sisters and snow.

I'm counting down the days till my sister, Anna, arrives. Less than a week! There are a couple interesting turns of events:

1. Anna does not like anything below 70 F. Since it is presently 18F outside, we are going to have to go shopping ASAP for warm things. Lucky for Anna, the fact that i live on the top floor in an apartment that traps heat is a great thing. No heater on and still over 70.

2. Anna decided to bring some friends with her on this trip. Apparently, ala travelocity gnome, she and her girlfriends are taking plush things with them on their holidays. So, what does my ingenious little sister decide is the best and funniest thing she can think of:
   
   Yes, Anna thinks taking Ebola to Seattle and the Black Death to Israel is about the funniest joke EVER.
   
   
   
3. We had a bit of a blizzard on Monday. Seems Alaska is intent on coming here if I'm not there. This makes Adam insanely grumpy because he desperately wants snow to play in up there and the winter is, thus far, VERY dry.
4. One week till all i have left is an exam!

one month

Till i acquire the following:

1. JD
2. MRS
3. ANC

So excited for friends, family, fun and finishing!!

on birthdays and marriage

it's birthday season in the our immediate familia. The parental and youngest sister all have birthdays in just over a week span.

the first two belong to these:



Usually i write some schmoopy things, but today I want to honor the fact that my parents have been married for well over three and a half decades--that's over 35 birthday's together. They are quite different personalities, joined together by their love of each other and focus on the spiritual nature of their lives. Having this example of stability is one of the things I am most appreciative to them for. What they have demonstrated is that unconditional love really is unconditional--you love people through locations you don't like (NC), bad perm hair styles, pocket protectors, crazed children, and around the world adventures. 

I am epically grateful and miss seeing them everyday more than i ever expected.

windstorms and strange clouds

Here's a list of crazy things that have happened in the last week:

1. I saw my first moose-in-a-neighborhood. Here Moosey is:

2. As I was leaving Anchorage, there must have been snow falling on Hillside at sunset. The result was a fuschia curtain over part of the city that already looked totally steel blue with white snowy mountaintops. It was amazingly beautiful and taught Adam and I to carry the camera EVERYWHERE.
3. Last night there was a crazy windstorm and at one point I thought all the windows in the apartment might cave in. This prompted a need to make stew for dinner tonight :) I can't tell you why those are connected....just that they are.

The truth is that I really enjoyed Anchorage. The weather is drier there and so low 30s feel more like mid 40s in Seattle. Again, no explanation for that, just how it is. The wind, however, is mighty chilly and I think a balaclava is in my future (that face covering thing....not to be confused with Baklava). We are into the final push folks. Anna arrives in two weeks, my parents in three, and Adam in four. I am absolutely thrilled that friends and family from around the world will be pouring in and cannot wait to show them the city we have been calling home for the last four years. I also cannot wait to get started with our life in Anchorage, find a job, and learn to cross-country ski.  Bring on the snow!

6 hrs.....

I'm grateful to Mitch---he's taking me to the airport on his way home from work. I'm taking three suits (one of them is not mine and i suspect its owner is not going to be able to abstain from wearing it before our wedding, but he insisted that i bring it so he can get a matching shirt), a xbox and kinect (devin rocks), and all the papers i could possibly need to write a paper on NAGPRA/ANCSA.

Here's what it looks like today (that's the stunning Alaska Mountain range in the background---i think its Denali Nat'l Park??) Click on it to make it MEGA.

Adam says my stilettos are a bad plan. Hmm. so i bought new boots, but they don't match my suit. Apparently, i'm meant to wear my snow boots to the door and then change into my cute shoes. *skeptical look**

Wish me luck!

T-48 hrs

Till i get on a plane to go see this in person:

Photo credit: Mark Torgerson, Eagle River, AK

magical hourglasses

Yes, I am going to continue incessantly putting up webcam pics of Anchorage. I don't have anything else to put of pictures of and pictures make my blogging MUCH better.


Anchorage 9:30am

You know in Harry Potter when he's talking to that professor who collects people and they are talking about the funky hourglass the sands of which stop flowing when conversation is good?? Well, I wish I could make the sand in my hourglass slow down just the tiniest bit so that I could feel like I have my feet under me.  Every time I turn around another week has gone by and I am one more week closer to graduation and wedding without having gotten through 90% of what I need to.

My lovely and supportive friends are all gracious in offering to help; but unfortunately, none of them can write a paper on the nature of Alaska Native corporations in NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) because of ANCSA (Alaska Native claims settlement act) or go take my Remedies exam for me. Nor can they train not one but two replacements in the upcoming weeks at work or go knock 'um dead in my interviews trip to Anchorage this coming week.

Anchorage 8:30am

My lovely work friend Stacey is originally an Anchorage girl and is being VERY kind and letting me raid her parent's garage and borrow her cross country skis for the winter (located in ANC). That save a bundle of money and means that if it turns out cross-country is not for me then no harm no foul. Let the winter adventures begin!! 

It's crazy to think that in 52 days we will be official married and calling Alaska home.

Tell me what makes time fly and slow down for you...