Seward Kayak Trip July 2010

This is a trip that was on my list of things to do this summer. I have been wanting to try sea-kayaking for a long time. I have kayaked a few times on a lake, but I heard it was much better on the ocean. I got the "GO" for the week in Bethel for Aug 5-11, therefore this will be last weekend off for about 3 weeks. I wanted to do something fun and of course spend time with my guy. We got the trip all booked and planned. His roommates would be joining us for the trip too! This summers' weather has been, shall we say.... less than a perfect Alaskan Summer. The rain just won't stop.
However, I told Alfred that I didn't care and wanted to camp anyways!! I also was looking forward to some hiking..even in the rain! We got everything all packed up Friday afternoon and headed out of town. We had to stop by REI and pick up an aerobed. The twin areobeds were not cutting it anymore :). We got what we needed and zoomed down to Seward. We arrived just in time to grab a campsite with a gorgeous view. It was a lovely evening with NO RAIN!!

We picked that awesome Italian place for dinner. Alfred had lasagna and I had eggplant Parmesan, it was fantastic. After dinner we grabbed some firewood to have our first campfire of the summer. All the camping we have done has been in the rain with no chance to have a decent fire! We made some smores and watched the huge cruise ship pull out of Seward. It was a very nice evening alone with him. Sometimes I feel like he is all I need. He can be quiet sometimes, but that's ok because I talk too much..lol. It was the perfect night...we had fun taking pictures of ourselves by the water.


Saturday morning we slept in pretty late. His roommates arrived around 930am and we headed to breakfast. The plan for the day was to do some hiking around Exit Glacier. It was looking pretty cloudy, so we geared up for rain. We started the hike and I was feeling really good for the first hour!!

It was a pretty decent hike not super steep, but I was starting to wonder how long it was going to be? We were all sweating through our layers and the rain was starting to come down pretty good. It was such a beautiful hike, but I was starting to freeze and get sore after about 2 1/2 hours. We finally reached the 2.8 mile mark and I decided it was time to go back. There was a bit more hiking up to the Harding Ice Field, but I just wasn't up for any more. His roommates decided to keep going and we headed back down. The view of the glacier was beautiful and I wished I had the energy to keep going. We dried out nicely on the way back down and heard there was a black bear with cubs somewhere on the trail. Somehow we missed the bear, but saw some poop!! I felt pretty accomplished after the hike, it was my longest one yet. It felt so great to get a shower and into warm/dry clothes when we were done!!


That evening we went played a little pool and went to bed early. I know that hike wore me out pretty good and we had an early date with the sea the next morning. Oh I almost forgot about the LEAK! Our new tent...holes right through the top!! We were laying in bed getting dripped on...unbelievable...it has been such a great tent and kept us sooo dry!! We would have to investigate this situation and fix IMMEDIATLY!! Good thing REI's return policy is awesome!! Alfred rigged up a lovely drainage system with a baggie and off to sleep we went. First nights sleep....awesome...second night...well, not so awesome. It was like everything that can go wrong camping..did. We woke up in the middle of the night flat on the ground...NOOO not the new bed too!! Geez REI was going to get some serious returns when we get home. We actually thought something was a little faulty with the bad anyways, so back it goes.


Today was the day of our kayak trip! We heard rain all evening and woke up to a pretty steady flow of rain as well. I did not let it bother me. I put on lots of warm layers. Our boat was leaving at 9am for Fox Island. We got our coffee fix (oh and a very naughty pastry....our eating habits were not in control this weekend at all..btw...I will address that later tho) and were ready to get started. The boat dropped us off around 10 am on the island. It was beautiful!! I hope we can go back and stay there sometime. We met our guides and I was thrilled to see they had all kinds of rain gear for us to use!! We all took advantage and put on everything they had to offer!


We got a quick lesson then out into the ocean we went. I enjoyed it so much. I was hoping to kayak next to a whale, however, that didn't happen. We did not get completely skunked on wildlife viewing...there was a puffin nearby at one point. Just 1 puffin...yep that's about it. We were in tandem kayaks, Alfred was steering in the back. We did a pretty good job except he had to ask me to even out the pace a few times. I would get little bursts of energy and paddle like crazy. We have a good connection, but reading my mind is not one of them...quite yet :). I'm glad he spoke up and asked me to steady my pace. I was having so much fun that I kind of forgot he had to follow what I was doing...lol! After about 3 hours of fun in the rain it was time to head back.

