It would have been a clean getaway, “If only he hadn't dropped his wallet.”

Don’t know why, but I just love stories about stupid criminals, especially when they happen in Alaska. This one is from today’s Anchorage Daily News:

Benjamin Wallace Rucker nearly made a clean getaway, police say, after city snowplows covered the footprints leading away from the last vehicle stolen during a string of carjackings and robberies Tuesday night.

If only he hadn't dropped his wallet. With his photo ID.

"We would have caught him one way or the other," police Lt. Dave Parker said, "but it just made it so easy."

The series of robberies left a cab driver with slash wounds to his head and hands, a carjacking victim punched in the mouth and a pet dog that was in one of the stolen vehicles temporarily missing, according to police.

Rucker, 34, was arrested Thursday morning on six felony counts of robbery, assault and vehicle theft stemming from two episodes, and he is a suspect in a third. He was booked at the Anchorage jail on $50,000 bail. 

Moral of the story: If you don’t want to get caught, keep your wallet in your pants.

Next week: Vacation!

Check out today's forecast, it actually says "Dull and dreary." Even worse than it being "dull and dreary," we only get about 5 hours of daylight. It feels like nighttime all the time.

We're in need of some serious sunshine, ASAP. Which is why I'm sooooo happy to say that we'll be back in Florida for vacation next Thursday!

I heard there's going to be some kind of cold front coming through down there, but whatever "chilly" temperatures it may bring, they are no comparison to what we've been dealing with lately. Right now, I think I'd be happy with anything above 40.

We're excited to see everyone back home and can't wait to hang out in the sunshine. See you all soon!

Ever wonder what an arctic flamingo looks like?

If Andrew were a cat...

He'd probably look something like this...

Good Life Reggae and Beyonce shaking it in Alaska

Head on over to GoodLifeReggae.com for the latest installment of the Good Life Reggae Radio show on KEUL Girdwood, AK radio.

And check out the video below of Beyonce shaking it in Faribanks, AK. Ok, so it's not really Beyonce ... it's just some crazy Alaskan prancing around the snow in a leotard, but it's still pretty entertaining.

Inspiring video: The Girl Effect

I came across this inspiring video from The Girl Effect. I think the message holds true for girls in developing countries and girls right here in our own neighborhoods.

Bet you can't look away once you press play ...

Good Life Reggae 11/16 radio show

Andrew just posted a segment from the Good Life Reggae radio show over at GoodLifeReggae.com. Head on over and listen to Good Life Reggae serenade Girdwood, Alaska with an easy selection of foundation reggae on a laid back Sunday afternoon.


Good Life Reggae Radio November 16, 2008

Unnecessary quotation marks, making the cut

One of my favorite blogs, The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks, accepted my submission for a great sign I found in downtown Anchorage this summer. Click here to check it out.

Yes, I admit that in my downtime I enjoy picking apart others' punctuation choices. I give credit to all of my past English and Newspaper teachers in high school, and the fine education I received at the University of Florida for my spelling and grammar OCD.

Anyway, head on over to The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks to take a look at my submission - Sidewalk Closed, Use "G" Street

Good Life Reggae 11/9 radio show

Click here to listen to Good Life Reggae's latest broadcast on November 9.

Andrew and Cameron put on a great show every Sunday on KEUL Girdwood radio, they'll be posting each week's show over at GoodLifeReggae.com. Check it out and put a little reggae in your afternoon!

Whoops! Palin’s consignment store shout-out sparks trademark trouble

Yes, I know the election is over, but I live in Alaska where Sarah Palin still makes the nightly news.

At a rally a few weeks ago, Palin made some comments addressing the money she spent on her campaign wardrobe and that she was “back to wearing my own clothes from my favorite consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska.”

Sounds innocent enough, right? Well, the upscale consignment store, Out of the Closet, garnered some national news attention that has since landed the owner in a bit of legal trouble.

Here’s the story ...

Palin’s “favorite consignment shop” in Anchorage is called Out of the Closet. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (with benefactors including Magic Johnson, Ron Howard and Ellen Degeneres) runs a charitable thrift store chain by the same name in California and Florida.

While the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is grateful to Palin for inadvertently giving their organization national attention, they still don’t like the Anchorage store using their name. 

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation issued this statement:

"We are grateful to Governor Palin for bringing the infringement of AIDS Healthcare Foundation's trademark on our eighteen year-old 'Out of the Closet' name to our attention. In addition to raising funds for the care and treatment of thousands of people with AIDS in the US and around the globe, several AHF 'Out of the Closet' sites also serve as free HIV and STD testing centers. A growing number are now partnered with or placed alongside full service AHF Pharmacy stores, which are open to everyone, but offer clients specific expertise in HIV/AIDS medications.

AHF's 'Out of the Closet' chain and our related services at these sites provide the community a unique opportunity to give back. We value our good name and as such, have sent a 'cease and desist' letter to the independent for-profit resale shop operating under our 'Out of the Closet' name in Alaska....We also invite Governor Palin and the Republican National Committee to give back to the community by donating the Vice Presidential candidate's campaign wardrobe to AIDS Healthcare Foundation's 'Out of the Closet' following the election."

Owner Ellen Arvold will be forced to change the name of the store. Here’s what she told the Los Angeles Times:

"I can't afford to fight them," Arvold said. "I'll have to change the name. So we'll probably call ourselves In and Out of the Closet or something. Back in the Closet?"

Anchorage drama, you gotta love it.

Barack Obama, President Elect

What an amazing night for America. We'll be celebrating Obama's victory tonight downtown at Humpy's, singing along to Coco Tea's "Barack Obama" all night long! 

I don't care who you support ...

... just get out there today and vote!

Hopefully you were lucky enough to vote early (we sent in our absentee ballots weeks ago), but if you weren't - get out there today and vote. Thanks!

