update on Dan's cabin. i was thinking about him tonight because it is 30 below right now and still he has no electricity or monitor heat. two large windows in the front are not in yet..yikes.
Cobb and Ben sharing some scotch this past weekend at our Friday night dinner and knitting.
just pella. she was staring at me all night like this, i guess because i am on the computer and busy. so cute.
great weekend of skiing for Ben and I. trying to get in some miles before our trip to Tolovana in a few weeks.
ben drove to Deadhorse this weekend on the Haul Road, way way north of the Arctic Circle and as far north as you can drive until you hit the Arctic Ocean. He is continuing his ongoing Haul Road photo project with the large format camera. These are a few digital snapshots of the trip. 16 musk ox, how cool is that?
in Coldfoot Camp he went dog mushing with an 8 dog team and had a great ride. we are headed out to an election party at Ed's, of course we voted (early this year)!
skate skiing at Creamer's, the trails are groomed and temps were warm. this morning it was 20 below, though. this was the last day out before this horrible cold/flu thing took over.
i recuperated all weekend, but i did make it out for an hour to the Annual Potato and Turkey fry and to Kat's fortieth B-day bash. who could miss that? here she is with Pink boa instead of the over the hill theme.
Kristen and Ed, I am not sure what theme Ed was dressed up for.
we had a dinner party at Ed's Friday, he is back from Uzbekistan on vacation. his favorite part is a video by dj smash. ben bought these funny martini glasses as a joke, so we used them, perfect amount for someone on dialysis less than one ounce.
Trevor trying out a tiny martini.
dinner at Brown at Cobbs so we could knit the night away. here is Brown trying on a skirt she knit and a few dj smash moves i was showing her.
knitting, pizza and photobooks, now that is a night.
Ben and i headed out for a ski at UAF. it was so fun, the snow is good. i am still using one arm, so it was a little slow...it will be 4 more weeks before the artery vein connection is healed, can't have that pull apart. we are headed to Birch tomorrow for some skate ski technique skiing, no poles or arms. perfect.
more knitting, but today it was about the chocolate, muffins and girl chat!
such a great snowy weekend in Fairbanks, hanging with my girlfriends, they all rock. we started out knitting at Kat's. here is Kat and Audrey relaxing in the sunshine. Audrey and I are both trying to knit a lace pattern fancy scarf together. we ended the day out to Bobby's for a gyro, my favorite.
Kristen and I started the morning out with Huff latte's, the best. then we took the dogs for a walk at Creamer's. the skiing is going to be awesome this year, we have a lot of snow already, i can't ski for 4-6 weeks waiting for this fistula to mature enough for dialysis. then the catheter comes out and then ski , hike and bike time!
headed off to Coffee Roasters for some more knitting and once again Brown took control, straightened out my knitting and got me on the right track. thanks Brown! Ben was also the star husband this weekend installing our new handicap shower thing for me and fixing a DPFE sensor on the truck and the check engine light went out.he also took the truck up to the white mountains and shot some photos. it might not be typical big ski pictures, which are coming, but equally as enjoyable.
here is a gross picture of my scar. it crosses my elbow and then goes up the length of my upper arm. this is called an AV fistula and they tie a vein and artery together to make a large blood flow for the needles for dialysis. it is good to be home in wintery Fairbanks and i am now relaxing on the couch.
my mom and dad in the Library at the Transplant house, Sunday night before surgery. it was good to see them again at Mayo, one of these days we won't meet at a hospital.
we took a drive to historic Lanesboro today. cute town lots of modern art galleries and shops. they also have a 60 mile Root River bike trail that is groomed for skate skiing in the winter. it was fun to get away from Mayo Clinic for the day.
Ben's parents were in town today and we all went to Lanesboro. i even got them to do a jumping picture, nice. it was a beautiful day, we are soaking them up before we head back to Fairbanks in the teens and enough snow to cross country ski on.
we are missing Lisa and Dan's goodbye party tonight. they are moving back to New Zealand and we will miss them!
this is what we do here at Transplant House in between treatments. I knit, Ben reads and we drink hot tea, are we 80? we had more bad news yesterday, after 11 hours of treatment..plasma exchange, IVIG...nothing worked to bring the antibodies down. i am having a permanent access put in my arm on Monday and we fly back to Fairbanks later in the week. it was a disappointing day, but today is better.
