Lessons Learned at Negative 2

The Fairbanks Borough Parks and Rec department has created a great cross-country ski loop this winter at Tanana Lakes. It's perfect for me, the neophyte skier. I can practice my kick and glide without worry of embarrassing myself in front of the six year olds at Birch Hill. That's not a joke -- kids here ski young and they ski well. 

I skied a loop across the lake and took a few pics. It was a great way to end a stressful week; and so nice to see the sun after 4:00!

It was a great ski.

After I took this picture I tried to start my car with the remote start. I didn't get confirmation beep so I knew it had not started. I figured I was too far away still, for it to work. I typically only take my remote start fob with me when skiing or snowshoeing so that I don't risk losing my keys. 

I got back to my car and the remote start still wouldn't work, nor would it unlock the car. The battery was dead. No problem, I can text someone to bring me a triple A battery. 

Pulled my phone out of my pocket and it was dead. In the cold, phone batteries die quickly. But I am aware of this and keep a chemical warmer in my pocket with my phone, so that it stays warm and doesn't die. Phone was dead. 

I looked around and of course not one person was at the ice rink or the fishing huts. Not one! It was cold, -2 or so, especially being soaking wet from sweating. 

I don't get easily ruffled in these situations but I admit, I did have a few moments of, "Ruh-roh, Shaggy. This could be bad."

My only choice was to start walking and hope that someone was planning a night ski or fishing trip,  and would drive by. Often the parks and rec people are driving around so I was hoping I might run into one of them. If I didn't run into anyone, I knew I could walk to a gas station about a mile and a half away. Once there I'd have to beg for a battery though since my wallet was locked in the car. There was no point in walking home (3 miles away) because I didn't have a key to get inside. 

Better get walkin', I thought! If nothing else it would keep me warm. I was very cold by this time standing by my locked car in my sweat soaked clothes. I considered breaking a window but there wasn't anything available that I could've used to break a window. 

Fortunately I only had to walk about 5 minutes before I saw a car. I flagged it down and asked if they had a battery. AND THEY DID! Who, I ask you, who carries batteries (and triple A none, the less) in their car?!? I guess I will now. And, I will now keep the car key with me.

Kayaking Gone Wrong

**I'm working through some posts I wrote awhile back, but never published. This was originally written May 2016**

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Several weeks ago, The Bachelor and I went kayaking on Pile Driver Slough -- one of my favorite paddles in Fairbanks.

It started off great with a sunny sky. One of the joys of Pile Driver Slough is being able to not paddle your boat if you don't want to -- the current will carry you along. When it's warm out, it's delightful to float underneath the sun. The Bachelor had even brought snacks to share, which was good because I was starving.

How quickly it all fell apart.

Tobaccy

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to smoke an entire pack of cigarettes at once? I had not wondered that, ever. I found out though when I took a swig from a coffee cup thinking it was my left over morning coffee and it was someone's spit cup. 

As in chew. Dip. Snuff. Chewin' tobaccy. I wasn't grossed out by the fact that I drank and swallowed someone's spit. At least it had belonged to someone I know. Does that make it better? I'm not sure. 

My throat burned and I was certain I had instantly contracted laryngeal cancer from the carcinogens in the used dip. My future passed before me -- I didn't want to burp speak through a stoma in my throat! No, no, no, no, no! 

It All Comes Down to This

This Saturday I'll be competing at a powerlifting meet in Fairbanks. It's a USA Powerlifting sanctioned meet where state records can be set. Lucky for me the rules of USAPL dictate that as a Masters athlete (that is, 40 years old and up) you compete in the age bracket based on the age you'll be on December 31st of that year. 

Ice Fishing

This week marked the 5th anniversary of my arrival in Fairbanks.  To mark the occasion I went ice fishing for the first time. 

I hadn't been fishing in years.  The most fishing I did as a kid was at the Trout Farm in Calistoga, where everyone gets the catch of the day. 

Here I am with my catch at the Trout Farm. I was about 4 years old here. 

Grandma Mary

My mom's mother, Mary, passed away on Wednesday. I wasn't particularly close to her but she was certainly the matriarch of the family. Thanksgiving was the big holiday for my mom's side of the family to congregate. My mom was one of nine children, although not all biologically belonging to Mary. My mom has one biological brother and sister. The three had been in and out of foster care most of their young years before going to Mary's house. Mary took my mom and her siblings into her existing family of six. They were never formally adopted but Mary treated them as her own. I only knew her as my grandma.

Table Top Mountain

Fairbanks has been having great weather this summer. Yes, the entire state has been on fire and that has made for some smokey days in the 'banks, but in general, it's been a terrific summer. Days at the lake, paddle boarding, kayaking and most recently a lovely hike in the White Mountains.

My friend Hilary, her dog, Cedar, and I tackled Table Top. Getting out of town was an endeavor all on its own. We returned her husband's cell phone to him at work, dropped her son off at daycare and lastly got coffee. I'm impressed with all we did pre-coffee. It is not easy to answer a three-year old's questions sans caffeine. We should have had a pre-coffee coffee but therein lies the dilemma: how do you think clearly about coffee when you haven't yet had coffee? Thank goodness for Fairbanks' many, many drive-thru coffee huts. If you can just get yourself to the coffee hut, it will all be okay.

We hiked to the top of that plateau. 

Fielding Lake

In June I stayed at the Fielding Lake public use cabin for two nights. It's a great spot. I was glad to have the cabin though because the wind was ferocious. And when it did stop the mosquitos came out in full force. If I'd been tent camping I would've been miserable. I kayaked one day. The wind was just tolerable. Not so bad that I couldn't get anywhere, or was worried about tipping over, but strong enough that when I stopped to take a picture I was blown back and lost ground.

