Life in Alaska

My apologies for the prolonged blog hiatus. It seems there is an endless amount of busy-work to take care of when you move 5,000 miles away (changing address, banks, car ins, utilities, etc.). Most days while Heather's plugging away at her new job, I'm just as busy trying to get us set up in the great Northwest.

Anyway, here's a quick update on life in Alaska.

After our road trip of all road trips across two countries in two weeks, we arrived in Anchorage eagerly seeking a new place to reside. We found The Highlands, a "luxury" apartment complex surprisingly very similar to the non-luxury complex we lived in in Asheville. Our second level unit is nice: around 1100 square feet, we have two bedrooms, a big open area for the kitchen, dining and living rooms, a den/nook area, fireplace, two full baths, and our own private staircase inside the door. The ceilings are 9 feet high and the wall corners are rounded to give it that "luxury" feeling. But honestly, I wouldn't call this luxury living. Rent is astronomical (as we expected), but it is almost made up for by our balcony view.

The first pic (see above) was taken from our balcony in the early evening. Mountains, moon and blue sky are a wonderful thing to see from the couch.

Heather's job is going great, and she enjoys the people she's working with. In mid-Dec. she will finish her intern hours and be a fully licensed pharmacist in AK (making her licensed in 2 states!).

The puptons love laying down in front of the fireplace whenever it's on. When they curl up together, cuteness abounds. It's like they create a black hole of cuteness that we get sucked into. Add Heather to the mix and it's an explosion of adorableness!

They also enjoy sporting their cold weather gear when we go on walks.

About a week ago I stepped outside our front door with Dakota for a bathroom break, lifted my head and saw Bullwinkle across the street only a rock's throw away. He was feasting on the tree next to him and just moseying about our complex. It was totally cool! This makes our second moose sighting after seeing them outside Heather's hospital one day after work. Moose are great. They're not afraid of anything because they're as big or bigger than most cars.

We had a great Thanksgiving meal with a huge ham (I cooked it!), but we missed lots of folks from Asheville. That's what we've been up to for the last several weeks. Check back, and I'll try to post more regularly.

Adios!

1984, by George Orwell

My friend loaned me this book about a year ago. Finally, I have finished it.

George Orwell, writing in the 40s, shares his feelings about the social climate of his time with this striking futuristic satire. A political commentary, and a dark one at that, 1984 is about one man's experience of life living under governance of The Party ruled by Big Brother in Oceania, one of only three super-countries left in the world.

In this world, Oceania is constantly and forever at war with the other two super-countries: Eastasia and Eurasia. There are three classes of people in Oceania. Inner Party Members, the ruling class, run the party, enjoy more of life's comforts than most, and make up a tiny percentage of the population. Outer Party Members, to which Winston Smith, the protagonist, belongs, are lower level grunt workers who serve the Party but live on limited rationed food and daily goods. The Proles make up the poor masses. They are outside the party and seen as a nuisance which must be controlled while simultaneously ignored.

Somewhere between socialism and communism, life under the party is bleak. Thought Police monitor party members 24-hours a day. Arrests are made for impure and disloyal thoughts before any action is ever carried out. Privacy is non-existant (except among the Proles), and families are so disjointed that children who turn in their parents for thought-crime are rewarded and admonished.

The world that Orwell creates is terrifying indeed, and his run in with interrogation techniques is disheartening, intriguing and down right depressing. Not knowing enough about my mid-20th century British politics, I must confess I'm not quite clear on the greater point the author was trying to make to his original audience, but at the same time I am in awe of this social commentary and can appreciate that it packed a punch 50 years ago and still does today.

Freedom is a huge theme in the book; however, one of the most interesting concepts Orwell introduced was called Doublethink. Here's an excerpt which provides a description of doublethink:

To know and not know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself--that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word "doublethink" involved the use of doublethink. (p. 35)

The writing is very good. Orwell can be a bit longwinded and over-descriptive at times. But, the absurdity of his somehow-believable fictitious future keeps you coming back to it. I would recommend this book to anyone (if, like me, you didn't read it in high school though it was assigned) wanting to be a well-rounded reader. It is a classic that people will most likely come up in book talks for many generations.

Why would someone with four cars walk to work?

Meet my buddy, Robert (on the right). He is a computer programmer for the distinguished Wake Forest University and lives in Winston-Salem, NC. I have known him for about 4 years now, and in that time he has owned a total of six cars (not at the same time). Robert introduced me to Dave Ramsey, a money guru who gives sound practical advice on managing personal finance. Together, Robert and I often talk about wise and not so wise money decisions when it comes to cars, apartments, jobs and paying off our wives' school debt.

You can view Robert's well-written blog here.

Now, the question that titles this blog is an intriguing one for sure. Why would someone with four cars walk to work? The answer to this question is in a sequence of events that coincidentally lined up as if nature was working against him that kept Robert from driving any of his cars to work. Robert, I won't divulge too much of your personal info on this one, but you have tarried too long in posting this funny story on your own blog.

Robert and his wife each have a car they use daily. However, Robert had recently purchased my car (car #3) with plans of selling his and making a few extra dollars; however, this car was still in Asheville for time being. At the same time, his wife had found what she's wanted for a long time, an old 1965 Chevy truck, and bought it cheap (#4).

One happy morning, these two wonderful people awoke and prepared each to go to work. Robert's wife, left first. But outside, she found that her car's lock was busted and wouldn't unlock. She couldn't get in. No matter, she borrowed Robert's regular car and headed off to the world of pharmacy for the day. Robert could drive the classic truck. But outside on a chilly morning, the truck wouldn't start. His last option, the car he'd bought from me, was some 130 miles away. So, he's standing outside next to a car that won't start, a car that won't open up with keys in his hand for a car that runs fine but is across the state.

