Northern Exposure Reintarnated

Northern Exposure ReintarnatedReintarnated is the name of K.D. Lang's latest release. In case you didn't know.Well, as for feeling like an episode right out of Northern Exposure, yesterday I am driving the security vehicle around the Providence Medical Center and low and at an intersection someone who is diagonal to me and waiting to pull out into their turn is pointing to what seems to be the top of my vehicle...so I think either the emergency lights have accidently been turned on or I left something on top of the vehicle...so, I drive and pull over and get out and as I'm looking at the top of my vehicle I spot what the driver was trying to tell me... there is a mama moose on the other side of the pedestrian walkway fence, with her front end up on a hummock, reaching up and eating off the lower tree branches ; it's quite a spectacle. It's definitely a made for camera moment, even to those jaded by the constant sight of moose...the way this mama is positioned. But wait! There's more! The baby moose is on the Providence side of the fence! And seemingly uncaring. I notify security and go on about my business, but on my next pass I see that the baby is up to the pharmacy entrance! Right there, not a foot away from people going into and out of the building. Well, now the doors are motion activated and they stay open a good ten seconds... long enough for a baby moose to get interested in what might be in there. The doors open, the moose looks in, the doors close, the moose goes back to eating the little shrubs.I stay there with my vechile flashers on, warning people... finally the little one goes off into the parking lot, eating shrubs on the little concrete islands about the lot. I guess the mama and baby reconnect at some point..they're both gone a while later.Sure was fun though... they are fascinating. Later, at the very end of my shift I got to watch the lifeguard helicopter take off, and I guess there might have been three other cars there watching ... it's pretty cool to watch them load up and take off.

First day of OJT at Providence

Hooo-weeeeeeeWell,Got through my first day of OJT! Got there and rode around with Danny from seven on, he's ok, they made him out to be a monster. I like riding with him, he's very efficient and good at what he does. He taught me what he does on his shift, I will not be doing any of that stuff. What he does is basically reproduce what he was doing when he worked with the Anchorage Parking Authority.. before it was taken over by the Police Dept... he was a meter maid, so to speak, and he does it at Providence now. He even has a boot to put on cars that repeatedly park in spaces they are not supposed to. Talk about being serious about parking.. this guy is!I don't have to boot anyone but I will be taking the boot off for people so I will be more popular. I enjoyed the day, and it went pretty fast... I will be going in at noon tomorrow and riding with Danny a little more then I will be on my own. I don't even have a uniform yet. But I do have a belt and a radio! I will be fitted for a bullet proof vest soon.. Homeland security wants even hospital guards to be bullet proof...anyhow,working at Providence is going to be cool. It's cool, I get to walk around the hospital and go just about anywhere I want to since I'm security. Well, my uniform says Parking Enforcement but it also says Providence security and I get to help out on the security issues as well. I got to walk up to the helicopter today and check it out, I'm told I will be helping unload patients from time to time..just like on M*A*S*H. I love helicopters, so that is going to be cool.I think it is quite a great job for me, and soon I will be able to go back to school, when I pay off my stupid in default student loan.I went on e-bay just now and bought two cassette tapes...DEVO (Are We Not Men?) and Red,Hot and Blue (tribute to Cole Porter with lots of cool artists like Annie Lennox and Sinead O'Connor). I needed them... need them in my car, to sing along to when NPR is off and there is nothing on the radio... I also bid on a Carhartt jacket. OK enough e-bay for the year. I just needed to buy some things to make me feel real I guess.I bought a seventy dollar pair of shoes for work today, and got a second pair half price, a sale at Fred MEyers. I think that spending over a hundred dollars in one day is pretty fun once in a while, but I think I'm done for the month. I need to not do that too often, but once in a while it's ok. I needed ths shoes, for work. They are waterproof. The second pair, half off, waterproof and replace about three pairs of shitty shoes I have here.We're going to start building my platform soon, so I'm getting rid of junk and all that... I'll get the futon on Saturday. Cheryl is getting the floors looked at and estimates for the carpet and vinyl. I'll believe it when I see it. She is picking out vinyl... but that's usually as far as things go with her.The platform WILL happen, cuz I will do it.Went to the women's AA meeting at the Dry Dock and it was pretty small... but that's ok. Just a long drive for such a small meeting. Wish I'd gone to ST. Mary's...Got home and there were two e-mails from women... one who wants to meet up and maybe hang out, she read my Craiglist ad. HEr g/f is out of the country for a year going to school and she needs a buddy to hang out with...I'm wondering how that will work if we become good friends and her g/f gets back and puts a stop to it...well, whatever. Who knows.The other from that chick that works at Prov and had stopped writing me and I checked her off my list and even forgot her name... both want me to call them ,and I don't even know when I'll be able to. My time is pretty thin these days.I have been working on a small drawing with the stuff Michelle sent, it's not much yet but looks like it might turn into something bigger if I can keep at it, reminds me of stuff I was doing in school...I'm also thinking of starting taking just one class this summer or fall, just to get back in the school swing...one class then one more...keep plodding...I love the little clay piece Michelle sent, it's in my room on my window right now but I keep thinking it needs to be somewhere everyone can see it... I think I'm going to put it down stairs near the front door. IT's too cool to keep in my room. Maybe the bathroom, didn't think of that... everyone who comes to visit goes in there. I will be getting rid of the junk in my room and getting real stuff. One plastic chest of drawers is on its way to the Salvation Army!!! It's full of junk!I have things I don't need. That stupid camera my ex sent me and i hate to get rid of it cuz she sent it to me, but it's useless...to me. It will be good to get rid of this junk. First I have to build the platform...

