Over, but not quite over

Our Thanksgiving vacation in Fairbanks is over, but I stayed in Anchorage to go to a dental appt tomorrow. We had a great time in Fairbanks. It was so nice to see another place in Alaska...a place that looks much more like the vision that most people get when they think of Alaska. I will blog all about it as soon as I get home and get my pictures downloaded.

Right now I'm at a hotel in Anchorage surfing their free internet and laying in bed thinking about getting some rest. It's nice having a room all to myself to spread out and relax. It's different..usually when I'm traveling I'm with someone. Have some peace and quiet and some 'me' time is great. So, my vacation is over, but not quite over yet as I'm still in Anchorage for one more day. I have a dentist appt and a bunch of errands to run tomorrow, mostly shopping. I plan to take home enough groceries to last us through Dec. 19th when we leave Bethel again for Christmas break.

I am beginning to feel (as most Alaskans do) that Anchorage is kind of like a second home. Whenever you want to go anywhere around the state or out of the state, you almost have to pass through Anchorage. Anchorage is where people come to shop, get a haircut, see a movie, go to the doctor, and just about every other thing you would go into a city for if you lived in a small town. For the first time tonight, I did not have to consult a map before pulling out of the rental car parking garage at the Anchorage airport. I pretty much know my way around now. It feels very familiar to be here. I know where my favorite restaurant is (Humpy's) and what flavor wings I like best. I know where the mall is and where the Fred Meyer (kind of like walmart) is. I have a good sense now for what direction I'm going and what major crossroads I can take to get me to various areas of the city.

Anchorage got 8 inches of snow today, so the roads are freshly covered and there hasnt been enough time to clear them. It was pretty treacherous in my little economy rental car, but I made it to my hotel just fine. It is the kind of snow fall that would keep people in their houses and cancel school for days in Ohio, but not in Alaska. I dropped my bag off at the hotel, went and got a newspaper to scope out the sales, and sat leisurely reading the paper and eating wings for dinner.

Well, I have to be up at 7am, so I better get to sleep. The robotics competition is this coming weekend and my team still has quite alot of work to do, so we'll be practicing every night for the rest of this week. I'm going to need as much rest tonight as I can get!

And btw...HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVERY! I cant believe he's a teenager already. He had a really great birthday weekend, but more about that later when I can load some pictures to go with the stories.

Good night!