I Am Tough

Today was my first day of work, and by day I mean all the time in between dawn and twilight. I worked from eight to eight. Sounds long, right? Yeah, well they let me off early. Everyone works from eight-thirty to nine on Saturdays apparently. I came in at eight because they told me to, presumably because I am new. They let me off early because I "worked hard today." Too bad I didn't sell a car... I did meet some nice people though, a few of which I think might actually come back becuase I am SO nice. I think that I will have a good time working there; today was a good first impression. Things I got to drive today on demos: Escape, tricked out Freestlye (2x), 500 and tricked out 2006 F250.
A sad thing about today is that I was going to go by this Middle Eastern place I went yesterday to see the guy who works there who was going to, "make [me] something special." Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate a twelve hour work day, and I had to stand him up. I called, though, so it's okay. He's just my type: short, dark and speaks with an accent I'll have to learn to understand. Haha. (Also he makes a killer Gyro.)
So instead of going there (closed by the time I got out for dinner at seven), I went to Noodles to make up for it. I usually get the Japanese pan noodles, which are spicy and rock my face off, but today I got pad thai, which was also great (but not as great). This gives me an idea: discover which Noodles dish is the best. I picked up a punch card in honor of my quest. I'll let you know if Japanese pan noodles get dethroned or if anything else important happens on that front. I love Noodles & Co.
One urgent item in my life is finding a place to live. I'm REALLY anxious to get something. I want OUT of this hostle. It's great for hostling purposes but crappy for me now, because I have my stuff everywhere in an attempt not to settle in. Oh, and the little kitchen (biohazard) issue.
I finally finished my re-read of Harry Potter five, which I deemed necessary after reading the first chapter of the new one. Now I'm a couple chapters into that. Yay! I'm already entranced. (Who's Snape for? DON'T REALLY TELL ME!)

Right at the moment I'm strongly considering setting out to find a nice 90 Shilling...mmm,,,

(avoiding) Death By Refrigerator

Alright, I'm staying in the Boulder Hostle now. I have a singe room, so that's nice. The bathroom could be better, but oh well. The main problem here is the refrigerators. For one thing, they are very full. In fact, one is completely occupied. The other one is... well, I don't exactly know. And that is the problem. What I do know is that it is also rather on the full side and when I opened it, I almost threw up because of the smell. I guess I will have to get rid of my cold food. I also suppose I will be eating out a bit more than planned. I am anxious to find a more permanent and livalbe place.

The new job
We are in training right now, which is basically a classroom setting. Perfect! I'm an expert at that. Anyway, the whole thing is rather exciting and I think that I will be able to do a really good job once I get started. As for right now, I am really busy. The class is on the long side, and I'm trying to figure out this living situation thing. At least I'm gaining an extra couple hours now that I'm in Boulder instead of driving all the way from Ft Collins... more time to read Harry Potter!

Slight Change of Plans

Well, I got a job in Boulder today. Yay!!! That means I will move to Boulder, where I will sell cars. Yeeha! For those of you wondering about Boulder, think Ann Arbor but bigger (city, smaller people), in the mountains and the hometown of Noodles. I think it will be a good place for me.
Oh! and I'll post pictures of my place once I get one.

Movin'

In a show of my dedication to getting established in Fort Collins, I turned down the job in Estes this afternoon. Also, I am giving serious consideration to a three month lease.

P.S. I bought a copy of the new Harry Potter when I turned in an app at Barnes and Noble!

Joy

I went for a twenty-five minute jog just now and my knee was A-OKAY!!!

