Winding down......

It has been quite a while since I last posted anything and I'm no sure why that is. Many things have happened, I've gone places and done things, and life has just gotten better and better. So, why no new posts?

I'm not really sure. On the one hand it could be that I have been too busy and just having too much fun to mess with it. Then again, it could be the lousy internet connection we have here and the fact my laptop crapped out and I had to acquire a new one (or at least new to me, lol #pawnshopspecial) and that kept me from posting for a bit as well. But it all comes down to not really having a good excuse for such a long pause in the action.

The season is almost over as I have about thirty days left on my contract. I do not know where the summer went. It has flown by so quickly and I am hurtling toward October 1st in a headlong fall toward the end it seems. Soon I'll have to start packing things up, put the bike in my trailer, and start planning for some trip to take for a while.

Somehow, I've talked myself into coming back for a winter season. I've always wanted to see Yellowstone in the winter and now it seems I will. My new contract will last from December 16 of this year, till April 3rd of next year. By then I'll have either gotten a new summer contract, or made a decision to move on and do something else next summer.

So, on October 1st, I'll once again be in the wind. I'm thinking a ride down the coast highway. Head west from here to Seattle, then head up and around then down on highway 101 along the coast till it turns into highway 1, then on down to San Diego before heading to Las Vegas to my brothers place for a while. I have a new niece to meet and get to know, then maybe head east to see more friends and family all over.

It's a tough life, I know, but someone has to do it, LOL.

Mac

Well, there comes a time in every mans life when you just have to admit that maybe you were wrong. It looks like this is going to be one of those times.

The whole last post about the Yellowstone experience - just never mind.

It turns out that once you get used to the altitude, and the attitude, it just isn't bad at all. Everything I hoped it would be, it now is.

It seems I was just having a great deal of trouble getting adapted to the altitude after all of the years down there near sea level. I just couldn't get very much sleep due to feeling like I just wasn't getting any air at night. Now it seems, that issue has resolved itself and I am sleeping much, much better.

Sleep will cure many ills. I've gotten to where the job doesn't bother me (except for the part where I'm in an office all day instead of out in the park), the food is actually tolerable and I am losing weight hand over fist, I finally got the motorcycle out of the trailer and that has helped, and I've started to take off on my days off and get out and about to see the countryside outside the park as well as inside.

This has resulted in a whole new attitude for me. I feel absolutely great. I probably feel better than I have in ten years. Since I have my diet under control and I'm starting to lose weight, I'm going to add some more physical activity and hiking to the agenda to speed it up even more.

As for the liberals, well, they're still liberals, but most of them are not bad people, just intolerable of any opinion than that they believe in. Some of them, like the kid and the star wars trooper shirt, turned out to just be a huge star wars fan, and liked the shirt, no hidden agenda whatsoever. So in my lack of sleep induced grumpiness, I may have been a bit overly sensitive in that arena.

None of this really came easy now, I had to make a few changes. I put up their lousy blankets and sheets and got myself a nice set from the Walmart with a set of twin sheets (with a fitted bottom sheet) and a nice comforter. In addition I got a foam pad that fits the twin bed which made it much more comfortable. It was way to stiff and caused me pain in my hip joints till I got the pad. All together it made sleeping a LOT better in addition to getting used to the altitude.

I rented a storage place in Livingston, Montana for all the stuff I had in the trailer so it's a lot lighter now. I got the bike out on a Saturday in the middle of a snow storm of all things, lol. So it was a few days before my first ride in the park. I may ride out the northeast entrance these upcoming two days off and ride over the Chief Joseph Highway to Cody. It is a spectacular ride, done it many times before.

So, things are looking up in most arenas. I even bought my roommate a six pack of his favorite beer and he's been pretty okay since. Okay, he's still a bit bitchy still, but he's much more tolerable than he was. So it's okay.

I'm living and working in Yellowstone National Park. And finally, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Disallusions, but what can you say?

It's been a while since I posted and several things have taken place since I did. Last time I was in here I was still in Henderson, Nevada at my brothers place and was about to head north to Yellowstone. So let's update, shall we?

Headed north and stopped off for the night in Salt Lake City to see my niece Bethany. She and her daughter Emma met me for breakfast and had a wonderful time. It was over all too soon as I needed to get back on the road and we parted ways. Bethany always gives me the best hugs ever, lol. You never doubt you are loved after one of those.

