Life (and mining) in the fast lane...

So I was just reading my blog description and I came to the conclusion that the phrase "life's daily adventures" should really read, "life's weekly adventures... or life's adventures that this busy Momma can sneak away from her To Do list long enough to actually write about."

See there?  Yep, right there.  The page break above?  Yeah, that happened when I sat down to write and then my dog interrupted me mid-thought and started whining at the door.  Then when I went to let him out, my sweet little toddler (whom I had slyly put in front of Toy Story 3 with a snack) noticed my presence and suddenly decided he needed to play-wrestle with Momma.  After about ten minutes of fake body-slams and belly-raspberries, Dylan was satisfied and turned his attention back to the nail-biting misadventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear.  I was able to tiptoe back to my computer and my favorite hobby, writing for my faithful readers.  Again, my apologies for the lengthy blog hiatus.  Sigh.  I really do hope that the winter slows our lives down enough so that I can write to you all more often.  Until then, sneaking away between labrador demands and toddler wrestling will have to do.

As you have probably guessed, we are back home, back in the bustling metropolis of Anchorage, Alaska.  I think it is always nice to come home, no matter where you have been.  This last few weeks was no exception.  After a hitch at the mine, we drove the 300 miles home and I eagerly walked through my front door, ordered Thai takeout, gushed about how comfortable our bed was, how convenient our appliances are, and how nice it was to tune into the Olympics after feeling so cutoff from the world... and that was after only a week.  Dani, Rita, Mike and Peggy have been staying there full-time, no breaks, no phone/internet connection, and certainly no 2012 Olympics.  Now that's dedication.  That's hardcore mining, Dempsey style.

So far, the mine has been good to us in the gold department.  We are very pleased with our findings and all the worker's spirits are brightened every clean-up day.  However, rain, sickness, and close living quarters, can make some days seem long and patience can wear very thin.  Once again, Dylan and I brought the germs.  This time, we were struck with pink eye.  Yes, pink eye.  Ugh.  Don't even get me started.  I think Dempsey Mining is going to start quarantining us to the camper every time we visit.  But the pink eye was severe enough in Dylan one morning to warrant a trip to the Valdez clinic in which we were seen by two different doctors.  Funny story:

The first doctor walked in, looked at us and said, "Well it's definitely not pink eye."  Oh.  Okay.  What else could it be?  Then the second doctor walked in and said, "Well, it's definitely pink eye."  Oh. Okay. Wait.  Whaaat?  The most confusing doctor visit I've ever had.  I am so glad that Rita and Jesse were with me to verify my story and that I hadn't mis-heard their two completely different diagnoses.  It's a good thing I didn't break my leg or anything.  "It's definitely not broken."  Oh.  Okay. "It's definitely broken."  Ummmm...

I left the Valdez clinic puzzled, with a bottle of children's Zyrtec, and an uneasy feeling that we had just been Punk'd.  But Dylan started feeling better by that afternoon, and Rita, Jesse, and I, reflecting on the previous few perplexing hours, shared a good laugh all the way back to the mine.  That's what I love about our family.  We are able to find humor in just about every situation, no matter how precarious or challenging it may be.

Page break and thought interruption again.  Dylan needed a snuggle, and a diaper change, and a reading of "Go Dog Go."  Keiser needed to be let back in.  Now both are back to quietly napping.  Yessss.  Now to quickly finish before its time for my Jillian Michael's workout (whimper!) and a babysitting gig.

Where was I?  Oh yeah.  I was discussing the power of positive thinking.  On that thought, my nephew Jesse was a welcome addition to the mine.  I hadn't realized that he had literally become a teenager overnight and that his interests have changed, so I'm afraid I failed miserably at trying to entertain him during the many hours of down-time we had.  But he was a good sport and shared many laughs with us, watched many movies, played a few games of scrabble, and he even found some gold.  Dave set him up with a small sluice box that Jesse shoveled material through for a few hours.  He and Dave panned it out and found about $100 worth of gold, all of which will go straight towards Jesse's brand new scooter.

Jesse and Dave take some time out for a hike in the mountains.

Again, I left the mine both eagerly and reluctantly at the same time.  Eager to get to the comforts of home, but reluctant to leave the mountains, the adventure, and our family and hard-working miners.  But we will be returning again next week when Dave returns from his slope hitch.  And this time we will be there for six weeks, with a few small breaks in between.  When that six weeks is complete we will be wrapping up the mining season and gearing up for winter.  Can you believe it?  Autumn is fast approaching.  Where does the time go....

I hope you are all doing well.  I must say I miss my long-distance friends and family immensely.  But until we meet again, I hope I can continue to keep you updated with this blog.  Sending you smoke signals from Alaska, this is Jo, signing out.  Love and miss you all!

Jesse strikes gold!

Scooter money