tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73195422142834486362024-03-12T21:30:25.336-08:00Afternoon MoonAfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-80485659273904464992011-02-14T15:49:00.003-09:002011-02-14T15:52:47.941-09:00Happy Valentines Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.innerknitcafe.com/heartSweater.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 229px;" src="http://www.innerknitcafe.com/heartSweater.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Celebrate your Love of Knitting by whipping up a mini-raglan. Took us 2 hours to create this little bundle of joy! <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cheers"> Cheers!</a> by Cheryl Naimath in some left over red worsted.AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-71227173208620111842011-02-05T12:20:00.002-09:002011-02-05T12:42:18.458-09:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5418220046_0e1b860eb4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5418220046_0e1b860eb4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/spillyjane">SpillyJane</a> is doing it to me again. Grabbing up every single unoccupied moment of my time and filling it with yarnie goodness. This is my stay-at-home project, but I have been know to allow it to travel to my Wednes night knit group to show it off. Purple yarn is Sundara in Lenten Rose and the multi-colored is Zitron Unisono. I am loving the Zitron; it contains aloe vera and jojoba and is so smooth. I look forward to knitting this in a sock by itself.AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-33019160053147964472011-02-03T14:08:00.002-09:002011-02-03T14:51:22.802-09:00Paper Dolls<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/5413439459_b551c7918b.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/5413439459_b551c7918b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This project brings me back more than thirty years to a time when I would sit staring at my papa, just waiting for him to finish the evening newspaper. It was only after it was read, word for word, front page to the last classified ad, that I was allowed to start my scissor infliction. I would make paper dolls for hours. Paper girls holding hands, elephants holding each others tails, Amish dolls, boys, bicycles, snowflakes... ...oh the things I could make in series. And now Kate Davies has given me more reason to start this obsession off again with her gorgeously designed Paper Dolls <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/badges/redirect?p=paper-dolls"><img src="http://api.ravelry.com/badges/projects?p=paper-dolls&t=.gif" style="border: none;" /></a>. I am making the classic girls holding hands (adding hair) while other knitters have added owls, hedgehogs, cowboys, families, chickies, snails, and so very much <a href="http://needled.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/paperdolls-redux/">more</a>. I am loving this project.AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-38080878235768713572011-02-02T15:50:00.004-09:002011-02-02T16:02:45.496-09:00I'm BACK<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/5411509943_5c1700f9a1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 372px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/5411509943_5c1700f9a1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;">Well, long time... no talk...
I guess the best place to start off is where I left off.
I finished the Girasole by Jared Flood in the Cascade Eco Alpaca. We have moved into the new house. I no longer work in Fox in tourism. I bought a LYS, bought a Diner, closed a Diner, and am back in the knit shop. The knit shop is a great hobby and covers most of it's own bills, but it isn't quite a financially lucrative career. Rewarding career? Definitely! Pays the mortgage? uh...
So, here I am, look for a professional position with a reputable company. It really is much, much harder that I have ever imagined. I was once unemployed ten years ago and found a stellar awesome job. Let's hope that happens again!
Well, I am back blogging again. Look forward to doing so on a regular basis. I'll show more of the house, more of my knitting, and keep you posted on the job search. Wish me luck!</span>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-27204178782893687652009-07-20T22:28:00.009-08:002009-07-20T22:44:32.299-08:00Other people's hobbiesReally, who am I to comment on other people's hobbies. I knit.
My neighbor: well, he builds nuclear power plants.
Yes, you read that right. He is building his very own nuclear power plant.
Thankfully I am moving in two weeks
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3491/3741358195_3d7b59081b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3491/3741358195_3d7b59081b.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3491/3741358195_3d7b59081b.jpg"></a>
<p>I am knitting on the Girasole as a house warming present to myself. If I do something wrong. No one is going to die. My new neighbors should be grateful.
<br>
<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2547/3742156846_9f7fd4be25.jpg" /></p>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-55981717084688095062009-06-28T09:43:00.004-08:002009-06-28T10:01:13.755-08:00<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3548/3640227323_b4230fa123.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3548/3640227323_b4230fa123.jpg" /></a>
So, I talk so much about the house, but do I post pictures?
Here is the house. Exterior insulation is up. Oh, so pretty!
The 2/6 trim is around the windows. Furring is going up now. Today I am installing the treated plywood for the rock work. (yes, I will post photos of that as well)
Here is the furring on the back of the house. Parker or Isaac cuts, while the other runs the board to me. Do I feel nervous with 12 and 13 year old cutmen? Heck yeah. Hey kid, let me show you how to use a miter saw. Heck, they are learning angles and measurements better than any math lesson at school, right?
<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/3640184471_071cbabb0e.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/3640184471_071cbabb0e.jpg" /></a>
<div></div><div></div><div><div><div>
<div></div><div>While I am was working last week, one of the contracting jobs was completed. Oh, so pretty facia and soffits. The almond color matches the windows. It is so odd picking out all of these color choices. I never knew how many decisions are necessary for home building. Everything is a compromise or a suggestions, or an opinion on how it should be. Mark and I have gotten very, very good at coming to agreements. (or just keeping our mouths shut if the other is firmly committed to something).</div><div></div><div><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/3640189569_6423e54161.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/3640189569_6423e54161.jpg" /></a></div><div><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/3640189569_6423e54161.jpg"></a></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3577337369_17086a44a7.jpg"></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>When the floor was the radiant floor tubing, it was SO hard to walk around. Especially at 20F when we were worried about the tubing cracking because of the cold and pressure stepping on it. I was wearing my bunny boots, so there was a softer cushion if I hit one with my big feet.</div><div></div><p align="left"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3577337369_17086a44a7.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3577337369_17086a44a7.jpg" /></a></p><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3577337369_17086a44a7.jpg"></a></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3645/3640104041_b4b3de9def.jpg"></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Finally, we were able to get a contractor in and pour the floor. It has been so much easier walking around!</div><div></div><div>This is a view from the garage entrance into the back of the kitchen. You can see the island in the middle of the picture. Just past that is the main house entry (not that we will be using that at all, I assume we will be coming through the garage 99% of the time). On the right is the stairs to the second level.</div><div></div><p align="left"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3645/3640104041_b4b3de9def.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3645/3640104041_b4b3de9def.jpg" /></a></p></div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-50834930879957418662009-06-13T00:34:00.002-08:002009-06-13T00:36:16.164-08:00Again, with the stupid BloggerThis damn program messes with every formatting option I choose with photos?
Seriously? Would someone tell me how to make it work? It took two hours, and this was the best I could get from it? How the heck do they expect me to fix that?
hello? *text, picture, line break, repeat from * ?
AHHHH!AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-7571362523873340362009-06-12T22:36:00.022-08:002009-06-13T09:26:57.112-08:00long time... no talk<div align="left">
Wow! I have had some serious life events since March when I last posted. April happened and now June.
<br><br>
Long story, short: The company that I have worked for, for 15 years, since I was 19 years old, transferred their Alaskan assets to a newly created company run by what was then our competition, now supposedly our teammates. Some of my coworkers lost their jobs outright while the rest were fortunate enough to keep what mangled wrecks were left of their jobs by transferring into the new company. Unfortunately, I was excluded from both of those groups. After 15 years of loyal and dedicated employment, I was called at 10:30am on tax day, April 15<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> and told that the property that I was managing was sold to a local small family business and I would be offered employment with them. So long, good luck, may we have our cell phone back, please?
<br><br>
All I can say is that there was NO sensitivity training of management on how to properly handle a merger, or terminations, or release of work. <strong>Harsh.</strong> Harsh is the only word I can think of that wouldn't burn your eyes reading it. <strong>Harsh.</strong>
<br><br>
I have worked almost two months for my new employer only to come to the conclusion that the changes are too much <em>"not in my favor".</em> Since Fairbanks is too small a town to burn a bridge (and I sincerely do not wish to slander their reputation), I merely have chosen not to continue my employment. '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Nuf</span> said.
<br><br>
But... with that cat out of the bag. That means come August 1st, I am: 1) <em>home</em>less, 2) <em>car</em>less, and 3) <em>job</em>less. Truly a painful <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">trifecta</span> of lifestyle <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">carnage</span>.
