Apartment Search:
This is an ongoing process. You may remember a previous post where I talking about what ads I responded to or the places I went to go see during the first couple days I was here. There were a couple that were not going to happen at all, and there were a couple that weren't bad but didn't quite meet my needs like the 2 bedroom. I couldn't do much looking this last week just because of where I was and the hours I was working (9am-8/10pm). Not super helpful to try and call people at night. I had a patient whose daughter has a place. When I got in touch I found out it won't be available until probably August. I'll hopefully have something by then. I also found out Monday there was a new 2 bedroom available but by the time they had the keys in hand to show me 18 hrs later, it had been rented by another employee without the employee I'd been talking to knowing it. A bummer for sure. I talked to my supervisor today and she's got a few more options for me, including possibly rooming with someone. We'll see what happens.
Cleaning/Organizing my office:
So when I walked into my office, my brain was already mentally going through things to figure out if things would fit better a different way or what might be easier to get to if it was somewhere else. But it's all a matter of prioritizing and getting patient charts done first and also getting used to the new paperwork, policies and procedures. I've had a few days to get a feel for things and my assistant and i just keep slowly making changes to make things easier for both of us. We've cleaned out most of the shelves to throw out really old hearing aid information for hearing aids that are no longer made. Between patients we've created new forms, moved reference material and we've got a list of new charts and information to file. If I remember correctly, I was dubbed "Organizer In Charge" for my whirl-wind cleaning sprees. I have a feeling it will be this way for a little while. It's going to be an ongoing process but I'm excited to get things to the point we know where everything is and can get a good inventory.
Dogsleds:
I think I've briefly mentioned the dogsled races in the area. The most notable are the Iditarod, there is also the Kuskokwim 300 (a 300 mile race) and then there's a number of smaller races, including kids races throughout the season. In an awesome twist, I've been told that my assistant knows a bunch of of people who could possibly put me in rotation to drive a team of dogs. Apparently, it would be something where once I've been taught how I'd be put in rotation and have a scheduled time to work with the team. I was also told that the single-most important rule is to stay on the sled. If you fall, the dogs will keep going, they're doing a job and they'll finish it. Period. Can you imagine me driving a sled team? I'll give it a shot though.
Ice Fishing:
My assistant also offered to take me ice fishing this weekend. I've only been fishing a few times with poles and hot dogs as bait. So this will definitely be different.
Ice Roads:
If you haven't already, I would pull up an online map searching for "Bethel, AK", then zoom to the point you can see the surrounding towns and a bit of the river. During the summer months, the river is thawed and a boat highway. During the winter, it's a real highway. Yep, once that baby's frozen over... people DRIVE on it. With snowmobiles, snowmachines and even cars/trucks. You've gotta have traction and a 4x4. We've talked about the possibility of taking JAX (my X-terra) out on it. Hopefully, he'll be ready.
Reindeer/Moose meat:
While I was in Hooper Bay, I was introduced to Reindeer Sticks. These look to be a cross between a stick of beef jerky and sausage. It should be refrigerated and they taste yummy. It kinda reminds me of eating venison which makes sense given the fact that it's a large hooved beast. Nice snack to have hangin around. I bought a pkg of moose sticks too so I'm hoping they taste as good. I'll let you know when I open the pkg.
Team Mascots:
Again, while I was in Hooper Bay, I noticed my cohort's sweats on our beach-walk. Down the leg in large letters, it spelled... H-A-L-F-B-R-E-E-D. OK, many of you, like me, came from a culture that is becoming more and more politically correct. So I see pants that say that and wonder... WTF? And so I asked, and the answer was this. The Halfbreeds are the team mascot for the school in Aniak. And when the school travel to play other teams through out Alaska and even further... well, the opposing team's announcers don't like to use the name and so it just doesn't get said. They become 'the team from Aniak, etc. The secondary lesson for me was what it is to be a halfbreed here in Native Alaska. What I was told, keep in mind it was from a Gussuk (white person), that a halfbreed is someone who has 1 native parent and 1 non-native parent. Those who are products of such a union typically claim native status. It's not necessarily that they deny their non-native heritage, but it's more like they just identify more with non-native. I'm not quite sure why a school would choose a term like that though. Mostly just because it doesn't make sense to me why if you claim one heritage as yours and not the other, why halfbreeds. that makes me thing someone's embracing both. Side-Note... many teams up here have 'native' mascots, like Warriors, etc... with no signs of changing.
Instant Milk:
So a gallon of milk is $6-8 and heavy when you're walking from the grocery store. Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk (powdered milk) is ~ $4 for a gallon's worth in pre-measured packets. When mixed well, it tastes almost the exact same as regular skim milk. There is a slight difference when you get to the bottom of the jug just because there's more powder that hasn't been mixed super well, but mostly... it's surprisingly tasty, and worth the difference in weight in my bag.
Pilot Bread:
Last 'lil thing... Pilot Bread. I was told about this grocery item. It's not a loaf dispite what the name implies. This is actually a cracker. Sailor Boy Pilot Bread. I mean, what would make something that says 'bread' actually mean cracker? Well, here's what the side of the box say?
"Sailor Boy Pilot BreadAnd even better... it's made in Richmond, VA... did you read that people? I moved across the country only to find a staple of dietary amazingness (yes, I just called hard-tack amazingness) then this world really is smaller than I could've ever imagined.
Interbake Foods is proud to bake Sailor Boy Pilot Bread, the generations old recipe, providing Alaskans, outdoors people, snackers and travelers alike with a delicious, sturdy cracker.
The origins of this hard-tack product have been traced back to our country's very beginnings. For years Americans have been eating Sailor Boy Pilot Bread spread with various toppings, including traditional Alaskan spreads, meats, cheeses and more recently everything from peanut butter and jelly to pizza topings.
We appreciate your patronage and would love to hear from you in you have any thoughts on our product.
Thank you and happy eating!"
So that is my update for now. I'm learning tons of new things everyday. I'll keep sharing if you keep reading. Goodnight, until the next time. :D
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