Most of you probably know that my feet are constantly at odds with shoes. I often wonder, "Why do shoes hate me?"
When I came up here, I wore flip flops (good plane shoes). In the frenzy to leave, I forgot about other shoes. When I got into my bag, I found I had tennis shoes (good, but not for going somewhere nice) and winter boots. Hmmmm... not great options. So, I went to Fred Meyer (yes, there are other options; I was there shopping). I found some Keds (leather, so no repeat of the canvas shoe fiasco of 2003). I also found some sandals. I tried on a few: Tevas, Nevados, etc.
I chose Nevados-- and they are awesome. I got the "Focus Sandal". They are squishy and supportive. They have a soft layer that hits your foot on the inside of the suedey part. I love slipping them on to go out to the garbage; but, I can also go jogging in them. The only bad thing is that they're a little too big... I got 8's, but probably needed 7's. They only have full sizes and, at least these, were a little big.
They also have hiking boots; so, I'm totally going to avail myself of those too :)
Sorry to be a walking ad (he he--walking), but they're so great!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
62 degrees and a Tank Top
You will not believe it. It's 62 degrees in Anchorage today... okay, that part you should believe... but, I'm wearing a tank top!! It feels so nice :) It's breezy and brisk, but in the sun a tank top is just right.
People here are saying they wish they could have more warmth... that it's not summer without heat. Ha! I say... I'm not missing 110 degrees one bit. (There's lots I do miss, but the temperature is not one of them.)
John says I'll understand the lure of heat when it gets to December. Hmmm, probably true... but for now, I'm loving the weather.
People here are saying they wish they could have more warmth... that it's not summer without heat. Ha! I say... I'm not missing 110 degrees one bit. (There's lots I do miss, but the temperature is not one of them.)
John says I'll understand the lure of heat when it gets to December. Hmmm, probably true... but for now, I'm loving the weather.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Apartment: Still no pictures, but...
Aside from the fact that I managed to incorrectly use at least 2 punctuation marks in the title, this post is the layout of our apartment. We are the downstairs unit in a 2 story house. The 2 stories are completely separate. (So, what's shown here is all ours-- there's another "apartment" above us.) I still don't have pictures (though I'm optimistic one of these boxes will have my USB cable), but did a completely non-scaled (yep, amazingly the bathroom isn't larger than the guest bedroom) depiction of the apartment's layout. Hopefully this helps you picture where we're living. I'm currently in the living room if you need me to be really specific. ;)
I'm sorry to do this, but...
Kyle posted the link to this article under one of the comments. This is... (restraining my gag reflex) regarding smoked salmon vodka. I think that sounds UTTERLY disgusting... and I like vodka!! Anyway, Kyle thinks I should try it. I don't. Votes???? Will I be brave and fearless or ill?
Are You Ready For Smoked Salmon Vodka?
Because there is apparently a lack of meat-flavored vodkas in the world, a distillery in Alaska has recently unleashed a version of the distilled spirit infused with the unmistakable taste of smoked salmon.
"I was trying to think of something Alaskan. What's more Alaskan than smoked salmon? It was one of those epiphanies, I suppose," one of the partners at Alaska Distillery says by way of an explanation.
He says it took the vodka makers 48 tries to come up with just the right blend of vodka and fish, and it wasn't always a pleasant process: "Definitely the first few times we had our heave bucket close by... It was pretty bad, and you know, greasy."
To make their fishy vodka, they smoke the fish using a secret process. Then they remove the skins and grind up the meat before mixing it with highly concentrated ethanol. This process produces a fluid that contains, "the flavor, rich color and essence of the salmon."
Take it from here, vodka dude:
“From there, we strain it out, and we take the fluid, which now is very concentrated smoked salmon essence, and we add that to our vodka. We do a cold infusion process, we filter it a couple more times, and out the door it goes.”
