Snow, Jobs and a Tuba Legend

Seward received its first snow yesterday, several weeks before I was expecting it. Everyone is forcasting a warmer-than-usual winter for Alaska, but so far things have been pretty chilly for this area. Most of the snow has melted in town, although you don't have to climb very high into the mountains to find several inches of the white stuff.

Unfortunately, there is still no news on the job hunt. Except that tomorrow is my last day of work at Kenai Fjords. After that it is unemploymentsville for me until I find a new job. I've never gotten an unemployment check before, so this will be a brand new experience for me. At least it will give me an opportunity to concentrate on sending out applications and resumes. Speaking of sending out new applications, I've recently added Fort Pulaski National Monument to my list. This park's cool-factor went through the roof once I discovered there is an alligator-infested moat around the fort!

Finally, there is sad news in the tuba world today. Tommy Johnson, best known for his work on the Jaws theme, died recently at the age of 71. While you may not have heard OF him, I can guarantee that you have HEARD him. He was one of the most recorded tuba players ever, having contributed to over 2,000 film scores over the last fifty years. Some of the films he has worked on include:

Back to the Future, Jaws, Close Encounter of The Third Kind, Karate Kid, Police Academy, Silverado, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, The Natural, The Godfather, A League of Their Own, Alien III, Batman Returns, Beetle Juice, Unforgiven, Toy Story, Honeymoon in Vegas, Die Hard, Crimson Tide, Lethal Weapon, A Few Good Men, Forrest Gump, Lion King, Maverick, True Lies, Wyatt Earp, Seven, Independence Day, The Frighteners, Tin Cup, Twister, Air Force One, The Edge, Con Air, Contact, Deep Rising, Flubber, Men in Black, Starship Troopers, Titanic, The Rainmaker, US Marshals, The Matrix, and A Bug's Life.

As a fellow tubist, I tip my hat to Tommy.