Alaska

Dec 19 2008, Friday, Lisle-Chicago…
Finally I got to know what is called extreme. If there is any superlative degree for this word or any other substitution with more punch will nearly do the justice. As I grow up and got to know about places like Antarctica, Alaska, South Africa and other extremities (courtesy Geography study books), I was always thrilled with ideas of visiting such places and was assuming my self to be lucky even if I get a chance to have a glance at such places in my life. Chicago was not in the list. Definitely it shouldn’t be there as it was not that renowned for its ‘not too bad’ climate. One wonder it did to me today was, it removed one place off my list or to be fair, at least made my thrilling levels down. Alaska.

Thursday, people left early from offices and those who were flying for their Christmas vacations grabbed their coats from coat racks too early. Weather forecast websites, news channels and other broadcasting mediums were all pitching in with news and weather warnings, storm announcements and travel precautions and so on. I left yesterday from the office at regular time and was thinking if I could make to office today. First thing I did after waking up, I glanced from my bedroom window to see the pile of snow made by snow blowers but it wasn’t there. Road was still carpeted with think layer of snow without any signs of snow blowers cleaning it. I took showers and came out to steal a look one again and now road was clean enough to walk to station. My house is just 5-7 min walk from Lisle Metra station and usually I enjoy that walk. Today I couldn’t see my train waiting there but instead heard announcement that all the inbound and out bound trains are running at least 20-25 min behind the schedules. Waiting for around twenty min our train showed up and I grabbed my favorite window seat. They were still announcing the train will be late further due to some grade problem. I was watching out of window with thoughts of Alaska mounting.

I couldn’t see a single inch of land left uncovered and it was milky white think blanket everywhere and it was still snowing. Rail tracks were not visible and it made impression like our train is floating on the snow. Trees looked beautiful with white snow lining on them. Approaching union station, downtown, I could see buildings standing tall all covered with snow. It was foggy allover enough to make top few floors of Sears tower invisible. The daily office ride was feeling like long journey today. It felt significant expedition between two distant cities. But I enjoyed it as I was reading Jack Reacher Novel “Killing on the floor”. As train was getting closer to station, story was becoming interesting and Jack had figured out all about counterfeiting of money. I wished train should not have stopped at least for another an hour so that I could finish the story. Finally train arrived 40 min late at union station and I was out on road walking towards my office. Its again 5-7 min walk and I have to walk around two blocks. Walking in ice slurry felt like walking in a pool of mud. It took me way back in my childhood. We kids used to celebrate rain like a festival and were very fond of playing and roaming all over the place. Playing with paper boats in water pools was sheer fun. Mom used to yell at us to get back home and I always behaved like I unheard her yelling. I would go back home after an hour of her first warning. After few days mom became smarter and she started shouting at us one hour before time, she wanted us to be at home. By the time we understood this trick, we were quite grown up to muddle in rain.

I walked to the office with my thick coat, gloves and fleece cap on. I was making way through the ice slurry and it was quite slippery on wooden planks of bridge I have to cross. It was all gum boots, over coats, winter jackets all over and vapors coming from each mouth. Everyone was smoking this fog today. I reached my place in office and it was deserted. Like other offices around, my office also made pretty much space everywhere and seats were lying vacant with rare hustling of printers. Especially where I seat, I am left alone. We five people seat in crunchy little space with hard to move chairs but today I was king of the palace.. sorry place. I started my work thinking that it will be alright while going back to home. I will keep peeping from my 22nd floor glass window to get closer feel of Alaska. Weather people told that it will be nasty till 12 PM but still by some reason if it fails to satisfy my urge, I will still think of visiting Alaska some day….