Icewind's Ramblings

Or The Long and Winding Road . Recently I started working for a nonprofit group.  I think everyone has some preconceived notions about what it might be or what they might be struggling to accomplish. Mine is a Native Corporation whose mission is to provide the highest quality health services in partnership with our people and the Alaska Tribal Health System. We build health clinics, water & sewer treatment plants among other things to the different areas of Alaska .  Another very rewarding thing we do is build the infrastructure to bring running water and sewer into rural homes.  This is one of the neat parts of what we build seeing families who have never had indoor plumbing be able to have hot water and running water in their houses.  Many of us forget that there are still places in this country that do not have the everyday conveniences many of us take for granted. As the year closes I am thankful to end this past decade with several positive notes.  Quickly finding

A wonderful Blue Moon on the rise. When I left for work this morning in the predawn hours before first light there was a waxing almost full moon smiling at me, a midst the two December moons.  Once in a Blue Moon . . . is a common way of saying not very often, but what exactly is a Blue Moon? According to the popular definition, it is the second Full Moon to occur in a single calendar month. It is a lunar event that happens ‘once in a blue moon’. This phenomenon has nothing to do with color, everything to do with time. The average interval between Full Moons is about 29.5 days, whilst the length of an average month is roughly 30.5 days.  This makes it very unlikely that any given month will contain two Full Moons, though it does sometimes happen. On average, there will be 41 months that have two Full Moons in every century, so you could say that once in a Blue Moon actually means once every two-and-a-half years. While a blue moon consistently gives poets fodder and

I didn’t really feel like writing tonight as I have been watching the first season of “Lost” on HULU.  I wanted to post something so I thought I would write a quick post on one of the things I know I’m guilty of doing in my posts. This is one of those little pet peeves that drive “some people” crazy. What I’m talking about is a “Blog post” of “unnecessary” quotation marks. As you wander around your town or surfing the internet look for them and post them occasionally. Here is a couple examples of what I’m talking about: And one of my favorite useless signs . . . and exactly where is the security the sign is calling out.  Look closely . . . he’s “sleeping”. Now back to the season one finale of Lost , it’s been pretty interesting. Ice

Or where have you gone on your travels around the United States ?  A friend sent this to me several months ago and I have not had time to post this. Put an X by the states you have been to.  I’m told the average is 8; how do you match up? Should you chose to play, here's what you do: Copy my post. Paste the copy in the body of the note.  Delete my Xs and add your own. Just for fun, put an O beside the states where you have lived. Airports don't count as you must have traveled to the area! Alabama - XO Alaska - XO Arizona - X Arkansas - X California - X Colorado - XO Connecticut - X Delaware - X Florida - X Georgia - XO Hawaii - X Idaho - X Illinois - X Indiana - X Iowa - X Kansas - X Kentucky - XO Louisiana - XO Maine - Maryland - X Massachusetts - X Michigan - X Minnesota - X Mississippi - X Missouri - X Montana - X Nebraska - X Nevada - X New Hampshire - New Jersey - X New Mexico - X New York - X North Carolina - X North Dak

December 26 is a downer for many people. The decorations are still up, but do you sometimes feel whats the point? Christmas is over. The children have done their thing with the presents which probably are unbroken and mostly appreciated, but their allure as surprises in brightly wrapped packages is gone.  The guilt-free indulgences that happened in the last several weeks leading up to Christmas with chocolates and Chex mix is now giving way to nagging worries about love handles. Call it the post-Christmas letdown, the result of spending a month immersed in the holiday, then having it end abruptly.  Although the holiday season doesn't end until New Year's Day, Christmas is the big holiday, the pinnacle of the season, the focus of planning and preparation.  The hours of decorating, cooking, and preparing for the big holiday gathering are shattered in the few short minutes of opening gifts, eating a great meal and if you are lucky . . . family or friends spending a few

