it SNOOOOWED" repeatedly for about twenty-five minutes. There truly is no greater joy than witnessing a childs pure innocence and wonder. I then did something I have never done in my teaching career. I took the day off! Called in sick! Had a case of the playwithmykiditis!!!! It was everything I thought it would be! Cassidy, Isabel, and I had an incredible time!
That's about it for this week. Brother Brad is on the move getting me a hunting rifle and Cassidy is on the move getting items for meat! This place just keeps getting more and more fascinating! I am now wearing my boots every time I leave the house and feel pretty confident with the big game hunting. Cassidy and I have both come to grips with the fact that free meat that you can shoot is much better than expensive meat that someone else has killed. Plus...FREE SHIPPING!!
Ti and Rachel are a couple on the island that we have become friends with. Rachel is actually my boss at the airport where I put in, on average, one hour of hard work each and every week. I am actually there for six hours, but four to five of those are sitting around waiting for the plane, so....
Anyway, we made friends! They are really cool and we feel very grateful to have them in our lives right now.
Ti took me hunting (I just have to interrupt this thought to inform you that my wife is currently taking about fifteen pictures of the cats that are curled up together at my feet. Now I ask you, who really wants to see fifteen different angles of the same cats? I am convinced that my beautiful bride is constantly fighting the demons of being THE CRAZY CAT LADY!) SO...Ti took me hunting Thursday after work. We were originally just going to look and see where the herds were moving without leaving the truck. I was wearing brown leather shoes, jeans, a bright blue jacket and a blue baseball cap. I am giving you the wardrobe rundown because one half of one hour after leaving I found myself a half-mile away from the truck climbing a mountain with a rifle in one hand and hypothermia in the other. We reached the top of the mountain (eventually...the climb seemed to be interrupted with thoughts of how they would just leave my body there on the mountain as a symbolic warning to others to be prepared. You know, like they do on Everest.)and I low-crawled into position. I had to get my heart rate below 200 before I felt I could hold the gun still enough to get a decent shot off (which, surprisingly, took quite a while). Bang! I saw it drop and was, frankly, quite surprised. I doubt that I was more surprised than Ti, however, who responded with a "You want to chase 'em or head home? Your feet have got to be cold in those shoes." I told him I think I got him and he grabbed his rifle to look through the scope and said with as much surprise as he possibly could "Holy shit! You did get one! Nice work, man!" (it was, in fact, an awesome shot by the way) So, that night, I learned of the darker side of hunting; hanging carcass in the gargage.
My new hobby has led to Cassidy's new obsession which is shopping for all things meat preparation. My belief is that if she attacks her Masters Program with the even half the tanacity as she has looking for meat grinders, hunting supplies, Caribou recipes, meat storage, and meat processing accessories, she is a shoe-in for Valedictorian. Cassidy could probably (and I am being serious here) give you a run down on every specification of meat grinders and vacuum sealers in the western hemisphere. That includes shipping costs!
I am pretty excited for her because it gives her the opportunity to explore more of her cooking and baking obsessions. This past week has been filled with soups, breads, cakes, apple sauce bars(friggin' delicious!), and a turkey (from our new best friends at Omaha Steaks!!) In addition to Cassidy's cooking skills, she is also incredible at finding the best deals financially. FREE SHIPPING has become our two favorite words!
Cassidy has also become the 'go to' lady for child care (which is no surprise, really).
Gio (short for Giovanni) is a three and a half year-old that will be at our house all this week. He is adorable and his parents are incredibly nice. It will be nice for Isabel to have a playmate around here also!
It snowed!! We know this because our weather girl in-training let Milo out at 6:30 in the morning and then screamed "Mommy Daddy it SNOWED, it SNOOOOWED" repeatedly for about twenty-five minutes. There truly is no greater joy than witnessing a childs pure innocence and wonder. I then did something I have never done in my teaching career. I took the day off! Called in sick! Had a case of the playwithmykiditis!!!! It was everything I thought it would be! Cassidy, Isabel, and I had an incredible time!
That's about it for this week. Brother Brad is on the move getting me a hunting rifle and Cassidy is on the move getting items for meat! This place just keeps getting more and more fascinating! I am now wearing my boots every time I leave the house and feel pretty confident with the big game hunting. Cassidy and I have both come to grips with the fact that free meat that you can shoot is much better than expensive meat that someone else has killed. Plus...FREE SHIPPING!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Grad School, Caribou and Soap...
Big News in the Jones House! Cassidy has applied to Grad School at the University of Alaska-Anchorage for Special Education. She is very excited and I couldn't be more proud of her. Even better news is that the prerequisite classes are psychology classes, which, with her BS in Pscyh, is already cut in half. When we arrived here we met Jim. Jim works at the University and has instructed Cassidy to call him immediately if and when she hits a snag with the application process. It is always nice to know someone in the college of education, right?
We had a double date Friday night! It was actually a lot of fun, although the beginning of the night began with the confirmation that my pool skills are less than exemplary. Rachel and Ty are a couple on the island that are a rare breed around here. They have something that most on this island are lacking, which makes them a very desirable couple to hang out with. What they have is a sense of...of...well...normalcy.
We went to the V. which is short for VFW. which it isn't. It used to be a VFW, but the owners bought it and changed the name to ASBAG (Adak Sports Bar and Grill). It should be noted that there is one TV that has yet to show sports and no grill to speak of. In addition, it shuld be mentioned that the television is permanently on the Food Network. So...while you are sitting there eating your twenty-three dollar burger that lacks flavor you get to watch people making incredible meals that you would much rather be eating.
Anyway, we went to the V and had a great time. We are looking forward to spending more time with them. Today Ty and I went to scout out a bunch of caribou and check to see if the Silver Salmon are still running(which they are). We saw several herds and I can't wait to get out there. I am really getting into this hunting and fishing way of life.
Cassidy and Isabel went to the weekly craft night and brought home some very colorful and wonderfully scented soaps. Isabel is very proud of her soap and I am reminded every night that "Mommy and Isabel made this soap," which makes me want to stop her from using it in the hopes her adorable boasting will last forever.
We received a gift package today from Evelyn. Evelyn is Cassidy's Grandmother that, for a lack of a better word is, well, perfect. If there is a textbook ever made entitled "How to Become the Perfect Grandmother," there would be smaller font below that reads "inspired by Evelyn Jones." She is pretty amazing! Evelyn mailed us all the fixings for Mexican Food (our favorite). Tortillas, spices, Chiles, beans, Cannot wait! Thank You, Evelyn!
Andrea sent us a HUGE gift package(s) as well! If there is ever a book entitled "How To Be The Awesomest Friend Ever," in smaller font below...well, you get the idea! Baking goods, rolling pin (which Cassidy has not stopped talking about), pie plates, candy, Halloween stuff for Isabel...YOU ROCK, ANDREA!!!! Thank You!
This place just becomes more and more interesting every day! We are enjoying how truly freaky this place is. We will keep you posted on the craziness that is Adak!
We had a double date Friday night! It was actually a lot of fun, although the beginning of the night began with the confirmation that my pool skills are less than exemplary. Rachel and Ty are a couple on the island that are a rare breed around here. They have something that most on this island are lacking, which makes them a very desirable couple to hang out with. What they have is a sense of...of...well...normalcy.
We went to the V. which is short for VFW. which it isn't. It used to be a VFW, but the owners bought it and changed the name to ASBAG (Adak Sports Bar and Grill). It should be noted that there is one TV that has yet to show sports and no grill to speak of. In addition, it shuld be mentioned that the television is permanently on the Food Network. So...while you are sitting there eating your twenty-three dollar burger that lacks flavor you get to watch people making incredible meals that you would much rather be eating.
