The hell with Godot, waiting for snow in Alaska is worse

I am getting damned tired of scenes like this every winter.

So weather has me putting off my trip to the East Pole. Seems like a great day for random whining about life in general: gray, rainy, trapped.

First of all, raining and 40 degrees IN ALASKA, in NOVEMBER … later at 9:33 to be exact, the temperature hit 50 degrees and I had to check a GPS receiver to make sure I am where I think I am …

Then there's this headline: "APD Conducting Black Friday Traffic Enforcement" So as I understand it the Anchorage Police Department is going after black friday shoppers in their own form of black friday shopping. Hope they don't run into long lines.

The Anchorage D News has posted a story about where to go for a free Thanksgiving meal. You have to wonder how many people who would benefit from a free meal have access to a computer and the Internet. Why not print a bunch of posters and put them on walls and poles around town?

And, yes, I did not capitalize "black friday" on purpose. I realize I am quite alone in this but I absolutely detest the term. First of all, naming a day that is supposed to be associated with happiness of the season "black" seems antithetical. Secondly with the complaints about commercializing Christmas (that battle is lost) we anticipate a grand holiday dedicated totally to shopping, spending money, saving money by spending more money.  And get this, Monday there will be reports about how much was spent and how it will affect retailers going forward. Merry Chri$tma$.

Gwyneth Paltrow has a toothpaste squeezer that cost $244 …

SeaWorld defends keeping killer whales in captive swimming pools by stating they released two rescued sea lions to the wild. I am sure the wild killer whales appreciate that…

Bernie Sanders had this to say on Twitter: Why are we told that it's OK to bring in lettuce and tomatoes from unregulated farms but we cannot bring brand-name drugs across the border?

People are reporting more and more starlings in Anchorage …

Here's a comment from my friend Joe May who lives not too far from the East Pole: Got two falls of a foot each, a day apart. Blew up the old snow blower on the first one. Got to Wasilla for a replacement between falls. Now gone to 40 deg and I've got yogurt in the driveway. Ahhh, but the struggle continues – wouldn't have it any other way – the alternative is playing shuffleboard with old farts in Florida and that isn’t my game.

Facebook thinks I might know someone named CarolLaura CrispQuintana …

Another baffling headline from today: U.S. sanctions businessman helping Syrian government buy oil from Islamic State. Can anyone tell me Milo Minderbinder isn't alive and thriving?  (You'll have to ask.)

An introvert's worst nightmare: When your plans to be alone in the woods for Thanksgiving are destroyed by weather and now you have to explain again why you aren't going to accept any of the invitations you already turned down. ("I'd really love to but I have this turkey that's thawed now, so …")

Just learned the full moon in November is called the mourning moon. Amen …

In the past week or so, I have unfriended two people because of their posts hating on President Obama …

I burned up my mixer earlier in the week so I had to improvise
to make my punkin pie! Hammer drill setting nor required. My
nephew posted this on facebook today. I've  done this too.

People found a newborn baby in the Nativity scene outside a New York City church…

What do I do now department: A California policeman pulled over Google's self-driving car for going too slow.…

With a death this week there are only three northern white rhinos left in the world …

Avalanche warnings are out all over the place and there have been a few. A skier missing in Hatcher Pass …

For the first time a privately funded ship will launch from Cape Canaveral with a load of cargo for the International Space Station next year …

I saw The" Hunger Games, Mockingjay 2" the other day. Wrapped up the series nicely and didn't stray far from the book … 

Still no answer back from CarolLaura … and we have two mutual friends …

It's very frustrating that there is lots of snow and a huge storm north of here, unfortunately too far north. I'm pointing at you Fairbanks …

A Food Network survey lists the best breakfasts in each of the 50 states: In Alaska? Gwennie's reindeer sausage omelets. I have had the omelets there but not the reindeer and they are awesome. But, the best breakfast in Alaska used to be served in a place called Hogg Brothers Cafe which closed several years ago. They served something called a royale which included what might have been eggs Benedict but with asparagus involved. Now that I am on a low-cholesterol diet I am kind of glad I can't be tempted by one of those any more.  No. kids, not THOSE reindeer.

Oh, yeah thankful for the new lens too.

There is a guy whose real name is now Santa Claus on the city council in North Pole, Alaska…

CNN put up a poll of the greatest love quotes, mostly from movies. I liked this one: "Life is messy. Love is messier." From something  called "Catch and Release"…

That's probably enough but for this:" Thankful I am not going to die trying to get to the East Pole. Thankful for family and friends. For a place to live in relative comfort. And that in spite of and because of the weather I live in the most beautiful place on earth. And  I bet I might be the only one ever to say this: thankful for the Internet. Without it I'd just be another grumpy old man living alone and complaining about it. Oh. wait …

So, let's end on a positive note, or notes as they may be:

Weather all but stops traffic between Wasilla and Fairbanks.

Thanksgiving

Having lived alone much of my adult life, it really doesn't bother me much to be alone on a day like Thanksgiving, although it did hit me this week that I can't remember the last time I shared Thanksgiving dinner on the actual day with another human being. 

For one thing, I think it makes me thankful for some of the more basic aspects in life.  For instance I am thankful at least one store in Alaska carries small turkeys.  Think I am kidding? Try to find one weighing less than 10 pounds.  This store had several and I found one that was 7.75 pounds. That will leave just enough leftovers but not so much I will get tired of them.

