Alaska – Preamble
Alaska. Home of Northern Exposure based stereotypes, the lovable OokYook Song from Sesame Street and glaciers. And if I was lucky, home to at least one or two dates. When it came to finding an online dude or gal to take out around town, I made a nearly fatal mistake (fatal might seem strong, but given our destination city of Juneau holds a population of barely 30,000 and news spreads like wildfire, any negative commentary could lead to a fate worse than death: making it all the way to our northern most state and winding up without a date). The first guy who agreed proceeded to think too much, eventually backing out when he realized the situation fully: that I’d only be in town a short time, that I’d indeed set up another date in town, and that I hadn’t been sitting at home twiddling my thumbs since Megs and I returned from the road late last year. Totally within his right to buck, but it meant with two days until getting to the state I was back to square one. Plus, if the guy told his friends who told their friends, forget about it. Dating would be a no-go.
No date, plus anxiety about taking to the friendly skies? Sweet. Next thing you know I wouldn’t have any energy to pack because I was too busy worrying. Oh wait, that totally happened. Anytime John Corbett felt like making an announcement on his radio program about the world-weary documentarians looking for first dates wouldn’t be soon enough.
Fate stepped in by way of OkCupid. First, one guy who had been decidedly not down with the dating on camera thing changed his tune and invited me to the Juneau Symphony. And another man who had disappeared after getting details on the project resurfaced and said, “My friends think I should do this.” This peer-pressured guy was a transplant to the state, the former was born and bred in town. Perfecto!
Now to get to Alaska safe, sound and mostly sober. Right…
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Admittedly I don’t remember this piece, Some Enchanted Lunchtime, which was to teach kids to be nice to new kids and was supremely adorable.
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