Out on a date

Margie and I are out on a rare date at one of Anchorage's most exclusive and elegant restaurants, Robin Rojo, as seen through a raspberry lemonade glass. Next, we go to a movie: Prisoners.

Jimmy positioned at work station #2

I have posted and will continue to post a good number of pics of Jimmy positioned at his workstation between my keyboard and my monitor. He does this to help me out, because he knows if I have to look around and over him to see what I am working on, I will look all that much more intently and thus will see more detail than I otherwise would have. He has a couple of other workstations in my office as well. This is one of them – curled up in the crook of my left arm. He knows that by occupying this spot he forces me to do everything with just my right hand – thus making me more careful and efficient. Thus he improves and refines my work. Plus, when I get in a tight spot somewhere else and lose half my capacity for whatever reason – say, a broken or malfunctioning camera or lens – then I have already trained and disciplined my mind and am better able to deal with that situation

First kiss? Run!

Abby's granddaughter Isabel just left with her mother Emily, but not before stopping to give Lynx a kiss. I was wondering if this was his first kiss, so I texted the question to his mother. "Eeks!"she responded. "Run the other way w/him, NOW!"

I am about to eat breakfast with a boy who is the real thing

Caricature on coffee cup, real thing behind: my grandson, Lynx - half Navajo, one quarter Apache, one quarter whatever I am - 100% enrolled member Navajo Nation. We have just ordered breakfast at Abby's - one egg, one pancake for him; ham, eggs over easy, hashbrowns and multi-grain toast for me. Lynx is saying, "hi!" to everybody who comes in or passes by his highchair.

Just four months after Carmen loses her husband to cancer, someone smashes into and burglarizes her Metro Cafe

I stopped by Metro Cafe this afternoon and saw Carmen for the first time since late August, before I left for Nuiqsut/Cross Island. She was not feeling too happy – someone had broken into her coffee shop once again. Friday morning. He threw a rock through the drive-through window, the rock crashed into the counter, damaged it and then he crawled into the café, rifled around looking for money, found none and turned to leave. Then he realized he had forgot to turn the light off, so he turned around, came back and turned off the light. All this was captured on her security cameras. I could see how shaken she still is.

Just four months ago, after Scot's long, hard, bitter fight with cancer, with Carmen fighting alongside him all the way, she lost her husband. Now this, even before her tears can stop falling. But Carmen is tough, she has many friends and she gives much to this community. She will do much better than will the poor, hapless, damaged, soul who did this cruel thing to her.