Anyway, we went to the V and had a great time. We are looking forward to spending more time with them. Today Ty and I went to scout out a bunch of caribou and check to see if the Silver Salmon are still running(which they are). We saw several herds and I can't wait to get out there. I am really getting into this hunting and fishing way of life.
Cassidy and Isabel went to the weekly craft night and brought home some very colorful and wonderfully scented soaps. Isabel is very proud of her soap and I am reminded every night that "Mommy and Isabel made this soap," which makes me want to stop her from using it in the hopes her adorable boasting will last forever.
We received a gift package today from Evelyn. Evelyn is Cassidy's Grandmother that, for a lack of a better word is, well, perfect. If there is a textbook ever made entitled "How to Become the Perfect Grandmother," there would be smaller font below that reads "inspired by Evelyn Jones." She is pretty amazing! Evelyn mailed us all the fixings for Mexican Food (our favorite). Tortillas, spices, Chiles, beans, Cannot wait! Thank You, Evelyn!
Andrea sent us a HUGE gift package(s) as well! If there is ever a book entitled "How To Be The Awesomest Friend Ever," in smaller font below...well, you get the idea! Baking goods, rolling pin (which Cassidy has not stopped talking about), pie plates, candy, Halloween stuff for Isabel...YOU ROCK, ANDREA!!!! Thank You!
This place just becomes more and more interesting every day! We are enjoying how truly freaky this place is. We will keep you posted on the craziness that is Adak!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New Job, Baking, and New Roads!
My high school basketball coach used to say that luck was just being prepared when opportunities presented themselves. Therefore, theoretically the harder you work, the "luckier" you become. I never really grasped that concept and now that I have a few years and, with that, a little wisdom, I can finally say that he was absolutley full of crap! I am married to the most amazing woman in the world and that is out of sheer luck! I can't remember working for this at all. I just happen to be lucky. And I am fine with that. Sorry, Coach, but it is better to be lucky than good!
I am stressing this point because over the past week, Cassidy been making and selling pies. She is gifted and I am loving it!! Aside from the pies, she is absolutely amazing at every task she undertakes. Whether it be raising Isabel, watching other people's children, or making pies, I am just damn lucky!
Isabel has become quite the adventurer! If the pictures aren't already posted, they will be. We went 'hiking' down to the beach this morning. We had never been to this beach before because it is on the West side of the island. We had never been to the West side of the island because, well...we had no idea there was a road to the West side of the island. God forbid there be a current roadmap provided to anyone around here.
We found the road in the same fashion we have found pretty much everything else around here; went for a drive. We have discovered that all roads either just stop or they lead back to town. So, we just take random roads and see where we go. It's our weekend "see if we can actually get lost" game. Hey! there are worse ways to spend a Saturday, right?
The beach was absolutely breathtaking. We looked down at the beach from about 300 feet. Then it happened...I saw a rope. Why not go down an embankment steep enough that someone felt a rope was required with a four year-old, right? It was actually quite worth it, as the pictures will show. I wouldn't have said that halfway up the hill with Isabel on my shoulders and me trying to remember the last time my heart rate was above 85. But it actually was a lot of fun! Cassidy could not have been prouder than to see her husband dry-heaving like one of the Olsen Twins.
To be honest, I only carried Isabel up one small portion, but that is the reason I am using for my lack of speed (or movement) towards the end.
My new gig at the airport is proving to be quite enjoyable. I didn't think I would be able to fit in the cargo hold of the aircraft. turns out I was right. Good group of people, though. We are hoping to be able to use some flight benefits for Christmas, but there are some variables in there. We'll see.
We had some temporary neighbors for the last four days. They are with the Tsunami/Disaster preparedness program. Cindi is the Educational Outreach Coordinator for the Tsunami Warning Center. A geologist that, as far as geologists go, is about the most layed back woman I have ever met. It was actually interesting to learn about the rock/land formations. I went to a college that has a great geology program and the guys in that program were, for a lack of a better term, dorks. Erv was with her. You wouldn't know it without talking to somebody else that knows Erv really well, but Erv is a stud. He was one of the founding members of the Alaskan Pararescue Unit out of Anchorage. I was a PJ and I am very proud of what I did. I didn't even bring up any stories because all the exciting things I did in six or seven years, Erv did in a weekend. His modesty only amplifies his awesomeness. It was a lot of fun talking to him about mutual acquantances and the job. Erv works for the Homeland Security Disaster Preparedness now(or something like that). Anyway, great to meet him and get a chance to talk with him.
Ofcourse, Casssidy made them a chocolate cream pie when they arrived and they loved it!
OH!!!!!! WE FORGOT TO MENTION THE EARTHQUAKE!! (my wife edits my work and tells me what I forgot to mention)
So...we had an earthquake! It was a 4.7 and it occured at 4:56 am. It sounded like a train going by the house and gave us a little bit of a shake. I woke up immediately and did what any Father and husband would do; sat there. I have never been in an earthquake and was basically "enjoying the ride" in my shock and bewilderment. Cassidy woke up just as it had finished and asked what had just happened in a language that the clergy do not use. Isabel, of course, slept through the whole thing. We are convinced that if the house had been lifted ten feet off the ground and dropped while a marching band played "Bringin' da noise, Bringin' da funk" outside her window, she would still not miss a wink of sleep.
All for now, here's to avoiding disasters and discovering more roads!
I am stressing this point because over the past week, Cassidy been making and selling pies. She is gifted and I am loving it!! Aside from the pies, she is absolutely amazing at every task she undertakes. Whether it be raising Isabel, watching other people's children, or making pies, I am just damn lucky!
Isabel has become quite the adventurer! If the pictures aren't already posted, they will be. We went 'hiking' down to the beach this morning. We had never been to this beach before because it is on the West side of the island. We had never been to the West side of the island because, well...we had no idea there was a road to the West side of the island. God forbid there be a current roadmap provided to anyone around here.
We found the road in the same fashion we have found pretty much everything else around here; went for a drive. We have discovered that all roads either just stop or they lead back to town. So, we just take random roads and see where we go. It's our weekend "see if we can actually get lost" game. Hey! there are worse ways to spend a Saturday, right?
The beach was absolutely breathtaking. We looked down at the beach from about 300 feet. Then it happened...I saw a rope. Why not go down an embankment steep enough that someone felt a rope was required with a four year-old, right? It was actually quite worth it, as the pictures will show. I wouldn't have said that halfway up the hill with Isabel on my shoulders and me trying to remember the last time my heart rate was above 85. But it actually was a lot of fun! Cassidy could not have been prouder than to see her husband dry-heaving like one of the Olsen Twins.
To be honest, I only carried Isabel up one small portion, but that is the reason I am using for my lack of speed (or movement) towards the end.
My new gig at the airport is proving to be quite enjoyable. I didn't think I would be able to fit in the cargo hold of the aircraft. turns out I was right. Good group of people, though. We are hoping to be able to use some flight benefits for Christmas, but there are some variables in there. We'll see.
We had some temporary neighbors for the last four days. They are with the Tsunami/Disaster preparedness program. Cindi is the Educational Outreach Coordinator for the Tsunami Warning Center. A geologist that, as far as geologists go, is about the most layed back woman I have ever met. It was actually interesting to learn about the rock/land formations. I went to a college that has a great geology program and the guys in that program were, for a lack of a better term, dorks. Erv was with her. You wouldn't know it without talking to somebody else that knows Erv really well, but Erv is a stud. He was one of the founding members of the Alaskan Pararescue Unit out of Anchorage. I was a PJ and I am very proud of what I did. I didn't even bring up any stories because all the exciting things I did in six or seven years, Erv did in a weekend. His modesty only amplifies his awesomeness. It was a lot of fun talking to him about mutual acquantances and the job. Erv works for the Homeland Security Disaster Preparedness now(or something like that). Anyway, great to meet him and get a chance to talk with him.
