Sitka or Bust: Commute The World

I’ve never been much of a gambler. Even Pokemon Pinball seems to get under my skin and I itch to win at all times. I get overly excited and make stupid bets, wagering what I don’t have. These are all reasons why I tend to avoid the art of gambling. But up here, once you get that big tip of the month you really have nothing else to spend it on. I’ve made it a point to avoid all shops and stores where items may be purchased, unless I have a dire need. But unfortunately, not having a local bank account results in a collection of cold hard cash that has to be blown somewhere.

I know my limits. Don’t get me wrong, I make small bets and don’t go over my head. I’m a “smart”gambler, if that’s even possible. The guys and I spend the evenings in the Boar’s Nest rolling dice or playing blackjack. I don’t have many card shark skills, but I do know blackjack pretty well. I mean really, if you can count to 21 you should do alright. Dice takes no skill whatsoever. Well, I suppose keeping the three dice on the table revolves around skill. If even one falls, your roll is forfeited and you will generally lose.

Three dice are rolled, if you get doubles the outside die is recorded and your score is high or low based on the spots. A pair of twos and a three will beat a pair of sixes with a one. The outside die is the defining factor. Doubles are beaten by triples, with the highest taking the pot. If you roll a one, two, three that is an automatic lose. I’ve never earned one, but they often result in a series of boos and shouts of “fail.” If you roll a four, five, six that is the best roll of all, automatically winning you the pot and bragging rights. I’ve gotten a few of those in my days as a gambler.

Not to brag, but for the first three nights I played, I broke even every night. Then, the guys started to regard me as a player and stopped taking it easy on me. Now, I have to battle it out and pay through the nose if I lose. But hey, don’t write a check with your mouth that your ass can’t cash. If I’m learning anything, its how greed can let you down and that you shouldn’t bank on money that isn’t in your hands yet. Who says you stop learning once you graduate college? I’m learning more in the real world than I would’ve staying in the nest. Not to mention, I’m learning how to take the licks life gives you. I may be cruising toward an early death due to ulcer or panic attack, but I’m gonna experience as much as I can while I’ve still got the time.

Besides, gambling keeps my brain working on basic math. And, I suppose it keeps me from doing stupid stuff out of boredom. See the above picture for reference. Vacuum sealing adults in heavy duty garbage bags is probably a step closer to becoming a serial killer than I’d hoped, but skills are skills.

While days off are few and far between, I’ve come to sneak moments of enjoyment from many small things I notice around the area. But today, I actually got a half day off of work, granting me and a choice few of my coworkers an excursion to civilization. You can tell how withdrawn I’d become from my moments of sheer ecstasy at finding a True Value home goods store. I literally walked in and smiled just because I’d seen more “normal” looking people between the shelves there than I had in a few weeks at the lodge. Sure, most of the people I work with are extremely enjoyable, but you can only take the same people in the same setting for so long.Even though they still surprise me with some  amazing messages on my computer screen (see post it picture), its nice to see people besides those who work in the lodge.And yes, those teeny tiny lungs are in fact a walnut half.

Not gonna lie, Alaska is a sketchy place. You make eye contact with some of the locals and regret it, while others will become the best friends you’ll never have. I love wandering around and seeing things that I’ve dubbed truly Alaskan, while realistically they are just things I’ve never encountered before. These are some of their pictures. Saying that was really more Law & Order than I was hoping, but I read it that way nonetheless. Notice the spelling for the pencil topper. Also, some of their advertising strategies are just really weird. Kiss My Face. Really? Kiss My Face?! How odd of a command is that? That is actually a legitimate brand for all kinds of stuff up here. At least I’d picked up the mouthwash, some of the other stuff really didn’t make sense at all. And my personal favorite discovery of all. Drum roll please. Headlights are for cars. Love. Whoever came up with that slogan and design should look me up so we can become the best friends of all time.

I’ve also eaten the most delectable item of Sitkan cuisine today. Not to brag or anything, but this bugger was impressive. I don’t normally eat burgers in Sitka, but when I do, I get the Luau Burger. Did anyone feel the most interesting man alive through that, or was it just me? A double hockey puck of meat topped with honey ham, and three thick rings of pineapple on a pretzel bun makes for the most adventurous burger of my limited palette. Although a portion of it was eaten by a Texan, I did manage to scarf the remainder, managing a massive food baby in the process. We’d highfived on the deal of sharing our burgers, similar to creating a blood pact, because we both had such a dilemma of choosing between the specialties. These were of course, the Luau Burger and the Freedom burger. The Freedom being a double hockey puck layered with fried pickles and a delectable sauce but instead of a bun lid and bottom, there were two gooey grilled cheeses. I made a decision and it was great, but those two grilled cheeses do still have my heart going pitter patter. Well, maybe I might just be having heart palpitations due to the fat pooling in my arteries.