So much recent excitement

Chapter 1: Good Luck
So, the thing that motivated me to drive from Estes to Ft Collns was meeting potential roommates and seeing their place. I drove down into the valley on Sunday evening. Mark and Dawnetta seemed nice and the house is clean and good, but the atmosphere of their home didn't scream out the me: THIS IS IT! I left to think about it, look around town, and find a hotel. So here I am living at the Super 8. Expensive, impersonal, horrible continental breakfast. On the upside: wireless and Outdoor Life Network on cable (Tour de France on all day!). I needed to figure something out quickly, and rushed is not the ideal state in which one should be when trying to find a home. I was glued to roommates.com, hoping like crazy. I heard back from one more place, and went to visit: great people, but messy. That would drive me crazy, I thought. I called Dre to confirm and, yes, it would indeed make me looney. I called Mark (home-owner in ft collins, none of the other Marks) when I got back and asked if living at his place would be okay. He said, "We want to meet more people," and other stuff as desperation crept up into my brain. But THEN he said, "We understand your situation, though, and if you would like you can crash here while you figure things out." Yay! So, I'm buying time in the form of a daily lease, basically.
Chapter 2: Job Search Leads to Dillemma
Ah the job search... Wouldn't anyone rather be thrown into a pit of boiling acid filled with spears than have to go through this? Just kidding; it's not that bad, but it's not great. So, I'm driving around town picking up applications and replying to classified ads. One of those classifieds was for a job in Estes, and I called on a whim. They said they would call me back. I fill out and drop off all those applications I picked up earlier. I watch Le Tour. I finally eat good food that I make. I wonder what the heck I am going to do. I wish someone would call about a job. *ring, ring* Estes Park place, it wasn't supposed to be you!
I decided to go up to Estes and fill out an application anyway. Let's face it, it's hard for me to resist Estes. I figure I'll go to Kind Coffee and the park while I'm there, so they day won't be lost no matter what.
I got into town early, so I went to the Mountain Shop and wished that I had some spending money for things that I don't really need. When 10 rolled around I went to the Inn at Estes Park. The managers talked to me for 3-4 minutes, sent me outside for .5-1 minutes, then came out and offered me a job. Crap! What do I do now? I have to decide by Sunday. More complicating factors: they provide housing, it may or may not be seasonal. The only thing to do was to go to Safeway, not because I was hungry, but because that's where the best cell reception is. My mom's response was, "Well that wasn't supposed to happen. What are you going to do now?"
Chapter 3: The Best Part
Since I was in Estes, I went by the Y to visit Karen, my boss from last season. She is cool, and so I was really glad to see her. (She is really hard to catch around the office.) She asked if I was going to come back next year and invited me to the hikemaster cookout, which is one of the funnest things ever. Yay!
Chapter 4: My Hair Product Almost Killed Me
The next thing I did was head into the park to go to Lake Haiyaha, which had been calling me since I came though the area the first time. Of course, the park was beautiful. I was enjoying my hike, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, flowers. Ahh... When I got to Haiyaha, I could tell that some weather was a'comin'. I quickly ate a Clif Bar and left. I didn't eat quickly enough, though. I got caught in quite the storm: lightning, thunder, rain, hail, temp dropping like a rock. Okay, I have a jacket. No big deal, I thought. I was in an area that was pretty safe as far as lightning goes, so I wasn't too worried. That was before all the hail and temp change started. Here's when my hair product turned on me. So the rain starts coming down pretty hard, and, not surprisingly, it was landing on my head. Also predictably, the rainwater was being carried down from the top of my head by the force of gravity. What started happening was this: the rain was washing my hair goop off and into my eyes. I almost died because I couldn't see. I was hiking along a pretty rough trail, approaching blindness. I was wet. It was starting to get cold. The hail was starting. If I would have hurt myself because I couldn't see, I would have been stuck out in the rain, left to get hypothermia and die! When the hail got really bad, it was really hurting me. I tried to take shelter under trees here and there, but I was getting too cold. Since I'm so susceptible to hypothermia, I knew that was bad. When I get near the brink I start to go a little nutty and make bad life decisions, so I really didn't want to be stuck out there all cold. I hiked quickly along telling myself, "It doen't hurt. It doesn't hurt..." and "This is going to make a good story later." This storm wasn't letting up! The trail was flooded. I was soaked and it was still hailing. I really wished that they hadn't just lengthed that trail. By the time I made it out to the shuttle bus I was so hungry, a little bit out of it (very little), and my forearms and hands were on the brink of numbness. But I survived without injury. Yay?
Chapter 5: The Hardest Part
So I got back to my car all soaked and knew that I had to get some dry clothes on. The only thing I had was what I came to Estes in: a pair of jeans and a (white) button-up shirt. I can't tell you how challenging it was to put on those jeans. You know how hard it is to put jeans on in the car? Well, how about in the driver's seat (others were full)? How about in the drivers seat when you're soaking wet? Let's just say I ALMOST drove off pants-less. Remember that white shirt? Yeah, so as soon as I put that on, my bright pink bra was shining through the fabric (because it was wet, recall the alternate clothing list above). Despite that, I NEEDED to go to Kind Coffee. A nice hot drink was the best recovery I could think of. I went in and got a chai despite my indecent state, and yes, it was very busy.
Chapter 6: Hope
That evening, I met some potential roommates. I really liked them and their house. I got the feeling that the place could really work for me. I am waiting to hear from them. If they will have me, I will go there and pass up the Estes job. If not, I don't know.
Chapter 7: Right Now
Gotta go watch le Tour!

