Winter is here!!!

So first let me start with how sorry I am that I have been slacking on my blog!!!! I will try to do better:( If you are still reading thank you!!!

Winter is here....the sequel winter is coming!!
 So a while back I wrote about how winter is coming, and I was totally freaking out about it. I did not feel prepared, and was really concerned about crashing into a snow drift and dying. Well, now that I am officially past my first -30 days and my first major winter storm I can say that I feel much better about surviving the Alaskan winter.

Lets talk about the cold first. Holy shit balls! Please excuse the language but that is the only way to describe the feeling of being in temperatures like this. Really...if you have a better description I would love to hear it! You step outside and the first thing you will notice is your nose. The nose hairs literally start revolting against the cold, and it feels like they are trying to crawl away from the cold back into your head. It is a really weird feeling, and I recommend every try it at least once. Now when it is -30 they are still trying to run away but they are also trying to build a wall to block up your nostrils. This is awkward and unpleasant and you always feel like you have a giant booger hanging from your nose. Good times! Another fun thing about -30 is breathing is not that easy. I mean it is not like I am a fish flopping around on land, but usually if I try to fully inhale I end up in a coughing fit because it feels like my lungs are freezing. So always breath through a scarf or face mask. Or if you want to prove how bad ass you are you can just walk around with a sweatshirt and only breath through your nose. (Good luck with that since that is pretty much shut down by frost boogers!)

If you notice sunrise is at 10 and sunset is at like 3:( Bye Bye sun!!!

Campus during the storm

Lots of snow:)

Lacy seems to be adapting to the weather really well. I bought booties for her but have not figured out a way to get them to stay on so I might be buying a different pair. ( maybe the ones that the sled dogs use! Duh Sarah you are so dumb!!) And she loves ice. I don't understand it but she  chews it, licks it, jumps all around it. So weird.

I finally got snow tires!!! Thanks to my padre:) Driving around town now has officially moved from terrifying to a smidgen concerned! More then once I was just simply unable to stop. I was driving and needed to slow down to turn so I would hit the brakes. And nothing would happen except a terrifying crunching noise as my ABS went into  effect. But it did not slow me down lol. So I drove by a lot of places that I wanted to turn into. I went with the stud-less winter tires, because if you get the studs you can only have them on your car from certain dates. It seemed easier, and they are rated pretty much the same.

Proof that I am an Idiot!

So I love Pinterest! I mean who doesn't! It is awesome and gives people awesome ideas. Only sometimes it doesn't! Sometimes it gives people ideas that seem bloody brilliant and end in disaster! This happened to me last night. I came across a great video about how to make your own sugar wax, and I was like Yes! This is awesome! A natural and cheap alternative to shaving! Winning!!! I watched the video, and was like WHATTTT that is so easy! I got this!

FALSE! I did not have anything! Not even close! I think was hanging in there for the first 5 minutes and then everything just started to go terribly wrong.

In the video the lady tells you to let the wax cool on marble...I did not listen because I was like meh I don't need no stinkin' marble! but I did! I put water on the counter and then poured out the wax from the pan so it can cool and it just went everywhere! It was all over the counter on the wall, the floor, in my hair. My shoe was temporarily stuck to the floor! It was a disaster! It finally started to gel, and I was able to make a ball with it in my hand. What that lady failed to mention is the stuff is like sticky ooblek (you know that stuff that you made in elementary school that is like a liquid and a solid?) Yea it was a lot of fun, but the wax did work! Its amazing! It will rip all your hair out!

You can go from this...

to this in 5 seconds flat!

So where did it go wrong? Back to the whole make sure you pour the wax out on marble! This stuff is super strong, and it was super stuck to my counter. I am 95% sure that I could put a penny on that counter, a bomb could go off in my cabin, and I would find that penny attached to some counter by the wax! So I spent an hour scraping it off the counter with a heated spoon and some hot water!

This is 30 min in!

So in conclusion: All youtube videos are lies, when people say marble they mean marble, and pinterest is a giant trap for women!!!




P.S.~ Finally found something pink for Lace that comes in size giant!

