Happy New Year All!
Well since my last blog, I got cross country skis! I am so very excited. I have yet to go out on them since we had 12 days of sub zero temps! With the very coldest getting down to about -25 degrees. It was definitely a test of what I was made of! Even the Alaskan were cold. However, we have had a rapid turn of events weather wise. Today it's 45 degrees! It was raining yesterday! It is approximately 60 degrees warmer today than it was last week! It's like Alaska is giving me a present for being so brave for the last few weeks :)
The kids actually got out of school today. This fact I find hilarious on the surface because -- Do they get out of school for -25? NOPE! Do they get out of school for a literal foot of snow? NOPE! They get out of school because it's warm and raining!!! Actually, the fact of the matter is that because we always have an snow pack on the streets of a few inches (meaning there is always snow on the roads -- never really clean pavement) the rain on top of that turns the whole city in to an ice rink! So with today's warm temps a lot of the snow is melting -- yet we live in Alaska - so it's going to freeze again and instead of being snow -- its going to be slick as crap ice.
I purchased some ice survival gear yesterday. They are ice cleats. You put them on your feet and they make all the difference in terms of not falling on your butt!
OH I almost forgot. The change in temp only got highlighted in the weather report. No special reporting from main street by a class B reporter or anything. I also liked the fact that today we are having 85 - 105 wind gusts. Does this make anyone raise an eyebrow -- NOPE. It's what happens here.
In non weather related events. I have been going to pub quiz on Tuesday nights. It has really been a lot of fun. And I am meeting more and more people. This weekend there is a Brewfest in town. I am volunteering to work the door on Saturday night, so I get to go for Free on Friday. It should be a good time.
I think the biggest news is my impending trip home! I am very excited to see everyone again. I have missed you. I am going into the WASO office (where I used to work) for two days to help out, seeing my friends and family then going to what shall be one of the funniest weddings ever! It's going to be great.
After DC, I am flying to Palm Springs to go to Joshua Tree National Park. I am shadowing the Pacific West Regional Fee Manager as she does an audit. I have never been to this park, so I am of course SUPA excited. From there I am flying into Denver for a few days to go to a meeting then flying back home. I am home for four days then I am going up to Denali for some more meetings. Needless to say, the packing for these trips is insane. I will blog as I crisscross the country.
I am not exactly sure, but I think I am kicking butt at my new job. People seem to be responsive....hmmm. It feels like I am anyway ;)
Also, there has been some pretty neat ice art around town. For New Years, they had a bunch of ice sculptures down at town square. And just last week the opened an art installation on Park Strip called "FREEZE" OH and it was freezing when the put it up. They were having hard time sculpting because the snow and air were too cold! . They had to kinda sorta warm the snow and ice up so they could make the exhibits. Unfortunately, with the weather getting warm, I think that they had to remove some of the exhibits before I went to go see it. So around the office we have been calling it the freeze/melt exhibit. ha ha ha. I have included pictures of both below.
I think I have a new reader out there -- Hi Dale! I actually moved to Alaska! Can you believe it? We miss you a lot! Hope all is well.
Well that is all I have to say right now. Everyone stay warm out there!
Until next time...savor the flavor and drink the blue kool-aide.
PS. Little did I realize in the previous post what REAL cold was like!
