I Knew It!!!

omg it's soooo cold here still. Look at that ice! But there are trees!!!

It's not supposed to be colder than Unalaska!!

Thanks for all the good wishes and prayers and I miss you two at work too!! and OPLG too... I got so very thoroughly checked out this am. I hated it!!! But he was thorough for sure....tomorrow I get an ultrasound of my neck tomorrow and I will go to an endocrinologist in ANC too. We all feel better that we know what I have. My thyroid is finally out of 'normal' range. I've been telling them that, but finally they all see that and know what is going on. So by fall I will hopefully be 100%.... unless I'm not. Only a 15% chance of that I read.

I did have a good day other than the hours spent getting poked and prodded, tested, x-rayed, listened to and palpated. My mother in law took me to the cutest and yummiest little cafe ever for a breakfast sandwich and a coffee...we saw 2 of my husband's co-workers and friends there and other guy I knew a little in jr high. I hung out with his cousin... we also walked on 2 beaches and went to a cute little kitchen shop too. (I got all green adorable little kitchen and alcohol accessories lol (things Alena will appreciate!)

We picked up beach glass, I LOVE to do that, it's the most relaxing thing ever...I do it all the time in WRG. I took pictures, but they're on my camera, not on my card and no cord --opps.

Ohh one of the guys at the coffee shop is SURE we'll be moved back here in 2 years....we laughed, yeah right

And Sonia-- I DO NOT have swine flu lol lol....

Anchorage...

It was 5am...we weren't quite awake!

Poor Hunter was NOT awake but wanted to say goodbye.

1 CB is such a good friend.....my salad and CD was yummmmy, I think the fishermen around me were jealous.

Poor hubby is a bit stressed....plus he was up until 1:30 working on replacing his tramsum on his skiff!

My twin....

It was gorgeous at home when I left, calm and sunny. I heard that changed afterward ..wheww.... My husband, eldest son and CB all came to the airport, I even got a Cabo salad and some cookie dough to eat on the long flight! Thank you CB that was so thoughtful and I was hungry and hadn't even thought about lunch 3 hours is a long flight when you refuse to eat chips or cookies with yukky ingredients!!!

My dear friend Heather picked me up in ANC we had a delicious dinner of caribou nachos with fancy homemade salsa. Last time I visited her and her family the caribou had just arrived from Adak where her husband had been hunting. It was hanging in bags on the back deck!! LOL it looked much more appetizing as hamburger :)

I've been friends with Heather for over 25 years, she's the best and so is her family, they take care of me when I'm in ANC. I brought them some king crab, moose, salmonberries and blueberries from home. They eat more wild foods than we do I think or at least a larger variety. Their dinners are better than any resturant!!


I feel better, go figure. On the way to see a dr though. It's so nice, so warm here...was 65 yesterday afternoon!! That's summer at home...

I'm Outta Here

I made 4 batches of these...yes it's my mother in law's recipe...the best ever!
I heard that Phil the janitor REALLY loved my bread, that's cool. It's not bad at all.

Just to be able to say I did SOMETHING on Monday...aka APIA day I made a bunch of rolls for my family and some wheat-jalapeno-cheese bread for me to use slowly and half to share with my co-workers (they got the rest of the moose roast and veggies too as my family weren't the biggest fans --too many veggies!) My daughter even mooched a couple deep fried chicken legs and some nasty mac (shells and cheese) from Sonia 2 hours after dinner that night LOL.

When I made the rolls I didn't even have strength to knead them, thank goodness for my trusty lime green Kitchenaide! I didn't take Advil, went to work so she could see how I really feel. It was very bad, long story short I'm hopping on the plane in just over an hour. My husband had a discussion with my provider (I hate to make the DC reference but it was probably close to a 'discussion' that Keith off the Wizard might have!) he's a capt he's got it in him! So I'm leaving to see a doctor or doctors..who knows??

Sunday Picnic & Softball --BRRRRRR

My daughter being the catcher...she loves softball, we really need to play more often. No kids' leagues here. Too many people leave in the summer, we're some of them. We're outta here for almost 7 weeks to see lots of family all over the place.
She's so cool!
Sonia's man!
All the kids wanted Neil to come play!

