Moose Tracks- and no, not the Ice Cream

Living in Fairbanks has been an awesome experience so far and everyday I have the opportunity to have a new experience.  Last Monday I nearly had a heart attack- so not cool at 6am when its only 15* out! Let me explain....

When we let the dogs out we have a few options.  If it is bright out and we are outside, they usually don't get "hooked up", we just let them run the yard and tramp through the woods till they stop from exhaustion. If we are not going to be around or it is pitch black (6am) then we have dog runs for them and they get hooked up.

First time the doggies head out in the morning, I usually have to struggle to get them hooked up so they don't run off into the dark. On this particular morning I went to the door, opened it and the dogs were NOT trying to run out.  At this point I turned to grab Fosters collar and felt his back hackles were raised.  Neither dog was growling or barking and this is unusual for them; they typically bark at the wind.  So I stop and look out and all I can hear is heavy footsteps....close to the house. I instantly had a major case of the heebie jeebies and slammed the door, locked it and pulled the curtains.  I almost tripped over the dogs, my big bad 85lb dogs were hiding behind me- thanks guys:( I ran into the bedroom and got Dale who was just getting ready to get into the shower.  I told him what was going on and he came to the rescue.  Mind you- he was just getting ready to get in the shower so he grabs the .45 slips on his big snow boots and goes to the door.  I wish I would have been smart enough to get a picture of this; 6am, pitch black and my husband is standing on the deck with the porch lights on in his boxers, untied big ol' snowboots and the .45 is at his side.  His was only missing his plaid Elmer Fudd hat :)

We decided it was an animal and it was gone.  We let the dogs out and it was all good.  We headed out to town and when I returned home I had to investigate - because I need to know what my neighbors are :)  So I got all my winter gear on and took on the yard.  The dogs were off leash because I was with them, and immediately they ran to the bottom of the driveway and started flipping out.  They were running back and forth, back and forth across the driveway and barking at me "Look Ma- it was here- see the tracks!"  By the time I made it down the driveway they had pretty much made a mess of anything that was down there but I did manage to find a semi decent track, via the picture it is hard to tell its a moose track, but my hand is in a moose track in my front yard. I have moose for neighbors- beat that Salt Lake!!

Hard to tell because the dogs ran through here and we got early morning snow- but totally a moose track in my driveway :)

Coat and Boot shopping- Doggy Style!

As I previously promised here is an update up our jacket and boot shopping trip for the dogs. 

 Tuke was born with a natural fur coat and yet somehow she has the woosiest feet for a dog!  She got new boots and this wasn't an exciting trip for her- except we let her pick out her own mega bone at the store.  Foster on the other hand is totally new to this whole jacket and boot get up.  Foster is a lab, heeler, pit mix and is a good blend of all 3.  He has a really thin coat and gets cold easy, he likes to be covered up before bed- such a big baby! He had no problem with the coat, Dale put it on him and he just walked around like no biggee.  When it came to getting him fitted for boots- I nearly lost it.  If you have never put a boot on your dog- its a must, even if it is merely for your own personal enjoyment.  It doesn't hurt them, obviously, but it totally throws off their walk.  Tuke is really good about getting her boots on in the Winter- she knows that if she doesn't put them on, her feet will fill with snow, crack, bleed and be painful (and super scary for mom!).  As soon as she gets outside, she gets her walk down and she can play for hours- she is only an awkward walker inside. Foster, wanted nothing to do with the boots.  He let us put them on and then he wouldn't walk.  I tried to pull on his leash and I swear he weighed 150 lbs, he wouldn't move.  Finally with some bribery (Dingos work EVERYTIME!) he started to walk- I think.  You have to check out the video below for the full effect :)

New Coat! Don't worry he got the matching boots too!

I had to control my laughter while doing this- it was tough.  We also had Dom and Crystal out (ferrets) and yes at the end I stopped filming because I got bit in the hiney by Dom- I swear he hates me.  Anyways- I hope this made you smile. When we head out to play in the snow, I will let you know how the kiddos handle their boots in the snow :)

Domestic Engineer

So I am taking a break from my usually happy, whimsical, entertaining, and humorous ( I think they are) blogs and playing the pity card today- just a forewarning.

We have been in Fairbanks for 48 days, tomorrow will be 7 weeks- where in the heck has that time gone?  That being said, my last day of work in SLC was August 30- 58 days ago.  I am going insane.  Literally, I am having regular conversations with Tuke and Foster and I get annoyed when they don't answer me back.  I need to start working- yesterday.

I am sitting at Barnes and Noble (yes, I said Barnes and Noble- they have one here but it is staffed only by Eskimos in seal skin jackets, they have dog sled parking out front and they are closed in the summer so everyone can fish - JK!!) eating my obnoxiously rich chocolate cheese cake and drinking a regular milk grande Java Chip Frap WITH WIP<------see I am really going nuts!  I came into town to get online to look for jobs and yet here I am- blogging away.  I think I am more interested in a personal pity party after getting turned down for yet another job this afternoon then getting anything accomplished, well besides a sugar rush.

