Lost in the Towers

Never a big fan of doctor appointments, I’m not sure how I managed to make two on the same day. One in Palmer and the other in Anchorage. Ack!

Let me just say; I don’t go the the sprawling Providence Medical Center in Anchorage very often. I find the place huge, confusing and intimidating.

Today, you can add to that; running late, road construction and difficulty finding a spot to park in the five-story parking garage. Did I mention running late?

I had already needed to set my appointment back and hour because my morning appointment ran late (and thank goodness they were willing since a missed appointment is an automatic $150 fee, which is more than my actual appointment costs after insurance).

So, by the time I turned into the parking garage for Towers “S, T & U”, I had barely 10-15 minutes to get to the office, located somewhere in “Tower U”. I did NOT have time to leisurely wind my way up to the upper stories, where there was probably plenty of available parking.

So, on level three, I squeezed into the first (finally!) available spot and after parking and locking my car, made words I can’t type here as I realized I was at the far opposite corner from the elevator.

Pulling up my big-girl panties, I walked/jogged across the numerous rows of cars, using more bad words as I passed two open handicapped-parking stalls just feet from the elevator.

Of COURSE the only “Sky-Walk” connecting the parking garage to the medical suites was on level two (no wonder there weren’t any stalls available there, eh?), so I had to take the elevator down a level, sprint across the Sky-Walk to the main building and then take the nearest bank of elevators back up to the fourth floor, where my doctor was located. In Tower U.

I erupted from the elevator onto the 4th floor, somewhere in Tower T. Not sure how that happened. I trotted down a long corridor to an intersection, where a helpful sign advised me I was about to enter Tower S.

Ack! I’d gone the wrong way out of the elevator! Am I the only one who gets hopelessly turned around in these miserable, multi-level hamster-mazes?

Finally finding the corridor leading to Tower U, it was then a simple matter of counting office door numbers until I arrived, panting and out of breath, at my destination. At exactly 2:30 pm – right on time. I was impressed. The receptionist, not so much. She handed me a stack of paperwork to fill out and/or update.

After my appointment, I begged a bottle of water from the PA (thank you, Isaac!) and started trudging back the way I’d come … or so I thought.

After a couple of wrong turns, I found myself once again at an intersection with Tower T. Rolling my eyes, I looked around for the big bank of elevators, knowing I still needed to return to the second floor to take the Sky-Walk back to the parking garage.

I entered the elevator along with a man and his small son and, just making conversation, mentioned that I was struggling in this huge complex to find my way back to the Sky-Walk.

The man was quite helpful and mentioned he was also headed for the Sky-Walk, so I happily tagged along. It seemed like a longer walk than I remembered from my rush in from the garage, but chalked it up to being tired.

It wasn’t until we crossed the very lovely, once again longer than I recalled Sky-Walk and the man waved goodbye as he and his child turned into the door of the children’s cancer wing (gulp😢), that I stopped short.

Hmm. It seems there is more than one Sky-Walk within the Providence Medical Center campus. Who knew? There were some lovely garden and mountain views from this one, at least. I enjoyed them while I chugged water and rested my weary feet.

Ahead of me was the door opening into the main hospital. Not only was I not where I’d expected to be – I had managed to walk the entire distance from Tower U, through Tower T and Tower S and was (as best I could figure out) heading towards the Emergency Room.

From the windows of this Sky-Walk, I could also see in the distance the distinctive trio of towers (photo #2 above) from which I had so totally displaced myself. Oh my. I’m pretty sure my car was happily chilling in a parking garage on the far side.

I was easily half a mile from my car and completely turned around. Hospitals should have street signs. I don’t get nearly as lost when I’m driving. And hey … GPS.

I turned back, and although I can’t honestly say I retraced my steps (I did NOT recall passing this lovely sentinel on my way through the first time …)

Eventually, the most beautiful sight filled my eyes. It was a fairly short, unimpressive little Sky-Walk. At the far end was a small sign above the door. It read, “Parking Garage “.

I definitely got my allotted steps in today!

Raspberry Lemonade

You all know the saying; “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, right?

So, I did my best to make lemonade yesterday. It was leaning towards the tart side, but I managed to sneak in enough sugar towards the end to save the day.

We started out with a fun, simple idea. Jer asked what I would like to do for Mother’s Day. I suggested a nice drive if the weather cooperated, and then dinner at Olive Garden in Anchorage. I love Olive Garden – and besides, we had a gift card!

Our plan started sliding sideways pretty much right away. I called Olive Garden around noon and discovered they were already totally packed for Mother’s Day and we’re not taking any further reservations.

OK. Thinking fast, I asked, “Well, what about take-out?” They assured me that curb-side pick-up that evening would not be a problem.

So, deciding this was possibly even better, I blithely told my husband, “Let’s take the RV today instead of the car. We can have a really nice dinner without the noise and crowds.”

He was not adverse to the plan and even thought a short, scenic drive might be a good way to test out how well his still stiff and achy right leg would handle sitting in the passenger seat of the RV. It doesn’t have a ton of foot room, and we are hoping to try for a 2-3 day camping trip next week.