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day

uumm,
My Sunday was not going so well. I'd lost all composure at work: by six fifteen I was in a tizzy. Everything worked out ok, better than ok in fact, just a testament to 'don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you'... damn. I really was miserable until I left the barn. At five ten there was only Nick and I: Brandon and Ashley and Nick and Justin, all late... Brandon shows up and leads some horses out, then goes home. He says he fell in the ice and can't finish out the day. Ashely, overslept. She comes in an hour late. Chris and Justin come in, saying they have to leave by eight. I imagined the day being horrid and it was.
Even though we got done by eight thirty! My bad. sigh...
So I went home and showered and felt better and called my sponsor. She told me to rest, but ... I met Robyn at the reptile exhibit for Fur Rondy. It was cool.. nice to see Robyn as always. I love spending time with her...it's so nice to have a friend. She is going to sell me her futon for fifty bucks.
So then I went to church. And that was going ok... we met the new intern, can't remember his name already. He's young, cute, very Aussie. Great fun hair. He's funny, too. Well church was going ok despite the light turnout when suddenly Johnathan starts reading from a book. The book is, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day." Which took me right back to Carol, who had given me the book, with an inscription I can't remember. She gave me several books, all inscribed. I loved those books dearly. They are all gone now... I gave them away, sadly, when I let go of Carol...
Well I wanted to cry about that. When Johnathan was reading it I was in a bit of pain. But after church I left and went home and then went to an AA meeting, which was good. ON the way home, the radio played Shakka Kan's song, "Feel for You" ... and another memory of a lost love popped up... Deborah. Oh how I loved her, too. So it was a day of remembering lost loves.
I know where they both are... at least I know they are safe and warm. Today I go to my first day of orientation for Providence.

RONDY!