TrevAH came to visit and we had fun hanging out at Mayo Clinic. if there is anyone to have fun at a hospital with it's TrevAH.
here i am in one of the waiting rooms today, i have been a knitting fool. i knitted straight thru 11 hours of iv treatments yesterday and all day today. i finished this scarf for a friends birthday and almost Ben's hat.
ben and i yesterday at Mayo Clinic. we had some disappointing news since we have been here, that the chemo did not work as we had hoped. we decided to try plasma exchange for 5 days and this treatment started immediately the day i arrived. the treatment is outpatient, but you still get a bed and they cycle all of your blood out, spin it and remove the plasma. blood plasma contains antibodies and then they replace plasma with fake plasma called albumin. so we started out our anniversary doing that and then some rest and ended with a great dinner.
we went out to Jasper's and had an imported cheese plate, crepes with wild mushrooms and walleye(i have to enjoy some things i normally can't- it is our anniversary). this morning we are walking back to Mayo for another plasma exchange. not ideal, i am little freaked out, but we are making the best of it....we don't find anything out on the next steps until Tuesday. luckily i already fit in a little retail therapy :-)
Norma and Brown knitting socks. i had a knitting party this weekend so i could get some help on my two new projects. thanks to Brown and crew, i am learning a ton.
Sarah working a kid hat and Kat helping Kristen unravel and restart her blanket. Lisa also stopped by for moral support :-) At least I was able to see everyone before leaving on Wednesday.
the "Germans" had a going away party, again. they called and cooked for everyone, we had a few last laughs tonight until we see them again someday. last time they left town in their green 1952 vw bug, they past an abandoned vw bus in someone's yard. they bought the bus, brought it back to Fairbanks, and rebuilt the engine. tomorrow, they are driving down the alcan. these are seriously crazy fun guys, Dirk, Torsten and Steffan we will miss you...Ben has also been able to get some great photos for his ongoing Haul Road project.
the equinox marathon was this weekend. ben and i had great time, i was the team manger and Ben was the driver for the Kristen , Ted and Dan relay team. We also help support Lisa on her marathon. near the top of ester dome at the 3rd relay spot it was a cold, windy race.
Lisa finishing and our great cheer section near the finish. Dan, Matias (finished 2nd in 2:56), Ben, DanP, Ted, Kristen, Lena and Mike.
after the race with my good girlfriends Lisa, Kristen and Lena. they all ran great and as usual it was my 3rd year supporting. the first year i ran and i hope to run again next year after a transplant!! 
some serious lounge time after with Trevor and the Germans.
Ted at the grill during Kristen's hot tub dinner party this weekend.
Kim, Chris and Albert sporting their new glasses. nice.
i finally finished my first hat! i am wearing it in this picture on our tea and music night tonight with Kristen. Hem, Fleet Foxes and old, old Bo Deans. Brown helped me fix the hat and I learned how to do a cable, plenty of new things to try at Mayo next week. i have to start my brother Dave's hat, from last years Christmas. i am running a little behind.
Ben and Dan on the 45 degree roof, Ben is sure getting pretty handy. i can't wait until we build our own place someday!
great dinner at chez Brown and Cobb. Brown took at look at my lastest knitting project and had to keep it overnight to correct it! she can fix anything in a matter of minutes and is the most expert knitter i know, so my work "being admitted" for an overnight is never a good sign. i am grateful for her help.
Dennis picked us up from a secret dirt road spot that lead right to the Tanana River. we took the boat up river to his family and friend sand bar picnic spot, it was a beautiful day to be on the river,
the gravel bar spot for the picnic with their family and friends.
dan and sky putting rafters up on the roof of the cabin. the cabin is looking good!
ben and i went over to help with the rafters last night. this is ben being manly.
