Downhill skiing - What a blast!
Yesterday, the Trospers went downhill snow skiing for the first time. Ok, Robert skied before about 30 years ago but it has been long enough that time doesn’t count. It was the first time for me. We had a one-hour private lesson and I am pretty sure we were the oldest ones on the bunny slope. Most everyone else (including the only other person even close to our age) had snowboards. FYI – Snowboarders appear to fall more than newbie skiers. Of course – it is also easier for them to get up as they all looked to be 16 or younger.
It was a good lesson. The kid assigned as our teacher had been skiing since he was four years old and I'm not entirely sure he was out of high school yet but he did a great job. I came really close to a tree on one run as I couldn’t get stopped. The branches provided something to hold on to while getting turned around. Robert was at the bottom of the hill and couldn’t find me for a minute – then he saw the branches moving and figured out what was going on. I did have one other fall – a rather gentle lean over and hit the ground. The problem was I couldn’t get my feet out of my bindings and I was stuck until the instructor came to my rescue. I didn’t feel so bad though as he couldn’t pop them open by hand either.
The bunny slope here by our house is too small to have a towrope. Each time, we had to take off our skis and hike back to the top to go down. (I’m thinkin’ cross country skiing isn’t for me but this is just a guess…I haven’t tried it yet!) I am all for having something tow me up the mountain and gravity pulling me GENTLY back down.
After 90 minutes of this, we were tired puppies and it was time to come home for a bite of lunch and a nap. Then it was off to buy equipment as we are going to Alyeska to ski this weekend. :) I now own skis, boots, socks (yes – there are special ski socks – who knew), poles, bindings and probably some other stuff. If you have never had ski boots on, they are challenging and tight. Really tight. My feet were going to sleep and the person helping us didn't think that was a problem. (I did though and got a bigger size.) You also have to kick your heels back once they are on your feet to make sure they are on correctly. My new boots actually take an allen rench to adjust them. (Wonder if that will be an issue in the long run?) We pick up the equipment up tomorrow just in time for another set of lessons on the Olympic ready mountain Saturday. (I hear those bunny slopes have chairs – perfect!) I really am excited about it.
Gotta get back to the game! Right now it is 3rd quarter in the Texas Bowl and unfortunately, K-State is losing to Rutgers. Come on CATS – time to fight back and win!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
The Goose Was Good!
This Christmas was no different than past holidays. We ate too much – but the goose was good. Goose is dark meat and since it was smoked, it came out very reddish in color and it didn’t taste like chicken. There appeared to be a lot of grease in the goose but we warmed it on a broiler pan and most of it dripped off. Another nice thing about goose is they are small – minimal leftovers. If you get the chance, I suggest giving it a try. I would get one again!
This morning, Robert woke up to clomp clomp clomp outside. From all appearances, a moose was on our porch landing. Being the wilderness tracker I am (hahaha), he/she came up the side yard, nibbled on one of our birch trees in the back, then followed Squirt’s groomed trails around to the front birch tree. During the trek, he knocked over several large, precariously positioned snow piles - I thought I would have to shovel the path out again. (Moose are a tad bit wider than the shovel blade.) Finishing a few sprigs from the second tree, he moved around the porch to the landing, scooted down the steps and headed towards the raspberry bushes. BTW – it’s hard to miss moose tracks in 3-4 foot drifts of snow.
Needless to say when I took Squirt out for his morning perimeter check, he was on the trail the entire time. He knew where the creature entered the yard and where he left and it took several circles around the yard to assure the giant dog was gone. Later today, Squirt was barking up a storm inside. When I went to look, one of our neighbors had his 4-wheeler with his blade on the front stuck in a drift. I am pretty sure Squirt thought it was a moose and he was protecting.
Wednesday is a momentous day for the Trospers. It is our first downhill skiing lesson. We have reservations for 10am. I have never been on snow skis in my life. I assume it is a lot different than water skiing – at least I hope so as I was never any good and couldn’t stay up on the water skis. Robert has snow skied before but not enough to teach me and we don’t have the patience for that anyway. Unlike other sporting attempts, we are renting gear to start out. We have bibs, coats, etc., but the boots and skis are expensive enough we need to make sure this is something we are really interested in. Robert assures me I will like downhill better than cross-country since GRAVITY does most of the work.
This morning, Robert woke up to clomp clomp clomp outside. From all appearances, a moose was on our porch landing. Being the wilderness tracker I am (hahaha), he/she came up the side yard, nibbled on one of our birch trees in the back, then followed Squirt’s groomed trails around to the front birch tree. During the trek, he knocked over several large, precariously positioned snow piles - I thought I would have to shovel the path out again. (Moose are a tad bit wider than the shovel blade.) Finishing a few sprigs from the second tree, he moved around the porch to the landing, scooted down the steps and headed towards the raspberry bushes. BTW – it’s hard to miss moose tracks in 3-4 foot drifts of snow.
Needless to say when I took Squirt out for his morning perimeter check, he was on the trail the entire time. He knew where the creature entered the yard and where he left and it took several circles around the yard to assure the giant dog was gone. Later today, Squirt was barking up a storm inside. When I went to look, one of our neighbors had his 4-wheeler with his blade on the front stuck in a drift. I am pretty sure Squirt thought it was a moose and he was protecting.
Wednesday is a momentous day for the Trospers. It is our first downhill skiing lesson. We have reservations for 10am. I have never been on snow skis in my life. I assume it is a lot different than water skiing – at least I hope so as I was never any good and couldn’t stay up on the water skis. Robert has snow skied before but not enough to teach me and we don’t have the patience for that anyway. Unlike other sporting attempts, we are renting gear to start out. We have bibs, coats, etc., but the boots and skis are expensive enough we need to make sure this is something we are really interested in. Robert assures me I will like downhill better than cross-country since GRAVITY does most of the work.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
It's snowing again! Is Squirt in the yard?
For those of you who have visited us
in the past - yes - that is our patio table and chairs which used to set by the pool in Houston. I haven't measured yet but I am interested in seeing how high it will go.