On a side note - I think Election Day should be a national holiday. It would eliminate the hassle that comes along with having to convice your boss that you need 6 hours to go stand in line somewhere. Anyone second that idea?

And, if you wear your "I Voted" sticker today you can score a bunch of free stuff around town.

My name is Chelsea and I approve this message.  ;)

P.S. Check out Andrew's new blog at goodlifereggae.com.

Cat news: Two's company, three's a crowd

I know, I know ... enough about the cats already, but we have some good news.

Just when we started to think Irie was long gone, it turns out he was just outside the gate. Almost two months after he got out of the house, Anchorage Animal Control picked up Irie on Saturday in Mt. View, a neighborhood right outside of the base.

So, if you've been keeping count ... that brings us to a total of three cats. Andrew and I had a feeling Irie would come back, especially after we adopted another cat in his absence. They say "two's company, three's a crowd," but I just like to call us one big happy family.

He's skinny and needed a bath because he smelled like he'd been living in a garage for the past two months, but it didn't take him too long to fall back into house-cat mode. After some expected hissing and growling, I think the little critters are getting used to each other. I'm sure they'll be making out in no time.

Lesson learned: Have your pets microchipped. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Whether you're going out or staying home to watch The Rocky Horror Picture show, I hope you have a great night. Just remember ... no matter how great you think your costume is, it's not as great as this kid's:




P.S. I hope everyone's ready for a great game tomorrow in Jacksonville.

I'll always remember going to the Florida/Georgia football game thinking how cute Georgia girls looked in their dresses (yes, they wear dresses to football games) ... until they completely ruin it by barking at you.

Go Gators!

Photos: Good Life Reggae on the radio

Good Life Reggae (aka. Andrew Duran & Cameron Marshall) can now be heard live every Sunday on KEUL Girdwood radio. The station doesn't stream online yet, but the guys are looking into setting up a podcast so everyone outside of the Girdwood area can listen.

As the Good Life Reggae fan club manager, I tagged along last week to see how it all works. Here are some pictures of Good Life Reggae on air:

Getting to the heart of "real America" in Wasilla

Since Sarah Palin was announced as McCain's running mate, Andrew and I have been asked by friends and family to describe Palin's hometown of Wasilla, AK.

The video below paints a great picture of day-to-day life in Wasilla and what it means to be from a "real American" town. The reporter also makes a visit to city hall to ask the current mayor something we've all been wondering - what exactly does the mayor of Wasilla do?

Watch and learn ...

Top recession-less U.S. cities, sorry Florida

Recession-less? Yep, I made that one up.

Some cities in the U.S. will be safer than others in a recession, according to a recent BusinessWeek article. Specifically those cities with a strong presence in health care, education, law, energy and the government will feel the impact of a downturn less.  

Coming in at number 13 on the list, drumroll please ...

Anchorage, Alaska

Because of its size, “a strong economy that feeds off the state's rich oil and natural gas supplies, U.S. military presence, and tourism,” we look pretty safe up here in the arctic tundra.

The only tough part is convincing people to make their way up to this crazy place. Once you get past the wild animals, crazy politicians and the fact that snow starts falling during the first week of October, it’s not so tough.

Joining Anchorage as one of the top cities to ride out a recession were:

#3 District of Columbia
#6 Boston, MA
#7 Pittsburgh, PA (Woo hoo!)
#10 New Orleans, LA
#12 Lubbock, TX
#16 Lincoln, NE

Lubbock made it to the list and not a single city in Florida made it? Should I really be so surprised?

So, no matter how bad it gets, just know you can always come hang out with Andrew and I up here in the Last Frontier.

Need a good laugh? Watch Biden crack up over SNL skit

It is said that impersonation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, Joe Biden must be pretty flattered by the SNL cast in their latest VP debate skit. So flattered, he can't stop laughing.

From the Washington Post:

Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday, Biden laughed, and laughed, and laughed -- and laughed some more -- when host Diane Sawyer played a clip of last weekend's gut-busting vice presidential debate skit. Biden was laughing so hard after watching the clip of actor Jason Sudeikis lampooning Biden's admitted soft spot for GOP presidential nominee John McCain that he was rendered something he rarely, if ever, is: speechless.

First snow and Good Life Reggae

Well, fall was nice ... for the few weeks it was here.

We got our first snow of the season yesterday, ten days earlier than average, and we're due to get another 2 to 6 inches over the next two days. Since the summer was so wonderfully yucky, we had to finish out the year with another batch of yuck.

So, here we go again ... winter is here whether we're ready or not. Here's what it looked like out our back window yesterday:


Even though the winter is here, we're doing our best to stay warm with the help of a little reggae music. This past Saturday, Andrew and Cameron (aka. Good Life Reggae) held the first Reggae Sound Clash at Bernie's Bungalow Lounge downtown.

Everyone from the Caribbean in Alaska showed up. Well, ok, not everyone, but I bet we had the largest concentration of islanders in one room in Anchorage that night. Here are a few pictures:

Reggae Sound Clash

In completely unrelated news ... we're keeping the lost cat. Found out she's a girl, not microchipped and has no parents to be found. So, it's snowing and we're happy to know she's safe inside. Hopefully, our runaway found a new warm couch to hang out on, too.

Developing story: Lost cat

Last night I get a call from someone thinking she's found my cat Irie (got my number from one of the "lost cat" posters I put up). Andrew and I drop what we're doing, drive down two streets to investigate.

Well, we found a lost cat, but not our lost cat. This guy is much smaller, a black/gray tiger, cute and very friendly. It's starting to get pretty cold at night, in the low 30s. We had the travel box in the car, so of course we box him up and take him home.

