Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Christmas Recap


I am happy to report I had my first white Christmas!  Not only that but the sun was shining, something one does not take for granted on Kodiak.  All in all it was a good day all around.  Since I am currently working nights, I had to wake up early (noon for me - hey when you go to bed at 7 or 8am, that's early) to cook for everyone since they all work normal people schedules.
 
Christmas dinner was held at a friend's house.  A house that is shared by 3 single men.  3 single men in Kodiak.  This was bachelor pad to the extreme.
 
I should have known dinner would be a challenge when I walked into the kitchen and was met by a beer pyramid.  Yes, a pyramid built out of full case of Miller Lite and Corona Extra.  My second clue was the magazine that went into some unseen assault rifle.  Right.
 
We took an inventory of cooking utensils.  My oh my.  Was it ever limited.  How do these guys cook for themselves when all they have are a couple large skillets and a single 2 quart sauce pan?  I mean really?  Oh, that's would explain the beer pyramid and the frozen pizza in the freezer.  I was starting to wonder how this was going to get done, but it was Christmas.  Time for Christmas magic!
 
I had to prepare a few things, but there were no large bowls.  A cereal bowl does not a serving dish make. Time to make use of all that Coast Guard training.  I made green bean casserole in a cake pan, the only oven safe dish I could find that was not a sheet pan.  The 10 pound ham went in a one of those flimsy disposable roasting pans that the landlord had used to deliver cookies, placed on said sheet pan (we removed the cookies first, for the record).  The fruit salad got made in a Crockpot.  And the crockpot went in the fridge.  So, in case you are wondering, yes, your crockpot can keep hot dishes hot and cold dishes cold.  Must write them to let them know. And the mash potatoes got made in a large skillet.  Yes, a skillet.  4 pounds worth of potatoes too.  It actually turned into a stroke of luck, because it made mashing them fairly simple afterwards.
 
In the end, it all came out delicious.  And I will never forget having to "adapt and overcome" Christmas dinner.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas!

or, whatever other holiday you celebrate.  They are all pretty awesome.

For me though, Christmas the only time of year my family ever came together under the same roof.  Which, looking back at it with older eyes, was probably for the best.  I'm used to mom or dad (or even me) having to work that day, so I understand life goes on and the world does not stop.  I just need to ask my parents about that.  Dad's a firefighter, mom's in healthcare.  But this is the first time I will be half a world away.

And I'm ok with that.  The man is with his family in Minnesota. And my family will meet, just as they always have, and eat dinner with a turkey and a ham since my cousins don't eat turkey, two kinds of dressing ("stuffing" for you all not from the south), turnip greens, pepper vinegar, and ambrosia.  I've left out about 20 different dishes we always have even though there's only 12 of us, maybe 16 if my out-of-state cousin comes home.

My watch section is off, so that means I get to cook dinner for a few of us random people that had no other plans.  We get to decide what Christmas in Kodiak looks like to us, and that's pretty cool.  Apparently it looks like ham, mashed potatoes, peas, pies, and whiskey.  Sounds like a good plan to me!  Especially the whiskey the part.  Keep ya warm you know?

Even the rest of Kodiak is getting in the holiday mood.  Some fishing boats are back and there's fresh crab for sale.  There's a couple of guys carving wood sculptures outside.  Lights are everywhere, even on base.  Best of all, it looks like I may just be lucky enough to get my first white Christmas!  It snowed a bit today, and is supposed to snow tomorrow.  That alone makes it all worth it.  But with that being said, dear Kodiak, if you put me though all this crap so far and I don't get snow tomorrow out of this, I will be very, very, unhappy.

So, to all, enjoy the day where ever you are, with whom ever you are with. Remember not all of us are lucky enough to be with our loved ones, but be assured that those of us in the military, the fire service, the police service, or health care are making a sacrifice we chose to make. One we made so you could be safe from tragedy not just today but everyday.  And we will be with our second family, a family bound not by simply by blood but by oath, courage, and commitment.  It is the greatest gift we have to give, besides surrendering our life for yours. It is one that we give freely - even though it can take a toll on those we are parted from.  So do not waste such a gift my friends.  Celebrate it. 

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist....he lives, and he lives forever" - in us.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

My parents

I love my parents.  We have a very unique relationship.   I could go on and on about it, but I think it is best summed up with a picture and a video. 

