My new best friend..

So I have a new best friend. It's a lynx! I got home from book club on Friday night and my motion sensor light outside the cabin was on. So I was a little freaked out..it sometimes goes on when it is windy, but it was not windy. So I booked it inside the house and looked out the window. Then I saw something creeping out from the bushes..it was a house cat on steroids..aka a lynx. Lynx are super rare around here, but we do have them. Now I really need to get a gun because I'm not going to call out of work because I got bit by a lynx. If you know me, you know that the weirdest/most bizarre things happen to me. This past weekend I went to Colony Christmas which is a Christmas celebration in Palmer. My friends and I went to lunch, a couple of craft fairs (I'm such a Riley), and did a brew meets canvas thing at a local brewery. The painting things that I've been to back home have had an instructor teaching you how to paint a certain painting. Well, this woman told us to get in touch with our inner creativity and to paint whatever we wanted. I have the art skills of a monkey and was not impressed. The woman who was leading the program described it as the "most profanity laced painting session" that she had ever experienced. I have the mouth of a sailor and I'm not afraid to admit it. My painting looks like someone put paint in their mouth and spit it all over the canvas. In the words of one of my favorite patients at NRH "whatever whatever okay". We are supposed to get snow tonight..who knows if that will happen. Everyone keeps saying that it's been a very weird winter. I'll take it. I leave in 3 days to go home for three weeks and I'm so excited!!!! My brother, Trevor, and his best friend, Josh, are going to be coming back with me and staying for a week and a half after vacation. I'm beyond excited for them to come out here and experience this craziness. I'll be making a guest appearance at NRH to see everyone so my Northeast families...let me know when you're going to be there! I miss all my kids so much. Also, Spaulding friends..I definitely want to come in and visit..maybe even potentially work. I'm so lucky to have had 2 amazing groups of co-workers. See y'all soon!! Lots of love, B

Viva Alaska

Hey y'all! Sorry I've been neglecting the blog. Things have been super busy. I went home for Thanksgiving and surprised my parents. It was nice to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I'm coming home again for Christmas break (I leave AK the 19th and land the 20th). I'm super excited to see all my friends and family again. Anyways, things have been going awesome up here. I LOVE IT!!! I've been letting my inner Grammy loose and going to lots of craft fairs. I can't get over how talented people are. I'm a sucker for stained glass and ornaments. Last week, it snowed Monday and Tuesday. Road maintenance is AWFUL here..the plows suck, and they will sand/put gravel down. When I was driving home from the airport last Sunday, all of the roads in Anchorage were covered in snow. I don't mind driving in the snow, but all of the trucks up here have the bright halogen lights which makes it wicked hard to see the road. So basically, I'm driving blind on awful roads...with the possibility of moose running out at any time. It's a good time! School has been good but crazy...lots and lots of IEP meetings. Lots of people have been asking me where I'm going to go after this contract is up. The answer is I don't know. I'm going home for a month or so this summer, but I don't know what the plan is after that. And honestly, I've never been happier. I really do love it up here. I'm excited to go ice fishing, snow shoeing, and snow machining this winter. My brother and his best friend are coming back with me when I go home after Christmas vacation and they are staying for a week. I'm wicked excited to have them up here, and I've already started planning awesome stuff for us to do. I'm seeing a lot more moose than when I first came up here..I see one at least every 2-3 days. It's pretty awesome. If any of y'all want to come up and visit, let me know! I have a loft with two twin beds and I'd be more than happy to have guests. Right now, the sun is rising around 10ish and sets around 3:45 but the darkness isn't too bad anymore. I think having Christmas break is the light at the end of the tunnel that is making the darkness tolerable. It hasn't been too cold..just hanging out in the 20's and low 30's. I'm going to try my best to keep up with the blog. I'm sorry again for the long break. Miss everyone like crazy!