MOOSE TOOTH!
No I didn't find one....I ate one. Well, that is not exactly true. I finally had pizza from the famed Moosetooth, "the best pizza in Alaska." This time that claim is actually true (ok, I haven't eaten pizza over ALL of Alaska but it's have to be really, really good to beat this).
We had the backpacker pizza (I have no idea why it is named that). It's covered with basil (and unfortunately basil in Alaska has little flavor) and then topped with artichoke heart, feta cheese, garlic and other goodies I can't remember right now. I expected, with a name like backpacker pizza, it would have nuts and berries....this was just delicious (and I don't think it was just because I have been eating Weight Watcher TV dinners for a week).
Along with this paragon of the pizza world was a fab salad-one that I can actually make myself! It was made of spinach with dried cranberries, pink grapefruit and walnuts topped with raspberry vinegarette. WONDERFUL!!!!
I took Jane to the airport last night at 10:30 and it was still daylight-the sun sat around 9:30. I could still see the mountains in the background at 11:00pm. The sun was up when I got out of bed at 5:30. I am staying at her place with her dogs and it was blessedly quite-best sleep I've had in two weeks!!!
Well, I am working today so off I go.....going to the Whole Life Expo tomorrow and then back to work!
Have a good weekend!

The challenge of sleeping in Alaska....it is daylight right now in Anchorage (9:15 pm). The sun is setting. However, I have discovered that the challenge to sleeping in Anchorage is not the daylight it is the NOISE!!!!
I have to keep the windows open (no air conditioner). However, as write this the street sweepers are cleaning the street!!!! At 9:00pm!!!! Usually it is the bus stop below my window with the buses stopping to pick up the people and then starting and going again! But, the street cleaning at 9pm that is the killer!
However, it is beautiful!!!! And warm-today was great in the mid 50s with a nice breeze. No tornadoes here!

BREAK UP.....

I set out to go to the zoo thinking I knew where it was-apparently not. So, instead I went downtown to see what the inlet looks like during break up. I took these pictures at Cook inlet-in my on-line albums I have pictures of this view during fall, winter and spring. In a few months I'll add summer!
Spring has come to Alaska-or should I say Anchorage. While I was puttering around downtown I saw tons of people walking and bike riding, including a couple on a mountain bike for two. The grounds of businesses and apartments are being groomed and parking lots and streets washed. I even saw a truck with a big spray of water shooting out the side and onto the sidewalks-yep, in Anchorage we even wash our sidewalks.
Actually, when the snow melts things are pretty nasty! There is even a day for people to pick up dog poop off of the trails! I am not planning to volunteer for that.
I wonder how much of this is preparation for the influx of tourist I have been warned starts in May?

ON LEMONS AND LEMONADE......
Sometime life hands me lemons and I just insist on sucking on them instead of making lemonade. Today was such a day. Despite all my positive thinking, law of attracting and candle lighting things just don't seem to be working out like I had planned! So, I was really sucking on those lemons! Then, while searching for $4 I thought I'd lost (forgot I spent it!), I found $20 in the dryer! Next I started to throw away some trash and noticed one of the things was a coupon that said "Congratulations on Living Healthy" (or something like that)....then under that it said "$10 off the next $10 purchase"...of what??? It was from Carrs which was where I was headed so I took it with me. The check out guy had never seen it but when he scanned the coupon it subtracted $10 off my purchase!!! So for a mere $8.39 I got a loaf of Orowheat Light Bread (that alone is $3.99-isn't that crazy!), 3 Smart Ones dinners, 5 cartons of yogurt and a bag of frozen veggies!!!! AND I threw my accumulated change in the thing that takes change and gives money and it added up to $35!!!! WOW! So, I guess I'll make some lemonade today and go to the zoo after all-earlier I was in much to sour of a mood to go and have FUN!

EXCITING NEWS FROM TEXAS.......My friend, Corky, is almost 78 years old and today he made a hole in one!!!!!
Congratulations Corky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOME IN ALASKA.....These are pictures of my new home, at least for a couple of months or so, in Anchorage. I really love this new apartment. It is bright and cheerful and I love the colors and decor. It is very comfy! I tend to spend most of the time in the bedroom because my computer is there and there is a second TV. Really, I could live permanently in this apartment without changing a thing and be very happy!
I have a three day weekend and no plans-what a waste! Today I started the day at a Weight Watchers meeting and then walked downtown with Jane to eat at our favorite restaurant-The Downtown Cafe. We split an order of their wonderful sourdough blueberry pancakes and reindeer sausage. Then we walked to a store to look at a wallet for Jane. It was a store for shoes and purses. I saw several pair of Mindy shoes-one was a pair of 2 or 3 inch heels that were red with pink grosgrain ribbon trim around the edges and a matching pink bow. And a very interesting pair of red ones I am totally incapable of explaining!
We then walked back to the apartment and rested a while before heading out to the women's expo which was huge but a bummer. Lots and lots of booths of people selling stuff-no arts and crafts and nothing with an Alaska flavor.
I can't decide what to do with the rest of my weekend-except it will not involve a lot of walking! I thought about going to the zoo on Monday but it costs $10.00 here....that is very expensive! Something will come up fun! Right now I am taking my tired legs to bed!!!! I found several books in a closet here, one is by an author I really used to like and there are a couple of romances...so, that's tonight's big plan! Night-Night

HAPPY EARTH DAY.....


