Life in a Snow Globe...

I know I've mentioned before that it has been an extremely snowy winter, but really, it has been.  We typically get enough snow to reach the top of our rail in the front.  It gets this tall because of the amount of snow that falls off the roof.  Today we reached a new milestone.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Our front door is just past that window.  Probably not going to be opening that for a while.

 Pat has been scooping out a path for us to reach the cars.  Even this is getting ridiculous!  We are having to throw the snow far over since otherwise it will just roll back down into the path.  Clearly this was not the year to get rid of the snowblower.  On a brighter note, the new fallen snow has hidden the numerous yellow spots!

 Even our poor lamppost is about to be swallowed up by the still-falling snow.  We've given up on shoveling for a while.  There is just enough of a breeze, and the snow is just light enough, to eliminate one's work in a matter of moments.  I think there is more snow forecasted through the night and tomorrow.  I love procrastination!

This is the part of the snow globe that you can't see from the outside.

The Hunger Games Trilogy ~ Review

I just finished reading this trilogy, and I have to say, it was pretty powerful.  Marketed to "Young Adults" I had a fairly low expectation on literary merits.  I also expected a quick moving story with enough action to keep younger minds engaged.  I honestly got so engaged in the story that I never really paused to consider the literary quality of the books!  It's not Tolstoy, so it is very easy to read and thus very much at the level of a Jr. High reader.  The story moves pretty quickly, answering questions as the action flows, so again very level-appropriate.

It's the actual story that makes me feel that these books go far beyond the scope of "Young Adult."  In a very simple summary, we enter a world that is a post-apocalyptic North America run by a severely corrupt central government that keeps most of its citizens in a state of slavery for the benefit of the elite class.  As an annual punishment/reminder of a past rebellion, this government stages a televised event in which a pair of teenagers from each of the 12 districts, one boy and one girl, are drawn from a bowl to enter a fabricated but natural looking arena to fight to the death, named the Hunger Games.

I was appalled at the concept.  I was also fascinated at how the author could possibly pull this off.  The truth of the matter is that the idea is appalling.  That's the point.  And yet, the people of this nation are so beat down that they comply, sending their children off generation after generation.  The rebellion that is referenced was put out so completely, that the citizens are so afraid and their fear continues to keep them in bondage.  Somehow when the heroine of the story, Katniss Everdeen (named after a water plant) steps up to take the place of her sister in the games, her spark of bravery begins to spread courage to others.

Throughout the horrific mainline story, there is this coming-of-age of Katniss that is really fascinating.  She is forced to realize that her actions directly affect others, and how she presents herself is important.  This awareness of the implications of one's self is something that, I think, is universal in young adult years.  Obviously the setting would be different, but balancing who you think you are with what is expected of you is a tension that permeates most teens.  It did with me, at least!  Katniss's consequences are life or death, but I wonder how many in other parts of the world would relate.

Katniss also deals with the usual conflict of discovering feelings of "like!"  I very intentionally avoid the concept of love here, because I truly don't believe a 16-17 year old understands what love is.  She is compelled to show feelings of "being in love" for the games, but as the books unfold, the complexity of what this has started begins to unravel, and she is finally forced to realize the depth of what "love" really is. It goes far deeper than the fluttery feelings of attraction.  What was done as a facade also has consequences that she must face, and it doesn't feel good.  This path of discovery is worth discussing with a younger reader about to enter the world of dating.  Pressures to do what you think you have to, and the consequences that follow, are again universal.

Finally, what really got me about the story is the question of what depths you are willing to go to for survival.  What about the survival of the ones you love?  Is it worth keeping your character if it costs you your life or the lives of others?   These are the issues that plaque the characters in this story, and not everyone chooses the moral high ground.  As the books progress, these issues are the ones that come out as the characters have to decide if they are any better than their enemies, and examining that for which they are fighting.  Who do you want to be at the end?  This is another pivotal question that directs our young heroes.

