Thanks Boys

I have been blessed enough to enjoy living not only in such a geographically gorgeous city, like Juneau---but within this tiny Alaska capitol I have discovered a group of people whom my love for could only be rivaled by my blood family.

The last 10 months in Juneau have been the most rewarding of my 24 years on this planet. I have been through some rough times, but the gleaming moments of happiness and elation couldn't be touched by the times where I felt homesick and lonesome for Seattle, my friends there, and my family. Now that the light is returning to the mountains towering above me and the mornings are brighter, I can feel an easing relaxation. Money, material things, and minor setbacks seem so insignificant in constrast to the swell of contententment I feel in my current situation. It's funny that it took a recent series of events to really bring these positive feelings out, from wherever they were hiding.

Last weekend I met two people who had the power to make an entire community come toegther for 3 days of music, laughter, and fun than ran into the wee hours of Sunday morning. I watched an entire room full of people almost compelled by an electric shock, dance, sing, and smile like we were all under a spell of sorts. This all sounds very dramatic and over the top...yet it happened. And it was excactly what I needed to bring myself back to the person who had the courage to get up and seek this lfestyle on my own last summer.

This blog post is just something I needed to get down, maybe for posterity, maybe in the hopes that Nate and Ike will read this and know how much their visit meant to me at that time in my life. Their kindness and genuine love for life and music, made me realize that, yes, it can be this good if you surround youself with amazing people, and focus on the things that make you happy.

Last night I played an open mic set with 3 of my best friends, with my other Juneau family watching from around the bar. I sang a song I wrote in the darkest and lonliest time of my life this last fall. I had only played it for the people closest to me, and somehow singing it out to the 65 people in the bar felt so right and so theraputic. If it wasn't for Ike and Nate, and their positive feedback to my music and singing I probably wouldn't have been able to muster up the strength to put myself out there with something so personal. I don't think they'll ever know how much they inspired me and encouraged me in the few days they were in Juneau.

This is really sappy. I'm fully aware---I guess I'm just that way...
I love my friends. I love Juneau. Things are getting brighter.
Thanks for letting me share...

-Amanda

It's been a while! Here's to 2010!

Click on the whole picture to see me playing a song with Nate and Ike from the Wilders with Andrew Heist, Joe Baxter, Kris Jones, Jr. Kane, and Lindy Jones on stage at the Alaskan Bar this last Friday. Maybe the swooniest moment of my life :)


Holas friends and family!

I am sitting in my new studio apartment at 401 8th St. apt 106 in snowy downtown Juneau, Alaska. I love this place, as it's not only completey adorable...but all MINE! My new boss at the State of Alaska was kind enough to give me his couch he didn't need (which is like a brand new suede lovely thing) and all my coworkers and neighbors are helping me get set up with all those little things i need to going...

So in a nutshell it's been a rough winter. Weather-wise Juneau has seen a very mild very dry season, but emotionally the dark loneliness took its toll on me. I have the most amazing friends in the world and an amazing family of people surrounding me that was the only way I could have gotten through it. The Eaglecrest Ski Area bus driving job was not something I found to be enjoyable nor lucrative. The schedule ruined my social life (which sounds lame, but when it's dark at 3:15pm until 9am you need to dance it off) and there was a dozen other things that didn't jive with what I found I truly needed in a job. So I applied to the Permanent Fund Dividend division at the State of Alaska and was hired as an initial PFD processor. I am on a team of "gatekeepers" who open all the mail and process the applications and supporting documents of Alaskans who wish to receive their sweet oil money. I love my coworkers and the job is really nice...and a five minute walk from my front door!!! Being downtown, living, working...it's SO nice. SO NICE. ah!

It's been a really great new year thus far. Between the new place, the new job, and spring and light getting closer i feel so happy with my situation right now. I just went to the doctor (cause i have BENEFITS!)who said 90% of my health issues I brought up were stress related. With good diet, exercise, and belly laughs I should be able to come out of the slump I was in healthier and happier than ever before. It's so nice to feel back on track!!!

I can't say enough how happy I am playing music with my best friends. The bass is such a deeply rewarding hobby. I want to know everything and really sink my teeth into all aspects of learning it. This last weekend, we were lucky enough to have two amazing musicians from Kansas City, MO in town to pick and play with. Ike and Nate from The Wilders country band somehow in three days brought some seriously buried happiness and inspiration from deep within. We played and sang and they were so supportive and sweet. There's nothing better than getting musical support from such amazing performers. With my Alaska folk festival performance on the very near horizon (www.alaskafolkfest.org for our schedule)I really needed some positive reinforcement. They brought a lot of happiness into this snowy southeastern Alaskan city. I am so thankful to have met friends I will keep forever, and an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.

