the animal's journal

Where are you and where are you going?
theanimal
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by theanimal »

@ Dragline- Thanks. I've thought if I leave Alaska, Montana would be the place to check out. The similarities make it appealing, but for now I don't really have an interest in leaving the state.

@Jason- Haha, funny post. No meth heads up this far, they all get trapped in Fairbanks. The antlers are purely decorative. Sometimes people will have them to show off the size of the animals they shot to assert their manliness. It's the equivalent of driving a big pick up truck. Though that attitude isn't common among the residents. As long as the structure is sound, it's best not to shovel off snow. The added snow provides for more insulation. Over the past couple weeks, roofs that are south facing have soaked up all the sunlight and will crash down without warning. Hearing one of those things slide is like thunder or an earthquake.

Finding a woman that is sane that wants to remain in the area seems to have similar odds to winning the lottery. The Air National Guard will fly up in Blackhawks for emergency rescue. I wonder if the situations you describe fall under that category.

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This post is kind of random and will bounce all over the place.

I competed in the ski race I mentioned previously, but it didn't go as well as I would've liked. I had to bail at the checkpoint halfway through the race with bad foot blisters. After getting back home, I also found out that I got superficial frostbite on most of my fingertips. The race was a lot of fun, but disappointing to back out. Its also quite embarrassing to get frostbitten, especially as the only local in the race. Needless to say, I learned a lot. I put up a post on one of my blogs that has more info and photos if anyone is interested.

I spent the week and a half after the race kind of in a funk. My feet were still recovering, I didn't work out very much and I mainly lounged around reading. Then this past weekend I went on a snowshoe trip with a couple friends in the area. The snow is really wet right now so it was a slog at times but overall pretty enjoyable and seemed to be just what I needed.

Early this week, I left to do a little Alaskan road trip, where I'm checking out some other towns and visiting friends elsewhere. I'm in Valdez now and the area is absolutely stunning. On the drive in, every new view seemed to elicit me saying "wow" out loud.

Since my last post, I've Gary Taubes books ( Good Calories, Bad Calories; Why we Get Fat;The Case Against Sugar) and reviewed much of the writings of Peter Attia and Dom d'Agostino. The research seems convincing, at least enough for me to give it a shot. So I've been following the ketogenic diet for a few days now and will for a month at a minimum. I was consuming pretty low amounts of sugar before but did have carbohydrates in the form of beans, brown rice and whole wheat flour. The major thing I notice so far is the level of satiety. I've been less hungry and stay full for much longer then how I was when eating normally before.

All the potential summer income opportunities I mentioned earlier have dried up. Client for market gardening has extremely poor communication so I decided to abandon that. If I worked in mining, I'd have to work with a big asshole violating my adopted no asshole policy. People who have expressed interest in having me as a backpacking guide didn't respond to further communications. And finally, the tour business I was trying to start was stalled by not having a phone. I applied for a phone application almost a couple months ago but still haven't received one yet. Such is life in the Arctic. Anyways, my summer schedule is essentially blank in terms of work right now. I think I can still make the tour business work so I'm going to pursue that but I have low expectations.

It doesn't really bother me not having work, I can and will find things to do. As I mentioned previously though, I do feel like I may be stagnating or at least not growing to my full potential by remaining in the Arctic. Something that bothers me is the feeling that I have very limited skills. I've been thinking that I want to apprentice as an electrician and am sending in my application in the coming days. I often feel plagued by deciding among so many alternatives. But I don't want to become like the donkey, who couldn't decide whether he wanted hay or water and ended up dying. The best thing to do seems to select an option and move full speed ahead.

