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 :)