Taste the Freedom!

In two days I will leave the world of Federal employment and embark on a journey that - hopefully - takes me to successful business person. My job with the Census ends on Friday, yes, this friday, and I am not jumping into another job. It makes no sense to do serious job hunting when I have two trips in the span of four months, one of which is three weeks long. No employer in their right mind would hire someone who is going to turn around and go on extended vacation twice.

So it's been one of those, "Ok, God, what next?" type situations. He's laid upon my heart that I just need to bite the bullet and dive into the photography business once and for all. Why would He give me a talent and then not allow me to use it to my full potential. So I'm prayerfully considering my options. I am thinking that possibly by next spring/summer I may be moving back down to Kenai. This is not even close to a done deal, but the over saturation of photographers in my area in Anchorage is troublesome. All of my friends up here already have their preferred photographer - and I am not that person - well, not all, but most. I have  more of a clientele down on the Peninsula. Problem is I still don't have the option of living on my own. Not that I have that option up here. But, with dad's new Garage Majahal he's building I think I might be able to build a studio out of it (that can be swapped out for the cars when it's not in use lol) and that can suppliment my income drastically as many people aren't going to want to do winter portraits when the temp dips below zero (or freezing for that matter, and I can't blame 'em!).

I know God is moving me somewhere, just not where. The Sunday School program at ABT is getting a shake up and -come the end of October- there will no longer be small classes at the 11am hour. Basically my class will be no more. They are making a jr. childrens church which sounds like a lot of fun, but I've been going back and forth as to whether or not to take a break, and I'm taking this opportunity as a sign that God's making sure I don't burn out. The last two years I have definitely felt that I'm getting close to that. It will be nice to hear Preacher on Sunday morning. I haven't attended a Sunday MORNING service at ABT in almost five years. Not counting Christmas and Easter. It's something I definitely miss. Growing up there wasn't a Children's church or 'extended session' option, you just went into service and learned to be quiet and behave. Still feel that's the way to go, but understand that its not everyone's idea of a good time.

This could also make a move to Kenai easier as I wouldn't be leaving the Children's ministry short staffed.

So there's a lot to consider. But, first, I have to build up the business now and get my name out. I've got somewhat of an online presense, which I am working on expanding, and then I need to look at advertising options around Anchorage and the Peninsula. Prayers for all of this - as well as encouragement and advice - are always welcome. I'm not sure where God wants me to go exactly, but I do feel this is the correct course.

http://www.photographybyantonia.com/

Busy Beaver!

So much has happened that I would love the blog about, but I have been so busy and running around that unless you follow me on facebook or twitter you wouldn't know what was going on. The Census is winding down, I will be laid off a week from tomorrow. I'm not sad about it ending, shoot the paycheck is nice, I'm actually relieved. It's been a long twenty months, but over all I enjoyed it.

A lot of people are asking me what is next. At this point I'm taking it one day at a time. I have, basically, until spring to figure it out (that's when my living arrangement will have to change no matter what) and with my trips that I have planned and paid for it makes it hard to get a job. "Um, yeah, you can hire me, then I'll be gone for a month, and back for a month and then I'm gone again!"

So to make a long post short, I've prayed hard about it and feel God is leading me to take my photography seriously. So I am completely jumping in, with Faith. The website was published this morning, and I'm open for business with sessions set for Sept. 25 and beyond! I am excited and scared all at the same time.

Visit the website here - http://www.photographybyantonia.com/ - more blogging to come, but I think this is enough for now.

I also just joined the Christian group Books for Bloggers, so I'm looking forward to that!

The Arctic Pug Pirate to Make Berth at home with us!

Time's up for the owners, Bubba Jack will be up for adoption as of tomorrow, and we have first rights of refusal meaning... tomorrow evening after work he's coming home!

Tonight we went to PetCo to get essentials, a crate for when we're gone during the day (with his poor eyesight we figure until he gets used to the house it's safest for him to be crate trained), a food dish (it's so cute), and a harness and leash. Cha-ching! But he's worth it (besides Judy paid for it lol).

The report from Dr. Rapp for today was extremely positive. He is not showing any signs of his one eye bothering him like originally thought. He can't see very well if at all with it (probably just shadows if he can) so he will be coming home with eye drops for us to administer (Judy will have to do that because that sort of thing creeps me out lol). He's becoming more active and responsive. Dr. Rapp was more candid with Judy today on the phone and said that they were actually afraid the dog was not going to make it on Monday. He just slept so much.