She can pitch and catch!! I can just hit a bit, no catching for me. That ball is scary. That's why I'm not on a team, but she may join one, we'll come and cheer for ya Sonia!
That is one stylin' softball player!
Trying to get warm around the BBQ....we felt like hobos LOL
My softball player, again. This time near 1st base. We were just hitting, why run? LOL....
OMG someone got me batting too...ekkkkkk scary!!

Sunday I was laying around and sometimes worked on my pile of ironing...just 5 more outfits to go! Sonia called and said they were heading to the park for a barbecue and softball. My daughter and I were the only people at home, we packed up our softball gloves and s'more ingredients and went for 2 hours, it WAS fun and the sun was warm, sometimes... I'm so glad Sonia and her family moved here! My husband was busy fixing his transom (the part of the skiff where the motors are attached) Our beloved eldest kid hit a giant log while running the skiff last summer and it has to be reinforced with aluminum (??) or some metal...glad Sonia is here and we can keep each other entertained. I hear rumors of them getting a boat, so I think she'll be bored with me!

Coffee House & Swimming...

Only my husband (and maybe his mom too) would wash the truck at 11pm, so it'll look good the next day!
Kyle is a very cool and talented kid --he's also been on my blog making Valentine's Day cards to sell, being the announcer at the swim meets, playing xbox, and volunteering at the 'run' Gigi and I did!
SB also was GREAT! I remember her singing on a channel 8 show a couple years ago.
Don't mind my husband's face, it was an accident with a new shaver, his face will be back to normal very soon LOL! Deedee and Eric had some extra seats, thank goodness, it was sold out, they didn't even let my son and his friend in and they'd already paid...???? ohhh well, I'm sure they were happy to go to his buddies house and play Wii or chat or whatever they did.
Alysa and Lynda are always entertaining!
They are so cute together! I have done Storycorps several times, so was not teased whewwww.....
It's Saturday, need to include a shot of my daughter swimming, I even talked my husband into joining me on the deck. I took a long nap after, I'll never get used to standing for over 2 hours in that heat and humidity! Lori just suffered an eye-rolling injury LOL...just one more meet until next fall!

Saturday was busy as usual --just another month and events DO slow down. Summer is for vacationing and fishing-hiking-camping. There are just a few community events per month.
Some musical friends talked my husband into attending the Aleutian Arts Council's Coffee House. He's never gone to anything besides a few Fireman's Balls that I can recall...so it was a real treat that he took some time to attend an event! The music was great! Our daughter now wants to learn how to play guitar. I think my favorite performer was Kyle... he shows up on my blog quite a bit, what a cool kid! The MCs were great too. Their "You know you live in Unalaska if..." jokes were so true! I hope Sharon posts them on HER blog...hint hint...Wonder if she's done being perky for awhile? That's 2x in a week, I would be exhausted! One time a month is plenty I think :)

Favorite Day of the Year!!

Some healthy fruit and oatmeal with apples and pears for the breakfast party!
She was queen for the day!

It's APIA day, a holiday that nobody else has every heard of and that's why it's my favorite day of the year!! I'm off, along with most of my office --the boss seems to not take the day off. NOBODY ELSE is! I think this is the 1st APIA Day that one of my kids isn't sick --funny how that happens, someone always needs to be home with me. I have music going, the washer, the dryer, the dishwasher too and several windows open, it's lovely!!
Going to run to the library and pay my fines (oops) run some more errands, make some moose roast for dinner (if you haven't had it it's so much better than beef!) and clean the house so it's not too hard to whip into shape for Sonia's Bunko this SAT. She has NO parking and some 'unique' neighbors....So to anyone not celebrating today's holiday --SORRRY!!!! I'm getting paid to be home YAYYYYYYYYYYYY!

It's also my co-worker who shares my office's birthday!! She's out of town, but we had a surprise party for her before she left! Happy Birthday Irene!! Hurry home, it's too quiet in the office!

Whenever Alena Comes Over There is Alcohol

Is it Wii or Xbox? I don't have a clue...that pile that looks larger than SP is my pile of clothes to iron, yes I actually enjoy ironing!!

CB, we need to get you back over the PAMA is getting low!!Still laughing....we had a fun day.

Sad when this is bonding...They were playing Wii, but ended up like this!
OMG I have gray hair in the back!!????
She'll eat any junk food that is free so I made some peanut butter chocolate cookies...I have to feed her a lot, how else will I ever win the contest with a thyroid 'thing' going on??

