Flashback Friday

I've got an action packed flashback today to make up for my lack of any flashback last week. It's long, so go to the bathroom first and then get comfy.

When I was 16 my mom took me and my brother Nick to Alaska for 2 weeks. My mom has a good friend, Becky, that lives there and she had been asking my mom to come for a long time. My dad was busy with work that summer and Nathan was in California. My mom said, "screw it- we'll go without them". (I don't think my mom has ever said "screw it" in her life, but it does give the story a dramatic flair).

My mom and Nick actually flew to Anchorage 5 days before me. It was the first time I had ever flown by myself. My mom booked the flights on Reno Air. You could be flying from Tampa to Boston on Reno Air and you'd have a layover in Reno. I went from Tucson to L.A., L.A. to Reno, Reno to Seattle and Seattle to Anchorage. That's a lot of plane changing for your first time flying alone.

This glacier is close to Seward, AK. Isn't it cool looking?

Can you see those 2 little people in the distance. That is me and Nick. Do you see the rope on the right hand side of the picture? There were signs all over that rope saying "do not cross", "dangerous" and "stay back".

So here we are on the other side of the rope. We didn't follow the rules.

We really didn't follow the rules.


We really, really, really didn't follow the rules.

After the glacier we went to stay at Becky's brother's cabin. He took us salmon fishing.We look awesome. Nothing like knee and hip length rubber boots.

Except for when you add big green jackets to the ensemble.

This sign was next to the river. You have to click on it so you can actually read it. We were just a little freaked out when it said you would die if you fell in.

Look at me being outdoorsy. Me and outdoorsy just don't go together. This was probably the last time I was ever outdoorsy. Let me say outdoorsy one more time: outdoorsy.

After the fishing (where we caught approximately 0 salmon) we went to Denali National Park to see Mount McKinley. We took a plane ride up into the mountains.

That red and white thing is the wing of the plane. I got to sit in the front seat with the pilot.

The long stretch that looks like an icy road is actually a glacier. This is the most geographically informative flashback ever.

It was when we had reached the highest peak in the moutain range that the pilot pointed out where a plane had recently crash landed and the people on board almost died waiting to be rescued. Thanks, because I never saw the movie Alive. Who would I eat- my brother or mother? It's a lose-lose decision.

These beautiful purple flowers are actually weeds called fireweed. They grow all over the highways in Alaska. They are named fireweed because they are the first plants that grow back after a fire. You could go on Jeopardy! after reading this flashback.

Back at Becky's, Nick and I had an unhealthy obsession with her dog- Elway. I don't even remember now why we liked him so much.

We went to the zoo in Anchorage- a must see if you're ever in the area. They only have animals that are native to cold climates.

This is the loft at Becky's house. My mom slept up there. Nick and I slept in the coat closet. In July, in Alaska, the sun sets at about 1 am and then rises at about 2 am. Do you see any window coverings in this house?

I just got off the phone with Nick. I told him I was working on this for flashback Friday. He asked if I was going to mention the 81 connecting flights we took to get there and back. I forgot to mention that when he and my mom flew they went Tucson to L.A., L.A to Reno, Reno to Portland, Portland to Seattle and Seattle to Anchorage. They probably could have driven a moped and arrived sooner.

Nick also wanted me to mention how we fell asleep on a bench in the airport in Reno and when we woke up we found that our mother had just left us asleep on a bench and was nowhere to be found. We still remind her about how she abandoned us and how any number of terrible things could have happened. Then we usually ask for something, i.e. cash.