A day in Haines, Alaska

Me in Haines at the Visitor Center

Fort Seward

Joelle

Flowers in a garden

Okay, more like an afternoon and that's just about all you need. But we had fun and it was good to see a new place. We took the 8 am ferry over from Juneau. We almost did get to go, there were no parking spots in the lot to leave the truck. They let us park in "crew" parking, there was one spot left. It was raining, but we started our walk into town. The only "taxi" service in Haines is $20/per person. To go 5m, I don't think so. We did have a "gentleman" stop and ask if we needed a ride, he gave me the willies, so we passed. A little later a young girl stopped and we rode into town with her. We went to the visitors center, asked about where to find a coffee shop and headed out to find it. As we walked we stopped at some of the shops along the way and there was the girl who gave us a ride.

We checked out the shops, went to the old military barracks, hung out at the library (we were done with "site seeing" (nothing left to see), then we went to have dinner (at 4 pm). We were discussing if we should spend the $ and call the taxi service when Joelle asked the waitress if she knew of anyone who would like to make $20. We ended up getting a ride from one of the cooks. He was a young guy who had moved to Alaska recently from Wisconsin. He drove an old Chevy with hole din the floor boards and a cabbage patch kid head on a stick in the be. It was a fun little ride. We spent the rest of the day at the ferry terminal and then headed to Skagway on the 10 pm ferry. More on our trip to Skagway later. MJ

My view . . .

This is GSI (Gift Shop 1 at the Red Dog Saloon) and what I look at when I work there. Just wanted to share. His head is above the bar on the other side of the wall, just above Wyatt Yurp's gun. MJ

Chunk o' Rock

That's what I came home to in the middle of the driveway. Big ole chunk o' rock. If it wasn't so late and I wasn't so tired, I would have taken a picture of it. I will take my camera with me in the morning and if it is still there I will capture it. Guess that's a risk you take when you live on the side of a mountain. It is obvious that it rolled down. So glad that we don't park on that side. MJ

The rock, in between the plywood that they put up to "warn" us I guess. It was gone when I got home from Haines and Skagway. I think that they chopped it up. There was a pile of rock that wasn't there before. I guess that's one way to get rid of it. MJ

Wow, What a Week . . .

It's been a busy, crazy one with work. The Dark Night is still selling like crazy. It is fun, but tiring. Today is my day off and I am doing a whole lot of nothing. I really don't plan of leaving the house.. I do need to do a little cleaning up. Joelle will arrive on Saturday. We will be going to Haines and Skagway for a couple of days. Haines will be new to me, so I am excited for that, some place new. It's just been daily life here. MJ

Happy Birthday Amanda Lynn

My Manda Girl. . .

This is our Manda Girl and today she turns 32. She is one of the most beautiful women I know. Her spirit and heart fill me with joy. She has a inner strength that has seen her through trying times. She'll be embarassed by this, because that's who she is. But this is one of my favorite pictures of her. Taken the weekend that the "cousins and Aunt Marlys" took over Gram's house in 2006. Good times. We have shared many special memories, laughs and tears growing up. Days on Lake Michigan, summer trips to Saugatuk, Clinton Fall Festivals, road-trip to Dan and Jen's wedding, Lenawee County Fair, late nights just giggling, Zoo Day, shopping for bridesmaid dresses, twice, learning to lean on one another when our hearts were broken, being strong, learning to cherish memories. She is a quiet soul who like my mom, sits back and takes it all in. She is so beautiful (which I think that she forgets) and I miss her all the time. Manda Girl we are looking forward to seeing your smiling face soon! Happy Birthday to you, from your two crazy cousins in Alaska.

The Dark Night

I am drinking coffee at 8 pm so that I can stay awake to work the 12:30 am showing of The Dark Night. We got to see it this afternoon. I ate too much popcorn and treats, my belly was a little unhappy. So I ate a burrito and drank some milk and water. I feel much better now. I am still trying to watch all those darn Batman movies and they are due back at 10 pm. I just put in the last one. We'll see if I make it, it will be close. I won't give anything away about the movie except that it is a little creepy. Yicks. There was one good trailer, Watchmen. Again, looks a little creepy, but one I will see. I better bug off, I have a few things to do before I head to work. MJ

Details of my day off. . .

