Happy 2011!

Well, it is a new year and one of my resolutions is to keep this blog more up to date. This year has started with a bang and is going fast and furious. For the first time, in my memory at least, Anchorage area residents were allowed to legally set off fireworks. The ban hadn't stopped people much before, but at least now you didn't feel guilty doing it. I feel like it takes some of the fun out of it when it is legal. You'd think people would go overboard, but considering the closest place to purchase fireworks is a good hour and a half drive on icy roads, there wasn't a huge increase in the fireworks set off. After the fireworks it was back to work up north. It always is rough getting back into the swing of things. This fact becomes even more obvious when dealing with youth. There were a lot of tired faces at the end of the first day, but it was good to see everyone again. The most exciting news that happened over the Christmas break was that Interior Alaska finally broke free of the cold spell that had settled for a few weeks. I left Fairbanks at -40 F and returned at +30 F. This VERY rarely happens. I was almost so confused that I stopped to make sure I was indeed traveling north when I was returning. Lucky for us, we should be returning back to the normal weather in a week or so. Afterall, we wouldn't want to start the year off too different. It is hard enough remembering to date everything 2011.