I got this comic attached to my Christmas gift:





Gee, thanks.  There's no snow out right now, but I really enjoyed being reminded of what I have to look forward to.


I also got the following Frosty the Snowman from my mom....There's a singing dog in the last few seconds of the video, I did not get him. Yet.  I should also mention he came with a note attached that said "Someone to keep you company in the snow."


Whatever Mom and Dad.  You all have a sick sense of humor.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Black ice and slush


I'd like to take a few moments and talk about two weather conditions I have experienced in Kodiak so far and have not discussed - black ice and slush.

I know black ice.  In Florida.  It's what happens when it hasn't rained in a while so oil collects on the roads and when it rains just a bit, well, oil floats and then so does your car.  It isn't pretty.  But the stuff I am talking about is actual ice.  It's a very thin layer of ice that forms and can be hard if not impossible to see on the road.  Lucky for me, driving on this black ice is the same as the stuff I am used to, so no problems there.

Walking is another story.  I slip and slide but thankfully have not fallen due to it yet.  In fact, I almost ate it walking to my car this morning.  But I think I'm starting to master this walking stuff.  And by master I mean I walk on the grass because there is no thin sheet of ice there.  Just crunchy frost.  HA! I win!  On a side note, the ground does freeze.  I pointed this out to the fiancĂ© while he was here and said something along the lines of "Well, at least it's not the tundra."  He kindly pointed out that frozen ground was the definition of tundra, even if its not that way all year.  So I live in the tundra now.  Great.
 



The next item is slush.  Like, when the snow melts or it snowed that morning but is now raining.  So you get 3 or 4 inches of what looks like a slush puppie on the ground.  Not even the good quality slurpee stuff, but the other kind.
 



At least I don't slip and slid on that, but getting around becomes a challenge because you need boots high enough.  Hey look my snow boots work well for that!  Alright I'm in business.  But seriously.  This stuff is usually pretty dirty and nasty.  It has killed all appeal for drinks of the semi-frozen sort.  At least its good for the diet.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Things I have learned about Kodiak

Since living in Kodiak, I have learned a lot about it's people.

Sweatpants and Xtra-Tufs are Kodiak chic. 
Cute on your kid, not on some salty old fisherman with holes in the crotch of his sweatpants. I could not find a picture, but I wouldn't want to permanently scar you anyway.  (Also, why is this kid holding a very large bottle of wine?)


What I (regretfully) do not have a picture of is the Kodiak baseball field.  It is named Coon Field.  It's after a person, and has been named that way since the 70's.  Honestly, I don't think I need to go into why this makes the vast majority of people I know break out in hysterical laughter.  It's so....not politically correct.  If you can't figure it out from here, you got problems.

Main aisles in Walmart include canning and shoe care.  Canning is for the salmon I have learned (mom, you should stock up here for your jams - I have never seen so many canning supplies) and the shoe care is a byproduct of the military being here.

Fishing and hunting are the main tourist draws here in the summer, so hotels have such wonderful features as "Large freezers!" and "Places to clean your catch!" and "Near Kodiak Taxidermy!" To take your prizes home, you can go to the airport where they will pack and freeze it for you in ready-to-fly packaging.  Now, this is obviously smart business practice by catering to your customers.  But I still laugh when I pick up a hotel brochure and its the biggest selling feature they have.  I would personally want a private balcony with a hot tub, but what do I know?

Store here don't really sell ice.  I guess you just shovel snow for all your cooling needs.  That's what we did at a party - put all the beer in the snow.  Worked wonderfully too.  I recommend it.  But it did actually freeze the beer.  So that was a minor inconvenience.

Finally, the cold weather and lack of sun is clearly having an affect...
...Or maybe I went back to Florida?  Whatever these people are smoking, I want some.  Because it gives you some serious dreams.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Week Hiatus


Sorry about the week hiatus.  Ok, so I’m not really all that sorry.  The male-half came up to visit me.  Oh, and I can now call him my fiancĂ© instead of my male-half.  How exciting! I met this great guy who loves me, even though I am apparently a butthead and a crabby patty at times (yes, those are his own words).  And I have never been happier.



