The note was made for 2021 Ken, no fear no frost, I’ll be there ;-)
Amities
Philippe
> Le 8 janv. 2020 à 20:04, Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx> a écrit :
>
>> Note to self : Defrost Ken
>
> It was -23F (-30C) at the house this morning. If you start now, I
> might be warmed up in two years.
>
> As an example of how variable things are due to geography, it was only
> -3F (-19C) at the office in Anchorage. This big of a temperature swing
> in just a few miles is not uncommon. We live in the Eagle River
> Valley, down by the river. The river valley drains out through a
> little bit of a canyon, so we have some isolation from affects of the
> Cook Inlet. It gets mighty cold down by the river. Anchorage, on the
> other hand, is surrounded on three sides by the Cook Inlet, so that
> tempers things a lot.
>
> So, there are several things that everybody says as to why they think
> they could never live in Alaska:
>
> 1. Too remote. This is more psychological than real. The flight from
> Anchorage to whatever connecting city is just a little bit farther (3
> hour minimum) than any other trip around the USA. A side note to this
> is that as you live here you think the opposite where Alaska is the
> center of your world and the lower-48 is the remote location.
>
> 2. Too cold. Alaska is a BIG state and has about the same North to
> South, East to West distance as the entire lower-48. Just as the
> lower-48 has a lot of variability (Minnesota vs. Florida), so does
> Alaska. Juneau is completely unlike Anchorage and Anchorage is
> completely unlike Fairbanks. Places like Fairbanks get VERY cold (-60
> type of craziness), but Anchorage rarely gets down to -20 and when it
> does, it's just for a few days. Again, not unlike the upper midwest.
> Main difference is that we don't get very much wind here in Anchorage.
> Summers are certainly cooler in Anchorage. The same body of water that
> keeps us warmer in winter keeps us much cooler in summer. With the
> exception of the Summer of 2019, you probably would be comfortable
> wearing a light jacket in July and August. Side note, there are
> several people here at the office that wear shorts year round. And a
> couple of my lady friends wear miniskirts year round too. Bare legs at
> -20? I've been there, done that, and made sure I have heated seats in
> the car. The reality is that we are in the midst of a mid-winter
> cold-snap. These temperatures are the exception, not the rule.
> Usually, fashion is dictated by practicality. Leggings rule!
>
> 3. Limited job opportunities. This one, I will challenge. Anchorage is
> a self-contained city, so we have EVERYTHING here. Job opportunities
> abound. And the income offset is pretty decent. I make about 30% more
> here than anywhere in the lower-48 for the same type of job. This area
> is continuing to grow and the Mat-Su Valley (Wasilla, Big Lake,
> Palmer) is expected to double in population over the next 10 years.
> Anchorage is land-locked, so our population growth is heavily
> restricted, but Eagle River where we live will likely double too. We
> are in the midst of a multi-year deep recession in Alaska. My only
> comment is: "You call this a recession?" If you want to work, you've
> got work. Unemployment in Anchorage is a little misleading because of
> the immigrant, refuge, and native populations (which have their own
> dynamic).
>
> 4. Cost of Living. This is actually pretty interesting to determine.
> We have no state income tax or sales tax (several areas of local
> option sales tax). And we have the PFD where residents get to share
> the income from mining and oil. Lately, this is about $1600 per person
> per year. That's a nice treat! Restaurants are expensive, as is
> gasoline. Groceries are more expensive--especially beef. But pork,
> chicken, fish, etc., are pretty much the same price as in the
> lower-48. Veggies are a little problematic at times. But most things
> that are more expensive are also optional or controllable. I am
> referencing prices in Anchorage--go out into the bush where everything
> has to be flown in on Cessna 206 aircraft, and all bets are off.
>
> 5. Too dark. OK, so middle of winter has very short days. Just like
> the temperatures, this is quite variable across the state, though. At
> the solstices, I've got a couple minute variance in sunrise/sunset
> times just between the office and home. This far north and EVERY mile
> is significant. This is entertaining to me because up to the winter
> solstice, the shorter days don't bother me. But January and February?
> Oh, yes. Next week the sun will peek through at the house for the
> first time since the beginning of December. We celebrate the day. By
> the end of February, it's really no different than anywhere else. By
> the end of March you realize that life is quite good. Spring Equinox
> and everything shifts the opposite direction and by May you can read a
> newspaper at 2AM. So the darkness is really only a problem for a
> couple months. That's all. Besides, the days are shorter in the
> lower-48 too.
>
> 6. Too diverse. I've never seen cultural diversity ANYWHERE in the
> world like Anchorage. OK, maybe London. I've never seen another place
> like this where skin color, religion, language, etc., is as irrelevant
> as here. Keep in mind that in the Anchorage school system, there are
> over 100 different languages spoken in the homes other than English.
> Over a third of the students have been taught English at school.
> Honestly, this is the most non-racially sensitive place I've been. A
> staff meeting at the office looks like (and sounds like) the U.N.
>
> 7. Nothing to do there. Huh? I realized that I was wearing myself out
> trying to take in everything. There is no shortage of options here. I
> haven't taken up hunting or fishing. It's not that I'm opposed to it
> or anything, but I just don't have the time to do it because I'm
> constantly off hiking and taking pictures. The year-round
> opportunities are endless. Living here really is exhausting if you
> don't pace yourself. AND you don't even have to travel. 20 minutes and
> you are in world-class anything. I find that Anchorage is one of the
> most athletic cities I've ever seen. Everybody is out and about.
>
> 8. Must have a 4WD vehicle. Probably recommended. Our Prius doesn't
> get around as well as the X5, but it's doable as long as you stick
> around civilization. This is only a limited problem, though, and
> depends on where you live. If you live up on the hillsides, you'll
> want 4WD and studded tires. But mostly you can get around with just
> normal winter tires. Porsches are VERY popular here. Summertime you
> see 911s everwhere, wintertime, Cayennes. But BMWs pretty much rule
> the roost.
>
> 9. Bugs. Yes, summertime in some areas is rather challenging in this
> regard. The key here is if there is permafrost, you're going to get
> the blood sucked out of your body. But permafrost isn't everywhere.
> Anchorage is actually quite minimal in bugs.
>
> 10. Can't leave family, friends, too expensive to move, etc. It's all
> choices. Do you live your life for what others think? Live life with
> no regrets. Close the house up, fill a single Conex Container with
> enough stuff to enjoy your life and have it shipped up here. Rent a
> house or duplex that has an awesome view of the mountains. Stay here a
> couple of years, then decide what you want to do with your life. Your
> family and friends will forgive you for being gone for 24 months. If
> they don't, then just don't come back.
>
> 11. Too far from the technological universe. HAH! More Alaskans have
> 1Gbps Internet in Alaska than anywhere else in the country. We have
> REALLY GOOD Internet connectivity here.
>
> 12. Where do you go to vacation? Hawaii, of course! We have direct flights.
>
> AK Schnozz
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