So, we've had this little guy in our garage since yesterday afternoon (don't worry, it's heated). He's definitely an indoor cat, familiar with the door and how to get in. But, he has front claws and I don't know what his relationship with furniture is like.

In a failed experiment, Andrew tried introducing our little Willie to the new cat. Lets just say it wasn't love at first sight.

My job today after work - bring him to a shelter to see if he's microchipped. If it were my cat, I hope someone would do the same.

If he's not microchipped and doesn't have a mom, I won't be leaving him at the shelter to be destroyed. He'll be coming back home to our warm garage until I find the little guy a home. (Hopefully, not my home. Too much work making friends with our cat and what if we find our other cat? Then we'd be at three. No way.)

Lipstick or not, she's just not right for the job

Ok, so I couldn't hold out very long on my anti-Palin commentary.

There's no doubt Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is a smart woman who has worked very hard to get to where she's at today. However, I do have doubts that she's the right person to be the next vice president of the United States.

Living up here in Alaska, I think we get a different and much closer picture of Palin than what's delivered through the national news in the lower 48. Like any politician, there are a lot of people up here who think she's great for the job and a lot of people who really don't. I would consider myself one of those who really don't think she should be in the White House.

Here are just a few reasons why I don't support Palin:

• She's open to teaching creationism in public schools. 
• She shares McCain's desire to overturn Roe v. Wade. 
• As the mayor of Wasilla, she left the tiny town almost $20 million in debt. Sounds like the right person to help clean up our current financial situation, right?
• She's well-versed on the Bush Doctrine. 
• She's well-traveled, especially in the past two years she's had a passport. 
• She accepted $223 million from Congress to build the "Bridge to Nowhere" ... only to cancel the project and keep the money anyway. Thanks, but no thanks?
  

And, she makes George Bush sound like a Rhodes Scholar in interviews:

"We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state." - Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential nominee in a recent CBS interview.

see Sarah Palin pictures

Fall's here in full force

Fall is here - the leaves have turned, the mountain tops are painted white again, and today I had to turn on the heat for the first time since March.

I'm sad I can't wear my flip-flops outside anymore, but Fall in Alaska is very pretty. Click here for some beautiful fall photos from the Anchorage Daily News. I can already tell it won't be around for very long - last night we got down into freezing temperatures. There's no snow in the forecast, but we'll be lucky to get above 50 degrees this week.

Things have been pretty quiet up here in the past few weeks (you can probably tell with all the talk about the weather). There's no sign of our cat Irie, hopefully he comes back before any snow falls. Andrew and I have been staying busy working and DJing.

Of course the biggest news to come out of Anchorage is our lovely governor Sarah Palin. There seems to be an anti-Palin rally downtown almost every weekend lately. I've been trying to keep my own anti-Palin commentary out of this blog, but we'll see how long that lasts.

That's about it from up here, hope everyone's having a great week back in the lower 48!

P.S. - We wanted to send out a big CONGRATULATIONS to Nick for passing the Florida Bar!

Anyone else see this hysterical new commercial?

At first I thought this commercial was just a spoof made for the Daily Show, but then I realized it was a real commercial. Apparently Extended Stay Hotels make you feel comfortable enough to do just about anything you would in the comfort of your own house.

Anyone else catch this hysterical new commercial?

Please read this post, help a family friend with cancer

I got this message from Andrew's cousin Edna in my inbox this week and wanted to spread the word. Don't know why I didn't think to post it until now, but here it is ...

Dear Family,

You may find it quite strange to hear from me considering I never comment or respond to many e-mails but today I am calling on you. We all live very busy lives and rarely find the time to help each other but I ask that you make an exception. There comes a time in all of our lives when we find ourselves grateful for all we have; all the things that God has given us and taken away. I am grateful to have such a wonderful family who in time of need always seems to be able to pull together and provide support. It is with a heavy heart that I share with you some unfortunate news which we recently learned.

My nephew, Jake's mother, Rosy Inguanzo (Tony's ex-wife) has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Although many of you barely new her and possibly had little or no contact with her she is in a very tough position. The prognosis for lung cancer is poor, on average it is anywhere between 6 months to a maximum of 5 years. She is no longer able to work and is in the process of selling her home.

You may asking yourself what does this have to do with me? NOTHING AT ALL! I just wanted to put it out there. If you can find it in your hearts and are able to help them out I am grateful. Please follow the link below and see how cute Jake is. There you will be able to read about Rosy's difficult plight. I hope that you are all well and I send you all my love.

http://love4rosy.com/index.html


Hugs and Kisses to All and thank you for your time,
Edna

Hurricane Ike

Our thoughts are with Frank and Gloria today as Hurricane Ike nears Houston. The category 2 storm is supposed to make landfall late today or tomorrow morning.

CNN: Tracking Ike

National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Ike

Bad yearbook photos over the years

I've always wondered what I would look like with a perm ...


Have some time to spare today? Be careful, an hour or two may vanish from your day once you start creating these awesomely bad yearbook photos.

A couple of my favorites:

Andrew looks like he could be an original member of New Kids on the Block in his 1994 yearbook picture.

Then there's me in a pair of classic cat eye glasses in my 1960 yearbook photo.

I took the liberty of creating a couple for Sarah and Kyle, too. I think my favorite is Sarah from 1970, the pearls definitely make the outfit.

It's as simple as uploading a picture. Tip: After you upload a photo, move your mouse over the small plus sign (+) in the lower right corner of your picture and a small editing menu will open up.

Have some fun with Yearbook Yourself.

Warren Sapp is a dancing fairy

In between takes of Dancing with the Stars, Warren Sapp still has time to open his mouth and say dumb things about Urban Meyer.

From the Sun-Sentinel:

Just when you think Sapp has turned into a kinder, gentler human being, the QB Killa goes and calls Meyer a "classless dirtbag" for his decision to kick a last-minute field goal in Florida's 26-3 victory over UM Saturday night.

