Just when you think you're Bad Ass...

...Just when you think you have your race strategy and technique down pat, you've trained on the course, you've run hill sprints on that looooooong bitch of a ramp leading up to the high school, you've monitored the melting on the streets and trail over the past week to gauge whether or not to run with spikes on......  Mother Nature spanks your ass with a dumping of the white stuff.  We woke up to 10 to12-ish inches of new powdered sugar snow.  This put me in a mood.  I got online right away to see if there were any updates as to whether or not the Shamrock Shuffle 5k was still going to take place and to commiserate with fellow disgruntled runners. Usually we're bright eyed and bushy tailed on race day morning....but all this snow?!?!  Fek.... And racetime SO early for just a quick 5k....whaaaaaaaa....poor tay tay.  Just traveling down the mountain and into town was gonna be a bitch.  Everyone was on the internets kvetching about what to do.  Close to 7am, the word came out that the roads were plowed and wouldn't it be a lovely day for a race!?  The accompanying photo of a clear street on the course sealed it.  We'd go for it.  Fueled up and dressed, spirits lightening, we headed out to slip into town, drop off the kiddo at our friends and running brethren, the Ruiz's house and carpool with them to the race.

Thankful that the temps where MUCH friendlier this year(17 degrees) as opposed to last year when it was only a very cruel 2, we dropped off our gear and jogged around the crowd decked out in all things green, Irish and leprechaun-y to warm up.  The start of the race went well enough despite the fact that I was slipping a bit, lots of kick-back, despite my spikes.

It WAS lovely...with the sun peaking in and out

I took full advantage of the downhill portion of the race through the residential area, more then making up for the lost "slip" time...U2's Beautiful Day booming through my ear buds...soul quickening...and when we hit the trail on Westchester LagooWHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!?!?  They didn't plow the fucking trail?!!?  How the hell......    HARSH.  And trixy of those in charge of the race to FB post that misleading photo!  Adios, chance to beat the shit out of last year's race time like I'd planned!  The rest of the race was spent in a slow schlog through that deep snow praying that I wouldn't snap another ankle.  All grace and form lost as I stomped ox-like in the cattle line past the lagoon.  And The Ramp?  A breeze on account of how SLOW we were all going.

OMFG.  Mooooooooooooooo.

It was a hard race in a way I hadn't yet experienced or expected but still satisfying, after the finish line, ankles intact, with my new Shamrock Shuffle pint glass filled with IPA.   Just like any time I go outside to play, I NEVER regret it!

Miles crossing the finish

Trying to summon a smile of accomplishment on the finish line.  Hey, I beat those young dudes!!!!

We all met up and hung out inside the Bear Tooth theater while ribbons were handed out to top finishers-NOT me, lol!- and the raffle winner was awarded with her weight in beer.  Plans were made  -I frigging LOVE the Ruiz's-for replenishing our tired bodies that evening with tostadas and margaritas at our place.

They giant scale use to weigh out the beer against body weight!  Lean BACK, honey!!!!!

<3 td="">

While I came in 4 minutes SLOWER then last year, I placed pretty well for my gender and old age group!

V Day!

*GAAAHH!!  I never posted this!  better late then never....

V for velocity  virus vistaster VALENTINE'S DAY!!!  Yeah!  Let's start with Valentine's Day.  We decided to go easy this year, no big dinner out and no prezzies, since we'd rather save the money for fun over in Italy!  Plus, we rigged our trip so that we're there in wine country for our 12th wedding anniversary!  Romantic enough, yes?!  And an important milestone anniversary.  What better place to celebrate this beautiful thing we have...that impossibly continues to grow more deep with each passing year?  So, we opted to stay home for a family evening with Willa and get a nice pizza delivered.  And of course we got each other prezzies.  Miles sent a lovely bouquet of roses to my work and gave me a pair of unique copper earrings.  I splurged on a sensational bottle of Barbaresco...the female to Barolo's male.  Grapes from the Peimonte region in Italy.  The most gorgeous wine to ever cross my lips.  The pizza came in handy since we had no heat or hot water.

