finally! alaska

day 1 we went up to hatcher's pass, where supposedly you go sledding. but it was pretty much white out conditions so we didn't do anything. here's a picture of katie's dog norm running in the white out (there are mountains behind him):

















when the sun burned off it was pretty amazing. this is my "wild God" picture:

















day 2 was the hiking/puking/peeing day on a little mountain they call baldy. here i am just about as far as i made it,
















and this is how i got down:

the peak behind me is where katie, katie's mom, and katie's aunt got to


















day 3 we hiked some more, and saw moose poop (but no moose) (but i've seen a moose in Maine):

















day 4 we hiked up the butte (like a hill to Alaskans, but a pretty good walk for me). This is a view of pioneer peak
















and a view of knik glacier (way in the back ground)

















day 5: this is me shooting some clay pigeons: this is momentous, probably the first and last time you'll see me holding an actual gun.

















day 6 and 7 we hung out with the fam -- easter sunday and all -- so no pics -- but an amazing trip overall.

fun with tunes

Put your music player on shuffle.
Press forward for each question.
Use the song title as the answer to the question.
No cheating!


How am I feeling today?:
sweet mistakes (ellis paul).

Will I get far in life?
don't speak (no doubt).

How do my friends see me?
there's gotta be more (stacey orrico).

Where will I get married?:
this is my world (hootie).

What song is the story of my life?
circle of life (lion king).

What was high school like?:
motown philly (boyz II men). "doin' a little east coast swing"

How can I get ahead in life?:
one thing (finger eleven). if anyone wants to know about the one thing, that'll be $25

What is the best thing about me?:
more than words (extreme).

How is today going to be?:
learning to fly (tom petty).

What is in store for this weekend?:
ms. fat booty (mos def).

How is my life going?:
redemption song (bob marley). actually, pretty darn perfect

What song will they play at my funeral?:
robin hood theme (robin hood -- disney). me & my stupid collection of disney

How does the world see me?:
kiss the girl (little mermaid). well, i kind of like this disney one. =)

Will I have a happy life?:
Jesus walks (kanye west).

What do my friends really think of me?:
i just can't wait to be king (lion king).

Do people secretly lust after me?:
One (u2).

How can I make myself happy?:
karma (alicia keys).

What should I do with my life?:
the bare necessities (jungle book).

Will I have kids?:
not in nottingham (robin hood).

What is some good advice?:
you don't know how it feels (to be me) (tom petty).

What do I think my current theme song is?:
meant to live (switchfoot).

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?:
play that funky music white boy (wild cherry).

What type of men/women do you like?:
yesterday (beatles).


that's it -- i will leave the rest of the commenting up to you.

dumb babies

once a bunch of us were sitting around talking about babies. my friend liz said that she was not into breastfeeding and i said that breastfeeding is better for your baby's brain development (or something) and she said "well, my baby will just have to be a little bit dumb then."

so this morning i was reading the Anchorage Daily News and came across this headline: "Study links poetry and lower achievement test scores." naturally i read on, and this is what it had to say (this is from the Washington Post orginally, so if someone without dial up wants to link to it, that'd be great. i don't have the patience):

"Fill your house with books if you want little Billy or Beth to grow up to be an academic all-star. Shakespeare is good. But stay away from poetry [side note: since when is Shakespeare NOT poetry? maybe they're thinking poetry equals e.e. cummings "anyone lived in a pretty how town" or whatever that is. anyway.] -- it may dumb down your child.
A research team headed by demographer Jonathan Kelley, of Brown University and the University of Melbourne, analyzed data from a study of scholastic ability in 43 countries, including the United States.
The researchers found that a child from a family have 500 books at home scored, on average, 112 points higher on the acheievement test than one from an otherwise identical family have only one book -- and that's after they factored in parents' education, occupation, income and other things associated with academic performance.
The researchers say a big home library reflects the parents' dedication to the life of the mind, which probably nurtures scholastic accomplishment in their offspring.
They also found that not all books are created equal: 'Having poetry books around is actively harmful by the same amount,' perhaps because it signals a 'Bohemian' lifestyle that may encourages kids to become guitar-strumming, poetry-reading dreamers."

in the great words of my friend liz, "well, my [kids] will just have to be a little bit dumb then."

don't get bored

i will make a huge post about alaska when i get back -- but here i am on dial up and using up katie's parents phone line, and i want to put my pictures on too, so it's just not the best time.

but to give you little morsels to tide you over:
1. hiked like every single day, and wore the same clothes
2. peed in the snow on a mountain, creating this neat little skinny hole that goes all the way down to the bottom
3. lost many, many games of ping pong
4. saw the northern lights
5. threw up half way up a mountain, and then KEPT GOING, like the wonder woman i am
6. still didn't make it all the way up, because met the rest of my party coming down
7. saw a glacier (from a distance)
8. went to a house concert
9. shot skeet with the house concert performer (first time holding a real gun)
10. joined in at "supper club" with katie's family.

everyone must go here

here.
go.
no, don't ask questions.
just go.
right now.

weekend recommendations

Movie:










Event:








Medieval Female Mystic: