other people's junk

somebody slap me if i ever remotely gripe about sunny weather in juneau again. i can withstand 90 degree humidity in southern mexico no sweat (ha, ha), but give me 70 at home, and my face feels like it's being burned by an iron. last week, my officemates - most of whom are lifers - were agonizing about how hot it was. shut up debbie downers and shut up me. i don't care how baked my legs feel in these pants, bring it on and keep it up sunny mcsunsalot!


we woke up at 6am today and i went garage sale-ing for the first time. apparently, it's a popular weekend tradition in the valley, and considering that i lived downtown up to now, i had never heard about it. or was sober and/or awake that god early in the morning on a saturday. (the walking proximity of 7 bars from my old house was both an advantage and a limitation.) we scored pretty well, particularly with a free grill and accompanying propane tank - filled! FREE. the tank alone must be like 50 bucks. and it only took us 3 hours and 20 crappy yard sales before finding that jackpot. it was really dirty and rusty, and the legs were uneven, but after a good power brushing, deep grease cleaning, and adding metal rods to the back, it came out better than - yes, i'll say it - buddy, the green grill. (i have no idea where he is now, but i still have a $10 share on that puppy.) yay for other people's junk and my treasure. p also got an msr whisperlite international fuel camping cookstove for $7.50, and i made out with 2 books (grimm fairy tales and the english patient), a set of plates, a sweater, and a scenic driving tour of heretofore unseen neighborhoods for under 3 clams.


speaking of stuff for sale, p wants to sell his motorcycle. it's a buell xb9xs CityX bike, if anyone's interested. also, my eggs are up for grabs. holla.

it's all about timing

i saw all those cruise ship tourists wandering around last week, having spent thousands of dollars on their flight and floating hotel and extra tours, and i was happy to know my mom and little sister were getting such a great alaskan experience for way less. we took them boating on this beautiful sunny day and spotted 20 whales - a few of them being close enough to scare my mom a little - and a porpoise. we picnicked on homemade mango salsa and chicken pad thai in the middle of the channel, absorbing beautiful scenery. we cavorted around shelter island, exploring tidepools and collecting things for eliza to show her friends back home. they saw herbert and mendenhall glaciers, walked around the shrine of st. therese & perseverance trail, and rode up the mt. roberts tram. we spotted 2 bears - a mama and her cub - 50 yards away while taking a short walk behind my house. my sister got baby ducks to feed from her hands and even her head (p got naughty and sprinkled cornbread in her hair and told her to lie down). we saw waterfalls and mining museums. we ate sushi, king crab, salmon, & halibut galore. we drank bubble tea and ate fudge. my mom shopped at our freezer and took home over 30 lbs. of wild alaskan king salmon and halibut for the cost of a wax container. my sister played with gullies and hermit crabs and sea cucumbers at the touch tank in the aquarium and learned how to cast at family fishing day at twin lakes. they sure picked the right 4 days to be in juneau, and then they took the good weather with them. it's overcast skies and rain for poor j, p's friend, who's visiting from dry heat new mexico.

less than 2 weeks until ja to the maica!

bad news jetta

there's been one other time before this saturday that i walked to where i expected my car to be and didn't find it there. that first time was because someone at the wharf pushed my car into another spot. or so i believed. now i'm not so sure because this weekend, when i walked out of my office, my car was across the street rather than a bit up the hill where i'd parked it. not only that, it was half up on the sidewalk, about 2 feet from hitting an innocent storefront. i thought, now who the hell would move my car THERE?? and then my peripheral vision digested the police cars and the two girls talking on cell phones by a damaged jeep cherokee. for. fuck's. sake. my handbrake failed. and idiot me didn't keep it in gear. or turn the wheels to the curb. i figured i'd be in and out of work - i was only there to grab some paperwork, so i got careless. what kind of sign is this supposed to be, huh, life?? i guess that would be never to keep my car in neutral again.

on the brink

i've been on the fence about staying in juneau and all that entails (job, relationship, weather :P) - or moving to ohio, be with my sister, and regain some head space. if i were to leave, the best time would be when i'm already going to columbus on the 22nd for the jamaica trip. that buys me until just monday to give a proper two week notice at work, so i was bemoaning to coworkers the other morning about my dilemma, and i mentioned that one logistical problem was not knowing what i'd do about the car. they asked me what i wanted to do, and i said i don't know, i need a sign or something, i'm really stuck here. then, i go on my lunch break and what do i see on my car windshield??? a parking ticket, sure, but ALSO - a note saying, "I would love to buy your jetta! please call me for particulars", then someone's name and number. how freaky. i was just asking for a sign, and there you go... i don't know what to make of it, but i can't let it go. what to do, what to do...