Happy May Day!

Time has gotten away from me. With getting settled from the surgery and back to work, I don't know where it went. I think spring is here at last. We have been in the mid-60's and sunshine for three days. No leaves yet, but I know they will come. We do have the bears out of hibernation and they are walking the streets or treeing runners. Over by Tony's office there is a momma bear and two cubs. She has treed three people in two weeks. I am excited to see a bear! I have only seen them behind bars. Bears at a distance are a good thing.We have gone over "Bear safety" with Karter and done some research so I think we are all good.That is the way we live now, so we must be prepared. Last summer a bear attacked a man less then a mile from our house.
Tony had his 43rd birthday last week and we went to dinner and saw "Spamalot" with John O'Hurley. It was a great Broadway show and we laughed all through it. I am so happy we get great shows here. We will be going to see Lion King in September,The Wizard of Oz in November and Chicago in January. With the weather being nice we get out allot more.Found the Harley dealership and meet a few people and this weekend is the bike blessing for the summer.I hope to get the bike out in the next couple of weeks. There ar so many bikes up here and the are everywhere. I am afraid I won't meet any new riding buddies but all I can do is try. Karter's birthday is in a week and Dad will be here for the summer on the 12Th.I too have a birthday this month.Seems I get to be 39.Wow...everytime I see that I get a little sick. Doesn't seem possible. I feel like I am still 18 but my body says 39.We are all good and hope to have tans soon, we need them!
Love to you all
The pale and pasty Eskimo's

If you build it, they will come!

We awoke to Easter with grey skies and cold. Scattered snow storms all day. Yesterday we had 40 degrees and sunshine.Tony is home from survival training in Sitka and I am glad for that. He and Karter put up the trampoline.I told Karter that once that tramp went up, kids will flock....and I was right. We already had two kids eyeing the grand adventure. Since we are in duplex's and triplex we are really the only people with a fenced yard.I am sure we will have several kids knocking on the door. This is good for Karter.
Karter had is first "social dance" at school on Friday. Was a bit strange for me to give him rules for the dance.He was really shy to go at first, but by the time I picked him up he needed a shower. I am proud of him for getting out there.
I am back to work tomorrow for two days and then have an additional 5 off.I am sure I will need it. I am healing slower then I thought.My incision is not healing on one side and they found a blood clot in my right leg. Seems to be OK and I am on aspirin three times a day and suppose to be walking, but it is hard with the incision thing. I know this to shall pass. Funny this was all so easy when I was 3 years younger. 39 is sneaking up on me in May. Hard to believe. In my mind I am 30! I hope to have the Harley out by Memorial Day! They are all riding here and I get the ache in my heart when I see them. I will have some beautiful rides this summer! Now all I need are some friends.
We are having dinner here with Jimmy and a WII competition.James is coming this next week and I will be glad to see my friend and get in some laughs. We are looking into coming to Boise in November instead of December just because it is easier to fly in November the December.
I hope you all had a wonderful day with family & friends. I miss you all!
S

Issues!

We are all fine, our internet is acting up due to an earthquake today.I will post more when it is working!
Love to you all!
S

The great venting blog!

I love volcano's! They are wonderful....They erupt at the greatest times. 2 days before my mom flies up to take care of me. Not just one big eruption...5. Seems that once did not get it's point across. I was up most of the night watching the reports on the great "Ash" falling. We have none here. It is blowing north...for now.It is still restless and we are expection additional eruptions. Hurray for me. I love being patient and quite. I love to just sit calmly and wait as this volcano decides what it is going to do with my life for the next 72 hours.WHATEVER! WHY did it have to do this now. It has had months to do it and NOW it wants to blow. I have something I would like to say to it, but I am not sure I can type it or even spell it right for that matter. Alaska...never a dull moment. We will keep you in the loop on the adventures of Mt.Redoubt!
Love to you all!
The Patient Eskimo :)

Spring in Alaska

Happy Spring!
We were given a gift of 6 new inches of snow here this morning! So much for tulips and green grass. We are in the mid to low 30's and have had blue sky and winds that make it seem colder. I am thank-ful for the sunlight. It does not get dark here until almost 9:30 and gets later everyday. I was hoping to see the robins by now. No such luck. For that matter, I am not sure I get robins here in Alaska. I still have the bald eagles screaming at me at night, but no robins.
Mom will be here on Wednesday for the surgery on Thursday. I am so very happy she will be here! I will check in at 5:30 am at providence hospital and be there for 2-3 days.I am not that worried about it, but it is only Sunday.
We all were pretty sick a week ago and seem to have gotten past it. I had a really bad cough and chest thing that kept me from work for two days and one Dr. visit for a total of $215.00.Why is it that it cost you more to be sick then to be well.Tony still has a little bit of a sinus infection, but Karter never really got a bug. Thank goodness for that. I remember when we moved to Fairbanks and we got every sickness known to man. Seems like we are just adjusting again.With summer coming, I am sure all the bugs will have visited us and left.

