Then I want to move in with them.”
-Phyllis Diller
Good morning all! There is blue sky and sunshine over the mountains today and that makes me smile:) It has been pretty rainy here the last few days (yeah, yeah, I can see the smirks on your faces even as you read this "...she better just wait until it starts getting dark...") anyway, you can start booking your tickets to come see me round about January, Februaryish http://www.kayak.com/;) So I'm
planning to take mom hiking today, she will be my Sherpa as I now lovingly refer to her, after having her trail me around Sportman's Warehouse (http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/) the other day carrying my new felt bottom fishing boots (who knew you need special boots to fish!) again I see some of your heads shaking. But this is all new to me, the cheechako (Alaskan word for newbie from the the lower 48). So my 'Sherpa' is following me around carrying all my stuff and I suddenly realize it. Ever had one of those moments when the world stops and lets you take a good look at yourself and it scares you...well I did, here we are my Sherpa and I in Alaska. I decide try to lose her on purpose, I love my mom but I can carry my own boots. Quickening my pace, maneuvering several abrupt turns and weaves through the fishing nets, sleeping bags then in and out of a few North Face tents and she is still on my elbow. She is unable to be shook. The moment passes and she doesn't even realize I what I was up too. She is happy to be my Sherpa. My adventures become hers and fair enough, she's the reason I get to have them anyway. My mom has a heart of gold.
"Honor your father and mother-God, your God commands it! You'll have a long life; the land that God is giving you will treat you well." Deuteronomy 5:16.
Speaking of my mom's heart of gold... I dragged her and her friend Rose, back to Anchorage from Homer last week so that I could run the Mayor's Midnight Marathon (a great race to any who are marathoners - http://www.mayorsmarathon.com/). She was not t
o happy about this as she had thoroughly been enjoying her halibut fishing debut (http://www.centralcharter.com/).
Pictures with our day's catch after Halibut fishing in Homer, AK.
Reeling one of these babies in can easily be compared to trying to land a truck.
We made it back around midnight (ironically) and I needed to be at the start by 8 am. She sucked it up that morning and brought me to the start in her sleep, shoved me out the car door with a grumbling hug and some obligatory well wishes then promptly headed back to the apartment for what I could only assume was the remainder of a good day's (no night here remember) rest. Rose, on the other hand, was much more animated and encouraging. As I pinned on my number and prepared for the start, she offered the hopes that they would try to be at the finish. I knew not to hold my breath and plodded off, wondering if I really had 26.2 in me. The city of Anchorage has one of the best trail systems known the mankind. You can travel for miles circling lakes, bogs, streams, and meadows never leaving the city limits...this was where we ran the second half of the race. But, up to mile 17 we were routed around on some back roads and through some rugged little footpaths. I was chugging along about mile 16 when off in the trees to my right I heard loud crashing and peripherally spied a very large brown object moving at a pace that kept with mine. Now if you know me, you now are thinking...bear. Yes, so was I and my heart rate doubled as I lept across the road. Others around me didn't seem to bat an eye at the thrashing monster only footsteps away, but instead snickered at my gymnastics move gone wrong. "It's a moose." the man next to me stated matter of factly, "As long as it stays where it is (which was 15 yards away, if that!!!) you're fine." I regained my composure as best as a cheechako like myself could, while desperately trying to shush the bear alert alarms sounding in every corner of my body then pretended to calmly run side by side with Bullwinkle for about 1/4 mile until he'd had enough of the race and stopped to eat. I think God had himself a good laugh at my expense. Welcome to Alaska, lol. At the finish, my dear friends from I.Falls Angie, Brandon and kiddos (Skylar, Tatum and Alivia) who have lived in Alaska now for 10 years, were there cheering me on, a truly welcomed sight. Ang had ran and finished the 1/2 that morning as well, so I was very thankful they had decided to stay and wait for me. Even more so when I called my trusty Sherpa's phone to let her know I successfully finished 26.2 miles barely unscathed by a moose attack so she could come and pick me up, only to find that she had shut her phone off and was still asleep. Ang and Brandon gave me a ride home.
