Journey to Alaska - 8

We had asked around, and people were telling us it would take about 12 hrs of driving to get from Haines Junction to Glennallen, so I wasn't sure I'd make it the whole way in one day. The three of us met up for breakfast somewhat early, Alaska time. Yep, when we went through Canada it switched time zones back again, but we decided that we would stay on Alaska time ourselves since it was only one night. One of the pros for that was that when we turned in at almost 3am Canada time, it was really only 2 for us. :-) Breakfast was great, and we were able to get on the road by about 9:30am. Because of the 'experience' Josh gave us the day before, Thom took the lead. It was a great day for a drive, and we made fairly good time, stopping a few times for photo ops. The customs officer let us right thru, and we continued on our way, arriving in Tok at about 2:30pm. That was where we were splitting up, so we took a break and had lunch at Fast Eddy's. After filling up with gas, we said our goodbye's, and Josh headed north while Thom and I headed south. Thom made it all the way to Palmer, I stopped in Copper Center, and Josh finished his trip to Fairbanks.
I arrived at Copper Center Lodge at 6:30 or so, where a friend had booked me a room for the night. We had dinner and hung out for awhile before I turned in for the night. Since today is a shorter day of driving, I slept in, and now that it's light out, am heading out. More later!

Journey to Alaska - 7

Wow! I don't know where to start! 3 days ago when I drove onto the Malaspina ferry I was expecting a nice quiet ride to Haines, AK, having plenty of time to read and get ready for the long boring drive north. God had other plans.
I immediately met a young newlywed couple from Florida who are moving to Kodiak. I was excited to find out they are Christians and going to be looking for a church home when they arrive. I'm hoping it works to get to know them better while they are there.
The first day was rather uneventful, though I did have several opportunities to chat with that couple, as well as a variety of the crew members. It was kind of funny actually, because at one of the stops someone mentioned they were waiting for me, and apparently a bunch of the crew members all knew me by name and started trying to find me. I guess the guys I had randomly started a conversation with were the chief engineer, the 2nd captain, and the guy in charge of loading the cars, and word had spread from there. Wierd.
Anyways, I was sitting reading the 2nd day, and noticed a couple guys playing a game. I was curious about the game, but had also noticed the younger guy a couple times before during my bouts of 'people watching', and for some reason really was drawn to him. So after awhile of watching, I went over and asked what they were playing. He asked if I wanted to play, and I joined them.
Thom is in his late 30's, headed up to Denali for work. Josh is mid 20's, on his way to Fairbanks for the Army. After awhile, Thom left for a moment, and what followed was yet another God thing. Josh turned and said he had overheard me earlier talking to the couple from Florida about churches, and asked if I could recommend any in the Fairbanks area. He's moving up there and wants to get involved with a good group of Christians. So we started talking, and while we broke off the conversation to continue the games when Thom came back, it continued off and on over the course of the trip. From sharing his testimony with me, to watching how he quietly lives out his faith while actively trying grow in his relationship with God, to hearing him talk about the cd's of sermons that a friend gave him, God has used him to encourage and challenge me. It was really cool to sit there looking at the amazing beauty all around us, and be able to talk about the majesty and awesomeness of God's creation with someone who understood that it WAS a blessing from God, not just something pretty that happens to be there.
Since that evening, the three of us have kind of stuck together. We've played games, walked the deck, and just hung out for much of the last couple days. We headed into town in Ketchikan for breakfast and coffee, stepped off in Wrangell and Petersburg (just to say we'd been there), and got a taxi to take us in to Juneau this morning for breakfast at a little diner. Our taxi driver took us to get coffee, and then we pulled in to take some pics of Mendenhall Glacier. Back on the boat we had a relaxing couple hours looking at pictures and napping until 2, when the ferry pulled into Haines, AK. Since we're all going as far as Tok, we decided to caravan up that far, and then split up there. Josh led the way. It was disappointing that it got dark by 3pm, but we did see some pretty neat scenery, and customs was no problem for any of us. While it WAS a little snowy, Josh WAS rather cautious, and it took us a LOT longer than planned to reach Haines Junction, where we'd decided to stay tonight. Needless to say, Thom and I aren't about to let him live it down...
They found a hotel down the road from the one I was at, and we gathered again for dinner and an evening of lots of laughs and a ton of fun! We've been making little videos of some of the places we've been, and some of the things that have been said along the way are going to be good memories for all of us. :)
Tomorrow comes way too soon, and unfortunately, a long day of driving comes with it.
 

