Birthdays and New Kids in the Block

I'm the big 2-8 now and I'm feeling good about it. 28 feels like a solid age. I, at least sort of, have my life together. I can finally comfortably pay my bills. And I know the importance of both doctors appointments and oil changes, and that tequila shots on a Tuesday are a bad idea. Actually shots of any kind at any time are probably a bad idea.

I celebrated my birthday in Talkeetna, one of my favorite places in Alaska. Even Denali came out to play. Feelin' lucky, you guys. Feel.in.lucky.

Today's hot jam is New Kids on the Block Happy Birthday. Because it's my birthmonth and I can do what I want.

Sunroofs and Christina Grimmie

When I was in high school, I drove a '95 Ford Escort Wagon. 

Color:  Minute Maid Berry Punch

It didn't have power windows or locks; thanks to our dirt road, the alignment was off; and the blower didn't work, which meant the heat/air conditioning only came out if you were driving fast enough. This was in California, so no heat wasn't a problem too often, but at the beginning and end and sometimes middle of the school year, the lack of air conditioning was a hassle. My afternoon routine involved opening all the doors and windows and standing around in the parking lot while at least some of heat escaped before I drove home.

These days, I've moved up in the world. Not only does the blower work in my car work, but I also have a sunroof. 

Trust me, I look as cool as this kid.

If I'm being honest, I'm not a huge convertible fan. My hair blows all over the place, it's hard to have a conversation or hear the radio, and sunburn is likely.  But a sunroof  lessens some of those problems. It's a convertible for the less tolerant. Or at least the fair skinned and curly haired. And, bonus, no one mistakes you for a midlife crisis victim while you're riding around with the sunroof open. (I'm looking at you, Miata drivers.)

This week's hot jam is a cover of Drake's Hold On, We're Going Home. I'm a big fan of The Voice and two weeks ago, Christina Grimmie did an AMAZING job on this song. I already like the Drake version, but this sounds awesome in a totally different way. 

Storage Solutions and Justin Timberlake

Good news folks, I have now switched from my spring/fall coat to my spring/summer fleece! I even rode my bike yesterday. Whaaaaaaatttt?

Anyway, my main squeeze recently acquired a large chunk of empty land out in The Valley.

Not this Valley

But hopefully it won't be empty for long, as he (we?) plan on building a cabin. I may not know a ton about construction, but if there's one thing I know about, it's storage solutions.

Is this heaven? No, it's The Container Store

I love the challenge of finding ways to store things. It's totally a creative outlet for me and it turns out a lot of people feel the same way and then post all there ideas on the internet. Which it super helpful. 

Storage between the wall studs? Get stuff off the counter, don't take up any floor space? Super smart.

Toe kick storage? Genius.Cooking sheets? Skillets? Place mats? Table clothes? Presents you're hiding? They would all fit under the cabinets

Just like most things, there is no reason to waste space. Especially if you are designing it yourself.

This week's hot jam is Not a Bad Thing by Justin Timberlake. Not a Bad Thing sounds like *Nsync era JT and I love it. I can just imagine it playing at my middle school dances in the cafetorium. (Yeah, cafetorium), some kids slow dancing, other kids sort of swaying and snapping because it has a in-between-speeds beat, awkwardly hoping someone will ask them to dance before the song is over. Sigh. Middle school...

Lent Day 46: Family

I made it, you guys! I'm currently deciding what to wear to Easter mass tomorrow! (Mostly, which shoes are best for stomping through parking lot slush.)

(I probably wouldn't be the only person in Xtratufs at church, but no, Mom, I'm not going to wear them)

It seems only appropriate to write about my family today. If we were living in the same state, we'd be celebrating together tomorrow, but because I'm the "free spirited" child, I'm up North while everyone else is enjoying warm weather.

It's actually +50 F, totally shorts weather

My family is amazing. They've supported me through all my weird decision. Whether that be hangers on my head or moving to Alaska. (With only minimal hassling)

And I couldn't be more thankful for them.

I know I've already used this photo, but it just makes me SO happy.

Cutest member of the family.

This weirdo doesn't quite fit into family or friends, but he's certainly something special, and I'm wholeheartedly thankful for him.

"I'm slothing!"

