Hard to port

Yesterday afternoon we went on a tour of the Port of Anchorage, which was a good deal more interesting than it probably sounds. Until sometime in August, the port is giving bus tours of its facility and the expansion it is currently undertaking. The tours are available on Sundays from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. with a bus leaving the departure point every 30 minutes. Our group was a mix of locals and tourists, and it was surprisingly popular, considering what it is. You get on the bus with a guide who works for the harbor and who tells you what you are driving past. I won't give anything away, so as not to spoil the ending. :) However, a surprising lot of stuff flows through this port, and the statistics will give you some things to think about. If you are inclined to think about that sort of thing...


The highlight of the tour is a stop at the operations (I think) building, where you will be offered a hot dog cooked by the director of the port, a nifty little presentation, and a view of port operations. We stood on the building roof, watching a crane operator lifting shipping containers off a barge and loading them onto trucks with breathtaking precision. It was, no kidding, really fascinating. Also, the drivers that drive the containers away have personalized their vehicles with flags - some have pirate flags, one had a diver's flag - that sort of thing. So we had fun tracking which drivers were coming and going. They were also giving awaycoloring books concerning the harbor, which we looked at for our godson, who was born in Alaska. They were lame, though. But hey, they're free! We didn't take one anyway. After enjoying the splendor of the loading/unloading operation, you get back on the bus and go back to the starting point. All in all, it is maybe 1/2 hour to an hour tour.

A few words of advice - it is a closed and secured port. This means, among other things, that they will check your photo ID - we saw people getting turned away who did not have any. You will not be allowed to take photographs. You will not be wandering around unsupervised. That said, if you have any interest in this sort of thing, it is well worth the time.

Air Travel - getting there is NOT half the fun.

Jane here.

Well, I'm finally home again from my last work trip. I was finishing out a job for my soon-to-be previous employer which I have done. Thank God! Air travel, which used to range from fun to only mildly trying, has gotten absolutley hideous. Now in addition to the security measures (which I understand the purpose of but which are dreary and time-consuming and kind of humiliating for everyone involved) and the inevitable delays and cancellations, you can count on your flight being jammed to the rafters. In order to make each flight pay, the airlines have to fill every damn seat. This leads to the overselling of each flight, which the agents won't tell you that you're a standby, so that you have that excitement to look forward to on top of everything else. Also, since their extremely wise move of charging for each bag, every passenger seems to be trying to drag their every possession onto the plane with them, starting storage space wars that have to be seen to be believed. Now, I understand that airlines are businesses, and I understand that between fuel prices and the regulatory environment, they are hard pressed. But holy cats! There has to be some better way to handle all this stuff.
Part of the blame has to be put on the passengers - to all of you who will be getting on a plane at any point ever, I say this..."Be part of the solution and NOT part of the problem." Since so many people who travel seem to have been raised by wolves and therefore are not acquainted with some basic manners, here are Jane's rules for getting along on a plane.

1. Just check your damn bag. Check it. It will get there. Just pay the $15. Stop trying to jam a case the size of a refrigerator under the seat. It won't fit, so just grow up and check it.
2. When the steward/ess/es tell you to get to your seat and get out of the aisle so everyone else can proceed, just do it. You, personally, are the reason we will be getting out late. Sit down and shut up.
3. When it is time to turn off electronic devices, that means you too. Everyone staring at you while you finish your stupid coversation is not thinking what a powerful, successful person you are. We are thinking what a jerk you are and how much we hate you.
4. Unless you are a six foot tall person who is actually going to sleep, do not recline the seat. Yes, of course you can, but if you choose to, it means you are a selfish jerk. Personal space on a plane is extremely limited, and you are taking a significant amount of someone else's. This rule is suspended for a redeye, where EVERYONE is basically going to recline the seat.

There are probably more rules, but this is what I have now.
But as for me, I'm through. I'm home now, and I'm staying home. Sorry for the rant/diversion - I'm just really tired, and more than a little annoyed. Next post - more about Alaska!

