Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Report From the Mothership

I spent my fourth year anniversary of living in this sometimes-god-forsaken state by getting onto a plane to LA. It is an inadvertent coincidence that almost precisely four years after I arrived in Anchorage on a midnight flight, I was embarking on yet another midnight flight going in the opposite direction to the lower 48. The plan was not to make an ironic comment upon my residency here; rather, it was time to see the people from which my life sprung forth - my family.

There was a bit of controversy last time when I referred to my stomping grounds as an "insane asylum," so I am hoping that my mother (who is turning out to be a dedicated blog reader) doesn't take offense that this report comes from none other than the Mothership.

Highlights included:
- attending a line-dancing class for senior citizens with my mom. (I almost joined in, but before I knew it, the fast-moving latin line-dancing to Ricky Martin was already over.)

- pitting fish sandwich against fish sandwich. (Apparently many of the franchises are trying to get a proverbial piece of the Filet-O-Fish by offering new fish-related sandwiches. Although I abstained, Little Bro reported that the McD's Filet-O-Fish had a "sweetness" not found in its competitors. I would also note it remains the only fish sandwich to think itself proper to be paired with cheese.)

- eating pie every single day. (This was thanks to the Marie Callendar pie sale - one freshly made pie for $5.99. On mistaken belief that the sale was going to be over "any day now," my mother purchased eight pies in the span of two days. When I questioned why my mom bought a chocolate cream pie since she doesn't even like chocolate desserts, Little Bro speculated, "I think she just panicked.")

- coming out of the closet (as a vegetarian). (My father's disapproving response was, "All I've ever wanted is just for you to be normal." Consensus among the family was that this was yet another Stupid Thing I Do, but when it became apparent that my meat reduction met surplus for them, the drama of this dispute thankfully dissipated.)

Another highlight was finding lupine in the backyard... lupine in February! The purple flowers made me all the more anxious for spring to arrive in Anchorage. Despite recent warm temperatures, we've still got another two months.



Fortitudine Vincimus! We must hold on strong until Mother Nature sees it fit to share with us her purple perennials.

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