tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48078859021366418122024-03-05T09:34:42.803-08:00Alaska for DummiesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-30616983405677093282014-01-22T09:32:00.000-08:002014-01-22T09:32:02.957-08:00Dancing with Elevators: An Adventure in Wood Student CenterLife at UAF is not particularly ADA friendly. I knew that going in, so while I will focus my leadership projects in those areas, I am doing my best to address issues as they come up. Some things, like walking three to four times the distance than if I could take the stairs. Others are a little more of an issue, and these videos capture one of them. (Video filmed in the Wood Student Center's *only* elevator on Friday. It had similar problems on Wednesday and Thursday, and I called reports in each time there was a problem.)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">And, when we got to the top.....</span></b></div>
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I am happy to report that these videos, taken last Friday, led to the elevator being fixed by the time I used it today. Simce I had called several times and shared the vudeo with several staff members, I got a call Friday late-afternoon, to tell me that the elevator was being closed down for the 3 day weekend, because the part to fix it had to be flown in. Hopefully this doesn't happen too often, since that elevator is the *only* way to get from upper campus, where the bus stop is, down to lower campus, where all my classes are taught.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-30636238103286094022014-01-22T01:26:00.001-08:002014-01-22T01:26:45.751-08:00A Beautiful Afternoon Sunset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm deep in the middle of the first week of UAF classes, so I don't have a lot of outside time to write. I am hoping that I will hit my stride soon, but until then, don't look for particularly long posts. This morning, when I was waiting for a delivery, I looked up from my Inside Reporting textbook, and saw these beautiful colors out the window.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">I thought about going upstairs for socks, shoes and a sweater, but decided to brave the cold to get some shots right then. It was a good choice, since 5 minutes after I took these, the colors were gone. So, enjoy the pictures, and maybe this will inspire you to look up from your book or work, and take a peek out the window every once in awhile!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-69391763563584941692014-01-14T19:44:00.000-08:002014-01-15T22:17:16.678-08:00Life is busy; I needed this message today!I am hoping to get more consistent time on the computer starting on Thursday, when classes start. We have been busy figuring out how to get to UAF, how to get classes once we are on campus, getting established with care at the student health clinic, doing incoming student interviews with the VA, Student Support Services, Financial Aid, and Disability Services. There are also the normal, purchasing textbooks, new student orientation (tomorrow on 1/15/2014) and making sure we have our student IDs.<br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-large;"><strong>How do I stay sane in the midst of change? That has become an important question!</strong></span><br />
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In the midst of being this busy, we are also trying to get our bodies into a rhythm, of getting up earlier than we used to do, finding times for naps, (we still sleep through alarms occasionally) adjusting medications to help with the increase in activity level, and the adjustments to living in not only a much colder climate, but also in a desert.<br />
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It wasn't until we were talking to the nurse practitioner today, that we realized that in Fairbanks, we live in an arctic desert!<br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;"><strong><em>Wow! An Arctic Desert? Yep!</em></strong></span> <br />
