Food = fun and happiness

Yesterday (Saturday) was about being productive, blue bird skies, and friends.

Jason and I slept in as we have been burning the midnight oil a lot lately.  I fear Monday is going to be a tough one as it seems to catch up to us on our first day back to work for the week!

As Jason put it, I was on fire (<- me, Shanna).  We started our day with day two of a beautiful, whipped berry/fruit/collagen shake.  The dietitian in me isn't sure I'm in love with the fact that it was full of just fruits, but we had them, and they needed to be used up, and this was a way to do it.  However, I am in love with the whippiness that it has at first and the most beautiful pink color I've ever seen aside from my traditional strawberry birthday cake.  :).

 


We then made a wonderful hearty breakfast for us and our roommate Rob, of eggs, so many yummy veggies and potatoes because we have SO many potatoes in our house due to our produce coop!
While we were making breakfast, we received a knock on our door from two young teenage girls who were participating in a weekend food famine in their church and they were seeking food donations for the local food bank.  Yay, bye-bye a whole bag of new potatoes!!!!  and several other things!  This is my favorite annual visitor to my door besides my father! :)

We finally made it outside for the day.  Jason geared us up for ski, however when we made it to the parking lot of the ski mountain, there was NO ONE else in sight!  Some days you would rejoice that you "get first tracks" or the whole mountain to yourself.  This was NOT one of those days.  The winds had been blowing 18 mph with gusts up to 38mph at the airport, I believe I heard.  The temps were hanging around 37 at town so that means about 32-35 at the mountain.  There was a beautiful beam of warm sun on the mountain but everyone knew today was not the day that the snow was going to warm up and turn to corn.  At the parking lot I wouldn't even get out of the van!  Jason made multiple small walks to assess the snow and thankfully reported back to me that it was a no go. The snow was ice, hard, and no thawing had happened today.  Thank goodness!!!  Instead we found a protected brush area to walk us and the dogs while the sun was still beaming and giving us the weekend Sun Day feelings of warmth and happiness.
After the walk, we retreated to the local water hole and ran into our good friends DJ and Tim.  It's so fun to have a place to stop into that allows for random adult social time.

At home we made a new recipe that I found to help use up one of our 3 heads of cauliflower, again from our much loved but well supplied produce coop.  The recipe was: buffalo wings made with cauliflower.  Holy hot and YUM!!!  Besides no excessive chewiness from chicken, we still got the whole effect of hot wings from the baked cauliflower.  I even made the recipe wrong because Moeder's can't read recipes or follow them right, but I think my mistake was not noticed and that is how I will make these puppies in the future!

Other food I worked up Saturday in the morning before our outing was homemade sauerkraut and a cauliflower pizza crust for this week, along with our veggies for our egg fritata that we will make Sunday night for our work week.
Meanwhile, I am working on my 3rd round of moose bone broth in the crockpot, with one more to go!  Now to eat all this food before April 2nd, as I just booked my airfare out of Alaska to SLC, then to Chicago to see Lauren, then to Cleveland to see the Podoll's, and then finally to KC to start our ever exciting road trip through Kansas!  Thank goodness I have many friends and family to see along the drive because Jason may not allow me to pick our road trips anymore! ;).

Also...good vibes appreciated as we are narrowing down on some rental homes in SLC.  It will feel so relieving once we sign a contract!    ~Shanna

We hike without skis too!--Retro post

We have shown a lot of snow and skiing pictures lately, so I wanted to show (or tell you) that we hike too. 

 

Hike 1: Cope Mtn from Burma Road

Sunday was a fun, slow, adventurous day to enjoy in the sun and with friends.  We started the afternoon with some sweet Coastie friends who do Sunday hikes.  I met two girls at the golf course the day before who knew our friends and said they were hiking with them and that we would join.  Crash their hike, why not!  Jason had volleyball at 3pm though so we were only able to join for a bit over an hour.  In that time we wound down the road and around the curves and a little ways up the old Burma Road on the back side of Old Woman.  It appeared to be a sheet of ice, but fortunately covered in semi wet snow that barely presented the ice below.  After the hike I talked Jason into letting us go to Java Flats which is my favorite place on island for yummy food.  Then home for his games and me to do what??????  Hike again!  Not enough motivation to solo ski again, so I hiked with some more friends on Pillar mountain.  It was a gorgeous day up there!  

