It's crazy how life twists and changes so fast.

Over the winter, Trevor and I were worried about surviving it. This winter was one of the coldest on record for the Fairbanks area. Some parts of the state received more snow than they had in years. We received bone crushing cold that could break you if you stayed out in it long enough.We survived. With our seasonal jobs ending I was so worried about finding more work..and with school ending, Trevor was worried also. After almost two months of searching; we have jobs. And just the other night, we had had enough of our party-going neighbor we called the cops to break up their shin-dig. When your neighbor doesn't have the decency to answer their own door and allows his/her guests to talk to you for him/her, or they hide as the authority knocks on your behalf(disgruntled and bored with domestic disruption, of course)...well, you just decide it is time to move the hell on. We stayed up an extra hour(til about 2am) looking online for future potential homes. And now have a new home.

What is this? When things get to the very darkest center of uncertainty, but the next day, or a blink of an eye later...Everything seems so much clearer. Brighter. Right.

Will things have still turned out the same if it were just me? or just Trevor? Leading our own individual lives? I believe so. Everything, good and bad, is meant to happen. Surviving the winter up here is meant to show us, it can still be done. People survive the worse conditions of life all the time. What are you willing to do? We left Wilmington in the frame of mind that Alaska still presents more opportunity than most places we ventured through last summer. And she has. It's odd how we are so ready for some place better to live, and by chance? By the collision of that readiness and the decision of our new landlord to find new tenants, we just happen to stumble upon his craigslist ad; and within 2 hours we have that some-place-better-to-live? Coincidence? Talk about things happening in the blink of an eye! How did we manifest this? Maybe I shouldn't even question it but only understand, that this is meant to be. Right now, even you reading this, you are meant to be. I don't know how this story will effect you, or what window of opportunity it may open for you. All I know is, you are meant to be here. I can only hope you are aware of that, and you inspire yourself to seek better for...well, yourself, which will in turn inspire someone else or at least a gracious positive feeling.. And if you don't need to, then you are content, and happy. And this was still meant to be.

I'm not sure what road T and I will be on next, but we'll be on it, with all it's twists and turns.Safe travels!
Love Always,
~marie

If anything, find a warm spot to lay in. ~Maverick @ Sneddin Park, along the Chena River in Fairbanks.

Random poem by Marie

Full moon rising February 6, 2012

Sun setting behind Denali simultaneously with the moon rising

Tiny pine cones(about the size of my thumb print)

Moon's full in my side view mirror
Sun caresses Denali's head...
Hill's are growing taller
Reaching for the cloud's as a blanket...
Snow, we wait for your departure,
You've been here now for quite some time...
We know you won't be here long,
So we wait to dance in Summer's light.

Dec. 21, 2011 Winter Solstice

It's here, the shortest day of the year.  Three hours and change of daylight.  The days have flown by.  We arrived in Alaska almost five months ago and the changes have been dramatic, physically and mentally.  Extreme daylight, extreme cold.
The reality of needing a job and working was not one either of us wanted to jump right into after the summer of fun.  I can say though, for me, I have found a job that I love and look forward to everyday.  I have been the "Lunch Lady Man"  for just over three years now.  It is a complete 180 from what I have been cooking for the ten years prior. Fine dining at Penguin Isle in Nags Head, Chateaux Bordeaux in St. John, USVI, Prima Italian Restaurant in Wilmington, and Chelsea's Wine Bar and Eatery.  I was able to work with dedicated cooks, the best ingredients, and cooked for celebrities.  I was able to develop menu items (the Heda Bruschetta, etc..) and basically do whatever I wanted with food.  I cooked in peoples homes, for thousands of dollars entertaining with my own creations.  All the while, I felt something was lacking.  I feel more fulfilled to cook for people who need the food.  It is the only meal some of those students get that day.  The food does leave something to be desired, but the choices veggies, fruit, milk are simple and straight forward.  I am working toward bringing something better to the table.  I don't know how just yet, there are obstacles, as with anything worth doing.  The people I have worked with, Shirley, Barbara, Sylvia, Sharee, and of course Linda have showed me the most important part of feeding people.  You gotta love what you are doing.  Do what ever you can to help the kids understand about the food they eat and hopefully be better students, people.  There are many programs that I like and what to be a part of, but the people I have the pleasure of working with show me what it means to serve.  Thank you Mandie, Sue, Whitney, Lyman, and Darlene.  The love you show helps me to keep getting up so early and walk done to that school.  Have a Happy Holidays  and may 2012 be your year to live your life your way...