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While we have been keeping hydrated, we realized it is important not to let even a single day go by, without keeping as hydrated as we can. We need to be drinking as much water as we would, if we were living in a hot desert.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Sometimes, especially during sleepless nights, as I am reflecting on the changes in my body's needs, and being frustrated. The changes come on several levels. A big change is that we don't have a car or truck, (at least for now) and so I am both moving around on public transportation for almost all our shopping and trips to school, and under my own power with my walker accompanying me to most places once I am on campus, or running errands downtown, near our home. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">With all of this new and increased activity, I have no idea how many times I have said, "I hate my body!" It isn't much farther from that in a stress spiral, and I am having fantasies of reclaiming the body that I had, back before nerve and spinal issues, (or even pre-kids) and just wishing I could get another body altogether. In praying the last few mornings, I have asked for help in being kinder to myself, and to Scott, as we are going through this transition. I was thinking of that kindness in the realm of emotions and emotional interactions, but as the day has gone on, it has occurred to me, more than once, that physical factors are just as much to blame, as psychological ones, for creating stress. Emotional and physical exhaustion play off each other, and not in healthy ways, most of the time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><strong>When I watched this video this afternoon, I knew that part of being kinder to myself, is learning to say, "I love you," when I see, or think of, myself. It always seems easier to apply this kind of thinking to other people, but expressing love for yourself is important, probably almost as important as loving God or the Savior. </strong></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><strong>I hope that watching this video gives you some insights too!</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Just in case you find it as hard as I did, saying, "I love you" that first time, maybe it will help you to think that you are simply echoing the thoughts and feelings of Christ, and our Heavenly Parents. Allowing my mind's eye to see this as an exercise in seeing myself as Heavenly Mother sees me, got me through the first one, which was the hardest one. I am committed to doing this twice a day for 2 minutes, (the timer on my iPhone pushes me to stay the whole two minutes) and it isn't easy. I think the fact that it is so hard, and I was so uncomfortable, means that it is something that <strong>I really need to do!</strong></span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-56394022271993701782014-01-09T07:24:00.002-08:002014-01-09T07:24:54.819-08:00Stark Winter Beauty: Christmas Lights EditionFirst, a quick reminder that all entries for naming my new walker, need to be turned in by the tenth. I prefer if people leave comments, but <a href="http://alaskafordummies.blogspot.com/2014/01/name-contest-voting-starts-january-10th.html?m=1">I have added suggestions from FaceBook, and that have been emailed</a>, and will add any that come one of those two ways between now and then. You can email your entries <a href="mailto:Findingmywaysoftly@gmail.com">here</a>.<br />
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These pictures were taken a few days after we got to Fairbanks. It was at the home of some people who lived out of town. We were in our rental car, which ended up getting stuck. The family was very nice and helped get the car up the hill. It was fun, even with the misadventure, and the family was very welcoming. They are originally from Oregon, and have us some good tips. It is also the only "Christmasy" thing we did this year, and holds find memories because of that too!<br />
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We are officially vehicle-less, having turned in our rental on Tuesday. We got our errands done yesterday, and are planning on riding all 5 of the bus routes today, to we know where they all go, including the bus that goes to North Pole!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-73536830956772596392014-01-05T22:03:00.000-08:002014-01-05T22:03:11.346-08:00It's not snowing? The weather app doesn't agree with my eyes. We have had a few glitches today. I'm hoping this will post from my phone, because we aren't going to get our Internet figured out tonight.<br />
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When we got up this morning, like every morning, we checked the weather. (I mentioned that this morning if you missed it.) Most of the time, it is pretty clear cut about whether we can expect snow, but with a hedge. If there is cloud cover, there is always some chance that it could snow, although if snow isn't expected, they pick a number between 10 and 30, add a % after, and that tells the locals, "Don't worry, no snow."<br />
