Polish Swatch - Nubar Cinnamon

Nubar Cinnamon. Looks nothing like.

Depending on the lighting, two coats of Nubar Cinnamon look yellow, gold, or beige. And the microglitter mixes gold and light red. It is not a duo, just very susceptible to light changes.

It is not a very attractive color with my skin tone. Perhaps it would be better as a top coat or in a frankenpolish.

It did seem to have staying power. Even after four days I couldn't find noticeable chips.

Funky French - Polish Swatch - China Glaze Yee-Haw and Nubar Mon Amour

I'm not a big fan of the basic french or american manicure. I think they are boring, predictable, and utterly passe.

However, I do like a funky french on occasion, and my first trial in a very long time is below.

The tip color is China Glaze Yee-Haw and the nail color is Nubar Mon Amour. The Nubar is so colorless that I see no difference between a painted nail and a non.

China Glaze Yee-Haw is a frosty tanned apricot. Strongly recommended for the sunny days of spring and summer.

Polish Swatch - China Glaze Oh How Street It Is

For the first couple of days wear, I swore that China Glaze "Oh How Street It Is" was too orange. But it has grown on me.

It is right on that line of being a more reddened orange than an orange-red. Definitely one of the most orangey colors I have.



















Unfortunately, I can't recommend the longevity. I have obvious tip wear by day three. Which is when these photos were taken.




















In an attempt to make them last a couple more days, I added a coat of Nubar's "Gilded Gold." Which is my new favorite effects coat. It really looks like an aging Tuscan finish, where part of the gilded outer layer has worn away to reveal the base color.

I bought it to wear over my cremes. I've given up on finding a orangey-red frost or microglitter. But if I can find the creme, I can make it a microglitter. And this does it one better. It is a lovely effects coat. I suspect this is one bottle I will use up.

Nail Polish and Customer Service ... Rant!

I love nail polish. Fun colors that catch the light and brighten your day. Dull colors to calm a wild wardrobe choice. Deep, dark shades that give winter mystery. And the unending search to find the perfect orange-red for that bit of pop when I'm feeling down.

Nail Polish companies, on the other hand, make me want to tear my hair out in frustration.

I've emailed CND once for suggestions regarding their new line. No response.

I've emailed Zoya half a dozen times requesting color suggestions. They have NEVER responded. I guess I'm much too small potatoes for a happening company like Zoya. Grrr. I'd probably buy more if I could get some half-way decent color suggestions. Which brings me to my second gripe.

Apparently Nail Polish companies are far too busy creating for their pink powderpuff customers, that the rest of us get left in the cold. I happen to know some of those pink powderpuffs, and I am thrilled that they can instantly find a color by closing their eyes and running a hand down a display, "Eeny meeny miny moe, with which one of these pinks shall I go?"

What about me? I can't wear pink. And don't tell me about all the "warm pinks" available. They are pink. I don't wear pink, I have too much yellow in my skin tone. I wear peach. Which brings us to Nubar.

I can, at least, get Nubar to answer my emails. But I'm not sure that puts them ahead of Zoya. This is how a recent exchange went ...

Me, "Salutation, etc. I need warm, spring and summer polish suggestions. I cannot wear pink or orange, instead I need peaches and and other orange based reds. The best examples I can give you are China Glaze's Yee-Haw and Zoya's Amber. I like both shimmer and cremes. I've got an abundance of fall and wintery dark shades, but my lighter colors need some expansion."

Nubar CS, "Check out the Corals Collection."


Okay, let's look at what a coral shade is ... orange. Can we see what I wrote above, I cannot wear orange. Obviously, I've run into another Customer Service group that either: 1) cannot read the email for all those pesky letters, or 2) is where the familial problem child is placed so that he/she cannot cause business difficulties.


Additionally, since Nubar's cart wasn't working, I had to place my order by phone (I detest those infernal devices). AND they sent me the wrong shade. They were quick to fix it, but ... mistake.

I'm not sure what I have learned from this little experience, regardless, couldn't someone who knows basic color theory and mixing describe polish colors on the website itself? Act like monitors still come in shades of green. Spell out for me what your polishes look like.

Zoya's site IS coming along. I've seen a great deal of improvement since I started ordering several years ago. They describe the color, opacity, and skin tone family. But you still can't do an indepth search. If I want an opaque cream ... I'm out of luck unless I want to go through the website bottle page by bottle page. Their search engine is limited to: color family and finish. And that is a pretty restricted list on both sides.

If I were selling polish, I'd have: a great color description, a swatch of the color in natural light, skin tone designation, opacity/translucency characterization, an awesome search engine that allows you specific requests, and shading suggestions (i.e. this color looks great on light warm skin tones OR this color looks best on dark cool or strongly tanned skin tones).

I wish, I wish, I wish ...


Anyone have a good orangy-red peach suggestion in 3-free formula?

Winter Sensitive Skin Care

MOISTURIZER
I've been using La Roche-Posay Toleriane moisturizer for over a year now, a moderate 3 on the Cosmetics Safety Database website. It works great during the summer months, but once the second month of winter hit, I realized that LRPT couldn't handle the dry. My skin was so tight!

I found Toleriane's boosted brother, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Riche, by looking through the propaganda included in the box. Riche is also a moderate 3 on the Cosmetics Database website.

Riche has a thicker texture that works well for the dry months. The two products are incredibly similar as far as ingredients go, with the Riche having an additional ingredient in Shea Butter.

If you find yourself in a similar sensitive skin situation as myself, I'd glance through the website or propaganda of your favorite skin care brand. You may find that they have a lighter lotion for summer and a heavier lotion for winter.

Additionally, you can use straight Shea Butter or another favorite oil. Moisturizers actually work by blocking the loss of moisture from the skin. Not necessarily adding moisture into the skin.





















LA ROCHE-POSAY TOLERIANE
WATER/AQUA
CYCLOPENTASILOXANE
ISOCETYL STEARATE
SQUALANE
GLYCERIN
ISONONYL ISONONANOATE
PENTYLENE GLYCOL
ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE
CETYL ALCOHOL
PEG-100 STEARATE
GLYCERYL STEARATE
ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER
DIMETHICONOL
OCTOXYGLYCERIN
SODIUM HYDROXIDE
























LA ROCHE-POSAY TOLERIANE RICHE
WATER/AQUA
ISOCETYL STEARATE
CYCLOPENTASILOXANE
SQUALANE
SHEA BUTTER
GLYCERIN
CETYL ALCOHOL
ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE
PENTYLENE GLYCOL
PEG-100 STEARATE
GLYCERYL STEARATE
DIMETHICONOL
SODIUM HYDROXIDE
CITRIC ACID
ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN
ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER

Soap, the wonderful wonder ...

My go to soap is ALL TERRAIN's Wonder Wash ... I have two backup bottles.





















It is:
- fragrance free (of course)
- pH neutral (which makes it a multi-purpose soap)
- biodegradable (it is advertised as a Hiker's soap) ... it probably isn't environmentally friendly/neutral, but biodegradable is a good start
- filled with eight ingredients ONLY

I've used this to: clean my makeup brushes, degrease my body, wash my hair, and wash my face (no eye stings). I have not yet used it to bath dogs, but I'm sure it will happen eventually.


