July 2, 2005

The money arrived today. This was a stressful issue. Kris was really stressed out and I was stressed out that Kris was so stressed out. After further conversations with our bank in Ohio, we found out that they had sent a cashiers check to us, not our new bank. So today we got a check in the mail for a frightening sum of money. To further complicate matters, when we took the check to our bank, they explained that the funds wouldn’t be available for another five days while they verify the authenticity of the check. If we needed this money in a hurry, we would have been in a real jam. As it is, the money will be available in plenty of time for us to close on our condo.

This caused us a great deal of stress. When you combine the situation with our new lifestyle of 24/7 togetherness, it was not an easy time. Kris was very concerned about the status of our money. Her concerns were not what I considered realistic and we explored the issue at great depth. I think our conclusion about our difference in viewpoint came down to issues of self-esteem. My viewpoint, my lack of concern, was based on my opinion that whatever might transpire with our money could be reversed, if I talked to the right people. Maybe I’m a little cocky. Kris lacked that confidence, so the simple facts of the situation, the fact that neither the account in Ohio, nor the account in Alaska reflected our wealth, made her nervous beyond belief.

She was a happier person today. So was I.

In spite of the stress, we managed to get out and have some more fun. Yesterday, we climbed Rendezvous Peak. This was a hiking climb, that is to say there was little need to use our hands. It was steep in the last part, but not all that challenging. It was a cloudy day and there were as many clouds below us as there were above us. This created some interesting views in spite of the cloudiness blocking out what we can only assume was an amazing viewpoint of Anchorage and the surrounding areas.

The peak is actually part of a local ski area. This ski area has about 1500 feet of vertical drop, which is a decent size. It appears to have no easy terrain and possibly no intermediate terrain. We understand that there is little grooming of the snow here, which is very appealing to us. All of the ski area is above tree line, which provides wide open skiing opportunities. We like skiing in trees, but wide open above tree line ungroomed skiing can be quite fun. It was exciting to see this little area only a few miles from downtown Anchorage. It also appears that you might be able to ski down from the mountain to other parts of the Anchorage area, providing a backcountry skiing experience without going too far. My mind is racing with the possibilities. I have thought almost exclusively of Alyeska for skiing up here, but now I can see that there may be a closer alternative that has a lot to offer for us.

The hike was a blast. Anytime you come over that last roll and onto the summit of a mountain, there is a feeling of accomplishment. We also met two women with a couple dogs on the hike. They were interesting and we talked to them for a few minutes. They gave us a couple of suggestions for other hikes and thanked us for not using our bear spray on their black dog. I didn’t tell them about the 357 in my camera bag, but the dog was obviously a dog and a friendly one at that.

The military presence in the area is a new experience for us. Elmendorf Airforce Base and Fort Richardson Army Base take up huge tracts of land in the Anchorage area. The road to the ski area passes through part of the Army base and on the peaks surrounding Rendezvous Peak are several military installations including an old Nike Missile Site. These don’t make for the most attractive views, but it is an interesting change in scenery for those of us who have not lived with a military presence before. We also get to see people running around town in uniform on a regular basis.

After climbing the mountain, we went to the zoo. The Alaska Zoo was pretty good. It had all the Alaska animals in a nice setting with gravel pathways through a wooded area that surrounded the pens and cages. Some of the pens were a little tight for the animals and the bears were definitely stressed. Seeing a very large grizzly under stress was not the joy for me that many of the other visitors seemed to be finding. He sniffed, he looked, he paced. It gave me a sense of what I wouldn’t want to encounter in the wild. I did feel sad for the bear’s situation. Not that there was anything better that could be done for him, I just felt a little guilty being a part of his stress, standing there watching and taking pictures.

Halibut for dinner again last night. Kris didn’t really like my creation, but I enjoyed it. Halibut baked with peaches with a light breading topping. OK, it sort of sounds like peach halibut cobbler.

Today was a shopping day. Well, we went to the bank first to deposit this big check. Then we went to some outdoor gear stores. We both got new hydration packs (backpacks that hold drinking water) for bicycling. We both got a pair of hiking pants. Kris got a whistle with a compass and thermometer built in to replace one she lost. She bought the kid’s version because it was fifty cents cheaper and it was yellow. That was the only difference we could find.

We stopped at a friendly bike store. They made Kris ride the big pink flowered cruiser bike around the parking lot. I rode it too. I also rode the mechanic’s new $5000 plus downhill bike and bounced it over a curb for fun. It was 15 pounds heavier than my heavy bike.

We stopped at the Earthquake Museum downtown as well. There were many startling photographs of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. We also watched a movie about the earthquake that included a cheesy simulation by shaking the seats. It is a slightly frightening thought, living here where this event occurred, knowing that the ground is still as unstable and easily liquefied. At least we don’t live in the tsunami zones where several cities were completely wiped out. I remember I used to think people who lived in earthquake zones were foolish and now I live in the location of the worst earthquake in North America in the past 100 years. It really isn’t an issue in daily life. Maybe it’s like the bear thing. Something is going to get you in the end and there is no point letting fear getting in the way of living, even if that means assuming a little more risk. I think we both refuse to sit safely in the comfort of our living room in the interest of risk minimization.