Fur Rondy is here! Missed the parade though... my sponsor told me to go to the women's meeting, I need to go to that every week she says, for a year, to make friends, and to have some stability in my life. I went. Missed the parade. One of the horses we take care of at the Horse Center was in it...'Athena...' beautiful horse. I think she's a Percheron.
But the meeting was good. Then I went home in a funk and, feeling sorry for myself, got on the computer. There was an e-mail waiting for me from Robyn asking if I wanted to go to the Pola Bear something or other...it's invitation only and her husband Bill is on the Rondy board, so he had an extra ticket. So while I was feeling sorry for myself for missing the parade I got to meet the Rondy DIRECTOR (Mary) and the guy that did the fire works display. And the keystone cops. I remember last year when they came into the KIMO studio and arrested Rebecca Palsha. I had loaned my Rondy pin to Cary Carrigan and never got it back... I think he loaned it to one of the reporters... who knows.
Mary bought me that Rondy pin... sigh. Friday night I drove downtown and managed to catch a little bit of the fireworks... thinking of Mary, since last year we were together and hung out doing Rondy stuff. I was pretty lonely. So I called my sponsor and talked to her while the fireworks were going off...
My sponsor and I were supposed to go ride some carnival rides this afternoon, but 1)she's not home, and 2) it's windy. Not fun when it's windy. I might go down and ride them myself, alone, one day this week, just to do it. I forsee a long list of things I'll be doing myself this year.
I recieved my package from Michelle and have been having fun with it, mainly experimenting with the oil pastels..there are so many things you can do with those.. haven't really had time to do much other than play around ... but that's 100 % more than I was doing, artistically.
My last day at Skyfire was pretty sad, they really didn't want me to go, and I promised to come back and eat. They gave me a large container of clam chowder to take home and a slice of coconut pie, the pie I gave to Cheryl... the soup has been dinner for a couple of nights now.
Speaking of Cheryl, I heard that our guitarist for the Whirrled Peas was in a car wreck and I must go e-mail her now.
**********
Ok, so I e-mailed her. I hope she's ok

The Argument Clinic

The Argument Clinic

Halibut for Dinner

I just had some halibut; it was soooooooooo good. I cooked it in a tiny frying pan with lowfat margarine (I can't believe it's not butter, LIGHT), huge chunks of fresh garlic, some lemon juice (NOT fresh because I forgot to get a lemon, damnit) and... cilantro. YUM. Oh...pepper, and salt.
LOW SODIUM salt, mind you.
Plus a can o' spinach. With some "I can't believe it's not butter" Spray. Which has no fat in it.
Tasty meal, that. Now I am hankering for some popcorn with parm cheese on it and some of this here Root beer.
While I watch tv.
My arm hurts... why ? Because I went for my physical at Providence Hospital a while ago, this morning actually, and not only did they take BLOOD out of my arm, they did a TB test, AND I got a Hepatitis vaccine shot. DAMN, that was not bad for being needlephobic. I guess I can't say I'm needlephobic anymore.
I can't believe I voluntarily got a Hep vaccine shot. I peed in the cup, yay, and had drank so much water that when the nurse turned the faucet on (brilliant!) I was ready to go. Filled the cup up so much I had to pour some out.
So, that was cool. Then, she had to fit a 'duckbill' respirator mask on me. First she showed me how to put it on. Then, she put this clear plastic tube over my head and covered it with a paper shower cap like thing, and then she squirted a mist into it through a hole and told me to turn my head from side to side while counting from one to fifteen. That was odd, I must say.
Apparently if the mask leaks, you will taste mint on your tongue. I did not.
So, the funny thing is that I had been stressing about wether or not to shave my legs for the physical, and also worried about my horrid acne, it's never been so bad... I didn't shave, by the way, and thank goodness cuz I never had to take my clothes off. And for acne, at least I had put on some concealer, even went out last night to buy some. the NURSE had red spots on HER face and had not bothered to cover them. She was definitely a dyke, and I had her laughing the whole time.
(I had to sign a release form for them to collect a urine sample, and at the top of the form it said "Donation Form" and I was like, "Donate? What are you guys doing, trying to take my heart? I know it's valentines' tomorrow, but you can't have it!!!"
Well, she did laugh. But she didn't seem to really have a comeback for anything, which is too bad.
So, that was my 'physical'.
I came home and my roommate had asked me to walk the dog. OK....
the dog is a huge Malamute, very strong, and untrained. Walking her really requires two hands, and that on dry ground.
It's slick as snot on a doorknob out there, for starters, and my arm is so sore from the three needles, not to mention the tendonitis I have been working on from all the blasted shoveling I've been doing lately, at the barn and in the driveway when it snows....well, I took the dog out anyway... and immediately regretted it when this apparently wild dog came along, a white samoyed mix, with little bits of 'color' on him from what I think is probably transmission fluid and oil from where he's sleeping under a truck somewhere... he is adamant about playing with Cheyenne, and he leaps over her and barks and runs and she's all crazy, and we're trying to go up and down icy hills, and I pull something when I nearly go down: END OF WALK
At the noon meeting today I made it my home group, which I've been wanting to do forever, but couldn't cuz I never knew when I'd be able to show up at that meeting, now I will be able to go quite often.. I love that meeting.
Damn if I didn't forget about my other meeting which I had made my home group, the five thirty one (it's now five twenty five)... where I was supposed to go make coffee... however, I have yet to make coffee (someone has always made it without waiting for me). I will call and apologize and tell them I will not be going anymore ... which is sad, it's a good meeting. But the Lost and Found is the best one I've ever had.
IT's five thirty and still light out... yay! I feel very good, happy that is, glad that I'm starting a real job. I will be glad to walk around in my new uniform, all clean and pressed, just like the last time I was in AA... only I got involved with Sara and let that send me not only into a sad spiral but into the military... sometimes now,
I get very lonely, but the other morning, I woke up from this dream:
*************
I was in the middle of some frenetic acitivity, I don't know what, but I was in a flurry, and there was a woman in the room with me, tall, cute, and I remember that in the dream I kept looking at her and feeling love and wonderment, and I don't remember what we were talking about but she said to me, "Maybe this time we should get married." And it made me so happy, and I stopped what I was doing, and looked at her, and then I WOKE UP, damnit!
I think it will be nice when it comes true. LATER.
For now, I have a few more days at the cafe, a couple more weekends at the barn, and then I will have a normal person's schedule. I bouight a pair of black Carhartts today and the guy at the western wear store told me to bring my cowboy hats by, he'd block them and resize the one for free... so I'll do that soon... cool!

