So, a few weeks after two trips, (sans blogging!), I'm back home now and ready to take account of recent travel and share for those interested parties. It's the last week of the school quarter too, which I'm looking forward to ending desparately! I would love some lazy time off to go exploring and catch up with new AK friends.
Regarding my last post, I must share that the clothes taken with me all worked out very well, should I have been able to end the trip as scheduled. HOWEVER, we ran into some weather delays coming home & were camped out in Anchorage, (not a bad place to be stranded, it's basically a hippy version of the South end of Seattle), so I obviously ran out of clean clothes but thankfully had workout clothes I never used, (I don't know why I pretend I'll be working out on a vacation, silly me!), so there I was; wearing work out gear all over town as the husbo and I tried to make the best of our extended vacation.
He had a high school friend living in Anchorage who was very entertaining in an eccentric way to say that least, that showed us around town and recounted his crazy travels over dinner and drinks. He is apparently so wealthy he doesn't need to work, (imagine the life!), but instead of living in the lap of luxury, he travels in the most meager states just for the life experience and chance to meet (hopefully) strange and charming people, like himself! He didn't even own a cell phone, that's how kooky he was! Very sweet guy though, reminded me of Jack Kerouac in a lost but old soul kind of way.
Once we got back, we decided one trip to Anchorage in a couple weeks isn't enough, (plus we had to get our truck serviced), so we made a date to drive out to Anchorage again to celebrate the husbo's 35th beeday and get some errands and Costco shopping done. It was really a fun and memorable weekend. Lots of boozing, eating, giggling, quibbling and driving. I love a good road trip! We tried a couple new restaurants we fell in love with, one a hippie crowd-health food cafe which I loved, (I miss Seattle did I mention!), and one a schmancy top of a hotel seafood restaurant for his birthday dinner, both wonderful and will be visited again on future travels.
All in all, it's been a great few weeks. I'm looking forward to some sun and family time on an upcoming trip to Hawaii and will probably blog again about more packing issues!
Stay healthy! xoxo
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Friday's Ugly Cousin
It's only Thursday! I'm heading to Seattle tomorrow with the husbo! As usual, I have no idea what to pack!
Hence! I'm going to test a little idea of mine. I'm going to pack what I think of as the basic essentials for travel & I will check back in, after my trip, to convey how successful these items were! I'm taking with me 2 crewneck cotton long sleeve t-shirts. Perfect for layering under a cardigan or simply wearing with jeans should the weather permit. I'm also taking 1 pair of "cute" jeans, 1 dark red tank top to wear with jeans out or again, layer under something, 1 funky coat, 1 warm leather coat, (I'll be wearing that on the plan so it doesn't technically count), 1 sequined going out style top, (it sounds tacky but it's really cute trust me!), 1 short sleeve black lace top I can wear with jeans and dress comfortable but still cute for dinner or a friend's house, 1 warm cardigan, or dress up with a skirt; the last item I'm packing. Obviously underwear & socks but those are staples of course. For shoes, this is probably the hardest part for me. What shoes to take! I'm wearing a pair of brown cowboy boots on the plane, (they can hide under jeans & look like simple brown boots or wear outside of pants & be fun & funky), and I'm packing 1 cute but comfortable pair of red heels, (not super high, I'm already 5'7''!). That's it! Is this crazy?? We'll see how my trip pans out! Either I'll be stylish but still comfortable or unable to leave my room as I'll have nothing to wear!
Hence! I'm going to test a little idea of mine. I'm going to pack what I think of as the basic essentials for travel & I will check back in, after my trip, to convey how successful these items were! I'm taking with me 2 crewneck cotton long sleeve t-shirts. Perfect for layering under a cardigan or simply wearing with jeans should the weather permit. I'm also taking 1 pair of "cute" jeans, 1 dark red tank top to wear with jeans out or again, layer under something, 1 funky coat, 1 warm leather coat, (I'll be wearing that on the plan so it doesn't technically count), 1 sequined going out style top, (it sounds tacky but it's really cute trust me!), 1 short sleeve black lace top I can wear with jeans and dress comfortable but still cute for dinner or a friend's house, 1 warm cardigan, or dress up with a skirt; the last item I'm packing. Obviously underwear & socks but those are staples of course. For shoes, this is probably the hardest part for me. What shoes to take! I'm wearing a pair of brown cowboy boots on the plane, (they can hide under jeans & look like simple brown boots or wear outside of pants & be fun & funky), and I'm packing 1 cute but comfortable pair of red heels, (not super high, I'm already 5'7''!). That's it! Is this crazy?? We'll see how my trip pans out! Either I'll be stylish but still comfortable or unable to leave my room as I'll have nothing to wear!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Writing?
