The Ultimate Reverse Bucket List Item

I have debated over this post for almost one month.  I had nearly decided not to talk about it at all, but it is fun news and I thought you all would want to know about it.  I have taken a bit of a beating from a few folks at the Angle over it and sometimes I've wished it had never happened.  But it did, it was fun and has the potential for tons more fun---so here we go.  WARNING: THIS IS A LONG STORY.

A couple months ago while I was working at Jerry's, a film crew came in.  They are from Warm Springs Productions in Montana and had been sent out by the History Channel to find interesting stories on people from somewhere in the "Great White North".  After some research, they stumbled onto the Northwest Angle and decided to check it out.  They were interviewing a few people at Jerry's and someone suggested they should talk to me since I was the new girl in town and have documented my experience on the blog. ( Now if you remember, there was a film crew that came through here before. Luckily they had no interest in me and this was good because I had no interest in being interviewed or seeing myself on TV.  But the downfall to being me is that I am easily persuaded and feel guilty if someone asks me to do something and I don't do it.) So before I had time to really process it, I was sitting in front of the camera with a microphone on my shirt and talking away, voice shaky and stuttering along.  I spent some time with the film crew that night and really enjoyed them.  (You can check out their website warmspringsproductions.com    They have been involved in shows such as Duck Dynasty and Mountain Men.  They do a lot on the outdoor channel and have some stuff related to the NRA.  One of the guys involved also does a very funny show called "Jimmy BigTime", you can check it out on YouTube.)  A few weeks later they contacted us to say that they were coming back with a show idea in mind and wanted Rick and I to be in it. ** EEK!**  Was my first thought.  My second thought was that I am the least interesting person on the face of the earth, not to mention boring at times and obnoxious at others.  I said I didn't think I would do it and told Rick there was NO WAY I would do it.  Once again my defiance was tested and I caved and said I would talk more with them.  I battled this in my mind for days and Rick and I had many discussions about it.  We researched their company and talked with Shera, our contact person at Warm Springs.  There were so many things to consider about this.  Will we look like idiots, will they make the Angle out to be something it isn't, do we want our lives invaded by cameras etc.  I was thinking of every little aspect that could go wrong. (I am a horrible worrier, what a nice gift.I can actually worry a thing right to death.) I also considered all the great things about it. This is a huge opportunity to advertise our little village which is supported by tourism.  People staying in our cabins puts food on our table and clothes on our backs.  This seemed like a no-brainer to me and the most important point. Plus, my friends back home would be so excited to see actual footage of my homeland. We spoke more with Shera and had our questions answered and felt more at ease about it all.  Their vision for the show is to portray what a unique area this is and how out of the ordinary things happen on a daily basis.  It is not entirely a reality show, meaning you won't have cameras following people around recording every little detail of their lives.  The show will be based on the more humorous side of the Angle and the crazy things that happen here and have happened in the past.  They are bringing in 3 of their own guys who will learn a trade on camera, being trained by people from the Angle.  For whatever reason, they like my writing and would like each show to end with a recap from the blog about the events that were just seen. They like that I have no clue about life up here and that I am still learning.  They like that I still know this life is not normal and can see the newcomer's perspective.  They like that I had a life in the real world and packed up my family and moved to something that was so opposite of what I knew and had ever imagined.  Rick and I felt the pros outweighed the cons and we felt like the intentions of this company were trustworthy and good in nature.  They spent a week at the Angle with a crew of 11 (I think??) and took endless footage of activity and interviews.  My part included being outdoors with the kids, cleaning a cabin, and some blogging for the most part.  The only day I took any pictures was a pick-up hockey game that took place outside of Sunset Lodge, where the show will be stationed--if it gets picked up by a network.  Remember:  this is all just a proposal and may never see the light of day.

There were 3 teams of guys at the hockey game.  Including 2 dogs, one who stole the puck and took it out into a snow drift.  It was hilarious and very picture perfect of the Angle.  The red truck in the background had a camera man in it and he was filming the wide shots.  Then there were a couple cameras right in the thick of the game.

One of the funniest parts was a group of 3 guys from Iowa who happened to stop in at Sunset for a beer and were asked to play and said yes.  They were hysterical and rowdy and rounded out the game in a great way.

My husband played as well, his first hockey game since living here, which is way overdue.  The weather did not do nice things to the ice in the days leading up to the game, so they weren't able to wear skates and had to run around in boots.  We were thinking this was a bummer, but it added to the circus of events and was actually better I think.  They spent half the time piled up in heaps in front of the goals.

This was a fun group of people and I got to spend time with a couple guys that I haven't talked to before.  Rick's Aunt Kathy was there also.  She is a fun lady with a lot of history on life at the Angle.