And the vodka has been going out the door. The first shipment, to Texas, was sent on June 16. California drinkers in need for salmon-flavored vodka will soon be able to get their fix and the distillery is going through the process of getting the vodka into Washington state.
Meanwhile, it's found a spot behind the bar and in the kitchen at the Bear Tooth Grill in Anchorage, where the bartender uses it to make Bloody Marys and the chefs use it for a cream sauce served over salmon and pasta.
"In Alaska, we eat a lot of salmon, it's part of our diet," said the bartender. "Either you eat the piece or you drink it. One's going to give you a buzz, one's going to fill your belly."
Yes, but can you deodorize your clothes with it?
Boxes... 4 down and 9-ish to go!
Today Bill (our once a week mail carrier) stopped by with 4 of my boxes-- 2 parcel post and 2 media mail. I'm excited to open them and begin unpacking tomorrow!
The Thing About Primary Teachers
Today I had lunch with my 2nd grade team of teachers. There were only 2 2nd grade teachers; I make 3. One of the 1st grade teachers joined us.
Jeannette, one of the 2nd grade teachers, came to Anchorage last year. She is originally from Oregon. She arranged our meeting and brought a basket of brochures, guides, and menus for local things. The basket also had borders (for the classroom), paperclips, a pad of paper with an L on it, and colorful pencils.
Christi also teaches 2nd grade. She's from Alaska.
Susan is a 1st grade teacher. She's lived in AK for 20 years, but came from Kansas City. She said the key to enjoying AK is to get outdoors.
This made me remember what I completely forgot about primary teachers is how sociable they are. Before we left they had like 3 other meetings set up. It's an adjustment from our stodgy middle school teacher routine! It was lovely of them to set this up, and I'm looking forward to working with them.
Jeannette, one of the 2nd grade teachers, came to Anchorage last year. She is originally from Oregon. She arranged our meeting and brought a basket of brochures, guides, and menus for local things. The basket also had borders (for the classroom), paperclips, a pad of paper with an L on it, and colorful pencils.
Christi also teaches 2nd grade. She's from Alaska.
Susan is a 1st grade teacher. She's lived in AK for 20 years, but came from Kansas City. She said the key to enjoying AK is to get outdoors.
This made me remember what I completely forgot about primary teachers is how sociable they are. Before we left they had like 3 other meetings set up. It's an adjustment from our stodgy middle school teacher routine! It was lovely of them to set this up, and I'm looking forward to working with them.
Pun-erific!
I love a good (and, let's be honest, a bad) pun. The following are culled (yep, these are the best ones) from an article for lexophiles from Renee. Enjoy, It's your thyme!
1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
4. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
5. A calendar's days are numbered.
6. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
7. His photographic memory had never fully developed.
8. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at
large.
9. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
10. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
11. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
12. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
13. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
14. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.
15. The roundest knight at king Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
16. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out
to be an optical Aleutian.
17. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.
18. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
19. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
20. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
21. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
22. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
23. Don't join dangerous cults: practice safe sects.
24. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, "No change yet."
And, in case this didn't fulfill your multi-vitapun needs, you can also check out Pun of the Day's funniest puns.
1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
4. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
5. A calendar's days are numbered.
6. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
7. His photographic memory had never fully developed.
8. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at
large.
9. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
10. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
11. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
12. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
13. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
14. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.
15. The roundest knight at king Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
16. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out
to be an optical Aleutian.
17. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.
18. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
19. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
20. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
21. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
22. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
23. Don't join dangerous cults: practice safe sects.
24. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, "No change yet."
And, in case this didn't fulfill your multi-vitapun needs, you can also check out Pun of the Day's funniest puns.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Anchorage and the Movies
My brother asked about movies in Anchorage. In particular, he asked about availability and "how old are they before they come out there".