As for Squirt - this is the most we see of him these days in the yard. Even though he appears to be stuck in a pile of snow, he is actually walking through one of the paths we keep open for him. In many parts of the yard we can't see him at all. He loves the snow and running around in it. In fact, we just returned from a little jaunt and he would rather walk in about 2 inches of snow than on hard pack (naturally with his booties on). Of course, he will put his entire face in a bank if something interesting smells good. This leads to a face full of snow and a snow beard. Nevermind all of the little snowballs stuck to the bottom of his tummy when we get home. At this minute, he is sound asleep in his bed in the office - from all appearances - a happy dog!
With walking as one of my main methods of exercise, I have to admit, slogging through snow anywhere from 3-6 inches deep is work. Add the 20 pounds of gear to keep warm and it is a workout. Thank goodness we have a three story house and every time I want something it is on another floor. It is our own version of the stairmaster and I would be really out of shape without them! One of these days we will have to try the snow shoes!
Sledders are out en masse this afternoon. Of course there are lots of good hills to sled on in this part of the country. On our path around the schools, there is a huge hill which looks like a lot of fun and it always crowded. It is tempting to buy a sled and try it again. (You know - returning to our childhood!). One little terrier of some sort was getting sled riding lessons this afternoon. He would much rather have been running through the snow with Squirt.
Christmas is only 30 some hours away. We will be trying something new this year for dinner - smoked goose. I keep thinking of Scrooge everytime I see the goose. How odd is that? It is thawing in the fridge now and as far as I know all we have to do is heat it up on Monday. Luckily, if we don't like it, geese aren't very big and there won't be much left over. I'll let you know how it goes!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Happy Shortest Day of the Year
Here comes the sun! (In a few weeks.)
On a separate note -
Robert has been griping about no snow. He should be happy now - it has been snowing here for 3 days. We are averaging two shovelings a day and it is over Squirt's head. No need to worry about him running out of the yard now. All he can see is white.
BTW - it's still snowing!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
The Great White Furry Hunter Has Arrived!
Yes - It finally happened.
The Great White Furry Hunter made his first appearance in Anchorage today at 5:30 am (Alaska Standard Time).
Because Squirt weighs between 11-13 pounds at any given time, he is prime Eagle bait. Eagles can easily carry off a 25-pound salmon so what is a little white fuzzy dog. Plus there is a remote possibility a bear could come along and Squirt would be considered a “Scooby Snack” and don’t get me started on the rabid foxes around Alaska. These dangerous animals required a new household rule – “Squirt must be accompanied by a human AT ALL TIMES when he is outside”. Squirt’s freedom has been limited (not that he really minds – it is actually a bigger issue for the humans involved).
Our winter weekday ritual starts with the alarm going off at approximately 5:25 AM. Since it is dark and early, no coffee has been had and with the “middle agers” aging (especially after shoveling an acre of snow by hand the night before), it takes a few minutes to get dressed and downstairs. Once at the bottom of the stairs by the front entrance, I flip on the outside front light to make sure there isn’t anything to be concerned about in the front yard, street, deck, driveway, etc. As we (Squirt and I) walk to the back door, I check out the western windows to make sure there are no large objects in the side yard. Continuing to the back door, I put on my hat, gloves, coat and snow boots (I expect this portion to be eliminated in the summer weekday ritual). All looks good - finally – ready to go outside.
By this time it probably a little after 5:30am – we will call it 5:35am. Off to the side yard we go. Squirt jumps off the deck onto his specially groomed trail and starts the morning perimeter check. After sniffing a couple of places and coloring some snow here and there he heads off to the front of the house and I hear a very deep bark. Woof – Woof – Woof WOOF!!!! (Well – as deep as Squirt can make his bark.) And he is gone in a flash. I hurry around to the front and Squirt has plowed into a snow bank and is standing - looking – ready to pounce. At first I don’t see anything as the front porch landing latticework is in the way. I think it is just the neighbor walking her Australian Shepherd. Then the moose raises its head. Ut-oh. There is Squirt – nose to nose – with the yearling we have seen around the neighborhood. OK – they are actually about 10 feet apart but close enough Squirt was danger.
There I stood on the deck thinking – "crap – what do I do now?" I tried the neighbor’s method of “Shoo! Shoo!” That didn’t work. Do I go pick him up? That puts me in danger and I don’t run so well in snow boots and deep snow. (Not that I am a gazelle without boots and snow.) Start throwing snowballs? Like I could hit the moose over the porch anyway. So, the lucky neighborhood was awakened by me sternly going off along the lines of “Squirt – NO – STOP - Come back here NOW – I MEAN IT – DON’T you dare - COME HERE” and repeat about 3 times. He was a good dog, finally turning around and the moose didn’t come after him. I was lucky to have the snow bank there (allowing Squirt the luxury of blaming the deep snow for not going any further) or he was scared and decided he had pushed things far enough with the GIANT dog. I am pretty sure the yearling hadn’t had the “Dogs are evil” lesson yet from momma as he didn’t appear to be ready to charge Squirt at any time. The ears stayed up in “normal mode” instead of lowering to “unhappy mode”.
When he finally got back to the side yard Squirt was too excited to do anything else. Then, adding to the morning events, here comes the neighbor with her shepherd. I warn her about the moose and she crosses to the other side of the street. The shepherd's barking did scare the moose off. As the yearling was running off, I started to wonder where Momma was. You don’t want to be between a Momma moose and her calf. It was definitely time to go inside.
Normally after we get back in the house, Squirt gets a biscuit and we go upstairs to wake Robert up – very calmly and quietly. Today though, once we got our winter gear off, I said, “Go tell Daddy” and off he runs – full steam up the stairs and on to the bed. By the time I get back upstairs, Squirt is on top of Robert repeating the entire chain of events dealing with his hunting adventures by barking incessantly. I’m sure that was a pleasant wake up call. :)
Guess I might have to consider a leash in the mornings now…
We noticed upon arriving home tonight the moose had made the rounds later in the day going through several yards including ours. Moose must have short memories of Great White Furry Hunters!
The Great White Furry Hunter made his first appearance in Anchorage today at 5:30 am (Alaska Standard Time).