Ofcourse, Casssidy made them a chocolate cream pie when they arrived and they loved it!
OH!!!!!! WE FORGOT TO MENTION THE EARTHQUAKE!! (my wife edits my work and tells me what I forgot to mention)
So...we had an earthquake! It was a 4.7 and it occured at 4:56 am. It sounded like a train going by the house and gave us a little bit of a shake. I woke up immediately and did what any Father and husband would do; sat there. I have never been in an earthquake and was basically "enjoying the ride" in my shock and bewilderment. Cassidy woke up just as it had finished and asked what had just happened in a language that the clergy do not use. Isabel, of course, slept through the whole thing. We are convinced that if the house had been lifted ten feet off the ground and dropped while a marching band played "Bringin' da noise, Bringin' da funk" outside her window, she would still not miss a wink of sleep.
All for now, here's to avoiding disasters and discovering more roads!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
It's like Christmas without the drunk family members...
Living out here has provided prospective on a lot of things. For example, we have been given insight into the history of the Aleut people that brings a level of sympathy and respect that did not exist prior. Being this remote has shined a bright light on the fact that our future is completely dictated by what we want for Isabel's future. And, perhaps most surprisingly, we LOVE MAIL! It arrives (not always, though) every Thursday and Sunday (save for any major holidays, weather, and when they just don't feel like flying). It is like Christmas...without the drunk family members and the God-awful home-knit sweater that you are forced to wear that smells suspiciously like a mixture of Pall-Mall 100's and Metamucil.
You know in old western movies when the prisoner has the one foot by one foot window with the bars? That is what mail is to us; our only proof that there is still a world out there that runs free and enjoys the luxuries of...of...of purchasing a piece of fresh fruit without discussion of their children maybe going to a community college.
It really is exciting, though. So much so that the Postmaster/School Board Member/janitor for the city buildings (all true), calls us at our home so we can drive to pick up packages if they, in fact, have arrived. Yup! Quite convenient, really.
Outside of waiting for the mail, we have become fans of "going for a drive" around the island. In high school my best friend, Tony, and I would go "for a drive" with his parents. Because of these modern day Bhutan Death Drives, I swore I would never "go for a drive." Well....
Today it was just "kind of" windy and rainy, so why not have a picnic, right? We loaded into Beatrice (did I mention I named the suburban, with more miles on it than Paris Hilton, Beatrice?) and went for a Car Picnic. It is exactly what it sounds like and was actually quite fun. Isabel loved it and the sandwiches Cassidy made were delicious. All involved were happy. Even Beatrice.
Tomorrow is mail day, so all smiles.
Every day is something new around here. I am heading over to Big Mikes house at 8:00 a.m. to watch football with Mike. Mike works for the cable company, so...Mike has cable. Tim doesn't work for the cable company so...(If bananas are over $3.00 a pound you can probably imagine what cable costs) Tim walks to Mike's house.
Cassidy is setting a new record for baked goods (emphasis on the GOODS part. seriously, she missed her calling). In the last week, NAY! The last four days she has made homemade bread for sandwiches (two loaves) that are amazing, a loaf of blueberry banana bread, banana peanut butter bread, a birthday cake for Sanne (student teacher from the Netherlands [pronounced Sauna]), cookies for Isabel (courtesy of cousin Karen), biscuits, and several other items. Tomorrow I am arriving to Big Mikes with banana cream pies that have home-made crusts, of course. (sidenote: there was a shipment of bananas that did not get picked up by a fishing vessel, so they donated the bananas to the school, hence the banana theme for the week).
Silver salmon season is just about winding down. I might go out tomorrow and see if they are still running. I caught a couple Salmon last weekend. I do have a conflict with telling this story, though. I want to tell everyone that I went by myself and had an incredible day mostly isolated from the world while fishing. And a successful trip at that. All true!
What I don't want to share with you (but it's funny, so I will) is Adak is an outdoorsmans paradise and people show up with extremely expensive equipment for hunting/fishing, which accompanies the extremely expensive flight out here. Two of these men showed up at the stream I was fishing when I brought in my fish. They seemed a little irritated, however, when their $2,000 fishing trip yielded nothing while I was standing next to them catching salmon on a Hannah Montana fishing pole that I borrowed from one of my 11 year-old female students. A fool and his money, right?
You know in old western movies when the prisoner has the one foot by one foot window with the bars? That is what mail is to us; our only proof that there is still a world out there that runs free and enjoys the luxuries of...of...of purchasing a piece of fresh fruit without discussion of their children maybe going to a community college.
It really is exciting, though. So much so that the Postmaster/School Board Member/janitor for the city buildings (all true), calls us at our home so we can drive to pick up packages if they, in fact, have arrived. Yup! Quite convenient, really.
Outside of waiting for the mail, we have become fans of "going for a drive" around the island. In high school my best friend, Tony, and I would go "for a drive" with his parents. Because of these modern day Bhutan Death Drives, I swore I would never "go for a drive." Well....
Today it was just "kind of" windy and rainy, so why not have a picnic, right? We loaded into Beatrice (did I mention I named the suburban, with more miles on it than Paris Hilton, Beatrice?) and went for a Car Picnic. It is exactly what it sounds like and was actually quite fun. Isabel loved it and the sandwiches Cassidy made were delicious. All involved were happy. Even Beatrice.
Tomorrow is mail day, so all smiles.
Every day is something new around here. I am heading over to Big Mikes house at 8:00 a.m. to watch football with Mike. Mike works for the cable company, so...Mike has cable. Tim doesn't work for the cable company so...(If bananas are over $3.00 a pound you can probably imagine what cable costs) Tim walks to Mike's house.
Cassidy is setting a new record for baked goods (emphasis on the GOODS part. seriously, she missed her calling). In the last week, NAY! The last four days she has made homemade bread for sandwiches (two loaves) that are amazing, a loaf of blueberry banana bread, banana peanut butter bread, a birthday cake for Sanne (student teacher from the Netherlands [pronounced Sauna]), cookies for Isabel (courtesy of cousin Karen), biscuits, and several other items. Tomorrow I am arriving to Big Mikes with banana cream pies that have home-made crusts, of course. (sidenote: there was a shipment of bananas that did not get picked up by a fishing vessel, so they donated the bananas to the school, hence the banana theme for the week).
Silver salmon season is just about winding down. I might go out tomorrow and see if they are still running. I caught a couple Salmon last weekend. I do have a conflict with telling this story, though. I want to tell everyone that I went by myself and had an incredible day mostly isolated from the world while fishing. And a successful trip at that. All true!
What I don't want to share with you (but it's funny, so I will) is Adak is an outdoorsmans paradise and people show up with extremely expensive equipment for hunting/fishing, which accompanies the extremely expensive flight out here. Two of these men showed up at the stream I was fishing when I brought in my fish. They seemed a little irritated, however, when their $2,000 fishing trip yielded nothing while I was standing next to them catching salmon on a Hannah Montana fishing pole that I borrowed from one of my 11 year-old female students. A fool and his money, right?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Small town living at it's best : )
Things are good here, no Milo falling into empty creepy pools!! And can I just say, those "adventures" we did a few weekends ago were creepy and of course after the fact someone tells me all the old buildings are haunted!! Now whether you believe or not I am here to say.....those old buildings are full of something creepy!!! I would not go there by myself that's for sure!! That said, the parts that have some light via old windows coming in are cool (still creepy but cool)!
