AHEM!

I would just like to inform all present that in exactly ONE month I will be in FAIRBANKS for a long weekend. In exactly TWO months I will be home with my family and friends! Now the big question is... will I be able to drive safely and effectively in locations where there are wacky things like stoplights and centerlines and mandatory stopsigns and onramps and speed limits above 15 miles per hour?

I just purchased my tickets back to AK after Christmas and home again in May. By the way, what the hell is up with the whole airline-ticket-buying mess?! So here's the story of buying a ticket to Bethel, through Anchorage, from Minneapolis-St Paul: First, I thought I'd see if tickets through O'Hare were a lot cheaper. I figured if they were insanely cheap (O'Hare is a major airport for Alaska Airlines), I could either take the train/bus there and back or reimburse a family member and/or friend for the gas to come pick me up. The flight I found was, indeed, fairly inexpensive, and... it went through MSP. "Great," thought I, "I'll just see how much tickets are to MSP. I bet they'll just put me on that same plane and just not ticket me all the way through to O'Hare."

Now that would make sense, right? OK, maybe I wouldn't save any money because I'd have to pay for the same flight, but flying into MSP is more better because (a) I've got friends there and (b) It is not Chicago and (c) It's not as far to my ultimate desination, Stevens Point, WI. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, in order to get to MSP at that same time on that same day, I have to pay $100 more and fly through Salt Lake City. Whatever.

Long story short, I forked out the extra $100 and will now be returning to the lower 48 on my birthday (the real one, not the new, improved February 1st birthday), coming into MSP. The next question is... what should I do and where should I go this summer?