Florida Connection - Finis

(Note: Long ago I found a way to change the date on my posts - so instead of being dated when I publish them, I can have them chronologically dated for when the events happened.  While keeping things in order, this means that not every entry was posted in a timely fashion.  Take this one, for example.  In real-time, it's June.  I only mention this because I know I haven't been updating regularly - it's been, say... five months or so?? - and I have more entries in queue.  Bear with me while I get back to this whole blogging thing, will you?  I mean, if the twelve or thirteen of you haven't gone off and abandoned me already since I've neglected your trust in me to provide... something... more frequently than TWICE A YEAR...  Ahem.)
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We spent our last evening having dinner with family friends I haven't seen for more than 20 years.  (It doesn't seem right that I'm old enough to have known someone that long ago.)  In a complete coincidence (and thanks to Facebook), we found that Sam and Pam were in Florida for vacation at the same time we were there for Greg's running mania.  I'm absolutely amazed, and a bit shocked, that we could be so far from home and hook up with friends from Idaho (of all places), just because a picture from Olive Garden was posted on Facebook.  How cool is that?!? 

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous - I mean, what am I going to say to these folks after so much time?  And what do I call them?  I mean, I'm an adult now, but they were adults when I was a child so is using first names acceptable?  But Mr. and Mrs. just sounds way too formal...  And I also admit to being a little concerned that they wouldn't approve of me in some way.  (I choose to think that was a throwback to my childhood days and remembered authority figures, rather than an indication of deep-seated self-doubt.)  It didn't help my nerves that we were running behind, went to the wrong pickup spot, then had to backtrack to finally get connected.

As soon as we were together, it was easy as pie.  We spent the few hours we had catching up on family goings-on and glossing over the intervening years of separation.  Almost like going back in time, only better because now I can more fully enjoy the interaction.  They're almost unchanged from what I remember - or else my new memories are superimposed over my old ones - a little grayer around the temples, perhaps, but still the same. Amazing to think of how time has passed, and so totally wonderful that we could get together - I was sad when our time together ended, but glad of the new memories we have.  God bless and keep you, Sam and Pam.

It's been an amazing trip.  Between the sightseeing, getting acquainted with friends, Greg's running accomplishments, and the wonderful surprise of connecting with old friends, it's almost hard to leave.  And yet... home beckons.  Not the cold (it's been below zero for almost the whole time we've been gone), but the friends and family who are waiting for us.  And, I suppose, the knowledge that I have not yet found the job that will pay me to not work.

And so we're down to the final adventure: the trip home, where I almost lost my wallet, Greg shoplifted from the Disney store, we barely made one of the connecting flights, and I saw another new vending machine (with makeup, a mini boom box, sunglasses, and eye covers for sale).

After we checked our bags and were heading for security, we decided to use the restrooms.  From there, we stopped at the Disney store to browse for souveniers.  I found some chocolate covered pretzels but when I was heading up to the counter, discovered my wallet was missing.  I handed everything to Greg - rather abruptly, I might add - and raced back to the restroom, praying all the way that someone had turned it in, and where is the lost and found anyway? I don't care if they take the money, just please, please leave the ID so I can get home...  Miracle of miracles (thank you, Lord), my wallet was on the floor just outside the stall I'd used, where it must have fallen out of my pocket.  I gathered the recalcitrant item (and my racing heart, and my dropped stomach) and headed back to find Greg, only to discover that he had followed me out of the store and half way down the long hallway.  I marched him back into the Disney store so we could pay for the pilfered items, and then we were on our way home.  (To be fair, I guess the pretzels got wrapped up in my coat, so Greg didn't even realize I'd handed him an item from the store.  But it's much more fun to say that he shoplifted...)  Only one delay, one mad-dash race to the gate for the connecting flight, and now we're home, dreaming of sunny, warm Florida while attempting to avoid frostbite from the frigid weather.

Eklutna Ride

I've been attempting to ride my bike a bit more this summer.  I'm slow, and any kind of incline is a real effort, but I generally have a good time.  When my friend Shawn suggested a ride around Eklutna Lake, I figured it'd be a good ride - some exercise, and a chance to visit with a friend.

