Mayday, Mayday....Alaska Calling....Mayday, Mayday............Part One....

It has been a very busy six weeks since Easter. This post, in the interest of not getting too far behind, will hopefully get me caught up. Plus I don't want my avid readers to lose interest. Do I?

Doo doo doo, lookin' out my back door. Second week of April here's the view looking south from inside the shop. Even-though we are in the throes of a "really nice break-up" the "Spinard Glacier" perseveres. The moniker Brenden gave to the giant pile of snow outside the shop.








Our weather has been unexpectedly nice. I've yet to see any rain fall to speak of. The snow is melting rapidly and without ramifications like flooding. The temps are still in the mid twenties come sun up  and rising close to fifty during the day.

The shop is almost where I want it to be. After one month of much needed cleaning, essential organization and equipment acquisitions I am finally putting a bike on the lift. The first task being to replace the oil weeping front fork seal on a 2005 Kawasaki KLR 650. The bike was sold last fall to a guy named Mike, the owner of Alaska Demolition and he wants to pick it up upon his return from Arizona next week. He initially wanted me to also complete some side work on the engine but later backed out citing a better deal elsewhere.

The first patient and the re-sealed fork legs waiting for new fork oil and re-assembly.

And here's the finished product!

Me living in the shop, in Alaska = an astronaut living on the international space station. It crossed my mind so I thought I'd share.

REI came through a day early with my new boots! The email advising me of this fact was in my gmail inbox in the morning. So, I skipped lunch and took off early from work to pick them up. They are comfortable as all get out but may prove to be too warm. Time will tell.

Afterwards, I treated myself to another meal at Bear Tooth Grill. The blackened fish tacos hit the spot as did their well-crafted ales. The craft brewing industry is thriving in the forty-ninth state and producing some very fine adult beverages! I look forward to sampling as many as possible at the sources as I explore.

Here are a couple I've enjoyed. Morning Wood IPA from the Kenai River Brewing Co. in Soldnata  http://www.kenairiverbrewing.com/Welcome.html and XXX Black Double IPA from Midnight Sun in Anchorage http://midnightsunbrewing.com/ .


Weathermen are the same everywhere. They promised fifty degrees and we only inched up to forty-eight. They really should be held accountable. Even so the signs of spring abound. Pollen in the air from the awakening flora combined with the dust from the amazing city-wide street sweeping operation. They work around the clock cleaning up all the gravel and other winter debris. I applaud them for their efforts.

In addition to the Motoquest fleet of motorcycles the shop served as winter storage for nine others. Four of them belong to Motoquest guide Ben Habecker. The KTM and Ducatti 696 are in the above photo. He also has a Ducatti Hypermotard 1100 and a cool "home-build" cafe racer version of a vintage Honda. He stopped by on his day off from being the head of Ski Patrol at Alyeska Ski Resort. The 696 belongs to his lovely wife Stacy who also works at the resort. Ben was there to ride them and tells me he'll be taking them home to Girdwood as soon as the snow clears from his place. It will be nice to have the room in the shop.

I picked Phil up at the airport on the evening of day #31. He was returning from guiding a two week motorcycle adventure in Japan. The sold-out trip had gone very well and Phil was in good spirits. He regaled me with details of  great weather and riding enjoyed by the twenty-four participants and lauded praise on me for the progress made in the shop. Then he headed to his cabin in Girdwood to recover.

Not feeling like cooking, I walked up Spenard St. about one half mile to Tempura. I'd noticed the quaint log structure while passing by once and thought I'd give it a try. Their menu is a hodge-podge of Asian cuisines including sushi, Japanese, Chinese and Korean BBQ. I settled on the Kung Pow. The miso soup that preceded the entree was really good. The Kung Pow was quite different from what I've had in the past but was well prepared and tasty! Being Wednesday business was slow. As in , I was the lone customer. So service was great! The big screen was on and the Portland Trailblazers were playing. They were not winning but after not watching for over a month it was kind of nice to see the "home team". Although, with all the changes made since my coming up here, I barely recognized the team! 