I am so tired.
Worked at the barn yesterday and today: lots of extra shoveling due to ice and snow. Today I had to call the gravel truck guy to come spread sand and gravel on the entire lot.
Tired. I can't run that crew on the weekends: something always slows us up... I think it's John, he comes in so spaced out it's not even funny. So I've been up since: two thirty.
Went from work at the barn to the meeting at Providence. Kinda funny, cuz I was in my cowboy hat and Carhartt jacket, lookin' kinda yee-hawish, and I SMELLED like a barn. But it was a good meeting. I told the group that I was now a Providence Employee: what a miracle. I assume I'm a Prov employee, havent' heard otherwise from them.
Just one hundred and two days ago I was unemployable, puking, wretched, smelly, unstable, unABLE, freaking out mess.
Now I am a Prov employee, and today, I bought a steering wheel cover, a seat cover, and a heavy duty floor mat for my car.
Now most people would say, big whoop, but it means that I have decided I will sticking around: I've begun personalizing my car. It was kinda spendy: forty dollars for all those things... but I spend a great deal of time in my car. Anchorage is the largest city in the US by area... I spend a LOT of time in the drivers seat with snow on my shoes dripping off, and I get in the car with horse poo on my pants... I think I did a good thing.
Although I could have gotten some Glucosomine instead, and I would have if I'd thought of it.
I need that more. Well, I'll get that next time.
Tomorrow is my physical at Prov for the job. My face is so broken out, some of the zits are gigantic. What can I say, I work in a little cafe where the grease from the french fry vat has no where else to go but my damn clothes and face.
Four more days of that job...
I was falling asleep in church. Few people came, and of course the little cutie Laurie didn't come, I always look forward to seeing her in the back pew but she didn't show... sigh. Too bad.
The weather is warm and the roads have melted then frozen over again, it's one big skating rink. No kidding. Kids out in the middle of the street skating. I regularly slide right past my turn onto my street, calmly waiting until my car comes to a rest and then backing up. I slide into the driveway too.
So tomorrow I get yet another TB test... I hope it's ok to have had more than one in five years.
I really want to quit the barn, but I do love feeling Edzer's muzzle on my neck when I go into his paddock to shovel snow... he's so sweet... and good ol' Spot... horses.. God knows I love 'em.