The last time I was here, we were camping.  I mostly stayed at the camp site and enjoyed the company there.  I've heard of the hiking and biking trails, and Sheri even did a little kayaking with Greg, but this is the first time I've explored any of those options.  (I'm not nearly ready for the kayaking/canoeing bit yet...)

 

I have to admit that I was anxious about the ride.  I know I'm not skilled, and I'm definitely out of shape.  But Shawn made it easy to relax and have fun.  There were plenty of places to stop and explore - and I took advantage of as many as I could.

 

We biked six miles out, then had a wonderful lunch (provided by Shawn) sitting on the beach and enjoying the view.  While there was plenty more trail to ride, I was starting to worry about the trek back.  As far as we go, I have to come back.  There's no way on this ride for me to call Greg to come pick me up.  (That's what I did riding home from work a while back - there was a tremendous head wind, and I was just so tired... so about a mile and a half from home I caved and called Greg to come get me.  I know.  I'm a wimp.)

All in all, we rode 12 miles today.  I'm pretty proud of that.  Granted, we took plenty of breaks, and on the way back I had to walk my bike up several hills, but I didn't have a heart attack; I didn't wimp out and walk the whole way back (just up a few hills, and no more than I absolutely had to); and I had a wonderful time visiting with Shawn.  To celebrate, we had dinner at Kriner's Diner and I took home one of their super-delicious cinnamon rolls.  Yeah, baby!

Squirrel Creek, Finis

Ah, the last bit.  Sad to see a fun weekend come to an end, but at this point I'm definitely looking forward to a shower...

We made it back to camp, only to find that Squirrel Creek wasn't near as rainy as Valdez - which is a good omen for a BIG fire!  It helps that we've got a lot of wood left, and the goal is to burn the box before we go too.

It was a weekend filled with friends and visiting; games and geocaching; fun and relaxing.  How can you beat that?!?  We even had some tunes and dancing...

 

The last day, we took our time packing up - mostly because it was nice to not be in a rush, but also because we had to finish burning the box.  The journey home was peppered with stops - for geochaching, of course.

 

All in all, a beautiful weekend (even with the rainy bits), spent with family and friends.  I can't think of a better way to spend my time...

Squirrel Creek, Part II

One of the reasons I enjoy camping at Squirrel Creek is that we usually take one day and go road-trippin' to Valdez.  We stop along the way to see Worthington Glacier and get pictures at the waterfalls.  And I have the extra special added bonus of getting to see Sara for a little while.  Yay!

The glacier has receded significantly over the last few years.  Used to be that you could walk 5 minutes off the paved trail and be standing next to blue ice taller than you.  Now it's a bit of a hike before you get close - but it's still visible (unlike Portage Glacier, where you have to take one of the little cruises to get within binocular distance).

Nita and I opted to wait at the car for the hikers, and to pass the time she fed the birds.  Seagulls.  A whole herd of them.  Not sure what seagulls are doing hanging out at a glacier, but it was fun to watch.  I admit to ducking a couple times, and covering my head.  Didn't want to get pooped on when it's going to be a while before I could get cleaned up...  (Well, really didn't want to get pooped on at all, but especially not if I have to wear it for another hour or two.)  I overheard some tourists talking about how it feels just like home, because Utah's state bird is the sea gull.  I wanted to rush over and see if they knew any of my family that's from there, but I refrained...  =)

Valdez is absolutely beautiful - even in the rain.  We've been lucky some years to have sunshine, and then the vista is stunning!  But I wouldn't live there in the winter.  I've heard they can get 10 - 20 feet of snow - so much that people have to tunnel out of their houses to get anyplace.  No thanks!

 

Sara's work is in the lower right corner of the 2nd picture

We visited, did some sight-seeing, and got to eat dinner with Sara.  Through it all, there was a fine mist - not really rain, but grey clouds and enough dampness to eventually bead up on our clothes.  When it was finally time to say goodbye, the heavens opened up and there was torrential rain.  Methinks that might've been the elements expressing my emotions...  =)  Anyhow.  I intended to get our picture with a nice background (like a scenic mountain or somesuch), but settled for the parking lot with the burger joint where we had dinner.

