On the day that Nelson Mandela died I drove to Anchorage on icy roads through freezing rain to bring home my beloved

Note: I originally prepared this as the first post in new Squarespace 6 blog I had planned to launch at this same address, to include all the work I have done in this Squarespace 5 blog. But things went wrong. I have asked Squarespace to refund the money I spent on the new blog and am bringing my Squarespace blogging to a permanent end, save for the upcoming holiday post referenced above. I do not want this post to go to waste and so have transferred it from the new Squarespace 6 blog that now never will be to being an archive, at this same address. While much of what it says no longer applies, I leave it just as I prepared it for the new, canceled, blog"

This is the first post I am putting up in the new Squarespace 6 blog. At least, I hope I am putting it up. As regular readers know, I have been running a

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My travels were followed and "like"d

Just before I drove away, Evalina stepped to the window of Metro Cafe to say hello and welcome back. She had followed my travels online and had made a few "likes" @evilgergilevich and commented too. I thanked her and then quickly snapped this picture before her expression could change, but I could not get it in sharp focus.

Catching up: Carmen at Metro Cafe

This afternoon at 3:30 PM I pulled up to the window of Metro Cafe for the first time in over three weeks. Carmen was all bundled up. I wondered if it was to protect her from the cold air flowing through the window – the temperature having been below zero out here ever since I arrived home – or because she was leaving to pick up Branson.

She was leaving to pick up Branson.

Metro Cafe Barista drinks coffee at Kaladi Brothers

Shocked! I am certain many of my regular readers are just simply shocked! Kristina! Barista at Metro Cafe! How could you? For that matter, how could I? I went in to Kaladi Brothers to get me a coffee today along with another to bring home to Margie and there was Kristina, drinking a Kaladi Brothers coffee. Kristina was not being disloyal. Neither was I. Carmen keeps Metro Cafe closed on Sundays. We had to get our coffee somewhere. Kaladi Brothers is the second best coffee shop in Wasilla and was a good choice. Plus, Kristina had a paper to do for a class. She finds a coffee shop a better place to work than home. She said she was putting 10 hours in on that paper. 

Text added at 5:56 PM. The Squarespace nightmare continues - day 50 and counting.

Study of the young writer, number 8423

It once was that images of the talented and beautiful young writer, Shoshana, would grace the pages of my blog in regular studies that often appeared twice, thrice or even more times a week, if I were here and not out traveling. But Shoshana has not been seen in this blog for a while – until today. Two days ago, I pulled up to the drive-through window and, as I had become sadly accustomed to, she was not there. Of course I was happy to see Evalina, who happily announced that I had a free coffee waiting for me – a gift from Shoshana.

She has been working the morning shifts only for a while. I wanted to say thank you in person, so this morning I drove up to the window and there she was, a little chilly in the shaft of 12° air slipping through the window but pleasant and happy.

It was time for another study, hence: Study of the Young Writer, Shoshana, Number 10,089: After An Extended Period of Time.

Text added at 10:27 AM. The Squarespace nightmare continues - day 48 and counting.