day 6. Home town

Today is Ten facts about my hometown. I was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, its really not an old town so this should be interesting.

1. Fairbanks produced the first two state legislators in the United Stated to be elected as Libertarians. Dick Randolph, who had previously served two terms in the Alaska House as a Republican, was first elected as a Libertarian in 1978 and re-elected in 1980. Ken Fanning was also elected to the House as a Libertarian in 1980.

2. There is a festival every year to commemerate Felix Pedro's gold discovery of 1902. It's called "Golden Days". It's kicked off with Pedro walking his gold on his burro into town to the bank. Then there is a parade, a "Miss Ricki" look-a-like contest (infamous local dancehall girl) a "Pedro" look-a-like contest, the Golden Heart Dancers (local 1900's revival dance troupe) dance, and there are tons of other festivities. Included in this is a "Rubber Duckie Race". Thousands of ducks are bought and dumped in the Chena River. The first one to float past the bridge wins the jackpot.

3. The Immaculate Conception Church on North Cushman used to be located across the river on 1st street. They moved it across the river when the new hospital (a Catholic hospital) opened up.

4. The Yukon Quest (the longest sled dog race in North America) runs between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Canada. Every other year they switch off who will host the race. It brings in mushers from all over the world. It also said to be the toughest race with the most rugged terrain anywhere.

5. Every year there are two major Native happenings in town. The first is the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. This is an opportunity for atheletes from all over the state, from all tribes to compete in traditional games and feats. There is one foot high kick, two foot kick,ear pulls, one hand reach, stick pulls, there is dancing from groups all over the state. There is also a blanket toss. ESPN2 actually came two or three years ago in their "sports in 50 states" campaigne. Then later in the winter there is the Midnight Sun InterTribal Powwow. This is chance for the tribes to come together and talk about issues that affect them. There is a bazaar, traditional dances, and a potlach (native potluck).

6. Fairbanks is known as the "Golden Heart City". Every year the city gives an award call the "Golden Heart Award". The recipient is chosen by nomination by people in the community for service done for the community.

7. There's only one power company for the City of Fairbanks and most of the outlying areas. (some areas are on generators or don't have electricity at all) It's Golden Valley Electric Company and its actually a co-opperative that is not for profit. In the spring they give out lilac bushes to the first 200 people to show up at the plant.

8. President Harding was the first president to visit Alaska. There was a special rail car built for him and it lives in Fairbanks at the Pioneer Park (Alaskaland to locals). There also used to be a room in the Fairbanks International Airport called "The Presidents Room". It was built to commerate the meeting of President Reagan and Pope John Paul II. They allowed civilians on the tarmac to witness the meeting and then retired to the room to discuss humanitarian efforts across the globe.

9. The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre company hosts a Bard-a-thon in the winter that features all the plays read in 24 hours. Its free and open to the public. The company also has a stage built on University of Alaska Fairbanks' campus, its in the style of The Globe Theatre (in the round).

10. The Tannana Valley State Fair is the oldest in the state. It was started in 1924. The winner of the Giant Cabbage (pumpkins dont do so well in the cool weather) contest gets a cash prize and his cabbage makes the rounds of all the local grocery stores so that everyone who didnt get to see it at the fair can glory in the largess of leaves. The grocery store also carry a large abundance of Alaska grown produce and all winter you can find carrots and potatoes grown in the the Mat-Su Valley or the area around Fairbanks

Ok. Whew. That took a long time. Deciding whats not common knowledge is sometimes tricky.
Til next time.

Day 5. Songs

Today is my Top Ten Favorite Songs.

1. Slip Slidin Away- Paul Simon. I love this man. I credit my musical revolution to him and Garfunkle. This song is so mellow and is good for any manner of moods or days. Plus it makes you want to listen to more of his music!

2. Summertime- Janis Joplin. After Simon and Garfunkle I quickly fell in with Janis and she has been one f the few female artists I actually own an album from. So many people discredit her music and her voice, but there is something so visceral in her singing. It's hard to describe and I just love listening to her.