Day #32, a non-eventful Thursday had me looking forward to hitting Gwennie's after work. The beef roast special was good and the large portions guarantee leftovers. Sitting at the bar I spoke with an Alaska Airlines mechanic who owned and flew a small plane. he called himself Steve. His stories about flying made traveling by small plane up here sound like "the way" to get around. Particularly the ones about flying to secluded beaches for fishing and camping! Haven't seen him in there before. Probably won't see him in there again. The "regulars" that hang out in Gwennie's Bar are not the most welcoming bunch of drunks. 

Meet Ace and Gary. Two very popular Yamaha C3 50cc Scooters in the Anchorage rental fleet. Those SNL fans among you should get a kick out of the names given to the duo of two wheeled transporters. It gives you some incite into the sense of humor around here. If you are not familiar with the animated short that served as inspiration for naming the "scooters among motorcycles" such, check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Bj-7b0rC4&feature=related 

It's funny how a small business can sometimes run smoother when the owner is absent. That tends to be the case around here. Phil is full of energy when he returns from a tour. Said energy can be disruptive to the flow of "business as usual". On this Friday that is the case, so not much was accomplished in the shop. At least not on any of my projects. I ran a few errands for him. Going to the Garmin store and the sign shop. He also wanted me to stop at "The Motorcycle Store", the Anchorage BMW Motorrad dealer, to introduce myself and check the place out. The smallish dealership also features Triumph, Husqvarna, and Kawasaki brands. The assistant manager, Brendon, was receptive to giving me a quote on BMW parts at a discount. I like to keep the business local and his prices ended up providing a big savings. He also offered me a job which I graciously declined. I've "been there...done that".

Whilst out and about I stopped for lunch at a Schlotzsky's Deli. I'm fairly certain the place was being staffed by vampires. Honestly, I have never seen skin as pale white as the counter people and cooks had at this joint. The turkey sandwich was good but I sat with my back against the wall keeping an eye on these undead while I enjoyed it. 

Arriving back at Motoquest I meet Burke and his friendly canine companion, a lab/pit bull mix named Della. Burke is a welcome frequent visitor during the season. He always brings beer! We spoke of his Suzuki DL650 and the fact we had some parts he may be interested in. He was. This mans knowledge of all things Alaska is remarkable! Oddly he comes from Montana. Spent some time in the Puget Sound area and ended up in Alaska. Since meeting him I have learned enough historic facts to fill a book. One such item of enlightenment concerns the trees and how they have evolved to survive the bitter cold. It seems, according to Burke, that up in the frigid climes they drain themselves of their pitch/sap in the fall so as to prevent cracking when they freeze. This, in turn, makes them weigh half as much and very dry when harvested in the dead of winter, which the gold rush folks of the late 1800's figured out made great boats to float the Yukon River to the Klondike in quest of the shiny metal.

Ready to ride!

Brenden called a safety meeting after work which ended up with all of us down at the Lucky Moose for beers and wings. Nora made an appearance as well. Back at the shop I readied KLR #19 for a ride on Saturday! A 2008, blue, single 650cc cylinder, Kawasaki with a little over twenty thousand miles on the odometer would not be my first choice but beggars can't be choosers.

Day #34. Girdwood was the chosen destination for my inaugural ride in Alaska. The hamlet is about forty miles from Anchorage in a southerly direction. Including two and a half miles the town was moved up the road after the 1964 earthquake completely destroyed it. You have to pass through Girdwood to get to the Alyeska Ski Resort. Phil's cabin is there. Benny and Stacy live there too.

Temperatures warmed up to the low forties by the time I was suited up and ready to ride. No heated grips on the KLR and the discovery I'd forgotten the power cord to my heated vest. The sun was out so I was pretty comfortable without electrics. Initially that is.

View of Turnagain Arm from Chugach Forest Service Visiter Center.

My intention was to follow Old Seward Highway out of town and logically it would run into Hwy 1/Seward Highway. Simple enough, unless you miss the on ramp to the highway when it is still a full blown freeway. Without warning the road begins to climb into the mountains following long sweeping corners and the road is now Rabbit Creek Road. I was enjoying the riding and didn't figure I'd get too lost. Skimming across the foothills of the Chagach Mountains the road becomes Hillside Drive and the grand view of Anchorage gave me a clue I was heading back where I began. Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.....under my helmet.

