Trip update

Hi everyone! I haven't been able to get back to everyone's messages, so I wanted to post a little update here to let you all know how we're doing.

We made it through the ALCAN in about 48 hours. (Crazy, crazy drive)
Spent one night in Vancouver, then headed on to Portland. We're leaving Portland today for San Francisco.

That's about it. Talk to you all soon!

Leaving Alaska on a hot note

We're hitting record high temperatures up here in the great state of AK. It got up to 80 degrees yesterday, breaking the 79 degree record set in 2005.

From the ADN:

The weather in Southcentral has been experiencing a curious phenomenon in recent days that was largely missing last year.

Weather experts are calling it "summer."

Elsewhere in the city, temperatures crept even higher, though the marks were recorded at sites considered unofficial by the weather service. The Upper Hillside hit 82 degrees, and East Anchorage logged 83 degrees. The Campbell Creek Science Center hit 86.

Last summer, only two days broached the 70-degree mark at the weather service's Sand Lake station, setting a record for the fewest such days. On average, Anchorage sees 16 days that hit 70 or higher.

Andrew refuses to drive without the windows down and calls me a wimp when I beg for air conditioning. My argument: I'd still have the AC on if it were 80 in Florida.

So, we're moving out at the only time I've ever wished we had air conditioning up here. One of the movers asked me to turn it on yesterday and I chuckled. None of that up here. Even worse, we let them take our only fan.

It looks like I'll be more prepared for the Florida heat than I thought.

Unlike Mrs. Palin, we welcome the heat. (Along with a little AC, of course.)

Florida, here we come...

The papers are signed, we've got our orders and we'll be moving out of Alaska on July 11. Yep, two weeks from tonight Andrew and I will be preparing to drive out of here - all the way back to sunny South Florida.

We've mapped out the trip and it's going to take us about two weeks to get from Anchorage, AK, to Miami, FL. Factoring in all the little stops we want to make, it's going to be one great adventure.

Can't wait to see everyone when we get there!

I heart New York, but not these folks

So, I haven't said anything about the Sarah Palin/David Letterman tiff (mainly because I think it's silly), but I just can't hold back from posting this video from New York Magazine.

They say two wrongs don't make a right, though somehow I don't think this group of Manhattan protesters have ever heard of the idea. Call me crazy, but calling someone's kid a bastard and his wife a slut won't erase anything the guy may have said last week.

I'm just sayin'...



My favorite quotes:

Lady in yellow: "This schmuck has nobody! You know what schmuck means in Jewish?"

Reporter: "How do you feel about Jay Leno?"
Protester: "I only watch Fox News channel."

Protester: "Go home and take care of your kids! They could be next!"

Memories of D-Day documented on video

Andrew and I heard about this awesome website, Witness to War, while watching the CBS Evening News tonight and haven't been able to pull ourselves away from the videos since.

The Witness to War project is not about the set piece movements of armies, the military strategies of generals, nor the geo political nuances that led to war. Instead, it is about the ‘foxhole’ view of combat as seen by the soldiers who experienced it. It is about the fear, the emotions, the training, and the previously untapped wells of personal strength that enabled ordinary individuals to survive, and in some cases thrive, under extraordinary pressures and almost unimaginable danger.

This Saturday, June 6, is the anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy (D-Day). Visit the D-Day section of Witness to War and spend a few minutes listening to first-hand accounts of what happened.

I know war stories and birthday's don't make a great pair, but I still want to say Happy Birthday Kyle anyway. We hope you're having a fantastic girls' weekend in Naples with all of your friends.


(My apologies go out to Charlie Gibson for watching CBS, but the basketball game was on. Sorry.)

Wow, that's one fancy moustache...

Because Alaska may have the largest concentration of bearded and moustached men in the country, I didn't think twice when I saw a number of guys on Thursday walking around downtown with big twisty-ended moustaches. So, they take pride in their over-abundance of facial hair, no big deal. Later that night, I found out what a big deal it was... 

This weekend, Anchorage hosted the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championship (yes, there is such a thing), where nearly 300 competitors from around the world showed up to display their fantastic facial hair creations.  

Participants competed in about 20 different beard and moustache style categories, including the Freestyle Beard, Alaskan Whaler, the Fu Manchu and the Musketeer. You can find a description of each category and a list of winners here.

David Traver of Anchorage became a hometown hero by taking first place as the World Beard Overall Champion. His snowshoe-like beard style (photo here) won first place in the Freestyle Beard Category and gave him the overall victory.

Sometimes I think it's crazy that I live in a place where the World Beard and Moustache Competition makes the front page news. Only in Alaska...

Why Adam Lambert didn't win tonight

Though no one can be absolutely sure, the video below may quite possibly be the reason behind Adam Lambert taking second place tonight in the American Idol finale.

I guess all those wholesome Midwest folks just don't understand the power of the boa. What a shame...