Its Too Cold.

I cannot believe that I have not written more during my trip here because usually I am just exploding with material. I think I have just kind of been out of the game so I am forcing myself back into... for you people.

Alaska's weather has been like totally crazy since I have been here. Sometimes 50 degrees and freezing, sometimes feeling a bit like AZ only with a huge dose of humidity and mosquitos the size of golf balls. Humungous. It was raining today and everything would be normally fine but the house has no air conditioner (cause really, like they need it) but the windows are always open to keep the air following through the house. My mother is rarely cold and I must be cold blooded because when its cold I am frozen and when its hot I am melting. Even if I am moving around and doing work, I'm freezing. Exhibit A:

Granted it was at least 15 below when that picture was taken but that is stil how cold I can be when its 70 degrees.

So besides the roller coaster weather, this trip has been great. My mother and I drove down to Anchorage to see my dad who was down there for business. We explored the downtown and you would not believe you were in Alaska.... I mean it was semi normal.

Well that is until you walk past ANY of the stores...

Oh yeah, that's right... a little Sarah Palin and Bear action. 

Also while i was in Anchorage, I experienced a lot of new things. The first was finding this adorable new pair of shoes that my mom suggested I wear out of the store (because she hates my turquoise Toms) so I did. Well the strangest thing happened... I had this whole new persona to envelop and man did I. I pulled my hair back, threw on my mother's green scarf and walked around like I owned the place. 

Until my feet wanted to fall off, not because of the height of the heel, but because of the leather laces pushing into the tops of my feet... Bad idea. Thanks mom. For nothing... except some really cute pictures...

I also FINALLY got to get one of those hair feathers put in. Although I did change my mind at least three times while the poor girl was putting them into my hair. And where it is now, you can't even see them because my hair is so thick... I need to do some more rearranging. 

My dad still hasn't noticed... I love them but wish they were just the tiniest bit longer. Oh well. 

Anchorage aslo has this thing called a "Planet Walk" where there are all these signs about the planets placed by scale according to the main sun which is the starting point and you follow them all down the coast. I was excited to get pictures with all of them until I figured out the planet formerly known as "Pluto" was 4.3 hours away... forget it. 

The sun was near this food cart (you know, like in regular big cities) and the guy made Poutine which is a Canadian specialty of french fries, gravy and cheese curds. Yeah... cheese curds sounds gross but is really delicious.. trust me.. I'm the pickiest eater alive.

In the words of Blake: "Extra good". 

My dad got to drive home with us and if you ever break down on the Alaskan highway in the summer... I hope you bring loads of bug spray. It is like nothing I have ever seen... bugs straight up out of that movie The Mist. We had to stop due to rock explosions on the highway for a bout 30 minutes and the car in front of us had a boat trailer with a blow back right tire. They had no idea so dad rolled down the window to let them know. When he rolle down the window for literally one minute, about 70 bugs of all shapes and sizes flew into our car. I thought we were doomed. After we waited the pilot car came to lead us safely through the debris.

And of course my dad cut to the front of the line to ask the construction worker (puffing on a cigar) what the hold up was, so we were the first to follow the pilot car. 

When we finally arrived home we had a genocide on our hands... A genocide of dead bugs all up in our grill, windshield, and Honda logo.

Check out the animal blood smeared from the mosquitos.... sorry guys, pretty gross. 

There you have, the life and times of visiting Alaska. I leave tomorrow bright and early.

Oh and in case you forgot:

BOOM. POSTED.

Welcome to Alaska, Where the Playa's Play.

Welcome to Alaska. I really do like it here. It is a little harder to get used to because we only have our one car and my dad's business car so it can sometimes feel like you are in a never-ending prison (due to the lack of night...) but regardless its beautiful up here.

The definite worst part is the actual trip. With a three hour layover in Seattle, the flight to Fairbanks does not get in until midnight. The the trip back is even worse because the safest flight goes out at midnight, ands in Seattle around 6am and then a five hour layover until around noon... FIVE HOURS! No bueno. Luckily my awesome father got me on the 6am flight out with just an hour layover until that noon take off. The only reason you don't always take it is because they can cut it pretty close. Here's hoping.

This trip has already been best because my dad got me upgraded to first class... for the first time in my life! I personally cannot fathom spending my own hard earned money on something like first class but let me tell you... might be worth it.... One words: Glasses.

Actual glasses, for my apple juice! And thennnn..... you also get free alcohol! That's right. So the only thing I could think of  (besides: "What do you have on tap?") was to order a vodka cranberry:

Delicious. Also I was served some salad (perfect), tomato soup (would have been actually perfect had I not indulged in that for my lunch before I left for the airport!!), and some sliced tomatoes. Just great. This is where some hypnotizing would come in handy...

Unfortunately I was back to coach on my second flight and I was little more worn for the ride on that one:

So on Sunday in Fairbanks they have this big 'festival' called the Summer Solstice where it runs all day and night long. I put festival in quotations because it was the sketchiest most run down set up I've seen in a while. And that includes the Sumter County Fair in South Carolina...

Although I did get some cotton candy and a really cool turquoise ring, so I guess not all was lost. It was fun to walk around and see all the different tents and venues but I honestly get so paranoid at places like that where a lot of people are crowded into one dirty, urban place. Freaks me out.

We went with some neighbors as well and it was literally like herding cattle trying to keep everyone together. One of the guys got garlic and parmesan french fires from a tent (who could resist?) and ending up pawning them off on me because they were so strong. Of course I was in meltdown mode so those fries could not enter my mouth fast enough.. but I quickly regretted that choice because the garlic was so immense I couldn't end stand myself.

We went to dinner at a small restaurant known as the "Elf's Den" for dinner. You walk into this shabby hut (right next to Santa Claus's house, no joke) and right at the front entrance is a picture of Guy Fieri from Minute to Win It but he originally did food stuff (whatever) and he signed a poster of himself for the place... so it must be good, right?

Wrong. Not very good. But we had a fun time and I was at the kid's end with the little 4 year-old, Lily, who was hilarious and slipped right out of her rollie chair because she was wiggling too much whilst trying to place her chicken tender order. One minute I hear "I want the chic..." Then the next minute she feet up on the floor. So funny and sad at the same time.... luckily she thought it was funny.

On the way home we saw a momma and baby moose.... Great first day :)

Boom. Alaska-ed....posted.