My trip ended much like it began. Jackie and Tim went back to work on Monday and I did nothing. I went to bed at 730 on Sunday and slept for about 12 hours. Then I finished a book, watched Two Weeks Notice and packed. We had dinner and a very nice Mexican restaurant where I watched Tim and Daniel eat the biggest burrito I have ever seen. It was gruesome and awesome at the same time. I still have nightmares. However, we got fried ice cream out of it and that was excellent.
With the ease of the flight to Alaska, I should have been prepared for a bit of annoyance on my return trip. Alas, I did not and was peeved to have to deal with some delays in Alaska. My flight out of Fairbanks was due to leave at 1020 but did not get off the ground until after midnight. The plane, originated in Fairbanks and was headed to Barrow, Alaska, where the oil fields are located. It could not land because of fog and had to return to Fairbanks. So, we had to wait for that to land, for people to disembark and then board ourselves. This delay, while shortening my layover in Anchorage, made it impossible for me to see Will Doyle. :( A sad affair indeed.
Despite that delay, I was able to make all of my flights with no other issues. There was an open seat next to me on the flight to Seattle from Anchorage and I was able to stretch out a bit. The girl on the aisle wanted to lay down on the seat but I was not allowing that. Tired Kate gets angry. So we shared it. I tried to sleep and got maybe an hour all together but it was an hour of something you might call sleep.
I ate breakfast in the Seattle Airport. Seriously amazing breakfast at Anthony's. Then I had a Viennese mocha from Dilettante Chocolates & Mocha Cafe. Unreal. I could live in that airport.
Tried to sleep on the flights but it was bright outside and I could not. Got about two hours in three flights. That did not bode well for the rest of my day.
Landed at Reagan National around 5. It took awhile for me to get my bags and was greeted by really crappy weather. I boarded the metro during rush hour and finally got back home by 6. Showering was the first thing I did when I got home. Showering in that "oil" they like to pretend is water was not fun. Then it was on to the copious loads of laundry.
So my short jaunt to Alaska came to an end. (Alas, no husbands of which to report. Maybe if I had gone to Salt Lake City....) I will leave you now, for a short while, and hope to return with some stories of my travails in Washington D.C. when my parents come to town this weekend. Til then.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
There And Back Again
There And Back Again
An Alaskan Tale
By Kate Aras
Concerning Alaskans
Alaskans are queer folk....Okay I guess that is enough of me copying Tolkien and the beginning of the Fellowship of the Rings. That being said, I will now tell my tale of the weekend, and it is quite a tale. And this paragraph should forewarn you for the many mentions from the Lord of the Rings.
Our story begins on a normal Friday afternoon in January. The weather wasn't too cold, staying in the teens and single digits all day. Our fellowship of seven came from several different corners of Fairbanks. Tim, Jackie and I were packing all day Friday as we waited for the others to be ready. Then Amy arrived, bring with her more gear to pack into the truck. Finally Brandon arrived, still dressed in his BDUs but ready for a weekend in the wilderness. We packed up the trucks and headed out. Our first stop, Hilltop, for some much needed sustenance. Amy and Brandon picked up the two others, Daniel and Robin, on the way and met us at Hilltop.
The fellowship came together at Hilltop around 430 p.m. Hilltop is a well known trucker stop about 20 miles northwest of Fairbanks. It is known for its greasy trucker food and excellent pie. We filled up on food and coffee, some more than others, before heading out for our intended destination. Tim was pulling the trailer but we decided to switch to Brandon's truck in case the snow was too much and we needed his chains to pull the trailer out.
Around 6 p.m., we continued our trip. However, we ran into some trouble about a half hour later. The transmission on Brandon's truck began to go. Deciding to err on the side of caution, we turned around and headed back to Fairbanks. At this point, the hopes of a good weekend in Tolovanna seemed to be in doubt. However, our hopes were rallied when we decided to switch everything into Daniel's Impala (Impy) and headed back towards Tolovanna.