Lent Day 45: Friends (mine, not the TV show)

It's Good Friday, folks. so that means TOMORROW will be my last post of Lent. I've (almost) made it!

I have a bunch of weirdos all over the place that I can call friends, so I feel pretty lucky in that department.  They keep me on my toes and keep me from being too much of a hermit (which I definitely need). I'm thankful for having people to send outfit pics to and people to trade recipes with and people to get book recommendations from. (And I'm thankful for friends who won't judge me for ending a sentence with a preposition)

Lent Day 44: Treat Yo Self

 I'm not an extravagant person. I will use something until it is absolutely unusable. I bring my lunch to work (almost) every day. I rarely go out to dinner. But sometimes you just need to "treat yo self."

Or you know, office supplies. socks. Hansen's Cherry Vanilla Creme soda.

I like to treat myself to small things. Today, for example, it was an Italian soda from the coffee shop across the street.

Other times, I bribe myself to get stuff done. Because being a grown up is hard. "Okay, Maggie, you can treat yo self to _______ (popsicles, beer, hot cheetos - I'm mostly motivated by food...), if you _______ (wash your hair, get the oil changed, finish your to-do list, etc)"


I think it's important to keep yourself happy. So as long as your not treating yo self out of house and home, maybe go ahead and get those 'zerts. Or take a trip to Bali. Whatever floats your boat (or bank account.)

Lent Day 43: New Restaurants

For being a mid-sized town in, what is essentially, the middle of nowhere, Anchorage has surprisingly good restaurants.

For lunch today, I tested out a new one. Technically it was a work research mission, but in practice we just wanted to try out the place one of my co-workers has been raving about.  So we hopped in a couple cars and headed over to Mountain View to test out Xalo's.

I had a carnitas super burrito. And it was DELICIOUS. Don't you just love when that happens?

Lent Day 42: Thunderstorms

It's a cloudy day here in Anchorage and I find myself pining for a thunderstorm. (Isn't pining such a good word?)

But thanks to science (ugh, science!) we don't usually have ththunderstorms here. I've heard thunder once in almost 5 years, so I have to get my thunderstorms elsewhere. Lucky for me, there was one while I was in Hawaii. I was probably one of the few people hoping for rain on my vacation.

One of my goals in life is to learn how to photograph lightning. Without getting struck by lightning, of course. I guess I better find somewhere to practice.

Lent Day 41: Making Use

Getting down to the wire, readers. (Are you still reading?) Easter is just around the corner, and you know what that means, Easter candy will be on sale. Thank goodness. 

I can eat 50 Reese's eggs.

Anyway, the other day at work I had to list 3 things I enjoy about my job. Teaching, kids, yada yada. (If it wasn't for an official capacity, I would have listed hot dads. Yowza.) I did list teaching, but another, somewhat unexpected, thing I enjoy, is making use of supplies I already have. 

I inheirted a ton of stuff when I took my job. Like 5 van de graff machines, a jar of dried crickets, and a human elbow model. Most of the stuff in my classroom doesn't get used. That's where making use comes in. Maybe it's my Midwest sensibility,  but I don't like to waste anything. And as far as I'm concerned, if it's not being used, it's being wasted. 

I love digging through the cabinets and coming up with ways to use all the stuff growing dusty from lack of use. 

But I'm still looking for ways to use the crickets.

Lent Day 40: Mysteries

For those of you keeping track at home (or if you have read today's title), today is day 40 of Lent. But it is not Easter. Yeah, Lent is actually longer than 40 days.

Catholics are gluttons for punishment. Wait, what? Deadly sins?

Sometimes I put popular/new releases on hold at the library and then forget about them until I get the email, many weeks later, that my book is in. That's what happened last week. I just started reading The Luminaries,  it's 800some pages (which I didn't know when I put it on hold) and I'm never going to finish it before I have to return it. (I assume that I'm not the only one who wants to read it, so I won't be able to renew it.) Which is really unfortunate, because it is a really good mystery.

I've always loved mysteries. When I was a kid I read a lot of Nancy Drew and Boxcar Children and Encyclopedia Brown books. I loved Harriett the Spy (although, rewatching the movie made me realize that Harriett is a jerk.) I wanted to solve mysteries, but growing up in suburban Illinois didn't lead to a lot of mysteries.