Steve the Squirrel

So moving to Alaska I expected to experience nature and wildlife every time I walked outside. I was hoping for moose or elk or muskox...I got a squirrel. His name is Steve, and Steve is a douche. Lets be honest here, I have never met a jerk as big as this squirrel! In Virginia, besides occasionally trying to commit suicide by running in front of your car the squirrels leave you alone. Not the case with Steve! I don't know if it is an Alaska thing but it is a problem!

Steve

Lace watching Steve freak out in the tree at us! See the terror in her eyes!

At first I though he was just a cute squirrel sitting on my porch eating some pine cones, just chilling. A cute, innocent little squirrel just enjoying some noms before winter. Well that was a giant lie!!! A deception! A ruse!! Two weeks ago Steve showed his true colors! Every time I let Lacy out or go outside he runs up his little tree and screams God- knows- what at me in his little squirrel language. Every time!!! AND he leaves his leftovers on the porch! Rude! I am not a fan!

Left Overs everywhere!!

A couple of days ago Lacy was just hanging out in front of the cabin, sniffing stuff, being a dog; then a pine cone boinked her on the head. She is not the brightest crayon in the box so she didn't even notice, but that is not the point! Now, I'm not saying that Steve did it, but it is suspect! Veryyyyyyyyyy suspect! So needless to say I am very excited for winter so I don't have to deal whit his shenanigans anymore!

There's No Place Like Home!

Homesickness.....it creeps up on everyone. Sometimes it takes a few months, and sometimes it hits after a week long vacation. All I can say is thank Jesus for technology!! Being able to talk and skype with family and friends has pretty much made moving across the continent so much easier!!! There are still days when I wish I could just go hang out with people; go see a movie and eat some Chik fila! (Side note- Alaska doesn't have a Chikfila!!! What even is wrong with them!!! They don't even know what they are missing! Someone could open one here and make so much money!!!) So I have come up with my ultimate list of  5 proven ways to keep homesickness at bay!

1) Get a pet!
I brought mine with me because she is awesome!

As I said awesome! But not everyone is a dog person, and not all apartments allow dogs....soooooo hamsters. They are adorable and hard to kill. Win Win.

Honestly they are too much! If you are not an animal person I guess a plant will suffice, but don't quote me on it...

2) Take up a new hobby!
I've started working on my crazy mad painting skills.:/ I am actually pretty bad but am too cheap to buy artwork!  I'm thinking knitting might be good too. Or curling you know whatever floats your boat!

I call it swirly blue tree

3) Join a club
Clubs and groups are a great way to meet new people.  I'm going with the Wildlife Society so far...mostly because they are going to teach me how to be a not die in the wilderness.  Remember: clubs/ organizations not gangs...just say no.

I don't really have a pic for this one so here is a photo of Charlie Hunnam as everyone's favorite gangster

 4)Take advantage of snail mail!
Today we tend to take old fashion post for granted, but nothing makes my day more then finding a card or letter in my mailbox now a days! Especially when I hear from my grandparents! I don't know why but it just means a lot that someone so far away from you took the time to send a letter. Send letters get letters it is awesome.

5) Finally go shopping
I recommend thrift shopping so you do not shop yourself into bankruptcy, but for me shopping always works. I like to shop. Luckily, I love to bargain shop or else I would probably be a hobo by now. This might be because I am a poor student  but whatever.

True Story!

Sharing is Caring!

I am going to need everyone to check out this blog written by my amazing and talented friend! Pretty much she and her boyfriend act out things that are ok to do as a cat but would get you locked up in  the looney bin for life!  I laughed so hard, and just had to share!! Number 4 is my favorite! My amazing cat Asia does it all the time!!!

Improvements on Zee Cabin!

I know I am overloading you all with posts today! Sorry I will try to get better about updating during the week to spread stuff out! I just wanted to do a quick blog about winterizing the cabin! I went to Lowe's and spent more money then I have ever spent at a hard ware store, but I had a 10% off coup so I guess it was ok. But I got tons of stuff! Lights, a sled, snow shovels, rugs, plastic to go on my windows, and a bunch of other stuff. I strung the lights outside and along the path to my car so I can see. It is like a whole new level of darkness when the sun goes down, and I would rather see an animal before I walk into it. Also it makes everything look pretty and cheerful!

See so cheery!