In the end, I really enjoyed the books.  I am glad I gave in and bought them!  I recommend them for some thought-provoking reading that is entertaining, if not a bit disturbing.  For young adults with concerned parents, I would advise reading it with them and using these issues for some valuable discussions.  There are many issues not touched upon that could be great springboards for real conversations.  I will be excited to see the movie(s)!

Thank You, Merv!

Some of you know exactly what kind of deliciousness I have pictured here!!  Yes!  It's Zwieback drizzled with just enough homemade jam!  This post will take me forever to write as I am having to stop every sentence and take another mouthful of bready goodness!  And no, these are not gluten free, so I will be eating every last crumb even if it creates excessive curves for my cruise!

Growing up in a large extended family of German heritage, we often gathered for large holiday meals.  My Grandma was usually seen with an apron on in the kitchen or outside in the garden (though I learned later that she didn't care for gardening anything other than flowers!).  Of all the different traditional foods that filled the kitchen, one of the "given" items that was often very fresh was her Zwieback!  I remember watching Grandma as she would knead and punch the dough with fervor and when it was ready, she would effortlessly pick out the perfect handful of dough, twist off the ball on top only to put it back on  and give it all a thumb-prick to stick!  Oh, the smell of freshly baked rolls was mouthwatering.  Then to pull off the top ball and fill the depression left in the bigger roll with her homemade jam was simple perfection.  And you know, everything at Grandma's tastes better - even spinach with cheese sauce, but that's another story.

Just recently, I observed my college roommate advertising these deliciously buttery rolls on her facebook page, and I had to ask her if she would ship them to me!  As you can see, I have the best roommate ever!  I also have to state that as different as we have always been, I love her like a sister and wish we could hang out more!  Especially with these mad baking skills (did I mention how different we are?)!  Someday I'll have to share more about this fabulous friend of mine, but until then, Thank you, Merv!

Morning Walk

I woke up this morning to my cup of coffee, which I really missed when I was gone.  I awoke and after my mandatory few sips, made my way out to the kitchen to make my fabulous husband his lunch for his 12 hour work day.  Today it was left-over T-bone steak and mashed potatoes from last night's Valentines Dinner.  Left-overs from such a meal is a bit surprising, but I am just unable to consume that much deliciousness in one sitting!  After filling Pat's lunchbox to the brim with as much calories as we can muster, we hug and kiss, and he heads off to work.  

I spend the next couple hours in my quiet time, reading and then looking up more cruise information.  Rowdy begins his expressive breathing in which he almost-but-not-quite whines with every exhale.  I am fully aware that he desires to go out and do his business which I cannot fault him.  I am just so comfortable in my leather love-seat draped in an electric blanket and a blazing fire in the stove!  I give in, and he knows I'm serious when he hears the rustle of my snowpants.  When I walk to the door to slide my feet into my pack boots and slip into my coat, Rowdy is in full anticipation, hopping up and down in his attempt to restrain himself!  

It's another snowshoe day.  

It seems to have snowed a literal ton since I left.  Actually, this winter has been extremely precipitous.  I don't know exactly how much we have received, but the snow fall off the roof has compacted into a snow-cement pile that is over my head as I stand on the slightly elevated deck.  

 The depth of the snow has required us, namely Pat, to shovel out a path to the cars.  Interestingly, we've had more issues driving the wagon out of the driveway.  Multiple times it has become beached like a green whale on the enormity of 4" or less of the debilitating snowfall.

 Even the short walk to the shop is a "Moses Moment" with the waves of snow parting just enough to pass.  This particular area will be long in thawing as it receives all of 3 hours of sunshine in the longest days.

