BUSH DIARY JUNE 1995:
Light at the end of the tunnel: Friday 6-9 Got all caught up with outstanding charts, dictation etc. Swapped out a printer and terminal and sent the broken ones to Anchorage.
Commission Corp: Monica is thinking of joining Commission Corp. She has been looking into it and with her military experience she will get about 9k extra and her taxable income will only be 41k. I'm not at all sure how that works. Its a Guvmint thing.
Price Shocker: I stopped into Arctic Coast Trading Post and saw some halibut. I asked the clerk if that price really was 13.50 per pound. Yep. Can I have ten fingers? Came to a buck a piece. Yay! I do love halibut.
Scurried over to Thrift Plan and withdraw enough to pay off car and the credit cards. Hallelujah!!!
I had a weird dream about a little girl who would turn into a frog periodically. She met a little old man who advised her to eat barley soup. She was hunted by a hunter who wanted her frog self in order to sell her to a sorcerer for gold. I decided to write the story.
The Frog Girl and Vegetable Barley Soup.
Once upon a time, long ago, there was a pretty young girl with long brown hair and green eyes. Her name was Allison. She had not always been a pretty young girl, at least not at first. All her life she had lived in the woods and marshes. She came from a family of Frog people. Like her, they were people sometimes and sometimes they were frogs. She was orphaned as a very young frog when a harsh summer heat wave dried up most of the marsh.
She was hidden by her Frog parents in the wettest part of the bog. She survived that terrible summer. For five years she lived in the bog as her froggy self. On her fifth birthday she awoke and her human part had wakened as well.
She discovered that she could swim well as a human girl but she couldn't talk without making frog voice. She sounded like a cricket. Chirpity! Chirpity! Chirpit! and if she was angry it sounded like ribbbargh!
She frightened way the flies and other things she liked to eat when she was a frog so she never learned to speak except in froggish otherwise she was a very quiet little girl.
She lived happily in the marsh switching back and forth between her human frog self. But her speech remained froggish. Her human self didn't seem to need to speak.
One spring it was especially wet and rainy. The marsh flooded. She slipped and fell into the water and turned into her human girl self and splished and splashed happily.
A little old man passing through the marsh noticed the little girl playing in the water. He pulled her from the water and felt that he had rescued her. He said, "Well, you look like you could benefit from a cup of good vegetable soup." He set about making camp and preparing a fire to make some barley soup.
Allison had not seen any humans for at least five years. He was little, old, and nearly bald with a rim of silvery hair pulled back in a band. His eyes were all twinkling.
He dished her up a cup of soup and she drank it. She had not every had anything hot before and she enjoyed it very much. She beamed and said, "Chirpity!" As much as she drank her soup there seemed to be some left in the bottom and she kept trying to empty the cup. At last she was so full that she fell right asleep in the little old man's camp snoring little chirpity noises.
When she awoke, the little old man explained that he was a retired magician. He told her that he had consulted his book of magic and had discovered that she was a very rare frog person.
She nodded in agreement but was pleased to learn anything else. She was just bursting with questions but the language problem. She could not make him understand her Froggish. It came out all ribbity and grumpity. The magician waited until she became quiet.
He said, "Let me tell you what little I know about you."
She sat patiently combing her hair and generally tidying up her person. He rambled on about her frog heritage. She did not learn much more than what she already knew. But she made a very good listener. Basically she was able to between frog and girl when ever she wished. She spoke Frog. She did not speak any other language.
The magician did impart the remarkable fact that she could remain as a frog person if she ate a bowl of barley soup every day. Well, she thought, she would have to do something about that.
The magician gave her his cup and told her that it was enchanted so that once she put some of her barley soup into the cup that it would never run out. That is a very handy thing.
He also cautioned her to be aware of strangers. Sorcerers were always sending strangers about the country looking for anything magical. A frog girl would certainly qualify as magical.
The magician prepared to leave and she wistfully watched him leave. He waved goodbye and said, "I almost forgot, marry the man named Robert!"
Well isn't that odd, she thought.