I bought two new rugs and a pad to go under it to insulate the floor a bit, and Lacy loves it. It is much softer so she can sleep on it comfortably now. Seriously, she didn't even let me finish unrolling it before she plopped down on it!

Money well spent:)

And I finally sucked it up and bought a couch!!!!!!!!!!! This is the first piece of furniture I have ever bought, and I am super excited about it!!! It is going to be delivered next Saturday! Lacy will be super excited cause then she can finally cuddle!! And I will be excited cause the fugly chair will be gone!!! It also folds flat so you can sleep on it, and has storage underneath!! So awesome! It also has a fold down middle consul with cup holders;)

YAY for awesome new couch!

Survival of the Fittess

A couple of weeks ago my best friend/ battle buddy, Kelsey, (who is also a blogger) posted a blog about trying to keep on track with her weight loss.  Click  here so you can go read it! Well I have always struggled with my weight. Mostly because food is delicious and I like to eat it. And by like I mean love. I am such a foodie! Its pretty terrible. Since I have moved up here I have been more active, and been trying to eat better. I eat at home more and try not to eat fast food. But after reading Kelsey's blog I realized I am not being nearly as proactive as I should be! I mean this is Alaska; it's like I am on a new level in a video game but I haven't leveled up yet. Also, if I come home at Christmas and haven't lost any weight, you all have my permission so call fatty mcfatterson when you see me. So here are my reasons for getting into shape:

1) Death by moose is not going to be any where near my obituary! I absolutely refuse to go out that way!

That moose is totally going to get him!

It is a legit concern up here!

2) Death by bear is not acceptable either!

3) I want to learn to ski or snowboard or both. I managed to score some free ski boots at UAF's really free market and am pretty sure it would be illegal not to know how to ski and live in Alaska.

4) Denali- that should be reason enough. I want to hike all over that park! I can see the mountain range every day from campus, and can not wait to be there in person.

5)I only have 15 minutes to get from one side of campus to the other which is about 1.2 miles and is all up hill.

Large Animal Research Station

Some of you may know that I applied to work at the Large Animal Research Station, and I really really wanted it. Like so bad! But i did not get it. Don't get me wrong I love my job and my co workers! It is amazing and so much fun, but I love fuzzy animals. Now thinking about it it is probably for the best that my first winter here does not include a an outdoor job. (Cause lets be honest it is cold and I am a weenie sometimes. ) Any way part of my wildlife class includes field trips, so we went there yesterday and were given a tour by the attending vet John Blake. It was fascinating and i have decided my new goal is to own a muskox farm (or at the very least 1 muskox). They are seriously adorable!!

See soooooooooooo freakin cute!

I love them! They shed a type of wool called qiviut, and each year an adult can produce 5 to 6 pounds ot the stuff. It is warm and very soft, and sells for $90 bucks an ounce! You can find sweaters made from the stuff that cost $1500! I know crazy!!!

They also have reindeer and caribou at the station. Reindeer are the shorter, fatter, nicer version of caribou. Both grow some pretty impressive antlers!

This is a young male Reindeer. he was the baby in the bunch!

Some teen Caribou just hanging out and trying to show who is boss!

This is an older male caribou who was in with the young reindeer playing uncle to them! Them antlers!!! He definitely had the most impressive set!

Fun fact when caribou walk they make a clicking sound, but the sound can not be recreated when the animal is sedated and humans are messing with their feet trying to figure out what makes the sound. So we still do not know what it is, but it is awesome because they think it is used so they can find each other in white out condition! I thought that was pretty awesome! Ahhh nature so crazy! lol

First Snow!

Happy first snow!!!!!:) Yes it has happened already! (Also, apparently in Russia it is a thing to wish people a happy first snow every year!) Yesterday morning I woke up to find everything covered in snow. It was a good inch at least! Snow in September is about as foreign to me as Han Solo meeting Captain Kirk. It is weird and I am not sure what is going on. September just seems so early!!!!! Luckily it got to a balmy 37 so most of the snow was melted by the time I got home from school and work. Lacy seemed to enjoy running around in it. Lucky for her it is suppose to snow again in a few days! Yay for more snow! I think it is time to go and get some snow tires for the old blueberry mobile:)

The very pretty path to my cabin!