I got out of work early last night, what a treat. I went to bed early and thus I woke up at 6 am this morning. I figured it was a good time to call my mom, I don't get to do that much any more with my work schedule. It was good to hear her voice. Of course she had to go into work early, go figure. So here's my day:

6 am wake up and call mom
7 am watch Enchanted (cute little movie)
9 am eat breakfast and decide to take a nap
9:20 am phone rings (Deb who is going to be the new Attendance Clerk and DHMS and I know
her through Chris - she had some questions about the job)
10 am shower
10:15 am continue the Batman Movie Marathon an work on Chilkoot Trail (start over with a new
file, easier to organize over 600 pictures - Yicks!
Noon make lunch (flour tortilla pizza and cream soda) take a break from Batman
Noon to 2 pm dishes, laundry
2 pm talk to Bob - we talk on the phone twice a week, Tuesday and Friday, it' good to hear his
voice
2:26 pm "freak-out" moment because I just realized that I forgot to feed the fish this morning

When I get out of my routine I am no good, ask the fish

2:30 pm make bed, water plants, clean up some more
3:00 pm more Batman Movies
4:00 pm All Star Game
5:00 pm see above
6:30 pm dinner - fettuccine alfredo, salad greens with cucumber, shredded cheese and ranch,
garlic bread (potato hamburger bun squished flat and toasted with butter and garlic salt),
water and a little cream soda
10:oo pm more Batman

Wow - long All Star Game - I am actually glad that it is over.

Not everyday in Alaska is an adventure, sometimes just daily life, but still breathe-takingly beautiful. MJ

Rossco

This is Tristan and Adam's dog. He is part Beagle and part Jack Russell. He is so cute and I was just love this picture. Tana took it before we left for the Chilkoot Trail and is you just look at his little face, he knows that he's not going. He likes to go hiking and I do believe from some of our hikes he is part mountain goat. Love this dog! MJ

Is anybody out there?

I keep checking all my blogs on my blog list and it seems that nobody is out there. Or at least nothing happening in there lives.
Here the excitement is all about movies. I saw Hellboy II on Thursday night an next Thursday it will be The Dark Night. With that, I rented the 5 Batman movies and have started watching them tonight. I still remember watching the first one with Sheri (who else? Tina?) at the old theater in Adrian. And owning the Batdance single on cassette. Ahhh, Good Memories.
The past couple nights at the theater have been a little hairy. Technical difficulties and lucky me, I got left there alone. That will never happen again - I will make sure of that by saying no the next time some says "I am going to move my car"!!!
I've got a great, fun story to share with you from Bob. It will be a back post, which I know, I complain to my mother for doing it, but that's the way it goes.
"Hi, I am Vicki Vale" Oh, Prince. Jack Nicholson is just creepy
Have I told you all that Bob also left me ice cream in the freezer? Cookie Dough Chocolate Chip - if I am not, well, I guess that I had better not finish that sentence - keepin' it PG, keepin' it PG.
Well, I had better bug off. I've got movie to watch and some ice cream to eat.

My Aaron, Nick, and Zac

The boys in order of the pictures: Nick, Zac, Aaron

My mom and I were having a conversation the other day and I told her when she moved here with us not only could she work at the schools, she could get a part-time job at the theater with me. Well, she replied "I did want to see the American Girl movie" to which I replied "oh, let me tell you, I work with Aaron, Nick and Zac and they all went to the preview last week, I couldn't believe it. When Aaron was telling me I just laughed and said "you have got to be kidding me" to which he replied "well, it was a Sunday night and we were all bored with nothing to do" and my favorite of the reply "we weren't the target audience" no kidding, would that be because you

re NOT an eight year old girl? We had a good laugh. Back to mom . . . "what are there names again?" Aaron, Nick, and Zac "That's the names of the boys that I work with". So, being the "dork" dork that I am I told her I would get their picture and post it on the blog. The other part that is a little strange . . . Mom's Zac, his dad works at Merillat. My Zac, his Dad is on of the owners, so needless to say, he works there also. So here are mine, it took 3 pictures to get one that they all agreed to and even then Nick is feeling the need to defend himself from Zac. I snapped the picture just as I said Zac's name (so he would stop dinking around). My little theater job is so much fun. I have meant so fun, wonderful people. I keep thinking that I will give it up, and then I take some time off and I really miss that place. We saw the preview of

HellBoy II last night. It was good. I had a really hard time staying awake, but I made it. By the time that I got home (2:30 am) and to bed, it was already getting light out. We only have 4 hours of darkness right now, 11 pm to 3 am. Next Thursday we are going to show Dark Night to the general public at 12 midnight. It should be fun, but another late night. My plan is to rent all the Batman movies and watch them on Tuesday to prepare for the "big night". MJ

I said bear, not clear!

