Been a while since I got on here. I reckon I owe some friends an overdue howdy.

I'll check in a bit and see if I got anything else to say. Otherwise, take care all. Good to see the door's still open and the lights are on.

Benjammin! Been a long time. Come and sit a spell.

Good to see you, Benjamin . I hope all is well!

Hey, benjammin. Welcome back. Long time no see.

Hang on, "Loc: Anchorage AK"? A change of venue (if memory serves)?

Long time welcome back.

Nice to you again!

Welcome back!

Good to see you back Benjamin, I hope you can hang around a bit.

Where you been?

I've been hit or miss for a while too. Some forums I just need a break from (that and a new kid).

Hopefully your break was good news related.

All is good. After Dept of Energy started cutting back up in Washington, I could see what was coming and opted to go work with a friend from Baghdad days that was running a program in SE New Mexico. Nice people, lousy stinking place to live. Got to traipse around worthless terrain that my ancestors unsuccessfully tried to homestead a couple times. Saw lots of family and got my daughter settled into Tucson before I came up here to Anchorage. I came up back in November to visit my older daughter who's been living here for a couple years. I'd never been here before, and it was a good fit. So I made some calls when I got back to New Mexico and had a new gig lined up by the end of January. Had to unload all my household stuff cuz moving up here ain't cheap. I kept essentials, but had to sacrifice some heavy cast iron pots and a lot of reloading supplies. But I am settled in here now and have replaced everything worth replacing with new. Fishing is coming up soon, and hunting this fall should be nice, although it will all be a bit expensive this year due to non-resident status.

The job is okay. A few personnel issues to contend with, but not so much bureaucracy. Besides, there's always gotta be something. At least they are paying well. Cost of living here isn't any worse than New Mexico was. Even gas here isn't that bad, and there's tons more worth doing.

As I sit here typing this, it is 15 minutes after midnight, and it is still light enough outside that you can see blue sky. It got up to 75 degrees today. Last weekend it snowed 3 inches. But I find that I prefer the cold and the snow over the hot and the stormy. There's no lightning here. Temps here in town will get up to mid 80s at the extreme. Up north in the interior it will get hotter, and a bit stormy, but I don't need to go up there.

Now that I am in an area with real wilderness, my survival setups have changed a bit. I acquired a nice Howa bolt action in 375 Ruger and have figured out how to shoot it without damaging myself. I am not planning on hunting bear much. But anytime you are out here you have to be ready. I'd rather pepper spray them than shoot them, so we will see how that works out.

So that's about it for me. I will try and stop in and chat a bit when I can. Life is an adventure, and this was on my bucket list since I was a kid. It is nice to have things work out.

Hey Ben!!! Good to see you again. I spent four years up there at Elmendorf. Alaska is truly captivating. I tried to convince DW to go there when I retired from the Air Force - that was a no-go. Are the corn fritters still good at the Sourdough Mining Company? Man!! I miss that Sunday Brunch.

Bennnnnnnn! Oh man, I've missed you, dude!
Good to hear you are still alive and living large. Alaska? Yeah, I can see you liking it up there.

So...stick around...please?
-Blast

I haven't been to the SMC yet, but I plan to. I've been to a number of local greats; Gwennies, Peggy's café, Humpys, Mooses Tooth, Firetap. All has been good eats. Maybe I can do SMC this weekend, and give you a report.

Trying to get out and do some fishing soon. Trout are getting active, and salmon will be in the rivers in a couple more weeks.

Yeah, I ain't planning on going anywhere, but you never know. I intend to give y'all some updates on how things go up here. We'll get a thread going for "Big Ben's Alaska Adventure. LOL

Longtime lurker here who has always appreciated your knowledge on many things. I had wondered where you had been. Glad to see you are well.

When my DD2 left her job at ADFG in Anchorage they had a luncheon for her at a sushi place. The directions they gave were "you know, the one behind the Moose's Tooth".

Only in Alaska.

I know the one, it's called "Sushi Sushi". It has a good rep. Lots of Sushi joints here. Back in SE New Mexico you couldn't find one. Even a decent Chinese restaurant was tough.

Moose's Tooth was great the one time I ate there. Unfortunately I spent the next day sick as a dog - nausea, headache, body aches. I only had 2 beers, so don't think it was a hangover, and no GI symptoms ...

I guess I need to try it again next time I'm out that way. I may PM you one day if my beer glass from there breaks

You betcha, and if that don't suit you, I know a dozen places that make a helluva good burger here.

Weather is gorgeous up here. Temp got up to 85 degrees today. I've been telling folks I brought it with me from the southwest. Since AC is not typical here, a lot of people feel too warm they get uncomfortable. I am still too used to New Mexico, so this isn't a problem for me.

Been trying to get out fishing. But they shut down the King Salmon season here in a lot of rivers. You need a boat to fish most lakes because they are saucer shaped and bench out too far for decent shoreline fishing. The rivers are still too high and muddy for decent fishing.

I picked up a couple of really nice fly rods. I will need to match them to some reels on next payday. I know a little of fly fishing. My son in law is into it more and I guess he will have to teach me. But at least I can cast satisfactorily. When I started out, I looked like Rodney Dangerfield. My technique was laughable. I took some casting lessons at a local Orvis in Denver, and figured out I was using too much arm and not enough wrist.

I need to get to the range and do some shooting. I have changed some optics and need to get them dialed in, and I need the practice as well. Ammo is not an issue fortunately.

Work is a grind, but still enjoyable. Folks at work are appreciating the chow I have been cooking for them. Tomorrow I am making a batch of chilequiles for them. I try to make something new, but have gone through most of the best of my repertoire. I suspect they won't mind when I eventually start to repeat.

Trying to make the most of life while the opportunities are still there. Whether any of the predictions of doom and gloom come to pass, or I just continue to age to the point of dysfunction, no point in waiting around for any of it.