Donna Freedman 
Just spent a couple of days in Fairbanks with my friend Linda B. Today I came home to freshly waxed floors, freshly baked bread and freshly boiled whale. I am not making that up. Yes, DF really did wax the floors.
And yes, he really did boil a piece of Balaena mysticetus.
Although the light is returning to Anchorage, summer is still quite some time off. That’s just as well, since I am sadly out of shape after far too many hours in front of the computer.
Maybe you’re as creakified as I am after a long winter. One possible answer: yoga. Yep, yoga, which provides gentle stretches of deskbound muscles and also de-stresses minds tied in knots about the tasks performed at those desks.
I took several yoga classes in Seattle and I really, really need to get back to it. Podcasts to start, maybe, and a class at the YMCA or some other Anchorage location.
Whoever wins this week’s giveaway can get a $50 head start on yoga gear, thanks to the Sports Authority.
The light is coming back. Sunrise today was at 6:37 a.m. and the sun will set at 9:23 p.m. Both times are deceptive, however: It’s bright before the sun comes up and after it goes down.
On Friday DF and I went to the Alaska Dance Theatre recital. Even though it was past 9:30 as we walked back to the car, there was daylight to spare. The better to see icy spots in the street and snow piles in parking lots.
I’ve written before about Swagbucks, the rewards site that awards points for doing things like online searches, playing games, taking surveys, watching short videos and keeping an eye out for special codes.
You can trade the points (“Swagbucks,” or SBs for short) for gift cards or other goods, or use them to enter contests. My favorite premium is the Amazon gift card, which let me do a fair amount of birthday and Christmas shopping for free last year.
I’m something of a brand evangelist for the site, and not just because I get extra points for referring newbies. Of all the programs out there, this is my favorite because it’s easy, it pays out things people want and it has a sense of fun.
So yes, I think you should join, with or without my referral link – and through May 31 newcomers can get an extra incentive.
I mailed my taxes on Tuesday. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh? Since some of you may be finishing up the paperwork, or may be glum about the paperwork you just mailed, I’m hoping this week’s giveaway will cheer you up.
And if not, maybe my upcoming Swagbucks announcement (more on that below) will do the trick.
Got health insurance? If not, you can get some free testing this Saturday at any Sam’s Club location that has a pharmacy. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., both members and non-members can take advantage of: Total cholesterol test Blood pressure reading Vision screening Glucose test Body mass index screening Oral health questionnaire “Dental tablets,” … Read more
Early this month it seemed that breakup — local parlance for “spring” — was marching right along. The days were warm (high 30s-low 40s) and the nights were chilly (teens and 20s). Between actual melt and sublimation, we’d gotten glimpses of roads and even bits of sidewalk here and there.
Several dumps of snow later, I remembered just how big a tease breakup can be. Sort of like a stripper who never shows you all the good stuff at once, and who covers up with both fans and the stage curtain just when you’re getting all worked up.
Know someone who’s graduating from high school or college in the next few months? Have I got a grad gift for you.
Zac Bissonnette’s “How to Be Richer, Smarter and Better-Looking Than Your Parents” would actually be good for any young person who’s flailing around right now. Say, someone who finished a degree in December but hasn’t been able to find himself, a passion or even 40 hours of work per week.
The author was 23 when the book was published — and it wasn’t his first book. Slacker.
Yesterday DF’s father died. I am so, so glad that it happened after DF’s recent trip down south to take care of business. Now his father’s widow, who’s 95, won’t have to stress out over death-related details or to face her late husband’s very disorganized papers.
No, DF did that for her – with complete transparency – because she was too busy coping with the impending loss. I’m glad he did that. I’m gladder still that he was able to say some things that needed saying, while his father was still able to hear and to respond.
Please, please do the same – before you miss your chance. If something needs saying, then say it.
Their relationship was not ideal, but DF made a conscious choice to put aside rancor and say, “I love you unconditionally.” As in, no conditions attached to his statement:
That last is counter to pop-psychology tenets, but not everyone needs or wants it. A therapist I know once said, “Closure is overrated.” I think I know what she meant: Those openness-and-healing talks aren’t necessarily a panacea.
Over on my daughter’s website is a post that I wish would go viral. The theme of “Don’t just complain” is simple: When you encounter good service, say so.
That can be in person or via e-mail or letter. Not the calculated-to-get-something kind of letter, mind you: I don’t know I ever survived without Product X! It’s miraculous! (And will you please send me some freebies or at least some high-value coupons?)
No, I’m talking about that true rarity: a note that says “you got it right – thanks.”