Last nite update-

this is the second time I have typed this - my wireless connection mysteriously disappears frequently and I lost the last entry!

Had a wonderful awards meeting - Randy still won $165 even for last place - then they surprised us with lasagna dinner!! The sponsor that was so generous with us explained that when he first came to Alaska he was impressed with the grit of the dog drivers and has wanted to support their efforts and is surprised more that have made a good living her don't also...

Fed dogs and then called Pam when I finally got her number at the meeting and she wanted us to come over for vegetarian chili and to get the car - so promptly at 6:30 she arrived with Mira and we had a wonderful dinner also with home baked bread and I spent some quality time playing Barbies with Mira! Drove the car they are lending us back here with Dorothy's help! couldn't have done it as easily without her - I would have been trying to see the map in the dark and this makes it so much less stressful!

Today is a rest day and letting dogs that have the flu get over it- went to fill the diesel tanks so we still have heat and lights - heard from Mark Kukal - he and Austin are getting pretty excited about being here from Michigan in the 2 and 1/2 weeks!!! They will be here helping us with the Fur Rondy and then staying until the start of the Iditarod where Randy got them jobs handing out the mail (the mail that each driver carries from here to Nome and then gets postmarked/received at Nome - Randy and I helped with it at the Nome side in 1998) to the Iditarod drivers on the ceremonial start day here in Anchorage - so they should be able to meet anyone they would like to!

Just took the car over to get hot water for tonite dinner and tomorrow breakfast from the Jiffy Lube across the street - Randy pulled 2 5 gallon containers over across the snow and road 2 days ago and said "it seems to be getting alot harder than it was the last 2 years"........

We just talked to Rob Peebles who is here from Edmonton for the Exxon and also found out that a friend of ours from Quebec, Guy Girard, is coming as well!