Alaska

I forged a dedicated page with specific info on Barrow, for anyone who’s interested.

Unfortunately I’ve been stuck in pretty much the absolutely worst location in Juneau to work and live from. The extended stay hotel itself is very slick, but the location is far from. Point blank to a noisy bridge, it’s relatively quiet from maybe 1AM to 4AM, but that’s it. My window happens to be facing a bridge joint that emits a cutting thump with every passing car. And cars don’t stop passing.

In the last two weeks, construction started in TWO locations on the same block, with heavy machinery rumbling and beeping all the time. And then, TWO chainsaws joined the chorus. Ironically, I came to Alaska to find some peace and quiet, and ended up in something multiple times worse. I had very few choices when it came to a place where I could work and settle from. No other hotel nearby offered a kitchen and free broadband, so I just had to take it and hope for it all to end as soon as possible.

And it finally did. Three weeks after my arrival I got the keys to my own apartment, which I think is pretty good. In Juneau, mentioning that you want to rent for just four months will cause people to almost hang up on you. Nobody wants to lease like that. Think of hiring an employee - do you want to spend all that time doing background checks and then have them leave almost immediately?

My options were running out quickly, so I brought out the big guns - MORE MONEY. Before even seeing the new apartment, I proposed to pay a bit more on top to offset the short-term thing. And it worked.

The place itself is not A-grade. Technically it’s a basement. The floor is tilted to one side, providing for some psychedelic experience, and the ceilings are fairly low:

There are more pros than cons to it, however. Plumbing works, so that’s always good. Even on overcast days there is enough natural light coming from the semi-transparent blinds. Most importantly, it’s simply impossible to find a better location. Up on a hill, it’s around the corner from the heart of downtown, and closer than before to what I call the market row (where we Juneau locals* shop for stuff). The main road, the bridge, and multiple construction sites are out on the horizon, and good riddance to them.

The pad came as unfurnished, but I was left a couch, a bed, and a TV. A TV! The TV manufactured date, when I checked on the back panel, indicated 1988. I was afraid to turn it on, frankly. Best case scenario was going to be all pink colors, worst case, well:

But I went ahead and pushed the red button, and was greeted with a beautiful sharp picture with clean sound. Great success! My first attempt to program the cable remote to adjust the TV’s volume worked as well. Booya! Wait, they had remote controls in 1988?

*I’ve been here for a month, and I don’t own an umbrella so, yes, I am a Juneau local.

Due to the upcoming tourist season, bad weather, and an unfavorable geopolitical situation, this blog will be closed for maintenance and construction until May, 2008.

Thank you for your understanding,

Management
The Most Awesomest Blog in the World