David Shurtleff, APRN - McGrath, Alaska
11:03 p.m. Monday, March 3
I don’t think I’ve ever put my mouth that close to a dirty sock in my life. Not willingly, anyway. I’ll get back to this in just a second…
McGrath has (otherwise) been great. I flew in from Anchorage early Monday morning, but my luggage thought it would be funny to get lost on the way. Being relatively new to Alaska (read: ignorant), I didn’t pack anything useful in my carry-on bag, and now find myself looking at the prospect of spending four days here with only my laptop, recorder, and the clothes that I’m wearing. No gloves, hat, toothbrush, deodorant…
So for the next four nights I’ll be crashing on the floor of KSKO, the local public radio station. They have a mattress left over from an auction in one of the rooms, so I will be able to sleep on that. Mike, the station manager, is just about one of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone here is amazing. The sense of community runs deep, and I feel like the folks here would (and might literally have to) give me the shirt off their back.
Now let’s get back to that dirty sock.
At about 5:00 p.m. tonight I learned that another major conviction had been made in the ongoing corruption sting, and I knew I was going to have to file spots for both the APRN Morning News as well as for National Public Radio (NPR), who wanted something short for a Morning Edition newscast. So I wrote my stories as fast as I could, went to record them and realized I didn’t pack a windscreen for my main microphone! I tried to record my spots a bunch of times, but kept getting that annoying popping sound on every word that started with a P (which when you are talking about ‘PPPleading’ and ‘PPPrison’ can sound PPPretty PPPathetic).
Long story short, I took off my boot, peeled off my day old Smartwool, and jammed it over the microphone. Alas, the P’s were silenced.
On the Iditarod front, lead mushers are still some ways away but there is a noticeable buzz in the air. Restaurants, bars, and hotels are filling up like crazy and there are planes landing with supplies and more people almost every hour. I just know the next few days are going to be a blast. Especially if someone would send me some clean clothes?
David,
Thanks for doing this reporter’s notebook to share your experience with those of us who will never be able to make this trip. There is always a lot written about the mushers’ experience, but I’m just as interested–if not more so–in what it is like for the support people and the media covering the race. Your perspective as a cheechako is great!
Keep up the good work and stay warm. I do hope your luggage shows up. How does luggage get lost between Anchorage and McGrath anyway?
Karen in Anchorage
Suck it up you whiner. Where is your duct tape?? Didn’t you see Castaway with Tom Hanks? See you back in warm Anchorage dave. Dennis