Well I've survived 24 hours in Alaska! It's been cloudy and rainy the whole time :(
so far fairbanks seems to me like the armpit of alaska. haha. I refuse to call it a city, it's more like a big town.
We are on the 6th floor of the Marriot and we are the tallest building around.
It's a pretty weird feeling so far because at times, I don't feel like I'm very far from home, then occasionally,
when I look around and see all the Alaska license plates! I realize that I'm not going to be home anytime soon.
I still feel like I'm just visiting Matt somewhere...but that might end tomorrow when we both have to go to work!
Hopefully I will see some better scenery tomorrow on the way to Fort Greely. It is a little confusing with the constant day light,
although like I said it's been cloudy since I got here so I haven't even seen it really sunny, but last night I went to sleep around midnight and then woke up at 5am and it looked exactly the same outside both times!

Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Happy Birthday to me! I might get a moose kiss for my 26th birthday! We see at least one moose on the way to work everyday. It's cool. Although yesterday we were warned that a lot of car accidents happen because of tourists freaking out when they see a bear or a moose...so we'll be careful. We are still getting things set up on the work front, like still waiting for real office space. Today I guess we'll just be working out of our warehouse and hoping to get office space soon. Yesterday it was finally sunny which really helped me like this place better. I hadn't seen the sun and everything was just BLAH looking but yesterday was much better! Yesterday was the summer solstice, longest day of sunlight, so the streets all around our hotel were shut down and it was like a fair, booths and stuff all in the street, food and music etc. TONS of people. Interesting looking people! The natives look like a mix of asian and indian sorta, then there are "rough" looking white people that live here too, and some white people that you can't tell if they live here or are locals, and then a bunch of tourists. We found a good restaurant right across the street called Soapy Smith's. It is owned and run by a cool couple that look like they're in their early 30s. We are already on a first name basis with them. :) Yesterday we realized that this commuting 100 miles to work each way is going to suck so we started looking more seriously for some sort of housing near Fort Greely. The town there is VERY SMALL. There is only one restaurant (we eat lunch there every day). Anyway, we found two fliers up on bulletin boards for rental type places so we called and called and finally we met with two women yesterday who showed us their rentals. The last one we saw was our favorite, we put our name on the list and they said it's ours when it's ready--it's an adorable little log cabin that is brand new, not even done being built yet. It has a half loft up stairs which is the bedroom, and downstairs just and open living room and very nice kitchen and bathroom. Anyway, we are going to try to work so that we can put the cabin in Matt's name and keep a room here at the hotel in Fairbanks in Matt's name so that we have some storage place and we can stay in Fairbanks whenever we want because really, there isn't anything in Delta Junction. I'll let you know how it all works out, but I am very very excited about the log cabin! Well it's 6am, I gotta hop in the shower, head downstairs for breakfast and then hit the road to moose dodge on the way to work. So far so good! Miss everyone!

Thursday, June 23, 2005
soooooo tired! I'm not sure what it is, probably a combination of trying to adjust to the time change plus the constant sunlight plus the long commute everyday plus the getting set up at work, we are both sooo tired! We finally got an office yesterday on base. Tomorrow I get my own room at the hotel so we can actually live somewhat civilized. Right now it just looks like my suitcases have thrown up and there isn't much room to do anything in here! I had a great birthday dinner at the Two Rivers Lodge (www.tworiverslodge.com) including a piece of peanut butter and chocolate pie with a candle in it that I got to wish on and blow out. Matt and I both had the crab stuffed halibut, yummmmmmy! Oh, we also had an appetizer of ALLIGATOR. Neither of us liked it though, I felt like I was chewing on a purse made out of alligator! We are trying to put more pics up on the web but the internet speed here at the hotel is sooooooooo slow that it's not really working. We'll have to figure something else out.