"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 41:31
-Phyllis Diller
Good morning all! There is blue sky and sunshine over the mountains today and that makes me smile:) It has been pretty rainy here the last few days (yeah, yeah, I can see the smirks on your faces even as you read this "...she better just wait until it starts getting dark...") anyway, you can start booking your tickets to come see me round about January, Februaryish http://www.kayak.com/;) So I'm
planning to take mom hiking today, she will be my Sherpa as I now lovingly refer to her, after having her trail me around Sportman's Warehouse (http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/) the other day carrying my new felt bottom fishing boots (who knew you need special boots to fish!) again I see some of your heads shaking. But this is all new to me, the cheechako (Alaskan word for newbie from the the lower 48). So my 'Sherpa' is following me around carrying all my stuff and I suddenly realize it. Ever had one of those moments when the world stops and lets you take a good look at yourself and it scares you...well I did, here we are my Sherpa and I in Alaska. I decide try to lose her on purpose, I love my mom but I can carry my own boots. Quickening my pace, maneuvering several abrupt turns and weaves through the fishing nets, sleeping bags then in and out of a few North Face tents and she is still on my elbow. She is unable to be shook. The moment passes and she doesn't even realize I what I was up too. She is happy to be my Sherpa. My adventures become hers and fair enough, she's the reason I get to have them anyway. My mom has a heart of gold."Honor your father and mother-God, your God commands it! You'll have a long life; the land that God is giving you will treat you well." Deuteronomy 5:16.
Speaking of my mom's heart of gold... I dragged her and her friend Rose, back to Anchorage from Homer last week so that I could run the Mayor's Midnight Marathon (a great race to any who are marathoners - http://www.mayorsmarathon.com/). She was not t
o happy about this as she had thoroughly been enjoying her halibut fishing debut (http://www.centralcharter.com/).Pictures with our day's catch after Halibut fishing in Homer, AK.
Reeling one of these babies in can easily be compared to trying to land a truck.
We made it back around midnight (ironically) and I needed to be at the start by 8 am. She sucked it up that morning and brought me to the start in her sleep, shoved me out the car door with a grumbling hug and some obligatory well wishes then promptly headed back to the apartment for what I could only assume was the remainder of a good day's (no night here remember) rest. Rose, on the other hand, was much more animated and encouraging. As I pinned on my number and prepared for the start, she offered the hopes that they would try to be at the finish. I knew not to hold my breath and plodded off, wondering if I really had 26.2 in me. The city of Anchorage has one of the best trail systems known the mankind. You can travel for miles circling lakes, bogs, streams, and meadows never leaving the city limits...this was where we ran the second half of the race. But, up to mile 17 we were routed around on some back roads and through some rugged little footpaths. I was chugging along about mile 16 when off in the trees to my right I heard loud crashing and peripherally spied a very large brown object moving at a pace that kept with mine. Now if you know me, you now are thinking...bear. Yes, so was I and my heart rate doubled as I lept across the road. Others around me didn't seem to bat an eye at the thrashing monster only footsteps away, but instead snickered at my gymnastics move gone wrong. "It's a moose." the man next to me stated matter of factly, "As long as it stays where it is (which was 15 yards away, if that!!!) you're fine." I regained my composure as best as a cheechako like myself could, while desperately trying to shush the bear alert alarms sounding in every corner of my body then pretended to calmly run side by side with Bullwinkle for about 1/4 mile until he'd had enough of the race and stopped to eat. I think God had himself a good laugh at my expense. Welcome to Alaska, lol. At the finish, my dear friends from I.Falls Angie, Brandon and kiddos (Skylar, Tatum and Alivia) who have lived in Alaska now for 10 years, were there cheering me on, a truly welcomed sight. Ang had ran and finished the 1/2 that morning as well, so I was very thankful they had decided to stay and wait for me. Even more so when I called my trusty Sherpa's phone to let her know I successfully finished 26.2 miles barely unscathed by a moose attack so she could come and pick me up, only to find that she had shut her phone off and was still asleep. Ang and Brandon gave me a ride home.
"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 41:31
HAHA! Great blog, can't wait to read more. :)
ReplyDeleteyou have a good blog
ReplyDelete