Merry Christmas everyone!
 I hope everyone's year has been a good one! Mine has been busy, as usual. Mostly working - Still at the Daily News Miner for now, pecking away at classified ads. But it's a good company�that takes care of its employees, so I'm enjoying nice benefits, bonuses and extra treats, parties and free tickets to local events we're privy to.
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But I did have time for play now and then. I got to venture out into the lower 48 this year when I went with my friend and coworker, Melissa, to visit San Antonio, where her dad was stationed for a year as part of his active duty call in the Army Reserves. It was a lot of fun to check out the 2nd biggest state! (haha!) I got to see the Alamo, Sea World, a wild animal ranch, and even caught up with an old friend who I hadn't seen in about 5 years. The weather wasn't the best, but it was only April and 60-70� in April to me was pretty nice! Other than that, it was a great excuse to go shopping at "real" shopping malls!
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After that exhausting and wallet-emptying trip, I decided to pick up a part time job over the summer, and returned to one of my favorite type of jobs - I went to work at a local coffeehouse, serving those sinfully addicting espresso drinks again. It was fun to be around the whole college part of town again and get to know the regulars�who came in everyday.
I did manage to get in a few outdoor trips in Alaska as well, though. In May, I made my 2nd hike ever�to the top of Angel Rocks, a 1750 ft. high hiking trail on the outskirts of Fairbanks, with my boyfriend Vijay and his friends.
I also made it down to Eagle River, near Anchorage, and Valdez for some hiking (or as we call it, "wandering around the woods") and I even bought myself a 1 person
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river kayak that I got to take out on Robe Lake in Valdez, and also out at our local Chena Lakes.
Other than that, I've been enjoying the rash of music concerts that have suddenly picked up in Fairbanks. I've been to at least�4 very eclectic concerts this year - Matisyahu, the reggae/Jewish faith-inspired singer, Tech 9, my friends favorite rap
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| singer (hahaha), Shiny Toy Guns, a newer, younger generation�techno/new wave type band, Megadeth, old 80's heavy metal hair-band... (ok, so I just went�to that one 'cause I got free tickets from work! haha)�and just tonight, I'm seeing Fuel, an alternative/rock band that's been pretty well known for the last 10 years or so, and more in my true "genre." I love just about any kind of music, and have been dying for ANY concerts to come to Alaska, so this has been awesome for me! And I already know of 2 more I'll be attending in the next MONTH alone! Alaska is finally making its way on the musical map!
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| It was an awesome, but tiring summer, so in August, I bid farewell to my part time job, as my day job was becoming more demanding, with coworkers quitting, moving, and even just disappearing (well, quitting without any notice)! So it was quite hectic with it being so short handed, and I was in charge of training all the new employees for a certain process we have to do each day - so that I wasn't the only one doing it! I got a lot of overtime, but it's definitely calmed down now. Thank God for winter sometimes!!! It really is the only way to calm down the busy fast-faced business life that really is starting to pick up here in Fairbanks (And all of Alaska, in my opinion).
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No official plans for 2008 as of yet, I only plan to have all my bills paid and to save money and decide where life should take me next!
I hope everyone is well and has a beautiful and prosperous 2008!
Love,
Grace
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