3. Gloria- Laura Branigan. This is just one of those songs that makes me happy no matter what mood I'm in. It's a jump up and down and dance around the house like a lunatic song. Or just sing really loudly in the car, ;)

4. Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack. I think the first time I heard this song was watching "Jackie Brown" I fell in love with the song. I always have it somewhere on my mp3 player. Its just a great grooving song.

4. Touches You- Mika. I can't have a play list without Mika. He's total pop, but its fun. This song especially.

5. One Song Glory- Adam Pascal, RENT. First of all the whole soundtrack to this movie is one of my favorite show soundtracks. I especially love Adam Pascal, plus in the movie with the whole roof scene, shaggy hair......yeah. Give a girl a heart attack.

6. Forever and Ever Amen- 8mm. I came across this song through the show "Moonlight" (an incredibly shortlived show that had a very hot Alex O'Laughlin as a vamp). I got into a lot of bands I had never heard before but I hung on to this song. It very altruistic at times and I love the melody.

7. Together- The Kin. Also via "Moonlight", I really came to love this band as a whole. They have some great songs and their sound on a whole is folky rock. I love the harmonizing that they do. Good song for blue days.

8. Oveture to Tannhauser- Wagner. In Music Theory class I pretty much swore I would never like Wagner. He's boring, stuffy, and very heavy (verse, melody, you name it, its like a ton of rocks). Until I came across this oveture. I found it on a classical collection cd someone gave me. I fell in love with it before I knew who wrote, and of course had to eat my words. Its beautiful and I love how it builds and builds.

9. There's a good reason these tables are numbered- Panic! at the Disco. This album in particular was pretty much all I listened to for about a year. Over and over. The lyrics in this song are what get to me, its so "in your face". Plus the drums and jazz vibe are hard to beat.

Well. I will post another later today because I missed yesterday, so have fun.

Day 4

Today's post might actually be harder than yesterdays! The challenge is Top Ten Favorite Movies, the hard part is that I LOVE movies and pareing it down to ten is almost impossible. However, I will do my level best.

1. Persuasion; "All the privilege I claim for my own sex is that of loving longest, when all hope is gone"-Anne Elliot I have read the book, and own both versions and I adore this movie. It is a beautiful story about love lost and refound, along with a healthy dose of human stupidity (her family is nuts). Plus when you have leading men like Rupert Penry-Jones and Cirian Hinds, what girl wouldn't give up everything in the end to be with them?

2. Amalie; "I had two heart attacks, an abortion, did crack... while I was pregnant. Other than that, I'm fine." If I'm not having a great day, I watch this movie. I think I have seen it twenty times or more. Amalie is so spunky, but so shy that I think we all can identify with her. She loves from the sidelines, and it isn't til the last ten minutes that she actually gets the guy. The supporting cast is incredible and its beautifully shot. It just makes my  heart happy. Also the gnome is genius, look what it did for Travelocity!

3. The Great Escape; Ramsey: "Colonel Von Luger, it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape. If they cannot escape, then it is their sworn duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them, and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability." Ok. First of all Steve McQueen is brilliant in this movie. He actually has a relatively minor role but every scene he is, he steals it. However, the rest of the cast is so vivid that its hard not to ignore them either. James Gardner, Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, the list goes on. This is really a who's who of the male acting world of th 60's. Its such an extrodinary situation and such desperate times that their inginueity is amazing. There is always something new when I watch it, some dialogue I've heard a million times that I never caught the nuance til now. Brilliant.

4. Ghost Ship; Jack Ferriman: "Last month I was out in the middle of the Strait when I came across this."
Epps: Congratulations. "You found a boat. In the middle of the ocean, of all places."  I don't usually love scary movies and really the most intense moments of this movie is the opening sequence. I think I love the fact that it kind of plays at being a scary movie and it has an interesting moral twist at the end. Plus I love Gabriel Byrne. The most laughable part is that its set in the Bering Sea (though they try and keep that vague because there is nothing to really tie it AK other than the Alaskan Ambers they sip in the bar), but its one of the few of the genre I watch over and over.