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Last night when we went for a walk, we left to overcast and 30% snow, and spent more than half the walk with this cold powdery white stuff, (we are beginning to jokingly call this white stuff "30%") falling. Today, we started having problems with our Internet sometime during our post-church nap. We aren't sure exactly when, we had our eyes closed, and our joint ignoring of the world, means that we missed whatever the event was that started it. We are pretty sure that snow wasn't involved, but there is no way to know with 100% certainty.<br />
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We tried to do the "turn it on and off," method of fixing it, and we still didn't have the ability to connect to Mabel (our dealer for getting our Internet fix in our current location, named after the dog whose owners run the B&B whose suite is our current home) despite Scott's best efforts. It was only after much fiddling with the devices that need Mabel to work that we realized my phone, was also having connection issues. After trying to get it working, we finally gave up, and simply went to do our shopping. When we hit public wifi, we were glad to see that snowfall was only at a 10% possibility, and we proceeded to run our errands.<br />
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As we left our first errand, we looked outside to see the 10% falling, caught in the light here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudZ_yCiOmye2rGu0xORUrKHrT6Tytfg9D-QtI4XvnGMUrn-5m_wj4tKYNxuvTqhnlz3Mqs4H7IGMb1XWY0jSt1k_20USdoSYKfOhRNf2KX1kpV1lqrC5RPSMno563BDyT6HELGNQ6I_8/s1600/IMG_1389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudZ_yCiOmye2rGu0xORUrKHrT6Tytfg9D-QtI4XvnGMUrn-5m_wj4tKYNxuvTqhnlz3Mqs4H7IGMb1XWY0jSt1k_20USdoSYKfOhRNf2KX1kpV1lqrC5RPSMno563BDyT6HELGNQ6I_8/s1600/IMG_1389.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our weather app still said it was only a 10% chance of snow, and it claimed it wasn't snowing. We kept checking, curious to see when the app would acknowledge the increasing rate, and size of the flakes, that we were driving through. It was almost 2 hours after the snow started falling, that the weather app changed to show that snow was currently falling, although it still had the chance of snow for the next 6 hours into the future, at less than 30%.<br />
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With the sky having dropped half an inch in an hour, the <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">snowflakes continued to grow in size and rate. You can see the larger flakes here:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaqAYmGJaQ2mwxzJRNkwpzlMZdE7NQwjJkOuFXydczTNnD96nHQF6RICq-uIZ5AB3GaxjnQ1DQbjfN2AaCJRoUUmVRUila2mafYpgievPPH6x4gannGirU7aMLGsSTHPXw7GCTWLKRRY/s1600/IMG_1391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaqAYmGJaQ2mwxzJRNkwpzlMZdE7NQwjJkOuFXydczTNnD96nHQF6RICq-uIZ5AB3GaxjnQ1DQbjfN2AaCJRoUUmVRUila2mafYpgievPPH6x4gannGirU7aMLGsSTHPXw7GCTWLKRRY/s1600/IMG_1391.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">It isn't easy to take pictures of falling snow. These of the snow already on the ground are easier to get in focus. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhXBVeOchyphenhyphenq9SKL9HrjCEjGxBftk-f7vhrBz52cf3rMZ_F13w4WWMVkzux4fa4Ka0YHVTGuVlSCZ0Q822N4yu1bkpdI7BOuDQEXmjAYYy3UlHeIk1tVg8PgjiRLiiHVsQ2i3K6pqj3eA/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhXBVeOchyphenhyphenq9SKL9HrjCEjGxBftk-f7vhrBz52cf3rMZ_F13w4WWMVkzux4fa4Ka0YHVTGuVlSCZ0Q822N4yu1bkpdI7BOuDQEXmjAYYy3UlHeIk1tVg8PgjiRLiiHVsQ2i3K6pqj3eA/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeblbrubmJVwTrECjeH_ZgevOKfiZypzt3XUXJyFi7aseTULEYGmpSiK6ymJVmk5JDC05Fmthx0LMjGmH6Tv118Q_nh02kCaf9k_yyZ1bRyGDFZdjDroZGXJotn_-27UEPX1LbdniLfs/s1600/IMG_1293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeblbrubmJVwTrECjeH_ZgevOKfiZypzt3XUXJyFi7aseTULEYGmpSiK6ymJVmk5JDC05Fmthx0LMjGmH6Tv118Q_nh02kCaf9k_yyZ1bRyGDFZdjDroZGXJotn_-27UEPX1LbdniLfs/s1600/IMG_1293.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">**I love falling snow, and hope I will get better at photographing it, as I take photography and photojournalism classes, but until then, I am pretty pleased to know that I was able to catch a general sense of the difference in the size of snowflakes. Of course, you can always cheat and use special effects, like this, but it is not authentic. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeMrxgpcvqRRyQrdVzffFMzaplNdhLz34hfZkTKIZmxdt-oqN_zQTMODhyphenhyphenwTiPCRny4aj5ekYM4Ex89I-1jnh4vpdtgIkfMq6JfVfiOavsxv0qADovb4ixUx5vTwKU817joX288fjF2Q/s1600/IMG_1388-SNOW.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeMrxgpcvqRRyQrdVzffFMzaplNdhLz34hfZkTKIZmxdt-oqN_zQTMODhyphenhyphenwTiPCRny4aj5ekYM4Ex89I-1jnh4vpdtgIkfMq6JfVfiOavsxv0qADovb4ixUx5vTwKU817joX288fjF2Q/s1600/IMG_1388-SNOW.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-30846425182835167662014-01-05T09:56:00.003-08:002014-01-05T12:31:54.407-08:00Good Morning! Maddy Edition: It's Icicles OutsideAcross the Lower 48, they are dealing with a cold snap that is dumping snow, and making it colder than usual. I can certainly commiserate, having dealt with blizzards in Wisconsin, and a prolonged ice storm, the winter I was pregnant with Maddy. As we have woken up each morning, we check our own weather, and then see how everyone else in our family is faring. We still haven't found anyone who is at colder temps from us, but we have had several mild days, (for Fairbanks) so they haven't been quite as far apart.<br />