This came to me in an email from Bob, I have copied it word for word . .

hey mol, i gotta tell you this, i think i need some ninja fish here. earlier today i was going out to the helicopter and some guys in a truck pulled up to me and said to watch out, there was a bear in camp. i looked down the road and the bear was about 100 yards away on a little dirt mound checking out a fake deer that is set up there for archery practice. no problem i just turned around and went inside. some people said the bear actually bit the fake deer. a few hours later i was working on the helicopter cleaning windows and jag (oh yeah jag is here for a couple weeks) and jarod were checking out the deer. i turn around and the bear is about 15 feet away from me and coming at me. i jumped in the helicopter and closed the doors. i started hitting the horn (there is a warning horn in the helicopter for low rotor speed i can make activate). the bear hesitated but kept coming closer. this was not a small grisly. i kept hitting the horn and finally he turned around and started walking away (after he got about 2 feet from me and the helicopter). i opened the door and yelled BEAR. that finally scared the bear enough that he kind of trotted away. afterwards i walked down to jag and jarod and asked if they heard me. they said they heard me but thought i was just makin jokes with the horn (an inside joke from something that happened earlier) and they thought i yelled clear not bear. they thought i was kidding again and pretending i was going to start the helicopter. this is what i get for being a smartass so much i guess. i was really trying to warn them there was a bear around. well after my heart slowed down we did have a good laugh.

Woke up with a bruise

Well, I knew that it was going to happen, after my spill down the stairs yesterday. It is an ugly thing. Go figure. It is a rainy mess outside today, so I think that I will be staying in. I need to fold up the tent (it was soaked from our last night, so I had to dry it out), get some packages around to mail, gather up recycle, work on my Chilkoot photos. So that is the plan. Then this evening Chris and I are going to go and see Wall-E, right now I am enjoying the Golden Compass. Our electrical rates went back down, so I am also enjoying the fireplace. It's chilly here. MJ

Go figure. . .

I make it 41/2 days in the wilderness, hike 33 miles through avalanche zones and over boulders, and only come home with one bruise. Then I come home and am "hoofin'" it to go to Blockbuster to return movies in between my jobs and bust my butt. I was walking down a set of stairs that connect two levels of downtown and I was just thinking in my head that I wished that I had on my hiking boots and not my tennis shoes, it as raining and a little slick out. Next thing I know, bamm I am on my butt and back and sliding down the stairs. At least I didn't spill my coffee, but my butt, back, elbow, head all are a little sore. Go figure. . .MJ

What is True Love? Part II

aka: What I came home to . . .

Bob and I knew that we would not see each other when I arrived home from the Chilkoot Trail. He would be flying out that morning. It was tough to say good-bye to him, I miss him.

We had Friday and Saturday to spend together and it was nice to just be together. Bob sewed ties for our tent, cut rope, double checked what I had packed, took me to Coastal and got me his Astronaut Pen, and weighed my pack (45 lbs). When we got to the Ferry Terminal he insisted on on carrying in my pack. Then he picked up the other girls packs and guess-timated the weight of each of theirs. He is a good man and so cute for looking out for me.

Advance forward one week and my arrival back to our condo. . .

The first thing that I see is the Finish Line, flowers on the counter, food in the fridge, he takes such good care of me and I am a lucky girl. I had a good little cry before I made my phone calls.

Tomorrow I return to work and daily life. I am hoping that my ody has recovered by then. I feel a little off, but good, so good. MJ

Here's the plan . . .

I made the separate blog about the trail, I am going to post pictures on Snapfish (it will take me some time, there were 3 cameras and 1 video so there is lots to sort through, but I will be working on them as much as I can. I go back to work tomorrow, so just keep checking. MJ

Home and Away

I arrived home today around 2 pm, returning safely from the Chilkoot Trail. Bob has left for Red Dog and I home to hear from him soon that he arrived there safely. I have much to tell you about the Chilkoot. If you look in our Blog List you will find the link to a new blog dedicated to the hike. It will be an on going process so keep checking in on it, I am sure that yo will find something to laugh about in there. MJ