Saturday, October 31, 2009

Saturday Sleeps-Winter Keeps

I woke up today at 9:30 am and decided that I needed more sleep. So, last night I slept double what I normally sleep during the week. They's so much that needs done around here. There's just no time. I need to figure out how the heck I can get out of here for summer. Michigan has the 'dog days of summer' and they got the 'dog days of winter here'. It is a cold hard fact!

Yesterday I went to the youth center. They wadn't but 5 students who showed cuz almost the entire town was at the high school for wrestling. We all left together to go up to the school and watch a few matches. There were teams from random villages and others from towns of 2,000 or so people from all over Alaska. As I was walking out to go home, I seen two kids walk out into 15 degrees without a jacket. They stood outside in the wind wearing T-shirts. I asked them, "What's wrong with you?" One said, "I'm from India, so I don't know." The other one said, "This is warm compared to Nome." Anyway, I had two coats on and I liketa froze.

So, here I sit on a cold hard Saturday. I ain't a thinkin' about much butcept what needs done and I don't want to do none of it. My school computer is home with me, so I can listen to online classic country. This makes me very happy. I was once happy about Sirius on my TV, but the tiny speakers can't play the songs loud enough for me to hear the songs in the kitchen. Winter keeps a movin' toward me and summer is around the corner in my mind.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A Bowl of Soup

I been cooking in a slow cooker a whole lot since I got here. I ain't got time to cook real meals and it seems that if I put stuff in the cooker, it turns out good after a day or so. Beans, rice, chicken, salt, pepper and any type of 'mater' combo works right good. I just keep it a cookin' and it turns out super good. I made an onion soup by accident, but it was so good anyhow.

The soup has give me a chance to have a few people over for a snack and a meal now and then. It replaces the night out on the town in a restaurant or a stop at the Bell. It is nice to be in people's houses rather or in mine rather than in a restaurant again. It totally reminds me of when I was a young'un. We use to have neighbors over the house of the evenings all the time. Nothing big or special, but good times all the same.

While we eat the soup, my friends ask me to listen to my mom's messages on the machine. My one friend wasn't able to understand most of what my mom said. It made them laugh so hard. I just can't wait until they meet her and listen to her talk about nonsense. Her messages don't say much. I druther that she leave reasonable meaningful messages so they can really get a laugh. However, most of the messages are just a mumble here and there. So funny. No wonder my friends laugh.

My classroom is tore apart today. They just give me cabinets, but I ain't able to use them until they are approved. So, here they set and all my stuff is everwhich place you could imagine other than where it once(t) was. LOL! All I know is that I need to have me a day and a half to get myself reorganized. No big deal cuz it is much better than before. It just looks like the mixture of a soup that I made. All mixed up!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Yurt

I helped build a yurt in the cold hard town. It was super cool. I didn't know too much about how to do it, but since it was a pre-made kit, it wadn't too hard. After going to church we had a potluck. They give the pastor a special hillbilly meal for being such a great pastor. They had corn bread, beans tater salad and such things. It was awesome to eat a church meal without salmon and berries. It felt like home which made me smile. After we eat the food we went to workin' on the yurt. A yurt is a kind of structure between a hut and a house. Super fun times.

I am at work at this time. I walk across the street to work and use the faster Internet of the nights. It is not that cold. I enjoy the walk. I take me out walkin' now and then in town too. However, the cold weather is a comin' faster than I can say. I see it coming. I couldn't imagine living in a yurt in the winter having to go to the outhouse in the freezing cold. I might have to make me a 'honey bucket' and pop a squat inside when it gets right cold. Luckily I ain't got that problems in the cold hard inn, so I'll keep a living large I suppose.

So, 10 people decided to go to Anchorage just after school lets out for X-mas. Well, about 6 of them decided that they ain't a gonna go now. So, that leaves me out in the cold if you know what I mean. I'll keep a lookin' forward to seeing everyone back home, and that's what keeps my world turning at this point. I must go back to the abode cuz it's already time to go to sleep.

Funny Times: I got my first e-mail from my mom. Her e-mail address includes 'hillbilly woman', which make me roll. It is funny that she has one and she ain't able to use a computer. Who knows? I guess this computer class is helping her not be in the stone age! LOL! I guess the apple don't fall too far from the tree cuz my address includes 'hick'.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Big Wind's A Blowin'

The title of today's blog is a super sweet song. For some reason, I remember listening to it at my house when a few friends had come over to visit. It is part of my extensive record collection. My friends were annoyed while I was in my glory. LOL!