Thanks to AMC cable channel it was nice that they are playing Christmas Vacation over and over again today.  I awoke early and was able to watch it in the quiet of my man cave . . . no laundry going at this early hour. The days this week leading up to this morning were filled with all of the necessary items that make up “that perfect family Christmas” that Clark Griswold so earnestly tried to bring together. My family was probably no different from his as everyone scrambled with busy lives, work, doctors appointments, and the waiting for when those that had been out of town returned home for the holiday’s . . . then add to the mix our family dysfunction and the stage was set. "I don't know what to say, except its Christmas and we're all in misery. (Ellen Griswold)" - Christmas Vacation Dog barking, kids screaming and running around like chickens with their head cut off (if you’ve lived in the South and watched your grandmother do this before the holiday mea

Sorry this is not another tasty treat from my Alaska Road Kill Recipe book but one you should really like. Here’s a little holiday recipe to serve your houseguests who drop by.  If you are lucky and no one comes by feel free to enjoy these with your favorite beverage . . . it leaves more for you to enjoy while kicking back on the sofa. Crab Nachos 2 packages Hollandaise sauce (made as directed on the package – with milk, not water) 1 pound lump crab meat 4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 4 tablespoons green onion, chopped 4 pieces bacon, well cooked & chopped 4 teaspoons pickled jalapenos, chopped (for that little extra bite) 1 package shredded cheddar 1 package shredded Monterrey Jack Tostitos Scoops Prepare Hollandaise sauce according to package directions; reserve. Preheat broiler. Mix crab meat, cilantro, onion, bacon, cheese, and jalapenos in a bowl.  Add hollandaise sauce.  Generously spoon mixture into Tostitos Scoops and place under broiler unt

We’ve made it to Christmas week and with it watching the traditional holiday movies we sit through every year.  My brother loves “It’s a Wonderful Life” while my sister likes “Miracle on 34 th Street ”.  My favorite is “National Lampoon Christmas Vacation”.  I find it hard to believe that it has been out 20 years now and it still brings us laughter year after year. This is the classic tale of a man trying to have a ‘good old’ family Christmas with his "good old" family.  The quiet dream of every man, I think, is to have that perfect holiday.  Too bad like the movie it never quite turns out that way. There's a reason the "Cousin Eddie" character in Christmas Vacation resonates with so many.  We've all got a Cousin Eddie, or two, in our extended families.  Some of us . . . are Cousin Eddie. Probably many of our families weren't designed for a televised Christmas special as our dysfunction would be awkward on TV.  Who knows with the current crop

I saw this story which I found interesting.   The world is in a huge “going green” movement right now making efforts to use recycled materials or designing new building and structures with energy efficient fixtures or systems.  Many seek a LEED certification giving the owners a tax break or other incentives to invest in our future.   One of the changes in an everyday product is finding unexpected results.  Was it a lack of testing in appropriate conditions or possibly a rush to get the product in the marketplace. What I’m talking about is the traffic signal light that you see everyday.  The electrical versions have been around since the 1920’s with the first gas type lights being used in Britain in 1868. With the changing times and everyone talking about energy there have been changes with traffic lights going to a more energy efficient LED light bulb.  It may use less energy which is a good thing but with the new type bulb it also produces less heat than the older

And so did the ditch divers who cannot drive worth a crap. The front came through and with it a nice steady snowfall covering the frost on everything the last two weeks and as those who make their way to work in the darkness forgot some of the tenants of safe driving.  The main on is slow down lest you end up in the ditch or overturned with that unique view upside down sliding to a scary stop hoping someone else doesn’t hit you.  Another is turn of cruise control on icy roads as they can make you veer off the highway when the tires hit uneven ice on the road making the false sense of slowing down when it just spins those tires until you hit the brake spinning you out of control. After the front stalled over Anchorage it produced some nice fluffy large snowflakes which was pretty to watch once the light of day came but caused major traffic tie ups along the Glenn Highway which was closed for several hours due to out of control vehicles.  It was a long commute for those head

Nope, not again this week. Anchorage has been basking in ice fog for the last week which means we have not seen the sun during the brief daylight hours we have this time of year. Traveling around town has been interesting looking at the many objects covered in the hoar frost   makes everything look like the white ice world Hoth in the Star Wars movie, Empire Strikes Back.    Trees, power lines, or anything outside in the elements is covered with about ¾ inch rime ice.  It looks cold and with the temperatures around ten degrees it feels it at times too.  At least the wind has not been blowing making it even colder but at the same time it would have blown out all of this fog with even a gentle breeze. The contrasts between things is interesting as the vehicle colors against the white is nice but the real beauty is seeing the dark colors of moose and different colors of birds against the ice or frost.  As they come and go around the bird feeder or a moose by the house with th

