Baby It's Cold Outside!

Hello Christmas!
Well, I made it home, despite being sick and nearly throwing up on my fellow passengers. There was one time, I believe in Denver Colorado, that I just collapsed on the floor and stayed there until time to board my flight. People were giving me weird looks but I didn't care. It was hell getting here, but I made it. And with me I brought SNOW! I promised everyone I would bring a white Christmas and here it is!
Last night, Christmas eve, I was out at my grandparents house when the sleet and freezing rain hit. It was a blast. There were sooo many of us crammed into a small house. But I wouldn't want it any other way! We drove home at under 30mph and made it about an hour later. This morning everything was covered in 6 inches or more of snow and it's still falling. It is gorgeous!
We woke up at about 6am to get things ready for Kinsey's Christmas. At 7am we arrived at Sarah's house and all sat around wait for Kinsey to get up. Let me tell you, she is not a morning person which made things very difficult. However, she was cute as always as she opened her many gifts. Turns out we had to promise her a nap in order to get her to open them all. What kid WANTS a nap. Haha. It was funny and adorable.
Now, I am at my dads house and we are heading over to the step family Christmas at 10am. I am excited because this year we are in no rush. Plans had been smoothed over before I even got here. That is Nice! Anyways, it is always a lot of laughs and gifts and games. It should be fun. Tonight is Christmas at dads and tomorrow is Christmas at moms and then Dads extended family Christmas and I think we are wrapping everything up with a HUGE extened family portrait of moms side. This is the first Christmas in a long time that Everyone has been in from out of state. We want to capture the moment.
Well, I guess it's time to get moving again. Next stop: Shannon and Steve's' house.
Have a Merry Christmas!
♥ Melissa

Pictures to come!

Goodbye Alaska, Hello Colorado!

Well, I have stayed up way to late again. It is 1:30AM and I am preparing to hit the sack.
What has kept me up so long?! Well, I have been preparing to leave, of course! Packing Packing Packing. I always forget how tedious packing is until I put it off until last minute. That is why I have started packing a bit early. Laundry is "done up" and dishes are clean. Other peoples belongings have be distributed back to them and I feel as if I might actually be on top of my game, for once!
Okay okay. So I fly out of Juneau Wednesday (tomorrow) evening, got a night in Seattle airport and leave first thing in the morning for Colorado! I am really excited to see the state. It is some place that I always thought I might end up living in the future. It is much closer to Missouri, my family, and who cares if Warren Jeffs owns most of the land there....Maybe I will convert to fundamental Mormonism. Just kidding Mom.
Anyways, I will have to update the blog once I have safely landed near to my family. Gosh I can't wait to see them and share the holidays with them. AND MY DOG! Here in Juneau, Christmas lights are everywhere. I keep meaning to take a picture of the lights that line the trails to school. They wrap around the trees and are blue and white. It's very pretty. Also, I was telling mom today, the school has put up lights on it's buildings. It is really funny because the lights don't just hang on the buildings. They make shapes, but not just any shapes. We have Christmas lights outlining salmon, halibut, and crabs on them. How funny is that. Nothing like a bit of Salmon to get you in the mood for Christmas. They're so cute with their almost Parana like teeth.
I am, as always, being sarcastic.
It is great to see the lights around town though and also to hear people actually say Merry Christmas, not happy holidays. Feels good.
Well, I am exhausted and direly in need of sleep. Hopefully, I will update Thursday evening, but no promises. See you on the other side. And by that I mean the Lower 48!

♥ Melissa

One Week and Counting!

According to my clock, it is Wednesday (1:00am) and a week from today I will be taking my Social Psychology final, hoping on a plane and flying through the night back to Missouri. Wow. I am so excited. This is one of my favorite times of the year but I have to admit it is a bit bitter sweet. I found that the last time I was back in Missouri for a week, I was missing Alaska from day two. haha. Alaska is almost like living in a gorgeous picture and everywhere else just isn't as...what's the word...vibrant? It all seems dulled down. Plus I have made some great friendss up here. This should be interesting but either way it will be nice to have some extra time to see old friends and of course family.
There are of course a few little things that need to be taken care of before I return to MO. They're not anything to big...just a few classes to finish up. haha. and some essay finals. So here is the deal. I have two, possibly three, Yoga classes left. Then I am finished with that class all together. I have two Social Psychology classes left and a final in class next Wednesday. I have four assignments to finish up for Technology in Education class. No final in that class. I had my last class for Literature in Education last night and have my online essay final due Monday. I had my last Anthropology class tonight and that final is also online and essay format. It is due Tuesday. It seems like a lot but I am confident that I will get it all finished...eventually.
Good news. I got my Praxis scores back today. Well most of them. The writing section is still being processed which I am not sure that I did very well on. However, my math and reading comprehension results were great. I passed both with flying colors, receiving a 181/190 on math ( I bet I can tell you the questions that I missed too, just by making a stupid mistake. I realized this later of course!) and a 179/190 in the reading. It feels really great to have those scores back and gives me a little bit of a confidence boost knowing that I didn't even have time to study one bit for these tests. So, the Praxis one is over and now all I have to worry about is the praxis two and middle school testing in the far future. Merry Christmas too ME.
So what is in store for this and next week? Well, I am planning on finishing my online tests and assignments before the end of the week. That will leave me with only my psych test next week and a yoga class. Hopefully this weekend I can get in some ice skating, my new hobby. I just recently pick up some new Nike, Bauer hockey skates and am really excited to try them out. Unfortunately. I have not had much time lately. No worries though because I am bringing them home with me. Anyone know how to skate? Anyone know where the nearest ice rink is? haha
See you all soon!
♥ Melissa

I'm dreaming of a white CHRISTMAS!!

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I can't believe how the time has flown. It seems like just yesterday I was waiting for Christmas 08 and New Years 09 to get over with so I could begin my new Alaskan Adventure. And what an adventure it has been. Now, I am a week and a half away from returning home. I want to start packing now. You think it's too early? haha.
So I have already placed some "to dos" on my agenda. The first is a basketball game at the high school that my cousin will be playing in. It is the night that I arrive in town and you better believe I am always up for a good game of bball no matte how tired I am. Also, this years Christmas is already falling into place. Looks like things are going to be planned out and less stressful this year. I am so excited to see everyone and although Juneau has already had plenty of snow this year, I am hoping that Missouri has a VERY white Christmas... I'm hoping to bring it home with me. haha.
I guess I should stop thinking so much about the holidays and focus more on what is right in front of me, like yoga in 10 min, and a few thousand homework assignments and test to finish before I leave.
See you all soon!
♥ Melissa

"Let's call them a beaver! Beavers look innocent but have very sharp teeth!"

