Fun in the Sun

When I first moved to Juneau, the only people I knew were my family - my Uncle Mike, Aunt Nancy and my cousins, Christa, Carrie, Chad and Craig. I had only seen them a handful of times growing up so I didn't really even know them that well. It didn't take me long to fit in and even though I was in Juneau for a summer job with the Forest Service, I spent all my free time with my family. Gradually I became friends with some of my cousins' friends. After leaving town for the winter, I came back to Juneau and worked for Christa at Gray Line. I met new friends there, but as with all summer jobs, after the summer ends everyone goes their own way. I had no idea what to do next, so I got a job for the City Engineering Department. I was a clerk/receptionist but John likes to tell people I was his secretary. Yeah, I love it when he tells people that. Before long, we were dating and I got to know his friends and they soon became my friends too. And then, came the hockey rink...

If I thought that John was at the rink a lot before it opened, I was obviously not prepared for what would happen after the ice was in. I like to tell people that I started playing hockey because it was the only way I could see John. Little did I know that I would eventually end up spending as much, if not more, time at the rink than him.

So what the heck am I getting at? Well, Juneau is a tough place to live. There are lots of great people, but it can be tough to break into a group. It wasn't until I started playing hockey that I finally found my group. Until that time my friends were Carrie's friends or Gray Line friends or John's friends. Now I have my own friends and they're a terrific bunch!

Last year I convinced about a dozen of them to join me for a ladies-only overnight out the road (out the road - that's a technical term in most SE AK towns. Really!) at the Shrine of St. Therese. Owned by the Catholic Diocese of Juneau, the Shrine sits right on the shores of Lynn Canal with several cabins available for rent. We had a great evening of laughs, great food, a little bit of wine and tons of fun. The following morning we packed up our things and headed out for some cross country skiing.

Needless to say, it was way too much fun to be a one time event. The hardest part of planning the second annual Ladies Night at the Shrine was finding a Friday night where we weren't all playing hockey (and it had to be a Friday because on Saturday nights most of us play a pick up game). Once again, we had an amazing time. I can't remember the last time I laughed until I cried! The skiing was spectacular as the sun finally decided to grace us with its presence. There is already talk of the 3rd annual. Gives me a reason to look forward to next winter.

view from the Shrine when we arrived Friday evening

Eagle Beach

The gang