Odessa has never looked so good!

Odessa
Aug 4, 2008
87 degrees and SUN

HOME! Yeah! We arrived home late yesterday evening after a long couple of days. I will start at the beginning.

Aug 1, Friday
We closed up the trailer on the Kenai and by noon we were heading towards Anchorage with luggage and two boxes of frozen salmon. Now the trick here is to keep those two boxes frozen until sometime late on Sunday. Hmmm
Trip to Anchorage was uneventful..sunny most of the way until we reached Anchorage and it was cloudy, but not cold for once.

Aug. 2, Saturday
First on the agenda today was getting some dry ice for the fish boxes. Relatively easy, one trip to Fred Myer did the trick. I was fighting mosquito's as I packed the ice in the boxes...grrr...won't miss those damn pesky things.
Dinner tonight was at Henry's in Anchorage. EXCELLENT! I had salmon cooked on a cedar plank and I was sure surprised when my dinner arrived and my salmon was still cooking on a cedar plank. I finally smothered the cedar plank to put it out...too smokey for me. But my salmon was so darn good, so now I have to try this at home.

Arrived at the airport and unloaded our 4 suitcases and 2 boxes of fish. Since we had booked out tickets in March we were still allowed 2 suitcases each, and since we carried on one we only had to pay for one extra fish box at $25...not a bad deal. We were in for a great surprise when we checked in however. The ticket person asked us if we would like to be upgraded to first class since there were two seats left and since Al travels in a handicapped capacity the seats were offered to us. WE jumped on them. What a nice flight that was! Wheelchair waiting for us in Seattle as well. We finally arrived at our hotel at 2:30 a.m. and immediately fell into bed. Of course, I was too wound up and couldn't go to sleep right away.

Aug. 3 Sunday
Ric and Cammie picked us up at the hotel this morning around 11:00 a.m. since Cammie had kept my car while we were gone. The hotel actually had a freezer for us to put our fish boxes in...so far, so good. Fish still frozen! We met Janet for lunch and then followed all of them home to pick up some stuff there and we headed for home. We were very anxious to get home to our puppies and kitties. After a quick stop in Ephrata at Safeway we were home. Odessa sure looked good...and it was sunny and warm. YES! We quickly unloaded the car and took off for Jerry and Ardis's to pick up the dogs. But not before both cats gave us a mouth full on how they were upset with us for being gone.

I think our dogs missed us...I have never seen either one of them so excited. They danced and pranced and talked to us for hours after we picked them up! Neither dog will let us out of their sight...and last night all four of the animals were in the bedroom with us. Schuster actually slept with his head on the bed watching us most of the night! Beau moves each time one of us moves and follows us everywhere and Schuster is always right beside me. Both cats aren't done with us yet...they still have a lot to tell us apparently. Our un-vocal cat Jose hasn't shut up! WOW...guess we will have to reconsider what to do next year if we go back to Alaska.

We had a nice surprise when we opened the door to the house yesterday (that is after we found our keys...long story) -- we had new flooring in the kitchen and laundry room! We had ordered it before we left and they told us if they could get access to the house they would install it if it came in before we got home! WOW...does it ever look nice. Now I have to paint the cabinets in the kitchen...arg, it never ends.

Al is in getting his hair cut right now and I am heading that way in a few minutes. I look like a very shaggy dog!

Some things we noticed now that we are home. Food is relatively inexpensive here compared to Alaska. And so is gas. We were paying $4.79 a gallon in Alaska for gas and I got it at Safeway here yesterday for $3.89 a gallon. OF course that was after I got my 30 cents a gallon discount...I told Al that was like hitting the lottery!

Weather is to be in the high 80's to low 90's for the week and that big, yellow, bright thing we can the sun is shining. Sure feels good. Al says I am leaving little puddles of water everywhere I go...me thawing out!

Tonight Jerry and Ardis are coming for dinner...halibut tonight. Can't wait!

We will be here for a few days before we have to head to Seattle for doctor/dentist appointments again. I just hope my Explorer (the exploder) will make the next few trips. I am taking it in to the mechanic on Wednesday for a tune up, and some minor things that need to be done. Still a great car, just very old.

Until next time, we are finally
UNWROAMIN'