I guess I should explain the craziness of my blog, as of lately. I know most of you probably already know this but I will clear it up for the rest and be done with it. It all started during the summer.
This past summer I learned so much. I learned all about helicopters and Juneau. I learned about glaciers and tourists. I learned that a bike ride in the rain could be one of the most exhilarating things ever. I learned I am the type of person who trusts people immediately in a world where I should make people earn my trust. I also learned that once someone looses my trust it will most likely never be gained again. Whether that is good or bad, I have no clue but it didn't work out so well this summer. I learned that first impressions really mean nothing and are often times completely wrong. I learned that you have to live for yourself and make yourself happy. If you can't keep yourself smiling, how can you make others smile? I learned that everyone should have a mentor, even those who are elderly. It's great to have someone to look up to or ask advice. I learned that black bears are actually kind of cute and most of the time harmless. I learned that finding a good church is hard. I learned that working 12 hr days is also very hard. I learned that nose diving in a helicopter is very scary but very fun. Of course that depends on the pilot. ha!
There is one situation this summer that is still following me, literally. This situation taught me that it really is hard to see the bigger picture when you are inside the portrait. Like I said before, this is the first and last time I will write about this as I am SO done with it all!
So I became friends with an individual through school. We realized we had a lot in common. Slowly but surely arguments began between be and other friends. A huge mess of drama seemed to linger around all summer, infiltrating the walls of my apartment and the minds of my coworkers. Before I knew it I had been pulled away from everyone except that one individual, denied the right to hang out with other friends or even stay extra hours at work to earn extra money. That person was controlling my life. Of course I didn't realize it at the time.
How does this happen? Why does this happen? Well, to much trust I suppose. An optimistic naive mind. I remember the day this person left for a different country, a semester abroad. I felt freed. I was going to miss my friend of course, but I felt like I could finally have other friends without feeling bad. I reconnected with lost friends and started to see the bigger picture. It wasn't long before I found myself falling into the same trap. This person was trying to control me from half way around the world, and honestly, it was working at first. This person had people they were having "check up" on me. Telling them my ever move.
I remember one evening I was invited out by some pilots to watch one of the pilot's husband preform in his band. It was just some time of bonding outside of work. I didn't tell anyone I was going but ran into a few friends there, one of which reported back to the overseas individual and I had a nasty email in my inbox before I arrived home from the event. "The pilots are just not a good influence on you." This was one of the final straws. Before I new it I was getting drunken facebook message after message. Some hurtful, some pitiful pleas. It was all getting to be too much.
Why would somebody do this to someone they call a friend? Well, turns out I was the focus of their crush. Gag.
That seems rude I guess and a bit insensitive. However, when I turned down the individual they decided to make my life hell. They contacted my family and told lies to them, intentionally trying to put a wedge in my family. The person even told me that they went for my family member that they thought would hit me the hardest. Needless to say I cut the person off completely, blocking them from online networking sites like facebook etc. My family members did as well and we thought that would be it, done, finished.
It wasn't, I was sent emails via yahoo. The same as the facebook ones. Some mean, some pitiful. Mostly just trying to get me back as a friend and refusing to leave me alone, as I had asked so many times. Just when I thought the messages had stopped for good, a few of my friends approached me. One said he was being asked to spy on me. The other read me some pretty disturbing messages she had been written. Some begging for information about any possible romantic interests I might have, and also talking about the dreams this person was having about me. Another Gag. It was obvious that this person no longer had a crush but had replaced it with an obsession.
One of my friends had had enough and sought out a mentors advice. At first I was not happy about this as the situation is kind of embarrassing and seems like it is all over exaggerated (and I assure you I am under exaggerating all this too you). However, she had some very helpful advice. She wanted me to go to the police and at least have something on record about all this. I was not comfortable with this, so it was suggest that I learn self defense and tell people about the situation. This way, if something ever happens in the future, there are others who can attest to what has been happening now for over 6 months. This is why I have been up and down in my blogs, as far as moods go. I have been exhausted with school of course but also with dealing with this ...stuff. As of three days ago, the messages stopped, but they usually do for a few weeks at a time before starting up again. All I can think about is getting home to my family where I don't have to worry about watching my back. I will try not to worry all Christmas vacation and just focus on family, friends, rest and relaxation. Because when I come back to Juneau for the spring semester this person will have returned from their studies abroad and we will be living only apartments away from each other. I am sure this person will not be so brave in person as they have been over the internet.
Lesson learned here? It is incredibly complex. I guess Marilyn Monroe said it best:
"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when their right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
♥ Melissa

IMPORTANT! ! ! ! !

Due to some recent events, I am amping up the privacy on my blog. Those wishing to continue reading, please send me an email so I know your email address. This will now be the only way you can see the blog. Thanks so much and sorry I have to do this...I used to like the thought of people I don't know being able to read about my experiences but unfortunately, it only takes one bad apple to ruin the whole bunch.

Melissa
Music_map@yahoo.com

just something I found in a diary I kept a long time ago. I thought it was well written.

Waking up to no alarm but my heart beat, I stretch and stumble out of bed. After a long yawn and a trip to the kitchen my coffee is ready. It's a cool, breezy morning and I walk out onto the front porch with my cup of coffee in one hand and a news paper in the other. Having a seat on the porch swing, beside my love, I open the paper and begin to read.

THEN IT ALL HITS ME!

The swing I am on suddenly becomes the front seat of my car in a mad dash to get to school on time. The coffee in one hand turns into an energy drink while the newspaper soon becomes easily recognized as my unfinished homework. The sky is dark and the clouds have just moved in as the rain thumps on the windshield. Swish.....Swish. The wipers leave a mess on the widow making the road seem blurry. I take a deep breath to slow my racing heart and turn to start a conversation with my love, in the seat next to me. Unfortunatly, he has vanished with the sun.Wether behind a cloud or just untill the morning, he is gone. I am left in an empty car, with nothing but a dream and no time for a love.

Calculated, Demonstrated, Educated, Elated, Eradicated

The Praxis test is over and I am so relieved. I am not too sure how I did as I had no time to study for it but I think I passed. That's all that matters I guess.
I was trying to think of what had happened that I could write about. You know, an update I suppose. And I kept blanking. Then I realized I hadn't said anything about the weather! It has been snowing for three days straight here. Talk about a winter wonderland. It came just before most people had their snow tires on. Haha. Gotta love Mother Nature. I have to mention here that my car is such a trooper. It gets around fine right now. I just have to take it slow, as does everyone else. I am really enjoying the snow though. If it is going to be ridiculously cold then we might as well have something to show for it, i.e. gorgeous white trees.
Even though it has be quite winter-y out lately, we have tried not to let it hold us back. Saturday night I went to the gym to play some friendly Co-Ed basketball. At first it was a few games of twenty-one. and then a girls vs guys half court match and lastly a full court girls vs guys game. Well I sure got my work out in. However, I am proud to say that I won all rounds of twenty-one, our girls team beat the guys in half court, and barely lost in full court. It was a pretty awesome night, despite the fact that my body still aches and some of my limbs STILL refuse to cooperate. ...It was SO worth it!
When it comes to classes, well, I am still behind. No surprise there as I have been behind from the very beginning of the semester. This has all got me thinking about school. I am not sure about next semester here, let alone a year from now. It is all a lot to take in and with my adviser cramming so many credits down my throat...well I don't know. I haven't made any huge decisions yet but I am sure I will in the next day or two.
OH speaking of the next day or two, I have a job interview coming up. It's not a big deal as I am already doing the job as voluntary work but it will be nice to gather a few cents up from what I already enjoy. I don't know why, but I am really nervous about the interview. I think it is because I know the people that will be interviewing me. The pressure is on.
Along the same lines, up this next weekend is the SAA dinner and a movie. We will be putting on Angels and Demons. AND, it will be catered BBQ! I am so excited. It has been so long since I have had BBQ chicken. I can't wait. It doesn't hurt that the movie is pretty good too. Ha!
Okay, so I have to get off here and hit the bed so I can get up in the morning for my H1N1 shot. Hurray!
♥ Melissa

What is this feeling so sudden and new?

