It was a whale of a time

So Lee came to visit me this past week. We did several very fun and memorable things (I think so, he may have been bored out of his mind, but he's a boy so what does he know:). A few of the awesome things we were able to do I'll post up here. We started out with an awesome dinner and then ran out to a place called Lena Point for one of the spectacular sunsets here. Whitney, Lee and I sat there on the cliffs overlooking the sea and watched the 10:30pm sunset. It was awesome. We watched for whales too, but didn't see any wild life besides a seal that kept poking his head around. Then the next day we got up early and went for a helicopter ride. This was awesome. The weather was spectacular and we were able to get up and see the glacier and also the Juneau Ice Field. The ice fields are only accessible when the weather is the clearest and the sunniest. And we scored big that day, and even got to do snow angels in July! We also were able to get out on a whale watching tour. Anything you can hope for in a whale watch we were able to see. A sweet humpback full breach. I saw that sucker from head to tail completely out of the water. It was a baby, and was still larger than a full size truck. It was phenomenal. Then we were lucky enough to see a pod of orca. So rare, and something I've been waiting to see for two summers now! Then we also saw bubble net feeding. It's a learned behavior that whales only do here in Alaska. The mate down in HI and then make their way up here where they bubble net feed....translation-12 whales in a circle jumping out lunge feeding at the same time. It was amazing. We spent a lot of time eating, every restaurant that I love we went to, and then we spent a lot of time laughing. He was lucky enough to ride along with me on my tours for 2 full days. That was the biggest treat of them all. You all could have this amount of fun too, with the low low price of coming and visiting :)

Gallon Challenge Revamp?

So the other night I was on my way up to Park City, UT. Along the way I passed through Heber. I love Heber. As I was trucking along at a whopping 37mph I passed the Maverik. Maverik happens to be one of my favorite gas stations. Not only do they have the cheapest gasoline prices but they also have stellar hot chocolate, chocolate donuts, frozen yogurt and a catchy little slogan- "Adventure's first stop." Exciting, I know. It draws me in every time. Anyway, back to the story. As I passed the gas station I glanced over at their marquee to see what price they were boasting for gas, that's when I saw it. The advertisement that gave me one of the best ideas I've had. They were advertising any size Icee for $.99. I've been on a craze lately where I can't get enough slushies, so of course I got excited and my mind started to reel in the possibilities of a $.99 Icee of any size. Now, I know that the largest size they offer is more than enough to satiate my craving but true to form I needed to scheme up the best and biggest possible scenario. A 5 gallon bucket of Icee?! And, better yet... for $.99!!!I was skeptical, but thought it would be fun and totally awesome to go for it. Well, I decided to continue on my way to PC so that I could get back up for my plan.
After much deliberation and persuading. Okay, mainly persuading I convinced Lee that this was a brilliant idea and that there would be no regrets. Step 1 of my plan was complete...convincing the opposed. On to step 2. We had to retrieve a container that would hold an outlandish amount of Icee. This was an especially heinous part of the trek... we had to run the gauntlet of WalMart, aka the Mexica Villa... normally not an issue. But, this is prime time Swine Flu with Park City shutting down all sorts of public gatherings. Could we obtain the chalice and get out unscathed by the filthy swine? While running the gauntlet we decided that a 5 gallon bucket maybe a little overkill...especially since we didn't know how much those machines can hold so we stuck with a 2 gallon canister. Step 3, and the most important... the execution of the plan. As we drove up I was super nervous that the deal would only be at the Maverik in Heber. We're in Park City now and this is a whole new ball game....much to my delight the deal was company wide. I wish I had a camcorder for this part because it truly was spectacular. We walk in and I head straight for the Icee machine, passing the middle aged Asian lady at the counter. Lee walks through the store searching for food and providing a great distraction. I filled the container with Watermelon Fanta and Coca Cola flavors. As I walked away the machine started to make the most awful noise because I'm pretty sure it hasn't had that much action in...ever. As I walked away the lady looked at the machine like it was going to blow, and that's exactly how it sounded (it didn't, well at least not while we were there). We get up to the check out counter and Lee puts his dinner selection (donut holes) on the counter. Ms. Asia rings it up and asks if that is all. I motion to my hand and say, "Oh, some Icee too." Her eyes get wide, she gets an annoyed look on her face. She asks how big of a container we have. Lee says something about the fact that they advertise that all sizes are only $.99. Ms. Asia gives a look like, "you're serious? You really think that is what we meant?" Then informs us that it was a refill container and that they charge differently for refills. As we were finishing up checking out she asked if we were having a party. She didn't believe us when we told her that we were having a party with just the two of us, because why would two people need 2 gallons of slush? We ended up being charged $5 for 2 gallons of Icee and one of the most awesome adventures I've had at a Maverik. We went home and enjoyed the frozen goodness. This is one thing that I will forever laugh about, and thought I'd share it with my 2 faithful followers.

