Icewind's Ramblings

Happy Holidays! Ice

Why is Bristol Palin a news story because she is buying a house?   Next we will be hearing about her going to the grocery store or worse . . . the bathroom. I broke in a new tee shirt this morning; I guess I should alert the media! People need to get a life. Ice

Everywhere you go . . . even to the mall. And where better to remember shopping than my favorite movie, Christmas Vacation’s shopping scene with Mary. Enjoy! Did a small bit of shopping today and the parking lots were a mess.   Everyone seemed to lose the Christmas spirit as there were many hands and fingers pointed at people trying to find or maneuver for those few shopping spaces. Not fun so glad to be home without all of the chaos of the malls or stores. Ice

I saw this on Google images and thought you might enjoy this. Polar Bear Christmas This looks like Barrow, Alaska which is in darkness from November to until January 24, 2011. Polar Bears playing on the ice next to the Beaufort Sea. Happy Holidays! Ice

This past weekend while temperatures in Anchorage plunged to minus digits as a solid few days of extremely cold air settled in over the state there were those who braved the extremes for a worthy good time. I say ‘worthy’ because it was an annual fund raiser for the Alaska Special Olympics organization and a good time because you must be nuts to jump into a hole cut into the ice of a frozen lake at minus 11 degrees. But that is what over eight hundred jumpers did last Saturday morning while several hundred onlookers and well wishers cheered those who took the “plunge”.   There were over 4,000 pledges made for this fantastic event. Notice the “steam” coming off the participants after getting out of the water heading to the warming tents. The event was another great success . . . raising over $ 275,000.00 for the organization to help train our special Olympic athletes and other programs offered throughout the year. Congratulations Jim Balamaci, for all you do directing this gre

I headed out early for my usual Saturday morning breakfast with my friends leaving the house a little earlier than usual since we had snow that night.   It was one of those strange type mornings since no normal people were out yet, just me and the “Force”. It was odd that on the 10 minute drive to Village Inn from my house I traveled the small streets in my neighborhood to the highway and through the back street neighborhoods near the hospital.   On this whole drive of seven miles there was one thing happening that struck me like a vehicle blasting off into a snow bank on a cold windy morning. The only people I had seen that morning were the snow plow drivers making the night twinkle with the flashing yellow and blue lights and the occasional back up horn blasting away to anyone close by.   Not a soul else was seen on this drive to breakfast. Coming down my street was a ‘formation’ of three snow plows coming at me like an army of heavy metal with blinding lights to show them the

*Nitty Gritty Dirt Band circa 1970’s “Rippling Waters” has been a favorite song during my lifetime as it feeds my soul of that longing for relaxation and small town living.   I’ve danced with my daughters to this music when each was a little girl and same with grandkids now. The music has gone in and out of my consciousness over the many years but something seems to trigger its return to my brain and my well being.   “And now ripplin’ waters flows through pipes in the walls and they’re keeping me warm” which refers to the hydronic heating systems in houses here and many other places.   It is an everyday reminder in the wintertime of this song as you can hear the air bubbles in the pipes making the sounds.   It is soothing at night lying in bed as we do not have many thunderstorms here in Alaska so those sounds are comforting to many people. We are approaching the official start of winter on the 21 st when the winter solstice happens.   So far it has been a pretty rough “Fall” wi

Why do we press harder on a wireless mouse button when we know the batteries are getting weak? Ice

With Christmas just around the corner and things going into full swing this holiday season I wanted to give you something to ease that stress of the crowded malls, that parking spot at the far end of the lot and bring back that time of Christmas carols.   This little video clip from Two and a Half Men reminds us how fun those little moments are that brings out that unexpected smile. Enjoy! Happy Holidays, Ice

The holiday is over and it was back to work but it was nice to have a few days to rest and unwind. Thursday dawned with snow falling through the darkness and several inches had fallen.   I was up long before first light as daybreak now is about 9:45 am with the days growing shorter till the winter solstice.   I could see the flakes coming down reflected in the glow of the street light across the street.   My deck and railing was covered with about 3 inches and it was coming down steadily. The weather forecast said to expect 1” to 3” but that had come and gone so it was a lets see where it ends.   I did not have anywhere to go so it was a good day to just hang out and enjoy its beauty. The weather front stalled out over Anchorage and gave us a foot of fresh snow over the weekend.   On Sunday it was time to break out the snow blower for the first time this season and have a go at clearing the driveway.   It is not long but it is four vehicles wide so it can be a good workout with fo

