I'm sorry, but I HAVE to brag!!!

Sorry it has been a while, I need to be better about posting. Ah well, I'll work on that, but I have to brag on my husband for a second here... So he was in Anchorage last night & today for a 2nd/site interview with BP. We don't know anything yet, that isn't it, but he was given some numbers by BP that totally blew me away! 10,000+ people applied online. 7,000 people were asked to supply paper resumes 3,000 people were given 1st interviews out of all of that, 110 people were sent to Houston & 40 to Anchorage for 2nd/site interviews!!! So whether he gets the job with them or not, to get through all of that??? To the 2nd interview point??? That is so amazing! Now we wait to see if he a) gets an offer, b) is put on 'hold' or 3) is told he will not be getting an offer. To my mind just beating the odds to get that far is so awesome & I am SO proud of him!!! =D

Anchorage!

So we are in Anchorage for my parent's 45th anniversary (& to pick up snow tires) & we are having a good time. The drive down was GORGEOUS!!! Sunny, clear & beautiful the whole way! We first caught a view of Denali just outside of Fairbanks & we could see it off an on (as view allowed) the whole way down! It was great, you could see every nook & cranny of snow, it looked so imposing & amazing. I got some picture while driving, I'll load them on here once home. So we had our customary dinner at Lucky Wishbone last night, good friends Lanara & Roger were able to make it too, we had a great time. Sunday night we will be going to the Joyner's for dinner & I am very much looking forward to that, Doreen is a great cook! It will be a good visit & I will be able to see how much the kids have grown for myself. The kids in the pictures can't be them, they look too big! We will head back to Fairbanks on Monday morning since we have work & school on Tuesday. This is the start of Nick's final year & he will have his senior project & studying for the FE on top of his considerable homework load, but I am sure he will do well as usual. He is starting the semester on the Chancellor's list (3.9 GPA or better), so that never hurts! He had a great class schedule, but they moved ALL his classes to night classes. My friend Amanda & I will be finding stuff to do as her husband Josh is in the same classes as Nick. Well it is beautiful outside & Nick is working on Earl & I am doing all our laundry (Mom's machine is free, unlike the ones at home...$2 a load!), so I will put up the pictures when I get home & write more then too. Enjoy your beautiful late summer!

LIFE BOOK 2009 =)

Sorry, I know this was a forwarded email, but I LOVED it & thought we could all use the reminder. =D Health:

• Drink plenty of water
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
• Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants & factories
• Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy
• Make time for prayer
• Play more games
• Read more books than you did in 2008
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
• Sleep for at least 7 hours
• Take a 10-30 minute walk every day ---- and while you walk, SMILE !!

Personality:

• Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• Don't have negative thoughts about things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
• Don't over do, keep your limits
• Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does
• Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
• Dream more while you are awake
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need...
• Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
• Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
• No one is in charge of your happiness except you
• Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
• Smile and Laugh more
• You don't have to win every argument.. Agree to disagree.

Community:

• Call your family often
• Each day give something good to others
• Forgive everyone for everything
• Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
• Try to make at least three people smile each day
• What other people think of you is none of your business
• Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

• Do the right things
• Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
• God heals everything
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up!
• The best is yet to come
• When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it
• Your inner most child is always happy. So, be HAPPY!!!!!!!

A weekend where our life is (mostly) ours!!!

This has been such a nice weekend! Several things that are seasonal changes made this possible. Nick worked his last night at Northern Alaska Tour Co. on Wednesday night (Thursday morning). Since he is burnt out on working nights, he has been really looking forward to this! They were very happy with him there & told him that they would happily hire him back next year even if just temporarily. We pray (seriously) that their offer won't be needed, but it is nice to know the option is there should need arise. His classes don't start until Sept. 3rd & since he doesn't start back working for Disability Services until this Monday, we knew we had this weekend to enjoy without homework!