They fed us an awesome salmon lunch! We had to grab another boat to get back to the harbor. We both fell asleep for most of the ride back. I learned that being active in the freezing rain can make you pretty sleepy. We got off the boat and headed back to camp. We must've set a record for the quickest tent take down ever! I think putting all the gear away and tent down took us about 7 minutes. We make a pretty awesome team! On the way home I wanted to stop at Double Musky for dinner. We got really lucky because it wasn't super crowded. Alfred had never been there before. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and boy was it amazing. I felt pretty guilty about the entire eating habits of the weekend and this ending did not help lessen the guilt. We usually make pretty healthy choices, but it's Double Musky and they have Jalapeno Rolls....I know it shouldn't be an excuse. I would like to try and make some better choices in the next few weeks. All the working out won't help if we eat bad. However, it was like a little mini vacation and we enjoyed it so much. After all this rain I will be looking forward to our Hawaii trip in a few weeks. I have to get through the long 3 weeks ahead first.

The rest of my week off was good. Got tons of chores done and spent lots of time with Alfred. I won't see him much for the next 2 weeks, so I went a little overboard this week with spending time with him. Well it's wonderful for me, I just hope he doesn't think it's too much! I just adore him and his company...can't get enough ;)

What happened to her?

Here is the article from a week ago on ADN.


Woman found stabbed to death in Midtown sanctuary
INVESTIGATION: Friends looked for her when she was overdue; police have not ruled out suicide.

By KAYLIN BETTINGER
kbettinger@adn.com

Published: July 15th, 2010 12:26 PM
Last Modified: July 15th, 2010 12:27 PM

Police have not determined whether a young woman found dead in a Midtown park early Wednesday was a victim of homicide.
Family and friends of Brittni Giliam became concerned Tuesday evening and went looking for her after she was gone for longer than expected, according to Anchorage police Lt. Dave Parker. They called police around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday after they found her body in the Helen Louise McDowell Sanctuary, a park between 36th Avenue and Tudor Road on the east side of the Seward Highway. She had been stabbed in the chest, police said.
Police have not ruled out suicide, Parker said. Homicide detectives are investigating, he said. The medical examiner is performing an autopsy. Parker would not say whether a weapon had been found at the scene.
Ken Lambertsen, a bishop at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that she attended, said Giliam lived with her family in South Anchorage but she and a roommate were housesitting on Helvetia Drive in the Geneva Woods neighborhood. The house backs up to the McDowell Sanctuary, a swampy wooded area with a small pond. Giliam and friends hiked Mount Baldy around dinner time Tuesday and she returned to the Geneva Woods home around 10:30 p.m. Afterward, she went for a walk. Evening walks were common for her, Lambertsen said.
When Giliam didn't return home, her roommate got concerned and called her father. The two of them found Giliam's body in McDowell Sanctuary.
On Wednesday morning, the trail to the McDowell pond was quiet. Near a pond viewpoint, a small piece of police caution tape remained from the night's investigation.
Giliam worked at The Alaska Spine Institute and, according to her blog, often rode her bike on a trail through the sanctuary on her way home from work.
She graduated from East High School in 2005. Giliam attended Brigham Young University but hadn't completed her degree there, Lambertsen said. She planned to start studying aromatherapy in the fall.
Giliam loved to travel, Lambertsen said. She visited Australia, South America, Europe, Fiji and Mexico, he said, trekking and doing volunteer work.


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"She had an endless supply of friends who loved hanging out with her and she loved hanging out with them," he said. "You could not say enough good about Brittni Giliam. You just can't say enough. There was a purity about her that was just beyond belief."

East High track coach Lisa Keller kept in touch with Giliam after high school. She described Giliam as sweet and uncommonly thoughtful.

"She thought very deeply about things and was very sensitive," she said. "She wasn't a surface person at all. She was a deep kid."

Keller ran into Giliam just a few weeks ago. Keller said she seemed upbeat. Giliam had a large, involved, very active family, Keller said.

"You always have kids when you coach that stick with you. She was one of those kids," Keller said.

