Explorer Glacier. Portage Valley.
http://zone-10.com/d1/node/271
It's been two months since leaving Iowa and it's going well up here in
Alaska. Our household goods have been delivered and we've been slowly
unpacking. Eventually, we'll be able to put a vehicle or two back into
the garage. The job is decent (glad, because the old employer is
imploding at a rate that is mind-boggling), and I'm getting job
satisfaction again. Along with that, I'm continuing the cyber-security
education. My wife is still job-free, but that's not necessarily a bad
thing as she has flexibility to travel if she needs to.
Speaking of such, we had to bop back to Michigan because my stepmom
passed away. That trip was an adventure, but it did prove that being
on the edge of the frontier wasn't really the end of the world.
The weather is starting to turn. It's been snowing in the higher
elevations and the snowline is creeping lower and lower. But those
snow capped mountains are another "wow".
As my daughter reminds me, this isn't a vacation, I don't have to
leave after two weeks. So glad, as it's not just a case of the scene
being different every week, but every day and even every hour.
Honestly, I don't think I've had a single "re-run" day since arriving.
Alaska, and Alaskans are special. I don't think I've encountered as
much cultural diversity anywhere else than maybe London or NYC.
Anchorage is an international city and the state itself varies to such
extremes that it is not just a part of a country (USA) or a state
(Alaska) but is a geographical region (rather large one at that) that
contains multiple cultures and ethnicities. This certainly is no
monoculture. The engineering department is like the United Nations.
We haven't had a good shaker yet. A few small vibrations, but that's
it. We'll be sure to rethink things when we get cracks in the walls
and ceilings. Nor have I had to shovel yet. I'm not sure how I'll feel
about that nine-months in...
The days are getting shorter by almost six minutes every day. I have
to have my lights on when commuting now. But that's a good idea,
regardless, and is required by law in some areas.
--
Ken Norton
ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.zone-10.com
--
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