There was not a lot of trouble brewing on Bradford Lane*

Fictional mysteries, real mysteries. Don't care, love them all. What happened to Amelia Earhart? Or the Lindbergh Baby? What are spies really doing? Did Mystery, the Pick Up Artist ever actually pick up any women (double mystery!)?  I think it comes from being both curious and nosy, but I just want to know everything. Is that too much to ask?

*not actually an image of Bradford Lane

Lent Day 39: Road Trips

My first plane ride was in 7th grade, I went to Washington DC. I had never ridden in a plane before because my family always went on driving vacations. (Stopping at all interesting signs and roadside attractions along the way. See header photo."

To this day I really enjoy a road trip. Packing up the car, checking the map (because I still prefer to use an actual map), and hitting the road.

Here in Alaska we don't have a lot of roads.  I mean, you can only drive half way across the state, east to west, before you just run out of road. But luckily, half way across the state is still a long way.

I have one more Alaska road trip on my list: driving up the haul road all the way to the top.

Lent Day 38: Hammocks

All around the lower 48 (and of course, other places in the northern hemisphere) it's spring time. That is not the case here in Alaska for a number of reasons 1) we don't even have spring, we have break up and it's as bad as it sounds 2) there is still snow in the forecast..

Yes, the snow is starting to melt and it warms up to above freezing most days, but it's not spring. To make matters worse, all over Facebook people are enjoying their patios, and wearing dresses without tights, and farmers markets.

I'm jealous because I love enjoying a patio, wearing dresses, and farmers markets. But my favorite nice weather pastime is relaxing in a hammock. What's not to enjoy? The womb like cocoon? The gentle rocking? The blue sky view? All those things are great. I mean, try being mad in a hammock. You just can't.

Sigh. I guess I'll just have to wait a few more...months...

Lent Day 37: Finishing Things

I love the feeling of finishing something I've started. Especially if it's been a long time in the works. It goes along with that to-do list feeling, I think.

This week is a good example - I've done a ton of teaching and tonight I have a big event, so it's been a lot of "put your head down and get it done" sort of stuff. And tomorrow is Friday. I'm feeling very accomplished.

Thank goodness

I'm also feeling very tired.

Lent Day 36: Unnecessary Quotation Marks

A couple years ago, I happened to be working at a school during Drug Free Week. In celebration (?), the teachers were instructed to hand out bookmarks to all the students. They were large and pink and said:

I PLEDGE TO BE "DRUG FREE"

Yes, with the quotes. 

I love the implied *wink wink* of unnecessary quotations marks. "Yeah sure, I pledge to be  'drug free.' Well, you know, except for alcohol. And crack."

I'm "sorry" I implied kids are drinking and doing crack

I feel like BBC news uses a lot of unnecessary quotes. Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's an American thing, but every time I read one of their, very serious, often sad, headlines, I can't help but hear the if you know what I mean voice...

"Rio says the games are going to be 'great'. Surrrreeee."

Lent Day 35: Good Hair Days

You know those hair "befores" in shampoo commercials? That's what my hair looks like most of the time. It tends to have a mind of its own.

It's really my own fault. I'm lazy when it comes to my hair. Sure I could spend at least an hour drying it. And styling it. And generally beating it into submission. But honestly, that's just not happening. I don't have the patience or the arm span.

So if my hair is behaving, it's practically a miracle. You know, if someone is working towards sainthood, maybe they should perform some good hair miracles. I'm sure they'd be very popular.

Lent Day 34: Spicy Foods

I'm a picky eater. Always have been. I hate bananas, mushrooms, water creatures, tomatoes, onions, slimy fruits (like peaches and plums), both diet pop and root beer, Life cereal (sorry, Mikey) and nuts in my cookies, to name a few. I prefer my sandwiches without crusts and my apples without peels. In short, I eat like a child. Except for spicy foods. I LOVE spicy foods. (Wait. Maybe I'm underestimating kids, do they eat spicy foods? Eh, not the point.)

I realize that based on the previous statements, you might assume I mean Fire Sauce at Taco Bell. I don't. Thai, Indian, Mexican, Ethiopian - (yes, Ethiopian) I enjoy it all. Probably because they all work on the same basic principle: meat, starch, spicy sauce. (This is assuming I can pick around mushrooms and onions, which are in freaking everything.) When meat, starch, and a spicy sauce combine, you can get a delicious, delicious lovechild.