I have applied to nearly 2 dozen places and I have gone on 6 different interviews- yet no job.  I have been told at 3 of my 6 interviews that I have held too many jobs in the last few years.  We have moved every 2 years since 2007- I havn't held down a job for more than a year and a half since we left the Soo- who knows I would prolly still have the same jobs if we stayed in Michigan.  So that is a total strike against me.  Yes, I was only 15 days away from a 2 year mark with SLC Corp, but I held two (technically 3) different jobs with them. Lets not forget a part-time/on-call non-profit job in SLC for 12 months.  In Seattle I held 3 different bar/restaurant jobs in 22 months.  Prior to that I didn't work for 3 months while hanging out with Cas, Mag, and Eme in Colorado- totally worth it!  In the Soo, I was at the same bar for 4 years, went to college, had a paid internship, substitute taught, worked on campus, and had an amazing time.  According to potential employers in Fairbanks- I am unstable.  DUH- I already knew that!  Also, with our moving pattern and being new to Alaska-everyone asks when we are moving again. Strike 3.

Every job that I have applied for has been different and unique.  Yes, I have a Criminal Justice Degree with a Juvenile Delinquency focus and don't regret that decision one bit, but apparently that is also against me too.  Potential employers ask "You have a CJ degree, why do you want this job? This isn't CJ related".  I always respond with something like "I know, but this is a public service job.  This is a job where I can make a difference in someones life and that is my ultimate goal. I want to help people and if this is how I can help someone - I have achieved my dream job."  Apparently that is not what they want to hear. I always knew that I wanted to help people.  When I went to college, I thought that I would find a job helping people and that CJ with Juv focus was the way to go- I could help troubled kids.  Apparently not.  I never had the luxury of waking up one day and said wow, I want to be a lawyer, or I want to be a veterinarian. I never had a "moment" where it became clear that I wanted to be a Police Officer or an astronaut.  I am pretty good at helping people- whether it be in a detox facility, a listening ear at the bar, helping a lost child find their mom at the airport or just being able to make someone smile; I am great at that.

Dale has been working since we got up here, Thank goodness!  We are fortunate enough that he makes enough at his job that I don't have to jump into just any job; I can hold out for something that I want.  While this is nice, it is also really hard on me.  I am not a sit at home kind of gal.  I have always held at least one job and been in school or had a part time and well, sometimes I did all three.  Being a stay at home mom to Tuke and Foster just doesn't cut it for me. Maybe when we have a family in the future and I have a baby to take care of, I will change my mind- actually, I am sure I will change my mind and give everything to stay home.

So, now that you have read my self proclaimed pity party, I encourage you to forget it.  I just needed to type it out and get my emotions in check.  Life is really great up here, Alaska is offering so much- just not jobs... yet!  I know I will find something and it is something that I will love. Until then, just call me Susie homemaker :)

Let It Snow

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow- Alaska Style

While the weather outside may not be frightful (yet), and their is no fire to be delightful (kinda missing our gas fireplace from Salt Lake City), and since I have no place to go, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow! 

Out our living room deck- first snowfall 

It shows no signs of stopping (give it 6 weeks and then it will be too cold), no corn for popping (it's bad for your teeth), all the lights are turned down low (only because they are energy efficient CFL lights and take FOREVER to warm up), Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

She is pretty much in doggy bliss right now !

When we finally kiss goodnight (under the Aurora Borealis Lights), I won't go into the storm (we can see the lights from our bedroom deck doors), if you hold on tight (you never know when an earthquake will strike), I'll always be warm (good thing; -50 is coming!).

They love being covered up on their blankies after
a good run in the snow :)

The furnace is kicking on (gotta stay warm), And, my dear, my teeth are still chattering (time to put on another layer), but as long as you love me so (Dale you better - I moved to Alaska for you :) Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!

He loves his ball.  It's his cryptonite- he turns into
a drooling, jumping, whiny fool when he
see's that we have taken it out
of the toy box.

OK Ok OK I know its not Christmas YET but I love the snow and it makes me think of Christmas (BTW its only 65 days away).  Just a few pictures of Tuke, Foster and I playing in the snow today :) 

Poor Tuke :( We are taking the dogs this
weekend to get fitted for their jackets
and boots. I am sure that will be an
adventure......

I'm Going Out

Ugh- so yes this is the post that I have to redo because I so fabulously deleted it. To try and make it sound like I am not such a dumb, Mac illiterate blonde I must explain.  We have this cute little thing called a mifi for internet usage.  It allows us to get internet usage from Cell Phone towers.  So we signed up and have a thirty day trial- thank goodness because it is so going back.  We can only use 5 Gb a month- really thats all.  I can burn 5gb in one minute.  Anyways, back to how I am awesome and deleted my post.  So I had wrote my awesome post, offline (to save usage), and then turned on the the mifi.  Well of course I was working "offline" and the second the computer realized it was "online" it refreshed my work and took it back to the log in page to sign in, therefor losing my work.  I know I should have copied and pasted it just to be safe but come on, I was only 1 cup of coffee deep and it wasn't even noon yet- gimme a break will ya?! 