This product receives a low 1/10 on the hazard scale at Cosmetics Database. I thoroughly recommend it to those with sensitive skin.


Ingredients:
Water
Sodium coco sulphate
coco betaine
coco amide
vegetable glycerine
sodium chloride
olive oil
citric acid

Soap ... when it's so drying it hurts

Another JASON Naturals products with a thumbs down ...


UPDATE -
Even the hubby, who describes himself as an oily beast, had drying problems with this soap. He liked it best on days when he had been working outside and really needed a good detergent for a single soap and rinse.

JASON Fragrance Free Body Wash is simply too strong to use as a daily soap.

I won't be purchasing this product again.

Fragrance Free Body Wash

Gentle, fragrance free body wash bubbles into a rich, creamy lather to make your shower as luxurious as a bath. Gently cleanses with botanical surfactants while soothing skin with Aloe Vera and Chamomile. Leaves skin feeling soft and clean. Great for sensitive skin types.

16.0 FL OZ
Item No. 02022






















I used this body wash for close to a month. I like the fragrance free aspect (naturally) and that it degreased my skin. The only early problems I noticed was stinging eyes. For whatever reason, maybe its slip ingredients, this liquid soap can squeeze through my lids and get directly on my eyeballs ... just about every time I washed my face. Now, I've been using liquid shower soaps for a while, and I've never had this consistent problem.

Secondly, after three or so weeks, I finally figured out that this was making my skin so dry! My mucus membranes were so itchy. Once I discontinued with this product and returned to my old soap, no more problems. I don't have a really good hand on soaps, so I don't know where Sodium Myreth Sulfate falls as far as detergent strength. However, either the detergent or another product was making me very uncomfortable, for days at a time.


The hubby is going to finish the bottle off, so I may get an update eventually.

However, with my own experience, I would not recommend this product for someone with sensitive skin ... regardless of what the bottle says.


It gets a low 2/10 hazard on the Cosmetic Database rating.


Ingredients:
Water
Aloe barbadensis leaf gel
Sodium Myreth Sulfate
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cocamide MEA
Glycol Stearate
Begetable Glycerin
Chamomilla recutita extract
Camellia oleifera extract
Echinacea angustifolia extract
Rosa canina extract
Polyquarternium-7
Glycereth-2 Cocoate
Benzoic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Benzoate

Some of my favorite recipes ... searching for cheese!

I guess I've been following a Vegan diet for about a year now. It's difficult only when going to restaurants and grocery shopping. I don't have much trouble "denying" myself (let's not talk about the chocolate), and I don't miss much from my previous dietary life. I don't even miss cheese itself. Sure, the smell of a block of Swiss or Colby or Mozzarella on the counter can make my mouth water, but I don't usually miss cheese. (I don't miss smelly French cheeses at all, I never handled strong cheeses well. That just means I left plenty for the person who does!)

I've been on the hunt for a couple of good faux cheeses. Macaroni and Cheese was a childhood staple. I think Mom gave up trying to make us eat healthy all the time, and a box of Mac and cheese was the thing we loved as kids (with hot dogs cut up and swirled around in the cheesy goop left behind). I've tried a couple of recipes, and they are usually edible. But only one gets two thumbs up.

Faux Mac N Cheese - Allison Rivers Samson's Mac 'n' Cheese is a VegNews favorite and I can see why ... I've made it twice, and even the omnivore in the family enjoyed it. I cut down the sea salt and margarine (in half I think) as it was too fatty and way too salty the first time around. I love how much zing this has in it.




The one thing I've have missed more than anything with my Vegan adventure is cheesy nachos ... chips, chili, and melted cheese. I could do the chips and chili, but there wasn't any cheesy goodness to add on top. And the faux cheeses at the grocery store just didn't do it for me (there used to be a Monterrey Jack that was fairly edible, haven't seen it in years though). However, this mustard dip is a good replacement. The hubby said, "Kinda bland" when he tried it. To which I replied, "Good, that means I'll get to eat it all." (Um, I'm married to a metabolic menace, and I cannot tell you how many times I've gone to the fridge to get something, and the MM has already polished off the item in question. It is nice to make something for me, knowing that it will be there the next time I check ... root beer, melon, soy yogurt, and now vegveeta are on this list.)

Faux Cheese Dip - Dreena Burton's Vegveeta is a Kira favorite.

Obviously, it is not going to taste like cheese, but it tricks my taste buds enough that I thoroughly enjoy my nachos now. :) It also keeps pretty well in the fridge for several days. I've made it three times and it usually lasts me four or so days.

Restaurant Concerns for Vegans and those with Food Allergies

Expanding on our restaurant problems:

I went to a new middle eastern kabob restaurant a couple of weeks ago and ordered the mixed appetizer platter. I requested that the waitress ask the kitchen what on the appetizer I couldn't eat due to the dairy allergy (I was expecting her to tell me the Tzatziki yogurt sauce was the only thing off limits). Well, lo and behold the hummus and babaganoush had "milk by-product" in them. I was shocked. I've been making hummus for years, and I've yet to come across a recipe that calls for milk (or its by-products) and in a search for babaganoush recipes I found the same thing. I was ready to send the appetizer back and say I wasn't paying for it since I couldn't eat the main foods I bought it for. How utterly disappointing. You can't let your guard down for a minute!

And this also tells me how accurate are the "homemade" claims of this restaurant. I don't know about you, but I pick up "milk by-product" powder in my grocery aisle ALL THE TIME!!! Sheesh, makes me wish I enjoyed cooking.

Seborrheic Dermatitis Comments

I am so thrilled that you have found my SD thoughts useful.


Don't we always feel like a spotlight is trained on our SD breakouts and just know the whole world is thinking strange and disturbing thoughts about our little known disease problems? Now we have a small forum for sufferers with similar experiences.


It feels good knowing that I've brought the information to a wider public. I think most of us feel very alone following the thoroughly useless discussions we get to have with our GPs or Dermatologists. I felt like I was in a Jeff Foxworthy skit, "Here's your [sign] meds! You have Seborrheic Dermatitis, we don't know what causes it, it is not caused by an allergy, and here is a prescription. Go fill it and don't bother me."


Ick! And just another stick for the depression pile, huh?




So, I've decided to collate all the information I've gotten from commenters to this point. You've made many excellent suggestions, thanks.




So many of us seem to find a food allergy underlying our problem. (grumble, grumble) ... Why don't the doctors ask us what's going on? We know!


And, perhaps not so surprising, milk and its hidden by-products are the culprit for several of us. As readers pointed out casein (milk protein) is a BIG problem. And yes, when you cut out dairy you realize exactly how much you don't get to eat. (My pantry is so pitifully narrowed in product range these days.) Milk and its by-products are in just about everything! I really cannot figure out why manufacturers, in adjusting their recipes, think, "hm, lets add a bit of milk to this and all our problems will be solved!"


In scientific parlay, casein is a calcium salt phosphoprotein. Its stability makes it an excellent binder and one would assume the price is fairly cheap ... hence the large amount of it found in our foods.