Image
Atop a high pass on the race

Image
Camp

Image
Valdez

jacob
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by jacob »

As in Exxon-Valdez?

theanimal
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by theanimal »

Precisely. The pipeline terminal is on the opposite shore from the town, not too far distant from that photo .

theanimal
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by theanimal »

"In a bull market, one must avoid the error of the preening duck that quacks boastfully after a torrential rainstorm, thinking that its paddling skills have caused it to rise in the world. A right-thinking duck would instead compare its position after the downpour to that of the other ducks on the pond." - Buffet

I started investing a year ago. I checked my portfolio this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see I've gained +40% in that time. Now whether that is skill or luck is the question. For now, I'd wager the latter.

halfmoon
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by halfmoon »

theanimal wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2017 2:46 pm
It doesn't really bother me not having work, I can and will find things to do. As I mentioned previously though, I do feel like I may be stagnating or at least not growing to my full potential by remaining in the Arctic.
I utterly get this. When you do something remarkably different, inevitably define yourself by that and share it with others who envy/idealize the definition, it's very hard to break out of your own icon. How can anything else compare?

It's okay to change, and it's also okay to change back if you miss your previous choice. Very few choices are irrevocable. Maybe it's time to move back to civilization for awhile? I asked myself this question 10 years after retiring. I became bored with NYT crossword puzzles and began making up my own, which didn't seem like how I wanted to spend the next 10 years.

There's also the possibility of meeting the future Mrs. Animal down in civilization and luring her back to the wild. :D

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C40
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by C40 »

Wow! Competing in a ski race in that area is super impressive. Doesn't matter if you didn't make it all the way to the end. Being able to go out there and navigate and not freak out, in that kind of terrain, requires a lot of physical and mental ability.

Jason

Re: the animal's journal

Post by Jason »

Man facing the arctic. Man facing himself. This is some fucking compelling bullshit. When you wake up each morning, do you howl like the first fucking man born into the creation, making himself known to all the unknown? And the nights? Do you feel the utter loneliness most normal men go out of their way to avoid? I like existentialism when its a book about some sad sack withering in the unrelenting Moroccon heat seventy years ago. But damn if I'm going to actually confront myself at this level. Plus, I don't ski.

Dragline
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by Dragline »

Well, he IS the animal. Damnit.

Damn good journal. Part of the reason we all come back here. And the pictures are fabulous.

halfmoon
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by halfmoon »

Guys, you are NOT helping to reinforce my point that @theanimal can break out of his own idealized image and pursue another phase of life if he has the urge. Geez. :roll:

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jennypenny
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by jennypenny »

He's only allowed to pursue other interests if we can talk another forumite into going to Alaska to take up the mantle. Living vicariously through people like theanimal is what keeps some of us going. ;)

Jason

Re: the animal's journal

Post by Jason »

This is sleeping in a dead horse bare knuckle polar bear fighting full frontal beast mode. someone should make a documentary on this. Really. Enough of those tiny house bitches and their Jack Johnson Oregonian nonsense. This is the real deal.

halfmoon
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by halfmoon »

@Jason, I'll admit that I don't get the Jack Johnson Oregonian reference (even after googling it). Still: I think this reinforces my argument re dedicating one's life to feeding an icon.

Jake9870
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by Jake9870 »

+1 to Halfmoon

My rule of thumb.. Is your situation youre in /the people you're around helping you to grow where you want/need the most? If it isn't then change Is necessary.

Define in what aspect do you wish to grow.

PS: Always a couch available for a fellow ERE'er if Montana seems cool for you.

Jason

Re: the animal's journal

Post by Jason »

I'm just responding to what I see. But I thinks its absurd to think that a guy who calls himself Animal and decides to live alone in the Alaskan tundra is going to take into consideration the comments of some random, stream of bullshit asshole (myself) in the comments sections of an internet site.

7Wannabe5
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@theanimal: I will try to find you a young girl who will live in your cabin with you, if you will try to find me an old man who will live in my camper with me ;) There are a lot of cute, rugged girls in my urban gardening group, or maybe a quiet, romantic artist type who would appreciate the light and intimate circle of companionship? Since I have met you in person, I would not hesitate to make arrangements for direct shipment to your nearest bus or sleigh-stop. Just give me a vague hint regarding your standards and preferences, and I will get started.