Anyways, last last weekend we went out and about on the town and I have to explain how "going out" is so much different here then anywhere else that Dale and I have lived. 

While living in Seattle getting ready to go out started a minimum of 2 hours prior to estimated leave the house time.  It was necessary to change at least 6 times and I always returned back to outfit number 1- of course.  After deciding on the right outfit it was time to pour myself into the tightest pair of Spanks ever made, slip on the outfit of choice and put on my "oh so cute" shoes.  These shoes however had zero arch support, minimum of a 3 inch heel and were nearly impossible to walk in- but dang I looked good :)  Upon leaving the house we headed into the city, which was only 18 miles away, but depending on traffic, this could take an hour- and thats not counting trying to find a decently close and or safe parking spot.  When we get downtown to our bar of choice the circling begins- trying to find a good parking spot.  After 30 or so minutes (on a good night) we settle for a spot half a mile away and we start walking, or limping because my cute shoes are useless for walking. We finally reach the bar of choice and get in line with everyone else and wait.  At this point, I usually take one shoe off, lean on Dale and rub that foot and then switch and repeat.  When we finally get to the front of the line (minimum 30 minutes) we meet the steroid loving bouncer.  He doesn't talk much, just grunts something about seeing ID and nods, or at least I think he was nodding because he really didn't have a neck.  Then its time to pay the anorexic girl with the overly dramatic eye makeup and obnoxiously fake boobs our $20 cover charge and - we are in! As we head to the bar to pay way too much for domestic draft beer and get bumped around by everyone because they are way over packed and the fire inspector probably doesn't care.  Anyways, starting to dance the night away on the 4x4 dance floor and you can't help but notice everyone is high on E or some other super hip new drug and its pretty entertaining to watch for the evening.  Finally the ugly lights come up and people start to herd out the door like drunken cattle and head for the carts.  Carts you ask?  Yes, the hot dog carts.  These things are near every bar and club in downtown Seattle and it doesn't matter who you are- everyone stands in line for a Seattle dog to help soak up the alcohol.  A Seattle Dog is a polish dog with grilled onions and cream cheese and topped with mustard; it is probably one of the best kept secrets of the area.  Finally everyone pours into taxi cabs and heads home, just to do it the next night.

Salt Lake City was waaay different.  The first time we went out, I followed my ritual from Seattle and we headed out.  One of the biggest changes here so far is that we could walk to the bars/clubs downtown.  We lived a half a mile from downtown- up the hill.  Anyways, so we get to our first bar and there is no wait to get in and the cover is only $5.  The bouncer was totally a meat head but he smiled and I could understand him.  As we make our way to the bar, we are happy to see the beer is not too overpriced and once again the bartender smiled... weird.  Anyways- I was waay overdressed.  This is completely a whole new ball game.  The biggest difference to note here is all the weird liquor laws.  When we first moved here, you had to be a member to drink at the bar.  Yes, a card carrying, fee paying member to drink.  Thankfully, the Iron Curtain (literally what it was called) fell in July and we didn't have to be members.  So another weird thing- 1 drink limit here.  You can't go to the bar and get a beer and a shot, or 2 beers or a double of your mixed drink.  It doesn't even matter if you were legitimately buying a drink for someone else- 1 drink limit is the law.  Would you like a double?  Ha ha ha don't even think about it. In most places last call is 145 am and everyone is out by 215.  Not in Utah! Last call is 1245 and EVERYONE (staff included) has to be out by 2.  Lame! Sadly, there are no hot dog carts in Salt Lake City :(  So we stumble the half mile up the hill and I vow- sandals only!!  I can handle this place!

Ahhh Fairbanks...... throw all the rules our the window.  The first time we went out, we went to karaoke and I dressed down- not enough.  Getting ready to go out to the bar means, put on your good Carhart and your nice ball cap.  Wow- was I over dressed! I am not trying to sound like Reese Witherspoon from Sweet Home Alabama but literally, a lady had her baby in the bar at midnight- this is normal. Our favorite bar is seasonal because they have no heat, no insulation and weird plumbing.  On our first experience here we witnessed a dog run in the front door, across the dance floor and out the back door.  He was soon followed by a hairy man, carrying a rope and a beer- he chased and didn't spill a drop, impressive.  Wearing Under Armour to the bar is highly recommended and not frowned upon at all. 

So, obviously the bar scenes are all waay different and very unique. Don't worry I will have more fun stories like this soon!

Scandalous!

Ok I know I have been slacking on the posts lately but, in my defense I had some operator error issues with this d*&N thing and deleted a fabulous blog about going out on da town.  Don't worry I will redo it, all in good time but I must share my scandalous secret with yall.