Because Squirt weighs between 11-13 pounds at any given time, he is prime Eagle bait. Eagles can easily carry off a 25-pound salmon so what is a little white fuzzy dog. Plus there is a remote possibility a bear could come along and Squirt would be considered a “Scooby Snack” and don’t get me started on the rabid foxes around Alaska. These dangerous animals required a new household rule – “Squirt must be accompanied by a human AT ALL TIMES when he is outside”. Squirt’s freedom has been limited (not that he really minds – it is actually a bigger issue for the humans involved).
Our winter weekday ritual starts with the alarm going off at approximately 5:25 AM. Since it is dark and early, no coffee has been had and with the “middle agers” aging (especially after shoveling an acre of snow by hand the night before), it takes a few minutes to get dressed and downstairs. Once at the bottom of the stairs by the front entrance, I flip on the outside front light to make sure there isn’t anything to be concerned about in the front yard, street, deck, driveway, etc. As we (Squirt and I) walk to the back door, I check out the western windows to make sure there are no large objects in the side yard. Continuing to the back door, I put on my hat, gloves, coat and snow boots (I expect this portion to be eliminated in the summer weekday ritual). All looks good - finally – ready to go outside.
By this time it probably a little after 5:30am – we will call it 5:35am. Off to the side yard we go. Squirt jumps off the deck onto his specially groomed trail and starts the morning perimeter check. After sniffing a couple of places and coloring some snow here and there he heads off to the front of the house and I hear a very deep bark. Woof – Woof – Woof WOOF!!!! (Well – as deep as Squirt can make his bark.) And he is gone in a flash. I hurry around to the front and Squirt has plowed into a snow bank and is standing - looking – ready to pounce. At first I don’t see anything as the front porch landing latticework is in the way. I think it is just the neighbor walking her Australian Shepherd. Then the moose raises its head. Ut-oh. There is Squirt – nose to nose – with the yearling we have seen around the neighborhood. OK – they are actually about 10 feet apart but close enough Squirt was danger.
There I stood on the deck thinking – "crap – what do I do now?" I tried the neighbor’s method of “Shoo! Shoo!” That didn’t work. Do I go pick him up? That puts me in danger and I don’t run so well in snow boots and deep snow. (Not that I am a gazelle without boots and snow.) Start throwing snowballs? Like I could hit the moose over the porch anyway. So, the lucky neighborhood was awakened by me sternly going off along the lines of “Squirt – NO – STOP - Come back here NOW – I MEAN IT – DON’T you dare - COME HERE” and repeat about 3 times. He was a good dog, finally turning around and the moose didn’t come after him. I was lucky to have the snow bank there (allowing Squirt the luxury of blaming the deep snow for not going any further) or he was scared and decided he had pushed things far enough with the GIANT dog. I am pretty sure the yearling hadn’t had the “Dogs are evil” lesson yet from momma as he didn’t appear to be ready to charge Squirt at any time. The ears stayed up in “normal mode” instead of lowering to “unhappy mode”.
When he finally got back to the side yard Squirt was too excited to do anything else. Then, adding to the morning events, here comes the neighbor with her shepherd. I warn her about the moose and she crosses to the other side of the street. The shepherd's barking did scare the moose off. As the yearling was running off, I started to wonder where Momma was. You don’t want to be between a Momma moose and her calf. It was definitely time to go inside.
Normally after we get back in the house, Squirt gets a biscuit and we go upstairs to wake Robert up – very calmly and quietly. Today though, once we got our winter gear off, I said, “Go tell Daddy” and off he runs – full steam up the stairs and on to the bed. By the time I get back upstairs, Squirt is on top of Robert repeating the entire chain of events dealing with his hunting adventures by barking incessantly. I’m sure that was a pleasant wake up call. :)
Guess I might have to consider a leash in the mornings now…
We noticed upon arriving home tonight the moose had made the rounds later in the day going through several yards including ours. Moose must have short memories of Great White Furry Hunters!
Monday, December 18, 2006
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
Snowfall has been sparse this year but today started to make up for it. There was barely a dusting when I was out at 5:30am but it came down all day long. I just finished shoveling the first 6-8 inches on the deck, stairs and yard paths (Squirt’s belly is 8” high – you do the math). It only took the half time show and the last two quarters of the Monday Night Football game to finish. However - so Robert doesn’t miss out on the fun - I left the drive and sidewalk for him to snowthrow when gets home from his corporate dinner function tonight. (I fully believe in team efforts.)
At lunch today, Squirt went running outside full steam ahead and I don’t know if he thought it was all one level or what but he jumped off of the deck and landed in a snow bank. It didn’t stop him though – just slowed him down a bit. He sometimes gets confused especially if part of the snow is frozen enough to hold his weight and part isn’t. He has been stuck more than once trying to jump onto the deck when is rump is buried a snow pile. But we are always there to rescue him!
I hope all of you are well prepared for the momentous occasion which is very close at hand. No, no, no – not Christmas - the shortest day of the year occurs Thursday. It’s time for a celebration! We will have 5 hours and 30 minutes between sun up and sundown and then the days start to get longer. By February 21st we will have 9 hours and 41 minutes of daylight per day and it only gets brighter. (Quite frankly, I’m not sure I am done with my “winter’s nap” yet.) Our longest day will be June 21st which we will have 19 hours and 22 minutes of sunlight and a pink glow the rest of the time. Some of the suggested celebrations are cross country and downhill skiing (on lighted trails of course), showshoe with the wolves, hike, sled, mountain bike, etc. etc. Unless the wolves are cooperative, someone may have a hard time walking with them. Actually, the dark hasn’t been too bad. We are used to going to work in the dark – have done it for years. Now we just go home in the dark. I was really expecting it to be worse but with Solstice on Thursday, I realized – no big deal for us.
With the upcoming holidays, traffic was much lighter today than in the past as many people have left town for warmer climates however, I am sure the malls are just as crowded. I talked to several people and holiday destinations range from Philly to Southern California to Seattle to Hawaii. Some are even going to Europe and Africa. Now that’s a good way to spend Christmas week – on safari (maybe next year)! Holiday cheer and cheesecake abound at the office. I can’t seem to go to any coffee pot witout coming back with a piece of this or a taste of that. (Come on – you have to try it!).