 I don't want something so spicy I can't taste anything any more. I feel like that defeats the purpose. I want my food to be spicy and flavorful.

I think ghost chilies are a little out of my league

There are all sorts of studies about the health benefits of spicy food. It releases endorphins, it has antimicrobial properties, etc etc. Ergo, Flaming Hot Cheetos are good for you, right?

Lent Day 33: Productive Weekends

Is there anything better than feeling accomplished? As much as I enjoy watching Netflix all day, I really enjoy feeling like I've been productive. It could be something simple like loading the dishwasher or folding laundry, or a bigger project, like rearranging the furniture, really just anything I can cross off the to-do list.

This is my dream organizational to-do list

I feel like having at least one productive day during the weekend bodes well for the rest of the week. Monday mornings are hard enough, so it's good to know, when I begrudgingly get out of bed, I'll have a clean coffee maker and something to put my lunch in. (And if I've been really productive, something to eat for lunch.)

Lent Day 32: DIY Shows

Nothing gives me false confidence like a DIY show. "Man, it looks super easy to tile a bathroom/install surround sound/build a Murphy bed/etc," I'll think to myself, completely ignoring the fact that I don't have any of the tools (or let's be honest, most of the skills) necessary for large scale projects.

Nonetheless, my favorite thing to do on a weekend morning is watch a HGTV or DIY Network show. My most recent interest is Rehab Addict, which is a stupid name, but an interesting show.

Nicole, the host/star, rehabs old homes in Minneapolis (mostly), it follows the whole project and has pretty much convinced me that I could do it too. Thankfully, Anchorage doesn't have a lot old homes, so I can't actually test out the skills I think I've learned. That is probably good for everyone involved. Although, maybe I could end up on some other DIY shows, like Renovation Nightmare...That's one way to get my own show...

Lent Day 31: Big Girl Voice

This morning I was greeting a very large group of preschoolers, their siblings, and their parents. I was never more thankful for my days in camps/environmental education/etc. All that time spent explaining the rules of various games to 100+ kids really pays off when you need to talk loudly.

Being a small person, I sometimes feel like I need to speak extra loudly. WHAT KIND OF VOICES DO WE USE IN THE MUSEUM? THAT'S RIGHT, INSIDE VOICES. (The irony of that is not lost on me.)

I like to call it my Big Girl Voice. It gets everyone's attention, even if they can't see me. The key to projecting is to channel your inner Will Ferrell. Remember that SNL skit where he had Voice Immodulation Syndrome? Yeah, use that.

 It works every time.


PS Go Tribe!

Lent Day 30: Early Release

When I was in high school, I remember walking between classes and being really jealous of the people out driving around in the afternoon. I mean, shouldn't they be at work or somewhere?

Today I was one of those people driving around in the afternoon because I was let out work early. I love when that happens. It's like getting to play hooky, but without the risk of getting fired.

A good "you can leave at 3 today" email is a perfect start to a weekend. Or you know, a Thursday afternoon.

Lent Day 29: Hawaii Day 5/Home

I'm sitting on the plane, approximately three hours from Anchorage. Isn't technology amazing?

Today was our last last day in Hawaii. Luckily our flight wasn't until this afternoon,  so we had some time to lounge by the beach (completely ignoring the threat of a 3 foot tsunami wave) and the pool.

And as much as I like getting up in the morning and putting my swimsuit on right away, I'm glad I can get up tomorrow and not slather myself in spf 30.

Lent Day 28: Hawaii Day 4

Today is our last full day in Hawaii and we are going out with a bang. First up today was surf lessons. I'll be honest, I was nervous, but thankfully we had an awesome teacher and it was super fun. We even saw Steve Carrell.  Did you know he has a hot wife?

After surfing we headed up the coast a little bit for snorkeling. 

Not a bad place to wait for the snorkel boat

It was really windy but we saw whales and dolphins, and lots of fish! Thankfully none of them tried to touch me. Gross. I also serendipitously ran into my friend and former coworker,Kristen Haddon, on the boat! Turns out Maui really is a small place.

Fish from the glass bottom boat

Tonight is taco Tuesday and tomorrow I'm going to cry myself all the way back to reality.

