Grand Cayman Island

Wednesday was spent on Grand Cayman Island in Georgetown, where we landed admist shops, restaurants, and general chaos with people everywhere you looked.


Among all of the high-end jewelry, rum seemed to be a popular purchase in the form of both bottles of rum and rum cakes. I simply took part by posing with a pirate.



Yes, we all passed on the rum, but when it came time for the original Margaritaville restaurant, we couldn't pass it up. It was probably the best margarita I have ever had in my life.

Freedom of the Seas

Dad, Donna, Heather, Ryan, and I boarded the ship, Freedom of the Seas, Sunday afternoon and were quickly off to explore our new surroundings, which were very impressive. Beautiful treasures were waiting around every corner.




Monday we were at sea all day, so we lounged around the pool most of the day enjoying a belly flop contest, legs competition, and a dodgeball tournament. I was quick to term the entire thing a 'Spring Break for Adults,' and I loved it. Cozumel, Mexico, was the port-of-call on Tuesday, but I didn't even leave the ship. I discovered how nice it was to be on the ship without as many people as there had been the day before, and I had already been to Cozumel before, so I didn't feel like I was missing out on too much. After all, there were more ports to visit.

Canceled Flight

I awoke ready to finish packing and head to the airport. I had a ticket to Seattle and then another ticket to Miami, and I was looking forward to some sun. I got on the internet to check my flight status from Fairbanks to Seattle, and it read 'CANCELED'. Talk about panic! I thought I was doomed and would surely miss the Caribbean cruise. I'll spare you the details and just say that despite the flight cancellation and some oxygen masks accidentally dropping while we were taxiing down the runway, it all worked out in the end, and I made it into Miami at the same time as I was originally scheduled. Whew! I was worried for a little while there.


Once I did get going, the weather was absolutely beautiful with a great view from the plane of Mt. Foraker and Denali (aka Mt. McKinley), the highest peak in North America, and clear views of the Chugach range from the Anchorage airport.

Headin' South

It's been yet another busy week. I attended a conference on Monday and Tuesday where I gave a presentation, and I've been trying to keep my head above water since because I'm leaving town again tomorrow. This time, to the Caribbean for a little R&R and to help celebrate Dad and Donna's anniversary. It will be my first pleasure cruise, so I'm pretty excited. Not to mention, it has been rather cold here (-40 degrees), so I really need to thaw out. I'll 'blog' again when I can.

Cruisin' in Santa Cruz

Yesterday I spent the first part of my day in Santa Cruz, California, with clear skies, temperatures in the seventies, and a sandy beach. By the end of the day, I was in Fairbanks, Alaska, where it was about twenty below, and everything is covered in snow. Believe it or not, it's great to be home!

While in Santa Cruz, I enjoyed lounging at Seabright Beach...


...strolling along the Boardwalk...


...and taking in some of the beautiful sights along the rocky coast of Northern Santa Cruz.


I also hung out around the downtown area, which has many shops, restaurants, and book stores. Yes, Santa Cruz is a beautiful city with a lot to offer, but it's always good to sleep in your own bed.

Mountain View

I spent this week in the heart of Silicon Valley working at CODAR Ocean Sensors in Mountain View, California. They were kind enough to give me a desk and a computer to work at, while also answering all of the annoying questions I had about their instrument and its inner workings. Everyone was super knowledgeable and very accomodating. They even brought out clear skies, a shining sun, and temperatures near seventy degrees Fahrenehit, just for my visit! My work time is up, but I'm heading to Santa Cruz for a day before I get on a plane to Alaska. I'll let you know what I find there.

Duff's Birthday

My friend Duff turned 35 this week. He was recently bit by a spider in Belize and spent two days in the hospital. Since the bite, we think that he might have super powers, so a Spider-Man themed party seemed only fitting.

The Ice Blocks

Ever wonder what happened to those blocks of ice I took a picture of a few days ago? Well, wonder no more. They turned into a Nanook (aka polar bear) sculpture. The Nanook is the University of Alaska Fairbanks mascot.

Super Bowl Sunday

I had people over to my place watch the Colts beat the Bears!!


During halftime, Steve tied his bandana to look like Prince, but I think he ended up looking a little more like Don King.

Ski Race on the Tanana River

Some friends of mine have started a friendly non-motorized competion that spans thoughout the winter season with races every few weeks. Anyting goes as long as you don't use a motor. Some mush dogs like my friend Steve Springer,


some ski jor like my friend Ellen, (Ski joring is harnessing a dog or two to yourself who pull while you ski behind them),


and some just ski without any dogs pulling them, which is what I did, but my friend Mette is in the picture below.



Continued below...

Continued from above

So, as I was saying, everyone kind of did their own thing, with various time penalties for the number of dogs you had to pull you along the trail in order to even out everyone's time. A lot of people showed up for the race today:


which took place down the Tanana River. For those of you who have been to Fairbanks and maybe taken the Riverboat Discovery tour, this is what the river with the small village and fish wheel looks like during the winter. Right now, I think the ice is about three feet thick.


Everyone had a great time, as the smiles on Paige and Cody's faces can attest to.

Another Day In Fairbanks...

You would think that February 1 in Fairbanks, Alaska, would be rather miserable, but I'm here to claim to that it isn't. It was above zero today, and the sun is out for about seven hours a day right now, so we're happy!

It was so nice that I left work during lunch to soak up the sun and see what I could find. Upon leaving the office, I was immediately struck by the view from campus. I hope that I never take this view for granted because seeing the Alaska Range on the horizon is definitely a treat. The only problem is that is it hard to take a photograph that portrays the beauty that I am trying to express. If you look closely at the horizon on the picture below, hopefully you can make out four or five mountain peaks in the distance. In the foreground are the fields of the University Farm, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.


Only another half mile down the road I came upon some people stacking ice blocks in anticipation of having someone make an ice carving in the days to come.


Sometimes it seems as if there is never a dull moment around here.