Not much else to update on here in Alaska.  It’s been above freezing for a while, and most of the ice has melted.  Gotta be careful for the odd patch of it here and there though.  If the sun would come up, it would have helped things along, but no.  No sun for me.  Right now, the sun comes up just before 10am, and sets just after 4pm.  But because of the mountains, we really only get about 4 hours of sun.  And the sun maybe gets about 40 degrees off the horizon.  So while it’s great light for photos, it very strange for me, and you get thrown off really easily as to what time it really is.  Since I am going to nights for the next few weeks for my job, I won’t be seeing any sun for a while.  Yay for tanning beds.  They really do help give you that happy boost.  I think I’m addicted.  Hopefully, I won’t get too addicted and tan too much.  I don’t want leather skin by the time I’m 30.  That’s not a good look.

Friday, December 2, 2011

My watch section

So I can't go much further in my blog without talking about my watch section. They make up the majority of the people I know on this island so far, and while they laugh relentlessly as me, they have also been a huge source of help.

It's warmed up here the past few days - to 40 whole degrees.  I never thought I would call 40 degrees warm, but there you have it.  Tuesday night though, it got warm, then got below freezing.  Remember that whole car getting stuck thing?  Well, I saw it happening again as the time came to leave work.  But I severely underestimated the amount of completely solid ice there was outside.

I just needed to get rid of my car and use ice skates.  It was icy like that.  And I had to drive home.  I was a bit nervous, but my supervisor was nice enough to agree to follow me home.  Because, well, I have decided I don't want to die and get eaten by bears.  Too much stuff to do.

But first I had to get to my car.  One of my shipmates told me she likes to pretend she's ice skating.  That was actually somewhat helpful.  So instead of the teeny tiny baby steps I had been taking, I was trying, not so gracefully, to glide across the ice.  Another shipmate pointed out it was easier to walk in the snow.  I had figured that out already, but there was no snow in front of me.  What awful time to give that advice.  And of course, my entire section was laughing behind me.  Assholes.

So after skating all the way to my car in my uniform and boots, I got to my car without falling.  I even got home safe and sound without the slightest bit of sliding on the ice.  I even had a shipmate from the section make sure I made it inside.  As I tried to step up on the curb without busting my face open, I hear this snickering.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to laugh.  But you look like a penguin."

...................

Go ahead, let that imagine sink in.  It's like a cross between an actual penguin in blue clothes and Bert dancing in Mary Poppins.



I have decided that it can mean only one thing: I have adapted.  I am now a cold-weather bird.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The male-half

 Ok, so now that I'm caught up, I'd like to take a minute to tell you about my boyfriend.  Not in a disgusting lovey-dovey way (because even though I could, you don't want to read it), just more of an appreciative way.  See, he's the only person in this whole mess that hasn't laughed at me or tell me I was going to die up here (I already knew that, I didn't need everyone telling me).  He is from Minnesota (insert obligatory "Go Twins!" here because he loves baseball and doesn't give a damn if you think they suck - he's no fairweather fan) so he's been around this winter thing many times.  In fact, mid-west winters may be some of the worst in the US so I trust his judgement.  Mostly because I have none of my own.  I stand there looking lost and confused 95% of the time.  Add in cold and I am lost 150% of the time. Yes, I am perfectly aware that you can't have 150% of the time, it's called a hyperbole and I use them for dramatic effect.  Or as my mom would say, because I am a drama queen.  I am not a drama queen, I just am very expressive of my feelings. 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.  I figured I would be proactive before I got up here, so I went online shopping for a winter coat. After about 3 days I decided I was hopelessly lost and asked said-named-bf to help me.  He knew exactly what I should get, a jacket with a removable fleece shell.  He even picked out the color because clearly I was on brain overload at the time and was unable to think for myself.

As soon as I got here, he also informed me I needed a flashlight, an emergency blanket, some kitty litter and some toilet paper. Someone else told me, I think his dad, that I needed a metal cup. Here is about how our conversation went:

"What's the kitty litter for?"
"So when you get stuck in the snow you can get out.  Put some under your tires and it gives some traction."

Refer to "Part 4" to see how well I heeded this advice.  More on this later...

"What is the cup for?"
"Because you have to melt the snow first before you drink it because if you just eat it, your body somethingsomethingsomthing."

I don't remember but I got the drift.

"What's the flashlight for"
"When it gets dark."

That should have been obvious but again, lost and confused 150% of the time when it comes to this subject. 