I hope everyone’s tummy is full with turkey and stuffing and you’re forced to spend the rest of the weekend on the couch from the delicious food coma. That’s the holiday season. This year for the first time we did not cook a turkey or holiday dinner.   There was no one here to enjoy it so going through the motions of fixing all the trimmings was to no avail.   We hung out watching the snow falling all day long as the one to three inches of snow turned into almost a foot as the weather system stalled out over Anchorage. Overnight the skies cleared and today it is bright, sunny, and not a cloud to be seen.   Whiteness returns and everything is covered with a fresh coat of powder.   There is no left over food to munch on or find space for in the refrigerator and all of the paper plates from yesterdays ‘meal’ have long since been thrown away. Missing is the kids and grandkids this year and my father in law who decided to become a snowbird this winter and headed for Florida for a tim

My wife’s hearing has been deteriorating for a few years now and she finally went several months ago to the doctor for a screening confirming her problems. She was able to get a hearing aid for one ear and maybe next year she can get one for the other side but for now it has improved somewhat but there are still some additional problems. When she wears the device while watching television she turns it way down so no one else can hear anything if we watch something together while before it was so loud I could hear her programs from my office. She takes it out sometimes at night several hours before she sleeps so things are asked and answered several time before the conversation can move onto the next subject or item.   Several weeks ago she went back to work again with her boss who was moving into a new office with his son combining their practice.   I told her, “I’m proud of you.”   To which she responded, “I’m tired of you too.”   See we still communicate effectively after all th

Trying week at work so today’s observation: Never judge a man’s actions until you know his motives. Ice

I wish Target would stop screwing with old people.   Target has introduced a redesigned pill bottle that's square with nice rounded edges.   It sports a bigger label.   And the top is now the bottom. By the time we grandpa’s figure out how to open it, our ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis. Ice

I started my rig just before 4 pm so it would warm up by the time I walked out the door from my office since the temperature has dropped over 30 degrees since yesterday. I looked out my office window and saw the setting sun’s reddish orange glow awash over the mountainside with a waxing moon rising a few inches above the mountaintop.   Once I got into my rig and started the drive home the sky to the southwest was bright orange since the sun had just set. Looking across Cook Inlet lie “Sleeping Lady” covered in a fresh blanket of snow without a cloud in the sky to be found across the horizons. By the time I arrived home and got the mail it was almost dark outside. Times like these makes one thankful to be in such an incredible place. Ice

Over the weekend the heating system in the house started acting up.   During the day time things seemed to be working but more likely it was the small amount of passive heating coming through the windows.   As the afternoon slowly waned and darkness set in around 4 pm things started to cool down inside the house.   By seven pm the temperature had dropped to 65 degrees and was not holding at the set thermostat temperature.   I swapped out the batteries in the unit since it has digital controls but it did not help so it was time to go check out the boiler. The boiler was working as the radiant heating in the basement zone and the garage zone hydronic baseboard were hot and working.   There are three zones in the house and the upper zone control valve was not working properly.   I could manually open the valve allowing the hot water to circulate through the baseboard warming things up.   By bedtime it was about 72 degrees when I closed the valve.   By morning the temperature had dropp

Remember the Fallen . . . The face in the picture drew me in.   So much warmth and vitality in his smiling face.   What would he have been like today?   A doctor?   A writer?   A businessman?   Hard working and good-humored I am sure of that much.   I think he would have been a great family man and, if a father, full of love and warmth for his children.   These were dreams unrealized because of a life far too short. As my eyes widened to that inward reflection, I wondered why things had turned out the way they did.   It could just as easily been me long since dead.   This is the burden of one who remains.   Survivor guilt. I can hear his voice so clearly and after so many years as we waded in the surf of the South China Sea. "Are you afraid of dying D?"   "I never really thought about it Jim.   No, I guess not." "I am." The humid air and blazing sun baked us. Jim's comments dampened the conversation and made me uncomfortable.   "Why was