Journey to Alaska - 6

Yesterday I slept in, grabbed a coffee and donuts (Krispy Kremes), and made the drive up to Lynden. Alicia and I headed out for lunch and then grocery shopping when I got here. The rest of the day was spent visiting and catching up with Rob and Alicia. This is my 'other' family. Alicia was my youth leader in Kodiak, and I used to babysit their two daughters when they were little. So it's been wonderful spending more time with them.

My ferry leaves tomorrow afternoon, which works out perfectly since they are leaving for Nashville about the same time to see the girls.

Journey to Alaska Photos 5 - WA

 Mark and I out to eat at Red Robin

 We headed over to wait for Eric to finish working...

 And then back to Eric's house for some pictures...which turned out to be hilarious because we were all so tired...

Driving to Seattle was gorgeous!

 Met up with Heather, Lara, Elijah, and Andy.

And we had fun. :-)

Journey to Alaska -- 5

I left Pullman/Moscow after church, heading up to Spokane by late afternoon on Sunday. Eric was working, so Mark and I went out to dinner and then over to hang out at the Service Station (the coffee shop Eric works at) untiil he was done. By the time we got back to Eric's, we were all exhausted, which was probably why we spent the next half hour laughing as we took pics of each other. All in all, it was a great evening.

Monday morning I began the drive to Seattle, stopping briefly in Cle Elum on the way. I was blessed to have dry, clear road over Snoqualmie Pass, with the rain/snow starting as I made it down the other side. Heather met me at Lara and Andy's, and we spent the evening chatting and playing with Elijah. It was just the kind of evening I needed, as it's been a long time since I've had 'girl time' with gals my own age (or fairly close at least).

Today was by far the most frustrating day of this trip to this point. I left Heather's to go visit Carmel, and proceeded to get myself lost for awhile. However, I later realized I had been on the right road in the first place. Oh well, I made it, and we had a good visit. When I left her house at 2:30 I had no idea that at 5:30pm I'd still be driving around lost within just a few miles from there. After finding myself at the ferry, being turned around and sent south, turned around again and sent north to a different ferry, I finally made it across to West Seattle by around 8:30. It was a stressful day, so I decided I'd quit for the night when I came to Bothell, being an exit I recognized and therefore am hoping I can get out of when it's time to take off in the morning. Executive decision made to make this a Law & Order night at the hotel. :-)

Journey to Alaska Photos 4 - ID

 Thanksgiving dinner with Granny, Aunt Cindy and Uncle Allan.

  

Steve Otto playing with his granddaughter.

Journey to Alaska - 4

I arrived in Spokane, WA on Friday morning, and took several hours to hang out with my brother, Eric. We headed out to a cafe for lunch, and then I began the drive down to Moscow. Eric's twin, Mark, had to work, but we waved as we passed on the highway. :) The road wasn't too bad, though one car had flipped, and another was in the ditch. I had a chance to hang out with a good friend for a few hours, and then to catch up with a family I haven't seen in years.

This morning my mission was to hunt down a set of tire chains and a headlight. First, however, I had a nice chat with some other friends. Between the headlight and chains I was sent all over town, and finally came up with both. Today was our late Thanksgiving dinner with my aunt, uncle, and grandmother. We had an enjoyable day, putting together puzzles and eating...a lot. The pie was done before the turkey, so we changed things up a bit and had dessert first. And last. Yep, it was yummy. :-)

The day is over, and tomorrow is coming quickly. Good night, my friends!

