Errands



Bundled up to take Nali for a walk ON the river.

When the thermometer isn’t expected to show temps above zero and the windchill is currently 31 below, but I really want to get my Netflix in the mail so that new ones will come, what do I do?
Wool socks, long underwear under heavy sweatpants, a parka over a sweatshirt, scarf to cover nose and mouth (parka hood pulled up), insulated gloves and boots rated to 70 below. I venture outside with my dog racing circles around me. I’ve got post office keys, Netflix envelope stuffed with two DVDs, debit card, and cloth grocery bags in my oversized coat pockets. I grab 5 empty boxes (from care packages and a Land’s End order) in the mud room to take to the dumpster which is not exactly on my way.

That’s how it is. You know how when you’re going to town, you try to plan to do everything at once – bank, post office, grocery store, whatever. Well, even in a village on the tundra with not a car in sight, the plan is the same. The cold makes me plan my trips outside accordingly. It’s not a lot of fun to put on and take off that many layers repetitively, so I consolidate my errands. Once outside, I realize that my eyes are the only things uncovered and they feel like they are going to freeze solid and pop right out of my head, so I pull my hood even lower, creating zero peripheral vision. I’m walking in a tunnel, my own private tunnel of warmth in a sea of frigidity.

The other thing about wearing that many layers is that it makes me run my errands quicker. I throw the boxes into the dumpster, which is not as easy as it may sound when wearing sight encumbering warming mechanisms. But, I get the job done.

My buddy, Nali, goes everywhere with me.

Once at the post office, I tell Nali to “stay” outside the front door and I pull my gloves off once inside (note to self… if I pull my gloves off before I open the outside door, my semi-sweaty hands may stick to the metal doorknob). I say HI to Ted (postmaster) as I dig the Netflix and key out of my pocket, drop the Netflix in the slot and head around the torn linoleum floor to my post office box. I drop the junk mail into the trash, stick my retirement funds notice into my pocket, and tell Ted to have a nice weekend as I head back out the front door. My loyal pup is sitting on the ramp waiting for me.

We head to the Native Store because we’re out of napkins and paper towels at home. Sarah told me on the way out the door to be sure to get some snacks, too. So, I’m on a mission. Again, Nali waits patiently outside for me while I head into the overly-warm building. There are several Yupik ladies sitting around the cash registers visiting as I walk in. They all look, smile, and say, “Hello.” I recognize one of them as a school employee and we chat for a moment about the upcoming Holiday Gift Exchange and Potluck to be held during lunch on Monday at school (the holidays last a solid month here in the village, but that’s for another blog). I gather a roll of paper towels, package of paper napkins, some Maui Onion potato chips, and some Crunch n’Munch and head quickly to the register to check out. I’m already sweating and haven’t even been in the store 5 minutes (I’m the only customer). I definitely get my errands done quicker when I’m all bundled up – the idea of unbundling just to spend more time browsing in the store holds little appeal.

I meet Nali outside (her chin is becoming frosty with mini-icycles) and we head for home. It’s a cold, brisk walk and we are both excited to get inside and shake off the cold.