The Job offer

I am so tired. Working for peanuts in a small cafe where the owner micromanages and you can only get about six and a half hours per day. Working for the barn , too, getting up so early and busting butt in the cold cold morning, coming home smelling like horse crap; if adversity builds character I must be one hell of a character. I kind of love having already worked in about ten places in Anchorage: I know so much more about the city than I would have just working at one place!
I was offered a job at Providence Hospital. Providence Healthcare System is a very large company and has hospitals in California, Oregon, Washington... It's a solid job, with benifits. Retirement. I've finally made it to a real job. It's not a 'real job' in that I doubt I can ever buy a house on this salary, but I can sure try. It's real in that I can have a retirement and benifits. It's a good foot in the door, and who knows but maybe you can move up the 'parking officer' ladder. (snicker). Hey, who knows. It's swing shift so maybe if I pay off that student loan I can go back to school during the day.
I want a dog! A place of my own! Dental work. I want a bridge where my molar is missing. I want them to pull that old long snaggle tooth that pains me when I chew anything on the right side.
I look forward to working at a job where I don't feel compelled to shower the moment I come home. I hope I pass the background check: dropped off the release form this morning.
The Human Resource building for Providence Alaska is located next to HOOTERS restaraunt. ppphhhtttt how funny is that.
The weather was fun to watch at work through the big plate glass windows: some really picturesque snow for about a half hour, big fluffy flakes wafting down slanted-like, then some real amazing snow that just drove down like bullets, then SUN, amazing bright lovely sun, culminating in an amazing sunset that just ended. We gain about five minutes per day sunlight.
Ah, soon it will be my favorite time of year: Summer ... summer in Alaska that is. I love it when it's midnight and the sun is JUST going down. I love it when you go to a movie at like nearly ten and get out and the sun is still up. People out and about and walking and playing right up to midnight in tshirts and shorts, basking in the sunlight and storing it up for another winter.
I was on e-bay looking for some xcountry ski boots since my roommate says I can use her skis... saw a couple pairs that might be ok if I can figure out the equivelant sizes; most of them are in Euro sizes...
I vow not to spend another winter in Alaska NOT skiing and NOT ice skating and NOT winter hiking. I just have to get out there and get the gear, find the cheaper used gear and just do it like NIKE ads say.
I think I am going to join World's gym, it's just down the street about a mile or so, and it's pretty cheap... I need to do it.
Should go talk to them right now...

Salmon Tacos

Ok, the party is in an hour. I just got back from Freddie's (Fred Meyers: our 'Kroger') and managed to get some toppings for the salmon Tacos Cheryl our guitarist has promised us. I'm not sure how I'll like the salmon tacos. I know I loved the fish tacos at San Felipe's in Flagstaff, but that was a different kind of fish, was it Halibut? I love halibut. I'm debating taking some to the party just in case...nah.
I got green onions, tomatoes, and cilantro... that should do it. Thought about sour cream: too expensive.
Church was slim! Triple Whammy today... Johnathan gone, good weather, and Super Bowl Sunday. I do NOT have the tv on; I could care less. I'm doing laundry ... trying to get the smell of horse shit off my clothes. Two days shoveling horse poop and my jacket smells like an actual pile of it. Amazing, strong smelling stuff.
But it's a good smell. Went to the women's AA meeting yesterday and my sponsor was like, "Hello barn person" or some such ...
I'm glad I went to church. I feel like I'm learning something about love and loyalty and faith. Going when I KNOW It's going to be boring is called faithful to my church! I knew Ron needed me there: everyone is gone.
That cute young gal came up to me and asked me if I made the coffee. Actually she asked if my name was Marie and I said, Maria. I've told her like five times. She said thanks for making the coffee. She keeps smiling at me ... grinning. She sits in the back, alone. Comes in late, leaves early, I am so curious I know I'm going to ask her what her deal is. Why come in late if you don't want to draw attention to yourself?
The sermon was good though. The subject was LOVE. Ron read a story about some wooden people who get stickers put on them by other wooden people. I think they were called the Himmicks. Cool story.
The weather is WARM! It must be like twenty degrees out there. Maybe twenty six or so. We were all wearing t-shirts out of the church. Felt like summer. Felt grand. Got blasted in the face by the sun and nearly overdosed on vitamin D.
Alaska really makes you appreciate things like sun. And dark. In the summer you come to long for dark and in the winter you long for sun. Ditto with warmth and cold. It's amazing how beautiful our summers and our winters are. I am sending my mom a calender that has some breathtaking photos of the area... places just around here, but amazing.
Well one woman I am corresponding with is interested in having coffee some day soon. I call this progress. I told her I was sick of the other Anchorage women and the one in Canada that just write when they are drunk, I think.
They never mention meeting for coffee. They don't disclose anything much personal. Their letters are short. I told this woman I was not going to deal with that anymore.
She's a nurse. Sounds kind of cool. We'll see. She says she likes to hike. Anyhoo.... all in all, a good day. And it's not over... looking forward to the party. I hope we sing.
I have heartburn... trail mix did it. Damnit.
Or the coffee. Coffee and Red Bull. JEesus no wonder I have heartburn.