Well, I can say that winter has done arrived. The next 4 days has a forcast of snow. It ain't gonna pile up or anything, but I know winter has come if I see snow in so many forcasts in a row. The wind blows so hard here all of the time. Even back when I had just got here, I had to wear a jacket all the time cuz of the wind. The sun was a lookin' down and it wasn't cold, but there was still a bite in the air. The sun ain't up til 11 pm no more. The sun goes down at 7:30 ish which seems normal, but I know real short days are a comin'. I hope I don't get depressed. LOL!

The winds of change have blowed through too. Things are finally as close to 'normal' that they gonna get around here. I know where things are and where they ain't. I also know who is cool and who ain't for the most part. It takes time to read places and people everwhere you go. I sure have a lot of learnin' to go, but it ain't strange no more. That's all that matters for now.

I find time and distance to be interesting concepts. I been a thinkin' on them two subjects a bit in the last few days. Relationships of all kinds change based on those two things. When I was in South Korea, my sister found the need to communicate with me almost on a daily basis. Well, when I got home, she wadn't interested in talking too much no more. This time here, she ain't said more than a peep toward me. Then they's the friends who talk or don't talk to me too much and it don't make much of a difference whenever we do talk. Distance can be both physical and not. Both of 'em are the same when it comes to relating to people. If you ain't a talkin' to someone, things gonna change and they ain't much you can do about it. My pastor back home has said many times that there is no such thing as quality time spent with someone. Time is time and that time is meaningful. I fully agree with that! I need to see some real 'change that I can believe in'. LOL!

Monday, October 19, 2009

I Flew Away

I went to church today. It was one of those amazing times that couldn't be redone or replaced. I ain't sure how to explain it. I waited for a ride and rode to church with a friend. A couple of my friends that goes to the same church are out of state now, so I was thinking that I didn't know a whole lot of people. This was true. The service was right on just as if it had been wrote just for me. There was lots on my mind. A few comments from some people were a ringin in my ear as I sit there. It is interesting to put life into perspective in the cold hard town.

I was super excited this morning. I don't know why. I got up and went out the door and sit through church without expectations. In fact, I had begun to think it was a gonna be a super boring day. Why do I allow such thoughts to enter my brain? I ain't had a boring moment since I got here, so why did I begin to doubt all that life offers? I was invited to go eat some moose n' noodles with a few friends. Man was it good.

These are the kind of friends that I have back home. We share common goals and views on the world and how it turns. We view life in the same way. Feeling at ease and at home is sometimes difficult here. I make the best of it and things are a gettin' easier. However, when perfect times come, they are cherished. I am so glad that I've found a few of these people here. It sure does make life super interesting.

After lunch I was offered a flight to a tiny fishing village. I think it is called Ekuk. I think there might be about 50 places to live and most of those places are not lived in during the winter. The dad flew his-own-self, and I waited a few and went with a friend. It was a super tiny little yellow plane. He had to hand start the plane. I remember getting in with just enough room for the both of us and thinking how tiny it was. The plane door wasn't but a inch away from my arm and I hardly had room for my legs. We took off down a dirt road type runway. I had never flew in such a tiny plane. We flew for about 20 minutes and it was super sweet. I never dreamt that I'd have been able to do such a sweet thing for free.

The views was totally amazing as we crossed the bay and flew over the tundra. The tundra was covered with tiny ponds and little streams. It was mostly brown since the plants have died. We circled around and seen a sweet Russian Orthodox cross chillin' on the hill. We passed another tiny village and landed on the beach next to my friend's wind powered cabin. We set net for some smelt and moved some random wood. It was super sweet. I love that things happen here that are so random and unpredictable. It ain't like I could have even imagined such a sweet experience to happen today.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

I'll Fly Away

Away I will fly. I am so excited to get out of here. They's things that I like and things that I don't. Mostly, I miss people like crazy. My great-aunt knows that I'm in the Cold Hard Town, and she keeps a tellin' my mom all about it. I must go there and discuss turnips and such things. I must. I got me a ticket today after talking to a few people on the phone. The phone has become a lifeline for me. Too bad that I ain't able to phone out. I'll be getting me a calling card when I am in the big D. That's for sure.

I guess that we gonna go to Anchorage for a few days before flying to DTW. They's gonna be 8 or so of us, so you can only imagine what it is gonna be like. Holy crap. So after 8 or so days in DTW, I'll fly back for New Year's. Yep, good times.

We was all at a friend's house and we smoked some salmon and sit around playing Apples to Apples. Everwho made up that game is amazing. I love it. It is so funny when you know the people that's playing. Try it out. I drunk some moonshine (sort of) from Georgia. Man, it was fun. We listened to some hard core hillbilly music. Man was it sweet. Then we went to the trashy bar in town where we played pool. They's so many funny people who sung old hillbilly songs. Don't get much better than that.

