Leave it to me....

Leave it to me to add unnecessary drama to an already stressful day!! Here is how my morning played out...

I woke up this morning and thought "Man, how did I wake up before my 5 a.m. alarm went off??" Then I checked my phone and it was 7:05 a.m.!!!! Please know that my first flight was leaving Homer at 7:30a.m.!!!! I immediately started freaking out! I called the Homer Airport as I was frantically throwing clothes on and pleaded with them to hold the plane and she said that if I can get here by 7:30 that they would. Looking back on it now, it was truly an act of God that I was able to finishing getting dressed, take Sophie out to go to the bathroom, load Sophie's kennel and my suitcases in the car, turn everything off in my apartment, and speed to the airport and make it there by 7:27 a.m.!! I was sitting on the plane by 7:35 a.m.!! Incredible!! Luckily for me, there is no security check at the Homer Airport and the flight only consisted of about 8 people. Thankfully, Sophie and I landed in Anchorage and I was able to recheck her through to Dallas and I was able to grab some breakfast before my flight to Seattle. I am currently flying to Seattle right now and I am enjoying inflight WIFI! Oh the technology of today!I should have about a 3 and half hour layover in Seattle and then I am homeward bound!

All in all, I am so excited to come home for this break!! I can't wait to see everyone and relax and enjoy the holidays! Maybe it will finally start feeling like Christmas!

MOOSE!!!

So my coworker and I went to our separate homes for our lunch break today and I got a text from her saying that when she went to let her dogs out in the backyard, there were three moose chilling out there! I told her that I had to see this and drove over to her house! Sure enough, three moose were laying down in her backyard! I was standing like 12 feet from them! So cool!

Sophie, we aren't in Texas anymore....

Mama and her babies

This was the mama moose

That was probably the most exciting part of my day! Here are some recent pictures that I haven't had the capable internet to upload!

This great contraption has saved me from eating only lean cuisines and cereal!

My tree! I couldn't resist and I got it for a steal!

I found this at my new favorite shop- Blackberry Bog

Breakfast pizza!! It is garlic olive oil sauce, cheese, oregano, bacon, and three eggs cracked on top. Sooooo good!

My new grips for the bottom of my boots!! Those blue things are metal studs.

Well I better be off to the store! I have to make enough cookie dough for 9 dozen cookies!! We are doing a cookie exchange at work and I have to bring one dozen cookies for each person involved. I am making cookie and cream cookies! We will see how they turn out!

Blah Blah Blah

I apologize that I have not been writing much lately! I really have no excuse! But exciting news is that I come home to Texas in 5 days!! I leave Homer on Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. and have a lay over in Anchorage until 10:00 a.m. and then a layover in Seattle until 6:00 p.m. and then finally (after a very long day in transit) will arrive at DFW around 11:30 p.m. And I just found out on Friday that Sophie girl will be making the trip as well! Turns out that Alaska Airlines will still fly animals in the winter, it is way cheaper to bring her home than board her, and I get to have her with me!! I am so glad she is such a great traveler! What is even more nice is that since I am flyer Alaska Air the whole way, they will be transporting and taking care of her the whole time. I am a little nervous to fly out of Homer to Anchorage. Not only is it my first time to fly in a plane that is smaller than 50 people but I am praying that the flight is not delayed or canceled because of the weather. Weather around here has been crazy!! There is barely any snow on the ground and it has been raining for the past two weeks or so. The temperature vacilates above and below freezing so it will rain and freeze and then melt and freeze again. It has made things very slippery around here. This morning, I went to finish my Christmas shopping and my car slid down the hill of the driveway and I almost crashed into a wood planter on the side of the drive. It was so scary!! So I went out and bought a pair of "grips" (they are things you strap onto the bottom of your boots that are rubber and have metal studs on the bottom). They allow you to walk on ice without slipping. I parked at the bottom of the driveway and walked up to my apartment with my new assurance that I wouldn't fall!

I found a new store in town that I love called Blackberry Bog. I think I could spend hours in that store and if I had a ton of money, I would buy everything in there. I got some Christmas presents in there and managed to buy myself a couple things for me. For some reason, my internet will not allow me to upload pictures right now so I will update tomorrow with the pictures I have taken.

Something that is great about living here is the night sky. I have always been a fan of the moon and stars but it is amazing how much bigger and brighter they are out here. There are some nights when the moon feels like it is hanging in the trees in the back yard and nights when the moon isn't out at all. Tonight is particularly dark and the stars can be seen in patches where the clouds have separated. The head of my bed is up against the window and I like to open the curtains at night and look at the stars before I fall asleep. I also like to crack the window open and fall asleep snuggled in my warm bed.