Jason

Re: the animal's journal

Post by Jason »

I would think The Animal could just rip a pair of antlers off the side of his house, trudge on down to the local Eskimo village and trade them for someone's daughter. He would just point to himself and say "Me, The Animal" and flip the Eskimo girl upside down by the ankles and bob her into a fishing hole until she came up with a fish in her mouth. Then he'd hoist her over her shoulder, trudge on back to his cabin and have her cook up the fish while he whittled down his toe nails with a bowie knife. After a brutal consummation, they would be considered married, at least by local standards.

RealPerson
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by RealPerson »

@Jason. I almost choked on my breakfast reading your posts. They are great. But considering that in pure ERE style I cancelled my term life insurance years ago, my next of kin would be very upset if I really choked. :shock:

@TheAnimal. Your life sounds awesome and incredible at the same time. I sometimes feel that I have to pinch myself when I read about all the stuff you do. All the guys on this forum are drooling just thinking about the fantasy of doing what you actually do. Our testosterone infused brains are dreaming of raw living off the land in the wilderness, but in reality we'd all be looking for the thermostat to turn on the central heating when it gets below 60 degrees outside.

I have been to Alaska. You have a lot of guts to live up there, especially not having grown up in that type of environment. I think you got a degree in Miami. South Beach, bikinis and mojitos come to mind. If that doesn't make you soft like a flan, nothing will. Keep writing please.

BTW The bar where the captain of the Exxon Valdez got drunk before the infamous accident is still operating in Valdez. As an aside, the ship was repaired, changed names and now sails in the Mediterranean. No accident since then as far as I know.

Jason

Re: the animal's journal

Post by Jason »

The Animal soon impregnates his Eskimo wife. According to custom, at the beginning of the eight month she returns to her tribe in order to give birth lying naked in the middle of a frozen lake in front of the entire tribe. After the delivery, the tribe's Shaman utters a spell and her vagina is restored to its original circumference in order that The Animal will remain pleased with her. The elders create crib made out of the antlers originally given to them in exchange for The Animals' wife.

Upon her return with child, The Animal opens the swaddling cloth, takes a look and declares "The Gods have given me a boy. I will name him Half-Breed." Upon his second birthday, the Animal destroys the crib and makes a pair of snow shoes and a club for Half Breed to go out and beat fish and small animals to death. Half-breed befriends a baby grizzly bear he names Human and they become inseparable. On his fifth birthday, The Animal dips into his cherished retirement accounts and buys Half Breed a pair of skis and a semi-automatic shot gun and the young boy goes on to win every biathlon competition he enters.

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C40
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by C40 »

7Wannabe5 wrote:
Thu Apr 27, 2017 6:22 am
@theanimal: I will try to find you a young girl who will live in your cabin with you, if you will try to find me an old man who will live in my camper with me ;) There are a lot of cute, rugged girls in my urban gardening group, or maybe a quiet, romantic artist type who would appreciate the light and intimate circle of companionship? Since I have met you in person, I would not hesitate to make arrangements for direct shipment to your nearest bus or sleigh-stop. Just give me a vague hint regarding your standards and preferences, and I will get started.
I need to meet 7wb5 in person. I have met a handful of older men who already like to live in campers, so they may like to live in yours. (guys like these, two of which I'd highly recommend as potential partners.

The RTR ("Rubber Tramps Rendezsous") was full of older single men who like living in campers and who you could surely woo.

biaggio
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Re: the animal's journal

Post by biaggio »

theanimal wrote:
Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:53 am
I've become really interested in developing a strong skill set lately (much more than before) so that my output can get as low as possible whenever I decide to settle down. The major interests right now are hunting, fishing, foraging and small machine repair. And I guess I'm trying to learn more about bikes too. If anyone has any helpful resources in any of those areas, I'd be happy if you sent them my way!
First, sorry for bumping this old post. I've found your journal very interesting and decided to read it from the beginning.

Regarding the helpful resources you're mentioning in the post, I would be glad if you'd share those (assuming you were sent some and/or have accumulated some on your own).

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