lilginks

 I am not sure how to begin this one. I live in a town that has bumper stickers, for sale in the booze store downtown, which say: "Talkeetna - A drinking town with a climbing problem." I am sure this can be interpreted in many ways. I will keep this story short so you can figure things out on your own. 

I met a wonderful man (no this is not going where it did last summer thank goodness) who in my head reminded me of my dad. He was with some Guides who had brought him down the mountain that day during the outbreak of pneumonia that broke out at their camp. His cough was pretty hacky, so I figured he and the guides (who had all gotten sick and actually were possibly the Patient Zero(s)) made the right choice.

Listening to these guys talk was intriguing and wonderful. I was in mountain heaven. I want to climb Denali (mckinley, 20, 320 ft) and have wanted to since summer 2002 when I worked at the Park. Conversation flowed easily; it usually does in Talkeetna late in the summer evening light. I was to work the next day at the Fairview Inn bartending and so I was there for "research." With IPA and Stout in hands (just kidding), I talked and listened, and befriended said man. We will call him Jim. 

Jim and one of the Guides came by the bar the next day and I enjoyed having more good conversation when I wasn't making Cold Bitches and Red Headed Sluts or spilling coffee out of the machine. Yes, a busy day at said bar. 

The next day, after dancing in the evening post shift, I met Jim and Guides and other climbers for breakfast. Two od the climbers were needing a place to stay that evening. I offered my place; Jim was possibly in a crunch too. I gave them my contact information and genuinely said they were welcome. That night, they did not come by. However, the next day, Jim and I bumped into eachother back at ---the Fairview. This time he needed a place; he had to move his stuff out of one of the bed and breakfast places (which will remain nameless). He had all his stuff (clean clothes from being washed twice after the climbing expedition, stuffed in his mouintaineering pack. 

I whispered to a friend a hurried, "is this legit? questioning and he said "sure, sure, climbers ask for places to stay all the time during the summer." 

I walked out of the bar with Jim, and we headed to my East Talkeetna home, the large cabin I am renting. When we got to my place I turned on lights (this time, I have electricity) and got the couch ready for Jim. 

"No running water, no bed?" He sounded astounded. "Um, I thought I told you this Jim," I said bemused. As I chatted with him while trying to make the place comfortable as well as calm this growing nervousness..."Does your father know you live here? What does he think about this?" 

I answered: "I think he thinks it's wonderful; he admires this way I live and where I live. You kind of remind me of him in a way. I hope that's okay. He hasn't gotten up to Alaska yet--" "Your father. Your father! I remind you of your father. Oh no, that's not good. I thought that..."

You can imagine. Fill in the blanks. He thought I would ____ him. It was his 65th birthday that very day after all. I said he had to go. I walked him back to the place he said he couldn't stay. He actually invited me to stay there. I carried his backpack the whole three blocks to the "hotel" with running water.

Then, I ran back to the Fairview, to seek out that friend who didn't think there was a climber problem.

Not sure where I am going with that. Lately, metaphors are what my brain has been working in, to pass the time, to ease the pain. The latest news is, as a friend of mine said to me when I first met the former boyfriend/partner, "things have a way of always working out really well for you."

Es verdad. I will be living in east Talkeetna, just as I have lived in East Anchorage and East Asheville. Looking toward the east, looking toward the sunrise. Well, actually it rises in the south here. I will be living in a big cabin, doing some work on it, having electricity...whoa. Things are good. Broken hearts lead to stronger backs.

If you just so happened to have clicked on my location from a few weeks ago; Sheep Creek Lodge, you will notice that it is slightly north and east of Yellowstone National Park. That is not where I am however, the computer decided that it would put me there; I was googled into a place before I had any say in it. Amazing really.

Updates: I am just going to journal today, no trying to be clever or witty, I will save that for my pen and paper. Happy Easter first off. Chris doesn't do Easter, so I should just keep all the chocolate eggs away from him. I won't though; chocolate should be shared. I have done a little Greenhouse gardening for some Talkeetnans who sell plants to big places in Anchorage, thus we get the soil ready  now and transfer seedlings by the first week of April. I am in need (I hate to say it but it would help me out here) of a car. This would help. For my summer job Woo Hoo, I will be working with the Alaska Soil and Water Conservation as an assistant trail leader for the Youth Conservation Corps that does trail work for the summer. Quite cool.

Hope to get to the east coast in the fall; I have not spent a summer there since 2003 and I was in and out often at that time after college graduation: Chicago, LA, New Orleans, Grayton Beach, etc...ah memories.

Looking forward to summer here. Spring comes in early May and lasts 10 days. It is definitely warmer: 40, snow melting a bit; good crust skiing I am learning. Radio show still going. Got to play some of my friend Jane Lee's son's music. He plays the Blues. I will be better on details later. Battling "spring" cold so I am signing off to go take some IB prof for my headache.
Ciao.

Ah, it is a beautiful day. Typically the days are beautiful. It is figuring out what one is doing each day that can be a bit ugly. I applied for a job that begins in the spring with the ranger station and found out today that a friend is applying for the same job. Oye! Small towns are so wacky. Let's see, thus far, back in Sunshine, I have skied, done one radio show, finished knitting a scarf, helped stack fire wood, and enjoyed lots of new snow. I just overheard the librarian say they have a computer specifically for job searches. Go figure, probably because there are so many of us doing that here in town.I am babysitting and house-sitting next week, at least I can rely on high school experience, eh? I am lacking in funny stories. Don't you worry, I will come through.