We're HOME!

We're home, I unpacked all 9 of my bags....I didn't even MEAN to have that much crap....REALLY! They're not actually put away, but everything is out of the 'luggage' and in a pile that is near where the items belong --that's a start I say!

I have some pics from the journey home but I must take care of the piles first. I'm only posting the pile of food that I aquired. I won't even put the pics of the DVDs, my mail, the scrapbooking (which I did nothing on while gone) clothes, books and gifts.

CB, JS, AU, Bossy even JP were at the airport to pick us up and it took both JS's SUV and the van that bossy was borrowing to get us home OMG! THANKS GUYS!! It's chilly and gray but seems to be getting better. I napped for 4 hours this afternoon on my couch it was LOVELY!!!

I think we're having pizza over here....I remember a phone call mid-nap...I'll just work on my piles and see if people show up! Bossy is a slave driver I'm due at the office by 7:59am :)

And my husband cleaned the house so well it smelled like a new house when we walked in...hooray! I'm very happy to be back in my own world. I'm also sending Jr to the store if I need anything...I hear Safeway is a disaster. He got us some eggs, milks, cheese, fruit and bagels I couldn't think of anything else I was so exausted.

Needed SOMETHING to Do!

My little lasagna for us to sample, I can't ever remember making this before. Note to self: More sauce is needed!
Manderzz playing Triploy.
Random air freshener on a car parked in the hotel parking lot...WHY? WHO?
The big lasagna. Next time I should get it perfect, but they shouldn't be too picky.
The cookies...we didn't even eat one! I did leave some for my sister to bake when they get here to visit.
Jr & my fill-in Juno.
Most of the ingredients I used...

There hasn't been a THING going on for days....I was so bored yesterday that I had a headache and was sleeping on a love seat. My mother's friend Renee is trying desperately to take their family boat out tendering, her husband has been medivaced, the engine is broken...all the usual drama that seems like goes with boats (except the boat my husband runs...OK shutting up, but really, they seem to avoid most drama with THINKING ahead and having contingency plans...but without drama there'd be no DC, right?)
Renee isn't much of a cook and has been working on pumps or the engine and other things that I'd never even try to take apart (Lots of admiration for her even trying to keep everything going) So we decided that they needed lasagna, garlic bread and lots of cookies. YAY! Something to do and it'd help her and her boys (AKA crew) and the random skipper from Sitka. Juno took my place in Tripoly and did very well, whewww my bag of pennies looks about like it did before she sat in for me.

We are going to the movie tonight...heading to ANC tomorrow morning, maybe to another movie tomorrow night, depending on what Heather has planned. Then home at 7am on TUE. That'll be interesting. These nocturnal brats up early 2 days in a row. Maybe I'll get them back on a normal schedule!

Ohhh big treat!!! I hear that Aunt Daisy made homemade root beer and is giving us some!! We haven't had a relative talk to us in nearly a week!!

41 Gifts....or Close to 41

My favorite piece of sea glass ever! It's pink, 4-sided and jsut adorable!
Me with one of my 40-ish gifts!
Jr's famous strawberry cake...so moist and delicious.
The pile! Complete surprise, I had no idea.
Brandon the cofee shop guy...ohh Brandon WHY? WHY? WHY? He's says he was hot and cut his hair, we think he had some cocktails (there were tumblers on the porch here at the hotel) AND he was "sick" yesterday hmmmmmm.

My mom and my sister collected 41 gifts for my birthday, was supposed to 40 for last year, but mom and I didn't make it to my party :( . This year we're taking off early so we had a small party tonight. Jr and Juno made a yummy and cute cake, and Mom's 2 sweet friends came for some cake & ice cream.
I loved it all! I got 9 seasons of Stargate --yay! I just need the last one. Lots of baking cups, body & bath and scrap booking goodies too! And a few books to add to my large "to-read" pile. Some office-supply type things (I especially love the pen and the sticky notes for chore lists) I'm exausted LOL don't like attention on me for that long, no really I don't!
Last night we picked up more glass on the beach downtown. I found more shades of blue than I've EVER seen! I also found the coolest piece ever!!! A light pink perfume stopper...it has X's or crosses on it and is really "done" unlike a lot of the glass we come across here.
Tomorrow some homework for Health Information Law class, workout and maybe to the movie...counting down the days until Monday. No volcanos better impede travel to Unalaska!!

Busy Day in Wrangell

All the brats went swimming!
The lifeguards were young and not too strict, the kids were able to have some fun!
The museum had more petroglyphs.