Folk Fest is coming soon, and I'm so looking forward to seeing all the Alaskans and having a week of music and laughter. I will post pictures and make sure to keep everyone posted on when our band "Drive it Home" will perform.

I recently had an art review published in the local newspaper, the Juneau Empire and am on the official roster for hosting the country and bluegrass radio show at the radio station Tuesday nights. I will be better about keeping everyone updated on when these things happen :)

Miss you all, love you lots! Things are looking up. Fluffy snowflakes are falling on Mt. Roberts and Mt. Juneau at the top of Gold street...perfect blustery day to take a bath and practice some bass. More soon! Promise!!!

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!

Bus Gig to Fairbanks, AK

This last week I was asked if I would be available to drive a coach in need of an engine overhaul from Skagway to Fairbanks, AK. Me along side 7 other drivers ventured out into the cold Alaska autumn via the Yukon up the Alaska Highway to the interior.

The drive was long, coupled with the miles I just put in on my way back to Alaska, and the initial drive down through the Al-Can...I have been driving quite a bit.
We cruised over the hard pack snow on the empty highways, but I took comfort in knowing that with these heavy buses and our mechanic Mike, we would make it successfully.

I did get to Fairbanks and it was really nice seeing the change in the landscape from the last time i was there in June.
There was about 2 feet of snow on the ground, the sun was bright, and the temp hovered around 15-20 degrees. It reminded me of my childhood in Calgary: the dry snappy cold, the flat tundra and the sun reflecting off the snow.
My best pal Caleb hosted me and my road blurried head. We had a blast in his neighborhood right down from the University. A neighbor, and my good buddy Kliff Hopson, rock and roll drummer, and overall beacon of happiness and joy, opened his hot tub to us which felt AMAZING after tromping around outside in the cold all day.

I left Fairbanks after meeting new friends and reconnecting with interior jems I miss while living down in the Southeast.

I caught a flight back to Juneau and arrived right in time for Halloween to explode in town. Everyone looked good, and had a fun and safe night. I'm so tired, I feel like I haven't slept during the entire month of October...

Today I moved all my worldly belongings to my new (temporary) home in a lovely one bedroom apt on west 12th street in the federal flats of downtown Juneau. whew...

sore. tired. sleeping for a day or two.

Vacation!

I ventured out of Alaska down to San Francisco for a little relief from the stress of the summer, and to see killer Bluegrass and hang with pals.
The drive down from Skagway, AK to Seattle was pretty epic, vistas of orange and red alpine hillsides and towering mountains already dusted with snow.
Julie Jackson and I played "wildlife bingo" tallying the buffaloes, caribou, elk, bears, and moose along our drive through the Yukon, and down to British Columbia.


Arriving in Seattle I spent some quality time with the Chisholm Grandparents and really enjoyed seeing them on the West Coast and caught up on whats been happening in our lives for the last few years.

San Francisco started out wonderfully! I ended up sitting next to a woman, my age, who had worked on an organic local farm in Fairbanks for the whole summer. Turns out that I know the family who runs the farm! George is active in the Bluegrass community, and his partner Kristi and their gorgeous children came to the Solstice Fest in Cantwell, AK which I also attended this last summer. We chatted about Alaska, and her long summer (she was gone for 9 months) away from San Fransisco. She offered me a ride to my friend's home in the Park Presidio (which has no direct public transit) which I was so greatful. Her roommate showed me the Ocean Beach neighborhood and graciously dropped me off at the front door of Chase Christie and Kate Hamre's home.
The troops from all corners of Alaska poured in over the next two days: and among them those who have relocated to the lower 48. It was so great to see everyone, some I haven't seen since Folk Fest in Juneau, last spring.
We listened to amazing music, both in the living room/kitchen jam circles, and at the Hardly Strictly Music Festival.
The highlight for the actual festival was seeing Doc Watson play, as well as Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings. The latter show was so amazing, and looking around at everyone's faces during their heartfelt songs---the crowd seemed to be memorized.
Special thanks to Jacob Groopman who saved our lives by sacrificing the suspension of his Saturn to haul the Juneau crew as well as those of us who couldn't snag a cab back to the Presidio. (He also provided me with great music to add to my I tunes which I have been literally obsessed with since I got home---thanks Jacob!)
The nights were long, we slept outside under the stars, and ate amazing breakfasts at Zazie, an epic restaurant near the Haight. I am so grateful to both Chase and Kate, and Jeff Kanzler---for feeding us, and putting up with a house full of crazy Bluegrassers and Rowdy Alaskans. It was a great time!