She decided that she needed to plant a garden so she could make barley vegetable soup. She planted potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, parsnip, parsley and barley. It was very hard work. She tended her garden all summer long. For fun she practiced being a frog girl and jumping into the marsh for a quick cooling swim. '
At the end of the summer she began harvesting her garden. She picked onions and braided the long stems together and hung them up in a dry place. The tomatoes grew ripe and she only picked a few for the pot of soup and let the rest of them dry in the sun. The carrots and potatoes stayed in the ground waiting for the pot of soup, same for the parsley. She cut the heads of the barley from their stems and rubbed off the husks. There, almost ready for the soup.
One day a few months ago she had seen some deer licking at salt so she knew where to get some salt for the barley vegetable soup. She could hardly wait!
She prepared the pot and let the veggies simmer until tender. She poured the vegetable barley soup into the enchanted cup and sipped the delicious brew. Soup never tasted so good. She had a cup of soup every day after that.
One delightful summer day, a young man came through the marsh. He was a biologist and was studying the flora and fauna in the surrounding area. He came near Allison's home. She had made herself quite a comfortable home.
The young man was a fine fellow wise in the ways of the world. As he approached the marsh he had heard the distinctive call of a female mating pond frog.
He specialized in studying this kind of frog and was delighted for the opportunity to see one. He was very surprised when he saw Allison as she was making that frog call.
She was very startled to see the young man and remembered what the magician had told her about strangers. She let slip a froggish Cripity!
He didn't look threatening. She held up her hand to signal for him to wait and she scurried into her home and fetched him a cup of barley vegetable soup.
He took it gratefully and sipped and exclaimed, "My favorite! I love vegetable barley soup! Thank you.". She smiled.
He looked at her thoughtfully and said "You don't speak human, do you?"
She shook her head no.
"You understand me though?" he asked.
She nodded her head and smiled brightly.
She cripity criped and tried to tell him that she only spoke Froggish. He heard cripity crip.
He was pretty sure she understood him.
He began again, "My name is Robert...." She gasped and smiled. She cripity criped "Ribbert" and sighed. They were halfway in love. The speech problem did not seem to be a problem for them and Robert decided to stay. He thought he would write a Froggish dictionary.
They married themselves in the marsh and invited all the neighbors consisting of the flora and fauna. Over the years Robert watched Allison change back and forth between girl and frog many times. Sometimes she forgot to eat a cup of vegetable barley soup. He admired her singing voice and wrote a Frog opera and she sang for him. They lived quite happily ever after.
THE END
Addendum: Coincidentally we had vegetable barley soup at work the next day. I did not turn into a frog.
June 22: We all received a surprise 500 dollar check from the Mayor in thanks for making his term so successful. Well thank you, Mr. Mayor. Trip to bank, stand in long line. Smile.
June 26: Today is Blanket Toss. I took the day off as I also had a dental appointment. The dentist pulled my right lower molar, the tooth was okay but the bone loss was not good, just slipped right out. The dentist I saw was in the Health Building. I made an appointment with the private dentists who flies up here EVERY week. That will be tooth maintenance and cleaning etc. O joy.
Serious ailment: Mom called to say that brother Jim was admitted to the hospital in Casper with viral meningitis. I called him, he thought he would go home in a couple of days. His mobile home also burned to the ground. Thank goodness he had insurance and no one was injured.
Half Day Off. Thursday was another half day for Blanket Toss. I read later in the Sounder that Dick Butkus had come to Barrow for Blanket Toss. I wonder if he got on the blanket?
Vacation: Jinky and Monica both leave on 7-5 for vacations of two months and three weeks respectively. That will leave only me and Jesse in records. Mary Jo on the phones and Jeanne in coding. Patrick is coming back next week or. I hope.
Latest computer news and it ain't good. I found out today that a thingy box located on the main computer is broke and needs to be replaced. I called Marie Caruso and she no can do. THEY DO NOT MAKE THEM ANY MORE!!! Did hear rumor that area was working on a a replacement computer for Barrow. Please be right, please be right.
6-30: Had to be telephone girl all afternoon. Mary Jo had to go sing at a funeral for one of her classmates.
Art Evangelista works in Central Supply and doubles on evening shift at the front desk came in and relieved me. Thanks Art!
Okay enough story telling for June. G'night folks.
