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.