Unfortunately, casein allergies are widespread and most of us aren't aware of the problem. On a purely scientific basis, most animals (us included) lose the ability to digest milk as we leave infancy.


Regardless, one of the great things I've discovered on ingredients lists: allergy info! If you scroll to the bottom of an ingredients list, there is usually an allergens in product list. And milk is included 99.95% of the time. :) This is one of the great and worrisome things about science, we can split a product up in a 1000 different components and you don't know what the original product was if we use one of those components. Hence casein and not milk being in the ingredients list itself, but milk being listed in the allergens list. Whew, clear as mud?






On to the comments -


Brandon in Honolulu shared his SD story, and his problems seem gluten related. He cut out wheat and citrus (some people have trouble with the acidity and/or plant protein allergies). After suffering for 25 years, his symptoms have disappeared.


Since he suffered digestive difficulties along with SD, Celiac's Disease seems a likely culprit. So while he's cut out breads and some fruits, he's much happier with his skin.


There are several recipe books for gluten free/celiac disease diets. I always check out Amazon and the reviews. I'd also strongly recommend checking any of these books out of the local library before buying.








One Anonymous poster has gone through two years of SD flare-ups. This SD sufferer began using direct pure Tea Tree oil application as a temporary fix. (I caution you to take care in Tea Tree Oil usage, it is usually highly concentrated and far too strong for direct skin application, especially with us sensitive skinners. I'd recommend diluting the product. It did not work for my own SD problems.)


"A" eliminated eggs first ... they were not the culprit. But a wheat elimination showed a great deal of skin promise. An unexpected relapse led to the discovery of "hidden" gluten. Much like milk is hidden in many products, so is wheat. Gluten proteins are a stabilizer, so many companies dump it into products. (I also found out that current labelling laws do not require all present gluten be labelled in foods ... if the FDA recognizes a food additive as GRAS, generally recognized as safe, it may not have to be listed on the label if this food does not normally contain the GRAS food additive ... Huh?!?)


And just like "A" found out, when I went gluten free, I found gluten in everything. "A" discovered wheat diluted soy sauce, in practically every sushi restaurant in town. I finally started bringing my own soy sauce to the sushi restaurant. I use the San-J Organic Wheat Free Tamari Soy Sauce. It is available at my local grocery store, but I bet you can order it online if you can't find it locally.


"A" has had problems with cross contamination by gluten products, and is VERY careful of all dietary choices.








Ludawg noticed a huge improvement in SD symptoms when taking the antifungal Diflucan for yeast infections.


Ludawg is also a casein allergic individual. And when searching for casein free foods, realized that few foods were actually casein free. Such unexpected products as soy cheese had casein. Yes, I completely agree that milk products have no business in soy cheese, and yet, there they are!


Once the casein was gone, not even the dry, cold months of winter brought the SD back! Yeah! Another success story.




Steve Carper's webpage has a great list of milk free cheese alternatives. I also found awesome cheese and Faux Mac N Cheese recipes on the blogs. I haven't completely given up on cookbooks, but the bloggers definitely have something going.








Another Anonymous poster uses Ketoconazole shampoo to treat the yeast overgrowth. I'm glad it works for some of you. It did not work for me.








Tiffany has been dealing with SD for several years. She began wearing mineral makeup, which is a really good idea. Mineral makeups don't sink/absorb into the skin, they rest on top. And since so many of us with skin diseases/conditions seem to have sensitive skin, the less you challenge/test your skin with difficult ingredients the better. Which is why we need to be careful when we test new products attempting to control our skin problems.








I really feel for poster "M," talk about the docs from H-E-double hockeysticks! What a run around to get an allergy test completed, and then to find out the test didn't cover casein allergies! I am so sorry "M".


Once we fall into the allergy circuit, it really feels like a downward spiral doesn't it? Once that immune system is sensitized, the strangest things can happen. "M" was dealing with recurring sinus infections, major skin sensitivities, pink eye, etc. I've been through the antibiotic cycle, where you come out of each round worse than you went in.


"M's" problems are mostly casein based (which, of course, the doctors couldn't figure out). However, "M" also has other food allergies, which have worsened over time.


"M" reminds us of how quickly problems show up on our skin. It has the largest surface area of any organ of our entire body, and has an incredibly close relationship with our immune system. Pay close attention to your skin, and you'll have a good idea of your health status.

• "M" wrote ... I am starting to wonder if doctors who make their living treating skin conditions are negligent or if there's actual malice in never exploring the cause of these problems.

(Sigh), I've had similar thoughts. I try to place myself in my doctors' shoes, and I haven't yet figured out why they can toss off our concerns so easily.








Doug developed an SD sensitivity following sunscreen exposure, and subsequent cleaning and removal via scrub mitts.

• Please join me in welcoming Doug to the sensitive skin family. 
• Doug supplements with probiotics to improve digestion and nutrient uptake.

For his sensitive skin, he now follows this routine:

Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser - let face air dry For daytime, Neutrogena Combination Skin Moisturizer  

For nighttime, Cetaphil Sensitive skin moisturizer cream  

Once a month application of 1% hydrocortizone cream with aloe in the corners of nose and ear canals (irritation arises from ipod earbuds at the gym - I wonder if this could be a chemical sensitivity to something in the earbuds???)  

Using the extra suds from shampooing with Head and Shoulders as a face wash, finishing with Cetaphil cleanser   

Doug's better than I am and NEVER uses hot water! He's also given up his chemically laden sunscreen and uses sunblock from Keys Soap. Being zinc oxide based, it normally "wouldn't" absorb into the skin ... however, Keys Soap sunblock uses nano sized particles of zinc oxide. And, well, science (and regulating government) hasn't figured out how to deal with nano sized particles in absorbable/ingestible material yet. Keys Soap isn't hiding their ingredients, but they aren't drawing attention to them either.   

Doug made the excellent suggestion to bring your own face towel to gym. Depending on how sensitive your skin is, you might want to bring another towel to minimize direct contact with the equipment. Also remember to regularly wash your pillow cases and sheets.

Being that several of us have pinpointed casein or gluten as a major factor in our SD, I'm really interested in Doug's report of his diet adjustments.


Doug tried psoriasis face wash and face cream from the Home Health line of products and reports positive results. In the words of a friend, "They didn't do squat for me." But this only highlights how many difficulties and complications this condition presents.








I hope the additional information helps.
Kira

Product Review - JASON Fragrance Free Nightly Facial Moisturizer

From the website, http://www.jason-natural.com/products/fragrance_free.php:
"Fragrance Free Nightly Facial Moisturizer

Cucumber Extract, Shea Butter and Organic Jojoba Oil alleviate feelings of dryness and tension associated with sensitive, extremely dry skin. This nightly treatment seals in moisture for hydrated, balanced and even skin tone

NET WT 4 OZ
Item No. 02097"




















I was hoping to use this as an alternative to my La-Roche Posay Toleriane Skin Cream. No go.

Within 10 minutes of putting this on my face, my skin started to burn and ache. So off it came.

One month later I tried it again with the same results.

I've got too bad a reaction to recommend it for anyone with sensitive skin.

