Category: Events

You might live in Unalaska if…..

And now, by popular demand, the list presented by mc’s Kristine and Sharon at the Aleutian Arts Council Coffee House.  This list was lovingly crafted by Kristine and then massaged to perfection.

You might live in Unalaska if…..

  • You only go to seafood buffet when you have out-of-town guests
  • You can still smoke in a restaurant
  • You think it is normal for a playgound to sit adjacent to a propane farm
  • 75% of the sweatshirts you own were once door prizes
  • You are not confused why the Polar Bear Run does not have polar bears
  • Your graduating senior from UCSD earned more than you did last year
  • While on vacation,  your children don’t know to run inside for shelter during a rainstorm
  • You remember when the bars used to be on the “other side”
  • You don’t really expect to fly out on time, on schedule…or ever really
  • Once you fly, and each time after that, you find that you are more willing to ask the clinic for some assistance with your next flight
  • You’d rather not fly with Frank Kelty
  • You can pronounce Iliuliuk correctly:  “Town Creek” – right??
  • You get smacked by AB when you say you live in Dutch Harbor
  • You can quickly organize a VALID work-related field trip if the sun breaks out
  • While on vacation, you forget you can pull out in front of cars when entering traffic
  • You join Fire/EMS so you can drive fast…..and then resign when you learn that you still have to follow the speed limit
  • You’ve been on television
  • You had Wilma Adams as your Kindergarten teacher.  And then your kids had her.
  • You’ve been Annabelle Wilt’s go-to person for at least one project
  • You can’t count to “TWO-” “FIVE-” or even “TEN-” when followed by the phrase “-YEAR PLAN”

In all of her fiestiness, Kristine told me to add this if you don’t get the list, or don’t find each little item endearing:  you should probably, as soon as is humanly possible,  move away from Unalaska!

Waiting to exhale…

So…we had the first cruise ship of the season.  Naturally, it had to be a big one.  Having not done a cathedral tour since last September, a couple of days ago I got the chance to do a dry run.  I thought it would be a good idea to get the rust out – you know – remember all those dates and saints and Russian names.  So I agreed to do a little tour for a Headstart field trip.

Good Lord!  I never realized how many icons I don’t know.  The kiddos wanted to know “Who’s that?” for every icon they could see.  Thank God some of them were too far up for them to notice, or I would still be there.  It was wild, sweet mayhem, let me tell you.

We had 3 buses today, with about 50 passengers per bus – give or take a few.  Wait, let’s make that give a few.  There were loads of people.  My volunteers didn’t make it by the first bus, so I was ever so thankful that Cyri Petrova and her mother, Rufina, willingly lent a hand.  By the time the 2nd bus rolled around, my wonderful (at times, yes, I admit it) husband rolled in.  Caleb is a pretty good enforcer.  It is pretty important to us that people do not wander around the church by themselves, so, in the absence of my mother, the absolute enforcer, Caleb was great!

I always forget how exhausted I get doing tours.  I finally realized why I get that way, several years ago.  Let me tell you a secret.  It is damn hard being PERKY for 3 to 4 hours!  Oh, and I had to move all the huge planks that were used during Easter, plus the long back benches before the buses got there. 

All these red planks were piled in the St. Innocent chapel.
All these red planks were piled in the St. Innocent chapel.

So that got me a bit tired.  But it is that PERKINESS that does me in, for sure.

CB showed up with some folks who were doing video work.  I put a real downer on their plans when I had to let them know that since I didn’t have permission from the Bishop to film in the church, alas, no cameras.  They were very gracious.  And we had a good time talking before the 3rd bus showed up.  Great seeing you on this side, CB.

I am awaiting my new couch.  It was supposed to be delivered to Ashley Furniture in Anchorage on Thursday.  They will deliver it to ACE.  It didn’t come in today, and I don’t know yet if there is a plane tomorrow.  How disappointing.  If you knew that I have been without a couch since August, you would be disappointed for me, too! 

StoryCorps has less than a week of recording time left in the Alaska Initiative.  Kristine and I facilitated number 109 this evening with lovely storyteller Jane Bye, and interviewer Anne Hillman. 

Don’t forget to attend the Coffee House this Saturday at 7PM in the Burma Road Chapel.  Should be lots of fun.  I missed the board training provided by the City of Unalaska for non-profits due to my work and volunteer schedule.  Hopefully they will provide a training video.

Have a great weekend everyone!