So this weekend we tried our hand at fishing and crabbing, of which Isabel and I soon found out we are not very good at! Don't get me wrong I enjoy fishing however with a 4 year old who keeps swing the poll around and you aren't sure where the hook on it will end up, it takes away some of the fun. However Tim had some luck on Sunday and brought home 2 beautiful Salmon!! I never thought I'd say this but I am a little tried of Salmon, just a little though! I have come up with very creative ways to cook it so we are not eating it the same every time, so Salmon soup, Poached Salmon with Dill sauce, Salmon and cheese sandwiches, Salmon with pasta....um what else?!?!!? So I am keeping busy with cooking/baking. I have been on a mission to make the perfect loaf of bread and I got preaty darn close the other day! It's all in how you get the flour into the dough I have learned! So my next step will be when my wheat flour gets here I will try wheat bread. And yes when it gets here could be tomorrow, Sunday, next week or next year for all I know. It's so crazy how something get here in like 3 days and others take 2 months! A learning process I guess. I order us some fresh produce last Monday and it coem in on Sundays plane. We are talkin, sweet bell pepers, celery, asparagus and pears!!! It's so exciting have it even if it's for a week! I'm going to freeze some of it but I never thought I would be this excited over vegtables!!
Well it's raining again, seems to happen a lot here but we are all set for, jackets, boots and pants (thank you Brad!) so off to story time it is for Isabel and I.
So this weekend we tried our hand at fishing and crabbing, of which Isabel and I soon found out we are not very good at! Don't get me wrong I enjoy fishing however with a 4 year old who keeps swing the poll around and you aren't sure where the hook on it will end up, it takes away some of the fun. However Tim had some luck on Sunday and brought home 2 beautiful Salmon!! I never thought I'd say this but I am a little tried of Salmon, just a little though! I have come up with very creative ways to cook it so we are not eating it the same every time, so Salmon soup, Poached Salmon with Dill sauce, Salmon and cheese sandwiches, Salmon with pasta....um what else?!?!!? So I am keeping busy with cooking/baking. I have been on a mission to make the perfect loaf of bread and I got preaty darn close the other day! It's all in how you get the flour into the dough I have learned! So my next step will be when my wheat flour gets here I will try wheat bread. And yes when it gets here could be tomorrow, Sunday, next week or next year for all I know. It's so crazy how something get here in like 3 days and others take 2 months! A learning process I guess. I order us some fresh produce last Monday and it coem in on Sundays plane. We are talkin, sweet bell pepers, celery, asparagus and pears!!! It's so exciting have it even if it's for a week! I'm going to freeze some of it but I never thought I would be this excited over vegtables!!
Well it's raining again, seems to happen a lot here but we are all set for, jackets, boots and pants (thank you Brad!) so off to story time it is for Isabel and I.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Flashlights and swimming pools...
We went out exploring in a different fashion today. There are many barracks that were abandoned. When I say abandoned, I don't mean that the base closed and there is a shell of what use to be. If you have ever been in a situation where someone says, "Would the last person clean up and turn off the lights before you leave," but then no one really knows WHO the last person to leave was, so the lights get left on and nothing gets cleaned up? I don't think the Navy knows who the last person to leave was.
There is actually a three story dorm that has approximately 350 rooms. It is filled with furniture in every room. Refrigerators in every room. Bathrooms in every room. beds, lamps, the works. We actually went to get a table because it is there for the taking. Here's the kicker...IT HAS NEVER BEEN OCCUPIED! The government built it after the decision to close the base had been made. The contracts had already been signed, so.... Tax dollard hard at work.
We did go into the much older barracks across the street (via underground tunnel which was pretty damn cool). There we found an olympic size swimming pool in the recreational building. It had a deep end and a shallow end. This may seem trivial to mention, but the only reason I do
mention the obvious is because it wasn't so obvious to our Cocker Spaniel, Milo, that waltzed right off of the edge into the deep end. It would have been a 13 foot drop, but luckily the table that someone threw off the edge into the pool broke his fall at about 10 feet down.
The three seconds of silence and the flashlight on our little fella provided enough time for me to actually think of making up a story about how Milo found a secret passage for doggies and we would have to wait to see him when he decided to come out. Then I realized that the story was ridiculous, so I thought "He's just sleeping. we should leave him alone" might work.
He moved, though. A little freaked out, but he moved. So...lesson learned. When walking around creepy abandoned barracks on a Navy Base being guided by flashlights, leave the dog at home.
I do have to say that while walking around some of the barracks, we noticed a peculiar smell of rat droppings and what I am hoping was rat urine. Milo decided that he should leave his own gifts in the middle of the hallway. I am proud to say that even in the environment that would have gladly welcomed a pile of Milo's best, we did the responsible thing and cleaned it up (Cassidy made me).
There are only about fifty more buildings to explore, so I can't wait to see what remains.
There is actually a three story dorm that has approximately 350 rooms. It is filled with furniture in every room. Refrigerators in every room. Bathrooms in every room. beds, lamps, the works. We actually went to get a table because it is there for the taking. Here's the kicker...IT HAS NEVER BEEN OCCUPIED! The government built it after the decision to close the base had been made. The contracts had already been signed, so.... Tax dollard hard at work.
We did go into the much older barracks across the street (via underground tunnel which was pretty damn cool). There we found an olympic size swimming pool in the recreational building. It had a deep end and a shallow end. This may seem trivial to mention, but the only reason I do
mention the obvious is because it wasn't so obvious to our Cocker Spaniel, Milo, that waltzed right off of the edge into the deep end. It would have been a 13 foot drop, but luckily the table that someone threw off the edge into the pool broke his fall at about 10 feet down.
The three seconds of silence and the flashlight on our little fella provided enough time for me to actually think of making up a story about how Milo found a secret passage for doggies and we would have to wait to see him when he decided to come out. Then I realized that the story was ridiculous, so I thought "He's just sleeping. we should leave him alone" might work.
He moved, though. A little freaked out, but he moved. So...lesson learned. When walking around creepy abandoned barracks on a Navy Base being guided by flashlights, leave the dog at home.
I do have to say that while walking around some of the barracks, we noticed a peculiar smell of rat droppings and what I am hoping was rat urine. Milo decided that he should leave his own gifts in the middle of the hallway. I am proud to say that even in the environment that would have gladly welcomed a pile of Milo's best, we did the responsible thing and cleaned it up (Cassidy made me).
There are only about fifty more buildings to explore, so I can't wait to see what remains.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The loooong walk on the beach and more!
The pics are up from the beach and other great things here on the island. We had an adventure today that Tim will have to tell you all about as he always has a much funnier spin on things!! We were also able to Skype with our friend Jan in Tucson this afternoon which was very cool! And on Thursday we had a LARGE shipment come in, stuff from Petco (cat littler yay!), Care package from brother Brad, Care package from friends in Tucson, Fred Meyer (food yay!!!) and some letters from family!! I'll tell you what it was like Christmas!!!! I quickly used my new bread pans to make my first homemade white bread (don't have an wheat flour as of yet!). So I figured out how women stayed in shape back in the day, just knead some dough for 10 mins, I was sweating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So the bread turned out great, I guess it was worth it! OK folks that's all for now, check out new pics and look for Tim's update, funny stuff!
http://picasaweb.google.com/casstimisabel09/TheLoooongWalkOnTheBeachAndMore
http://picasaweb.google.com/casstimisabel09/TheLoooongWalkOnTheBeachAndMore
Sunday, September 13, 2009
I enjoy reading and long walks from the beach...
With a high of fifty and about a 20mph steady wind, we felt it was worthy of going to the beach! Had this exact weather been experienced in Tucson, it would have been a day to stay inside, eat soup, and decide which color to paint the bathroom. In Adak we have learned quickly to embrace any day that does not have rain actually coming up at you.