To begin with, I'd like to be offended on Anchorage's behalf... thinking it's a backwards town that doesn't get movies on time!! I'd like to be offended; unfortunately, I thought the exact same thing. (I had flashbacks to Cottonwood and my grandparents not being able to see movies until 2 months after they came out-- not that they saw movies!)
Fortunately, the films are current and the movie theaters (at least the one I've been to) is updated. We saw "Grown Ups" on Friday night and "Toy Story 3" in IMAX 3D yesterday. These were at the Regal Cinemas Tikahtnu... the best was at the IMAX during the pre-show when the screen claimed to be the largest AT THE TIKAHTNU... that's right, the largest screen at that theater!!-- quite a claim ;) The films are pricey ($9.75/ticket), but you can get 2 tickets for $15 at COSTCO. There are 6 theaters in Anchorage.
There is also a theater/restaurant. It's called the Bear's Tooth TheatrePub. They have movies that are a bit older, but they also have independent films (Greenberg, 180 Degrees South, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, and Best Worst Movie). You can check out the films at their website. These films are $3 each. I haven't been to a movie there, but the food's good. John and I had pizza from there last night.
John described Anchorage as a cross between Portland and Flagstaff. I think that's probably a pretty accurate description. Population-wise it's about 280,000... a little under twice the size of Tempe and a little more than 5 times the size of Flagstaff.
To begin with, I'd like to be offended on Anchorage's behalf... thinking it's a backwards town that doesn't get movies on time!! I'd like to be offended; unfortunately, I thought the exact same thing. (I had flashbacks to Cottonwood and my grandparents not being able to see movies until 2 months after they came out-- not that they saw movies!)
Fortunately, the films are current and the movie theaters (at least the one I've been to) is updated. We saw "Grown Ups" on Friday night and "Toy Story 3" in IMAX 3D yesterday. These were at the Regal Cinemas Tikahtnu... the best was at the IMAX during the pre-show when the screen claimed to be the largest AT THE TIKAHTNU... that's right, the largest screen at that theater!!-- quite a claim ;) The films are pricey ($9.75/ticket), but you can get 2 tickets for $15 at COSTCO. There are 6 theaters in Anchorage.
There is also a theater/restaurant. It's called the Bear's Tooth TheatrePub. They have movies that are a bit older, but they also have independent films (Greenberg, 180 Degrees South, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, and Best Worst Movie). You can check out the films at their website. These films are $3 each. I haven't been to a movie there, but the food's good. John and I had pizza from there last night.
John described Anchorage as a cross between Portland and Flagstaff. I think that's probably a pretty accurate description. Population-wise it's about 280,000... a little under twice the size of Tempe and a little more than 5 times the size of Flagstaff.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
INTERESTED IN ALASKA POINTS??
These days everyone wants them, but so few people have them.
"What's this?" you say.
ALASKA POINTS of course. Worth absolutely nothing, you want to earn all you can!!
"But, how do I earn them?"
Excellent question! All you have to do to earn all the extra credit you could ever want in Alaska Points is: RESPOND. I'm beginning to feel like I'm having a conversation with myself. So, please, please, COMMENT.
ALASKA POINTS SCORE BOARD: as of 7/1, 12:30pm
Tracy-- 40 points
Dad-- 20 points
Mom-- 120 points
Andrew-- 20 points
Kyle-- 202 points (over-achiever)
Margo--20 points
Amelia-- 30 points (10 for post plus 20 for opening an interstate point market)
Wanda-- 30 points
Sandy-- 10 points
Erin-- 10 points
Comments...
Howdy~
So, I know many of you have been *desperately* (okay, maybe not desperately) trying to post comments. I also know that some people have been having difficulty with doing so. I'm sorry. I changed the setting to allow you to choose anonymous or (preferably) to write in your name. In the drop down menu, you can select your user name (if you're on gmail or twitter or...) or anonymous :( or name/URL :).
Get your Alaska Points while they're fresh!!!