On a blog she kept, Giliam often wrote about her religion and family. She shared photos of hiking in Alaska and Australian beaches from a study abroad program she attended. She shared a muffin recipe.

In her last entry on Monday, she wrote about the sanctuary, posting a picture taken near the place where her body was found:

END OF ARTICLE

Ok so the police have not said much about this since the article. I read her blog and this is not a woman who appeared suicidal. Check out her blog and read for yourself...http://givenafterwichgive.blogspot.com. This woman does not deserve to go unnoticed. Please take time to read some of her posts. I hope APD finds some answers to this woman's homicide. May God be with their family.

Possibilities...

This week has come and gone really fast. I did some babysitting on Monday. Tuesday, I worked some overtime and had a rugby game that evening. The game was good. We split our team in half and played each other. I was on the red team and we won! I didn't score, but carried the ball some! I managed not to get too bruised up this time. Was surprised at my energy level too. After ten minutes of an actual game, I am pretty winded! However, this game was a good pace and I only saw stars once! I hit Mavis's hip really hard trying to tackle her. I am pretty sure all that went down was me! I looked forward to Wednesday because I had a date night planned with Alfred.


Ever since I saw those bunnies in Valdez, I have been wanting one. Alfred wanted to see a hedgehog so we headed to the pet store. We looked at all the little critters trying to decide which one would be a good pet. I have had lots of hamsters and rats. Time to try something new. I found a bunny that I really liked, but decided to wait a bit. We also discovered there were no hedgehogs to be found in a store. What a disappointment! Apparently you have to order them on the net! Hmm...we will do some investigating on this. We looked at all the critters and I held a python. We got some good info so we decided ...mission accomplished...for now.





We slacked on the working out this week so we headed over to the gym. He ran an awesome 3.2 miles in 35 minutes and I ran 2.8 in the same time. We did some push-ups and sit-ups then headed out for dinner. We were really hoping for Moose's Tooth but it was so crowded there. It is the best pizza in the world, but I mean geez it was almost 9pm and still a long line! We went to Spenard Roadhouse instead. We had an awesome dinner complete with some kind of fabulous bacon jam which we both enjoyed! I really love my time with him. It seems to go so fast when we are together and so slow when I am waiting to see him (like during long 12 hour shifts at work). He is such an affectionate person and he makes me feel wonderful. We keep telling each other that we just "can't get enough". Anyways enough mushy stuff for right now...
I arrived back to work on Thursday to find an interesting proposal. There was an email asking if anyone wanted to work in Bethel for a week. I added up the pay and it was around $3,000 dollars for just that week. Someone willing to pay for my flight/accommodations and I get to make $3,000??? I would have to consider this! It would mean working in a village, but I would be at the jail for 12 hours a day and exhausted by the time I got done. I would have to work 21 days in a row. Oh and worst of all...not see Alfred for a week. However I have a credit card that is just begging to be paid off and two more vacations still this year. I weighed the options and decided....YES I should do this! So my name is in the running. It will be the week of Aug 5-11th. I would be working at the Bethel Prison. I have a friend out there, so I would at least know someone. I think the opportunity would be awesome and I am really hoping to find out soon if I get it!


Today is Friday and I am really tired today. We had a rugby team BBQ last night and Alfred and I stayed up late (again). It is hard to go to sleep when you just want to spend all your time with someone...sleep seems like a waste of time when there is so much to be done!! However, I pay for it the next day. Tonight as much as I want to see Alfred....I have to get to bed!! I still have 5 long days of work left! This could be my last week off for awhile so I had better enjoy it when it comes. Hopefully we will have fishing/camping weekend planned!!

Valdez Road Trip

Anyone who knows me knows that I change my mind.... like a lot. I want everything to work out perfect, but sometimes I just can't get it together. Things kind of fell apart with my plans for the weekend yesterday. The only way it made sense to go to Valdez was to leave with Alfred and Adam early Friday morning. So that is what I did. I am missing out on the Bear Paw 5K and am now super pressed for time, but it is going to work out. We got up and the boys were all ready to get started with their bike race. The point of the trip was so Alfred and Adam could bike a 300K race from Sheep Mountain Lodge to Valdez. I wouldn't be able to see them all day except at the half-way point for lunch then would meet them later that evening. I really wanted to be there for support and I know he appreciated it! It was such a beautiful morning. It could not have been a more gorgeous day for a ride!
I would be meeting them at our camp spot for the evening in about 4 hours or 50 more miles for them.