Classless dirtbag? I think we have a serious case of the pot calling the kettle black here. It's not like UM ever took much pity on their opponents.

He's probably at home crying over Meyer because he lost a bet after the Florida Gators covered the spread. Wah wah ...


In other stupid football news ...

Bengal's wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco (formerly Chad Johnson) must buy every "C. Johnson" jersey for sale nationwide before the NFL allows him to wear a jersey with his new last name "Ocho Cinco."

Yes, he changed his legal name to Chad Ochocinco. Read more.

Update: Blueberries, cats and locked doors

Thanks for the comments on the last post!

The pie was great, even though it didn't set up right and fell apart a little. It turned into a cobbler-like mess. Still good, but just not as pretty.

In cat news ... I've got the neighbor's on high alert. Amanda next door came running over last night thinking she spotted Irie outside, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

Best part of the story - I locked myself out of the house in all the cat-spotting excitement, without shoes!

When I went running out of the house take a look at the cat outside, I closed the door behind me so our other cat wouldn't get out. I failed to realize the door was locked. Andrew was out DJing and I had no way to get back in.

While I wouldn't advise it, locking yourself out of the house is one great way to meet the neighbors.

Had to use Amanda's phone to call maintenance who helped me get back in the house. Even better, this is the second time I've locked myself out. Thank goodness our maintenance guys are nice. :D

Blueberry pickin’ and a missing cat

Andrew and I spent our Labor Day, or at least a few hours of it, picking wild blueberries in Arctic Valley. Just minutes from the Army base, the valley is full of blueberry patches this time of year. We joined small groups of people spotting the valley, picking their share of fruit.

I set out wanting to pick enough for a pie and met my goal in only a couple hours. As you can see from the pictures below, Andrew was an incredible help. He may have eaten more berries in the valley than went into my pie. I let him have one slice. (Just kidding, the pie turned out wonderful and he can have all he wants.)



In some sad news this week, our gray cat (Irie, the older one) has been missing since Tuesday morning. He pushed out the screen in one of our first floor windows and hasn’t been seen since.

We’ve talked to the neighbors, left food outside of the front and back doors, and posted a couple fliers around the neighborhood. I’m hoping he’s just taking his time prowling the neighborhood, hanging out with some nice lady cats in the area and decide to make his way home when he gets bored (or hungry).

This is the first time he’s been out of the house, though I had feelings he may have been let outside with past owners. Please share any tips for luring a cat back inside if you’ve ever had one of yours get out, I’m open to suggestions.

We’ll be bummed in Alaska until he makes it back.

So what does the Obama camp say?

In response to McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as running mate, the Barack Obama camp had this to say:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign on Friday blasted his Republican rival's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a running-mate, highlighting her "zero" foreign policy experience.

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

Burton also criticized Palin as a vice presidential pick for her support of oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness and her anti-abortion stance, referring to the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the United States.

"Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies. That's not the change we need, it's just more of the same," he said.

Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin named McCain running mate

This is starting to get interesting, huh?

Today McCain announced that 44-year-old Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will be his running mate.

This is seriously big news up here, reporters probably don’t know what do to with themselves. Top news stories usually involve giant pumpkin competitions and Senator Ted Stevens’ new gas grill.

I haven’t been a resident of Alaska long enough to have a solid opinion on Palin’s strength in government, but I like her and I think most Alaskans do too.

She’s a great role model and one strong woman; the mother of five became the first female and youngest elected governor of Alaska.

By the way, I’m just saying I like her. It’s not like I’m going to go and do something crazy like vote for her in November or anything. Now that would be nuts. :D

She topped the scales at 907 pounds …

… the pumpkin, that is.

Today the biggest pumpkins in Alaska weighed-in at the State Fair, all two of them. Neither beat the current state record of 1,019 pounds from 2006.

The obvious winner was a 907-pounder, triple the size of the second-place pumpkin at 328 pounds. Growers blame the cool temperatures this summer for their pumpkins stunted growth.

Even though the pumpkins didn’t pull through, at least the radishes managed to break some records. Farmer Ron Castor now holds the top record for the biggest white radish ever grown at 15.985 pounds.

I’m biting my nails waiting to find out who’s going to win the giant cabbage competition tomorrow night.

We haven’t made it up to the Alaska State Fair yet, but I’m happy the news is covering every pound of pumpkin, radish and cabbage that comes through. Alaska, you gotta love it …

News flash: Julia Child, international spy

Julia Child = world renown chef, author, TV personality and WWII SPY?

Sure, she makes a mean Lobster Thermidor, but it’s the Tommy Gun under her apron you’ve really got to watch out for.

Crazy, but true. Read it on CNN.com today.

Julia Child, along with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg, served in an international spy ring under the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an early version of the CIA created during WWII by President Roosevelt.

This week the U.S. government is releasing the names of almost 24,000 spies who were part of the first centralized intelligence effort.

“They were soldiers, actors, historians, lawyers, athletes, professors, reporters. But for several years during World War II, they were known simply as the OSS. They studied military plans, created propaganda, infiltrated enemy ranks and stirred resistance among foreign troops.”

Best quote of the story:

"I was told to keep my mouth shut," said 93-year-old Walter Mess, who handled covert OSS operations in Poland and North Africa.

Mess kept the secret for over 50 years, but is now finally able to tell his wife of 62 years everything he’s been up to all this time.

Sweet potato burrito recipe: Another good one

Those crazy vegetarians, what will they come up with next?

I found this recipe for “Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos” on AllRecipes (my favorite recipe site) and made a batch last night. They were a total hit - filling, tasty, and easy to make. Plus, they make great leftovers.


Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained (or black beans)
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).


2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. (Note: Mashing before adding to skillet is easier) Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.