So, I know many of you have been *desperately* (okay, maybe not desperately) trying to post comments. I also know that some people have been having difficulty with doing so. I'm sorry. I changed the setting to allow you to choose anonymous or (preferably) to write in your name. In the drop down menu, you can select your user name (if you're on gmail or twitter or...) or anonymous :( or name/URL :).
Get your Alaska Points while they're fresh!!!
Spiders and Snakes
Growing up in Arizona, I know all about the scary critters to watch out for... rattlesnakes, recluses, scorpions, black widows... anyway, that's what comes to mind right now. HOWEVER, I had no idea what to be watching for here in Alaska. Could a deadly critter be lurking around the corner? I thought I better check!
And, to my relief, NO... there's only 1 poisonous spider... the Hobo Spider. (Apparently bites from spiders in the Callobius family sting, but don't cause problems.) Bites from Hobo Spiders are reported by about 5 people per year and generally don't cause major issues. So, phew.
The only major challenge is that the Hobo Spider looks very similar to the Giant House Spider. The former is bad and the latter is fine. The Hobo Spider is pictured on the left and the Giant House Spider on the right.
There are no native snakes in Alaska. This makes sense to me for all the cold blooded reasons you can think of; but, it's also bizarre.
I've never heard of poisonous birds... so, I'm going to assume that I'm in the clear ;)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Hand Painted Desserts and Scared Scriptless
Tonight John and I went out... so nice to be in the same city :)
We had dinner at Southside Bistro. We had a couple of appetizers (the calamari and brie flatbread) and split the fillet mignon special... because we had 2 desserts. They are "hand painted"... I'm not really sure what that means, but they were delicious. We had the chocolate terrine. I don't know what I thought that would be; it was kind of like a slice of mousse. Then, we had the peach/raspberry cobbler, which was fantastic.
After dinner we went to Scared Scriptless. That's Anchorage's local improv group. It was fun... very good natured, not offensive.
It was a nice evening. I'm not sure how much I can really write about what I'm eating... perhaps it should be a rule that, if what I ate for dinner is all I can think to write about, it's time to skip blogging ;)
We had dinner at Southside Bistro. We had a couple of appetizers (the calamari and brie flatbread) and split the fillet mignon special... because we had 2 desserts. They are "hand painted"... I'm not really sure what that means, but they were delicious. We had the chocolate terrine. I don't know what I thought that would be; it was kind of like a slice of mousse. Then, we had the peach/raspberry cobbler, which was fantastic.
After dinner we went to Scared Scriptless. That's Anchorage's local improv group. It was fun... very good natured, not offensive.
It was a nice evening. I'm not sure how much I can really write about what I'm eating... perhaps it should be a rule that, if what I ate for dinner is all I can think to write about, it's time to skip blogging ;)
Snow in the Summer?
So, I keep driving around. And, every once in a while, it seems like it's snowing... or raining cotton. It's taken me a bit, but I think --as best as I can figure out-- it's cotton pollen from the cottonwood trees. I actually found a video on you tube of it... Snow in Summer. I've also posted a picture I found that will indicate the sheer volume of fluff. On the plus side, (and a big finger crossing on this one) my allergies haven't been bugging me :)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Salmon Update Uno
Ummm... so John says the salmon tasted good... I thought it tasted okay. I prepared it with soy sauce and horseradish, but it's better when my Dad makes it. He makes it on the barbecue, though; I couldn't barbecue it (we don't have one). Instead, I cooked it on the George Foreman Grill. At first I tried to cook the salmon with the grill open. However, with only 1 side of contact, it seemed to be cooking way too slowly. Then, I tried "tenting" it... still no progress. Finally, I just closed the grill. It was fine, but not stellar.
On a more positive note, I made green beans and those were delicious. I boiled them for a few minutes and then stir fried them for a couple minutes with creole seasoning, seasoned salt, olive oil, and a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Those were delicious. Salmon was eh.