<br><br>
1) I will be homeless. Right now we live on company property and are building a house (see previous posts). Said house will not be livable come the end of July. Not a chance in hell. Maybe we can live in the garage. Maybe we can buy a camper. Maybe we can live in a wall tent. All these <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">maybe's</span>, but one <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">definite</span>: we will be homeless. Renting is pretty much out of the question with 5 boys, 2 adult, and 2 dogs. A short term lease would make it so we would have no cash for building supplies. One of the boys has pretty much moved out of the house already anyway. He will be 18 in 2 weeks and has graduated from school already. So that cuts down the responsibility by one. I am totally not worried about it. We still have over 6 weeks to figure it out. The thought of living in an RV scares the hell out of me. It isn't the RV that is the scary part. The scary part is the husband LOVES the idea. Love it like he loves food, and air, and... well, shelter. He loves it as much as I hate it. I hope we can get the garage finished. Oh please, Gods of the Drywall, hear my prayer.
<br><br>
<em>May your trowels be smooth,
may your mud dry fast,
may your skill and professionalism
be a testament to your craft!</em>
<br><br>
2) I will be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">carless</span>. I took the management position here in 2001 and it came with the unlimited use of a company truck. I sold my 2000 Subaru <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Impreza</span> Outback in 2005 because I hadn't driven it in over 4 years, after paying it completely off . I sold the Subaru, paid off my student loans, paid off a couple credit cards, and paid for a 2 week Mediterranean vacation. Rome, Greece, and Egypt were worth it. Never hearing from my stupid student loan creditors again was worth it. At the end of the month when I am riding my bike handing out resumes? Worth it? Maybe not.
<br><br>
3) I will be jobless. Not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">stresser</span>. It feels so damned good to be doing something new, anything new. So <em>very, very, <strong>very</strong></em> damned good.
<br><br>
We have been working on the house every single day since the weather turned workable (over 20F above). So every day since about the end of March, we have been busting tail and have ramped up some of the construction timeline to get the ball rolling faster. Boiler is almost in. Radiant floor heating is complete. Plumbing out is done. Electrical is all installed, mapped and ends finished. I am working on the outside of the house. Ground flashing, exterior insulation, furring for siding are on my list. Siding starts in two or three weeks. Interior insulation will be blown in after we install all the cable, CAT5, phone lines, low voltage items. And then drywall. The rest is finishing that we can do after we move in. Flooring, painting, cabinetry, etc can all be done when we are living in the house. We will have a real roof over our heads, doors, windows, running water (both coming in and going out) by the end of August.
<br><br>
But now we are packing. Packing everything we own. Eight years I have lived here. That is longer than I have lived anywhere in my entire life! I cannot believe how much I have accumulated in eight years here. 10 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, FULL. Crap! And the best part? I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">didn't</span> truly realize how much stash I have accumulated. I had to pack all of that up first so my Darling Husband <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">wouldn't</span> use it as packing insulation. (cause it would have made great packing insulation had I not loved each so dearly.) Seven boxes stuffed with the best fibers possible. They are all sitting securely in locked, dry storage.
<br><br>
I did hold back the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">crème</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">de</span> la <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">crème</span> for my knitting pleasure over the next 4 months. It is like the Dream Team of yarn:
</div>
<p>
<div align="left">#1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">BMFA</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">RSC</span> June'09 Pepe La Plume for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Fraggle</span> socks</div>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3577272647_4fb195a777.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3577272647_4fb195a777.jpg" border="0" /></a>
#2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">BMFA</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">STR</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Citrine</span>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3562391274_733bb66db9.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3562391274_733bb66db9.jpg" border="0" /></a>
#3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">malabrigo</span> sock Lettuce
<p></p><p><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3581038156_d707609745.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3581038156_d707609745.jpg" border="0" /></a>
</p>
#4 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Sundara</span> sock Robin's Egg Blue
<p><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3580234137_ac1055810c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3580234137_ac1055810c.jpg" border="0" /></a>
</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>#5 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Madelinetosh</span> sock Shell from Monica "editorial goddess"
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3581070006_747ef74964.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3581070006_747ef74964.jpg" border="0" /></a>
</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>#6 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Fireweed</span> Studios <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Handpainted</span> sock Gold Dust Woman for Buttercups
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3581065394_b08b9ef295.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3581065394_b08b9ef295.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/3617598599_640e5a79e7.jpg"></a>
</p><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">#7 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Karabella</span> Gossamer Brown w/Copper for Stardust, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Knitty</span> winter07</div><div align="left">Fairbanks <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Fiberistas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">KAL</span> Summer Sweater-a-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">thon</span></div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/3617598599_640e5a79e7.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/3617598599_640e5a79e7.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/3617598599_640e5a79e7.jpg"></a>
<div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">#8 Cascade Eco Alpaca Straw for FF <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">KAL</span> and a Loopy Ewe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">KAL</span></div><div align="left"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Girasole</span> worsted weight blanket, my second <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Girasole</span></div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3618422940_80b0052068.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3618422940_80b0052068.jpg" border="0" /></a>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-77585075709642669852009-03-27T10:13:00.002-08:002009-03-27T10:22:04.927-08:00My orchid was lonelyWelcoming in the morning with snow. I love March 'cause you never know what you are going to enjoy from Mother Nature. Today she blessed us with snow. My cup run'th over.
<div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3390502756_83f40fcb93.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3390502756_83f40fcb93.jpg" border="0" /></a>
</div><div>My orchid was lonely. I bought her a friend.</div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3390493890_bd894d274a.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3390493890_bd894d274a.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>
Grocery shopping at Safeway is dangerous for me. I fear that I will always come home with more flowers. The other grocery stores segregate their food and flowers, but not Safeway. You can't walk to the bakery without stopping to enjoy the floral department. Smart move, Safeway!</div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3443/3390496508_b24b269944.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3443/3390496508_b24b269944.jpg" border="0" /></a>
My orchids friend is more like a little sister. Small and sheltered under her bigger sister.
<div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/3389687801_42e5ea7c90.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/3389687801_42e5ea7c90.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<div> </div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-75495218523952751542009-03-26T10:37:00.006-08:002009-03-26T11:41:45.091-08:00Starting to replant<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuMqlkGggrr4102HVk8_FhjfggDDU6Fn5_h1zpI_QNdIhEBcnA9yqhgw8lL2O6v79n6q7v8cwvPjkoQADV7e8MfcJ-hWff1YlaqiA-TYCwUjNKWsnsUbUXEaQXajFcq_0kq8hRyNf2gM/s1600-h/orchids+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317574075348712434" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuMqlkGggrr4102HVk8_FhjfggDDU6Fn5_h1zpI_QNdIhEBcnA9yqhgw8lL2O6v79n6q7v8cwvPjkoQADV7e8MfcJ-hWff1YlaqiA-TYCwUjNKWsnsUbUXEaQXajFcq_0kq8hRyNf2gM/s400/orchids+009.jpg" border="0" /></a>
During the "Great Dredge Freeze-Up of 2009" all of my plants died. Frozen solid in their glorious state. Plants that I have had for years. All dead. The real kicker is I couldn't replace them in a snap. It isnt like I can just go to the store and pick up new houseplants. The devil is in the details. Store temp is 68F. House temp is 70F. The temperature between the store and the house is NOT. The air "shocks" most plants when you walk from the store, to your car, to your house. I have bought gorgeous plants in the winter, only to have all the leaves fall off when I get them home. This is why I was so happy when Mark walked in the other day with a gorgeous flowering Orchid.
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I love the mossy bottom. After it finishes its flowering, I will repot into the old orchids nest.
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I love the gorgeousness of the pink, the deepness of the red in the center, the blending of the orange to the yellow of the petals. I just love this color.
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Love it so much that they were my wedding flowers. It just grabs me. I walk into my changing room and just stare at them, and how the sun filters through the delicate petals.
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I'm lucky to have such a wonderful husband that takes hints so well. Hints like, "hi honey. I am calling from Safeway. Guess what they have in the floral section? Orchids! Orchids like the one's in my wedding bouquet." And yes, out of the many colors of Cymbidium orchids they had in stock, he brought the right ones home. I guess I will have to keep him.
And since I am in a pinky-red mood, I finally jumped into my next Unoriginal Hat, mocked-up by the Yarn Harlot herself; Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Using the destashed, discontinued Blue Moon Fiber Arts Leticia in Brick, I knit this up in less than one day. (dont mind the bathrobe. I called in "under the weather" and refuse to get dressed today unless someone wants to meet me in town this afternoon for knitting.)
