Introduction

Hi-my name is Diane Aslam. I am not the most tech savvy person and had a heck of a time figuring out the simple instructions to create my blog. The name I wanted to use for my blog sight is now my name. My blog site name is now an old nickname my brother and sister used to call me. I'm hoping it will work and that I will be able to access it easily!
I can't claim to be a lifelong Alaskan, but pretty darn close. I was only 8 when my family moved up here in July 1970. My dad's employer brought him up here to run their Alaska operations during the pipeline. The pipeline days were really all that you may have read or heard about. When we first came, Fairbanks had a Woolworth's (made the best sandwiches and milkshakes) and JC Penneys. Thanks to the pipeline we managed to get a few more stores. I loved growing up here. There was always something to do-snow machining, sledding parties and skiing in the winter and in the summer-oh the summers were great for a kid. My friends and I used to play until 11:00 at night and didn't worry about a thing. Speaking of friends, Fairbanks was small enough that you knew just about everyone in your grade. I've had the same friends since I first came and we have gone through our growing up years together. In fact there were 5 of us pregnant at the same time-in 1992.
Most of my friends have all graduated college and have become lawyers, doctors, accountants and teachers. I have taken the longer route to my education. I had big plans to go off to Colorado State and become an accountant after high school. But I started working and making money, met my husband, started a family, put my husband through graduate school and finally decided it was time for me to continue what I wanted to do almost 30 years ago. I am pursuing an associates in both Public Management and accounting. Since I work full time, I have been limited on the number of classes I can take in the evening. I took 9 credits last semester and was gone from my house Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am - 9:30 pm. It was hard on me and also my family. So I decided to try and take 9 credits again, but all of them are on-line. I am a bit nervous about how I will do as each class is set up a little different.
To be honest I was dreading taking an English class. I've always loved to read and still do. I enjoy writing as you can probably tell, but it's one thing to write about something I want vs. writing about something that will be graded and critiqued. It has been almost 30 years since I have had a structured English class and my memories from 30 years ago are not pleasant. I remember getting many comma faults, not following the structure set out, not writing about the subject as required etc. I had a hard time reading for a reason other than pure enjoyment. I am hoping that I can gain insight on how to properly structure my writing, how to read and understand what I need to write about, organize my thoughts so that I don't go from one extreme to another. I think if I can gain that knowledge it will help me structure and organize my thoughts whether I am writing or speaking one on one.