It is now 830 and we are already tired from a trip that has not even begun. We stopped again at Hilltop for gas, the final indoor bathroom for a few days, and some sugar sustenance. The rest of the drive went by without issue. We were able to see a little bit of the aurora and that would be all I saw for the trip. :( Sorry, no pictures.
We finally reached the trailhead. The men unloaded the snow machines while the women got dressed in the trucks. Dressed and ready to go, the seven of us boarded the machines and got onto the trail. However, we hit another stumbling block when we realized that that trail was not broken. There had been a lot of snow and it was hiding the trail. We went about 100 yards, at the most, but could not get anywhere. Now the real dismay set in. Had we driven all the way up here for naught? Was there no way for us to get to Tolovanna when it was only 11 miles away?
After getting the machines turned around and out of the woods, an effort that took about an hour, Brandon and Tim went on a short recon to find the trail. Then Daniel had the idea that the trailhead might be a bit farther north. He got into the Impy and was not gone two minutes before he returned to give us the good news: we were in overflow parking and the real trailhead was just up the road.
With our excitement renewed, we hopped on the snow machines, drove a little way up the road and got onto the trail. The ride was beautiful. It was truly awesome to experience in the Alaskan wilderness in the stillness and darkness of the night. It took us about an hour to get to the cabin, finally arriving at 3 am. We unpacked, had some chili, toasted to our ridiculous 12-hour trip and then went to bed. It had been a long day.
Six short hours later, the sun rose and woke us from our slumber. After a quick breakfast, we headed to the hot springs. And they are hot. I actually had to sit outside of the pool at times. We stayed for a bit and then returned to the cabin to dry off and have some lunch. Then we went out to partake in some cold-weather activities.
Quick mention: the outhouse had no doors. It turned out to be quite refreshing and the view was just splendid. Even the cold was bearable with such a view. Now to return to my tale..
Jackie, Amy and I stayed together, the first two going cross-country skiing while I snow-shoed. Tim, Brandon, Daniel and Robin went off on the snow machines to a lake nearby. We did this for about an hour and even saw two moose! Around 330, the boys and Robin returned and we all headed back to the cabin.
Another quick dip in the hot springs, this time under the cover of darkness, relaxed us before dinner. We had dinner of sausage, peppers, rice, chicken and guacamole dip. We played Cranium, Bananagrams and Toss the Hog. (I learned later that it is actually called Pass the Pig. Oops!) Some went back to the hot springs while others stayed to make s'mores in the Dragonmaster 3000 (aka stove).
We went to bed at 11, still exhausted from the night before, and slept until 9. Alas, our trip was coming to and end but not before another trip to the hot springs. We loaded up the snow machines, cleaned the cabin and headed back to the trailhead. The trip back, if possible, was even more beautiful in the daylight. We stopped a few times to take pictures (I will load them later).
We got back to the parking lot, loaded up the trucks and headed out around 1 p.m. We stopped yet to partake in Hilltop, this time seeing some truckers with truly epic mullets. They really don't make them like they do here. Our waitress was the same as Friday and this time we learned her name: Stacee. However, I still think she looks more like a Cassie.
We arrived back in Fairbanks around 430, unloaded the trucks and said goodbye. Despite all the problems on Friday, the trip was all together awesome. I had a true Alaskan adventure, met some amazing people, and had a time I will never forget. I fell in love with Alaska once more, and am now pondering, more than ever, the idea of moving here one day.
Alas, it is time for my trip to end. I will load pictures in a few days, once I return to the east coast. And hopefully I don't get stuck because of the weather. Til then, thanks for reading.
An Alaskan Tale
By Kate Aras
Concerning Alaskans
Alaskans are queer folk....Okay I guess that is enough of me copying Tolkien and the beginning of the Fellowship of the Rings. That being said, I will now tell my tale of the weekend, and it is quite a tale. And this paragraph should forewarn you for the many mentions from the Lord of the Rings.
