Diary of a renter's day in Alaska

Dateline: Anchorage, Alaska, Sunday, May 27, 2007.

5:00am-8:40am: In the hotel, it's light out, so I have periodic thoughts about getting out of bed. Manage to fight them off.

8:50am: In t-shirt, sweats, and slippers, slowly walk down a very long hall to find a cup of coffee and a cookie. Think about shaving, but manage to fight the urge.

10:15am: Drive downtown. Don't feed the meters, do give money to the homeless. (There are a lot of them. One is still sleeping (or dead) on a bench.)

10:45am: Talk to a family from Illinois. Finish a stack of sourdough pancakes. With butter alone they are sooooo good. High temp for today may hit the 60s. Louisville high looks like 87. Wow.

11:00am: WalMart in Eagle River, 12 miles northwest of Anchorage. Get some needed stuff, like soap, dental floss, razors to shave. Forget to buy mosquito repellant for the third time. From what I've seen I like Eagle River.

12:30pm: Stop to get gas and a cup of coffee. Note that everyone sells espresso.

1:45pm: Arrive in Talkeetna (112 miles) to look at a cabin. Heated w/ a weird oil contraption, 800 square feet for $700/month plus expensive utilities and oil. Does have DSL internet access.

2:30pm: Hang out in Talkeetna, think about living here. It's very, very remote here. How remote? People talk about THE gas station or THE intersection. It's also 70+ miles to the nearest WalMart or real grocery store. Luckily not much need for mosquito repellent yet.

4:30pm: Watch as another lawman pulls over a speeder. They've been out in force today. Out of ~20 lawmen I have seen since Canada, only two have *not* been wearing bullet-proof vests.

6:15pm: Back in Anchorage. The drive to Lake Hood takes only two u-turns while I pass eight more homeless people. Check out the float planes sitting on the side of the lake. Only one is running right now, need to come back tomorrow for the show. Park here, and call a couple of realtors about places to live.

7:15pm: Fred Meyer grocery store, buy some fresh veggies for dinner. One more u-turn gets me home.

8:45pm: Out walking, run into a couple that is probably at least in their 70s. "Good morning" says Al. "Good morning" says couple. Pause. Stop. Everyone turns around, looks at each other, laughs a little, moves on.

10:45pm: The sun is shining, I'm wide awake, ready to start the day.

11:30pm: Better close the shades and force myself to go to sleep!