TGIF!

It's Friday!!! Woot! Well, actually I have my TGIF days on Thursdays. ;-) Thursdays are my Fridays at work - I get TWO Fridays a week. Yay!

New entry over at Coming to Size. I know, it's about TIME I updated that site, huh? Well, I've just been busy, busy, bee-ing it all over the place.

Never got around to sharing a couple of pics from July 4th - so I'll do that now before I head off into my day.

After the small town parade that is all politicians and cheerleaders and emergency vehicles and hot rod cars and motorcycles, Lessa and I went with the grandchildren to my church's picnic at Stormy Lake. A young couple brought their boat and took any who wanted to try it, around the lake on an inner-tube type contraption. They had a great time.

Then Lessa and I took the grands and a friend over to the swimming beach. Yes, swimming in a lake in Alaska!!! No, Lessa and I watched. ;-) I like warmer water for my bathing. But the kiddos had a great time as you can see below.

We had to practically physically haul them out of the lake. Kids are so resilient.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Tagged!

I totally suck at these things, but I lurve Lisa, so here goes . . .

1. If you were a celebrity, what kind would it be (movies, tv, literature, crime, etc)?

Literature - I enjoy writing and it's fun to have people read my stuff. Now, to decide how to put it all together and PUBLISH it in the big time, hmmm?

2. Which other celebrities would you make a concerted effort to try and be around?

They should want to be around ME, you see. What with my magnetic character and all that. Heh.

Lesseee - JK Rowling - would love to pick her brain about this latest HP book - much different than the previous 5. Dana Stabenow - Alaskan mystery author. Anyone else who is fun, real, down-to-earth, and who has a kindred sense of humor/self.

3. Which other celebrities would you avoid like the plague?

The Smothers Brothers - weird, I know. But I met them at a “back stage” event once here in small town Alaska - they were quite snobbish, I thought, which was a shame. Everyone was tickled to meet them and they were just too above us, I felt. Of course, they were probably tired and all that, so I am going to cut them some slack. So, I'll just say: Anyone who is much too full of themselves.

4. Which celebrities would you date?

Hmmmm - I’m MARRIED!!! Of course, when I was a little girl, I had a HUGE crush on Kurt Russell.

5. What would be your "Celebrity Cause"?

Motorcycle Safety Awareness. I think all motorcyclists should have safety training. I also think that all cagers (that is, those who drive vehicles) should have motorcycle safety training - at the least they should learn about how to make the road safer for themselves and for motorcyclists.

6. Since celebs always get off, what crime(s) would you commit?

Is it a crime to want the pols to SHUT UP and listen to ME for a change???

7. What would be the name of your tell-all book?

Just say "ouch" and be done with it.

8. Tag 3 people to do this poll.

Phyllis

Mary Lou

Alaska Ladybug

9. Link to the post that tagged you:
Just Lisa

Have a great week, everyone.
>..<

She speaks . . .er writes!

hullo . . . anyone out there? Oops, I guess you all might say that to me, huh? Well, busy-ness abounds! And, it's summer - in Alaska - so, well, I've just been busy some of the time and enjoying the summer the rest of the time. Not doing a whole lot except read and snooze when I'm not working. Well, sometimes I have snoozed when I was working, but we won't tell, right? Right.

My lunch hours this week have been spent parked on the bluff overlooking the Kenai River and Cook Inlet and the fishing boats and the fish packers. I roll down my windows, listen to the gulls and ravens and watch them and the eagles whirling on the updrafts in front of me.

Soon, I lean back and take a bit of a lunchtime snooze. As I do this, so do several others in cars parked nearby. It is a peaceful lunchtime community of like-minded folks. Occasionally the quiet is broken by someone muttering into their cellphone, but it is mostly hushed with only the sound of the gulls fighting over a stray scrap of fish and the motors of the skiffs plying back and forth between the dock and the boats.

Lovely - just lovely.

At other times I find myself gawking at cars for one reason or another. Bet you can guess what caught my eye about this one:

Wonder how I can get PurpleMoose on a plate in just 6 letters? prplms could work, I guess. ;-)

Then, on the way to work yesterday morning I was struck by this . . . (well, not literally "struck", but I got to SEE this)

Hmmmm - whatizzit??? Dunno, but



it's very cool looking!!

Oh - and see the little starburst there in my windshield? (middle pic) Nice, huh? Can't wait until the first good cold snap when that puppy is gonna sprout lines like the dickens. Gonna have to check out how much a windshield is going to cost me. Sigh. Durned trucks throwing big ol' rocks anyway.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone. We are still burning hereabouts - can still get a tinge of smoke on the wind. Thank God the wind has taken most of the smoke back up into the mountains. The forest people are letting the Tustumena fire burn because there are no habitations threatened by it. And, it is taking care of the beetle kill and will encourage new growth over the next years. They are just watching it in case it turns back and heads toward civilization again.

Off to Anchortown again tomorrow - quickie trip and someone else is driving us up. Yay! Hubby is picking up a used van and we will head back in it later tomorrow night after our business function. So, you all be good and I'll try to get a post on here again before another week goes by. ;-)

Folks, that ain't . . .

weather clouds that you see . . .

and - here's a closeup:

We are very close to two areas that are burning. (HUMPF!!! I would have linked to our newspaper story, but they are requiring log ins now. So, they lose)

We are not close enough to be burnt or even to fear being burnt, but we are close enough to have the smoke rolling in over us. I was unable to take my walk this morning because of all of the smoke. I like my lungs just the way they are, thank you very much. Sigh.