Well, it has been a crazy few days of ups and downs. I have been, and remain stressed out as much as I think possible without having a stroke. I am happy to say that I have finally finished putting my packet together for my advisor. It consists of two letters of recommendation, one letter to my future principal and teacher, and my resume. I am excited to get that off my hands and hopefully get a great classroom this next year for student teaching. Right now, though, I have to focus on the PRAXIS! (Bum bum bummmmmm). I have to admit I am so scared to take this test. I have never been the best test taker and have not had much time to study due to my hectic class schedule. I will be happy when that is over...this Saturday.
My Birthday was this past Tuesday. I have to admit that it was rather depressing. I had class that evening so I wasn't able to go out. After waking up to tons of facebook birthday wishes I got a call from my Mom. Then I treated myself to some time in the gym playing basketball. Then I went home and waited for my online class to start. That was it, my birthday, gone. Anyways, the weather, the work load, getting the cold shoulder from a lady I thought was a close friend and a little anxiousness for Christmas break has gotten me pretty down lately. I found myself being rude to people who were going out of their way to be nice to me. Not intentionally, of course, but just stuck inside my own head and rather quiet.
I don't think I realized how weird I was acting until I went to class and an SAA meeting and people were asking me if I was okay, if I was sick. Some said I looked like I might cry. That's kind of sad. After talking to a kind of mentor figure, I went home, had some chocolate and got back to my studies.
This morning I was feeling pretty good. Being around such optimistic people (Katie Robert and Especially Keni..gosh I wish I could be that happy all the time.) really helped. I also started writing a paper about myself and my past accomplishments for the teaching program. It really made me regain some of my self confidence. It's really hard to have some of the slaps in the face that I have had over the past few months and still get up and keep fighting. Well, I am fighting through this wall of educational crap...I mean learning and trying to focus on the bigger picture.
What's the bigger picture? For me the bigger picture is the future. I am seeing me in the teaching program, my adversaries somewhere far away...like Hawaii...a new work out program that works, some more fun times with helicopters, and snowboarding of course. Who knows what lies ahead. I am just hoping that whatever happens makes me smile because I have had one too many people bringing me down lately.
♥ Melissa

Have I Bitten Off More Then I Can Chew?

The results are in and here are my Spring 2010 classes!

General Astronomy,

Orientation to the Teaching Profession,

The Learner and the Learning Process,

Multicultural Education,

Literature and the Environment,

and

Introduction to Political Science

wow...
So in times like these I like to remember back to when I had time to visit one of my favorite places in Juneau.

Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer. Count the headlights on the highway. Lay me down in sheets of linen you had a busy day today...

It has been a bit crazy lately. Carrying a full load of classes and tying to prepare for next years student teaching is all very overwhelming.
This last weekend was Halloween. It was quite an eventful night. I sat aside the studys for a little bit of fun....ok... a lot of fun. We started getting ready at 5:00pm. Kalah and I packed up the car with all our sleeping gear, Halloween costumes, food, and Energy and headed for Katie's house. There we got dressed and passed out candy to the cute little kids. We waited for Robert to arrive at 10:00pm and then jammed out on guitar hero for an hour. At 11:00pm we headed downtown to see all the crazy costumes in the local bars. It was INSANE! The bars were packed from wall to wall with hilarious costumes. The four of us eventually wound up at The Alaskan Bar, where we learned how to dance to bluegrass music. Turns out this might just be my favorite type of dancing EVER! Luckily for me a nice guy by the name of Matt, who was dressed as a bicycle riding Mormon, showed me how to properly get down to Bluegrass. My arm was so sore the next day but boy was it a blast! After the dancing we headed back to Katie's house where we watched The Hills Have Eyes 2 and then Meet me in St. Louis. haha. Ended up falling asleep around 6am but what a fun evening.
Now, it is back to school. I am falling so far behind. This past week I put every other class on hold in order to write my 15 page research paper. The class I am the most behind in is my Biology class, which consists of many ridiculous labs, pointless homework assignments, boring online lectures, and extremely hard test. I am planning on working hard to catch up in there this week.
Along with my many classes, I have the Praxis coming up. Oh man am I nervous about that and I have not had ANY time to study for it as I have been doing school work. I also have my letters of recommendation, resume, and personal letter due for the Teaching program in a week, due the same day as the Praxis. OH Joy. To top it all off I just got a call from my adviser saying he talked to the principal at a middle school here in Juneau. The principal said he would be willing to take a look at my resume and perhaps place me in a student teaching program there but would never hire me. This is because I do not have a degree in science, math, english, or history. Rather I have a degree in K-8 education....one would think teaching 6th grade would fall into that section. Sigh. I guess it's better then nothing. At least I will be able to graduate and head elsewhere to look for a job.
On a lighter note, tonight is the SAA Etiquette Dinner. This is where we all dress up and mix and mingle like the elite. We learn how to properly eat and converse. We also get a multiple course meal. AND it's free for me as I am a SAA member and also the SAA vice president. YAY. I love free food, especially since I am flat out broke!
Well, I think that is enough for one entry. I need to get back to my homework.
♥ Melissa

Everyone Knows I'm In Over My Head.

This weekend has flown by so quickly and I don't like it.
tomorrow is Monday....A Monday in which I have to take a Biology test that I missed last week. I never knew about it. How do you NOT know about a test? Well this happens when teacher doesn't communicate with her students. Sigh. Anyways, she is letting me take it tomorrow but it only gave me today, Sunday. to study. Oh Joy. I guess some points are better then none.
Today, along with studying, I also had to do my Biology observations. So, I drove to the shrine and watched nothing for 20 min. (There were screaming kids and no animals like screaming kids). And then it was on to the Mendenhall glacier again. We were ready to leave after seeing nothing again...when ten feet in front of us was a bear. I thought it was a dog at first and it was right behind a teenager. The teen didn't even notice it until the bear had went it's own direction. It was cool but I never was really scared of it. It was more like a roaming dog. Just kinda walking around, taking in everything. It was cool. Of course, after watching it walk a ways away from me, I got in my car quickly and drove down the road hoping to get a closer picture. It was gone in the trees by then. Oh well. It was still nice.
Well, I have to go finish studying.
♥ Melissa

You were standing on the edge of a mountain. I was searching the sky for a sign.