The beach was beautiful and Isabel had a great time. Then Cassidy and I went home and left Isabel in the care of Mia at the beach with a promise to return shortly with Logan and Sienna (siblings that Cassidy is taking care of a couple days a week).
Return shortly we, infact, did! Everything was as scheduled. What threw a wrench into our otherwise perfectly planned day was some idiot getting the Suburban stuck in the sand upon our return to the beach.
You think about a lot of things during a five mile walk back into town in search of someone that can help get your Daughter, Wife, friend, and two other children back home safely. The first thought that went through my head was, "Would Cassidy just send the divorce papers from Tucson or get it done through the mail?". I thought about how priorities change in an instant. In an attempt to save as much money as possible, Cassidy and I decided to not subscribe to the expensive cell phone service out here. At about mile three I would have spent ten times the monthly amount just to make ONE phone call!!
I also thought about how almost every Beatles song has been annoying to me at one time or another.
When I stopped singing "Love Me Do" for the seventeenth time, I saw Martin. Martin is a young man from St. Paul Island that was all too happy to help me out. He couldn't believe how far I walked without anybody picking me up. I felt a little condescending in reminding Martin that there are only 130 people on the island.
Martin and I got to the beach and he pulled me out in a matter of minutes! We are all home safe and Cassidy even spoke to me. Something about thanking my lucky stars and being just in time before...and then she trailed off and made no sense at all. Something about an accident and not being able to prove something. She gets weird when she has outside too long. Go figure!!
All part of our daily adventures here in Adak!!! Pictures to follow soon.
The beach was beautiful and Isabel had a great time. Then Cassidy and I went home and left Isabel in the care of Mia at the beach with a promise to return shortly with Logan and Sienna (siblings that Cassidy is taking care of a couple days a week).
Return shortly we, infact, did! Everything was as scheduled. What threw a wrench into our otherwise perfectly planned day was some idiot getting the Suburban stuck in the sand upon our return to the beach.
You think about a lot of things during a five mile walk back into town in search of someone that can help get your Daughter, Wife, friend, and two other children back home safely. The first thought that went through my head was, "Would Cassidy just send the divorce papers from Tucson or get it done through the mail?". I thought about how priorities change in an instant. In an attempt to save as much money as possible, Cassidy and I decided to not subscribe to the expensive cell phone service out here. At about mile three I would have spent ten times the monthly amount just to make ONE phone call!!
I also thought about how almost every Beatles song has been annoying to me at one time or another.
When I stopped singing "Love Me Do" for the seventeenth time, I saw Martin. Martin is a young man from St. Paul Island that was all too happy to help me out. He couldn't believe how far I walked without anybody picking me up. I felt a little condescending in reminding Martin that there are only 130 people on the island.
Martin and I got to the beach and he pulled me out in a matter of minutes! We are all home safe and Cassidy even spoke to me. Something about thanking my lucky stars and being just in time before...and then she trailed off and made no sense at all. Something about an accident and not being able to prove something. She gets weird when she has outside too long. Go figure!!
All part of our daily adventures here in Adak!!! Pictures to follow soon.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Windy nights and wizard of Oz.
We had fish again tonight. It was especially pleasing because it was a white fish tonight. Halibut (just for the Halibut I will add this horrible joke). Cassidy also made a pumpkin soup that, had she offered it to the sailors, they would never leave dry ground in hopes of simply smelling it again. Pumpkin Bread to follow. As you have probably summized by now, our groceries are very limited and nothing goes to waste.
First week of school down and that has been a little more than interesting. Teaching six different levels of each subject is proving to be quite challenging, but not discouraging.
Cassidy has held her ground in the fashion department out here in Adak! Hands down the best dressed woman on the island. Not that she wouldn't be anyway, but her closest competition is a woman that is wearing Carhart pants, a Van Halen 1984 T-shirt and a Lettermans jacket from somewhere in Iowa.
Let's see...our big Friday night consisted of inviting the two student teachers over (because every class of eleven students needs a student teacher) and now we are indoctrinating them into the American culture by forcing them to watch The Wizard of Oz. They seem to like it! They can take this bit of America back to The Netherlands and Denmark.
Things here are quite a bit different. Last night Cassidy made a Caribou meatloaf using the meat that our neighbor, Mike, had given us. Mike apparently just hangs out and kills things. I don't know if I agree with it or not, but I tell you what...that Caribou is some good eatin'!! Cassidy agreed to allow me to get a hunting rifle, but I have a $100 limit. Out here on Adak the kitty litter is $24.00 so I am now determined to be the first man to successfully hunt a Caribou with a slingshot!
First week of school down and that has been a little more than interesting. Teaching six different levels of each subject is proving to be quite challenging, but not discouraging.
Cassidy has held her ground in the fashion department out here in Adak! Hands down the best dressed woman on the island. Not that she wouldn't be anyway, but her closest competition is a woman that is wearing Carhart pants, a Van Halen 1984 T-shirt and a Lettermans jacket from somewhere in Iowa.
Let's see...our big Friday night consisted of inviting the two student teachers over (because every class of eleven students needs a student teacher) and now we are indoctrinating them into the American culture by forcing them to watch The Wizard of Oz. They seem to like it! They can take this bit of America back to The Netherlands and Denmark.
Things here are quite a bit different. Last night Cassidy made a Caribou meatloaf using the meat that our neighbor, Mike, had given us. Mike apparently just hangs out and kills things. I don't know if I agree with it or not, but I tell you what...that Caribou is some good eatin'!! Cassidy agreed to allow me to get a hunting rifle, but I have a $100 limit. Out here on Adak the kitty litter is $24.00 so I am now determined to be the first man to successfully hunt a Caribou with a slingshot!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
More Pics of this awesome island!!
Check out new pics from our adventures, http://picasaweb.google.com/casstimisabel09/MorePicsOfThisAwesomeIsland#
And for all wondering, no the cat littler did not come! So off to beach for sand of which the cats don't really like, oh well!
And for all wondering, no the cat littler did not come! So off to beach for sand of which the cats don't really like, oh well!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Crazy Sailors and Cat litter
We have been settling into Adak life fairly well. Cassidy has picked up without missing a beat in taking care of two children on the island. She is exploring preschool options, but everything is in the discussion phase right now. We have seen about as much of the island as we can by car (which is to say about 1/3 of the island. It is seriously breathtaking in most areas and seriously depressing in others. The depressing part is the town of Adak, which the US government abandoned faster than Oprah abandoned the South Beach diet. It just warms my eart to see multi million dollar dorms (barracks) that have never been occupied. Evidenced specifically by the appliances that remain in the boxes. This pales in comparison to the millions and millions of dollars in heavy equipment that is now completely rusted where it had been left. I am convinced that our healthcare problem would not be such a financial burden if it were not for the Adak Naval Air Station and the billions of tax dollars wasted here.
I am happy to say that we have met some people. Bill (Whom I have nick-named 'Barnacle Bill The Sailor')took us on a tour of the island this morning. Bill was stationed in Adak from 1968-1973 in the Navy and worked on the nuclear weapons that were manufactured and stored here. Bill loved it so much that he comes back every year for a couple of months to hunt, fish, and flirt. Bill leaves his wife in Tennessee while he is up here because she is finishing college. If this part of the story is starting to sound like an inspiration to those who want to return to school, it should be noted that his wife is of the traditional appropriate age to be finishing her higher education. Although Bill has retired from two careers, it appears that his wife is embarking on her first. It should also be noted that Bill was and forever will be madly in love with his first wife that, sadly, died of cancer. I believe Bill just feels like he will never love again, so why not just have a whole hell of a lot of fun instead.
