going home...

Presents unwrapped, fireworks shot off, shopping done, car locked, and parked for the next few months. Physically, I am ready to go home. After living out of a suitcase for two weeks, I guess I am ready.

Of all the excuses coming to mind of friends, adventures, and activities, I realize once again that I belong in the bush. Not because I am too hardcore for the urban life; we all know that certainly isn't true. I don't belong there because I am an excellent pilot or mechanic. I belong there because its the best place to be prepared for missions.

Well, I should pack up and get ready to head out!

apple cider beef stew

I got some stew meat a while back*, and decided that it was well past time to use it, especially considering how good hot stew tastes when its cold out. So I was looking around online for a good stew recipe that consisted of things that I have in my kitchen. I noticed a trend as I pawed through different recipe sites: using apple in a beef stew. I thought, "Well, that sounds interesting! Couldn't hurt to try, right?" The great thing about being single is that I am the only one to disappoint if something doesn't turn out.

Because I was using my slow cooker, I figured it would be best to find a recipe that is specifically for the slow cooker. Crockpot.com away! Here http://www.crock-pot.com/Recipe.aspx?rid=1025 is where to find the original recipe; I will share what I actually ended up doing.

1. Finely chop 8 carrots, 4 sticks of celery, 6 medium potatoes, 1 medium onion, and 2 apples.
2. Layer 2 pounds beef stew meat, and all the chopped veggies in the crockpot.

3. Pour 36 oz. apple juice over the ingredients in the crockpot.

4. Add (at least) 2 teaspoons salt and a teaspoon or so of thyme (I didn't measure either of these...)

5. Cook for 12 hours on low, then keep warm until time to serve!

Reading over the recipe again, I realize that I forgot the vinegar. that might have taken the edge off the sweetness. I ended up having to add more salt, and it was fine. The thing that I didn't like about the timing of this recipe is how long it takes to cook. I made it for lunch, so I ended up staying up really late just to start it. I guess the other option would have been to cook it on high for dinner. But that would have involved starting it around noon to have it between 5-6.

It also makes a ginormous thing of soup. Great for big families, but I am going to be eating it for a week!

*Don't worry, I put it in the freezer!

Twas the Night Before Christmas: Aviation Style!

I found this on Facebook. I honestly wish I could credit the author, cause its awesome!

Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
The aircraft were fastened to tiedowns with care,
In hopes that come morning, they all would be there.
The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.
I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,
And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.
When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.
A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
Called for clearance to land at the airport below.
He barked his transmission so lively and quick,
I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick".
I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,
The better to welcome this magical flight.
He called his position, no room for denial,
St. Nicholas One, turnin' left onto final.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!
With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:
"Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid!" What pills was he takin'?
While controllers were sittin', and scratchin' their head,
They phoned to my office, and I heard it with dread,
The message they left was both urgent and dour
"When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower.
He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
Then I heard "Left at Charlie," and "Taxi to parking.
He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh
And stopped on the ramp with a "Ho, ho-ho-ho...
He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks.
His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost
And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust.
His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn't inhale.
His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly,
His boots were as black as a cropduster's belly.
He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,
And he asked me to "fill it, with hundred low-lead.
He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump,
I knew he was anxious for drainin' the sump.
I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.
He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,
Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.
And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.
He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,
Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, "Clear!"
And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.
"Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction,
Turn right three-two-zero at pilot's discretion"
He sped down the runway, the best of the best,
"Your traffic's a Grumman, inbound from the west."
Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,
"Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight."

-Author unknown

civilization!

Well, its been 2 months since I have been anywhere with roads. And now I get 2 glorious weeks of Christmas holiday. Lots of shopping, friends, and tons of fun!! I will try to get Christmas gifts in the mail right away, then get ready for shopping. I don't plan on going into Anchorage again until the end of February, so I want to make sure I have everything I need.

As much as I like the freedom to drive somewhere, I am really beginning to appreciate the beauty of where I live. Everywhere I look, there are mountains. Its especially pretty in the winter, with white snow everywhere reflecting the low sun's light. The town sits right on a big lake, with a peaceful bay defining the northeast side of town. Yes, it would be nice if it was easier to get in and out. But for what its worth, its beautiful here.