Light at the end of the tunnel: Friday 6-9 Got all caught up with outstanding charts, dictation etc. Swapped out a printer and terminal and sent the broken ones to Anchorage.
Commission Corp: Monica is thinking of joining Commission Corp. She has been looking into it and with her military experience she will get about 9k extra and her taxable income will only be 41k. I'm not at all sure how that works. Its a Guvmint thing.
Price Shocker: I stopped into Arctic Coast Trading Post and saw some halibut. I asked the clerk if that price really was 13.50 per pound. Yep. Can I have ten fingers? Came to a buck a piece. Yay! I do love halibut.
Scurried over to Thrift Plan and withdraw enough to pay off car and the credit cards. Hallelujah!!!
I had a weird dream about a little girl who would turn into a frog periodically. She met a little old man who advised her to eat barley soup. She was hunted by a hunter who wanted her frog self in order to sell her to a sorcerer for gold. I decided to write the story.
The Frog Girl and Vegetable Barley Soup.
Once upon a time, long ago, there was a pretty young girl with long brown hair and green eyes. Her name was Allison. She had not always been a pretty young girl, at least not at first. All her life she had lived in the woods and marshes. She came from a family of Frog people. Like her, they were people sometimes and sometimes they were frogs. She was orphaned as a very young frog when a harsh summer heat wave dried up most of the marsh.
She was hidden by her Frog parents in the wettest part of the bog. She survived that terrible summer. For five years she lived in the bog as her froggy self. On her fifth birthday she awoke and her human part had wakened as well.
She discovered that she could swim well as a human girl but she couldn't talk without making frog voice. She sounded like a cricket. Chirpity! Chirpity! Chirpit! and if she was angry it sounded like ribbbargh!
She frightened way the flies and other things she liked to eat when she was a frog so she never learned to speak except in froggish otherwise she was a very quiet little girl.
She lived happily in the marsh switching back and forth between her human frog self. But her speech remained froggish. Her human self didn't seem to need to speak.
One spring it was especially wet and rainy. The marsh flooded. She slipped and fell into the water and turned into her human girl self and splished and splashed happily.
A little old man passing through the marsh noticed the little girl playing in the water. He pulled her from the water and felt that he had rescued her. He said, "Well, you look like you could benefit from a cup of good vegetable soup." He set about making camp and preparing a fire to make some barley soup.
Allison had not seen any humans for at least five years. He was little, old, and nearly bald with a rim of silvery hair pulled back in a band. His eyes were all twinkling.
He dished her up a cup of soup and she drank it. She had not every had anything hot before and she enjoyed it very much. She beamed and said, "Chirpity!" As much as she drank her soup there seemed to be some left in the bottom and she kept trying to empty the cup. At last she was so full that she fell right asleep in the little old man's camp snoring little chirpity noises.
When she awoke, the little old man explained that he was a retired magician. He told her that he had consulted his book of magic and had discovered that she was a very rare frog person.
She nodded in agreement but was pleased to learn anything else. She was just bursting with questions but the language problem. She could not make him understand her Froggish. It came out all ribbity and grumpity. The magician waited until she became quiet.
He said, "Let me tell you what little I know about you."
She sat patiently combing her hair and generally tidying up her person. He rambled on about her frog heritage. She did not learn much more than what she already knew. But she made a very good listener. Basically she was able to between frog and girl when ever she wished. She spoke Frog. She did not speak any other language.
The magician did impart the remarkable fact that she could remain as a frog person if she ate a bowl of barley soup every day. Well, she thought, she would have to do something about that.
The magician gave her his cup and told her that it was enchanted so that once she put some of her barley soup into the cup that it would never run out. That is a very handy thing.
He also cautioned her to be aware of strangers. Sorcerers were always sending strangers about the country looking for anything magical. A frog girl would certainly qualify as magical.
The magician prepared to leave and she wistfully watched him leave. He waved goodbye and said, "I almost forgot, marry the man named Robert!"
Well isn't that odd, she thought.