Saturday, June 25, 2005
We tried to strike it rich today at Gold Dredge #8. We took a tour of an old gold mining shin dig and then we did our own gold panning. We got $16 worth that we put in a little thing and hung it on a chain so I can look like a real tourist and wear it around my neck. New York City's got nothin on my BLING! Last night Matt and I went to the movies at 8:30, and for the first time the constant daylight felt really weird when we came out of the theatre and it felt like it was late at night and it was, but it was pure daylight and looked like 3pm. I have my own room now, which is very nice. Now our stuff isn't such a mess, and we spend some time in our own rooms. Which is good considering I have PMS! haha. Today we also did a little driving around. I wanted to get a picture of me by a sign for a city that has a population of 1. We went to a so called "car show" at the local fairgrounds, but it really was about 10 cars in a big garage and a band that nobody was listening to playing oldies music. Today I found out the lady that works the door at SAM's club is from Maryland, whooopeee! :) And the most random story of the day...there are a bunch of soccer players staying here for a tournament. Our floor has lots of teenage girls on it. I opened my room door and was waiting for Matt to come out, and there were a bunch of girls in the hallway and a man who looked to be in his 40s, looked at me and said what sounded like "Krissy just got the award for the biggest poo" I just stood there looking at him and he was like, "You should go look down the hall." I was so confused and not really sure what he was talking about, but then I heard him say to somebody else "she took a huge dump". WHAT THE HELL! The only thing Matt and I can figure is that he thought I was one of the girls or something. I can't figure out why else he would have told me that! I did get excited for a second though because I though Tracy was here, but I went down the hall and checked and it wasn't Logjam! I've survived a week here. I want to get my first paycheck and expense check!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Kit

June 28, 2005

alleluiaaaaa!!!!!!! I got the room adjoining matt's room. soooooo much better! Work is getting better because we have our office and we are starting to get a little bit more settled. Most of the crew arrives next week. I managed to wake up at 5 am one morning to exercise before work but then this morning I woke up around 4 am and changed the alarm because I knew I didn't want to wake anytime soon!! We are looking for kayak rentals and something to do this weekend although we are thinking that seeing fireworks in the daylight! won't be too exciting. We'll see. Apparently they still let them off. There are firework stands being put up along the road. We saw some more moose today, one had two of her calfs with her. They're very cool. Did I write about our trip to the Large Animal Research Station? We saw reindeer, caribou and muskox. The antlers on the reindeer and caribou are huge! Oh! And I finally got to see the mountains that Matt swore were looming in the background of the landscape. Yesterday it cleared up just enough to see the huge snow covered mountains. Very impressive. They were only visible for a short time, by lunch time they were "gone". It has also been smoky for a couple of days now because there are forest fires somewhere and the smoke is blowing this way. It's supposed to clear up by the weekend. Last night I started giggling and Matt was confused. I was like "I LIVE WITH MY BOYFRIEND IN ALASKA!!!!!!!!" It's crazy to say it but it doesn't feel crazy actually living it, if that makes any sense. It's only been a week and a half though so I will try not to speak too soon. One thing's for sure, I don't think I could move somewhere far away by myself without knowing anyone. Okey dokey, even though it's bright as day outside, I need to make myself get ready for bed or I won't get any sleep. Love from alaska!

July 4, 2005

A firework-less 4th of July! :( No fun! Nothing really exciting going on today. Apparently everyone went on a road trip for the weekend, it's pretty empty around here. Matt hurt his back last week so he's been suffering on and off all weekend. I found my new Target, it's called Fred Meyer. We are having no trouble sleeping in the light, in fact we usually take naps in the afternoons. I miss everyone at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We went to Chena Hot Springs, it's about an hour drive from the hotel. It's pretty cool, they have hot spring water they put in indoor hottubs and pool but the only spot we went in is the outdoor Rock Pool. It's pretty awesome. It looks and feels like a big pond but the water is hot and they have a sprinkler and waterfall type thing in it. It was neat. It rained off and on all weekend. It's weird, it can be totally sunny but pouring down rain. Back to work tomorrow, a lot of the guys are flying in tomorrow too. It is definitely different up here. Good people watching. haha. I don't know if all of alaska feels the same or not, we have some exploring to do! CIAO!