Scent sure is a funny little sense.

As I pull up to the parking lot at work and the conditions are perfect...When the moon is just right, and the clouds and fog are just low enough, and the temperature is just crisp enough that the humidity emits the best scent ever, the scent of the salty water. Smells just like the ocean and I'm taken back to a little town down in the south of New Zealand. I'm riding my bicycle along a never ending street late at night. The town has gone to sleep, I'm the only one out. The fog has rolled in and settled upon the streets, stopping time. The seemingly endless road is lined with lamps, but the fog has defused the light making everything appear to be in the twilight zone. The stillness is eerie, but also safe, as if I'm in a dream and my surroundings are something I've fabricated in my mind. I feel so vulnerable, not knowing what lurks just past my sight. The void of movement is a padding as though it's impossible that there is another creature out taking in that same sight, the same air, the same scent that the ocean has brought in.
Some nights I take my time getting home, basking in the quiet solitude, enjoying the thought of being in my dream world where everything is mine and created just for me. Other nights my legs can't peddle fast enough to get me safe and inside back to the noise produced by the announcers on the telie, and back to the scent of boxed wine and baking tarts, the the friendly chatter of the day's events. But still in the back of my mind is the scene I rushed in out of. Know, years later I still play this nightly occurrence over and over in my mind. Taking me back to the time where the only thing that mattered was what I was seeing and experiencing right then and there.
As I pull into the lot and others are complaining of the scent of the lake, thinking that it is too much to bother with, I rememeber what the smell can be and what it represents and it brings a smile to my face. I don't know why these things all have to be lined up for the phenomenon to happen but when it does it's the portal to one of the best moments and memories i can have.

Not Worth Your Time to Read

Really, if the header doesn't ward you off reading this one I hope that this first sentence will. I have no particular or organized thoughts today, I'm just bored and felt like sitting and writing something on my blog. Since it is my blog I decided that this was perfectly okay and allowed and anyone who objects may hit the X button in the top right of the screen and forget about ever reading my blog again. If that pertains to you, you are disinvited from my blog forever.
Since Christmas I've been working a TON of hours. I've been working two jobs. My days start at 5 am and often don't end until after midnight, 7 days a week. I've had little time to do anything but work. I've loved it. It's given me a much needed and wanted break and excuse (I know most people don't look for excuses to not hang out with the people they call friends, but I'm not most people, I'm Rebecca) from a social life that I was getting bored with.
So, this morning I woke up and looked at the day ahead of me at work. Well, work is dismally slow today and so when I called up my boss he told me to "go ahead and work from home today." My first thoughts were "Saweeet! Day off, I can run and frolic!" quickly followed by, "Oh crap, this is the second week in a row that my hours have been seriously cut, this is for sure going to show in my pay check." (Well, maybe that second thought was the exact thought, but for readers sake this one makes more sense and is just all around more reader friendly than the real thought.) With the time crunch the past few months I have had no time to sit and catch my breath, so this free morning has left me bored and totally lost. What do people do with all this free time? I don't think it's enough time to really go and do anything. It's for sure not enough time to travel any where to see anything. It's more time than it would take to watch a movie (then I'd be two hours down and still have to fill more, but a more awkward amount of time). I could read, but it has been so long since I've picked up a book I think I have forgotten how. If I had the patience I could do a puzzle (ha, I scoff at the thought with me and patience) Ah, I can bake something, but then I would eat it and we all know that I do not need that right now. I could volunteer somewhere, but I don't know where and by the time I research it enough my time is up on this one time free time. So, instead of going out and doing something I enjoy or something that is productive and helpful to society I sit here blogging. Yes, I know-I've become a ridiculous person that has nothing better to do in my free time besides sitting and blogging.
Anyway. Weird, when I signed on to start this page I had no idea where I was going to go with this post. It actually had a little bit of organized thought and I'm not too terribly ashamed of it-I do still believe it was not worth your time to read, and if you made it to this point I'm guessing that you too have too much free time on your hands this morning and you too were looking for something to fill it. If that is the case, I suggest one of the aforementioned time killers. I am off to go bake something. Ah, the joy of killing some time deciding what to bake in this one time freedom from work!!!