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbnpA2gh7u6Rxxjao8Jtva_CDHL4ZHfCoMvSCwcbFSH1SrzpUjuAR_DkFnVZzKD-jOoLtv9ZRZ99IqemCIBBWgFMhDknX_atnnEEMMMIIa8E9zXRLt6FD8iNxwj-lNPMos6ofI4weBmE/s1600-h/sunny+hat+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317571685918799922" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbnpA2gh7u6Rxxjao8Jtva_CDHL4ZHfCoMvSCwcbFSH1SrzpUjuAR_DkFnVZzKD-jOoLtv9ZRZ99IqemCIBBWgFMhDknX_atnnEEMMMIIa8E9zXRLt6FD8iNxwj-lNPMos6ofI4weBmE/s400/sunny+hat+001.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<div><div>Unfortunately one skein was not enough, and with the discontinued yarn, I had the choice of frogging it to: 1) knit tighter, 2) skip two rows {row6 & row8 can be omitted in the second repeat without altering the design}, or be lazy and 3) continue on my path and pick it up with another yarn.</div><div></div><div>Welcome: My Unorginal Sunny Hat! I am just "beaming" with delight!
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And my Rockin' Sock Club January 2009 shipment of My Blue Heaven: Queen of Beads ...is complete. Bring on March's shipment!</div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOfkh212hiTbdoC_i3xGuYn0ipvL7zmX5TqrzdxMLb5mnQf6mfXz1s95WnUm8sGopqiX3xwc6gk1A_lmBd9Joqn1jPgA1sGUIO27Nu2AEpABNqEqY7Usl9urobwYEHofjKmd0FLnFVqc/s1600-h/RSC+Jan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317568430297672162" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOfkh212hiTbdoC_i3xGuYn0ipvL7zmX5TqrzdxMLb5mnQf6mfXz1s95WnUm8sGopqiX3xwc6gk1A_lmBd9Joqn1jPgA1sGUIO27Nu2AEpABNqEqY7Usl9urobwYEHofjKmd0FLnFVqc/s400/RSC+Jan.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<div></div></div></div></div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-85025061102702972062009-03-09T15:49:00.004-08:002009-03-09T16:02:40.053-08:00Who knew?I got a great deal<span style="font-size:78%;"> <span style="color:#990000;">wink, wink</span></span> on a new bottle of SOAK (thanks Gin), so I was able to wash all my dirty handknits and wash/block my little sister's birthday present. And get this {enter: Earth Shaking Information} Noro softens after it is washed! <strong>Who Knew?</strong> I am <del>f-kin floored</del> absolutely amazed. I was so giggling with glee that I ran and grabbed my Entrelac Scarf that I havent worn and Soak'd that as well. Wow, even the kureyon softens greatly.
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3333772442_22a51e320f.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3333772442_22a51e320f.jpg" border="0" /></a>
top: Entrelac Scarf by Allison LoCicero Noro Kureyon #92 and #170
bottom:Noro Striped Scarf: Inpiring photos by Jared Flood Noro Silk Garden #267 and #275
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The Day the wind blew. Wow, we do not get wind here in Fairbanks and it was alarming.
Fortunately the new windows worked perfectly and we didnt feel any temperature difference in the temperatures of the rooms. With the offensive old windows, the kids couldn't sleep in the north-facing rooms. New windows? Didn't even feel a breeze.
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The view from my bedroom window. Let the wind blow.
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And the wind blew in another <strong>eight</strong> inches of snow. My back hurts, but my rump needed the exercise.</div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-87284344625191290642009-02-26T12:55:00.002-09:002009-02-26T13:00:06.497-09:00As the sun goes, so shall I...I still have yet to spend my last remaining hours here on Waikiki. The plane leaves at 10pm, leaving me several more hours to soak in the sun's warmth, heartly enjoy a spicy chicken sandwich at the Cheesecake Factory, and longingly windowshop at Kate Spade's. There is so much to love about Waikiki.
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The next adventure cannot begin until this one is over.
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<div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-72372007576401403252009-02-23T11:49:00.003-09:002009-02-23T12:12:50.337-09:00Over to OahuThe vacation part of our jaunt is over.
We have to say "goodbye" to Maui.
I can't think of a better couple days to spend time together. We got "maui'd" in 2006 in Makena, Maui on the south part of the island so we drove down and had dinner this trip at our reception site, the Seawatch. For appetizers and dinner the day before, we headed to the Hula Girl to listen to Ernest Pua'a, our wedding singer. It was a beautiful couple days.
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Born to Beach, Forced to Work
Luxury ends when Mark has to go to work, so we check into our business class hotel, the Aqua Palms. Not a bad hotel (if you dont mind cockroaches). Giving credit where credit is due, the room is standard business class. There is a small lanai, free internet, huge LCD tv, and a great location. Situated across from the Hilton where DH is working (yes, we should be over there instead), a very short walk to the Ala Moana mall and only a couple blocks from Waikiki.
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I was on my own yesterday, so why not treat myself to a generous slice of Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Rasberry Truffle cheesecake? Sounds like a congratulatory reward for me for sitting here all by my lonesome in gorgeous Oahu. Like I need more reward?
And on my walk to the Factory? What would Waikiki be without all of its high-end shopping?
some bling from Tiffany?
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a trenchcoat from Burberry?
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Just a few new bags for Spring? and some perfume from Chanel?
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Maybe some shoes from Prada? Flats or heels?
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We went out for dinner the first night with some of Mark's co-workers, that live here, and they had no idea where our hotel was, or how to get here. They were also laughing about all the high end stores that according to them, no one that lives here can afford them. At $12 a gallon for organic milk, I fully agreed with her. $600K for an 800 sq.ft. house and there would be no $$s left for a Gucci messanger bag or Bvlgari china. And why would I want to live here anyway, no one wears handknit socks. Freaks!
<div></div></div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-64738577749553354222009-02-22T15:18:00.002-09:002009-02-22T15:33:44.537-09:00Maui, baby!Yep, decided it was time to leave Alaska again. Hubby Mark has meetings in Oahu this week, so we decided to leave a little early and spend a couple days in Maui beforehand. We stayed at the Royal Lahaina just north of the main Kaanapali Beach. Gorgeous area. It is quite a walk to the strip of shops on the main beach, but well worth the brake in price. Good view from the lanai. And really, who could complain with a view like this?
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Yes, this is a rainbow ending on the top of the hotel.
Pot of Gold at the Royal Lahaina? No.
Good room, great price, decent location? Yes.
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We flew from Fairbanks to Anchorage, and then Anchorage to Honolulu (only 5 hours and 20 minutes) and then from Honolulu to Kahalui, Maui. A fair to decent amount of time to start on my Marigolds. I love the pattern because it was so simple to memorize the 9 row repeats. The only down side to the easy pattern was I used the paper it was printed on as a book marker on my newest book purchase, Knitting with Handpainted Sockyarn and left the damn book on the airplane to HNL. Dag-nammit! Fortunately I special ordered it from one LYS and bought it when I saw it at the other LYS, so I can pick it up from LYS#1 when I get home. I was hoping to start the Spot Check on the plane ride home, but I guess it will have to wait.
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I love the Casbah in the Hummingbird colorway. It is almost like a <em>Muted Rainbow on Ocean</em>. And because I lost my book and have a generous 325m of gorgeous HandMaiden I will be knitting these until I run out of yarn. Nice long Ocean socks for going back to the frozen tiaga.
And again with the view. The lanai was a gorgeous place to sit and knit.
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<div> </div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-53542565384374519842009-02-17T12:26:00.002-09:002009-02-17T12:43:28.703-09:00FO February: It's all about socks!<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">Pattern: Bed Sock <span style="font-size:85%;">in Lemon Pattern Fancy Knit Stripe </span><span style="font-size:130%;">by Nancy Bush in <u>Knitting Vintage Socks</u></span></span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">Yarn: Spunky Eclectic Super Sport in Walkabout lot# 508 and another one I can't find the ball band for right now</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">Needle: US2 / 3.0mm 40" magic loop</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;"></span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">Started off beautifully:</span>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/2858270179_b969f4952c.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/2858270179_b969f4952c.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">Gave me gorgeous detail:</span>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3197846375_2e9e733631.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3197846375_2e9e733631.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">then ran out. I had enough to finish sock1, but sock2 was missing just the wee end of the toe. My LYS was helpful enough to order a custom dye job for one more skein so I waited.</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;"></span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">My MIL called and told DH how wonderful the sock that I was able to leave with her over Christmas was. Even that she wore it on the foot that was most cold. Oh, yeah. Pull at the heart-strings.</span>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3197841339_3aab4a612d.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3197841339_3aab4a612d.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#663300;">The new skein came in and I got right to work providing her with the other sock. We will use it as kind of a runny joke. Looks like the end of this sock got bleached! Just wasnt quite the right color. That is the joy of artistically hand-dyed yarn. Sometimes you just cant repeat perfection. </span>
<div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/3288837058_cae8645251.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/3288837058_cae8645251.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663333;">And speaking of repeating perfection, I cant remember which toe ending I used on sock one. I think I used a star toe, but I really cant remember. So not only is one toe color different from the other. There is a good possibility that the construction is different as well. Guess you really can't repeat perfection!</span></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-49670743625910552562009-02-15T21:16:00.002-09:002009-02-15T22:03:56.076-09:00New upstairs windowsIn the midst of all the plumbing repair last month, the window installer called and said, "hey, I'll be out next week to install the new windows". Great. Not only do I get to learn the ins and outs of plumbing, I get to finish windows! How can one girl get so lucky?
