Letters from the Inside, Sarah Pender, #12

Dear Kelly,

Thank you for the photos and postcards from Alaska! So beautiful--the landscape. Did you larn about the glaciers and such while you were on your trip? Like, I know that a really long time ago, (during the Ice Ages?) that the temps dropped and these huge glaciers were formed. For whatever reason, they began to move-and formed mountain ranges and lots of landscape from their massive size. Are all of Alaska's mountinas formed by the glaciers? I saw people in light jackets in one postcard--what's the summer temps up there in the day? I heard the days get real long in one season, where there's nearly no night, because of how the earth is tilted. And in the opposite season they have only a few hours of sunlight. What was significantly different about the environment there that you noticed? The architecture of the waterside village on stilts reminds me of an east coat village I drove through once. Isnt' it funny how architecture and use of color speaks loudly about a population? That's one think I liked about Chicago. It evolved, so there's many different gruops, styles, cultures, and architecture, etc.

Your photos are lovely--you are so pretty. You remind me of my sister Jeni. Growing up, she was the pretty, blonde, thin, older sister and I was, well, I wasn't. I didn't consider myself to be "pretty" until maybe five years ago. I got that I had to quit being so damned self conscious and pursue myown interests and voila! I got comfortable with myself. Beauty is so much an inner thing. There are these parodies of 1950s-type advertisements and one of them has this old-fashioned chick surrounded by lipsticks, perfumes, face powder and it reads:

"Inner Beauty Won't Get You Laid."

Funny. I laughed but I disagree. It might take a little longer but I bet the quality is better. Shallow people suck. and the really sexy, self centered shallow ones are nice to look at, but who wants a selfish lover? I'm in it to get pleasure, not be used as a pleasure machine.

Rant over.

I'm glad you ate all that good food and gained 8lbs (but I'm pretty sure it is just water weight from PMS) because sometimes we need to indulge, dammit.

Your friend from Canada should be there this week. Fun! What exciting adventures are you having? With so much crammed in NYC, the possibilities are endless.

I'm listening to David Drummon growl that sexy voice on the radio. Usually, the first time I hear a Disturbed song, I'm like ACK! Then the 2nd listening is more like Ya! Rock on!

Victoria, BC sounded LOVELY! Just my style. My Dad lives in Seattle. He moved there about four years ago and says it's the greatest place he's ever been. The people, scenery, cleanliness, ambiance. I imagine the whole NW US and SW Canada are like that.

All in all, the trip sounded fun, relaxing and enjoyable, except for your "strange" boat-mates. Do you honestly think everyone else is strange, or perhaps they occur that way out of cultural differences. Admittedly, the Texas teacher wearing (this cracked me up!) serial killer glasses was annoying, but more out of a social manners issues. (He WAS strange.)

You are like many New Yorkers in a city crammed with eople, you enjoy your privacy. He's from WIDE OPEN Texas, where perhaps his closest neighbor is 3 miles down the road and his best friend is a sheep named Darlin. You're a NY liberal, he's a red-blooded Republican. The only gun violence he knows about is when Jethro shoots off his brother's toe while cleaning Betsy, his favorite hunting rifle. Perhaps his wife was glad he found other people to go bother?

I hate that he invaded your peaceful moment, and ran you off. I would have explained, "Hey, I got here at 6am to relax in quiet, alone and soak up some tranquility. Can we chat some other time?" That's not rude. It's saving your sanity and teaching him to match nonverbal communication with a clear message. Otherwise, "Can you please not talk to me?"

I loved the anonymous Bingo psychologist for her candor. Sometimes, people just don't get it.

Have you gone to Happy Hour with your new client yet?

You said you were heavy with the feeling of doom. Any particular reason? I have been down he last 2 weeks but that's a whole other letter.

For now, It's midnight, and I'm pooped. Take care. Hope you are back to your pre-cruise health and weight!

---Sarah---