August 31st, 2006
Hello to all,
He's finally made it! After two days of no contact (Monday and Tuesday), I had started to worry a bit just in case he ran out of gas miles away from nowhere, but no such thing occurred. He was simply out of a cell service area until late Tuesday evening when he finally rolled into the Alaskan metropolis of Tok. I was quite eager to hear the most recent battles from the road, but there just weren't any significant road troubles aside from the road itself. According to Chris, his drive finally settled into a nice rhythm and he discovered Lax's intense dislike for Caribou, Moose, Deer, Bears, Birds, and all other foreign wildlife along the way, but aside from the barking, the truck ran fine, there were no more problems with the trailer, and the weather treated him with kindness. When I asked him how the road conditions were, he laughed out loud and said very clearly COSTA RICA! I knew that meant crazy pot holes at the very least.
He elaborated- Starting at the border crossing from British Columbia into the Yukon Territory, the road went from a comfortable 2 or 4 lane highway to a semi paved highway, and then slowly degraded into something that required a great deal of concentration just to figure out if was actually a road at all. Apparently there were some sections well over 50 miles in length that seemed to be gravel at one time, but then seemed to be entirely forgotten by the road crews since perhaps earlier in summer. We speculated that during the warm months when the permafrost started to thaw, giant frost heaves buckled up the gravely mud in some areas and then left huge amoeba shaped potholes in their wakes. I was warned that I would not be taking my "prissy" BMW on any such road unless I acquired a full lift kit, new suspension, and a transmission worthy of 4 wheel drive. I guess we'll be taking the ferry no matter what.
Truthfully, his only complaint was how the animals treated him. On Sunday when I last spoke with Chris, he mentioned that Mitre (the cat) refused to use the litter box and had not relieved himself at all. Well, sometime during the night on Monday when all the critters were cuddled up next to Chris while he snoozed in his sleeping bag, Mitre decided to go (BAD bad Mitre). Pee and pooh warmed Chris' feet and in turn woke him up in the middle of the night, though he's not sure if it was the physical sensation or the smell. Either way- he vowed that he would not be spending another night in the sleeping bag, and no matter how long it took him to find a hotel, he'd search until he found one. On Tuesday morning, Chris set out for a marathon drive of over 13 hours and made his way into Tok in search of a hotel, where for the first time in days, he was able to shower, eat at a restaurant, and sleep in a bed. I can't fully imagine what 3 days of kitty constipation smells like, but I suspect it's pretty ripe and awful (good inspiration to get the drive over with faster).
On Wednesday morning, refreshed and clean, Chris made near record time into Anchorage, and I got a pleasant phone call from him as he was attempting to find our new apartment. I had left messages for our new landlord to let him know that Chris was on his way, and would need a key. Later on Wednesday evening, Chris called to say he'd found the place, and described our new palatial digs. Now, basements have not always been my favorite, but this one is already holding a special spot in my heart. Thanks to Mother Nature, our new carpeting soaked up a few inches of flood water over the past week, and was drying out nicely when Chris arrived. He mentioned he was afraid to place any of the computer equipment on the floor since it was too damp. Then he described the sagging ceiling that appeared to want to cave in at any moment. The good thing- no more worries on that deposit we paid a couple of weeks ago, and we now have super motivation to find a house. Chris went right to house shopping after spending Wednesday night in our small, dark, windowless basement that may very well be impossible to enter when the first big snow comes. In addition to that, he was warned more than once that our quaint little neighborhood has a reputation for theft. He tested that theory when the neighbor above offered a very large glass top table to him for free, provided he took all 7 chairs. When Chris said he could not possibly use all 7 chairs, the neighbor said, that's ok- just put them out back, and someone will take them before tomorrow. Sure enough, when Chris looked outside this morning, all unwanted chairs were gone.
The other bright spot is that we have unlimited heat in the apartment. That too comes with its own curse. There is only one thermostat in the complex, and it's locked on high, so everyone is roasting nicely. Chris said he felt like he was stepping from the outside cool, crisp fall air into a tropical hothouse, and needed to keep THE window open to cool off. Yes. Yes, there's only one window, and I've been told I'm too short to reach it without a stool. At least there's an REI near by along with a dog park and green belt, and a whole host of coffee shops. Fred Meyer grocery is also located within a short drive, so shopping for now should be fairly painless for Chris.
As for me and Zev, we're both extending a very warm thanks to Shaunna & Kevin for the use of their ladder, and additional thanks to Merrilee who stayed up with me until well after midnight last night packing up books and cleaning to get the house ready to show. I've had 2 more couples come to see the house, and I think we'll have a reasonable offer soon (I hope). If the house sells before my father is back from Europe, I'll impose upon my good friends to accept me and Zev for a short period of time.
