The three boneheads and a S.A.D. realization....

Wow, where has the time gone? In fact where did the year go?? Where to start? We have actually heard from a few friendly and distant voices of late. Our friend and live-in companion Michelle called and talked with Maryann today. She is well and apparently misses some of the perks of living with the lack of population and all of it's adverse effects on ones psyche! She is well and back in California....'for now'. Michelle has an admirable quality in her, and this would be the desire to roam and roll unturned stones....as I said, 'for now!' She has a home in Alaska waiting for her return. We also heard from an old client of ours who is wanting to come up and experience Alaskan fishing next summer. And last but not by a long shot the least, we heard from our long time and dear friends Ted and Patty who are also looking into coming up for a possible visit over the summer. So some excitement hearing from missed friends and the like. Marynn is savoring the taste of working from home. She has not lost her mind as of yet! But the days are getting darker and shorter fast....so who knows!

I, on the other hand have stumbled onto the realization that I may well be suffering from the ill-effects of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Yes, I think the lack of light may have finally nipped me in the ass! I have started to feel as if I may be losing my mind and have been having the yearning urge to go to Hawaii or someplace sunny like that. In fact now looking back on it it is starting to make sense when I was younger with those long weeks of fog and dreariness in Stockton. Maryann has pulled through as my savior though. No, not to worry as she has mail ordered me a "happy light". Now apparently these light boxes have come a long way and now they have them as desktop decorative models. So me and my "happy light" will be spending some time together this winter, and hopefully I will not succumb to the relenting feeling of isolation and remorse....during the next 2 long and dark months! Maryann is talking to her mom in the other room right now, stating about how the lack of light has not gotten to her yet....yet!

Then there is the senseless acts of foolishness. You know, when you do stupid things, as we all do, you will almost always regret it. But it sure does feel better when you aren't the only dummy in the crowd. It started out last month when our friend Mike, who works at Maryann's lodge, pulled a 'California stop' coming from the lodge out onto the highway and got pulled over by Alaska's best. And surprisingly he wasn't let off with a warning, but a ticket. Now, me being the friend that I am couldn't help but feel for the guy. I mean, you are just going through your daily motions and then all of a sudden those red and blue lights, which are really kind of fascinatingly pretty, are in your rear view mirror. And the State Troopers here are very cordial and polite when they approach your vehicle. They always introduce themselves and ask you how you are doing, before they tell you why your being pulled over. How do I know this? Because being the friend that I am and feeling bad for the guy, I pulled a boner of a move two weeks later coming back from Anchorage in a rental car. Only I did one up better than Mike. Oh, I couldn't let him be better than me! I was doing 75 in a 55 zone. Shocked? Imagine that ol familiar feeling of my heart falling into my ass as I watched the Trooper coming at me and realized what I was doing! Mind you, the speed limit had just dropped from 65 to 55 less than a mile back.....I just missed the sign....stupid dummy me! So Mike walked away with a 2 point ticket, and me a 4 point ticket which the Trooper very considerately lowered to a 2 point by saying I was only doing 10 miles over the speeed limit. And if that dont just beat it all. Now, imagine the grin on Johns face when he walked in that night and saw my ticket glowing on the counter. "And here dad is always telling me to slow down", thought John. And I have to give the boy credit where credit is due, because a week later when he got pulled over in Kenai, he was in fact doing the speed limit. But being the sore loser that he sometimes is, he had to out-do Mike and myself by getting a 6 point ticket....whoa.....for following too close to the person in front of him, slamming on his brakes in icy conditions, and almost causing an accident! I think they call that reckless driving, eh John?! Good thing for John, he had a kind officer as well and lowered him to a 4 point ticket, because at 6 points it is mandatory court appearance and suspension of his license. He was even nice enough to call me at home at 10:30PM to tell me what my brilliant son had just maneuvered. And so we have the three boneheads, who had to support the local and state revenue, in a rather foolish and uncanny manner. Poor traffic school instructor who is gonna have to deal with us 3 jackasses!!

On a shiner and upbeat note, if you remember last year about this time, I was writing about my demise with the big "Christmas In Kenai" craft bizarre. Remember, I was scheduled to sell pottery there the day after Thanksgiving and the kiln took a crap just days away. That spawned me to buy a new updated and more reliable kiln, to which I have had very favorable and exciting experiences with since. So today ended a 10 hour glazing frenzy to begin the 2 glaze fires over the course of the next few days, that I will have to perform in order to have pottery ready for sale the day after Thanksgiving at the "Christmas In Kenai" show. Yes I am giving it another go! And this happens on the heels of a successful run two weeks ago at the Soldotna Bizarre I did, as seen in the photos. Sales were pretty darn good, and out of it came a gallery owner who has asked me to display pottery in her gallery, and as well, the continued request of the Soldotna Senior Center to sell pottery out of their gift store, which I have already displayed and am doing now. As well as good sales, I was shocked to have taken a 1st place ribbon on a teapot set I made and a 3rd place ribbon on a small vase! I had entered 3 pieces into the jurried show the third being the green bowl behind the vase which although it didn't take a ribbon, did sell before it was displayed! But just the excitement of so many avenues coming out of one show, was an honor. And another step closer to my dream! So I find myself busy preparing for the next gig and one more before Christmas at Maryann's former place of employment, as the hotel is having a Christmas Bizarre and has asked me to participate.

John came home tonight and was glowing. He is now certified in CPR! One step closer to his dream!! Upon finding out the good news, Cherokee promptly and on cue rolled over 4 paws to the ceiling playing dead. John wasn't interested in giving the dog CPR.....good thing Cherokee was only running through a crisis training scenario.... So there it is the latest and greatest, another month gone by, one more month closer to officially qualifying for the PDF, 27 more days to the darkest day, continued success in the pursuit of dreams and one tired Greg! Stay tuned as we find out whether or not the "happy light" will save me from spiraling into the dark abyss of yet another Alaskan winter...... If you look into my eyes you can kinda already see the twisted look of....