The Alaska Disasta

As anyone who knows me knows - I'm OVER Alaska. Yes its beautiful here, yes it has a huge and amazing landscape like no where else, yes people can just live as they please and no one will hassle you too much, yes I have some really amazing friends here, yes i have a good paying job doing something I enjoy which also gives me some free tuition and freedom to work on my degree, and the list could go on and on which i why I will stay here for about three more years while I finish my education. But I am a social person and feel generally misplaced and tired of three basic things which I feel compelled to vent about it. But I will promise to finish this post with what makes me happy to be an Alaskan so don't worry it won't all be me bitching.

1) Cost of living is HIGH - I'm used to (but sick of) not being able to afford a home with plumbing. Not being able to shower at home is a real hassle although a normal way of life across Alaska. Hauling water for dishes and drinking, outrageous fuel prices, shipping prices for being outside the continental America, and the increase in population due to military forces which was supposed to improve our economy but has only made life more expensive and annoying for the average Fairbanksan. Fairbanks now feels over run by GI's and their families. When I moved here in 2001 this was a nice little town now its turning into a big strip mall just like anywhere in the lower 48. And living in a typical Alaskan cabin which was once considered normal affordable life is now viewed as half a rung above choosing to be homeless by most people including the local utility companies - I can't even get a home phone because the phone company won't service my neighborhood anymore because the real money is in the cultesac neighborhoods popping up to house all the soldiers.

2) Winter Temperatures - we received our first snow this morning. I'm just not ready for another winter. Going to the outhouse at -50F in the dark of afternoons, keeping water that I hauled from freezing, keeping my car going, keeping warm enough, getting exercise when its ALWAYS dark out and therefore I just want to sleep.

3) Sense of Community with like Minded People - I have some wonderful friends yes, and yes there is a small art scene, but I don't feel like there is community here of people like me it feels like there are few of us sprinkled throughout a community as un interesting as the cookie cutter most people seem to use to mold their lives and gauge their happiness by. In just a few short years Fairbanks seems to have gone from unique, quirky, and full of personality and friendly people to what now feels like a small cookie cutter city full of angry social climbers, no one says excuse me at the super market they just crash their cart into you and keep going. To generalize the new population is either ignorant trash with no goals, minimal intelligence, breeding more ignorant spawn, and spewing their narrow minded opinions or hoity-toity pretentious yappy bitches educated but just as generic, uninteresting, breeding more ignorant spawn, spewing equally narrow minded opinions. Outnumbered by thousands the rest of us who are sprinkled in the middle of this mix watch in sad shock and amazement at their silly pointless lives.

So here is the good: Even though I feel disappointed in the general population and evolution of Fairbanks and feel generally alone in these feelings It is exciting when I find out there are actually lots of us and occasionally we come out of the wood work to unite on important topics. The important topic of late is this Palin women and the "Alaska Disata". I'm all for women in office and would love to see a female officially as President or in this case vice President. BUT I want a WOMAN not a woman pretending to be a man who is completely unqualified for the job who is neither for woman's rights or preserving this beautiful state. Being a hunter doesn't qualify her for my vote and thank goodness I'm not the only one who feels this way. I wish I'd been in Anochrage last weekend for the Women Against Palin rally where I could have united with some intelligent like minded individuals.