Wyatt Earp was the fill-in sheriff for 10 days once, very fun trivia.

The teens from the Aleutians have NO idea which wood was which at the guess the wood game....they just stared at it! Wood?? Trees??
The guess the furs was a bit better, Juno knew that the otters were "some sort of water mammal" And We guessed the wolf too. My cousin does have a wolf carpet? carcass? eww...a big scary, not-too-pretty wolf at her house, so that one was familiar --from years past!!
Jr had to make a rubbing for his grandma.
The practice petroglyph.

This town is weird, the sun rises at 4am...birds sing. One sounded like Jr's text message notification...omg as I type this I realize it probably WAS his phone LMAO...I'm glad I woke him up at 12pm. He's swearing it was a bird....then that gave him the idea to send a few texts... I want my own room at home and not a bunch of bunks! The other stupid bird sounded like bleehh bleeh.... I like the birds at home, I'm used to their noises.
I mailed my husband's birthday pkg, just a couple days late, opps it's a tradition for me to be late. The post office here is the oldest and more ornate I've ever seen! We hit the museum, got a couple more totes and a few little things at a sort of general store that has the most random stuff. We went to the gym/pool AND a long walk on the new beach finding beach glass ! That's a lot for a day in Wrangell.

We Opened Presents to Cheer Us Up! Thanks Margarita!

9th grade me! My face looks round?? I was skinny --weird! (yes, a bit obsessive)PC's brother is on the Incentive, but THAT show doesn't show anyone besides the captain very much.
All the snacks from Margarita!! Thanks so much!
Wow!!
The kids were so bored they even played several board games today.

It's still blah and I'm ready to be home, I even started packing....I need another tote..oops how does that happen!? But they don't sell totes at home and my theory is you can't have too many...my friends have been alerted, I hope they can come up with a van to pick me, my entourage and all my luggage up next TUE.

Margarita spoils me! We got a bunch of Moon Pies, some healthy cookies and a TON of pecans. CB and I already have a plan for those...we're going to have one of our get-togethers crack them, toast them and make spiced pecans and candied pecans!! THANKS SO MUCH!!

The kids played some games and took a walk in the drizzle, I went to the gym. I booked a bunch of travel :) It's a habit, I can't stop! My husband is going moose hunting, WE are going to ANC for him to get his wisdom teeth out --ouch! Then on to celebrate our 20th annv a bit early in Cabo. We got married in NOV which is a very busy time, he's never home, not sure why we chose that date. We got married, he went crab fishing never even got a "Real" Honeymoon..I went on a FAM trip to Britain, I'm not dumb. I was a travel agent, we went on several trips before kids, but haven't since the almost 18 year old was born! Should be fun!!

Sooo I suffered through and made my mother suffer through 1 hour 50 minutes of DC tonight, but was rewarded at the end with a bit of Crosby, cute kiddo! Like those teeth :)
They're never going to show the Incentive crew very much, I can tell that, so here is my 9th grade crush, PC. His brother Dominic is on the Incentive...I think PC was on the Wizard for quite awhile, we used to see him off and on around Unalaska, but haven't for years. I haven't changed at all, RIGHT?? They don't show the crew much, but I saw Nunilon tonight CRACK me up...he looks so different (bigger) And Doug....I have a couple Doug stories, but they do not put ME in the best light LMAO...and one isn't even true, his memory is obviously not great!! Really Alena! it isn't true!!

Today Is a Weird One For Sure!

Surprise!! Juno came to visit..remember I mentioned that there was teen drama in the works?
Jr..thinking about seeing the kitchen crew --REALLY he is also excited to go back to work! Are we crazy? Work is more fun than laying around??? What is that?
Juno brought me 3 new sock creatures!! Way to get in my good graces!! 2 funny chickens out of toe socks --the pink one has sparkles even!! And the bunny is hilarious, he's 4th of July-ish yet a serious ninja at the same time.
She also made one for grandma...these 2 kids are good, I've got to say! Anyone recognize him?? It's a favorite character from a Sci-Fi show.
I asked my mother who she preferred Ronan from the wall or her "other dude" she is holding...she said physically Ronan DUHHH! And the other for his intellect! Mom is so cute...Jr. reminded her, "Grandma I'm in the room!"

