Top Ten Lists

Cedar Rapids is nicknamed the City of Five Seasons for the traditional four seasons and a "fifth season" which is a time to enjoy the other four. I have only been back in Alaska for 6 months, but I think it is fair to say that Anchorage is the City of two seasons; Wet (spring, summer, fall) and Wet and Cold (Oct-March). Anchorage didn't see one day over 70 in all of July and August this year. The locals say this was a very cool summer and not at all normal, but that doesn’t do much to ease my displeasure.

I lived in Cedar Rapids for almost a decade and I grow accustomed to certain things that I miss.

Now I present the top ten things I miss about Iowa…

10. Long Branch Hot wings
9. Lightning Bugs
8. Tan shoulders
7. Women’s golf League
6. Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Restaurant
5. Men’s bowling league (every other Saturday evening I had to myself)
4. Real Farmers Markets
3. Thunder storms
2. Chicago
1. Only 3 hours and 20 minutes for Grandma Schnell’s house


To be fair here are the top 10 things I Love about Alaska

10. The Governor
9. Anchorage trail system
8. The sunset over the bay
7. My home that has the sensation of a cabin retreat
6. Halibut fishing
5. High bush cranberry season
4. The way woods smells
3. Grandma Andresen only one short plane ride away
2. K and E

1. The tiny sweet strawberries in my front yard and the tiny sweet girl that sneaks outside to eat them.