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gremcat Offline OP
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Thanks Las, she is thinking SE Alaska still and not a completely remote bush village. I am still working on her. This morning on my hour long drive to work I was contemplating something. I have experience in electrical assembly and repair ( chips,boards, etc.) I also have a few friends that do SS welding hanging from a crane and one that owns a machine shop that specializes in all types of metal work. Couple that with my other experience I wonder if I could get on with a gas/oil company doing repair work. I imagine it is a little rough if they fly you somewhere for a few weeks and your away form the family but I am wondering if the pay would be better. I have reinvented myself a few times over already. I am also certain we will never be able to retire no matter how much we make. Three kids are expensive and I am too much of a busy body to slow down so. I will start trying to figure out which companies in the oil industry to look at and where she could get a biologist or teaching job. We both love Ketchikan and maybe if we can get there and stay for a few years we can explore other parts of AK.

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The advantage of getting a slope job is you can live anywhere in the state. The tough part is unless you have direct oil field experience and/or know someone in the industry it's very tough to break in. The best suggestion to gain that experience is to try and get on in the gulf, or head to North Dakota and bust your butt getting oil field experience.

Most oilfield workers don't work for the oil companies, they are contractors. It sounds like you'd be a good fit as an instrument tech, so I'd suggest looking at CH2MHill, ASRC, Nana and Udelhoven to see if they have any tech jobs listed. Getting an associates degree in that field is also highly recomended. Oil field jobs tend to pay quite well, but being away from the family for roughly half the year can be rough on the family. Many people make it work, and you get half the year off, in 2 week chunks.

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I have been thinking about going back to school for something else. Just not sure what would be best. Every one I talk to says I love all things hunting and fishing and should look for a career in those areas but I imagine getting on with a good guide is tough. Especially with my current shattered leg. It would be nice to find a company with a Supply Chain Director type position even if they are based in Vancouver because usually you can telecommute but then again that might be spotty anywhere in AK trying to get any kind of signal. I will probably come up there and look around first and see what is available in what areas. I would love to buy a boat and just take people fishing but I imagine that is another tough field to break into. Especially not knowing the waters there. I may talk to a friend that owns his own airport here in Apex and get my pilots license. He has been trying to get me in one of his planes for a while. It would take me more time to get there but maybe a job flying would be better paid and give me more access to the whole state.

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In my current role I design factories, manage SMT lines, and help on the Logistics side. I imagine in Vancouver there are tech companies that could use those skills but probably not much in AK. Sorry if I seem to be all over. I am also looking at a few other areas but would love to figure out a way to make AK work for us.

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Your right on Slope jobs. It seems they want 5 + years experience in the field. I see quite a few Engineer and Manager level jobs I would be a candidate for in Anchorage but that doesn't work if they are laying off teachers.

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Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter
The way I see it is you can find a million reasons not to do it. If you really want it then do it. It won't be easy, but nothing worth doing is easy.



Nailed my view zakly!!
I've added professions as the need arose. Living in Southeast and working in the arctic is an extra challenge and why in the world would you want to actually Live inKetchikan ????? Yuk.
Most of the bark has been peeled off of Southeast. When we lost the pulp mills the liberals and gubmints took the place over. It used to be a wonderfully free place. It's just gross now compared to how it used to be.
L.E. up the wazoo. Spy cams every where. Dumb asses that cant navigate their way out of a paper bag without GPS and semi continous runs of flagging tape.
Game and fish hogs that waste more than they eat.
Village life isn't nearly as simple as most think. Either you and your spouse become part of the village or you wont be there long. If your looking for lots of $$$$$$ that ship sailed some time ago.
But if you REALLY WANT TO BE ALASKAN'S !!! It can be done very well and you can prosper up here. But it takes about everything you and yours got.

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Anchorage school district is always having money problems. But look towards the matnuska school district and they don't have those problems. Hell they are building more schools out their. We have a home in the valley and best decision ever anchorage is a rat race houses stacked on each other. Schools up their top notch my daughter down here in Colorado Springs was 6 months ahead of these kids. My wife and daughter miss Alaska and my wife is actively looking to transfer back up to alaska my daughter wants to graduate high school up their. Me I'm stuck here for 2 more yrs by then be time to retire then I'm on my way back to Alaska.


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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Ketchikan is not Alaska


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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We visited a few other areas. Juneau, Skagway, and one other area. I didn't care for Skagway it felt like a Frontier town kind of deal only set up for tourists. The trouble is we where on a cruise bought for us by my mother as a gift. Can't really roam to much because there are set times to meet the boat. That is why we want to come back up and look around some more. All the people in Knudson Cove seemed nice. We liked the way towering cliffs every where if that makes sense. We didn't spend any time in town though. Just traveling to Knudson Cove. It kind of reminded me of Maine or something like that if you get rid of all the tourist shops. That was the worst part about all the towns are the cruise ship shopping strips everywhere. I am sure when the time draws nearer for a trip I will ask advice on where to go and visit.