Dr. Rapp is convinced that he was not just out overnight, but that he'd been through a lot more. He's extremely excited that BJ found his way into our arms and our hearts! He wanted to have BJ a full 72 hours so Judy told him we'd pick him up tomorrow night. I will meet here there after work.

Will definitely give you an update tomorrow. I take Yuka in tomorrow morning for her rabies shots and will update her license and everything. So will get an update on BJ and will share before heading to work at noon.


In other news - I booked my RT airfare for the DisneyLAND trip next year! yay!

Back to the grind.

Obviously mom and I made it home Monday night without incident. The weather was fantastic in Fairbanks when we left, and stayed that way until we hit the MatSu, where we basically drove into a sheet of RAIN. And it stayed that way all the way home.

Overall I loved our trip, the skating was fantastic, the company was - of course - awesome, and mom and I got to unwind. We did a whole lot of nothing and I have no problem doing that. Decided I want to make the trip again at least by next summer. Will definitely do so if certain skaters get to come back (wink, wink) at the same time of year, but then again I don't know if I wouldn't come earlier before the tourist season rush.

I will be giving a full review of our resort this weekend, when I have more down time, right now all I've been doing is work, catching up on sleep and editting my MANY photos, of which I will also share at some point. I will say this about the Wedgewood Resort: I will stay there again and I recommend it to all of my friends. It is great service, great rooms, and it's affordable. I also suggest going on the weekends as they are less crowded/cheaper because that is when they are recooping from the influx of tourists Monday-Thursday. Just a little hint, I'm sure other hotels are similar.

 Nothing else to really report. Still working on photos. Will have to post some eventually. Night, all.

Watch the SUNBURN!

Today was, for the most part, relaxing. We stayed at the resort until 11:30 just chilling, and then headed to The Pump House for a “brunch” buffet. We met up with the Lees and Melissa and Denis and ate outside overlooking the Chena River. The sun was out and warm, and aside from a few pesky bees, it was a fantastic time. We spent two hours just gabbing and enjoying the wonderful weather. Getting to know the Lees better was a treat, and I have to say their kids are a kick. Andrew is just ENERGY all the time, and Grace is such a sweet young lady.


The weather was just fantastic; Warm, sunny, and perfect for giving me a sunburn. Which I am now suffering from because it is mostly on the back of my neck. Sleeping should be interesting tonight. We saw speed boats, float planes, and the famous paddle boat pass by while we chatted. It was just a great way to close out Melissa and Denis’ week and mom and my weekend.

After filling up on all the yummy offerings and saying our goodbyes (so hoping Melissa and Denis get to come back soon!) mom and I headed out to North Pole, AK which is about 11 miles away from Fairbanks (if that). We were on our way to The Santa Claus House, and somehow managed to miss it not once but twice. Don’t ask me how. If there’s one thing about this trip it’s the fact that we can’t navigate worth a darn! Haha! Finally drove into their parking lot – it was HOT outside – and spent a couple of hours wandering around the gift shop before going out and seeing the Reindeer and taking photos of the large Santa’s on the property.

Then we headed back to the hotel and stopped at McDonalds on the way to get us some well needed soft serve ice cream. It was just insanely hot in the truck. We crashed at the room for a couple of hours (mom napped and I edited photos. Can’t wait to have time to edit them and post them!) , and then had dinners over at Gallo’s Mexican restaurant. My stomach is so stuffed it’s not even funny.

Now we’re back in the room. Mom is snoring away and I am watching Law & Order SVU (thinking of you, Heather! It’s not skating without chatting with MelDen and watching Law & Order! BD Wong is hot!). We have to leave in the morning and I am not looking forward to getting back to the real world. I have really enjoyed being away, but I do miss my pug. So that’s something to look forward to!

Gotta pick up a few things from the depot for work up here and then we’ll be on our way! Check out tomorrow morning is at 11am, so I don’t expect us to get moving quickly at all. It’s 9:30, though, so if I want to be well rested for the drive back I better sign off for now.

I've missed watching Melissa and Denis skate.

Mom slept for twelve hours last night. It’s really no surprise as she’d been up since 4 am and even though we didn’t do much but drive, it takes it out of you. We were in bed by seven, and mom CRASHED.