On a more positive note, I made green beans and those were delicious. I boiled them for a few minutes and then stir fried them for a couple minutes with creole seasoning, seasoned salt, olive oil, and a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Those were delicious. Salmon was eh.
Salmon-- It's not just a color!!
In Anchorage, the downtown is organized on a grid-- 1st is in the north end of town (the numbers are east-west streets, getting "bigger" going south... like I think we're going to dinner on 86th tomorrow night and that's in South Anchorage) and U street is the far west side of downtown (the letters are north-west streets, going lower in the alphabet going east...this is limited to "A" and then you start normal letters again).
Today I went to 10th & M Seafoods, which is about 6 blocks from home. There I got 2 packages of salmon. One fresh and one frozen... that's about as much as I would have specified in Arizona... whoa there... in Alaska, there's a LOT more to know. In case you have no interest in the Alaska details, I've color-coded the AK-specific parts, feel free to scroll down to the black Zonies-only info.
To begin with, there are 5 different kinds of Salmon.
(from Wild Pacific Salmon)
Q: What is the best wild salmon to eat?
A: While the five species of Pacific salmon all share a general outward resemblance, they vary in size, flesh color, and flavor. All species of wild salmon are wonderful to eat.
Chinook Salmon are lightly spotted on blue-green backs. They live from five to seven years, and can weigh up to 120 lbs. Also known as Springs or Kings, they are the most prized game salmon for sport fishers. Chinook is the largest species of Salmon, with richly flavored, flaky flesh ranging from ivory white to deep red in color. Chinook Salmon has the high oil content due to its size and the length of time it spends fighting the ocean currents. The Chinook flesh takes a rub or marinade well.
Sockeye Salmon has a blue-tinged silver color skin. Sockeye salmon live four to five years, weigh up to 15 lbs and are the slimmest and most streamlined of the five species of Pacific salmon. Also known as Red Salmon, Sockeye are a popular salmon species for its stronger 'wild' flavor and uniquely beautiful, deep red color to its flesh. Great with other strong flavors like wild mushrooms.
Coho Salmon are bright silver in color. Often referred to as a Silver Salmon, they live three years, weigh up to 20 lbs., and are a popular game fish for sport fishers. The Coho’s versatile full flavor is coupled with fine-textured, consistently red flesh. The firm Coho flesh is great on the grill.
Keta, also known as Chum or Dog salmon for their hooked upper lip, have black specks over their silvery sides and faint grid-like bars. They live three to five years, and weigh up to 20 lbs. Keta salmon offer a milder, more delicate flavor with a creamy pink to medium red flesh color. Keta are a soft meat and are often used in seafood chowders.
Pink Salmon are the smallest of the five Pacific Salmon species, living only two years. They have heavily spotted backs over silver bodies and weigh up to 5 lbs. Pink salmon are the most plentiful of the five species. Pinks have a delicate flavor and light flesh color and are most often commercially canned or used in pet foods.
Both of the packages of salmon I got were King Salmon.
The fresh salmon was "troll caught".
According to Alaska Seafood, trolling is:
In southeastern Alaska the first commercial fishermen to encounter Salmon are members of the troll fleet. Trollers are small fishing vessels operated by one or two people who fish with a number of lines and hooks baited with herring or artificial lures. Of all the commercial Salmon fishing methods, trolling may be the least efficient from the standpoint of intercepting fish. High-seas trollers must search for fish in the open ocean; net fishermen by contrast, wait in areas where Salmon are known to school in the migratory route.
By way of compensation, trollers are allowed to fish beyond the inshore limits set for net fishermen, and generally have more days of fishing time. Modern fishery management tends to favor inshore methods and it is unlikely troll fishing will be significantly expanded.
Troll-caught fish are usually "ocean caught" or "brights", that is, they are caught before maturity when they are moving inshore and feeding heavily. They are attractive fish, somewhat smaller, perhaps, than those caught by the net fisheries, but in full vigor of their ocean period. Only Coho, King and Pink Salmon are taken in any number by the troll fleet and all three species, when delivered by a competent fisherman, command a premium price.
