Sick Holiday

Since my fun Talkeetna excursion nothing major has occurred in small town Homer. I got to ski once and saw our local creative Nutcracker play with hoops and techno music! We have not gotten much snow, but we have icey roads with cold weather then rain and cold following.

Last weekend, I was asked to photo shoot the winter Burlesque show. I was nervous as I don;t usually shoot people or indoors. Two nights of fun and clever entertainment from a handful of girls and two guys. Most I know. I took about 600 good shots out of at least a thousand. Took tons of time to crop em and had fun playing with some photo tools I never use.

On the last night my friends had an ugly sweater party and i was able to attend both. And then at 4am my throat was sore. In a few hours full blown flu with achy back, headache, hot and cold, and a painful wet cough. One day I awoke from my nap in a pool of sweat completely drenched but I felt better.

Not until the 4th day I felt somewhat like myself but still not 100%. I missed a few days of work and cancelled xmas and been home for six days and counting. It was a sunny xmas day and I so wanted to ski or at least go out for a few mins but it was 15 def out!

I tried all sorts of new remedies like neti pot, which is an ancient method and odd experience of putting water down one nostril and coming out the other. Also swishing sesame oil in my mouth for 10 mins. And put Oregano, Thyme, and Peppermint oils on my feet. I know some people make be thinking Jes what a hippie.

Gonna take it easy even when better to ease into things which is not easy to do in this town. I've been wanting to sleep in before i got sick and now that's all I have been doing. Roomies and friends helped coming by with food and remedies. So I was not completely alone. But this nasty bug is making its way through town and most of my friends have it.

Thanks for all the well wishes and hope everyone else had a better holiday! Click here to view my 30 sec holiday photo slide.

Talkeetna Bachelor Ball & Wilderness Women's Competition

Last weekend I flew to Anchorage and hopped in a car with my friend Maria to drive 2.5 hours in the night fog to awesome cute, quaint town of Talkeetna! I love visiting these AK places in winter as they are sooooooo different from busy touristy summer.

Why the heck did I go so far in winter to a town less than 1,000? To check out the 33rd annual Bachelor Ball & Wilderness Women's Competition of course. So this was not any normal small town winter weekend experience. I'd like to visit there again in winter sans events.....My new friend, Ed, describes town as "It's cozy and quiet, relaxed, sleepy, beautiful light on the mountains, dry snow that doesn't often turn to slush and everybody feels a bit like family but with an independent streak."

The event has a long story but most funds go to women and children crisis in AK who need to leave a bad home situation. Also funds some local nonprofits in Talkeenta. It started in 1981. Click here for history.Last year they raised $10K! It's a great way to get a bunch of girls to an AK town in dead of winter.

Click here for lots of wild pix and a video. Well worth the watch for all sexes but not for lil ones :)

Homer November & Thanksgiving

Things are still pretty busy here and time is zooming by. It got cold to the single digits and pretty white snow is on the ground and dark green trees, which helps give us some light during the pitch black mornings and night.

Sunrise is at 9:40am and sets at 4:10 now. One more month of getting darker. In earlier Nov the sun was so damn bright during sunset, i had to look the other way.

I am hoping for a more relaxing, less event filled December so I can get back to art and writing. Winter time is a good time to finally catch up with friends with potlucks and saunas/hot tubs. I am so lucky to have a variety of friends who love to share their homes and luxuries.

Thanksgiving was a long food eating weekend with a ton of new and old friends. Lots of newbees coming to Homer and we all share stories of how we ended up here.



Wish there was more time to chill with all my friends :) We had a cold time but the sun is feeling so nice. We all can't wait for more snow to start skiing again.

Click here for  some sunsets, beach/waves and party pix.

Homer Fashion Show

Homer has a neat art gallery that hosts a bunch of fun event like last year's Edible Arts new years (people made art out of food and then we ate it after voting in categories) and May's art burn beach party were artists burnt an item they created.

Last weekend they hosted their 30th Wearable Arts Fashion Show. Tons of creative peeps submitted a variety of clothing, jewelery and accessories that they made. I so wish I knew how to make something just to be apart of this wonderful community.

There was a call for models, half of them I knew. I could not dare being on the stage to "perform" and of course I wanted to snap some shots. It was so fun to see my friends sport these awesome designs. Many of them were very Homer and Alaskan themed.