I walked into the library today with a little on my mind. To me, the library door is not only an entrance to mounds of information and loads of studying, but also, it has become an Emergency Exit from the distractions of the rest of the world. I have made it a habit to work in the library every MWF after my Psychology class. It has become a haven of sorts and is now where I post meaningless blogs (like this one). Ha.
So anyways, I am sitting in the library thinking of the endless amounts of work I need to do. My Biology class is sucking the life from me and I have found myself avoiding it all together. Bad Melissa. My PE class keeps getting canceled. My Psychology class is pointless. My literature class is pretty interesting though long and sometimes very boring. My Anthropology class just sucks. I don't know how anyone could like Anthropology. It is for emotionless Droids! Sure it is fun to dig in the dirt and find cool artifacts and study civilizations. It seems to me that the studies these people do on different tribes are like....going to the zoo. How horrible it must feel to have someone sitting and observing you like a Chimp in a cage. Sometimes, even pulling out a video camera so they can run home and share you with their little friends. This all occurred to me while I was out at the shrine yesterday. I was down, near the water with a book. I found this nice rock, the "West Rock" as we call it, and was just getting into reading when I heard a noise behind me. It scared me at first, as I thought there might have been a bear behind me. However, it was a group of people above looking down at me. They were laughing and I couldn't quite make out what was being said. I thought then, that this is what zoo animals must feel like. Here I am going about my life and enjoying myself when someone comes to tap on the cage window. I swear, if they would have started taking pictures...well...that would have been down right rude. Sigh. We should leave the little tribes and such alone.... I hate Anthropology.
ANYWAYS...
I talk about the Shrine a lot. It is a small chapel on almost an island, with a tiny walkway to it. It sets high on rocks and has a great view for whale watching. I personally like to go down by the water and climb on the rocks, or just have a seat and read a bit. It is a place to relax and also a place for meditation. Yesterday I read my Bible. I was looking for that solitude with God. I didn't really feel like I found it though our preacher told us that we may not find it satisfying every time. I also spent some time in the chapel praying and then sat watching for whales for a bit. Unsatisfying. So I will head out there again today. Round two. Either way, the Shrine does help me clear my mind and get focused again. It is also an Emergency Exit from the rest of the world and it is probably my favorite to take.
I should apologize I suppose for the pessimistic side of me today. The weather is rainy and the stresses of school are just growing each day. It is times like these that I feel completely alone. And it is hard to keep my spirit up. Perhaps some rock climbing tonight will help with that...? We will see.
♥ Melissa

Glacier Caves!

I realize I am posting quite a bit this month but if you were seeing the things I am, you would be too!
Today was a day of awesomeness!
Today Robert, Kalah and I hiked the West Glacier Trail. This is a trail that ends at the Mendenhall lake with a great view of.....well nice water. Those of us who are local know that you can "Bush Wack" or make your own trail to the actual glacier. We had to climb and climb and climb some more....in the rain, pouring at times...But we made it and it was an amazing adventure! I took some pictures along the way. Some of us climbing up and down and some INSIDE the glacier. That's right. We went inside the glacier caves!! These can all be seen on facebook, as there are 60 and it would take forever to load them on here.
Well, we are all safe and sound at home after all taking hot showers and eating some hot soup. Now we are planning to nap for an hour or so and then it's off to a movie tonight! Something about crazy stunt skiing! Sounds GREAT!
♥ Melissa

Juneau! Take Me Away!

(Mendenhall Glacier Waterfall)

Such a wonderful day!
I skipped class! I needed too. Kalah and I skipped class and we went everywhere. First a stop at the recreation center for an orientation to rock wall climbing. Then we felt like we needed to climb Juneau! So..we took the car and went to the shrine. A favorite place of mine which I just saw three batches of whales go by yesterday. One even breached. It was amazing! Anyways, we went to the Shrine and not even three minutes there we saw the whales in the distance. It was great again. I found a new "rock." The rock was a place toward the end of the road that I used to go to think. Now it is just haunting and so I needed to find a new one. Thus, the shrine holds my new rock. It has other great rocks too which Kalah and I felt the need to climb all of them. haha. After a bit there we drove to the old rock and I explained the story of the old rock to her, and everything that goes with it. We walked the water until we found an amazing water fall in the woods...with lots of rocks to climb haha. SO We Climbed Those Too! Took some amazing pictures and headed home. At home we made some hot tea, grabbed some grub and hats and headed to the Mendenhall glacier. We had one purpose there...the Waterfall. WOW. It was amazing! We got up close right as the sun was setting. And guess what...on the side of the waterfall are all these rocks! haha So we climbed them too! On the way back I managed to get a great picture of the sunset and a heart island that gave me some hope.
It was a wonderful day of relaxing and now I feel more then ready to focus on school for a bit. It was what I needed.
♥ Melissa

(Rocks by the waterfall! Me at the top!)


(Drinking our tea on a huge rock)

I have never been one to follow...

I have never been one to follow. There are people who will follow the crowd, change there story just to fit in, change how they act, talk, walk, dress, just to feel comfortable in their own skin, which in the end isn't even 'theirs.' I have never been one to do this. I've been made fun of, lost relationships and irritated people beyond belief because of this. I can't pretend to be someone I am not. I can't sit back and pretend to live my life. I would not be in Alaska if I did.
I remember telling my mom that I wanted to go to school in Alaska. I was so nervous about telling my family that I ran the idea through my brother first. He gave me some great advice, probably the only advice he has ever given me but I think it was the opportune moment and perfect words said. He told me to just do what I want and who cares what everyone thinks. In the end I am the one who will be happy or sad because of the decision and I should just live how I want. He was right and I knew right then that I was making a good decision to move to Juneau. Nervous...uh yeah I was so nervous. But I would make the decision over again in a heartbeat.
So I am here in AK and I have friends. I have a good life and am enjoying school as much as I can. haha. If I cared about what people thought of me and my life I would not be doing this blog as most people think it is stupid. I would not be sitting in my living room in PJs at 1pm, no makeup. I would not be living here and I would not be taking risks in life. MY life would be boring and unsatisfying.
So, what is the point of this blog entry? It has no point really. haha. Just to say that I am now living on the edge. I am going to learn to snowboard...like hardcore snowboarding. I am going rock climbing, bear chasing, baby porcupine rescuing. I will be graduating with my Education degree and then going into Aviation school. I will be flying. Most importantly I will be happy....in debt, probably...but I already am :)... Satisfied. I will be satisfied.

(Me and Katie just having fun at the Mendenhall Glacier)

(BEAR!)
(Baby Porcupine!)
And That's All Folks!
♥ Melissa

Rainy Days and Mondays Get Me Down

I went to Social Psychology class not really expecting anything out of the ordinary. I sat beside a few friends and proceed to talk about how nice it must be to win the Nobel Peace Prize by doing nothing. How I wish the elegant papers and speeches I have given could place me on the list to be considered for the prize. How I wish I could have beat out the guy who is building schools for Iraqi women. Actually, I don't think I deserve the Nobel Peace Prize in any way shape or form but I think I deserve it more then Mr Obama. At least I don't lie, and I keep my promises. Anyways...
So we are talking about this subject when our professor walks in with this casually dressed older woman, who looks like she just got done working out. He didn't introduce her, he just sat down in a side chair. She sat in the chair in front of the class, as we all remembered we were supposed to have some type of guest speaker today. Looking around the class I noticed that a lot of the students in the class were not from our class. They had actually just followed the professor and guest speaker in from the previous class. Apparently, this lady must have something good to say.
We all watched as the lady stood up and introduced herself. Her name is Dr. Riki Ott and she almost single handedly took on Exxon during the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, here in Alaska. From there she proceeded to tell us many stories of how the spill impacted and is still impacting the environment and the residents of Alaska. She also told us that corporations own the US. It may sound like an over exaggeration but this lady had her phone tapped twice and was thrown in jail for nothing. She proved that Exxon paid Doctors to tell the residents cleaning the oil up that they had the flu, not that they had oil in their lungs. Her and her small group of friends took on oil companies, represented by 17 lawyers, in court. Obviously, she had us all intrigued and told us she was giving a lecture for the whole school that evening.
Needless to say, I went. My favorite part was hearing the questions and her answers. There were a lot of people in the audience who were quick to throw out questions that had no right answer. She answered these anyways and made believers out of us all. She is an activist and I hope that some day I will make as big a difference in the world as she already has. I hope that I will know when to stand up and fight for what I believe in, even when everyone around thinks it is a lost cause. She is an inspiration.






