Log 11, Alaska
8/17/04
Gee, no entry for a long , long time. I am in Pitka's Point. Paula stayed back to take care of the boys. I'm alone up here and really don't like it - the part about being alone. But that has always been one of my fantasies, to winter in the far north alone and isolated. Well perhaps I am not that isolated there are three other white teachers, several native staff, and 120 other villagers. Interesting place so far.
8/23/04
This last week has been spent getting ready for school. It starts Wed the 25th. I went for a walk after dinner tonight and found myself on the banks of the Yukon River talking to a couple who were kayaking to Nome. I told them they could come up to the school and use the Internet to check mail. They may come up later.
8/24/04
School starts tomorrow. I am about as ready as I ever am.
8/26/04
School is OK. I only have seven in the class. A real dream job. There are only 35 in the whole school. The grades are K - 8, and then the kids transfer to St. Marys, about 15 miles down the one road in these parts. There is one young man named Gabe who is very smart and one other who is funny as all get out. The others are good kids, but there is always one with an attitude. The problem is that his grandmother is my assistant.
8/28/04
I am the cross country coach which is stupid because I don't know the first thing about it, but some one had to do it and I am the only man on staff and the ladies did not want to. I got a book about it and set up a practice schedule but the kids sort of come and go at will. They don't like to practice for very long. Their parents take them netting or hunting, or they have to baby sit. There is always some reason. Gabe seems to be the best. There is a district rule that they have to practice 10 days before a meet. To accommodate the kids I have practice on Sat and Sun, sometimes 2 per day so they can get in the required practices, gee what a nice guy I am, but it is not like I have much else to do.
8/29/04
Went to church in St Marys. They have a Jesuit society there.
9/1/04
Got paid, $3781 clear.
10/16/04
Took Claudia, our principal-lead teacher to the airport this moring. She is going to Anchorage for a principals meeting. Left me in charge. Perhaps I will call school off for the rest of the week.
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11-26-17
Note to reader: For some reason I stopped keeping a log as such and have no more day to day entries to make. Some how now and then I run across items that seem to fit this narrative and if I do I will share them with you.
I didn't call off school that week. I don't remember the names of the other teachers except for Claudia and I can say we were all friends but not close ones. I had thought that that would be my last year but Paula filed for divorce when I was there and sort of left me in a financial bind. Absence makes the heart grown fonder, but usually for some one else. That is not really fair, she had a host of family problems to deal with and one can only do so much. We tried to reconcile but its is hard to do over the phone etc. I saw her once the following year but nothing really came of it. I have not seen her since - that shipped sailed. I came back one more year and have visited three additional times.
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