Snow does make things pretty:)

V is for Victory the Sequel!

Hi guys!!! So today has been a pretty fantastic, awesome, amazing day:) So I had an interview this afternoon, so I had to get up early so I could get to campus and shower and not have to wait a super long time. (I have been showering in the middle of the day, which is weird, but that means I don't usually have to wait and I don't have to rush!) And on the way to class I FINALLY SAW A MOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES i was driving and it was walking away from the road and into the woods! It was so large! I mean I know they are suppose to be huge but woah! So big! Yes i was so excited I almost drove off the road! It was pretty much the best omen of how today was going to be a day of epic awesomness!!!!!!
I went to my stat lab which was kinda lame but whatever math labs are just silly. Then I had some time to get ready for my interview, and I can be very high strung when it comes to things like this. Like woah..its terrible! I am like:

Yea story of my life right there!! Thankfully the interview went really well! Mostly because the three women who interviewed me were so incredibly nice and informal. (Informal is kinda the rule in Alaska) And I actually got the job and start next week:) So that is a huge relief for me because you know ..gotta make the monies:)Also this job is perfect because I will get to work with a bunch of people who do research at the university, and I get to do homework when it is slow!!!

This pretty much sums up how I felt after the interview;)

Another reason today is awesome is that I actually get to update zee blog from my cabin!! YAY! Thanks sooooooo much to my stepmom Patty for sending me the hotspot thingy from verizon:) so very excited!!

So in conclusion:
This morning:
#of moose spotted-0
# of Jobs- 0
This Evening:
#of moose spotted- 1 Giant One
# of Jobs - 1

VICTORY!!!!!

Alaskan Traditions

So I know I have only been here for a month, but insanity is just kind of the norm up here. I recently read The Frozen Toe Guide to Real Alaskan Livin' by Brookelyn Bellinger. It is a great quick read that gives you a general idea of life up here including what it is like to take care of a homestead for the winter. Lets just say I will not be volunteering for that anytime soon! In her book she included some popular races and events around Alaska. Like in Fall At UAF they have a lumber jack competition followed by a denim and Carhartt ball. Yea I don't even know. Well one of the most extreme ones she listed is the Polar Bear Jump Off Festival. Which is exactly what it sounds like. A bunch of crazies dress up in costumes and jump into Resurrection Bay in the middle of winter for charity. It might be crazy but it sounds like so much fun! I am thinking it is going to be added to my bucket list. Here are some pics I found of it:

Another awesome competition that is held every year is called the Slush Cup. Where skiers come down a hill into a pond full of icy water. Again there are costumes. And most of the time the skiers face plant in the water. The winner is determined by air time and style. The list would not be complete without an outhouse race would it? The Chatanika Outhouse race which i think is like bobsledding with an outhouse? I am not 100% on this one but it is in Fairbanks so I will be finding out lol! The outhouses have to be hand built and 4 people push it around a 1 mile course. That sounds like a guaranteed good time to me!

0Like I said insanity...

One month!

I have officially been in Alaska for a month!! Yes! Time has moved slow and fast at the same time; which has been weird and awesome at the same time. I have gotten into a routine with doing laundry and showering which has made the transition in to going back to school much easier. Classes have been pretty nice so far. The first day my class was cancelled! That is something that has never happened to me at VCU ever!! So it was a pleasant little surprise. Friday, I had all of my classes, and I was surprised by how different it is here. It is much smaller population wise but the campus is huge and spread out. I would have to say that UAF has more of a upbeat happy vibe. The students and professors are here not just to teach but because they fell in love with Alaska. Some teachers came here 30 years ago and just never left. That has been a running theme with most of the transplants like me. People just seemed to be sucked in and then they never leave! People are also just super open up here. They will just start a conversation with you anywhere at anytime. It is strange but nice at the same time. So I have high hopes for the coming semester:)

Things UAF has but VCU does not:
1) a shuttle that goes all over campus (Mostly because you cant walk from one end of the campus to the other in 15 min and it will be freezing cold soon)
2) good food-UAF's food is fairly delicious. They have some bomb quesodillas
3) Free ice cleats for your shoes (i dont care that VCU has no need for these)
 4) Starvation Gulch- this is some tradition that involves lots of bon fires and food to welcome the new school year and has been going on since 1923
5) Wildlife Society- they have a game dinner every year and you get to eat whale, moose, and a bunch of other wild game crazy and awesome!