Www.Rikiott.com

♥ Melissa

Seasonal Depression

I am looking outside right now. It is so gorgeous. It's raining but then it rains nearly every day in fall. The trees look so bright with the coat of water on them. There is a tree next to the lunch building that is nearly glowing. It is bright yellow and orange in fall colors. Some days I just want to stand and watch it for a bit but then the people passing by might think i was crazy. haha. Everything is changing here. This is a season I have not yet been in AK during and I am not sure how to take it. I love the new colors in the surrounding nature and I love watching the snow line drop down the mountain but at the same time I am in a little bit of a funk. I feel like I am not getting enough rest yet some days I am sleeping 10 hours or more. I find myself in the library, or at The Shrine, just to stay away from the house. I don't like going back to the apt just to sit around and do homework. Yet, at the same time I NEED to be sitting around doing homework. It is taking it's toll on me.
Last night, I was sitting doing an annotated bibliography and waiting for my class to start when I got a phone call from a hysterical Katie. She was screaming in the phone and I thought someone was trying to kill her. Turn out she was watching Orcas breaching and feeding. there were five and a baby and they were showing the baby how to do these things. She told me to meet her at Sandy Beach and hopefully we would catch them there. (they were heading out with the tide and moving very quickly) So, I jumped in my car, not even thinking about my class. I needed to see these animals. I needed something to remind me of why I love Juneau. I needed some hope. I picked up Kalah and we flew down to Sand Beach. We arrived to see Katie jumping up and down and the first thing she said was "You missed them by like 10 seconds!!" That is just my luck.
So, instead of doing the responsible thing and going back to my class, we roamed the old mining trails behind the beach. It was gorgeous but nothing new, as I have seen them before. We stopped at a little cove for some pictures then headed to the Hanger for some dinner. After sitting nearly two hours trying to work out the bills with the waitress and manager, our checks were sorta fixed and we payed and left. Sigh. It has been one of those weeks where I feel like I could just cry at any second. Maybe once Eagle Crest, the ski resort, opens up I will be able to snowboard and will be happy again. We will see.
♥ Melissa

October

Like always, I am in shock of how quickly time has flown by. I cannot believe it is already October. Seems like it was just may last week. But then again I have been a busy little bird and we all know the busier you are the quicker time flies.
This past week has been full of a bit of everything. I am still in the process of getting to know my new roommates. Leanne has already decided Juneau is not the place for her and has dropped her classes and is moving down south. Kind sucks since we were all just getting to know her.
Seems like I have been everywhere this past week. I set up a lab in my livingroom and kitchen, for my biology class. Then I set up the last part of the lab at Katies house. We got the results a week later and everything looks good so far. Hoping for an A+ on that assignment. Speaking of Katie's house, we (the roomies and me) have been over there quite a bit lately. They have Guitar Hero and who doesn't love Guitar Hero! It has been fun and relaxing.
On the topic of relaxing, I took a trip with Kalah and Leanne to the Shrine a few days ago. They had not been there and it is one place that Everyone in Juneau needs to go to at least once before leaving. We watched sea lions and then were scared to death by the sound of a porcupine climbing in the tree right above us. It was a gorgeous day and we had to take advantage of it! We also took a quick trip out to the Mendenhall Glacier ...at night...and I had to keep Kalah from running around looking for bears. I am not a chicken...but it was creepy out there at night!
Another thing we do to get out of the house and away from homework is GO SEE MOVIES! This past week we went and watched The Cove, a documentary about the illegal mass killings of Dolphin that were caught on tape by Ric O'barry...from Flipper the old show. It was crushing to watch but awakening at the same time. It was one of those movies that makes you want to get up and save the world in that very moment. Ah...depressing.
So happy news! The snow line is dropping...I guess that's happy news for some. I think if it is going to continually get colder, it might as well produce something pretty. :) Some are saying we may get snow before Halloween this year. We'll see! I am excited to go snowboarding again this year.
Finally, Day of Caring was this past week. We painted a fence at a daycare/preschool. We painted shelves and book cases and we shampooed carpets. It was great to help out and give back to the community. You could tell how appreciative the owners were. And we had a blast at the same time. Win win situation.
ok ok ok back to homework for me!
♥ Melissa

ONE YEAR!... wow

I was updating my blog layout to look more 'fall-ish' when I noticed something. Looking at my blog archive, my very first post on here was on September 24th. That was right after I had been accepted to the University of Alaska Southeast. I remember the day. I wasn't really expecting the letter to come. I thought maybe I needed to send another transcript or something when I ripped open the letter and saw my new school had let me in. It all seemed surreal and looking back, I really had no clue what to expect.
But I took a leap of faith. I had so many ideas in my head. I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I thought I had finally figured out what God wanted me to do with my life. I was so far off! After arriving in Juneau, I learned very fast that I did not know what God wanted for me.
Today, I think God brought me to Juneau for a reason. He wanted me out of that small town I grew up in. He wanted me to grow not only through him, but also as a young adult. He wanted me to see that going to seminary was not the best choice for me. I can help youth through teaching. I can be a mentor and good role model. He opened my eyes to a world I had never seen before. And to this day, He has helped me overcome some situations that would have cracked me very easily in Richmond. Here I have grown in many ways and met many amazing people. I have finally found a church that feels like an awesome fit. I have made friends, lost friends, given advice, taken advice, but most importantly I have watched it all unfold before my eyes.
I think back to when summer was first arriving here in Juneau this year. People said it would be a horrible summer like last year because we had had such an unusual amount of snow fall. They were wrong but anyways...I remember going to The Shrine for the first time, once the snow had melted. It was so green and so bright. It seemed as if it had just grown overnight into this beautiful place that no one knew about but me. It was peaceful. I remember looking out over the water and finally comprehending the fact that I was miles and miles away from my family, everything I had grown up with, everything I knew...and I was doing just fine. Better then fine actually. I was on top of the world.
I love this section of that original post:

"I cannot possibly put into words how excited and nervous I am about this decision. A lot still has to fall into place in order to make this possible... However, God has paved the way thus far and I am sure will be at my side for the rest of the trip."

Little did I know that I would stumble across Era, my summer job. If you have followed this blog or know me today then you know that I LOVED that job and will be returning this next summer. It has changed my life in a great way! Era sparked a passion in me to learn about Helicopters. Seeing some of the amazingly independent women that I worked with and that came through daily, made me want to be more independent. It made me realize that the education I am finishing now really will count for something and that the more I have going for me, the less I have going against me. I'm sure God put his hand in on that one.
What an incredible year it has been. One of ups and downs, twists and turns, and especially one of growth and maturity. Now as the snowline drops down the mountain side, and yes it is already dropping, I am finding it a reminder of how lost I was when i first flew in through those mountains and into that snow. It is a reminder of where I have been and where I will go. A reminder that I am literally and figuratively on top of the world.