Eventually I was heading in the right direction again. Leaving the city behind me as the freeway became a highway and began following the shores of Turnagain Arm. So named by non other than William Bligh. The would-be captain of the ill-fated HMS Bounty. Bligh served under Captain Cook on his third attempt to locate the Northwest Passage. The "arm" is one of two at the end of Cook Inlet. The other being the Knik Arm. Both formed by rivers and run-off spilling into the inlet. Neither being the NWP.

It felt good to be riding again. A month is too many days to go without saddling up. My first ride of any distance on Kawasakis' venerable dual-sport KLR gave me the opportunity to see what I thought about the bike. Plenty of power, good handling (even with knobbier tires & steering head bearings in need of replacement), and a comfortable riding position made for a nice package. Heated grips would have been nice.

A cutting wind was blowing off the water laden with giant chunks of ice and I began to feel the cold. The Kawasaki was getting pushed around a bit and took some effort and concentration to keep on track. I tucked in as much as you can on a KLR which helped a little. Plus the destination was near. With all this going on I still managed to take in the stunning vistas surrounding me. Snow covered mountains rising sharply to dramatic peaks envelope both sides of the fjord. It was too damn cold to stop for a "Kodak Moment" so no photos this trip except for the one take looking down from Forest service road and this one of the KLR in the parking lot of the Ranger Station.

Downtown Girdwood, AK

Warmed by the break I re-mounted and pointed the blue bike towards Girdwood. As the road climbed, weaving through  forested areas I noticed the trees were larger and heartier in appearance. Somebody later informed me the high amount of rainfall (over 45 inches annually)  qualifies the region as a temperate rain-forest. Looked like it was going to rain to me.

http://www.silvertipgrill.com/

Almost missed the turn to the main area of town. Looked like just another driveway into tiny mountain retreat sub-divisions. I rode up and down the main drag returning to what looked like the most promising of the eating establishments. The Silvertip Grill is a bistro atmosphere, wedged into an oddly configured interior, housed in typical mountain architecture, kind of a place. Just my style. The food was good enough, nothing memorable though. The full bar offered a nice beer selection and some how they cram live music in the place. I was not unsatisfied.

Another bear in front of a business.

I think this is Phil's dog Sky chillaxin behind the Silvertip.

 A smidgen of rain pestered me as I began to leave town. The ride home was uneventful and since it was later in the day, a little warmer. I did run out of gas just as was cruising at top speed on the freeway portion of the Seward Highway. Pulled over and switched the fuel tap to reserve and #19 started right up. I was back at the shop in no time.

Statistically, ninety-two miles were covered on a three hours day-ride. A fine first motorcycle trip in Alaska!

Bear Metal was basking in the sun on this fine Sunday, April the fifteenth. I snapped this while taking off for a walk up Spenard Road. Stopped in a couple of "hippie stores", as the locals call these little import stores, and checked out the House of Hobbies. The hand-crafted radio operated planes hanging from the ceiling reminded me of the ones my Dad used to build. Nipped in to the Brown Jug Liquor Store, which are all over town, and scored a nice Black IPA.

I walked by the "Alaska Cremation Center" and could not pass up photographing the truck and trailer belonging to "The Mushin' Mortician". Not something you see everyday. You don't see many cemeteries either. Hard to bury a fella with thirteen feet of snow on the ground.

Sled Dog Trailer

Thanks to my Dad,I now have the cord to my heated vest. He located it in a pocket of the riding coat I had used last before departing. The parcel sent via USPS Flat Rate and received  in a few days.

Thus the fifth week of my Alaskan Adventure comes to an end watching episodes of "Pawn Stars" via the internet and enjoying a tasty brats and sauerkraut dinner.

Day # 36 Sure signs of springs arrival are appearing. Besides the snow melting, birds other than the ominous and revered raven have begun to fly by. While sitting outside of the shop I had my first Alaskan Eagle sighting! I was  on the phone to my mother and a relatively small bald eagle glided between me and the Harley store. He was only about fifteen feet above the ground. A few gulls have wafted by squawking as they do. Then they all flew furiously back the direction the eagle had come from. The gulls ganging up on and pursing the national bird. Some sort of turf war I reckon.