Today, I went to the gym.  Don't laugh, thats not the scandalous part- jerks!  Anyways, its a gym that hospital employees can use for free and its pretty nice.  So, got up first thing in the morning, drove Dale to work and then headed to the gym.  I had a great workout and then hit the showers.  I planned on showering after the gym because I didn't want to drive the 20 minutes home to turn around and come back into town.  So anyways I got into the shower and wait for it........
I LEFT THE WATER ON THE ENTIRE TIME!!!!!  AGGGGHHHHH!!

Whats the big deal you ask, how in the hell is that scandalous??  Well at our sweet little house on the hill, we have to have our water delivered at 8.5 cents a gallon.  We try to be frugal with the water, i.e. we turn the water off in the shower while soaping up, shampooing, shaving (really really suckie ladies- ugh you know the second your skin gets cold the goosebumps appear and the hair grows twice as fast) and other showerly duties.  So when I got to the gym and they had city water and it would continue to come out of the shower head........ I took a shower with the hottest water ever, didn't turn it off, and I just stood under the water like a little kid standing under the water fountain at the water park.  It was freaking amazing :)

More on our water adventures later.....like hauling water from a natural spring that Dale refuses to drink but tells me "it's ok"...... hmmmm and then conserving water.... HAHAHA!!  Short showers suck, thats all I am saying.  When you come to visit don't be surprised if we put a timer on your shower head.... muuhahahahaha :)

Bye Bye Chewie

So yes, this entire post is about my vacuum- now before you go calling the looney bin to have me admitted because living in the boonies has caused me to lose it all- please read :)

I have yet to post pictures of our cute little house- much to the dismay of many, but don't fear my friends it will all happen in due time.  Our cute little house is perfect for Dale and I along with our 4 legged companions- primarily because there is not a single piece of carpet in the entire place- truly nothing, haven't even bought a rug because in my mind that is just baby carpet and that would mute the point of no carpet- but I digress. We did invest in slippers though- please bring your own when you come to visit us- we don't share these very well.

As you have seen the pictures and read my words, our puppies (not really puppies anymore 7 1/2 and 2) rule our life and our world.  Tuke has beautiful thick long black hair and Foster has very soft short hair and I myself have medium length bleach blonde with #6 brown highlights and Dale uses a number 2 on the sides with a high and tight cut - we all have very different hair.

Anyways, we all shed, the dogs more than us and most of this said hair lands on the floor.  I truly love my dogs but if their was a magic pill that would cause them to stop shedding I would probably pay whatever outrageous cost they demanded and Pray that it worked. Now- sweeping with a broom and dust pan is useless.  I think of sweeping as rearranging the hair particles throughout the house with a minimal hint of actually doing any good.  A standard vacuum with a roller brush on the bottom does pretty good- in the beginning.  Anyone that has long hair, lives with someone with long hair, has hairy pets or married to Chewbacca (I don't judge) for that matter is aware that the roller brush on the bottom becomes clogged and doesn't spin very easily anymore.  I know we have all been there- stopped the vacuum and let out a string of expletives because the fricking thing stopped sucking up the hair on the floor.  When you lay it on it's side to investigate the cause, a gasp escapes from your mouth as you see the Wookie that has taken up residence on your spinning suckie upie part.  Then the fun begins- getting some tool to try and cut the hair off the roller parts but trying to find something that will never come close to anything that may possibly touch food or come close to being in the kitchen (I find a gerber tool always worked best) and if your like me- trying not to gag.  It is usually at this point that I start yelling things like "Everyone is getting a Bic for Christmas ", "Maybe Sinead had the right idea all along", "Really!? Really!!?  How is it possible to have this much hair on this freaking thing" and "maybe the bald cat from Austin Powers wasn't thaaaat ugly".  See, your smiling, you have totally been there or witnessed this before :)

So let me tell you 'bout my fabulous floor cleaning machine- you just want to know right?! It's called a Steam Shark and it is my favoritist floor care thing ever! It has no roller suckie up hair collector tool- just big hole that sucks everything up. I should point out this only works for non-carpeted areas, i.e. my house.  Oh yeah, and this also washes the floor too, nice hot and steamy.  No more stinky, nasty, mop to wring out and slosh all over the floor and have to hurry because the water is going to get cold (admit it- you still do this).  Nope, add the water and push around like you are vacuuming and you have beautifully steam cleaned floors:)  Before you all go rush out to local big box store and buy your very own awesome vacuum, I will share one secret...............buy on Amazon.com its cheaper, no sales tax and mine came with bonus cleaning pads.

So you ask- what does this have to do with Alaska?  Well, I would have never had a reason for this magnificent piece of machinery while living in Utah.  So, Alaska, I Thank You for this opportunity to enhance my vacuuming experience.

Winterization...

Ugh- take 2. So I am retyping the blog post that I started 20 minutes ago- but just awesomely deleted. Anyways, blogging from my iPhone from American Tire, just hanging out waiting for the truck to be "winterized". Dale and his friend tried to do this from home and got it 30% completed. Unfortunately, the rest proved to difficult and required tools that we don't own. *side note- When purchasing a jack for your vehicle, make sure said jack is tall enough to raise vehicle. This just makes everything easier, unless you live with the Incredible Hulk and then he can just lift the vehicle for you, just sayin.* Bonus of being up and out and about in the booming metropolis today, I may just be able to talk my hubby into a lunch date;) Hopefully, he takes me somewhere other than the hospital cafeteria!