♥ Melissa

"Carry your candle, Run to the darkness.
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn.
Hold out your candle for all to see it.
Take your candle and go light your world."

Walk Out On The Water,You Have No Control.

(Me and my new roommate Kalah)

This past week has been very trying. So many things have gone so wrong and I am beginning to get down in spirits. It doesn't help that each day is getting closer to winter meaning each day is loosing sunlight. I am trying to keep busy, not like that is hard these days. My classes have me so swamped with homework that I could literally stay in my room all the time and work on school work. That would only make me depressed though. I have been trying to get out of the house as much as possible to keep myself happily entertained.
The other night I went to a play on Douglas Island. It was sooo weird. It had to do with the depression and WW1 but yet there was a pet dinosaur and mammoth. It was very odd and I must admit I was lost most of the time. Haha But the point of the play was new beginnings. It also had a lot of religious quotes and themes throughout the storyline.
I have been working on a Biology lab in my basement. No I have not blown the building up yet. That has kept my quite busy but I AM seeing results. That is exciting and last night I went over to Katies to help her set up her Biology lab and the final part of mine. We are working together in this class because it is somewhat difficult and lengthy to do alone. While there I got some disturbing news from my mom about a message she received over facebook from a friend, well used to be friend of mine. It was hard to hear but...we move on. With a little bit of prayer and some homemade spaghetti made by Katie, I am feeling a bit better about the whole situation. Plus, tomorrow I am attending a new church I have heard a lot of great things about. Life is all about taking risks and hoping they turn out for the best, even if it's not exactly how we thought it should. It's all about "walking on the water" I guess.
On the subject of taking risks, today I placed myself under my car and learned how to change my own oil! Hey! I think that's risky haha.
Tonight I am hanging out with Era people at Katie's house. There are a few who will be leaving the state soon. :( Hopefully it will be a fun night with lots of laughs.
♥ Melissa

Get In Or Get Out, Cuz You're Holding Up the Train.

The past few weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. I'm not exactly sure where to begin. Hm...Well...Books...That's a good place. I have had books ordered forever and three have not shown up. Two of which i am having a test over a week from today. That's cutting it close. One that may not get here until the end of the month. Sigh.
On a lighter note, I got my cell phone, cell phone covers and my NEW COMPUTER! It's nice to have a laptop that isn't on life support. Yes it is huge and heavy but I have made it pretty and I have made it Mine. It runs really great too. (That's probably what really matters). Classes have been off and on this past week. My PE class has still not started and will not start until the 30th. That leaves me with only two "in class" classes. My psychology class has been canceled this week because the teacher is at some conference. That class is on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This leaves me one class, Gov't, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My week has been boring. I have been getting all my online homework finished though. I am not complaining about the lack of time either. I have really gotten the chance to get to know my new roommates but the extra time has made me a bit homesick as of lately.
The roommates....well I am enjoying their company. It's very sad though...living in the same apt with new people. It's ...strange. Some days it is nice to see new faces around the house and get to know everyone's backgrounds and stories etc. Most times it just reminds me of how close of friends the four of us were last year and how now...everything is backwards. None of us are really close anymore. The memories are hard too. Sometimes a new roommate will say something that will trigger a story of one of my lost friends...nearly brings tears. This is where I remind myself that everything really does happen for a reason. The people who are in my life now are here for a reason and those who are not, are not here for a reason. This is where faith comes in. Faith that there is a bigger picture.
I should focus on the more important things, like how I just returned from watching one of my favorite bands play an amazing show. The title of this blog is actually from one of their songs, a GREAT one! I am going out for the roomies birthday tomorrow night. Some work friends are joining in on the fun. Hopefully it will be a fun night of dancing. Since I have tomorrow off I will be sleeping in, doing laundry, cleaning, research, homework in general, and anything else I can think of to fill the time. Sunday I am joining a friend from school in church. I have heard some great things about this church and so I am very excited to go. It has been much harder finding a church that "feels right" up here...more so then I ever thought it would.Maybe this is the one.
Well, I should get off here and get some rest for once.
♥ Melissa

Sept 14th-Where has the time gone?

Oh man, the time is flying and we are almost half way through the month. My classes have all started except my PE class, which will begin on the 30th. The distance classes require a lot of reading. A LOT! But that's okay. I am doing okay and I never would have thought I could manage. My in class, classes are going well. I have started recording one of the teachers and studying over my notes while listening to his lecture again. It is boring, yes, but I think it is helping.
As far as text books go, I still have not yet received the majority of them. I still need my biology and my gov't books.
On a side note, I am waiting for a new computer now. Mine is dieing. I guess I have had it for a while now and it is time to let it go. Matt helped me pick out a new one and he has assured me it is the best I can get at the price I want. Yay. It's ugly, but I will make is pretty :) Anyways, that arrival date was Fri 11- Monday 14th. So, maybe I will get it today? GOSH I hope so!
Moving on, yesterday was my last day at Era. It was a sad one. Luckily, we flew the entire day with not weather cancellations. It helped keep my mind off how much I was truly going to miss the place. So, after many warm hugs and wishes I promised I will be returning to work there next year. (Hopefully my favorite co-workers will be joining me.) Then I handed in my faded Era jacket and left for the last time. What a great summer job it was and I am already excited to return again.
After leaving and feeling slightly depressed, Robert and I took my car and aired up all the tires...something I had no clue how to do. (I know, it's easy! But no one ever showed me!) Then we went and picked up my bike from my old apartment and transferred it to Campus Housing.Next...I am learning how to change my own oil!
Okay okay, enough rambling for one day. I have classes to get too! Hope your week starts off great!
♥ Melissa

Classes

Today was the first day of classes. I had only one class and am super nervous about it. It seems as if it will be super hard. AH! Also, my text books have not yet arrived. That's making the nerves even worse. My distance classes have not started but should be beginning here over the next week.
I GOT A NEW PHONE! YAY!
I think i posted a blog about how i left my phone in the airplane on the return trip from Missouri. Well, I have not yet heard from the airline after filling out forms and calling them numerous times. SO, I ordered a new phone and it is here and it is working! I feel connected to the world again.

Melissa

Wrap it up!

So the end of the summer is coming closer with each day. School for me starts on September 3rd and I am extremely nervous. I am moving back into campus housing Monday and meeting my new roommates. That's exciting. The month of September is the last for tourist season. Thus, my job at Era will be ending soon. After school starts I will only be working on weekends. I already miss the place just thinking about it. One thing that sucks is that all the people we have worked with for this summer may not return. Most the newer people only stay one year. Who knows who will be working next summer.
We had our company party this past Thursday. It was held at the zip lining company at Eagle Crest. We had a blast. The group that I was set to sip with didn't seem to exciting and I would never have chosen them by hand. However, the odd combination of mechanics, pilots, grounds crew, and dock reps, worked out great! It was soo much fun and man the jokes that were told. Granted they were mostly perverted, thanks Wayne and JJ. Still, I had a great time and will be missing these guys until next year.
Well, I just wanted to throw in a quick update while i still had the time. Wish me luck on the busy week ahead. I'm jumping in!
♥ Melissa

So I made it home...

