woohoohoo Ms. Leo

LEO 2006 ASTROLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS: It's your year for outrageous expression! Of course, you believe that you are outrageously expressive every year, but this year sets a new standard. Your daring comes from the fact that you have a mission that you absolutely must follow through with. When you're not living that mission or progressing it, you feel irritable -- like something is missing! Your mission needs you -- and never is that more clear than right now. Dedicate January to picking a project that allows you to be creative, a leader, and in many ways in over your head. The challenge will cause your talent to rise up. February is true to the Valentine's Day theme. Your heart goes out, and love is returned to you threefold, at least. Just be sure to pick the targets for your loving affection carefully. Those who are worthy will make your life heaven, but the opposite is also true. March is about teaching and being taught. Both efforts make you money! You enlarge your network in April. If you're in sales, your income takes off like a rocket. Brilliant ways of dealing with the public are featured. You're charismatic and will have many interesting offers, especially those having to do with love.

Love is a two way highway

Found Love on a One Way Street &
Lost it on a lonely Highway...

Short Blast

Before you know it another year will have gone by. Reflecting back on 2005.

Collected unenjoyment all winter until Valdez Heli-camp started up in February for spring helicoptor skiing on Thompson Pass. Cooked 2 nights a week, did the dishes/made the lunches 2 nights a week. For a fun group of guides, pilots and clients. We had a blast in the kitchen. Best commercial kitchen set-up in Valdez. Eventually there will be a hotel/restaurant on Thompson Pass. For now everything is transported.

By the end of May I was back working again for Eagles Rest RV Park getting the cabins ready for the summer. Plus cleaning 2 public showers & bathroom facilities. Right before Memorial Day weekend an RV/Camper magazine crew made a surprise visit and did a rating on Park bathrooms. For the first time EVER Eagles Rest RV Park scored a 10! The saddest part is only 4 Parks in the US had that high of a rating in 2005.

They were even sadder when I quit. My future mother-in-law was coming to visit in July and my husband-to-be asked me to stay home and get ready. We were busy up until the day she got here. I was so glad to meet her in person. Never had to do any dishes when she was here!

In August, I got married to her son whom I'd been with for over 15 years. It was painless and I am now happily married. Nothings changed!

Went job hunting in September, with no results, so I went moose hunting. Then up to Fairbanks (North to Alaska) for my nephews wedding, back down to moose camp with one of my sisters and showed her my favorite spot on earth.

And lastly for the year 2005, career wise, I'm back to cleaning toilets. Money wise that is good and I like having a year around job with bennies.

Lots of good things came about in 2005 for the FishTaxi.

Best part is I started a blog and people are reading. Long lost friends and family! With them aboard I am looking forward to 2006 with a lighter heart. Also making new blogger friends which is really cool.

Stay tuned!

Little River Band

The Other Guy, Time For A Cool Change and Man on Your Mind are some of the best songs on the planet.

Longer hours for sleeping half the day

Happy Winter Solstice! More daylight gained, by minutes, everyday for the next 6 months!

Zen & the art of vacuum cleaner maintenance

Ever since I installed the Norton anti-virus corporate edition my computer isn't doing what I want it to do. Here are a few irritating items.

Ctrl-N command does nothing
Some links open and some links don't
I can't access my bank account
I can't add an image to my blog

I use Mozilla/Firefox as my browser and a few days ago downloaded their updates. My ISP is a dial-up account that gives me grief with sending email. Have Windows XP as my operating system and a new Dell. ( Seriously thinking about DSL since the price went down. It will only cost me $20 more a month than I'm paying now and I can use my land line number again.)

Need to figure out whats up. The IT guy at work who gave me the Norton is in Japan for the holidays. I do have his cell phone number but that would be rude to call him. Hopefully I can figure it out before next year?!?

I am getting Whole Wheat Radio so I'm not going completely gonzo over these trying computer learning times.

Came up with the title of this entry while I was vacuuming at work tonight. With no images to show I figure I need catchy titles:)

Lets see if this posts.

Whose that girl?

From the 1992 Valdez Vanguard Dossier:

Name: FishTaxi

Occupation: Anything for money

How long have you lived in Alaska? Since 1980

What brought you up to ak? a 1971 vw camper bus

Where were you born? Mad City, Wisconsin

Why did you come up to Alaska? Because marijuana was legal.