We started on Friday, I went to work as usual, but Nick got to sleep in, really for the 1st time in a while. He brought food for us to my work & we sat in Earl & ate a yummy lunch. By the time I had gotten home that night dinner was almost ready & Nick had made fresh BREAD! I love it when he does that!!!

One nice side effect from his working nights was his getting to keep an eye on the night sky. We both are interested in amateur astronomy & he bought a portable telescope a few years back. Friday night was Jupiter's brightest night in opposition, knowing that, we made ourselves stay up later than we have in ages. We took the telescope up to the UAF campus to a parking area on West Ridge, it is a bit above town & somewhat removed from the city lights. (September is actually the darkest month in Alaska, with no snow on the ground, there is no light reflecting up. August isn't too much better, it is when we 1st start noticing just how dark it is getting out since the midnight sun is fading.) We got everything set up about 12:30 am (I know, late huh!) & Jupiter was so bright in the southern sky that it looked just like the planes coming in to Fairbanks International. Once we looked through the telescope it was even more impressive. We could very clearly see the four moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede & Callisto) & they were really moving! We had to readjust the scope often as we were rotating on way & Jupiter & her moons were rotating in the opposite direction. It was just really cool to see the same view as Galileo & we had to appreciate that. At one point while Nick was adjusting the scope, I looked up to see Aurora Borealis in the north sky. I have to say, seeing them NEVER gets old, no matter how long you live here, they are always amazing! These were the 1st we had seen of the season & a few other pale green ribbons came out to dance . Then a stray meteor, likely left over from the Perseids, streaked like glitter across the sky. Half of the sky was dark enough to see Cassiopeia, but the other half of the sky was light enough to dampen most of the constellations. Either way we figured it for an interior Alaskan astronomical trifecta! Plus, with it being mid-August, the temps were just comfortable enough to keep the bugs away. We watched the view until we were very sleepy & then went home & fell quickly asleep.

Saturday was our day for the Tanana Valley State Fair. We know the people that run the Alumni Office, so when they were looking for volunteers to work the fair, we gave them a call. Our alumni office runs a burger booth at the fair that is pretty popular, their prices are low & the food is hot. For volunteering to work the booth, they gave us tickets in to the fair, food & a set of glasses proclaiming that we 'Flipped for UAF'. We had fun doing it yesterday & worked with some fun people. Nick ran the grill & I ran the cash box & ordering for three hours, the rain had let up a little by the time we were done so we walked around a little bit. The bunnies were unavailable due to the vets still judging them, but the baby goats were very cute & this year was the 1st for raising reindeer as 4-H stock too. I love walking around the exhibits & seeing all the things people worked so hard on. One friend of mine won a blue ribbon for some beautiful socks & another won a champion ribbon for cross-stitched irises, both things were lovely! Next year I really do need to enter something, I don't think I'll win, but it would just be fun to do.

After all that we got home about seven & we were worn out! We sat down, snuggled in & just watched TV while listening to the rain. Now today it's Sunday & we have to get the groceries still, but the laundry is all done. Tonight we are going to feast on some ribs & then cross the groceries off our list. Tomorrow the ‘summer’ is over for us, with Nick back at work, his classes will be right around the corner. Then before you know it the snow will come, then spring & he will be graduating…

Anyway, for now, this was a really nice weekend together. =)

the pictures...

We weren't sure quite what this was from, but we thought it was kind of neat. It was a little rainy & chilly so many of the baby goats had blankets in their stalls or were snuggly with their pals. This was an alternate idea that Nick named 'Goats in Coats'. =D

They had these really yummy juices, they cored the inside of the pineapple, added coconut, ice & a little pina colada flavoring. Once it was all blended together they poured it back into the pineapple & served it up! It was MUCH easier to drink once I tossed the lid/top. =)

We thought this was cute! The pig was so tired he fell asleep in his food bowl!

smoked kippers!

