The Cloudy End of the First Week

I made it through the first week without freezing to death - but it is summer time in Nome, so I expect to remain in thawed out mode for a few more months! The average temp this week was about 50! I thought I would be cold walking to work in the morning in the 40 degree breeze, but it's humid, so I would be sweating by the time I got to the hospital, a mere 10-12 minutes away!! It was the most uncomfortable feeling. It reminded me a lot of college, when I would walk long distances to class in the winter, then enter a building that was 72 degrees and feel like I had walked into a steam room! I think the hot/cold issue might be genetic - thanks Grandma and Mom!!! :)

The picture above is in the living room in front of our Best Buy TV from Anchorage trying to exercise my abdominal muscles while being lazy. It only took about a week for the TV to get here. There are only 2 planes that fly in and out of Nome each day, so if you send something in the "express" mail, it will be expressed to Anchorage, then promptly sit there for another 2 days before boarding a plane over to the my neck of the woods.

This is the picture of my 1970s room...or the floor at least. Doesn't it remind you slightly of the hotel from The Shining!!!??? I will learn to adore this room, as much as I adore the overcast sky and windy breeze.
This is one of the two framed pictures we have in the apartment. This specific picture is a poem written by an unknown author, found in an abandoned dogsled on Front Street in Nome. If you don't know the history of Nome (which I am still learning myself), Nome is where the Iditarod race ends. I have yet to figure out why the keep saying the word MUSH in this picture. Maybe they're hungry and want some cream of wheat? :) just kidding.


And here is picture number TWO in the apartment...it's a lady on the beaches in Nome, digging for gold. When gold was first discovered here in the summer of 1899, anyone was free to mine an area as wide as they could swing a shovel. THe mining "claims" changed each time the tide went out.

Oh my last blog I was talking about the neat spider lamp we had, so here you go, there's a picture of it for your viewing pleasure!! :)

In the area of 4th street where we live, it's mostly a residential area, and the majority of people have some form of transportation. I laugh every time I walk by this ambulance with big monster truck wheels!! It's hilarious. I guess they won't get stuck in the winter if we have a blizzard! We also have the blue school bus next to the blue house that adds some amusement to my mornings!
People here have a variety of vehicles that range from snow machines (I was educated on the proper terminology- it's NOT snowmobile here, it's snow MACHINE:P) to trucks with actual chains on their wheels - quite a frightening image. I would stay out of the way if a truck with chains was meandering down the street toward me!

I have been walking everywhere in town this week since I don't have a truck yet. There IS a 1985 Isuzu stick shift with only 67K miles on it for a mere $5500. Seems steep to me, but I have been assured that this is a good deal. Joe (my boss) told me that 1 mile driving in Nome, is equivalent to about 4 miles in the lower 48 due to the harsh weather conditions. I can believe it!! Nothing here looks new, absolutely nothing! New cars are shipped in twice a year on a barge which leads to a mark-up of about $2-3,000 minimum. The first barge came in last Saturday, so people are trying to sell their used cars now. Not sure what we are going to do about this Isuzu - I'm not at all excited to learn to drive a stick shift, but I guess it's a good time to learn where the roads are flat and the only thing I have to worry about hitting is a random kid on a bike or a 3 legged dog! (not that I would hit either of them)

Joe told me that the people here ship tires up to Nome from surplus stores because the low end tires here start at $200 a piece!! There is a place called the "annex" where bigger items that can't fit in the regular post office are kept. It's probably the only place in the country where people go to the post office annex to pick up tires!! I thought that was quite funny- but practical!

I did have the pleasure of riding in Joe's "6-wheeler" today when I accompanied him to a meeting with some important lady- can't remember her name (early Dementia). I thought it looked more like a golf cart on an ego trip, but when I had to put on headphones to block out the noise, I stopped referring to it as a golf cart! Those things have some power!

Well, it's almost 1AM and I need some sleep! I have a big day planned tomorrow. It's supposed to reach 60! (WOO HOOO) I'm heading out with the travel PT who is here for another month, Joni, to an area north of town (I think). Hopefully I'll have some good pictures to entertain you when I return!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far, and I miss you all like crazy.
Until next time, God bless.

Lauren