So, here I sit people watching. The highlight of this was listening to a 20 something hipster snore for over an hour and mumble in his sleep. At American Tire when your vehicle is done, they call out your name in the lobby; this will be relevant later. So at this point let me describe the clientele. There is myself, a sweet looking Grandma knitting away, the man who knows EVERYONE (he greets them at the door with a sentence like, "Joe- good to see you, how's Ma doin" and my personal fave, "Hey- havn't seen you at AA in awhile, you better not be back on the bottle." so much for anonymous), a greasy haired gentlemen that complains everytime the phone rings because it is uncalled for this time of the day (<--- this guy forgot he is at a place of business) and Jamal our snoring friend. So the name Jamal is called once, twice, and loudly a third time. Us lobby folk all look around at each other and by process of elimination, we decide that Jamal must be the sleeper. Guy that knows everyone takes it upon himself to try and wake our friend Jamal. First, a gentle tap- nothing. Second, a shoulder shake and Jamal responds with a loud snort and adjusts himself in the chair. Guy who knows everyone finally takes a more aggressive approach and goes with the 2 hand shake accompanied with "Jamal your up". Now, Jamal wakes up and with a dazed look staggers to his feet and looks at the 4 of us- we are all obviously staring at this point. The best part of this whole story happens as Jamal walks by after paying his bill and asks "Was I snoring?". Man who knows everyone responded with a smile "Yes, Son - don't worry we have all been there before." Knitting Grandma pipes in, without looking up "Yes, but that's the least of your problems. If you don't pull up your pants and you continue to show your underwear to the world, you will never amount to anything". Jamal looked at Knitting Grandma (who never stopped knitting) and awkwardly pulled up his drawers. "Buy pants that fit or get a belt. Take care young man." I don't know Knitting Grandma, but I do heart her.

So the truck is now "winterized".  So that means we now have a plug sticking out of the grill of the truck so we plug it into our house for the next 6 months because it gets so stinking cold vehicles don't even want to start.  Dale made an appointment to get remote start installed on the truck next week- its supposed to be an all day deal so I wasn't going to drop him off at work and take in the truck and wait.  After todays experience I may just changed my mind.....who knows maybe Jamal will be there and I can let you know if he got a belt!

Days 8 and 9

*Well, we have come to the last 2 days of the travel portion of our trip.  Enjoy! *

Day 8 September 8th

Mile Post 710 Yukon to Tok Alaska 590 miles in 14 hours

Wildlife: dead moose’s, coyote, swans

Temperature: 36

Timezone: Pacific / Alaska

St. Elias Range

We hit the road this morning at 9:30 am with a full belly and goods night sleep behind us.  We had breakfast with Mum an Pa and said our Thank You's and Goodbyes.  It's pretty chilly this morning and I have to confess- I did not pack properly. I packed for Sunny 90 Salt Lake, not frigid Yukon 36* weather. Layering is not an option because you can layer as many tank tops as you want, but my arms still freeze!  We just passed our first Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We slowed because we saw lights and a car off the road and people in the ditch. As we pass we are waved on and see why- they hit a moose!!  The RCMP female officer and 3 guys had tarps out and were gutting it right there on the side of the road- free food right?!?! As we have been driving we are always looking at different license plates, so far we have seen: Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Michigan, California, Utah, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Arizona, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington. I pointed out to Dale all the Alaska plates are going south...... We are the fools heading North! We just left the booming metropolis of Whitehorse in the Yukon. It was a cute little town and we got out to stretch our legs. As we were leaving town we saw......the first sign with Fairbanks on it!!!!! We are still 600 miles away but still a very welcoming sight;) As we left Haines Junction it was impossible not to notice the beautiful mountain range, the St. Elias range is the second tallest range in Canada and as of today already has snowcapped peaks ;) At 2031 Alaskan time we crossed the border into the 49th state and our new state, Alaska! We stopped for pictures and quickly got back in the car- it was a balmy 41* ;) Coming through the border was no problem at all- he quickly looked at our passports, scanned the animal paperwork and sent us on our way. We are now only 297 miles from Fairbanks.  We decided to stop for the night in Tok at the Snowshoe. We are just too tired and saw yet another car vs moose and decided we were not ready for that Alaskan experience yet! As we pulled in I have to note the temperature was only 36*!

Side note: so far on this trip I have a bruise on my rib cage from sleeping on the truck bed, bruises on both knee caps from only God knows what, countless broken fingernails and a stubbed toe! I am ready for a mani/pedi!!

