The sun is out and delightfully warm. The weather is beautiful and should be all week. The mountains are completely visible and they never end. I have a big mug filled with delicious coffee in front of me. Needless to say, I’m feeling much improved since last time.
Finally started work; have been training the past couple days and I think this is going to be a great season. I love structure in the workplace and this is the epitome of organization. Since I am a breakfast/lunch server, I will get to work the regular evening events too... overtime + tips = big money! And the best of all – our menu! We have SO many delicious things and today we are doing a dinner and local beer tasting. Cannot wait! Basically every single thing on our menu is made in house, so it’s super fresh. Our desserts are to die for… thank the Lord for Joey the pastry chef! Homemade ice cream (not quite as good as yours Nana, don’t worry!). A fancy s’more dessert with nutella ganache. Lemon bars with a half inch thick shortbread crust. Chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting. It’s. All. So. Good. I am going to be obese by the end of the summer!
We’ve had a few bonfires, some nicer than others; during the first one, rain came and went for hours…once the sun set giant snowflakes filled the sky and soon covered the ground. The next night was perfect though; an awesome sunset, great company, and a guitar playing bonfire classics. It really just put all the feel good back in my soul. I decided to kick start a little family dinner tradition and cooked up a big meal for everyone who was hungry. Penne, spicy sausage, bell peppers, red onion, garlic, and a creamy basil sauce from scratch. People were impressed and I was beaming; cooking for others just makes me so happy. To know they are enjoying something I made up is pretty rewarding. Sad to say I didn’t get a picture of it before scarfing it down! I joined our coed softball team and I am SO excited to start playing!! It has been far too long since I’ve played and I really miss it.
I cannot make a decent jumping face to save my life.
My roommate’s stuff has been in my room, unpacked, all week…and I was really beginning to think she was kidnapped and killed before she walked in the door yesterday. Enter: Joan. A lovely woman, I gather from my five minute introduction. She is about 70 years old I would guess. Awesome. I really had to choke back my tears when I realized she was my roommate for the next four and a half months. But after being both laughed at and receiving all the sympathy I could take, I decided maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe she is some bad ass lady who has tons of great stories and advice. All I know is that it’s only going to be as good of a situation as I make it. And anyway she has friends (I personally think it’s a lover, haha) in town, so she actually has only been in our room for a grand total of 10 minutes. I enjoy the privacy and don’t mind having the place to myself, wherever she may be.
I find it really amusing that I am in Alaska, the last frontier, and yet when I tell people I am from Wyoming, the usual response is “Wyoming… I didn’t know people even lived there!” And since my name is too hard for people to remember, I am now known as one of the following: the Wyoming girl, the blonde girl, the hitchhiker…and I guess I have to throw Zelda in there too now. Eyeroll. But I did score some brownie points for us Wyomingites(?) with my cooking last night; “Oh, so this is what you do in Wyoming…you watch cooking channels all day!” What? TV in Wyoming? Nooo…. Don’t be silly, we don’t even have indoor plumbing! I have to laugh though because it is pretty ironic. One of my managers asked me the other day how I got so strong. I really couldn’t give him an answer. I don’t think I am that strong, but he insisted… yes, you are. You’re a 21 year old girl who came to Alaska by herself and hitchhiked the whole way (that’s my favorite rumor!). So I guess I just am tough… a product of being raised in Wyoming I suppose. I am proud of where I come from, and there is nowhere else I would rather call home.
“Promise me you’ll always remember: you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” –A.A. Milne
Good evening, sweetheart... I wrote last night but when I hit 'publish' I don't know where it went. I was just too tired to rewrite everything but decided to try to remember what I said earlier & try again!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any new posts from you which probably means you are super busy now! Last week was a very busy week for us... we went to the mountain every day, but Fri., to get the cabin ready for our first guests who came Sat. afternoon. So..spring cleaning, raking & scooping 6" of fresh, wet & heavy snow off the decks! Grandpa & I were absolutely worn out when we got through. But from now on it will just be cleaning after the renters & not quite so much work, hopefully! We are booked pretty good for June/July...little bit of Aug. & Sept. but we can still get some bookings. I'm worn out & we really haven't begun.. the money is nice! One week Julie Diefenbaugh & her family are coming & then later on Jason D. & his family will be here for a few nights. Bob & Lori are coming the end of Aug./first part of Sept., I believe. Then the first part of Aug., we are going with Pat & Phyllis to Glacier National Park for a few days. We are looking forward to that. So, with the 3 gardens to tend to..weeding, canning, freezing, etc., thrown in, it looks to be a very busy summer for us. I'm tired & worn out just thinking about it...getting so old!!!
I sure enjoy your pictures...you are getting some beautiful ones, that's for sure. But you have a beautiful backdrop for them, don't you?
Are you still cooking for everyone? You could fix them Nana's peanut butter pie & if they are like my grandkids, they would love it, right? Grandpa grilled us some good steaks for dinner tonight, so now we're just lazing around watching the History channel..I'm not sure for how long, though! Grandpa keeps going to sleep...
A friend recently gave me the best devotional book "Jesus Calling" & I saw something that sort of reminded me of you..."Try to view each day as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide. Instead of staring into the day that is ahead of you, attempting to program it according to your will, be attentive to Me and to all I have prepared for you. Thank Me for this day of life, recognizing that it is a precious, unrepeatable gift. Trust that I am with you each moment, whether you sense My Presence or not. A thankful, trusting attitude helps you to see events in your life from My perspective.
A life lived close to Me will never be dull or predictable. Expect each day to contain surprises! Resist your tendency to search for the easiest route through the day. Be willing to follow wherever I lead. No matter how steep or treacherous the path before you, the safest place to be is by My side." I know you love the surprises, don't you! I thought that was a wonderful way to view each day..never dull or boring but full of great surprises!! I like that & will try to remember it..
Well, sweet girl, I've got to sign off for now..getting tired, too. You take care & I'll look forward to your next installment! I know my life must seem pretty dull to you, but you'll understand better some year down the road... before you know it!! You take care, honey...talk to you soon...I love you very much..Nana