Computer Crash

    Well, one week before our trip to Alaska just as I began my blog my hard drive on my computer crashed.  I carefully placed my computer in Andrew's hands last Tuesday and he assured me it would be finished by the 29th of May...a full three days before I would be leaving on our adventure.  Andrew the computer technician called me on Saturday to explain I would need a complete document recovery and asked me what I would like to do.  I promptly went and bought the external hard drive I have wanted for over a year.  All is well right??  NO, it is not because on May 29th my computer was not done.  On May 30th my computer was not done at... 1, 3, 5, or 5:30PM.  I called every two hours because Doug and I decided to leave a day ahead of schedule on the 31st of May early in the morning. Finally when I called at 5:30 a high school senior on his way out the door of the computer business said "well if you need it tomorrow I will come back to work after class tonight and finish up your computer, do not be surprised if I call you at 8 or 9 tonight."  I was not completely convinced, but at 8:47PM the phone rang and my computer, the new hard drive, and external hard drive with all of my documents were finally useable again...I was very impressed.  The tension over my computer possibly not being done made packing a little tense for Doug.  He kept asking me where I wanted things in the car and I kept saying "I don't care." I bet toward the end he wanted to leave me at home.   
    After a month of packing and staging we loaded the car and started the trek to Alaska.  Doug and I left at 6:30AM this morning.  We both were armed with coffee and bagels.  I kept feeling like I was forgetting something, but could not decide what was missing.  Our goal was to reach Canada by 5PM.  We did not have any problem reaching Canada on time.  The Canadian border stop was very efficient and polite!  After twelve hours of driving we are finally settled into a quaint motel about 2 hours into Canada.  The biggest surprise of the day...North Dakota, what a beautiful and diverse state.  I especially liked the valley setting which Minot is in, the entire area was very lush and inviting.  I beg to differ with anyone who says that state is boring.  Oh, and I finally figured out what I was missing my toothbrush...yikes!  The prepacking and staging really paid off...I found a new toothbrush in my make-up bag and all is right with this travelor again.  I will post more tomorrow... and some pictures.  Thanks to all of you who have graciously agreed to host a Markworth teenager at your house and families who are guarding the house, goats, and chickens

Dry Run!

      Alrightly then...the cots will not fit in the tent!  We did the dry run and set up the tent, set up the cots and even the regular size cot will not fit. The cots were about six inches too big for the tent, even though it is a four man tent.   Soooo we are now using a blow up mattress for sleeping...against my better judgement.  I can just envision it, I am in the Yukon and there is a small leak and by the time I lay my weary head down the mattress seems full, but by morning I am sleeping on the ground like a cold, moist, grub worm. I am glad we had the dry run, but still miffed about the blow up mattress.
        Every blow up mattress I have ever slept on has deflated at some point so the real question is when and where does this one deflate.  Doug seems confident, but I am unmoved.  We have everything we need for our adventure.  We are even going to try some new things like dehydrated soup and a brand new stove! The propane cook stove boils water in 2 minutes. That fact means coffee is ready in 2.5 minutes, very happy wife! The dehydrated soup relies on boiled water, too.  Honestly I have never really eaten dehydrated soup, most of the soups I have consumed are from scratch. So, this will add to the adventure...dehydrated soup, I am trying not to laugh.  
       Really all I care about are a hot cup of coffee in the morning, a glass of dry, red wine at night, and a bed that doesn't go flat! So, everyone look forward to the daily rant about the blow up mattress, to be or not to be...that sounds cliche, but it is a serious question.  Women without sleep are unpredictable...even in Alaska. 

Everyone Knows!

We went to the pharmacy yesterday...and someone asked us when we are leaving for Alaska.  We were dumbfounded at first because only the people in our family know we are going to AK (or so we thought).   After some cursery questions we found that everyone in the pharmacy was interested in how we decided to travel to Alaska.  We stood in the pharmacy for ten minutes answering questions about our travels and hearing stories of brothers, cousins, and friends who have gone to Alaska.  Not one of the pharmacy staff had ever been to Alaska, but all of them wanted to go.  Their ages ranged from early 20's to 50's and we were the center of attention because we were going on an adventure!  I don't know what we will see, but all of you reading this will see it with me!  I will upload pictures and videos for everyone to see. 

Alaska the other Woman

    While I was in the working on the final stages of my thesis I would look up from my computer and ask "what are you looking at dear?"  We both sat diagonally across from one another with our laptops flipped up and our eyes averted downward, this was our nightly routine.  Doug (my spouse) would respond almost in a whisper "Alaska", and I would respond "Yes, the other woman in your life." This is how the majority of our evenings went as I worked toward a long awaited Master's degree. 
    Well, I finished graduate school on the 5th of May (Thesis and all) and (Doug) wants to take me on an adventure before I am gainfully employed.  Not all wives and mistresses should meet, as a matter of fact there should be no need for a mistress,  but I think it is prudent for me to visit this magnificent, mysterious, beauty who has captured my husbands heart.  I am first in my husband's heart, but after our children and grandchildren,  Alaska seems to garner much of Doug's brainwave attention. 
     We are in the beginning stages of planning.  Each morning I see a new list of items we need to pack.  The list is hastily scribbled and sitting by Doug's shaving kit. His lists are in journals, on napkins, and grocery receipts... along with places we should visit. No lipstick here, just camping gear and bug spray. As I am writing this he is researching the travel route and trying to convince me that going to Glacier is out of the way, by almost three hundred miles! Our plan is simple...one car, two people, three weeks, and four thousand miles of driving--one-way!