First I would like to thank everyone that was there, for the fine CS send off Friday evening and the Saturday morning tailgate party after boot camp class. I will miss the group of friends and the social life I had the gym. I am sure I will find something like that up here eventually, but I already look forward to seeing all my friends down there in few weeks when I come visit.
My first week here has been fairly busy. I am still getting used to rising at 4:30 each morning as I need a full hour to make myself beautiful before heading out the door. Well at least I need 8 or 10 minutes to get dressed warmly and make myself presentable, the rest of the time I need to wake up, eat breakfast, make some lunch and drop the kids off at the pool. I cross my fingers when I start my fine new truck, and hope I remember to use the clutch when I drive off down the drive way. The morning commute takes me about :45 minutes as my fine new truck can't accelerate over 45 miles an hour up these winding, mountain roads. Those six little squirrels are running their 24 year old little legs off in there. (Yes my Fine New truck is an 87 Ford Ranger, that guzzles oil through its 6 tiny little cylinders.) But the price was right, thank you Dave H, and so far it has been extremely capable.
The long commute time allows me to spend the time viewing the so far spectacular sun rises coming up over the rest of the sierra mountains. It starts as a slim line of sunlight peaking over the far hills and slipping under the low hanging clouds. The sun appears to raise up the darkness as it shows the commuting world the beauty it has protected during the night. Peaking through the trees are the far snow covered hills of Mammoth and Yosemite and the valley of the Stanislaus. I look forward to summer when I can do this ride by bike and travel slower to enjoy it longer. The drive home each evening is headed directly into the multi colored sunset. The evening sky is painted a kaleidoscope of colors. After every turn of the road, the colors appear to shift and slide past each other, changing the hues and tones of the cloudscape to forecast the next days' weather.
Starting on Monday I will become part of the global warming solution and begin carpooling with my fellow Lodge Maintenance workers. The 35 mile commute time will be cut down by ten minutes or more, and I will ride in relative comfort in the F350 diesel (company owned) pickup truck. I will therefor only need the FN truck to get to the pick up location just a little ways up the road, and for the frequent ski days up the hill once the snow starts falling with more frequency. (Bet you don't see frequent used twice in the same sentence this frequently)
So far my work experience here has been repairing weather damages. Cracked sheetrock ceilings and damaged gutters topping the list. They are planning to house a larger "demo" ski area in the rental area, and I have been framing walls and new office space to accommodate that. Getting to know the behind the scenes space has taken me longer than I thought. There are more hidden switches, hidden closets, access hallways and stairways than I would ever have imagined. I have only been lost twice, but was able to convince the lonely young lady (I mean lovely young lady)working in the ticketing office to unlock the door and let me out both times. During the busy ski season time will be more repairative (and more janitorial) and less constructive.
My time at home, alone, is becoming the most difficult obstacle. Although the farther into the week I get the more tired I become and earlier I head to bed. After staying up until 10:00 on Monday to watch DWTS, I was in bed by 9:00 each evening, sometimes earlier since there was nothing to keep me awake on the boob tube. If you have a minute or two at any time during your own busy life, I would welcome a note or two on how my friends and family are coping. You can skip the countless stories of how many and the quality of the women that find Gary interesting, but other stories of you saving(traveling) the world, and how the kids are doing, and who else saw the amazing sunset would qualify as interesting. Oh but wait, that's what Facebook is for. OK so those you not on facebook, this part was for you.
Well enough about me, The temperature has heated up to 58 inside, and 40 outside, time to get on with the day. I have a busy day ahead making the place presentable for my lovely wife. Yes Nancy is coming up for the week! And Yaki. (I need to see if I can get that window opened). There are oodles of needles and fallen wood that need to be sooted, food to be cooked, glass to be squeegied, floors to be mopped, ( I was on a double letter roll), So I had best get busy.
Nice chatting with you all. Remember, Arnold is only a two hour drive away(if you live in the bay area, and you have more than four cylinders and are not in a Prius in the snow). Call ahead to make sure someone will be here and come up for a visit or a ride or a hike, or a ski...
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