Day 9, September9th

Tok Alaska to Fairbanks AK 203 Miles in 3 hours

Wildlife: Moose

Temp: 45*

Timezone: Alaska

Brrrrrrrr! Leaving the hotel room this morning was rough- I froze my toes off- because, you guessed it-I am in sandals!  After having a great breakfast at Fast Eddies in Tok, we are off. Only 203 more miles to Fairbanks, then time to find a place to live and find me a job!!!  When leaving Tok we were happy to be on “good” roads, keep in mind I am using the term good very loosely!  Throughout the Yukon and northern BC the roads were crap and that is extremely mild- lovely dirt roads with frost heaves everywhere that make traveling with an overweight trailer very enjoyable –not! Frost heaves suck- they occur when water under the soil freezes (because its so freaking cold up here) and it expands.  So these really really slow you down and if you miss an upcoming heave, you encounter a free test your shocks and marriage bump.  Anyways, the rest of the drive to Fairbanks was uneventful and I swear the dogs knew we were getting close- they were so antsy!  We arrived into town and the hunt for a hotel was on.  I called, literally, every hotel in the Mile Post book and the entire top search results from Google and I found 4 places in the entire city that would let us have the dogs – not what I was expecting.  We finally decided the extended stay was the best day and the best location so we checked in.  Needless to say- not impressed at all.  Thankfully we would only be here 4 nights- anymore and I think we may have looked elsewhere.  So that is it folks- our trip from Salt Lake City Utah to Fairbanks Alaska via Seattle Washington.  I can definitely say we were very lucky and had an easygoing trip with no drama or maintenance issues. 

The dog set up- they had the entire bed of the truck
as well as most of the back seat.  This is where we all slept Day 6.

The rest of my blog time will be dedicated to the fun happenings, daily life happenings in Fairbanks and the surrounding metropolis, as well as Dale and I’s weekly shenanigans. Hope you enjoy Alaska in My eyes.

Days 5-7

Well, I have received some feedback and it appears people do enjoy reading my  whimsical version of our trip, so here goes Days 5-7.

*side note- Today is water Delivery Day!! Don't worry I will dedicate a whole day to the things we take for granted in the 48 that are a luxury here! *

Day 5 September 5th

Bothell WA to Prince George British Columbia 550 miles in 12 hours

Wildlife: dead something raccoon maybe?

Temperature: 75

Time Zone: Pacific

Hello Canada

Today we said goodbye to Jon and Sonya and started our trip North. This is where we started using our Mile Post Book (Thanks Mom and Dad!!) and this is a must when traveling!  It’s a great book that literally goes mile by mile on your trip, tells you where the next gas station is and most importantly next pee break :) 2 hours from Jon and Sonyas we crossed into British Columbia and had zero problems going through Customs- WAHOO!! I was pretty nervous (due to the fact that they could have taken EVERYTHING out of our trailer and we would have had to repack it all) and had all our paperwork and the animals ready and she only wanted our passports.  We crossed the border and first stop was Tim Hortons for Coffee- yum.  It was here that we learned the American Dollar is crap, I mean not worth a dime, I mean almost equal to the Canadian dollar.  I used to be able to take $20 American and get $32 Canadian 8 years ago and that was great- not anymore.  We had to have poutine for dinner and it was as good as we both remembered!  We had a pretty uneventful trip today and stopped for the night at a place called Grammas Inn- Gramma and Grandpa still run it at 91 and 93 years old respectively!! Sweet dreams!

At the Inn- I move for 2 seconds and I lose my spot!

Day 6 September 6th

Prince George BC to Mile Marker 175 BC 425 miles in 11 hours

Wildlife: Deer and Moose

Temperature: 68

Time Zone: Pacific / MST

Top of the Rocky
Mountain Trench

Today was out first day of construction slow down. We lost 2 hours due to standstill Traffic coming down the Rocky Mountain Trench.  It was fortunate that we planned our trip when we did; this pass just reopened a week prior to arrival.  Earlier in the summer the river washed away and took entire homes with it and now 4 months later it is passable-thankful we didn’t have to do the 400 mile detour! We made it into Dawson Creek British Columbia around 5 pm MST and went to tourist destination of Mile Marker 0 for the Alaska Canada Highway. After dinner at Stuies diner (Dale ate a deep fried hotdog wrapped in bacon covered in meat sauce!) we continued North. We were hoping to make it all the way Fort Nelson BC but when night fell it got dark, I mean no city lights near and no moon to guide the way dark.  We saw lots of deer and moose, dead and alive, on the road and it just wasn't worth driving in the dark. We attempted to stop at the Sasquatch Inn but no pets were allowed and it was also past tourist season and the rooms were all reserved for “crews”.  Crews meaning the guys working in the oil fields- not us.  After another 30 miles in the pitch dark, we pulled into the Buckinghorse River Lodge at Milepost 175. They were already closed at 10:00 pm so we slept in the truck. Tuke, Foster, Dom, Crystal, Dale and I all cuddled up in the bed of the truck- good thing we all like each other;)

Mile Marker 0

Side note: fountain soda machines don't exist in Canada;( having to buy water to fill our nalgenes and for dogs. BUMMER!  Also, the road signs in Canada are highly entertaining (I somehow managed to get zero pictures of this).

