I sent a text to my cousin who has access to this blog to let you know I was having computer problems but I see she must not have gotten my text.  Dang.  Well I am now at the Mini Convention Center in Nome where they have Internet connection that I can use. =)  Here's what I wrote this morning.

Writing off line so I can copy this into the blog later. I’m in my room at the Nugget Inn, Nome, Alaska. Frustration is beginning to really get to me. The finish for first and second place was exciting. Tuesday we were in the air flying from Unalakleet to Nome. We flew over one of the mushers…a cute little, tiny chain of dogs and sled with musher. Not certain whom we saw, but I think it had to be Mitch. Interesting to see the trail from the air. Mitch came in first and Aliy once again lost to a Seavey: Mitch this year and his son Dallas last year. More after I get on the web. *grrr*

Last evening, Wednesday, we had a bit of a scare for we saw on the GPS tracker that Karin had stopped 12 miles out of Elim after having taken a 6 hour rest there. As many of you may remember it was outside of Elim a couple of years ago that Karin had trouble and was rescued by musher Allen Moore (husband of Aliy Zirkle). We thought “Oh no, not again.” but after what seemed like forever she got underway again. *whew*

This morning, Thursday, Karin left White Mountain shortly after 7. Since at this juncture I still can’t get on the internet with my computer and I have yet to get to a computer where I can get information I am not sure of the exact time. It does tell me, however, that she got into White Mountain without further problems and shortly after 11 last night as I had anticipated. Expected her in around 5 this evening. Her husband is now here in Nome. Varan was taking care of the dog boxes this morning getting them to the dog lot in preparation. He told us that the dogs just didn’t want to run in the heat of the day, hence the out-of-Elim stop. Guess she talked to him during her mandatory 8 hour rest there in White Mountain.

On the lighter side, when Gwen and I got through with our volunteer duties last night we went down to one of the bars, of which there are MANY, to hear Hobo Jim. He has been writing songs about Alaska including the Iditarod for many years. He always plays before the banquest gets underway in Anchorage and then plays up here at the end of the race. Another late night, but when it doesn’t get dark until 10 it doesn’t seem so bad.