We're back...sigh

Transported back to reality...and colder weather. But we had a wonderful time in Mexico! D and I didn't realize how much we needed a warm-weather vacation, just the two of us, until we were down in Cancun.

The weather cooperated for about two days, the rest was pretty overcast and windy/wet -- but we made the most of it and planned fun activities regardless. Our flight from Seattle to Cancun was delayed for 5 HOURS! So cruel. And then to top it off, we couldn't get into our condo because the lock box number we had been given was incorrect. I seriously expected to be sleeping on the beach that first night. After two hours of phone calls and trying every possible number combination we could think of, D managed to figure out the code, thank god. I haven't been that relieved in, well, EVER.

That being said, the condo we stayed in was really, really nice. Small kitchen, nice bathroom, everything recently remodeled, just steps to the beach. Here is the view from our 3rd story digs:

Condo interior:

Beach area in front of our hotel/condo...

More updates and photos to follow!

Lost in Translation

It was a hoot to check out the signage in Mexico -- hey we all get mixed up sometimes, right?

Click on the photos to see them larger...

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"Please don't throw your cigarette ends in the lagoon, the crocodiles are getting cancer."

No mistakes here, this was just a humorous sign we saw at Senor Frogs in the party zone.

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There is a big conch shell hanging to the left of the sign -- explains local weather according to the conch.

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"For your own safety. If you were drinking or eating, don't realize aquatic activities."

This sign appeared over the snack bar at the day resort area we visited on Isla Mujeres.

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"I have taken movie out of alcoholic than alcoholic has taken out of me."

Also at a bar, big surprise.

Asian version at Engrish.com -- also quite funny.

Vacation

Hi all -- we're off to Mexico tomorrow, so no posts for a week or so.

Adios!

BOW

I just sent in my registration for the 2009 winter BOW session! Almost all of my girlfriends have taken part in Becoming an Outdoors Woman - 4 of us participated last year and a couple others did it the year before that. This year we managed to get a group of 8 or 9 together for the weekend. I feel sorry for anyone else sharing our cabin.

It's a blast - basically women of all ages can come and learn outdoorsy skills through four three-hour sessions. Last year I took archery, firearm safety, fly fishing, and intro to shotgun. By now everyone has heard me rave about the shotgun session -- I loved it! We got to actually shoot at moving clay targets. This year I signed up for snowmachining, dog sledding, smoking/pickling fish, and rifle markswoman. BOW isn't until mid-March, so it's a long wait until then.

My profile pic for Blogger is from last year's BOW -- here I am posing with one of Lance Mackey's old sled dogs (he won the Iditarod last year).

View from the door of our cabin...

We stopped on the way home from Chickaloon to take some photos -- so pretty.

Cold, cont'd

Still below zero here, and I still have a nasty barking cough and sore throat. Cross your fingers that they both will disappear before we leave this weekend.

At least we don't live in Fairbanks...

Cork trivet - DIY

Ugh, I caught a nasty cold and it has waylaid me for the last few days. It's been rough. I dragged my sorry self into the office today to catch up on work since I'm out next week (Mexico, yay!)

I hope everyone had a wonderful start to the new year. We played Rock Band on our friend's Wii -- it was fun, although I won't be asked to play drums in a real band anytime soon.

This past weekend I also had a chance to start on a project I've been wanting to tackle for a while now: wine cork trivets! One of the physicians I work with drinks a LOT of wine so he brings me a bag full of corks every couple of weeks.

My fancy collection center is a wicker basket in the kitchen...

I dug through to make sure the lengths and widths of each cork would match up to my design. Then it's basically like putting together a puzzle. D cut a wood backing and some nice mitered-edge trim for me and after some minor glue incidents, viola! I present a cork trivet -- ready for use as a hot plate holder.

TV star

As promised, here are the two tv commercials that Drift has been a part of. There is talk of another spot, but Drift hasn't been booked yet...

Happy New Year

I'll be taking a few days off from blogging to enjoy the New Year and get some stuff in order, including cleaning, laundry, organization, etc.

Happy New Year peoples!

AK to MEX

Peoples, I am feelin' good today! D reminded me last night that we will be in MEXICO in like 12 DAYS. Can you feel my EXCITEMENT? It is manifesting through my use of ALL CAPS.

This 10 degree below zero weather is just fueling my Mexico frenzy. Last night I spent 45 minutes going through my (meager) stash of hot-weather clothes - and I'm still not even close to being packed. Meanwhile, D will grab some t-shirts and shorts the day before we leave and call it good.

Let's see, what else is nice around here -- we're gaining daylight again now that the winter solstice (December 21st) has come and gone. That means we've officially started winter, which is interesting because I could have sworn that we've had 3 months of it already. Now we've got another 4 months to go! Then comes one month of spring and finally our 3 glorious months of summer.

The cold weather comes with blue skies -- last week I pulled out my sunglasses for the first time since, oh, about October. That may seem weird but when you go to work in the dark and come home the same way, there is no use for sunglasses.

I wanted to share the bad photo below because you can see the sun starting its decline in the sky. We're looking due south -- can you guess what time it is??


The time is 12:25 pm!

Man, everytime I get the chance to look out my office window it hits me that I am so lucky to have such an amazing view.

The aftermath

Yay, happy holidays everyone! We had a great Christmas here in Alaska. Everybody slept in, watched some tv and then dug into the presents. I got everything I wanted - how often does that happen?

Apparently the cats went out and bought me a big bottle of wine - they even signed the package...Little Dude has very bad handwriting. And Drift got me a fishing vest -- what a nice puppy.


Drift received a candycane-shaped bone from D's parents - he LOVES IT. D gave it to him and Drift threw it up in the air, chased it around and ripped off the plastic casing. He was ecstatic! He hasn't been that happy since Em and Randy gave him the birdie.



Santa also brought him an extra large birdie. It's about 3 times the size of the original. All that ripped up wrapping paper in the photo was from Drift's present-opening frenzy. He likes to open his own gifts.

Below zero

It's waaaaaay below zero here -- and it's supposed to stay that way for the next week. Brrr! Does anybody want to come visit?

Pulling your weight

Drift has a nifty pulling harness that he wears reluctantly -- although he does have happy ears here in this photo. He could probably fly around the room with those big flappy things.

Ah, that's better -- this is his "please take harness off NOW!" face...


Getting some exercise outside in the driveway. Drift is pulling a long piece of heavy wood.


Go Drift Go!

If he gets good, Drift may be able to enter the Fur Rondy dog weight pull someday!

One Cool Thing - 12/26/08

Can you guess what these adorable "toadstool" appetizers are made from?

Via Hostess with the Mostess...

Merry Christmas!

More Discovery Channel

The Discovery Channel loves Alaska -- and once again they've been filming all over the state for the popular "Alaska Week" which will run in the spring.

I blogged about DC's visit to my workplace this fall, but here's some more gossip about a not-so-reality show to be part of "Alaska Week."