I got a bit weirded out tonight by something, but it takes some explaining.
I had a busy day today.
Because of the work schedule, everyone at BP gets every other Friday off – that would be today.
I took Auggie to the “Happy Time Cookie Party Fun Fun Place” (the vet) to get his rabies shot making him, as the vet called him, “Street Legal”. After that I took him over to the Conner Bog. I kept a close eye on him since the when I was here this fall I saw moose and am not sure how he would react.
I grabbed lunch at a Vietnamese place, because a hot bowl of pho would hit the spot after a cold hike.
I went up to the curling club to practice for about an hour. Creepy place when you are the only one there, but I needed the practice. They let members come in 24/7 to practice (as long as we clean up and lock up). So there I was falling on my backside in a curling rink all to myself.
I came home and flipped on the big screen to catch NJ Devils Hockey live for the first time in the season. Game started at 3pm our time, so it was daylight for most of it (yep, days are noticeable longer).
After that, I fought with the pup over chew toys before cleaning out the car. If the weather is good I am going to make a run for Denali or Takeetna, and to take Auggie on his first Geocache run & my first physical cache since November. So I cleaned up the junk in the car and put my survival stuff in there (blankets, sleeping bags, water, dog food). Part of the reason I want to go there tomorrow is to scout out good resorts near Denali – family coming in August and I want to see what’s there (last time I was there I was a tourist in 2006).
Tonight, I made my usual trip to McGinleys for dinner, music, good food, and feeling like a regular. That’s where I sit now.
As I sit here it hit me … I live in Alaska. I see mountains out of my window. I can make a day trip to the park where the tallest mountain in North America is. I have to watch east coast teams that are 4 hours time difference from me. I have a dog, a real dog with real chew toys. I play curling, not just wondering what it’s really like – I literally am practicing to be a curler.
What weirded me out wasn’t that all of things are true. Or that a year ago they were just a concept.
What weirded me out was that it is just who I am. I just accepted it all to be true. I was weirded out because … Well … Because I had to weird out about not weirding out. I know, doesn’t make sense but … But I guess this strange new life isn’t just the new normal for me. It just is … Normal.