When the Mountains get Snow, You Buy Boots!

Sorry it has been so long since I've updated this jammity jam... I dedicate this post to Jessica Kohnert for reminding me to update. :)

So, I've been using Jaime's bike rather than Issa's... and it's much better, but here is the update on lessons learned:
1) Tight pants lead to sore hips
2) Back packs cause back sweat
3) DJ Pogo and Gaga provides the perfect soundtrack
4) Hills are horrendous (though I already knew this)
5) Google Maps hates Anchorage
6) Animals... like Moose... are sometimes 10 ft off the trail... and you don't realize it until they are like... right there.

So fun story about Number 5 & 6.  So I was going to this meeting thing (which I'll update you about in a hot second) and I looked up directions on Google Maps (woof) and, as usual, I got lost.  But at least I'm getting good enough on my own that I was able to find my way without calling Issa (yay, progress!).  Well, while I was riding down this trail that was taking me no where close to where I wanted to go, I looked to my right and what do I see?  A GIANT MOOSE AND HER BABY CHILLING 10 FT OFF THE TRAIL!  This is real life people.  Moose are cool, word, but seeing a giant beast that could easily trample me if I cheesed her off that up close and personal... that's a whole nother story.  I seriously almost fell off my bike.  +5 Alaskan points.

Okay, so the meeting I was going to!  This blog is a little out of order, but bare with me- it's how my brain is functioning right now.  I have officially joined the campaign for One Anchorage!  If you Kalamazoo folks remember a couple years (or last year?) back when One Kalamazoo was going on, it's kind of the same concept of what is trying to get passed here.  Basically, right now there is no protection set in stone for the LBGT community in regards to being fired for being gay or getting kicked out of housing because of their sexual orientation, hate crimes, etc.  This is true for most cities across the nation, but many, like Kalamazoo did, are changing their bilaws to ensure the safety of our community.  Anchorage actually had this law passed by their City Commision (the Assembly), but when it got to the Mayor's desk (Dan Sullivan... everyone together now... BOOOO! HISSSS!!!), he turned it down.  Unfortunately the Assembly did not have the majority vote for the law when it came back to them afterward, so it was taken off the table.  Now, I am joining the campaign (coincidentally named the same as One Kalamazoo's) to get the law put on the ballot for the next election.  If the signatures are collected and the law passes with a majority vote from the people of Anchorage, then there is nothing Danny Sully can do.  Boo ya!

I'm very excited to be working on the campaign.  Issa, Jaime, and I will all be helping with it- and there are some awesome trainings and experiences that will be great for us to take away from it!  By the end we will all be certified to register people to vote, have major connections with some big names in Anchorage politics, and get training from a three-day Campaigning Boot Camp!  Issa's literally wetting herself over the fact she's going to be getting so much campaigning training and I'm excited that I'm actually excited about something political!  I normally hate politics and stay as far away as possible, but this has really got me fired up and I'm excited to do some major work with the campaign.

So that is one of the many things I'm getting involved with here.  Just adding more and more to my plate... I don't know when to stop! :)

The Youth Summit is continuing to go well.  We met again today and have three weeks to get this puppy finished!  I made a lot of calls to recruit students and I was amazed at how receptive the different school districts were to the Summit!  We've already gotten a lot of interest back from students... although still haven't seen any applications... merp.  We're keeping out fingers crossed and our hopes high that we'll have a good turn out.  I've become the point person for Ice Breakers/Community Building (surprised?) as well as the Story Boarding/Personal Stories.  I think the Story Boarding/Personal Stories is going to challenge me a bit.  I've got lots of ideas to bring to the table, but it's a much more passive/reserved activity for what I normally do, so wish me luck!

At "work" things are starting to pick up.  This week I will be facilitating my first theatre activity with the students!  I'm thinking we'll play a few pantomime games and possibly Hook-Up Tag.  This is for me to recruit as many of the students as possible for the "Theatre Club" that I will be running every Tuesday starting the second week of October.  This past Thursday I went in to help and ended up running the art activity with Zack (one of the counselors at the site- great guy!) and ended up speaking in accents with the students for a majority of the day.  They were loving it and all of us were having a blast!  These kids have some majorly creative minds and I'm hoping this Theatre Club can give them a good outlet.

I have also typed up a document that will be turned into a binder filled with (right now) 67 theatre games for future counselors and camp directors to refer to.  I'm hoping this way more of the programs can incorporate theatre into their activities.  Right now it seems that art projects and sports games are a majority of the activities.  There is also music and dance when the kids show interest and lead it or one of the counselors have specific training.  Theatre, though, is something a lot of the kids would like to do, but the counselors don't have the know-how to lead activities for them.  My "boss" has let me know she's very excited about my self-motivation and ability to create jobs for myself that are proving very useful for the organization.  I think that means I'm doing good. :)

As stated before, I love this "job" and I put it in quotes because it doesn't feel like work.  I feel like I'm going in, hanging with friends, playing with kids, and laughing my butt off!  I even get attacked by nerf guns every about 3 times a week... again... the ideal work environment.

Last weekend, Issa and I hike up Wolverine Peak Trail.  The hike was fun and the view where we stopped was EPIC!  The trail was pretty easy until the last half mile... which was pretty much straight up and proved how out of shape I am.  We only did half the trail, but where we stopped to take a break before going back down was on a boulder on the side of the mountain looking down on the city of Anchorage and Inland Sea.  The fall colors and beautiful weather really made for a breathtaking view.  On the way back down Kolsch was dragging me all over... and the uneven terrain definitely proved to me how desperately I need to purchase hiking boots.  Wooflez.