Lent Day 27: Hawaii day 3

Today started off with another harrowing drive on the Hana Highway, we were headed around the island to our new lodging in Wailea.

If you are going to plummet to your death, this isn't a bad way to go.

It was off and on raining all day, so the top had to stay on the rental jeep. Probably a good idea since the birthday boy and I both got a sunburn yesterday. Oops.

We drove to the top of Haleakala crater (10000 feet!) where it was freezing, windy, and rainy, but still very cool, then back down to sea level. It was really interesting to see a different part of Maui- less tourists, more cows.

Tomorrow is surfing and snorkeling!

Lent Day 26: Hawaii Day 2

Today's weather forecast didn't look promising. Frequent showers, mostly cloudy. Thank goodness it was wrong.

Not a bad view to wake up to.

This morning we drove out of Hana to Halekala National Park and went to the seven sacred pools (which have a real Hawaiian name that escapes me) and then hiked to a very tall and apparently hazardous waterfall. Afterwards we went to Hana Bay for lunch and a swim. Last trip of the day was to a lava tube. (Lava tubes are formed when the outer layer of lava hardens as it is flowing, creating a cave.) Best part of the lava tube, besides the super cool geology- finding 13 dollars in the cave.

Tomorrow we're off to the other side of the island!

Lent Day 25: Hawaii Day 1

So far the trip to Hawaii has been awesome.

 

We landed in Maui about 1:30 to partly cloudy skies. Stopped at Safeway for snacks and beer, and started our drive to Hana.

The drive to Hana was gorgeous and harrowing. Shout out to the beau for  conquering all those one lane bridges. We saw the ocean, waterfalls, and lots of chickens.

I'm currently sitting on the back porch of Tutu's house, listening to the ocean (because it's too dark to see) and waiting for the thunderstorm to start back up. Life is good.

Lent Day 24: Kid Compliments

The other day I was teaching a class I find really fun, and for the most part kids find it fun too. But for the first 5 minutes or so it's a lot of me talking before I start shattering frozen racquet balls and handing them dry ice. For some kids, 5 minutes is too long.

If only I could have a cat in my classroom!

About 3 minutes into my spiel about molecules a kid raises her hand and sort of snottily says, "I thought this was going to be interesting. " I immediately start thinking of my, "sorry you are disappointed" response when she says, "AND IT'S AMAZING!!!" Well played, third grader, you totally had me going.

In my line of work, it's all about making the kids happy. Oh and making sure they learn something. So it makes me really happy to hear kids say something like that third grader did. (I value those comments over those of their teachers. Is that bad?) 

The best compliment? "THIS WAS AWESOME! I TOTALLY WANT TO BE A SCIENTIST WHEN I GROW UP!" Be still my heart.

Lent Day 23: New Recipes

Full disclosure: I had macaroni and cheese for dinner. From a box. Well actually a bag, but same basic idea. Not my best dinner, but better than Girl Scout cookies (maybe?) Don't get me wrong, I love cooking, but some days it just sounds like too much work. Today, for example.

Let' s just assume there's some Kraft in that pot.

Although not evident today, I love trying new recipes. (Thanks goodness for cooking blogs, amirite?) It's such a gamble. Will it turn out? Will I like it? Will I end up having cereal for dinner?

In general, I dislike cooking for one, it's a pain, but at least you are only betting on your own dinner, so it's a little less risky. I don't know for sure, but I assume you don't want to gamble with your kid's dinner every night of the week.

I get such satisfaction from"slaving over a hot stove" when it results in something delicious. Sure, I enjoy cooking something with "good" written next to it in the cookbook, but there is something exciting about the unknown, isn't there?

Lent Day 22: Old Photos

When I was a kid, (and now too), I loved looking at my parents' yearbooks. Nothing quite like the hair of the 1970s, right? (I remember getting my senior pictures taken and wondering what part of my yearbook my kids would find the funniest.) I'm a big fan of photographs. In fact, I can see 28 from where I'm sitting right now. But I especially love old photographs, like the ones in my parents' yearbooks, and these:

This awesome one of my dad

And this proof of my sister's care bear stare

Photos are my favorite record of history. I think the stories are interesting, but photos are such a perfect glance back in time. It's easy to manipulate a story, but it's a little harder to manipulate a photo.

