Yes, I am writing this from a public library, which is a thing that still exists, apparently. I'm in Kenai, waiting endlessly for a plane that will take off in, oh, 4 FUCKING HOURS AND 15 FUCKING MINUTES! Jesus. Nobody wants to work or has any work to do on a Friday, so I bugged out of the plant (the one where I worked when I had my Alaska Year) around noon. I have another 3 hour and 33 minute layover in Ted Stevens' Palace O' Wonders.
I've already been here 2 hours. I wrote up some "Lessons Learned" from my trip. The main lesson is to invest in Apple stock in 1980 so you don't have to be doing this bullshit. I left that out.
Breakup is well upon the fine folks of the KP, and it's barely spring. Fully 98% of the inhabitants here believe that global warming is a hoax even when there is slush at their feet in March. You can make yourself believe anything, I suppose, especially when you live in the wilderness.
The trip went pretty well. The weather was good, and the new plant people were interesting to talk to. I met a guy last week who just moved here from the New Orleans area whose parents are from India. He didn't mention cricket so I didn't bring it up. I didn't want him to think I thought he was a stereotype. The other new engineer was a woman named Amber. She is moving here from Anchorage but just moved there from Washington state last year. These millennials have to do some crazy-ass shit to pay off their school loans. Amber's husband is stuck in Anchorage and may or may not ever move here, depending on his job situation. I guess she took the job because the pay was too good to pass up.
Poor Amber. She had to spend her first week at the plant this week with me trying to explain the utter clusterfuck of a kludge that is our system. She got most of Friday off, which was a blessing for her. Her poor mind must be like scrambled eggs. The other guy is a little more experienced, so I think he'll figure it out more quickly. He was gone all this week to a training course, which was unfortunate since I was supposed be training him as well.
I really wish I could live here, but I understand why I can't. My wife's dad needs attention and we can't just abandon him. She wouldn't live here under any circumstances, and I guess it would get old fast for me too if I never left. The plant is a great place that I take a lot of pride in, and that might be enough to keep me here if I had the opportunity, but I'm not sure. I'll probably never find out.
Kenai and Soldotna never really change. It's been 7 years since I was living here and almost 3 since my last trip, and it's really a time capsule. If anything, there are fewer businesses because when they go, nothing replaces them. I didn't feel brave enough to leave the immediate area this past weekend. The weather was a little rainy both days, and I hurt my shoulder when I fell on the ice the day I arrived and landed right on it, hard. I was walking to my rental car in my sneakers when it happened. It's mostly just mildly sore right now. I don't think I injured anything, but the dull pain won't go away. My only souvenir, I suppose.
The good news is, I might be coming back pretty soon. I love the summer here. It's the best. We'll see. Right now, my laptop battery is dying and...only 3 hours and 45 minutes until takeoff!
I've already been here 2 hours. I wrote up some "Lessons Learned" from my trip. The main lesson is to invest in Apple stock in 1980 so you don't have to be doing this bullshit. I left that out.
Breakup is well upon the fine folks of the KP, and it's barely spring. Fully 98% of the inhabitants here believe that global warming is a hoax even when there is slush at their feet in March. You can make yourself believe anything, I suppose, especially when you live in the wilderness.
The trip went pretty well. The weather was good, and the new plant people were interesting to talk to. I met a guy last week who just moved here from the New Orleans area whose parents are from India. He didn't mention cricket so I didn't bring it up. I didn't want him to think I thought he was a stereotype. The other new engineer was a woman named Amber. She is moving here from Anchorage but just moved there from Washington state last year. These millennials have to do some crazy-ass shit to pay off their school loans. Amber's husband is stuck in Anchorage and may or may not ever move here, depending on his job situation. I guess she took the job because the pay was too good to pass up.
Poor Amber. She had to spend her first week at the plant this week with me trying to explain the utter clusterfuck of a kludge that is our system. She got most of Friday off, which was a blessing for her. Her poor mind must be like scrambled eggs. The other guy is a little more experienced, so I think he'll figure it out more quickly. He was gone all this week to a training course, which was unfortunate since I was supposed be training him as well.
I really wish I could live here, but I understand why I can't. My wife's dad needs attention and we can't just abandon him. She wouldn't live here under any circumstances, and I guess it would get old fast for me too if I never left. The plant is a great place that I take a lot of pride in, and that might be enough to keep me here if I had the opportunity, but I'm not sure. I'll probably never find out.
Kenai and Soldotna never really change. It's been 7 years since I was living here and almost 3 since my last trip, and it's really a time capsule. If anything, there are fewer businesses because when they go, nothing replaces them. I didn't feel brave enough to leave the immediate area this past weekend. The weather was a little rainy both days, and I hurt my shoulder when I fell on the ice the day I arrived and landed right on it, hard. I was walking to my rental car in my sneakers when it happened. It's mostly just mildly sore right now. I don't think I injured anything, but the dull pain won't go away. My only souvenir, I suppose.
The good news is, I might be coming back pretty soon. I love the summer here. It's the best. We'll see. Right now, my laptop battery is dying and...only 3 hours and 45 minutes until takeoff!