5. Quills; Madeleine: "If I wasn't such a bad woman on the page, I couldn't be such a good woman in life." First of all, stellar cast, Geoffery Rush, Joaquin Pheonix, Kate Winslet, Michael Caine, and the then relatively unknown Stephen Moyer. Quills is admittedly more about sex than anything, but also about the effect written word can have on people. Rush does a pretty charged Marquis de Sade. Between him and Phoenix, Kate doesn't have a chance, a girl could be so lucky! The movie ends tragically, but I love the role reversal, just adds to the complexity of the characters. How they sink into themselves and loose all moral constraints is very real and unfortunately happens often.

6. Boondock Saints; Paul Smecker: "Television. Television is the explanation for this - you see this in bad television. Little assault guys creeping through the vents, coming in through the ceiling - that James Bond shit never happens in real life! Professionals don't do that!" First of all, who can't fall in love with two hot revenge seeking Irish men? Honestly? Add in Willem Dafoe, and Bill Connelly and its a winner. The second movie was watchable, but nowhere near as great as this one. The only thing is, I wish they talked every minute of the movie. I can't get enough of the accent.

7. North to Alaska; Sam McCord: "George, a wonderful thing about Alaska is that matrimony hasn't hit up here yet. Let's keep it a free country!" I can't have a top movie list without a John Wayne movie. I love this man. When I say love, I mean that I literally wanted to marry him when I was little. I didnt know then that things like cancer and old age would have a damper on that relationship. I like almost every movie of his I have seen. North to Alaska is great because its totally shot in Cali and Nome never looked like that on its best days. Its just a fun movie, and of course he gets the girl!

8. Stardust; Yvaine: [sarcastically] "But of course! Nothing says "romance" like the gift of a kidnapped injured woman! I'm not going anywhere with you!" I love this movie, I know, romance (your lucky I didn't do a top ten list of those. There's an idea!) but its adorable. It's also a coming of age story and those are always endearing. Add in the fantasy element and you have a winner. I think the best part really is the dialogue. It's actually rather witty and smart. They also are great on the delivery which helps keep the pace of the movie really tight. Good for rainy days and blankets.

9. The Blade Movies (I know this is three but forgive me); Hannibal King: "In the movies, Dracula wears a cape, and some old English guy always manages to save the day at the last minute with crosses and holy water. But everybody knows the movies are full of shit. The truth is, it started with Blade, and it ended with him. The rest of us were just along for the ride." Ok, you have to forgive me because the series really has to be viewed as a whole. One and three redeem two which is ok, but nothing like the first and last. Which is kind odd for a trilogy, but not unheard of. Somepeople could say that of the second half of the Star Wars movies (Empire Strikes Back will always be my personal fave) but I digress. I have to have a vampire movie in this and these are a good look at the genre. Snipes is a good anti-hero and he tends to bring in interesting supporting cast (i.e. Ryan Reynold, Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Dorff). They are good to watch over and over.

10. (Finally) M*A*S*H; Hotlips O'Houlihan: "I wonder how such a degenerated person ever reached a position of authority in the Army Medical Corps." Father Mulcahy: "He was drafted."  This is a classic. Oustanding cast and of course it went on to fuel a long running TV show. I watched a documentary on it and any cast that can throw out the script and still come up with a movie that is funny and still makes a statement; well they get my vote. It's raunchy, but tame by today's standards. It's just hard to not dig Hawkeye Pierce and Radar and all the craziness that happens in that camp. Plus the suicide scene with the classic "Suicide is Painless" modeled after "The Last Supper". If you haven't seen it, RENT IT NOW!

Ok. Thus concludes some of my all time favorite movies. There are more and I can talk about them til I'm blue in the face. But considering that this post has taken most of the day to formulate, I won't.
Til tomorrow.

Day Three

Today's challenge is Seven Secrets. Sort of sounds like the lead in to a scary movie. This is really a tough one, what secrets can I get away with telling? Here goes nothing.....

