Earthquake

Yesterday, about 30 miles SW of Anchorage there was a 5.2 earthquake. I immediately wanted to know that everyone was ok, if the people in my village felt anything (though it's 330 miles away from Anchorage) the article I read said that the peninsula had felt it. I looked immediately onto the district email to see if there was anything about it, but nothing was there. I guess that means no news is good news.

In talking to my friend that will be teaching for the first time in AK next year too, she hadn't heard about it. She's from a bit further East however and I could understand why only I had heard about it here on the West coast. She said: "well as long as it doesn't crack off and sink in the ocean i don't care!"

I like the optimism there and the idea that it might crack off...maybe float away and sink. I sure hope that doesn't happen and if it does, there's a plane nearby with my name on it!

49 days...

Progress made

Today was a very productive day.

In trying to keep my yard in check, or get it back in line, I mowed the side yard, the back yard and mowed down part of the "garden". To explain, that's the patch of the yard that used to be a garden but has since grown better grass than any place else and houses strawberries in buckets, blueberry bushes and a couple of raspberry bushes. I'm hoping that with some black cover everything that we want to die will and it will be in much better shape for next spring when I return home. Maybe I'm too ambitious but we can see what happens.

After that, I headed into town to scavenge the aisles of the local Goodwill. In search of some silverware to take with me, not only did I find a huge bag of it for 4.99 instead of .99/ea., I found the elusive silicone baking pans I've been looking all over for. I swear that they disappeared off the market! I got three bread pans, a muffin pan and a 9x9ish casserole pan....I take that as a brownie pan! I'm sure I'll get creative though. Bonus find: Pepsi glass with handle to add to my collection. I just love those things. I only have one without the handle so I'm always on the lookout for those too! Now, to decide on what type of plates and pots, etc. to take.

I have to continue to work through the closets for a garage sale. Trimming the fat here at home is going to help us out later in life and allows us to look at what is really important. The garage sale should bring in some extra money and I'm excited to get some stuff outta the house!

The final steps came late in the day today. I found out more about who my students will be, how many I will have for sure and some of the steps I can start at with them. A heavy sigh whooshes through my lungs as I begin to prepare for a very busy and experience filled year ahead. I'm excited to get started and to begin to learn more about the students I will spend much of the next year of my life with!

52 days.....

BANG! BANG!

Yes, it's a good idea to bring a gun. Yes the brown bears are big and they can attack you and you will want to be protected. Yes, it will need to be a big gun. Well, ok then. Let's take this back a little bit and tell you a few things....

I shot my first handgun last year in a range in Idaho with my Uncle at my side showing me how to work each one. He took his time, was very patient and I did quite well for my first time ever. This is to say that there were several holes in the targets. We shot small ones and worked up to a 45 Alaskan and a 45 Judge. I found that the Judge fit better in my hand as I have small ones and gripping the gun was sometimes a challenge. The differences in kickbacks and being able to hold them effectively was a big learning experience for me.

I get told that having a gun on my side is a very good idea and that I would basically be stupid to not have one and I think, "Ok, I can do this." Research begins on what I should be taking with me that is good for bear protection. Now that it's figured out what I need, the gun comes with my Uncle and it's time to figure out if I can handle it, the practice rounds and the rounds for if I have a bear to protect myself from.

Here's the great part. I can. For the most part. Day one went well. It's a big gun, not something I would use on a regular basis if I didn't need something that large. My hands, as I said before, are quite small and it's not got the smallest grip. I'm not strong enough, steady enough or good enough to just pull through to shoot. (Either that or I just have a midget trigger finger) So for now, it's a cock back and pull so I don't have to pull so far or hard. It works for me right now and I know with practice that will get faster.

We went and shot for a bit, I learned the ins and outs of the gun, it's pretty simple actually. All the better for me! I shot some cowboy rounds to get used to the gun, my stance again and learn how to let the gun kick up. Since I have pretty strong arms, I didn't really feel it kick so much after a few rounds, I wasn't letting it kick up on it's own and was just letting my body absorb it. Well, turns out that was a BIG mistake. Uncle John had a plan brewing to fix that real quick.