I've never eaten them, but I feel like I am one! After the official driest July on record we are still sitting almost surrounded by forest fires, some with 6o ft high flames. North of us on Murphy Dome there have been three cabins lost. South of us, close to Anderson they have started a voluntary evacuation. The Wood River fire has been burning in a bombing range for a few weeks, fortunately the military cleans up any 'messes' there... Fire crews are active from all over Alaska as well as crews being brought in from out of state. The fires are maybe 25 miles away last I checked. Visibility here in town is about a 1/2 mile. You can see the ash falling & it is laying a decent layer on everything standing still. The worst part is the taste... As you can see, we could REALLY use some a break here! The best plan we have is that the fair starts this weekend & that is usually is a guarantee of rain. =D Anyway, I thought I'd post some pictures of what we are seeing. (The 1st picture was taken August 1st, the 2nd was taken at 9pm on August 4th & the 3rd was taken at 9:50pm on August 4th.) http://fire.ak.blm.gov/incinfo/aklgfire.php If you go to this site & then click on Alaska Fires (the top blue link on the left) it shows the fire map. Click on the bottom 'choose area' & pick Fairbanks. It's pretty interesting!

best dinner!

Well I don't have any pictures...it didn't last that long! When Mom came up in May she brought with her some halibut that Poppa had gotten from a charter. The 1st time we made it, we didn't have the the batter right, but tonight? Wooheeee! We got the recipe from my cousin & it was fabulous. Nick trimmed the halibut into chunks & we mixed the tempura beer batter up & then dipped the halibut in it. Then came the dredging of the chunks into panko bread crumbs & into the fryer. Besides being beautiful, IT WAS SO GOOD!!! We ate it all within minutes! I a completely stuffed. Halibut isn't really common in Fairbanks so it was a welcome treat. We have enough for two more dinners in the freezer & I am already looking forward to them! =D Thanks for sharing Mom & Pop! It's dinners like this that make you SO glad you live in Ak!!!

Equinox!

So I got a crazy idea in my head, truly crazy. So nuts that when a friend told me she was doing it, I told her SHE was crazy! I am walking the Equinox Marathon as the 2nd leg of a relay. Yeah, I know, crazy. The worse part is I CHOSE the 2nd leg... Of the 8.666 miles I am responsible for, I will be going from city level up to the top of Ester Dome! Fortunately I like going up hills. =D I had lost a noticeable amount of weight on Weight Watchers, but then of course life intervened & I got busy. I don't necessarily want to lose a ton of weight, I just want to be in shape! I want to physically be able to do whatever I want. Go on hike? Sure. Walk up stairs without getting out of breath? Exactly! In high school I ran daily for my cross country team, but quickly & expensively (for my parents, they paid for my PT) learned that running wasn't meant to be. Since moving to Fairbanks I have missed being active (there is SO MUCH to do in Southcentral AK) as there isn't a lot around here. That's kind of why I latched on to this relay idea, It sounded like something I really wanted to do, however I can't do it unless I get in better shape. It may not make much sense to you, but it is working for me. This is an actual & real goal, something I'm looking forward to even. For that, apparently I can find motivation. By the time the race comes around in September, I should be in the habit of exercising daily. So after this is all done, we'll see what I do next! Here is a link showing what I am in for.... =D I will start at about mp8.55, go up the hill, do an 'out & back' at the top of the dome & then I'm done & pass over the bib! http://www.course.equinoxmarathon.org/EquinoxMap.pdf

Eek! I really fell behind...

This has been a busy summer so far. Looking back it doesn't seem so bad, but it has just always felt like something is going on. =) We have been really fortunate that friends of ours who live elsewhere have been coming to Fairbanks for their jobs this summer. We've gotten to see Tara, Will & Bryce, which is great because I miss having them around. Tara we picked up & took out to the Pump House during the awful smoke & when Will was here, he Steve & Tamara came over for Nick's Flinstone ribs & my mashed potatoes. We hit up Hot Licks with Bryce when it was super hot out & then just hung out at home visiting, but didn't get any pictures. =C Last night we went to a Goldpanner's game. They are a lot of fun, a great way to sit out in the sun & only $5!!! Honestly, I don't know much about baseball & likely never will, but it such a relaxing way to spend an evening. I could sit there & just veg all the time! Below are some pictures from last night. I think we are going next weekend too! You can't read the phone well, but it is showing about 9:30 pm with that nice sun up high in the sky. =) Next weekend is the Golden Days celebration, it commemorates the founding of Fairbanks. We are going to the parade too, so will have more pictures then. =D