Let's back-track a day.  Thursday night, Willa and I get home from school.  I head straight to the bathroom with a full bladder.  The toilet seat was FREEZING.  Wait a sec....I still have my down coat on.  It's CHILLY in here....  Uh, oh.  Sure enough, I give the baseboards a feel, check the thermometer.  Ooo!  58 degrees!  I give Miles a heads up and call Karl with a K, our handy handyman.  Our boiler set up is in our crawl space/basement and only accessed though a trap door in the floor of our CLOSET(eye roll).  I get in there to remove the door and turn the light on for Karl's arrival.  Oh, My Fucking GOD.  There is a WATERFALL cascading from our Quietside heater.  There is a foot of water in the crawl space.  Things.....are floating everywhere.  I frantically call back Karl to let him know things are REALLY SNAFU and hurry up!!!!  Willa is in tears thinking the water is going to flood the WHOLE upstairs as well and is frightened when I put on my Xtra-tuffs to get down there and salvage what I can.  Fast forward a few hours, Karl has come and gone, the water shut off and now draining, a part will be ordered, wood stove is blazing, several space-heaters are set up around the house to keep things warm enough to not have pipes freeze and plants die, and Miles and I are hauling up nasty wet trash from the crawl space.  I tell myself it's just junk, a lot of it was going to be given to the Salvation Army anyway, too bad it got ruined.  All our important beloved stuff is upstairs anyway....  Then Miles upends a plastic bin that had tipped over and took on water.  It contained most of my photo albums. Pictures from my childhood up until about age 30....most of which I had taken.....DESTROYED.  Out of hundreds I saved maybe 40-50.  A decent cross-section of years.....but, MAN, it was still a blow.  And what.a.mess.  This vistaster was not taken well by all.

Our little family pizza and wine snuggle fest in our chilly house eased the pain on Valentines day.

Beauty in destruction?

The next morning we escaped headed into Eagle River early to drop Willa off at the Ski bus that would take her and a ton of other very happy kids to Alyeska for the day to have a downhill ski lesson.  Miles and I followed in the car.  We had beautiful clear weather for our day of skiing.  As soon as I got off the lift onto the slope, I killed it! I skied the BEST I have skied in my LIFE!  I think it's from all the skate skiing I've been doing...they seem to compliment each other.  I even took on a great deal of speed that I usually would have been freaked out about. I seem to have entered a "less fear" zone when it comes to velocity!  Willa enjoyed her morning lesson and skied with us for the rest of the day.

 And here we are on Sunday.  Still no heat or hot h2o.  Hoping our part will be delivered and installed  tomorrow.  Continuing to haul up trash and organize all that didn't get wet in the basement.  This has actually been a project on our to do NOW list for quite awhile. The basement has long been a catch-all and storage of all things What Should We Do With THIS?  I'm thinking if we are brutal in our choices, we can cut this shit down by 75%.  It would be a breath of fresh air.
We took a break to make the chocolate dipped strawberries we had promised Willa we could have for Valentines day.  Can't wait until they have cooled and solidified!
And as I have been sitting here, I've begun to feel a "pressure" slowly build in my chest.  That itchy solid feeling that usually signifies a chest cold coming on.
Yay for viruses?  That's all I need.  But the strawberries....that will make it all GOOD.  Right?

Continuing with my All Things Italy as well! ;)
Brings me joy.

No dormancy here.

35 days so far this summer where our temperatures have reached over 70+ degrees!  Looking back at the last 3 dismal summers, that number never exceeded 9.  We are definitely taking MUCH pleasure in it!  I think this has been the fullest summer I've experienced since living in Alaska.  I've realized a part of me has reawakened with the warmth...there is such a lightness of being juxtaposed with strength of body...and a sense of FREEDOM that has accompanied the warm wind blowing through my car windows as we roll down the highway, and in the comforting breeze I feel as I walk past a wide open window.  Wide open....that's how I feel.  That heart center huge and glowing like our sun. This summer has allowed us to shed our bulky hoodies, fleece socks and sweats for light tanks, bikini tops(Miles, too, lol!!!), shorts and bare feet.  Free to strip nakey with my hunny in the living room with no kids around!  It's been freeing and magnificent.   But a bit of a disturbing shock to realize just how laden down I've felt with these past few cold and dampened years.  And as wonderful as it has been...there is an insidious apprehension-especially in light of all the unusual weather in other parts of the country-that this is just.not.right.  I don't like that.  It makes me want to buy property in Colorado, start hunting and learning how to can, buy guns and solar panels, go off the grid and wait for the shit to hit the fan....

I'm constantly trying to outrun that dark little cloud as I delight in the sun.  Just trying to Be Here Now.  Because I have MISSED it so....