But in my heart-of-hearts, I knew this was a good thing.
You see, the windows that were here in the bunkhouse were old.
Not 1980's old, not 1970's old. But O.L.D. The glass was rippling, the screens were custom made and black-black-black. The screens were so bad that the one winter I took them all down they warped over the season and I had to hammer them back in for the spring. Lesson learned, don't take these out, ever. When the wind blew outside, the north side bedrooms would be 40F inside and the south side windows would be 90F. It would be the normal 68F in the hallway where the thermostat is located, but everyone else was uncomfortable.
I requested all new windows on property, but because of the economic situation tourism will be in this coming summer, only half of the windows were slated for replacement. And since heat rises and the downstairs windows are boarded over, this left the upstairs windows available for upgrades.
I had to keep the historical aspects the same. They needed to look the same, act the same but preform much better. The new house has all casement windows for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">insulative</span> purposes (and we want tax credits for energy efficiency) but I need something historical to preserve our historical integrity. And I found six-light, sliding windows from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Jeld</span>-Wen. Aluminum exterior in historic green with a wood interior. An antique gold paint interior for the windows, with an antique walnut stain for the trim.
Here are the old windows in one of the upstairs bathrooms
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4oKkTufBKdicHEGp1RQNza3rXYd5UxwvIffI-k7LwkQ_-Q0cN4_g0C_CdDgwG5xTUylNtXaiow_NELbhuKp8TuLpghKckTx-Nc07jFppVpFX-sFkoG6h6Goy9QVehE7ky9sTHCUGqJI/s1600-h/Dredge+FreezeUp+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303278374516520226" style="WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4oKkTufBKdicHEGp1RQNza3rXYd5UxwvIffI-k7LwkQ_-Q0cN4_g0C_CdDgwG5xTUylNtXaiow_NELbhuKp8TuLpghKckTx-Nc07jFppVpFX-sFkoG6h6Goy9QVehE7ky9sTHCUGqJI/s400/Dredge+FreezeUp+004.jpg" border="0" /></a>
First the trim was removed
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEc7R1kn9uSDjwt9sz_tX8m4KpEdEchdboop1eKUyDbPAdVfbuhyphenhypheniLQUHcz3c6E2Nrw1DIntwzC1dxNfV9p7xpLtLwI_a0DSMLJRaheQ5IuVZoH3zozD5rKk41uiaGqWm0wkL5x2M3t3E/s1600-h/Dredge+FreezeUp+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303278381294400482" style="WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEc7R1kn9uSDjwt9sz_tX8m4KpEdEchdboop1eKUyDbPAdVfbuhyphenhypheniLQUHcz3c6E2Nrw1DIntwzC1dxNfV9p7xpLtLwI_a0DSMLJRaheQ5IuVZoH3zozD5rKk41uiaGqWm0wkL5x2M3t3E/s400/Dredge+FreezeUp+005.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Then the new sexy windows were installed
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMWmDpx1EbwtQxomDaKBZRwFqB4Em495NPBl1ssBJFFi0grSgJpyepUAPF2rYAYwHnOHYaCL9VeONyqWr2oRlurf_d6beUP7pEXXL9KE_7HoekRz0CIPsWJGhwFRkPMhfkxnH5sMSLQk/s1600-h/Dredge+FreezeUp+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303278379075072898" style="WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMWmDpx1EbwtQxomDaKBZRwFqB4Em495NPBl1ssBJFFi0grSgJpyepUAPF2rYAYwHnOHYaCL9VeONyqWr2oRlurf_d6beUP7pEXXL9KE_7HoekRz0CIPsWJGhwFRkPMhfkxnH5sMSLQk/s400/Dredge+FreezeUp+006.jpg" border="0" /></a>
What I will miss the most is the ultra cool holding mechanisms for the old windows.
The old pull pin with holes drilled into the sills so they would stay up. Not that they did, I would have to release the top portion of the window and let that one down, cause most of the pins stopped holding the bottom windows up. And since heat rises, it made sense to drop the top window.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUbmPevGDXtqiqF9bv5vHGaXqKjS5VKgWEUbkN32JVe3PYtSsk2KfGGtr5U0vw3U1Zl_pV9wuywu8z3iLq8OS2bcHIetXcHUQNO_UnlkZxeTsFe95DhuCVuT-PxRQUpfKY6tzSF9eW8g/s1600-h/Dredge+FreezeUp+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303278382280066498" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUbmPevGDXtqiqF9bv5vHGaXqKjS5VKgWEUbkN32JVe3PYtSsk2KfGGtr5U0vw3U1Zl_pV9wuywu8z3iLq8OS2bcHIetXcHUQNO_UnlkZxeTsFe95DhuCVuT-PxRQUpfKY6tzSF9eW8g/s400/Dredge+FreezeUp+001.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Bye-bye pins, hello sexy levers. These babies suit a dual purpose: not only to they allow me to wash the outside of the windows from get this.... the inside, they allow me to pull the whole window pane out. Fan-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">fuk</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ing</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tastic</span>!
My only problem is, it is freezing outside and I need to take the panes out to paint them properly. This will have to wait until spring. I stained the windowsills these past two weeks. You can see their gorgeousness in the following blog posts. I chose an antique walnut that matches the wood walls beautifully. It took me almost 2 weeks to putty, sand, stain, and stain a second time. Twice as long as I thought it would take me. And exhaustive none the less.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9noCQYTonDrvjVb8ONzMFcNbLJVtccARJDcmL_9WcMFFYWAh5ih7HR16ophn5p6Z2zWFtYeDv2CCVFkXnPZoDzfaqkf648Bozui7jz3QQuhG-sAAeRFCcNP9hzg9YQiuSepfdS9VnwqI/s1600-h/Dredge+FreezeUp+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303278388785444242" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9noCQYTonDrvjVb8ONzMFcNbLJVtccARJDcmL_9WcMFFYWAh5ih7HR16ophn5p6Z2zWFtYeDv2CCVFkXnPZoDzfaqkf648Bozui7jz3QQuhG-sAAeRFCcNP9hzg9YQiuSepfdS9VnwqI/s400/Dredge+FreezeUp+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Most of the toilets are repaired and/or replaced. I still have three to work on. Two are only used in the summer and can wait until spring, and the last one is in the lower bunkhouse men's bathroom. Instead of being secured to the floor, it was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">gasketed</span> to the waste pipe because unapparent to me, the floor had rotted and they laid vinyl over it to hid it. Lovely, just lovely.AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-68583071136733022642009-02-15T21:05:00.003-09:002009-02-15T21:15:39.857-09:00Gentleman's Socks (BIG PICTURES)<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/3116133299_d36db7d5c9_b.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 1024px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 683px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/3116133299_d36db7d5c9_b.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Just thought I would try out the big guns. I am not overly excited by the bigger pictures. Seems like overkil to me. What do you think?
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3268248678_c330b609a2_b.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 1024px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 683px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3268248678_c330b609a2_b.jpg" border="0" /></a> Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Schaefer Yarns Anne in "evergreen"
Needle: US 1 / 2.5mm 2-at-a-time on a 40" addiTurbo
long-tail cast on: Dec 11 kitchener'd: Feb 14
"Happy Valentines, Isaac. Here is your Christmas present!"
"Now NEVER EVER wear these without shoes or slippers. I can't image why I chose to use this very thin (thinnest I have ever used) yarn for a teenagers socks. He is very responsible, but still young enough to think it is great fun to play with the dog in your stocking feet. I have enough of this yarn left over from this 560 yard ball to knit another pair. This yarn was dark and hard to see in the Fairbanks winter even with all the lights on. Maybe a nice summer knit. Definately a better yarn for lace work than socks.