1. I really enjoy mass. Ok. Maybe not the biggest secret in the world, but I do kind of feel guilty. I was raised Southern Baptist and went to an Independent Baptist school, so between the two of them, Catholics are kind of "on the fringe of God". Which of course is dumb. I just really enjoy the ceremony and reverence that we sometimes forget about in Protestant churches. I'm not keen on the not understanding half of it and I still don't understand, stand-sit-stand-sit. However, I still dig it.

2. I kind of like Lady Gaga's music. I know, I know. She's awful, probably pshycotic, and has attrocious taste in clothes. But I still like some of it. Once I figured out what she meant by "Bad Romance", I now find myself signing that song at the top of my lungs in my car. There are a few songs I do refuse to listen to...anything that mentions disco. Need I say more?

3. I have blocked most of my relatives on FB. They probably don't know, because they never responded to posts or made any effort to communicate with me. We aren't close, but it still sounds kind of bad.

4. I'm secretly terrified that I am boringly mediocre. I actually spend time worrying about it. I look at where I am and worry that I will never be anything more. I feel trapped because I'm not brilliant and can barely support myself. I worry that I will never be really GOOD at anything. Ok. I'm nuts, but it's a secret!

5. I used to chew pencil erasers....and Barbie doll feet and hands.....and the zipper pull on my coat. Anything that had a "give", I chewed it. My poor Barbie's were mutilated with flat hands and there was never any way to erase my mistakes in school. I had a pretty bad oral fixation. But have you ever chewed the ends of pens??? There is something so satisfying in gnawing it to bits, weird I know, but I also know I am not alone!

6. I still enjoy cartoons. Full length cartoons, not the adult geared Pixar, but Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast. The Goofy movie, Balto and many many more. I don't think I will ever outgrow that. There is such a simplicity, a knowledge that the hero and heroine actually win. None of this vague ending crap. It will probably make having kids way easier.

7. Finally! You havent seen that it has taken me forever to decide what secrets to tell and what not to. I have been thinking about this darn challenge for DAYS! Ok, last one. I like to buy "fashion porn" magazines when I go on long flights. I'm partial to Vogue, People, and sometimes Glamour. That is about the only time I usually purchase them. If they are laying around, I read them, but I try to not actually spend money on them. I know they are bad for the mind (I mean really, who has ever read one and not gotten some sort of clothes/hair/body complex????) but its fun to look at all the pictures. ;)

Til tomorrow!

Day two

Well, yesterday's foray in to the world of blog did ok I guess.
Todays challenge is a little more intesting and slightly egotistical. This is about me though, right? Lol.
Anyway. Ten Random Facts about Myself.

1. I am actually a really picky eater. Not as bad as my youngest brother (in my own opinion) but my best friend would probably disagree. I hate fake Strawberry flavor, and actually the only way I will eat the darn fruit is if it plain and fresh. NO SUGAR. I also hate soggy bread anything so no cake and ice cream mixed. Yuck. But given the choice between homemade mac and cheese and the cheapest box mix available, I will err in the favor of the box every time. I know, some Chef I am.

2. I really love 80's hair bands. Like love. Even their terrible music vidoes (ok, NOT Flock of Seagulls. There is a limit to my bad taste). Sometimes I think that Poison's music was written especially for me, and when I'm having a bad day, nothing picks me up quicker that Laura Branigan's "Gloria". So look out Kellogg, this girl is singing along, LOUDLY!

3. I'm still kind of scared of the dark. I used to sleep with a night light for the longest time, plus it was my standby reading lamp (and I wonder why I have bad eyesight). Now I have upgraded to just really bright alarm clocks. The current walk between my room outside and the bathroom inside is done in haste and I don't breath easy until I'm on the other side of either door. I have an active imagination, and my faulty eyes have always been the first to trick my brain into thinking there was something lurking in the shadows or there really is a grizzly just around the corner.