This morning I went to a COC church. Well, they was about 8 of us there. We sung some real songs. It was odd and sweet at the same time. Isn't that the cold hard town anyway? Then I spent a good portion of the day doing school work. I found out that I need to spend more time there. I have a hard time keeping up with all that needs done. My Internet ain't a workin' like it should be here at home. Whatever! My mom told me that someone back in DTW was offended by the word 'shit' that I said on facebook. This was reason for laughs between us. Man! Shit was an everyday word for me since I was 3. It is what it is. SHIT! Why does people flip their 'shit' over such meaningless things. They's people starving and they wanna talk trash. I guess my mom said 'shit' and didn't make it no better. You know that's how she rolls. Funny stuff.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

The Ark

Well..., today we got an e-mail saying that we was able to leave right after classes ended. The wind was a blowin' at 75 mph with the gusts. I had a meeting with a parent, so I called him and asked if he was gonna come. They said, well.. he's on his way. He never showed. I sit there for a long time. I finally went out to eat and it was pretty fun.

Then we stopped by a friend's house. It was interesting. We sit around a plastic tub that doubles as a kitchen table. Fun times. They had their wood-burning stove going and we laughed about all things funny. Then I took me a much needed nap and got dropped off at my house at 11pm ish. Yep, I opened my door and shit water was a pourin' from my ceiling and I live in a sort of underground room. Nice! Someone had left thier toilet running and the water ended up in my room. Luckily my bed didn't get wet so I'll be able to sleep here in a few minutes. Interesting night.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Thank You Todd Palin

Today was a day that I may never forget. I went to a potluck at a bar. It was non-smoking, so that was awesome. And no..., I never drunk a drop. I made this little promise to myself. I ain't sure if I'll survive the cold hard winter without none, but I'm sure a gonna try. I done some of the most fun stuff you'd ever imagine. I'z hanging out with the elf, but she had to go back to let her dogs out. I rode with my friends and the elf rejoined me at the bar. They's many a person there to say the least. Of course, our principal represented with a shirt and tie. I sit at a table with some of the teachers. Two of them are from Georgia and they are super awesome. I took myself down to another table to sit with another friend from Georgia. She's right cool and very much from the south. She lived in the hills, but she ain't of the hills. But man..., does she appreciate them and all that they offer the world. LOL!!

After I eat a bit of a mystery meat and finished off my meal, I was offered a bit of beluga meat. I still can't believe that I eat whale. It was white and chewy on the outside and mushy on the inside. It wadn't nothing but a cube of meat on a toothpick, but it was interesting. I eat stuff like that in Korea. I mean stuff with the same texture and taste. Interesting times. They give all kinds of prizes away. Of course, I didn't win a one. However, they recognized all of the community members who contributed to the Friday fish at the school. They caught many tons of fish and donated it to the school. I think they donated it. They read off about 80 names and Todd Palin's name snuck in there with hardly no notice. I ain't even sure if most of the people paid mind to it.

I forgot my plastic bowl that I 'borrowed' from a friend to go a berry pickin'. I didn't turn around to go and get it. The week has flew by so fast. I have Friday a waitin' on me in the morning. They's so much to do and I can't believe how little and how much I've done just this week alone. I'll have a weekend of planning and correcting. I'm a bit excited to go with the elf to a study this weekend. We'll see how it goes.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

What Worry Does

I had a pretty good day today overall. However, I went to bed at 9pm last night. I wadn't able to do a single thing last night. I had so many plans to do this and that. However, I done none of them. Sometimes there's things that I want to say so bad on this cold hard blog that I can't. People talks so much here. It is nuts. When I go to the store I see at least 15 people I know. They ain't much I can do about it. It just is what it is. Going to bed so early caused me to have a good start to the day and a weird finish. I don't know what else to call it.

What was so bad about today? To be honest, I don't know. I went to thinkin on stuff that I ain't able to change very easily. The number one thing is that I'm here. I love it here and I hate it too. What can one say. I love it cuz the people here are awesome and I hate it cuz the people at home and awesome too. It is hard. I look up plane tickets in my spare time knowing that I ain't able to go no place anytime soon. I drove to the airport yesterday to take my friends to the airport who were going back to Ohio/Indiana. They give me their car for three weeks and another person offered her car for a week at the end of October. So, it looks like I'll have me a car for all of October. Too bad they ain't no place to go.

Things are 'cherry' as they say here too. I can't complain at all. My life is fast and I try to control what I can't. So, why do I worry on stuff that I ain't able to change or even influence? I know that I ain't in control, but I struggle yet. I am excited that my elf is a gonna go to 'church' with me. It really ain't church. A group of friends gets together and talks about stuff related to such things. I like it, so I kept a talkin' to my elf about it and finally she give in. LOL! Perhaps this will be something positive. I worry about this to as if I am in control. Why? I have no idea.

