cold snap

we just started a big cold snap here in Fairbanks, with a high of 35 below zero and lows to 50 and 60 below zero for the next 10 days. so instead of hunkering down, we go outside and make dance videos. this one was last night for Lisa and Dan's wedding in New Zealand. i have only posted a few snap shots not the video link because all the participants were to embarrassed. it was modeled after Beyonce's single ladies, i start out as Beyonce....then my back dancers enter....and it goes on from there, soo funny.
ben is in the cowboy hat with two squirt guns. we had to do it in one 2min shot right in front of Ed's house because it was so cold.

Merry Christmas

Ben doing the Polish tradition of breaking of the bread and wishing for a happy and healthy upcoming year with Pella - "I hope you learn to come when you are called, stay out of the culverts and not get any frostbite in this coming year!" i think she understood. we also did this tradition on Christmas Day at Ed's and everyone enjoyed it.

We made Frosty's Going Down martini's, danced a lot of Polka, I didn't even bring any, it was just by chance it was a Polish themed Christmas!Polka!
a little white elephant gift exchange. Ted picked this great photo of Tbone dressed all suave and, believe it or not, it was stolen, hot item!

earlier in the week Ed, Ben and I skied the UAF trails because Pella is not able to ski yet. i was testing out my new windproof layer after our Tolovana experience. it was only 20 below at smith lake so i was plenty warm.
the rest of the week was pretty tough. this access is not working as it should yet. i have lots of swelling and bruising from each of the two to three needles from 3 days a week of dialysis and it making my arm a mess. i guess they say this is the "norm" for a new access, let me tell you it is no fun! i am hoping it gets better over the Holidays. in better news, my scarf is coming along, it wraps around now and is almost long enough!

Jordyn

My good friend from college Jana's baby girl Jordyn. I get a ton of cute pictures from Jana on their camping adventures. Here is Jordyn playing with the rock climbing gear in Moab. Too cute! I can't wait to see all my friends babies back in CO when I can travel again.

Lena and Mike's cocktail party

they dressed up their cute cabin in Christmas lights, very festive.
Jackson, Dan and Ed, the clean shot.
i took over the bar tending duties because i am the sober one and i really "move the product" as Jackson says.
Lena, Kristen and i all dressed for the party, a rare occasion in Fairbanks.

Pella's Frostbite

poor Pella ended up getting frostbite on her belly from our trip out of Tolovana. The vet cut off the dead skin and stitched her up. Here she is later that day on Ed's luv sac and on pain killers. She is feeling no pain in this picture.

Tolovana Hot Springs

We made it! We hiked, skied and snowshoe into Tolovana Hot Springs this weekend with a great big group of friends. This is Kristen, Brown and I just getting there, we hiked the entire 10mile trail in the dark. Little did we know this would be the easy hike. Ed was already at the cabin because he skiis so fast and then lights the fire, fetches water and has hot water ready for us when we arrive. Check out Ed's blog for very nice post of the way out, when we had waist deep snow drifts and 50 below wind chills!

Here we are hanging out at the Cabin, the hotsprings are about 1/4 mile hike up the hill, a very chilly run back to the cabin with those wind chills!Shortly after we arrived on Friday a blizzard came in bringing blowing snow and very windy conditions. Here are Brown and Cob leaving on Saturday, heading out into those crazy conditions. We also had Jackson, Dana, Ann and Libby arrive on Saturday night. Then later that night Heather arrived and did the hike alone, that is pretty burly to go over Tolovana Dome in that weather!
Sunday morning Ben and I headed out early and the wind had not stopped, but the snow storm had. This is leaving the cabin, before we discovered the next 9 miles were covered with snow drifts! Ben carried my sled and his backpack, he is my love sherpa :-) It was a long 7 hours out, it was pretty tough hike for me this year and I am home with a cold today. I am glad everyone made it out safe and it was a great weekend!
The start of the snow drifts that are the trail.
Ben getting ready to climb a snow drift. We call this slogging along.

Big Day on Dialysis

I don't talk about dialysis much, well, because it sucks. That being said, it is does keep me alive so that is cool. After 8 weeks, my access finally matured enough and today was they day the nurse stuck it. I have been dreading these huge dialysis needles for over 2 years now. I did have Lidocaine needles first. All the dialysis people made fun of me in a good spirited peer pressure way to not use the Lidocaine, why get stuck 4 times instead of two? It was worth it, the needle are so huge to accommodate that large blood flow and very long too. I have to watch it come out so I can put pressure on the site and hold it for 10 minutes. This is part of the new routine. The catheter comes out next week and although this is an adjustment, it is much safer. So as I was leaving, my dialysis neighbor Kathy said...."Welcome to the big needle club!". No one may get this post, but having it go so smoothly was cause for a celebration. Ben and I went out for gyros and then I had a nice long chat with Audrey and Jules in Seattle(sure do miss those gals!).
Pella girl, just cause.