Death and the Arctic

People are still chuckling about the vampires. My Dad was actually in Barrow, AK a few years ago. he said he was assigned a young Native lad with a rifle over his shoulder to escort him wherever he needed to go. One morning he showed up at the hotel with no hat on and said, "It's -90. You'd better stay in today." Also, I looked up "utilidor" and it does not mean "pod with a grinder in it", it means "utility corridor" or TUNNELS CONNECTED to STUFF.

I was supposed to go see "Into the Wild" with someone and I haven't yet. I guess it bugs me a little because people who live south of here all kind of gaze into their Starbucks and talk wistfully about adventurous spirit like we're being unimaginative and practical when we look at things like "Wild" or "Grizzly Man" and say, "What a dumbass." And a lot of people who say "dumbass" are those who moved up here because they visited and couldn't get the sub-Arctic out of their hearts. I have friends who live like mountain men, and friends who take every opportunity to ski off into the wilderness, and who've summitted the highest peak in North America. And do you know what? They went PREPARED and they came home again. While they understand the romantic adventurous spirit that drives people, they also have a great deal of RESPECT for this place. Anyone who thinks God loves humans more than the rest of creation might do well to be dropped off a few days out of town for half an hour where they'll quickly realize they are a barely visible speck in a vast unforgiving achingly beautiful expanse of wilderness. It's not Wyoming, it's not Colorado, you're 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle and if you don't have some well-deserved fear and respect for that situation there will soon be nothing left of you at all.

4:30 wake
5:30 whey+waxy maize, TT wo C (heavy delts/lats), LISS
7:00 apple turkey sausage burger w/ rice and peas, berries, coffee
10:00 ranch meatloaf burger, apple, green tea
1:00 1/2 prime rib sandwich w/ fries and salad
4:00 romaine lettuce, 2oz salmon, green tea
5:30 the rest of the sandwich, mashed cauliflower
6:30 TKD 1h
8:00 Metabolic Drive

Belated Wednesday
7:00 wake (trouble sleeping, uuuugh)
8:00 Whey + waxy maize; HIIT, LISS 60m tot
10:00 microwave muffin, coffee, apple
1:30 peanut salsa chicken w/ spinach (didn't finish)
4:00 carrots, halibut
7:00 salmon, cauliflower, smart balance, coffee, viactiv