Our story begins on a normal Friday afternoon in January. The weather wasn't too cold, staying in the teens and single digits all day. Our fellowship of seven came from several different corners of Fairbanks. Tim, Jackie and I were packing all day Friday as we waited for the others to be ready. Then Amy arrived, bring with her more gear to pack into the truck. Finally Brandon arrived, still dressed in his BDUs but ready for a weekend in the wilderness. We packed up the trucks and headed out. Our first stop, Hilltop, for some much needed sustenance. Amy and Brandon picked up the two others, Daniel and Robin, on the way and met us at Hilltop.
The fellowship came together at Hilltop around 430 p.m. Hilltop is a well known trucker stop about 20 miles northwest of Fairbanks. It is known for its greasy trucker food and excellent pie. We filled up on food and coffee, some more than others, before heading out for our intended destination. Tim was pulling the trailer but we decided to switch to Brandon's truck in case the snow was too much and we needed his chains to pull the trailer out.
Around 6 p.m., we continued our trip. However, we ran into some trouble about a half hour later. The transmission on Brandon's truck began to go. Deciding to err on the side of caution, we turned around and headed back to Fairbanks. At this point, the hopes of a good weekend in Tolovanna seemed to be in doubt. However, our hopes were rallied when we decided to switch everything into Daniel's Impala (Impy) and headed back towards Tolovanna.
It is now 830 and we are already tired from a trip that has not even begun. We stopped again at Hilltop for gas, the final indoor bathroom for a few days, and some sugar sustenance. The rest of the drive went by without issue. We were able to see a little bit of the aurora and that would be all I saw for the trip. :( Sorry, no pictures.
We finally reached the trailhead. The men unloaded the snow machines while the women got dressed in the trucks. Dressed and ready to go, the seven of us boarded the machines and got onto the trail. However, we hit another stumbling block when we realized that that trail was not broken. There had been a lot of snow and it was hiding the trail. We went about 100 yards, at the most, but could not get anywhere. Now the real dismay set in. Had we driven all the way up here for naught? Was there no way for us to get to Tolovanna when it was only 11 miles away?
After getting the machines turned around and out of the woods, an effort that took about an hour, Brandon and Tim went on a short recon to find the trail. Then Daniel had the idea that the trailhead might be a bit farther north. He got into the Impy and was not gone two minutes before he returned to give us the good news: we were in overflow parking and the real trailhead was just up the road.
With our excitement renewed, we hopped on the snow machines, drove a little way up the road and got onto the trail. The ride was beautiful. It was truly awesome to experience in the Alaskan wilderness in the stillness and darkness of the night. It took us about an hour to get to the cabin, finally arriving at 3 am. We unpacked, had some chili, toasted to our ridiculous 12-hour trip and then went to bed. It had been a long day.
Six short hours later, the sun rose and woke us from our slumber. After a quick breakfast, we headed to the hot springs. And they are hot. I actually had to sit outside of the pool at times. We stayed for a bit and then returned to the cabin to dry off and have some lunch. Then we went out to partake in some cold-weather activities.
Quick mention: the outhouse had no doors. It turned out to be quite refreshing and the view was just splendid. Even the cold was bearable with such a view. Now to return to my tale..
Jackie, Amy and I stayed together, the first two going cross-country skiing while I snow-shoed. Tim, Brandon, Daniel and Robin went off on the snow machines to a lake nearby. We did this for about an hour and even saw two moose! Around 330, the boys and Robin returned and we all headed back to the cabin.
Another quick dip in the hot springs, this time under the cover of darkness, relaxed us before dinner. We had dinner of sausage, peppers, rice, chicken and guacamole dip. We played Cranium, Bananagrams and Toss the Hog. (I learned later that it is actually called Pass the Pig. Oops!) Some went back to the hot springs while others stayed to make s'mores in the Dragonmaster 3000 (aka stove).