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/3283292909_b55b930488_b.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 1024px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 683px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/3283292909_b55b930488_b.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-16854785068897444012009-02-15T20:20:00.002-09:002009-02-15T20:53:49.348-09:00Leyburn Socks<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663366;"><span style="color:#330033;">Pattern:</span> Leyburn Socks by MintyFresh</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663366;"><span style="color:#330033;">Yarn:</span> Blue Moon Fiber Arts; Socks that Rock; "Prove it all Night" in mediumweight</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663366;"><span style="color:#330033;">Needle:</span> US 2/ 2.75 40"magic loop</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#663366;">Judy Becker's Magic <span style="color:#330033;">cast on:</span> Jan31 Sewn <span style="color:#330033;">bind off:</span> Feb 13</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;">special ordered for Ravelry's Socks That Rawk LEYBURN KAL</span>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3237301106_0964f31194.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3237301106_0964f31194.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;">All my STR colorways in stash were already choosen and this gave me an excuse to order a color that I never would have thought I liked. Similar to the colorways sent in the RSC. Wouldn't have ordered them myself, but loved them once I started knitting (except GoodyGoody, never liked that one)</span>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3268206486_977a3b371e.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3268206486_977a3b371e.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<span style="color:#330033;"></span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330033;">Toe-up, so wonderful</span>
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3267387613_72bd58bfe6.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3267387613_72bd58bfe6.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;">When I copy pictures from my computer, they are smaller in format than when I copy links from Flickr, so sorry about the descrepancies. {I don't think they will matter to anyone}</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;"></span>
<span style="font-size:130%;">the pair:</span>
<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxJdoxsbAw1AfvWzDbBLYKYUmeeblqx4xOjCDDIclNytR44xJJwklTKq4xZ3ORQlgINZ3Lz1lA76uRlwL2Dwl3MwMTMPidNz3JSqn9kZoebpbR4Vc-KLggow4FlallRVIDKVTGEy75nQ/s1600-h/Leyburn+a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303265577008101826" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxJdoxsbAw1AfvWzDbBLYKYUmeeblqx4xOjCDDIclNytR44xJJwklTKq4xZ3ORQlgINZ3Lz1lA76uRlwL2Dwl3MwMTMPidNz3JSqn9kZoebpbR4Vc-KLggow4FlallRVIDKVTGEy75nQ/s400/Leyburn+a.jpg" border="0" /></a>
</div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Priscilla Wild's no fuss/no mess - no holes, no wrap and turn heel. I loved it because of the ease. I still had to whip up a small hole that was peeking skin on one side of one heel because I think I missed a "create one" at the end.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkBM3lVxthEH6ts2FChAoK545Y3xXo7PhDGOI0ngug9C1oiCd8CDgyhGR0SNEjx7F_J2qUgBsacwKQUX_l3wrdy3XCoe1mFjiYXaPyPqMi3E7RRCWQXCyvs910tiWnZQmhe5nMQ-xtvA/s1600-h/Leyburn+b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303265570534085986" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkBM3lVxthEH6ts2FChAoK545Y3xXo7PhDGOI0ngug9C1oiCd8CDgyhGR0SNEjx7F_J2qUgBsacwKQUX_l3wrdy3XCoe1mFjiYXaPyPqMi3E7RRCWQXCyvs910tiWnZQmhe5nMQ-xtvA/s400/Leyburn+b.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;">It is hard to find enough light on an overcast winter day in Fairbanks. So right up to the window we were! I had my pick of sock models this day as we are entertaining friends of the boys. Five 12 year olds on this extended 4 day weekend. These are the days that I am NOT thankful I work at home.
</span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2Pfht2IEyexojhzwbnV_lkDztWkJNysY638MalE3PiAg0m5unSDf4JDT1bNi6FWaNitVc4y23N9kKVrWDRyoRXvEKV2gB-8Y2pYJWmtcfnWcuc5Dd4ju5fV7Ej1BJsZK_BbKh_6XPcY/s1600-h/Leyburn+c.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303265569178115122" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2Pfht2IEyexojhzwbnV_lkDztWkJNysY638MalE3PiAg0m5unSDf4JDT1bNi6FWaNitVc4y23N9kKVrWDRyoRXvEKV2gB-8Y2pYJWmtcfnWcuc5Dd4ju5fV7Ej1BJsZK_BbKh_6XPcY/s400/Leyburn+c.jpg" border="0" /></a>
</div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-13030506452833960782009-02-15T19:09:00.002-09:002009-02-15T19:43:57.693-09:00Mad Color Weave<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfbG3n3MdERX91wnoyb2S44NxQjsIUKOnNtohXxW6DLe4gIfm6pEyckiWxJbaWoSxUm8s8oU1wx5hplekJRY9mHhUlsn3eZQUZuO7Gsk8v4MnoJhVSGIFrZOcsfrRBS3dcZybiFx2Rlc/s1600-h/Mad+Color+Weave+f.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">Pattern: </span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">Mad Color Weave by Tina Lorin</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">Yarn: </span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino Wool of the Woods Lottery</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">Needle:</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">size2/2.75 for toe, foot and upper leg</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">size1 /2.5 for heel, ankle, and lower leg</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">Cast on: November 25 Sewn Bind off: February 6</span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;"></span>
<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330000;">the pair</span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPKm-wG8cm8zwR2NowJ2lixQ56oIfqbCZc5nQmzclpGtcLw0URoErlvElIeSoDCFb6I8IHEAW-OA0gnUvtOAwokS68aqM9nhZrOGtEs7s8slXv2q1dUiPu1PaUSkwdpuHPVMgf2vKUeg/s1600-h/Mad+Color+Weave+a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303245036657679122" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPKm-wG8cm8zwR2NowJ2lixQ56oIfqbCZc5nQmzclpGtcLw0URoErlvElIeSoDCFb6I8IHEAW-OA0gnUvtOAwokS68aqM9nhZrOGtEs7s8slXv2q1dUiPu1PaUSkwdpuHPVMgf2vKUeg/s400/Mad+Color+Weave+a.jpg" border="0" /></a>
the Eye of Patridge heel flap
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DNEXX58FaKjJsa-dhS_mjJxQUNMCLSmp2Q3y1V4COk8K9zxpvLU6Q5F3ZGt4OwfDzFNMGascQGj9u6MnqXcoO6MUfeQznIxmZKf17piweZqwFUe2KkDYLB1ZWBfsc91paxzsehXRWfI/s1600-h/Mad+Color+Weave+e.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303245053252522562" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DNEXX58FaKjJsa-dhS_mjJxQUNMCLSmp2Q3y1V4COk8K9zxpvLU6Q5F3ZGt4OwfDzFNMGascQGj9u6MnqXcoO6MUfeQznIxmZKf17piweZqwFUe2KkDYLB1ZWBfsc91paxzsehXRWfI/s400/Mad+Color+Weave+e.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Oops, "inside the markers Riverbed Architecture
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ywyb02p48frRdXYAueCsbIfxAEpVJ1kL9lpNqS_2jAPx_Aa7hziJHeDcQKui__mIgQbK5RX90ONhbaHdjFJWyAjRi-tRiSeZemjS-LU4MjQ63dlKx5BHn1tIe6mG1iyM7FalSLGKmfw/s1600-h/Mad+Color+Weave+d.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303245050610601570" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ywyb02p48frRdXYAueCsbIfxAEpVJ1kL9lpNqS_2jAPx_Aa7hziJHeDcQKui__mIgQbK5RX90ONhbaHdjFJWyAjRi-tRiSeZemjS-LU4MjQ63dlKx5BHn1tIe6mG1iyM7FalSLGKmfw/s400/Mad+Color+Weave+d.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Judy Becker's magic cast on
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAMVPBLff0NNE1mNdIGNXt49Oet5-_jTaqZsxb6EPDyLZjY3EuuFMV84grmPTtPeE0dBHg9WeGryObgMYev_J-7F8ifq1j6KCLhRLPKbPBdGUMoguvY76j1pBeqi_UWGWMHQkeyvRCLQ/s1600-h/Mad+Color+Weave+c.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303245047782411634" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAMVPBLff0NNE1mNdIGNXt49Oet5-_jTaqZsxb6EPDyLZjY3EuuFMV84grmPTtPeE0dBHg9WeGryObgMYev_J-7F8ifq1j6KCLhRLPKbPBdGUMoguvY76j1pBeqi_UWGWMHQkeyvRCLQ/s400/Mad+Color+Weave+c.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<div><div> </div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-72321702403557852432009-02-15T18:07:00.003-09:002009-02-15T18:18:52.628-09:00Holidazed - Rockin' Sock Club 2008 November shipment<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#330099;">Pattern:</span> <span style="color:#333333;">Holidazed by Anne Hanson</span></span> <div><div>
