Devil's Punchbowl

Jeff came to Skagway for the weekend. We climbed three miles up the mountain to "Devil's Punchbowl."

Oscar had almost no trouble.

View of Skagway from the summit.

Jeff kindly kept me moving.

Oscar loved the snow.

I struggled a bit at the top to keep going, but Jeff pushed me to the end.

I'm glad that we got to see a little bit into the "punchbowl."

I said, "Yep, there's the punchbowl. Let's go back down now."

Juneau Weekend.

My summer in Southeast has been glorious so far, and I am discovering my little granola side. That's right, Mom. You're daughter likes to camp. Last weekend I took a trip to Juneau to visit Jeff, and we spent almost the entire time outside. We hiked up to the Salmon Creek dam and went fly-fishing. Plus we hiked up to the Herbert Glacier and camped by the river.

I can't wait for more time outside with Mr. Rogers. I think this will be a perfect summer.

Two Cents

As I sit here at my only internet access in the Alaska State Capitol, I spend most of my free time devouring blogs. I am continually inspired, but obviously don't often post my own.

BUT I thought I'd shout hello to all of you and give you a little advice-READ THIS.

Thank you, and have a peaceful spring day.

Perfection

Dave (my bro-in-law) put this video together, as a way of literally announcing the baby's name to the world.

I can't watch without crying.

He is named after my incredible father.

Needless to say, I am overwhelmed with homesickness.

Winter Hike

Jeff and I bundled up on Saturday, and hiked the Treadwell Ditch trail on Douglas.

Oscar came too.

How fun was it to sink waist deep in the snow with every step? Well, not so fun for me. "Trust me" Jeff repeated as I bit my tongue, wanting to scream profanities at him. I like to stick to the trail.

Oscar had no trouble.

Ultimately, I forgave him for forcing me to be adventurous.

Christmas Month

It is my belief that Christmas doesn't officially end until Valentine's Day. I guess that is why I keep eating candy...
My amazing mama made this little playhouse for my niece and nephew for Christmas. We had one just like it when I was wee.
It is so delightfully retro, and fits over a standard card table.

It is why you should never dispose of your favorite patterns.

I don't often cook. I used to bake. But cooking? Not my forte. Although, I love gravy. Any sauce really. Jeff fixed me biscuits and gravy a couple of times, and it is so crazy easy. Just brown some sausage, add a about 1/4 cup flour, then a quart of milk. Simmer for a bit-then you got gravy. And we just use the Pillsbury biscuits.

The fam seemed impressed, and I wish Jeff was there to pretend to be impressed too.

I eat this meal a little too much, therefore showing off MY biscuits.

Here's a bonus shot of Dad and Buster. Buster is 18 years old. Most of the time he acts like and old-fart dog, except when there is the smell of roasted turkey.

oh man

Does anyone out there read me anymore? Well, who cares really. I feel like letting you ghosts know what's up. Hopefully all you blogging-hiatused peeps will follow suit.

So Leading Ladies... what a perfectly unforgettable experience. I felt so lucky the whole time we were in performances. Our audiences were so responsive, and I didn't meet one person who didn't love the play. It is so nice to perform in something that easily has mass appeal. Now, don't get me wrong-I love artsy fartsy heavy dramas. But this was just perfectly delightful.

I was lucky enough to have a little bonus while performing in November. I started dating the managing director of the theatre. He is a smart, focused, fun, weird, handsome, Yale alum named Jeff. He is very cute. And we are still dating... *big smile*

I went home for the holidays for a month, and had an incredible time with my family. It is always so fun to be with the people who know me the best. It's also nice that they will always laugh at my jokes. ALWAYS. Even/especially when they're not even funny. So, this horse walks into a bar....yeah. You know the rest.

Now I am back in Juneau. I will be here for about three months working for the Finance Committee during the Legislative session. I start tomorrow, and feel like I'm diving into the unknown. I have a whole new wardrobe, and I am so excited to get going. It is strange to know that I have a real live job outside of the Red Onion. I will be back at the Red Onion this summer, but the Legislature job will really keep me focused until the summer.

Phew. Ok. Blog-CHECK. Now, time for dinner.