July 10, 2005
Time flies when you're having fun...or commuting 250 miles a day! I really can't believe how quick the past few weeks have gone. It feels pretty normal to me now. I think the first two weeks I felt like I was just visiting somewhere, but now I am used to most things and feel comfortable. Matt and I get into the pool and hot tub here at the hotel at least once on the weekends which is nice free entertainment. The food at the restaurants here has been disappointing to me, and you know I'm not that picky. Especially when I feel like "Lay offa me, I'm starving!" haha. The one place we've found that I like is called Boston's, and it's the closest thing to a chain restaurant that is here besides the fast food restaurants and Denny's. The local restaurants mostly are old inside and the salads have lettuce that looks questionable and if the food is good and well priced, the portion is TINY. So we have our 2 staple restaurants I guess, because we like Soapy Smith's across the street.
I'm rambling. You want to hear exciting stories, not this kinda stuff! haha. Yesterday (saturday) Matt and me and Tim drove to Denali Park, home of Mount McKinley. Unfortunately it was rainy and cloudy and we didn't get to see the mighty mountain. But the drive was scenic, we made a few stops along the way and got to see a huge (stuffed) polar bear and other Alaskan stuff like that...got to see river rapids and people attempting to raft down the river.
The other day I said to Matt, you know we aren't anywhere near Northern Virginia when we just signed a HAND-WRITTEN "lease" for the house we are going to start renting, and then we went to lunch at a drive-in where they come take your order and deliver your food at your truck window. haha. Just tonight we waited in line at Cold Stone Creamery for AN HOUR for ice cream. I think I heard somebody say it was new, so that's why the line is always outrageous.
It is pretty windy here today, which means it's smoky outside because the winds are blowing the smoke from other parts of the state where there are forest fires. It kinda gives you a headache if you stay outside too long.
Well it is really good talking to everyone on the phone. There are still some that I haven't talked to in a while. I am trying to get my parents to come up to Anchorage for Labor Day. I want them to see Alaska and then I can see them because not seeing them until November just seems really weird and way too long! Well 5am comes quickly so I will sign off til next time. xoxo

July 17, 2005

We're still alive and kickin in Alaska. The highlight of this week was seeing the Constantines! Work is still crazy...we are just used to saying "this is alaska" because sh*t! nothing is normal here. haha. WE just watched "wedding crashers" which was a good movie and cool because it was set in D.C. so it was a little taste of home. I miss everyone at home. Looks like my mom might convince me that instead of them coming to see alaska that I should just go home for a visit. we'll see! I'm awaiting my bridesmaid dress to see how much work it needs and hopefully find somebody here who can do the alterations without ruining it. they might try to add a fur trim or something. hmmmm... xoxoxo, Kitty

July 20, 2005

I am getting my internet fix here at work since we have no internet outside of work during the week now that we live in Delta Junction. We got a membership at the local video store- no it's not Blockbuster! But seriously, any night we stay here we basically go and get a video so we have something to watch on TV. Otherwise it's just snow. We had been getting one channel in ok, but it just turned fuzzier. And that station played a whole lotta Sesame Street so maybe it's just better that it's gone. haha.

I was reading a story about an alaskan lady's trip from here down to anchorage and I read that she met some friends at Applebee's for lunch and that's the last thing I paid attention too because all I could do after that was think about when we can go to anchorage so i can eat at a normal restaurant! Isnt that sad. We only have 2 non-fast food restaurants in fairbanks that we like. Luckily we have a real kitchen here in Delta so we can cook. And we really do it up--spaghettios, soup, easy mac... :) I am getting really scared about the winter...I am cold and it's July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can tell that there is fresh snow on the mountains in the distance, they are much more covered with it than they were the other day. I tried to jog yesterday but I was so scared that I was going to come face to face with a moose or a bear that it didn't last long!!! TA TA FOR NOW

July 24, 2005

It's a great day in Interior Alaska because I discovered a place who can satisfy my Dairy Queen cravings! There is only one DQ in the state I've been told, but we found a little ice cream place that makes the equivalent of a Blizzard and I enjoyed a reese's pb cup one yesterday. YUMMY! Yesterday I also realized how to tell you're in Alaska while driving by a shopping center. A sign in the window of the Dollar Store says, "ALL ITEMS $1.39" HAHA! Everything costs more up here, evidenced simply by the fact that everything at the dollar store costs a dollar thirty-nine. I also have discovered that they do have "malls" in Fairbanks. Matt has taken me to two, they just aren't very big. I went in the department store Gottschalks (I think that's how it's spelled). Some of the women's clothing was normal priced but some of it was off the wall. WE are about to head back to our weekday estate in Delta. Adios!