OMG My friends are making me get teared up! I've never been so missed!! Thanks guys!! I'll be there soooon! And back to work too! (I've decided that working is less of a hassle than waiting on people all freaking day long without getting paid!) Cooking 3 meals a day of regular food and one gluten-tomato-potato-peanut butter free so I guess that's more like 6 per day is too much! At home the brats can do for themselves more....I'm just crabby for lots of reasons today, but my friends are making me feel very loved and missed! And now we get to meet CB's lil sis and nephew..will she be there for the Sunday brunch or do we need strawberries at home? Anyway looking forward to having loads of summer fun -- fires, walks, beaches, games, TV, cocktails...everything that we love....except fattening food! I'm off that!

Ohh bossy... did I mention that I have to go on vacation with my husband this fall for our 20th annversary --NO KIDS!!!!

Today a surprise arrived on the plane ---

It's TRUE..We're Out of Here Early!

Itinerary and Fare

Flight	Departs	Arrives	Details
Alaska Airlines 65	Wrangell (WRG) 10:31 am Mon, Jun 29	Anchorage (ANC) 2:39 pm Mon, Jun 29	Coach · Boeing 737-400 Two stops/plane change70% On-Time Meal: None Total: 722 mi · 2 hr 48 min
Alaska Airlines 3286 Operated by	Anchorage (ANC) 7:00 am Tue, Jun 30	Dutch Harbor (DUT) 10:00 am Tue, Jun 30	Coach · Saab SF340A/340B Nonstop Meal: None Total: 788 mi · 3 hr Sorry K, I don't mean to hurt you guys!!!

Free Junior?

CB cracks me up!
Mine is the 1st bunch on the left, Jr's the middle with all the bottle tops and Manderzz' on the far right.
Manderzz' treasures she found pink & lavender and a good-sized colbalt blue!
Jr's pile, he finds so many bottle tops...I didn't see any!
He found a HUGE pink piece and some lavenders too!
My pile...beautiful! All the different shades of blue and aqua and turquoise, pink and lavender too.
The ferry we watched dock.

CB cracks me up...evidently CB's little sis really wants Jr's chocolate strawberries! CB is launching a full campaign to get us or just him home early! Jeff has threatened to break his own arm, and on CB's blog it says the entire staff is going to go on strike (yeah right!)
Cute, cute....have you met my mother? We can't tell her we're bailing out early!

Last night we watched a ferry dock and today we discovered a "new" beach that had more blue, turquoise, aqua, pink, violet and all shades of light green sea glass. We got all of these in just 45 minutes That is our new "thing" find some other beaches, we're tired of going to the same beach.

Tonight we're going to open our "surprise" boxes from Margarita! It's time to see what fun is in store!! She spoils us more than we deserve!!!.... After we see Star Trek again, I am drinking a big cup of coffee to make sure I stay awake.

Petroglyphs & Sea Glass

These are ginormous canning jars..maybe 2 quarts? I bought at a garage sale in Petersburg a year or two ago. The one on the left has huge pieces of glass and the one on the right holds all the tops of jars we found.
This is what is left after I took all the huge pieces out and the bottle tops.

This is just 2 hours' worth of picking up glass...jr and I. It's not even a challenge...

So odd, the waves are so mellow! We once took the ferry to Petersburg in the middle of the night, all 3 kids didn't even know we'd left the dock when I woke them up in Petersburg!
I cannot fathom the amount of "stuff" on the beach here....I really do prefer the beaches at home, so much more pristine.
One of the petroglyphs...
This one is hard to see.
Very faint petroglyph.
I wish they'd show up better! They're very cool and unique.
This "face" (my guess, probably completely wrong!) is fairly clear.
This storage shed is the coolest thing! It'd blow over at home in one season!!
They have nets, a little skiff and other fishing gear. The fishing is quaint here. That's not what anyone from Southeast AK probably wants to hear, but compared to home it is! The guys aren't even tough or dirty or anything LOL...very different breed than the guys back in Unalaska.
Maybe a bird?
Another view of the bird.
A reproduction, but it gives a better idea of what are on the rocks below.
I like this one.
Who made these?? Why aren't they all over AK?

What could this mean?


I love this one!

The sun came out a little yesterday afternoon, Dills was snoozing (he had to work from 11pm until 2am selling burgers to revelers... (They sold a ton!) Grandmas was napping too of course, it's not a diagnosable illness, really it's just that quiet here, we all nap often! No reason to hurry (complete opposite of the other 11 months of life for us) We went to our favorite beach to see the petroglyphs --
http://www.wrangell.com/visitors/attractions/history/petroglyph/index.html and see if any sea glass was "done enough" to bring home too. I know there were many more petroglyphs on the rocks, I am not patient enough to find them though.