It was there that I finally got my video of Kodi to show to our Anchorage dog rescue friend, that Kodi is not a lab like we thought he was.  

It was a big deal when we got Kodi that we got a yellow lab, per Jason's wishes, requests, insistence, etc :). My desire for a brown lab, husky, German Shepard, etc all got veto'd.  After a year of having Kodi, we learned/concluded that he really is a husky but looks like a yellow lab.   YAY!!!

Kodi doesn't live for the water (nope not a lab), is smart and cautious on the ice (yep much like a husky/sled dog), is long and lean (yep, again, hello husky), and LOVES the snow (yep he is a husky!).  

We love this guy and despite finding a place to rent in Utah is more difficult because of him and us having a dog or a large dog in fact...he is a keeper and life is more incredible and warm hearted with him.

This is Kodi when he finds snow.  You would think he has fleas but I think it is his way to say, I LOVE this STUFF!

   

On Pillar looking towards the Prongs and the Sisters 

Dinner that night.  
Carrot soup with caramelized onions it is when you have too many carrots to use up!  And roasted broccoli too because of the same story!  We love vegetables!
Surprisingly, this kept us full all night too!  (added some chicken sausages in it for the protein) and believe it or not, the recipe was from Campbells.com and was still fully homemade (no packaged foods minus the sausages).

~Shanna

I will not title this, "it's been a few days"

Spruce Cape walk with a great view to 3 sisters (left) and Monashka (right) mountains at sunset

3 Sisters at sunset on Spruce Cape--camera couldn't capture the beauty seen by the eyes

Truth is, it has been a few days since I posted, but I know that it will only get a bit worse in the weeks/months/years to come.  New Years Resolution though in Feb??? :) Sure I'll take the challenge!

A reflection on why it's been a few day.  

To be honest, everything shuts down come Monday to Wednesday in our world because I work those days.  I guess you could say that currently I work hard then play hard and repeat and repeat and repeat.  it also didn't help that I caught something that my body fought off very quickly on Monday.  It started with the, "oh my am I pregnant morning nausea that wouldn't leave" to then the body aches that had me thinking, was my ugly fall on Pyramid on Saturday that ugly?  I successfully made it through the day at work and then came home and just put myself to bed.  I had no appetite all day which is SOOO not in my genes.  I love food!  Needless to say, Monday was completely wasted when it comes to productivity and for enjoying the most beautiful day ever!!!  

Little more on why a few days: 

My current job was built to be a part time position only, so I work Monday thru Wednesday.  Then I try to sleep in on Thursdays (till 8-9am) because I can and then I try to work from home for my fun WIC gig, run errands, do house chores, etc, but come Thursday I'm very good at kickstarting my 4 days of play!  The hard play usually comes from not being the best at giving a lot of time to exercise and health Mon-Wed.  For some reason I work, but I don't attack the exercise game hard on Mon-Wed.  I might grab a 20-30 min swim over lunch or a small walk with the dogs, but nothing major and crazy often on those days.  So come Thursday, and a sunny Thursday, I'm ready for an all day play session.  

Currently, Jason and I are feeling the weight of things coming upon us.  He will be traveling to Texas soon for his fire school which he needs airfare, housing, transportation, and supplies to take with him.  Last night I found that I might need to take control and be his arranger.  ;)

Meanwhile, I need airfare out of Alaska to Salt Lake City, then Cleveland and then to Kansas City where we hope to buy a car.  Oh and before that I need to sell my truck in Kodiak.  We are still looking full force on so many websites for a house to rent for 3 adults in SLC by April.  We are still picking through our belongs to purge and clean before the movers come in now 3 weeks!  Before they arrive, Jason and I will also get to pack 3 & 5 bags worth of stuff that we will fly with when we both leave, and make a pile for his van that will travel with him.  Did I leave anything out? :)

We received good news this week...Jason's coast guard disability physical will be soon and in Kodiak (where mine was in Anchorage)!!! My saying for Anchorage stuff and a lot of things these days is, "we don't have time for that!"  :)  We have been waiting on this appointment since, say...July!  This will open up a lot of possibilities for us or him by getting this done, which makes us very happy.   

Jason also received good news this past week that he drew a caribou and elk tag for 2018 hunts...ie: meat in our freezer and another great Alaska adventure.  He will plan to return to AK this fall for the elk tag, which will be an incredible experience for him, which I am super excited for him.   