4. I'm secretly obssessed with weddings. I have had a Knot.com account since college. I don't always log on and stare at dresses, but I have phases. It's probably normal and every girl does it, but I don't even have a boyfriend on long range scanner! I also really love the TLC show "Say Yes to the Dress". When Jammie was getting married I wished she could have tried dresses on forever. Maybe its because its magical and I never really got to experience the whole prom dress thing. Probably faulty wiring.

5. I hate the color pink. Passionately. I don't know how such an insipid colour ever became associated with women. I think I own one piece of clothing that has pink on it. I'm also whiter than white and pink on me tends to bring out what little red undertone I have. I end up looking (in my opinion) terrible. I am a big fan of classy colors like black and white.

6. I don't like painting my fingernails. It feels like my nails are suffocating. I can actually feel the nail claustriphobia set in with the first brush stroke. I also have funky shaped nails so I think it makes my fingers look stubbier than they already are. Lucky I'm in a job that requires you NOT to paint your nails. :)

7. I still wish I could have been a ballerina. I took dance class for a long time. Well, ok. Let me rephrase. I took the same beginner ballet class for a long time. In varying dance schools no less. I don't know if it was the money or that I'm totally not built like a dancer (big hips/butt, and terrible turn-out), but no one moved me up. I love dancing, but real dancing. Not this get on the floor and wiggle your butt around stuff. Things with choreography and a semblance of thought are what turns my stomach. Which also means I'm a sucker for dance movies. No matter how awful.

8. I firmly believe that I was born on the wrong continent and the wrong century. I was supposed to have been born somewhere in the UK. Not only does my heart turn to jelly when I hear that often indecipherable brogue, but in another century I would have been a pinup model. So combine those two facts....wrong time and wrong place. So for now I just dream about moving there someday and watch all the darn BBC I can get my hands on.

9. I am a certified Crane Rigger, specifically for off-shore cranes. I know what a distinction. It came out of a slew of classes that I had to take when working on a crew that was contracted to Shell Oil in the Arctic Ocean. I am also Cold Water Surival trained, HAZWHOPPER certified, NASTC (North Slope public relations) certified, Coast Gaurd First Aid/ CPR, and I know how to run a shipboard crane, and theoretically run most of the equipment in a wheelhouse. Real useful in a kitchen........

10. I can't sleep without socks. I think it has to do with when I was a kid and freezing through the winter. I would put as many socks on as possible, wrap my feet in Safeway bags, stuff them in Sorrel boots, and my feet would still be icicles. If I fall asleep without them, I wake up and have to put them on. No matter how hot it is. I have been known to kick them off when I sleep (Jammie used to say it rained socks), but I wake up soon after.

Anyway. There. You have a little more insight into the odd ball that is me.

The First.

So I've decided to start a blog. I know, how normal of me. It seems everyone these days has one. Though I probably won't be as faithful as most or even as insightful as some, but what I say is what I know and feel. To start this little venture off I have decided to do a challenge. Someone passed along a 25 day blog challenge to me, and it pretty interesting and good for a sort of "get to know you" thing.
A little quick background. Im working in Deadhorse and its roughly 25 days til I leave the state of AK to go back home to KS. I figure its a good way to keep occupied and kind of neat way to count down the days.
Well, here goes nothing.
Day 1: Five most memorable/important childhood memories. Yikes!

1. This is in homage to Fall. September in our house meant moose season. We got to stay home for about a week while Dad and his friends when hunting. We (me and my three brothers and mom) stayed up late, played all day and waited with baited breath for the Jerry Lewis MDS Telathon to start. It always seemed to conicide with Dad's departure. When Dad got home with the kill, it hung in the garage for a few days. We would run down the hill to peak at this massive hunk of meat suspended from the rafters. We would constantly ask if it was "ready". When it had finally aged enough we would either drive to Anderson to butcher it at Dad's friend's parent's house, or our front porch would become a killing ground. Saw horses with plywood slapped over them would be tables. The men would take stations outside and women inside. The men would cut and the women would wrap and lable. Us kids would run around between stations. Sometimes we would collect scraps for hamburger or we would go in and write on the newly wrapped white packages. Butchering had its own special magic and the tang of meat would mix with the cool crisp day outside. The day was long and would end with the grinding of the hamburger. By that time all the glory of the party had worn off and we kids were tired. But it was still always a time to celebrate.

