Holy Hopping Hamburgers!

Was it really November 2nd that I posted last? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

Oh, yeah. It's a serious disease called overworked. Still trying to find a cure. Maybe it's karaoke.

I still don't have a real normal schedule. I'm still mostly working open to close most days of the week. There have been numerous personal problems abound amongst my coworkers and I'm doing my best to keep things running smoothly.

So I still haven't had much experience with the Alaska that everyone brags about.

Here's some of the odd things I've encountered.

A few days ago it was regularly in the 20s during the day. As we were going home from work, we could see the big electric billboard that displays the temp and the time and it said it was 18 degrees out.

The next day we wake up and the temperature has shot up about 20 degrees. It's been over 40 for a couple of days, just now starting to drop down to the mid 30s again.

My first thought was: Did I hibernate and miss winter? Is this the spring thaw? All the snow was melting and there was no longer any ice on the ground! This is a place that is not supposed to see dirt from November through April!

The other weird thing is the panhandlers. No one told me they were mean!

In Anchorage, I was approached by a lady who talked very fast, but I got the gist that she was asking for spare change. I took quick stock of my situation. My money was in my wallet in my back pocket under a thick jacket and a couple of shirts. There were several other individuals around, mostly guys, and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell I was taking my wallet out when someone could just snatch it away and take off.

So I very politely told her I had nothing to give her and she moved on.

I guess I've mostly lived in places that were so large, you never run into the same person at random again.

A few hours later as we were coming out a restaurant, here comes that same panhandler. She's waving her fist in the air and shouting, "You didn't give me any change!" When she reaches me, she punches me in the arm and walks on.

Logan and I stared after with our jaws wagging. I couldn't believe the nerve of this woman.

So I know what most people are thinking. What good is your second degree black belt if you let mean little panhandlers get a whack at you?

Well, it was a sad punch, kind of like what you see little kids do to each other to annoy each other before they go running off, crying for mama.

When Logan and I finally started off down the street, I said, "I hope it made her feel better."

And I truly hope it did. At least I was able to do something for her, even if it was only to be a punching bag.

If I ever go to Anchorage again, I'll make sure I keep some change in my pocket.

My coworkers joked that I should have given her one of our $10 off coupons. You have to spend $50 to be able to use it.

I'm not that cold.

Thanksgiving was so strange without the family. We spent it with the boss man and his wife and a few other managers from work. It was good food, though I missed my mother's gravy over rice. And the company was friendly and cheerful enough, but I still nearly busted out in tears when a song my father sings came on the Dish Network music channel that was playing.

I missed Nino's huge bear hugs that lift me off the floor, discussing Tamora Pierce's books with Alex, swapping jokes with my cousins, playing guitar with my dad, making fun of my mother's failed science experiments in the kitchen (though I heard the gravy was fine this year. How boring is that?)

And I have to figure out what to do for a Christmas tree this year. I can't buy a potted one because I'd have to ship it to mom and dad's to be planted. Do I want to cut one down or buy a cheesy plastic tree? Are there Christmas tree farms here? Or is the whole state a Christmas tree farm?

It's getting toward midnight here, which means close to one in California. I want to say thank you to the people I don't know who are reading this blog. You're the reason why I'm posting tonight.

Yes, Mom, Dad, Myndi-bunny, Matthew, and Tiffy. I'm posting for you, too. But the nice comment left on the previous post by someone I've never met stoked my spirit for writing again.

Thank you, thank you, thank you readers. I appreciate you so much.

Karaoke, anyone?