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If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.

Last edited by 79S; 07/29/14.

Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
IC B3

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Originally Posted by gremcat
We visited a few other areas. Juneau, Skagway, and one other area. I didn't care for Skagway it felt like a Frontier town kind of deal only set up for tourists. The trouble is we where on a cruise bought for us by my mother as a gift. Can't really roam to much because there are set times to meet the boat. That is why we want to come back up and look around some more. All the people in Knudson Cove seemed nice. We liked the way towering cliffs every where if that makes sense. We didn't spend any time in town though. Just traveling to Knudson Cove. It kind of reminded me of Maine or something like that if you get rid of all the tourist shops. That was the worst part about all the towns are the cruise ship shopping strips everywhere. I am sure when the time draws nearer for a trip I will ask advice on where to go and visit.



Skagway is very nice before tourist season like Haines.

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Originally Posted by 79S
If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.

Kenai sucks in the winter.


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
--Pat Parelli

American by birth; Alaskan by choice.
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Originally Posted by 79S
If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.


In Fairbanks, it ain't the cold so much as the dark. It can get you down.

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Uh Wasilla is no better but I take em over Fairbanks anyday but Fairbanks is nice in the summer and it knocks 400 miles of the haul road trip too


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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gremcat Offline OP
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Would it be worthwhile to get my pilots license through ha friend? Is it difficult and how is the pay in the air transport world?

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People think living in Alaska is somehow rocket science. It ain't. Fishing is easy. Hunting is easy. If you have an outdoors IQ of at least 80, you'll do fine. If you and your wife have a good attitude, it's easy. If you married a bitch, then your life will be hell no matter where you live. Cost of living is what you make of it. If you eat a lot of processed foods and food that needs to be brought in, then your grocery bill will be higher. My wife and I eat on less than $350 a month, and that includes food for the young kiddo. If you heat your home with oil and drive a higher MPG vehicle, then those costs will be slightly higher than what you'd pay in the lower 48. If you need to visit family 2x a year, factor in those costs.

By the time Jan/Feb role around, I'm tired and welcome a little darker days and if it rains 30 days a month, I feel a bit better about sitting on my ass resting up. March things start rolling again and I do it all over again.

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Originally Posted by ColdTriggerFinger
Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter
The way I see it is you can find a million reasons not to do it. If you really want it then do it. It won't be easy, but nothing worth doing is easy.



Nailed my view zakly!!
I've added professions as the need arose. Living in Southeast and working in the arctic is an extra challenge and why in the world would you want to actually Live inKetchikan ????? Yuk.
Most of the bark has been peeled off of Southeast. When we lost the pulp mills the liberals and gubmints took the place over. It used to be a wonderfully free place. It's just gross now compared to how it used to be.
L.E. up the wazoo. Spy cams every where. Dumb asses that cant navigate their way out of a paper bag without GPS and semi continous runs of flagging tape.
Game and fish hogs that waste more than they eat.
Village life isn't nearly as simple as most think. Either you and your spouse become part of the village or you wont be there long. If your looking for lots of $$$$$$ that ship sailed some time ago.
But if you REALLY WANT TO BE ALASKAN'S !!! It can be done very well and you can prosper up here. But it takes about everything you and yours got.


I can think of a lot worse places to live than Ktown. Juneau would be one of those places. (grin) Good fishing, an airport, walmart, close proximity to good hunting. Ktown has a lot going for it.

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Originally Posted by Calvin
I've added I can think of a lot worse places to live than Ktown. Juneau would be one of those places. (grin) Good fishing, an airport, walmart, close proximity to good hunting. Ktown has a lot going for it.


Now you done hurt folks feelers C.

We have world class skiing from Dec to April - otherwise, winter would suck black moldly ballz.

Did they ever find out what that guy was doing in the K-town quarry - besides trying to blow himself up?

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Originally Posted by ironbender
Originally Posted by 79S
If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.

Kenai sucks in the winter.


c'mon Mike - u know you love it there. Now, Sterling really sucks - all those Baptists, brown bears, slope workers, drug dealers, home-schoolers, and of course, me... when I'm not n Kotz. But I'm only here 4 or 5 days a month until my wife decides to retire us. Again.

The bad news is that this internet is way faster that at Kotz... smile


The only true cost of having a dog is its death.

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And the likker is cheaper.


The only true cost of having a dog is its death.

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