Thanksgiving in Kotzebue

I know that Thanksgiving was nearly two weeks ago and everyone is well past the event and on to Christmas. Understood. I have done the same. However, I did not give Thanksgiving a proper Thanks just yet.

My Thanksgiving was spent here in Kotzeube. It was quite delightful. This town could not possibly be less of a blessing to me. I am so grateful that I was placed somewhere where there are plenty of people ready and willing to make my time here special, and not lonely. I happen to live with a family of girls all in their twenties like myself, which is great. They all have parents and aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters elsewhere in town also- so naturally, I am invited to all the family events so as not to be left alone. It is wonderful. I have my own little Kotzebue-an family. BUT, that is certainly not the best part of Thanksgiving break. The entirety of break consisted of nearly too much happiness and comfort for me to withhold within my body.

It began when school ended one hour early for the break on Friday afternoon, at 2:30. Anyone who has ever had a job knows Friday afternoon is the best feeling in the world, especially when it ends early, this rule stands even if you love your job. After that, I borrowed a sno go (snow mobile) and went to the airport to pick up Kevin! YAY! Kevin came to visit! Then after only one near death experience because of my driving, we made it to my apartment where we all just hung out and played cards all night. It was so much fun to have him here with me. ( Of course, I did have my stage of just sort of staring at him and being baffled by his arrival, after 4 months it takes some adjusting back into each other). Then on Thanksgiving we made pumpkin cheesecake for pie fest and headed off to the West home. This is the aunt and uncle of my roommates. There we feasted on many things, including sweet potatoes and green bean casserole (my favorites!). After that was the big event. PIE FEST! Throughout the whole event we totaled near 40 pies brought in from all over town to just simply eat and enjoy with everyone. We cut the pies into little slivers so you could taste as many pies as your body would fit. I personally tasted, throughout the weekend, about 8 or 9 different pies. FABULOUS! What a fun way to get everyone together over the holiday, I want to bring this idea back home with me!

The remainder of the weekend went as follows: Friday, Snowmobiling all day onto the ocean, over the tundra, all the while the sun was somewhere between sunrise and sunset, and positively gorgeous in bright orange and pink shades. Friday night Kevin and I tried out the Nullagvik hotel for a whopping $245/night! ( DON"T BE FOOLED- THAT IS JUST KOTZEBUE PRICES. IT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A $50/NIGHT PLACE IN COLORADO). I watched Elf, Kevin wandered around the room being miserably awkward until he finally got the nerve to propose! And HOORAY, now we are getting married. This followed by a midnight cross country ski event on the Ocean in an attempt to find Northern Lights for Kev to see ( we were unlucky, but there were great ones the night AFTER he left). Saturday we did more snowmobiling, a tour of town, a post office visit, and had a bit of a party at our house. Sunday, sledding with the kids I live with, and Christmas movie watching.

All in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving break. I was very thankful for the entire weekend, and I needed to share the glory with all the world. :)

Most Hilarious Moment.

I have been asked millions of time in my life the question: "What is your most embarrassing moment?" I always hate this question, and here is why:  First, because I just don't have a moment that I felt so embarrassed that it sticks out more than any other embarrassing moments in my life. And secondly, because it is usually asked during a silly "ice breaker" game with a bunch of strangers. So everyone is looking at you and judging your most embarrassing moment- they are hoping for something hilarious, and I usually can't preform in the way they that everyone wants- thus their first impression is that I obviously must be boring. However, I have recently found a new story to tell, should this event ever occur again.

Now, I titled this post "Most Hilarious Moment," in place of "Most Embarrassing Moment," and for good reason: this happened in front of 6 year olds, and thus, they were unphased and totally unreceptive to the event, making the whole event less embarrassing and more hilarious. However, with a different audience, it might have turned out differently.

I was having a particularly "cranky teacher" day, in that I spent a good deal of time having to lecture my students on following the rules and being respectful and less time just laughing with them and enjoying that day. I have told them about 39 times that when it is time to put the legos away, they have to put the legos away, rather then place their creations hidden under book cases and behind other classroom tools. It infuriates me to find lego pieces throughout the room. I had warned them on this day that if I found any hidden lego creations around the room I would have to put the legos up for one week, and they would not have it for indoor recess, or choice time. So, we had just finished cleaning up and were seconds from starting centers. As I walked up to the front of the classroom I noticed a giant spaceship lego creation stuffed between the shelf and the heater. Naturally, I was annoyed. ARGGH! So, i said, "Boys and Girls, unfortunately I just found some hidden lego creations, and that menas I have to put the legos up." The kids moaned and and watched as I bent down in a fit of rage to dislodge the hidden legos. It was well hideen, this first grader meant business in hiding it. So, I really had to bend and squat to get this one out. As I did so, I heard this...
"RRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPPPPP."
My eyes nearly burst out of my face, I quickly stood up, and to my surprise said something out loud that I meant to say to myself (all the while, my surround sound microphone is turned on): "did my pants just rip!?!?"
The class loudly responds with: "YES!"
Well, in the words of Rachel Green, "isn't that just kick you in face, spit on your neck, FANTASTIC!" My pants had ripped just next to the center seam above my right cheek pocket all the way down to mid thigh.  My bright purple underwear were available for all of my class to see. I was wondering if there was enough of a rip for their little eyes to catch the black lace at the top of my underwear- the last thing I need is a first grader to go home and tell their parents they saw my black lace underwear at school.
But oddly, the first graders seemed unphased. After they stated "YES!" I just turned around and tried to "act normal." They were still on the legos being put away. They still moaned. They still were blaming kids for the lego creation that was hidden. They did not care even a little bit about my purple underwear- THANK GOD!
So I sent them to centers in a VERY awkward maneuver around the perimeter of the classroom, and walking with my back to the wall at all times found my snow pants- located directly on the other side of the classroom from where I had been- and put them on over my regular pants. Not a single kid said another word about it. I however, fought back strong urges of uncontrollable laughter, and mourned the loss of my very favorite khaki Maurices pants my sister had bought me for Christmas. RIP wonderful khakis. :(