Day 7 September 7th

Mile Post 175 BC to Mile Post 710 Yukon 535 miles in 14 hours

Wildlife: Caribou, Rock Sheep, Moose, Bison, Brown Mama bear and 3 cubs, Black Bear

Temperature: 61

Time Zone: MST/ Pacific

Beautiful sunrise through
our cracked and dirty window

We were on the road by 7:30 this morning- earliest day yet! We have encountered a few sprinkles on the way, but nothing heavy, which is good. I saw fire weed for the first time and wow- beautiful. It's a pink tall weed that is only in full bloom when summer is over. In the spring the top is barely pink but when the whole weed is pink the locals know summer is over-sad to say summer is over here!! We started to see fall colors a yesterday but wows are they beautiful today!! Coming over Summit Pass we could see the entire valley and all the colors- reds, oranges, yellows and everything in-between.  The lakes are very plentiful here and the colors are so amazing- I now know where the color aqua marine comes from!  It was on this pass that we also saw tons of wildlife. Caribou and Rock Sheep were plentiful and everywhere!   We stopped for lunch in Toad River BC at this super cute little lodge. They actually had a veggie burger and it was amazing, Dale had the bison cheeseburger and said his was pretty tasty as well and we can't forget the poutine;) next stop -Laird Hot Springs!  Just before the hot springs we encountered a large heard of tatonka, just hanging out in the grass. As we rounded the corner and were slowing down to pull into the springs we spot a mother bear and her 3 cubs - in the ditch on the side of the road!! Mother bear was mostly brown with a bit of black and 2 of her cubs were black and the other all brown. We watched them play and eat for almost 30 minutes- beautiful amazing creatures;) Laird hot springs was great -we refreshed in the stinky water and soaked our travel weary bones;). We were by far the youngest people here, by at least 20 years. Shortly down the road we encountered our first black bear, lazily walking across the road and he gave us "the look" you know the " I'll take as long as I want because I can" look and we let him. Although Foster thought they could be friends...we kept him from barking as best we could:) Next stop was Watson Lake sign post forest. This is an awesome "forest" of over 70,000 street, city, state, homemade signs from around the world. It was a great place to let the dogs run and stretch our legs. We stopped for the night at Rancheria Lodge at Historical Mile Post 710. What an awesome eclectic place! Mum and Pa and they dog Shep ran the place. We pulled in late at night and the kitchen was already closed but Mum said don't worry I'll fix you some soup and a sandwich. We sat down in the "lounge" with Pa and all his stuffed creatures.  Pa pointed to the fridge and told us to grab a beer if we would like and we drank beer and ate while they commented on Americas Got Talent and then of course talk turned to hockey;) Our room was a steep $60 and worth every penny.

Side note: If you are traveling with your favorite canine companions and you encounter a herd of caribou or a stubborn rock sheep that won't move, call out the dogs. Simply point the animals out to your canine companions and roll down the window so the bark can be heard and watch them scatter!

Laird Hot Springs- very cool and barely altered natural hot springs.   This is the lower pool and the coolest of the three, the middle pool temperature varied from from 105 to 119 and the top pool is now closed because it is too hot and apparently very muddy.

Toad River British Columbia.  Yes those are all hats on the ceiling, 8,048 were hanging when we passed through. 

 Tatonka everywhere- this was just one of the many herds we saw hanging out on the side of the road.

Just your typical, very small, bear just meandering across the road at his pace.

The next series of pictures are the Momma bear and her 3 cubs.  We literally watched these guys play and eat for over 30 minutes.  Truly awesome creatures!

Ready to hit the road!! Day 1

Days 1-4

When Dale and I had the trailer loaded, the animals caged (or so we thought) and hit the wide open road, I took full advantage of the iPad and started keeping a journal of our daily activities so we could remember everything and this also helped with my sanity :)  So here goes days 1-4 :

Day 1 September 1st

Salt Lake City to Bothell Washington in 15.5 hours and just over 840 miles.

Wildlife: dead skunk

Temperature: 88

Time zone: MST / Pacific

We had all intentions of getting up at 6 and being on the road by 7, well needless to say we were only a few hours behind.  As we did one last look around our apartment, I got kinda teary, I mean after all, that is where Dale proposed to me and we started our life as husband and wife.  We had an amazing 28 months in Salt Lake and I would not trade that for anything.  We made amazing memories and most importantly, lifetime friends! We were finally packed and left SLC around 9 am after getting our battery jumped- not a good way to start the trip;( After traveling a whole block I hear the ferret cage rattle and look back to see Dom nearly escaping from his cage, so after 1 block we took our first stop to fix the cage- or so we thought!  The next few hours were extremely boring and I took full advantage of this and enjoyed a great nap :) About 5 hours in Dale finally turned over the reigns and let me drive!!  Now I have driven a truck and trailer before- but not this big and with this much weight.  After a few very tense moments and a lesson on trailer brakes, we were back on the road.  Dale was resting comfortably in the passenger sleep, but not comfortably enough to sleep because, I am not sure why, but he just wasn't sure of my driving ability yet - I would say this is only due to the towing of the trailer but I don't want to kid you :)  Next thing I know Dale says "What the hell" and I look over to see Dom, our male ferret, sitting in his lap.  At this point their was no pulling over to put him back in and no turn off in sight, so Dom roamed the truck with the dogs until the next rest stop. We had just crossed into the Idaho border when we saw flashing lights ahead and this was my first test of the trailer brakes- I passed!  Anyways, as we approached we saw that it was a prisoner transport bus that was pulled over and surrounded by State Troopers and they all had their shotguns drawn- needless to say happy we weren't on that bus :)  The rest of the trip was very pretty but very boring and uneventful, very Thankful for that.  The scenery was pretty but we knew what to expect, this was Dales second trip on this road and my third, not too much to get excited about.  We finally arrived at Jon and Sonyas at 12:30 PST and it was hello, nice to meet you, Goodnight :)