The text

So my cousin Mike who lives in Indiana with his wife Ashley & their daughter's Lilah & Mia swung through Fairbanks today. They took a super quick tour through the state with my cousin (his sister) Johnteil, her husband Doug & their boys Michael & Kial. Happily they added a ton of extra driving time on for me so that they could wend through Fairbanks. It was so nice to see them, I always look forward to getting some Lilah & Mia time!!! The pictures are in the post below, though the tagging is a bit off, I had formatting issues. The two odd plane pictures are of an AWACS plane that was flying very low overhead the university today. There is a military training exercise on right now, so all sorts of cool planes have been flying in & out & doing touch-n-gos out at Fairbanks International. It has been a beautiful summer so far. Next weekend I plan on getting out & taking some morew pictures. There are wild irises blooming everywhere & Fairbanks is very lush & green. I have found some nice pictures just waiting to be taken, so check back next Monday. =)

the photo entries =)

Ashley, Me & Mike The AWACS plane that was buzzing UAF my cousin Mike & his wife Ashley Miss Mia =) Mia 'driving' me & the girls x 2 Miss Lilah Lilah & Mia Johnteil & Lilah

2 wks of sick leave isn't as much fun as 2 wks of vacation!

I had my operation two weeks ago & am feeling much better. My Mom was an amazing help while she was here & Nick & I were very grateful. I (literally) couldn't have done it without her. I was hoping that I would be up & around sooner so I could show Mom some stuff around town, but I spent most of the time in the recliner! It got a little boring for her I can imagine (I slept a lot), but she got a lot of reading done. =) The last day or two we were able to get out a little more. Mom had her first Thai dinner at the fabulous Thai House here in Fairbanks, we also took her to Hot Lick's Ice Cream where she was impressed by all the real berries in the Raspberry ice cream. The temps weren't to high either which was nice, plus Poppa & Jasmine were very happy to have her home. The worse part about the whole two weeks has been the road construction... They pulled up the whole road to put in storm drains & replace the water pipes. Nick working nights meant of course that he was trying to sleep while they were outside with D-9 Cats, vibrating dirt compactors & Bobcats. Poor guy, he is pretty tired! This lovely road upgrade, besides messing up Nick's sleep, has resulted in water outages, new ways to get in & out of here & tons of dust! We are tired of the construction, can you tell? I will be going back to work this Monday & am looking forward to it, I get through books too quickly when at home, I am definitely ready to get working again! The job I have been being 'borrowed' for came open, so I have applied & hopefully will be chosen for it. The job opening just closed last week & our HR can be rather slow, so I am not sure when interviews will be, but I will post as soon as I know. We have been having too hot weather, but 85 does feel nice driving around in the Jeep with the top down. Way better than standing still anyway! This past week there was a wildfire 11 miles south in North Pole, that plus the smoke from the fires in Canada made the air pretty smoky. Getting the little bit of rain that we did last night will help. Nick & I were able to go out to dinner last night & that was really nice. We drove out to Fox to eat at the Silver Gulch. It was relaxing & yummy as usual, plus we had a nice surprise. Our dinner gave us free admission to an concert from a small band from Ann Arbor. It was very private & comfortable in the upstairs room (due to the wind &rain). If you are ever anywhere & see that the Killarney Broadcast is playing, go see them! Traditional & modern Celtic music is their forte'. They are really professional, one is a conductor, another a music professor. For being so young they have an amazing range of talent!