Journey to Alaska Photos 3 - MT

 Scenic drive through Montana.
   Thanksgiving with Glenn and Bonnie.

Journey to Alaska Photos 2 - SD, WY, MT

Badlands, South Dakota

Wall Drugstore, in Wall, South Dakota

Over 100 miles between towns at one point.

Journey to Alaska - 3

It was -17 when I woke up yesterday, with windchill of close to -40. I'm slowly getting used to this weather, but I'll be thrilled when it gets a little warmer. Cary went out to check the headlight in my car, and found that my car was frozen. It was a good thing I didn't have all that far to go, since it was almost noon before the brakes had thawed out enough to safely drive. Not that I minded having a few hours to relax and chat. By the time I left, the roads were clear and I made from 3 Forks to Missoula in under three hours.

The weather is slightly warmer here, at 9 above zero. We've been enjoying a quiet day, and are about to watch a good movie. Hope you are all enjoying a restful and thankful Thanksgiving day.

Journey to Alaska - 2

I woke up to a gorgeous, sunny -6 degree day, with windchill a LOT colder than that. Kadoka is right before the Badlands, so of course I made a slight detour to get a picture or two as I went by. I then stopped at Wall Drug, which is a famous drugstore that is huge, and a big tourist trap. After that my phone's GPS took me away from I-90 for awhile, but neglected to inform me that I would be on a road where there was nothing but the fields of Wyoming and Montana for over 100miles! It was a beautiful, scenic drive, and I had a wonderful time singing worship songs, and braving the elements every once in awhile for a photo op. The entire day the warmest weather I found was 0 degrees with a high wind, blowing snow EVERYWHERE! I almost ran out of gas during that portion of the drive, since I had thought more than 1/2 a tank would be enough to get me to the next town. But I made it, and then I was back on the more familiar I-90.

The sun abruptly changed to high winds, snow, and ice when I passed Billings, MT. An arctic front had arrived, and it was NOT fun. Traffic on I-90 slowed to 15-35mph for several hours, and even so, I saw many cars in the ditch, 3 different semi's rolled, and a sheriff cruiser spun twice and ended up on the other side of the median. I definitely felt God's hand of protection around my car, as I was almost hit several times when vehicles slid accross into my lane, and made it over a pass that was deemed 'virtually impossible to make it through' today. A high stress day, but God is good, and I survived. :-)

Here in one piece, and now that I've had a nice visit with the friends I'm staying with, it's time to turn in. Good night!

Journey to Alaska Photos 1 - NY, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN, SD

Ohio - this road went up and down over many hills, and at least the 11 miles I drove of it was straight, as far as the eye could see.

The Ohio Turnpike - a very expensive toll portion of I-90.

Chicago - hate the traffic, but the skyline was cool.

Minnesota - ice, sleet, pea soup fog, and snow. Tough driving but slightly more interesting with the mountains, hills, and trees. They like their windmills.

South Dakota - clear skies, windy, but able to make good use of the 75mph speed limit. Back to a very flat landscape.

Champlain, SD - dinner was at a place called Al's Oasis. Not too good, but it looks neat from the outside. :)

Leaving Champlain

Spam Museum - I saw the sign from the road and decided to stop in. Got lost getting there, but eventually ended up driving right by it.

Journey To Alaska - 1

My journey began on Sat morning. It was a beautiful day for a drive, and as I worked my way thru NY into OH, I made good time. Mapquest had come up with just under 9 hrs, but I somehow managed to make it in about 7 1/2. Not sure how, but I was sticking pretty close to the speed limit so I'm pretty sure it was because I drove straight thru, stopping only once for gas. My mom's cousin had dinner for me when I got there, and we spent the evening chatting.

