Sorry I haven't updated in so long! It's crazy to think that I've already been here for more than half the summer and even crazier knowing that the end is starting to creep up on me, probably faster than I'd like it to. I haven't had a whole to much going on besides what has now become "normal" (aka - driving a bus and giving tours) regardless, I still have a few stories I'd like to share. ;)
I'd like to start off with saying that it's been officially summer here in Juneau for a while. I can say that because we have the fireweed out. It's one of those plants that helps you determine the seasons. It starts with summer and always ends 6 weeks before winter. It's called fireweed because it's the first plant to grow after a forest fire, but it also turns this bright red color when it goes to seed. It's a very beautiful flower. :)
And with summer comes more tourist families with younger children, like this one couple who tried to leave their daughter on my bus at the glacier. Typical protocol is I drop off all my people, stage offsite in the bus parking lot, and return just in time for pick-up. This couple thought I would be parked in the drop-off zone for the duration of their visit so they left their daughter on my bus. I didn't even know she was there until I started pulling out to go stage. She tried to explain to me that her parents were coming back for her later, but I had to convince her that she wasn't allowed to wait on my bus. Eventually we figured things out, but who leaves their kids on some random bus? Oh wait, they did. ;)
I gave my first "Flavors of Juneau" Tour which includes Mendenhall Glacier, Chez Alaska Cooking School, and the Alaska Brewery. Needless to say, I had very happy and well-fed people on that tour. ;) Then there was the first day I did luggage crew. I hopped into the luggage truck with Bailey and said to myself, "Now, where is the switch for the headlights?" Bailey: "You've never driven this before?! Great, we're gonna die." However, we did NOT die and I must say that driving the luggage truck is much easier than driving a bus in some ways, even though it really WAS my first time. ;)
I've also had a few ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or Wheelchair transfers. The people have been really nice, and I've done pretty well with the lift. Even that one day where I had to use the manual over-ride to pump the lift back up and then switch out buses. But still, not as scary as I thought they would be. :) At least the bus was still running. There have been two days when I've had to switch out buses during my pre-trip time because they had something wrong with them. I even had my first breakdown while I was up at Eaglecrest picking up passengers. I'm pretty sure in that case it was a battery problem, but everything worked out in the end. :)
Also, I had my first our audit the other day. Jenny rode along as a passenger and critiqued my tour. Luckily it was a Glacier & Gardens tour because it's my absolute favorite! :) The feedback I got was mostly that I had to speak slower. I guess I have enough tour information to fill 3 tours, if only I talked slower. But then they said that I have to explain more about the destination points before we get there. So, I need to use less of my cool info and more of the stuff they're gonna find out by going on the tour... Oh well, I think I've been coming to a happy medium so far. ;)
That's enough about the tours I've given, let me tell you about some of the tours that I've been on! On a company "fam" tour we went Ziplining up at Eagle-crest. I had never been zip-lining before and I definitely loved it! I still need to try out the Canopy's Zip-line, but that's for another day. Cody drove on the way up to Eaglecrest and then I drove on the way back down. Also, just cause I could, I sang to everybody on the way back to Bullwinkle's Pizza. It was so much fun!
I took a tour from Allen Marine out to Tracy Arm. The two Sawyer glaciers are out there in the Fjord. It was so beautiful all the way out, but the best part was when South Sawyer had a period of extended calving! It calved for a full minute and a half! I even got it on video. :) On the way back I sat out on the upper deck just to feel the wind blow through my hair and smell the ocean breeze. It was the first time I'd been in a boat since last year in Afognak, and it felt good to be out on the water again. :)
The last tour I've been on recently was when I shot the Mendenhall. I didn't literally shoot at the Glacier itself, it's a rafting tour down the Mendenhall River. ;) The water was 34˚ F and of course they put me in the very front of the raft. Needless to say, I got soaked. Pretty well. But I kept my camera dry enough that I got a few pictures here and there. :) It was nice to have a different view of Juneau from the river.
Now it's time for a few more of my antics and other random stories! :D First things first, I must tell you about the 4th of July! I was still working that day so I didn't see the Parades (They have one on both Juneau and Douglas), but I still saw the fireworks. Fun fact about Juneau is that we actually have fireworks starting at Midnight on the 3rd, because if we waited 'til it's dark enough on the 4th then it would actually be the 5th. We're the first State to celebrate Independence Day! :D (As per tradition, I made Homemade Snickers to help celebrate)
And one night I went out with Sean and Marie around 1:30 AM so we could see the Aurora Borealis! It was showing up at a "3" in the North-East so we drove to False Outer to see them. I even took a few pictures. :)
I spent some good quality time at our neighbor's house one week when I wasn't able to find my keys for a few days. I ended up being the first person home for that time, so I'd have to wait for my roommates to get back before I could get in. Thank goodness we have really nice neighbors, like Nicole, who would let me come watch movies with her while I waited. :) And speaking of movies I went and watched the Lone Ranger at the local theater one day with a few coworkers. Then on another night I went to see the silent movie "Safety Last" with a live piano player providing the accompaniment.
I've been having a relatively hard time trying to decide what I should read since I finished the Mistborn series a few weeks ago. I'm open for suggestions, though I might have to throw a bunch of them on the steadily growing list of future reads. ;) However, I have been spending a bit more time playing on my guitar. Oh, if you didn't know, I went on craigslist and found a guitar to buy here in Juneau. If you're lucky (and I have enough time) I might just try making a couple rough recordings of my songs and some covers. ;)
As for a little fashion update, earlier this month Jenny gave me some fake nails from "Impress" to try out. They actually worked really well and it was kinda fun to wear them. I actually have another couple sets I might try when I decide I can give up playing guitar for a week again. ;) Also, when it gets more humid here my hair has a slight curl to it. Not that it means much because I usually wear it up, but still. :)
Saving some of the best for last, ACT won the Kickball Tournament we had with Temsco last Friday! :D We all have shirts that are somewhat matching. Mine turned out to be an XL white one with a Tlingit art style Dragonfly on it. :) Definitely a very fun evening for the whole gang! :D
I miss you all bunches, and I'll see you in about two months. Please keep updating me about your lives and let me know if there's anything specific you'd like me to find out/blog about! :)
[Insert fun signature sign-off phrase],
Shawni
P.S. Watch for Part II of this post tomorrow, in which our Heroine actually posts all the pictures she's been promising. ;)
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