After a very long day of flights I am officially home. I did loose my cell phone on an airplane though. It has been found and now it is being mailed to me. Hopefully I will get it soon. I guess I will just have to use email until I receive it. Keep that in mind if you need to get a hold of me. And because I had no phone to call for a ride, I ended up walking home in the rain. Lovely...I made it though. :)
Today was my first day back at work. It was pretty nice. I was loading Johnathon and Jenn who always make the day go by fast. A couple who sat by me on the plane ride in had talked about taking an Era flight and they showed up at the end of the day. Unfortunately, as we were getting ready to send them off the weather turned pretty bad and we canceled the rest of the day. Hopefully they will be able to get up another day this week.
Luckily for me, that let me off work a bit early to finish up some things around the house. Call some companies and get things ready to move back into housing.
Now tomorrow I am on Dog Bus which really sucks. I hate sitting on a bus all day with weird bus drivers. Not all of them are but it seems like I always get stuck with the ones that are. Ah well. At least the day should go by pretty quickly. Welp, I should get back to house work. So many things to do and so little time to do it in.
♥ Melissa

Leaving on a Jet plane. Don't knwo when I'll be back again!

I was up at 3:30am this morning getting ready to leave. We were at the airport by 5am and the plane departed at 6am. Its the beginning of a long day of flights but I am extremely excited to get home and in my own bed again. I am currently on a 3hour layover in Salt Lake City (very ugly place by the way). Hopefully the time will go by faster then it seems. I just really really really am ready to be back in Juneau.

Surprise!!! A Week in Missouri!!

This week I made the long flight to Missouri for a surprise visit! I knew my week here would be completely full and somewhat crazy but I didn't expect this agenda.

Monday morning I started my journey home. It was a 12hr day of traveling with many stops in between. The planes were small and gross. Thanks Delta. And the day could not have lasted longer. However, once I arrived, 20 min early, in Kansas City my night got much better. My mom, Debbie, My brother and Kinsey were there to meet me and we made a pit stop at 11:30pm to grab some grub. Once at my moms house I unpacked and jumped into bed in preparation for a long Tuesday.
Tuesday started off with a drive to the grandparents house. Now, no one actually knew I was in town. So my grandparents were super surprised to see me. We had a short visit then headed back into town to see my aunt. Aunt Tammie answered her office door and didn't even notice me at first. She only saw Kinsey who I was holding in my arms. Once it clicked for her we stepped inside and had a short chat before heading to our next destination. The schools here just started this week so I thought it would be fun to surprise Piper during work. Sure enough, I rounded the corner to catch her with a cookie in one hand and a coke in the other, completely unsuspecting. She had No idea I was even thinking about coming into town. It was a great surprise. From there we went to my step grandparents house and caught my step aunt as well. Lastly I headed to my dads house and was about to crash when my great grandma and grandpa D stopped by to visit. After they left i passed out.
Wednesday was full of pretty much nothing. I was able to sleep in a bit and relax as all my parents were working and Kinsey was at pre-school. For lunch I met Nanny and great grandma at the nursing home. Then I went back to dad's house and finished some school stuff online. I also got the chance to talk to Kari via Skype whom I miss bunches. A phone call from my aunt informed me of a BBQ and swimming at her house around dinner time. On the way back to the house we could see the storms rolling in. I fell asleep that night watching the lightening storm. We don't have lightening in Juneau. Not often anyways.
Thursday started off nice with a bike rise across town to my Moms house. Then it was on to a day of shopping for me. I returned home from the city around noon with five shirts and two new pairs of jeans. Also, I picked up some more goodies for Kinseys' Birthday. Once back home I received a phone call from the University of Alaska Southeast. The lady on the other end told me I needed to update my shots before I could move into housing. The problem was that I have limited time here and once I return home, I move into housing on the 30th. Thats not much time. Luckily, I was able to get a hold of my doctor and get everything taken care of. Then it was off to the Mexican restaurant to meet my aunt and cousins for lunch. Then Kinsey and I napped for an hour or so and headed to the city again. Dinner was at Texas Road House and it was delicious!
Today, Friday, was Kinseys' Birthday. Sarah needed to head to the city to pick up a gift and so Mom, Kinsey and myself tagged along. We stopped at Chuck E Cheeses for Kinsey to play for a bit and then to the mall play ground for her to play some more. Needless to say, we were all exhausted. I just got home an hour or so ago and am now figuring out dinner.
As for tomorrow, Saturday, the family is heading to the Zoo. It is likely to be an all day event and will surely end at the grandparents house for a fish fry.
The sixth day here, Sunday, will start in church of course. I am so excited to see everyone at FBC. Seems like forever since I enjoyed and took away something from a sermon. After church we are heading to great grandmas house for sunday lunch. The best food in the world is here and I used to eat it almost every week. It was a huge change heading to AK simply because I didn't have that great food every Sunday. At two is Kinsey's official birthday party at the park. It will be Sponge Bob themed and it seems like everyone will be there. Both family and friends. Lastly, after the party we will head to the city for some family pictures.
Monday is the dreaded flight back home. While I have loved visiting, I have realized how gorgeous Juneau is and how much I really miss it. For now, I am enjoying the family and just living one day at a time. I will deal with that Monday when it gets here (which I'm sure will come sooner then expected). Hope Everyone is having a great weekend.
♥ Melissa

Things still left to do before school begins:
-Order books
-Distance class packet
-Call ACS
-Check in online

I've Lost my best friend... can somebody find her?!

So this month has been a mess. Work has gotten crazy. Apparently, this is when everyone starts vacationing and heading back to school, which means we are extremely short staffed. One thing that is nice about being understaffed is that we are all running around like chickens with our heads cut off and this makes the day go by faster.
A few things have happened this past week, one of them being Kari leaving for Norway. It's extremely exciting but I'm still waiting for some good pictures!! *cough cough* I can't imagine how hard it must be to be so far away from home and in a different country. On that same note, I can't imagine how amazing the experience would be either. There would be so much to learn and so many memories to tell everyone in the future. How cool. I miss her and yet hate her because I am extremely jealous! :)
I must admit it is a little hard not having Kari around. With no TV I rely on others for entertainment. I've been bored these past few days. hehe. But that's okay. School will be starting up here shortly and I will have plenty of dumb freshmen to watch roaming around campus. By dumb I mean scared and lost. Yeah that's what I meant...
Moving on, I have been hiking lately and bike riding. It's nice to come home after work and unwind with a little walk or ride. Lately, I have been hanging out with some friends from work. This past weekend a few of us went to watch one of the pilots husbands' band play. They were not really that good or maybe they were but you couldn't hear the girl singing. Kind of hard to judge. Either way, it was pretty fun with good company and it helped me to come home and crash.
This next week is going to be crazy. I will start a new blog about that one soon. For now I have to leave the apartment so my landlord can "show" it to another interested party. Just a reminder that school is right around the corner and there's so much more to DO!!
♥ Melissa

PS: Pray for Kinsey who is in the hospital for swallowing a magnet. She is curious about the world around her, just like her aunt. :)

Where do you climb when you're already on top of the world?