I am thankful for the winter birds at the feeders who consistently entertain me (and to a certain extent, I hope, blog readers) through the long Alaska winter. Case in point, the rescue of the Pine grosbeak a couple of days ago.  I posted these pictures just to show the true colors after the poor quality of the one that went up with the rescue story.

After the poor color quality in the photo the other day, here
is a male and female on the feeder enjoying Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for this little puppy sleeping next to me, at least when he's not chewing on my blankets or my hands. He is rapidly becoming the companion I had hoped he would be. And I am thankful for this roof over our heads.

In a broader sense I am thankful for the few friends and family members I stay in touch with, people whom I see infrequently but enjoy when we are together or even just chatting on line. In particular this year, I have been chatting regularly with someone who shares a broad interest in music and we enjoy each other's through posting youtube videos while chatting.

And speaking of internet things I am thankful for those who read this blog. I came across a graph the other day that shows readership, at least page hits, has gone from almost nothing when I started in 2008 gaining gradually to more than 3,000 a month these days. That is enough to encourage me to write more often and better.

Today I am thankful I can plan my dinner around football games rather than argue with someone about which interrupts which.

I am thankful, too, for the nurse practitioner who discovered the blockage in my cartoid artery or I might not be here at all.

Out there too, we still have a pretty good country to live in despite the screaming politics of the day.

So, reflecting, watching football and birds,  and contemplating the snowy scene out the window backed by a high mountain, I am most thankful that there is an Alaska where I have been able to find my place in the general scheme of things.

And then too, there is single malt scotch, hot women, cold turkey sandwiches, heavy guitar riffs, two pretty neat kids, and the blessing of a shining sun.

Tonight I look forward to seeing Lady Gaga and the Muppets thanksgiving special.  That should provide the a topping to the day to be thankful about also.

Peace everyone, and may your lives be as filled with at least as many things to be thankful for as mine is.

A very chickadee Thanksgiving

A few friends flew in for the holiday. And, oh yes, the woodpecker came by for the first visit of the year that I know of. Also had a couple of merlins hanging out in the trees looking for a meal I hope they don't get. May everyone feel the day and enjoy it as much as my guests seem to.

Random acts of kindness

I always liked the sound of that, but never really set out to do any. How many opportunities come up anyway? And then recognizing and again (gasp) doing something, well the odds against them are pretty big. So, without that in mind I set out today on the annual search for a small turkey and Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix. Oh, and too, to address a bit of a health problem, which in the end didn't get addressed.

Anyway, at the first store I was meandering down an aisle until I was stopped by a roadblock. On one side a Walmart stocker was filling a shelf. On the other a very frail woman who honestly didn’t look strong enough to be shopping alone, was in one of those electric carts and trying to extract a tray of candy from the display it had been crammed into. I watched her patiently for a minute, glanced at the Walmart guy who sort of looked over his shoulder and then went back to his work, and finally realized the woman needed some help. So, I walked over, asked her loudly enough for the Walmart guy to hear, and then pulled the stubborn candy out of the display and put it in her basket for her.

She smiled, started up her machine and rolled past me and we both went on our ways.

After checking out of that store, I went to the next for just couple of things I couldn't find. As I was waiting in the checkout, I realized a new problem had presented itself. A young girl was checking out a whole basket full of what looked like party mix supplies. I could see she had a ten and a twenty in her hand and when the total came out to more than $60 she looked totally shocked, and then embarrassed and then that quizzical look that said "What do I do now?" The checker was very patient. The girl's shopping list turned out to be a recipe for the mix and the checker went down each item telling the girl she didn't need this much or that much and that maybe she just needed to make a smaller batch. I thought that was much nicer than getting all upset with her, the poor kid seemed just lost. I think maybe she was looking forward to her first party (it being Friday and all) and among other things wondering how it would go if she didn't bring the party mix.

In time the checker had the amount under $40 and was still going. At that point I looked in my wallet and found a five-dollar bill, but before I could get it out the total had dropped to $31.99. Impasse. Nothing more could be taken off the list and the kid was $2 short. And I had two bills for that. So I offered my $2. The checker looked so appreciative, the girl smiled at me like I had saved the world and I just said, "It's happened to all of us at some time or other."

When the girl left, the checker thanked me for my patience. And I told her I thought it was great how she took the time to help the girl work it out. As the kids say sometimes (or did) It's all good.
So, two in one day. Not bad. Maybe it was because in the first place I looked there was a bin of small turkeys and a display of Pepperidge Farm stuffing products.

So, next Thursday if you are in the neighborhood, I have this turkey that is still way more than I can eat, and whole lot of other stuff, and am planning to sit down and enjoy "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" on television. Come on by.


OH, and the picture: Have you ever seen a fatter chickadee in your life? They are all puffed out to keep warm, but this guy was noticeably bigger than the others. Maybe I won't have to look so far for a small turkey next year.

Drive-bys

Is there anything better in the world than drive-by turkey dressing? Every year I find this one little thing to be thankful for, even though it sometimes takes an extended search. Four stores this year until I found the Pepperidge Farm mix I like. It took that many to find a turkey small enough as well, but the Pepperidge Farm is the real prize. So, now there is a huge bowl of dressing sitting like a target in the refrigerator. The drive-by reference? Who can walk past a fridge with a bowl of stuffing in it without reaching in for a handful. Drive-by stuffing. Really.