Wow – it’s still snowing….wonder if we will have to shovel before going to work tomorrow???
At lunch today, Squirt went running outside full steam ahead and I don’t know if he thought it was all one level or what but he jumped off of the deck and landed in a snow bank. It didn’t stop him though – just slowed him down a bit. He sometimes gets confused especially if part of the snow is frozen enough to hold his weight and part isn’t. He has been stuck more than once trying to jump onto the deck when is rump is buried a snow pile. But we are always there to rescue him!
I hope all of you are well prepared for the momentous occasion which is very close at hand. No, no, no – not Christmas - the shortest day of the year occurs Thursday. It’s time for a celebration! We will have 5 hours and 30 minutes between sun up and sundown and then the days start to get longer. By February 21st we will have 9 hours and 41 minutes of daylight per day and it only gets brighter. (Quite frankly, I’m not sure I am done with my “winter’s nap” yet.) Our longest day will be June 21st which we will have 19 hours and 22 minutes of sunlight and a pink glow the rest of the time. Some of the suggested celebrations are cross country and downhill skiing (on lighted trails of course), showshoe with the wolves, hike, sled, mountain bike, etc. etc. Unless the wolves are cooperative, someone may have a hard time walking with them. Actually, the dark hasn’t been too bad. We are used to going to work in the dark – have done it for years. Now we just go home in the dark. I was really expecting it to be worse but with Solstice on Thursday, I realized – no big deal for us.
With the upcoming holidays, traffic was much lighter today than in the past as many people have left town for warmer climates however, I am sure the malls are just as crowded. I talked to several people and holiday destinations range from Philly to Southern California to Seattle to Hawaii. Some are even going to Europe and Africa. Now that’s a good way to spend Christmas week – on safari (maybe next year)! Holiday cheer and cheesecake abound at the office. I can’t seem to go to any coffee pot witout coming back with a piece of this or a taste of that. (Come on – you have to try it!).
Wow – it’s still snowing….wonder if we will have to shovel before going to work tomorrow???
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Something else to prepare for...
Every location had something natural that can cause problems. Midwest tornadoes, Gulf Coast Hurricanes, flooding most places, blizzards in the Northeast, etc., etc. Alaska is no different. We have volcanoes, earthquakes and when living on the coast, the possibility of tsunamis.
A couple of months ago, we had some friends who had just moved here from Oklahoma over to watch the World Series. Of course with all of us being relatively new to the state, we were talking about the wildlife predators – bears, eagles, wolves, etc., along with earthquakes as we had just had a 4.? the day before. One of the kids finally asked if there was anything else to be concerned about which started the volcano conversation. These aren’t something the typical midwesterner normally has to deal with.
We have several active volcanoes in Alaska. On our house-hunting trip this year we spent some time on the Homer Spit. From this location we could see Mount Augustine spitting ash and steam. The sky was clear and blue with minimal winds and the column of steam was going straight up in the air. It was picture perfect – what many imagine an active volcano should look like. While Anchorage is fairly distant from any active volcanoes and flowing lava, there is a real chance we could have problems with ash falls. Ash is one of those things you don’t go outside in. It is difficult to breath and cars don’t run for long. We aren’t supposed to run any kind of exhaust fans in an ash fall as all that does is bring the ash in the house somewhere else. I’ll bet there’s a “no electronics” usage rule too which would really put a damper on things if we couldn’t go outside.
Earthquakes are a different story. There is a very interesting site to check out called Recent Earthquakes and it is amazing how many earthquakes Alaska has each day. In fact, I have now been in 2 earthquakes registering over 4 magnitude. The first one I was in an elevator and didn’t feel a thing and the second one was Thursday night. I had just started the dishwasher and was washing up the few dishes that didn’t fit and Robert said, “We’re having an earthquake.” Me being the contentious person I am said, “No we aren’t.” He happened to be sitting in front of the desk resting his arm on the granite and the granite started to move North to South and he wasn’t. Once again, I missed it. The running water and working dishwasher were enough to mask the movement of the house. It was over in about 10 seconds. Then I had to check the earthquake site to see if he was kidding. :) Squirt doesn’t seem to notice. He has either felt enough not to be worried about it or Mom and Dad haven’t been concerned so he doesn’t need to be either.
However, this does explain why our pictures are always crooked.
On a different note – one of which I KNOW you are anxiously awaiting news – Momma and baby moose seem to have moved into the neighborhood. We have seen them three nights in a row and still don’t have the perfect moose picture!
A couple of months ago, we had some friends who had just moved here from Oklahoma over to watch the World Series. Of course with all of us being relatively new to the state, we were talking about the wildlife predators – bears, eagles, wolves, etc., along with earthquakes as we had just had a 4.? the day before. One of the kids finally asked if there was anything else to be concerned about which started the volcano conversation. These aren’t something the typical midwesterner normally has to deal with.
We have several active volcanoes in Alaska. On our house-hunting trip this year we spent some time on the Homer Spit. From this location we could see Mount Augustine spitting ash and steam. The sky was clear and blue with minimal winds and the column of steam was going straight up in the air. It was picture perfect – what many imagine an active volcano should look like. While Anchorage is fairly distant from any active volcanoes and flowing lava, there is a real chance we could have problems with ash falls. Ash is one of those things you don’t go outside in. It is difficult to breath and cars don’t run for long. We aren’t supposed to run any kind of exhaust fans in an ash fall as all that does is bring the ash in the house somewhere else. I’ll bet there’s a “no electronics” usage rule too which would really put a damper on things if we couldn’t go outside.