Now half-way through the month of April, morning temperatures hover around the mid-thirties. Bright sunshine has been the "norm", warming into the mid-forties. Warm enough for Robyn, Brenden and Phil to have Taco King deliver their "picnic lunch" to enjoy in the parking lot on Wednesday. Even though it's only forty-three, the sun makes it all good!

Received a kind and thoughtful package from Greg this week. Some wonderful artwork by McKenzie and Haley wrapped around a bag of home-baked cookies! Very nice surprise indeed. The cookies were not intact but tasty nevertheless.

I was  deeply saddened by the news of an old friends' death. Having not seen the man in years, memories are the only tangible ties. The kind experienced in youth and etched into your permanent data bank. The fact  his demise was the result of a motorcycle accident makes it even worse. My good friend "G" notified me. His grief saddens meas well. R.I.P. Alex Poe.

I went over to Gwennies' after work and tipped one back in his memory. Might have been more than one. Had some pretty good pea soup. Listened to the tales and rantings of Joe. He has lived behind Gwennies' on a couple acres long enough to know everything there is to know about Spenard and Anchorage. He stumbled out the door, climbed into the seat of his front-loader and drove through the lot to his place. Funny guy, Joe.



Had an opportunity to hang with about forty Alaska "Deadheads" on Thursday night. The local Century 16 Cinemas was hosting a one-night-only showing of the entire July 18, 1989 Alpine Valley Music Theatre Grateful Dead Concert. The previously unreleased film was two and a half hours of classic Dead! Thank you for a real good time.....

Got "a wild hair" Friday night and worked late into the evening preparing a suitable spot for the new guy to hang his hat. The back door was open and the music was blaring, so I failed to notice the presence of at least one moose a few steps away from where I was. I took a break and walked outside to sip on a cold adult beverage when I almost stepped into a pile of fresh steaming moose poop! The cumbersome creature could have waltzed right into my kitchen! Engrossed in moving, organizing and cleaning the only available corner of the shop, I did not see a thing.


Take a look at the space I created for Alex from Ohio. After a couple of weeks habitation Alex has made it livable. His personal touches include hooking up his laptop computer to the unused flat-screen television to stream video, scoring a larger, more comfortable cot from Phil, and using the shelving as his clothes closet. Oh, and we ended up creating a tire fort around him. Mostly because that's the only space to store all the tires we've got.

















And the tire rack is full!

April 21, 2012, a Saturday. Day # 41

Not working today so I slept in until nine. "Mittens" (Jasons' nickname) had rented a BMW G650GS for today but the battery was toast. So, even though it was my day off, off I went to Batteries + to fetch a new one. After I installed the battery I went over to Gwennies' for some stick to your ribs breakfast and respite from the shop environment. Just kind of hung around the shop afterwards bullshitting with Mittens and whoever stopped by. There's always somebody poking their head in the door to say hello. "Ducatti Mark" dropped off a tire he wanted swapped out and the beer to trade for the labor. That happens a lot around here too; beer getting traded for stuff.

During the winter Alaska Leather has a "movie night" once a month. The owner, Barb, clears out the merchandise from an area of her motorcycle accessory store, sets up chairs and shows a motorcycle themed film. A pot-luck affair attended this evening by about forty enthusiasts. It's a way for the biker community to gather when riding is not in the picture. Ironically the film chosen was one I had watched on some cable channel one late night while packing to come to Alaska. A 1971 Don Marshall documentary style film following three era typical riders on an adventure from Colorado to Panama. A pretty cheesy Easy Rider inspired story with drive-in movie charm. I had a good time watching it again anyway.

After grabbing an extra hour or so of sleep, Sunday morning brought crisp thirty-five degree weather. The Anchorage H.O.G. {that's Harley Owners Group) was amassing for a group ride' I'm told the they are quite fond of riding in herds. This particular event was in honor of Earth Day. Some gal passed out green ribbons which were then affixed to either the bike or the rider in various fashions.

Not wanting to trudge across the lot through this "lot" I jumped into a project. The two shop refrigerators were in dire need of a good douche. I filled a full-size garbage can with old food from both machines!  The oldest expiration date was on some condiment and was 2007! Now the beer-fridge is clean and solely dedicated  to cold beverages. The fight for food-storage in the other one is on. I just put my stash in a plastic bin and set it in the bottom where the shelves are missing and nobody used the space anyway.
 a guys gotta eat.