The only plus ... fragrance free. So what am I reacting to? Or what combination am I reacting to? Maybe it is the Ceteareth-20 or the phenoxyethanol or one of the plant extracts (though I've been exposed to most of the plant extracts in other incarnations)? Whatever the cause, it gets a thumbs down. I've got to say, more Jason products get a thumbs down than up in my own studies.

It does get a moderate 3/10 hazard rating from the Cosmetics Database (I use this site all the time).


Ingredients
Water
Cetearyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Stearate SE
Aloe barbadensis Leaf Gel
Prunus amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond)
Helianthus annuus Seed oil (Sunflower)
Vegetable Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Stearic Acid
Dimethicone
Butyrospermum parkii (Shea Butter)
Myristyl Myristate
Vegetable Glycerin
Vegetable Squalane
Simmondsia chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba)
Natural Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E)
Cucumis sativus Fruit Extract (Cucumber)
Calendula officinalis Flower Extract (Marigold)
Epilobium angustifolium Flower, Leaf, Stem Extract (Willowherb)
Panthenol (Vit B5)
Ceteareth-20
Allantoin
Cellulose Gum
Carbomer
Phenoxyethanol
Potassium Hydroxide
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate

Semester 1 - Whole Class Teaching

I have just completed my first semester teaching Anatomy & Physiology to pre-nursing and other pre-medical students at a local community college.

Whew, thank the goddess I made it out alive, healthy, and sane (or at least as sane as I was when I started). I don't think I have worked harder in my life!

The student evaluations trickled in, and I am reminded at how un-prepared our high-schoolers are for college. They don't know how to study, they expect me to hand out notes (NOTES!), and they are incapable of taking care of their own business. How many times I wanted to say to my classes, "What do I think you all are? College students?!?"

Apparently, I am supposed to teach high school, 13th grade. And what I love is my students who think paying for class is enough to get them a passing grade, and not even that, a high grade, an A even!

So I've begun putting my opening lecture together for next semester.

It will start out with:
I am not teaching 13th grade in High School.
I am not your parent.
I am your facilitator.
You are the teacher.
Paying your tuition, and occasionally putting in an appearance in class is not enough.
I do not grade by your effort but by your performance.

etc.


I cannot count the number of students who told me, "But I have to pass this class." Um, that's great. Do your work.

Sigh, I fear for our future.

NYC - a first visit

"Standing at IAH, ready for our big trip to NYC" ...



















Friday the 5th
- I'm heading into the terminal with Kathleen, and security tells me I'm in the wrong line, so we rapidly part as I race for the other side ... I'm only minutes from boarding
- the flight to Cincinnati is short, but on a little commuter plane where the
over head is miniaturized, and we had only one attendant
- the guy beside me was playing his music so loud, even through the speakers he was waking me up
- once we land (that area has really interesting geography, btw, obviously a river bed, though I never saw the river ... no high ground) we walk down the stairs, which I haven't done since Hawaii, and into this temporary terminal ... follow the signage to my next terminal, which requires a bus ride as the terminals are not interconnected
- the flight to JFK is on a much larger, but much emptier plane, I have my row to myself
- at JFK we sit on the runway waiting for a gate to open, and finally get into NYC ... not bad
- a very kindly officer showed me around as I had not been able to pinpoint Kathleen's terminal beforehand ... so I collect my luggage and head off on the SkyTrain to find my friend ... everything is fairly well marked, but it helped to have employees to stop and question to make sure I'm not headed in the wrong direction, I haven't run into a rude New Yorker yet

Here's a photo of the luggage attendant waiting for me at terminal 2:
















- find Kathleen's exit spot and get a little reading in while her plane circles the city
- we meet up, hit the subway systems ($25 for a week's unlimited ride pass), reach the hostel, check-in, dump luggage, and run to feed ... a place called Mama's Pizza (where I call family to let them know we arrived safe and sound)
- back to hostel to crash, but the other tenants are so noisy, I'm just know I won't be able to sleep a wink ... shortly thereafter, I fall fast asleep and barely stir all night long



"Kathleen in the kitchen"











Saturday, the 6th
- slowly awaken to the morning
- Kathleen makes a breakfast and snack run to the local grocery store and we get ready for the day
- New York sight seeing: Grand Central Station, Chrysler bldg, Fred F French bldg, a Sephora Store, and Rockefeller Center with a visit to the top, "Top of the Rock" ... $20
- we wander down to the tenement museum to get tickets, but they sell same day only (something that never made sense on the three phone calls I placed that morning)
- back to the hostel to prep for our evening meal at Chef Matteo's "4 Course Vegan" gourmet, where we had dinner with several lovely people ... btw, dinner was delish and Kathleen enjoyed it as well, the chef is a busy man
- walk back to the subway, and it is snowing, delighting us both to no end
- the subway is shutting down some stops for maintenance, and we have to figure out an alternate way home (Kathleen's subway savvy comes in very useful)
- we make it back sometime after midnight, that subway is packed (obviously those movies showing scary, spooky, empty late night subway cars are using a LOT of artistic license ... a LOT)



"How you shop for Christmas trees in NYC." ... view along our walking route to reach the subway ...











Sunday the 7th
- get prepped for another day outside
- the morning greets us with a small flurry of snow flakes, and this from a day that was supposed to see no precipitation
- a couple of subway trips find us not too far from the tenement museum
- I'm a bit disturbed by all the noise on the subway, it doesn't bother Kathleen, she likes the ambiance it adds ... I'm more used to silence, so the drumming, singing, and speakered guitar playing irritates me (the sax and acoustic guitars are not nearly as intrusive, and I do enjoy them)

- the Tenement Museum was a must see on both of our lists, we took the "Piecing it Together" tour which covered some of the early home sweatshop development in the garment district; it was important for me to see what some of my ancestors may have experienced ... I know I have German, Scottish, Irish, and Portuguese ancestry from across the pond

I even wrote down a list of books that interested me, I'll borrow them from the library:
Lipstick Jihad
Persian Girls
Sold
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Literature from the Axis of Evil
A Long Way Gone
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
How does it feel to be a problem? Being Young and Arab in America
Rats

I tried to find some souvenirs for my family in the museum gift shop, but honestly, what do you get for people who have everything they want and need?

- go to TKTS and get "Perfect Crime" tickets for half off
- At the end, Kathleen remarked how good the dress fit on Lionel, and that she couldn't see why the play was still running 21 years later; this did not come across as appreciation to my ears ... though I admit to approving of Lionel's red dress as well, it was particularly neat around his bicep/ armhole area; further query over dinner revealed she had enjoyed the puzzling/misdirection of the show, but could not see why the actress had played the show for so long (same actress + same role + 21 years = something's funny ... hm, I see her point)
- stop at gift shops on the way back to the subway at Times Square, and saw some interesting t-shirts, but still could not find anything for family
- Times Square is even crazier than you've seen on TV, people are everywhere! We've decided that anyone who drives in Manhattan is nuts, there are just too many pedestrians, and they don't care about the cars.
- visit Turkuar (Turkish) restaurant for a nice dinner, we had a long time to sit and chat (they were good at finding options for me)



"Christmas Tree at Bryant Park" ...


















