Summer of George

In an episode of Seinfeld, a sitcom second only to Cheers in the history of television, George Costanza proclaimed a "Summer of George" after receiving a three-month severance package from the New York Yankees.

With three months worth of paychecks about to be pouring in without a moment of responsibility ahead, George vowed the summer would be on his terms. Without re-telling the entire episode, George spent the first days of his summer glued to his couch, and after slipping on dropped invitations and falling down the stairs, he spent the remainder of the "Summer of George" glued to a hospital bed.

George had the loftiest expectations for his summer, which turned out to be a giant disappointment.

At the end of each summer in Alaska, I look back and can't help but feel a little disappointed -- like I have squandered too many opportunities to do the summer things I love. As snow in Alaska begins to fade and hints of green begin to appear, I always become restless for the summer to begin. Before the temperature rises above freezing, I have elaborate plans to play golf at least twice a week and fish just as often. With my golf clubs and fishing rods ready, I do everything short of proclaiming the "Summer of Jay."

But each summer, seems to be a repeat of the same episode. It is now August, and I can count the number of times I have hit the golf course and Willow Creek on two hands. I am still waiting for that first catch, and my golf game remains as rusty as it did in early May. Even when I throw the clubs and the rods in the cab of my truck, I always find a reason not to go golfing, or not to go fishing, without even looking. Whether it be for one reason or another, each summer I find myself looking back at the "Summer of Jay" to find it has been a slight disappointment.

But in Alaska, where nearly four months of the best summers in the world is our reward for more than eight months of the worst winters possible, it is almost impossible to live up to the standard expectation. Everyone has a plan to enjoy every possible second in the sunny Alaska outdoors. Some want to float the creeks, some want to walk the fairways with their clubs and others just want to waste away on the deck with a cold one. With a limited time to fish, golf and sit out comfortably on the deck with a cold one, the average person could spend every weekend in the sun and still be disappointed. Because come November when the winds are howling, the roads are icy and the white stuff has covered the ground, any thought of green fairways, calm waters or a enjoying a warm summer night with a cold drink in your hand could have anyone proclaiming their own "Summer of George."

Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz has already vowed to play golf at least twice a week and go fishing at least twice a week during the summer of … 2005.