Remembering old things

So, I was sitting around on this Christmas day reminiscing things of the past when I realized I have been a blogger in a previous life. If you care to read up on more of my adventures my old blog is http://sasquatch.travellerspoint.com/. It was my travels in New Zealand. I was as horrible then as I am now about the whole thing.

Any way, since I'm on here I'll wish every one a very Merry Christmas! I hope that the holidays were good to all and everyone got all the warmth and happiness they wanted this year. And, if you didn't here is a little something to help you smile and feel the Christmas spirit.... for what is better than an ugly Christmas sweater to celebrate with?

Lol! L8r. ur, u2, rofol! OMG! bff, TTYL? WTF?

I'm about to rant about text language so if you are a user of any abbreviations you need to pay special attention to how dumb you sound. No, seriously though.... WTF is up with text lingo? Are you really that busy that you can't add a couple extra strokes to make actual words? LOLers are the biggest annoyances. Are you really laughing out loud? or is it more of a quiet giggle inside? Maybe QGI is more fitting than Lol. And, am I really that funny that I have you rollling on the floor laughing, or you are laughing out loud every single text that is sent? Or, are you just that uninventive to express your entertainment in the conversation that lol is the only thought you can muster? Oh, I just got it-I'm that funny that all you can think are those three letters. From now on I'll take it as a huge compliment instead of it being totally annoying that you can't answer a single text without LOL included. But, what is the excuse for all the others used? Has the fact that you have graduated from middle school and have learned how to spell and use your words escaped your mind? Do we need an English teacher to sit and critique every text you send? The whole reason of text is to communicate..... so, please, let's communicate. I don't want to have to read another language and have to translate it into English.

Tonight our love is celebrated

After putting a few topics into a hat and randomly pulling one out I have decided that old people sex is not the topic I want to touch on and I have decided that I would throw fate out the window and write about our Mexican, Jose.
Now that Jose is gone and out of our lives we all miss him a little more than we thought we would. Jose came to us in the autumn of our lives. I came home one day and our Mexican was living on our couch paying his dues by cleaning the living room, vacuuming the house, doing the dishes and occasionally raking the leaves. Jose sometimes ate us all out of house and food. Many days would be started off as I would get up in just enough time to have a quick bowl of cereal before I had to race out the house, only to find the empty packaging tucked nicely into the garbage compactor. Or going upstairs expecting to find the left over dinner from the restaurant the night before and finding nothing. And, the favorite was when the entire package of cookies was eaten by the time we got home from work that day. The other aggravation that Jose caused in our household was his undying love for techno and Shania Twain-playing at the same time from two different stereos. And occupying the computer and downloading so much Mexican Porn that the internet would not work (that last statement has no real bearing, just a hunch). In the end Jose got fired, his ticket bought back to whereever he came from and he has left us. But, regardless of all these follies in the working of our perfect little Jose infested paradise, we sincerelly miss our hombre. We miss watching Pirates 17 times in a month, or coming home and wondering if he had decided to cross back over the border because no one had seen or heard from him in hours and hours.
To celebrate our love for our dearly departed Jose we have decided to create a shrine, a homage of Jose in the living room next to the ancestors. Jose, Tonight, we celebrate our love for you.