I'll just go ahead and call that a winter break...

Oops.  It would appear that I've been rather neglectful in my blogging.  Fortunately, I was reminded by several friends and family members that they've missed my posting, so I rushed home and promptly ignored my blog for another week.  Oops again.

It would appear that I'm entering hibernation mode to some extent.  It's cold here, and oh so dark.  I've been going to bed at like 9 pm all week.  I'm such a party animal.

In any case, I haven't been doing too many fun and exciting things lately.  I have very few photos to share, because it's far too dark by the time I get home to take any.  And I'm sure you don't all need to see a hundred photos of Willow laying on the couch!

So here's what I've got - It's somewhat of a backlog, and there's not much rhyme or reason to it.  Enjoy!

The view from my backyard

BIG Bear!

Gives new meaning to 'icicle lights' 

Louie Louie

Jeg Elsker Deg!

The only thing I miss about Michaels

mmm.... sugar!

Home Sweet Pitsburgh

Kitty Kitty

Two weeks!

Two weeks from today and I'll be back in Pittsburgh to celebrate Christmas with family and friends!

Too bad Pittsburgh ism't somewhere warm and tropical...

It's hard to believe that it will have been nearly six months since I left Pittsburgh behind when we set out on our Journey to Alaska.  Sometimes it has seemed like time has flown by, and other times it seems impossibly long since I've seen the people that are so important to me.

My very last photo in Pittsburgh, commemorating the moment we hit the highway and headed so far away...

Karl will be holding down the fort here in Anchorage, so I get to plan my trip entirely around things I want to do.  I'm already starting my list of places to go/things to do:

1. Benihana - Yes, there's one here.  And it's awful.
2. Classic Chinese Cuisine - why does no one else in the world know how to make fried rice properly?
3. Panera - mmmm, Panera...
4. Drink some apple cider - I already told my dad to have some in the fridge.  Who would have thought that the crud shipped up here would be such garbage?

Places not to go:
1. The grocery store - Under no circumstances do I need to be reminded of how cheap groceries are in PA...

I'm sure I'll be adding to this list (that appears to be all food... hmm...) as my trip nears.

Who wants to join me?  More importantly, if my dear friend Linda hosts a gathering for my pals, who's in?

A Touristy Day in Pittsburgh

Karl's brother Jake, Jake's girlfriend Marcella, and Jake's daughter Emma, are staying with us for the next few days before the head out to Ligonier to spend the rest of their Pennsylvania trip with Emma's mom.  Marcella had never visited Pittsburgh before, and Jake had never seen much of the city even when he lived out in Ligonier a few years ago.  We set out to do some fun touristy things around Pittsburgh:

First, we hit Mt. Washington for the requisite shot overlooking the city.

Then we hopped on the Mon Incline and headed down to Station Square.

To finish our tour of the city, we did a quick boat ride on the Gateway Clipper.

Emma had a blast feeding the fish and ducks in the river some leftover popcorn. These fish were huge!

Marcella was impressed by the size of the city.  I guess Pittsburgh does seem pretty large when you're used to Anchorage!  It was also a great opportunity for me to do a few last things around town and get a photo or two to cheer me up when I'm feeling homesick in Alaska.