Looking for a place to live

I've officially begun looking for a new place to live. My lease here at the Wasilla apartment complex (which I fondly refer to as the "ghetto" or "slums") runs out at the end of September, and while I could sign a new lease, or stay here on a month-to-month basis, I'd like to move to a quieter area, and a smaller town.

Cold November rain ... in July

Bundled up in a semi-rainproof jacket and hat, I went for a walk last night around 9 p.m. in a cold November rain. That wouldn't be too bad, except for the part where it's only July 27th. Most neighbor's fireplaces were in full use, while one man in a jacket, smoking a cigarette, mowed his white-topped weeds with his lawnmower. Temperatures were in the upper forties, and the rain was really just a light drizzle, no big deal.

A knock on the door

There was a knock on Al's door, and he answered it, expecting to see his neighbor who he loaned some money to. Instead, the neighbor who lives across the hallway was standing there, with the door to her apartment open. There were three apartment doors on the second floor landing, and her door was directly across from his. The other apartment door was just to Al's left, and the stairs leading to the parking lot were to his right.

Mac online backup solutions

I just updated a couple of articles on the devdaily website, and I thought I'd note them here.

These updates were inspired by a story from one of my neighbors yesterday. We were talking outside, enjoying the cool weather, and he told me that he used to live in an apartment complex in Palmer, Alaska. One night, just as he went to bed, there was a pounding on his door, and people yelling everywhere. His apartment complex was on fire.

Alaska gave me gallstones

Lately I've been seeing references to a principle known as "Occam's Razor", which in modern media is popularly interpreted as, "the simplest explanation is usually the correct one." Using this principle, and recent facts, one thing is very clear: Alaska has given me gallstones.

Here are the facts:

Notes from the asylum

Okay, whatever I wrote before about it raining in the morning and then clearing up in the afternoon ... apparently I lied. Since that post it has rained non-stop, and I haven't seen direct sunlight since ... I can't tell you when.

A "new" recliner

To work on my attitude, I took yesterday off, and went shopping. I actually lucked into a used recliner at the local Salvation Army. A new recliner would cost $400 or more, but I bought this recliner for $60, plus another $15 to clean and repair it:

Wailla teenager dies in ATV accident

One thing I haven't written about in a long time is the large number of ATVs that people -- mostly children -- ride in Alaska. Along the sides of most roads in Alaska, there are dirt roads, and kids ride ATVs and dirt bikes all the time. They drive fast, pop wheelies, jump over driveways. At first it's quite a novelty, and then it becomes just another fact of life about living here.

Big earthquakes pounding the Aleutian Islands in Alaska

Wow, for the last few days earthquakes have been pounding the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, including this 6.7 magnitude earthquake. With the larger rectangles showing larger earthquakes, this image from the USGS website says it all:

Wasilla, Alaska weather

As I wrote earlier today, it does rain a lot here in Wasilla, Alaska. After writing that, I decided to do a little research, and went back to one of my favorite city-related websites, city-data.com.

To give you an idea of how much it rains in Wasilla, or at least how cloudy it is in Wasilla, here are images from several different city pages, including Wasilla, Alaska; Boulder, Colorado; and Louisville, Kentucky:

Sarah Palin's Wasilla

Although I try to stay away from politics on this website, I have to say, I'm curious to see if Sarah Palin will run for President in 2012, and if she does, what will be said about Wasilla. As I've written here several times, Wasilla isn't so much a town or city as it is a spot on a map, a series of strip malls in a geographic area that are collectively referred to as "Wasilla".

Alaska - a "negative tax" state?

As I've mentioned here, I've been sick for the last six weeks, losing 30 pounds in that time, and during my visits to several Alaska hospitals and doctors, I asked why there are so many retirement facilities and "senior care" facilities in Alaska. I always knew there was a senior center in Talkeetna (near the Y), but when I was looking for a place to live this spring, I'd often think, "That place looks nice", only to find that it was either a low-income housing facility or some sort of senior care facility.

Cheechako and Sourdough

When you come to visit Alaska, don't be surprised to hear the terms "Cheechako" or "Sourdough". Currently I'm a Cheechako -- a person who claims to live in Alaska, but hasn't lived here for a winter yet.

Conversely a Sourdough is someone who has lived in Alaska for at least one winter, and more typically has lived here for many winters.

Wasilla restaurants - Best restaurants in Wasilla, Alaska

It's been a little while since my last post about Wasilla restaurants, and while I've had a stomach ailment that caused me to lose 30 pounds in six weeks, I keep asking locals what their favorite restaurant in Wasilla is, and Piccolinos and The Grape Tap are still mentioned more than all others.

Quite by accident I drove by Piccolinos last week, and I can tell you it's in the Shoprite shopping center on the north side of town, on the George Parks Highway. They serve Greek and Italian food, and now that my stomach is on the mend, I look forward to visiting there soon.

"It sure can rain here"

Yesterday a tourist realized I was a local, and struck up a conversation. "It sure can rain here", he said. He and his wife have been here for the last week, and each morning has started with a heavy downpour, raining so hard you can't imagine that it's going to do anything other than rain all day.

Talkeetna, Alaska lodging information

I lived in Talkeetna, Alaska for nearly six months in 2007, and I now live just down the road in Palmer, Alaska, and still visit Talkeetna as often as I can. For me, Talkeetna is an "adopted home town", and it will always hold great memories for me.

I haven't stayed in all the Talkeetna lodging locations -- and new lodging options keep popping up every year -- but I do know many of them very well.

Talkeetna, Alaska hostel information

I lived in Talkeetna, Alaska for nearly six months in 2007 -- just across the street from the Talkeetna Hostel -- and I still visit there as often as I can. For me, it's my adopted home town, and I may move back there in the fall. I haven't stayed in all the Talkeetna lodging locations -- and new options keep popping up every year -- but I do know many of them very well.

Talkeetna, Alaska cabins

I lived in Talkeetna, Alaska for nearly six months in 2007, and I still visit there as often as I can. For me, it's my adopted home town, and I may move back there in the fall. I haven't stayed in all the Talkeetna lodging locations -- and new options keep popping up every year -- but I do know many of them very well.

So, in an effort to share this information, here is some information about Talkeetna, Alaska cabins, including phone numbers and map locations.

Talkeetna, Alaska Bed and Breakfast locations

I lived in Talkeetna, Alaska for nearly six months in 2007, and I still visit there as often as I can. For me, it's my adopted home town, and I may move back there in the fall. I haven't stayed in all the Talkeetna lodging locations -- and new options keep popping up every year -- but I do know many of them very well.

So, in an effort to share this information, here is some information about Talkeetna, Alaska bed and breakfast locations, including phone numbers and map locations.

The Seward, Alaska military resort

If you happen to be a member of the United States military, you have a really wonderful benefit in Alaska, as you'll have the opportunity to stay at the Seward, Alaska military resort. I remember the first time I drove past the military resort in Seward, and not knowing what it was, I thought, "Wow, this looks like a terrific place to stay." Then I saw the military resort signs, and while I worked for the DoD for several years, I haven't been a member of the United States military, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay there.

Two polar bears ... dancing

I ran across this photo of two polar bears "dancing" today while walking through a building in Anchorage. This is one of the great things about living in Alaska, you'll often see great photos of wildlife in regular business buildings. This photo of the two polar bears was hanging in a hospital corridor.