Bill talks like...well...a sailor. The Navy definitely left a permanent mark on his vocabulary. Nevertheless, the guided tour was as informative as it was entertaining.
In small town fashion, Cassidy is preparing for 'Ladies Craft Night' at the community center. Cassidy is preparing to gather as much intelligence about the people on this island while providing as little as possible about us. She has refused to go with my plan to lead everyone to believe we are in the witness protection program for turning in a video of some gang members lighting mailboxes on fire.
Isabel LOVES the beach. We spent about an hour at the beach today. It was a high of 45 degrees and the wind was blowing more than Monica Lewinski on inauguration day. We are planning on waiting this out and for her to tell us that it is too cold for the beach. My fear is that we will be walking on icebergs on a daily basis.
Isabel adores the two student teachers that live next door. Mia (from Denmark) and Sanne (pronounced Sauna, from The Netherlands). They are leaving before Christmas and we are bracing ourselves for what is sure to be a heartbreaking moment.
That is about it. Tomorrow is a big day. Mail!! When it is only delivered twice a week, it is very exciting. We are expecting some kitty litter. This may seem trivial to most, but considering a small bag of kitty litter runs at the low price of $22.99 here on the island, it is worth looking forward to.
I must now sit through another riveting episode of Sex and the City. I just can't get enough of those crazy New Yorkers and there premiscuous lifestyles. How much do I love my wife???
I am happy to say that we have met some people. Bill (Whom I have nick-named 'Barnacle Bill The Sailor')took us on a tour of the island this morning. Bill was stationed in Adak from 1968-1973 in the Navy and worked on the nuclear weapons that were manufactured and stored here. Bill loved it so much that he comes back every year for a couple of months to hunt, fish, and flirt. Bill leaves his wife in Tennessee while he is up here because she is finishing college. If this part of the story is starting to sound like an inspiration to those who want to return to school, it should be noted that his wife is of the traditional appropriate age to be finishing her higher education. Although Bill has retired from two careers, it appears that his wife is embarking on her first. It should also be noted that Bill was and forever will be madly in love with his first wife that, sadly, died of cancer. I believe Bill just feels like he will never love again, so why not just have a whole hell of a lot of fun instead.
Bill talks like...well...a sailor. The Navy definitely left a permanent mark on his vocabulary. Nevertheless, the guided tour was as informative as it was entertaining.
In small town fashion, Cassidy is preparing for 'Ladies Craft Night' at the community center. Cassidy is preparing to gather as much intelligence about the people on this island while providing as little as possible about us. She has refused to go with my plan to lead everyone to believe we are in the witness protection program for turning in a video of some gang members lighting mailboxes on fire.
Isabel LOVES the beach. We spent about an hour at the beach today. It was a high of 45 degrees and the wind was blowing more than Monica Lewinski on inauguration day. We are planning on waiting this out and for her to tell us that it is too cold for the beach. My fear is that we will be walking on icebergs on a daily basis.
Isabel adores the two student teachers that live next door. Mia (from Denmark) and Sanne (pronounced Sauna, from The Netherlands). They are leaving before Christmas and we are bracing ourselves for what is sure to be a heartbreaking moment.
That is about it. Tomorrow is a big day. Mail!! When it is only delivered twice a week, it is very exciting. We are expecting some kitty litter. This may seem trivial to most, but considering a small bag of kitty litter runs at the low price of $22.99 here on the island, it is worth looking forward to.
I must now sit through another riveting episode of Sex and the City. I just can't get enough of those crazy New Yorkers and there premiscuous lifestyles. How much do I love my wife???
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
We have Pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK so I think I have done this right but no promises! Check out link for pics : ) http://picasaweb.google.com/casstimisabel09/WeAreInADAK
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Russian Karaoke and Bald Eagles
We left Mitch and Jeanne's house in Palmer and moved into the Marriott Residence Inn for the next six days. With Isabel, Milo, Cha Cha, Brewter, and the two of us in a one bedroom studio it was, to put it mildly, cozy. We did have a lot of fun, though.
On our last night on "The Mainland" my boss took us out to dinner at a place called...um...well, anyway, it was a really nice brew house in downtown Anchorage. The food was amazing and the company was even better. Afterwards it got a little interesting. We were invited to my boss's house whereupon a karaoke machine was produced with not only the traditional karaoke favorites, but also Russian karaoke favorites. Joe, my superintendent, is married to a Russian woman named Marina that has two obvious passions of being an incredible hostess and singing. It was a lot of fun! Although I will say that Cassidy pressured me into singing a karaoke song that I now regret. ( For the record, I, his wife did NOT chose the song! Although I kinda wish I had!) I just can't seem to pull of Like A Virgin as well as Madonna. Yes...there is a video.
Thursday we left for Adak. Jay and Jim (Jay has developed a curriculum that is fantastic and Jim is a professor from the University of Alaska Anchorage that is working with the student teachers) accompanied us and will be leaving on the rotator plane today (Sunday).
The arrival was both exciting and terrifying. This island is ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING and we love it. The United States Navy, However, felt that what this island was missing was three military bases worth of heavy machinery, scrap metal, and dilapidated buildings to make it complete. True story; The base built a 3.5 million dollar church up on the hill months before the base was decommissioned KNOWING THAT THE BASE WAS CLOSING. Magnify this by about 2500 and you get the idea of how much money is rusting and rotting out here.
Outside of the town, it is just beautiful. Yesterday we went exploring and found a stream where we could catch Silver Salmon by hand! It is not that easy, actually! Cassidy caught a couple and I caught a couple. We put ours back in fear of a game warden showing up, but Jim has a fishing license so today we are having salmon for dinner.
The school is actually very modern and has an incredible amount of resources readily available. I am really excited about getting started next week.
Cassidy, in typical fashion, has already met half the town while walking around. In fact, we had been on the Island about ten minutes when I pulled up to the house with Jim. Cassidy got to the house first in another vehicle and was smiling a little more than usual. "Come see what I got," she said. Inside the freezer is about ten pounds of halibut and salmon. "Mike gave them to us!" two questions immediately came into my head. Who the hell is Mike and how in the hell did you manage to meet someone so damn fast? Mike lives across the street and has a "fishing garage and a Caribou garage" and was apparently more than happy to share the fruits of his labor.
Cassidy has made the house a home already and it is very comfortable. Not the most modern of kitchens, but seeing as how Cassidy shipped pretty much every appliance, pot, pan, dish, and fork that was possible, we will be just fine!
As some added notes, we are excited to be here and feel as though the adventure has just begun. Isabel likes it and has met another 4 year old that I am sure will be playing with soon. The Bald Eagles that Tim forgot to mention are amazing!!! They are all over the island and seem to not be very afraid of us! We were with in 50 feet of one!!! On the same trip yesterday we also saw Sea Otters and Seals in what we know know is Clam Bay. Although Tim and I were very excited to see all of this Isabel was more excited about the sand! Pictures to follow soon!
On our last night on "The Mainland" my boss took us out to dinner at a place called...um...well, anyway, it was a really nice brew house in downtown Anchorage. The food was amazing and the company was even better. Afterwards it got a little interesting. We were invited to my boss's house whereupon a karaoke machine was produced with not only the traditional karaoke favorites, but also Russian karaoke favorites. Joe, my superintendent, is married to a Russian woman named Marina that has two obvious passions of being an incredible hostess and singing. It was a lot of fun! Although I will say that Cassidy pressured me into singing a karaoke song that I now regret. ( For the record, I, his wife did NOT chose the song! Although I kinda wish I had!) I just can't seem to pull of Like A Virgin as well as Madonna. Yes...there is a video.