The dogs had no problem sleeping :)

Day 2 September 2nd

Red Hen 

We were so happy to
be out of the car!

No idea at this point-
if you were lucky, you
may have received this
in a text!!

SLEEP! After a busy week packing, loading, tearful goodbyes, one too many goodbye dinners and day one of the drive behind us, we both slept in till almost 11- amazing! Jon and Sonya both had to work so we hung around for the day trying to find places to live in Fairbanks and talking on the phone to customs in Canada. When Jon and Sonya arrived the drinking started :) We had a few drinks at the house before we headed to Ballard and ate at our favorite restaurant Oaxca. This place is amazing!! Authentic Mexican foods with Margaritas that will make you fall in love all over again with Tequila! After we consumed many margaritas and fish tacos we went to The Red Hen that was a country bar with live music.  Lots of dancing and more alcohol here!! We finally headed home just after 1 and it was a good thing- no one needed more to drink! And don't worry moms, we were on vacation so we were not driving :)

Day 3 September 3rd

It was a rough morning... Surprisingly I was feeling pretty good and so was Sonya, but it was Dale and Jon who needed a bit more sleep;) After an amazing breakfast of baked blueberry French toast (Sonya is an amazing cook but you will hear more about that later!) the boys went to move some stuff around in the truck/trailer and I had to give Tuke a bath, because within 24 hours she found the only stinky patch of grass at Jons and rolled in it;(  That afternoon the 4 of us headed down to Pike Place Market-man did I miss that place! We shopped around, people watched and gathered items for dinner that night- amazing fresh food! On our way home we made a much anticipated stop- Tullys coffee!! If you have never had fresh Tully's coffee, I truly feel you have not lived yet- just sayin.... When we got home Sonya started to prep dinner and Jon and Dale were doing boy things, i.e. playing with guns and looking at car parts- you know boy stuff. We had all intentions of staying in tonight- that didn't last!  We went down to the Wild Rover in Kirkland to listen to Geoffrey Castle the electric violinist- he was amazing!  When we left, we left with CD's in hand, I highly recommend you check him out, talent doesn't begin to describe his gift.

Geoffrey Castle  <--- Visit his sight and listen on You Tube- wow! and the video is one I took at Wild Rover- Enjoy!

Day 4 September 4th

Chateau Ste Michelle

Wine tasting day!!! This morning we headed out to wine country and started drinking at noon;) After a long and lengthy drive of 8 miles- we made it to Wine Country! We started at Chateau Ste Michelle. This place is gorgeous and a must if you ever visit! This is also Dale and I's favorite wine for many reasons so it was really cool to finally get to the winery.  After tastings there we went to Apex Winery and had a really fun time with the tasting host:) We then had to grab a quick bite to eat (4 tastings at Chateau and 8 at Apex) because we needed to soak up the alcohol.  Our last wine tasting was at Pondera at the wine warehouse district.  And it was 5 reds- yummy! Plus they also had a painting of Foster in the bathroom so biased I am but this one of my favorites;) From there we went to a Project V Distillery and Sausage Company and had vodka in 3 different stages and oh man was it strong! We got to taste 190 proof vodka- holy crap was that smooth! Really cool place ran by close friends who loved vodka so much they wanted to make their own. Now with their name, we were expecting vodka and sausage - wouldn't you??  In talking with one of the distillers we found out they take their spent grain to a local pig farmer and in turn they get a few pigs during slaughter.  Dale was secretly hoping they would be serving hot dogs, only to learn that the DAY BEFORE was a pig roast!  Anyways, I highly recommend this place :)After this we headed home for an amazing feast! Appetizers were grilled modeatella stuffed with basil and goat cheese and clams boiled on the grill. Dinner was salmon glazed with apricots and rosemary, baked asparagus, and fresh green bean medley.  Dessert was strawberries soaked in Grand Marne with homemade whipping cream served with port and dark chocolate- let me just say flavor overload! WOW! We enjoyed our last night with Jon and Sonya and called it an early night knowing we would have a long day ahead of us.

The most amazing
Salmon Dinner!

The finished product!

Project V Distillery and Sausage Company