New Girl Observation No. 1:

I’d intended to start this blog sometime ago… We’ll blame the 18 hours of darkness a day in December, that weird Chinook (a mid-winter warming spell, ‘o southern readers), and a newfound love of box wine for the slow start.

Here’s the back story. I arrived in Anchorage, Alaska with husband and dog six months ago and spent my time trying to figure out how to get off and on the Seward Highway without killing myself and finding a grocery store with fresh vegetables in winter (Help, anyone?)

Happily, the New Girl has emerged from winter slumber, moved closer to downtown and is now ready to sally forth to discover her new village.

But first, a brief recap of winter’s highlights:

I was mugged! Everyone I have told here in Anchorage believes that I am the first and only person to be the victim of a purse snatcher in downtown Anchorage. This is a city of barely 300,000 where you run into the lady that sold you a dresser the next day at the grocery store! I believe the perpetrator saw the large neon sign over my head which read something like, “This person just moved here from a Colorado town of 1,500 and does not have firm hold of her purse.” I chased him through a back alley with a friend tottering behind in high heels and yelling for help. Alas, he got away with the precious iPhone and a lot of old receipts. I still haven’t seen him at the grocery store but the cops did spy him twiddling with said iPhone while attempting to make withdraws on the New Girl’s accounts at the Hilton.

I saw the winter sunset in Barrow, Alaska!

Great skiing! A friend asked me to join the volunteer team for Anchorage Nordic Ski Club’s Ski Train to Curry, Alaska. All I can say is that you haven’t done the Chicken Dance while speeding down a track at 70 MPH with 100 people crammed into a tiny, tiny space, you have not lived. And that’s all I’ll say on the subject.

I’ve met many people who didn’t vote for Sarah Palin! All I’ve found is Dems, Dems, Dems in this supposedly red, red state. Maybe it's because I'm hanging out at the yoga studio and REI. My summer goal will be to reach out the other side of the virtual aisle and see if we can find some red-blooded Republicans.

That’s all for now kids…I’ll be posting frequently for the next 2 months.