Earthquakes are a different story. There is a very interesting site to check out called Recent Earthquakes and it is amazing how many earthquakes Alaska has each day. In fact, I have now been in 2 earthquakes registering over 4 magnitude. The first one I was in an elevator and didn’t feel a thing and the second one was Thursday night. I had just started the dishwasher and was washing up the few dishes that didn’t fit and Robert said, “We’re having an earthquake.” Me being the contentious person I am said, “No we aren’t.” He happened to be sitting in front of the desk resting his arm on the granite and the granite started to move North to South and he wasn’t. Once again, I missed it. The running water and working dishwasher were enough to mask the movement of the house. It was over in about 10 seconds. Then I had to check the earthquake site to see if he was kidding. :) Squirt doesn’t seem to notice. He has either felt enough not to be worried about it or Mom and Dad haven’t been concerned so he doesn’t need to be either.
However, this does explain why our pictures are always crooked.
On a different note – one of which I KNOW you are anxiously awaiting news – Momma and baby moose seem to have moved into the neighborhood. We have seen them three nights in a row and still don’t have the perfect moose picture!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Will She Ever Tire of Watching Moose???
If you haven’t figured out by now, I am an animal lover. One of the greatest things about living in Alaska besides the scenery, cooler weather and culture is the wild animals living in and around the Anchorage borough. Yesterday about 9pm AST, after spending a couple of hours cleaning and restoring partial order to the house along with shuffling items from the table to the counter, Robert happened to look out the office window and there was a moose munching on the shrubbery across the street. These animals are so much fun to watch. There were actually two of them – Momma and a yearling. Every time I see moose in the neighborhood, they are grazing at the one house that has spent hundreds of dollars buying plant protector cages. Somehow, the owners always know when the moose are snacking in their yard and last night was no exception. If they were in our yard, we would miss them unless cars were stopped outside blocking traffic and then it would still be questionable.
Once Robert pointed them out – I went running outside with the camera to stand on the front porch watching and waiting for the perfect moose picture. Approximately 45 seconds later, I came back inside to get my coat as it was around 14 degrees. Upon returning to the porch, I lasted long enough to see the man of the house come out and shoo them to the next yard. Sneaky moose – they waited until the lights went out and walked right back over to those tasty treats. I swear moose understand about cars also. As one or two cars were driving along the street, Momma actually moved to hide behind a large bush of some type (mainly sticks right now). It is hard to describe how well they blend into the woody areas.
Once both were back in the original yard, sure enough - here come the lights and this time snowballs were the effective means of driving them off. The snowballs were much more effective than “shoo” and they went running - wow are moose fast for as big and awkward as they appear. By now it is 9:30 and I convince Robert we should drive down the road and take Squirt to look at them if we can find them. Of course I have the camera too. We lucked out and got relatively close. I took some great night shots. Well – they would have been great had they been in focus. The shot above is the best one - too bad I didn't use the zoom lense. Squirt still hasn’t said "woof" once to any of them. Smart dog.
Another really great thing that happened Tuesday while walking back to the office building after lunch. We were just crossing the street when we heard “Roberrrrtttt”. There was our former next-door neighbor from Houston. He happened to be in town for business and we were just in the right place at the right time. It was so much fun to see him if only for a couple of minutes. Hopefully he will be making more trips north and maybe even talk his wife into coming! It really is a small world.
Btw – Squirt is doing fine. We are walking about twice a week – snow boots and everything! He is a sled dog at heart. He pulls and pulls in the snow trying to get us to walk faster. Who needs a personal trainer when we have a dog who thinks we should run in the snow!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Almost finished!
Absolutely Perfect. Not a spot anywhere. Pristine. This will be the one and only time we will be able to take a picture of the kitchen and not have a single thing on the countertop. Not even if we move again and have to take pictures for a real estate agent will the counters be this clean. It is almost sad to put anything on them.
That thought lasted through – “Is the sealer dry?”
The plumber is coming over shortly to finish setting/connecting the sinks, garbage disposal and completing the project by hooking up the dishwasher. Once that is finished, we can start cooking here again. Some people would argue a chef doesn't necessarily need a dishwasher to be able to cook. Luckily I am spoiled and don’t follow that rule.
Saturday was another day spent in the office (no work on the taxes but cleaning and tossing other items) and Sunday was completely dedicated to washing off, out, under doors, cabinets, drawers, floors, etc. For all of you now inspired to remodel your kitchen and install granite, they bring the pieces in whole to fit the top of the cabinets and then cut out the holes you need. We had three holes in the kitchen and four others elsewhere in the house. This tends to create a lot of dust. The crew tried very hard to minimize the amount of dust but a lot escaped. My mother would be so very proud. I washed the outside of the kitchen cabinets. I have not done that since I moved out of the my parents house. (She is of the opinion cabinet washing should be done yearly. I am not of the same opinion. I only wash cabinets if I spill something on them which normally automatically eliminates the upper cabinets unless there is a food fight.)
The installation crew was fantastic and did a really good job. They showed up on Friday with three people, saw the stairs and called in more troops. Our single piece of granite for the island took six men to carry up the stairs and into the house. None of the stone was dropped and no Christmas ornaments were knocked off the tree standing next to the entry door.
All of the granite cut-outs were placed on the front porch at the end of Saturday. We thought it would be really cool to use in our garden until we realized how slick unfinished granite is when wet. Most of the leftovers are stacked by the garden pathway for now. However, two of the cut outs (stove and double kitchen sink) are too heavy for Robert to lift. They may decorate the front porch for the next few months until the "non-slippery steps" season arrives.
In the middle of all the installation activities and on Friday night during the “festive attire” Christmas party, we had another bout of 70-80 mph winds and the poor reindeer on the front deck that had been bolted down with bungee cords and eyehooks were flattened. Mama and baby made it with minor injuries. Daddy reindeer was head down in the snow with feet in the air and needed some parts re-fabricated, wires fixed, 9 new bulbs (which required a $20 bulb tester to figure out which bulbs) and new eyehooks as the others broke. All is well though and the reindeer are once again guarding our house.
BTW – the party was a blast and my attire on the festive scale was perfect!
Friday, December 08, 2006
It's Here! It's Here
Ah – what’s that? The overpowering smell of silicon wafting through every room of the house along with the whine of saws running creating a marvelous layer of fine dust both inside and outside. YES – Finally – The granite is here and installation has commenced. Soon we will have space and cabinet usage again! To stay out of the way, Robert, Squirt and I have been cooped up in the office all day long. Squirt and I were glad to see the mailman deliver because then we had an excuse to leave for 10 minutes.