Woke up to not so fantastic weather, it was pouring down rain, but by 10am it was over and done with. We ate at Denny’s (which boasts being the world’s furthest north Denny’s) for breakfast, and then we headed up to what we thought was the ice arena. No such luck, it was the wrong one, so then I just decided to take a gamble and head up college road. Found UAF all on my own (easy to do with all the signs) and made it to see the tail end of the ice dance testing. We got to see Denis take the girls testing through the proper steps. It was like watching Compulsory dances at nationals all over again; thankfully Midnight Blues was not one of the testing pieces. We had the Viennese and Golden Waltzes and the Paso Doble… and one other one that I don’t remember. Seeing Melissa and Denis working with the students got me excited for the show tonight.

After watching the kids go through their testing we headed back to the room to try and make a game plan. Sadly we have NO idea what’s going on that isn’t incredibly touristy – and by that I mean expensive – and the rain had returned. We just decided to suck it up and go for a drive. Then dad called and we spent about 15 minutes in the lobby while mom talked to him on the phone. While we sat in the lobby the rain stopped, we decided to try to find the “real” Fairbanks – which translates to downtown. It was the Golden Days festival and we wanted in on some of the action. It had rained during the parade – and we spent that time in doors at the rink anyway – but now the clouds had parted and the weather was pretty good.

We figure-eighted around until we finally made it to first street where all the action was. Made the mistake of trying to see the rubber ducky races, but they were late in getting started and mom wasn’t feeling well, so we made our way away from the races, only to have not waited long enough and they crossed the finish line not five minutes after we left the river. Go figure. Oh well, there’s always next trip! We toured Treat Street, for a while anyway, and visited the Yukon Quest “headquarters”. It’s pretty much a mini version of the Iditarod Race Headquarters in Wasilla. After walking around a bit more we headed for the truck to freshen up before the ice show.

The show was pretty good, it was all the local talent, and some of the skaters are surprisingly good for not having a solid program up here right now. Some of the older skaters really put on a good show, and every skater brought their game. The highlight, of course, was when Melissa and Denis closed the show with their program. Melissa rocked the jeweled eyes, and they both were just so smooth. I had forgotten just how much I LOVE watching them skate. I didn’t think I had, but I had shivers. Makes me want to go to Nationals or any skating event that much more. So thankful they made it up here, definitely worth the drive!

After the show we met up with them, and I figured we’d chat and then be on our way, but like always that didn’t happen! It was so much more. We did a little catching up and we will be going to brunch/lunch with them and the Lees (big into Fairbanks Skating club) tomorrow (well, today once this is posted). It’s just like old times, I suppose!

Mom DID embarrass me, though, when she met Melissa and Denis because she took one look at Denis told him she loved watching him because he was just “SO CUTE”. I literally tried to die right there. They were really good sports about it though. Gotta love them! And I guess I gotta love mom, too.

After that we grabbed some KFC and came back to the hotel where we are now just watching some TV before going to bed. Will be shutting her down pretty soon. I took pictures tonight and will have to edit them some other time ha ha. Just not into it tonight. Tomorrow after meeting up with MelDen we are planning to head to North Pole and visit Santa Claus House. I am so tempted to yell out “SANTA! I KNOW HIM!” but I won’t. Gonna go see me some reindeer and play tourist. Yup, sounds fun.

So not ready for our trip to be over, but it’s been fun. I’m going to enjoy the next two days, then it’s back to the grindstone.

Hope everyone else is having a great weekend.

It's Oh So Quiet

I have a few ideas for blog posts, with very little time to get them done, so as you can imagine it's been very quiet on here but that's not what I want it to be.

Work is going well, still hard at work for the US Census Bureau. I was off for a week due to a horrible head cold/sinus infection thing. Had no voice, can't man the phones if I can't talk. Went back - finally - this Tuesday. Missed out on all of the fun summer weather we've been having along with the Memorial Day Weekend festivities. I did a ton of scrapbooking and am almost done with the family trip to disney in 2007 album. After that I will begin working on the album for my trip with Erin in 2009.