Monday, the 8th
- up at 7:30 for fabric shopping
- first stop downstairs for breakfast
- off for fabric overload
- It is cold ... the high today is supposed to be 38, I don't believe them (later research showed a high of 30 for the day, and an average of 25.5 ... brrrr)
- off to Mood fabrics where I found shirting and pant fabrics, Kathleen found gorgeous feeling linen, belt, and sheath fabrics
- On to Ann's favorite Metro and the lovely Kashi who has sumptuous woolens, but nothing that seemed to suit my coloring, until Kathleen found this heavenly rayon lycra burnt orange for me
- waltz through M&J trimming since it is on the way
- then we went to the restaurant recommended by a friend, "Le Pan Quotidient" ... excellent meal
- we stroll to Bryant Park across the street and look through their basically open air market, which was fun to browse (I got a gift for BH), but left us numb and verrry slow (neither one of us could feel our feet)
- head to Spandex House, where the term "customer service" has never been heard. We both leave with two lengths of knit ... we worked so hard getting that blue of Kathleen's out from under a ton of bolts, that neither of us has been warmer on this trip (the guy eating his lunch 10 feet away must have enjoyed our struggle too much to help)
- head back to hotel loaded down; eat at Indian Restaurant "Indus Valley", it was a lovely evening and we enjoyed each others company immensely

"Our stash, is a very, very, very nice stash!"

























Tuesday the 9th
- awaken to the alarm and a mouse rooting around in my purse ... I guess it is a good thing I left the purse open, I've seen what kind of damage those little teeth can do!
- a walk through Central Park starts our day off
- we catch a bus to the Frick Collection, which is interesting - his house and some of the artwork he collected through his lifetime ... BUT, here's where I found the rude New Yorkers: the museum staff wouldn't tell you what procedure was and got frustrated when you were confused, the burgundy coated Nazis (BH says call them Fascists!), aka "room security", was skewed to men and they were NOT helpful ... no one could answer my questions: why does the door have a spring, was it the first automatic door closer?, why are all the books covered in place mats?, and how often are all the clocks checked for timing?
- to top the experience off, I was in the dining room (where the carpet is bordered by approx. two feet of wooden floor, which I stepped onto in order to get a better look at the shades and I'm still at least half a foot away from touching anything) when a burgundy coat came by and said, "Please don't step off the carpet?" ... And I'm all, "Um, how am I supposed to get out of the room, then?" So when I left that room, I made a big production about stepping waaaaay over the wood border to reach the next room. Thank goodness for long legs. Anyway, I saw previously unknown paintings by artists that I recognize (Degas, Whistler, Vermeer, etc.), and Kathleen and I thoroughly enjoyed dissecting:

* the art, which had us uttering comments such as, "her bodice would be falling off" and "where's her chaperone?"
* the furniture, "they just don't make assemble it yourself furniture like they used to" - for the table having a misplaced nail, and "they got a deal on that green trimming, it covers every bit of that chair"
and
* the sculpture, "Diana really needs a quiver of arrows to go with her bow, it is kinda useless otherwise", and "the Greek and Roman gods (and bastards and family) must be too good for clothes, seeing as they never wear any"

Kathleen gleefully pointed out the frustrated landscape artists, whose portrait backgrounds were rich and diverse. She is quite educated with the art that piques her interest.

I took "Art History" during my first degree, and I can appreciate art for art's sake (... usually ... I don't get Rothko type "modern art," I have no appreciation for that glorified kids' play what-so-ever). However, it was nice to be visiting an art collection with someone who saw the quirkier aspects of art. I don't think I was too badly misbehaved.

- then we headed to the Met to get Kathleen's hubby's Christmas present ... Shhh, don't tell him ... but you could nickname the present "Knut". The Met was pretty busy, but I'm not sure it is worth a visit (it strongly reminded me of stories of the Louvre ... too many people to actually enjoy the trip).
- Then we caught the bus north to reach "The Cloisters" which rests at the far north of the island of Manhattan. The bus trip showed us a different side of the Manhattan, and I strongly encourage others to take the trip. You miss so much when you are underground in the subway system. If you have the time, a bus gives you a much better understanding of the architecture and layout of the city.
- "The Cloisters" is this stone effigy built to house medieval art and stone work. There's a lot of monastic architecture in that building, as well as gory religious iconography, a lot of vigins with child, and the unicorn tapestries ... I wish we knew the stories behind those tapestries and the artists' intentions. The building, furniture and fiber work in "The Cloisters" interested me most, but everything was worth a look. Kathleen pointed out that the uneducated peasants at the time could decipher the images so much better than ourselves (as subjects were identified by what they carried or what they were depicted with in the image). So much of our world comes to us via the written word now, but the uneducated masses had only imagery to study.
- We headed back towards the hostel with the intention of eating and during a subway transfer Kathleen made the train at 125th Street, but I did not. I waited and waited for my correct train to arrive (I needed a local for two stops, and everything was express). Finally the train arrived, which kept me from walking the twenty or so blocks. And Kathleen was waiting at the other end. So no worries about trying to find her. She had watched the express trains closely for me, in case I had gotten on the wrong one (my navigation skills are puny compared to Kathleen's, it doesn't hurt that she's been riding subways for more than a decade in total). She breathed a sigh of relief when I stepped off the correct train. :) Crises averted.
- We eat again at Indus Valley. We stopped by a Thai restaurant first, but they couldn't accommodate my special needs, or the girl we talked to had no idea what I was asking (I've run into one other Thai restaurant that put fish sauce in everything, so it could be either answer). We then walked over to the Turkish restaurant to peak through their menu again, but Kathleen wanted me to have a larger selection (isn't she awesome!), and we had our last New York meal together in the window table at the Indian restaurant.



Wednesday the 10th
- up at 7:30 am
- slept okay, but did awaken a couple of times in the night, there are some noisy guys down this hall
- Kathleen has run to the post office (to post Christmas gifts to Perth) and to grab a spot of breakfast. She needs to head out a bit before myself, as she has sightseeing left and I go to the trains to wrestle my luggage to the airport. Fabric is amazingly heavy!
- Kathleen caught the C headed south/downtown with me and we parted at 42nd street station, she stayed on while I transferred to the E headed uptown/Queens ... knowing your Burroughs comes in handy when navigating the subway system.
- My flight to Cincinnati was fairly uneventful, though when the pilot dropped the wheels in deep cloud cover I felt a little uneasy ... we broke through close to the ground and landed with barely a hiccup. Whew. I hoofed my way to my next flight, luckily I didn't need to switch terminals ... just after the flight is called for first boarding, we're told the Houston airport is experiencing weather delays, and our departure has been put off ... 20 minutes ... 50 minutes ...
- we begin boarding and depart by 5:30 pm ... it has been snowing in Houston and it is supposed to reach 31 degrees tonight, should I wrap pipes when I get home?