Until next time- Have a great Labor Day weekend,
Vered
(and Zev too)
Hello to all,
He's finally made it! After two days of no contact (Monday and Tuesday), I had started to worry a bit just in case he ran out of gas miles away from nowhere, but no such thing occurred. He was simply out of a cell service area until late Tuesday evening when he finally rolled into the Alaskan metropolis of Tok. I was quite eager to hear the most recent battles from the road, but there just weren't any significant road troubles aside from the road itself. According to Chris, his drive finally settled into a nice rhythm and he discovered Lax's intense dislike for Caribou, Moose, Deer, Bears, Birds, and all other foreign wildlife along the way, but aside from the barking, the truck ran fine, there were no more problems with the trailer, and the weather treated him with kindness. When I asked him how the road conditions were, he laughed out loud and said very clearly COSTA RICA! I knew that meant crazy pot holes at the very least.
He elaborated- Starting at the border crossing from British Columbia into the Yukon Territory, the road went from a comfortable 2 or 4 lane highway to a semi paved highway, and then slowly degraded into something that required a great deal of concentration just to figure out if was actually a road at all. Apparently there were some sections well over 50 miles in length that seemed to be gravel at one time, but then seemed to be entirely forgotten by the road crews since perhaps earlier in summer. We speculated that during the warm months when the permafrost started to thaw, giant frost heaves buckled up the gravely mud in some areas and then left huge amoeba shaped potholes in their wakes. I was warned that I would not be taking my "prissy" BMW on any such road unless I acquired a full lift kit, new suspension, and a transmission worthy of 4 wheel drive. I guess we'll be taking the ferry no matter what.
Truthfully, his only complaint was how the animals treated him. On Sunday when I last spoke with Chris, he mentioned that Mitre (the cat) refused to use the litter box and had not relieved himself at all. Well, sometime during the night on Monday when all the critters were cuddled up next to Chris while he snoozed in his sleeping bag, Mitre decided to go (BAD bad Mitre). Pee and pooh warmed Chris' feet and in turn woke him up in the middle of the night, though he's not sure if it was the physical sensation or the smell. Either way- he vowed that he would not be spending another night in the sleeping bag, and no matter how long it took him to find a hotel, he'd search until he found one. On Tuesday morning, Chris set out for a marathon drive of over 13 hours and made his way into Tok in search of a hotel, where for the first time in days, he was able to shower, eat at a restaurant, and sleep in a bed. I can't fully imagine what 3 days of kitty constipation smells like, but I suspect it's pretty ripe and awful (good inspiration to get the drive over with faster).
On Wednesday morning, refreshed and clean, Chris made near record time into Anchorage, and I got a pleasant phone call from him as he was attempting to find our new apartment. I had left messages for our new landlord to let him know that Chris was on his way, and would need a key. Later on Wednesday evening, Chris called to say he'd found the place, and described our new palatial digs. Now, basements have not always been my favorite, but this one is already holding a special spot in my heart. Thanks to Mother Nature, our new carpeting soaked up a few inches of flood water over the past week, and was drying out nicely when Chris arrived. He mentioned he was afraid to place any of the computer equipment on the floor since it was too damp. Then he described the sagging ceiling that appeared to want to cave in at any moment. The good thing- no more worries on that deposit we paid a couple of weeks ago, and we now have super motivation to find a house. Chris went right to house shopping after spending Wednesday night in our small, dark, windowless basement that may very well be impossible to enter when the first big snow comes. In addition to that, he was warned more than once that our quaint little neighborhood has a reputation for theft. He tested that theory when the neighbor above offered a very large glass top table to him for free, provided he took all 7 chairs. When Chris said he could not possibly use all 7 chairs, the neighbor said, that's ok- just put them out back, and someone will take them before tomorrow. Sure enough, when Chris looked outside this morning, all unwanted chairs were gone.
The other bright spot is that we have unlimited heat in the apartment. That too comes with its own curse. There is only one thermostat in the complex, and it's locked on high, so everyone is roasting nicely. Chris said he felt like he was stepping from the outside cool, crisp fall air into a tropical hothouse, and needed to keep THE window open to cool off. Yes. Yes, there's only one window, and I've been told I'm too short to reach it without a stool. At least there's an REI near by along with a dog park and green belt, and a whole host of coffee shops. Fred Meyer grocery is also located within a short drive, so shopping for now should be fairly painless for Chris.
As for me and Zev, we're both extending a very warm thanks to Shaunna & Kevin for the use of their ladder, and additional thanks to Merrilee who stayed up with me until well after midnight last night packing up books and cleaning to get the house ready to show. I've had 2 more couples come to see the house, and I think we'll have a reasonable offer soon (I hope). If the house sells before my father is back from Europe, I'll impose upon my good friends to accept me and Zev for a short period of time.
Until next time- Have a great Labor Day weekend,
Vered
(and Zev too)
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