Being in the office has been good though. I have used my time well. I found my missing 3-hole punch, updated my checkbook (only 2 months behind), filed stacks of paper, shredded other stacks of paper and cleaned out several manuals. Bonus – I bugged Robert about things I wasn’t sure if I should keep or toss. That’s always fun as he normally isn’t really into straightening things up. I am fairly sure if I had done this prior to moving here our shipment would have been about 500 lbs lighter. I actually toyed with starting to work on income taxes but decided that was a little too ambitious. I guess I will do that tomorrow while they finish installation.
Tonight is the almost formal, “festive attire” Christmas party and yes, I bought not one but two sparkly tops, velvet pants and a black lace skirt. (No, I am not wearing all of them tonight – I didn’t have time to find shoes to go with the skirt.) Luckily, I am short enough and the skirt long enough, it can almost pass for formal dress. In fact, I am going to call it formal and be good to go just in case another holiday semi-formal festive attire occasion occurs. I can also hear some of you asking why two outfits were necessary – you never know who will be at the parties and I can’t wear the same outfit to two parties in a row!
It was warm (40 degrees) today. The ice and snow is completely cleared off of the wood deck where we shoveled – however not so much on the sidewalks and driveways. The deck will now be much nicer in the mornings – less chance of me falling. I actually worry about that now. I can just see it. I go outside at 5:30am on a workday, slip on the ice, fall on my butt, break something, and have to wait outside 15-30 minutes for Robert to wake up and wonder why we haven’t come back inside. If only Squirt could reach the handle, he could go inside and let Robert know there was a problem. Oh well. I just have to dress in layers!
Oh – by the way – the granite looks GREAT. Will post a picture once everything is back in order, set, dried, etc.
Being in the office has been good though. I have used my time well. I found my missing 3-hole punch, updated my checkbook (only 2 months behind), filed stacks of paper, shredded other stacks of paper and cleaned out several manuals. Bonus – I bugged Robert about things I wasn’t sure if I should keep or toss. That’s always fun as he normally isn’t really into straightening things up. I am fairly sure if I had done this prior to moving here our shipment would have been about 500 lbs lighter. I actually toyed with starting to work on income taxes but decided that was a little too ambitious. I guess I will do that tomorrow while they finish installation.
Tonight is the almost formal, “festive attire” Christmas party and yes, I bought not one but two sparkly tops, velvet pants and a black lace skirt. (No, I am not wearing all of them tonight – I didn’t have time to find shoes to go with the skirt.) Luckily, I am short enough and the skirt long enough, it can almost pass for formal dress. In fact, I am going to call it formal and be good to go just in case another holiday semi-formal festive attire occasion occurs. I can also hear some of you asking why two outfits were necessary – you never know who will be at the parties and I can’t wear the same outfit to two parties in a row!
It was warm (40 degrees) today. The ice and snow is completely cleared off of the wood deck where we shoveled – however not so much on the sidewalks and driveways. The deck will now be much nicer in the mornings – less chance of me falling. I actually worry about that now. I can just see it. I go outside at 5:30am on a workday, slip on the ice, fall on my butt, break something, and have to wait outside 15-30 minutes for Robert to wake up and wonder why we haven’t come back inside. If only Squirt could reach the handle, he could go inside and let Robert know there was a problem. Oh well. I just have to dress in layers!
Oh – by the way – the granite looks GREAT. Will post a picture once everything is back in order, set, dried, etc.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Countdown!
Only 12 more hours and the installation starts!
And yes....they scheduled the plumber ... for Monday night.
And yes....they scheduled the plumber ... for Monday night.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Christmas and Counter update
Warming trend today – our high was 40 degrees. I didn’t go back to look but I think that is the first time above freezing in about 6 weeks. We did have sun and once again a beautiful sunset.
We have finished Christmas decorating and Christmas card mailing. The reindeer are attached to and guarding from the deck. (Bungee cords sure come in handy – almost as good as duct tape.) Our front entrance is gaily decorated in rope lights and it looks great (Kudos to Robert – he had the idea and did all of the work). The 9 foot Christmas tree inside was a challenge. We started with the step stool and quickly established we needed the 8 foot ladder. Then we established Robert needed to do the top of the Christmas tree. Luckily, you can’t see the top very well as it is a little sparse due to the short attention span of the taller decorator. Next year we are getting the 10 foot ladder out. Unfortunately, we didn’t hang any of our antique or crystal ornaments this year as the tree is next to the entrance where the granite will be coming in. All in all, the Christmas decorations look fantastic outside and OK inside.
The counter saga continues. I really miss having a place to put stuff like dinner plates or hand towels. I am tired of setting my toaster in a drawer while it is toasting and balancing the butter on the temporary bar sink edge hoping it doesn’t flip off on to the floor. Plus our entire house is a pathway through stuff. It is really getting claustrophobic. The good news is that they start installation Friday morning and should finish Saturday. I look forward to Sunday - time to clean out all of the dust from the cabinets and drawers and then start judging the dust content on all of the stuff to be put away. Depending on the dust content verdict, we will either start the entire washing cycle again or go directly into the cabinets. (Really – the house isn’t normally that dusty...I swear! Just ask anyone who has visited our past abodes after we hired a housekeeper. Oh…that reminds me – Monday – call a housekeeper.)
Hmmm....I sure hope they schedule the plumber to come by to put the sinks back in!
We have finished Christmas decorating and Christmas card mailing. The reindeer are attached to and guarding from the deck. (Bungee cords sure come in handy – almost as good as duct tape.) Our front entrance is gaily decorated in rope lights and it looks great (Kudos to Robert – he had the idea and did all of the work). The 9 foot Christmas tree inside was a challenge. We started with the step stool and quickly established we needed the 8 foot ladder. Then we established Robert needed to do the top of the Christmas tree. Luckily, you can’t see the top very well as it is a little sparse due to the short attention span of the taller decorator. Next year we are getting the 10 foot ladder out. Unfortunately, we didn’t hang any of our antique or crystal ornaments this year as the tree is next to the entrance where the granite will be coming in. All in all, the Christmas decorations look fantastic outside and OK inside.
