Winter in Juneau (thus far)

So again, I'm slacking on my updates. SORRY.
I did get a job...I have been hired by Eaglecrest, the local Juneau ski area which is subsidized by the City of Juneau. Hired on as a bus driver, they soon discovered that I was able to operate the database which stores all the season pass holder's info etc. So for a while I would go between the desk and the frozen bus (which needed many repairs before it could carry skiiers---repairs I soon found out i was responsible for)Carhartt overalls one day, sweater and jeans the next.

One thing is for sure, despite the long hours, low (LOW) hourly wage, and stressful bus maintenance, being up on the mountain among others that love the snow and the sport is really nice. The weather has been gorgeous, and the snow fell pretty heavily in mid November, so it's a perfect combination. The people that work up there too are pretty great, everyone works hard and cares about the area like it was their home. This weekend was the first big opening, and I found that working in a small town's ski area is a unique and rewarding experience. So even though I'm broker than a joke (crazy that my jobs in high school paid me more)I get to be up on the hill, and as long as the buses run and the snow falls, I'm keeping my head up!

Juneau in the winter is amazing. The last week has been littered with one great outing and event after the other. I recently went digging with clams at a local beach during one of the lower tides of the year. At -3.3, we ventured out past Amalga Harbor in the dark with our rain gear and shovels, headlamps guiding our way.
The fruits of our labors yielded 2 five gallon buckets full of pink, butter, and cockle clams. The size of these things were amazing to me, fist size and wider pink clams, my eyes almost fell out of my head. Julie, Brian and I went home and the next night after a 24 hour soak in gunny sacks, cleaned and shucked the clams...pretty gross but nothing good company, and glasses of scotch couldn't cure. Brian, a great cook, fried us up the clam strips from the pink clams, they were still moving when they hit the fryer, and the strips were almost the size of slugs. MMMM.

This last Friday, Juneau had the largest Gallery walk of the year on the first Friday of the month. I saw old friends, met new ones, and had one of the best nights out on the town (still making my bedtime of midnight). Before all my best friends leave town for their Christmas adventures, it was so amazing to have a night at the bar where we all could sit and enjoy the music and each others company.

This will be my first Christmas away from my family, which terrifies me. I know that this was going to happen eventually, but as I hear more x-mas tunes, and see more lights, and families, I can't help but feel sad. I work Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas, Eaglecrest is open and needing bus drivers. But as usual I will make the best of it and buckle down and focus on work, and snowboard my face off!

I'm still in limbo with finding a permanent set up in town. I applied to work as a bus driver in the interior of Alaska this summer, a different kind of tourism since this ski area job is also seasonal...still unsure about where I'm going, what I want, and really just digging in to who I am.

One thing I do know is I love playing bass so much, and in the last month I feel like I have such a stronger handle on the instrument. I've been writing songs and trying different styles and like swing and country. Picking with my buddies who all play bluegrass has helped me gain confidence and I feel like it's a great tool for learning. I'm so excited for Folk Festival in Juneau, and hope to be able to do the Alaska festival circuit this summer too.

Well, I have the next few days off, to sleep, play music, and take care of some business. More soon! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!