The CheckerBoard

I was born and raised in Chattanooga, graduated from Tyner High School in 1995 (back when there were both city and county schools).

I haven't played golf at midnight because the stupid courses insist on closing at night despite the fact that it's not even dark yet. Temps in July are usually in the mid to upper 60s, and rain is always a possibility. If you're coming up on a cruise ship, I'd recommend the Kenai Fjords Tour, the Alaska Railroad from Seward to Anchorage (or vice-versa if your ship docks in Anchorage), and the Alaska Sea Life Center while in Seward.

SE Alaska is literally a subtropical rainforest, so you see a lot of rain there. Anchorage used to see more snow than rain, but over the last 3-4 summers we have seen as many as 34 days in a row with rain. The only "dry" areas are north of the Brooks Range - places like Prudhoe Bay, Barrow, Deadhorse, and ANWR.

I'd just give him a snowmobile with enough gas to go 50 miles (no real roads in the bush) and point him in the direction of nothing. The wolves would take care of the body, and I'd report the snowmobile as stolen. It would take the State Troopers six months to search for it anyways...

I knew that the longer the process dragged out, the less likely we'd see Tee in Knoxville next year. Family can often cause you to hold off on even your biggest wishes.

No, although I have met both Sarah and Bristol. Don't like either one of them, in all honesty. Bristol is a spoiled little brat, and having a kid did not cause her to grow out of it.

Blackout curtains in the summer, getting out of the state in the winter is how I cope with the daylight extremes. As far as sports go, I occasionally play some pickup basketball at the gym, but there isn't much to watch in person other than UAA basketball (their hockey team sucks), Alaska Aces hockey, or AFC (local MMA promotion). The HS football players up here look like middle school players in Tennessee, and I can't get behind a season that starts the first weekend of August and crowns its champions after an 8-game regular season and playoffs are done before Halloween. I see moose regularly around my house, and occasionally see bears, wolves, and foxes.

Deadliest Catch is bigger than it should be. When the one captain was airlifted to Providence hospital, there was a vigil outside the place made up entirely of DC fans. Alaska is far too big to see all of it, but I have seen everything from the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage and then between Anchorage and Fairbanks/North Pole. FYI, Guy Fieri just did a holiday themed Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives in North Pole/Fairbanks.

There is a place called Moose's Tooth that makes some amazing pizza. They are also a brewpub, so you can get your pizza and good beer in one stop. They have a spicy pepperoni (pepperoni with pepperoncini peppers) that I love.