The cabin. 

Circle

It's taken seven months but I have finally written a blog post for 2015. It's been a good summer with local trips and ventures to the "outside".  Yesterday I drove to Circle. It's a small village at the end of Alaska State Hwy 6, the Steese.

Meditation School Drop-out

I went on a 10-day Vipassana meditation course over my winter break. I used to refer to it as a retreat but it was nothing of the sort. It was work. Why go, you ask? Many reasons but mostly the timing was right. I've been wanting to do this for several years and since the course coincided with my winter break, why not. 2014 wasn't the best of years what with my dad dying and all. Seemed like a good way to clear my head.

The basic premise of the course is to learn the technique of Vipassana meditation and to practice sufficiently so that you can incorporate it into your daily life. During the course you must observe noble silence. This means: no talking, no non-verbal communication of any kind including eye contact, no reading, and no writing.

Men and women are segregated and we took a vow of celibacy for the 10 days. You could talk with the course managers if there were problems with your accommodations, you needed aspirin, etc. You could also sign up to speak with the teachers during lunch break but only to discuss questions about the technique we were learning. All of this was meant to help you focus on the meditation and to eliminate distractions. Noble silence was important to help you have your own experience so you didn't feel the social pressure of wondering why your experience wasn't measuring up to the person next to you.

Fall is Here

Today is different. It's fall. The air is not just cool -- it's  crisp. We didn't have much of a summer up here in the 49th. And we are on track to go on record as the wettest summer. Ever. But fall is here and it's one of those magnificent days that makes you wonder how you could possibly conceive of living anywhere else.

Upper Chatanika River

I wrote the following post three years ago. Despite that it was borne out of heartbreak (which is now ancient history and those memories don't evoke anything) it remains one of my favorite pieces that I've written.

Click here to read, "It's Fall, in August?"

Moose in the Slough

My day:

1) Floating = good.

2) Held hostage by a moose for 1/2 hour = good, but tense. 

3) Pulled over by trooper = bad turned good when he gave me a citation for a correctable offense instead of a moving violation. The fact that I was still in my bathing suit (having just come from floating and all) has no bearing on the situation. 

America

What I love about America is this:

As a single woman of a <ahem> certain age I can go camping and kayaking if I so wish. I don't have to get anyone's approval or even tell anyone where I am. This, is a tremendous privilege and one that I am continually grateful for. 

The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go

I am now a member of a club that we all join at some point but no one wants to: the dead dad's club. After suffering a severe right-sided stroke 2 1/2 years ago, my dad left this life Wednesday night.  

My dad on the left, in the overalls.

Gettin' Called Out

This week my 8 year old niece and I had this conversation:

Justine: "Do you ever put your hair up?"

Me: "No, it's too short. But sometimes I clip it like this." 

I showed her how I pull it back in a clip. Justine snickered.

Me: "What? That's the style!"

Justine: "Maybe in Alaska!"

Snow Daze

It's a snowy, snowy day here in the 'banks. Was yesterday, too. So snowy and blustery and icy that school has been cancelled for the second day in a row. What a treat! For all the times I prayed for snow in arid Calistoga, I'm now getting the coveted snow days.

Halloween

After years of wonderful service, I've retired my Jelly Fish costume. It was a great costume and may return one day. But for now, a change-up was needed. 

Ladies and gentleman, I give you, the Franzia Wine Box. A fully functional, wine box.

And Another One's Gone

This morning my uncle passed away from complications related to a brain tumor.  One short week after Little Sam. My fingers are crossed there won't be a third post next Sunday. 

I admire my uncle for fully living his life since being diagnosed 16 months ago. He has traveled to places he and my aunt have long wanted to visit, spent time with family and friends, camped, and ran numerous 10k's. 

Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Kevin

Sam

This is a sad day for a friend of mine and her family. Her sweet boy Sam succumbed to an inoperable brain tumor this morning at the tender age of 8. Prior to cancer he was a vibrant, funny, beautiful child. 13 months of living with cancer stripped Sam of all those attributes, and more.

Sabrina has maintained a blog about this experience: Enough For Now.  It's miserably sad and Sabrina's pain over her boy slipping away is palpable -- more than anyone should have to bear. Yet there is much for us to learn from her experience, particularly about raising awareness for Childhood Cancer. I can't do anything to ease Sabrina's pain amidst this horrible tragedy but I can tell you this:

Childhood cancer is the #1 cause of disease-related death in children. 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed this year. The only risk factor for childhood cancer *is being a child*. To learn more check out these sites:
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
The Truth 365
St.Baldrick's

I have an eight year old niece. It was at her baby shower that this picture of Sabrina, and then baby, Sam was taken.

Thinking of my niece's sweet, goofy, curious self and what a precious thing she, her brothers, and her cousins are in my life, all I can say is, hug your babies. Great big bear hugs.

And to Sabrina, John, Ben, Abby, and their sweet Samalamadingdong -- may peace be with you.

Visiting the 'banks

Mom spent a few days with me in the 'banks. We hit all the hotspots: took in a play, went to Chena Hot Springs where we soaked in the pools and sat at an ice bar in the Ice Museum. We traveled the Chena River on the Riverboat Discovery with a stop at a re-created Athabascan village. Saw the pipeline, and viewed fall color. Unfortunately mom didn't get to see any moose.

 

At the pipeline outside of town.