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: A Public Defender's Life in Alaska

So, you know it is spring in this house by the chicks. Sure, there may be 2 feet of snow in the backyard. But in our spare bathroom, there are 40 meat chicks and 6 new Delaware pullets. A guy in the store today made a comment about why I would bother with all the "work". It gave me a chance to rail against factory farms. It is okay to eat meat. It is not okay to let animals suffer in life or death. I will not soil my soul with the blood of the suffering any more than necessary. The clerk got quite a chuckle. Regardless of whether I come out ahead financially (and I do by $1 or $2 a bird), it is the right thing to do. And the kids love it of course. Plus it just makes me feel good to see the vegetables coming up, see the homemade wine waiting to be bottled, see the chicks in the bathroom and the rabbits and the chickens outside. It makes me feel good to heat with wood and eat roadkill moose. Hell, isn't that why I came to Alaska? In other news, I am sad to report that my beloved Subaru died. I have had it with clunkers. For all of you who have ridden in the Subaru (aka the "Exxon Valdez" for all the oil it spilled) or the Suburban, they are gone or going. Neither was safe or good for the environment. Putting the kids in them was just not going to happen. I had to re-finance the houses to do it but I am tired of always wondering if I am going to make it work. If I break down fine. If I break down and I have the kids and it is -20F that is not fine. So I made a decision. Oh I agonized over it. I crunched numbers and figured out what I could do without. But I am buying a newer truck. I am going to pick it up on Sunday. For the people who are visiting me this summer, here she is. I mean what is another payment? I will be 40 before long and I refuse to drive a 1989 Subaru forever. Ah, hell. If the kids want to go to college they can use their Canadian citizenship.

Full post as published by A Public Defender's Life in Alaska on April 11, 2009 (boomark / email).