The job hunt continues unfortunately! It was soooo disappointing to get an interview but not the job:( Silver lining is that I have another interview doing research next week, so fingers crossed on that one:)

So complete side note: I am sitting in barnes and noble writing and doing homework for tomorrow and this 12 year old boy is playing legos. He accidently sends the legos flying off the table and just shakes his head and goes "Oh gravity.." It pretty much made my day and cracked me up! Kids are so weird....

Ohh Alaska!

I do not have internet at my cabin at this time...the internet situation has been a struggle and a disappointment. I thought I would be able to have internet when I moved up here, but it was a lie!!!!! Anywho, so no internet or cable has been weird and annoying, but it is kind of nice to unplug a bit. Since I don't have cable I spent 50 bucks on a digital antenna so I could pick up the local channels. I get CBS and some strange radio stations and a station  called Create that I have yet to figure out, but I have discovered FNX which stands for First Nation Experience. This is a Native American channel!!!! And it is AWESOME!!! I watched a show last night that I really couldn't tell you what was going on but it had Eric Schweig in it who I ADORE! This morning there was a show about an all female all Native American hockey team! It was pretty cool, and I feel like I need to learn how to play hockey...probs never going to happen though:)

Also, classes start this week:) I am excited about it, but nervous at the same time. I think excitement wins out though! I also have a job interview this week which I am stoked about! YAY!!! I feel like I have been waiting forever to hear back about a job! So send good vibes my way please and thank you!

Really this is very short because i just wanted to tell everyone about the tv channel and the job interview:)

P.S- This is Eric Schweig for you heathens who don't know who he is! (aka people who have never seen Last of the Mohicans!)

Uncas being all heroic and self sacrificing!

Victory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well guys I feel like I am an official Fairbanksian...it has taken almost a month but I think I have joined their ranks! What caused this change? Well for two main reasons

First, I got my car winterized this week. Which means heaters have to be placed on the engine so I can plug it in and unfreeze my car. Because without the heaters the car would pretty much be useless. Most parking lots around here have outlets for you to plug your car in while you are in the store or work or at school. So this means that my car now blends in because I have a little plug hanging out:)

See its awesome! Please ignore the VA plates they are about to be replaced!

Secondly, (and this is the major victory) I had my first dumpster find!!!! Yes so excited!! If you have not being reading my blog here is a quick update! In Fairbanks you take your trash to "Transfer sites", and it is very popular for people to roam and dig through trash to find useful stuff. So on Friday I went to throw my trash away, and saw that there was a moving truck there unloading some stuff so I figured it was a good time to check out what others at thrown away. So I meandered over to the where there is a pavilion where people can leave useful stuff. It was a bit crowded; there were probably about 15 people going through the trash. (See I told you everyone does it!) So I was making my way through my eyes landed on it. A sad lonely figure among all the rubble and discarded waste..it called to me. the beautiful Bissell vacuum  was leaning up against a broken chair. I wandered over to it ( I didn't rush afraid that I would draw attention to it and would have to fight someone off of it with a shiv I made out of a lamp), it seemed like new besides being filled with dirt and, MAJOW BONUS, it was only missing one attachment! And then I walked away form it!!! I was all like come on Sarah who is going to throw away a perfectly good vacuum....and then I was like SNAP out of it! It is free you better go get that baby! So I grabbed it, and power walked back to my car like I stole it!! Inside I was doing my saving money dance (think cupid shuffle meets electric slide)! SOOOOOOO excited! I cleaned the filters and wiped it down as soon as I got back to the cabin, and after I let everything dry it was time for the moment of truth! I plugged it in to the outlet that I have on my porch, hit the switch, AND nothing. I was like ughhh such a fail. but did I give up? Nay nay I did not! I plugged in inside on a socket I know works, and BAM! The vacuum came to life!! Score! Free vacuum from the dump!! WINNINGGGGGGGG! SO much WIN!!

Yes someone actually threw this away! P.S~ totally retails at like $100!