Well, I knew what the TP and blanket were for so I stopped the stupid questions.  At least for that day.  But since then I have literally turned to him for everything.  I mean, my mother is also a Floridian who thinks anything below 70 is freezing cold and my dad has lived in Florida since around 1970.  Clearly I was not getting any practical help from either of them.  So from which snow cleets should I get to do I really need those $16 wool socks that lady sold me? I asked the bf.  He's been helpful and wonderful and I wouldn't have gotten this far without him. But then came the day I got stuck on the ice.  He's not in Alaska at the moment, so I could only recount my story afterwards.

Him: "You used salt?"
Me: "Yeah, the black stuff in the barrels on base.  That's what they told me to use and it worked!"
"Why didn't you use kitty litter?"
"I didn't have any"
"I told you to get some."
"Yeah, but the salt totally worked just fine and now I have a whole bag in my car so I'm good to go."
"Babe, salt is going to corrode your car.  And it doesn't work when it gets really cold out.  You should put some kitty litter in your car."
"Yeah, but the salt..."
"I know what I'm talking about here"

This went on for a few more minutes before one of us changed the subject.  Honestly, who wants to fight about kitty litter?  Not me.

Which is why I now have some in my car.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Part 4 - The storm

Bering Sea storms are common in the winter.  It’s a part of living in the region.  But forecasters were saying this storm was going to be bad.  It was still too early in the season they said, and that was why this one was going to be so bad.  So bad in fact, some coastal regions of Western Alaska were being evacuated because of storm surge.  I was mentally prepared for my job to get more difficult, maybe some distress calls, some difficulty communicating, but I never thought about what would happen when that storm hit Kodiak.  At first, it just was snowing.  And it kept snowing for days.  I had to go shovel it a couple of times, but nothing we did could keep up.  It just kept coming down.  Plows couldn’t keep up, and the piles that they had cleared from the roads were much taller than I was.  We had maybe a foot a snow fall in the first few days.  Not much by anyone else’s standards, but then the wind hit.

50 mile per hour winds.  This was a hurricane in Alaska.  I had been warned these winds would get bad, but what I wasn't expecting was for them to blow all the snow away overnight.  Drifts of snow that were much higher, it was all just gone.  And it was in the teens.  Even the pilots wouldn’t fly in this weather.  And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Coast Guard pilots is those people are crazy.  So if they refuse to go out, I know it must be bad.  But it got sunny again, and warmed up a few degrees and I thought the worst was over.  No, apparently that was just a break in the storm.

Then it snowed for days a second time.  Not so much wind this time, so it wasn’t so bad.  It was in the high twenties, so it would have been a nice time to go play in the snow, only I was working.  Of course. Then I came home after a long weekend and I saw what I knew would be bad.  My car’s thermometer said it was 34 degrees out.  This lesson I did learn in Cape May.  Snow melts then refreezes into ice.  Never in my life did I pray that it would get colder, and fast.  Before this got worse.  But pray I did. 

The next day, it was sunny and in the low twenties.  Sure enough, I was right. Ice everywhere.  I had yet to find a pair of ice cleats in my size so I was just going to have learn to navigate this stuff the hard way.  Sometime around noon, I realized I was starving and I decided to brave the roads and go get some sushi.  This should have been a simple task.  Only as soon as I tried to back out of my parking spot, I realized I was not going anywhere anytime soon.  I was stuck.  I got out, no snow behind me keeping me in, so I kept looking.  Sure enough, my front tires were sitting on ice.  And I have a front-wheel drive only vehicle.   After about 45 minutes of trying to get my car to move, I knew I was truly stuck and I needed some help.  Thank God for salt and being stuck on a CG base because I was out in no time.

Only I forgot the sushi place was closed on Monday.  So I settled for pho and pad thai instead.  I now also have ice and a small shovel in my car.  You know, just in case.  And it was a good thing too, because the next day we had white out conditions and it was 4 degrees, wind chill of -25.  But I wasn’t dumb enough to go out in this.  I knew one thing for sure: the snow was kicking my Florida ass.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy stuffing your face with turkey. I have to work. In the snow. Yep, my first white holiday. Woohoo!

My first 10 weeks, part 3 - snow


It's November 1st.  I had just gotten qualified as a watchstander.  I had gone into work for a short day.  Imagine my surprise when I look at the security cameras (there are no windows) and see snow!  Real, fluffy snow!  When I leave, it's stopped but over everything is an inch thick blanket of untouched lovely snow.  I could hardly contain my excitement.  I drove back to base as fast as I dared.  Once I got back, I parked, threw open the door and just started some odd combination of dancing and kicking snow up off the ground.  I made a snowball.  I threw handfuls in the air.  SNOW!  This was FUN!
 