I dropped the guys off and now had an entire day to myself. They were off on their bikes and I had several hours before I would meet them for lunch. I decided to blast the music and drive around the area looking for lodges or campgrounds. When that got boring I decided to lay out on the side of the road (in the grassy area), take a nap and catch some sun! It was fabulous! Alfred and Adam showed up right on schedule. We ate some lunch and after 50 miles of biking they seemed fine. They were off again.
miles. I arrived at the lodge where we were staying at around 2pm. I had time to kill and needed to go for a run. I asked one of the guys which direction I should head. He showed me a path and said no bears were in the area lately so I should be fine. It was hot as hell up there but I went for the run anyway. I came to a beautiful creek, but decided not to stick around long (bears..ya know..they pop up all over). I went back to the lodge and decided to grab a drink and wait for the boys. Before I knew it hours had gone by and they still weren't there.

I chatted with the bartender and the Russian owners of the lodge while I waited for them. I also met a British woman who was living in Sydney, Australia. She was basically touring the world for the summer. You meet the coolest people living here. I can't believe it sometimes. I mean I never would have met anyone this cool if I had stayed in Delaware. Who the hell stops there on their worldly travels? The British gal was heading to Katmai National Park, Canada, New York, England, then ending in South Africa. She wasn't much older than me and traveling all alone. I thought she was so awesome! OK, back to the guys....now it's almost 7 pm and they still weren't there. We had joked earlier in the day that if I didn't see them in a few hours then I should go looking for them. There were a few other bikers starting to come in so I wasn't super worried. I got up to use the bathroom and when I came back...there they were. They looked exhausted. I guess it was terribly windy and they had an awful 2nd half of the ride. It took twice as long as it should have. They decided to skip day 2 and just drive to Valdez with me! It turned out to be a good decision because it was cold and rainy the rest of the weekend.


We left the next morning. It was a beautiful drive. However, once we got to Valdez there was not much to do. We set up our tent in the rain and waited for some friends to arrive. We left early Sunday and decided that we wouldn't be heading back there any time soon!! It was a fun weekend and I am so glad that I went, just wish Valdez was more exciting!

What your hair color says about you

So Alfred found this article and I need to share it. The part about the red heads obviouslly caught his attention...lol.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37341535/from/toolbar

WHAT YOUR HAIRCOLOR SAYS ABOUT YOU......

by Gina Roberts-Grey


Our hair is our most noticeable trait — and we obsess over it accordingly. But even though we spend lots of time enhancing and re-enhancing our tresses, we probably haven't considered something pretty cool: What's underneath all the glosses and highlights can be a health barometer of sorts.

If you're a blonde...
Protect your peepers. Women have a higher risk than men of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye condition that can cause blindness. And fair-haired females are especially prone to AMD, says Svetlana Kogan, M.D., founder of Doctors at Trump Place in New York City. A diet rich in the natural compounds lutein and zeaxanthin — found in kale, spinach, and snow peas — can help fend it off. Kogan suggests munching on one cup of the green veggies every day.

If you're a brunette...
Hold on to your hair. More than half of the 30 million American women with visible hair loss are brunettes. That could be because they have less hair to begin with: "Brown tresses are generally coarser and thicker than blonde or red strands, and your body produces fewer of them," Schlessinger says. So when brown hair follicles die, they leave behind more noticeable thin patches. Stave off sparse coverage by eating right. Low iron can contribute to hair loss, so start swallowing 18 milligrams a day; one cup of fortified oatmeal will provide your daily fill.

Stub out that butt. Your chestnut mane is the result of lots of melanin, which could fast-track your dependency on nicotine. The reason: Melanin prevents your liver from quickly metabolizing the drug, and the longer it's in your system, the faster you become hooked. Animal studies suggest that vitamin C helps keep your liver in top shape. Swallow 75 milligrams a day in the form of half a cup of red peppers or a medium-size orange. Your best bet, though, is never to pick up a cancer stick. Period.