 P.S.- Lacy and I found a new pet store that is pretty fantastic! It is called Cold Spot Feed! I picked up a winter coat for Lace on clearance for $22:) and she got an awesome new collar and harness!!

What's in your outhouse?

The outhouse...oh the outhouse is still a frightening place for me. I have clearly been spoiled my entire life by having a toilet. What were my parents thinking?! Meh I don't know but the outhouse has become apart of my everyday life...unfortunately! I think I shall name my outhouse Mordor because...

It's true..you can't.. you have to prepare and bring supplies. It is like a small field trip that you have to go on multiple times a day. At first I was like why wouldn't I just leave the toilet paper in the outhouse? No reason not to, but then I was like hmmm ummm no its gross what if it gets wet? It is going to be cold, can toilet paper freeze? I don't know but probably; so I now have a little toilet bag that I grab. It has TP, baby wipes, a rock to throw at a moose, Clorox wipe, candles, matches, bear spray, band-aids, light snacks in case I get lost... pretty much anything I need plus a lot of unnecessary stuff.

Fun fact- people have to use foam toilet seats or like some kind of knitted sock to go over the seat because sitting on plastic in -40 can result in constipation. Which makes sense because your body is just like nope not at this time...try again later like maybe in spring. Yea its that kind of cold.

Winter is coming!

So I am a huge fan of Game of Thrones! I love the books and the tv series is pretty much the bomb.com!! Peter Dinklage is my hero <3! If you have not read the books or seen the show 1) what are you doing with your life? and 2) the Stark households saying is Winter is coming...because it is. So this has been on my mind pretty much all summer as I started to prepare myself for the move up here. It is  900 degrees with 100000% humidity but winter is coming!

Well guys it really is coming!! Most nights not it gets down into the 30's! The 30's!!! In August!!! So this new chilly weather has created a small mild internal panic inside me! AKA I AM FREAKING OUT!! I feel like I need to prepare. I need to chop lots of wood even though I don't have a wood stove! I need to hibernate or start squirreling away food. I don't know, but I do know that while I am freaking out over this winter situation that is about to lay a smack down on Fairbanks everyone else is just super calm. They are like hey are you ready and someone else is like almost. and that's it! Logically, I know they have no reason to freak out because they are used to it and whatever but I would really like them to join in on my panic. Have like sympathy panic with me. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so!

I have not used the heater in my cabin yet; mostly for two reasons: 1) my place is super well insulated so it usually never gets below 55 inside and 2) I figure this is a good way to start to adjust (and hopefully stimulate some fur growth in Lace).

So in my panic I made a list of top ten things you need in order to survive a winter in Alaska (Note this list will be revised in spring upon me actually surviving a winter in Alasaka:))

1) Get your car winterized - this means you get fancy oil put in that wont freeze and heaters installed. You have to plug those heaters in so they will warm up your car so you can start it. My house, the university and most parking lots have outlets that you can plug your car in!


2) Epic snow boots and jackets- I have a pair of Columbia boots but I am looking for a pair of bunny boots because everyone sweats by them. I have 2 jackets and my ultra heavy parka that I need to get.

3) Silk long johns- layers are most important lots of underlayers

4) Blankets- I have been stock piling blankets. I look for sales and good deals on blankets everywhere I go. You need them for your house, your dog, and in your car for emergencies. Also, a good goose down never hurts:)

5) Water- An emergency water supply is a must

6) Freeze dried food- Some for your house and car. (Really I have an emergency kit in my car that pretty much contains anything and everything you can think of and probably some that you have not!)

7) Day lamp- because the sun will be gone and that will be so sad! Day lamps are a must

8) Entertainment- Winter here lasts a long time so I have tried to stockpile movies, games, and books to get me through the winter. Psych and New Girl are probably my go to favorites:)

9) Candles and Twinkle Lights- Because they are pretty and handy in an emergancy

10) Hand warmers -this one is kind of self explanatory

I am like 95% sure this list will change and be expanded upon in the next few months so until then...

My cabin

So here are just a few quick pics of what my tiny little cabin looks like:)

ze bedroom with my nifty thrift store pillows;)

Zee kitchen please note the pineapple! PSYCH!

Zee living room I will be getting rid of that chair and getting a futon or sleeper sofa of some sort eventually...some day..maybe never but the hope is there!