Summer Vacation '09 (2)

Forgot to mention that while camping we drove up and saw Mt McKinley - AWESOME!!!

So after Seward and Homer I was off to Juneau for 5 weeks of class and Lacy went to stay with her adopted Grandma and Grandpa. Who has ever heard of a dog having bed time stories read to them - Well Lacy did and I think she had Roast Beef and Prime Rib for dinner most nights Talk about spoiled!!

Rather then posting all the pictures from Juneau I suggest you check out my flickr account and see them there - I put Juneau in its own separate set.

After Juneau it was back to Anchorage and finish moving into to my new condo - YEAH!! I am all grown-up and now own property. After a week in Anchorage Lacy and I were off to visit friends in Fairbanks. Totally different landscape. Juneau is a Tropical Forest and Fairbanks is a dessert - All of that in one state!


The clouds in the middle of the picture of Fairbanks is Smoke from one of the Forest Fires.


So now summer is over and I am in Bethel for three days and then back to the Kongiganak for the school year. I will try and keep the blog a little more up dated this year.

Have a good one!!

Summer Vacation '09

Okay so as you may have noticed I haven't updated my blog in a long while - okay it has been almost a year. So here you go. Last year was a good school year busy. I coached NYO again and Middle School Basketball had a lot of fun traveling with the kids.

But what a summer I have had. As many of you know I spent this summer in Alaska and did a ton of traveling. Lacy and I started the summer of with a little camping north of Anchorage in Sutton with a fellow teacher friend and his dog Skeetter. Ali and Patty came and visited us a couple of different times. We also had a visit from a local moose. It was a fun week.

Next stop was south of Anchorage to Seward to visit another friend (Agusta). We did a little bike riding and site-seeing in Homer.






Opps got to go more to come later!

HOT, RUNNING, WATER

RUNNING HOT WATER – YIPEEE!!!
Never thought I would be so excited to do dishes in my life! That’s right my house has been upgraded, it only took over three years but finally it happened. Still no shower and no sewage but I can deal with that. Remember school is only 100 yards away, so that’s closer then the restroom at your job for some of you, plus I am at school a large part of everyday.
If you remember last year my water supply was two large 30 plus gallon trash cans in my bath tub and I had to scoop the water out of them. To do dishes, clean or whatever I had to scoop the water heat it on the stove and then use it before it cooled down. So doing dishes was a process. You would be surprised how easily you get side tracked if you have to wait for water to boil before doing dishes (10-15min for my big pots to heat up). Well you can now just turn on the tap and in about 15 sec we have hot water filling our dish pan.
And with two people living here now we create way more dishes, it is surprising. We both have noticed, last year we each could go a week without really doing dishes, this year about a day. Some of it might have to do with having Rachel, the new teacher, over a lot also, don’t know.
We also seem to create way more sewage. I am having to go to the lagoon twice a week to dump the honey bucket. Last year, I went once a week because I would rather carry it then use the wheelbarrow. Alecia would go to the lagoon every two or three weeks. But I think that has to do with us being home more. Last year as new teachers both of us were at school way more.
Okay that’s the latest – Pictures and information about all the construction to come this weekend.

A New School Year

We made it back to Kongiganak and school has started. Actually Lacy and I have been back for over three weeks. And Kong is the happening place. There are a number of “construction” projects underway or getting underway, a new water tower, expansion on the run way, shoring up the river bank with gravel (big time) a barge landing dock, and of course the new school. I need to get out and take some pictures. Hopefully this week some time weater pending.

School has been back in session for two weeks we are getting ready to start week three. Second year is way easier. I have the math program pretty roughly laid out from last year, just have to make adjustments and add to it. I am currently working on laying it out for a couple of our younger grades.

I have four hours of math this year with about three different classes/levels per hour. I have everything from 4th grade math to second semester Alegbra going on in my classroom. But the students and I are getting into the grove, and slowly they are learning to wait their turn. Our new 6th graders have been a good influence on the older students and I have seen a significant increase in the number of students who do their homework. Okay so any increase over zero from last year is a big increase. I am also teaching HS Alaskan Studies – the whole class is totally online so very nice. And of course I have Jr. High PE.





I think Lacy is happy to be back in the village. She has taken up residency in her old spot, the corner of the couch and she doesn’t move much. She does like running on the tundra, but hates having to take a sponge bath afterwards. We are waiting for the freeze and then we won't be living with a smelly dog.

Lacy and I also have a roommate for the first half of the school year. That wild and crazy BRATT – Ms. Alecia Pike decided literally at the last minute to come back just until Christmas.


Due to all the construction going on, Daryl (our Site-Admin) had rented out the extra house, thinking we wouldn’t need it. (Yeah, in a village there are not hotels or houses to rent thus visitors usually sleep in the school in a classroom – but not going to work with long term construction projects – more on the construction housing to come) So we agreed to be roomies – since my house is technically a two bedroom house. So the workout room is no more – the bike is in the living room and we go to the school gym to lift weights and “workout”. So anyways Alecia arrived on Friday, school started on Monday. So far it has been good. It’s taking a little getting use to on my part, I haven’t had a roommate since my junior year in collage, and we all know that was a long time ago. But all in all it has been good having Alecia back. Her and Lacy are still fighting for the title of Biggest BRATT. Lacy is pulling ahead.

Okay let me get this posted and maybe I’ll head to bed and relax a little this evening.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation!