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This morning we woke up for our new, 9:00 am church time, and got the chance to talk to Maddy. It was lunch time there, and she was very energetic. She is going with her dad and Miss Liz, (soon-to-be her stepmom) and she was pretty excited about going, and getting to listen to music with her iPod and headphones. She has been listening to Christmas music a lot, and reports that the snow and icicles outside, (including on their car every morning) makes it Christmas in New Jersey. I sure love that girl, and am always glad to have her share a little of her world.<br />
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This morning: Fairbanks is 12 F, Oregon City is 30 F, Gibbstown is 34 F (although Maddy reports snow and icicles, so it may be below freezing) and Castro Valley is 54 F right now. With a high of 18 for the day, we will be coldest, but not by all that much.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ik9OrS0igO6H_fxUnRgV50Ozs_L4ZEexkH-obQAITrEWaAGOvJYP3rkiD5twh-Vncd21iCd5iwbxZ4hpLwsqhExCK45N_MCPlZYSrM6cz1AGqB5-UHv29E1Yh8mQ5tgZE2KRt4p8UZY/s1600/IMG_1372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ik9OrS0igO6H_fxUnRgV50Ozs_L4ZEexkH-obQAITrEWaAGOvJYP3rkiD5twh-Vncd21iCd5iwbxZ4hpLwsqhExCK45N_MCPlZYSrM6cz1AGqB5-UHv29E1Yh8mQ5tgZE2KRt4p8UZY/s320/IMG_1372.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last night, we went on a fun walk. It only had a 30% chance of snow listed for the evening, so we were surprised when it started falling about 20 minutes into our evening walk. (It has had the 30% chance listed for over 48 hours, and only 2 hours if that time did it snow. We were lucky to have been out at the right time for that winter magic.) We continued our hour long walk, with snow lightly building up on us and my walker. Here are a few pictures from the walk. More coming later as I get time to talk about Downtown Fairbanks!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElGiRQcpzPWOvCB4DV2HwHPieZLuDduqLiA1HZF5gNAl-4z88OL-p3opMxs-Ye71GAtRnzxNLXLi0yO6Oy0K9WCO-7Avbhwynwjqh8lDccRH_9o2a4SbqV6XsnMuQEXcp1AX23d4g1Fg/s1600/IMG_1385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElGiRQcpzPWOvCB4DV2HwHPieZLuDduqLiA1HZF5gNAl-4z88OL-p3opMxs-Ye71GAtRnzxNLXLi0yO6Oy0K9WCO-7Avbhwynwjqh8lDccRH_9o2a4SbqV6XsnMuQEXcp1AX23d4g1Fg/s320/IMG_1385.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-22223056297272449392014-01-04T14:01:00.000-08:002014-01-04T14:05:03.508-08:00Stark Winter Beauty: Week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCCzwS5zKOIZj6fmWZNHIz-_SbSNapKsCF0penZn0f51XbDZxKRmnzblOZo1sR-njzNN3gwotBhzzGqMn0Bn9-i0jMSLW-FCpYeneLj4ThYZdfiNO5skH0ORlpAJLbBC7SfV7u4rACHc/s1600/IMG_1295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCCzwS5zKOIZj6fmWZNHIz-_SbSNapKsCF0penZn0f51XbDZxKRmnzblOZo1sR-njzNN3gwotBhzzGqMn0Bn9-i0jMSLW-FCpYeneLj4ThYZdfiNO5skH0ORlpAJLbBC7SfV7u4rACHc/s320/IMG_1295.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is no particular order to the pictures I will be sharing in this category. Really, they are just pictures I like, that don't necessarily tell an interesting story. They just share a little of the beauty I see, as I am moving through this new Alaskan world. (These will not be filtered or altered, except an occasional crop.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVL4ewVV0gl8S1v9P4HWR7IFH5qVgHhjQekywm7KXvWgMTqujjZuc8IMRLi3chfeJJbs0ELxOsLLw3ssRGw8rwSZDYpUZBIuPaVOx83Hy9TWbkNLdto5bmKeDqteSYLcIuag877XBBLM/s1600/IMG_1301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVL4ewVV0gl8S1v9P4HWR7IFH5qVgHhjQekywm7KXvWgMTqujjZuc8IMRLi3chfeJJbs0ELxOsLLw3ssRGw8rwSZDYpUZBIuPaVOx83Hy9TWbkNLdto5bmKeDqteSYLcIuag877XBBLM/s320/IMG_1301.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-55890780516299866712014-01-03T09:54:00.001-08:002014-01-03T18:29:24.983-08:00Name Contest: Voting starts January 10thNow that I have my new walker, it really does need a name. So, I'm asking for your help! I would prefer that it not have more than two (2) words in its name, and hopefully it will have some connection to Alaska, the Arctic, (I'm open to references of Arctic weather, history, mythology or lore) safe travels, learning and/or growth. Bonus if it hits several categories!