Yesterday was the *ceremonial* start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Basically, it's a chance for the mushers to have a short run through Anchorage, and for the fans to get out, get excited and cheer, since that will be much harder to do once the real thing starts this afternoon in Willow and the race heads off into the great Alaska unknown as they ( Read more... )

I had the pleasure of hosting my very first guest in Alaska last week! KPA, newly free from a year of enforced slavery as an intern in an animal hospital post-DVM, flew up for a week of fun and frolicking on June 30th. The following adventures were had by all:

Anchorage:
*REI, Title Wave books and a movie at the Bear Tooth
*Flat Top hike
*Eagle ( Read more... )

I found out about this about a month ago, but I waited until the paperwork deluge started rolling because I didn't want to get ahead of myself until I knew that it was going to happen. At least it's closer now, so I feel more comfortable telling the world ( Read more... )

Before tell you how I did today, I just want to shout out to MW, a friend from Minnesota now living in Anchorage--he's married to a friend of mine from the U of MN SPH days. He ROCKED today, and broke the course record on his way to the marathon victory. Read about it HERE. Way to go ( Read more... )

Tomorrow, I run the Mayors Marathon. I've done 3 of these now, and I've hovered between 4:01 and 4:08 for all three races, which, while being amazingly consistent, isn't the improvement that one usually hopes to see ( Read more... )

In a week, I've burned through Season 1 of The Wire. Addicted.

Also love the theme song, Way Down in the Hole by Tom Waits, as done in Season 1 by Blind Boys of Alabama. Here's a little Tom Waits version to tide you all over.

Click to view

In other news, I spent nearly the last of my store credit at Title Wave on the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Cookbook ( Read more... )

So, Friday mornings, instead of brewing my own tea and taking it to work in a travel cup, I usually stop at New Sagaya for some Alaska Chai, and sometimes a baked good. Today, I decided to shake it up a bit and tried out the baked goods at a new bakery in my neighborhood, the Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop. It did not disappoint ( Read more... )

I was in my first earthquake yesterday! (Or, at least the first one that I was awake for!)

Read all about it in my local paper HEREIt measured a 4.6. I was sitting at my desk and felt everything lurch to one side. It couldn't have lasted more than 5 seconds, and there weren't any after shakes. If I had been standing up in the halls, I would ( Read more... )

Mount Redoubt has been waking up recently. This volcano, 110 miles southwest of Anchorage, was last active in 1989-1990 over a period of six months. During one of the ash falls, an airliner had all 4 engines fail when it flew into an ash cloud. Fortunately, the pilot got the engines started up again and the plane landed safely and no one died, ( Read more... )

When I first moved to Alaska, I became a subscriber to Full Circle Farms, a CSA based out of Washington State that has an extensive Alaska clientele. At the time I signed up, I figured it would be an easy way to get quality vegetables regularly ( Read more... )