Like a drug - posted at 20:14

I wish I could say that I haven't been blogging recently because Alaska is so much cooler than my computer and so I've been out frolicking in the gift that is known as summer. And while yes, Alaska is without a doubt so much cooler than my computer, and this summer has been beautiful, I've yet to so much as place a toe on Flattop.

While it's been a great couple of months for Alaska (and other Alaskans, I'm sure), I've been having a tough time of it. My work schedule blows, most of my friends have moved away, my husband still lives literally thousands of miles away, and I've had to send my hound, my last remaining friend and companion who is actually here, to live with my parents because my work schedule renders me incapable of taking care of her. So while I've tried to not dwell on the totally sucky thing that has become my life and totally turn into Eeyore, I haven't been totally successful (yeah, you try to keep your mind on happier thoughts when you're stuck on a month of vampire's hours and it's one of your nights off and you're up, wide awake at 3am and have no one to talk to because you're legally prohibited from hanging out with the thirty people you work with). And even though we have extended daylight hours in the summer, I don't fancy getting eaten by a bear or trampled to death by a murderous mama moose so I don't go hiking by myself.

So I've been trying to keep busy in the kitchen and with my camera (hence the spawning of Magnifico!) and not really blogging on this site so much. Besides, I'd probably be far too tempted to go into Eeyore mode (trust me that I've just barely scratched the surface with this post), and really, what's the fun in reading the whining of a miserable blogger?

I guess I felt safe enough to do it today -- and here's where I actually to get the the point, the actual thing I wanted to write about, so thanks for sticking around through my bellyaching -- because today is even better than those days that you read about. I work in an area where there is no natural sunlight to speak of, so it just kills me when I take a week of leave and get nothing but rain but the very day I go back to work it's so clear outside I can see Denali. It's enough to make me say "Screw work! I'm driving to Talkeetna!!" on my way in. Luckily, the gorgeous weather stuck around for my days off, and today I amused myself by driving around Anchorage, getting great views of Denali (though I should have driven to Talkeetna!), taking pictures of Mario mushrooms (I swear if you saw them you'd start singing the theme music -- stay tuned to Lens for those photos), lupines, and a mama moose and her calf. As I was driving around under that gorgeous blue sky, my brain sucking up every bit of sunlight it could, all of a sudden a much-needed seratonin boost kicked in and I was totally euphoric. It was enough to make me forget the unrecognizable shambles that my life has become and just concentrate on the fact that right then in that moment, life was good.

This sunlight, man. It's like a drug. Want a hit?

Kelsey commented:

Hey, I've tagged you, go look at my blog for more info...

Kelsey commented:

yes, yes, I do want a hit. Actually I was just realizing today (back in Dallas, which sucks more than it did when we left for Seattle), that if I don't get outside (regardless of the weather) I get and stay in a funk.
I wish I could teleport back and forth between Dallas and Anchorage...
Have fun w/ Jess and Jeremy! We're totally jealous...

Jitterbean Girl commented:

It's sad that you guys weren't able to come up here too.... Alaska is starting autumn already and it's really beautiful up here. I'm sure that we'll be doing a lot of stuff outside, so I'll try to transmit some of the Alaska vibes your way!

Allen commented:

Little Eeyore mode every now and again is better than radio silence, if'n ye ask me.

I'll pass on that sunshine hit, though. Something is wrong with me, terribly wrong. Glum days, I'm motivated and happy and just in a wonderful way. But days like today, with the clouds knocked away by Mr. Sun . . . this is when I get a little glum, spend the day mumbling for some rain. Yep, something is wrong with me.