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To help inspire you, here are some pictures from our walk last night. It was around 5:00 pm, 10 F when we left, and 4 F when we got home. The walker was a champ, even going through 6-8 inches of powder, once it had its second front wheel put down, for stability. I'm getting more confident in knowing where the wheels are, so I don't bump things as often, and while I still slide, I haven't slipped so much that I couldn't catch myself, with the walkers help! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I will choose my top picks, and voting on the name will start on the 10th of January, 2014. The winning entry will not only have the satisfaction of being She/He Who Names, but will also receive a genuine Alaska Railroad pen!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b>Enter as often as you would like. Suggest a few names now, and come back as often as you have a new idea! This baby needs a name before school starts on the 15th!</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-39741215619496100782014-01-02T23:00:00.000-08:002014-01-02T23:00:07.501-08:00My New Walker Needs a Name!Part of what we realized, almost as soon as we decided to move to Alaska, was that I would need a better walker. What we didn't know, was how to find a walker that would work in Alaska, and it wasn't easy to find anyone with an idea. I tried calling a lot of people, physical therapists, dusability organizations in Alaska, even a spinal surgeon's office. All of my calls from Oregon told ne that I would definitely need something better than I had, but trying to find out what I would need, all lead to dead ends. Several people mentioned that there were these great walkers from Norway and Sweden, but no one knew what they were called, or how to get one.<br />
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A chance meeting, at our hotel in Anchorage, with a man spending the night at the same hotel, before flying to Phoenix for medical treatment, introduced us to Trionic walkers, also called rollators, and the news that there was a company based in Utah that had gotten a license to sell them in the US. A few web searches, conversations with the woman who was covering the office during the holidays, and several long calls with my insurance company ensued during our first few days in Fairbanks. Especially after the brake lines froze on the walker I was using in Oregon, and then the wheels froze too, we ordered the walker, even though we had to pay for it. We can submit a claim to the insurance company, who may cover part of it, (emphasis on maybe) but we knew I wasn't going to be mobile in Fairbanks, without a walker made to take the punishing winter weather in Fairbanks.<br />
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The walker didn't arrive by Christmas, but Tuesday, it arrived. Enjoy these photos of Scott putting the walker together! He is my hero, in so many ways!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-27834099099526782572014-01-01T21:53:00.003-08:002014-01-01T21:53:55.748-08:00Learning to Live, and Walk, in -10 F to -40 F, with My New Walker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not the best picture of me ever, but it is the start of a journey, and worth documenting because of that. My new walker arrived New Years Eve, and today we took it out for a real spin. We went on a 20 minute walk around noon, and a 45 minute night time walk. It is certainly a workout, and will be more of one when there is more snow, and when it gets colder. Still, a 45 minute walk, at -10 F, is a step up in our attic adventure!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since the picture I took with my walker tonight, was a total blur, you will have to wait until our daytime walk tomorrow, to see me in action. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am way behind where I thought I would be, but that has been part of the learning process, as an Alaskan Dummy. We have our laptops, but our desktops and printers didn't come with us on the plane, which means I also don't have a scanner, and a lot of things I thought I had, (in digital files and physical stuff that is still in the process of being shipped) has pushed me to prioritize. When it comes to choosing between writing a blog post, and planning out how to deal with -42 degree weather, writing just doesn't come first. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, look for more to come. I have taken a lot if pictures, (although I haven't figured out how to use my nifty new camera yet) so I will try to post as often as possible over the next few weeks, and more consistently, after school starts on January 16, 2014. Hard to believe that is only two weeks away!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-73185744599131388782013-12-14T05:00:00.000-08:002013-12-14T05:00:02.179-08:00Leaving In The Morning For Fairbanks, A Few Pictures From Anchorage<span style="font-size: large;">Yep, I spent most of the time we had in Anchorage, sick in our hotel room. This afternoon I had enough energy to get to REI, so that I could get a pair of boots that will hold up to the Alaska cold, fit my feet well, and still give me enough feedback that the lack of feeling in my right foot and ankle, won't lead to lots of falls because I don't know where my foot is. Even when I just needed shoes to fit, I have never liked shoe shopping. Luckily, the employees at the Anchorage REI are just as awesome as the employees at Oregon REI stores.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I won't usually use blurry pictures on the blog, but I didn't realize both pictures I took were blurry until we were back at the hotel, and it was too late to get another. This is the least blurry, and you still get to see that REI employees everywhere bike to work, even when it is below freezing. The wheel on these bikes are amazing, with better tread than most motorcycles. This REI store has showers for the employees, so they can bike to work, and then take a shower, before starting their shift, awesome!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After dinner tonight, which was spaghetti for Scott, and ice cream for me, (my stomach is still touchy) we had the waitress take some pictures of us in the "living room" area of the hotel. Not all of them turned out well. (I know, this is a trend with the pictures in this post.) The waitress was wonderful, but she hadn't used an iPhone to take pictures before. Still, as you can see, this is a pretty unique lobby/living room. for a hotel.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguclVvBR7ZVe-PbIawO1M8OHBAcijBIliXQL4iakiA2GN29g4yARwPNA-8I407HbgwnQLb987L1cXmmRSuVzH1aRPezkj3YeIsxvUyQy9YCsUJTMZHgtJ0sWnOFCS-_gOHPuP329Fln0w/s1600/Scott+and+Julia+with+Bears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguclVvBR7ZVe-PbIawO1M8OHBAcijBIliXQL4iakiA2GN29g4yARwPNA-8I407HbgwnQLb987L1cXmmRSuVzH1aRPezkj3YeIsxvUyQy9YCsUJTMZHgtJ0sWnOFCS-_gOHPuP329Fln0w/s320/Scott+and+Julia+with+Bears.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Yep, bears, that used to be real living bears, (before someone practiced the art of taxidermy) and made a great display piece, that is almost impossible to have a good picture take in front of, because there is literally no way to turn off all the lights that you see reflected so clearly in this second shot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The manager was willing to turn the lobby/living room lights off , for the 2-3 minutes it would have taken to get a shot of just the bears, and then with us in front if them, but after spending more than 10 minutes looking, and calling the General Manager to be sure, he informed us that the lights in the lobby/living room, had no on/off switch, other than the circuit breaker. We all agreed that taking a quarter of the first floor, including the lobby, office and kitchen for the restaurant offline, just to get a decent photo, was not reasonable!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While I still had the energy, we headed outside to do some comparison of function that Steve, my physical therapist in Oregon, encouraged me to do as soon as possible, so I could see how my body handled walking in cold and snowy. Since there were 3 inches of snow that had fallen during the 3 hours since our shopping trip, it was a good time to start gathering that data. No real surprised in what we found, but it was good to know that even without feeling in my right foot and ankle, I was relatively safe, walking in snowy weather. On my own, I only came close to slipping once or twice. With a walker that is appropriate for Alaskan weather, I shouldn't have any problems at all.