An Alaskan Abroad

Kuba and Mikulas

Kuba and Mikulas this morning at the park near our flat. We had to abandon Rock Creek Park because the park police were hanging around. I saw some other people with their dogs off-leash, but decided not to take any chances.

Now that the dogs have had their run, I'm going to go get mine in. I went to the fitness practice on Thursday and my hamstrings are still sore.

Park

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Congratulations

to Mitch Seavey on winning the Kusko 300 this year. Special congratulations to Quinn Iten on finishing the race – which I assume was ran as a qualifier for the Iditarod. I'm sorry I'll miss the after party at Tomas' tonight.

Inauguration Day

Not a lot of photos from the inauguration today. In fact, just one. We drove in at 6 a.m. and hung out in my office until 10 a.m. By the time we went down to lawn to use our purple tickets, the line was around the block and showing no sign of movement. (Yes Kristen, you were right.) We quickly decided that we were not going to make it in by 11:30 a.m., so I gave away my ticket – to an Alaskan – and we zipped home to watch on television. E kept her ticket as a souvenir. From the news reports, it sounds like we made the right decision. Lots of people with tickets said they couldn't get through security in time.

New guitar

E playing my new guitar. I sold my Telecaster last year and have been guitarless ever since. Stephen over at the Guitar Shop talked me into this Augustino LoPrinzi. It's the size of a classical guitar but has a big steel-string sound. It was a bit of a splurge but it plays great.

Sarah dolls

D.C. bookstore Politics & Prose is selling paper cutouts of Gov. Sarah Palin. They also have Obama paperdolls, but I'm sticking with our Alaska theme here at AA.

Ta sighting

Well, not really a sighting but an update. Ta Brant – former ADN, ANI and AK Press reporter – was recently named Pennsylvania's first Wilds ombudswoman.

Here's excerpts from the press release put out by the Pennsylvania Governor's office:

Brant will travel through the 12-county region in north central Pennsylvania, known as the Pennsylvania Wilds, to help small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs develop services that will encourage the growth of tourism in the region and to provide information about financial and technical assistance available from the commonwealth....

Prior to her appointment, Brant managed two canoe and kayak liveries along the Allegheny River, doubling the revenue at each business and creating new jobs. She published a guidebook, "The Allegheny River Paddling Guide," highlighting businesses and communities along the first 45 miles of the river. Brant also has been a journalist, most notably at the Anchorage Daily News, where she served as senior breaking news and military reporter for the paper, the second largest daily in Alaska. Brant is also a Medill War Course Fellow, one of only 13 journalists nationwide selected to attend the Washington D.C. symposium, which teaches reporters how to handle war zone hazards, including gunfire, kidnappers, mines, and security checkpoints. She is also a multiple recipient of several Alaska Press Club awards, including best general news story for her Indonesia tsunami coverage, and was named Alaska Press Woman in 1998 and in 2004. Brant has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public communications from the University of Alaska Anchorage and has studied at the University of Montana and Carlow College in Pittsburgh.

I see the ADN was demoted to only the second-largest newspaper in Alaska. I wonder if Ta was thinking the News-Miner was the largest. Ahh... wishful thinking. Best of luck to Ta.

Hot Wheels

Anyone have a spare $40,000? I stumbled across the classic car dealer Flemings Ultimate Garage in Rockville this weekend. The shop is a teenage boy's dream. The perfect place for a mid-life crisis. There were a number of Mustangs, including Cobras, but my dream car has always been the '65 fastback above. Luckily, I just bought the Jeep – otherwise I might have done something rash.

Sunday

Kuba in the new apartment.

Kuba

Kuba exploring downtown Indianapolis.

Indiana

Back in DC after a week in Indiana visiting my mother and family. My 87-year-old grandmother ended up in the hospital after suffering a heart attack. She recovered well enough to win her release before I had to return. Still, it was probably the last chance I'll have to visit with her.

Cindy and Beth (formerly Badger) outside Cindy's home in Martinsville.

I also had a chance to catch up with a number of old friends from high school. The trip left no doubt that the middle of the country is in a deep economic funk. Jobs are disappearing and there's nothing sprouting from the fallow fields to fill the void. There was never an abundance of opportunity in the middle anyway – that is why youth flees – but now even hope seems to have abandoned the Heartland.

I enjoyed my time with family and friends. But I found the grim economic realities up and down Hwy 37 completely depressing. 

Inauguration digs

If anyone is planning on coming to D.C. for the inauguration and has not yet found a place to stay, I have a friend who's renting his apartment for the week for $2,000. OK, that sounds like a lot, but try to find a hotel within 60 miles for less. The nice thing about this apartment is that it's within walking distance of the Capitol and right on the Metro line. The apartment is a fully furnished 425 square-foot studio. It has a living bedroom area with a double bed. A futon that sleeps two, a separate small kitchen and a full bath. Interested?

Sold?

Well, someone still has disposable income in this economy.

Halfway home