The Accidental Olympian

SNOWY

After looking at a computer all day, blogging for work, social media mastering, newslettering, emailing, creating and functioning, I come here and.... nothing. There are things that are bursting to come forth, ideas, questions, comments, and yet. It's not time for them to appear. So I wait. And twiddle my thumbs. Read the works of others and wonder when the flood gates will open. And in the meantime? Pictures of cold things. 

MADE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE

As the darkest and most gloomy part of the Alaskan winter set in, people began asking me (mostly relatives) in why in the hell any of us ever choose to live up here in this cold dark nothing. They usually asked me this question when I told them the sun came up that morning at 10:30am, and was setting at 3:30pm, oh, and did I mention it was also negative 11 degrees outside?

But it's simple really. 

One minute it's like this. 

And on the shortest day of the year you're absolutely APPALLED by how low the sun is at "high" noon. You shudder because you know that you are smack in the middle of some of the darkest time you've ever lived in, and yet, you made it this far, so you remind yourself it can only get better from here. Tomorrow won't be as dark as today, the next day a little lighter, and on and on until summer is here. 

 

Before you know it you know you look out your window and surprise! Where you had become used to seeing complete and utter darkness as early as 3:30pm, suddenly you realize the sun is setting, and it's only 4:15!!!!!

You may even find yourself jumping for joy. 

Maybe you'll even send pictures to your family talking about how excited you are, and they might begin to worry about you. 

But you don't care because IT'S STILL SUNNY AT 4:15PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And if that didn't make you happy enough, not a few weeks later you look out the window and yet again, Alaska surprises you with a slowly fading sunset at GASP, 5:15. 

After the solstice we were only gaining a handful of seconds, hardly even a full minute of extra daylight with each passing day. Now we're nearly into February and everyday we're gaining minutes upon minutes of extra light. Suddenly I can remember that world of too much light. Realizing that I'll actually use my blackout curtains before I know it. 

Thank you Alaska for having light related A.D.D. and never letting us get used to one type of daylight for too long. 

Oh, and for moose. 

Damn I love those goofy animals. 

WINTER IN ALASKA -- & WHY WE PUT UP WITH NEGATIVE 20 DEGREE WEATHER

#SURVIVINGANALASKANWINTER

*conversation Adam and I had this morning*

 

Me: We can DO THIS! 

Adam: What? You mean survive the night that never ends? Points to my office window where at 8:30am it is still completely pitch black outside and we're not even close to the sun rising for a couple more hours.

 

Me: Yeah. There are only 7 more days until the winter solstice, and then things start heading in the other direction!

Do you think there are any winter solstice parties or festivities that happen downtown?

 

Adam: Yeah. Basically everyone just tries not to commit suicide. 

 

Me: I don't think we should take your parents to something like that. 

OK NO MORE COMPLAINING. INSTEAD, PICTURES!

Tori was right. Yesterday's post was a big o'l smathering of #employedpeopleproblems. 

Note to self: Sure, it sucks to work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but HI, you have a job. One you LOVE, and one that let's you work remotely from Alaska in yoga pants. BUCK THE FUCK UP. 

So on that note, pictures!

 

 

No joke, the most beautiful book I've had the pleasure of looking through in years. There will be a few people unwrapping this beauty from me come Christmas time. Intrigued? Learn more at welcometothearctic.org. Want one? Let me know and I'll hook you up with a Black Friday discount I just so happen to know about... MUAHAHAHAH!

 

Even the local moose are out hunting for Black Friday deals in downtown Anchorage! 

 

Adam and I are the proud owners of cross-country skis as of this week (damn you winter you're breaking the bank!) and last night we tested them out in ONE DEGREE weather, at NIGHT. Well, I mean the sun did set at 4:30 pm, so I guess it wasn't really nighttime as much as just dark, but I think you get the point.

I'm told we can't even consider ourselves "Alaskans" until we make it through our first winter, but I'm hoping things like one degree night skiing will help with our street cred in the meantime. 

 Happy Wednesday everyone. Here's to hoping you get today off.