"Bye, Bye Kathleen ... until next time"












Things I learned about NY:
- the "rude" New Yorker is harder to find than you would imagine
- these old buildings don't ventilate very well, expect to smell like dinner for your entire trip
- the subway is fairly easy to navigate, just have an idea which Burrough is which
- there are smokers, a LOT of smokers, in this city ... and they don't care where the smoke goes, who brushes up against their cigarette (the fashionable and non hold their cancer sticks at hip level), or where their butts go (I looked through a street grate while walking, and the butts are stacked inches high ... very gross.)
- you do get used to the craziness, by day two the crush of people seems normal
- every guy carries a bag here, I guess when you don't have a vehicle you can't depend on your pockets alone ... murses don't carry the negative stigma here that they tend to engender in other parts of the U.S., like the South (cough, cough)
- be prepared for odd people on the subway, we've been serenaded by a loud quartet, and I've been subjected to a religious lecture from the guy wandering car to car

Would I recommend New York? Absolutely ... I can't wait to go back.

So I get this email from a sewing buddy ...

One of my closest sewing buddies, who is literally halfway around the world from me, emails somewhat out of the blue, "I'm thinking about a trip to the U.S., do you meet up with online friends?"

And I say, "Yes! You, of course." And she begins planning a stop by my place. I suggested she take in another city while she was in the U.S. ... I put out Las Vegas, either of the Disney monstrosities, or New York City as possible options.

Being several steps ahead, Kathleen had already planned to hit New York City. I, ever so casually, offered to accompany her on the remaining leg of her American journey. Assuming, of course, that 1) she would welcome the company, and 2) I wasn't intruding on other plans. And I wasn't. Yay! So here's our story ...

Kathleen arrived at IAH on Sunday the 30th of November. We stayed up until midnight chatting away and getting to know each other in person before I let her sleep for a couple of hours. While she was in Houston, we took in the spectacle ... Wal-Mart and huge trucks in the parking lot, the local malls (where we thoroughly dissected the sewing techniques and Kathleen found a gorgeous silk dress at Nordies), and our local fabric stores (Hancock's, JoAnn's, and Universal Fabric Center in the Rice Village, where they tried to charge me $50 a yard for a $16 a yard cotton/lycra ... sheesh).

I will always remember the comment she made about getting to used to "our" accents, our being myself and my immediate family. We don't have accents. My mother is from Colorado and my dad from several places, which gives my brother and I fairly accentless English ... until the ya'll comes out. We're obviously from North America, but even Canadians can't figure me out. :)

In no time at all, four days has rushed past. The night of the 4th found us hurriedly finishing the hem on a dress she needed later on in her journey, and trying to pack for our takeoff the next morning to New York City.

Airports Visited

I've been writing back and forth with a friend who's trying to plan a visit. Her question went something like this, "How can you have been in only 10 airports, when you can't fly directly to Houston from anywhere?"

And I responded, because I always go to the same places. And then I started adding up my airports, or the cities at least ...

Anchorage, AK (ANC - Anchorage International Airport)
Los Angeles, CA (LAX - Los Angeles International)
Seattle, WA (SEA - Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)
Phoenix, AZ (PHX - Phoenix International Airport)
Las Vegas, NV (LAS - Las Vegas McCarran International Airport)
Denver, CO (x 2, Stapleton AND DIA - Denver International Airport)
Midland, TX (MAF - Midland International Airport)
Houston, TX (IAH - Houston George Bush Airport)
Galveston, TX (GLS - Scholes International Airport at Galveston) - PHI helicopter ride
New Orleans, LA (MSY - Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport)
Detroit, MI (DTW - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport)
Orlando, FL (MCO - Orlando International Airport)
Big Island of Hawaii, HI (KOA - Kona International Airport at Keahole)
Moloka'i, HI (MKK - Molokai airport)
Hilo, HI (ITO - Hilo International Airport) - tourist helicopter ride
London, UK (LHR - Heathrow Airport?)

I'm not so sure which London airport I touched down and departed from.

So that's 17 I've flown in or out of, or both in the case of the helicopter rides.

July 05 - delivery to Houston

07/05/2008
- the airports have not been packed, but it was impossible to sleep well on the plane, and we are starting to experience heavy exhaustion ... it is now six o'clock a.m. our (old) time, and we've had no more than three hours sleep; our skin is extremely dry, and our eyelids are sticking to our eyeballs
- breakfast was an energy bar and most of Bill's grapes
- we wander concourse B, stretching out our legs
- two hours until takeoff, and I could really use a nice, comfortable bench, but they are all upright torture devices ... airlines and airports never seem to get good press anymore ... I hear that my pregnant cousin needed several barf bags on the way home, and the flight attendants were so very not helpful, pretty much got an "oh, well" when she ran out ... luckily she has a loving little brother (much like my own) and he pulled some from other rows
- pick up lunch from Quizno's and wait for our flight to be called ... and wait ... and wait
- spoke with my seat-mate David the whole trip, we compared jobs and AK and TX and various vacations and then he got the strangest look of devilish delight in his eyes and asked, "Are you on Blank Street?" I was so shocked ... turns out his mother lived down the street for a couple of years, and he had seen BH ride his recumbent up and down the street ... how odd and amazing was that co-incidence? We had a great chat.


What I've learned on this trip:
- there's nothing like a long trip to teach you what clothes are useful versus which ones are not, and how much I hate companies that can't be bothered to properly finish their clothing
- I only need one tube of sunscreen for the two members of this family ... I ended up with four on this trip, they have wasted valuable space
- Kira food is essential, never leave home without it, bring more than you think you will need
- traveling without a vehicle is nice, but it does bring scheduling challenges, though I know the few miles we've walked on this trip are trifling compared to the miles our ancestors walked
- tourist towns are not for me, neither are highly populated areas, off the beaten path makes me happier
- if shoes are not thoroughly comfortable, think twice, my merrell hikers have worked fairly well, but they bruise the tip of my right fibula (the place I've got bone missing) and it has made a couple days of the trip uncomfortable, especially following a day of rapid elevation change ... I'll be checking out Salomon next
- we like staying somewhere more than one or two nights, it really gives us the opportunity to get the lay of the land
- bring more lotion than you think you will need, running out of "your" brand is a killer
- miniaturize as much stuff as possible, especially palm and cell phone, less weight and bulk is preferable ... it all gets heavy lugging it around
- brush up on your geography, you meet people from all over and it is nice to picture their city/homeland/etc.
- bring plenty of plastic/biodegradeable utensils ... we had to beg and borrow a couple of times, and EVERYTHING got washed several times
- don't bring workout clothes, you walk too much, be prepared for sore feet
- bring multiple sock weights
- don't forget a swimsuit
- you do adjust to a changed temperature after two days, don't over or under pack
- bring minimum makeup, most days I won't bother with it

July 04 - Anchorage, AK - homeward bound

A little (actually big - 20 ft long?/6 meters?) piece of driftwood. This is what Alaska feels like to me: a little sparse and a little lonely. Perfectly representing my view of the entire state.