You can't trust dogs or grandkids to watch your food while you go to the bathroom. Ice

Elin Picked a Wedgie I find it interesting as more information comes forward in the continuing saga of Tiger Woods.  He is a very private person who for years now has developed his ‘brand’ presence while little is reported about his life off the greens. As most of us had finished the turkey, cleaned the dishes, and settled down to enjoy the time away from work news broke about the crash of the Cadillac Escalade and the injuries to Tiger Woods. At first things just didn’t seem right as the story broke on the east coast while many slept but here in Alaska it was still evening and the pop-ups on the internet flashed the early news of what happened . . . or did it? ‘Backing up’ out of the driveway . . . hitting the fire hydrant and then the tree . . . but why was there damage on the front of the vehicle?  Perhaps a quick getaway? Tiger unconscious in the car, a window broken with a golf club after a heated discussion and a neighbor’s call to 911, a quick trip to the hospital f

I have a friend whose brother has MS (Muscular Dystrophy) and he recently turned 32 which seems pretty incredible since many people die in their teens and twenties from this disease.   There was a small get together of friends and family who celebrated with him so everyone was happy to spend quality time among friends.  While my friend and I were there we wheeled his brother into the room as he has been wheelchair bound for about 15 years now.  We ordered pizza from one of the local delivery places and everyone had a great afternoon.  As the party wound down to just a couple of people left we headed over to the side of the room to talk a bit before we left to meet up with some other friends. While we were talking there was a request by his brother which kinda flipped us both out for a minute.  The request was he wanted to have sex before he was unable to and his disease progressed to a state where he would be incapacitated.  We did not know what to say or how to respond to this

Early this morning my wife and daughter boarded an Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle so my daughter who has been sick the last two years will be able to get tests done that the hospitals in Alaska do not have the equipment or specialty doctors to perform.  We can only hope that there will be a positive outcome and finally will have a clearer diagnosis of the problem that keeps her vomiting 10 to 15 times a day.  It has not been easy for her as last night was the first time she was outside the house in over a month and it had its own difficulties. She made the flight to Seattle ok without totally alarming the passengers onboard as they requested seats in the last row next to the lavatory so when she had problems it was a quick move to the restroom without having to pass by row after row of the hordes onboard. She starts her first test at 7:30 am so we are remaining positive this will be a life altering trip for her gaining some of her weight as well as the ability to function

Alaska is a sometimes strange and wonderful place to live. And while coming into winter with five fresh inches of snow for Thanksgiving the down time gives one time to reflect on the summer and have a chance to write a few things down from earlier in the year.  I think with the longer nights there “seems” to be more time as you stop doing some of the outdoor things in the afternoon and early evening as darkness sets in now around four in the afternoon.  Put away now are the fishing gear, boats and personal watercraft as well as most of the hunting gear as much of the subsistence game has been acquired and in the freezers with only some winter trapping still going on in the rural areas. I have many friends who do live a subsistence lifestyle which hunt and fish each year to provide food for their families.  It is a time honored tradition here that both Native and non-native families participate in which makes one appreciate where and sometimes when you get food to provide for th

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, as I hope it is a great day for you! Times have been a little depressing lately for many people in the country so I thought it would be great to give you a couple of laughs today.  It will only take a few minutes of your time . . . about the time it takes to have a cup of coffee so take a break and give yourself a little smile and for me every time I hear or see this it gives me a good belly laugh. There aren't as many classic Thanksgiving episodes of TV shows as there are classic Christmas episodes.  But there are several we remember fondly, including this one. It's the "Turkeys Away" episode of WKRP in Cincinnati that originally aired on October 30, 1978.  Station Manager Carlson tries to come up with a special promotion for the station and, well, you'll see what happens. WKRP in Cincinnati was a sitcom by Hugh Wilson who was a disc jockey for WQXI radio in Atlanta , Georgia in the late 60’s and early 70’s.  I think a l