(Juneau)

Here is just a little update about a flight I took. I was able to fly up with Jen again and do the 4 glacier tour. It was more amazing then the first time I went. I think I might be addicted to flying. haha. Here are some pictures I managed to snap.(Jen and the amazing waterfall we passed)

(On top of the world!)

Also, I took a bike ride to the Mendenhal glacier and took some pictures out there as well.
Sooo many more pictures on facebook. It doesn't take nearly as long to load as on here haha.
-Melissa

A Jumbled Mess Of Everything

(Relay For Life)

So many things have happened over the past few weeks that I am sure I will forget something! Shame on me for not writing this as soon as it happened.

Starting back as far as I can remember...On a day off, a friend and I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and go zip-lining. It was pretty cool. The longest zip was 750 feet. Not sure if I would actually go again but it was pretty fun. We didn't get to see a whole lot of nature as the zipping sound scares off all the wildlife, but getting that sense of flying with the wind across your face....well it was just priceless.
Moving onward...Not too long ago I got to take a "dead head" at Era, with Jenn. A "dead head" being a flight with just the pilot, up to Dog camp to pick up passengers or supplies. Jenn, being the pilot that all the girls want to be and all the guys want to be with. Well, it was great. We flew low between the mountains and the beauty nearly took my breath away. There were bright green lakes and huge, gorgeous waterfalls. Unfortunately, I was so excited to go that I left my camera at base. Oh well, I'm pretty sure this was a flight I will never forget, especially the quick nose dive she did at the end, just to scare the crap out me. Ha. Caught me a little off guard.
Next on the list. If you read the last entry, you know that I was raising money for the relay for life. Kari and I camped out last weekend and walk laps in the pouring rain for this cause. It was a blast and yet completely exhausting. We were scheduled to walk for 4 hours in the mud. We walked the first two hours, then she took a 45 min slot and I took a 45 min slot and we finished the last 30 min together. I could not move the next day but it was so worth it. Thanks to everyone who supported me and my goal.I wrote a little bit ago about a lady hitting my car. Here's a short update. The lady did come forward and everything has been turned into her insurance. Estimates, pictures etc, and it looks like it will end up costing about $2000 to fix. Not out of my pocket so I really don't care as long as it's fixed right. I just talked to her insurance today and I should hear back from them within the next few days. Yay!
This week has been rather uneventful. I did have one pretty cool thing pointed out to me at work yesterday. I guess the salmon are running and so the creek behind Era is just full of these three feet (sometimes longer) Dog Salmon. It's crazy. I've never seen anything like it. Today an employees dogs were running along the bank grabbing fish and throwing them out onto the shore. It was a little game they were playing with their owner, as she had to follow them kicking the fish back in. I guess all these salmon will eventually die because the creek leads nowhere. They might attract some bears though!!Ah Work...We have had a few days of really low clouds, causing us to cancel some flights. This always makes for a long day of chores or a short day, as everyone goes home and doesn't come back. This was the case today. It actually worked out quite nice for me. Kari left for Oregon today for a week of fishy-ness, so I was able to drop her off at the airport, beats walking, and then I came home and have done nothing but relax all day. It has been rather nice. Tomorrow is another early morning though. We'll see if we get any flight ups or not.
This next month is going to fly by. This week Kari is gone, Katie will be going home for a week at the beginning of August. Hopefully my dad will be visiting sometime at the beginning of August, Kari will be leaving for Norway in August, we move back into housing at the end August and school starts again September 3rd. I'm sure it will be a bit of an emotional roller coaster as well.
Okay, so I think I hit all the major points...
The weeks almost over! Hang in there!
♥ Melissa

Relay for Life in Juneau AK!

This year I am doing the Relay for Life here in Alaska!
Help me out folks!
Either check out my page at:
HERE
OR
Go to my facebook page and donate on there!!
Thanks for your help!
♥ Melissa

"And I'm on my knees...looking for the answers"

The past few days have been filled with a crazy mess of things.
Let me get this off my chest: AHHHHH GRRRRR BADKFHA DKFLASDHFKLHHASLKHDFKASDFLHSD!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok! As most of you know Governor Palin resigned this past week. It's a shame to hear what people are saying. Southeast Alaska really doesn't care for this lady because she wants to move the capital to Anchorage. It is understandable since Anchorage is over four times bigger then Juneau. I find it kind of funny that most of the people, who complain about the governor, don't complain about the PFD money they receive each year, which happened to be over $3,000 this past year. Over all I think the country should be ashamed. This lady could have done some amazing things nationally. BUT she didn't get the job. Not a big deal, she still could have continued doing great things locally. BUT the country couldn't leave her alone. It was nothing short of harassment. I wonder why no other political figure was treated this badly. If David Letterman had said that about my daughter, forget the war of words, I would have made sure his next show was without teeth. Well anyways, I have to admit it depresses me that our country does not hold men and women at the same rank yet. It depresses me that we voted in a man who, just like Hitler, wrote his plans in his book before office. It depresses me that this man has not done crap. What happened to the hope and change and all that crap? More importantly, it depresses me that this small town Alaskan family as been ripped apart in the medias eyes, both before the election and still to this day. It bothers me most that this stoning continues and no one feels bad about what’s happening. Thanks for getting rid of our Governor, a lady who has done so much for our state. I hope you’re happy.
Moving on, I suppose...
The fourth came and went for me with no fireworks or parades or any of that fun stuff. The big fireworks display was held Friday midnight. This is really the only time of day that it is actually a little darker outside. It's weird here because there are few places to get fireworks. No booths like back home. Someone told me that it is because it is illegal shoot fireworks since we are in a rainforest. Duh, that makes since. I stayed home because I had to be a work Saturday. Little did I know that everyone, and I do mean everyone, was downtown for the fireworks display. I guess Era had it's own little prime location you had to have a password to get into. I didn't know this either or I probably would have gone. Everyone said the show was great, though most of them were completely drunk, I'm sure. The parade was the following day, during work, so obviously I couldn't attend. We had a few departures in the morning, then the parade started and we took a few hours off to eat and play games, then back to work again when the roads were open again. This put us about 45 minutes behind. The people really weren't too upset but it did make all of us working have to stay late. I think I left work about 8pm or a little after.
While at work we saw some odd planes fly over on their way to landing here in Juneau. There were two and they were huge and unmarked. Supposedly this means it's a celebrity here in town. Now everyone has their eyes open for some stars roaming the streets here. haha. According to my supervisor Johnny Depp has been in town the last few day. He was in the Red Dog Saloon during the Fourth of July festivities. Go figure, Johnny Depp in a bar.... That’s kind of cool to know though.
After a long day at work, what better way to relax then bowling! haha. A friend was having a birthday party at the bowling alley last night. We were there from 9-12. Yeah it was a long day. But the bowling was super fun. Unfortunately, my entire body hurts today from the games we played at work (football, golf) and the bowling on top of that. I am looking forward to a long hot bath here in the next hour or so...

Not sure if I wrote about this last week but I did get a scholarship for a $4000 tuition waiver. Just a bit of good news to throw in with the rest of the crap. haha.
Have a great Sunday!

♥ Melissa