Who are 3 people you would invite to dinner (living or dead)? Hoyt Axton, Barbra Striesand & the Green Bay Packers

Whats your favorite TV show? my fish tank

Who would play you in a movie? Candace Bergen

Whats the oddest item in your refridgerator? hot pickles

Whats your secret? can't remember

Your favorite quote? I know the early bird gets the worm but what about the early worm?

Dinner Plate Dahlia

are one of my favorite flowers. Livingstone Daisys & Sunflowers are right up there on my favorite " annual " list. Perrenials are my all time favorite as they come back every year out of the ground. Notice we use pots on gravel as landscaping around here. We do not kid ourselves.

Listening to WWR and the rain pouring down on the tin roof. Its depressing as its not a spring rain. Alaska had temps warmer than 45 of the lower 48 states today. Does this mean I can grow oranges now?

Old Faithfuls

What a great picture of the FishTaxi's home can sealer and the American ingenuity of it all. Its electric, not a hand cranker, which takes 7 cranks per can. I have one as a back up or if I'm somewhere with no electricity.

The history of canning salmon goes way back. The wild days of fishing, at this time, are few and far between. More now since the USA/Canada Dispute over whose fish was whose was fought and we all lost.

I think off-shore (4-mile limit) pirateers are snagging the fish. For a million years nobody knew where the salmon went. All they knew was they came back every year up the same river. And I hear there are giant squids out there.

A King Salmon is gone for 5 years. A Sockeye is gone for 4 years. When the CRRs (Copper River RED sockeyes) come back they are the first wild run of fresh salmon to the markets of the world somewhere around May 15th.
What the commercial gillnetters fishing the mouth of the Copper River get is prime and the price is worth it. Where ever you are.

The coolest thing

happened to the FishTaxi last night. I get home from work about 7:10pm. Instead of my usual 10:10pm. First thing I do is log on and get Whole Wheat Radio going. Then I put the wax mop I brought home from work in the washing machine. I get a Hamms beer from outside on the porch and settle in and take my money makers off.

When all of a sudden JimBob & Esther start talking about my blog! On Whole Wheat Radio! Esther read the Maid in Alaska entry on the air and laughed her great laugh. JimBob read part of the Pennies from Heaven entry. How cool is that?

What they liked about my blog was the pictures and that its written like a real person with no agenda.

JimBob cracked me up when Esther Golton read the "On a three hour tour. Come along for the ride." He started singing the Gilligan's Island theme song. He got my drift!

Later on in the chat, where listeners of Whole Wheat Radio can go and request songs, draw in the drawing room and socialize in real time. All the while listening to WWR on the internet. You can also leave wheat grams that play on the air after the song. I just heard the one I called in on New years eve 2005. No surprise I sang the Hamms beer commercial diddy.

Tune in!

Maid in Alaska

Working 40 hours a week (cleaning a small college) has taken its toll on cleaning my own damn house. I spent all day Saturday trying to whip this place into shape. Then we had a deepfry party last night. I deep fried venison strips, french fries and salmon fritters. Green bean casserole & my famous tarter sauce on the side. And lots of Hamms beer and dirty martinis. It was fun and I love deepfrying for friends. We'll have to do it again soon.

Took my old computer over to my little buddy Dale's house for his new own room today. We decided it was an old piece of crap (wouldn't even take the Norton anti-virus) so next weekend we are taking it and their other old computer out to the firing range and shooting them to pieces. Told his dad to buy him a new Dell.

The next two weeks I work from 10am-7pm. It will be nice to get off 3 hours earlier for some evening time. I have a lot of special deep cleaning projects planned for this time while school is out. First on my list is stripping & waxing the bathroom floors. They look like crap right now. The custodian before me waxed over the dirt and scruff marks. yup, he was a man. heehee

Dream House

Isn't it charming? The second floor balcony would have a view of Valdez Bay. You can see the water standing on our roof now. Once you get above the alders or snowbanks.

There won't be a window that you'll look out of that you won't see a mountain.

Our plan is to put the foundation in this summer. Pay cash for that, then later on, get a construction loan and build it ourselves.

We live in the shop now. Started out bare bones on an acre of land living in a cabover camper. It was the 4th of July week-end 1990. We bought the property from the original homesteader. We worked for him at his gold mine at the time.

