It's been a while....

I've had a crazy few months...but it's been an amazing few months. :) At the end of October I was offered the opportunity to "learn" the open HR/Payroll Specialist position at work. I was ecstatic because it was the only position that I saw myself advancing to w/in the company. I love where I work, the people and how the owners treat their employees. However, since getting my bachelors degree I felt like I was wasting my education being a receptionist and that made me sad because I didn't see myself leaving the company I work for. So....needless to say when the opportunity presented itself I was excited even to be given the opportunity to "learn". Anyway...as of January 27, 2010 it is OFFICIAL...I am now the HR/Payroll Specialist for Construction Machinery Industrial and I couldn't be happier. I think the best part was when my business cards arrived. :)

Visitors...

We had a little visitor at work this morning...

Westchester Lagoon

Last night my friend Olga and I went for a walk at Westchester Lagoon...it was just too beautiful to not be outside in the Summer Sun... Westchester Lagoon
Chester Creek

Chester Creek Trail

Westchester Lagoon...

Westchester Lagoon

the great moose hunt 2009...

Tammy has been here since Saturday and she hasn't seen a moose yet...so i took her over to Kincaid Park, which is home to the largest moose population in the city...and there is lots of creepy wilderness for them to hide out in...and we found 3 of them...this one is of a mama moose who was with a young moose in front of the National Gaurd Air Base...we saw another moose grazing in the feild inside Kincaid park. Its calving season so its a bad time of year for moose sightings.

Trip to Seward

My friend Tammy is in town from California so we took a trip to Seward, AK this weekend...120 miles South of Anchorage. We visited the Alaska SeaLife Center and took a 5 hour wildlife tour in Resurrection Bay.

Mountain Goat

Icebergs at Bear Glacier

Juvenile Eagle eating a dead baby sea lion

Bald Eagle

Humpback Whales Tale!

Puffins

Seward

Moose Pass...we didn't see a Moose the whole way there and back!!

Administrative Professionals Day...

My work got all the ladies in the office flowers for administrative professionals day :) I love flowers.

New Hair

I used to have red in my hair when I lived in California and I missed it...so I brought it back this weekend when I went to have my hair done :)

Volcanic Ashfall in Anchorage...

Around 5:30pm last night the skies darkened and ash began to fall in Anchorage...I was sitting in my living room with the lights off because it had been sunny when I noticed it suddenly got dark, I looked outside and the air was thick and yellow...like the worst smog in LA ever...It also got eerily quiet because people went inside, stopped driving and the airport closed so there was no air traffic overhead. I woke up early (for me) this morning to take my car to the brushless car wash to get the ash off my car and waited about an hour to finally get it clean...

The snow is gray from the ash...

This is the ash that collected on my windsheild
My car is very dusty from the ash all over it

Mt. Redoubt...

Mt Redoubt a volcano about 100 miles southwest of where I live in Anchorage began erupting Sunday night just after 10:30pm...It has been restless and we have been on Volcano alert Orange-Watch (which is right below Red-Warning when it is actively erupting). It erupted 6 times as of Tuesday and then yesterday was lowered to Orange again. This morning we had another eruption around 8:30 which sent ash 30,000 feet above sea level into the air and then a huge eruptive event at 9:30am which sent ash and steam 65,000 feet above sea level...the largest event yet. So far the winds have carried the ash away from Anchorage and they have only detected trace amounts in the air here the last couple days...below is a pic that was taken today in Homer, AK of the Ash/Steam cloud....

if your interested in viewing the website for the Alaska volcano observatory here is the link: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

This is a photo released by AVO of lightning in the ash plume from one of the eruptions on March 28th.

35 Random Things

1. Do you like bleu cheese? not the dressing but i like the crumbles on my salad
2. Have you ever smoked? Yes
3. Do you own a gun? no way
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? the fake lemonaid kind
5. where is 5?
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Hebrew National or nothing.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? the grinch...the cartoon not the jim carey one
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? coffee and water
9. Can you do push ups? not many with my lame shoulder
10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? my tiffany ring and necklace
11. Favorite hobby? umm snowboarding?
12. Do you have A. D. D.? maybe but probably not
13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? i have reading glasses but i haven't needed to wear them since i moved to Alaska
14. Middle name? Renee'
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: i'm bored. i can't wait to go home and its really warm in here...i need to go outside to cool off
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: water, coffee and tea
17. Current worry? money always
18. Current hate right now? Winter
19. Favorite place to be? The beach
20. how did you ring in the new year? went to Benihanna for Tschandra's bday and then hung out at Tschandra's with Tschandra, Sam & Michael at midnight.
21. Where would you like to go? Italy, Greece, Spain...
22. Name three people who will complete this: probably no one
23. Do you own slippers? I have some Ugg slippers
24 What color shirt are you wearing? Black
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Not anymore too slippery
26. Can you whistle? Yes
27. Where are you now? my desk at work
28. Would you be a pirate? i am one
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? none
30. Favorite Girl’s Name? i'm not sharing
31. Favorite boy’s name? not sharing that either
32. What is in your pocket right now? lint?
33. What's the last thing that made you laugh? one of the guys at work told me he prefers fruity things...cause he's fruity...he said it not me!
34. What vehicle do you drive? 2006 Honda Accord Ex Sedan
.35. Worst injury you’ve ever had? my back or ribs in car accidents...

Yummm...

Tonight for dinner I made homemade pizza...it was as good as it looks...

Help...

This was the temperature at noon today...OUCH

New Years Day 2009

Here's to another year...

Another Beautiful Sunrise...

One of the only GREAT things about having only 5 1/2 hours of daylight...

Winter Moon

The moon at 4pm :)

Winter Sunset...

The days are getting shorter and shorter...we are down to about 7 1/2 hours of daylight now and losing just over 5 minutes a day. This afternoon while I was at work there was a beautiful sunset at about 4:30pm so I went out in the yard and took a few photos. Here they are:

Fall in Anchorage

Nicholas & Tarey Jo's Wedding ~ September 13, 2008

On September 13, 2008 my little brother Nicholas married his high school sweetheart Tarey Jo. It was a beautiful day and happy (and tear filled event). Tarey Jo looked beautiful and my brother cleaned up pretty nice too. I was a bridesmaid in the wedding and my brother Joseph was the best man (or best chump as Nicholas called him).