Two boring things:
1. I don't think there is a way for me to see who is following by email. I can see who is following this blog with a blogger/google account, but not by email as far as I know.
2. I only recently realized that if I edit a blog (for typos, embarrassing cliches I didn't notice til days/weeks/months later) people who follow by email get an email for every single edit. Oops! For that reason I am trying to cut down on the edits. Love you!
Tuesday, May 29
Things I Need From Civilization
I asked someone who is going to Wasilla this week to buy me three things from the Wal-Mart there.
1. Blank cd's. The other week I drove a nice couple who were staying at the lodge to Denali, three hours north. It was the first time I had ever been north of Talkeetna. I made a hundred dollars.
Their accent was not familiar to me, so I asked where they were traveling from. "We start in Quebec," the wife said. She pronounced it, "Kee-bec." Huh, I thought. I've been pronouncing it wrong. We tried to talk about the weather where I am from versus the weather where they are from but were thwarted by the fahrenheit/celsius conversion. Then we tried to talk about gas prices where I am from versus gas prices in Alaska versus gas prices where they are from, but were stymied by gallon/litre converson. The car fell silent and I thought, I wonder if the real reason the US refuses to convert to the metric system is so small talk with foreigners will be difficult and we will remain in an ignorant bubble.
Anyway, it turned out they were from Brazil and had started their vacation in Quebec. We all had a good laugh when I explained I thought they were from Quebec. This was a preposterous assumption to them, probably because (from what I hear) Brazil is one of the best countries.
On the drive home alone I could not get any radio stations to come in and I did not have any cd's with me. I let the radio search continuously for a clear station and tuned out the static. The whole drive back, the only song that came in was "Cheap Sunglasses" by ZZ Top. I realized how good of a song it is. Then a bird smacked into my windshield and probably died.
I could go online and buy a tape-to-iPod converter thing... like that fake cassette you plug into your iPod to trick the car into thinking your iPod is a tape... but I like the idea of making cd's more. The challenge of picking songs I will not immediately get sick of. Trying to balance upbeat songs with slow songs. Trying to put some ones everyone knows on the cd's so that when I drive the taxi in town, my drunk friends will ask me to turn it up.
2. Bug spray. Did you know if you get too many mosquito bites it turns into leprosy? Little-known fact. I can't believe I forgot to pack bug spray after last summer. Not much else to say about this one. Except that I am really sick of the joke where people call mosquitos the state bird of Alaska. I might start saying that mosquitos are the state flower. Or the state dog. Each state should have a dog. Why not? I should try to start that.
3. Glue. To make these. I already have watercolors, and cardstock in the form of discarded hotel key envelopes. I've got big plans to turn the flowers into a crown and wear it on Solstice. I haven't yet tried to make them because I am still enjoying the fantasy stage of the project, where it is really fun to do and turns out beautifully.
1. Blank cd's. The other week I drove a nice couple who were staying at the lodge to Denali, three hours north. It was the first time I had ever been north of Talkeetna. I made a hundred dollars.
Their accent was not familiar to me, so I asked where they were traveling from. "We start in Quebec," the wife said. She pronounced it, "Kee-bec." Huh, I thought. I've been pronouncing it wrong. We tried to talk about the weather where I am from versus the weather where they are from but were thwarted by the fahrenheit/celsius conversion. Then we tried to talk about gas prices where I am from versus gas prices in Alaska versus gas prices where they are from, but were stymied by gallon/litre converson. The car fell silent and I thought, I wonder if the real reason the US refuses to convert to the metric system is so small talk with foreigners will be difficult and we will remain in an ignorant bubble.
Anyway, it turned out they were from Brazil and had started their vacation in Quebec. We all had a good laugh when I explained I thought they were from Quebec. This was a preposterous assumption to them, probably because (from what I hear) Brazil is one of the best countries.
On the drive home alone I could not get any radio stations to come in and I did not have any cd's with me. I let the radio search continuously for a clear station and tuned out the static. The whole drive back, the only song that came in was "Cheap Sunglasses" by ZZ Top. I realized how good of a song it is. Then a bird smacked into my windshield and probably died.
I could go online and buy a tape-to-iPod converter thing... like that fake cassette you plug into your iPod to trick the car into thinking your iPod is a tape... but I like the idea of making cd's more. The challenge of picking songs I will not immediately get sick of. Trying to balance upbeat songs with slow songs. Trying to put some ones everyone knows on the cd's so that when I drive the taxi in town, my drunk friends will ask me to turn it up.
2. Bug spray. Did you know if you get too many mosquito bites it turns into leprosy? Little-known fact. I can't believe I forgot to pack bug spray after last summer. Not much else to say about this one. Except that I am really sick of the joke where people call mosquitos the state bird of Alaska. I might start saying that mosquitos are the state flower. Or the state dog. Each state should have a dog. Why not? I should try to start that.
3. Glue. To make these. I already have watercolors, and cardstock in the form of discarded hotel key envelopes. I've got big plans to turn the flowers into a crown and wear it on Solstice. I haven't yet tried to make them because I am still enjoying the fantasy stage of the project, where it is really fun to do and turns out beautifully.
Hospitality
At the hotel we have a radio code for when a toilet is clogged up.
"Front desk to janitorial."
"[Bulgarian accent] Janitorial here, go ahead."
"We've got a code 917 in room blah blah."
"[Bulgarian accent] Room blah blah, copy that."
917 is the only radio call we have, other than "code red," for an emergency. But I don't think "code red" is really a code, because it is obvious that it indicates an emergency. (Or that someone needs tampons I guess.)
Sometimes I wish we had more radio codes to save guests from other kinds of embarassment. Here is one half of two conversations I just had:
Answering the phone:
"Front desk!"
...
"To cool the room down? Um, just - if you turn the thermostat down, the room will get cooler."
...
"Just like um, turn the knob to the left? And the room will cool down. Do you see the thermostat?"
...
"Okay, so turn the dial on the thermostat... the dial? The thermostat dial... do you want me to send someone to your room to show you?"
...
"Okay. No problem... bye."
Into the radio:
"Front desk to janitorial."
...
"Can you... go to room blah blah and show them, uh... how to turn the thermostat down?"
...
"Thank you."
"Front desk to janitorial."
"[Bulgarian accent] Janitorial here, go ahead."
"We've got a code 917 in room blah blah."
"[Bulgarian accent] Room blah blah, copy that."
917 is the only radio call we have, other than "code red," for an emergency. But I don't think "code red" is really a code, because it is obvious that it indicates an emergency. (Or that someone needs tampons I guess.)
Sometimes I wish we had more radio codes to save guests from other kinds of embarassment. Here is one half of two conversations I just had:
Answering the phone:
"Front desk!"
...
"To cool the room down? Um, just - if you turn the thermostat down, the room will get cooler."
...
"Just like um, turn the knob to the left? And the room will cool down. Do you see the thermostat?"
...
"Okay, so turn the dial on the thermostat... the dial? The thermostat dial... do you want me to send someone to your room to show you?"
...
"Okay. No problem... bye."
Into the radio:
"Front desk to janitorial."
...
"Can you... go to room blah blah and show them, uh... how to turn the thermostat down?"
...
"Thank you."
Saturday, May 12
3 Things
1. I found a t-shirt at the Free Box that has the lyrics to Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" printed on the front of it.
2. I came up with a new mixed drink called High-Heeled Boots On the Rocks. At the river, there is nowhere to walk but on rocks, and it is hard not to stumble.
3. I ate nothing but carrots and Cinnamon Life for a few days because I had no other food, no ride to Cubby's, and the food at Nagley's is outrageously expensive.
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