Surprisingly, the cold really hasn't bothered me. I thought that I would get sick of bundling up or wearing multiple layers all the time but I haven't. The darkness has been an adjustment though. The sun has been rising around 10 a.m. and setting around 4:30 p.m. so when I wake up at 7:30 a.m. every morning, it still feels like it is the middle of the night. I was finding myself getting tired around 5 p.m. every night so I listened to my co-worker and started taking Vitamin D. It is so strange that I am taking it because in Texas there was never a lack of that vitamin! I have been told that on Wednesday (December 21, 2011) it will be the shortest day of the year and that after that we will start gaining a couple mintutes of daylight each day. I feel very fortunate not to be living in a part of Alaska that sees total darkness because I am pretty sure I would go crazy!

Work is going well and I am starting to gain some more responsibilities around the office. I will be able to take on a case load in a month and I am ready. I do not like being the newbie who has to shadow workers because I feel so incompetent and like a burden. However, I love my boss and coworkers. I basically follow around my coworker, April, all day and that is fun. I wish we could convince my boss, Margit, to let us work in teams like police officers and then we could do everything together!


Well I better hit the hay! 4 more days of work, 5 days til Texas, and 7 days until Christmas!! I love this week!! And I love y'all!

Cold in Anchorage... in more ways then one!

Well folks, I have a cold! And it is just really bad timing because tomorrow I have to do a mock interview for training and it will be videotaped and watched by my supervisor and the class! Now I am going to be all snotty and cracky voice on tape!! Thankfully, this portion of training will be over in 2 days and then I will be in Homer for almost two weeks... then I'm coming to TEXAS!!! Over then this stupid cold and training, nothing has really been happening! The weather has been weird! On Sunday, the weather was the same in Anchorage as it was in Keller! So weird!

Anchorage!

Keller!

 

These are my new snow boots I got! I love my Academy boots but both pairs I got developed holes in the bottom :( 

This isn't a recent picture but I stumbled across it and love it! 

I cannot wait to see my family! I miss y'all so much!

1st week in Anchorage!

Well I have been in Anchorage for a week and I still have another week to go! Training was so boring but I think that is because I was learning about what I have already been doing for the past year and a half. When we start learning about on-going casework, then I will be all ears! I am staying at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel (the hotel mom and I stayed at during our first night here) and it is nice! I don't mind staying here for two weeks. What's not to love... your bed is made daily, room service, and a giant king size bed. I have decided that a king size bed is perfect when you are single because there is always a cool spot to roll to. Sophie has been great at the hotel. She particularly loves the couch.

  

Amy left on Monday night/Tuesday morning on a redeye to Houston. We had a great time!! I am soooooooo glad she came to visit me and will always be grateful that I did not have to spend Thanksgiving weekend alone!! 

My giraffe friend

We were comparing out braids one night

Sophie loves Amy Still

On that note, I come home in 20 days!! I have one more week of training and then I am in Homer for about a week and a half and then I am homeward bound! It has been so nice to do some Christmas shopping while in the big city!! 

I got my car fixed by Hertz on Monday (thank you Amy for helping with that) and it was a faulty starter and bad battery. But, sadly, I was in a car accident on Wednesday :(. I was driving and a lady changed lanes right into the passenger side of my car!! Luckily no one was hurt but my poor red Escape! I have been assured by her insurance company that the damage will be repaired thankfully! 

I know the damage isn't bad but I don't even technically own the car yet and it has already been in the shop and has been in a wreck! Both not my fault, may I add! Dumb Simon luck! I still am in love with this car by the way!

The weather has been weird the past couple days. When I got back to the hotel tonight (at 11:30 p.m.) it was 40 degrees and raining hard. It is so weird for it to be raining and for there to be snow on the ground. I got a message from April tonight saying that all the snow in Homer has melted. So weird since when I left is was in the teens and there was a lot of snow!! Hope it doesn't make the roads super slick!

I found out that the first week that I can officially start taking cases is the last week of January and April and I have a trip planned to go do home visits in Unalaska, Ak! I am so excited!

A is where Homer, AK is and B is where Unalaska, AK is. Now that I joined the team, we will be covering cases in Unalaska. April and I will be out there for 3 days in January! I'll keep you updated on what it is like out there!! 

Night everyone, more to come!

Just My Luck

So who is not at all surprised that while my friend is in town that the car that I do not officially even own yet but have had in my possession for about 3 weeks decided not to start yesterday?? NOT ME!! Long story short, after getting a tow truck to haul my red beast to he only open auto shop and having them look at it, it turns out that I have a faulty starter and my battery is bad. Only problem is that the closest starter is in Anchorage. Luckily, Amy and I have plans to drive to Anchorage today!! So lets cross our fingers that we make it there with no problems! Thank God that I am still under a 60 day warranty with Hertz!! I thought you didn't have to worry about car problems for a while when you had a newer car!!

