A few days ago, there was a solid week of 45-55 degrees and drizzling all the time. I have fewer moments these days of walking out of classes and buildings and restaurants and feeling like I'm at home in Alaska, but the drizzling does it to me every time.
When the weather is like that, I'm transported back in time. Here's one of my favorite rewinds:
The Alaska State Fair always runs for the last two weeks of August. They're lucky if there is one clear, sunny day during the fair. Chances are much better that when you show up, your feet will go numb from it being too cold. You haven't yet accepted that winter is setting in, so you only brought a windbreaker. You cower inside the Sluicebox and hope that a hamburger will warm you up. You take refuge inside the haunted house. You wait for your favorite burnt-out 70's band to show up and play so that you can go home.
In August of 1996, I went to the fair with my then boyfriend Taten. We walked around until we thought our feet were going to fall off. But what else are you going to do when you're 16? We eventually decided it was too cold and that we should go back to his place. They had this rockin' Chinese booth there, so we got some Chinese food and headed back to his house. Getting in the car and turning on the heater was the best thing we ever did.
When we got back to his house, nobody was home. We sat at the dining room table, soaked and freezing, eating Chinese food. We didn't talk, but it was one of those moments when the warm vibe engulfed everything. We didn't need to talk.
After that, we went down to his room, snuggled up in his bed and took a nap. It was warm and comfortable and everything was right in the world.
Play it again, Sam.