He'd hand me a couple of bullets, I'd but them in, pull out the shells and we'd repeat. Ha, since my ENTIRE family knows I'm super gullible, the time he helps me load two bullets in, I don't think another thing of it. I figured he was helping me out, showing me I was doing something a bit off or maybe just being nice. Nice....ha. Teaching me a freaking lesson was more like it.

Let the gun kick up, not back, not to the side, let it kick up on it's own. It's going to have a big kick when we shoot the big bullets. He'd warned be on the drive up, warned me that it would get worse when we started the big bullets. I figured I'd have a warning about when that would happen. NOPE. The first of the two was the cowboy shot...smaller, same thing we'd been working on. I pulled the trigger, and hit the target. Cocked it back, target in sight, deep breath, pull trigger......AUGH! I felt like my wrist exploded! Did it kick up in the air? I don't think so, I'm sure my wrist took the brunt of it.

Now, at this point in time, thoughts were racing through my head. No was the answer to all of these just to let you know and as I heard the familiar chuckle I knew he knew what he had done. This was a father type figure who had just gotten to teach a 30-year old kid a lesson. "Listen to what I said" Let the gun kick up in the air. He wanted to see what would happen when I didn't know it was coming. Well, I did the same thing as with the smaller shots, tried to absorb the kick. Let me tell you, it doesn't work.....his plan did. When I shoot the big shots, the gun kicks up now and I try to let the small ones kick up as well.

We shot for a bit more, small ones felt like nothing, the next round of big ones came....the first one was ok, the second bullet of the big ones psyched me out. I think it was one of the only times in my life I really had to stop, re-gain composure and tell myself I really could do it and that I wasn't scared. Self-doubt really isn't something that I deal with. After that gun was done, we moved onto a self-protection model that he wanted to shot with and try out, it was fun to see the difference again in the guns.

It was a small little one but it did have more kick than I anticipated for how little it was. Not so much though than one could handle. In all, I had a great day and a wonderful learning experience at the hand of a fantastic man. I have been assigned homework and he'll be back to check on my progress. (And I thought school was done!)

Getting ready for Alaska hasn't been the easiest thing so far, a lot of paperwork, thinking of what to bring with the guidance of the district and the many people who have their advice and the many thoughts of how it's really going to be when I walk across those TSA lines not to return again for many months. I know I didn't sign up for a "cake-walk" job and I'm ready to take on the challenge. I hope you all enjoy the stories that come with it too.

One last picture to leave you with. Uncle John and I chatted about how big the bears were. I found this picture, it's posted on several sites but we'll say courtesy of deltana.com. I look at it and think about how big that bear looks dead. Think about what it looks like alive.

53 days.....

Graduation day support

Yesterday was a pretty big day. Family came out to support me as I walked across the stage with 739 people to receive a degree. Many of those people I did not know, had never met and might only come across them in passing again. The walk through professors was a walk through my past. It spanned back through a time where I was just out of high school and headed into college not knowing much and trusting some of them with my life. (Coach Caster and the hammer throw!) I saw professors whom I admire, respect and have grown to love. Many asked how I was doing and then asked about the teaching I'll be doing in Alaska. For those who might just be joining, I hope you enjoy the journey.

To my family who came and supported me (by getting sore bums and backs while playing iPad) yesterday day in the stands, thank you. The graduation was long but I was happy to have you there! Plus, wasn't the name reader's voice totally worth it?! It was like a wonderful song that kept on forever. I wonder how long he had to practice those obscure names to get them just right?

On the flip side, I keep receiving information from my school district. A friend of mine and I who are arriving in Anchorage together are going to be flying from Anchorage to King Salmon together as well. I like that idea. We received a letter/email that gives us a $50 credit for Lake and Peninsula School District (LPSD) logo clothing. That's the next step for me today, I love sporting the school colors/logos! Then there is the idea of more packing. Wait...more...how about I start with figuring out what I am really going to pack, what I am going to ship and figuring out what address I need to ship it to!