Another observation from one of my kids....they're fascinated with Alena! We had so much fun at lunch and my husband was out fishing, again LOL...he sort of likes to do that! Alena is missing Mr. Clark in SFO and Sonia's man was playing Halo, again! We visited over a couple Pomegranate maritinis while my kids and an extra 12 year old, who entertained us by playing piano off and on entertained SP.

That Ship Makes My Husband's Boat Look TINY!!

Alena (the Hobo eater), Sonia (who LOVES the Friday Seafood buffet...enough said) and me who professes to eat healthy yet is addicted to sweet potato fries all went to lunch today, I laughed sooo hard, my heads hurts...that could be my Ibuprofen wearing off LOL...I now have 2 nodules in my thyroid ewww....I wish I was getting out of here sooner!!
Anyway...
After eating a bunch we ran over to check out the cruise ship, chuckling at the passengers was fun, they're so cute, so bundled up, have such furry hats, such shiny shoes and so face-lifted, but we wanted to see how ginormous (Alena word, she's on a kick making up words this week) the vessel really was!

My husband saw us and waved from the wheelhouse of the teeny little skiff that he runs..... LMAO it's 156ft and bigger than most anything on DC...but looked so small next to that cruise ship!

Home Survival Suit Drill

Since spring officially came Sunday according to my husband. (he does know a thing or two about weather out here, really!) He uncovered his big skiff with the big manly outboards (twin 150s) and started to go fishing. He didn't catch anything "worth bringing home" I don't even think he cares, he just loves being on the water. I guess that's good as it's pretty much his life, except for some raquetball and teasing the 4 of us at home and Alena too...he loves to give her grief!
He runs a boat and is quite irritable if he can't sport fish when home. Soooo he also pulled out his survival suit and did a drill, he's able to unroll and don his suit in 33 seconds. I'm glad he's fast, hopefully he'll never need that skill, but he's got it done nonetheless.

Link to Live NYO Competition

http://www.bssd.org/

Here is the NYO competition. If you want to see something very very Alaskan! It's going through SAT I think.
Jr does say he's about the only blond there LOL...

WOW!! I'm SPOILED!! THANK YOU MARGARITA

These frogs light up! Pretty soft colors...tooo cute!
YUMMMMMY!!! This is a new kind, with some squash chips too!
Look at all that glorious green-ness!!!
I'm making that salad with pineapple and pistachio pudding, nuts etc.

Green Peeps will be toasted in a bonfire!!

I got a green care package this week!! I love it! Thanks so much Margarita! We opened the chips immediately --YUMMMMMMY! The frogs are on my desk, I'll add a picture later this morning. the tea and the post-its I shared with my co-workers. the pasta we'll eat when the dad goes out to sea! He'd NEVER eat colored or cheese-filled pasta LOL...The biscuit mixes (omg my family's favorite!) I will use as soon as I get the energy. I've been asked daily since Easter when I'm going to make biscuits and gravy...tooooooo much work!
The rest I'll bring home and let everyone help themselves. My daughter pouted a bit becuase of the lack of Moon Pies! I was OK with that LOL LOL.... we're going to have a bon fire and invite Sonia's family over to show them how fun it is to burn Peeps and them eat them! (Green Peeps!!! How cool is that????) That Store didn't have Peeps this year --what's an Easter without Peeps??? So -yay!! We have them now :)
I feel so spoiled, I better go to LFS or somewhere and find something cool to reciprocate!

Good Luck Native Youth Olympics Team.

Me: What is THAT pose?
JP: It's my cute pose!!
Jr: Please leave now Mother! Me: But you're so cute in your uniform. Jr: *rolls eyes* Me: OK, OK leaving now...
PT to me: Bye Mom, Love you!!
Now that is a cool 17 year old, but everyone in this community already knows that!!


I had to run to the airport to say bye to the boys. I just can't get over seeing these guys in an activity that isn't electronic! It's great!! There were a bunch traveling, I just got pics of my 3 favorites!
I have to say our airport is about the ugliest place in the whole world! What is up with that?? It was "remodeled" a couple years ago, ohh well...it's a busy place, needs to be pretty durable.

It's Just WED

Doing outdoor stuff...not by choice!

Mixing paint, it's been a stressful month for this teen, all this HARD work. Why can't a guy just lay around and relax????



Big brother teaching sis how to make chocolate dipped strawberries --YUM!!

