August of 1980 was not an optimal time to graduate from college. The unemployment rate was 7.7% and the prime interest rate was 11.25%. After passing the CPA in the spring of 1981 I started interviewing with public accounting firms. In December of 1981 I finally got a chance to interview with one of the largest CPA firms in the world, the catch was the job opening was in Anchorage, Alaska. By this time the unemployment rate had climbed to 8.5% and the prime interest rate was a whopping 20%. Today that rate is 3.5%.
 
I brought my terrible old Minolta camera along, just in case I could take a few train pictures. The interview went well, but drug out well into the afternoon. It was a beautiful day in Anchorage and I hoped to get a few ARR shots before dark. At that point I had no idea if I would ever have a chance to visit Alaska again. As soon as the interview was over I went down to the yard, still wearing my suit and tie. I was able to get a few shots. Years later I was pleasantly surprised that a few pictures turned out better than my memory served. I’ve attached a couple for your perusal.
 
I got the job and moved to Alaska shortly thereafter. The first thing I did was buy a new camera.