Speaking of eating. While doing laundry at Coles on Fireweed Lane I went next door to "Hula Hands" to grab some lunch. As you might have guessed from the name it has a Polynesian cuisine. The Hawaiian "plate-lunch" featuring Kahlua Pork was worth returning for and a bargain at $7.50!   http://www.hulahands.com/index.html

Ol' "Bear Metal" has completely awaken from hibernation on this, the forty-second day of my sojourn.
Tomorrow Alex from Cincinnati, Ohio gets into town and a new chapter of the Motoquest saga will commence.

Mayday,Mayday...Alaska Calling...Mayday,Mayday...Part Two to follow soon.

The One month Report....

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." Bob Marley


I came across this quote while searching the web for a pithy summation of the first month of my "Alaskan Adventure". These words, like many of those by reggae's most iconic figure, really ring true for me.

Zen philosophy keeps me rooted in the moment. "Be here now" has been my credo for a long time now. Nevertheless, "the unexamined life is not worth living" also strikes a chord within me. So periodically I pause to take stock of whatever path I'm on and where it might lead me. This is such a moment.

 The past thirty days have rocketed by! My work has been both interesting and afforded some degree of challenge. As the season gets into full swing this will continue and intensify I'm sure.

 Observing what goes on in this place, originally called Alaxsxaq by the native people, has been an experience unto itself. Hesitating to reaching any sweeping appraisal based on a small glimpse of this vast and mysterious land mass, some haunting impressions stand out.

 I've come in contact with what seems like an inordinate amount of "lost souls". Those fellow beings with blank stares and far away gazes. A good amount of them have been native in appearance but others have encompassed all backgrounds and heritages. The young Caucasian pounding feverishly on the shop door, insisting on entering, his head rolling around in uncontrolled gyrations comes to mind. The numerous  wanderers marching up and down the sidewalks shouting obscenities equally to everyone and no one. The groups of young people squaring off for violent confrontations in the empty parking lots. When discussing these matters with more "normal' folks they immediately cite the many dubious records held by the forty ninth state. The most alcoholics per capita, most domestic violence per capita, most rapes per capita and on and on. There appears to be a consensus of self-loathing going on. Everybody acknowledges the fact that litter is everywhere but just shrug in acceptance. All surrounded by incredible natural beauty! Needless to say, somewhat troubling to any compassionate human. I will keep looking for the positives. That is my nature.

I have met some very nice people as well. Most of them twenty-something in age, but seemingly more mature and jaded than what you might expect for that generation. I sense a helpless acceptance of their lot in life. Having not recently been in such youthful company it caught me by surprise. This quiet desperation.

More observations to come but now for an update of the daily grind. The work-week progressed nicely. Clear and the high twenties in the morning was the pattern until Friday when everything was coated with fresh white snow! About an inch and it stopped. No record yet.

Monday evening I tried desperately to watch the final game of the NCAA basketball tournament on the CBS Sports Website. We have a terrible internet provider on this end of town and the feed was frustratingly sporadic. Every fifteen seconds the screen would freeze as the buffering tried to catch up. From what I did see, I figured not much was missed. Kentucky won, just as expected by just about everyone.

Spoke to many friends and family members this week which is always welcome.


If it's Thursday...it must be Gwennie's! Enjoying tall Black IPA when the number and variety of individuals approaching the bar caught my attention. They were purchasing some sort of raffle ticket, filling in the lines and depositing them in a five gallon red can. When curiosity finally got the best of me I queried Carol the bartender. Handing me a brochure she explained that the brochure would answer all my questions.

Turns out for the last ninety-six years folks around these parts have had an ever increasing annual money pool now named the "Nenana Ice Classic".
The bounty goes to the fortunate party/parties that selected the very moment a tripod positioned out on the frozen water at the confluence of the Nenana and Tanana Rivers up near Fairbanks sinks into the water. It seems to be a big deal!
The rush was on because it was the last day to buy the tickets and everyone in town was sold out except for Gwennie's.Last year three lucky souls split over $300,000!
Now, not being adverse to a game of chance myself, I picked up a couple of tickets, briefly studied the statistics printed in the brochure and selected a couple of times. Into the red bucket they went. Wish me luck! You can follow the action on the website. http://www.nenanaakiceclassic.com/

Had another Patty Melt with the Alaskan Black IPAs and enjoyed the company in the bar. Interesting stories and banter from the regular patrons, most of whom are pilots of one sort or another.
Back at the shop the internet connection was good so I caught up on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. A couple of funny guys that induce one to exercise the grey matter.