So the plans for the next two weeks involve dancing, sledding, snow machining, gingerbread parties, christmas eve, christmas day, shopping, hanging out with friends, more shopping, and grocery shopping. Looking forward to it!

fresh fruit

How often do you buy fresh fruit and veggies at the grocery store? Well, there is no grocery store here. The most convenient shopping center is 200 air miles away. I am very blessed to have a friend in Anchorage that will pick up a list at costco for me every once in a while, but its not the same as the weekly grocery store trip where one picks out their favorite (and maybe a little more of what is on sale) produce. So on this last list, I got a case of oranges, bananas, pomegranates, a and pineapple. What is one supposed to do with all this, other than make a glorious fruit salad? I decided to give some to my neighbors, who are avid fruit lovers. I know this means that I will probably be without fruit at some point, but I would rather them have some as well than me hoarding it all and watching it go bad.

So next time you are wandering through the produce section, think about how you would buy if you knew you wouldn't be shopping for the next 2 months.

hangar happenings

A lot of what happens in the hangar is work. While expected, work tends toward the boring side. So last week, when things other than work happened, we were all really amused.

1) During break, a conversation happened between two of my co-workers. I wasn't listening too closely, but I heard something mentioned about 5 dollars, then one of the guys headed over to the 206 and started crawling into the belly pod. This guy is over 6 feet tall, and I wasn't sure that he could get all of his legs in there.

JAARS 206 in Waxhaw

Apparently he did, because the other guy snuck up and closed the door behind him. Next thing I know, our director of maintenance is headed over to the plane, saying, "You aren't doing it right!" before he hops on the tail and starts rocking the whole plane up and down. Eventually they unlock the door, and the guy begins asking about his 5 bucks as he crawls out.

2) The 99 was in for maintenance this week. Aside from the scheduled inspection, one of the antennas on top had vibrated enough to crack the metal surrounding it. One of my co-workers spent 3 days cowboy style on top of the plane, working on the fix. Its not a normal place to see a person, so it was kind of funny to have someone up there for 3 days. I wish we would have gotten a picture!

thanksgiving in the bush

Yes, Thanksgiving was a week ago. Better late than never? Sure, works for me.

The festivities started the night before, with a spaghetti feed at the church. During this event, one of the local mid-high girls found me and stayed by my side most of the night. The only time I wasn't attached to her, I had various kids, age 3-8, climbing all over me and otherwise enjoying a grown up playing with them. Lesson 1: Don't swing a kid around when there are other kids present. They will all want rides, and will say, "Again!" as soon as you set them down. I am just thankful that all the spaghetti stayed in their tummies.

After the meal was cleaned up, we headed upstairs for a prayer and worship service. From little boys being mutually thankful for their best friend sitting next to them to adults being grateful for the way God blesses this community, we shared from the heart.

The aforementioned mid-high girl, her sister, and two other friends from the community, were headed over to my place. Why? A sleepover, of course. I taught them how to play skip-bo, we had some soda, watched a movie, and stayed up till 2 am giggling.

The next morning, the phone rang. It wasn't even 7 am yet. I rolled out of bed, aware that the girls were waking up, and tried to piece together some consciousness. First step: make coffee. "Oh, my mom lets me have coffee! Can I have some?" One of the girls pipes up. Well naturally, if I give her coffee, I have to give ALL the girls coffee, even if some of them dont get it very often. Whatever, it can be a treat, I think to myself as I serve them all small cups of coffee.

The big happening out here was the turkey bowl. We had a couple inches of fresh snow to cover the week's mud, which was a perfect setting for the first annual turkey bowl. What, you don't have turkey bowls where you come from? Well, let me enlighten you. Its an epic battle, from one side to the other. Passing, catching, running, tackling... ok, you are SUPPOSED to pull flags. But we found the most effective way to grab a flag was when the opponent was pinned to the ground. Thats right, its flag football in the bush! Complete with a hand carved trophy for the winning team. My team didn't win, but we had fun playing.

The big meal happened at my boss's house. They open their house to members of the community who can't go home for Thanksgiving, in addition to their large family. This year, the crowd numbered about 50 people. I am told that it was a small quiet crowd for a holiday meal at their place. I looked at all the tables set up, wondering where anyone else would sit.

All in all, it was a great holiday!