Yay for Google

If it weren't for Google I'd die of curiosity over the Mohammed Cartoons! Kudos for the American Press for not reprinting the cartoons, I can't believe we're being so noble. Yay for Google for making it possible to look up the cartoons on our own.
So. I've been writing to about four women I met on the internet, all but one of whom live in Anchorage. Same city, mind you. I write a long e-mail each time and get back a paragraph. I have not really pressed meeting up but it has occured to me it's kind of pointless getting to know people with no hope of meeting them. So I decided to tell them I have a goal of meeting people, like my ad said, and that they can drop out of the running if they just plan on writing me a small paragraph once in a while. I'm kind of tired of the way they write only because it seems they feel obligated. I'm tired of people.
Today is Friday, last day of the week at the Cafe, and tomorrow I have to be team leader at the barn. That has NOT gone well so far. I know I won't get out of there in time to go to the meeting at ten. I might have to give that up.
what is wrong with the grown men that they can't work four steady hours and shut their stupid mouths I don't know.
I might have to get mean. But usually when I get mean people turn against me. ha.
I'm glad it didn't snow last night. I don't like coming home after washing dishes and having to shovel the driveway.
I have been complaining all morning. Let me start over.
Listening to NPR. Wondering how I can change my daily routine and put exercise back in. I should do it after work before I shower. I should do it and just get it over with. I keep getting lazy. I keep seeing a blood clot forming due to my laziness. I told my boss to quit giving me cheese on my sandwich and no more french fries or mayonnaise.
sigh.
She made me a southwestern chicken sandwich yesterday with cumin... oooooh it was heavenly.
Tomorrow is the clothes swap at Robyns'... imagine it, lots of cool women swapping clothes, some running around in their underwear. ONe of them will be Leslie, the choir director, whom I have a crush on. She doesn't know it. Would it be morally reprehensible for me to go watch her try on clothes? You bet it would. HHhhmm dilemna.
Sunday is the choir party. Salmon Tacos. I need to get some cilantro or something.
The high today will be zero or above they just said. It's -14 degrees Faranheit here in Muldoon. Yikes! Glad my car is plugged in. I have a feeling we won't be letting the horses out tomorrow morning.

Postscript

When I got out of work today I went out in the snow and looked up at the large flakes wafting down and remembered again how I used to pretend I was in Anchorage...
When I was a security guard with Wells Fargo working at the Science Center in Flagstaff at WL Gore... walking around the compound, in the snow, walking through deep drifts in my mushing mukluks and my rabbit fur hat, pretending I was a security gaurd in Anchorage; I'd have long fantasies about being lost in the woods in deep snow, a white out blizzard, and being rescued by a woman on a dogsled.
Hhhmm that could happen.