We decided to take the scenic road to the Eagle River Nature Center; only 17 miles long (once we get to Eagle River, which is about 30 minutes from home) and winding up into the beautiful, still snow-capped mountains of the Chugach National Forest to dead-end at the Nature Center. It should be a lovely drive on a sunny Spring day.

The Chugach Mountains above Eagle River. 🦅

Neither of us has ever been to the Nature Center, so we were looking forward to it.

Our second glitch occurred soon after we exited the Glenn Hwy at Eagle River Loop Rd (one exit beyond where I should’ve exited). Oops. My bad.

So, instead of exiting at Eagle River Road, which would have taken us on a direct route to our destination, we ended up on the Loop. No big deal – it’s not that big of a town.

My mistake was saying out loud, “This doesn’t look right. I wonder if we’re on the right road?” Before I had a chance to say, “Oh, I see what I did. No worries; this will take us back to the road we want”, my dear hubby was peppering me with anxious comments from the passenger seat and back-seat driving for all he was worth, becoming more loud and agitated by the minute. Ack!

I needed to calm his quickly escalating anxiety (it’s a TBI thing, and happens more often than either of us wish, especially when in the RV). An episode can usually be diffused by parking the vehicle, turning it off and getting out of my seat to use the bathroom. Basically … walk away. Bless bathrooms that travel along with you.

In the absence of anyone except Baxter to vent his anxiety-triggered anger at (Ronni followed me to the bathroom), it only took a few minutes for Jer to bring himself under control and realize he’d overreacted. He was also motivated by the need to provide the pleasant Mother’s Day outing he’d promised.

It wasn’t long before our day was back on track and we were on Eagle River Road, heading towards the Nature Center. It was a lovely drive, with the mountains clearly visible against a mostly blue sky. The light, Spring green haze of newly opening leaves on trees and ground cover alike added to the beauty.

We passed by fast-flowing sections of Eagle River itself, stopping a couple of times to watch early fly-fishermen happily plying their craft along the shore and in one case, from mid-stream in a pair of what looked to be chest-high rubber waders. Brrr! That’s glacial water!

Then we reached our destination. The Eagle River Nature Center, which, while open for business and quite busy … had absolutely no accommodations for parking an RV. ☹️ Nope. Nadda. Car parking only. There was even a helpful sign at the entrance to what looked to be a big overflow parking area. “No RVs or Trailers”. I found myself thinking, “That might’ve been a helpful bit of advice to tag onto their website for tourist consumption before they drove 17 miles out of their way”. Oh well.

I turned to Jerry with a smile firmly in place and said, “We’ll, it’s a good thing we mostly drove up here for the view, eh?”

I added that I’d noticed a sign for the North Fork Eagle River Trailhead a few miles back and suggested we go there. We could walk the dogs, enjoy the view and have a snack before heading to Anchorage.

The trailhead had ample parking. Jer and Baxter enjoyed a short walk and conversation with several hikers coming to or departing from the parking lot.

Ronni and I ventured further down the trail to the river, even walking along the sandy gravel beach, which Rhonda thought was excellent. Sadly, after a second encounter within 15 minutes with loose dogs on the trail, we headed back to the RV. Ronni thought the dogs looked like possibly great new playmates, but with no owners in sight, I wasn’t about to make such assumptions.

North Fork of Eagle River

This quiet little trail side area, surrounded by trees and high, snow-capped peaks, easily fulfilled my desire to take a drive and see something beautiful. So, glitches not withstanding, I was happy to continue my Mother’s Day outing and head towards Anchorage and our planned dinner.

Perseverance and a determined happy attitude saved the day. We parked near a small median of grass and bushes at the edge of the Olive Garden parking lot and ordered dinner online for curbside service .

Olive Garden! 🥗🍤 View from our private dining room at the far end of the parking lot.
Mother’s Day cards from Jer and the pups, and an Olive Garden gift card!

Jerry walked the dogs, poop bags in hand, while I set the table. Jer had barely returned with the dachshunds before I received the text from Olive Garden that our meal was ready for pick up.

YUM! The entrees arrived hot and the salads cold. Jer had his favorite Chicken Parmigiana, while I dove delightedly into their signature Seafood Alfredo Fettuccine. Oh my … shrimp and scallops in an Alfredo sauce to die for.

And their “house” Raspberry Lemonade absolutely made my day!

In the Blink of an Eye

Less than a week ago, as you know, we were impatiently watching for even the tiniest signs of Spring. Glaring at snowbanks in our yard as they reluctantly and very slowly receded.

Four days later, the metamorphosis has occurred, seemingly overnight. Spring is HERE. OK, not quite in its full glory yet, but it’s acceptably, green-leafed, essentially here. I’ll take it!

Last Monday.
Today – Friday.

I’m pretty sure, given another week, you won’t be able to see the tree branches for the leaves.

Another sure sign; at 7:30 this morning, while walking Ronni, I discovered several tiny 3” tall sprouts of Fireweed! My very favorite summer flower doesn’t tend to break ground until nighttime temps have been consistently above 40°F for a while. It’s a sight for sore, summer-longing eyes!