It was a long night across the country and after many went to sleep on the East Coast the polls finally closed in Alaska. Many races were decided and a few are still a few days away from the final outcomes.   But one trend seems to be happening . . . Probably we are all getting screwed. Ice

I’ve said it before . . . one of the problems with elections is eventually after all the fliers, commercials, rally’s, and finger pointing . . . you have to elect someone. How did it come to a time when you are voting for the ‘lesser’ of evil in the candidates? Many a long hard fought battles have taken place in this country . . . and it is from Gettysburg that we were reminded: “. . . It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.   It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” November 19, 186

Tomorrow is another election day and things are still in turmoil.   I see signs that ask “How’s that ‘Change’ going for you?” and “Yes we can!”   At times I wonder it the changes that have taken place are really changes at all. It’s well nigh impossible to assess the true character of a human heart . . . even one’s own.   We use words (Oh, so many words!) to describe our selves, our wants, desires, ideals (and imperfections) to others.   We go through life “self-characterized”, for the most part.   The face we reveal to the world is the face we primp and preen to present.   It sounds like a woman thing but it fits our thinking. Words are our cosmetics. I don’t really have a problem with that.   I believe most of us want to embody our ideals.   I believe we humans, for the most part, want to live peaceful, loving, noble lives.   We certainly tell ourselves that, often enough.   We assure others we are peaceful, honest, loving and noble people. Then there’s that “Watershed Mome

Living in Alaska puts a damper on some things but the last couple of years one is left to wonder what happened to Halloween. Even with the cold weather you would see kids out with costumes over the snow suits or all bundled up against the elements.   Lately there have only been a few people out and about knocking on doors looking for the candy treats we looked forward to as a child. Alaska does things a little differently with several indoor places to take the children to a ‘festival’ atmosphere where there are the big inflatables for the kids to play and being inside there is little worry of the cold or snow outside. Does that take away from the whole fun of Halloween going to the neighbor’s house for that trick or treat tradition?   I had only four people who knocked on my door this year and they all came at the same time.   Over a period of several hours there was nothing happening even though my wife gave the dog a Valium to calm him down since he barks at anything and everyth

On the drive back to Anchorage this afternoon from Gulkana as we approached the Matanuska glacier we saw a chicken crossing the road . . . it was poultry in motion. Ice

There was an incident at my work today that had me thinking about several things. Someone parked a car at the top of our parking lot and left to go inside to work in the building next to ours.   One of my co-workers, Faith came to work a little later than usual due to her son’s school activities.   She parked in a different spot than her ‘normal’ one as most of us are creatures of habit and leave for work at the same time, arrive at the same time and park in ‘our’ spot each day.   We do not change very much of our daily activities going home the same way, stopping for things from the store on the same day each week or weekend.   We all do it. Several hours after work started there was an email sent saying a vehicle had “rolled over in the parking lot”.   It did not say which side of the building this happened so I looked out my window and noticed a car had plowed into one or two other vehicles.   Later it was discovered that the vehicle that had parked at the top of the parking lo

Finally a commercial showing us what is happening out there . . . too bad it is trying to sell us another phone. It’s scary that this is a reality if you pay attention to what’s going on around you. It is like that everywhere . . . soon we will lose all of our social skills. Ice

It’s one of those evenings where I want to write about so many things but just cannot seem to put it on paper tonight. The snow level is coming slowly down the mountainside to the valley floor.   We should have our first measurable snow by morning which is later than most previous years.   Usually I am excited about the coming winter but lately that excitement has not been easy for me.   I think it is because work has been so busy I have not had time to properly get my mind frame adjusted. I started a fire . . . sitting here looking out the window into the darkness of night slowly waiting for the rain droplets to take form and turn into the multifaceted flakes falling past the street light across the street. Will it make the change over before I go to sleep?   It may as I sit here and ponder what to write next. But the with the waiting it seems I just can’t finish anythi Ice

