Camping....

I am in desperate need of a vacation.  My guys at Fast Fix have informed me that if I don't go on vacation I am not allowed to return to work there...yeah it's that bad!  I work there far less than I used to, but they are telling me it just can't happen.  They will not deal with me until I have a couple of uninterrupted days off.  I guess they are lucky that I have the next three days off!

I decided it didn't matter where I go, as long as I am out of Anchorage!  I decided to go North.  Where I am from, when you go on vacation, you go to Ohio (Cedar Point), or you go "Up North".  No one specifies where "Up North" is, well except the "Welcome to Clare" sign that claims "Up North Begins Here"...which is a lie!  So, North has been decided.  I googled some things and decided that Fairbanks was entirely too far this time around (although, who doesn't want to go sleep on a slab of ice at their hotel made entirely of ice.....oh yeah, me!).   However, my fridge is missing a magnet from Talkeetna...so Talkeetna it is!  I have yet to be there, so it will be fun!

We are leaving Tuesday night, and since it's the land of the sun never going down, we drive until I can't see straight anymore.  Hopefully, this gets us to about Hatcher's Pass, where the real fun begins, maybe get some gold panning in.  The plan is camping, like real camping, without electricity and in a tent, sleeping on the ground.  The reality is going to be me sleeping in the truck...

Also, if you haven't been to Alaska you're going to think I'm grossly exaggerating, but the misquotes here are the size of humming birds.  Okay, not really that big, but close to the size of horse flies.  You can feel the weight of them land on you!  I have never been very successful in the bug dope department, because of my breathing issues, but now it's really tough because of the corn issues.  Looks like I am headed to the Natural store tonight to find out what I can use.  You can't brave the Alaskan outdoors without it!

Mia is going to watch CoCo for me.  I was going to take her, until I realized, the woods is not a place for my foo-foo toy poodle.  She would complain about getting her dress dirty....true story!  She is excited about staying a couple days with Aunt Mia.  I didn't think she was going to be able to sleep last night in all her excitement.  Packing for the dog is going to be worse than my own packing....Mia wants a couple outfit changes (maybe they are going to have a make over party....), and then you know her kennel (which is gigantic for a dog her size), bowls, food, candy, leashes (she needs a variety), poo bags, ect.  CoCo packing.....

I figure camping won't be too different than eating at home.  I get to find out if my jew-mellows roast!  And since I have no convience food anyway, it shouldn't be all that different.  I can drink German beer, so a 6 pack of that, and I am good to go!  I don't know how roasting soy dogs is...but I guess I will find that out too!  At this point, I do not care, because Fast Fix won't let me come back to work until I get out of town!