snow, snow, go away...

Maybe something in the air has changed, I’m not sure, but suddenly, miraculously, it's spring. The sun has me anxious for summer and hiking and biking and just being outside all day. I woke up this morning determined to bike to school, but the icy morning derailed my plans and made me even more restless for no more snow and plenty of sunshine. I don’t have studded tires, and with my personal clumsiness factor, I decided it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to get on my bike. So, I’m left waiting once again to get out there and feel the breeze on my face and in my hair, the burn in my thighs, and the smile on my face.

Adding to the excitement…my sister just picked up a new bike and upgraded to a double chariot, so we have been busily making plans for all the summer riding we are going to do. There isn’t anything that is much more fulfilling that watching kids have a blast while playing outside and I can't wait to experience that this summer with my nephews. We have gone to the zoo pretty regularly this winter, which is always fun. But now I find myself anxious for trips in the summer, whether rain or shine. I just want to see glossy green grass and leaves, bright blossoms, and gravel.

I’ve slowly started to realize that Alaska is probably the only state I could ever live in permanently because it is the only state that makes its inhabitants so grateful for the changing of each season. Even though our summer is short, our winter is so full of fun things to do that I find myself ready for it each fall. And then sure enough, come April, I am dying for summer. I also just got a new pair of hiking boots, and I cannot wait to get them out of Anchorage for some serious hiking. One of my goals this summer is the go on a hike every weekend. I’ve made a list of places that I would love to hike, bike or camp at and am hoping that I get to check of most of it.

1. Eklutna Lake Trail: 12 miles back to Serenity Falls. Planning on biking this one with a group of girls…can’t wait!

2. Flat top: seems crazy that I have never hiked to the top, but that is definitely something I will be checking off my list this year.

3. Resurrection Pass trailhead to Devils Pass Trailhead: 33 miles. This is one I’ve done with my family, but want to do again this year.

4. Winner Creek Trail: This one is out of Girdwood…you get to pull yourself across a gorge using a hand tram, don’t think any other explanation is needed…

5. Lost Lake Trail: 15 miles. I have wanted to do this one for some time, and really want to check it out this summer.

6. Anchorage Trail Systems: I want to explore all of the paved bike paths that are hiding all around Anchorage, including the Campbell Creek Trail System, the Chester Creek Trail System, the Coastal Trail, ect…

BTW...suggestions for other trails and trail systems around Alaska would be amazing, so feel free to recommend, suggest, compel, ect.

Now it is time for me to go study. I am writing this post from the computer lab in the Consortium Library at UAA, killing time between classes. Because of the beautiful weather outside, I could barely stand to stick around campus to take a quick test at 5:30 this evening. But sitting out in the sun for an hour made me feel so much better, and gave me the words for this post. What a beautiful and amazing creation we have been allowed to enjoy! The pictures below are of my two bikes, which are all prepped and ready to go for a spring and summer full of fun.

Here is my Cannondale, which I will use to log most of my out of town miles...love the bike and haven't been able to use it since the nice snow pack turned into a slushy, icy mess. I will definitely need to invest in some studded tires for next winter.

And here is the new addition that I am so, so excited about. This is a Novara road/commuter bike that my aunt has traded me in return for some child care. It works out perfectly since it's exactly what I was looking for for my in town transportation this summer, and she's a little taller than me, so the frame is definitely big enough. I just need to add some fenders, maybe a frame and it'll be perfect. SO excited to get this baby out on the streets. For now I just have to ride it back and forth across my living room when I get antsy (ha).

Food for Thought...

I have written no posts this week because I have been immersed in research for two 15 page papers, the drafts of which are due next week. Both papers are about topics in early American history, and there is a multitude of interesting and thought provoking writing from that period. In Stephen E. Ambrose's classic work, Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West, political partisanship is often discussed in regards to the planning of the Lewis & Clark expedition and the purchase of Louisiana territory. Ambrose wrote, "Angry partisanship was the order of the day. Senator John Quincy Adams complained in his diary, 'The Country is so totally given up to the spirit of party, that not to follow blindfold one or the other is an inexpiable offense.'"

How interesting that we find ourselves once again at this point in contemporary times. In 1803, the partisanship was between federalists and democratic republicans (Jeffersonians). Now, of course, it is between democrats and republicans, liberals and conservatives. Extreme partisanship and subsequent weak voting are dangerous to the progress and strength of our country. My hope for this generation is that we learn to vote on each issue using rational thought and personal values rather than continue the practice of "blindfolded" party voting that is splitting this country in two.

joys of marriage...