It’s almost time for Anchorage’s annual FOCC . . . (Festival of Car Crashes) The festival is traditionally held the first day that there is more than a dusting of snow. It's played much like Pamplona's ‘Running of the Bulls’ except everyone is in their car or rig’s and the object are to avoid all the other cars. This is no easy feat given treacherous road conditions and "Auto Alzheimer's" . . . the yearly loss of memory of how to drive in winter that afflicts most drivers in this town. The weak and cowardly stay home those first few snowfalls as the truly macho strut their stuff in the legendary places of traffic mayhem, like the intersection of Tudor and Lake Otis or the S-curves of the Glen Highway by Fort Richardson.   The annual festival is a boon to both body shops and hotels as tourists flood the town from around the world, hoping to see the ‘Northern Lights’ with many getting caught up in the action in their rental cars.   That's the spirit, eve

When you think that our kids may be suffering from a lack of ideas for school projects this kids Dad give him something to capture the imagination and brings back some much needed “how to” to school projects. I saw this over on “The Next Web” blog and thought it would be fun to share. It reminds me of building soap box derby cars in my youth and other science projects I did as a kid.   My favorite project I built was the Gemini 6 & 7 rendezvous mission in December 1965.   I built two models and had a motor underneath with cables that brought them together and backed them up again.   It was pretty cool and this one tops anything I can think of in the last thirty years. Enjoy. Ice

I see it everywhere I go now . . . people head down . . . thumbs at the ready . . . and banging out messages to other people.   They are sitting at the bus stop, driving down the street in their cars, in planes as they travel from place to place and even in the bathroom of all places. I walk into my restroom at the office and a guy is standing there using the urinal . . . holding on to take aim with one hand . . . and texting with the other.   What in the hell is that?   Then he goes so far to not wash his hands and leaves not missing a beat sending the next message.   And he puts that phone up to his ear with dirty hands . . . I was shocked. I admit that I am a dinosaur when it comes to texting . . . I don't do it unless I absolutely have too and I don't want to know how to do all of those little short cuts and abbreviations.   I am a person who uses the cell phone as needed but not one who is addicted to it.   My friend Scott has OCD with his phone . . . grabbing it when

Last week I booted my computer when I came home from a trip and started to do my normal things like check emails, a visit to Facebook, and to write something for this blog. I had been on maybe five minutes when I received a message from Microsoft that I needed to back up my data as my hard drive was near intimate failure.   I tried to remember the last time I had done a complete backup and figured it was during the last Christmas holidays.   Back then I had backed up on several discs so now I pulled out my trusty thumb drive and started to sort and back up some things. The word items went fast and smoothly but once I started the many photos from work and my travels it bogged down quickly.   Then things would start to freeze up and a reboot was necessary.   Over the next day or two it became apparent that I was spending more time with the freeze ups and reboots than I did actually backing things up. Then it happened . . . The Crash. It would be several days before I could go buy a

It has been a long crazy week full of so many different things it has been hard to catch my breath.   There was a bit of travel . . . a ton of paperwork, a few meetings with a couple of strange things thrown in for good measure. Over the last couple of weeks I have seen some interesting things . . . quite a few Kodiak brown bears in both Larsen Bay and Old Harbor.   In Old Harbor there were two groups in the area where we are building a new water treatment plant.   It is a marshy area and one group was a large mama bear teaching her three cubs to swim in the estuary while close by (about a hundreds yards away) was another teaching her two cubs to catch fish close to shore.   On either side of those two groups was a male bear on the bank sunning itself or rolling around on its back.   Several of us watched them while waiting for the weather to improve so we could fly out.   It was pretty incredible to see. In Old Harbor there was a large bear that was just off the road in the s

This has been a rather long week with travel, the work grind of a busy summer schedule, and the loss of letting family go away in search of her destiny. I totally understand that need as I have gone through it myself but it does not make it any easier from a parent’s perspective in letting go to see the ‘spreading of the wings, flying away’ from home. It is an empty feeling house now and will take some time getting used to the lack of activity. This week also had the sad passing of two people I have admired for many years.   Tony Curtis died at the age of 85, a man who entertained us and showed us over coming ones own demons with an artistic flare can heal oneself in the long run.   We have missed your presence from the ‘silver screen’ and one of my favorites was the funny 1965 sleeper, “Boeing, Boeing.”   Jerry Lewis was also in the movie. One of my favorite writers, Stephen J. Cannell died today in California.   He entertained us in the 80’s with so many shows on television, Ba