The Idirod is over and Lance Makey won for the third year in a row. He was a patient of mine when I worked for Dr. Cerney in Fairbanks. Great guy. Always wanted to give me one of his retired dogs.I cried as we watched him and the dogs glide into Nome.I know the dogs love it, but 1000 miles in the cold is a long way. He is good to his animals and that is what matters. Next year I am getting more involved with the races. Who knows mabe I will run some dogs in a local race someday. I would really like that.I will need more dogs! I am not sure a lab & basset hound could run that long.

Sorry I have not been keeping you up to date very well. Had some issues with the internet and work is always busy. That I hope will change soon. I want to work 4 days a week and hope that I can do that by summer. After 23 years of this work, I am bored and need something new to do. FISHING is what I am doing this year. Dad will be here on May 12th and I hope we can catch the big ones!
I will keep you up to date on the surgery when I get home. I love you all!
S

Reindeer Racing!

What a weekend of oddness in Alaska. Just when you think you have seen it all....You move here and there it is. We had a very busy day on Saturday of "Rondying". We saw the dog pulls where the big and little dogs pull as much weight as they can to win.I think I will tie a tire to the back of Nanoock this summer and enter him next year.We walked up a very long hill and caught the carnival rides & the fur auction. Next year the fur will be mine! Now that I know what to expect. We caught the last of the sled dog races and checked out the people. As you can see by the pictures Tony,Karter and I were under dressed for the event.I was a bit disturbed to be eating a funnel cake in the snow. Seemed like I was in a very strange place. Kept looking for the pronto pup hut.It snowed all day. Huge flakes. Our hats were soaking wet, but we were not cold.

Sunday I awoke to the sun blinding me through the window. The big day had arrived. The reindeer were waiting. I was calm all morning in preparation. We arrived in Anchorage to a crowd of 10,000 people. They were all there to see me, Shannon run with the wild beasts. My fans.We met at a local tavern to discuss our plan...we had none and when we left, still did not have one.We were warm with drinks and laughter, but no plan to stay alive.As we got closer and closer to the starting line you could here the roar of the crowd. The cheers and laughter. I might add here, it was sooooo cold. The sun was out, but the wind off the ocean was cold.We huddled for warmth and then one of our group had to pee. Way to go! Our tight ship was a-miss. Our third tooth was missing.As our hurd prepared to run as three, the reindeer were returned to the back of our crowd.I saw the fear in their eyes and could also smell something odd.A musty wet reindeer smell.As they waited for the count down we prepared to sprint.The count down 5,4,3.... At this point I am standing next to a guy dressed in only a woman's dress and a king. They release the reindeer and one of them gets caught in the kings cape. Not thinking that this adventure of mine is of any danger to myself or others. WRONG..That is what the disclaimer I signed meant.Ah, injury is not to be held against Fur Rondy, inc. or the city of Anchorage. I get it now.The horns tear the cape and proceed come a little to close to Shannon's leg. Joel (Jackie's husband co-worker)pulls me out of the way and saves my leg from being severed by the fierce horns of the reindeer.Ok, it was not that vicious, but it looks good on paper.I ran for 2 blocks in snow and thought I was going to die from lack of air. I did not stop, I ran and ran. Jackie has ran marathons and even she was winded.Snow is hard to run in and the cold did not help. After it was all said and done it was so much fun and I will continue to do it for several years to come.A tradition of sorts,trying not to loose a limb. You can also go to youtube.com and see the video. Just type in running of the reindeer, Anchorage Alaska.
I can now say...I have ran with the reindeer and lived to tell about it!
Until next year Rudolph!
Huggs
Shannon

Karter's Concert and working for Fude !

Last-nite Karter had his Honor Choir concert. He looked very handsome and was funny. After every song, he would turn to the crowd and wait for the applause, then turn back around and start the next song.He was very excited and all wound up the rest of the night. We went to dinner with Jimmie and got home lat. It was a good family night.
It has been a long week and now will be a busy weekend. Yesterday Dr. Guy and I were a bit bored and had some time on our hands, so we went outside to drum up patients..The above photo was the result. We laughed for a long time...I will upload more photos on Sunday. Sorry I have been a slacker again on the blog...Things will settle down and I will get back into a routine. Mom will be here in a month and then Dad will be here on May 12Th for the summer to fish. It will be tight quarters for awhile, but I look forward to it!.
Love to you all
The Rondy Eskimo's