A Florida Cracker in the Last Frontier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itcMLwMEeMQ  - Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms It's one of the busiest times of the year so I haven't written as much as I wanted to. Last Saturday, I did the Jingle Bell Run at the University of Alaska Anchorage to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation. I wish I had brought the kids because they had Home Depot crafts, Santa, hot cocoa, doughnuts, and much more. One of the employees that I manage, Kathryn was there and it was fun to hang out with her before the race. As a Florida boy I am not versed in the ways of running in Alaska during the late Fall / Winter. I wore my base layers (wool long underwear), running shorts, running shirt, and a hoodie. I did not own any ice cleats, especially ones that are used for running. The blue shoes are mine and as you can see this lovely lady with the long socks has some nice ice cleats. The race started on a slippery ice surface but transitioned quickly to sidewalks with gravel, then c...

Here Comes the Rain Again by The Eurythmics https://youtu.be/TzFnYcIqj6I When Lorrie came in June it rained for almost a week straight. Rain came and went but August was one of the wettest in recent Alaska history. We had several weeks where rain was spotty and not that bad. But now it has been rainy for three days. 4th Floor Loussac Library Here comes the rain again... It's funny I thought I'd enjoy living in Seattle or another rainy city but it gets annoying fast. I don't mind the grey and lack of sun so much but I'm not a fan of getting wet especially from 40 degree rain. Lorrie calls the rain here "fake rain" because it is light and misty and not that big drops, torrential downpour that we have in Florida. The other thing that we miss (sort of) is we don't have thunderstorms like we did in "the Lightning capital of the world" Tampa. I know it's not rain but I took this picture Monday 10/2/17 and I really like it Lots of peo...

Lost in the Supermarket - Ben Folds (covering the Clash)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkHU6U_3XWs In Tampa, Florida when it comes to supermarkets, Publix wins hands down. Pretty much everyone goes to Publix to buy their groceries, or to get a really good sandwich. If there is a special deal, it's close by, or you like their fried chicken... there's Winn Dixie. If you are desperate there is WalMart Neighborhood grocery. Trying to make your money stretch, there's Save A Lot and Aldi's. There are also the grocery stores that are nice for specialty stuff but you don't go that often like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. In Anchorage, Alaska there is Fred Meyers and it's not so much like Publix as it is like Super Target. It has everything from gardening supplies to grapes to guns and things that don't start with the letter 'g'. Each store is massive and I was told that the one in South Anchorage is the largest Fred Meyers anywhere. Fred Me...

Snow (Hey Oh) - Red Hot Chili Peppers  https://youtu.be/yuFI5KSPAt4 This bottle of Funky Buddha - Last Snow rode with me in the car all the way from Tampa to Anchorage. I thought about drinking it a few times when I was by myself renting a room with a bunch of other people (March - May), but I decided to save it for when I passed my probation period. I had a probation period of six months during which I was paid one level below my salary and could be let go for most any reasons. This past week I passed that my probation period and was informed not only would I get my raise but I would be reimbursed for my background check and fingerprints (which I had to pay myself). Speaking of snow, my coworker said this past week she traveled one of the high mountain passes and there was "glitter" which I guess is code for light snow. Sure enough when I drove by some of the bigger mountains they had fresh snow at the tops. That brings me to a bet that my wife and I have about t...

My Morning Jacket - Phone Went West   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHkfMpOQfBc In Florida I had one jacket (besides dress clothes aka sport coats). The first jacket I can remember ever having was an orange creamsicle Tampa Bay Buccaneers jacket that was lined with this red faux fur. I wore it when I was like 4 years old. The times we wore jackets / sweaters / windbreakers were memorable because they didn't happen often. When I was in high school I got a letter jacket. I was always excited to go "up North" to Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, or Illinois to get to where what little cold weather clothes I had. Now I have a lot of jackets and they seem to have a specific set of conditions that I wear them for: Carhartt Arctic Snorkle Parka (green and pictured at the beginning)  - Snow and below 20 degrees, I've worn it at -40 so it works really well. North Face Jacket (yellow) - rain, wind, hiking or camping, zip-in liner when it is colder than 45 Leat...

Talking Heads " Once In A Lifetime "  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wg1DNHbNU And you may find yourself  Living in a shotgun shack And you may find yourself  In another part of the world And you may find yourself  Behind the wheel of a large automobile And you may find yourself in a beautiful house With a beautiful wife And you may ask yourself, well...  How did I get here? When I was in 4th grade they took us to Cracker County as a class field trip at the Florida State Fair. It is a permanent fixture at the Florida State Fairgrounds that shows an ideal version of 1880's Florida. They explained to us school children that a native Floridian was called a Cracker because they cracked a whip at the cattle and other livestock that they used. I thought we were crackers because we were tanned brown and a bit salty. I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. I have no problem with being called a Florida Cracker (yes I have a permanent tan). On t...