Tyson was out with his hockey stick ready to play should they need him.  Here he is sitting beside a crack in the road which went down a few feet.  These are things I don't think about lest I have a panic attack about the ice cracking and my son falling through.  A car can drive right over it and be fine, so I have to remind myself of that......repeatedly.

The footage they have from that week is being made into a "Sizzle Reel" which is what they pitch to the network for the show idea.  The chances of it getting produced are so low.  Just think of all the reality shows out there already.  It will be May before this Sizzle Reel is even done, so no news until at least the summer.  The show would take place in the winter and showcase ice fishing and other winter time activity.

We had a great time working with Warm Springs and spending time with them.  Enough that I could not say no to Shera and felt like I would be letting down a friend.  Could this bite me in the butt and make me look like a jerk?  Sure.  But it was fun and entertaining. You're not going to see the private parts of our lives or learn the greatest kept secrets of the Northwest Angle. Just the highlights and silly people who inhabit it.

 I have taken a bit of crap from people I considered friends that didn't know the facts or care to ask.  I am not out to showboat and act like I am a great Angler and full of knowledge about this area.  That is the whole point of me being on the show. My interview talks about how I hate the cold and don't go out for days at a time. Yes I am shy and tend to stay out of the way of a lot of things.  This is me stepping out of the box and doing something new.  There were even some harsh words aimed about the blog.  I do not even care about this as reading it is voluntary and it is meant for people who love me and want to stay caught up on my life. I am hundreds of miles away from people I love and it warms my heart that they like the blog, it is written for them. Perhaps those who have such a problem with it could start their own blog on how much they hate mine and express their hatred that way.  It's disappointing to me that a venture such as this has to be turned into something ugly and used to attack my character.  Especially since my door is always open and I would be willing to explain these things.  But such is life.  A great opportunity presented itself and I don't want  to let those things pass by.  It took guts to move here, it takes a certain amount of guts and prayer to live here, and it took guts for me to agree to this potential show.  Is that so wrong?

 I will keep you all posted as things move along.  If it doesn't happen that would be just fine. I love a life less complicated.  But just think about the blog coming to life right in your living room each week!  How cool is that?!

**I know I have left out details that would make this story make more sense.  Please fire away with questions that would make it more clear.  None of us wants this post to be any longer and I am tired of writing at this point!  I also apologize for the rant on the complaints against me.  But it is a part of this story line and a part of living in a community of this size. I am an open book and you are the victims of the overflow. 

Norma

Grandma Norma, Pat's mother, passed away on Tuesday the 5th in her own home and in her own way--with peace, calm and dignity.  As we stood at the funeral home on Sunday evening for her viewing, observing her photos, her family and her memories, a thought came to me that I had never processed before.  Though I knew her the least and had the least amount of time with her, the one thing I know is this:  Grandma Norma is Minnesota.  All of the things I've found endearing, comforting, or "the norm" in this state can be rooted back to this wise and fantastic woman.  She is sewing, quilting and mending.  She is a funny memory repeated at gatherings of family.  She is a garden and a safe log home. She is a Bible verse. She is the perfect anecdote.  She is welcoming.  She is baked treats and a cup of tea.  She is Big Rick's biggest supporter.  She is my husband's childhood memories.  She is feeding a baby calf in the house.  She is a homemade quilt for our cabins.  She is humble, yet proud of her existence.  She is an extensive vocabulary.  She is Pat's Sunday evening supper and Chuck's nightly phone call.  She is Church on Christmas Eve.  She is the perfect quote.  She is aware of her eternity's destination and welcoming it with no fear.  She is a funny memory from George's teen years and a roommate and companion in Shirley's adulthood.  She is the farm.  She is missed.  She is loved.  She is everyone's image of a grandmother.  She is an honest life with the result of a close-knit family.  She is the one to model.  She is small town USA.  She is passing on with peace and security.  She is extraordinary.  She is farewell for now.  And she is home.

Igloo

Last night Tyson woke up crying, telling Rick he'd had a nightmare and was near hysterics. When Rick asked what the nightmare was about, Tyson said, "My igloo melted and I had no place to live!" I get the feeling this poor boy has been surrounded by ice and snow way to long.

Poo Paranoia

See that little Lincoln Log right there on the rocking chair?  Every once in awhile I spot those lying around the house and I think, "Oh no, one of the kids has finally poo'd on the floor."  Even though this has never happened before and my children are innocent.  I believe this is a common thought of motherhood, but now it has been exacerbated by my Cabin Girl status in where I think about poo more than the average person.  I work with it twice as much as the average person.  And now have come to fear it and see it where I shouldn't, a risk I took when signing on to scrub toilets as a profession.
                                                 Diagnosis:  Fecal Matter Mania.