FOOD!!!

December 15th #2

Today marks my and Trevor's second anniversary together(Oh and Mamma-mia-chaqita-banana-fana Happy Birthday to you too!). These last few years with Trevor have been a whirlwind of excitement. I'm happy to be with someone who see's the change around us as opportunity to opening new doors. We've been through many together already, and hope it never ends. He's a special person to all of us and I'm so lucky to be with him every day. With him, comes his family, whom I love and miss, and all the quirky things about him that make me smile. I would not be in this very spot in Time if it weren't for him.

Trevor, I'm not going to say what you already know......................okay, yeah I am...I love you.

November = - degrees!

Hello everyone,

I wanted to post some recent pictures and show you just how much the landscape has changed.  These are from an early November Saturday morning walk with me and the dogs. The area is an undeveloped subdivision just behind M's parents house of wooded lots and gravel roads. The morning of the walk, the temperature is probably right around zero and actually nice.  The dogs usually lead me off the road to side paths with snow drifts that reach almost to my knee.  Now that we are nearing Thanksgiving, the overnight temps. are regularly in the -30 to -45 range here in North Pole.  I haven't been able to find the explitive that best describes the sensation.  Years of working in restaurants with walkin freezers did nothing to prepare me for this environment. The picture of me is in normal going out attire, just now it includes an insulated face mask.

Well, Marie and I just started taking boxes over to our new apartment!  We are living in Fairbanks within one half mile from my work and less than half the distance to Marie's Work.  It has been really nice and a blessing to be able to stay with her folks until we were able to get our feet under us. I trudged out to the camper yesterday to get some items and marveled at the fact that we lived in there for a month while driving all over this country.  We have been able to settle in nicely with welcoming friends and family helping us along the way.  It has made it seem like the trip was years in the past, but it was just this summer.  I encourage everyone to get out and see the country, go anywhere, you will be sure to meet interesting and memorable people and that is what I believe now is the best part of any journey.  We will post pictures of the new place as we get settled.  I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and eat some oysters for us!
  

Mid November already?

As the holidays approach, I can't help but think of where Trevor and I were a year ago. It's flown by so fast! Tattoos and weddings. Thanksgiving at our little two bedroom home with 8 people and 5 dogs! Bridgewater Christmas in Greensboro and the snow drift(practice for us). This was when we were deciding when to tell family about our new adventure. I can still see the look on Mamma B's face when we "dropped the bomb". Knowing one of her children is going to some frozen far off place, I'm not sure how I would react with such brazen information. After the initial shock, she showed her support by giving me a book she's read a dozen times over by Nora Roberts "Northern Lights"..love and support comes in different forms. We wouldn't change any of these moments. We love & miss you East coast family and friends! By the way, who's on Skype?

Change. I look out the window to read the thermometer: -10. A friend mentioned it's suppose to be even colder by the end of the week(-30's!). We know our former residence is experiencing the typical "southern winter" with balmy 80's and probably rain. I don't miss it, but it certainly isn't 80 or rainy here! It's a ritual almost; dressing in layers. I equate being in those layers much like being in the womb. Warm and comfy, it can put you in a sleepy like state just as quick as eating a good meal, if you're too careful. Or, it's like a bear going into hibernation. Only, we have do this thing called 'making a living', so no sleep like the bear. Wonder when NatGeo or Discovery is going to come knocking and ask us to be part of a sleep study? ha!

We're all hanging in there. Maverick is in love with the snow. He's such a puppy on our walks. Sticks and stones don't have a chance with him. When he sees something sticking out in the snow he pounces on it and pulls it free whipping it in the air like it's some new toy he found. Mav's favorite thing to do is walk along the small bushes, pause, then gun it back onto the trail. I haven't figured out why this irritates Lucy, maybe it's just a game they're playing, but she patiently waits for 'the kill' and stands in the spot Maverick will most likely run through to catch him in mid stride with her ferocious toothy grip. Can you tell how much I love these two? Who dedicates a whole paragraph to their dogs right? Isn't there anything else in our lives happening? :)

Glad you're curious!!! Yes! Trevor's classes began this past week. He mentioned how the classes are on east coast time, and since we're 4hrs behind, 10p class is really at dinner time here for him. Wow, I've almost forgotten how late he had to stay up to be in these online classes. He's almost finished. We still don't understand what "Environmental Health: Ecolocigal Perspectives" still has to do with Health and Nutrition. I just randomly flipped to page 90..the top of the page reads: Consider the Cost: Dioxin in Tampons?..........Really?