As I already mentioned, I awoke Friday morning to thirty three degrees and snowing. Even though there was a great deal of snow everywhere when I first arrived, I had yet to see it snow in Alaska. The fresh white coat cleaned things up a bit visually as well.
Forgetting loads of people get Good Friday off as a Holiday, I made the mistake of going to Costco to pick up shop supplies and such. Big mistake, but once you're in...you're in. Appeared to be half of Anchorage milling around in the joint. On the upside there was someone on every isle giving out free samples of just about anything and everything. So that was lunch.

The town needed two more inches of snow to break the all-time record. Saturday, April 7th they would get it, one hundred, thirty four and one half inches! I just happened to be in town to be part of that experience. So...I got that going for me. The snow lasted all day. Big cloud-like flakes wafting to the ground.

I bagged plans to go downtown to the Motorcycle Show and went to Coles Laudromat again as my clean clothes were far out numbered by the ones in need of a wash.
That task behind me I wound up at The Peanut Farm. Watched a replay of the Master golf tournament on a couple of the big screens, had a mediocre pizza washed down by a locally brewed ale. I was sitting at the bar and the gentleman to my right struck up a conversation. He was up here for a week or two, from Ft. Worth, TX installing cell towers to be used by the government only. In the name of "public safety". After we had talked for awhile something was said that revealed that I too was new to Alaska. To which he replied. "Really, I thought you were a local".  What do you think? Here I am standing by the, only recently able to be opened, back door.

I received a nice package from the Wilsons today! It contained the swag I would have received had I been back home to participate in the FFMC Spring Opener Ride. Thank-you Wilsons & Freeman!


Slept in a little and took a shower for  the second day in a row. A first time occurrence since I've been here. Reason being, Brenden invited me to an Easter Brunch at his and Nora's apartment. Nora being his lovely, young girlfriend originally from New Jersey. They did a great job feeding and entertaining a good number of people in a small area. I was impressed. Beginning the festivities as the guests arrived, we were charged with "hunting" for small, colorfully wrapped bottles of Champagne. Once found a Mimosa was the reward! The potato latkas were the hit of the food offerings. Particularly when David (a friend of Brenden and Nora's, not me) whipped up a really good hollandaise sauce to go on top. I enjoyed meeting all eight of their friends and was grateful to be included. A fine time was had by all! Happy Easter!


Later that evening I watched a free download of the classic film "Lawrence Of Arabia". Still holds up after all these years!

As the one month point of this saga approaching is when I found myself stepping back to take a look, so to speak. It has been quite a whirlwind since, as Phil says, "I took a leap of faith".

Treading water in the deep end of the pool waiting for whatever comes next. That analogy occurs to me as I sit staring at a large map of the world on the wall while eating meals. Pondering how nice traveling before passports were needed must have been. When the adventurous were driven by curiosity. In a world not being strangled by greed and fear.

They cleaned the gravel off the parking lot today. Very cool.

Some more snow shots.....

Ending a post once again with a shot of ol' "BEAR METAL" looking none too happy to be blinded by the snow!

Peace out.

chief

Break-Up Coming on Fast!

Boy, the local folks have been telling me, winter turns to summer real fast when it happens! I think it's happening At the start of my third week in the forty-ninth state morning temperatures jumped to the upper twenties. Each day seeing the mercury rising to the high thirties, low forties.

I'm getting settled in to the routine of being back on the job. Kind of weird living where you work/working where you live. On the other hand I'm bunking with a bunch of motorcycles! Which I will be riding any day now! And it sure saves on gas. Regular is going for around $4.25 a gallon now. I'm told that will change drastically in a months time. And not for the better!