Heading back to camp the weather got milder and milder, until it was cloudy with no rain at all.  Which is perfect weather to have a fire and roast marshmallows.  And that's the way we ended our road-trippin' day.  I've got a few more photos to share, so it looks like there'll be one more post about this utterly fantastic weekend.  Yay!!

Squirrel Creek, Park I

I've been looking forward to the 4th of July weekend for ages!  A long weekend (I took Friday off too), and we're going camping.  Yay!  Working a full day, then loading up for camping generally means a late start.  But who cares? since I don't have to work on Friday anyway.  Sweet!!  We loaded up an old friend for the last trip...

Years ago, Greg made a box to fit his ladder rack so we could bring extra wood and have BIG fires.  This is the last campout for the box.  Fitting then, that the first and last trips are both to Squirrel Creek.  Between packing, mounting the box, and loading the gear, we didn't leave until almost 10pm.  Kinda late, especially for this trip, but what the hell?  We can always sleep in once the tents are up...

We arrived on location at 3am, had the tents up by 4am, then sat around the fire until 7am.  It's been absolutely forever since I've been up for more than 24 hours.  Must be a sign of getting old - I used to be able to stay up late and get up early for days on end without it seeming to impact me.  Now, a solid 8 hours is good (I like 10 better), but I can survive on 5 or 6 for a day or two.  No more than that without going totally nutso, having a psychotic breakdown, and collapsing into a sleep coma for three days of recovery.  Twenty-some years ago, 40 seemed ancient - as if those old fogies are ready to push up daisies, just put 'em in a wheelchair and get some diapers right now - but now that I'm almost there, I don't feel that much different from when I was 25 or so (except I need more sleep)...  Anyhow.  I digress.

 

The next couple days are filled with fun, fires, and friends.  Such a wonderful weekend!!  We even satisfied another "tradition".  At a previous campout - in the same camp ground, at the same site, even - we found that squirrels can (and will) eat through the plastic to get at the licorice in the 5# Costco tub.  This year, we found that they'll eat through the Gladware bin to get to the fruits and nuts.

I have several more pictures that I want to share - I'll try not to be too boring - so I'll add them to the next post.  Besides, that includes the next adventure: heading to Valdez to see Sara.  Campfire, fresh air, falling asleep to the sound of running water...  Can't think of a better way to spend the weekend.

Walking to Whittier

It's been a couple years since we've participated in the Walk to Whittier, so when I heard about it this year I wanted to go.  It's a 2 and a half mile walk through a tunnel that connects Whittier to the rest of the world.  The tunnel is one lane wide, so traffic alternates direction into and out of town.  It's a very large lane - big enough that buses, trains, and even boats can go through.

It was a cloudy, drizzly day - but since we spent a majority of the time walking through the tunnel, the weather didn't matter so much.  I had a lovely time visiting with our friend Shawn, as we trekked the terrain.

Once we made it to town, we had a couple hours to explore before it was time to catch the bus.  Another benefit of this walk (besides that it's cool and can be an enjoyable substitute for some exercise) is that after all the walking, we get to eat and shop, then don't have to walk back to the car.

The rain was more like a fine mist, as if we were walking through super-saturated clouds.  Never enough to be uncomfortable, but what seemed like a fine layer of dew on everything.  We must've walked pretty quickly, because we were second in line at our choice of restaurant.  Let me tell you, fresh fish and chips is hard to beat!

From there, we wandered the town.  Whittier isn't very large - you can see most of it right from the marina.  We decided to explore one of the derelict buildings, just behind the local inn and up a small rise.  I love architecture - old buildings, new ones, interesting lines, etc.  (This place reminds me of an insane asylum from back in the day, where someone was probably tortured and murdered horribly, and now that person (or those people) haunt the site of their doom.)  Aside from that, Greg has a new-found fascination with graffiti, ever since he watched Exit Through the Gift Shop.  (I have to say it was an interesting flick, but I don't think it's really a documentary.  I think it's filmed in the same style and could be based on true events, but is a well crafted make-believe tale.)  I think that graffiti is definitely a form of vandalism, but if I have to look at it, I'd prefer to look at the more artistic applications.  I don't need to know that John loves Ginger, or that Mary is a gang-banger.  I like the dinosaurs and deep sea creatures that peppered the inside and outside of this building (in the picture above, on the lower right corner is a T-Rex).