Hi All, Art here. Long -time-no-blog. Things have been busy here since our stuff arrived from PA. There's alot of organizing, putting away and getting reaquainted. Also there is some re-evaluating going on. Some things that you haven't seen in 2-months make you wonder; why did we pay to ship THIS here?
The weather here has been cool and VERY rainy. I'm told it's unusual for summer and that the rainy season is Aug/Sept. I think at this point its been cloudy for about 2 weeks. That said, it's over 90 & humid in PA so I'm not minding the coolness. The locals, who look forward all winter to the short summer, are getting kinda bitter about it. The Joke is; "I did summer in Alaska......both days!"
So, with Jane being away, I'm spending my time indoors, setting up the apartment as best I can in my 'guy' way. Almost everything made it here and very little was damaged. A few words about our moving team:
The originator in PA, L&J Movers in Reading, were very disappointing. Their cost/weight estimate was way off which cost us hundreds of extra-$$. Then they neglected to pay the transfer company in WA, which delayed delivery.
The Transfer guys in WA, Worldpack, put a hold on our delivery which is perfectly understandable. My beef with them is that they didn't contact me to inform me that L&J hadn't payed them! When I finally called them, it was a simple matter to call L&J and demand action.
The delivery agent here in Anchorage, Alison's Relocation, was mostly OK. The delivery guys were very good. Thanks again Rob & Sam! The company though, I would describe as unresponsive. They did only one time return a phone call from me. Guys, is it so much trouble to pick up the phone?...
Anyway, we are almost all the way here. Jane is off in FL again on another 2-week work trip. Once she finds a job up here, we'll be Alaskans in toto......
I'm missing you, Jane!

DMV - hell no matter what state you are in...

Jane here.
So we went to the DMV today to get our Alaska licenses. We got up at the crack of dawn - not really, about 7 a.m. - to go to the DMV. Art had been advised by his coworkers that you really need to get the DMV immediately when it opens or else you will be there all day. So off we went, aiming to be there a bit before 9. We were, but it turns out it doesn't open until 10. So we goofed around for a while, went to Barnes and Noble to book shop, etc. When we got back, the parking lot had about 5 or 6 vehicles in it, and it was about 9:45. One guy showed up in a taxi and made his way to the door, which opened the floodgates. Then everyone had to get in line. We wound up as numbers 5 and 6, which was pretty good. A shouting lady told us what to do: fill out your form, come over the the info desk and I will give you the written test, then you go to the waiting area and sit until one of the stations (work desks) calls your number. I told Art "I know why this state has so many unlicensed drivers...this is too complicated already!" As the chaos of the initial rush settled down, we filled out our forms and went with our ID documents to the lady who would give us the written tests. Then it all went to hell. Art's documents were fine, so he was allowed to proceed. I, on the other hand, had only my social security card, my driver's license from PA, my hospital-issued birth certificate and proof of address. Nothing doing - I need a state-issued birth certificate. Well, I don't have one. I will have to see what I have to do to get that now, but it's going to be fun, that much I know for sure. Anyway, Art passed the written test - he said it was hard, though we had been through the practice test online a couple of times. However, the waiting part was not as horrendous as it could have been. Because we got there early, he was able to go almost right away to the next stop, which was a lady at a station. So after a while of that, then he got his picture taken, and then waited some more for the license to print. And then we were free!

Then we had some lunch at the Moose's Tooth brew pub and pizzaria, which was excellent. After that we went to Title Wave bookstore. There are a couple of these bookstores in Anchorage, and they are excellent! The have a broad variety of books, both new and used, as well as some music (not a huge selection) and movies. Also, they have a lot of neat gift and toys - Anne Taintor stuff, Archie McPhee toys, etc. But the best part is the books - they have a lot of both fiction and non-fiction and a big section of Alaskiana. I always find something interesting there, and it's a fun store. After that, we went back to the Alaska Botanical Garden. We had been there before and really liked it. About a month had passed since we were there, and it was neat to see how much some of the plants had grown, and which flowers are in bloom now.

So anyway, I'm counting the day as a semi-success. Art got his license, and since he is working in Anchorage and I am still coming and going for my job, if one of us had to get their license ASAP it was him. At least I got some pizza and book shopping in the day, and I guess that's something!

