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| "The Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh - 1889 |
Delivering newspapers at 40 degrees below zero (part 1)
The newspaper route was in a
subdivision on the outskirts of Fairbanks, and I could either drive or walk the
route. Driving took less time but walking saved gas, so I ended up walking most
of the time—covering about five miles each night. (By walking my route I could also
rationalize that I only worked one hour and exercised the other one to two hours it took to complete my route. That way my hourly
wage seemed much higher.)
Even when the weather turned cold
I preferred walking. With extra layers
of clothing on it was a real hassle getting in and out of the truck to deliver
papers to porches, and I could never dress properly. If I dressed for staying warm while out of the
truck, I roasted inside the vehicle. Conversely, if I dressed light enough
to be comfortable in the truck, I froze once I got out. If I just walked my
route I could dress sensibly and stay comfortable.
In sub-zero weather I ended up
wearing snow-sport goggles. (They kept
my sinuses warm so my nose didn’t drip constantly.) And I don’t care what the companies say,
there is no such thing as frost-free goggles. Every night my goggles were quickly
glazed over with a thin coating of ice. This didn't interfere with my vision,
just turned delivering papers into a surreal experience. Everything I looked at was
overlaid with ice crystal patterns and all the lights acquired halos. It was
like walking around in Van Gogh’s “Starry Night on the Rhone” or “The Starry Night”
paintings.
I always listened to “Jazz with Bob Parlocha” (on local public radio station KUAC) while I delivered
newspapers, and I figured there could be a lot worse things to do than walk
around inside a post-impressionist painting while listening to jazz. So take that Old Man Winter—art and music trump the cold!
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