This weekend, Issa and I went SHOPPING!  I got a couple new sweaters, a new hoodie, my winter boots, a new belt, a (typical Alaskan) flannel and NEW TENNIES!  All for super duper cheep!  The boots were about $90 (normally the type of boots I got are around $140), the clothes all came from JC Penny (I finally used all my money I won from the online contest... it seriously lasted me this long... legit.  And we had coupons to save $20 after you spend $80.  We both used it... saved us $40... and everything was on sale... our total savings was over $150.  Boom.), and the Nikes came from Famous Footwear, only $35.  Best shopping ever.

It gets better, if you think all those new clothes were enough... you are wrong.  We then went to Value Villiage (Anchorage's version of Goodwill) and I got myself an awesome deer sweatshirt, tangerine snow pants, a pleather/snake skin vest, and a new lamp.  My room is bright and my fashion for this winter impeccable.  Good things happening.

I am beginning to realize how long it has been since I updated this, I'm so sorry to bombard you with such a long entry... but there's more.  :)

This past week, my friend Jo (who speaks fluent Spanish and we often make her read directions, books, and whatever else we can find to us in Spanish because it sounds so sexy) took me to a movie at the Bear's Tooth.  The Bear's Tooth is a Movie Theatre where you can order food and drinks while you watch the movie... so it's literally dinner and a movie.  They usually play movies that are just out of theaters, but not on video yet (like Miller Movies for my WMU friends).  The movie went to see though was part of the "Food Film Festival" which was a series of documentaries about the many issues with our American Food Distribution System.  The movie was called "Ingredients" and if you ever get the chance to see it, I recommend it.  It is very eye opening to realize how much local food is available all around us and how much better it is for you!  I didn't realize how much packaged food we eat until I saw that movie.  I went to the store afterward and was literally like "Holy cow."  I was in awe of how much canned and shrink wrapped foods there were.  Then I started reading where they came from... California to Indiana to Texas... to South America!  I mean, all of this food that is often grown in Alaska is being shipped too Alaska in cans.  Literally blows my mind.  Needless to say, I've started researching Farmer's Market- and fun story- next weekend if you buy $20 worth of goods with your Food Stamps, they'll give you an additional $20 worth of food!  AWESOME SAUCE!!!

Jaime and I also made Owl cuppy cakes the other day.  Oh yes, Hello Cupcake follows me everywhere I go!  We baked them for her friend's birthday, but then ended up giving them away to other friends.  I took them into work- huge hit.  We handed them off to the birthday boy- huge hit.  We gave a couple to our friend Kris- huge hit.  Gave one to Jo- huge hit.  Cuppy Cakes bring joy to lives, I love them... and we have officially decided that Cuppy Cake making will be our House Warming Party activity.  Boom, best idea ever.

Then we made Heart Attack Bars (Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Chocolate on top).  They were delicious... once they were done.  But making those puppies led to a major casualty.  I was mixing the Rice Krispies and Delicious Fat Sauce together and definitely snapped the spoon I was using to stir it in half.  That stuff got thick and sticky REAL QUICK.  So here I am trying to stir these Rice Krispies with a half spoon and didn't realize I cut my finger on the spoon.  Moral of the story, may have gotten a little blood in the mix... oops!  I'm clean I promise!!!

So the dessert is finished and we're waiting for it to cool.  Jo came over and we, of course, were enjoying some Mexican beers in her honor when Jaime got up to open a new beer.  She taught me how to open beers without a bottle opener (makes me feel so manly), so we were using the broken handle from the spoon.  We're all hanging out when suddenly we hear "SNAP!" and "Awe crap!"  We looked over and Jamie broke the spoon even more and a piece of plastic went flying through the air.  We're all laughing and she tries again... snaps again... plastic flies.  You'd think she'd learn, but nope.  One more time, plastic straight to the eyes (thank goodness for glasses), and the handle is destroyed... beer is still capped.  Plastic Spoon: 1, Jaime: 0.  This might not be very funny as you're reading this as it was a "had to of been there" kind of story, but it's making me giggle just thinking about it! :P

Goodness me, what else?  Went out to the bar last night with some friends... Karaoke seems to be following me everywhere I go.  Haha!  Issa and I sang "Don't Stop Me Now" (paired with the dance, of course) last weekend and this weekend I sang "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" (I think) with Miss D.  The night was super fun- tons of awesome people, great dancing, great atmosphere, and delicious Taco Bell on the ride home.  It's so good to be back with Issa and Jaime, we always have so much fun together and I just LOVE being with them!  They be my best friends.

This week I'll be going to another gay meeting called The Family.  It's basically the OUTspoken of University of Anchorage Alaska, but it is open to the community as well.  My friend Kris, who is also on the political campaign and Youth Summit Planning Committee, as well as a fellow Americorps volunteer, invited me.  I've got high hopes for it.  It's so cool to be able to invest so much of myself into groups and activities that I am passionate about and that are doing such worthy things.  I did a lot of leadership activities and involvement stuff at WMU, but I never really got invested in the LBGT community.  I've really dived in head first in Anchorage, and I'm loving it so far.  I've never felt more loud and proud in my life!  Haha!  The best part though is that I don't feel like these events and groups I'm helping with are a "Let's be gay to be gay," kind of attitude, it's a "We're gay, great.  Now let's do something worthwhile."  Everyone I'm working with has a huge heart and a passion to help others.  I've said it once, I'll say it again: Good things happening.

Well, I'mma leave it at that for now.  I gotta get to bed if I want to wake up for "work" in the morning.  If you're reading this, I likely love you and miss you!  While Alaska is feeling more and more like home every day... it's still no K-Town or Zoo.

Alaska Fun Fact: The lowest recorded temperature was read in Tanana at -78 degrees Fahrenheit.