Wildride opened on May 20th. I was there for opening. There are a few minor cast changes (to be expected as Jen Seavey is pregnant so she is not the host this year, and since Fridge past away at teh end of the season last year the lead dog training is back to square one and Kosher is barely where Fridge was when we brought the scene to the show in 2008.), but basically it's all the same. They've added kennel tours in place of the morning show. I haven't gotten to work much, and that's in part to the fact that they haven't had as much interest so far. Hopefully that picks up as the summer kicks it into high gear this month.


so that's all for now. Hopefully I will be more active on the blog soon.

Wildride!!

This weekend my schedule is jam packed. I am getting a cell phone in my name - and a new phone - I'm booking the dining reservations for Erin and my trip in November to Disney World... but the biggest excitement (and this may sound really pathetic) is that Wildride starts next week and my involvement starts on Saturday with rehearsals. To say I'm overly excited is an understatement.

It's so weird that I'm still so giddy over this time of year. By the end of the summer I'll be dragging, as it looks like I'll be working more this summer than last, but I still have so much fun and miss it when it's over. *sigh*

Cannot wait. Photos to come as soon as I can shoot some!

Alaskan... spring?

Sitting in my room watching the large, clean white flakes fall from the light grey sky, I have to ask: where is spring?

This happens every year - for at least as long as I can remember - the battle between spring and winter starts late february and goes all the way through May until, quite suddenly, summer comes out of nowhere. While most of the rest of the world enjoys four distinct seasons, Alaska is a mystery. There are only two true distinct seasons - summer and winter - with fall and spring meshing interestingly with winter. Who knows why God works it that way up here, but I think it's mirrored in the Alaskan emotions...

Or, well, at least mine.

I am ready for spring/summer. Warmth. Biking. Walking. Taking the dog to the dog parks and letting her romp, off leash, without the worry of moose sticking to the trail - or the dog getting too cold five seconds after getting there.

At the same time, there's an excitement and joy I get watching the large flakes come down - if they're small it's not as pretty, nor is it as much fun to watch - I'm not sure if that comes from the fact that I'm having a hard time letting go of my childhood, or if it's because it's a strictly Alaskan thing that snow means a whole lot more than cold.

Sure, I gripe about it right along with the next guy, but deep down there's something special, beautiful and exciting about the event of a freak spring snow storm.



Though if it all melts by morning so the roads are clear so I can get to work, I won't be complaining.

Hmm. Which one, which one.

Seems to be the debate of the day for my brain. Between work, and then a ton of retail therapy (all of which was something that I needed not wanted... well, okay, I WANTED these things, too, but they weren't just on a whim decisions) it was debating which to do/get/etc.

Now I'm online researching travel bags/backpacks/cases for my camera, and lenses. Yup. Gotta get this squared away while I can. They are important decisions. I really need a new lens or two, and I need a better way to transport my stuff on airplanes, road trips, hiking, etc.

So that's what I'm doing at 8:40pm. Not going to get anything for a couple of months yet, but gotta start budgetting and saving now! I want to get a sports lens and a portrait lens. I'm thinking a canon 100-400mm and then for portraits I'm still debating. If/when I do another skating event I'll still have the lens I use now as I can only shoot up to 200mm lenses when I'm attending (though maybe if I get my sports lens I can talk someone into getting me a press pass and shoot it officially. That'd be cool.)

I'm not drinking enough water these days, getting back into bad soda habits. Gotta change that, I can definitely feel the effects my legs are always cramped.


Random musings tonight, that's for sure. I didn't get anything done today that needed to be done, but I went shopping and some planning, so the night was not a total loss. Now, it's off to bed... off to bed.

Mmm. Blue.

Not that anyone reads this anywhere but facebook as I have it imported into that application, but I changed my layout again to just a simple blue theme. I love the color blue. It's crisp, it's refreshing, and it can bring a wave (pun intended) of emotions and thoughts. I think it's quite possibly the most artisitcally expressive color.

How's that for an introspective moment?

Not much is going on in my life, the mushing and figure skating seasons are pretty much over with the big competitions coming to an end this month. And, let's face it, it's spring, winter sports wind down just due to the fact that their sports arenas melt away! Honestly I'm more sad to see the mushing season come to a close more so than the figure skating one. This happens to me every olympic year. I guess the emotion runs too high or something.

And I don't get why I'm so upset about the sled dog races coming to an end. Now it's the summer months to look forward to with sled dog puppies! and SUN! and WARMTH!

yeah, okay, I'm actually ready for summer with a great passion. I want warmer weather and sun and an Alaskan's version of a tan!