So anyway, our plan is to hit the road sometime this morning with a car full and Sophie in tow. We are going to pick up the best sandwiches at Odie's Deli in Soldotna (cashew chicken salad--yummm) and thenm make our way to the big city. I have to stay there for 2 whole weeks for training and Amy flies out late Monday night. Her trip here has just flown by too fast and I am going to miss her hanging around with me! I am excited to be in Alaska's land of milk and honey though so that I can do a lot of shopping (for Christmas and for me!!). I have never had to pack 2 weeks worth of clothes before!!  I better go attempt it... this is going to be bad, I am a chronic overpacker!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

So today is a day of mixed emotions.

I am so sad that I was not able to spend this day with my family, stuffing my face with turkey and 3 layer roasted pecan cake. I love this holiday and i think what is the hardest part about not being home this weekend is not being home tomorrow. More than Thanksgiving, I love the Friday after. Black Friday shopping and Christmas decorating day! It is a day rich in tradition for the ol' Simon family! However I am in Alaska and the nearest Walmart is over an hour away!

But all in all, today was a great day! I woke up in Soldotna and had a wonderful friend to greet Thanksgiving with me, I was able to skype my family twice, went to one of my new favorite stores (Fred Meyer), made chocolate oreo truffles, went to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for the displaced members of Homer, ate til I was not able to breathe, and now I am about to get a good night's sleep! There is so much to be thankful for and although I would have given anything to be in the presence of my family today, I feel blessed. Thank you to my family for keeping me there in spirit and thank you to Amy Still for making the journey out here to visit me! If it weren't for you, I would probably have spent Thanksgiving in bed watching movies and that would have just been sad! I love you all and I can't wait to see you at Christmas!! One month to go!

AMY"S HERE!!

Today is a great day because Amy is here... in Alaska!! I just picked her up from the Kenai Municipal Airport and we drove back to Soldotna and are staying at the Aspen Hotel. I am so so so excited to show her Homer and this beautiful state! Tomorrow we are going to a Thanksgiving get together with my coworker, April.

I took pictures of my office today to share with y'all....

My pretty new lamp for my desk at work

A closer look

My one framed photo! I love this picture but I need current one

Le Office

How cute is this?? Thank you Fred Meyers

Had to bring a little of my state to the office

Sophie's cute new dog bed

This is a sad day because I no longer have a Texas driver's license :(

New business cards :)

Lazy Sunday

Today is just a lazy Sunday! I LOVE lazy Sundays :)

I completed my first week of my new job and I think I am really going to like it!! My boss and coworkers are all really nice and really welcoming!! They say that this week was unusually busy but it seemed like my normal pace back in Texas so that is a good sign that it won't always be like that.

I just realized that I never posted pictures of my new living situation.

 

This my bed 

 This is the other part of bedroom-- my kitchenette

 These pictures are of my living room

It is a good place and I am grateful to have found something reliable online. I will probably start looking for a new place once I get back from my trip home for Christmas. I think that Sophie and I could use a little more privacy and quiet :)

I miss everyone and hate that I will not be home for Thanksgiving but I am so grateful that Amy Still is coming to town in 3 days!! And then in a week I will be in Anchorage for 2 weeks doing my first set of trainings. And then two weeks after I get back.... I come home for CHRISTMAS!! YAY! I need to start my Christmas shopping!!

The view from my window :)

INTERNET!!!!

I FINALLY HAVE INTERNET!! Thank you dad and Jesus!!

I drove a total of 150 miles today just to pick up a device that makes my apartment a WIFI hotspot and it works!! I am sitting on my couch right now typing this! And the cool thing is that it is mobile so I can take it and use it anywhere! Thank you dad for finding it or me! You are awesome!

Hitting the Road Alone

Well, sadly, I put my mom on a flight back to Texas late last night and I am about to head back to Homer with Sophie! Mom and I met my coworkers yesterday and saw my new office! There were so nice, warm, and welcoming!! I am excited to start my new job!! Then we drove up to Anchorage and spent the last part of the day doing a little shopping and had a great dinner at Outback. The only chain restaurants in Homer are McDonalds and Subway so we decided to eat somewhere familiar. Mom booked me a night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for the night and unfortunately we had to board Sophie here in Anchorage.

Thank you mama for coming out here with me and helping me get settled. It would have been so difficult to do all that we did without you and it definitely would not have been as fun! I love you so much and thank you for your support and abundant picture taking skills :)

Thank you dad for sending mom with me. I wish you could have come along but you will get to see Alaska in all her glory in the summer! Thank you for knowing the hearts of the women you love and knowing that both my heart and mom's heart would have been unsettled if she had not accompanied my out here. I love you so much and thank you for your support in all of this. I wouldn't have a car, almost internet, and the assurance of a block heater without you!!