We went to bed at 11, still exhausted from the night before, and slept until 9. Alas, our trip was coming to and end but not before another trip to the hot springs. We loaded up the snow machines, cleaned the cabin and headed back to the trailhead. The trip back, if possible, was even more beautiful in the daylight. We stopped a few times to take pictures (I will load them later).
We got back to the parking lot, loaded up the trucks and headed out around 1 p.m. We stopped yet to partake in Hilltop, this time seeing some truckers with truly epic mullets. They really don't make them like they do here. Our waitress was the same as Friday and this time we learned her name: Stacee. However, I still think she looks more like a Cassie.
We arrived back in Fairbanks around 430, unloaded the trucks and said goodbye. Despite all the problems on Friday, the trip was all together awesome. I had a true Alaskan adventure, met some amazing people, and had a time I will never forget. I fell in love with Alaska once more, and am now pondering, more than ever, the idea of moving here one day.
Alas, it is time for my trip to end. I will load pictures in a few days, once I return to the east coast. And hopefully I don't get stuck because of the weather. Til then, thanks for reading.
Friday, January 7, 2011
A Man You Don't Meet Everyday
As of right now, Alaska is warmer than expected. It's as if I really never left home, expect for the darkness aspect, but we shall get to that later. Now on to flight stories...
I arrived and boarded the plane at Reagan National on Wednesday night. To my surprise, the plane was not full and I had the entire row to myself! Amazing!
That lasted for about a minute. The row across from me was full and the people were rather squished. So I graciously took the window seat while a man moved across the aisle. There goes my chance at laying down and sleeping the entire flight :(
It wasn't an entire loss, though, since I met a most interesting man. I don't know his name but let's give him one. He seemed like a Charles. Or Chuck. Definitely Chuck.
So Chuck strikes up a conversation with me, but Chuck really only wants to talk about himself. So I refrain from really telling him anything and decide to listen. Chuck was
born and raised in New York and can trace his family back to the 1600s. He was a commercial fisherman and a New York City Firefighter. He fought in 'Nam. He has two prosthetic hips. At this point, I knew I had found myself a winner. But it got better.
This man was a big game hunter. Oh yes, big game hunter. Chuck kills lions, and water buffalo and hyenas, etc. He has hunted all around the world. He regaled me with stories of his hunting in Africa and New Zealand. Of his trips to Zimbabwe and Tanzania and Zanzibar. It was all very exciting. I know almost his life story. I know all about his four children (three daughters and one son), I know where they work and how unbelievably smart they are. (No really, true computer science geniuses here).
Alas, our flight came to a end. We landed in Seattle at 830 and I boarded the plane bound for Fairbanks at 9. Finally left at 10 and slept most of that flight. The plane was full and had the entire Western Michigan hockey team. mmmmm, undergrad douchebags boys. Nothing like them.
Landed around 1230 in Fairbanks and it was about 4 degrees. Really not too cold for that late hour. Tim picked me up at the airport and I was greeted with a coat of new fallen snow. It was lovely.
After sleeping 8 hours, I awoke at 9 am to darkness. I had no idea of the time at first and after looking at my watch, was surprised that it was 9 am. So yes, it really is dark all the time. The sun finally rose around 10 but it was an overcast day since it was snowing. I read and watched HGTV, my newest addiction. After a day of laziness, Tim and Jackie came home from work, we had dinner and began packing for the trip.
Now it is Friday and we will be leaving in a short while. Chili is made. Most of the stuff is packed for the trip. We are headed to Tolovana. Enjoy the link. Activities include snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, snow machining, and hot springing. And the Aurora is supposed to be very strong tonight and tomorrow. Pictures will follow.
I will return on Sunday and hope to post a blog when I return. Till then, keep my extremities in your prayers.
I arrived and boarded the plane at Reagan National on Wednesday night. To my surprise, the plane was not full and I had the entire row to myself! Amazing!