After the madness of the festival dies down, my dad picked me up in SF and we drive to Monterey Bay. He had meetings and appointments in Carmel, so I laid by the ocean, and drove through the fruitful Carmel Valley wine country stopping to admire the immense vineyards and organic fruit orchards. I cranked up the stereo in the rented 2009 Toyota Camry and zoomed around the scenic Carmel Valley roads in the 75 degree weather.
After work was done we drove the 17 mile road back north, admiring the foggy coastline and giant mansions which overlooked Pebble Beach golf course. It was dinner time, and we dined on 26 chubby fresh oysters on a half shell with ice cold Vodka sodas with lots of lemon.
The next day I departed San Francisco for Seattle.
Soon after I drove south with my mom and brother Markus to Portland for a final send off party with my maternal relatives. Markus is now in Thailand, and we wanted to have a goodbye gathering in the city we were born with our closest kinfolk. The day started with MY favorite past time: thrift store shopping with my Grandma Jo at the best second hand shop in Oregon, "Red White and Blue." I picked up two pairs of boots, a few tops, and some jewelry for pennies compared to what they would charge in Seattle, especially Juneau.
The party followed and later that night we all gathered at Pub 181 in Gresham, OR (the same place I spent my 21st Birthday). This place is the best neighborhood bar I have ever been to. My aunt and uncle are regulars and we played the loto line games and I threw back now fewer than 4 Bushmills neat, thanks to my cousin and Grampa Doug. I only got "a quarter fucked up." It was a great night, anytime I get to spend with my cousin Jamie, Aunt Mary Jane, Uncle Terry, and my beloved Grampa Doug and Grama Rona is a great time!!!! MISS YOU GUYS!

I wrapped up all my loose ends, spent some time with my best friends, "the Alexes" (Kattar and Sanchez respectively) and soon found myself packed and ready to drive to Prince Rupert British Columbia to the ferry back to Juneau, AK.

I said goodbye to brother Markus (for a whole year!!!!) and started my drive north. It was the most laid back drive I have ever had, I sang Bluegrass and listed to my music unapologetically. I found myself in Prince Rupert in less than 20 hours! Boarded the ferry with no problems and found my spot on the M/V Taku bound for Juneau!

I'm home now. I was offered a little job driving one of the tour buses from the summer up to Fairbanks, AK as Holland America needs 8 buses in the 'Banks by next week for training. That will be a fun trip, I have never done that drive before, and I'm hoping to see some of my interior friends. I will leave next Tuesday and get back just in time for Juneau Halloween festivities! YAY!

I will try and be more diligent about my goings on here in Juneau and other adventures that come my way! Here's to being back home :)

Bus Tired

I stood on the docks today surveying the throngs of sweatpants clad tourists, thinking to myself that these folks all kind of look the same. Maybe because some of the t-shirts and sweatshirts are sold in the same shops throughout Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau...and some may end up with the same swag...but really, I think that I'm just done with this job in general.
I knew when I came back to Juneau that it would be fun, yet challenging to go back to bus driving. This summer was the most difficult working in tourism simply becuase I knew that I was not going to leave town after it was all done. Juneau is my home now, and I felt myself feeling guilty about driving giant smokey buses around the narrow downtown streets where my friends and neighbors walked...looking up at the bus with sour looks on their faces. The job is easy, it can be so much fun, and ulitmatley it taught me how to really talk to every kind of person in the world. Yet around this time of year, all I want to do is look out my window and see nothing on the waterfront, just empty docks. I want to walk downtown to grab a coffee, and not have to swim through clusters of confused lookie-loos.
Tomorrow is our first "no ship" day since May. I plan on walking around town enjoying the space, and thinking of my return from San Francisco where the locals will be the commanding presence in Jtown.
It feels weird, and it hasn't completely set in that when I come back to Seattle, I'm just visiting. I will be stopping through town, and returning home to Juneau.
4 days of driving left. Then I'm off!!!...but only for a little bit.

Shootin' with Andrew Heist

Andrew arranged for an early Thursday morning shooting adventure out at the public range in Auke Bay. I had never fired a handgun, let alone any firearm.
It was fun.
Thanks Andrew. Looking forward to more shootin!