3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.


4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

Super, super awesome and other than the physical labor involved in mashing, they’re super easy. If you think they sound incomplete without meat, go ahead and add some, they’d probably taste even better.

The recipe is for 12 servings, so I had to cut it down a bit for Andrew and I. Don’t be afraid to make too much, they’re great the next day and can be frozen.

I took the advice of some of the commenters on the recipe and used black beans instead of kidney beans, only because that’s what I had and forgot to put kidney beans on my shopping list.

Another piece of advice - mash beans before putting them in the skillet, makes life much easier. I also left the potatoes just a little under cooked after reading a negative comment about how “mushy” they were. Turned out to be great, gave the filling more texture than mush.

Added bonus - they’re really good the next day. I heated one up for breakfast this morning, with a little side of eggs. As Rachael Ray would say: “Yum-o!”

Personal lesson learned - Mashed sweet potatoes are easier to clean off the wall than I thought. Just kidding, but I need to get myself a potato masher. I managed to do pretty good with a hand mixer (thanks Martha!), but I think I may like the old fashioned hand masher better. We’ll see next time.

Termination dust? Is someone dying?

Termination dust ... excuse me, what? ... Is someone dying?

To me it sounds like the plot of a new horror film - "...vicious death fairy sprinkles 'termination dust' on unsuspecting citizens of remote farming village..."

But don’t worry, there isn't another bad scary movie coming out and nobody’s dying. It’s just an exaggerated way to describe the first signs of snow on the mountains, signaling the last days of summer.

Kind of like Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow, but unfortunately in our case it's the beginning of the winter, not the end. The verdict isn't out yet as to whether anyone has seen termination dust yet, or the official rules determining who can call it and where (apparently a touchy subject).

So, despite the fact that it’s 55 degrees outside ... I’ll keep telling myself it’s summer.

In the words of another terminator: "Hasta la vista, baby." :P

Fish quiche?!?!?!

So, last night we made a big piece of salmon and had a lot of leftovers which I decided to make a quiche with the following night.

I know quiche may sound like a random meal to put together on a whim, but strangely enough it’s one of my favorite things to eat. And, I recently saw a recipe on AllRecipes that gave me the idea for including salmon.

Back to the other night ... Upon telling Andrew my plans for the next night’s dinner, I got a reaction any wife would love to hear -

“FISH QUICHE!?!?! Uggghhh, that sounds absolutely disgusting!”

In the face of adversity, I made the quiche using mom’s basic 2-2-2 recipe (2 cups meat, 2 cups veggies, 2 cups cheese, 3 eggs and a cup of milk), with a little bit of goat cheese on top.

And guess what? Andrew had seconds.



Leave a comment or send me an email if you want the full recipe. You can have everyone at your house yelling “FISH QUICHE” too.

Another successful Alaskan adventure

Sadly, we just said goodbye to Martha on Sunday after her week-long Alaskan adventure. The three of us had tons of fun exploring all that Southcentral Alaska has to offer.

First we went down to Homer, a cute little fishing/artsy retirement village about four hours south of Anchorage. Then we headed up to Seward and jumped on a wildlife and glacier cruise. We got to see some humpback whales, puffin, seals and other crazy Alaskan critters. Check out Andrew’s pictures for a complete tour.

After Seward, we made our way back to Anchorage. Andrew brought Martha up Flattop Mountain and explored our little downtown area. We all spent another day out in Girdwood, where we discovered Virgin Falls, a very cool waterfall you’ll have to check out in the pictures below.

In all, it was a wonderful visit and we were sad to see her go. Gladly, Andrew and I only have a few months left until the holidays and an escape from the arctic to enjoy some much needed Florida heat, family, fun and (of course) shopping.

P.S. I'm having issues with Picassa taking FOREVER to upload images. So, if you don't see all 192, either write a really nasty letter to Google or just check back later ...

Martha's Alaskan Adventure

For the love of customer service

The Thing on the Thing with the Thing

Employee: “Thank you for calling ***. How can I direct your call?”

Customer: “Do you have any of those things you can put on tables?”

Employee: “Like a table cloth?”

Customer: “No. They’re those things you can put on tables.”

Employee: “Ma’am, you can put a lot of things on tables.”

Customer: “Well I don’t know what they’re called! You’re the one who should know!”

Employee: *face on desk*


For anyone who has ever been in customer service - The Customer is Not Always Right.

You’re welcome.

Officially the gloomiest summer in history

So, all the talk I was hearing when I first got up here about how Alaskan summers are "absolutely wonderful" sounds like one big joke right about now. Apparently, this summer is going down in the books as the gloomiest summer in recorded history.

Not kidding, read the article - Gloomy summer set for infamy, Anchorage Daily News

We had two wonderful days where the temperature made it above 70, two. During a usual Alaskan summer, we should get about 15 hot (at least, hot for Alaska) days.

What's all this talk about global warming? No signs of it up here ... So far, we've only had seven days where the temperature reached 65. 65?!?! Up here people are walking around in tank tops, shorts and some flip flops, back in Florida you could find people breaking out the mittens.

The sad part is there's no hope. Forecasters say it will stay cool and cloudy for the rest of the month and into August.

So, everyone keep your fingers crossed that the clouds open up long enough for Martha's visit. She arrives tomorrow and is staying a little over a week, I'm hoping some warm Florida weather follows her up.

Well, that's enough complaining about the weather from me. Hope everyone in the "lower 48" (as they like to say up here) is having a hot, hot summer!

Just one more thing ... will someone please go outside today and get a sunburn for me?

Political fun: It's time for some campaignin'

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Lions, and tigers and bears ...

The Anchorage Daily News has a new interactive tool showing what the bear activity looks like in the Anchorage area.