I spent some time this morning before I went to work thinking about Earth Day and my impact on our great Mother. Then this evening when I got home ABC had a really nice special "Earth Day 2007." This really got me to thinking about what kind of foot print I am leaving!

I consider myself an "environmentalist" and I certainly think I am aware of Earth as a living, sentient "being"....the Mother of all. However, I realize that while I give great lip service to conservation and caring for the Earth I am not walking my talk. I had to do some soul searching about this and realized it was due to several factors, primarily laziness and a sense that it is too late anyway so why bother (probably the most dangerous factor!).

So, tonight I am committing to making some changes! I challenge you to join me and let's begin the process of turning things around!! It is not too late!!!

I gathered some interesting factoids today that I'd like to share. First, Americans make up 5% of the world population but we consume 25% of the world's energy! Secondly, and I am very proud of this fact, Texas is leading the nation in the use of green energy! Not only do we have the largest windmill farm (they said in Abilene, Texas but the film was shot at Wingate), but we have more houses powered by green energy than any other state!!

I have made a list of changes I am going to start making-these are really little things that don't make much difference in my life but make an appreciable impact on the environment-especially if you join me!

-Turn off the tap while brushing my teeth (saving about 8 gallons of water a day)
-Choose reusable over disposable. Dishtowels over paper towels (and if a paper towel is needed for some unknown reason buy recycled). Glasses and mugs over Styrofoam cups
-Decrease showers by just 5 minutes. In my case I need to reduce the shower by 10 minutes. I'm also going to reduce tub baths to only once a week (sorry, I can't give them up altogether)
-As my light bulbs burn out I am going to replace them with those funky looking curly ones.
-Replace plastic bags with cloth
-The huge number of Diet Pepsi cans I throw away have been a concern for a while. I am going to switch to 3 liter bottles (question which is worse the cans or the plastic-I actually think the plastic is but I would generate less plastic than cans). I AM going to switch from Diet Pepsi to water-eventually.
-Speaking of water. I am going to stop using those little 16 ounce bottles of water. Here in Alaska I like the water out of the faucet and at work we have a water dispenser I can use over water bottles. In Trent we can go back to buying water in the refillable 5 gallon bottles. Think of the plastic bottles that could be saved!
-The last one is the change I most need to make but just can't right away. My next car will be fuel efficient...no 18 mile to the gallon SUV. I can't promise I won't buy a SUV but I will buy a fuel efficient one!

There is one more change I would like to encourage you to consider. Go to www.powertochoose.org. The energy companies are listed there and you can see which ones use green energy. If you can make a change (we have Taylor Electric Coop and have no choice!) send a message to the utility companies and choose one that uses the largest percentage of green energy. For example, if you live in the Abilene are that would be Green Mountain. At least take a look at the option-if it won't cost you more why not. Even if it is a little more think of the impact you can make on the environment!!!!

Do you have any ideas to add to my list? I'm all for adding other changes!

Happy Earth Day!
-

BACK IN ALASKA....

I'm back in Alaska at least for a while-until the first of August.

I flew out of Abilene this trip and thought it was great not to have to go to Dallas....and I am sure Mike was glad not to have to make that trip. However, it was rather a grueling day. I had a 2 or so hour flight from Abilene to Houston. Then I had to trek across terminal B at George Bush Airport toting the laptop from hell!! The timing was good-I had just enough time to grab a sandwich.

The next leg of the trip was from Houston to Minneapolis (sp?)...that was about 3 hours. I arrived with just enough time to rush from gate A to C (much longer than it sounds-thank goodness for moving sidewalks)...toting the laptop from hell! The plane from Minneapolis to Anchorage was huge! And it was a good thing because it was full! I had been lucky with aisle seats until this flight where I was consigned to a middle seat for about 81/2 hours! It was a long and miserable flight-probably just training for the New Zealand trip.

However, once I got here everything was smooth sailing. I got a new, really cute bright blue Chrysler (sp?) Sebring. I drove straight to the condo since, of course, this time I know where things are! Nancy was there and let me in-I have a really cute little apt on the third floor of building 1. It is bright and cheery....the walls and woodwork are all painted white. The floor plan is real open. The livingroom is smaller than the last one but the kitchen is open to the livingroom....and, get this, there are glass french doors from the livingroom to the bedroom. The closet is mirrored and all the closets are fitted with organizers. I have a tv in the livingroom and in the bedroom and I even have a desk for the laptop from hell. It is just real cute and real cheerful! (It also helps to arrive during the daylight-it didn't get dark until 10pm...oh, and the snow is all melted!)

I'm pretty tired so I am making this short (well, for me it's short) but I have to say it was amazing flying in-for at least 3 hours we flew over nothing but snow covered mountains. It looked like a topo map! There was no sign of man until we saw the landing strip at Valdez and then we got to Anchorage and saw the one and only highway-it is amazing to see all of this land and just this one lone highway. It brings home the fact that there are still areas that are uninhabited, and perhaps uninhabitable.

I have the windows open and a cool breeze is blowing in-I went to the store without a coat and noticed no one else had one on either. Somehow 48 here is alot warmer than 48 in Texas!

Here is a picture of my wonderful son and his adorable pregnant wife-I really enjoyed seeing them while I was home....I am soooo glad that they made it from New Zealand at the same time I was there!