Okay, not that hard. But manipulated photos, like double exposed "spirit photos", are really a historical record of a different sort.

Working at the museum means I have access to a lot of old photos. We have an exhibit going up right now about the 1964 earthquake, and it has some amazing photographs. There is still visible evidence of the earthquake around the state, but seeing images like this is so much more powerful.

Lent Day 21: Living room view

Almost 5 years ago (whoa!) I signed the lease on my apartment sight unseen. I was in Wyoming and needed a place before I got to Alaska, so I hunted around Craigslist and faxed off a year of my life to my now-landlord after seeing something like 4 photos and a Google streetview. I got lucky. For sure.

The best part of my apartment is something I didn't even know about when I signed the lease - the view. I love being able to watch the seasons change on the mountains, from winter sunrises at 10 am to summer alpenglow at 10 pm, it's all just so beautiful. (Barf. Pardon the cheesiness of that sentence.)

Is this where I say #nofilter?

I think I've said before that the sun rising over the mountains should be accompanied by a choir of angels, and I mean it. There just nothing quite like drinking coffee and watching the sun rise on a snowy Saturday morning. (In fact, I love the view so much that I once rearranged my apartment only to re-rearrange it because I couldn't see the mountains from the couch anymore. That's commitment.)

Lent Day 20: Girl Scout Cookies

Half way through Lent. Whew!

Confession: I bought a box of Tagalongs yesterday and I have eaten 2/3 of the box. I'm thinking about having them for dinner. How are they just SO GOOD? Do you want to be the most popular person at work? Bring in a cookie order form, or better yet, just boxes of cookies.

Are they so good because they aren't available year round? Because the teach girls about financial literacy? Because they are filled with butter and sugar? Probably the latter, but I'm going to say it's a combination of all three.

The Girl Scouts is an amazing organization. It's been around for 100+ years, there are 2.3 MILLION girl members at this very minute, 60% of women in the House of Representatives were Girl Scouts, I was one, and it provides girls with an opportunity to learn all sorts of life skills- everything from cooperation and team work to, the less useful (until you really need it), turning pants into a flotation device.

GS action shot:  What were we singing? What am I looking at?

Every year, those 2.3 million girls are learning about business during the cookie selling season. (And make their neighbors incredibly happy at the same time) This year a Girl Scout in San Francisco learned the power of location while selling cookies. Granted, the Girl Scouts weren't too excited about her choice of location, but you do have to applaud her business sense.

Long story short, Girl Scout cookies are delicious and I'm going to eat them for dinner.

Also, don't go around making your own Girl Scout cookies, you heathens.. It ruins the magic and RUINS AMERICA.

Lent Day 19: A good bargain

Early on in my Lenten adventure, I think I wrote about my spring project: The Craigslist Table.Well, it's finally finished-ish. Finished enough to move from the garage to my apartment anyway. There's nothing quite like finishing something you started, amirite?

Anyway, this table was a good bargain. $20 for the table and 3 chairs, $10 for supplies. (Although, after I paint the chairs, it will probably be more like $15, but still.) Things in Alaska are expensive, especially large, heavy, hard to ship things like furniture. Even on craigslist you are going to pay AT LEAST $50 for a table, and a crappy one at that. So when I saw my $20 ugly duckling, I knew I had to buy it it.

I love the thrill of the hunt when it comes to bargains. Digging around in thrift stores, digitally thumbing through ads online, comparing prices all over the internet, it makes it that much sweeter when you find what you are looking for.

Lent Day 18: No waiting

You guys, I'm going to Maui in ONE WEEK. I'm really tempted to write about it again, but that feels like cheating.

Speaking of cheating, I just remembered I ate meat yesterday. Crap. I need to put my reminder post-it note back in the fridge.

This morning I was out running a few errands and I realized that I didn't have to wait in line at ANY of the places I went. That never happens. What a pleasant surprise! I hate waiting in line. That's part of the reason I don't like Disneyland. (Yeah, I said it. I don't like Disneyland.)

I'm impatient. Even if I don't have anywhere to be, I don't like to wait around. It's not my best trait, but it could be worse, right? So this morning I was very excited to not have to wonder about Kim Kardashian's butt shots while waiting for someone to buy 17 candles at Target. I'll take my clearance tights ($2.84!) and my sunscreen and be on my way, thankyouverymuch.