07/04/2008
- going home, eventually!
- eat at hotel (granola and oatmeal), check out, and store stuff with them
- walk down to the parade grounds for an 11:30 parade that doesn't get started until 11:50, nothing like starting on time ... of course, spectators were still arriving at noon, so maybe we just don't get Alaska time yet
- one guy pulled a little caribou along.
- lots of vet floats (let's hear it for our protector's, doing the job that's demanded of them), Fire Dept, older Alcan and military vehicles, antique cars, and lots of dogs with the spectator's (two boxers almost got into it)
- we keep thinking the parade is over, and then the floats or the bands show up
- man do people have big families here ... I bet I know what they do all winter
- after the parade breaks up, we head into the park grounds where every Alaskan seems to have turned out to celebrate
- we've never seen so many dogs in one area
- what an unusual gathering: so many pregnant women, so many chunky kids, so many kids with a mouth full of silver (I guess those kind of go hand in hand), so many dogs, and so many dad's taking a large share of the kid watching
- how many verses are there to the "Star Spangled Banner?" because I think this singer is up to four so far
- we get a veggie gyro and chips for me, and supreme gyro, reindeer sausage, and chips for BH from the vendor's ... they got mobbed and will be exhausted tonight
- we walk down to the north side of the city to a little creek
- AK is very determined to protect its water, and therefore its salmon, it is rather interesting the you can fish in the streams and creeks surrounding downtown Anchorge, I don't think I'd stick a big toe in any Houston creek/bayou water, much less eat something out of it
- we stop in at "The Ulu Factory" to peruse their collection of crap, and listen in on this loud cell conversation a woman is having with a friend back home in Minnesota ... and we get a really good idea of what the cruise industry's target customer looks and thinks like ... it ain't pretty, and it ain't us
- We stop off for a rest at the Hilton lobby, BH has tired feet and needs to rest indoors, apparently ... none of the outdoor benches are good enough (maybe he's afraid of drunkard/homeless urine and cooties)
- Four o'clock in the afternoon, two hours until dinner and seven hours until takeoff ... the wait is beginning
- from a sign we saw, Carnival has begun confiscating ulus from passengers, and NOT returning this common Alaskan tourist purchase
- Found a raven carving we both like after days and miles of searching, the last shop we were going to stop in, and there it was ... it was carved in 1-2K year old Walrus jaw bone
- back to Ginger for dinner where they made me special yellow tofu curry, delicious, we are so surprised that we haven't seen any recommendations for this restaurant, it is easily the best menu we've looked at in the entire city (downtown walking, anyway)
- mammoth ivory, sea cow, and moose antler? beads, two carved raven heads in???
- walk back to hotel, just missed shuttle and told that the next is thirty minutes away, BH gets a little antsy, if he and his father can't cool their heels in an airport for as least 2.5 hours, they've left too late ... I'm more of a, as-long-as-I'm-there-an-hour-before-takeoff type

July 03 - Anchorage, AK

A totem in the new Anchorage Museum ... we ate lunch way below this raven.


07/03/2008
- Granola and green tea for breakfast, and tv watching
- we eventually amble down to the Anchorage Museum, BH remembers the old museum in its old location, in his words "It did not amount to much" ... the new museum is much larger ... it even has its own restaurant "The Marx Bros. Cafe", which is doing a fairly brisk business, (which is where we are sitting, because BH is famished ... practically ready to faint, he tickles my funny bone when he whines ... I recommend the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich, very tasty)

- The new museum has an entire Iditarod Sled Dog Race collection donated by the founder's family "Joe Redington Sr.", a large display of artifacts and how Alaskan's have looked through the years, an art gallery, and native housing examples

- BH is highly irritated by the urine smell in every doorway we've passed in Anchorage, he wonders what the city is going to do to clean it up
- We are walking along, trying to find something to eat, the Brewhouse has pizza for me but considering our previous experience BH doesn't want to chance it; the Orso has an expensive Vegan pasta dish but we've seen all the seafood dishes at home; and we continue walking to this little hole in the wall called Ginger, a Thai restaurant located at 425 west 5th, between E and D streets, which has delicious upscale food

- We've seen a lot of tourist trinkets the last couple of weeks, both high end and low, and we're surprised at the changes we've seen over the last twenty or so years ... the useful, basic items made by first nations members are nowhere to be found, everything has been spiffed up for the tourists, the natives would never have used this floofy junk ... another unique crafting gone in the search for money, sigh
- A lot of the ivory pendants I've seen have little gold nuggets glued in the middle, kinda like a seasame seed stuck in your teeth, ruins both items ... what a waste and a total turn off
- BH is really disappointed by restaurants that serve grocery food, you know, the kind that you pick up and heat and eat ... we've seen a couple of these along the way

July 02 - Denali to Anchorage via AKRR

A close up of Denali, aka Mount McKinley.










Denali (on the right) with his fellow peak buddies: Mount Hunter (in the middle) and Mount Foraker (on the left).

Apparently this is the clearest the mountain has been since May 12th. The travelogue by the RR mentioned (ad nauseum I might add) that Denali makes its own weather and is usually cloud covered. The smaller mountains at the base are what is usually seen.


07/02/2008
- Awaken to the seriously loud alarm clock here at the cabin, I could not get to sleep last night due to the noise: traffic, equipment movement, and people ... in this world of little sunset, goods run as long as the light lasts, and many people seem to think nothing of slamming doors or calling out in loud voices while the sun is out, even if it is eleven at night
- we are beginning to adapt to our smaller bed, but I will be so happy to be back in a larger bed, especially since this mattress seems to gather items toward the middle ... sheets ... people, etc.
- finish packing and shuffling things around, I'll put the GPS unit in luggage ... if it disappears into the hands of thieves, I'll have to replace it ... we're such nerds
- BH is sick of the facade and faux everything that so many things are going to; he wants to go back to the Yellowstone Lodge in Yellowstone National Park in Montana, I've never been but he has such fond memories of the park and all the creaky old wood in the old original lodge
- I want to go out along the east coast and see what awaits us out there
- We are sitting in the McKinley Princess Lodge, and the fireplace mantel has elaborate oak carvings in it, but there are no oaks in this area ... Aspen, Spruce, Alder, yes, but no oaks ... that's what started the facade irritation ... of course, there are the obligate fake ficus 'growing' all over the place as well
- we went by the general store for soy milk and chips, then we went to Subway for sandwiches
- we took the hotel shuttle to the depot and checked-in for the train and walked up to Denali visitor's center and perused the first/basement floor, I'm fairly impressed with the layout and how much nature they put into the layout
- onto the train at call, BH is taking pictures of the engines and their unusual font presentation which has captured his attention
- we get underway ontime, and I hope that BH is onboard ... he disappeared after unloading his stuff and the train has started moving ... by this time I am starving
- the man finally shows up to change out the camera battery ... we sit down and I power through a footlong veggie delite, half bag of BBQ Grizzly chips, a clif bar, and a soymilk ... this is a huge meal for me; I feel like I've been living on crumbs for days, probably all that crappy cruise food catching up with me
- I do enjoy listening to the tour commentary provided by AKRR employees, they are youngsters with summer jobs, and occassionally flub a line or three, but they all concentrate on diffrent areas of the trip ... the commentators take half the trip and switch trains at the midpoint between Anchorage and Fairbanks, a bit south of Denali
- we have a noisy and boisterous group of seven on this portion of the trip, two children: Sidney and Jeremy (today is his birthday, everybody is invited below for cake)
- we got a clear view of Denali today, "it is only visible twenty percent of the time;" BH is taking copius pictures, I'm, sure; it's a mountain, it is far away, it is covered in snow ... it looks like just about every other moutain I've ever seen, meh.
- I really enjoy looking at the beaver dams, there is awe at their industriousness, but also the cooperation required for a family lodge to go together ... they join meerkats, ants, termites, primates, and some single celled organisms that excell in family/peer/social structures
- AK beavers can reach 100 pounds, beavers elsewhere average 40-70 pounds
- GoldStar (Service) AKRR wise, car B is the preferred car, as a shorter car follows and better picture taking opportunities exist
- however, wildlife viewing is probably better in car A
- watching salmon in the rivers is really interesting, they are huge
- west WA seems more untamed in its pure wildness of flora and faunal forms ... by comparison, AK is tamed and lessened by its severe winter, which curbs its growing ability to a few short months of long-lived days
- In AK, there is this desperation, we must do this now, today; WA has a more timeless mien ... if it doesn't get done today, don't worry, it will tomorrow
- People are still in awe of Denali, it is still a mountain
- BH made this comment regarding the cruises AK King Crab dinner, "They served us the left-over legs, they didn't serve any claws or forearms that are a meal due to their sheer size ... I've been out on a boat ... we'd trade with the fishermen ... Coca-Cola, coffee, sugar, flour, eggs (if on the boat) for AK King Crab, the one's headed for Asian markets" ... now, it's been awhile since he's been out on a working vessel, and he doesn't quite get the reality of reduced crab stock and size, but regardless, I've seen some small AKKC, and I have to agree, the crab the cruise boat served were miniatures ... maybe the steakhouse served the larger ones?
- we had cell service through most of Denali (the NE corner anyway), but half an hour out of Anchorage and I still don't have a useful signal
- finally get hotel, only to be told call back after you have luggage ... the obtaining thereof proves to be a crazy, old timey experience
- our five minute shuttle driver finally hauled himself to the station fifeteen minutes later
- we check in go up to the room and collapse, and find nasty coffee stains all over the sheets, request replacement, and absolutely gross out over the condition of the mattress, how many more of these have I slept on through the years? Ick, ick, ick ... I took the opportunity to check for bed bugs ... we seem to be safe.
- Day's Inn half recommended, but half not