Thursday we left for Adak. Jay and Jim (Jay has developed a curriculum that is fantastic and Jim is a professor from the University of Alaska Anchorage that is working with the student teachers) accompanied us and will be leaving on the rotator plane today (Sunday).
The arrival was both exciting and terrifying. This island is ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING and we love it. The United States Navy, However, felt that what this island was missing was three military bases worth of heavy machinery, scrap metal, and dilapidated buildings to make it complete. True story; The base built a 3.5 million dollar church up on the hill months before the base was decommissioned KNOWING THAT THE BASE WAS CLOSING. Magnify this by about 2500 and you get the idea of how much money is rusting and rotting out here.
Outside of the town, it is just beautiful. Yesterday we went exploring and found a stream where we could catch Silver Salmon by hand! It is not that easy, actually! Cassidy caught a couple and I caught a couple. We put ours back in fear of a game warden showing up, but Jim has a fishing license so today we are having salmon for dinner.
The school is actually very modern and has an incredible amount of resources readily available. I am really excited about getting started next week.
Cassidy, in typical fashion, has already met half the town while walking around. In fact, we had been on the Island about ten minutes when I pulled up to the house with Jim. Cassidy got to the house first in another vehicle and was smiling a little more than usual. "Come see what I got," she said. Inside the freezer is about ten pounds of halibut and salmon. "Mike gave them to us!" two questions immediately came into my head. Who the hell is Mike and how in the hell did you manage to meet someone so damn fast? Mike lives across the street and has a "fishing garage and a Caribou garage" and was apparently more than happy to share the fruits of his labor.
Cassidy has made the house a home already and it is very comfortable. Not the most modern of kitchens, but seeing as how Cassidy shipped pretty much every appliance, pot, pan, dish, and fork that was possible, we will be just fine!
As some added notes, we are excited to be here and feel as though the adventure has just begun. Isabel likes it and has met another 4 year old that I am sure will be playing with soon. The Bald Eagles that Tim forgot to mention are amazing!!! They are all over the island and seem to not be very afraid of us! We were with in 50 feet of one!!! On the same trip yesterday we also saw Sea Otters and Seals in what we know know is Clam Bay. Although Tim and I were very excited to see all of this Isabel was more excited about the sand! Pictures to follow soon!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Post office and Hotel!!
We just left Jeanne and Mitch's house in Palmer and are now in a very nice, very quiet, very paid for by someone else hotel! We seriously cannot have really had a better trip thus far. Everyone has been amazing!! We are extremely grateful to the Lewis' for all their hospitality. FOr those of you that do not know the Lewis Family, picture the Stepford Family with a hell of a lot more personality. All six kids (out of seven) that we met are freakishly loveable! We discussed our theory of how Mitch and Jeanne have some sort of indoctrination chamber where these children have been subjected to countless hours of behavior modification practices. This is the best explanation of how this family is so damn enjoyable to be around.
We did go to the Post office today and mailed ten 18 gallon tupperware bins to Adak, along with a crockpot and a suitcase. Unbelievably cheap to mail packages inside the State of Alaska. The cost was a pleasant surprise (thank you, Brad!) but what was not a pleasant surprise was the line to get to the counter at the post office. I felt like I was getting bread somewhere in a former communist country. It was about the time that I entered the building that I realized that I really had to use the restroom. I have redefined the term "Going Postal" in a way that I had never imagined. Cassidy is very happy to have most of our stuff on the way or actually on the island. I am very happy to not have to hear about getting everything to the island.
We are pretty excited to get out to Adak and see what awaits us, but also very excited to just relax for a couple days. I have inservice Monday through Wednesday and we fly out on Thursday.
The dilemma that we have is that tomorrow is actually Isabel's birthday. Just to recap:
-Family birthday party in Tucson
-Private birthday Party/Dinner in Tucson
-Birthday party at Danas in Palm Springs
-Presents at Mike and Michelle's in Stockton
-Family Birthday Party in Anacortes with Tim's Family
So...now I am reminded of when I was a child. I was always confused because it seemed like every six weeks there was a Bob Hope birthday special on T.V. I was angry (jealous) that someone had so many birthday celebrations. Isabel is one USO trip away from matching big Bob! I think we are just going to have a quiet little party in our hotel room. That is to say that Cassidy will wake up with every intention of keeping it simple until about noon when an uncontrollable and unnecessary bout of guilt will force us to the nearest children's store and Bakery. This will result in another trip to the Post Office to ship toys/clothes/books to Adak and us asking our neighbors if they would like to come over and eat some cake.
We did go to the Post office today and mailed ten 18 gallon tupperware bins to Adak, along with a crockpot and a suitcase. Unbelievably cheap to mail packages inside the State of Alaska. The cost was a pleasant surprise (thank you, Brad!) but what was not a pleasant surprise was the line to get to the counter at the post office. I felt like I was getting bread somewhere in a former communist country. It was about the time that I entered the building that I realized that I really had to use the restroom. I have redefined the term "Going Postal" in a way that I had never imagined. Cassidy is very happy to have most of our stuff on the way or actually on the island. I am very happy to not have to hear about getting everything to the island.
We are pretty excited to get out to Adak and see what awaits us, but also very excited to just relax for a couple days. I have inservice Monday through Wednesday and we fly out on Thursday.
The dilemma that we have is that tomorrow is actually Isabel's birthday. Just to recap:
-Family birthday party in Tucson
-Private birthday Party/Dinner in Tucson
-Birthday party at Danas in Palm Springs
-Presents at Mike and Michelle's in Stockton
-Family Birthday Party in Anacortes with Tim's Family
So...now I am reminded of when I was a child. I was always confused because it seemed like every six weeks there was a Bob Hope birthday special on T.V. I was angry (jealous) that someone had so many birthday celebrations. Isabel is one USO trip away from matching big Bob! I think we are just going to have a quiet little party in our hotel room. That is to say that Cassidy will wake up with every intention of keeping it simple until about noon when an uncontrollable and unnecessary bout of guilt will force us to the nearest children's store and Bakery. This will result in another trip to the Post Office to ship toys/clothes/books to Adak and us asking our neighbors if they would like to come over and eat some cake.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Boating and Childrens Museum
We have done so much in the last week that I forgot to mention a couple of amazing events! A great friend, Jerry, took us out on his boat and we went around Deception Pass. Isabel had the time of her life and we cannot thank Jerry enough!
I do have to say that while on a boat I have learned that there are two viable options when a three year-old has to go to the bathroom. I STRONGLY recommend using the container option. Thank you to Cassie also for showing Isabel the ropes.
We met up with Jenni and Jackson at the Children's museum in Mt. Vernon. If you have a small child you MUST go to this place. It is well done and al lot of fun!!!
I do have to say that while on a boat I have learned that there are two viable options when a three year-old has to go to the bathroom. I STRONGLY recommend using the container option. Thank you to Cassie also for showing Isabel the ropes.
We met up with Jenni and Jackson at the Children's museum in Mt. Vernon. If you have a small child you MUST go to this place. It is well done and al lot of fun!!!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
OOPS!
I kind of posted the last entry on accident. It's our blog, alright? You don't like it...?get your own damn blog!
Anyway, Cassidy got a chance to meet my family and they all got a chance to meet her. I, um, well...sort of forgot to send wedding invitations out to a lot of people. My Aunt Nini was one of those people. This has resulted in a guilt trip that I do not anticipate seeing an end to. So much so that she made a wedding/Isabel's birthday cake for us. You will see the pictures of the amazing cake that she "Threw together."
It was incredible and a real gift for us to be able to spend time with them. Thank you to all of my (Tim's) family fr showing up and making it so special. There truly is no replacement for family.