Freakin' Lake Otis and Tudor

Typical, I had so much to write about then it flew away.
I was in the car for an hour going from Muldoon to Lake Otis and Tudor (St. Mary's). Jeeeez it was a long long drive to go a short way. Pissed me off royal. I just wanted to be in the church with my choir pals. I KNEW I was missing it and it hurt. sigh.
But I got there. Half an hour late... we started right into Dona Nobis Pacem. I love that song now.
It was a rather Jocular practice. Leslie stood next to me for a while, and she told me to come to the clothes swap on Saturday. I doubt she knows I have a raging crush on her... what's not to like? Short cute hair, granny glasses, she's short, vivacious, Jewish, always in the spotlight... and she is touchy feely. And oh can she sing. I get dizzy when she grabs me by the arm...
I need a haircut. I'm all shaggy.
It's snowing, of course. I'm not getting any traction... wish I had studs on my tires. It's bad sometimes. You get kind of stuck in intersections like I did tonight with people all pissed off at you honking. But what can I do? Well I can go DeBarr to Lake Otis instead of Tudor to Lake Otis. That will help. Next time.
That stupid church is so high up on that hill, you just KNOW one day you won't make it up the driveway... that grade is STEEP! I keep waiting to slide back onto Lake Otis. The worst, busiest intersection in the City and here you are coming down the 'mountain' and you have to pull out into traffic.
On ice.
Well the Whirrled Peas are having a party this weekend. I think it will be a blast. We have a lot of fun. I make people laugh a lot, and they seem to like me, I like them, it's cool. But that damn Leslie... she comes up to me and stares me right in the eyes and looks for a bit before speaking. It's kind of unnerving. I know she's just gathering her thoughts. But it always feels like she's thinking about kissing me, jeeezus. People are odd.
I really enjoy Cheryl... she's going to be in the Women's Ski thing and she said she was going to be outrageously costumed... must go watch. There is so much going on every weekend. I love it.
The barn called and they want me to be team leader Saturday and Sunday, so I might not get out in time to do much of anything. When I"m leader, we suck. I don't have the right priorities yet. Trying to remember thirty damn horse's names and where they go and what they eat... fug!
My roommate who is also a Cheryl has been letting her Malamute in the house, which is totally cool with me except that to do so, she has to block off the stairs, and that makes it really a bitch to come and go to the kitchen... plus, she is sleeping downstairs with the dog. So I feel like I need to wait until she's up to make breakfast... it's just weird. She's weird. I mean, I like weird. But she is weird and doesn't think it's cool that I like weirdness. So it's no fun when she's weird. I came downstairs and she was soaking her feet in the kitchen sink, so I put my dirty dishes on the side. She was sitting up on the counter, soaking her feet. I thought it was funny.... and cute, but I can't tell her that.
I wish she'd buy a dog door. I know it's Alaskan to have your Malamute in the house but do we need to block the stairs with rubbermaid totes full of dirty clothes? How about a doggie gate? For pete's sake.
She rarely leaves the house these days. Before she took off for her vacation she was gone all the time. Now she never leaves. Oh well.
It's because she and the dog totally bonded on the trip. Now she's happy being hom ewith the dog.
I was all good with winter until now. Now I'm sick of it. And we have a few more months to go. Uh oh. Well,
My roommate who annoys me has offered me her cross country skis, I have to find boots that fit though... that would be cool. I could find someone to ski with I bet.
Maybe my bud Robyn.
I was just thinking about James Frey and the book A Million Little Pieces, and how he's being sued by umpteen people for a lot of money.
And I'm thinking, I'm glad that happened, because when I write my book I will be extra careful to make sure I don't embellish like I probably would have.
I don't need to, actually.
So I applied for my first PFD... Permanent Fund Dividend. I will be happy to see the money, and will use it to get some dental work done. I think it will make a decent downpayment on doing some stuff with these toofers. I need one pulled.. that's for sure...
At least that and a cleaning. I'm going to look forward to that all year.
Johnathan is in Atlanta, some MCC conference. Lucky bugger. It will probably feel more like Australia to him down there.
Renae's daughter is in the hospital and I wrote some friends and Johnathan and asked them all to pray for her. She needs a kidney transplant.
I am going to bed now... well, fold my clothes, then bed. I know I'll wake up to three new inches of snow and treacherous road conditions. But it is so very amazingly beautiful... got out of work this afternoon and looked up in the sky and saw the snow falling, it's just so pretty here.