My passport came yesterday. It's pretty official looking, though the picture looks more like a mug shot than an ok travel picture. I know you aren't supposed to smile in it but a smirk would have at least been nice. Darn it, I'm saddled with that picture now for 10 years! Oh well, as long as it gets me where I want to go if I ever need to leave the country, it will work for me.

So many things happened yesterday, life changing, transcript changing, moving forward onto the next step. I sure hope I am ready because it just keeps getting closer.

54 days...

It's graduation day

After another year (or so) of hard work, papers and some interesting projects I will head over to Western Oregon University to stand in line with over 700 other students, walk onto the track when during my days on campus I spent many hours on as an athlete and walk across a stage to signify that I completed a graduate program. They'll hand me a little folder that has nothing in it but has a pretty cool seal on the front. My special piece of paper will come about 10 weeks later.

10 weeks?! Don't they know I won't be anywhere near Oregon by then?! Maybe my husband will take a picture of it for me or show me via skype what all my hard work got me. A flimsy piece of paper. More importantly, that all important little note on my transcript that shows that I have this degree better not take 10 weeks, I have a teaching license to get.

Regardless, I have had to go and get new fingerprints done at the Oregon State Police. The guy there was pretty nice after an initial stiffness. He found out why I was taking up his time and became interested and asked questions and thought it was kinda cool. I've ordered an original copy of my CBEST scores because the copy of the original I have won't work. Darn it. It's a waiting game right now. Let's just say, I hate having everything ready and having to wait for others to send me the last little bits.

Once graduation is over with, what do I have to do. Wait. Wait for time to pass, wait for the passport to get here. (It's a just in case, Mom insisted.) Honestly, I kinda like the idea. Maybe I wanna fly somewhere for no reason for Spring break....hum, sounds kinda fun! I must wait for the garage sale date to get here. It's a good thing it's a little bit aways, I have a lot of closets to go through!

One thing I don't have to wait for; the grass to grow. I have to mow that grass all the flipping time! Once the family is gone from coming for graduation (thank you!) I will be back outside making sure the back yard doesn't take over again and then back inside making sure the closets don't eat me alive.

This number just keeps getting smaller.....I almost feel like it jumps more than it should...

55 days.....

The date's are in

The district calendar has been released. I know when school officially starts, when inservice days are, and when all the testing is. I can see that my spring break comes no where near my husbands (no surprise there) and I can also see the several days I will have off for the long holiday break around Christmas/New Years.

Flying during that time of the year should be interesting, exciting and maybe a little death-defying. Driving to come and get me could get tricky but I'm sure someone will take the risk (maybe). I'll look forward to flying over Portland and seeing all the Christmas lights as I'm sure I'll get home later in the evening or at least afternoon after a long day of flying. It's all in the future and I'm excited for what it holds for me.

I do have to say, to my Black Friday buddy: I'm sorry, I won't be back for shopping. I get that Thursday and Friday off. That's it. Keep your computer up and maybe a skype call to browse ads? Of course, mine will be all digital. Maybe you can do my x-mas shopping?

63 days....

Alaska Driver's License

I've known for awhile that I'll be surrendering my ODL. A number I've had since my birthday, 1995. How does one just "forget" a number? This one will come back to haunt me for an eternity as I struggle to learn a new one? Driver's license number please?....oh crap, uh...um....fumble for the wallet and figure out what number/letter (probably) combination to give to them. Great.

It will be cool to see what they look like, maybe get a better looking picture. Maybe I'll fib a little bit on my weight this time? I've always been so truthful....maybe it's time for a white lie... Probably not though. I'm too honest. Darn it.

Anyhow, the link I've provided go to the Alaska "take the challenge" test prep. Each time you take it the questions change and it gives you some insight on the test I'll be taking. Thank goodness I looked, there's some oddities up there that I'm glad I know about now! Just think if I would have failed! EAK!

You can link to it by clicking on the title of this post or the link below. Happy testing!

http://www.dot.alaska.gov/highwaysafety/
64 days...