Our friends had a housewarming party yesterday.  Sangria, sundresses, salmon on the barbie and sun.  It was wonderful!

Switcheroo...A struggle in white.

Welp.....I had it in my head that today's prompt was "Share something you're struggling with right now".  But apparently that one is for tomorrow.  The correct prompt for today is about telling a childhood story.  Well fuck it.  I'm switching them.  My "struggle" post was going to be about Dylan leaving on TUESDAY for  Basic Fucking Training, leaving the nest for good.  But I'm just not ready to go there yet.  I'll save that for later.

Today I am struggling with the FREAK FUCKING 8 INCHES OF NEW SNOW THAT WE GOT OVERNIGHT.  It is MAY the fucking 18th.  The 3rd Godamned week of the month.  It is still snowing, for the love of god.  Today is the graduation/goodbye party that we are throwing for Dylan and many folks are not going to want to drive the hell up this mountain road to attend it.  Just look at this bullshit:

I love Alaska, kids.  I love snow.  But, folks....this shit just ain't right.  Anyone who tells me that Global Climate Change is a hoax will get a punch to the uvula.  This is scary fucked up and makes me want to take the advice of my client, Captain Crazy, an astrophysicist who tearfully implored me to pack up my family pronto and move to Denver because our increasingly flaring sun would soon cause the demise of most of our civilization.  

So yeah.  I'm struggling with that.  A little bit.  A couple months ago, I was telling my mom, "Yeah!  When you're out in May we'll go hiking!  We've gotten so little snow this year that it will all be melted!  We'll have access to some good trails!"  Then we got a dumping of 3 feet.  Now this shit.  And cold temps to boot so it won't be melting until next week.

It's because I put the snow boots in storage in the basement, I KNOW it.  The Snow Gods were displeased at my presumption.  Now we have to get the boots, shovel and plow, -FUCK YOU CORONAL EJECTIONS....AND SNOW...AND GLOBAL CLIMATE INSTABILITY....AND YOU, TOO SARAH PALIN.

Hmmmm.....I wonder if the man formerly known as Captain Crazy would recommend Fort Collins......

NOT my photo

Update.  Some "interesting" facts:

 

...ANCHORAGE SETS A HOST OF NEW RECORDS...

THE OFFICIAL CLIMATE STATION FOR ANCHORAGE (AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE ON SAND LAKE ROAD) RECEIVED 0.3 INCHES OF SNOW ON
FRIDAY MAY 17. THIS SETS A DAILY SNOWFALL RECORD BARELY EDGING OUT
THE OLD RECORD OF 0.2 INCHES SET IN 1989. VERY LIGHT SNOW CONTINUES
TO FALL IN ANCHORAGE...BUT TO THIS POINT IN TIME NO NEW MEASURABLE
SNOW HAS ACCUMULATED AT THE NWS ON SAND LAKE ROAD.

A NEW DAILY RECORD FOR LIQUID PRECIPITATION WAS ALSO SET ON FRIDAY.
RAIN PLUS MELTED SNOW ADDED UP TO 1.30 INCHES WHICH BREAKS THE OLD
DAILY RECORD OF 0.21 INCHES SET IN 1959.

THE 0.3 INCHES OF SNOW RECEIVED ON FRIDAY MAKES 2012-2013 THE
LONGEST SNOW SEASON SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1917. THERE WERE 231
DAYS BETWEEN THE FIRST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL (SEPTEMBER 29) AND THE
LAST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL (MAY 17). THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF
230 DAYS SET IN 1981-1982.  

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ONLY REACHED 37 DEGREES ON FRIDAY. THIS SETS A
NEW DAILY RECORD FOR LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON MAY 17 BREAKING
THE OLD RECORD OF 44 DEGREES SET IN 1971. THIS ALSO MAKES MAY 17
THE LATEST DATE A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE THAT LOW HAS OCCURRED.
THE PREVIOUS LATEST OCCURRENCE OF A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 37 DEGREES
WAS MAY 4TH...OBSERVED IN THE YEARS 1945...1949...AND 2013.
 
$$

He escaped again!!!!