It's Friday & after an exhausting week of writing papers, preparing for exams & and engaging in online discussions I feel tired but really gratified too to be in the thick of school, studying, etc. I have always loved the feeling of being a student,I think because I was taught by the madre that the persuit of education is vital to a human's existence. If we are not reading, learning, etc what are we doing?
Onto the weekend, I ran into our new neighbor the other day & she's a young woman, looks about my age, maybe a couple years older. They just moved here from Fairbanks, Alaska as they have a business here in Valdez so they decided to finally move here after traveling back & forth for years. I have not seen her husband, but she told me he likes to hunt so I'm sure he's very burly & Alaskan :) I invited them over for dinner w/o asking them if they are vegetarians, (probably NOT living here I would assume but you never know!), if they have any food allergies, if they are wine whores like us, etc so now I'm not sure what I should make! I was thinking something super easy like chinese veggie stir fry w/noodles. I make this a lot as a staple comfort food. For me, any Asian cuisine is comfort food as I LOVE LOVE LOVE Asian cooking so we'll see, hopefully they won't break out in hives or run for the hills after seeing what big lushes we are!
Also, I have decided to finally start writing a book. It sounds crazy & preposterous, but I figure living here is a good excuse to at least write SOMETHING! Even if it's just a chapter of something bigger in the future, I'll be happy. I have always wanted to write a book so we'll see how it goes. I'll keep you, (by you I mean probably my Mom who surely reads this blog & my one other friend!) :)
Happy Friday & Happy Revolution Day to the pround people of Mesr, (AKA Egypt). Today is also the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution in 1980, (which clearly did not pan out as the people had hoped for sadly), but there's always round 2!! My motto for the day is La Vie En Rose.....
Onto the weekend, I ran into our new neighbor the other day & she's a young woman, looks about my age, maybe a couple years older. They just moved here from Fairbanks, Alaska as they have a business here in Valdez so they decided to finally move here after traveling back & forth for years. I have not seen her husband, but she told me he likes to hunt so I'm sure he's very burly & Alaskan :) I invited them over for dinner w/o asking them if they are vegetarians, (probably NOT living here I would assume but you never know!), if they have any food allergies, if they are wine whores like us, etc so now I'm not sure what I should make! I was thinking something super easy like chinese veggie stir fry w/noodles. I make this a lot as a staple comfort food. For me, any Asian cuisine is comfort food as I LOVE LOVE LOVE Asian cooking so we'll see, hopefully they won't break out in hives or run for the hills after seeing what big lushes we are!
Also, I have decided to finally start writing a book. It sounds crazy & preposterous, but I figure living here is a good excuse to at least write SOMETHING! Even if it's just a chapter of something bigger in the future, I'll be happy. I have always wanted to write a book so we'll see how it goes. I'll keep you, (by you I mean probably my Mom who surely reads this blog & my one other friend!) :)
Happy Friday & Happy Revolution Day to the pround people of Mesr, (AKA Egypt). Today is also the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution in 1980, (which clearly did not pan out as the people had hoped for sadly), but there's always round 2!! My motto for the day is La Vie En Rose.....
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
flyingwithoutwings
so this is Tuesday, February 8th & today's weather is a complete change from yesterday, which was sunny & bright with a great morning chill to the clean, delicious air! It's gloomy outside today and grey; reminds me of Seattle!
I'm in my office after having wolfed down a huge egg sandwich and I'm about to start my day. I recently started school again and will be starting a masters program in clinical psychology in March. Now, I'm finishing up the last of my prerequisites through a school in Seattle.
