You Don't Have to Flush

Ok, so I'm waaaay over due for a post. And I've realized that there are some people reading the blog that I had no idea were reading it. So, I'm inspired to post. :-)

Just like everyone else, I've been super busy. I did back to back Prudhoe tours. That's 14 days on the road with two days in between trips. I don't even remember being in Fairbanks those two days. The tours all blended together in my mind and by the time I was heading south the last time, I could not remember what I did and did not tell the group. They fly north to Prudhoe Bay and I drive them to Fairbanks. There are no trees up there. The end of the first day driving south you get into the trees. I kept saying that we'd be back into the trees. They hadn't been in them yet. I had, several times. ;-) Oh well, hazards of the job.

I've been doing a lot of in town driving. If you remember my last post, I was overly stressed and actually requested that they stop scheduling me in town, to just schedule me for the highway. There are a lot of drivers begging for hours and they were more than happy to comply. Well, those days are over. We've gotten super busy and drivers are staring to leave (students, teachers, etc). So they need everyone working. Plus, we've had a lot of rain lately and have been flooding so there have been lots of changes. Anyway, I've been doing a lot of local driving and it's going well.

The stress has subsided quite a bit. I was finally able to get in to see a doctor. No insurance by the way but the best money I've recently spent. He gave me some antidepressant medication and oh my gosh, what a difference it makes!! I can't believe how much better I feel!! I know that the medicine is not the answer. It's just relieving the emotional stress so I can work on what I need to, which I will do. I'm just happy to be feeling so much better.

I start a tour tomorrow that I'm looking forward to. It's the complete opposite of the Prudhoe tour. I don't do luggage, the roads are paved and nice, the hotels are very nice, the days are shorter, and I just drive. I don't narrate. They have their own tour director who narrates and handles everything. I just drive. And the funny thing is I'll make so much more on this tour than I do on the Prudhoe tour. Go figure but I'll take it. I'm looking forward to the change of pace but I'll be anxious to get back north. And it'll happen. I'm sure I'll be doing another back to back Prudhoe tours when I get back from this tour.

I did get to go out and go camping over the 4th of July weekend. Oh my, was it fun! I took my tent and sleeping bag. I took Clara with and she had a great time. She's a good camping dog. Missy and Danielle went and took their pop up tent trailer. Several other friends were there as well but they only stayed one night. We stayed two. There was a bar next to the campground and well, we had a little too much fun there. I randomly ran into people there who turned out to be the boss/landlord of a friend of mine in Anchorage. What a small freaking world it is!! We also did some kayaking. I took my straw hat that I got in Hawaii. it does a good job of keeping the sun off my face. I may look like a dork but it did it's job! hehe Anyway that's what the pics are from.

So we've had so much rain lately. The rivers have been flooding like crazy. Kirk's cabin got flooded some. I feel bad for him but will do anything I can to help him out.

Speaking of water, my kayak should be here tomorrow. A friend picked it up from REI in Anchorage and took it to a place to be shipped up here. I'm so excited to get it! Hopefully I can get out in it before the rivers are all frozen.

Getting back to the weather, it has cooled off quite a bit. Supposed to be in the 40s tonight. It's pretty chilly in the cabin. I've actually turned on the heater to take the chill off.

Also, the toilet seat in the outhouse is cold! LOL I need to get a different one before fall hits. This one will NOT work when it's 40 below. And even though I've lived here going on three months now, I'm still in the habit of wanting to flush after I do my business in there. You don't have to flush.