The volume of troll-caught fish is much smaller than that for net- caught fish. Troll-caught Salmon generally make up less than 10 percent of the total Alaska catch of all species of Salmon.
What they lack in quantity, troll-caught Salmon make up in quality. No fish is treated with more care from the time it leaves the water until it is delivered to the retailer's door. A sharp rap on the head quiets the fish before the hook is removed; a thrashing fish is apt to bruise himself or dislodge scales.
The fish is then gilled and gutted. Ice will be carefully packed in the body and head cavity and the fish will be laid on a layer of ice in such a way that the body cavities can drain freely. The surrounding ice will be arranged so that no fish comes in contact with another fish and so that all liquids drain away from the fish and into the vessel's bilge where it is pumped overboard. If the vessel has freezing capability, the fish will be blast-frozen much the way it is ashore, dipped in fresh water to form an ice glaze and placed carefully in the hold.
Almost all troll-caught fish go into the fresh, frozen or smoked market. The small number of fish represented in the troll catch, combined with their uniform attractiveness, make them the most valuable, pound for pound, of the Alaska Salmon.
The fresh salmon was also white-fleshed.
According to Think Salmon,
The familiar orange-pink colouration in salmon is produced by carotenoids, which appear as photosynthetic natural pigments. Carotenoids are produced only by phytoplankton, algae, plants, and a limited number of fungi and bacteria. Salmon absorb carotenoids as they eat, and usually the carotenoids are deposited in their muscles, resulting in that familiar orange-pink colour.
However, it's genes that determine the distribution and storage of carotenoids.
In some salmon, the gene(s) responsible for depositing carotenoids into muscle are simply missing or present in low amounts. When this happens, salmon flesh won't turn the colour we're accustomed to seeing, and instead appear white, cream, or marbled.
When I asked the "butcher" (is that what they call them???), she said about 50% of their wild-caught salmon just has white skin and that it doesn't mean anything else... we'll see... it was $2 less per pound... so I thought I'd try it. (In case you were wondering, fresh- troll caught King Salmon is going for $15.95/pound-- a little less if it's white fleshed.)
I'm going to cook the fresh salmon tonight... I'll keep you posted.
As for the frozen salmon,
Q: How do you thaw Salmon?
A: If Salmon products are vacuum sealed in a plastic pouch, place them in a sink with cold water until thawed. If your fish is wrapped in plastic or just raw, place it on a plate in the refrigerator the night before you want to cook it, cover with plastic wrap, and let it thaw. Water in direct contact with raw product washes away the color and flavor of Salmon.
Q: What is the shelf life of vacuum sealed and frozen Salmon?
A: Salmon products that are vacuum sealed are in an air free environment, thus they are protected from dehydration or freezer burn. If the package keeps its integrity, the quality should remain the same as the day Salmon was packaged. As a life long Salmon connoisseur, I have found that one year is a good shelf life for fresh salmon that has been vacuum sealed and immediately frozen (FAS).
So, that's the word (or several) on salmon. I'll let you know how the cooking goes :)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Magpies?
FROM 6/24/10 AT 9:42 AMWell, so far I'd seen seagulls and Canadian geese... then I started seeing this really pretty bird. It was quite big, had a black head, white wings, and some shiny blue too. This was the first bird that I didn't recognize AT ALL.
This morning, the bird started hanging around in our pine tree. So, I did some hunting (figuratively, of course) and figured out it was a magpie. My camera isn't uploading right now... so, this picture is one I found online of a magpie in Anchorage.
Updated July 13, 2010:
I've added
pictures... this was the day I saw a magpie right outside our window. Actually, Nelson discovered it first and w
as quite fascinated. Nelson didn't seem to realize that the magpie was as big as he is!
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