Photos of the store...

I know I should be working...so fire me!

Here are the long-awaited photos of our shop this year:

A loop around our store...starting to the right!

But look left just for a moment...
Continuing to the right...
Ella trying to get in the picture...
Looking left to the center for just for a moment...
The back left corner of the store
The other side of the center display in back
Next to the sale's counter
The other side of the sales counter
Just a polish pottery store, eh? Ha!
One last glance into the store from the front door...looking left!

And just a quick back-flash to our first store:

And at the end of the first year we moved up to our new, larger location (for the last 45 days of the summer season):

And the following summer...our second year in business:

And where the heck did I put all of my photos of the store, last year? Oh well...

Thanks for making it THIS far!

The world's largest egg toss...for real!

"Skagway unofficially set the world record for the most people in an egg toss on the 4th of July with 1,422 participants tossing 711 eggs. Now the signatures and photo and video (helicopter) evidence go to the Guiness World Record office for confirmation. The Skagway line-up spanned four blocks, smashing Wrangell’s 336 participants from 2007." -Skagway News

The winner? Ella's best friend's daddy...Tanner!
A picture of the lineup, with the former branch president's grandson on his head:
The finalists throwing....Skagway now has the goal to break a new world record each year. Didn't I tell you Skagway is fun?!

4th of July is best in Skagway!

If anyone wants to visit me in Skagway, the 4th of July is the VERY BEST OF THE BEST!
We have a superb parade that goes down Broadway (6 blocks), and it is SOOOO good, that they turn it around, and go back UP Skagway! So good, you must see it twice!

Here are some pictures of my FAVORITE float this year, done by the old Branch President's employees (let me clarify...HE is not old, but he is the former branch president, and was released from his calling after 20+ years just last summer).

The parade theme was "Freedom on Broadway" (the main street)...so they interpreted it as:

FREEDOM FROM TOURISTS, and made the ultimate "TOURIST TRAP!!"

"Skagway's Deadlist Catch - Fresh Tourists at Harbor!"

"We'll Celebrate Freedom on Broadway on October 1st!" If it was a video, you'd hear the "tourists" and their daily questions, "Where's the bathroom?" "Is this on sale?" "Do you have crew discounts?" Oh, and PLEASE note the INGENIOUS fishing pole on the back of the float, holding the tourist-coveted coupon book! The "tourists" are grabbing at it, trying so hard to catch it! You could not make me laugh any harder...

I also liked the National Park Service float on the 2nd round. That is, because the lovely "crate" the main gold rush hiker had been carrying became uncovered, revealing a likely 'NECESSITY' that gold rush miners TODAY might actually insist on carrying on their arduous journey. The 19" Screen TV. Of course, in reality, people nowadays might insist on carrying a much large flat screen TV:
And just to show you how NOT serious this parade is...these types of signs are fairly typical each year. You'll have to note the small text at the bottom that makes year-round local's sentiments clear:
So, in response to the tourist who was made me miss one round of the parade a few years ago (they were making a purchase in our store)...this person said "I'm from New York. I've seen it all." Heck, "We're not trying to be New York, baby! You've just missed the BEST parade in the world!"

Kaleidoscopes...

A business manager of a nice store on the Oregon Coast recommended we try selling kaleidoscopes, and so they are a new addition to the store. They are a hit! Who would have guessed?

Technically, our most popular kaleidoscopes are actually Teleidoscopes (defined on Wikipedia: "A teleidoscope is a kind ofkaleidoscope. Unlike other kaleidoscopes, teleidoscopes have a lens and an open view, so they can be used to form kaleidoscopic patterns from objects outside the instrument, rather than from items installed as part of it.")

So, here's my favorite image I was able to capture with my camera up to the lens:

If this is a preview of the teenage years...

Then we're in trouble!

Ella and her "boyfriend," Nico!

The top 10 Ups and Downs of owning my own business...