Between 2005 and 2007, 11 grizzly bears were captured and fitted with radio collars that transmitted their locations to researchers at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Biologists have identified 35 bears in the Anchorage area, here's a snapshot of what the activity looks like in the Elmendorf area:



Click the image to see what the other 10 collared bears are up to.

Bad day at work?

Well, at least it's Friday. Get out of the office before anything like this happens ...

Where's Matt?

Found this great video today on another blog and wanted to share it.


Visit wherethehellismatt.com for the background on the video and the reason for all the dancing.

They came, they saw, they conquered ... The Daughenbaugh Family Visit

I know I'm a little late on the post, but the Daughenbaugh Alaskan Adventure was a true success. We got around to everything you need to see when you come visit Anchorage, and then some.

We took them around to all of our favorite restaurants in the city and then made some little trips outside to show them everything Alaska has to offer. We took the train to Denali for a night, larger than the state of Massachusetts, where we had to brave the wilderness and the weather.

Andrew, the girls and I climbed Flattop Mountain while Mom and Dad hung out at some Alaskan bars downtown. We all went out to Eagle River, Girdwood and Portage for some more Alaskan nature trails.

All in all, I think it was one great and successful trip. We can't wait for Martha to come up later this month.

Take a look at all of the pictures below...

Alaska 1

An ode to Barack Obama...

Here's a little Jamaican tribute to Senator Obama...

Pictures from Seattle

We got back last week from our long weekend vacation in Seattle. We had tons of fun and had great, warm weather, a wonderful break from Anchorage.

We spent much of our weekend days hanging out at the folk music festival. Along with the music we were able to fit in some (much needed) shopping downtown. Our nights were spent at live music shows and checking out the local hot spots.

For anyone planning a trip out there, I would recommend the Hotel Vintage Park if you find a good deal. I even took the hotels.com survey when we got back, it was that good.

All in all, mission accomplished. Take a look at our photos below...

Note to self: Don't forget kid at the airport

While scanning CNN.com this morning, I came across this great headline - "Busy travelers foget toddler at airport, fly on"

It wasn't until they were making a connecting flight that they realized their kid wasn't with them.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- An immigrant family left a 23-month-old boy in the Vancouver airport and learned he was missing only when contacted during the next leg of the trip.

Running late after having to unpack and repack all their luggage, "we had 10 minutes before boarding," said Parreno, who was emigrating with his family from the Philippines. "We were running for the gate."

He said he thought his son was with the three other adults, who were running to the gate ahead of him, and they thought the little boy was with him.

Instead, in a scenario similar to the movie "Home Alone," the toddler was wandering alone between a security checkpoint and the flight gates, said Angela Mah, an Air Canada representative.

Listen to Andrew live on the radio

Good Life Reggae will be featured on KRUA 88.1 "Vibes of the Times" show this Friday May 16. Listen in from 7-10 p.m. (11-2 EST) to hear Andrew and Cameron play all of their favorite reggae music. (Listen live online)

Afterwards, check out Good Life Reggae at Bernie's Bungalow Lounge starting at 10 p.m.

Check out Good Life Reggae on MySpace for more upcoming shows and photos.

Tip: Don't use a golf cart as a getaway car

This smart guy was running away from police in Las Vegas, when he found himself on a golf course. Obviously, he jumped on a golf cart (max. speed 4 mph) to evade the strong arm of the law. Why are criminals so smart?

George Bush ain't so bad

Today I will do my best to hold my tongue, refrain from making snide comments about the big guy in charge and stop training the cat to hiss when he comes on TV ... but only for today.

Why would I do such a crazy thing? Because he gave me a nice little "we hope this works" government check.

Too bad most people are just going to pay off old bills and fill up their gas tanks. Good try though ...

Elton John will be making an arctic appearance

Just when I thought Michael Franti and Matchbox 20 (yep, they're still together) were the biggest bands to visit the frozen tundra, we get the news that Elton John is coming.

He doesn't play anything resembling reggae, but I'm still going to convince Andrew to check it out with me. Hopefully we can get some inexpensive tickets ... probably not, but it's worth a shot.

I hope to be belting it out to "Rocket Man" on May 28, along with lots of crazy Alaskans. "I think it's going to be a long, long time..."

Save more bucks at the Matress Ranch

The local commercials in Alaska are awesome, probably better than the Waldo Flea Market commercials we used to get in Gainesville.

This guy is my favorite, and it's not just because he's always wearing a SpongeBob Squarepants tie ... it's his smooth dance moves.

What too many cupcakes will lead to

I think I know why kids are afraid of the dentist ...

Wouldn't you love to have that lady poking sharp metal objects at your gums? I'd be running faster than you could say "cavity!"

In other news ...

Andrew wants to thank everyone for all the birthday wishes and wonderful gifts!

I made him a whole batch of cupcakes, complete with sprinkles and lots of candles. Our little cat was completely fascinated by the candles, almost burnt his little nose off.

You don't really think a batch of cupcakes is a lot until there's only two of you in the house. I did find out that they go very well with my morning coffee.

Afternoon snooze...

Ahhh, the life of a lazy house cat...


... it's tough.


We're off to the Michael Franti and Spearhead concert tonight at the Beartooth Theatrepub. Lots of pictures to follow.

Alaskan street dancing, coming soon to a corner near you

A bleach-blond guy in a slowed-down SUV shouts, "You got any more?" But Andrew is not on drugs. Or crazy. He doesn't even want money.

He could say he dances to make people happy. But that's just part of it.

"Some people have playing instruments, or racing, but I have dancing," he says. "That's my way of getting it out, whatever it is."

This guy made it to the front, inside cover of the Anchorage Daily News (basically, he's a pretty big deal). He started dancing on the corner of Ingra and 15th, more than 10 blocks away from downtown, two years ago when his car broke down. While waiting for his mother to pass by, he decided to dance to keep warm on that fateful February day.