Seeing as how I had been up for about 36 hours at that point, I decided I would sleep first, then go play.  I was very surprised when I woke up and saw that this lovely white fluffy was now all brown and dirty.  The plow had cleared it all away!  No more playing in the snow today, but I knew there would be more days to come.  I also needed snow boots, so I took care of that the next day.
 
Then it happened.  Lots of snow.  And by lots I mean 3 inches.  And I had to drive to work in it while it was still coming down.  Alright, it was now or never.  My car was covered in snow though.  But I had my handy dandy broom ice scraper thing so I knew it was going to be ok!
 
Note to self: wipe the snow off the door first or a giant pile of it will fall in your car.
 
But I got the snow off and was off to work.  I drove slow, I was doing good.  This snow thing wasn't all that bad.
 
Second note to self: your car does not turn as well in the snow.
 
That should have been obvious looking back, but it wasn't.
 
I hit a snow bank.
 
Clearly I am ok because I'm still here.  I didn't even damage my car.  But I learned a very important lesson.
 
I also learned that when a car drives in the snow, it compresses it and makes ice.
 
Ice is slippery.
 
I fell on my ass.
 
For those of you keeping track: Snow 3, Amanda 0.  And on its way was what forecasters had been calling "the storm of the century."


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

My first 10 weeks, part 2 – snow gear


So a week or so after I got here, we got the first frost of the year.  And needless to say I was totally unprepared.  After thawing out my car by just turning it on and letting it run, I got to work.  And I explained to those around me that HOLY COW ITS FROSTY OUT THERE OH MY GOD WHAT DO I DO WHAT DO I DO WHAT DO I DO?!!?!?  After the laughter stopped, we decided I needed 3 things:
1: An ice scrapper.  Not a little one, but a big one. 
2: Get the windshield wiper fluid that defrosts your windows.
3: Waterproof shoes.  Because my Florida tennis shoes that were mess on top were not going to cut it.

With my list, I go out into town.  I first stop at the sporting goods store.  I had been in there before, and I knew they had shoes.  So after trying on a few pairs, I settle on a nice pair of hiking boots.  Because, well, I want to go hiking too.  So I get some that are sturdy, cover my ankle, and are waterproof.  I am set to go.  Until she asks me, “Are you sure you don’t want to try these on with wool socks to make sure they fit right?”

Wool socks?  No one mentioned wool socks

“….*blank stare* No one told you about wool socks?  Cotton just won’t do up here.  Those are no good in winter.  Here, try these.”

Um, ok.  A $16 pair of socks.  I’m convinced she’s  just trying to get me to buy more but I comply anyway because I already feel stupid.  So, $120 later, I am on my way to the auto store in search for my other two items.

When I walk in, I ask the lady where I can find ice scrappers and windshield wiping fluid.  She says that they don’t have them out, it’s too early in the year.  But there have already been morning with frost, so I am convinced this lady is crazy.  I NEED this stuff, why couldn’t she see that?  Fortunately, the have what I need, just not on display.  Someone offers to get one for me.  They ask what size ice scrapper I need.  “One of the big ones with the brush on the end for snow,” I say, confident in my answer.  That’s what I had been told to ask for, so I know its going to get me what I need. 

Now, before I explain this last bit, let me first tell you my experience with ice scrappers.  My mother had one from one year her car got covered in frost and some passerby took pity on her and gave her one.  It is smaller than my dad’s iPhone , but I’ve grown up seeing it and I think this is a normal size.  I’m thinking a big one is maybe 8 inches long.  Enough for the handle in-between.  Imagine my surprise when the stock guy pulls out this 24 inch long thing with a broom on one end.  “This is the small size, but you don’t want this.  Hold on, I’ll get a bigger one.”

What.The.Hell.