Phil and Brenden were back to work on Tuesday after taking Monday off to recover from their northern expedition. Not one to let moss grow under his feet though, Phil flew out early on Wednesday for two weeks to lead the "Japan Three Island Tour". http://www.motoquesttours.com/guided-motorcycle-tour.php?japan-three-island-tour-20 .
I volunteered to shuttle him to the airport at six in the morning. It turned out to be a "good thing", as on the way we encountered an enormous bull moose! He was just crossing the road down the street between a couple of the hotels. Even Phil commented on his size. No photo though. Had to get to the airport and did not have a camera on me. So at least I've got that going for me now! No doubt the first of many by the time this sojourn is completed.

My project this week has been to construct a rack to hold the tires in an orderly fashion. Attempts made to procure one ended with no luck. So I traipsed off to Home Depot to forage the materials needed. "Snoopdawg", the moniker given by me to the HD associate, was quite helpful in spite of his extremely long fingernails. He even cut an eight foot 4x4 down into six pieces at no charge for me. Here's what I ended up with back at the shop.

Then some painting was in order.

Here's the finished rack. That oughta hold some tires! And maybe withstand an earthquake!

Thursday was my fathers 82nd birthday! So of course, in absentia, when I went over to Gwennie's for my weekly visit I raised my glass in admiration! Happy Birthday Dad!

On Friday I went out to lunch with Brenden and Jason. They chose Ray's Place. Unassuming from the exterior, the Thai, Vietnamese cuisine was very good. My choice was the Ginger Halibut and I was not disappointed. Funny card for an Asian joint. Some fat white guy fishing on a dock somewhere. Maybe that's Ray. Next time I go there I'll try to get the scoop. There will be a next time for sure!

The week passed quickly, as time seems to do up here, and Saturday found me hanging around the shop. As noted in the previous post, this site did some sort of upgrade and I lost all my work. So most of the day was spent re-posting while watching the final four games on the work computer. Greg texted a photo of Davids youngest son Kyle with Senor on his knee. Nice to see he's made himself  "right at home". The bird, that is.

Sunday morning, after a quick shower, I made my way over to the "Peanut Farm", a popular sports bar out on Old Seward Hwy. While enjoying a huge plate of corned beef hash I watched the two World Superbike races from Imola, Italy on one of their many large screen televisions.

This place can hold a crowd!

Afterwards, it was off to Walmart where I picked up a new pair of Wranglers for $10.58. Due to packing restrictions I only brought one pair of jeans with me and needed another pair for work. Also bought a hair clipper in anticipation  of the day when all this wool becomes a hindrance. I'll be sure to post before/after shots of that occurrence.

To close this post here is another photo of "BEAR METAL" to show how much snow has melted this week. He'll be on bare ground soon. Pun intended.

Well that's all for this entry. The roads are clearing up rapidly. I'll be able to get out and about on the bikes soon. Then maybe there will be something interesting to post. Until then. Enjoy your "break-up" where ever you might be.

Peace out.

chief

Weekend Update...An Alaska State of Mind.

Thought I'd open this post with a photo I named "BEAR METAL".

He stands sentinel out in front of the Harley shop. You will be seeing him periodically as sort of a "bench mark" to show the changing weather conditions.

A side note regarding this post. I had this entry almost complete and ready to post when last night the host site saw fit to "upgrade" the program. Unfortunately, one minute I'm proofreading and the next I'm staring at a blank screen wondering what the hell just happened! This is an attempt to re-construct the original post. So bear with me.

Work week number two would hold more of the same. Cleaning, organizing and preparing for the rapidly approaching riding season. Temperatures remain in the single digits as the days begin, approaching high twenties to low thirties in the afternoons. Myself and Jason, the office guy, holding down the fort while Phil, Brenden and Jim spend the week up north.

Cleaned up the oil barrels. One holds fresh oil, the other used oil for recycling. It seems the used receptacle overflowed sometime last season and nobody bothered to clean up the mess! What a chore! Moved them closer to the door setting them on a swell pallet I found behind Walmart. Thanks Walmart!

Next came the parts washer. I considered the oil drums a dirty job but resurrecting the horribly neglected washer was beyond the pale! Probably one of the grossest tasks I've ever tackled. Filled with five gallons of some sort of smelly, filthy brown liquid with two inches of sludge covering the bottom. It was barely usable. 

After taking way too much time cleaning, disassembling/reassembling the pump, a new sludge pad and a can of red paint the unit was like new! Check it out. 