And, beneath the bluff where I took the above photos, another phenomenon of Kenai was occurring:

Those are folks camping out waiting for the tide to come back in. It is personal use (Alaska residents only) dipnetting season. We are at the height of the red salmon season. These folks will be out there as the tide comes in - hip deep in 50-60 degree (or colder) water - plying their dip nets looking to bring home one of their allotted 35 red salmon. Yay for them.

We no longer do this - our girls are grown and married and can go get their own if need be. Hubby does not like fish (!!!! the horrors!!!!) and I am but one person, so one red would do me for the year - really. So we don't fish because we don't eat enough.

It was fun when we did it though.

Have a great weekend everyone.
>..<

p.s. Hello to a new reader : Paul of Chasing the Dragon's Tale

Earth to ????

Visited with a friend of mine Friday afternoon. Her neighbor seems to be calling someone . . . . (ET phone home . . .)

The next two shots show more wiring - of a temporary nature. They are building a new bridge over the Kenai River in Soldotna. To do so, first they erected a new temporary bridge next to the old one. Now they are dismantling the old bridge and soon (??) will be erecting a new one in its place.

The traffic is TERRIBLE! And, it usually is bad in the summer in that area due to tourists trying to get from Anchorage to Homer. It is generally bumper to bumper. Only now the bumpers extend about 3.5 miles or so.

Anyway, they installed a new, temporary, traffic signal. You know it is temporary because of all of the exposed wiring. Ouch!

I take great pains not to go through Soldotna - not during the summer. But sometimes I just have to be there. It took me 4 lights to get through the one before this one. Three lights to get through this one. Another 5 minutes to get to the bridge and across it. Only one light to get through that intersection. Yay!

Mind you, there are only 4 lights in Soldotna. Well, five with the temporary one now. There are only 5 lights in Kenai! And, when we moved here there were NO lights at all. We are ever so civilized now. (YUK!) It was a big deal when Kenai got the first traffic light on the Kenai Peninsula. We all lined up to see it begin working. (Sad, innit?) ;-)

Have a great week, everyone.

OH!!! I almost forgot. Wanted to share a funny with you from a friend at church:

A young couple got married. Not long afterwards, the new hubby came to his pastor to complain and tell the man that they were quarreling.

The pastor asked what about.

The hubby said, "she is not doing her job! She won't make coffee in the morning."

The pastor nodded sagely and asked why that was a problem.

Hubby said "I told her it is HER job to make the coffee and she said no it wasn't that the Bible said it is the husband's job to make the coffee."

"What?" said the pastor, now a bit non-plussed.

"Yup", said the hubby. "It's right there and I guess I gotta do what the Bible says."

"Where?" asked the pastor. "Can you show me?"

"Yes," said the young man. "It's right there after the book of Philemon . . .

HEBREWS!"

hahahahahahahahahaha - there you go, ladies. Make HIM do the coffee tomorrow. LOL.

Brazil or Bust

Okay - here's the scoop . . .

Friend Lisa's babysitter is hoping to become a foreign exchange student to Brazil and YOU can help.

Go on over and read the whole story and put your spare change to work, 'kay?

Alaska is host to foreign exchange students every year. They are a real blessing to our town and I know that Eva will be a blessing to Brazil. Now is the time when the US could use some good will ambassadorship. And YOU can help that along.

Go on now . . . go on over and check it out.

Fourth of July pics and such tomorrow - I promise.

Scoot - what are you all still doing here????

H-O-T Kenai

Doesn't quite have the same ring as HOT-LANTA, now does it? Nevertheless . . . it was H-O-T last week in Kenai. How hot?

H-O-T
Can't see it? Look again:
View image
Told ya!
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On to other news: What do you do when a dump truck backs up into your yard and leaves a pile?

Have a dirt party, of course!

At the Ladybug's house:

You could make a dirt angel

Rescued!

"I don't WANT to be rescued! I wanna play in the dirt!

The dirt has all been spread now and the Ladybug family will be planting grass soon.

Have a lovely 4th of July, everyone. Give a heartfelt salute to the veterans who pass by you in the parade tomorrow.

We Want YOU!

Remember this guy?

He got a letter today.

From the US Naval Reserves

Seems they (think they) want him

In the Naval Reserves

What are they drinking thinking????

I called the 800 number and talked with a very nice woman somewhere in Illinois. (Lord only knows what she was doing up at this late hour) Our conversation went something like this:

Moi: My husband received your nice letter today. I think you may have the wrong guy.

VNL (Very nice lady): How may I help you, ma'am?

Moi: You say you want my husband in the naval reserves and I don't think you know what you are asking . . .

VNL: He will need to take that up with his recruitment officer, ma'am.

Moi: Well, now, that's just the thing. He doesn't have one. You sent him a letter and I think I should tell you a bit about my husband . . .

VNL: Ma'am????

Moi: He's 55 years old, suffers from diabetes, has diabetic neuropathy in both legs, and his toes are threatening to fall off his very bad feet.

VNL: Oh, my. Could I have his name and address, ma'am?

Moi: Well, I understand how you could want him . . .

VNL: (laughter) well, ma'am, just the address first . . .

Moi: I mean there are SOME days when I would just ship him to you myself . . .

VNL: I see - and his name again?

Moi: Well, if you're sure you don't want him . . .

VNL: We'll see that his name is taken off the mailing list, ma'am, and I thank you for the call.

Moi: Thank you . . . now, how long have you been doing this? Are you sure you want to do this for the rest of your life? I mean, I know some people who could help you . . . I'd be happy to send them to you . . .

VNL: Thank you for your call, ma'am. We'll try not to trouble you again.
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As I said, very nice lady. A tad confused (especially after my phone call) but we closed the conversation with lots of laughter. Hubby enjoyed it all very much.

Have a great weekend, friends.