“Here, this is the medium size one.  Its maybe 30 inches long, but we have one that’s 36 inches and has a telescoping handle!”  Um, yeah, my car isn’t that big.  I think the medium one will be just fine. “Are you sure?” Yep.  I grab this….broom thing and some anti-frost windshield stuff and hit the checkout.  The lady is pleased I have found what I have asked about.  This stop is much cheaper, only about $20.  I go to leave, but then I turn around, remembering I don’t know how to use said broom thing.  The lady laughs at me (I’ve gotten used to it at this point) and she explains I use the brush to sweep the snow away and the other end to scrape the ice.  I am still dumbfounded.  But the lady says that people here are friendly and will notice that I am clueless and will help me figure it all out when it snows.  Feeling confident in my new found snow gear, I leave the store and head back to base.  I just knew that with these three things, I could handle anything Kodiak threw at me.  I was ready.

I thought.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

My first 10 weeks in Kodiak - part 1

Just to get everyone caught up, I thought I would do a little recap as to what my first 10 weeks in Kodiak have been like.  When I first got here, it was in the 50’s and raining.  I was freezing and I knew instantly I was going to die.  DIE.  I was going to freeze to death in the next two weeks.  I mean, the first stage of freezing to death sucks because your limbs are so cold.  But then the second stage comes and blood stops flowing there and you just feel…peaceful. You stop being cold.  Then eventually you just fall asleep and never wake up.  I have been told that freezing to death (once you get past the first stage) is a rather pleasant way to go because for whatever reason, your body thinks its funny to make you feel happy.  So, I decide even if I’m going to freeze to death, it will be an ok way to go.  I resign myself to this fate and continue the check in process at base, although I have no idea why anyone wants to get me “squared away” since I will be dead soon.  There are a lot of tears, because I know I didn’t want to be here, far away from my family, my boyfriend, warmth and civilization. I mean, if I’m going to die, I at least want to be able to get something nice to wear when I go, you know?  But all I have is a Walmart and all they have is a “Got Crabs” t-shirt.  Welcome to fishing HELL.

So, I get checked in, I get told a lot about bears and that it gets icy here (GASP!  It does?!  I never would have thought Alaska as being cold!).  But I didn’t know so much about these bears that will apparently come along and eat my body once I die from hypothermia.  Biggest brown bears in the world. There are 16 Kodiak bears per square mile up here.  So, even if I don’t die of cold, I am going to be eaten by a bear.  I have no idea why people like it here so much.

Once I get to my watch section and start to settle in, learn my way around, and get some food chocolate in my fridge, I start to feel better.  The rain let up and for the first time, I could see it was actually kinda pretty here.  It was 40 degrees, and I was already adjusting to the cold because it wasn’t so bad after about a week.  Maybe I wasn't going to die after all.  And there are definitely a lot of good photo taking opportunities. But I still had other problems to tackle – snow gear.

My First Winter - The backstory

So, here's the deal.  I am from Clermont, a smallish (well, its not so small anymore) town outside of Orlando, Florida.  Yes, the land of sunshine and Mickey Mouse.  I had been born and raised, gone to school, worked, gone to college all within a 50 mile radius.  My entire family lived in that circle too.  A couple years ago, I decided it would be a great idea to join the United States Coast Guard.  It took a while to get everything in order, but in January of 2011, I started my journey at bootcamp in Cape May, New Jersey.  Up until that point, I had seen snow twice.  I was too young to remember the first time, and the second time I was in NYC with my dad a month before I shipped out.  There were a couple of snow flurries while we were there.  This was the highlight of my winter experience.  Anything below 60 was cold, and I was going to bootcamp right after a legendary blizzard.  So began my journey with the white stuff.

In bootcamp, there was snow, oh yes.  But the trucks cleared it overnight and I never really got to experience it, because well, running outside and making a snow angel would be unsmart in such a setting. One time I did sneak around to the back of the barracks building and stick my hand in it.  HOLY COLD!  Then I scampered away back to formation where I pretended the stuff didn't exist.

When I graduated in March, I went to sunny California.  After school finished there, I was to go to my first permanent duty station, Kodiak, AK.  Where is Kodiak, you ask?  Well, its an island off of Alaska in the Gulf of Alaska, 150 miles or so south of Anchorage.  With 7,000 people.  The Walmart is the size of a Walgreen's in Orlando.  In Alaska.  Where it snows.  And it's cold.  And I had no idea what any of this meant.  I had the joy of getting here the day before my 23rd birthday, September 16th.  So I have to learn about this winter thing. And fast.

Let's recap. Cold. Island. Snow. Alaska. No real civilization. Yeah, this is going to be fun.