July 01 - Denali National Park, AK

A composite in miniature. This little dude is about 4 inches tall (10.16 cm).

Follow along with our walk again: we caught the Taiga Trail out of the visitor's center, Horseshoe Lake Trail to the north end of (what else) Horseshoe Lake, and went off trail down the Nenana River, which found us back at the Wilderness Access Center ... which found us back on the bike path, and then the red (Jones) shortcut back to the hotel.


07/01/2008
- The Crow's Nest is okay, but there are some things I'd do differently ... fix the toilet that shudders while the tank is refilling, put in one (new) queen size bed and a cabinet rather than two fulls with a nightstand, and offers some DVDs for borrow along with the horrible five channel and DVD combo mini TV player provided
- hard to believe that the best hotel we stayed in was our first night in Tumwater, WA
- This place near Denali is $200/night; anywhere else I wouldn't pay more than $80/night
- this morning dawns chilly and wet ... I will need to stay warm
- BH admonishes me to be honest and explain that we have out very own log cabin to sleep in with our very own bathroom, sharing nary a wall but the bathroom wall of our neighbor
- we catch a van transport (hotel provided) down to the visitor's center; on the transport with us is Caleb and his family, they were heading home to Michigan starting via the railroad depot ... should BH and I ever decide to reproduce, a Caleb would be our curse (uh, blessing); he isn't necessarily busy, nor is he hyperactive, he is just very talkative and we knew how many miles he'd walked and what his parents have done and all he's seen on his trip (we also saw him on the first day while his parents checked-in as well as in the dog sled demo where he was very active during the question session)
- Catch the Taiga Trail out to the Horseshoe Lake Trail (2.5 miles so far), about ten minutes in the rain begins to patter down softly, we watch two little ground squirrel's gathering food, but wouldn't you now that neither of them will stand still long enough for a decent photo
- we see lots of moose track along the way, but no other wildlife save humans, gulls, and an inquisitive little scrub jay like bird that kept close-by throughout our tea and lunch stop ... methinks this little guy has been hand-fed in the past (rain stops during our lunch break)
- after a warming recharge, we follow the creek and beaver dams to the river and then decide to follow the river back to the roadway ... seems simple enough by the map ... btw, I would not have attempted this but for the really good GPS unit we've got (including an extra set of batteries); BH has an excellent sense of direction, but getting off trail can turn anyone around ... and two hikers got lost not long ago
- off trail/trail is interesting, we see a lot more animal tracks, and the fairly worn pathway is easy to follow ... for the most part ... the area is spongy beneath our feet, and parts of the path seem likely to crumble into the river, we finally reach a sticking point where we have to throw ourselves off the hillside or head straight up to the west and hope we find an easier way on the other side, by this time our dried pants had been re-soaked by the underbrush, and we reached the hilltop exhausted, with trembling leg muscles ... and run right into the wilderness access center (ha) ... getting off trail is nice, it gets one away from the crush of humanity, and it is good exercise
- we walk back to town, circle a princess/aramark joint that has over a six hundred rooms, with half of them guaranteed a pitiful view (BH points out that we have a good view from our log cabins ... I agree), and trudge up the hill to our place, where we down some chocolate, drape our wet things, and I curl up for a well deserved nap, the cold saps me more than BH (for a while there following lunch, I wasn't sure my gloves would dry, guess I need water-resistant gloves for the next trip)
- we've reached vacation saturation/away from home saturation (we miss pups, we don't like the Aramark/Princess takeover, and we miss media of choice) ... so we've been away too long at two weeks, five days
- dinner is two cans of soup over pre-cooked noodles ... Annie Chung soup bowls wash and re-use well, though the Miso gives BH a headache and I don't like the way it tastes ... we prefer the teriyaki ... but, of course, when the food box was packed, only Kira food went inside, so BH has slowly chipped away at my food stores on this trip and we will desperately need to hit the grocery store when we get back to the abode ... maybe Sunday
- we like our little MSR pocket rocket stove and plan to look for more titanium ware, our little mug has done well, but the soups overwhelm the mug size
- I've got loads of flower pics ... if just half of them come out I will be happy
- we are getting back into pack and go mode, and prepping for the Anchorage return ... another six hours by train ... I hope we are rested enough to enjoy the return trip, we slept through half of the first one
- most of the food is gone, we are down to energy bars and water and chocolate and tea and oatmeal and granola
- we shower for the night, and as the water runs to warm up, it keeps shutting off, and then starting back up, a very strange experience
- A recently realized twist on this Denali experience, Denali is really only open four months out of the year, they get a thousand winter visitor's each year, everyone else (500K visitors) arrives May through September ... even the local town closes up during the winter ... no wonder the buy push is so strong, and you are not encouraged to bring your own food (no coffee pot, no hot plate, no microwave ... they want you to buy $3 milk and $6 oatmeal instead)