1 UP-I'm my own boss.
1 DOWN- I'm my own boss (wait, there's no downside to that one!)

2 UP-I can set my own hours.
2 DOWN-Every hour of my day is intertwined with work.

3 UP-No one else writes my paycheck.
3 DOWN- NO ONE writes my paycheck! (huh? Money? What's that?!)

4 UP-I can call in sick anytime I choose!
4 DOWN-I've got to pay the bills...so I come to work even when I AM sick! (I'm currently fighting with bronchitis and a nasty cold on top of it...one reason I am blogging instead of restocking right now!)

5 UP-I get to buy all sorts of things, and then re-sell them. In other words, I get to "consume" without consuming!
5 DOWN-What doesn't sell is already paid for, and it's mine (anyone want boxes and boxes of mulling spices?)

6 UP-I can take my kids to work!
6 DOWN-I have to deal with them at work!

7 UP-I will never be an annoying, ungrateful tourist again (hopefully)!
7 DOWN-I get mad at myself when I realize that I am an annoying, ungrateful tourist, sometimes!

8 UP-I get to work with my wonderful, patient and loving spouse everyday.
8 DOWN-Hmm...there's not a really downside to this one, either :-)

9 UP-I get joy from the simplest things...such as a working printer, scanner, or a sign that works!
9 DOWN-I spend 10x the amount of time trying to fix dumb technical problems that most normal people never have to deal with.

10 UP-I live in Alaska!
10 DOWN-I wish more people could visit me in Alaska!

Tagged again...

So, I've been tagged by my old college roommate, Tiffany. I'm supposed to list 7 quirks/random facts about me and then tag 7 people. So, here goes:

1. Some days I just want to turn "OFF" the tourists. I guess that's no surprise. The worst thing is, however, when I start off the day with one person asking an annoying question, and then every tourist for hours just annoys me. Not a good way to spend the day. Have you seen the commercial for the Honda Pilot where the tourists are "cornered" by a bison? The guy in the Pilot pulls up next to this group of tourists on the side of the road, to see if they need a ride. The tourists say, "There are 7 of us, we'll never fit in there." The guy says, "There's seating for 8," and then the tourists say, "but we have too many beverages." The guy looks exasperated and says "but there are like 12 cup holders in here!" Then they say, "but what about the bison?" It kills me every time.

Why? Because THAT, my friends, THAT is what tourists are like EVERY STINKING DAY OF MY SUMMER. That commercial is the PERFECT demonstration of what tourists are like!!! Jared likes to call them "children" with "amnesia." All of a sudden they have no reasoning skills, and they ask the dumbest questions that a child (who is not on vacation) could answer.

2. I'm a wanna-be-Vegan (aka "At-Home" Vegan). We stopped buying all dairy products (with the exception of real butter), and only cook and eat vegan in our household. I could tell you a billion scientifically-backed reasons why...but I'll sum it up by saying it's all about health. Jared is also extremely pro-Vegan...and we eat yummy dishes every day, now. Better than ever before, even! But don't worry...you can still feed us a non-Vegan dinner, and we will enjoy it! We both splurge when we eat with others, and ditch the Vegan-ness, but stick to it at home. Moderation in all things...

3. I am picky about being time and energy-efficient (not with heating, etc...but with my PERSONAL energy use). For example, if I am unpacking boxes at the store, I like to get everything out all at once, and put the trash in one big pile...then throw it away when I am DONE. It drives me nuts that Jared likes to pick up each piece as we go, and put it in the trash. To me, it seems like a waste of energy. We just have to laugh at each other about it...because we both want OUR way, of course.

4. I have a very sensitive noggin. I HATE it when people have smelly breath. If you haven't brushed your teeth lately (well, even if you have...but perhaps you have bad toothpaste)...don't come near me! This trait seems to run in the family...NO, not the bad breath. I mean that hating bad breath runs in the family. :-)

5. I never do full minutes on the microwave. I usually start by typing something like "5" and then I decide "50" is not enough, but I don't want to start over and hit "100 (minute)", so it's usually something like "59" seconds.

6. I'm anti-Flouride. Another opinionated health quirk. Yes, it's great for your teeth...but at the risk of everything else...

7. I hate smelly feet. Yup. Yucky yucky yucky.

So, I tag Lea, Lara, Joni, Angie, Stacey, Donald, and Michelle! If you've already done it...do it again!