I still drive like a Masshole

Hello my dear readers, So a lot has happened since my last post. This past weekend I went up to Talkeetna which is about 1 1/2 hrs north of here with my friend Carrie, who is a travel OT in the district. Talkeetna is a cute small town which is the jump off for people exploring Denali National Park or climbing Denali. No one up here calls it Mt. McKinley...people call it Denali (the native name) or the Mountain. Anyways, it was an unreal trip. First we did a little exploring and stopped at some cute shops. We ate lunch at this local restaurant called the Roadhouse...best mushroom soup and potato bread!! I will forever be indebted to Sarah and Sue at NRH because Sue's sister/Sarah's aunt Annie manages Talkeetna Air Taxi. Annie hooked Carrie and I up with a flightseeing tour of Denali and a landing on the Ruth glacier. I literally can not describe the experience because it was so surreal. We rode in a tiny little bush plane, and we were so close to Denali that I felt like I could touch it. I used to hate flying, but I had no fear at all that day. I felt so unbelievably small in that tiny plane above this gorgeous landscape. I don't care if you believe in God, Allah, Buddha, or Oprah Winfrey but up there in that plane, you realize that there is someone a lot bigger than you out there. In my case, I felt extremely close to God. The scenery was amazing...beyond words. After the amazing flightseeing tour, we went to the Denali Brewery where they brew their own AMAZING beer. Carrie and I each enjoyed a flight of the best beer I have ever tasted before the drive home. So tomorrow is kinda a big deal around here...it's Dividends Day! That means every family gets approximately $5,200 from the Alaska Pipeline. All the kids in school were talking about what their families are getting with their money. There is alot of poverty up here, and one of the kids was talking about how she is super excited to go to Red Robin with their money. It makes you really value everything you have. Speaking of kids, the kids on my caseload are awesome. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my spectrum and high needs kids. I'm working with an AMAZING ABA team that I feel so lucky to be a part. I'm planning a trip to Seward this weekend...It's a 3 hour drive down, and I'm planning on doing a wildlife cruise and staying overnight in a hotel. Everyone needs to start letting me know when they are coming up to visit so I can plan to request time off. I think I'm coming down with something..hopefully just a cold. Carrie and I are going to Turkey Red tonight which is this local, organic restaurant that is supposed to be the best in the Valley. Next blog, I will educate you all on what working on the slope means. Lots of love, B