Well that is us for now, it has been quiet activity wise, just not decibel wise. I'm including some pictures. I was sent flowers by Nick's parents & some from the UAF Bookstore (where I technically work) as well. My good friend Tamara is in one of the pictures with me & Mom too. The rose was from Nick & I had too include a Stock closeup as I love them!

What a week!

Well, the job I have been being borrowed over is coming open this next week so I have been getting all of my paperwork ready to apply for it. We have massive road construction in front of our apartment & it is loud, dirty & our route home changes daily. Not so fun... I got to Fairbanks Memorial at 6:30 this morning with Mom & Nick. I was discharged & home before noon. My Dr thinks all went well & I do trust her, she is a really nice lady. I was blessed with wonderful nurses today, everyone I dealt with was kind & my main op nurse Lianne was truly wonderful! I really appreciate Mom coming to take care of me (Nick got last night & tonight off, but will resume working nights on Saturday night) it is such a wonderful gift from here to set aside her life & come here as long as needed. =) Hopefully soon I can take some little walks to get fresh air, I will get some pics up of Mom & us & the beautiful lush green summer that has leafed out overnight! Love ya! Nick, Leah & Mom (Carol Ann)

(Not so) Slow weekend!

This was commencement weekend at UAF & I worked the whole weekend. Nick had his finals week & he is anxiously waiting for his grades. So far he only has one posted & it is (of course) an A in Reservoir Engineering . Well, due to being at the Carlson Ctr so much, I don't have any new pictures & very little new news. Sorry! =D Please check back next week & I am sure we will have more. Nick & Leah

Already this summer is nicer than the last!

I know it hasn't really started yet, but the weather has just been great this past week! After last years dreary & flood-filled summer, this is a VERY happy return to normal! It got up to 82 today, so after work we decided to go drive around & enjoy the warm night. Since the opening of Hot Licks is widely considered to be one of the official signs of summer, we had to stop by & enjoy a cone. It is a small Fairbanks-run ice creamery that makes single batches, of 40 qts at a time. They get as many ingredients as possible from local sources, so if you get the blueberry, it is chock full of blueberries from one of the bogs up the road. Seriously good stuff that inspires a major cult following. If anybody is here in summer, it is a must try! Anyway, enough about ice cream... Nick only has three tests left & is ready for them to be done. His goal is to graduate w/ honors & he is really close, so he is putting in extra effort everywhere he can. Tomorrow we have the picnic for the Petroleum Dept & it is a nice way to finish off his semester. I am still being 'borrowed' by Printing Services & I am really enjoying it, even though there is a lot to learn. I'm not sure how long it will continue, but if the position comes open, I plan on applying. We'll see what happens, it is a whole level of pay higher in our class schedule, so that would be nice. I'm including some pictures, the one of the caribou is a newborn (less that a day old) nursing while being cleaned by it's Mom. The UAF sign is self-explanatory & the other shows us enjoying our ice cream. The final is a picture of the bread that results from the recipe below! =) Leah http://www.hotlicks.net/ http://reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu/educational_outreach/reindeer/

Double Yay for Spring!

Spring really IS here! We drove home from work today with the top down & the Jeep, it felt so nice. =D It is 61 right now at 8:30 pm. The forecast as far as we can see is sunny & I have to say, we're ready!

Spring is for the birds

Nick & I went out to Creamer's Field tonight to see who was new in town. Creamer's is a bird refuge here in the city that is run by Fish & Game. Back in the early days of Fairbanks it was farmland that supported the one of the larger dairies in the city. Since Fairbanks is on one of the major migration paths for birds headed up to the north slope of Alaska for their breeding. They clear the snow off the field early & put out some feed. Not only does this congregate the birds far from the airport, it gives us Fairbanksians a close & convenient place to check out the birds. The pictures here are Trumpeter Swans, Lesser Canada Geese, Lesser Sandhill Cranes & White Fronted Geese (with the light colored bills). I also included a picture of the sign out at Creamer's & an accidental shot that I turned out liking. =)