Estes Park, CO

First of all, for those of you that read the title, you all had to know that I would come back to Estes sometime during this trip. And to top it off, I'm at the Y right now, taking advantage of the free wireless. I figure they still owe me since they pay less than $4/hr.

Now, here are two things that you've all been anxiously awaiting.

DRUMROLL.....................

New pictures are now posted. That's right! You can now see Oregon, Washington, Alaska and ... Oregon again - including the strange but true shoetree. Ooooooh. Ahhhhh.

Okay, the news you've really been waiting for. I'm looking for an apartment in Ft. Collins, CO. The plan is to secure a month-long lease while I look for a job and extend upon my success.

Yesterday, I put in a long day of driving, 13hrs, from midsouthern Idaho though Utah and Colorado. I must be getting burned out becuase I felt pretty tired, more like I would after 14-16 hours. It was probably because I got a late start due to an oil change. Yes, an oil change. Zeus has already carried me over 3000 miles. That makes my trip total nearly 10,000 mi!!!! Can you believe that? I know I can't really wrap MY head around it. I tried to camp at Cpt. Jack's Point, but it was occupied, which was an abomination to me. I did get to sleep out, though.

Okay, now I would like to apologize for the tone of the last few posts. I am tired and, therefore, the posts are lackluster. For this, I am truly sorry. The fact that you are still reading is truly a testament to your undying devotion to me, though I have no way to know about it. Thank you, anonymous reader!

Yakima, WA

Thursday, July 7: Yakima, WA

Well, I got back to the continental states today. I flew into the SeaTac (aka Seattle) airport yesterday. My flight was not too eventful, which is the way it should be. Basically I slept for the great majority of the time, but I talked to my seatmate for a couple minutes at the end. He was on his way to Vegas because he’d won $10,000 to join the World Series of Poker by playing poker online. Pretty sweet. After landing (and some unnecessary waiting for the shuttle to my parking spot) I found that my car was not broken into or stolen (yay), but it does have a rather large door ding that damaged the paint and dented it. Dang. From there I drove (yay) to Tacoma to pick up my bikes. Then I took the beautiful drive down 12 to Yakima. It was so glorious to see the sun set! Dark at night!

Fairbanks

Wednesday, July 6: Fairbanks, AK

Here I sit in the Fairbanks airport, ready to fly back to Seattle and the lower forty-eight. After Seattle, Tacoma - AND THEN THE WORLD! Well, not really. Probably not really.

Alaska is one of those states that have a distinct personality. I would say it’s extreme and independent yet friendly. I wish that I could have gotten a deeper look at the place, but we had to stick to a rather tourist-y itinerary. It’s sad that it seems like the cruise ship companies are buying a handful of the towns and cities around here. The cruise companies are like a little tourist trap factory. Apart from that, though, it really is a unique and beautiful place. Mountains and good seafood, really everything one could possibly want. The thing is that the weather and the strange daylight hours aren’t for everyone. People here actually know what sort of engine they need to switch to and from once the temperature drops below negative forty. To me, negative forty is the answer to an arithmetic problem, not a meteorological reality. There is something attractive about the challenge, though...