Why stop at that? He now dances every Friday at rush hour.

Watch the video on ADN.com. Hilarious.

Eagle River hike pictures

We had an open day on Saturday, so I suggested we go for a walk. Andrew says we should go to the Eagle River Nature Center, just outside of Anchorage.

Well, now I know that when Andrew talks about "nature centers," he really saying "let's go on an eight-mile hike."

It was my first Alaskan hike, and I'm still feeling a bit of pain in my knee, but we had a great time. Andrew climbed every rock he could find, I only fell in the snow once, and we got some great pictures along the trail ... a pretty good day if you ask me.

Below is a map of the trail we hiked. It's a section of the old Iditarod trail, formerly used as a transportation and mail route. We started at the Nature Center and hiked four miles out to The Perch (I marked it with a big arrow). Click on the image and it will open up larger in a new window.

Off to Seattle for Memorial Day weekend

Andrew has a much needed (and rare) four day weekend coming up for Memorial Day. So, we decided to make the most of it and are heading to Seattle for the weekend. Woo hoo!!

Neither of us have been before, so we're both super excited. Andrew is looking forward to everything the Seattle music scene has to offer. The first thing that came to my mind when we started talking about Seattle was making a trip to the original Starbucks.

Past Starbucks, I want to see and experience everything Seattle has to offer. Anyone out there ever been before? Have any suggestions on what to see/do/not do?

Great new recipe

Fresh, local halibut has hit our grocery stores up here. I've never cooked with it before and it's very popular in Alaska, so I decided to give it a shot.

A few nights ago I made these Anaheim Fish Tacos, and WILL be making them again. Not only are they sooo good, but healthy and super easy to make. The flavors were awesome, though next time I'll make it spicy. If you don't like halibut, I'm sure you could substitute with any other white fish.

Fish tacos? Crazy, I know, but give 'em a try ...

Here's the recipe (or go to Allrecipes.com):

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 Anaheim chile pepper, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds halibut fillets
• 1 lime
• 12 corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the chile, leek, and garlic until tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the chicken broth and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Place the halibut into the mixture. Sprinkle with lime juice. Cook 15 to 20 minutes until the halibut is easily flaked with a fork. Wrap in warmed corn tortillas to serve.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Hope you're having a good one!

How's the weather?

This is what we woke up to:



It started snowing last night and hasn't stopped yet.

The weather service put out a snow advisory until 5 am tomorrow, predicting 4 to 7 inches of snow. We're breaking records up here for some of the snowiest days in April.

April showers bring May flowers ... Does that apply with snow, too?

Blog neglect

Somehow, I blog all day at work, but manage to forget about my own little Alaskan blog.

I wanted to say Happy (belated) Birthday to Frank! We hope all is well down in Texas...

And here's some Ninja Love:


Click here for some more great "Ask a Ninja" questions.

Musiq Soulchild show

Big shows don't come all the way up here very often, but whenever they do, we go. Last weekend R&B singer Musiq Soulchild played a show downtown.

Andrew got in touch with the production company and was able to get us backstage to cover the show.

Here are some of the photos...

Happy Easter!

I know I'm completely late on the blog post, but I hope everyone had a great Easter.

I made Andrew color eggs with me on Easter morning. We only did 6 because my stomach hurts just thinking about eating a dozen hard boiled eggs. Anyway, we even put all of our names on them, including the cats.

Here's how they turned out:



And the ladies will enjoy this one, I learned a cooking lesson on Easter...

Tip from Betty Crocker: Don't try to save yourself time by cutting up potatoes early. They will turn gray.

Tip from Mom: Next time put them in water, dummy.

Still edible, but not so pretty. Lesson learned.

More moose photos

We spotted this guy at a park just outside of the University of Alaska campus. As always, Andrew grabbed his camera and ran out to get some pictures. He really got up close and personal this time.

Maybe a little too personal ... the mooose charged at Andrew when he got a little too close. But, Andrew went right back to taking photos, keeping a good distance.

Those crazy Russians ...

I know I've been slacking on my posts, I'll get back into the swing of things soon. I've been really focused on the blogs that help pay the bills, like I should, but this one is way more fun to write for (and, I don't have to check my spelling as much).

So, I found this article on CNN today - "U.S. jets escort Russian bombers off Alaska coast"

It all happened right here on Elmendorf Air Force Base, our little home away from home. It's crazy to me that things like this actually still happen.

Sometimes the house will shake when the fighter jets are out, the cats don't like it.

The Alaskan Bikini

Somehow, I just don't think they'd work in South Florida ...

Sunshine state? We get more ...

Well, just for now.

Posted Monday (3/17) on the Alaskology blog, part of the Anchorage Daily News.

According to this Web site, the hours of daylight in Muskegon, Mich., (our old hometown) today is 12 hours and 1 minute; in Seattle, it's 12 hours and 2 minutes; in Miami, Fla., it's 12 hours and 4 minutes.

Today, we're pretty much equal all over the country. But tomorrow, Alaska starts to leave the rest of the nation behind. Tomorrow, we'll gain nearly six minutes of daylight. A week from now, Anchorage will enjoy 40 minutes more daylight than it does today. In Miami, it's just 10 additional minutes; in Muskegon, 22 minutes; and in Seattle, 24 minutes.

But three months from now, near the summer solstice, Anchorage will have 7 hours and 18 minutes more daylight than it does today. In fact, in the middle of summer it never really seems to get dark. Between now and the longest day of the year, Miami will only gain another 1 hour and 41 minutes of daylight; Muskegon gets 3 hours and 22 minutes; and Seattle gains 3 hours and 56 minutes.

It's been beautiful outside lately, the sun has been shining all day, and it doesn't go down until after 8 pm. I can't wait for the summer when it will be sunny all day, and night.