Sunday I was able to get an earlier start, and was on the road by 8:30. The day was uneventful, and pretty boring. I drove through IN, IL, and into WI. Chicago traffic was AWFUL, and slowed me down some. It would have been interesting to see the city, but I was not at all confident of my ability to get BACK on I-90 if I left it. Same thing with Toledo, though I did see Chrysler/Toyota Manufacturing as I flew by. It rained most of the afternoon. Sparta was the town I had chosen randomly to stop in for the night, and THAT part didn't go so well. The hotel had given me wrong directions, so it took almost an hour of driving before I found it. By that time the town had pretty much shut down for the night. I managed to find one restaurant that was still open though.

This morning was by far the most difficult so far. As soon as I left Wisconsin, the sleet, hail, and wind started. Throughout the morning as I drove through Minnesota, I was dealing with pea soup fog and icy roads as well. Thankfully, by South Dakota the roads cleared and it was down to just snow and wind. Oh yes, and 20 degree weather the whole day. Brrr! I stopped for dinner in Chamberlain, SD. But now it's time to get back on the road. More later.

Getting Ready for Alaska

The time has finally arrived to begin the long journey to Alaska. For those of you who are just beginning to follow my blog, I took a 2 month vacation to Alaska this summer, and while I was there decided I missed it more than I had thought. It was the first time I'd been back to Kodiak, my hometown, since our family had left almost 12 years ago. I knew as soon as I set foot on The Rock that I wanted to go back. While I was there, I was blessed with several job offers, as well as a variety of places to stay if I came back. I decided to go for it, and arrived back in NY in September excited about the possibilities. I began making plans to move, but had an unexpected delay when I found I needed another surgery on my shoulder. My ortho surgeon was able to get me in on Oct 14, in hopes that I'd be able to leave early November. A minor complication arose when he doubled my recuperation period because my shoulder is 'too loose', and therefore needs much more time without movement than normal for that surgery. Still, I continued to make plans, and at my follow-up on Nov 18 he ok'd me for the drive. I'm still in a sling most of the time, and unable to do anything with that arm, but I'm thankful I'm moving forward! Which leads me to the beginning of the trip...
Last Wed, I had some help from family and friends loading my car, and it is FULLY loaded! I then had the car serviced, and it was declared ready for the long haul. Friday, I finished up all the loose ends, particularly the most important one of watching the Youngmann girls play their parts in the Hoosick Falls School play (they did a great job!), and then crashed at my parents' house for the night.

Life's Craziness

I've come to the conclusion that insanity is normal. And I'm definitely NOT understanding what people are talking about when they say life is boring. It just isn't so!
I found and bought an '04 Ford Escape, navy blue with a silver stripe down the side. I like it, though it came with its problems. I had to get the drive shaft replaced, and now the sun roof doesn't work all the time, but for the price I paid, I think I still got a pretty good deal. Due to the lemon law, the repairs are covered 100% by the dealership, though driving 45 min to the mechanic is frustrating.
Last week I found out I have to have another surgery done on my shoulder, and a few days ago was informed that it will be this coming Thursday. A bit of change to my plans, considering I was planning on moving to Alaska in a month. Now, if all goes well, I'll still be able to go, but will be in a sling and unable to drive or do much else right up until I leave. Not sure yet how packing and everything else will go, but I'm sure it will work out.
I went down to visit some friends in New Jersey on Sunday night. It was a fun and memorable trip, complete with spending a good portion of it on the phone with the state troopers as I followed a drunk driver down the thruway, and helped get the guy arrested, missing my exit in the process, and then getting very lost. I made it back on Tuesday no problem.
Last night I went camping at our cabin in West Hoosick with my little brother and sister. Joanna spent the evening, but headed back to the house at bedtime, while Zachary and I played games, cooked marshmallows over the propane stove, and then crashed. Not quite roughing it, but still a lot of fun. :-)
Seth and Hannah got a puppy, so while Seth was back on leave, they brought little Carlos over to play a few times. He's tiny, and VERY cute!

The fall foliage was great for a couple days, though not for as long as normal, and not as brilliant as usual. Still, Zachary came with me one day to drive around and take pictures, and we got some good ones.