July 27, 2005

Howdy to my favorite people from Alaska! One of our neighbors stopped by to introduce herself yesterday. She was on her four wheeler with her little infant daughter. She was trying to get her to fall asleep! haha. I thought that was funny. Usually people drive babies around, in alaska, you ride them on your four wheeler. Anyway, she actually seemed normal. She heard matt's accent and said He must be from the south. She was born in norfolk, va and was raised as she said in L.A. "Lower Alabama"
Then our "landlord" came over to mow our lawn. He and his wife are quite interesting characters. They come across as nice, but just strange! (JAKT please note that the man's name is GORDON! :) ) Anyway, he talked matt's ear off yesterday. When he finally left, I asked Matt what all he had talked about. He went on and on about both sides of his family including one story about how his mother escapaed the Nazis and shoved her german certificate up her vagina so they wouldn't find it. hahahahha. Matt didn't know how to respond! To give you a mental picture, Gordon is short and not thin, has shaggy hair and is constantly wearing a tight white shirt and ALWAYS has hard nipples and usually wears a blue bandana around his head. oh Alaska! He also told the story of how he went arctic sheep hunting and he was hanging the meat from trees and his friend who flew him up there counted SEVEN grizzly bears starting to circle in on him when he came to pick him up! YIKES!

August 3, 2005

When I looked at the outdoor thermometer this morning it said something like 38 degrees. My first thought was OH HELL NO! haha. It's actually in the 70s now but all signs are pointing toward the end of summer in these parts! The snow on the distant mountains is getting further and further down the mountain which means closer to us. And the temp has been getting low in the mornings and nights. And I'm thinking, IT'S AUGUST PEOPLE! What the hell! haha. I can't wait to see what winter is like up here. Most of the people that live here tell us all that we'll be ok. I do not believe them! They don't know me! I love looking for airfare for my October trip to New Orleans and my November trip to VIRGINIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw New York and New Hampshire license plates today...nice to see there are other people who are as far away from home as I am. I miss you all very much. Love, Kit

August 7, 2005 Happy Birthday Uncle Brian! Uncle Rick is at his heavenly party! Yesterday we drove up to the Arctic Circle. We just wanted to be able to say we did it, and of course get our official certificate from the Arctic Circle Trading Post. We went in two vehicles, one a Ford Excursion, one a Chevy Impala. We didn't really do any planning but luckily we had the Milepost. We left Fairbanks at 9:30am and got back at 7pm. Just to show you how accurate the Milepost is- right where it says "There have been numerous serious accidents here" We passed by a motorcycler who had broken his leg and was waiting for paramedics! We stopped for food at the Hot Spot Cafe which was good, and we had to stop there on the way back for gas for the Impala - $3.90 a gallon!!!! But if you need gas, you need gas, in those parts! We stopped at the Arctic Circle Trading Post on the way home to get our certificates, signed by the youngest of 23 Carlson children, 12 year old Molly. There we had to patch up a leak in a tire of the Impala. The roads were crazy! Pavement for a while from Fairbanks out of town, then just gravel. We also stopped to take pictures at Finger Mountain which was pretty neat. It is very rocky, volcanic rock and some of them are really tall things called tors. That was the first time we felt a temperature difference. I was thinking, This is august! OH NO! We got to see the mighty YUKON river. The bugs were bad there, and at the Arctic Circle sign. We saw lots of smoke and some patches of flames where the forest was on fire! Today Matt and I visited the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. It was pretty cool. Saw some animals that I would not want to meet outside! Also read stories of lots of women who did amazing things in the last 200 years during gold rush and such times. Time for our drive back to Delta. We got the Excursion packed up with goods from Sam's Club! LOVE, Kitty