 Back to my walk.  With all the above information, I felt safe as I plodded along my usual route across the lake and into the back woods.  The previous efforts to take this walk in boots alone resulted in sinking all the way to the slightly dampened lake top.  As I walked along the previous day's snowshoe tracks, I looked again at the wet shoe prints in the snow.  It seemed so weird.  I continued on and we had a lovely walk through the woods.  So lovely in fact, that I decided to take the straight-line route back across the lake and home.  The snow has been extremely slushy due to the 30 degree temperatures that we've had since I've been back.  I was sinking a full foot or more with every step as I made my way down to the lake from the wooded edge.  All of a sudden I dropped another couple feet.  And it was wet.  And cold.  I instantly tried to pull my now filling boot up, but it was held down by a slush-filled snowshoe.  I stepped again and down went the other foot.  And my left hand.  How do I possibly crawl out of here?  I had often thought of what I would do if I fell through the ice, so I immediately forgot all of that and simply kept trying to step out of this rotten hole.  Finally, I was staying on top and crawled further out onto the lake.  This was really the best move as this pond freezes and thaws from the edges inward.  I tentatively but quickly hurried home, generating enough body heat to warm me up until I was safely inside, peeling off my soaked socks to place on top of the woodstove.

I think we'll be walking on the road for a while.

California Furnace... seriously

 Just over a month ago, I left this (above) to go to this (below):

 I have taken a job as an Assistant Radiographer and was assigned to a Tesoro Turnaround in Concord California.  To state it simply, I use a source of radiation to take "X-Rays" of welds in various locations, as well as testing pipe/metal with magnetic energy, liquid sprays, and ultrasound equipment.  It sounds pretty complicated and, honestly, some of it is but most is pretty simple.  These tests are to see if there are any cracks or other problems in welds or the base metals, typically in oilfield related locations like refineries.  This technology is also utilized in aerospace and other construction.  A Turnaround is a scheduled shutdown of a refinery, or units in a refinery, for maintenance or construction.  Hope all that helps explain what I was doing!
This industry seems to move at a moment's notice.  I got a call and 22 hours or so later I was on a plane.  To say it was rushed would be an understatement.  I tried to plan ahead for warmer weather, but I still had to buy another T-shirt!  It was also thought that I would be gone from 3-4 weeks.  (Well, you know how that went!)  Anyway, after doing a fair amount of orientations and a bunch of badges, we had a day off, so I went out for a walk along one of the trails through town.  It was really beautiful!

 I'd like to say that my fluorescent skin is just a bad picture, but...!  I laid around this park for about an hour after walking 4 miles to get there.  I literally laid in the grass and soaked in the sunshine!

 All these blooms felt completely alien to me.  Refer to the first picture for my previous frame of reference!  Lavender was blooming, geraniums were showing off their pinks and reds, and Pear trees were in full bloom.  It was just crazy!  I don't even know what this tree below is!  It was huge and beautiful!

 My new home was comfortable enough, though I had to buy a microwave and toaster to make it work.  The maid service was extremely sporadic, and I even had to call down for toilet paper at one point.  That was disappointing.  It made it even more pressing to get back home!
 Below is the small airport behind my hotel.  It made me think of Pat!

 I'm wearing the ever-fashionable Fire-Retardant coveralls in dark blue, accessorized with an H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) monitor on the lapel and the classic leather belt holding a pouch of radiation Personal Protective Equipment including a dosimeter, Rate Alarm, Radiation Badge, and paint pen!  It's sure to disfigure any size person!  Don't forget the ever-glamorous accessory to the accessory: side shields for the glasses!

 My welding beanie fooled many into thinking I was much more knowledgeable and experienced.  Oh, and they thought I was a welder.  I truly loved wearing the lovely non-breathable blue Tyvek suit (below), especially in the giant furnace (approximately 3X the size of our house) where it was warm and I had to wear a fall arrest system and half-face respirator to climb the 6 stories of scaffolding.  My favorite!  After about a week I was working the night shift, so the fabulous sunshine was down to a minimum, but it was probably best since I could handle the "cold" so much better!  It only got down into the low 40's most nights, so it was rare for me to wear a jacket.  Oh, since I was in the furnace, it didn't really matter anyway.

So all the while I got to have so much fun in furnaces, Pat was working hard here in Alaska!  Here he is doing a "brother-in-law" weld.  He was burning the candle on both ends trying to take care of all the house stuff as well as take care of his own 12 hour shifts in the -25 degree weather.

After all this exciting adventure, I have taken a transfer of sorts into a part-time position where I will continue to assist the certified technicians but only locally and probably much less often!  It will be a much better fit for us, as I have discovered that being home is much more valuable than I had realized!