 

  Our Astoundingly Adventurous Amourous African Clawed Run Away Attack Frog!!!   Willa found Scoot the aquatic Frog mostly dried up and stuck behind the toilet this morning! Evidence tells us he journeyed from the confines of her room and across the house to make a desperate attempt at re-moisturizing in the cats' water bowl (so THAT'S what that wet blob of stringy, hair, lint and cat fur was that I found next to the bowl this morning!!!), and then back across to the kid's bathroom only to wedge himself between the toilet shelving and wall. What a surprise for Willa making her AM BM!!!! Scoot is now de-linted and recovering back in his tank. This would be escape attempt #5 in the last 4 years. The fact that he has not been devoured by the cats yet is beyond me....

My daughter KICKS ASS!!!!!

Here is a texting exchange that Dylan shared with us the other night.  All I can say is that I am SO PROUD!!!!  HELL to the YES, Girlie!!!!!

Mormon Moron:  Are you friends with  Amy and Derek ?


Dylan:  Yeah, why?

MM:  They’re Jewish.

D:  Okay? And?

MM:  I hate both of them.

D:  Wow. Last I checked, a person’s religious beliefs was not grounds to hate someone.

MM:   .....Well he’s a lot shorter than me. A lot.


D:  Well he is ALSO my best friends brother, and family to me.

MM:  He’s probably only taller than you cause of his stupid bright yellow Jew-fro.

D:  He had to die it blonde for a play. So shut the hell up and mind your own business and don’t be dissing on my friends. What is it to you that he is DIFFERENT than you and your Mormon self?

MM:  Don’t use that H word…

D:  Oh my gosh, HELL is in the freaking bible!!

MM:  Well.. okay. But I still don’t like Derek.

Dylan:  Well he’s family. And last I checked, the CHRISTIAN way was different. The fact that someone doesn’t stop talking when you RUDELY tell them to shut up, that isn’t grounds for hating someone. Jesus wouldn’t do that, would he? I may not go to church, or have any need for organized religion, but I do my research, and I know that’s not what Jesus would have done. Its bumpersticker logic, sweetheart.

I can only imagine what this kids parents are like....

Anyhoo....The following are photos from a reunion/celebration of F.A.'s life(our young friend who died) that Dylan organized via FaceBook for the kids who attended the Optional Program with F.A. in elementary school.  At the end of each school year, the Optional Program would go on a field trip to Eklutna Lake.  So that's where they decided to meet up. It wasn't a huge showing being a busy summer and all, just this group of kids and 2 of their former teachers, but it was fun and very bittersweet.  And unlike the end of year field trips, there where NO rules about playing in the ever present Eklutna mud!!!

Reminiscing and remembering F.A.

I love you over the moon and past the stars, Kiddo <3 <3 <3!!!!!!!

WHO'S BUYIN' ?!?!?

I'm ON to something here, methinks!!! Re-usable, eco-friendly, and down right warm-n-cozy happy-ass hand knit SANITARY NAPKINS!!!  RIGHT?!?!!!!  Oh, YEAH, that's how I roll with this knitting gig!!!  A "Knitty Sani"!  Choose your colors, throw 'em down there where they go, and yer all set.  Good to go!

ANELIZE

I know you’re lurking… interloping where you have no business.  To evaporate  in cowardice out of a child’s life with no fight, no words of comfort,  offering no closure ... only to blast back in years later -with a FACEBOOK “Friend Request”, no less!- is unbelievably SELFISH, IRRESPONSIBLE, and the epitome of LAMEouze. Did you ever once give thought to how disruptive prying open old wounds can be?  Perhaps YOU would like to foot the therapy bill?!

I believe she has offered her heartfelt FACEBOOK "response".

I wish you the peace of mind you need... and that someday your demons will rest. Always have.
 But find it within yourself...on your own time, your own dime, on your own turf.  Do what's decent.  Stay the hell away from my family.

MEH.

What utterly nasty-ass weather. Ick.

And Bleh.

Our poor snowman!!! We just built him Thursday afternoon and this is what he looked like on yesterday's brave 1/2 hour excursion outside to slip around on our asses play. I shudder to think of what he looks like today... I thought it might be a good idea to go out and get some fun out of this ugly bummer weather. Not sure if you can tell from the pics, but there were actually little rivulets running down our driveway of ice. Everything was dirty and melty and dripping including Lo and I after sliding down the driveway a few times sans sled.

