A Murder of Crows

Ok, this is going to be a departure from the Alaska Blog, as my boyfriend, Don, is directing a great show that will open on his birthday, September 29th. Please, if you are in the Chicago area and want to see a great play, come on down and see ours.

Dream Job

Attention recruiters: I have a dream day job! I say day job, because ultimately I would prefer to devote myself full-time to the theatre and raising a family. However, as I have grown accustomed to eating and paying rent on time contributes to my sense of responsibility, I'll settle for an office job like this:

International Student Advisor (or administrator, I'm not picky). However, I am picky about the location. The position would have to be at UAF, otherwise I wouldn't be able to take it. I took a gander at the UAF job site and discovered that there is a coordinator position open, but it's only open to current UAF employees. A friend of mine in New Jersey held a similar position and really liked being able to work with students who a) needed her help and b) appreciated her efforts.

Maybe someday. . .

Coffee and Pastries in Fairbanks

I'm drinking coffee today, as what started out as a gorgeous sunny day here in Chi-town has morphed into an otherwise nondescript, gloomy afternoon. Usually, my beverage leanings spell green tea, as I find my aging self preferring, and possibly craving, the antioxidants, while eschewing the overly caffeinated java. Also, my friends prefer my hyper self to be a tad less, well...hyper. That said, I'd like to share some information about what is possibly the best coffee I have ever tasted. In my entire life.

While in Fairbanks, we made a daily stop at Alaska Coffee Roasting Company for some joe and morning pastry. Well, my friends, this not so small café roasts its beans on site and has quite a selection of coffee beverages including a "screaming monkey." What is a "screaming monkey" you ask? Well, it is a quadruple shot mocha with banana Torani syrup. No, I did not try one, but yes, I kinda wanted to. One of Don's friends did order a quadruple shot and lived to tell the tale. Apparently, quad shots are pretty common up North.

In addition to their creative coffee drinks, Alaska Coffee also serves up tasty treats including scones and cinnamon rolls in addition to savory eats including salads and pizzas lovingly prepared in a wood burning oven. I sampled all of the above but even though I really wanted to try a "screaming monkey," I stuck with the coffee of the day, which was always hot, fresh and perfect!

Underwater

Yes, Chicago is officially underwater. I took a picture to prove it. See where that moose is? Well, that's right where the...Wait! Did I say moose? Oh, wrong pic.

Lost in the Supermarket

Why, you might be asking, after all of the hoopla surrounding the Alaska pics, did she post a shot of the snack aisle at Fred Meyer’s?

You see, the other day, Nav was perusing the tiny pics that were yet to be transferred to the computer and remarked, “Looks like America to me.” Now, this may seem like a rather naïve statement, but I think it merits a brief exploration:

Well, the obvious response to a statement like that is, “Well, it is America,” which is how we responded. I think it’s really cool that people have so mythologized Alaska that they’re surprised when confronted with the reality that it is, indeed, part of the United States – and that, yes, we Chicagoans can live there. Granted, I probably should have chosen a more representative photo of Fairbanks for my first post about the trip, but this one seemed the most fitting.

To me, this photo represents choice, which is something with which I am currently blessed. Sometimes, I walk up and down the supermarket aisles feeling completely overwhelmed by the seemingly limitless number of choices we have in this nation. I stand frozen, unable to make a decision, which usually results in over- or underpurchasing. Now, if I were to embrace that indecision, I might be able to see past the chips, or coffee, or soy milk and see the aisle as a whole and that, my friends, is what it means to post at six o’clock in the morning!

More Technology

22 August 2007

Don says he bought a photo printer today (or was it a scanner?), so that means we'll be able to print (and scan?) pictures soon. Still no word on the grey cord, or plug, or whatever technological implement it is, however. In other words, no Alaska pics.

Grizzlies.

The other day I finally saw the pics from the Alaska trip. They’re pretty small as they’re still on the awesome camera Nav gave us. Somewhere in the house there’s a grey cord which Don says we’ll need if we want to upload them onto the computer. Nav says we need a card. I say we need a 35 mm camera with real film inside the next time we want to record our journey. I know that some of you have already requested pictures from the trip and I'm sorry to inform you that you'll have to wait. Please be patient, as I'm not the most technically savvy person around. Until then, please be content by viewing something we (thankfully!) didn't get a shot of.

Simpsons do Alaska.

Yesterday, I learned that The Simpsons Movie is, in part, about Alaska. Interesting. I haven't seen the movie so I cannot comment on it here, but I wonder what the folks in Nome (and other parts of Alaska) think about this.

Don's Dreams

Don's been dreaming about Alaska lately. I heard somewhere that it's possible to pick up someone else's brainwaves just by sleeping next to them, thereby resulting in similar dreams. Usually, my dreams involve monsters or flirting or a combination of both, which is like having a non-family friendly version of Sesame Street invade my subconscious. Does this mean my flirty monsters live in Fairbanks? That must explain why the last time I dreamt the monsters were on their way to Chena Hot Springs.

Today's the day.

It's decided. We're moving to Fairbanks. Don't know when exactly, but it's going to happen. And to think that I survived all these years without clean air and water.