I have been doing nothing but being whiney this week. I pity my co-workers and family --sorry everyone! I did go to the Grand for lunch yesterday and had some sweet potato fries, that helped a bit. I'm going to an endocrinolgist in 3 weeks, so that is something, I AM trying to be less pitiful, really.
I had a meeting last night for a couple hours, I learned there is a new blog in town (we are THE MOST blogged about town in the country, right??) http://kucb.wordpress.com/
Our beloved TV/Radio station, talking about local "stuff"

My eldest son is leaving in less than an hour for Native Youth Olympics --not sure exactly what he does, something with kicking and carrying...I better get pictures of the competitions. He banned me from practice, I guess I'm a bit annoying with my cameras!

It's spring now, it's warm...after the horrible rain storm yesterday --CB is funny--- I parked on the far side of a GIANT puddle (1 of 3 actually) at the Grand yesterday...CB said, "Oh no, are you parked on the other side of the 'Koi Pond'??" Yeah right!! Those are GIANT and DEEP potholes.... LOL it took Sonia a few minutes to get that one heheh....

My husband is taking the boat out for the 1st time tonight, taking Sonia's husband too. I don't even know what they can catch --maybe halibut?? I think they just want to play....wonder if he'll use the gorgeous new truck to launch it or borrow the teen's truck (YUK I'd not want to go inside that truck myself!)
OK heading to the airport to say byeeeeeee and goood luckkkkk to the team.

Friday and Saturday in "Funalaska"

I love to chat with these two friends, they're the only ones that know what it's like to be married to a guy who is gone half the time to the Bering Sea!
Half of the Halo-Obsessed people. I forgot to get my husband, Sonia's husband, my daughter, Sonia's son and the new boss who were all in the other apt across the hall.
CB and I manning our post...Champagne and sashimi (sp?) I found an olive tank top today while straightening up my closet...darn it! I need a wider variety of green tops!
Always helpful, CB is tying a tie for someone who didn't know how to do it!
Pattycakes and her husband Dave!
Gigi who seems to win everything!!!!
Lovely ladies who were serving across the aisle from us. They had pasta with scallops and white wine, way better than those reds everywhere else.
Blogger guys all dressed up!!
Us...wonder who took this picture LOL..
I took a whole series of pictures of CB fighting with this particular bottle. It was really not wanting to be opened. The other 12?? Guessing were much easier to open. Not that I even tried! I let him do that. I made sure everyone was offered sashimi and punched their card.
My daughter's favorite event. Swim meets are soooo long. I can't multi-task I'm stuck there watching everyone....It's just hot and long, but I am very proud of all the kids for working so hard!
Alex brought a little friend Chris over FRI night, they were adorable. They played Twister and held their own in Apples to Apples too!
Halo zombies doing what they do. I forgot all the teens "versing" them from the back room, opps!
Hehehe Sonia's husband blending in with the kiddos..
YUMM!!! The chef-kid made choclate-peanut butter ice cream for us.
My salsa was a hit (thanks Alena for the fresh cilantro, several people asked about it. But homemade sweet potato fries were horrible!! I made homemade lemonade which Sonia though was hilarious. Don't know why???? She cracks up at me making things from scratch. I think it's fun.
YUMMMMMMY cilantro from Alena! Who had a freak accident with a vodka bottle and was unable to attend??? WHATEVER!!!!

I'm a bit behind, there was so much going on this weekend. I slept in-between events! One Friday night we ran over to CB's, then my husband's co-workers came over for Halo...
Saturday morning was more swimming....my daughter did very good for a girl who had pneumonia and missed the meet last SAT and 2 practices during the week.

Saturday night, was great -- a very documented Wine Tasting. Chris Graves paired me with CB and champagne...the beverage I liked a little...the others eeechhhh not my favorite. We were the 1st table, we'd get everyone as they came in and it was far from the PA system (yay!) it was quieter than some of the other stations and very fun. My son picked me up -- I was sampling the champagne a bit now and then LOL...and dropped me off at our friends' apartments. It was a party in 2 apartments. They were "versing" each other in Halo after watching some pay-per-view Ultimate Fighting Match which I missed --darn it LOL... I hung out with Linda and Sonia and Fred's sis who is visiting from UAF. I heard my husband and the people from the other apartment on the TV (scary!) Halo players sure are ummm...enthusiastic. We had some Starbucks liqueur and milk while visiting and trying to ignore the Halo. We really need to come up with an activity to do while the others are playing that dumb game!!