Planning and Dixie Hummingbirds

Yesterday I made a categorized to-do list. And I loved it. I'm a planner. I'd even say that planning things might a hobby. Now, before you go jumping to conclusions, I do NOT have a pinterest page that looks like this.

In fact, I don't even use pinterest at all. ("Gasp!" say my sorority sisters)

I like planning things like moves to places I don't intend to live and vacations I can't afford to take. Down to very specific details. Like whether I'll have to switch insurance companies because this-or-that city doesn't have a State Farm office. Or what bank I'll use. Or what tropical cocktail I'll order from the comfort of the beach chair. Or what I'll do during a 5 hour layover in Houston. (People watch and avoid eating at Chili's Too.)

I like to play a game where I search for the cheapest international flights from Anchorage. Once I decide on a place, I see how fast I can get there. Less than 30 hours, preferably. If you remember, Anchorage is really far from a lot of places.

Then I look at my calendar to see how I can best optimize my time off from work. Then I start looking for places to stay and things to do around those places. Bam! Many hours later, vacation planned.

Some people knit. I peruse AirBnB for the best places to stay in Cambodia. Everyone needs a hobby.

This week's hot jam is Nobody's Fault by Dixie Hummingbirds. Dixie Hummingbirds have been around since 1928. Seriously. It's on Wikipedia, you can look it up. I've heard their musical style referred to as Gospsoul, which is fun to say and an accurate description.  Nobody's Fault has foot stomping AND hand clapping. Wins all around.

This is a weird video, but it's about the music, man, so deal with it?

Antiques and Steve Miller Band

I'm approximately 75 years old on the inside (see porch sitting, game shows, gardens, golden girls, sewing.) I say things like, "cattywampus" and "Did your mother let you out of the house like that?" I like to eat dinner at 5. If I had a lawn, I would most certainly tell kids to get off of it. And I enjoy antiquing. I blame my mother. She took me to antique shows/stores/malls as a kid. At the time I thought they were terrible (mostly because I wasn't allowed to touch anything) but now I go of my own accord, I even peruse Craigslist's antique section (of course I need depression glass, thanks Craigslist). I'm sure 7 year old Maggie is very disappointed in the choices I'm making.

But it's the thrill of the hunt that really gets me. You never know what you'll find. Maybe you'll buy an ugly painting for the frame and find a Rembrandt behind it. Maybe not. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. I mostly look for weird stuff and mid-century modern stuff.  Sometimes those are the same thing, the mid-20th century was a weird time.

Exhibit A. I do not own this, but it is something I'd totally look at.

We have a few antique stores in Anchorage, two are large enough to get lost in. Or play a really fun game of Sardines. And, honestly, that's all I'm looking for in a retail environment. Last time, I found an AMAZING dresser for super cheap. I fell in love. Then discovered it was on layaway. Oh the pain!


This week's hot jam is Dance Dance Dance by Steve Miller Band. Okay, I agree, Dance Dance Dance sounds like it might be on Kidz Bop. But that's okay, because it's catchy and fun and easy to dance (dance dance) to. For the past couple years, I've attempted late night square dancing (not a euphemism) at Granite Creek Bluegrass Festival, if Dance Dance Dance was played, I'd probably by much more successful.

American Science and Surplus and Janis Joplin

When I grow up, I want to write the product descriptions for American Science and Surplus. I want to write things like: "You pick the big blue or big red marker, both made in Canada where stuff is bigger on account of all that extra space. These markers measure 6-1/2" long x 7/8" dia with a 1/2" wide chisel tip, and would make nice gifts for IBM employees or Cincinnati fans." (If you are interested in buying these markers, you can get them here.)

Let me paint you a picture of AS&S. (No, that's not lost on me or the company) Imagine Costco, Sam's Club, or some monstrosity like that. Now imagine Toys R Us. Now imagine a dollar store where everything is a little bit dusty.  If those stores had a baby it would be AS&S.

They have EVERYTHING. I mean it.

Perhaps you are looking for an 8 pack of purple dental mirrors.

Or a model of an eye

Maybe you are in the market for 3 painters hats from Circus Circus

Or a USB microscope

Maybe  nonpolarized bimetal heat sensors are more your style.

YOU CAN GET ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND MORE AT AMERICAN SCIENCE AND SURPLUS, YOU GUYS. That is why it is my favorite store in the whole wide world. (Not to mention, they help out Project Exploration - a non-profit run by my hero, Paul Sereno.)


I'm not a huge Janis Joplin fan (gasp!) but Piece of Heart has been stuck in my head all week. So you win, Janis, it's the hot jam of the week. Bonus: there are some excellent dancers in this video.

Special Edition: Adventures!

I know I've been really bad at updating the past couple weeks, but that's because I've been busy going on adventures!

Three weeks ago (already?!) I went to Unalaska, AK. Home of Dutch Harbor, the number one fishing port in the US, most famous for being the home of Deadliest Catch.

Here are somethings I learned:

That place is overrun with eagles and it's simultaneously cool and terrifying.

Throw your hands in the air

There are SUPER old wooden headstones in the cemetery and I don't know how they've lasted so long.

It's a little like being at living history museum. There's leftovers from WWII everywhere. Seriously. Everywhere.

 It's BEAUTIFUL

Two weeks ago I went flightseeing in Denali (Thanks Mom and Dad!). It's like sightseeing. But from a plane. A tiny, tiny plane.

Here are somethings I learned:


Denali is always impressive no matter how close or far you are

Far

Close

They don't call it The Great One for no reason, ya'll

Friday, I'm headed home to California for a couple days. First time home since Christmas!

Back to regularly scheduled writing and topics next week!

Special Edition: Family Birthdays!

Lots of family birthdays in July!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Jorts love runs in the family.

Happy Birthday, Alissa!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

BRB, you guys.

Celebrating 'merica. Back next week.

Cemeteries and Al Green

I've been sitting on this topic for a week- since I read/looked at this Buzzfeed article and watched a new PBS special about African American funeral traditions called Homegoings. I took both as inspiration and a sign. (A sign that I'm a total weirdo.)

One of my favorite words is macabre. Working in an art-among-other-things museum, I hear a lot of good (read: bad) descriptions for art pieces. If you say "That painting/sculpture/photo is so macabre..." you'll either sound like a genius or an idiot. I like to take the risk.

He's whispering, "Don't you think those waves are rather macabre?"

But my favorite macabre art galleries are cemeteries. Weird, I know, but just go with me for a minute. They are like really peaceful gardens, most of the visitors just happen to be dead. I don't usually find myself spending my free time wandering through a cemetery, but if I do I can't help but get sucked into the history. Especially in cemeteries with really old or interesting (or both) headstones. Sure, it's a little creepy, but that's part of what I like about it.

When my parents were visiting a few years ago, we went to the Eklutna Historical Park. One of the main features of the park is the cemetery. After the Russians came to Alaska, the Dena'ina (Alaskans native to the Anchorage-area) began to covert to Russian Orthodoxy, and with the conversion came new burial traditions. Instead of cremating their dead, they built spirit houses. (You can read more about it here. Side note - Aaron Leggett happens to be one of my coworkers.) The spirit houses are great - brightly colored, intricate, and many have features to represent the person buried there. What a fabulous way to honor your dead.

This week's hot jam is Let's Stay Together by Al Green. It's a well known-ish fact that I intend to use the lyrics to I Swear as my wedding vows. But Let's Stay Together is a close second.  I mean, it was added to the Library of Congress in 2010 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." If it's good enough for the LOC, it's good enough for me. (Fun fact: I applied for a job at the Library of Congress when I graduated from college with the sole intention of National Treasure-ing that place.)