That lasted for about a minute. The row across from me was full and the people were rather squished. So I graciously took the window seat while a man moved across the aisle. There goes my chance at laying down and sleeping the entire flight :(
It wasn't an entire loss, though, since I met a most interesting man. I don't know his name but let's give him one. He seemed like a Charles. Or Chuck. Definitely Chuck.
So Chuck strikes up a conversation with me, but Chuck really only wants to talk about himself. So I refrain from really telling him anything and decide to listen. Chuck was
born and raised in New York and can trace his family back to the 1600s. He was a commercial fisherman and a New York City Firefighter. He fought in 'Nam. He has two prosthetic hips. At this point, I knew I had found myself a winner. But it got better.
This man was a big game hunter. Oh yes, big game hunter. Chuck kills lions, and water buffalo and hyenas, etc. He has hunted all around the world. He regaled me with stories of his hunting in Africa and New Zealand. Of his trips to Zimbabwe and Tanzania and Zanzibar. It was all very exciting. I know almost his life story. I know all about his four children (three daughters and one son), I know where they work and how unbelievably smart they are. (No really, true computer science geniuses here).
Alas, our flight came to a end. We landed in Seattle at 830 and I boarded the plane bound for Fairbanks at 9. Finally left at 10 and slept most of that flight. The plane was full and had the entire Western Michigan hockey team. mmmmm, undergrad douchebags boys. Nothing like them.
Landed around 1230 in Fairbanks and it was about 4 degrees. Really not too cold for that late hour. Tim picked me up at the airport and I was greeted with a coat of new fallen snow. It was lovely.
After sleeping 8 hours, I awoke at 9 am to darkness. I had no idea of the time at first and after looking at my watch, was surprised that it was 9 am. So yes, it really is dark all the time. The sun finally rose around 10 but it was an overcast day since it was snowing. I read and watched HGTV, my newest addiction. After a day of laziness, Tim and Jackie came home from work, we had dinner and began packing for the trip.
Now it is Friday and we will be leaving in a short while. Chili is made. Most of the stuff is packed for the trip. We are headed to Tolovana. Enjoy the link. Activities include snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, snow machining, and hot springing. And the Aurora is supposed to be very strong tonight and tomorrow. Pictures will follow.
I will return on Sunday and hope to post a blog when I return. Till then, keep my extremities in your prayers.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
To The Great White North....And Beyond?
Well, as promised, here is another blog post. Two posts in two days?!?! You must all be flabbergasted indeed. I am as well. Alas, I thought I should post, especially since this one actually has to do with travel and is not just full of my rambling, semi-connected thoughts. Well, disregard that rambling statement. I cannot help but ramble. That being said, here goes another attempt at blogging about my travels....
I am flying to Alaska tomorrow. I can only imagine the thoughts and looks. Here are some adjectives that might reflect your thoughts: dismay, shock, annoyance, jealousy, awe, apathy, etc. Maybe some are scoffing at my idiocy. Indeed, I might be just a bit crazy. (No, I know I am crazy. But I'm cool with it). I checked the weather, for the hundredth time, and the average low temperature seems to be around -14. Average high in the single digits. And snow is on the way. I really should stop checking the weather. Who am I kidding? It's not like it's going to miraculously get warm. In some recess of my mind, I am praying that my plane will land in Tahiti instead of Fairbanks tomorrow....well not entirely. But maybe the plane back will take a detour to the South Pacific.....mmmmm, Pina Coladas
Okay, minor tangent. So yes I am flying to Alaska tomorrow. Why, you ask? Well, I wanted to truly feel what is it like to be in Alaska in the winter. I've been there in July and August and now I will be able to boast that I have been there in the winter. And not only visited but really went into the wilderness. Once I've roughed it in Alaska, I can do anything. Alaska tomorrow, Mt. Everest in a year. Right? And I also want to experience the Northern Lights. And snowmobile (or snowmachine). I've never done that! And who really likes sunlight anyways? I'm so over daylight. Maybe I'll become a vampire this weekend. The True Blood kind, obvi, not one of those Twilight vampires.
