Day One

Day One

Note: Jeff and I are both writing this blog so it back and forth. :)

It all started at 550 am with the fire alarms going off in the hotel that were staying in. Jeff was working out and came back to the room as I was getting the boys ready to evacuate. Turns out the bozzo next door to us burnt his popcorn. Damn those people visiting and still on EST wanting a snack let us Alaskans sleep!

The ten hour drive to Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, Canada went fairly well. Here are a few funny stories we'll share.

1. Jeff's two most repeated phrases during our ride. "Calm down you crazy lady!" (read: I was still freaking out about getting across the border without our vehicle registration - turns out they just wanted our passports like Jeff was saying all the time) & "Look a mountain!" since Jeff was driving I was in charge of photography. He wanted a picture of every mountain as we took each bend of the Alaskan Highway.

Look a Mountain! (click to see full image)

1. I told the officer I was military and he asked if I was PCS-ing (military term for changing station) It took everything I had not to do my best Rodney Dangerfield impression and say: "No officer, but my wife is and she's driving me crazy!"


2. "I am not peeing in that shack" Restrooms are few and far between in Canada - and I wasn't about to take a leak practically outside (read: wooden outhouse) at -4!



3. "I think I sweated a lot." Ian had a little accident while he was sleeping.



4. "That was some scary shit!" As Jeff finished passing a 18 wheeler with no taillights, kicking up its own white out blizzard, and in the dark. (read: 3pm) Ian's response: "What shit Daddy??" We'll be watching our mouth a little bit better this trip.

5. "Does your laundry take American quarters? It's only fair since I get yours back all the time from our soda machines." Jeff asks the hotel attendant. "Nope, you have to put Loonies in them," she replied. I figured that was a little cruel, however, our crazy people just sit in homes not contributing, theirs clean laundry albeit from the inside of a small machine. Unrelated, but interesting, their dollar is made of metal and has a duck-like creature on the back .

Day One


496.5 Miles-made the timeline so far
1 Moose
1 Brown Blob in distance pretty sure it was an animal
1 wolf and or huge ass fox
1 giant red grease spot

Day Before the Road Trip....

Empty House still on the Market $279,900
Box and Sleeping Bag as chair: $20
Listening to Jethro Toll on Dads Ipod: Priceless

I guess this could be counted as day one... but we will call it Day Zero (Jeff says the Army calls it this)

Day Zero: 5 miles to Hampton Inn

Long story short, our movers were less than professional. They smelled like weed, packed my stuff up semi-nice, and loaded up super slow. It was a three day pack job and on the third day they were loading until 10pm, the last truck drove out - although they ended work at 3pm the previous days and took a 10min break every hour and a 1.5 hr lunch. We are definitely putting an Inspector General Complaint about this move. HORRENDOUS!!!

Anyways that was the past three days. We packed our Jeep with about 800 or so pounds of our stuff that we will need until our household goods arrive. Jeff and I are master packers with our Sky Box on top and the space in the back of our Jeep.

Our house is clean, we hired a clean out crew - so nice not to lift a finger. They have to come back tomorrow and do some touch ups. They had trouble cleaning Ian and Blake's artwork off of the walls, so they actually put a fresh coat of paint on the wall!

We then headed over to the Hampton Inn. Very nice hotel. We are in a King Suite. King bed for Jeff and I and a queen pull out for the boys. We stayed here due to the Free HOT breakfast and the pool, however; didn't take advantage of the pool tonight because we ran out of time and the boys were super tired after watching the classic Rudolph Claymation movie. We will stay at these in the lower 48 for sure! Hope they are just as nice.

We are ready for our 8am drive out of Fairbanks. Just one thing....we forgot the registration to the car...so please pray that the Canadian folks at the border don't ask us for it!!!! We're freaking out a little bit, but with our "Strange Brew" knowledge, we'll be able to talk our way through the checkpoint. We thought of everything else- took it out of the car do something, and it got packed and not placed back in the car!! CRAP!

Day One: Drive from Fairbanks, AK and stopping in Tok, AK for lunch and fuel up... then stopping in Haines Junction, Yukon Territory (Canada) for the night.

Miles: 500

Barbarian 6....Out.

Jeff had his change of command ceremony on Dec 2nd. He was in command for over 33 months. He did such a wonderful, exceptional job. Another chapter in our lives is now over. Awaiting what comes next! Jeff also found out right before the ceremony that he is the most deployed officer in his year group! Craziness!! Here are some pictures from the ceremony.

Getting in formation for the Change of Command Ceremony.
In front for the last time...

Jeff getting the guidon....

Jeff passes his Guidon to LTC Reed, the company is no longer his.

LTC Reed passes the guidon to the new CPT.

Marching back.

LTC's Speech

Jeffs Speech

Happy Thanksgiving.

Well we joked about ordering pizza or getting Chinese on Thanksgiving because I didn't' want to cook, but I couldn't' do it. I went out the day before and got the basics and cooked up a quick Turkey dinner for us all to enjoy. We have just been to busy with finalizing everything up here in Alaska, it really doesn't feel like the holidays at all! Here are some pictures from Turkey Day!

The best turkey I have ever cooked!

Didn't have room for it in the fridge so we Alaskans keep the bird on the porch!
(I actually kept it in the fridge, but people actually keep it outside!)

Blake and Dad full of Turkey

Jeff's guitar from Iraq. Made it back in one piece.

New Photo Lense.

So as a gift to myself I bought some new lenses for my digital camera...I'm trying to learn how to use them. (Now I need a shootsac - asking for this for Xmas) Hope to get some great shots while driving to AL/GA/VA! Here are some of the boys with my portrait lense. I haven't edited them.... so I'm sure I can make them better. :) Might look better if you click on them to look at correct size

Ladies, watch out for Ian!

Muscles!

More Muscles!

Fun Bath time!

Smiles in Bubbles!

Focused on cookie by accident...

Love this one of Ian! Whats he been up to?

We've been busy!

We are still alive! I promise. We have been going non stop since before Halloween. Right now we are getting ready to leave Alaska on Dec 13th which is coming up so very soon. In between then and now we are trying to catch up on winterizing the Jeep because we are taking the ferry and driving to Georgia, do all our dr check ups, dental check ups, dog check ups, car check ups so that when we arrive in GA we can sit back and relax and enjoy the nice temperatures. Here are some pictures of what the boys have been doing! Enjoy!

Still Here...

Hello everybody...

The Harmon's are still here. We are just super busy. I will have time to update soon. We are getting ready to move, in 28 days!!! So lots of planing and puring along with MRI's Dentist appts, Physicals, Car Appts. AHhhhhhhhhhh

We have something to do everyday of the month until Dec 3rd!!! Well, not everyday, but pretty much!!

I'll post pics up here soon of what we have been doing in the mean time. Love you all!!