Takin' Care of Business

Yesterday was my first day at work filling in for the manager. It wasn't all horrible. I was 5 minutes late 'cause I couldn't find my work keys. I was running all over the house looking for them. I checked the most likely places over and over and I even looked in the places I knew they wouldn't be. Just when I gave up and was about to shut the door I saw them. Then when I got to work I had to do a surprise cash count (where someone else counts the teller's cash drawer to make sure they're not fibbing on the amounts and pocketing money). I was busy all day long. I couldn't even get all my reports done. I don't know how the manager gets any work done w/ all of us interrupting her w/ questions every 5 minutes. Tisk, tisk.

Happy Seward's Day

Ah, yes. Another paid holiday from work. Brief history lesson: William Seward purchased Alaska (Seward's Icebox) from Russia in 1867 for about two cents an acre. They called it Seward's Folly, and might still today if it wasn't for, ya know, all the gold and oil and what not.

Alaska has not one, but two purely Alaskan holidays. Seward's Day and Alaska Day. Something I noticed almost immediately after moving here is how proud Alaskans are to be Alaskans. It shows in their advertisements. "Trailers made for Alaskan loads on Alaskan roads." In Michigan they brag if a business is family owned. Here, it's Alaskan owned since 19...the dawn of time. The A&P stands for Alaskan & Proud instead of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company like it does in the rest of the US and Canada.

Avalanche

Pix of avalanche
There was a controlled avalanche today in Juneau. The State of Alaska fired a Howitzer canon across the Gastineau Channel to remove the snow from Mt. Roberts under safe conditions. Almost immediately, photos were passing through emails (see linky above). One witness kept describing the blume of snow, but I'm sure he meant plume and wasn't refering to Carl Ludwig Blume, a German-Dutch botanist from the 19th century.

A blume of snow came over half way into the channel. This to us, in our generation (and the 18 years I've been in Douglas, 10 years in this office) is the biggest slide we experienced. I've seen pictures in the past like this. But to experience it live out of our window is worth a HOLY CRAP out of everybody's mouth. Even the Douglas boat harbor parking lot is full with vehicles of people watching the show. I should be down there with popcorn, beverages and hot nuts. Looks like a
drive-inn movie parking outside my office window. LOL

Just heard a warning on the radio just now that made us all laugh. 45 minutes into the canon shooting, they make an announcement that from 10:45 until 1pm today, there will be no travel on Thane Road during this time. LOL. Ummmm, I think no travel will be for 1 to 2 days. This is gonna take a long time to plow the road out. The avalanche is at least quarter mile in length across the road, and past the beach line in the channel.

Knew this was gonna happen, especially when we hit #1 in most snowfall in Juneau as of this morning, by 4 inches over the record back in 1965. Plus the rain today is making everything heavy all around.

Here's a little more official report, if you're interested.

New Toy

Look what I ordered myself using my Cabela's points. They didn't even charge extra to ship to AK.

Coleman Jump Start

Oooh, ahhhh.

Now I can jump myself...that doesn't sound right.

Et Cetera

I discovered yesterday that the back hatch of my 4runner wasn't latched all the way so my battery went dead. It was so dead, in fact, that the power locks wouldn't work. I had to fish out my spare key. The little light that tells my if my doors are open wasn't even on.

Last night I opened up a Roth IRA online (yawn, stretch). So, Jessica, how does it feel knowing your baby sister has a 401(k) and an IRA? Pretty old, huh? Me too. Today I was asking my boss a question about IRAs and I mentioned I opened one. She interrupted me, "With who?!!" "T Rowe Price," I said sheepishly. Does she expect me to have all my accounts at the credit union? I only opened a savings account there to get the free money orders.

Title Goes Here

I hate when we have to spring forward. This morning I woke up at 8:25 (had to be to work at 8:30). I've never gotten ready so fast in my life. After I got to work and woke up, I had not one but two cups of coffee. And yes, in that order.

Today I got to pick my own code for the alarm at the bank. But what was even more exciting was that I got to sign my own money order. I used to have to take them to the branch manager to sign, and if she was busy, the loan officer. Today I brought one to the manager and she said I could sign my own. I walked back to my station all tall and proud and wrote my John Hancock. It was so exciting, but it was over so fast.

Guess what...

You'll never guess so I'll just tell you, I got promoted at work. I'm now a Teller III (instead of a Teller I). I couldn't believe it! The branch manager said I handle customers with problems well and I'm doing things other tellers haven't done after being there such a short time. That was a big confidence booster. After she said that it was like I wanted to start doing everything better.