She decided that she needed to plant a garden so she could make barley vegetable soup. She planted potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, parsnip, parsley and barley. It was very hard work. She tended her garden all summer long. For fun she practiced being a frog girl and jumping into the marsh for a quick cooling swim. '
At the end of the summer she began harvesting her garden. She picked onions and braided the long stems together and hung them up in a dry place. The tomatoes grew ripe and she only picked a few for the pot of soup and let the rest of them dry in the sun. The carrots and potatoes stayed in the ground waiting for the pot of soup, same for the parsley. She cut the heads of the barley from their stems and rubbed off the husks. There, almost ready for the soup.
One day a few months ago she had seen some deer licking at salt so she knew where to get some salt for the barley vegetable soup. She could hardly wait!
She prepared the pot and let the veggies simmer until tender. She poured the vegetable barley soup into the enchanted cup and sipped the delicious brew. Soup never tasted so good. She had a cup of soup every day after that.
One delightful summer day, a young man came through the marsh. He was a biologist and was studying the flora and fauna in the surrounding area. He came near Allison's home. She had made herself quite a comfortable home.
The young man was a fine fellow wise in the ways of the world. As he approached the marsh he had heard the distinctive call of a female mating pond frog.
He specialized in studying this kind of frog and was delighted for the opportunity to see one. He was very surprised when he saw Allison as she was making that frog call.
She was very startled to see the young man and remembered what the magician had told her about strangers. She let slip a froggish Cripity!
He didn't look threatening. She held up her hand to signal for him to wait and she scurried into her home and fetched him a cup of barley vegetable soup.
He took it gratefully and sipped and exclaimed, "My favorite! I love vegetable barley soup! Thank you.". She smiled.
He looked at her thoughtfully and said "You don't speak human, do you?"
She shook her head no.
"You understand me though?" he asked.
She nodded her head and smiled brightly.
She cripity criped and tried to tell him that she only spoke Froggish. He heard cripity crip.
He was pretty sure she understood him.
He began again, "My name is Robert...." She gasped and smiled. She cripity criped "Ribbert" and sighed. They were halfway in love. The speech problem did not seem to be a problem for them and Robert decided to stay. He thought he would write a Froggish dictionary.
They married themselves in the marsh and invited all the neighbors consisting of the flora and fauna. Over the years Robert watched Allison change back and forth between girl and frog many times. Sometimes she forgot to eat a cup of vegetable barley soup. He admired her singing voice and wrote a Frog opera and she sang for him. They lived quite happily ever after.
THE END
Addendum: Coincidentally we had vegetable barley soup at work the next day. I did not turn into a frog.
June 22: We all received a surprise 500 dollar check from the Mayor in thanks for making his term so successful. Well thank you, Mr. Mayor. Trip to bank, stand in long line. Smile.
June 26: Today is Blanket Toss. I took the day off as I also had a dental appointment. The dentist pulled my right lower molar, the tooth was okay but the bone loss was not good, just slipped right out. The dentist I saw was in the Health Building. I made an appointment with the private dentists who flies up here EVERY week. That will be tooth maintenance and cleaning etc. O joy.
Serious ailment: Mom called to say that brother Jim was admitted to the hospital in Casper with viral meningitis. I called him, he thought he would go home in a couple of days. His mobile home also burned to the ground. Thank goodness he had insurance and no one was injured.
Half Day Off. Thursday was another half day for Blanket Toss. I read later in the Sounder that Dick Butkus had come to Barrow for Blanket Toss. I wonder if he got on the blanket?
Vacation: Jinky and Monica both leave on 7-5 for vacations of two months and three weeks respectively. That will leave only me and Jesse in records. Mary Jo on the phones and Jeanne in coding. Patrick is coming back next week or. I hope.
Latest computer news and it ain't good. I found out today that a thingy box located on the main computer is broke and needs to be replaced. I called Marie Caruso and she no can do. THEY DO NOT MAKE THEM ANY MORE!!! Did hear rumor that area was working on a a replacement computer for Barrow. Please be right, please be right.
6-30: Had to be telephone girl all afternoon. Mary Jo had to go sing at a funeral for one of her classmates.
Art Evangelista works in Central Supply and doubles on evening shift at the front desk came in and relieved me. Thanks Art!
Okay enough story telling for June. G'night folks.
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