Real Men of Alaska - Mr. August 2013
...meet 'BILL'...
As Romance Writers
We Are Always On The Lookout For Hot Hunky Hero Types, So Please, Take A Few
Minutes And Tell Us A Little About Yourself, Bill.
1: Were you born in Alaska, and if not, then how did you end up here? What
do you do for a living, and what do you do for fun. Age, height, fav. food, and
any other statistics you are willing to share. Just remember though, we are a
PG 13 site and blush easily J
I grew up in the southeast city of Ketchikan where my mother
was born. I moved up to Anchorage when I was 25 years old to attend college at
UAA . I have always been a pretty gregarious 'people person', so it made perfect
sense for me to move into the restaurant industry as a means of supporting
myself.
I’m 5’9” weigh 150lbs, have brown hair, green eyes and am blessed with
a wonderful group of family and friends that are constantly supportive.
I’m not
picky when it comes to food (with the exception of seafood- you can only eat so
much fresh seafood growing up without becoming a little sick of it), but if
forced to pick one place in Anchorage to eat I would probably say either Bear’s
Tooth or Moose’s Tooth. They both have great food, but the atmosphere and most
importantly the beer is what sets these two places apart.
2: What kind of person appeals to you, and who do
you let make the first move, you or them?
I’m extremely attracted to someone with strong moral
character who knows what they want and where they’re going in life. Someone
with a great work ethic is a huge turn on. As trite as it may sound, I love
when you meet someone and you can tell immediately that you’re meeting the
“real” them. Life is all about these wonderful connections that you make with
the people around you.
On a more basic level, if you love food as much as I do,
we’ll instantly have something in common.
3: Where is your favorite place to take someone
on a first date, and why?
I honestly really enjoy meeting people out on the town. One
of the most important things you can do on a first date is put the other person
at ease. When you both are in a comfortable environment it opens the door to
honest communication.
4: What's
the wildest thing you've ever done, other than, well you know, with a companion
since living in Alaska?
Well… as
someone from the southeast where tourism is such a major part of our economy,
it’s sort of a rite of passage to moon the cruise ships in the summertime.
So
I’m neither confirming nor denying anything, but some hapless tourist may or
may not have seen my shining little behind.
5:
Winter can be long, dark, and very cold here in Alaska. What are your favorite
frosty pastime activities? (Remember the PG
13 rating J)
And, what is the coldest temp you’ve seen/been
in?
I love the
winter in Alaska. Many people have this misconception that winters here are
long and depressing, which for me has always been a point of contention. Winter
here is not unlike any other situation in life-it is what you make of it. I
love getting out and skiing, skating, watching the northern lights,
snowshoeing, whatever. As a true Alaskan, we all know that the weather doesn’t
actually restrict our fun, often it just adds to it.
6:
And, if we ask about winter then we simply must inquire about the too short,
wonderful summers. What are your favorite things to do during all those long
hours of sunshine?
I feel like
I am like most Alaskans in that, in the summertime especially, I work hard and
I play hard. Between double shifts at work, and extended camping/hiking/fishing
trips, I more than make the most of my days.
7: Alaskan men take their vehicles very
seriously. What is your favorite mode
of transportation – car, truck, snow machine, four-wheeler, airplane, skis,
snowboard, etc., and why?
I learned
how to drive on a manual and for me, that is one of the most important aspects
of driving. I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for big pick-up trucks, but more than
anything I like being in control of the vehicle and having the option to
downshift in the wintertime when braking may not be an option.
That said, there
is nothing more fun than riding around in the summer sunshine on a moped.
8:
What is your favorite Alaskan animal – to see along the highway or on your
dinner plate?
I can honestly say that I’m not much of a big game eater, and
while it is fun to see the common moose or bear along the side of the road it
is pretty exciting when you get to see an Arctic fox or snowy owl.
Also can I
mention how exciting it is to NOT see snakes, scorpions, or billboards while
driving along?
9: Have you ever wrestled a polar bear, mushed a
dog team, panned for gold, eaten muktuk, done the polar bear plunge, climbed
Denali, run the Mt. Marathon, or any of the other, found-only-in-Alaska,
activities?
I’ve probably had a beer in most reputable (and irreputable)
bars in southeast Alaska. I’ve adventured my way around most of the state and
have certainly tried (almost) every local microbrewery here.
I have refrained
from such activities as eating muktuk given my dislike of seafood - and may I
just speak for all men when I say that the Polar Plunge isn’t exactly a good
way to (physically at least) impress anyone.
But I will say, that if you
haven’t been, you should definitely check out the Ice Worm festival in Cordova.
10: In your opinion, what exactly
is it that makes an Alaskan Male so wonderfully macho and appealing?
The beard.
11: What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever landed?
And we mean the kind with scales and fins that swim in water, not the locker
room bragging rights variety. J
In terms of story material, isn’t the one that gets away
always the bigger/better tale?
With that in mind, I’ll have you know that I
have lost many a lure in many an epic battle with our scaly friends. And I
should note for the record that I come from a long, proud line of terrible
fishermen.
13: And last but certainly not least, in your
opinion, what is the most romantic thing about Alaska, and why?
In my
travels throughout the years, I have found that in many places, “common
courtesy” isn’t so common. One of the most romantic things for me about Alaska
is that if your car slides off the road in the wintertime, without fail
you’ll have 5 people stop to help you in 10 minutes time.
Here, it’s easy to
get into a real conversation with someone in the Kaladi Brother’s line.
Here,
when someone asks you how your day was, odds are, they actually want to know
how your day was.
We haven’t resorted to apathy and disinterest, and to me,
that is extremely romantic.
Our Thanks to Bill for a great interview - and to you
for stopping by!
Stay tuned for Mr. September 2013 -
- have a great summer!