A luge. Just plain blech. There's NO WAY we're getting the cars up the driveway until we pay to have it graveled or spring comes and melts it all. In fact, no one in the neighborhood was able to get in or out of their driveways, let alone up our street to the main road off the mountain. Abandoned vehicles all around the street. Creepy. Let's move on to a better more cool and clear time. Say, Tuesday and the few days leading up to it. (Here is Nanook of the North, freezing)

Tuesday, Dea played hookie from school and while Gramma spent some one on one time with Lo, we (Dea, Huz and I)drove down to Alyeska Resort for some downhill skiing. The rain started on the drive in and it was spitting at the base of the mountain but up higher we still had snow. Wet and heavy snow. Ungroomed. But, to our surprise, we all did quite well skiing and had a great time!


Earlier in the week, Gramma and I came to school with Lo and spent the day in her class.

Gramma really enjoyed seeing what a day in Waldorf is like and Lo loved having her there. Most of Gramma's visit was filled with playing outside, snow shoeing, shopping and eating out, and just relaxing inside.

Dea's best friend, K who lives next door, gave us her Mouse Trap game-I hadn't played that in YEARS! We had a fun time playing that and Blockus by the fire one evening.

This Jabba the Hut lookin' thing is a King Cake-eaten at Mardi Gras. The kind folks at Cafe Croissant gave it to us after making one too many.
Yeah, I know, that was random...

Batten down the hatches!!!!

OK? So, within a 2 day period, we went from an unusual 2 weeks of -15 temps to +40ish with crazy 100 MPH wind and rain. It was pretty trippy waking up in the middle of the night to see the trees outside blowing sideways. Today is the 3rd SNOW DAY in a row -unprecedented for this part of Alaska!!! ONE snow day a school year is rare. But 3 in a row?!?!?! With Dea playing hookie on Tuesday to go skiing with us at Alyeska and an in service coming up on Monday, she'll have had another week long vacation!
Wind warning issued for Turnagain Arm, HillsideThe National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for Turnagain Arm and Anchorage's Upper Hillside starting Friday morning. The warning is in effect from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, with southeast 50 mph with gusts 75 to 100 mph, the Weather Service said. Gusts of 50 mph are expected in east Anchorage through the afternoon, and very heavy winds are expected on the Hillside and Turnagain Arm through much of the evening.

Gramma D got to experience the full gamut of our weather on her trip and she took off safely for New Jersey yesterday morning. We've been laying fairly low this whole time. On Wednesday we lazed around with Gramma. We ventured out late afternoon to hit the mall and then check her into her hotel room downtown. She figured she would stay closer to the airport that night in case the weather worsened. She had an early flight the next morning and didn't want to drag us out of bed. Huz met up with us at the hotel and we all went out for a nice dinner at Cafe Croissant.

Afterward we goofed around in Gramma's hotel room, turning off all the lights and taking "blind" pictures. Gee, have you noticed Lo's tongue? Ya know when your Grandmother always said ,"Your face is going to freeze that way!!!" when you made faces? 'Tis true.

Dig the reflection over her head!

We said a sad goodbye and braved the roads for home.

Yesterday was spent baking, playing outside in the wind and swiftly melting snow, making a snowman, and making upcycled Shrinky Dinks.

Have a plethora of #6 plastic containers hanging around?! Cut them up, decorate with colored sharpies, and throw in the oven for 2-3 minutes at 350. A fun and creative way to utilize all that plastic.

I screwed up and actually used some #1 plastic that turned white in the oven but didn't really shrink-it just curled a lot. Stay away from the #1. We made the usual and I also I attempted to make a couple rings as well as some beads by cutting tapered pieces,

coloring them, and once they were hot, using a pot holder to wrap the plastic around the nose of jewelry pliers. It took some experimentation, but they turned out very pretty .

Would have been better, I'm sure, if I hadn't used #1! Some other fun things to do with your plastic HERE. You can incorporate your shrinky dinks into this cool mosaic idea.

Today we'll finally be taking down our Holiday decorations(!). We kept them up so that Gramma D could see them-but I'm ready to have my house back! I'd really like to watch this YouTube vid and learn how to use the drop spindle that Santa brought us. We'll go outside and try to make some ice slides as well as check to see if our snowman is still in one piece! And I think a nice cuddle on the couch with a movie is in order! I suppose we should come up with a back-up plan in case we lose power.... I always feel a (disturbing) sense of peace and relief when the power goes off. There are times when I just wish we could flip a switch to cut the power from the house for awhile. It's amazing how quiet it gets!