More rambling. My apologies. I fly out of DC tomorrow night and will arrive in Fairbanks around midnight. Tim and Jackie, three of their friends and I will head out to Northwest Alaska to go to a Hot Springs! We are driving about 100 miles and then snowmobiling to a cabin in the wilderness. We will stay until Sunday and then head back to Fairbanks. I leave Alaska on Monday night and, baring any frostbite or discovery of my future husband, I will return to DC on Tuesday.
I am all packed. Most of my Christmas gifts from Tim and Jackie revolved around this trip. I am stocked full of cold weather gear and hope to stay warm all weekend. I have my camera and will take many pictures, and hopefully post them sometime on Monday.
So wish me luck! (and keep my extremities in your prayers). I would be much obliged. See you all on the flipside :)
I am flying to Alaska tomorrow. I can only imagine the thoughts and looks. Here are some adjectives that might reflect your thoughts: dismay, shock, annoyance, jealousy, awe, apathy, etc. Maybe some are scoffing at my idiocy. Indeed, I might be just a bit crazy. (No, I know I am crazy. But I'm cool with it). I checked the weather, for the hundredth time, and the average low temperature seems to be around -14. Average high in the single digits. And snow is on the way. I really should stop checking the weather. Who am I kidding? It's not like it's going to miraculously get warm. In some recess of my mind, I am praying that my plane will land in Tahiti instead of Fairbanks tomorrow....well not entirely. But maybe the plane back will take a detour to the South Pacific.....mmmmm, Pina Coladas
Okay, minor tangent. So yes I am flying to Alaska tomorrow. Why, you ask? Well, I wanted to truly feel what is it like to be in Alaska in the winter. I've been there in July and August and now I will be able to boast that I have been there in the winter. And not only visited but really went into the wilderness. Once I've roughed it in Alaska, I can do anything. Alaska tomorrow, Mt. Everest in a year. Right? And I also want to experience the Northern Lights. And snowmobile (or snowmachine). I've never done that! And who really likes sunlight anyways? I'm so over daylight. Maybe I'll become a vampire this weekend. The True Blood kind, obvi, not one of those Twilight vampires.
More rambling. My apologies. I fly out of DC tomorrow night and will arrive in Fairbanks around midnight. Tim and Jackie, three of their friends and I will head out to Northwest Alaska to go to a Hot Springs! We are driving about 100 miles and then snowmobiling to a cabin in the wilderness. We will stay until Sunday and then head back to Fairbanks. I leave Alaska on Monday night and, baring any frostbite or discovery of my future husband, I will return to DC on Tuesday.
I am all packed. Most of my Christmas gifts from Tim and Jackie revolved around this trip. I am stocked full of cold weather gear and hope to stay warm all weekend. I have my camera and will take many pictures, and hopefully post them sometime on Monday.
So wish me luck! (and keep my extremities in your prayers). I would be much obliged. See you all on the flipside :)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Dawn of a New Day
Well it is now officially 2011 and I guess I should get back to blogging. I know people do enjoy this. And by people I mean my family (they have to at least pretend to like it). And some long-time family friends who seem to enjoy my quick tongue and frankness of character. And maybe some random people living in Malaysia who just happened upon my blog one day. Well, I hope you all do enjoy it. And if not, well, tough. :)
I survived my first semester of grad school! Just barely, in some ways. Finished with 2 A's and 1 B. That history class on the theories of imperialism really got me! Ah well, I shall be better prepared next semester.
Following previous posts, I have devised a list of things I have accomplished this semester. Alas, it will probably be a long-winded ramble with semicolons to break up thoughts. Do not underestimate the power of the semicolon! It is under appreciated and should be used more often.
