We drink coffee and speak of history

Matu and Eileen showed up at Abby's right after I placed my order. During spring and summer, I would see them here frequently and we would often eat together but now it had been quite a while. We spoke mostly of history, how the Native side of it has pretty much been neglected in the history books students are taught by. Matu noted how so many of the early explorers and others who came to the Arctic and whose exploits are remembered, survived only because his Iñupiat ancestors rescued and kept them alive. This, he lamented, is not written in the history books.

Without specifically trying to, he gave me what I believe to be a great idea as I go about trying to reconstruct this little history project I am putting together for the North Slope Borough School District. He also sought to bolster my confidence and to assure me that, however complicated it might seem at the moment, he knows I will get something good together in the end. 

Text added at 9:59 AM. The Squarespace nightmare continues - Day 44 and counting.

This morning's Instagrammed breakfast with Lynx, consolidated - including the missing parts*

Breakfast got off to a good start. Lynx began to eat his toast and

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Breakfast with ruffians - he wore red cowboy boots

I haven't posted a long picture story for a long time. I will do so now. I begin with the

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Matu and the Shamrock hat at Abby's - Abby's new schedule means I can go for breakfast even when I want to eat early and on Monday's, too

Today I ate breakfast at Abby's with James Matumeak - "Matu" - and Eileen Boskofsky, friends from Barrow who recently moved south into this neighborhood. Matu did not really come to breakfast in the shamrock hat. Abby wore it to work. Somehow, Emily got it off of Abby's head and put it on James to protect him from all pinches on this St. Patrick's Day.

Friday morning was pretty hard for me. On my first day back from a trip, I always go to Abby's for breakfast, unless that day is Monday as that has been her day off. Trouble was, on this Friday I could not sleep much past 6:00 AM and I like to eat shortly after I get up but Abby's didn't open until 9:00 AM.

I wanted to eat there so badly, I toughed it out and the wait proved worth it.

Neither situation is going to be a problem anymore. Abby's has changed her schedule and she will now be open seven days a week, on weekdays from 7:00 AM to 8.:00 PM, Saturdays, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM and on Sunday's 9-2.

Life will be better for me now.

Abby asked if I would post her schedule change and of course I said yes. I would do whatever I could to help Abby - just as I would Carmen at Metro.

On that day, Friday, when I went to the counter to pay, she took half of my breakfast. I guess that makes this kind of like a paid advertisement and sometimes I have been surprised to go to the counter and find a discount after someone has come in and told her they came try her cooking because they read about her on this blog.

Truth is, though, I would have run the schedule change no matter what, and would write about eating at Abby's no matter what. I don't do it for half off. I do it because Abby's is the best restaurant in Wasilla, especially for breakfast, in terms of both food and atmosphere. I want her to stay in business so I can keep eating there, even at twice the price.

Sometimes, Carmen won't let me pay for coffee, either.