Guests are in Town

Mary, Jayme, Nelson, and Tiff starting from middle right, then far right, then middle left, then far left. Ho ho ho.

They appear to be attempting to determine just how far they hiked on their way up to Flat Top. Turns out it was 3 miles, round trip, with 1300 feet of elevation gain. They'll be here for another week or so during which time we'll be visiting Denali National Park and the Kenai Peninsula. Should be a good trip!

Moose Lays Out for the Disc

In any other state, that headline might make you think of some dude with the nickname Moose laying out for the disc in the endzone for a spectacular score. Not so in Alaska, however. Tonight, while I was out playing frisbee, a moose sauntered right across the field in between points. So, I guess it's not technically accurate to say the moose laid out for the disc, but who's splitting hairs? In any event, it was really cool to watch the moose wander across the field to the trees on the other side. At one point he did change directions a bit to check out a dog, but the dog's owner dragged him away too quickly for anything beyond that to happen.

More on Horsey

Just to provide a little clarification and context regarding yesterday's post, Horsey was brought to Alaska from the calm, pleasant environment of Northern CA by Ms. Levy, most likely unwillingly. When we discovered Horsey sitting precariously on a window ledge (where Ms. Levy hid him, it must be noted), we were shocked, to say the least. Horsey promptly informed us what Jessica did, and pleaded with us for a "Next Day Air" shipment back to CA and Ms. Levy, his true and rightful owner. However, we feared for Horsey's safety on route, so we said no. Over time, he gradually became more and more despondent, until finally the other day we discovered his attempted suicide. We believe he was so delirious that he felt death was the only pathway to a better place. He simply isn't fit for life in the Last Frontier.

Moreover, it's clear he misses Jessica like she's his own mother. If only she hadn't treated him like a piece of rubbish to be tossed away at the earliest opportunity... none of this might have happened! Now, though, there's no telling what Horsey might attempt (as for the missing snout, that was no doubt the result of another episode of depression following Jessica leaving Horsey somewhere he shouldn't have been). I can envision him turning the gas on when we're away and lighting a match, taking the entire apartment complex with him to the grave. It's for everyone's safety, not just Horsey's, that he must be tied up in a sock for the time being. If there can be only one good thing to come of all this, it's that Jessica will realize the error of her ways and take back Horsey for good!

Horsey Tries To Commit Suicide

Well, it's very sad that I have to report this, as I'm sure Jessica Levy might even shed half a tear upon reading it, but it is indeed my grim duty to inform those who frequent these pages that Horsey attempted suicide the other day. We've decided to take precautions against such a horrendous event happening again by wrapping Horsey up in a sock, as you can see below. I'm sure Jessica will approve of our precautionary measures.

In other news, we went on a long hard bike ride Sunday afternoon. The weather was perfect and the view was amazingly spectacular! I blew up at one point because I couldn't keep up with Tiff, but other than that it was really a fantastic trip. We'll have to do it again sometime soon.

Two Thumbs Down

Tiff and I saw Hot Fuzz last night. About halfway through, I decided it was the worst movie I had ever seen, and then it got worse. Tiff liked it even less than I did! It was full of senseless violence and did everything it could to overwhelm the senses at every turn. I kept hoping there would be some sudden twist to the plot that would redeem the movie, but it never happen. We should have walked out in the middle of the movie. We were both thinking about it, but didn't do it. Next time, next time...

Bigass Rainbow in the Chugach

We went on a little date this evening, which included a short hike near Potter's Marsh, and then ended with a spectacular rainbow dominating the eastern sky. Here's Tiff, reveling in the beauty of it all:

Where the Sun Never Sets

Another cool thing from the trip to Prudhoe Bay was that we were so incredibly far north! Here's a picture of me and Tiff at the official Arctic Circle sign.

Up in Deadhorse, the Sun never set while we were there. In fact, it didn't even get close to the horizon. One of the coolest things for me personally was seeing the Sun and the Moon so close to each other at such low elevations. It really hammered home the feeling that we were in a very different place. Tiff and I went for a walk around 3am after we arrived in town, and it was really really fun just walking along the road (with a bottle of wine to keep us warm) and talking at 3am with the Sun acting like it wasn't even twilight time yet.

You just knew bussmann.bigwhoop.org was going to be surviving off this trip for another few days, didn't you...

Card Carrying Members of the Polar Bear Plunge Club

We made it back from our big trip up north to Prudhoe Bay last night, without a single problem at all! No flat tires, no broken windshields! The car held up great and the trip was a blast. The big thrill of the trip was our dip in the Arctic Ocean up in Prudhoe Bay Saturday morning, when we joined the elite club of "Polar Bear Plungers" brave enough to swim (nearly naked) in the chilly waters of the Arctic Ocean. Here's a few pictures showing us in action:

Merry 4th of July!

Tiff and I celebrated the 4th of July by working, like any good American would.

Actually, we'll be taking our 4th of July holiday on the 6th of July, since we'll be leaving tomorrow after work to take the short drive up to Prudhoe Bay, go for a dip in the Arctic Ocean, then head right back home.

When Bears Attack!

While we were stopping for a quick bite of fresh air at Eagle River Campground, Tiff and I observed a couple of bears mauling each other. In all the excitement of posting the picture from the marathon, I forgot to mention that this happened (you understand, I'm sure). Eventually a third bear came along and offered to take a picture of me and Tiff as we watched the first two duke it out. Pretty nice fellow, really...