Free Rice

A friend of mine told me about this website, freerice.com. The premise behind the website is that you do this vocabulary quiz and for each answer you get right they donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger. I guess the site has been around for a while but this is the first time I have ever done it.

The highest level I got to was 50, but it didn't last long. I sunk down to 44 and stayed there until I lost interest. The scoring is really generous at first. You get answers right and you shoot up, but it's pretty unforgiving when you get some wrong. After losing points it's hard to get them back. I can play this for about 10 minutes before my attention deficit disorder starts getting the best of me.

Anyway, it's free and it's kind of fun, and it's educational. Give it a shot.

Kaija

.

Raven

.

Blurry Green Eyed Demons

.

Is it Cold?

I walked outside tonight and thought to myself "hey, it's kind of nice out. Not that cold." It was -4F. Cold is relative, especially when you live in an area where the temp can change 60 degrees in one direction or the other in 24 hours.

I always say that the long winter makes me appreciate the short summer even more.




After 7 months of this....




a few months of this...




is worth more than gold.

.

The Bead Lady

My friend Lois is the bead lady. She has been beading for as long as I have known her. And she is good at it.




Recently she opened her own shop. It's located at the 4th Avenue Marketplace in downtown Anchorage.




When I was in Anchorage I had a chance to stop by and see her new shop. These lanyards are always my favorite. I bought one of these for a friend for Christmas.




Here is the one that I bought.




Lois has many different pieces available at the shop. There are necklace sets...




...in several different styles.




Small hair clips.




I really like these big hair clips. She has several different patterns.




These pin cushions were made by lois' aunt (and my friend) debra. The sides are made with seal skin.




Deb also made these baby mukluks.




She also has carved walrus ivory pendants made by her uncle Jim.

So, if you are downtown stop by at the 4th Avenue Marketplace (the blue building across from the Army Navy store) and check out her shop.

.

Will Beg For Chips

.

Heading Home

Well, after 36 check card transactions in 3 days I'm headed back to the Land of OTZ. Uyaana had a great time. He saw 2 movies, went to H2Oasis, and Chuckie Cheese's.

I endure these places because Uyaana does not get to do this stuff very often. H2Oasis is definitely not my favorite place After 2 hours I think there I think that we have been completely sanitized. The chlorine level is practically off the charts. Chuckie Cheese's is just....well I'm sure you all know what I mean.

So we went to the movies. I like to try and see a movie or two, depending on what's playing, when I come to Anchorage. Funny, when I lived in the lower 48 I hardly ever went to the movies. Maybe it was because I was so broke. I can't really remember the reason now. So here are my reviews for the movies we went to see...

"Bolt"- very funny.
"Madagascar 2"- meh

There you have it. I'm sure my in depth reviews will soon be in demand around the world.

Places To Go and Things To Do

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I'm in Anchorage til Wednesday evening. Just thought I would check in and I'll try and post tomorrow when I'm not so busy doing really important things like spending gobs of money at Target and going to the movies.

Flashback

6th Grade, Gilmanton Elementary School, Gilmanton, New Hampshire. Circa 1983.
(That is most definitely not me in the baby blue pants and pink sweater...nope, no way, not me.)

.