Juneau update from Kayla!

We’re still here! What a time we’re having. Things have been pretty busy, largely with work stuff, but also some really great social events as well. I did land a second job – I’m working about 20 hrs/week at McGivney’s, a sports bar and grill right downtown. I get the Sunday daytime bartending shift, which tends to be pretty chill, and I’m waiting tables a couple nights a week. It’s a nice way to get out of the house and earn a little extra cash, plus it’s an intriguing new perspective on Juneau. My executive search job is also still going strong – in fact, my boss has been great at throwing me all sorts of interesting projects, so I’m definitely staying busy and engaged.

Meanwhile, Matthew’s boss is also keeping him on his toes. Sounds like every day is a new adventure in that office! I’ll leave the detailed updates for him to share, but I do have to brag on him for one thing: he “carried a bill” focused on making some meaningful improvements to the foster care system. As part of this process, Matthew rallied some young adults who were raised within that system to share their perspective and stories. The bill was given a hearing, and those kids gave some pretty powerful testimony. If you’re interested, you can watch that hearing here. (Hopefully the link takes you to the correct start time, but if not, just jump to minute 17:46. Their hearing lasts an hour and 20 min, but Matthew’s part and the testimonials are near the beginning, plus there’s some compelling additional testimony near the end, starting at 1:28:00.) It sounds unlikely that this bill will reach the House floor for a vote this session, but could be well-situated for consideration next year.

Through it all, we’re so fortunate and happy to be living with our dear friend Rhonda and her son Reed. Reed is also working for the legislative session, so evening conversation is spiced with anecdotes from “the hill.” Additionally, Rhonda works within the school district, which is undergoing some significant budget issues (as are most schools across Alaska, due to our governor’s reluctance to support public education), so we’re all trying to keep our ear on those headlines while not completely losing our minds. Lots of laughter though, too! And, as always, we’re trying to earn our keep by assisting with some projects around the house, like helping to finish the beautiful bench for their dining table.

And now for a brief commercial break for an important announcement from the Jet Set Betties: we’ll be performing a 15-minute set at the Alaska Folk Festival! This festival is incredible: something like 35 hours of 15-minute performances over the course of 7 days. (**head explode**) Somehow we managed to score a prime time slot: 7:30 pm on Saturday night (4/13). I guess that means we need to practice a little bit … but we’ll get it together and it will be super fun! We’ll confirm if/how it’s recorded and will definitely share that info with you.

Earlier this month, we had the occasion to observe my natal anniversary and launch my 50th year on earth. We used this as an excuse for a lovely series of social outings and delicious dinners.

Plus a few more photos that capture life as we know it these days:

We’re definitely looking forward to getting back on the road, and – in fact – we’ve made lots of plans and reservations for May-October. The route includes a quick Michigan <> Virginia loop, stops to see my family in the midwest, back to the west coast for July-Aug-Sept, then heading back to Michigan via western Colorado and New Orleans. So excited to reunite with Twyla and the Bettymobile for more adventures! Let us know if you can meet up with somewhere along the way – we’d love to see you!