So I am about to go pick up Sophie and some breakfast and these two girls are taking the long, winding road to Homer, AK! Happy Veterans Day!

Pictures!!

Yesterday when I posted, I did not have any of my pictures uploaded to my computer. Well I did that this morning and here are some photos of my first few days with my mama in Alaska!!

 Sophie is ready for an Alaskan adventure!!

 My new car!!!

 Our scenery on our drive from Anchorage

 FedEx is everywhere!!

 Soooo cold and it is only November!!

My fortune cookie from Taste of Asia the night before my flight! Seriously?! Best fortune cookie ever!

Bloggin' from McDonalds

So mom and I are sitting here in the local McDonald's soaking up all the internet access we can! I found out when I got here that my landlords only have dial up and and DSL does not extend out to the house that I am staying in. BUMMER! But my awesome computer tecky dad is on the hunt for a viable option for me! So until that happens, McDonald's may be a morning ritual.

Update on the last couple days**
Mom and I spent the first night in Alaska in Anchorage and woke up and did a little shopping. About mid-day we went and bought my new car!! I got a 2010 Red Ford Escape and I looooove it! I feel like I finally have a grown up car! We drove off the car lot and pretty much immediately headed south to Homer. The drive on the highway was gorgeous but nerve racking for me (a Texas girl who has never driven far in snow or ice). It took us about 4 1/2 hours to get to Homer but that was probably because on average I was going about 10 mph under the speed limit! Haha! I met my landlords and we started unpacking my apartment. The 6 boxes that I had FedExed were sitting waiting for me when we got there. Oh and Merry Christmas to me because mom and dad bought me a Kuerig coffee maker as an early Christmas gift! Yay! Yesterday we woke up and had breakfast at a cute diner called the Duncan House and then went exploring. There are two bookstores in town and we checked out both of them. I am in love with the Old Inlet Bookstore. It is a tiny two story house that is stuffed full of used books and I think it is my dream store. There are piles and piles of books! I bought a vintage copy of Rebecca (my favorite book) that was printed in the 40's for only $6! I am in love. Later that night mom and I went to the local movie theater and saw Moneyball. The theater only plays 2 movies at a time. The movie was good but the best part of the whole experience was the lady who had fallen asleep in the row in front of us and was snoring loudly!

Today mom and I are headed to Kenai, Ak. It is a town about an hour north and it holds the closest Walmart. There is a Safeway here but it is kind of expensive (like a Tom Thumb in DFW) and there are several things I realized I needed while I was unpacking. I hope to finalize my vehicle purchase and figure out the whole internet ordeal today too. Oh and something else we Texans do not think about getting... a block heater for your engine. When we got in the car this morning, the temperature was 18 degrees... Eek!! And it is only getting colder :) 

I'm Here!!

Well I finally made it to Alaska!!! Mom and I arrived in Anchorage around 1pm! Sophie was a wonderful traveler and made it to Alaska safe and sound!! We are staying at the millennium alaskan hotel tonight. It is the official headquarters of the iditarod dog races where they dog race almost 1100 miles from anchorage to nome. It is currently 5:07pm and mom, Sophie and I are planning on going to bed soon since we woke up at 2:30am. I already miss Texas and everyone there but I have a good feeling about this place. It is gorgeous and the air is crisp! I can't wait to see homer!!

Oh and when mom and I were driving home from dinner, a moose crossed the HIGHWAY in front of us! Unbelievable!!!

4 Days and 3 Wake Ups

I can't believe that I leave on Saturday!! Woah!

My official last day of work was yesterday, however, I have some last minute things to do before I can turn in my computer. I guess work never stops even when it's over! Now all I have left to do is go over the small details. I am nervous that Sophie won't be able to go since it has started to SNOW!! It is 27 degrees there right now and the airlines typically don't allow pets to fly cargo if the ground temperature is below 45 degrees at any stop. But I got her approved to fly by her vet and I am verifying it all with the airlines before we go. But I mean come on... she's ready to go!!

This weekend was great! My brother and I held a garage sale and made some money, Blair Little came to town and we watched the saddest Ranger's game ever and went to a late night showing of Rocky Horror Picture show with Courtney, and I got to hang out with the majority of my family at some point during the weekend. The hardest part was saying goodbye to my brother on Sunday, but Christmas is just around the corner and he is going to see me so much, he will be sick of me!! So until Saturday morning, I will be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get stuff done!! Wish me luck!