It just caught my eye that the author wrote about Miami, and maybe Alaska should hold the title for "Sunshine State," at least for a few months...

Weekend recap

On Friday night we went to see "No Country for Old Men" up at the Beartooth Theaterpub. I really wanted to see this movie after all the Oscar nominations it was up for (I think it may have won one or two). I'm not sure what I was expecting, but there were way more gunshots than I expected.

The storyline could be compared to an old Western, but with a creepy twist - guy finds briefcase full of money at a drug-money desert shootout, psychopath is hired to collect the money, kills everyone who gets in his way, lots of chasing, shooting, all the good stuff.

It was a good movie, I would recommend it if you can handle all the shoot 'em up violence. We only had to pay $3 to see it, ate a couple slices of pizza and a piece of carrot cake - sounds like a good night to me!

On Saturday we headed out to the Alaska Zoo, right here in Anchorage. Compared to Miami's Metro Zoo, this place resembles a big petting zoo. Still, it was something to get out and see, and Andrew was almost taken down by a Musk Ox (read further).

Most of the animals at the zoo are native to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, but they also have a few more exotic animals. The weather was wonderful for a trip to the zoo. When I say wonderful, I mean it was just a bit warmer than completely arctic.

Take notice in the pictures of the Musk Ox (big, hairy buffalo-looking guy with horns). Andrew was close to the railing, snapping pictures of the ox. It didn't seem to even notice us when out of nowhere it charges in Andrew's direction. I'm happy the fence was there, but we still both went running in opposite directions when this guy started charging. It was definitely the highlight of the trip to the zoo, it's not everyday Andrew gets charged by a Musk Ox.

Well, just another wild and crazy weekend up here in Anchorage.

Here are the pictures Andrew took at the zoo ...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If beer were a river and I were a duck,
I'd swim to the bottom and never come up!

But beer's not a river and I'm not a duck,
so let's drink this beer and get all messed* up!

(*Word substituted for the actual term used during my cheap beer drinking days back at UF, GO TEAM FUN!)

Nope, that's not a mug shot you're lookin' at

It's the Iditarod winner Lance Mackey! This is his second win and basically, he's a superstar up here. He arrived at the finish line in Nome, AK (1,000 miles away from Anchorage) at close to 3 in the morning today.

His winnings - $69,000, a new Dodge truck and some serious bragging rights.


Nome, AK (just a brisk swim away from Russia)

View Larger Map

More Alaskan wildlife

On Sunday we went out with plans to watch the Junior Olympic Competition kickoff, but sadly we missed it. Gladly, we took a walk in the park.

Kincaid park is beautiful. Families were out sledding with the kids and some cross-country skiers were all enjoying the sunny weather. During a break on a park bench, I looked up in the trees and spotted a bald eagle. Only in Alaska...

On our way home from the park we found a big bull moose hanging out in a neighborhood. Without hesitation, Andrew stopped the car, grabbed his camera and followed the moose through the neighborhood then into the woods. You can see in the pictures how giant this guy is. In one picture you can hardly see the truck behind him.

After a day full of great wildlife sightings we stopped for a treat at Coldstone then trekked back home to hang out with a couple of smaller (and tamer) creatures at the house.

Here are the photos...

Clinton Fearon concert 3/6/08

Last Thursday night Andrew and I went to the Clinton Fearon concert at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grille.

Clinton and his band put on a great reggae show, far away from where his music began. Clinton has been a big figure in the reggae industry, even before Bob Marley made it on the scene. (Andrew did his best to school me on the history of reggae. Basically, he's a pretty big deal...) Like many Jamaican artists, he had a simple message - peace, love and happiness.

Here are some pictures from the night...

Iditorad kickoff, downtown Anchorage

This past Saturday, Andrew and I went downtown to watch the kickoff of the Iditarod. As always, Andrew got some really great shots of the whole event.

We arrived downtown at around 10 a.m., the temperature reading from my car was 15 degrees. It was cooooold. It was probably the coldest I've ever been, but I'm sure I'll get to experience far worse in our next couple years up here.

Either way, we had fun watching all of the dog sleds take off on the beginning of their long, long trip. The Iditarod starts here and travels across the state, more than 1150 miles to Nome on the coast of the Bearing Sea. This year there are 97 teams competing to be first at the finish line. It takes most mushers 10 to 17 days to complete the trail.

The Iditarod is a huge deal up here in Anchorage. All of the hotels were full of people from across the country. I met one couple from California and another group from Utah. All of the major TV stations come out to cover it, even ESPN was here. Some teams have corporate sponsors, Target was promoting their team by passing out mittens (which I greatly appreciated, even put them on top of my gloves).

It doesn't happen very often that such a big event is going on in Anchorage. But, when they do, we'll be there and Andrew will have his camera.

Here are some pictures of the Iditarod kickoff ...

Our other (and smaller) addition to the family

Last night we picked up our other adopted cat from the vet, he needed to be spayed before we could bring him home.

We named him Willie (pronounced Wi-lee) after our favorite taxi cab driver in Jamaica. It's also a dance they do in the Jamaican clubs.

I think we should have named him Dennis. As in Dennis the Menace.

I feel like I've been babysitting a two year old ever since we picked him up. He never stops moving, always has something to say, wants to be in your face all the time, makes messes and doesn't respect his elders (Irie, our other cat).

The two cats are getting used to being in the same house. We haven't had any physical altercations yet, just some growls and hisses.

Minus all the trouble he causes, he's really cute and I crack up every time he attacks Andrew's feet. Andrew doesn't really like the toe biting, but it's funny to watch.

When he does decide to sleep, he completely passes out. Like he is right now on my lap as I type. I'd take a picture, but I'm enjoying the silence.

Here are some pictures of the little guy...