Out of the Frying Pan

I have transferred to Chicken. I thought the change of scenery might be good for my attitude, but I am not sure this was the right change of scenery. The environmental hazards are slightly diminished, so in some ways, there is less risk to the work. However, we work alone here, which I am not crazy about. I am willing to work alone because we are within a couple hundred meters of each other. In a major emergency, I think this means that one would have people there to watch you die.

As for the scenery itself, I am more fond of glaciated mountains than rolling hills. However, after being married to a girl who loved the Appalachians, I can certainly appreciate the rolling mountains for their beauty. In contrast to the western Alaska Range, I do tend to scoff at the hills, but I am trying. Tromping around black spruce forest will just make Taupo all the better.

My final problem with the Chicken transfer (that I will complain about on the internet, anyway), is that it seems that the state of Alaska, the United States, and probably the world in general, would be better off if this place disappeared (a la the island in Lost) taking these people with them. I have overheard more griping about the raising of the debt ceiling than I thought stupid people could form into words. The US “borrowing” is not like a credit card, America, you cannot just stop using the card! Further, under Clinton, there was a budget surplus. It was after eight years of reckless tax cuts and deregulation to benefit the wealthy under W. that has brought this country to financial ruin. Anyone who has forgotten such things (including every person but me, it seems, in Chicken) can disappear with this horrible little place.

The good news about this transfer? I have been able to eat more veg. At Estelle, the cooks (who were accommodating and wonderful to me) tried to cook veganized meals. I am in charge of my diet here, and I am eating vegan foods. I am looking forward to moving into the “apartment” out of the cabin though, because a hot meal would be pretty nice. Hell, electricity will be nice in general, but the be able to cook a little something to have with my spinach will be a big plus. (5 lbs of blueberries, 15 cups of spinach, 25 oz of hummus, 1 lb of cherries, 12 clementines, 6 muffins, 6 cookies, 2 apples, 2 sandwiches and 1 tomato, if you were wondering what I have been eating to deal with my heaps of perishables and no refrigeration or cooking).

Being here all boils down to 18 more days to get back (closer) to zero. I do not like to start counting this early, but in a place like this, knocking down days is all I can think about.