When I heard about this, I sympathized, but I can't help but find this funny. And that's why someone with four cars would walk to work.

Surprise

As part of our adjustment to Alaska geography, we have been informed of our need for dog booties. Dakota and Lola are no strangers to the snow; however, for 5-6 months out of the year there is snow on the ground in Anchorage. And, if we're to take them on any long walks their paws will easily get cold, get ice in them and cause their entire bodies to lose warmth. Doggy booties are in order.

So, the search began. After having no luck in a number of Super Pets, Pet Co, Cabellas and REI stores we finally got a tip to try a local pet store in Anchorage called Alaska Mill and Feed Pet Supply (or something like that; it had a long name). A fellow dog owner gave us the tip to buy only fleece booties, because dogs that have never worn other kinds (there's lots of kinds for serious hiking and rugged type stuff) wouldn't like them.

So on Heather's first day of work I went on a mission to find dog shoes. I finally found the store (it's hard to get to), found the fleece booties and bought 8 of them. There was just enough time to put them on and pick Heather up from work. The plan: For her daughters to greet their mommy in the car wearing their fancy new shoes. (Heather loves surprises like that!)

I had it all planned out. The dogs were in the car wearing the boots, and I went in the hospital lobby to wait on Heather. When she was done, we walked out together toward the car. Now, when we leave her in the car, Dakota always climbs into the front seat and greets us when we open the doors. This will only add to the surprise. When we reached the car, like the gentleman that I am, I opened the door for Heather and: Surprise! Dakota had vomited all over Heather's seat and floor board! She was missing a cutie bootie and Lola was missing two. Happy first day of work, my sweet.

Not exactly the surprise I had in mind. But aren't they just adorable in those things?! They hate wearing them, but are slowly (SLOWLY) getting used to them. Right now, when I put them on, the dogs usually just stand in one place on three legs waiting for the bad dream to end (take these things off my paws!).

I'm sure they'll adjust in time.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader: by C. S. Lewis

In preparation for the third installment of the latest series of Chronicles of Narnia movies, Heather and I did what we've done before the previous two movies and read the book aloud with each other.

Edmond and Lucy Pevensie, along with their obnoxious cousin Eustace, are magically pulled into a picture on the wall and find themselves quickly aboard the Dawn Treader, a Narnian ship carrying King Caspian and a full crew, set out to find seven explorers sent east by Caspian's late father, Narnia's previous king. Their journey takes them beyond any cartographer's knowledge to the end of the world toward Aslan's home country.

Thus far, I have been generally pleased with the latest renditions of the classic children's books by Clive Staples Lewis, professor of medieval literature, philosopher, author and theologian. The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe movie was fantastic. Following the book almost to the letter, the only liberties the film makers took were to add a bit of flare and excitement to the popular novella's suspense and battle scenes. Movie two: Prince Caspian was good, yet Hollywood for some reason unnecessarily veered farther from the book's storyline. Adding a completely random (not in the book at all) castle besieging scene and changing the timeline, the movie was clearly from the book, but just not the same. In my opinion, the movie would have been just as great had it followed the book as closely as the first.

Having just finished Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I have some particular expectations for the movie. The book, to me, is the weakest of the first three, yet it still follows the same majestic and mysterious nature of Lewis' writing. The storyline follows the format of most adventure/quest novels. Readers are exposed to sight after sight of new and unpredictable obstacles and experiences through which the characters must stuggle.

The story starts a little slower than it's predecessors, but by the middle it kept Heather and I on edge daily waiting to read the next chapter before going to bed (our customary reading time). The writing is, expectedly, for kids and a little dated (as it was written some 5 decades ago), but one can't help being enchanted by the world Lewis has created with which most of us have grown up.

One of the greatest challenges the movie will have to overcome is only including two of the four original Pevensie children as High King Peter and Queen Susan have grown too old to return to Narnia. However, after a short bit of remorse over this fact in the first few chapters, I was distracted to their absence and caught up in the engaging adventure.

I believe the movie will be exciting, and I'm curious to see how the many fantastical and grandiose scenes are rendered on screen. I do hope the film makers stick close to the original story, but in the end, it will be difficult to produce a poor movie from such a wild and fun story. This book, in my book, (or should I say blog) is a recommended quick read for anyone.

Welcome to Alaska

Tell tail signs that we're not in Kansas anymore Frodo.

You know how some rules are made because it's just good sense and certain rules are made because someone once did something stupid? Well, during our drive south from Tok, to Anchorage, AK we saw an inconspicuous road sign that simply read, "No shooting from road." I wonder why this rule was made. Welcome to Alaska.

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It's common knowledge that alcoholism is like an epidemic in Alaska, especially during the winter season. Heather recently learned that to treat alcoholic patients suffering detox, it's not unusual for hospitals to use whiskey (as opposed to other more conventional medications) to ease the process. When Heather asked about it, turning her head and raising an eyebrow, another pharmacist looked back and simply said, "Welcome to Alaska."

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A number of years ago, an Anchorage news paper article covered a story of a man walking his dog in one of the city's many trailed parks. He happened across a moose, a dead moose, which had just been killed by a grizzly bear. The bear, worried the man was threatening his dinner, then attacked the man. Though he was only out for a stroll with his pup, he proceeded to pull out a large caliber gun and shoot the bear dead. WELCOME TO ALASKA.