The after party at our own small "night club" was a blast. I danced till 3am and was not drunk. As most of u know I don't dance and no metal or good techno was played, sadly....

Thank u Homer residents for keeping this place special! Click here for pix.

Homer October & Halloween 2013

Well I spent about 2.5 weeks in Homer in October and managed to cover a lot. Great sunsets and sunrises. I am still chasing the sun with my camera. Halloween was fun, pretty much a week-long party. It's my fav time and happy so many people dress up here. Wish it was halloween everyday so I can wear my high monster boots w/o strange looks :) oh well.

People said its been a warm fall, no snow yet! It's been rainy here which keeps it warm so I have not been outdoors much or hiking. I started yoga on Staurdays though so thats good and a real workout too. Lots of breathing stuff which i am not so good at.

Also started "working out" again at the circuit training and will go 2-3x a week. Oh and been drinking green smoothies with either kale or spinach, water and fruit. so yummy. Helps with energy and b/c it is blended u can better digest it. Super healthy and easy to do too!
  

The past 2 weeks been waking up at 6:33am (an hr before my alarm) even in the pitch black with stars out till 8ish...so weird but better than struggling to wake up!

Happy Halloween! Click here for pix.

NYC Rose blizzard 10-13

NYC came and went! After my brother's wedding, I headed back to nyc with the fam. Had a billion errands to run like visiting good old Apple store and got a new macbook air finally to replace my heavy 7 yr old lap top (thanks to dad's help).

Also had to go through more stuff to see what to do with them. I was sicken by how much stuff I still had and how I can't seem to emotionally detatch from some crap!  I ate like crazy: chinese, italian, sushi, indian etc; things we don't get in Homer. Saw friends, but I never get to see them all or have enough days to chill longer and for that I wish I could do more. But I got to see a "metal" show (Soulfly) which was super awesome timing for me as they are one of my fav bands.

I checked out the new REI store in Soho; the emptiest I ever seen an REI.  Basically my only shopping was practical stuff I needed tech and gear wise like a super duper headlamp so I can easily get to my truck in the mornings. It's already dark as I head to work :( super sad and still not adjusted to the crazy light/darkness in AK.

Good to spend time with the parents and of course my angel Honey! Sad thought occured that this might be the last time I see here as she is 14. But she is still kicking strong. I miss her badly but know she is in better hands with the parents.


I walked about 100 blocks in a day which took 2 hrs and 80 blocks the day before. I so miss walking. The best way to see a place and workout! Gosh, I wish nyc was closer to AK. The trip airport to airport took 17 hrs (including time zone change. And my two layovers were only 2 hrs each....

Click here for more city pix.

Brother's Wedding in PA

So my younger and only brother got married last weekend in Gettysburg, PA. Him and Tiffany have been together for years and live in Philly. I flew in to NYC and drove with my parents and cousins for 7 hrs! Should have been a 3.5 hr drive but tons of traffic and floods on the highways as it was raining nonstop. I could not believe how the rain created such issues, car crashes and so on.

The next day luckily no rain. It was cloudy but temperate. Very pretty fall colors. It was my first outdoor wedding, which I much prefer, but still had some Christian stuff to it. Everyone had a great time. I got to see some of my old friends and met alot of my brother's friends. We don't have much family in the US. But a cousin from Australia came with his wife. Also my little Honey attended and she was a hit as everyone can't help but love her.

I got to tour Gettysburg briefly. The Military NP was closed b/c of the shutdown but still ventured a bit around the park trails. It was also Gettysburg 150th anniversary. After two nights, we headed to Honesdale, PA where my parents have a house and most of my stuff is stored. So i to sort through it. I can't believe how much stuff I still have. I so try hard not to buy anything as it just sickens me how many things I have. Got rid of some stuff and some will be useful in AK and some will stay in NYC b/c I can't imagine wearing platforms in AK.

People keep asking me, will I ever return to NYC or how long will I stay in AK. All I can say for now is that I have been at my wonderful job for a full year and that along with the people in Homer and the spirit in AK will keep me there for at least another two years if not more. Even if I despise winter in AK, I really can't imagine living anywhere else. But never say never and I know that I can't plan out my life.

Click here for some Gettysburg and wedding pix.