Kalib blows out his own candle to become a "terrible two" - 2009 in review will begin tomorrow

I shot this about 3:25 PM, on the Parks Highway as Margie and I headed to Anchorage for Kalib's second birthday party. If we were on true solar time, this is what it would like at 2:30, but we are not. When we first arrived in Alaska, the state spanned four time zones - just like the Lower 48.

That makes sense, because if you lay the map of Alaska over one of the Lower 48, the Southeast panhandle is in Florida, the Aleutians reach to the California coast and Barrow is not far from Chicago.

There was a movement going on at that time to move the capitol to Willow, just north of here and one of the arguments was that Juneau was just too far away from much of Alaska, in time as well as in miles. Government workers in Juneau would be home eating dinner when Alaskans further west where it was mid-afternoon wanted to call them.

So, with the exception of Attu Island, which has been restricted to the US Navy since World War II, the entire state was crammed into one time zone.

The good news, of course, is that the days are getting longer now.

On the bad side, the weather right now is horribly warm - mid 30's here in Wasilla, just a little cooler in Anchorage. A warm mass of air moved up here from Hawaii and our cold air headed south, into the midwest. I just hope it doesn't get any warmer than it already is and that a cold front moves in, soon.

I hated this kind of winter weather.

Just about anytime a hard cold snap hits down there, it is because it got warm up here and the cold air had to go somewhere.

We found Kalib planted firmly on his little Spiderman throne, watching the animated film, Ice Age, for about the 90th time. He was riveted and did not want to be distracted by anything.

Out in the kitchen, his mom was breaking eggs to make a cake.

Yesterday, I mentioned Rex's buddy, Eddie, who now lives in Seattle but who grew up with Rex here in Wasilla. This is he. He was telling me about his new business venture, which I will not detail here, save to say that in the last few weeks he has sold product worth far more money than I have ever come close to dealing with.

To do so, he had to run up enormous debts, so he is holding his breath right now.

We used to go watch him and Rex play Youth League football together, and drop them off here and there to go fishing. Sometimes, they would go on long canoe trips.

Eddie served two years as a Mormon missionary and the letters he wrote were brilliant, like Mark Twain. Irreverent, like Mark Twain, too.

That may not be the kind of writing you would expect from a Mormon missionary, but it was the kind of writing he did.

But, like me, he doesn't really follow any particular religion anymore.

I kind of freaked out when I saw Melanie standing on this stool. That's what happens when you fall off a chair, shatter your shoulder, get it replaced and then realize you are never, ever, going to get quite back to where you were.

"Dad," she chided me, "at least this isn't on wheels."

Just then, a big "pop!" sounded beneath her. She gingerly climbed down.

Charlie and Rex eat their salad and mac and cheese. Kalib is still watching movies, but has switched to his other favorite, Cars.

Caleb went out to feed Kalib, just to make certain that he got to eat part of his own birthday dinner. Do you see why I refer to this little chair as Kalib's throne?

He did not want to leave the TV, but the cake finally lured him in. Anyone who has been with this blog for the past few months has seen Kalib helping to blow out other people's candles, but this one is just for him.

He blows it out.

And then he eats cake and ice cream. Sometimes, his dad is a bit over-indulgent.

Chock full of new calories, Kalib then went on a maddening spree, sprinting back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.

He received many gifts, but the most impressive was this T-Rex from his parents. This T-Rex walks. It opens its jaws and roars - as it is doing here.

Kalib is a little worried.

Kalib studied the T-Rex closely and bravely, but he could not be persuaded to touch it.

Let there be no doubt - Lisa came to celebrate, too.

For the remainder of the year, I will do a review of 2009. I won't call it "the best of" just "a review of." I will use some pictures that have already appeared here, and some  that, for one reason or another - usually lack of time - didn't.

As I do, I will also include something from the current day.