<div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#663366;">Yarn:</span> <span style="color:#333333;">STR mediumweight in "Muddy Autumn Rainbow"</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#003333;">Needle:</span> <span style="color:#333333;">US 2/2.7mm on a 40" magic loop</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#663333;">Cast on:</span> <span style="color:#333333;">December 3, 2008</span> <span style="color:#993300;">Kitchenered:</span> <span style="color:#333333;">January 8, 2009</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:130%;">A lovely little swirling rib. They fit like a glove. Or should I saying, "they fit like a well planned sock". This is the last installment of the Rockin' Sock Club of 2008. Fortunately I was again able to afford the Rockin' Sock Club of 2009. I even pimped it out to the girls of my local stitch club! Thanks girls. It is going to be so much fun knitting all these socks with you!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIlVv6K_1pCVdv-yCilPlpfslqlDQTG4fSjkQ7N0QGauOj2kntXX71uK2MP3qZa32cNnsao-xR-duAlhOaCx6mqBo0GEhAKp84qL3nB2v1jyAyxdNhOsbp9KT1CEtGnY18M7i38R72cA/s1600-h/Holidaze+a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303228309421898626" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIlVv6K_1pCVdv-yCilPlpfslqlDQTG4fSjkQ7N0QGauOj2kntXX71uK2MP3qZa32cNnsao-xR-duAlhOaCx6mqBo0GEhAKp84qL3nB2v1jyAyxdNhOsbp9KT1CEtGnY18M7i38R72cA/s400/Holidaze+a.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1K3NJz1avufgMoxhmgdN4lxYXHnv2IyaLMdgMNrFhkYSpSKNHtUKPdQRxjkUHY-9PdubOPFpki_Zu23fMobIPMAYsCtAynd87GdoZ6K5iLz38SGwHG276UA4GTmTRzcTSrLrY4w_kT-M/s1600-h/Holidaze+c.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303228313963696162" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1K3NJz1avufgMoxhmgdN4lxYXHnv2IyaLMdgMNrFhkYSpSKNHtUKPdQRxjkUHY-9PdubOPFpki_Zu23fMobIPMAYsCtAynd87GdoZ6K5iLz38SGwHG276UA4GTmTRzcTSrLrY4w_kT-M/s400/Holidaze+c.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkHASdjyaVX1G_h6eenx2bEuF763AXhvovdnOn0MsepY2BWQ8AUFwIFl3hmMpnyb8cr-XZEwNj3CA4rovt90h_S41XRyY5MRUHfgZLJwsBgYfZV7k7q0gXVPyVu4ork1KN3aZqz15MoE/s1600-h/Holidaze+b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303228303494230674" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkHASdjyaVX1G_h6eenx2bEuF763AXhvovdnOn0MsepY2BWQ8AUFwIFl3hmMpnyb8cr-XZEwNj3CA4rovt90h_S41XRyY5MRUHfgZLJwsBgYfZV7k7q0gXVPyVu4ork1KN3aZqz15MoE/s400/Holidaze+b.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-45266908218924092372009-02-15T16:15:00.004-09:002009-02-15T17:05:22.473-09:00Weekend in AnchorageThe plumbing contractors finished on Thursday, January 22 and that's when the real work for me started. They did an excellent job. I have water and I have heat. 'Nuf said.
I was stressing over how much I had to do, since I couldn't work around them when they were working; I would have just been in the way. I did little things, like setting new toilet tanks, and setting the toilet bowls (the part you sit on) when necessary. Every tank cracked, but fortunately I only lost a couple bowls. I neglected to take pictures of those, since taking pictures of broken toilets isn't my cup of tea.
DH was needed in Anchorage for a work dinner with the Society of American Military Engineers and I decide to invite myself along and invited him to drive. Usually he flies down for their functions and flies back up that evening, but I casually invited him to drive the normally six hours (five if we are driving our personal vehicle) so that I could go along.
Now I say <em>normally</em> a six hour drive. This time there was ice on the road heading south, so it took us almost eight hours to get there.
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTmbO7s9wz7j3lh-UqQn1kkxapB0gBzUF5Z-q-7nWcccLYBrwzc6Y6vpTsCF4pyjDTmJIkhaQwKYiZHTuuMOTTnXrFAgPz2mKLRrAXyRzgX2OWzfIB5cd7m2di7XK1LZTl3hfJbmG3BQ/s1600-h/anchorage+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303200694744811570" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTmbO7s9wz7j3lh-UqQn1kkxapB0gBzUF5Z-q-7nWcccLYBrwzc6Y6vpTsCF4pyjDTmJIkhaQwKYiZHTuuMOTTnXrFAgPz2mKLRrAXyRzgX2OWzfIB5cd7m2di7XK1LZTl3hfJbmG3BQ/s400/anchorage+001.jpg" border="0" /></a>
When the sun was shining, it was hard to watch the road without burning your retinas.
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKUC1B2XsooGVQOn4p86hQrzQy46tE1Ocq0fbzsldELNuH17HcEvGbLFLT_mMs69FjCIKwfKyO8z44O9OXyk9ciSD9SCJpq9dLUzC6-LI-59EGMJNg-AB16FJaXAmQVsnCAgqszvqCr8/s1600-h/anchorage+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303200693878650802" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKUC1B2XsooGVQOn4p86hQrzQy46tE1Ocq0fbzsldELNuH17HcEvGbLFLT_mMs69FjCIKwfKyO8z44O9OXyk9ciSD9SCJpq9dLUzC6-LI-59EGMJNg-AB16FJaXAmQVsnCAgqszvqCr8/s400/anchorage+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Here is the view as we are about thirty minutes north of Healy coming up into Denali National Park<span style="font-size:85%;">(ing lot).</span>
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07G7OHA2mEHOQwD2oyuD3lVpsXyCsuZxWCLPtRDd9Qo2WSOcuU6RJ_9dKf8OMtvRKS1I6_NX8NcbEs7AIuueIlCwSHJbU18tL5Zb1ec_VFBtej73umxQSX-s11HRkIWDw6MJlKmoi-Fg/s1600-h/anchorage+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303200687551348018" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07G7OHA2mEHOQwD2oyuD3lVpsXyCsuZxWCLPtRDd9Qo2WSOcuU6RJ_9dKf8OMtvRKS1I6_NX8NcbEs7AIuueIlCwSHJbU18tL5Zb1ec_VFBtej73umxQSX-s11HRkIWDw6MJlKmoi-Fg/s400/anchorage+006.jpg" border="0" /></a>
</div><div>After the park (and I say parking lot because most visitors never really get into the park, they sleep in the hotels, shop in the tourists traps, and drop serious money in the eateries. It is just that they never really manage to get into the park. The best they can be exposed to is the BlueBird bus ride, which is such a shame such a gorgeous National Park isn't available for the public) Off my soapbox and back to the road.</div><div> </div><div>Something that I have never seen with my own eyes before:
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3283450626_f55b33292c.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 328px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3283450626_f55b33292c.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>I caught a picture of this wolf who was hunting on the outskirts of the caribou herd that was south of Cantwell. I have driven the Parks Highway hundreds of times. Driving to Anchorage is a pasttime for most Fairbankans. In all of these drives, I have never seen a wolf. Hundreds of moose, caribou, arctic tern, porcupines, grouse, snowshoe hare, and even once a brown bear, but never wolf. Nice to see the population is growning. Hunters might not agree, but I dont really care if they don't like competition. Makes them stronger.</div><div> </div><div>And what was my incentive to drive eight hours on a single sheet of ice?</div><div>My Matron-of-Honor is pregnant with her first baby, hopefully there are more coming later.</div><div>Her husband was kind enough to grow is own baby belly as a form of marital collusion.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFHG5gGLkUO7iNpj1KgMOt1_pDynS6VbqFSY4sfrsts_ZOt6Dk9ShLQHUi5UCrwaMRATvTAiTQLSWTlyjF6WAds3iM7fowzC1nC5oS40rwhM35v-tkbnqmsztGUghI0_pajMsANZOxLA/s1600-h/baby+bellies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303204133487066802" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFHG5gGLkUO7iNpj1KgMOt1_pDynS6VbqFSY4sfrsts_ZOt6Dk9ShLQHUi5UCrwaMRATvTAiTQLSWTlyjF6WAds3iM7fowzC1nC5oS40rwhM35v-tkbnqmsztGUghI0_pajMsANZOxLA/s400/baby+bellies.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Yeah for babies! since I won't be having any more :(</div><div>Babies are great, it is just the additional 18 year maintenance agreement that they come with.</div><div>Hopefully she will let me babysit.</div><div> </div><div>The drive home always seems to go faster, so we stopped off at Hurricane Gulch. I always have the images in my mind, but if we ever move away, I want actual pictures of these places.</div><div>It is much more stellar in the midday with full sunlight, but I didn't have that option.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBFUWTZTyc_UujtACbzrFOdrRZr3Ng64FYlCzORXBzagGPx9m-lV97iM2jqnUc67xX5zlQH3Ql_2ECfYO52w9Q-6yez_RjxkgYy11oLjmXaZlt83U25q0nLFE4gdXwAYBI_vobgZkgJY/s1600-h/anchorage+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303200676920003794" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBFUWTZTyc_UujtACbzrFOdrRZr3Ng64FYlCzORXBzagGPx9m-lV97iM2jqnUc67xX5zlQH3Ql_2ECfYO52w9Q-6yez_RjxkgYy11oLjmXaZlt83U25q0nLFE4gdXwAYBI_vobgZkgJY/s400/anchorage+012.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-32198800991678683502009-01-10T20:16:00.008-09:002009-01-21T16:36:50.508-09:00the trouble with taking vacation is...So my last blog entry left me complaining that Seattle did not have the ability to deal with snow. Roads were closed, but most importantly (to me) the airport was shut down for the night leaving me and several other hundred seasonal travelers literally out in the cold. Fortunately, we were not part of <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/395770_deicer13.html">these people</a>, whom our favorite airlines hosed with deicer.