1. I turned 23! Woo hoo. I felt no different and continued to act like I was 19
2. Brianne got married! Another woo hoo! And then I disappeared for a few hours, making my parents rather distraught! Alas, I was recovered. I had not run off to Gretna Green with Mr. Wickham. Nothing so exciting. My phone died and I fell asleep. Never again!
3. I met some more awesome people! Lots of awesome people exist in Maryland and I have met quite a few of them
4. My job went from boring to exciting to boring. Wait, it does that everyday or every week. Alas, the life of an archivist. Sometimes exciting, most often boring, but it pays the bills
5. I passed the threshold of 4000 songs on my iTunes. This was a momentous day in my life!
6. I saw Penn State play Indiana at FedEx Field with some awesome friends from undergrad. It was a crazy, fun weekend with no sleep and a bad sweater party.
7. I passed my first semester! I know I already said that but I had to say it again. It was a huge hurdle.
Thanksgiving was here and gone. Then Christmas came and with it brought more food and family. I practically cooked Christmas dinner! And then got a Kitchen Aid mixer! My mother will make me into a housewife yet! Tim and Jackie came East from Alaska and visited with us. In addition, they brought a blizzard. Three feet of snow in NJ. It was great! I finished a 1000 piece puzzle in 12 hours. Really, my concentration is rather amazing. Even I was amazed.
New Years was rather tame, as opposed to previous celebrations. Went to a small house party with some good friends. Made some desserts for my parents and their friends. I must say, I have become quite the cook. I might drop out of college and travel the country, taking short-order cook jobs when I need money. Now that would be fun.
And now I am back in Maryland. This year has been a whirlwind. So much has happened. I've been lucky enough to travel and hope to continue to do so in 2011. And on that note, stay tuned for another blog post. Til tomorrow! Well, make that Wednesday. :)
I survived my first semester of grad school! Just barely, in some ways. Finished with 2 A's and 1 B. That history class on the theories of imperialism really got me! Ah well, I shall be better prepared next semester.
Following previous posts, I have devised a list of things I have accomplished this semester. Alas, it will probably be a long-winded ramble with semicolons to break up thoughts. Do not underestimate the power of the semicolon! It is under appreciated and should be used more often.
1. I turned 23! Woo hoo. I felt no different and continued to act like I was 19
2. Brianne got married! Another woo hoo! And then I disappeared for a few hours, making my parents rather distraught! Alas, I was recovered. I had not run off to Gretna Green with Mr. Wickham. Nothing so exciting. My phone died and I fell asleep. Never again!
3. I met some more awesome people! Lots of awesome people exist in Maryland and I have met quite a few of them
4. My job went from boring to exciting to boring. Wait, it does that everyday or every week. Alas, the life of an archivist. Sometimes exciting, most often boring, but it pays the bills
5. I passed the threshold of 4000 songs on my iTunes. This was a momentous day in my life!
6. I saw Penn State play Indiana at FedEx Field with some awesome friends from undergrad. It was a crazy, fun weekend with no sleep and a bad sweater party.
7. I passed my first semester! I know I already said that but I had to say it again. It was a huge hurdle.
Thanksgiving was here and gone. Then Christmas came and with it brought more food and family. I practically cooked Christmas dinner! And then got a Kitchen Aid mixer! My mother will make me into a housewife yet! Tim and Jackie came East from Alaska and visited with us. In addition, they brought a blizzard. Three feet of snow in NJ. It was great! I finished a 1000 piece puzzle in 12 hours. Really, my concentration is rather amazing. Even I was amazed.
New Years was rather tame, as opposed to previous celebrations. Went to a small house party with some good friends. Made some desserts for my parents and their friends. I must say, I have become quite the cook. I might drop out of college and travel the country, taking short-order cook jobs when I need money. Now that would be fun.
And now I am back in Maryland. This year has been a whirlwind. So much has happened. I've been lucky enough to travel and hope to continue to do so in 2011. And on that note, stay tuned for another blog post. Til tomorrow! Well, make that Wednesday. :)
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