These are the Chronicles of Famous Surf Writer Ben Marcus and his trip into the Wilds of the Alaskan Frontier.
Latest Update: October 2, 2000

11:26 AT A PHONE IN TH DRIFTWOOD INN

Wow, I've been online for several hours. I'm plugged into a phone line inside the Driftwood Inn. Thank God it's fall and there's no one around. And Thank God for the AOL 800 number, but I wonder when I'm going to get the bill for that.

Anyway, I've been online taking care of business.

Checked out the new posts on the Sacklunch.com/benm/. Good stuff, although the photos are pretty dark.

What a nice person he is to do that, whoever it is that is doing that.

They found my ATM card in Valdez, but they're going to make me drive there to get it. I don't know that I want to do that. That is a really long drive for an ATM card. Like driving from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, over the Himalayas, just to get an ATM card.

I may have to go over GiGi-at-the-bank's head. She's nice, but kind of dopey.

I set up a drift-fishing trip on the Kenai with Alaska Troutfitters. I'll go Tuesday or Thursday, depending on the money situation. They charge $200 for a day of drifting up through a restricted area on the Kenai. It'll be trout and Dolly Varden and maybe some silvers. Fly-fishing only, baby. I'm one of those elitist types.

While doing my online banking I wondered why an automatic payment for Pac Bell wireless hadn't gone through. I'd scheduled it for Sept. 30, but it hadn't been paid as of today. Then I realized I'd scheduled it for October 30. Now I have to call them to make sure they don't cut off my service.

The battery is out on the van. I fell asleep with the TV on last night.

But I can fix it. I have the technology.

Gonna deal with all of those things, then go down to the ferry building and see if I can get a ferry to Valdez and back. That might be worthwhile. I really don't want to drive.

Then I might buy a fishing license and maybe flog some of the coastal rivers for steelhead.

Hope all is well.

More later.