Heading north into ever increasing altitude began to take a toll on old you know who. After some 37 years at altitudes of no more than about 400 feet above sea level, at most, heading into thousands of feet was very telling. At first, not that bad, just noticeable as I found it harder to get enough air, lol.

I stopped in Bozeman, Montana for the night, at the Holiday Inn there, very interesting place, then the next morning headed to Gardiner, Montana, just outside the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. I was scheduled to check in with Xanterra, the company who hired me, the next morning so I stayed the night at the Best Western in Gardiner. I got there pretty early so I unhooked my trailer from the Jeep and spent the rest of the day riding around inside Yellowstone, or at least the Mammoth Hot Springs area. It was good to be back.

I checked in the next morning and got all my job materials, headed on into the park and got a room assignment and found out where I was supposed to report for training the next day. I also met my roommate. I did not win the roommate lottery. That's all we'll say about that for now, more to come later.

Yellowstone was beautiful, as if I need to say that. It is just unbelievable. There was snow on the ground when I arrived, then it went away, then it snowed again, then it went away, and even up to today, that has been the pattern. No snow yesterday, then we woke up to a nice layer of snow on everything this morning. I have taken a series of pictures that I am going to name, "So you think the weather changes a lot where you're from???? HA!". It is something else every day. But beautiful nonetheless.

Lots, and lots, and lots of animals. Bison on the lawn right outside the window of my room in the dorm. Elk along the roads, with antelope in the fields beyond. Mule deer wandering here and there, with Bighorn Sheep up on the sides of cliffs between Gardiner and Mammoth. And it's every day. All the time. When we come out of buildings we have to look around to ensure there are no bison nearby before heading on. I detoured around two of them on the way to breakfast this morning, lol. I've seen fox, coyotes, prairie dogs, marmots and a couple of unidentifiable small varmints here and there. So far, no wolves or bears, but I'm sure that's coming. Or would be.

I say, or would be, for only one reason, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to stay for the entire season as originally planned. It's great and wonderful to be here at this location, but it seems the company treats employees pretty poorly with the excuse, "But you get to live in Yellowstone" for any policy that is not to the best interest of the people. If this is what working for a large corporation is like, I'm glad I stuck with military and police work, which was by no means huggy feely, lol. So there's that.

In addition, the "greenies", or "Eco-Nazis" have taken over here big time. I don't mind recycling, that's fine, I'm able to go along with that, even to the extreme degree they are taking it, I can do that. I don't mind people having different opinions that I do about some eco-issues, I know that's going to happen, but my having a differing opinion is not acceptable to them. This is an extremely liberal crowd. An example: One of the other employees, a male about 25-27 was walking toward me from the cafeteria the other day and on his shirt it said, "I support the troops", which as I approached was kind of surprising to me as I'd seen NO such thing since I'd arrived. As I got closer I saw that the "troops" on his shirt were Imperial Storm Troopers and this was a very sideways insult since these particular troops were mindless clones supporting the evil empire who's Emperor was a megalomaniac and ruled through the use of the dark force. So, this is what I've said all along. Liberals do not really support the troops, they just pay lip service.

Anyway, that's a mild example of the constant ranting of these greenie goons. My roommate, for another example, has made the comment, several times, that people should just be killed off and turn the earth back over to the animals. Which, of course, my reply to him is, "Okay, you first." He never seems to think that is very funny for some reason.

So, between the food being just okay, the beds being uncomfortable, the hours being long, the altitude kicking my ass, still, after two weeks or so, I am seriously considering heading on out and finding something else. I will probably wait till the end of May when I had a built in break anyway for a trip I needed to take, but after that I may just not come back. I don't know yet. While the location is certainly worth much trouble to be in, I'm not sure it's worth this much trouble. If I get two months out of it I will consider it time well spent just to be up here enjoying the locale. I really do like this area, I'm just not fond of what I've found here. There may be other alternatives and I'm looking into them, so maybe I'll find a way to stay up here and also do so in a more enjoyable way.

We'll just have to wait and see.

So, it's been a while since I last posted anything, and lots has happened. I headed out from Montgomery after putting everything in storage, and went to Shreveport to see the kids once more, then headed to Eminence, MO. Rented a cabin there for a month and had a very, very relaxing time just trying to get used to doing nothing really, lol.

