Going Steady with Alaska

Man, I don't really know how to explain it, something is happening in Alaska. Today I barely had to teach because we are on half day regular classes, half day cultural week. So after lunch I have been tutoring a senior in math while the rest of the school learns Cupig arts and crafts, and does various subsistence activities.

After school it was out warm enough, and sunny enough to go outside and play my guitar on the porch! I can't tell you how much I miss this activity from living in Tacoma. I used to have an awesome front steps that I could just jam out for the people walking by. It was still pretty cold and I had to warm my hands in between jams, but it marked a turning point. It was the first day of spring/summer for me.

The sun has been shining, I'm flying around on snow machines/mobiles/go's, I'm playing guitar outside, and when I finally do go inside I have an awesome cyberspace friendship circle to keep me company. Whether its reading through peoples blogs, or emails, or skype, or even phone calls, I am starting to feel the love so much. I'm starting to make some solid friends, and as other white people come and go, I'm starting to become part of my community. I just got a call today to go help a mid-elder with their computer, I don't know what I'm doing, but I got asked, so I'm gonna help.

I'm staring straight into a 10 pm sunset, eating mac n cheese (an addiction of my own) listening to my new Railroad Earth folk/rock/bluegrass album I just bought (fantastic, utterly fantastic), contemplating whether or not to go to High Sierra this summer to see them, looking at my online receipts for my newly purchased tree hugger double hammock and Marmot Never Winter sleeping bag thanks to my massive tax return (Mom expect some packages soon), and trying to decide on a tent to buy. I'm not much for material possessions, but in the book Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac idolizes a character named "Jaffy Rider," a zen mountain climbing Buddhist interpreter poet (Real last name of Snyder I think) who impresses upon jack the utmost importance of adequate, sturdy, durable, out door gear. This includes jackets, boots, bags, packs, tents, sleeping bags, and the like. I don't buy many fancy things, but if and when I do its usually for out door stuff like this. I don't skrimp or scrape, I get the best if I can afford it while I also shop for deals if I can.

And even as I day dream about summer and the wretched winter we seem to be slowly leaving behind, I can't deny that the fall, spring and summers here in Alaska are spectacular. I can also say that with all the happy endorphins firing off in my body from this new stimulus of radiant heat and light that I almost forgot about, the sun, I can feel a creeping joy and love for this recently morose arctic state. Thats right, I realized today, I kind of like Alaska again. We had a falling out there for 4 or 5 months but I think we just made up. Thats right, me and Alaska are going steady again, we're "going out", we're an item, maybe its just puppy love, or maybe its a firey passion that will last, who can say but old man winter and some musk ox.

I drew and painted a self portrait today. Its my first one in about half a year. I had my hair in braids after school today while wearing a flannel and resembled the stereotypical look of Latino Gangsters from California. But put it up in a hat for the drawing.

Last but not least, I put a Call To Artists out for poem, song, and thought ideas on a concept album where I turn your poem into a song. I haven't gotten a single response. It kind of made me sad because I am soooo excited to get started on this project. I don't care who you are, just go out on a limb and try ok, don't be scared! Ok.