Snag a boyfriend. Do gentlemen really prefer blondes? Nope, according to Florida State University research. Not when it comes to long-term relationships. Plus, according to a 3,000-person survey, men prefer brunettes as serious mates because they see them as more reliable and steady. If you're not looking for a long-term thing, try a little spontaneity: Make the first move by slipping that cute guy your digits.


If you're a REDHEAD

I lincluded the pic of Lauren Ambose...I think she is beautiful and a fabulous example of a gorgeous redhead!!

Watch your mouth. The next time Lindsay Lohan goes in for a cavity filling, she might want to ask for extra Novocain. Fiery locks, it turns out, stem from an inherited DNA mutation that also makes redheads resistant to general and local anesthetics, says Daniel Sessler, M.D., an anesthesiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. In fact, carrot tops may need up to 20 percent more numbing juice than blondes or brunettes. But don't let a little hurt keep you from getting good oral care: Talk to your dentist about pain management prior to plopping down in her chair, or take 500 milligrams of ibuprofen one hour before the appointment.

Look out for Parkinson's. A recent Harvard study found that redheads have an almost 90 percent greater chance of developing the disease. Why? Possibly because of that same gene mutation: It influences another type of gene that, when also mutated, can be associated with Parkinson's. On the plus side, research shows that folic acid might delay the progression of the illness. Margaret Lewin, M.D., medical director of Cinergy Health, advises taking 400 micrograms a day (more if you're pregnant). A multivitamin has all the folic acid most women need.

Stock up on condoms. Redheads make red-hot lovers, or so the stereotype goes. One thing's for sure: They get a lot more action, according to one study. This might be due to a self-fulfilling prophecy, says Kogan. "Red is associated with fire, and fire is associated with passion," she says. "Often, you become what people expect of you." Something others are eager to try: Recent Clairol research shows nearly 40 percent of people said they'd go scarlet for a day if they could.

Inspiration

Well I had another early morning and really wanted to stay in bed. I went to Starbucks and got some fuel. I have been doing tons of online research for this new business idea of mine. I am thinking of starting a small wedding consulting business to do on my week off. I have been checking out wedding planners website and doing tons of research. I have had so much fun looking through all the photographers websites! While browsing through I came across several blogs. I've heard of these "blogs" but have never read one. Well, let me tell you....I am getting hooked. There is a photograopher in Wasilla named Carrie Lambing. I keep going back to her page because her work is beautiful. I started checking out some of her and her friends blogs. One has completely blown me away. A young family from Wasilla that had just adopted a baby girl a few days ago. They have 4 kids already and seem like a good Christian family. I was so inspired when reading about their selfless gift to adopt, especially when they already have 4 of their own. Plus the Mom looks super familiar, I'm sure I know her from somewhere!! Anyhow I am so inspired by their story and crusade about adoption awareness!! Once again it makes me feel like...geez this woman manages a hubby, 5 kids, church, AND adotion awareness!!! I need to do more with my life!! Some people are just so amazing. Anyone who knows me knows that I always have wanted to adopt/foster eventually. Its so inspiring to see people who are actually doing it! So this week has been very inspiring with starting a business and enlightening myself to all the endless possibilities of my life :)
Bacon TidBits blog check them out

I didn't make it to practice in time, but I did get in a quick work out at the gym...my 1 1/2 mile is right around 15 min 30 secs. Woohooo!!

Fourth of July Weekend

Well there isn't too much to report. I worked all weekend and the weather was awful. I will tell you what I did and then tell you what I wish I had been doing. I did manage to get to a BBQ with Alfred on Saturday night. We headed out to the valley to have dinner with his co-worker. His friend had some out of town company from Philadelphia! We chatted lots about beach traffic back home, Alaska, and the boys talked Dentist stuff!! We had a good dinner and headed out early. On Sunday I got off work and headed to Alfreds for a BBQ. His roomie Adam and Michele (a resident friend from dental school), Alfred and I had an awesome meal. I was so tired that I passed out pretty early. He had a group of his friends swing by for showers before heading out to the airport. They just spent 10 days in Wrangell St. Elias National park camping/hiking. Alfred has had so many friends from school in town lately!! I tried to go to bed early, but the neighbors were loud and fireworks were going off. I will catch up on sleep sometime soon, I hope!
I wish I would've been camping in Seward, watching the mountain race, and catching some fish!! Next year the panning will be better!!