After a month in the Ozarks, I headed once more to Houston to get some things taken care of and issued dealt with. once free of there I went back to Shreveport to see the kids one more time and pick up the trailer. I'd dropped it off before heading to the Ozarks as I didn't need it for that time period. Once I was out of Shreveport the long trip to Las Vegas began.

It's not really a long way to Las Vegas, not really, but it seemed there was this weird weather pattern that made sure I had a very, very heavy headwind all the way there. Much slower speeds, while also experiencing much, much lower gas mileage conspired to make it a longer, and more expensive, trip than planned. But, I made it and have been recovering here at my brothers house in Henderson, Nevada.

Altogether, it has been a great trip so far. I've reconnected with family, gotten to spend some time with nephews and nieces I'd not seen for a while, and just had some great laughs so far. My brother, Shawn, and my sister-in-law Julie, have been so welcoming and gracious, I can't thank them enough for letting me stay in their home and just get to be with family again. I have about 15 more days here till time to head north to Yellowstone, and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

The time is approaching though, when I'll have to get packed back up, hook the trailer onto the Jeep, and head north. I've been looking at the roads and trying to keep track of whether or not I'm going to have to buy tire chains before I take off, lol. But, it's looking pretty good at present, the roads are looking pretty clear already. Hopefully it will still be that way when it's time to go.

Off to plan a trip over to Death Valley now, take it easy.

Mac

Had lunch today, or I should say, brunch, with some great folks from my Inmate Trust Fund days. Man, the stories they can tell. Love them to death but I am sooooo glad to be out of that whole mess. Looking forward to getting out of here in a few days.

Packers are coming on Wednesday, then the movers are scheduled for Thursday. Moving everything that isn't going with me into storage for the duration. Found a pretty reasonable place that even gave me a military discount for being retired Army Reserve. I thought that was nice of them.

Been looking at everything I can find on the internet about my new employer, Xanterra, Inc. This is the company that runs much of the concessions inside many of our National Parks. In Yellowstone they mainly run the lodging and activities, while another company, Delaware North, runs the general stores and such. I'm sure I'll learn more as I go.

There seem to be two different schools of thought on working as a seasonal employee, either it is absolutely the best thing ever, or it's the worst thing ever. I've not really found much in between. My thoughts on this are that the people in the middle didn't have any strong feelings either way, or at least not strong enough to cause them to go blog on the internet about their experience. There are forums and blogs by current and past employees and they run the gamut. They complain about the company, the hours, the pay, the food, the accommodations, and just about anything else you can imagine. Other, on the other hand, can't say enough good about the entire experience and only throw in little side notes about how the food could be better, or the dorms could be more roomy, etc.

Many, it seems, have never been in the Army. Nuff said.

You're in frickin' Yellowstone National Park for crying out loud!! Shut up!!!

Anyway, while I do hope that I find no reason to eat my words on this, it looks like it is going to be fantastic. If everything goes as planned, I'll have the Jeep, and the motorcycle, and my trailer full of junk with me, so I should be in good shape. I have to go buy some clothes though, as my particular area wears "business casual" attire, with blue jeans being acceptable on the weekends. Hey, I needed to update my wardrobe anyway, from between either a uniform, or jeans and a t-shirt, so this is a good thing.

All in all, it looks like life is taking an upturn.

Well, some time has now passed since my grandson passed away, and with time the pain eases. While still just a little bit in shock over it, I, as well as others, must move on and continue living till we're not.

With that in mind, I recently got a call from the folks at Yellowstone National Park and had to take a typing test. It was an online test and I still don't know what the exact requirements were, but I passed. After that there was a phone interview and at the end of the interview I was hired to work in the phone reservations section, which takes reservations over the phone for lodging and activities within the park. It seem I will be sitting before a computer, within a cubicle, talking to people over the phone. A lot. It is possible to have a schedule of 4 10 hour shifts, with three days off, which would be a great schedule to have. Then I would have 3 days each week in order to explore, hike, camp, fish, ride my motorcycle, ride the mountain roads in my Jeep, and Geocache to my hearts content.