2. There weren't a lot of kids living on the road our house was on. It wasn't until I was about ten that I really started hanging out with them. Our road was isolate and our driveway was a long way away from the nexus of houses that actually had kids. This memory actually has to do with a gift from some of those kids. There was a family on our road, the Urbans, and they had a daughter around my age. We hung out a lot and it was through her I learned how to ride a bike. I was terrible at it at first, of course. I fell a lot and their dog even tried to eat me while I was learning (but that's another story). But anyway, they gave me this old purple bike that they had. It was in AWFUL shape. It was a girls bike with this huge white banana seat,  flat tires, and a chain that almost always popped off when riding. I rode the heck out those rims. I would start at the top of our driveway and coast all the way to the end, and then stop and look for cars. Then I would coast down the hill, the dirt flying behind me. Jumping potholes, and splashing through puddles. I think I only probably rode that thing about a month before those poor rims gave out, but while I had it, I loved it. I have ridden a few bikes since, but nothing that cruised quite like that one did.

3. I was desperate for friends in school. I went to the same school from preschool til I graduated and it was a tough situation. A private school with more students who were members of the church than not, and more family than anything. So I was pretty much a social pariah. My family literally lived on the other side of the tracks, didn't go to that church, and wasn't part of the family. But whatever. I was a typical eith/ nine year old girl and in love with all things horse related. I read every horse book I could get my hands on and every christmas I asked for a new toy horse. One of the girls at my school actually rode horses and I just thought she was the coolest person ever. I remember that one time I struck up a conversation with her about horses, and somehow convinced her that I actually OWNED horses. Now, of course it was a total lie, but not super far fetched. There was a family that stabled horses behind my house, and if you walked into our backyard you could walk right up to the fence and see them. Anyway. I had a birthday that year and this girl and a few others actually came (I had a few parties where no one came) out to our house to see the "horses". I begged it off, by saying something to the effect that the horses were tired and couldnt see anyone or something like that. Needless to say, they didn't stay for the party, and no real friendships were born out of that. I guess lies don't pay, right?

4. My Dad is sort of like Superman. He can do a billion things and has done a billion more than most anyone. Most of my childhood he was an auto mechanic and we were always getting dragged to and from the shop or out to jobs because he would actually go to where the car was broke. Anyway, this particular trip I discovered my Dad was also part bloodhound. We were going to this lady's house out in the middle of proverbial nowhere. I mean literally. She had given Dad some rather sketchy directions, we drove forever and ended up in the middle of this huge dirt pit. There was heavy equipment everywhere and no signs. This was before cell phones and I don't know that she even had a phone, remember NOWHERE. Anyway. So what does Dad do? He gets out of the car and turns into an Indian Scout! He stares at the ground, gets real close to it, walks a little ways, bends down, looks again. Then walks back to the car and just starts driving. Miracle of miracles, he drives right into this long winding driveway that I personally thought we might get shot going down, and we end up at the gal's house. He had stood out there in that big flat area, completely overrun with CAT tracks and front end loader tracks, and picked out the little tire treads of a Subaru hatchback!!! Hat's off to the Chief!

5. On top of being a bloodhound my Dad is pilot. We have always had a plane. It has changed shape over the years, but its always been something that win or loose was around. My favorite of all the ones we've had was a Blue and White Stinson. It was beautiful. We would go out to the airport on Saturdays or Sundays and Dad would pop open a green can of Turtle wax. Then us kids would run around with rags and rub wax into the stretched canvas. We probably didn't accomplish much as much running around we did, but it was fun. Dad would do tinkering on the plane, pre-preflight checks. Double check the tie-downs, rummage around inside. It was always that clear sunny day that Fairbanks does so well. To this day, when I see green cans of Turtle wax or smell AV gas, I am transported to those days. So fun and carefree.

Well. Thats the first day. Check in tomorrow for day two.