50 years young

One thing the casual observer may not know - this is the 50th anniversary of statehood for Alaska. I certainly had no idea up until a month or so ago. Last week when I came home from a business trip, I was making my way through the airport to the baggage claim with my fellow passengers, when we passed under a banner announcing some 50th anniversary celebration. A father and his young son were behind me, and the boy asked his father about the sign. The father replied “Oh, no. That must be old and it’s here as art or they forgot to take it down. Alaska’s much older than that.” They then launched into a debate about whether the sign could have meant that Alaska was the 50th state. I couldn’t help myself, and turned around to set them straight. “Oh, no.” I said, “Alaska is the 49th state, and got voted in by congress as a state in ‘59, which then got signed into law in early ‘59.” I didn’t remember exact dates, but I did at least refrain from asking the kid if he knew what the 50th state was (Hawaii, for those of you playing along at home). I am a very new Alaskan, but a proud and reasonably well-informed one.

Bears vs. Gangstas - which would win?

Last week when I was out of state for work, the customer with whom I was working asked how I was doing in getting used to Alaska. We talked a bit about the climate (love it!) and the geography (varied and interesting) and so forth. One of the things I mentioned was how much nature mingles with the city. What I told her specifically was that the local paper and its website has a prominent, running feature concerning bears - where they have been seen in the city, how you should handle yourself around them, and so on.

Now, we live in Anchorage, the largest city in the state, but there are lots of wide-open spaces all over the town. Moose are often wandering around the streets near where we live. It is not unusual for Art to see some of them hanging out by the highway "Like they are waiting for a bus" as he puts it. I grew up in a very rural area outside of Allentown, PA, so wilderness is not strange to me. But this is surprising - it is much wilder than the wildest places I have been on the East Coast.

Just a few days ago, a girl participating in an all-night bike race was attacked and mauled by a bear. This is not all that unusual of an occurrance. I was telling this client about this, and she said, somewhat wistfully, "That's the kind of scary news you want to hear." I questioned her on this, and she followed up with "Around here, people get shot by gang members."

She has a point. I think I prefer the bears.

Best. Weather. Ever.

Today it got up into the 60's. In July! Although everyone tells us this is unusual and it should be warmer, this temperature for the heights of summer are OK by us. I cannot count the number of times over the years that one of us would turn to the other on some nice cool day in spring or fall and say "If summer was like this, I wouldn't hate it so much." Well, now it is. Days like this are the real reason we moved up here. Yeah Alaska!

Midnight Fireworks and Scenic Overlook

Jane here again...
I have been away for work for the last two weeks, but I got back in on July 3, and after a good night's sleep (very long flight from the lower 48), we were ready for the long July 4 weekend!

Friday during the day we unpacked, as our stuff finally got here! There weren't too many damages, so that was great. At first it looked like SO MUCH STUFF, but after we started unpacking we realized a good percentage of the bulk was wrapping materials and awkwardly packed items, so there really wasn't as much as it seemed at first. It wasn't that exciting a day except to us. Unpacking was like Christmas - you unwrap things and go "Oooooo! Martini glasses!" "Look! Our fridge magnets!" Even though we were unwrapping our own stuff, it's been so long since we've seen it that it all seems like new things.

Then in the evening, we went to fireworks, because it is the 4th of July, after all. Fortunately we don't have have that much of wildfire danger in Anchorage unlike so many areas of the country. They were like firework anyplace, basically. The big difference was that they had be held at midnight - the sun didn't set until around 11:30. Even still it was only kind of twilight-y, but still, fireworks are fireworks!

This morning we woke up late and went on a little adventure. We drove to a scenic overlook of Anchorage and its surrounding scenery. You drive up and up and up, up a mountain to the Chugash State Park. There are a variety of different trails you can follow. Other hikers, who were taking it much more seriously than we did were taking what looked like very difficult trails up to much higher vantage points. We weren't dressed for anything like that, so just took a nice easy walk to a lookout platform. Nothing but beauty in any direction! Mountains to one side of us, Anchorage and Cook Inlet to the other side....words can't describe it. In addition to the beautiful scenery, there were also interesting plants and wildflowers all around us. We spent quite a while up there, looking around. We will be going back, maybe even dressed and equipped to do one of the tougher hikes!