the after 30 part...

I don't know who Gina Rene is but she posted a picture on her facebook that blew me away.  As of recent, I have been involved (donating money and writing letters mostly) for  Ric O'barry  and his fight to end dolphin slaughtering in Japan, as well as whale slaughtering in other countries.  His fight is amazing.  For those of you who don't know Ric O'Barry, remember the show Flipper?  He was Flipper's trainer .  One of the five dolphins used for Flipper, Cathy, had looked at him in his arms and stopped breathing, Ric believed it to be a suicide and from that day has done a 180 and become the biggest freedom fighter for dolphins today.  This picture is just another testament of how beautiful dolphins and whales are.  They have feelings, our gracious, helpful , appreciative, and try to  communicate with us.  If you want to help, please visit Ric O'Barry site for letter writing recommendations and also watch his movie, The Cove ....

     Last weekend a tourist walked inside "The Caboose on the Dock" (coffee and gift shop operated by White Pass) reading his tour-instruction print-out, and asked the barista, "If I keep walking down this street (pointing towards town from inside the caboose) will I eventually see a red caboose that has a gift shop and coffee bar inside?" *****      From the shore ex front:      "When I get off the ship...how will I know where the dock is?      "How will I know which side of the ship the dock is on?"  (Shore Ex: Well... one side will be really wet and one side will be cement!")      "Where do they (Skagwegians) put all the wildlife in the winter time?" *****      A woman, pointing at the Alaska Highway on the map, asks, "Is this a real road?" *****      A boy was looking through a store's bulk rocks showcase which has the name of each kind of rock.  As he was look...

Okay, so tourists are my livelihood.  They are the reason my business is successful.  They are the main source of my income.  I love them!!  They are awesome!!!  There are, however, a small % who just either don't get it or are super grumpy!  I would like to point out some good tourist etiquette, as well as, some of my pet peeves, that not only goes for tourists, but anyone shopping in a store. 1.  If you insist on picking up every folded shirt, in every size and design, please do not leave them on the floor, in a random section such as the candy bins, shoved in corners (we once had a tourist shove one in our toilet, why?!?!?) and at least TRY to fold it back into place.  I understand the need to open a shirt up and look at it, but I have actually witnessed people just kind of pick it up half way and flop it back down and move on to do that to 13 more shirts...... are you really interested or just wanting to annoy me? 2.  When I tell...

I hiked AB Mountain today.  The weather was nice, I wanted to get outside, so why not AB?  The way up was nice until it got to the straight up part.  Man that's tough, but I conquered it!  I brought my journal to have some nice writing time up at the top, but no such luck.  The bugs were relentless.  If I stayed still for more than 5 seconds I was being bitten on every part of my body.  So I got to "my summit" and headed back.  On the way down, I picked a bowl full of blueberries!  YUM!!                     A tree on the hike that appeared to be alive.  I found many trees that seemed to be telling stories.  Trees hugging trees.  Trees growing out of other trees.  Have you ever been to the Trees of Mystery in California on highway 101?  There were many similar trees today on my hike that resembled some of those at that park.  Trees trees trees. Glacier vie...

......well Mrs Amy Spencer herself (the author) of "Meeting Your Half Orange" commented on my blog that I wrote!!  How cool is that?  But even more awesome, she blogged about MY BLOG!  I have had so many hits because of it.... wow!! And for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, read my blog that's titled "Meeting Your Half Orange".  It is a must have book for all single woman out there doubting their future.  I am on my second round reading it and currently working on my dream board :o)  I'll blog it when it's done (sometime in October when I get to my Seattle home!) xo

I love to bake.  I used to do it a lot more often, but for some reason this summer, I haven't done it enough.  Some people have told me that some of my stuff could win awards.   Ha!  Maybe I should take my Aunt Cori's lead and start entering baking contests! Aunt Cori, for those of you who don't know, is my Dad's sister, that he met later in life, and she has won many cooking contests! Okay, so I'm not Miss Betty Crocker, and no I haven't ever made a wedding cake, or something extravagant, but I do enjoy it, a lot! Here are two of my favorite and simple recipes that I make often and get the most rewarding compliments for. Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients: 1 lb butter (I use Earth Balance as it's dairy free and not as bad for you) 2 1/2 cups white sugar 2 cups brown sugar 3 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 6 cups WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR (not all purpose white flour) 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 4-8 cups chocolate chips depending on how chocolaty you want it. ...

All of these are from The Skagway News Vol. XXXIII, No. 16.      A woman was told by a train agent three times how to get to the end of the dock.  When she finally wandered very slowly down to the end, she weaved over to the tour shack.  There, she asked one tour seller where the shuttle bus was, and how much it cost.      "It's right behind you ma'am, and it's two dollars to ride into town," he said.      She looked at him, and asked again, "Where's the bus?"      He told her again, but again she asked "Where is the bus, and how much?"      A bit frustrated now, the seller repeated the answer, telling her this was the third time he had told her.      "Oh, I'm sorry," she said.  "I drink." **      A man walks up to the clerk in the ticketing window at the White Pass rail depot and says, "Do you work here?" (This is one of the most annoying questions I get e...

The Skagway News Vol. XXXIII, No. 15 was out on the shelves August 27th, and I have been too busy to put up the latest of the "Heard on the Wind" until today.  And even now I'm a little too sleepy but these are just too funny not to let you read them.      Our summer reporter intern locked herself out of the newsroom and came down to the bookstore to borrow a key for the upstairs door.      "Can I borrow the key?" she asked the clerk, "I locked myself out."       The clerk obliged, loaning her the key (this wasn't the first time).      A tourist in the store then asked the clerk, "Do all of your houses share the same key?" **      A Haines man called to file a "complaint" about Skagway.  A friend of his was getting married and a bachelor party was being organized.  So he calls the Red Onion Saloon asking if any of the brothel girls would be willing to come over to Haines and be a stri...

I am currently reading "Meeting Your Half Orange" by Amy Spencer and I just have to say that it is the ultimate bible for single woman in this world. half-orange (haf or’inj)   n., translation of the Spanish phrase   mi media naranja , which means “my half-orange”; use to describe, in love, one’s sweetheart, one’s beautifully perfect other half. Not only has this book been eye opening, but it has really turned me upside down and shaken me!  "HELLO NICHOLLE!", shake shake shake!!  I am picturing myself upside down right now with stuff falling out of my pockets, such as: low self esteem, "why doesn't he like me?" kind of questions, self-doubt, pessimism.  This book has changed and/or made me more perceptive of my attitude, actions and overall lookout on life.  I mean, literally, I feel like every chapter I have read so far has been written just for me.... as if Amy Spencer has been watching my every move, not just with relationships, but wit...