The to do list is long and ever growing, but each day is a new day and there is a lot of calm breathing and playing that makes tackling it much easier.  We will get to the finish line without a doubt and we will be ready.   ~Shanna

Solo Saturday & KrumKake maker

Gorgeous pano from the top of Pyramid with Kodi on a picnic like day

Today Jason had to work from 1-6:30 and it was gorgeous out, so I had to get out and do something, so after eating naughty sugary candy, I decided I had to go ski before the sugar crash happened...and it worked!  

I don't often ski by myself on Pyramid due to safety concerns but today had to be an exception due to many people up there and the AMAZING weather!  After feeling like Death yesterday while skinning up, this day felt like I was super strong, thank goodness or I might have written home and said to never give me sugary candy again!  lol

When I got to the top, it was a day on the "summit" where you could have a picnic, absolutely no Wind!  The only downside which I found as I turned to ski down was the amount of ice up there...which caused me to fall TWICE and ugly fall! I almost couldn't believe it.  I thought, oh no...this is not going to be a good ski if I can't even handle the start.  and then I realized my boots were not buckled so this could have been some of the problem????

I found the snow to be catchy and little frightening on the turns so I didn't decide to do a second lap.  What I did find is the snow got better and better as I went down the mountain, which again is not usually the case.  

Though it was a solo adventure without Jason, it was a good one, and some days we just have to have them. 

Our night ended together with some sweet friends, Sam and Julie Chelmo, when we went over to buy her late mother's KrumKake maker.  I've been told KrumKake is a traditional holiday food of Jason's made by his mother. Since hearing this, I felt this was something we needed to have for Jason's tradition.  I do have to say though, that we find this quite ironic because I am the ultimate purger in our house, and I don't want "stuff" sitting around or filling holes, and I may even be guilty of making Jason purge his much hoarded items, such as the box of PEZ dispensers this weekend.  Noooo they are not worth a million....only like $10 or $1per dispenser on eBay...we looked!  :)

 ~Shanna

Kodi and a yummy stick we keep finding on Pyramid.  It was also my trick stick to try to help him not be such a jerk as I skied down the mountain.  He likes to chase us and then be in the way on a turn or run over our skis which scares us that we will cut him.  The stick remains on the near top of pyramid for our next visit as my trick didn't quite work, but Kodi did pretty good eventually. I concluded yesterday that it must be his excitement in the beginning that makes him act this way. 

cool snow melting off of the golf course house 

Picture actually from Friday that was taken by our friend Patrick Saltonstall 

Pyramid Summit 

Friday FunDay with the squeeze and pup

We woke to a great surprise on Friday morning....lots.of.snow in Kodiak proper!!  If it snowed this much here, then it must have snowed more on Pyramid to cover the ready and hungry base of snow that just needed a soft covering for good skiing!

                                     

View towards Antones Bay, blue skis coming!

Towards Antones Loop & Sharatin Mtn.

However, responsibilities first! We started our day with our movers survey...excitement but sadness all in one!  The company came over to survey our house for weight and what packing supplies they will need on the packing day.  This move is getting more real with each passing day/week/month.

After the survey we hurried to get first tracks at Pyramid.  We knew the weather forecast which was windy! with the storm finishing up in early afternoon, opening to blue skies, but due to our rush to get out there to enjoy the snow, we didn't quite receive the blue skies.  the skies were just starting to break and roll in as we were finishing up our second lap in the jibber bowl.  The wind was horrendous and the visibility at the top of the jibber bowl so we were not able to go any further (which is usually always okay for my over beating heart!).  The snow was pretty rad for Kodiak.  We had to be aggressive with our skis for the turns and moving through the slower snow, but as we made our way down the mountain, the snow only got better--which is usually not the case.
The snow was so good and the day got so beautiful that then Jason swapped places with his boss at the outdoor sporting goods shop so they could go ski and Jason could make some money (too) :)
I ran errands which included buying my half priced valentine flowers and Jason some half priced candy! :)
This day also was our first week of Lent so meatless Fridays!  It also made us realize something that we will miss while living in Utah... Halibut!   ~Shanna

Blackened Halibut Taco Salad

Play ALL Day while the husband works

 
Pillar again, same directions as yesterdays sunset pics.