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Appropriate for Alaska is going to be the key issue. It only took 15-20 steps, before it became clear that my walker is not up for the rigors of winter, never mind an Alaskan one. I alternated between slipping and needing to plant my feet and stop the walker, and jarring stops, as the wheels got stuck on the packed snow. I had to have Scott carry the walker back to the lobby, because it was obvious that it was not going to work. With Scott as my "walker," we were able to do about 20 minutes of walking, in the snow, in my Dansko boots, which I have been wearing for several months in Portland, after my physical therapist told me I needed new shoes. (I didn't try the walk in my new boots, because what I was evaluating was the difference between the feedback, on the parts I *can* feel on my right leg, and see if there are differences I will need to compensate for, as I learn to get around in Fairbanks. Without a car or truck. I will definitely need the new boots, (which are rated to -40 degrees Fahrenheit) in Fairbanks. Taking the bus back and forth to school in temps well below 0, will give me a workout, and require making sure I have the right boots and clothing to protect me! I ,miss my kids a lot, and I don't think that is likely to change, but I am blessed that I already have the right partner to help me make it through all these transitions, and to hold me close when I am homesick for my kids! I am blessed with great kids, and a great husband!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is still a lot of adjusting that I know is coming, and finding a walker that will work in harsh Alaskan winters, is going to be vital. We got a good lead on which kind of walker to look for, from another guest at the hotel, who recently has a new walker, that he said works better than any mobility walker he has ever tried. I will be working on tracking down whether our insurance will pay for one, or if we will have to come up with a creative way to pay for it. It is pretty obvious, that I like the bicycle wheels in the first picture, my walker is going to have to have big tires, a better center of gravity and the ability to stop when I need it to! More on that as I learn more.....</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-71082551597237658532013-12-13T03:35:00.002-08:002013-12-13T03:35:52.401-08:00The Best Day, and the Best Way, to be Sick as a Dog, When Moving to Alaska<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwCj1VOxKlTyP1dUYqcQ5Jkehe7eJMB2RktjFwa4GYzrf_uClQCl6CqsqeS-nyAjUfu8FBPv1UFT1D69YxmcK6d-v48p8CRscHTX4iz5qCys6WkotjlnAmJ94uWioiGu99n5OkO7u3Qw/s1600/Snow+in+Anchorage+12.13.2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwCj1VOxKlTyP1dUYqcQ5Jkehe7eJMB2RktjFwa4GYzrf_uClQCl6CqsqeS-nyAjUfu8FBPv1UFT1D69YxmcK6d-v48p8CRscHTX4iz5qCys6WkotjlnAmJ94uWioiGu99n5OkO7u3Qw/s640/Snow+in+Anchorage+12.13.2013.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View out my hotel window. Snow has been falling off and on in Anchorage all day on 12/12/2013. <br />I have watched it fall, in mostly small flakes, in between bouts of nausea, vomiting, *fast poop,*<br />running/dashing to the bathroom, taking showers, and soaking sore parts of my body in the tub.<br /> I kept thinking that I should take a picture, but it wasn't until waking up a little after 1:00 am, that I followed though.</td></tr>
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Warning: If talking about being sick makes you uncomfortable, skip this post all together. Enjoy the picture of the snow out my motel room window, and come back tomorrow. Seriously, its all about being sick. You have been warned.<br /><br /> If you are from Oregon City, (of almost anywhere in Oregon from some of the news articles i found when I googled this morning, then you probably already know that there is a very nasty flu bug going around. To quote one of my daughters, "It makes you throw up your guts, and then have so much *fast poop* that you can't get to the bathroom fast enough, unless you are already sitting on the toilet." I have only heard two variations in the timeline of this, (one was *fast poop* first, and the other was completing the process once, seeming okay, and then getting it again 2 days later.)<br /><br /> My daughter's description is accurate to my experience; the symptoms, timeline has been the same in everyone we talked to, and over and over, we heard people say, "surviving the first 12 hours, when you aren't sure you want to, is the hardest part." At 12 hours, 16 minutes, I suddenly could contemplate toothpaste. At 11 hours and 57 minutes, the thought sent me in to dry heaves.<br /><br /> I am not particularly grateful that I spent the day miserable, where the pain and lethargy were only broken by mad dashes to the bathroom. I am grateful for the timing though. I know that I was exposed last weekend, although we didn't know it until the last hour of our visit with Josh, Sarah and Kat. We saw, face-to-face just how much that 12 hour clock starts, out of the blue. We got clothing changed, a quick shower to clean body and hair. Knowing the exposure had happened all weekend, we honored the request to stay, long enough to hear all the siblings receive their Christmas Blessing. The desire to hear the blessings, outweighed the greenish tint of skin, and with all the concentration of belief, it wasn't until all the blessings were given, that the bug regained control, and the need for another complete change of clothing, before going back to their dad's. by morning all the kids had it, and Tuesday night their father had his first brush with the fast moving virus.