We finished our exploring in time to make it to the fudge shop for a nice little treat before we boarded the bus... except the bus was late.  Which wouldn't have been all that bad, except we're standing in the misty, drizzly, rain, and if we miss the tunnel, we're stuck in Whittier over night (it's the last tunnel going out for the day - one more coming in, then closed for the night).

While we were waiting, a friend we haven't seen in years pulled into the lot to go to the coffee shop right next door.  Small world!  Eric does commercial fishing out of Whittier now, and he'd just finished with some work and happened to stop by for some caffeine to keep him awake for a little while longer.  It was great to catch up with him and find out what's new.  It shouldn't surprise me that much anymore, that wherever we go Greg will find someone he knows.  I'm much more anonymous, I suppose (and I'm fine with that).

I can hear the creepy music playing in the background, and if I stare at the picture hard enough, I think there are faces in the shadows of the windows.  They only come out in the mist, and they're hungry.  Good thing our bus made the last tunnel out... (ooooh!  I hope I haven't just given myself nightmares!)

First Campout of the Season

I didn't realize how much I'd been looking forward to this campout until Greg couldn't find spots for us.  The campground we originally wanted to stay at is closed for the season - beetle killed trees that they're cleaning up, or something like that.  So he headed north instead, looking for our weekend homestead.  Two campgrounds later, and he called me to let me know that nothing's open... Maybe we can camp in the back yard?  No way.  If we're not camping, I'm not going to drag out all our gear just to set it up in the backyard.  So he headed south, and eventually found us spots at Bertha Creek Campground.

 

Initially I wanted to be a bit closer to town, since I was staying the night then driving back in to Anchorage so I could work on Friday.  (I didn't take Friday off, and I was worried - what with the long weekend and the nice weather - that we wouldn't be able to find a site, even on Thursday night...  seems like other people maybe had the same idea.)  Looks like the mother of necessity breeds willingness to camp farther afield (isn't that how the saying goes?).  So we ended up at Bertha Creek.  It's south of Anchorage, but significantly higher elevation.  There was still snow, and the leaves hadn't opened from buds yet.

 

But it was a site to put up tents and get a fire going - yay!  I didn't even mind having to get up super-early so I could drive home to take a shower and get in to work at a decent time.  I don't know how people commute for and hour or more one way.  That's so much time that I could use for so many other things: sleeping, reading, blogging, relaxing at home, sleeping...

 

It was such a lovely weekend!  I love sitting around the campfire, relaxing and visiting with friends and family.  I even tried a new flavor combination: peanut butter, strawberry jam, and bacon.  Bacon really does make everything taste better!

I'm looking forward to this summer and the other camping trips we have planned.  *Fingers crossed* that the weather this summer is better than last year - less rain, more sun, and plenty of big fires!!

Let's Amble!

Every summer I try to do as many of the charity walks as I can.  Mostly because it's an extra incentive to get in some exercise.  I've already missed three, but made an extra effort to get to the Amblin' for Alzheimer's walk.  Not because it's an issue that's near and dear to me - just because I like the venue (Kincaid Park is very pretty), and I enjoy the folks that I've walked with for the past few years.  It helps that the weather was absolutely gorgeous!

In celebration of completing a four mile walk, I promptly went to the store for a doughnut, had way too much food for dinner, and topped off the night with a brownie for dessert.  I mean, I deserve all that right?  I burned up lots and lots of calories walking for charity - that's got to count for extra calories, right?  I think I'll wait a while before I brave the bathroom scale.  Maybe I'll get a bike ride in first...

The weather was beautiful.  Leaves still aren't out on the trees, but I'm sure I'll wake up one morning to find they've all popped out over night.  There was enough sun (and exercise) that I was sweating up a storm, but enough breeze that I wasn't miserable.  And I found an amusing sign.  We don't have many people brave enough to surf the frigid waters around Anchorage, and what waves we get are minuscule compared to Hawaii or California, but apparently Kincaid Park has another draw...