Out in the cold, with no where to go (by plane) we hopped a cab to the Holiday Inn in Kent to bunker down for three days until the next flight became available. Now realize that we were supposedly flying on the 20th of December. A full 24-hour day before our cruise was scheduled to leave the port in San Diego. Unfortunately, the next plane that had seven tickets to San Diego wasnt until the evening of the 24th. This meant we would have to catch up with the cruise at a different port. At our own expense. Can you image how expensive seven last minute plane tickets are from San Diego to the next port, Acapulco?
"So whatcha doin'? Nothin' chillin' at the Holiday Inn" - Christmas SnoopDogg style
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Mark called the Alaska Airlines MVP desk and had the replacement tickets scheduled to San Diego mere minutes after our original flight was cancelled. We heard rumors of travelers who where unable to fly for almost a week and some that we spoke to in person who cancelled their plans all together. The reason we had to pay for the additional tickets: #1 we chose not to purchase travel insurance (never again will we NOT have travel insurance during time-sensitive travel) and #2 the airlines do not cover for the cruelties Mother Nature gives them.
Alaska Airlines (AkAir) was not able to cover our next plane tickets and but more importantly to us they were not able to relinquish our luggage. Mark, Austin, and Orren headed back to SeaTac the next day to try to collect our luggage. It was only after a three hour wait in line they learned AkAir was sending all the luggage onto the final destination to allow those airports to sort through the chaos because SeaTac was wholly-unable to handle the mess they created. Their baggage handlers had thrown all the luggage off of every flight and had stacked and piled them on the baggage room floor five and six bags deep, with no flight sorting, whatsoever. We were able to find only one bag. Mine. My bag. My evening gowns bag. Wow. What a relief. Those come in handy doing laundry at the hotel! In a ball gown.
To my amazement, the boys kept an excellent spirit during the Holiday Inn Hiatus. With all that snow, they made a gargantuan snowball. Seattle snow is much better than Alaskan snow, I guess. Alaska snow is to too cold to stick to itself. It is powder fine and does not pack. Seattle snow on the other had has moisture, so it makes things like snowballs. Great big snowballs. No gloves, no jackets, no worries. Just hours and hours and hours of fun in the back lawn of the hotel.
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After three wonderful snowy days camping at the hotel, eating hotel waffles, ordering pizzas, and eating dinners at Denny's, we were finally able to leave Seattle and head to San Diego. There were no direct flights from San Diego so we had to book San Diego- Houston- Acapulco. Flight got in late evening San Diego so it was off to Jack-in-the-Box for dinner and a cozy night at the Ramada. Ah, I feel like a traveling salesmen staying at super cheap hotels. Comforting. Livable, cause we were flying out early the next afternoon for Houston (or so we thought). We get to the San Diego airport only to find out that our flight to Houston was delayed due to the plane being held in Newark. Five hours later, they secure another airplane and assure us with food vouchers that another plane has been found and will be landing in a few hours. By 10pm, I was starting to loose hope. Merry Christmas Eve. Thank God there was a bar at the end of the concourse that was willing to spike my Starbucks Eggnog Latte with Baileys. One of those down and I was actually grateful they got us on a flight to Houston after midnight.
We landed in Houston around 3am and decided to skip the hotel we had reservations for in hopes of gaining an extra hour of sleep on the airport floor before our 9am flight to our ship in Mexico. My only question is: "why does Houston need to announce over their intercoms at CONCERT level reminders that I shouldnt carry someone elses property in my luggage?" The aiport is locked from 2am-5am. No one new is getting in until 5. Yet, they feel the need to remind us of <em>very important airport safety</em>. Thank you. Houston, it was a pleasure waking up on your airport floor on Christmas morning to be informed of these concerns. Thank you, very, very much!
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It didnt take long for everyone to fall back into routine once we were on the ship. The kids scattered in all directions with newfound excitement from realizing that this cruise has other kids their ages. We were the only family on a ship that holds over a thousand people last January. This being a Holiday cruise, there were what seemed to be hundreds of children.
Hundreds of children that were overly excited to get up early to go on shore excursions.<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/3186398605_218403a2c3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/3186398605_218403a2c3.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Puerto Chiapas offered up a small site of Mexican ruins. Nothing overly spectacular, but a nice area to walk and enjoy the fresh air and time off the ship.
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Mark and I
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A view of the room. The space was reasonable. We didnt feel crowded. A queen/king sized bed a small sitting area with couch and writing desk. Insuite bathroom with 3/4 sized tub; surprisingly a lot of people take baths on a cruise. I guess the fact of not wanting to fall in the shower since standing up while the ship is moving is actually quite dangerous (but I did it anyway since I dont take baths in hotel bathrooms {unless they are luxury rooms with overly large tubs}). The flatscreen tv has a dvd player and the library has thousands of movies to rent. There are two movie channels that play nothing but new releases all day. I admit: there were several days when I just stayed in bed, knit, and watched movies.
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Most ports had entertainmet in the shopping areas to draw the excusion crowd to stay in the pavilion and bring the "I never go off the ship" crowd off the ship to see what is going on. Both crowds end up dropping at least a few dollars. I would say they ended up dropping a few pesos, but every time we tried to pay with pesos, we got eye rolls and elevated prices. Even their ATMs offer to payout with American dollars.</div><div>
These dancers were athelets! They would dance for 15 minutes, swinging and swishing and running about, then would walk the crowd taking pictures, only to return to the active dancing without sweating themselves to death in the 90F+ heat. We were only 10miles north of the Guatemalan border and we were feeling the heat.</div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3187293086_27cefc181f.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3187293086_27cefc181f.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Yes, the hallways are this long. Even longer if you spend time up at the Crow's Nest
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Ixtapa: Brett dug a hole <strong>that</strong> deep. Parker developed a bad sunburn but they both had fun playing in the water and on the beach. The rest of us sat in the shade, relaxed and enjoyed the sounds of the ocean.