<br /><br /> By Tuesday night, the kids were mostly better, although exhausted. I had seen my primary care doctor, for a transfer of care appointment, and asked for advice if I did come down with the flu. Consensus was exposure had been long enough ago, that I should already have it, if it was coming. I am grateful it waited until after our flights yesterday, and struck around noon today. It has been just as bad as my daughter described, and the advice that once you survive the first 12 hours, things start getting better, was born about half an hour ago. My husband checked his email, shared some exciting news, and 13 hours after the start, the smell of toothpaste doesn't make me dry heave. My legs are shaky, but they are stable. I am really sad we didn't get to meet two friends we had hoped to have dinner with tonight, but we would have felt terrible if we had exposed their baby to this, and started throwing up tomorrow morning.<br /><br /> We won't get as much done, as we had hoped to, while in Anchorage, but we have a hotel room with ADA amenities, so I could take showers and baths when I needed, something that would have been hard without all the extra railings and features of this particular room. We did not both get it at the same time, in a city both of us are new to, so Scott got supplies for me, and if he wakes up throwing up, we already have everything we need. (Although Scott very rarely gets sick, so I won't be surprised if he never is sick.)<br /><br /> I believe in a God who loves us, and blesses us, even when it isn't the way we would "choose." I am so grateful that all I have missed is a day of shopping and dinner with friends, who I am sure we will meet in-person, at some point in the next year. We didn't expose more people than we had to. Since we were in the 6th row, with the partition between us and the 5th row of first class travelers, I had many fewer people to possibly breathe on, and potentially infect. There were no children in first class or the first 15 rows, so I am not worrying about whose baby or child I might have infected.<br /><br /> For me, this whole post, is filled with blessings. If I had to get sick, God chose the best way and time, in an incredibly complicated time in our lives. I hope that you also are able to look for, and see, the beauty that God's love brings into your life, even if it is only in the timing of when you and/or your children become ill. There are so many things that could have gone so badly, and they didn't. I am so grateful, even if I know that I have only gotten through the worst, not all of the physical challenges of the rest of this week.<br /><br /> So, what are you grateful for, that might sound strange, without putting it into the context of your life?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807885902136641812.post-80606504485657678052013-12-11T15:56:00.002-08:002013-12-11T15:56:41.868-08:00Last plane ride, before we arrive in Alaska<img src="webkit-fake-url://7D18BC71-D615-4453-99A1-D06565E3C48D/imagejpeg" /><br />
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It's has taken longer than we expected, but we are finally on a plane headed to Alaska! We should be in Anchorage around 6:20 pm local time. That's 4 hours later than expected, but at least we are finally taking off, and in a much more comfortable plane from the last flight.<br />
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I am planning on posting again before we go to sleep, hopefully with us in Alaska, after we have checked into our hotel.<br />
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So, my first words of wisdom when starting an Alaskan adventure? Plan to leave the day before the day on your tickets. That way, you won't spend the entire night before packing, and be do tired that you forget to take your wallet out of your pocket. (TSA has to fully search you when that happens.) This is especially important if you don't have an extra hour, because you might miss your direct flight, and be a lot later arriving at your destination than you expected.<br />
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I think the blog is named correctly !Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.com0