I have yet to find the fly in this ointment. Yes, the lodging for employees is a dormitory setup, with roommates and shared bathroom facilities, but I've been there before while in the military. Not a deal killer. The meals are served in the employee dining facility, three meals a day, small deduction from your pay for the room and board. The pay is just a little more than minimum wage, but you can make more the better you do and the more you train to do more aspects of the job, so there's that. But it looks like there is little to no downside to this setup. I am to report in April and work till maybe the end of September, but there are full time year round jobs to be had if you can get one. Have to wait and see about that.

On top of everything else, the owner of my current residence is happy for me and willing to let me out of my lease early, with no damage done. Granted, he's keeping my security deposit, and I'm leaving a brand new washer and dryer, as well as a brand new refrigerator, to make up for breaking the lease, so I'd say we are all coming out ahead. In fact, I can't see how this could be going any better at this point. In one week and a few days, I'll be in the wind.

I'll have two and a half months to wander around before I have to report to work. Time enough to spend some time just relaxing and doing nothing, or something, or whatever I want to do.

I'm off to hunt for motorcycle trailers tomorrow, wish me luck!

Mac

Just when you think that it's safe to go back in the water.........

It has been a few weeks since I last posted something up, which means there was all kinds of time for everything to go completely, and overwhelmingly wrong....

And so it did.

But the thing that topped it all, and made everything else that went wrong completely meaningless, was the death of my Grandson, Grayson Lee McKinney, after only nine days alive.

Nothing else matters.

My letter to him:

Hello Grayson Lee McKinney, this is your Grandpa. I have the distinct pleasure to be the daddy of your wonderful mother. I saw the pictures of you right after you were born and I must say, you were one handsome boy. I couldn't make the trip to see you right away, but you and I were supposed to meet tomorrow for the first time. You were born into quite the family grandson. We are quite the diverse and crazy lot. From the pictures I saw of you, with the expressions you were already showing on that little face of yours, you would have fit right in.

I am sure sorry now that things kept me from coming up sooner, but I figured we had a long time to get to know each other. But it looks like God needed you elsewhere and you can't argue with God, so here we are. It sounds like you were a trooper and hung in there as long as you could, but being so tiny and young, you could only fight for so long.

I would have loved to have met you my little one, it would have thrilled me no end to have held you and celebrate your birth. There is no greater joy in a grandfathers life than to make a grandchild smile and laugh. Oh yeah, and to buy you really noisy toys to aggravate your parents with. I was sure looking forward to that.

Well little Grayson, I'm sure God already has you on assignment as an Angel to help someone who really needs it somewhere. We will think of you often and pray for all those who suffer such a loss as we have had. Our loss is heavens gain.

Take care little angel, we will never forget you.

All our love forever,

Grandpa

 

My poem for him:

 

Baby Lee and Me.
I feel drunk,
Tho no wine has passed my lip.
I feel pummeled,
Tho no fist has struck me yet.
I feel lost,
Tho there is nowhere I'm bound.
I feel helpless,
Tho there is caring all around....

I know that I will meet you in that good old "by-n-by",
That old time country singers say in songs that make us cry.
I know that I will shake your hand and pat you on the head,
And tell you of the many things I wish I could have said.

Being Grandpa now is really all that's left for me to do,
I really truly wish I could have been there just for you.
My life is winding down now as it's very plain to see,
But yours was just beginning and there was so, so much to be.

All the little things that go on through a grandsons head,
Will you be a policeman, or maybe a fireman dressed in red?
Maybe you'd be a doctor or a television star,
Or be a famous driver in a real fast motor car.

Ah, I guess we'll never know now what you might have gone and done,
For God had plans for you elsewhere my tiny cute grandson.
You have a task with angel wings that now needs to go on.
And someone waits for angels breath to bring them a new dawn.

Keep an eye on your mother baby, she wants to make you proud.
Your brother and your sister, too, in prayer their heads are bowed.
We all know you'll be watching us from an angels fluffy cloud,
And with a family oh so large you'll be watching quite a crowd.

I think that I will always think of you as baby Lee,
Grayson sounds too serious for all the fun there'd be,
If you and I had had the chance to just get out and see,
Just how much laughter that exists for baby Lee and me.

(Written for my Grandson, Grayson Lee McKinney. Born December 19, 2013, Died December 27, 2013.)