The counter saga continues. I really miss having a place to put stuff like dinner plates or hand towels. I am tired of setting my toaster in a drawer while it is toasting and balancing the butter on the temporary bar sink edge hoping it doesn’t flip off on to the floor. Plus our entire house is a pathway through stuff. It is really getting claustrophobic. The good news is that they start installation Friday morning and should finish Saturday. I look forward to Sunday - time to clean out all of the dust from the cabinets and drawers and then start judging the dust content on all of the stuff to be put away. Depending on the dust content verdict, we will either start the entire washing cycle again or go directly into the cabinets. (Really – the house isn’t normally that dusty...I swear! Just ask anyone who has visited our past abodes after we hired a housekeeper. Oh…that reminds me – Monday – call a housekeeper.)
Hmmm....I sure hope they schedule the plumber to come by to put the sinks back in!
Monday, December 04, 2006
Totally Unrelated Adventures :)
Nights grow longer each passing day (how’s that for an opening?). We had less than 6 hours of sunlight today. It is rather odd to look out your window at 9:30am and just start to see the sky growing lighter. We had a warm up over the weekend. Today it was 30 degrees. Some of the snow on the streets actually got sloppy.
Because of the time difference between here and the lower 48, football starts at 9:00am on Sundays and goes almost non-stop until 7:30pm. It's GREAT. Unfortunately, we rarely see Monday night football because by the time we remember it is on, it is over half over. Oh well. Speaking of football - congrats to Kansas State for going to the Texas Bowl in Houston. Oh to have been there one more year! I hope all of you Texas residents take advantage of the event and go cheer the Wildcats to victory!
Squirt is doing fine. His stitches came out on Saturday and the bruising is almost gone. Now all he has to do is grow the lost fur back. It is too cold outside to run around without a coat. The snow is actually tall enough that when he scurries through the paths shoveled for him, he can just see over the top of the walls. If/When we get more snow, all we will see is the top of his head. (Once I am home during sunny hours, I will take a picture and post it.) He occasionally tries to step off into the deep snow and then quickly turns around opting for the path. I noticed this morning fresh tracks to our yard which disappeared once in our yard. Squirt isn’t the only one who uses the paths. We also have to be careful he doesn’t fall off of the deck into a snow bank. He did a couple of times this weekend and couldn’t get back up on the deck. Even after all of the trials and tribulations, he still loves the cooler weather and running through the powdery stuff!
On to new experiences…as I have mentioned before, the garbage goes out the morning before collection so the bears don’t get into it. This time of year however, bear sightings and problems are rare as they are supposed to be hibernating. (I think there are one or two bears that don’t get the message and don’t go to sleep. Luckily, they aren’t in our neighborhood.) Who thought birds would cause the same type of problem?
When we came home last Wednesday for lunch the garbage was still out for pick up and on several of the bags were ravens. Not little black crows or black birds but huge ravens. Ravens are normally about 2 feet long with a four-foot wingspan and from all appearances they like garbage. There were these big black birds ripping open trash bags. Little bits of black plastic going everywhere from one master ripper and the other four watching - waiting for the stinky rotten morsels to come unwrapped. They are also quite brave. We actually stopped and watched them for a few minutes…too bad the camera was in the back of the 4-runner out of reach. Maybe this Wednesday we can get a picture of the sneaky scavengers (must remember to move camera).
On to other adventures…every year Alaskans and tourists participate in combat salmon fishing. This occurs when fly-fishing in a stream with 5000 other people, shoulder to shoulder and if you take a break, you lose your spot. We didn’t combat fish this weekend – we combat shopped. This weekend was the Native Alaskan Christmas bazaar. If my neighbor hadn’t mentioned it, I would have missed it. There was one tiny ad in the paper under bazaars and nothing stood out about it except they didn’t take credit cards. It was from 10 am to 3pm and happens once a year. I thought if we went early in the day (just after sunrise at 10 or so) the crowds would be smaller. Silly – me. The busiest time is from 10 to 10:30am when approximately 2000 people try to get in a conference room sized for 120 people to get the best stuff. I heard people started lining up at 9am and waited in the cold for an hour for the doors to open. While all of this GREATLY tried my patience (all of you knowing patience is one of my strong points), I have to admit, there was some really cool stuff there. The beadwork and basketwork was incredible and we bought some items we will enjoy adding to our eclectic art collection. We will enjoy them even more once the memory fades of the struggles to get them :)
Because of the time difference between here and the lower 48, football starts at 9:00am on Sundays and goes almost non-stop until 7:30pm. It's GREAT. Unfortunately, we rarely see Monday night football because by the time we remember it is on, it is over half over. Oh well. Speaking of football - congrats to Kansas State for going to the Texas Bowl in Houston. Oh to have been there one more year! I hope all of you Texas residents take advantage of the event and go cheer the Wildcats to victory!
Squirt is doing fine. His stitches came out on Saturday and the bruising is almost gone. Now all he has to do is grow the lost fur back. It is too cold outside to run around without a coat. The snow is actually tall enough that when he scurries through the paths shoveled for him, he can just see over the top of the walls. If/When we get more snow, all we will see is the top of his head. (Once I am home during sunny hours, I will take a picture and post it.) He occasionally tries to step off into the deep snow and then quickly turns around opting for the path. I noticed this morning fresh tracks to our yard which disappeared once in our yard. Squirt isn’t the only one who uses the paths. We also have to be careful he doesn’t fall off of the deck into a snow bank. He did a couple of times this weekend and couldn’t get back up on the deck. Even after all of the trials and tribulations, he still loves the cooler weather and running through the powdery stuff!
On to new experiences…as I have mentioned before, the garbage goes out the morning before collection so the bears don’t get into it. This time of year however, bear sightings and problems are rare as they are supposed to be hibernating. (I think there are one or two bears that don’t get the message and don’t go to sleep. Luckily, they aren’t in our neighborhood.) Who thought birds would cause the same type of problem?