When I was in Korea I had real things to worry about. My mom was a flippin her shit and had super serious health problems while I was lied to 'bout it. I knew, but didn't. I feel as if life at home keeps going by just like it does here, but I'm missing out on stuff. If I wadn't here, I'd be missing out too. Arrrrrrrrr. Why worry? I don't get my-own-self.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Not Sure

I am not sure what I am doing.  Another weekend has come and went just like that.  I sit here amazed at all of the cool stuff that has happened in just a short time, but then again so much remains uncertain.  What is that? I don't know.

Friday was interesting.  It was a friend's birthday.  She's from Kentucky and she likes bacon. LOL! Her friend brung her a bacon birthday cake to the restaurant where we all ate.  I spent $60 for me and my elf to eat.  Luckily the restaurant give us a free piece of chocolate cake as a bonus.  It is just so expensive here to do anything.  I got a gyro sandwich and mashed 'taters'.  It ain't like I eat something fancy.  She ate a steak of sorts that wadn't cooked to order.  We sat there and chatted.  Some of my most favorite people were there, so it was good times.  I heard that there was some sailors from Belgium who had sailed in by accident the other day.  I was excited to get to maybe speak French with them.

Saturday was interesting too.  I went to the youth center's fundraiser for breakfast.  I had a good time.  Some commercial fisherman asked me if I was in high school which sent me to laughing.  It was funny.  Um... NO!  I corrected papers for a couple of hours.  Man, did I not want to be at school doing that. I got a chance to meet the 6 people who were sailing around the world. They was actually from Cosica and had a kid with them too.  So, they were French and that was cool.  They got lost on their way to Japan after following Russia along the ocean. They ended up here and did a presentation at the university in town.  It lasted so long that I had to leave.  However, it was amazingly interesting.  After that, I went to the elf's house to watch the box. LOL!  There was no water for some reason, so we had to cook a boxed pizza.  I came home late and went to bed.

After 3 calls from the madre, I went to church and then out to eat.  Some random guy invited me and my friends out to eat.  He paid which was amazing, cuz as I had said..... it gets to be more than expensive.  We stayed for a while.  I come home and made some black bean soup and came back up to the school to correct papers.  I really did not want to be here.  I had plans to work out, but time kept a tickin' and it slipped away from me.  I'll make it up on Monday.  Now, I'm back at school at 11pm getting ready for the week.  They's so much that I ain't done.  I will try and tackle more of it in the morning.  I must go.

Friday, October 2, 2009

A Good Night to Chill

It is chilly outside now. I guess it's around 45 for a high, but at night it gets right close to 30. It is normal for now. I can just see what's around the corner. I've already seen snow and that wasn't expected. I just know that we could get feet of snow within a month. However, we could get 1 foot of snow and not get no more for a good while.

Just a side note about work. They have these things called 'chill pass' that we give students who are freaking out. The name makes me laugh. So, you get a pass for freaking out, so next time... just freak out and I'll give you a pass. I don't totally understand it, but it certainly makes me laugh and it goes along with the title of this post. So, here's a little something about my work. I hope you enjoy it.

I went and worked out at school and then went next door to laugh for a moment with my awesome neighbors. I had helped him at the youth center for a hour today after school. I had no idea that he needed my help, but I ended up there. After working out, I reminded him that he had my food at his house and he let me know that he had ate some of it. I acted as if I cared and he offered me some salmon. It was funny when he overheard me a tellin' his wife what I had said. We laughed a lot about it. Fun times.

I had a potluck again. This time it it was at lunch. I eat some really interesting stuff today. They's some stuff called aguduck or something like that. It is basically berries with crisco mixed together. It used to be made with seal oil, but I ain't tried that yet. It was mixed with tundra berries and rice this time. I hadn't eat this exact cranberry type mix yet. It was really good. I then wandered down the long counter a pickin' out stuff that looked good. There was some stew meat lookin' stuff. I figured that it was moose, so I took me some. I found out after that it was musk ox. LOL! It was not so tender, but it was right good.

It truly is time to go to bed. However, I value my quiet time more now then ever. I sit at my computer and surf, read and think of all that needs done. I do not do what needs done. I druther have a 'chill pass' from time to time. It truly is a good night to chill in the Cold Hard Town. I am lookin' at going home for X-mas just about every day. I keep a lookin' for cheap tickets and they's some real cheap ones. I'm about to buy 'em cuz I am very very very very excited to see everyone. I guess I should chill cuz it is really far away and the chill will turn to cold before I make it onto the plane.