What didn’t I do is a better question. As most of you are aware I spent my first week of vacation here in the village trying to get my classroom organized, spent a little time on our book shed and the math stuff. Then I spent a couple of days in Anchorage with Alecia and her friend Patty. We had a great time, went down to Seward, went to the Anchorage Zoo, not the biggest or the best zoo ever but the bears were very entertaining.



Then Lacy and I spent a week at the University in Anchorage in a History class. Yep her in Alaska it’s cool for your dog to go to class and sleep under your desk. And yes everyone spoiled Lacy, petting her and telling her how good she is. Know one there new about Lacys love of destroying stuffed animals and making what we call bunny guts.

Next stop Michigan. Of course we left Anchorage a beautiful 65 degree’s and hit the Midwest at 90 degrees a shock to my system and Lacy’s. First stop Bev’s house to steal some shorts. Second stop The Dog Beach in Muskegon. Lacy and I spent quite a few days at the dog beach. Mornings are Lacy’s favorite times, before everyone and their dog gets there.

Then about July 3rd Lacy, Pam and I headed out to the east coast for vacation. We went out through Canada along the St. Lawrence Seaway. Stopped a couple of times to do the tourist thing, went to an old fort, stopped at a lock trying to catch a boat going through etc. Then we headed towards Maine and white water rafting with Alecia. That was AWESOME. Next day, Pam, Alecia, and I headed to the coast of Maine and went sea kayaking with Patty and then to a real Lobster Feast thing. Every Cool!!! Next day had to stop LL Bean Outlet, but didn’t stay to long. To hot in the car for Lacy and we were headed for Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls was great. We hit it on Pam’s Birthday so of course I treated her to a ride on Maid of the Mist. Check-out our lovely pictures, you get just a little bit wet. We did the most of the tourist thing. Did not do the jetboat through the whirlpool or the cable car ride over it, maybe next time. Then back to Canada to see the Erora Gorge that was very cool, a great day just hiking around this small little town. Lacy and I even found a trail to take us down to the river and we hiked up the river a little way. Then back to good old GR for a day.



Lacy and I then headed down to Indiana to see a high school friend of mine that I probably hadn’t seen since high school. Lacy wasn’t so thrilled to be on the road again. She was a little on the grumpy side. It was a great visit for me.

I made it down to Ohio to see Ruthie twice – Awesome new fitness center!!! On my first trip down I took my brand new road bike. I think I had ridden it a whole two or three miles. I decided to ride it around the lake (26 miles) Stupid, Stupid idea. It should have taken me less then two hours it took three. First off I really hadn’t done any serious riding since being back in the lower 48, second the new seat was a piece of metal with leather stretched over it. I bought a new bike seat the minute I got back to GR.

Lets see the what else – as I said earlier spent a number of days at the dog beach played a little golf, not as much as I would have liked but still was able to get a few rounds in with Syma, Dave and Pam. I also went camping in Manistee one weekend with Pam and Lacy. We took our bikes and Pam’s Kayaks that was a great weekend. I spent a couple days visiting with my cousin Ann and her daughters we had a great time building cucumber boats one day and kayaking another.

The close of my summer included a Tubing trip up with my friends Beth and Brock and Brocks family. It was a beautiful day perfect for tubing. What a way to spend my last weekend in Michigan. Lacy and I flew back to Anchorage Thursday, August 7th spent a few days there and then headed to Bethel and then back to the village.

So as you can see it was a busy summer, but full of fun and exciting adventures. My internet is being a little slow to add pictures to my blog so check them all out on my flickr account.

The Morning After

Well, it is the morning after Graduation and Prom And everything went well. I should be in bed sleeping but hey I have been since 7am did the dishes and packed some of my winter stuff away. Had to keep a few winter things out since it is still snowing – Yes I said snowing! I can’t believe I said it but Wednesday or Thursday morning I woke up and looked out the window and the words out of my mouth were something like – Jimmeny Cricket it fricken snowed!! I can’t believe I was actually mad at seeing snow but I guess even I have a limit on snow. It was just a good dusting and was all melted by 10am.

We do still have some snow piles – 10 feet of snow is slow to melt at 30-40degrees. But for the rest of it, it is gone. The boardwalks are clear and dry which is nice for walking.

The year is winding down – I have been a little bored and thus have gotten a little organized – Actually I was told to clean a closet by someone named Ruth and I informed her that my closets where probably more organized then hers and she didn’t believe me so here is the proof. I truly walked in from school picked up the camera and took the pictures. I really think I need to reconsider this no TV thing – It is not healthy to have your closets this organized (note even the shirts are sorted according to color – UUGH!!

Good Evening All – Well it is about 9:15pm and the sun is shinning bright. We, Alecia, Lacy and I just walked to the store. The soda supply is running a little low, I was hoping to purchase a Root Beer, but had to get a Diet Coke instead. Normally not much of a problem but when I got home and cracked it open I realized the time and so now I probably won’t get to sleep any time soon. Oh well, I’ll be about as awake as my students in the morning. They of course are all running around half the night even though curfew is at 9pm. I think the dude in charge of the siren forgets – it didn’t go off until 9:45pm last night and it hasn’t gone off yet tonight. So here I sit enjoying my Diet Coke and thinking about who I can send annoying e-mails to this evening.

The count down has begun. 8 more days of classes for the students, one graduation and prom, and one teacher work day to go. Actually I am going to hang-out here in the village for about another week and then I have a class in Anchorage June 1-6. Then finally I will fly to Chicago and then 59 days of sun and fun begin before I have to start heading back.

I think Lacy is looking forward to some time on the beach although she would like to bring her couch with her. She has become very attached to it, incase you haven’t checked out the pictures on flicker here’s one of her in her typical position.