The drive through Canada was a lot like a bad night of drinking. It was long, expensive, painful at times and I just don't feel like talking about it much. I am sure in years to come, like a bad night of drinking, the stories will become tolerable and even comical at points. One highlight of the trip is when we crossed into Alaska and the Customs agent asked us how many people were on board, Isabel was ver concerned that her glow worm was not mentioned. This resulted in Cassidy actually stating that we had four people (oh yeah...we picked up my brother, Brad, in Anacortes) two cats, a dog, and a glow worm. The agent obviously had children because without missing a beat he asked if the glow worm had proper documentation.
Isabel was so disappointed when we crossed into Alaska when there was no magical world full of snow and reindeer. We spent the better part of the drive to Palmer explaining that outside of Tucson there are actually seasons and we must wait for Winter. I think she's got it now, but she is still a little pissed.
Outside of Isabel farting on a wooden chair in a restaurant, not much happened in Canada. It truly is a boring place.
We are in Palmer staying with Jeanne and Mitch (Friends of Brads from his Alaska days) for a couple of days and then we will be in a hotel for the school in service. Alaska is just about the most beautiful place we have ever seen. We are convinced more and more each day that this was the right decision. Today Katie (Daughter of Jeanne and Mitch) took us to the top of a mountain to an old mine that just had spectacular views. We have just had an amzing time during this adventure so far. THANK YOU to everyone along the way!!!
Anyway, Cassidy got a chance to meet my family and they all got a chance to meet her. I, um, well...sort of forgot to send wedding invitations out to a lot of people. My Aunt Nini was one of those people. This has resulted in a guilt trip that I do not anticipate seeing an end to. So much so that she made a wedding/Isabel's birthday cake for us. You will see the pictures of the amazing cake that she "Threw together."
It was incredible and a real gift for us to be able to spend time with them. Thank you to all of my (Tim's) family fr showing up and making it so special. There truly is no replacement for family.
The drive through Canada was a lot like a bad night of drinking. It was long, expensive, painful at times and I just don't feel like talking about it much. I am sure in years to come, like a bad night of drinking, the stories will become tolerable and even comical at points. One highlight of the trip is when we crossed into Alaska and the Customs agent asked us how many people were on board, Isabel was ver concerned that her glow worm was not mentioned. This resulted in Cassidy actually stating that we had four people (oh yeah...we picked up my brother, Brad, in Anacortes) two cats, a dog, and a glow worm. The agent obviously had children because without missing a beat he asked if the glow worm had proper documentation.
Isabel was so disappointed when we crossed into Alaska when there was no magical world full of snow and reindeer. We spent the better part of the drive to Palmer explaining that outside of Tucson there are actually seasons and we must wait for Winter. I think she's got it now, but she is still a little pissed.
Outside of Isabel farting on a wooden chair in a restaurant, not much happened in Canada. It truly is a boring place.
We are in Palmer staying with Jeanne and Mitch (Friends of Brads from his Alaska days) for a couple of days and then we will be in a hotel for the school in service. Alaska is just about the most beautiful place we have ever seen. We are convinced more and more each day that this was the right decision. Today Katie (Daughter of Jeanne and Mitch) took us to the top of a mountain to an old mine that just had spectacular views. We have just had an amzing time during this adventure so far. THANK YOU to everyone along the way!!!
OREGON TO CANADA!!!!!
Our trip from Stockton has only improved. We honestly didn't think it could get better, but each day, save the trip through Canada, has been incredible.
We stopped in Washougal/Washoogal/Wachoogal(?), WA to visit with Ian and Chelsea. Ian grew up in Anacortes with Tim and has married way out of his league. Chelsea is incredible and Isabel has adopted another "Best Buddy". Ian and Chelsea had a barbecue the night we arrived and we got all the information we could handle about Adak from Ian's parents (they were stationed on Adak when the Navy was active on the island).
After filtering the anecdotes on volcanoes, horrible weather, lack of quality food, turbulence, land mines, and poor heating systems on the island, we got some rest and headed to Cannon Beach, Oregon for the day.
The day, like all days since we left, greeted us with incredible weather. Isabel, not surprisingly, jumped into the ocean immediately. Cassidy was quick to recognize that we had a change of clothing sans underwear. The idea to quickly change her before said underwear got wet resulted in a proud moment of our beautiful daughter running down the beach with nothing but her t-shirt on while her father was in tow with her pants (oh yes...there are pictures).
Simply Amazing day, Ian and Chelsea!! Thank you so much for being such amazing hosts!
Leaving Oregon we headed North to my hometown! Picturesque Anacortes on Beautiful Fidalgo Island.
We stayed with my Aunt Nini and Uncle Jon. My aunts name is actually Kandi, but to be honest...I have never called her Kandi and have no intention of ever starting. So...Isabel has followed suit and now cannot stop talking about Aunt Nini
We stopped in Washougal/Washoogal/Wachoogal(?), WA to visit with Ian and Chelsea. Ian grew up in Anacortes with Tim and has married way out of his league. Chelsea is incredible and Isabel has adopted another "Best Buddy". Ian and Chelsea had a barbecue the night we arrived and we got all the information we could handle about Adak from Ian's parents (they were stationed on Adak when the Navy was active on the island).
After filtering the anecdotes on volcanoes, horrible weather, lack of quality food, turbulence, land mines, and poor heating systems on the island, we got some rest and headed to Cannon Beach, Oregon for the day.
The day, like all days since we left, greeted us with incredible weather. Isabel, not surprisingly, jumped into the ocean immediately. Cassidy was quick to recognize that we had a change of clothing sans underwear. The idea to quickly change her before said underwear got wet resulted in a proud moment of our beautiful daughter running down the beach with nothing but her t-shirt on while her father was in tow with her pants (oh yes...there are pictures).
Simply Amazing day, Ian and Chelsea!! Thank you so much for being such amazing hosts!
Leaving Oregon we headed North to my hometown! Picturesque Anacortes on Beautiful Fidalgo Island.
We stayed with my Aunt Nini and Uncle Jon. My aunts name is actually Kandi, but to be honest...I have never called her Kandi and have no intention of ever starting. So...Isabel has followed suit and now cannot stop talking about Aunt Nini
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Wish they all could be California...
We left early Monday morning. Not the "It's kinda early" departure. It was pretty close to a late departure, that's how early we left. The ungodly hour of departure was well worth it (we will not discuss having to turn around for a wallet that was left in the house. Not really interesting enough to get into.) because the brunch that was awaiting us near Pam Springs was AMAZING!! Not as amazing as the steak dinner that was also prepared by the one and only DANA!!! It was like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Seven Birthdays all in one day. To say that Isabel was a little spoiled is like saying the Kennedy family likes a little wine with dinner. Thank you Dana and thank you Bobby!! Isabel said you were her "Best Buddy" on the way out of town, Bobby!
We spent the next eight hours driving up to Stockton to visit with Mike and Michelle (Cassidy's college friends). Another incredible meal and Isabel is out cold sleeping! Mike and Michelle have the cutest baby boy that just turned one. I am not saying it like "oh! He is just the cutest thing..." I am serious! I feel confident enough to place a large wager that he is, indeed, the cutest little boy in the world!
Tomorrow we are heading up North to see more friends and then further north to see family in WA. Isabel could not be better on this road trip. She is a real trooper and considering Dana gave her three popsicles and other untold treats for breakfast, she was remarkably well-behaved! Thank you to Dana, Bobby, Michelle, and Mike for all your hospitality! This trip has proven to be essentially stress-free. I don't know how many people can load up a car with luggage, a dog, two cats (one of which may or may not be in a conscious state due to his geriatric condition), a(almost) four year-old and have it virtually stress-free. We are truly blessed!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
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