7:30 - Halloween

Two trick-or-treaters and a newly keyed door (landlord had someone install new locks)...

...I'm guessing it's too cold for most people to be running around door to door.

5pm... Halloween

No trick-or-treaters yet but it's 16 degrees with windchill it feels like -7 degrees.

And people are out in shorts with their Halloween costumes. I'm declaring it's officially Winter.

Happy Halloween!!!

Temp... and other stuff

I think it's officially Winter (even though it's kinda Fall). It's now 24 degrees. No windchill which is nice, but still.

I also rearranged my office so my computer faces the door and people don't scare me during office hours when I put headphones on.

Sacred Souls

A is in a class at the moment that discusses issues of rural living. Not sure what the topic was, but she came back and filled me in on a belief within at least some of the Alaska Native and Native American cultures.

Gay/Lesbian individuals are sacred within their beliefs. They are considered to be a being of both Male and Female spirits and somewhat more whole. They're so sacred, that if a child is orphaned, they are given to these individuals to raise because they are both maternal and paternal.


Awesome way of looking at things.

Rainbow

Saw this at the end of a day at the park with Lil Bit

Sticking Snow

I slept in this morning only to realize that the snow had stuck overnight (not that I realized it had been falling in the first place).

View from my front window, JAX in the corner

Skateboard Handstands in the park

Dust

There was a light dusting of snow covering the ground today when I went outside. It was the icy kink of snow so my fingers didn't like opening the car doors and scraping so much, but it wasn't too bad. Still not really wearing a coat, did i break down and put on a pair of thin mittens to warm my hands up on the way to work.

sirens

I'm currently hearing sirens of some sort. Not sure exactly what's going on, but there are a couple sets of them going off in the distance. it's pretty rare you hear much of anything around here, let alone that. I suppose we'll see what happens.

Lil Bit

This is my Lil Bit (I use it all the time and now her parents even call her that. She's a VERY TALL girl and just starting to develop her own personality.  I may sometimes share stories so I figure I should let you see what she looks like. Her dad works with me in our area of the hospital and her mom works across the street. 

Lil Bit

listen to your parents...

Growing up, we used Nature's Air Conditioning - Windows - as often as possible. Many of you know how this works in cars... "4 and 40" (4 windows and 40 mph). There came a time every year when the windows closed and the heat came on. Well, actually, first there was a time when the windows just closed and that was good enough, but it usually didn't last very long.

Now, Mom and Dad -though I remember Mom being the main one- would repeatedly remind us to not only close the windows but latch them.  'OK Mom', sometimes it would happen right away and sometimes I'd get distracted and forget. Of course there was mention of wasted heat and such, but it never quite made sense. I either lived in a place it got somewhat chilled at night or places where it was always cold. I always found like I liked it a little chilly at night. I guess it helped that my parents kept it cooler at night (as many people do).

I have these great energy efficient windows in a fairly new apartment. I was told this place seals up tight.  and over the last few weeks I've have the unfortunate experience to be freaking freezing in my bed at night. please keep in mind I have 1 source of heat, it's a stove called a Toyo Stove. It runs off diesel fuel and can be set a number of different ways. There are ventilation holes in the wall between my bedroom and the stove and the previous occupant told me that it stays pretty even in the apt if you leave the bedroom door open. So why the heck was my bloody room so cold???

It seems I hadn't latched any of my windows (there are 3 that open), they were closed, but not latched.

Before my revelation the Toyo was kicking on about every 20-30 minutes. After my great revelation... every 6 hrs or so. I was wasting fuel but I'm glad I figured it out now and not when it's in the single digits.

Toyo Stove (my heating unit)

Control Panel - about as many options as a traditional thermostat

flight home for the holidays

So I booked part of my flight home. Now I have to coordinate with dad about the southwest portion and my hotel. It's going to take some time, but I'll get home and I'm spending more time home than I originally thought I would (3 weeks instead of 2). It'll give me time to do some Christmas shopping and see some people. Fun fun.

Oh, and I'll be back in time for the Kuskokwim 300 (dogsled race) that starts and ends in Bethel.

Word on the street...

There's been sightings of a brown bear in town. It was in one of the neighborhoods, Tundra Ridge, and apparently 'ate a dog' in that area. I was not in the area and would not have approached said bear given it's taste for meat prior to its winter hibernation... so no, i do not have pictures. But thought you might enjoy.

observations

I've worked with a number of elders here as I was helping them adjust hearing aids or be fit with new pieces. The elders I'm working with along with their spouses are much less apprehensive about doing things with hearing aids on their own. For instance, I've had a couple individuals whom I needed to show how to cut tubing on their own because they forgot aids here and I'm not about to have them fly back in for a 2 minute appointment with me. Back home, so many patients and spouses were almost terrified to do anything to the aids or molds, here I haven't had a single person balk. Not sure why, maybe they're just used to doing so much more on their own without assistance from someone else (professional anything) or maybe the sticker shock and subsequent over-care just isn't a factor since so many are getting their aids paid for by another agency or insurance.

Not really sure why, but it is what it is.

Buh Bye Snow

Unfortunately, or fortunately, it warmed up. This week is projected to be in the low 40s and thus anything that snows overnight or in the early Am will thaw and leave wet, icy goodness. I'm hoping I get back into the swing of driving in the yuckiness. Cross your fingers for me.

IT'S SNOWING!!!

That's right people, in the last 30-60 minutes it's started snowing.

It is currently 28 degrees.

First Snow '11

This isn't the best picture since I'm getting the reflection on the window with my camera phone, but I'll take more as it falls more and covers more.

Gas

I went to fill up my tank yesterday and the price had gone up. No longer did I have the $6 /gal but now it's $6.14/gal. And the machine automatically cuts off at $75. So I got about a half a tank. ::sigh:: And I grumbled at $3/gal.

Frosty wake up

Today's temp: high of 41 degrees, currently 30 degrees
Sunrise: 9:08am
Sunset: 8pm

Weather today

Temp: 39 degrees F (at 12:45pm) and rainy
Sunrise: 9:06am
Sunset: 8:03 pm

Anchorage - Day 3-7 (Thursday - Sunday)

So there was unfortunately lots of rain. Outdoor activities were halted and unfortunately indoor sight-seeing type things are currently out of season and therefore not possibilities.  ::sigh::

Ultimately though, I got the essential shopping done and spent oodles of time just relaxing.

I'm home now and have to go back to work in the morning. Back to the grind.