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</div><div>Puerto Vallarta: funny, but I think my friend Kat's hotel was just around the corner from where we took this picture.</div><div>Oh, the joys of family pictures. Okay, everyone smile!</div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3186594009_ba6eb54a3a.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3186594009_ba6eb54a3a.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Mazatlan:</div><div>These cruise ship are like floating cities. There are several (like 9) bars, a casino, a live theater, a movie theatre, three restaurants, two more buffets serving pizza, tacos, hamburgers, laundrymats, a library, internet cafe, espresso stand, giftshops. It was amazing. There are two kids' hangout areas. Club HAL for kids 12 and under and The Loft for kids 13+. Two of our boys turn 13, one this spring and the other this summer, so they were mad-bummin' about their denied entry into the teen joint which has it's own pool, sunning area, karaoke, games, and so much more than they ever needed to keep entertained. Last cruise they had free rein over both areas (again with the <em>only family on board</em> schtick).</div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/3187478984_fa0e6c7302.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/3187478984_fa0e6c7302.jpg" border="0" /></a>
PV: Nature's waterslide
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Loreto:
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Leaving Cabo, our last port-of-call
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We had a lot of fun on the cruise. I highly recommend cruise for those with families. There is always food available with the hardest part being keeping the kids from eating before dinner. Someone else cleans, someone else cooks, and if you chose to, someone else does all the laundry. You go to bed at night after going to the theatre to see singers, comedians, dance shows, jugglers or go see a new release movie on the big screen or just get snockered at one of the many, many drinking establishments and wake up in the morning in a new town. And dont get me started about the spa, and the pools, and the fitness center.</div><div></div><div>Just a calm, relaxing vacation. Or so I thought... Then the phone rang in the room... Work has been trying to get ahold of me... Call home... Oh CRAP!</div><div></div><div>The phone conversation goes something like this:</div><div></div><div>Me: "Hello, what's wrong"</div><div>them: "It was 60F below last night"</div><div>me: "and?"</div><div>them: "It was 60F below last night, in your house"</div><div>me: "what?"</div><div>them: "Pipes are froze. All the pipes are froze. Every one of the contractors you left a phone number for are too busy with everyone else's frozen pipes to come out."</div><div>me: "call someone else!"</div><div>them: "We did. They are too busy to call us back."</div><div></div><div>By this point, it has been over 48 hours without heat. Every pipe is busted. Every water pump is split. Every drain has cracked. The dishwasher exploded! The boiler and hot water heater were saved because electric heaters were brought up in time. Thank you!</div><div></div><div>I have had contractors here for over a week now. Yesterday we were full self-sufficient for heat. Today they start on the water. Over a week now without running water. Now I have incentive to go to the gym every day. They have showers. </div><div></div><div>I cant even begin to tell you the joys of the Sani-can at 40F below.
We get back into Fairbanks to enjoy driving in <strong>Ice Fog</strong>. I love this natural phenomenon. It is the joy that only frigid cold air and humidity can bring. My only fear is driving on the highway when it is heavier than seen in the picture. There tends to be massive pileups on the highway caused by some idiot who doesn't stop to realize that if you can't see more than 20ft in front of you, then maybe you shouldn't be driving at 65mph. Drive only as fast as your stopping distance. If you can't see more than 100yards, don't drive over 40mph. But like the rest of the world, we have those that are overly cautious who decide to drive 15mph on the highway with someone else behind them driving 80 and pileups occur.
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The sweet joy of -42F. I missed the 60below. Okay, to tell the truth, I didnt miss it, persay. I just was not in the state to experience this. Coldest I have ever had the joy to experience was 68F below. Being a very penny-poor college student and single mother, my car didnt have heat. That was a cold winter.
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Here is the external heater that Slayden Plumbing brought out to heat the Dredge to a working temperature. It took three days to bring the house from freezing to livable. I can only guess how much diesel that baby burns with its $4000/wk price tag, I dont really care. Just turn my heat on so I dont have to pay for this anymore.</div><div></div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3305/3186215205_8027f453e3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3305/3186215205_8027f453e3.jpg" border="0" /></a>
They styrofoamed my door with the hose coming through. So beautifully functional. That is why I love Alaska. </div><div></div><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/3182917091_6ec353d2e7.jpg"></a><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3474/3186227989_9f537f72cf.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3474/3186227989_9f537f72cf.jpg" border="0" /></a>
The cold blew up the Hobart dishwasher downstairs. I will now have to handwash all my dishes until this spring when budget allows me to have this repaired.
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</div><div>This is the part that hurt the most. This one of two frozen and fractured pumps means that I do not have running water. Slayden predicts starting on the water in/out system next week. This past week they have concentrated on fixing the boiler lines so that the Dredge heats itself. </div></div><div><div></div><div>I cannot tell you how much I love these guys. I have never in my working career here seen more diligent, dedicated, mild-mannered, clean mouthed, respectable contractors. Everyone from the service manager, to the journeyman plumber, right down to the runners has been just simply amazing, hard working, and reliable gentlemen.
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/3187064366_ebd5cd9a4b.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/3187064366_ebd5cd9a4b.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div></div><div>Just a few of the many, many, many blown pipes.
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Fortunately the glycol (thankfully I paid more for the environmentally-friendly, non-toxic antifreeze kind last time we had the system cleaned, checked and refilled) didnt enter the house. It looks like it all drained into the septic system.</div><div></div><div>We still have not found the explanation of why the entire system failed. The initial finding was a failed fan motor on the auxilary heater in the crawlspace that at 60F below allowed the pipes underneath the house to freeze, driving the boiler to increase internal pressure and causing all the glycol to dump into the septic system. After inspecting the boiler, that is the only conclusion they could come up with.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-72054761183295549482008-12-21T21:46:00.002-09:002008-12-21T22:05:17.387-09:00And then they drop me...... and everyone else.
Flight into Seattle was a bit uneventful. Flight attendance tell us on board as we are landing that there have been <em>some</em> cancellations. Oh, that wasnt even the half of it. "Some" was a drastic understatement. Straight off the plane, we ran to the readerboard to find the location of our flight to San Diego. Of the three flights of the morning, two where cancelled. Fortunately, ours was the only flight remaining. We sat at the gate and stared the Alaska Airlines attendants down. We were no intimidation to them.
It was not like there were feet of snow on the ground.
It was not like the winds were howling at 80 miles an hour.
It was not like there were sheets of falling ice rain.
It was snow, lightly falling. Hard to believe a few flakes could cause this much disaster.
I soon found out that the minds-that-be at Seattle Tacoma International Airport have an unhealthy avoidance of snow removal equipment purchases. I guess they are the thought-theory that if they dont buy anything to remove the snow, then the snow merely <em>shouldn't</em> fall.
Are those in the Pacific Northwest that naive?
I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. If for one year, I decide not to buy the boys winter jackets. Will the temperature not drop below zero? I do not believe I would have happy-campers waiting for the bus in the middle of December.
Yet I digress.
We arrive in Seattle at 6am this morning. We wait another eight hours for information pertaining to the de-icing of our plane and listen to countless flights being labeled "cancelled" and we sit in the airport like lemmings before the final run. The sitting becomes the standing; the standing become the pacing, and the pacing becomes frantic lunges for the counter.
"Flight 840 to SanDiego has been cancelled. Please exit the terminal to the ticketing counters to reschedule your flight". Fortunately we have a phone number to the agents and start calling the moment that announcement was broadcasting.
We are confirmed on a flight out of Seattle on Tuesday, December 23. Too bad the cruise took off earlier this evening from San Diego. Without us. Without several other people in Seattle waiting for the flight. Without other people in Vancouver. Without even more people in Portland. Is no one in the Pacific Northwest purchasing snow removal equipment?
Another six hours of phone calls to various airlines and air resellers to come up with a solution. Alaska Airlines rescheduled us for San Diego, yes. But the cruise is no longer in San Diego. It is entertaining hundreds of fortunate OTHER passengers in the Pacific Ocean. We had to purchase (yes, added expense: plane tickets for 7) flights from San Diego, to Houston, to Acapulco to catch up to the cruise ship on Christmas afternoon. Oh, baby. Santa is going to visit somewhere 30K feet above Northcentral Mexico. I hope those reindeer aren't affected by altidude sickness.AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-41942857223379710352008-12-21T00:24:00.003-09:002008-12-21T00:31:25.420-09:00Alaska Airlines comes throughSo our flight out of Seattle was cancelled and we were rebooked on the next flight out to San Diego three hours later. We would have had a six hour layover instead of the intended three hour layover, but...
When we arrived in Anchorage, we found that there were not flights in or out of Seattle, indefinately.
Fortunately, "indefinately" was only an hour and half, but our flight hadn't even left SeaTac yet. That flight left. We know have three hours to wait for our flight. Only four hours late. The good side? We get out of Anchorage and we now only have four hours to wait in the Seattle airport.
Now just wish me luck getting out of Seattle on time. Really, I never would have thought it would be this hard, but glad it has been this easy. At least they are not like Northwest Airlines that left DH and I in Narita, Japan for over three days without compensation. I try to remember that it can always be worse. Wish me luck!AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319542214283448636.post-16062883606610802462008-12-20T14:46:00.001-09:002008-12-20T14:49:51.107-09:00CRAP!At 2:40pm my flight out of Seattle to San Diego was cancelled.
On the phone with Alaska Airlines right now.AfternoonMoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14481489346107141668noreply@blogger.com0