"Thanks a Blog"

Generally, I am not the type to do the whole this-is-what-I'm-thankful-for sap that I see most people write in their blogs this time of year. However, prompted by this Mod Cloth contest, I realized that this exercise might actually be worth while.


Since moving to Dillingham, a rural Alaskan town cut off from the main road grid (thats right, you can only fly in), I have never felt more grateful for the simple things. This whole Alaskan adventure has taught me not to take things for granted. While living in Fairbanks, I had already learned that indoor plumbing is a great luxury that should not be squandered, but living in a rural community where the prices of food are 150% more expensive than the lower 48, I have been learning to make a lot of items on my own. Surprisingly this is not as difficult as many people might think. Thankfully this is a lesson I will continue to utilize even after I rejoin 'civilization'.


While it is easy to dwell on the little things, I think being removed from my comfort zone has made me realize how wonderfully awesome my friends are. I can't begin to cover everyone in one post, so I think I will break it into several smaller posts over the next few days. I know it is said that you don't fully understand how important someone is until they are gone, and that is for the most part true. Unfortunately, Alaska has a habit of pushing people away.


Several years spent in an Interior town and you forge some strong friendships. Fairbanks especially, drew the outcasts into her fold. We all had a common outlook, a yearning to be a part of something raw, something exciting, something we couldn't find 'Outside' in the lower 48. Because of this shared bond, we appreciated each other, the friendship, more than we might in any other state. Only our Alaskan 'family' knew us to the core and I held fast to that. Still, I constantly worried, knowing one day my new family would leave or I would be forced to leave them. This was true for two of my closest Alaskan family.


The first was Carolyn, truly a kindred soul. She is the sister I always wanted. She is the one person I felt I could share everything with. I have always admired her: driven, immensely talented, and fearless. I miss strolling the ski trails behind UAF or picking blueberries in her 'secret' Salcha spot, always with several dogs happily bounding around us. It has been over a year and half since we last saw each other.First she left for Venezuela to study South American women's poetry, on a Fulbright scholarship. Nine months she would be away. I made sure to visit her there, but two weeks hardly seemed enough. Then she moved to El Paso and had a baby, Esther. I have yet to see my Goddaughter, but I hope to visit for her first birthday in April.


Though it has been some time since we've seen each other in person, I know we can easily pick up where we left off. We will always be family, no matter the distance.


My second Alaskan sister is Nicole. She left a year ago for Montana. The only one I have cried over, like a blubbering idiot, for leaving. Nicole was the first person I truly became friends with after moving to Fairbanks. Somehow we were paired in a biology lab our first year at UAF. The rest, they say, is history. We have been close friends ever since. I have so much fun with Nicole, and it has been difficult being apart. We can be as pissy or as nerdy as we want around each other and not feel judged. I hope our paths cross again for longer than a 'visit'.


I always realized how special these people are and I hope they realize it too. The impact these two wonderful women make on peoples' lives is huge, as it has been for me. There is nothing like a small, remote town to make one feel lonely, but just knowing I have friends like Carolyn and Nicole, I am never truly alone. No matter where in the country or world we may be, they are my kindred sisters and that bond has no boundries.

Cheese-ish

So I messed up a step in my cheese making process, so instead of having mozzarella like I intended, I simply have cottage cheese. That is ok though, my kefirs will continue to congeal milk and I will try this all over again. Until then, I need to find something tasty to make with my fresh cottage cheese.

Cheese!

About a week and half ago I was gifted with a kefir, or kefir grains as it is typically called. Kefir grains are little communities of bacteria and yeast that when place in milk, will ferment the liquid into a sort of yogurt drink. The grains resemble cauliflower, and with the proper love and caring, will continue to grow each week. I named mine, Kiefer Sutherland.

The Kiefer grains need to be placed in milk and left in a dark warm place to do their magic. This is a picture of my larger kefir, Donald Sutherland. You can see him floating at the top of the milk. It takes about 24 hours for him to congeal one full glass of milk.



Tonight I decided to try my hand at making some cheese. I won't know until tomorrow if I succeeded or not, but here is what I have accomplished so far.

I took about a cup of kefir drink and added it to four cups of regular milk and heated it up to separate the curds from the whey.



After several minutes the curds really start to form and the yellowish whey forms at the top. I wasn't sure exactly how long to keep the mixture heated, so I took it off the burner once I felt like I had enough curd to make something substantial.



Once the curd is strained from the whey, I formed it into a ball. I submerged the ball in water, but this was a mistake. The ball was not stable enough and needed to be drained first. Now the ball of cheese is currently draining in cheese cloth over a pot. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to heat the dried curd back up and make mozzarella.

Solstihanukwanzamas!

Its nearing that time again...the time for Solstihanukwanzamas! And since I have no life right now, I think I can actually get holiday cards out to everyone. Sooooo...if you want a card, post-marked from Dillingham, AK then leave me your addys!

The Freezing Rain Did Not Kill Me!

I miraculously survived the freezing rain the other day, just in case you were on the edge of your seat wondering. After I managed to get our truck stuck at the top of our very steep driveway, our landlord came out to investigate the source of all the ruckus.

Now, I am no greenhorn to Alaska. However, Fairbanks is very different beast as opposed to southwest. I am not used to freezing rain an inch thick! Give me snow and 40 below temps any day! Alas, the landlord pointed out that I need to "flip over the hub caps" for the four wheel drive to work. To this he received a blank stare from yours truly. Flip over the hub caps? Huh? Apparently with older model vehicles you have to turn a dial on the hub caps for the four wheel drive to work. No wonder the drive into town was so damn slick! The four wheel drive wasn't even on! After the hub caps were turned, I magically could escape the clutches of our driveway. Landlord got a hug. :-) He shall also receive baked goods in the near future.

I am going to start bringing my camera with me to work so I can take pictures on my breaks. The sunsets are amazing, but I am always working when the perfect picture arises. Hopefully I can capture some decent shots to share with you all. I also plan to do some reformatting of my blog and add a separate personal website soon. Stay tune for that one kids. It should be exciting!

The Woes of Weather

This fall has been unseasonably warm all throughout Alaska. I heard that PA got snow before we did. Needless to say, I began to feel quite comfortable with the weather we have been having in Dillingham the past several weeks. This time last year there was already 10 inches or more of snow on the ground in Fairbanks. In my unprepared state, I was quite vexed this morning when I woke up to bitter wind and a dimpled sheet of ice covering the truck. Freezing rain struck us hard. It makes me very sad to know that real snow won't be making an appearance until late December.

Apparently the road crews aren't the quickest on the draw. The road into town is in great need of repair which won't happen until 2012. Granted, it is difficult to get equipment here as everything has to be barged in from Anchorage or places elsewhere. However, I hear through the grapevine that not much of anything is going to be done about the icy conditions we are suffering from today. I just hope it melts off soon. I drove into town to take Matthew to work this morning and I am just a bit scared about driving back into town to start my shift at noon. The trick is to go slow and hope you don't careen off any hills.

Just a note for those who may want to get a hold of me. My cellphone is still not working and I have no clue if it will ever. I have no message machine on my home line, however weekends are a great time to call. I have run out of minutes on my phone card, so until I take care of that I won't be making many calls out (so those of you with free long distance, get your arse to calling me!).

पि!

I have been baking a lot lately. Last weekend I made some berry pies (or pi rather). The recipe I use makes enough crust for two pies, and for some reason one pie turns out quite pretty and the other is very ugly. Needless to say, I take the pretty pie to share with work or to potlucks. The ugly pie stays at home. Luckily they both taste just as sweet!