So I wasn't great at posting on this thing while I was working. And, honestly, I probably won't be much better at posting on it while not working. But I might as well try it. I have some more time on my hands now, so let's see what happens. I haven't given much thought to what this might be if it's not an Antarctica blog.
I'm living peacefully in Denali Park Alaska now. Going from winter to winter hasn't been that bad. I had two weeks of sunny weather when I stopped off in Michigan and that was enough to recharge my batteries. We are kind of sitting here waiting to get slammed by an ice storm that has Fairbanks and the surrounding area shut down. Apparently it is raining in Healy, only about 30 miles north of us. But here, perched on little Karma Ridge, it is a gorgeous +35 degree day.
I am renting a house here with my girlfriend Blair. It is my first attempt at domesticity since leaving New York City back in 2002. And even that wasn't very domestic. A three bedroom apartment in Washington Heights with two college friends, a couple cats, a bunch of cigarette butts, and a shitty job. This is different. I'm living with a girl for the first time. At 32 years old, one would think this might not be a big deal. But it's new! And exciting. This was a decision Blair and I made last year after only seeing each other on various weekends when one of us could get a car or hop a train. Kind of a stupid way to build a relationship. So were moving it into high gear and seeing how we deal with each other. It's been a leap for sure. From biweekly phone calls to living together. But things are great! We put plastic on our windows yesterday, we make good food, we drive to Fairbanks when we need groceries, and we sit and read while drinking red wine.
Almost too sophisticated.
So, like I mentioned earlier, I don't know what this is going to be. Perhaps just a place for me to post pictures of Alaska. Don't know if people are interested in that or not. I'm sure I won't keep a routine or a schedule with this thing. I'll probably just write some shit when I feel like it. Maybe this could be a vehicle for my opinions like everyone else out there. Isn't what these things are used for? To write pretentious crap that nobody really wants to hear? Well, I have opinion too! And perhaps I'll unload a few of them on ya.
Anywho, here are some Alaska pics!
This is our little house hanging out in the middle of nowhere. Pretty cool. Actually renting it from a friend who is down on the ICE right now. Timing works out great.
Tootie (Blair) standing in our living room. We call her Tootie because of "The Facts of Life." I've never seen this show. But I guess it has something to do with there being a Blair on the show. So when my Blair showed up here in AK back in 2006, we decided to call her Tootie, because Tootie was the non-annoying one on the show. Whatever. It stuck and she's still Tootie.
Part of the driveway on which we live. The road itself is probably a mile.5 winding up the hill. Houses are scattered everywhere, some populated, some not. This hill is pretty fun to ski down.
Tootie skis with Lefty. We dog sat the other day because Lefty needed some chaperoning. She just had surgery but she was ready to get out and ski with us. I do alot of skiing on the airstrip. Obviously it's not used during the winter, so it's a great flat strip of land a couple hundred yards long. Perfect.
The Alaskan sunrise from our kitchen window...
...from our living room window. Pretty sweet.
So that's it for now. We're going to an awesome dinner on Thursday so I'm sure I'll have something to say about that.
Done.