I'll add the ten gallons of fresh solvent later. 

So it is Tuesday the twentieth at 11:47 pm. I'm shutting down the computer and getting ready to hit the cot for the night. Suddenly the floor feels like it moves four to six inches! A feeling not unlike being on an elevator that comes to a stop then drops a bit. 

My initial response, having recently heard of many roofs collapsing from snow loads, was to look up at the ceiling and the bowing between the massive girders. You cannot see the bowing very well but you can see the girders. Ruling out a cave-in I deduce we've had an earth tremor. So, with the adrenalin pulsing through my veins causing my heart to beat rapidly, I pace around wondering if this is the beginning of the "BIG ONE". This is the result of the last major quake from 1964. 

The "crack" meanders the entire length of the building. It's not the only one. Just the main vein. I estimate the elevation difference from the northwest corner to the southeast corner to be at least twelve inches! Upon relating the experience to my co-workers I was scoffed at and told to "get used to it". Turns out it was a 3.5 on the scale and was centered nearby.

I don't believe I've delved into this subject yet. The Anchorage drivers are very aggressive! Granted, I have not been piloting a four wheeled vehicle much as of late and may be slightly tentative. Nevertheless you have to be ready for anything. Especially with the current road conditions.

Time seemingly goes fast up here. Already my eleventh day in Alaska and it's Thursday. In the attempt to hold on to one habit I walked over to Gwennie's for a cold one. Shanahan's it isn't but the Alaska Black IPA tastes mighty good after a hard days work! Had a damn tasty patty melt too.

The forecasters are calling for a warming trend and maybe snow in the next few days. They desperately want to break the all-time record  in Anchorage. We'll see.

On another subject. The only signs of Moose I've yet to see are these. 

Then my friend Keith sends me this text photo taken by a guy he knows who lives in Anchorage.  My chance will come. Just a matter of time and being at the right place at the right time. This is in downtown Anchorage!

Next thing I know...It's the weekend! Awoke Saturday to twenty three degrees and sunshine! making the most of my little "kitchenette" it's bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. 

Caught up on some of my favorite television shows on the net whilst enjoying my first Alaskan latte from the Black Bear Coffee stand across the street. Cute little native college girl served up a fine cuppa with an even finer smile!

Then it was off to find Coles Laundromat. After two weeks it was time to freshen up the wardrobe. Passed the time making phone calls, doing the crossword puzzle from a left behind newspaper and taking notice of the coming and goings of the busy coin-op wash house. The owner is a friendly Asian fellow who works as an airplane technician during the week.

Cruised back to the shop for a late lunch some meditation and more WWF on the computer.
Have to admit of feeling a wee bit homesick for the first time today. A photo of my grandnephew Marquise, the young son of my sisters oldest, posted by his Mom initiated the stirrings. I realized how much he, along with all the other youngins in the family, will change/develop in my absence. I'm grateful for all the technology that keeps us virtually connected !

What a beautiful Sunday morning! Help, I'm a rock....

Following a nice warm shower and a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios I grabbed the video and still cameras, jumped into Old Blue and ventured out into the world! West towards the Cook Inlet was the direction chosen for my first exploration of the area. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

That's Anchorage across the Cooks Inlet.

A closer look.

Anchorage airport with the Chugach Mountain range in the distance.

A snow fence?

On the way back into town a stop at  REI was in order where I picked up an awesome deal (50% off plus another 20% off) on a lighter pair of North Face boots via one of their seasonal sales. They had to order them in and I'll post a pic when they arrive for all you gear-freaks out there.

Then I treated myself to lunch at a well recommended brew pub. The Bear Tooth Grill was a scant block away so I left Old Blue in the REI lot and trudged on over. The place lived up to the hype! A very good pulled pork sandwich was washed down with their own ESB. The service was exemplary. The atmosphere refined but relaxed. Adjoining the grill is their theater showing relatively recent movie releases while the patrons enjoy a meal and libations. I will return.

Well that about sums it up. Phil and company got back that evening and were plum tuckered out from their snow machine outing. Two weeks have transpired. So far, so good!

Thanks to all who are following these ramblings. In particular to those who leave comments. Keep 'em comin'.  

Peace out. 

chief