It's official: Alaska really is a 3rd world country

Things are different up here. I've come to expect AND accept that. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Alaska is the farthest north redneck state in the country. But our hotel experience as we prepare to depart has been funny and sad all at the same time.

There's a brand new hotel out by the airport called the Alpine Lodge. For the first three weeks that they're open (starting on May 1st), they're offering a $59 special on regular rooms. The other comparable places in town are all over $100 a night this time of the year. When I called to reserve a room, I was told that they had some family and business suites that had separate bedrooms from the living/work areas. The family suites were all booked but they had a business suite. Cool beans. We'd take that and have a place to put Campbell at night without having her and Ellie in the same room. The rate was a little different ($75 vs. $59) but I'll take more room for just $16 any time. And then I checked in.

On the door as I arrived was a printed out sign saying something like "Please be patient. We are still preparing the hotel." No biggie. As long as we have our room, I'm good. I check in and walk to the room. When I go in there are two queen beds, just like I expected. And other than that, there is not much else in the way of furniture. The TV is sitting on a small table. There is no nightstand, dresser, desk or alarm clock. Other than a small kitchenette and a bathroom, there's nothing else. When I got back to the desk, I'm told that the business suites are not ready yet. And wont be until 5/11 at the earliest. Well, we'll have to make do.

Linda, my mother-in-law, came up to help Jennifer while I'm on the road. She gets a room across the hall from us and we decide that Campbell will sleep in there at night. Linda is a saint. She's been a tremendous help with the girls. Between Jennifer and I, we were able to sit at the house with the movers while Jennifer continued to out process. Starting last night, I got on the clean up and painting that needed to be done. Without Linda here, we'd be screwed trying to get the house ready for clearing.

So tonight, I walk out to the car to get my backpack. When I come back in, my room key wont work. I go back to the front desk and they re-key the card. No dice. We try a third. Nada. Well crap. Jennifer and Ellie are asleep in the room. I really don't want to knock on the door and wake them up. Our options seem limited. We're on the first floor and our window is open so I'm all for cutting the screen and going in SWAT style. Jim at the front desk starts making phone calls. After an hour, he finds out from the maintenance guy that there is an airplane like black box that he can use to reset the door. With a walkie talkie connecting him to the front desk where the other night clerk relays info over the phone from the maintenance guy, he gets it open.

So, here I sit, at 11:30, 1.) hoping that this is our Murphy's Law moment for the trip out and 2.) starting to count the hours til I can leave this 3rd world country and rejoin civilization.

For the record, as of right now, I'm under 80 hours. That's 4800 minutes or 288,000 seconds for those scoring at home.