When we came home last Wednesday for lunch the garbage was still out for pick up and on several of the bags were ravens. Not little black crows or black birds but huge ravens. Ravens are normally about 2 feet long with a four-foot wingspan and from all appearances they like garbage. There were these big black birds ripping open trash bags. Little bits of black plastic going everywhere from one master ripper and the other four watching - waiting for the stinky rotten morsels to come unwrapped. They are also quite brave. We actually stopped and watched them for a few minutes…too bad the camera was in the back of the 4-runner out of reach. Maybe this Wednesday we can get a picture of the sneaky scavengers (must remember to move camera).
On to other adventures…every year Alaskans and tourists participate in combat salmon fishing. This occurs when fly-fishing in a stream with 5000 other people, shoulder to shoulder and if you take a break, you lose your spot. We didn’t combat fish this weekend – we combat shopped. This weekend was the Native Alaskan Christmas bazaar. If my neighbor hadn’t mentioned it, I would have missed it. There was one tiny ad in the paper under bazaars and nothing stood out about it except they didn’t take credit cards. It was from 10 am to 3pm and happens once a year. I thought if we went early in the day (just after sunrise at 10 or so) the crowds would be smaller. Silly – me. The busiest time is from 10 to 10:30am when approximately 2000 people try to get in a conference room sized for 120 people to get the best stuff. I heard people started lining up at 9am and waited in the cold for an hour for the doors to open. While all of this GREATLY tried my patience (all of you knowing patience is one of my strong points), I have to admit, there was some really cool stuff there. The beadwork and basketwork was incredible and we bought some items we will enjoy adding to our eclectic art collection. We will enjoy them even more once the memory fades of the struggles to get them :)
Friday, December 01, 2006
Dress code: Festive Attire
I looked out my window about 3:50pm and saw a beautiful sunset. That is one nice thing about still being at work when the sun goes down - I normally turn around and catch all of the color in the sky (of course with the short days, I get the sunrise colors also). It is a pretty ending to a snowy day. Yes, it started snowing sometime last night and I was outside this morning at 5:30 shoveling a path for the pooch to get through. Our house received 5 inches before we left for work and while it tapered off downtown by lunch it was still snowing steadily at home. After getting home tonight, I finished shoveling the deck and yard for the pooch while Robert got the driveway with the snow thrower….at about 5:30. I would guess we got about 7 inches.
Squirt update – Saturday makes 11 days since he received stitches and we plan to go to the pet hospital and have them removed plus a general check over. Robert thinks the bruises are fading but I am not so sure. He (Squirt) is back to his normal antics and Robert and I must check with each other before Squirt gets a biscuit as he has been asking for one from each of us – and normally getting a total of two. Who says dogs can’t train humans.
Back to “festive attire”! Dress in the office here can range from suits and ties to jeans and polo’s – like any other office. I think a lot depends on what the weather is like. Since it snowed quite a bit overnight, I think I only saw one person not wearing jeans and boots today. (I actually wore my giant killer snow boots today and was happy I did! While not exactly stylish - very functional and warm.) After hours functions however are a different story.
We have attended a few organized events since arriving and have seen others going to events of some sort. Many dressed in very formal attire. Being new in town and with the weather increasingly colder for each event, I generally ask someone attending or coordinating the function what they expect the general population to wear. Each time I have heard business casual but you’ll see everything. And you do.
The first function we attended was a lot of fun and very enjoyable. It had warmed to 23 degrees with a north wind so I only needed a light jacket, which happened to be part of my business casual work outfit. Walking in the door, the first person we greet is in a tux. I’m thinking ut oh…way under dressed. Ten minutes later though I see someone in jeans. I would estimate there were about the equivalent number of jeans vs tuxes and everyone else fell in between.
Friday is the Christmas party and once again, “festive attire” is required and once again I ask around. This time the description was not tuxedos and ball gowns but suits and cocktail dresses or velvet pants with sparkly tops. (Guess how many of velvet pants and sparkly tops I own.) But – you will see everything.
So now I have another excuse to go shopping (my business casual clothes are tired of pulling double shifts anyway) and I am sure whatever I buy to wear will require new shoes. (I wonder if Hawaiian would work – that’s festive…probably not…) I wonder if Christmas shoppers will be out?
Squirt update – Saturday makes 11 days since he received stitches and we plan to go to the pet hospital and have them removed plus a general check over. Robert thinks the bruises are fading but I am not so sure. He (Squirt) is back to his normal antics and Robert and I must check with each other before Squirt gets a biscuit as he has been asking for one from each of us – and normally getting a total of two. Who says dogs can’t train humans.
Back to “festive attire”! Dress in the office here can range from suits and ties to jeans and polo’s – like any other office. I think a lot depends on what the weather is like. Since it snowed quite a bit overnight, I think I only saw one person not wearing jeans and boots today. (I actually wore my giant killer snow boots today and was happy I did! While not exactly stylish - very functional and warm.) After hours functions however are a different story.
We have attended a few organized events since arriving and have seen others going to events of some sort. Many dressed in very formal attire. Being new in town and with the weather increasingly colder for each event, I generally ask someone attending or coordinating the function what they expect the general population to wear. Each time I have heard business casual but you’ll see everything. And you do.
The first function we attended was a lot of fun and very enjoyable. It had warmed to 23 degrees with a north wind so I only needed a light jacket, which happened to be part of my business casual work outfit. Walking in the door, the first person we greet is in a tux. I’m thinking ut oh…way under dressed. Ten minutes later though I see someone in jeans. I would estimate there were about the equivalent number of jeans vs tuxes and everyone else fell in between.
Friday is the Christmas party and once again, “festive attire” is required and once again I ask around. This time the description was not tuxedos and ball gowns but suits and cocktail dresses or velvet pants with sparkly tops. (Guess how many of velvet pants and sparkly tops I own.) But – you will see everything.
So now I have another excuse to go shopping (my business casual clothes are tired of pulling double shifts anyway) and I am sure whatever I buy to wear will require new shoes. (I wonder if Hawaiian would work – that’s festive…probably not…) I wonder if Christmas shoppers will be out?
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