The ***OFFICIAL*** Weekend Singles' Thread -- "Alaska Singles Thread (January 05 - 07, 2007,)

various | 5th January 2007 | Proud_yank

[snugs]

The 49th State - The Last Frontier
by proud_yank

Having recently moved here, I thought an Alaskan Singles Thread would be pretty fun.

Alaska is the largest state in America, roughly twice the size of Texas (sorry Texas!).

Putting Alaska into perspective. The Aleutian Islands over California, and South-eastern Alaska over Georgia.

An interesting fact I learned the other day is that in addition to being the Western and Northern-most state, Alaska is also the Eastern-most state too. The Western tip of the Aleutian Islands is just West of the International Dateline.

Alaska can be separated into five regions. The Far North (Also known as the 'North Slope') extends from the Brooks Range (the Northern-most extension of the Rocky Mountains) to the Arctic Ocean. Here are some photos of the Brooks Range, and the North Slope region. Barrow is the most Northern city in America. For fun, here is Barrow's weather.

Most people in Alaska live in Southcentral Alaska (Anchorage), and then the Interior (Fairbanks). Temperatures in the interior are sometimes colder than in the Arctic. Western Alaska is famous for the finish of the Iditarod dog-sled race in Nome. Southeastern, and the Interior, are famous for the Klondike gold rush.

Juneau, the state capitol is located in Southeastern Alaska. As a staunch conservative, it makes me smile that the govt. is located somewhere that can only be reached by boat or plane :-).

The Regions of Alaska

There are lots of moose here, and you really have to be careful driving. In the winter moose will come down from the mountains, and casually stroll through downtown Anchorage. We had one right outside the front door of our main office today! Other animals here include caribou, grizzly, polar, and black bears, muskoxen, beaver, otters, wolves, wolverines, tons of birds, and lots of delicious fish!

Some other interesting info about Alaska....

At 20,320 ft., Alaska has North America's highest peak, Denali.
State bird - Willow Ptarmigan.
State fish - King Salmon.
State tree - Sitka Spruce.
State spore - Dog mushing.
State animal - Moose.
State flower - Wild Native Forget-me-Not.
State song - 'Alaska's Flag'.

Eight stars of gold on a field of blue -
Alaska's flag. May it mean to you
The blue of the sea, the evening sky,
The mountain lakes, and the flow'rs nearby;
The gold of the early sourdough's dreams,
The precious gold of the hills and streams;
The brilliant stars in the northern sky,
The "Bear" - the "Dipper" - and, shining high,
The great North Star with its steady light,
Over land and sea a beacon bright.
Alaska's flag - to Alaskans dear,
The simple flag of a last frontier.

Here are some of my photos that I've put online so far

[WFTR]

I have screws, a plate, and some kind of T-bar in my right wrist they are now a permanent part of me.

How did you manage that?

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

I spent the whole new years weekend in Carson City (Nevada). I gambled, won. Gambled, lost. Gambled some more, lost some more. Had to cease and desist from the slot machines. (I'm a slot machine junkie.) Played the Star Wars one again, which is my favorite.

[WFTR]

I will try to locate an old one to use 'til I can get to the hardware store tomorrow...

Wal-Mart may have one tonight.

[ilovew]

Oh, thanks. I was just having the plate removed from my ankle. I went in Wednesday morning and was home that afternoon. They move quick these days :) The surgery itself took less than an hour.

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

Motorcycles are wonderful things until you realize there is nothing between you and the ground.

How was your New Years?

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Well, I got a call from an old employer I hadn't heard from for the last year and a half. Calls me up right before Christmas and offers me a job, right over the phone, just like that. Well, I hemmed and hawed cause I was already employed. I made really good money where I was at now, but the job was growing increasingly unstable. Well, this morning I go in to the office and I find out they made some more changes to my position and postponed something they were gonna do that they were promising since August. Well, that did it. I called my old employer back and told them I want the job, and it was settled. So at about 11:30am this morning, I told my supervisor I was giving my notice…and today is my last day. Here’s my badge, here’s my laptop. Good luck to ya. I’m outta here.

So my new job starts the following week, so I get all of next week to play and sleep and be merry and get my life back once more.

YIPPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

How's the Alaskan life going for ya?

[WFTR]

I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. When will you be fully functional again?

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

My last name has evolved also. A lot of people have trouble with mine too.

Are you of Russian, German, or Other heritage?

I apologize if I am being nosy.

[ilovew]

That sounds very exciting. I'm glad everything worked out for you :)

[WFTR]

My New Year hasn't been very good. I've been sick all week. On Monday or Tuesday, I e-mailed the Human Resources lady to ask whether she had any answer to the question that I asked before I left for Christmas vacation. She still didn't have a real answer. At this point, a part of me really wants to leave. I love my boss and my co-workers, but I don't trust the company.

I hope 2007 has been better to you so far.

[ilovew]

I can kinda walk now. The pain is only because of the staples, not the ankle. And I go back in a little over a week to get the staples out so I hope my ankle will be better than it had been.

[RockinRight]

Congrats Max! Glad to hear it.

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Hey Dmitry!

Read your profile. Is that a picture of you? (nice!) I used to live down the street from a Denver Bronco (when I lived in Denver), back in 1977. Otis Armstrong. Ever heard of him? I used to play with his daughter when I was a kid.

[ilovew]

It's fine :) My name is German. My mom's brother still spells it wrong and my parents have been married since 1978.

[proud_yank]

Thanks! I'll try to find some more photos and neat links tomorrow. I was in a rush, since I've started working.

I really need to put my photos of the drive here online... one o' these days!

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

Yes that is me. I have been a Broncos fan since birth, I remember Otis Armstrong the running back, I loved him and Rick Upchurch. I am jealous of you. :)

[WFTR]

I'm glad to see that things are going so well in Alaska for you these days. I'm really glad that I didn't set you up with my employer. My pension issue still hasn't been resolved, and I'm mad enough that I'm starting to work on my resume.

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Hi Kate! Thanks!

How was your New Years? Did you say your plate is coming out? How long did you have it in?

My brother just broke his left foot two days ago. Rolled my dad's ATV over, and stuck his foot out to stop it...as an automatic reaction. Broke it in three places and got all kinds of metal drilled in him as of last night. The doctor performed surgery in the middle of the night.

[WFTR]

When do you start training for the marathon again?