Stuff & such…

So someone finally found the key to the 6-wheel ATV we have here at Ice Park Campground so I’m finally able to drive around the park in a reasonable time, that way I’m not away from the check in desk too long. The owner here just did not want to have a new key made so I’ve been without wheels since May 5th. What that means is that people can over stay what they’ve paid, sneak in and set up somewhere in the park where we don’t see them, and all sorts of other stuff.

Yesterday, I’m driving around the park and remember something. I’m parked in the last row of RV sites, there’s a row of trees, then there is an access road that goes deep into the park that connects to other roads but there are no RV sites on that road. South of that road is a little used area that’s relatively flat, has some long soft grass, and overlooks the pond. What I remember is that several times while I’ve been sitting in my RV watching TV over the better part of the last month, late at night, I’ve noticed one and sometimes two cars driving back towards the access road. I know nobody is suppose to be camping back there, but might be driving back to another part of the park, and when I finally got the 6-wheeler running two, three days ago, I’d gone down that road to see if anyone was squatting. Never saw anyone. But yesterday, I decide to go down to the pond (this park is 27 acres) and check around. Soon as I pass the wall of trees that shields the area I see car tracks in the tall grass. And off in the distance, a large tent. In a ‘no camping’ area. So I run over there. No one’s home.

I call and check with Hoa (Wa), she hasn’t given permission for anyone to camp there. So I begin to break camp for whoever is squatting. There is a nice, very large mountaineering tent for 6 with one of those two person air mattresses, two large bags with personal effects, two camp chairs, a fishing pole, ground covers, and the like. I transport it all over to a storage area and dump it off.

So now we have a large bundle of stuff that belongs to some jackass that thought they could sneak into the park and squat without paying. For several weeks. If they want their stuff back, it going to cost them $300. But it’s now the day after I picked it all up and nobody has been by asking about a missing camp. We’ll see how long they can be without their stuff. HAH!

Last night I went on down to the Big I (my favorite bar) for a couple, and I was lucky enough to end up sitting with the most beautiful woman in the world getting her drunk and taking the occasional drag off her cigarettes while we talked about how hard it is to be a raging liberal in a red state. Talking about gun control here might get you shot, for instance. 😉 Or like when I criticized Sarah Palin a few months ago, a guy nearby said in answer to one of my low key criticisms, and he was serious, “Well, how pretty was your last girl friend”? That stopped me short. How can you fight that argument? Instead of discussing how much of a stateswoman she might be or should be, etc., the conversation devolved into who was prettier, Palin or my last girlfriend. Dumb. (B-t-w, my last girl friend wins hands down).

Anyway, after getting her soundly drunk, she needed to get home, works on Saturdays and all, so I did the old glass of water and two bags of peanuts thing and viola! I’m good to give her a ride home so she doesn’t have to take a taxi. Course it helped that I generally nurse my beers. She says I’m a very, very bad man for talking her into having, “Just one more” several times. But the conversation was stimulating and challenging and suits me fine. Love to talk to her. One thing I found out last night was that she was this close, -||- , to being a Rhodes Scholar. Had three interviews and everything. She says that during those interviews, they are all sitting around a table and the selection committee just asks her questions, the nature of which now escapes me, but I recall they were not that challenging. Apparently, character is more important then smarts once you’ve been selected to apply, not to imply she doesn’t have character because she does. Just saying that the committee is looking for more then brains in their selection method. See, you’re not even invited to participate if you haven’t already accomplished allot in your scholastic endeavors. She did very well but just missed being chosen. An almost Rhodes Scholar. I’m really impressed with that.

Today is a big day in Fairbanks, this entire weekend is filled with festivities. This is like the official yearly birthday celebration of the founding of Fairbanks (1902). There are parades, Palin is officially handing over the governorship to someone else here in town on Sunday I think, there are several music venues, lots of places to hang out and have fun, and nice coolish weather (70-75°F). I’m here at the park office now but plan on getting on my bike and enjoying some of the fun as soon as I’m done with this. I’ll take my camera so I should have some pictures for you guys sometime soon.

Talk at you later.