He has this other book I'm curious to read that's been sitting on his class notes: "The Age of Great Dreams: America in the 1960's" by David Farber. There's inspiration! Trevor is also very inspiring. He emailed me a link last week to a series of "how to" business classes being held at UAF's community college the next 5 weeks. The first class was based on figuring out your passion and important questions one should ask..one self...when deciding to take on such risky endeavors. Being on a business adventure has been exciting. I felt like this class affirmed how right-on-track I feel. My boss asked for eggrolls for a group she's having over today. I'm very thankful for her support, letting me use her kitchen, and remaining On-the-Clock. Yeah, yeah...I'm already there, but still...Amidst all this eggroll juggling, I've found a yoga studio to attend during my time off work. Yoga's not as integrated in Fairbanks as it is in Wilmington, but there are people out there who are making it happen. The cold makes it a little difficult, but not letting it halt everything.

It's like I posted on facebook: 'not sure how all this craziness is going to pan out, but I'm still panning'. Is this how the gold miner's felt? Seeing that shiny golden nugget, knowing it was going to change their lives for better or for worse regardless the amount of effort put into the endeavor? This reminds me of a former boss I had at the D.O.C in Wilmington. After every challenge course we worked, he'd ask the group to share with everyone what their golden nugget was for the day. A practice still relative outside the circle. We all deserve happiness. Happiness is always right in front of you.

Peace, Love and Pumpkin Torte(it's a dessert I'm hooked on..thanks boss!)
~m

Delta Trip Oct2011

Delta Trip Oct2011, >click on link<

Our first Jeep Rally and the last one of the summer season. Trevor and I spent the weekend with the Fairbanks Offroad Lions Club in Delta Junction at Jarvis Creek for a jeep wheelin' birthday run.

Now in bear country, we arrived at our destination around ten at night. Dark and windy, the trip leader, Cory, scouted an area out of the wind and we unloaded the jeeps from the trailers and set up camp under the light of the camp fire and my dad's headlights from his CJ-5. At some point some of us heard a small crash near where the trailers were parked. As Cory walked towards the noise to check it out, he backed down thinking, in the dark, it may be something we all don't want to mess with.

The birthday girl let us borrow her propane generated heater for the night as Trevor and I bundled in our sleeping bags for some shut-eye. We slept on cots my dad let us use, while he opted to sleep on the ground. Staying true to his manly roots, I suppose. It was a bone chilling 20-something degrees by the time we went to bed, and I found myself rubbing my ice-cold toes around 430am thinking they were frost bit..false alarm.

The morning welcomed us with a spectacular view of the mountains, and also...bear tracks! They were so close to camp it sent the other kinds of chills down my spine(meeting up with a bear is one of my worst fears). There were plenty of armed men on hand in case a certain Ursus were to
break camp, bringing a little peace..a little. As I searched for a place to pee, I found a spot close to a canine carcass with the bear tracks twice the size of my hand. Thinking they were old tracks because of the carcass, I wasn't too scared until others went to inspect the area saying the tracks were fresh and probably from last night..explaining the crash. We figured the bear was
checking out the perimeter & its new found acquaintances...hmmmmmmmm.

Leaving the bear tracks behind, everyone geared up for the jeep run. Five hours of bouncing and mud slinging led us to some of the most beautiful scenery we have witnessed. This also marked a new trail to ride for future runs. Not knowing what to expect, the trail offered plenty and lots of testosterone! hahaha!! There were a few women in the mix too who held their own. I even saw some mud time..Just glad nothing broke while I was behind the wheel. I'm sure there's no perfect run and at least one thing must happen. For this run, the birthday girl had overheating problems, while one guy's tire just came off, as another became Sgt. Stuck in the Mud, but in all, we made it out unscathed.

A great weekend and a great first run. Trevor and I will certainly attend others in the future. There are runs during the winter, once a month. Right now the prospect of camping in the snow is out of the question, but you never know. Have a great week everyone.