Memorial Day – the official start of Alaska’s summer season, will be here in two more weeks! There will be FLOWERS! OK, in our yard it’ll be mostly little white star flowers barely peeking shyly out from low ground cover, and the slightly bigger, also white blooms of the dwarf dogwood. Again, I’ll take it!

Today, however (yes, it’s Sunday now 🤷🏼‍♀️), is Mother’s Day. We plan to take the RV for a relaxing drive up Eagle River Rd to the Visitors Center, where we’ll have lunch and wander around. Jer’s leg isn’t up to anything too strenuous, but it should be fun.

Then, we will head into Anchorage for a much anticipated Mother’s Day dinner at Olive Garden. I’ll let you know how it all turns out. It looks like a glorious day.

And to all you wonderful Moms out there; remember, it’s not a job – it’s a vocation. Do the best you can.

Happy Mother’s Day!

My RV Travel Garden

There is nothing quite like being inside a garden center, greenhouse or plant nursery this time of year.

It’s a bit too soon to plant in-ground gardens yet (Memorial Day weekend is generally considered a safe starting date in south-central Alaska), but potted plants and hanging baskets are heading out of the nurseries in droves.

Actually, having now shopped; if the people crowding the vegetable isles of the garden centers are any indication, whole flats of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, chives and other greenhouse-started vegetable are also leaping off the shelves.

Hopefully, they are heading to home greenhouses or other protected areas to slowly harden off (get accustomed to outdoor temps during the day while protected by plastic or tarps at night) until it’s safe to plop them into the ground.

Gardeners who jump the gun up here MAY (no pun intended) be successful if they are lucky, but are as often devastated when a late frost – it just takes one night – kills off much of their hard work.

My goal is not to fill a garden, but to create a couple of cheerful pots crammed with an assortment of herbs and flowers known for their ability to discourage mosquitoes. That they are also pretty and smell great is icing on the cake.

So, what did I come home with? More than enough for two pots, as often happens. But hey, they not only serve a purpose; they also smell wonderful and give Roada such a homey vibe. 🪴🌼🪴

Citrosa (left)
Lemon balm

Of course, the most important plant in any summer travel pot in Alaska is Citrosa, also known as Citronella or Scented Geranium. I bought two – one for each pot.

I also picked up a Lemon Balm plant for each pot – not only do mosquitoes tend to steer away from these lemon-scented herbs, but just a brush of your hand through the foliage has the whole RV smelling like you’ve just finished cleaning.

Rosemary
Goldilocks (front) and lemon thyme (right)

I added Rosemary mostly because I love the smell, but it is also named as one of the herbs on the “mosquitoes don’t like it” list – so, win/win.

Lemon Thyme adds more lemony goodness/bug-repellency, and as it grows, it will spill prettily over the edge of the pot.

Speaking of spilling prettily down the side of my pot; I couldn’t resist the sunny, golden leaves of these Goldilocks plants (also known as Creeping Jenny). These have no other purpose in my pot than to look beautiful.

The Goldilocks will brighten up one pot, while the finishing touch on the other pot will be these cheerful, brilliantly yellow (and yes, mosquito-repelling) Marigolds.

Marigolds

Finally, with assorted plants , pots and potting soil at hand, it’s time to decide what combination goes in which pot. The goal is to complement each other while standing out with unique differences.

I think the draping Goldilocks and lemon Thyme in one pot and the upright Marigolds in the other will be just right. Now to get my hands dirty.

OK, what do you think of my gathering and gardening results? Am I ready for summer camping season?

Yes, I know by August they’ll be twice this size and ready to burst out of their pots. That’s the compromise for wanting to start the season with already pretty pots. I usually need to do some judicious pruning mid-season, but it’s worth it.

Trimmings don’t go to waste either. They get cut up and made into a potpourri of scented herbs. I keep them in a little covered tub near the dog gear. I will crush the herbs in my hands and then rub my hands over the dachshunds before we go for walks – it’s an effective all-natural mosquito repellent. Of course, I can do the same by plucking leaves (especially Citronella) off the live plants.

I also chose new pots this year, meant to complement the tan and brown shades of my RV exterior. Of course, it’ll look nicer when I have the pots sitting on my big blue and tan washable ground cover.

Oh! The area mat! The one that was helping keep the mud and dirt out of Roada during those cold, wet trials! Geez, I almost forgot – I rolled it up and stored it away, wet and muddy. It needs washing! [Envision me pulling my big plastic-woven ground cover out of the RV garage and hefting it up over a ladder in the yard.]

Thankfully, I had only needed to partially open it for the trials, so only these two folded sides needed washing – opened fully, the ground cover is 4 times this width, needing two large ladders to keep it up out of the dirt while I power-wash it clean. Hey, it had seemed like a good size when I bought it. 😄

WAIT! I almost forgot Phred! Phred (pronounced “Fred”) has accompanied me and the dachshunds every summer since my travels began. She definitely deserves to be in the picture. 💗

OK, NOW I’m ready to go.