Sadie (left), Kodi (right yellow lab) loving the ski on Pyramid today.


 Me on Pyramid.  

I was supposed to be in Ninilchik, AK for a work trip last night till Friday night but I had no patients to see so we canceled the trip all together.  Bummer because I enjoy going there and I have made such beautiful friends there which it is a treat in my days to go visit and see them.....however, it was the most beautiful, high 30's, mostly windless day today in Kodiak today; so I was happy how the schedule worked out for me.  It was one of those days where a Kodiakian just wants to PLAY ALL DAY.   

Jason and I worked on the house loan and other important school things so needless to say, by 9am I was frazzled and grumpy, so when a friend said, hey want to walk, I was all over that.  The walk went like this.... Up Pillar with Amy and mostly down with Amy.  Then we ran into a lovely friend RaeJean so her and I caught up for probably 10-15 minutes till another favorite friend, Carrie came walking up.  It had been so long and it is so good to see Carrie that I decided to walk "a ways" with her...all the way actually up Pillar again.  We parted at the top and I came back down the road as she did the trail in her Xtra Tuffs (I had tennis shoes on which wouldn't handle the depth of snow we have currently).  I raced home to end my starving & talking stomach after 2.5 hours on the mountain.  Ate fast and loaded the truck with Sadie and Kodi and double ski gear and ran out to Pyramid to hit the backcountry mountain since it was SO beautiful, sunny, blue skies, and it was supposed to rain tomorrow :( and I have heard the mountain had powder!  Well....we will get to that!  It was a beautiful and heart pumping, energy sucking, skin up after two hikes on Pillar today and a run on Pillar yesterday.  By the time I got to the top it was starting to blow and the weather was coming down.  The ski down was an event with the dogs till maybe they finally learned that they can't run across my skis and when I make turns.  The snow..... it was hard to move in for me.  The turns were scary..."will I blow my knee out on this one I kept thinking".  I would describe it as breakable crust with mashed potatoes under it.  :( BOO!  I got to the bottom of the jibber bowl and expressed to a boarder that I might have to bail and walk out...but by the bottom after that, it seemed much easier to turn and get down which made me happy.  However those quads were screaming the entire time.   That happens when you are out of shape (which I am not) or when snow is tough!!! <-Yes!

Tomorrow I must work, work from home!  Jason will work some and then I get to play again with downtown community events!  A part time job right now in my life is a reward especially on beautiful sunny Kodiak days and even more so when with beautiful friends/people.   ~Shanna

2 months and counting down

Panoramic from Wind Turbines on Pillar to Three Sisters to Monashka Bay. Look at that snow!

Beautiful Sunset on Pillar tonight but the camera didn't do it full justice.

I'm a bit nervous about doing this blog because I am a private (to this technology world and to sharing my daily happenings to everyone that might view this), but I have decided that it might be a good idea to start a blog now as we close a chapter in the JSM book and open a new one.  I also found my old blog and read some posts that had me rolling, so here goes (hopefully with some rolling posts for you and me (later)!)
While people are stating we should be starting a family (because we are old and I guess that is what you do when you are married)....Jason and I have decided to start our second careers because I got into Physician Assistant school in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Jason is completing Fire Academy school right now (and he is also applying for a job as I type this blog).  I start school on May 7th in SLC.  I will leave Kodiak around April 3rd and I believe I will be flying to Utah, Ohio (hopefully Illinois) and then Kansas to meet Jason, who will be coming from Fire School in Texas.  We will buy a car in KS, visit family in KS, and then head west to our new home all before school starts.
Until then, I'm soaking up each day in Kodiak and with an excited heart but also a deeply bleeding heart, knowing my time in Kodiak and Alaska is coming to a close sooner than I wish.  Alaska stole my heart in 2004.  Kodiak has its quirks, mostly rain, but it too, stole Jason and I's heart, and we hope to return after school.
My goal for this blog is to use it often when I'm in school to stay in touch with family and friends because I have been told by other PA's that I will become a horrible daughter, sister, cousin, niece, friend, etc just because school will have me busy every day and full time, and without much time to communicate or stay in touch.  Exercise and play will be my outlet so if we can figure out how to exercise and chat on the phone, let's make the date.  Until then, Jason and I are staying busy getting ready for our movers in mid March, and with work of all sorts, and enjoying the snow that Kodiak is receiving this winter!  ~Shanna