Life here in Alaska has been really great, so far. Serg recently pointed out every time I respond to someone about how I like Alaska, I end with "so far". That's exactly how this adventure feels, I'm really enjoying it but I'm taking one day at a time. It's definitely hard as I miss my friends, I miss being able to walk to amazing little boutiques in West Seattle or Capitol Hill. I miss the coffee shops and restaurants. I miss trader joe's most of all I think! But, we have an adorable house that we have decorated and made our own and it is really nice feeling like it's just the two of us on this adventure so you take it one day at a time and realize how blessed you are to be alive and healthy and in love and loved back!
We are traveling to Seattle later in February. Here's a list of musts: Ethiopian food, Zoka coffee as many times as possible, getting my hair did, getting my nails did, shopping for jeans as my other pairs are literally coming apart at the seams, (I HATE buying jeans!), seeing friends and my lovely parents, (you really do miss your Mom no matter how old you are!), cafe presse, seeing my friend's baby Job that I'm obsessed with, cocktails at zig zag, cocktails at sun liquor, going to the movies, (even though we have a theatre here it's not the same as a huge imax screen!), and finally, most beloved of all, target!
Either tonight or tomorrow, I'm making Cincinnati chili for dinner from a recipe I got in this month's bon apetit magazine. It's with lamb and sounds amazing. It's basically a jazzed up chili recipe on top of spaghetti! It sounds really great on such a gloomy day but I think I'm going to omit the kidney beans as 2 starches and lamb sound like a recipe for disaster if you ask me! I'm sure it'll still be great w/o the beans. Here it is if you're interested: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/02/cincinnati_chili
Monday is vet day for our fattest cat; Lucy. She has this strange obsession with biting on what Serg calls her "knees". It's the upper part of her foot so I guess it's technically her knee, but it does not look very "knee" like. She's become obsessed with gnawing at it and I feel terrible because it looks red and irritated so Ms. Lucy has earned herself a trip to the vet! I'll try and post a pic while she's there. She's usually a pill on the way to the vet but once she gets there she's on her best behavior, which is odd to me but that's our "daughter".
I'm in my office after having wolfed down a huge egg sandwich and I'm about to start my day. I recently started school again and will be starting a masters program in clinical psychology in March. Now, I'm finishing up the last of my prerequisites through a school in Seattle.
Life here in Alaska has been really great, so far. Serg recently pointed out every time I respond to someone about how I like Alaska, I end with "so far". That's exactly how this adventure feels, I'm really enjoying it but I'm taking one day at a time. It's definitely hard as I miss my friends, I miss being able to walk to amazing little boutiques in West Seattle or Capitol Hill. I miss the coffee shops and restaurants. I miss trader joe's most of all I think! But, we have an adorable house that we have decorated and made our own and it is really nice feeling like it's just the two of us on this adventure so you take it one day at a time and realize how blessed you are to be alive and healthy and in love and loved back!
We are traveling to Seattle later in February. Here's a list of musts: Ethiopian food, Zoka coffee as many times as possible, getting my hair did, getting my nails did, shopping for jeans as my other pairs are literally coming apart at the seams, (I HATE buying jeans!), seeing friends and my lovely parents, (you really do miss your Mom no matter how old you are!), cafe presse, seeing my friend's baby Job that I'm obsessed with, cocktails at zig zag, cocktails at sun liquor, going to the movies, (even though we have a theatre here it's not the same as a huge imax screen!), and finally, most beloved of all, target!
Either tonight or tomorrow, I'm making Cincinnati chili for dinner from a recipe I got in this month's bon apetit magazine. It's with lamb and sounds amazing. It's basically a jazzed up chili recipe on top of spaghetti! It sounds really great on such a gloomy day but I think I'm going to omit the kidney beans as 2 starches and lamb sound like a recipe for disaster if you ask me! I'm sure it'll still be great w/o the beans. Here it is if you're interested: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/02/cincinnati_chili
Monday is vet day for our fattest cat; Lucy. She has this strange obsession with biting on what Serg calls her "knees". It's the upper part of her foot so I guess it's technically her knee, but it does not look very "knee" like. She's become obsessed with gnawing at it and I feel terrible because it looks red and irritated so Ms. Lucy has earned herself a trip to the vet! I'll try and post a pic while she's there. She's usually a pill on the way to the vet but once she gets there she's on her best behavior, which is odd to me but that's our "daughter".
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