First thing we built was an outhouse. Then our Rockett dogs house. Before that first winter we purchased a 33ft trailer and added a 12x18 wannigan. Since then I've moved my kitchen 3 times as we got rid of the trailer and built additions. For 5 years we lived off the grid. Then electricity came down the street. Along with it lots of neighbors. But it was worth it. The outhouse days and hauling water were over.

The beauty of our little place now is that we own it. Other than that its a shack and I'm ready to start building my dream house.

Snowmen

Its raining. Theres big chunky ice ponds everywhere. Its like break-up without the zeal of spring thaw. My new sled makes a great boat. It floats!

Got my picture taken today to put on the wall. I joked with the media guy and asked if he could give me blue eyes. Then I asked if he could get rid of my double chin. And went so far to even ask for a skin touch up. Next thing you know I looked pretty good. I love Photoshop!

He's going to email it to me so I'll have a good picture of me. Plus, I'm going to start scanning my old pictures at work and emailing them to myself. I thought this was a great idea for a fun carefree winter project.

From the Land of Sky Blue Waters

My little Sistor kitty cat loves to tear up in our empty halfrack boxes. Which there are plenty of believe me. In the summer I burn the evidence but in the winter I let them pile up for a while. Until I am flabbergasted and start looking for a BIG box. And take that to the city baler (dump).

We spend over $3000 a year on beer. ANd Hamms is cheap at $7.49 a halfrack. Obviously, we like it. Imagine if our tastes were Anchor Steam or St. Pauli Girl. Which I do like if someone else is buying. I'm a beer drinking woman, what can I say. The local club bar started carrying Hamms because of me. No, that isn't true. But there was enough of us that it was a sharp business move.

The guys gave me shit at work today. Told me they didn't get my message and thought I was there all day. They were pulling my pigtails:)

Makin' Snowballs

Well, we are out of the deep freeze, finally!! It warmed up and snowed about 18". Yeah!

The FishTaxi played hookie today. Called in sick and went back to sleep for 3 more hours. Got up about 3 this afternoon and looked outside. whoa nellie!

The plow guy showed up about 5 and I still hadn't swept the snow off my truck or started it. He's a smooth operator and politely went around it.

Pulled my leg warmers on & went out and shoveled the walkway and cleared the snow off my truck.

That was enough adventure for me today. I came back inside and researched my investments. I have a 401a plan at work that I needed to study. Perfect day to dream of my retirement.

ANd the best news is we have ALL the venison processed and in the freezer. Finished packaging the sausage tonight! We had some for dinner and it turned out good. A bit mild for my tastes but I can always add hot stuff to my plate.

Hope all is well in your part of the world!

'oil is for sissies'

There are wild & crazy people up here in Alaska. Some of them put studs in their tires and ride bikes all winter on the snow & ice. Up in Alaska 's blog tells all about it with great pictures to prove it. The link to 'oil is for sissies' blog is on her site.

The second bike below is what I like to ride in the summer! Except mine will have a tractor seat.

Snow Flakes

The inside of a fern

I had this pic as my desktop for a while. Its a whacked off top of a huge fern on the Gold Creek Trail. We were bushwacking with a machete back when I had a digital camera. I have a cache hidden out there. Its a mountainside old goat trail that goes all the way to Shoup. 7 and half miles round trip from the trailhead to the bridge. Another 1/2 mile to the beach. If you want to hike all the way to Shoup Glacier on the Gold Creek Trail its a 20 mile round trip. I understand there are Forest Service cabins you can stay in out there reservations only.

The FishTaxi doesn't do reservations.

Employee of the Month

Thats right, folks. The FishTaxi was voted Employee of the Month for November. I get to work today and I'm doing my normal rountine which is water the plants. Then I clean the bathrooms. I do the womens first and then the mens. I'm standing at my cart when the President of the college comes up and announces the shocking news. He hands me a desk plaque that says "Employee of the Month" and I proudly displayed it on my cart. (I don't have a desk)

The perks are(you guessed it) an "employee of the month" parking spot right out front (which I won't use as I park by the light pole), my name engraved on a plaque on the wall with the other recipients and my picture taken to be displayed for the month.

I took it graciously with a smile and a few barbs. While I was in the maintenance shop the forman told the rest of crew the news and they clapped and one said the customary "speech, speech."

I replied, after gushing, "I am honored to clean your toilets".

Everybody cracked up and went back to work.