I start training Monday. The branch manager is going on vacation on the 28th so I'll be acting in her place by opening and closing the branch and such. So now if I set off the alarm I'll know the code :)

The dishwasher was finally hooked up at the house, my shower was fixed after being redone to remove mold, and best of all, we got 35 cent Dr Peppers at work and replenishments for the candy dishes. So today was a good day.

Crazy Dream

Had another one of my weird dreams. I was a lifegaurd at a lake. I saw this flying pontoon boat, a popular new toy for the rich and famous. I watched it land hard on the lake and one of the occupants flew out. When I jumped in to rescue her she got mad at me, saying she didn't need my help yet and she never asked for it. I got her sunglasses wet.

Later in the dream, my sister was expecting her second child. It arrived in a pizza box. I took the box and tipped the delivery man. I opened the box and saw the baby there next to a cheese pizza. "It's a girl!" I exclaimed to everyone as I extracted the child. The umbilical cord and womb juices were still on the baby. She was tiny enough to fit in one hand, but her face was like that of a child of 5. She had my face, my neice's freckles, my brother's chin when she smiled and my chin when she wasn't smiling. She had a full head of hair, neatly cut to medium length that curled up at the end.

The Viking

Last night I went out w/ my boss to The Viking, a local karaoke bar. She bought me a birthday beer. There were a few good singers, mostly employees, and mostly country songs were sung. One lady came in and offered everybody free condoms...blue ones at that. "I'm good, thanks," I told her politely so she'd go away. When condum lady got up to sing we joked she was going to sing "I'm Too Sexy" or "Let's Get It On". She sang "Proud Mary" and she sang it well. One guy gave me his business card that he had wrote notes to himself on. The insolence! Don't worry. Even if he hadn't given me a used business card I wouldn't be calling him back. He had a pony tail for goodness sake (full body shiver).

The Viking is a pretty cool place. In front is the karaoke part w/ a full bar. In back is the "night club" part. Comes complete w/ black lights, thumpin' music and a pole for drunk women w/ nice personalities to rub up and down against. There's even a martini station. I didn't have any of those frilly drinks. Just Miller Lite and a Purple Hooter for me. There's a set of restrooms in between the two parts so bathroom goers get a jumbled mess of karaoke and hip hop. Up top is a pool room w/ several pool tables and quieter music.

If you're ever in JNU and you're not a hundred, I recommend it as a stop. But don't come hungry. There's no kitchen to speak of. And be prepared for the label shock. My Miller Lites were $3.50 a bottle! If you are a hundred, the Alaskan Hotel & Bar (The A$$ Can) might be more your scene. Opened in 1913, you might remember when some of the old artwork and appliances came out (tee hee hee).

It's My Berf-day

As of 9:26 am EST, I'm 22 years old. (crickets chirp) okay, not that exciting of a birthday. My next momentous one won't be for another 8 years. I'm sure no matter how old I get, my mom will still be reminiscing with stories of how she remembers when I was this big (as she cradles her arms together). She never does that w/ my older brother or sister. (sigh) BOTF syndrome, I 'spose.

My boss at work decorated my station w/ a birthday banner and confetti. And one of my other co-workers faxed into the radio station and they announced my birthday on the radio. I'm famous.

It's C-C-Cold Outside

Blizzard warning in effect for SE Alaska. I can tell the locals aren't prepared. There were countless people running around outside in whiteout conditions in sweatshirts and no hat or gloves - hands burried deep into their jeans pockets to keep warm. The weather report on the radio was, and I quote, "About nearly 20 inches possible."

It was sloooooooow at work today. I guess not many people wanted to run to the bank in a snow storm. I did a lot of busy work. One of my co-workers tortured me w/ 80s music she loaded onto her phone. She was getting me back for the little bit of country I put on my mixed CDs I bring in. 80s music. Blah! Nothing good ever came from the 80s...except me.

Even w/ the bad music, I wish I could have stayed at work a little longer. I came home and the heat in the house was off. Figures! The coldest day since I got to Alaska and it's the day the heat breaks. The pantry is colder than the fridge. My Dr Pepper is slushy. I'm bundled up in my hat, gloves, 3 shirts, two pairs of pants, long johns and two pairs of socks. It's hard to type. I plugged in my heater, but it's broke too. It set off the smoke detector w/in 30 seconds. Bugger!