I have noticed that one of the things my husband and I often argue about is food. He tends to like foods that are the most odor producing and the most messy to prepare. I have always been extremely sensitive to smells...any strong smells (certain perfumes, colognes, food, animal, musty, dusty, basically anything funky) have a tendency to make my stomach roll and send me into a cleaning frenzy to get rid of them. For example, our two dogs spend their day in the kennel together when we are out of the house. Their kennel is in our entryway and has a nice memory foam pad in it. When I walk in the door and smell that dog smell, I am instantly annoyed and have to wash both dogs, clean their ears, wash the pad cover and sanitize their entire kennel (the first time this happened I covered the inside of their pad with a plastic cover so that the dog smell doesn't permeate the actual memory foam and I can just wash the cover). This tends to annoy Steve, who doesn't even notice a smell and thinks that my cleaning frenzies are a bit OCD. But he should know by now that this will probably never change, I will always be that way. I cannot relax when I notice a messy kitchen, pet hair in the corners of the living room, or a weird smell coming from somewhere in the house(however slight or hard to identify). Based on all this you would think he would know not to even think about "preparing" salmon for smoking all over our kitchen (laying it out to dry for 24 hours, while brining it with a soy-sauce, salt, and brown sugar mix) and then smoking it right on our patio, leaving everything in our house saturated with the smell of salmon. But no, and when I complain, his only response? "I like the smell of smoked salmon..." sigh...

Then this morning, after spending the entire day yesterday removing the stench of salmon from my kitchen and house in general, he decides to fry up bacon on the stove top. I used to love bacon, but over the last couple of months I have developed a strong aversion to the smell.Regardless, I have always cooked bacon in the oven so it doesn't make such a mess on the stove top. Now I can look forward to cleaning all the grease off of the stovetop. And even though Steve offers to clean it, I don't even consider that anymore, since his "clean" is pretty different from mine. I guess I shouldn't really complain too much, since Steve is such an excellent cook and is always making me yummy things that I actually like to eat, but after the weeklong salmon ordeal, the bacon just about put me over the edge and I had to vent. But now I think I'll go enjoy the egg sandwich he cooked just how I like it, and try to ignore the smell of bacon coming from Steve's plate...

Alaska Fiber Festival...Check it out!

Just wanted to give a heads up to anyone looking for something fun to check out this weekend...the Alaska Fiber Festival has been happening all week with workshops and fashion shows. Saturday & Sunday the Fiber Arts Show is on at the Conoco Phillips Atrium from 10-5. My sister and her fellow fiber loving friend will be their selling their stuff so be sure to search them out: Kelsey's business is called Northern Lights Fiber Co. and her friend Sally's is Moose in Socks...

snowy, productive Wednesday....

What a day...woke up this morning at 8am ready for getting stuff done! So I started the laundry, swept the floors, vacuumed the floors, mopped the floors, changed the laundry, washed dishes, cleaned the cabinet doors, put the dishes away, changed the laundry, tidied up my room, tidied up the bathroom, and changed the laundry once again. This was all before noon! Then I had to mix up some food for Beau, who is very sick and is on a extra lean hamburger & rice diet (1/4 cup mixed every three hours). After feeding him, Steve and I settled down for some MacGyver with our grilled cheese and tomato soup. Steve took a nap while I messed around on the computer, then we went for a ski with Pepper. What a great day!

Fun with Noah...

Just thought I'd post a few pictures of yesterday and this morning with the little man...

As I was sitting here listening to Noah fall asleep, I thought about the great day I had Saturday and thought I'd write about it. We left the house around 6:45am headed to the Talkeetna area for a day of snowmachining fun. We rallied in Wasilla with Scott & Andy in one truck and the Jacobson/Bylsma crew in another, gassed up the machines then headed up the highway. We got the sleds unloaded around 8:30 or 9am and hit the trail. The entire day the promise of sunshine was just beyond the next set of clouds, but at the very end a big storm moved in and visibility got bad, so we hurried our way back to the parking lot and waiting trucks and trailers. It was a great day of riding, regardless of the lack of sun. We got up to the Bald Mtn. area and found some great pockets of powder. I played around on Steve's sled for a while on a nicely powder covered lake and all I can say is I gotta get me a newer 800!

Ushering in March

So the end of February sort of caught me by surprise...it always does, I still haven't been able to wrap my head around the whole 28 days factor. John, Kelsey, me and the boys did get to go to the Star Wars exhibit at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmussen Center, which was pretty fun! I think John enjoyed it more than any of us, and although I had plenty of fun, I definitely enjoyed the food at Muse Cafe the best, as usual.

Since I my classes were cancelled today, I got to enjoy the start of spring break half a week earlier than everyone else, which is nice since Steve is actually home. As many of you might or might not know, I love family pictures and the memories they sharpen, or just the way they make me feel. Last year, I went through the boxes and boxes of family photos that haven't been put in albums over the last 32 years at my parents house and loved every minute of it. There are now Skinner family photos in nice leather albums from 1978 to 2002, when things went digital. So as you can imagine, I finally bugged my dad enough to find the external hard drive he had the family pictures on, and just uploaded them onto my computer. I am reminded of so many good memories, and can't wait to get them organized and into albums. For now, here's a recent favorite...