Everyone keeps asking me what I’m going to do when I get back, and I keep giving evasive answers. Believe me; I’m thinking about it all the time! I’d tell you all if I knew. I’m not sure if the problem is that too many places are good or that no place is good. Maybe it’s just on the brink of being too big a thing to think about. There are so many factors to consider. In the end, I’m not sure that it even matters, because I know that I will be content wherever. I just want to pick the place where it will be easiest to be happy. Anyway, the next planned stop is Bend, OR, pretty much the only town on the short list that I have not yet seen. Maybe it will be right, maybe it won’t, but either way I think that seeing it will help me move toward deciding.

Friday, July 1; Anchorage, AK

I'm just going to skip a lot of stuff now. Too bad. Here's the really brief summary: I saw Mt. Rainier. I went to Vancouver, BC, the cruise port. We took the cruise. There was much eating, card playing, etc. Nearly all the towns in which we stopped were tourist traps, but I got to kayak and also got kettle corn. My favorite thing about Alaska is this: there is a coffee here called Raven's Brew and they have a slogan that goes, "Real Alaskan Coffee for real Alaskans and their real friends." They don't make a shirt that says that. Now the cruise is over, and I'm in Anchorage. I have four more days in Alaska.

Here's the bad news: I just found out I didn't get the job in Boise. Here's the worse news: David (my cousin) just got a job, so now I'm the family loser.

Alaska is pretty sweet, but I'm not going to stay. Yeah, the mountains are pretty, but I'm scared of the weather. One reason I've left AA is to find better weather. Right now, I just don't know what to do with myself (White Stripes reference). Really, I'm going to get back to Seattle in a few days to pick up my car, drive to Tacoma to get my bikes then ask myself, "Well?"

Best Of List

Since I’ll be winding up my road trip tomorrow (sort of), I’ve decided to compile a “best of” list. I must warn you, though, not everything is “best of;” it’s more of a list of extremes.

Best City to Grab a Bite to Eat: Ann Arbor, MI
Most Bike Friendly Town: Eugene, OR second place: Missoula, MT
Best State Park: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX
Best Chai: the little joint in Jackson Hole, WY
Best Place to Recover From Severe Sunburn: Livermore, CA
Scariest Road Sign: ENTERING BLAST ZONE, seen just before a bridge near Mt St Helens. Second place: RUNAWAY SEMI CROSSING 500 FT, Teton Pass, WY
Biggest Pleasant Surprise: tie: Craters of the Moon National Monument in ID and National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, WY
Biggest Unpleasant Surprise: rock cracking Connie’s exhaust pipe in half
Best free dinner: Thai in Boise
Best Free Breakfast: breakfast burritos from the Snake River Off Roaders
Best Food Co-op: Bozeman, MT
Friendliest People: Salmon, ID (ID wins on the statewide level as well)
Best Highway Rest Stops: Texas
Best Place to Buy a New Subaru: Larry Miller Subaru in Boise, ID
Funniest Roadside Attraction: “ride the giant jackalope” inside a WY gas station
Best Place for a Nice, Cheap Hotel: Winnemucca, NV
Most Overrated Scenic Route: Hwy 1
Best Roadside Scenery: Wyoming
Cheapest Gas: Texas
Best Radio Station: 94.7 Alternative Portland
Best Road Name: Chicken Dinner Rd, seen in southern ID
Funniest Motel Sign: “DirecTV Internet Auto Welding Mechanic”
Best Driving Music: Cast Iron Filter (but I already knew that)
Cutest Little Town: Placerville, CA
Most Shocking Discovery: tuna in mac and cheese isn’t half bad
Best Advice: “Have a great trip. Drive slow, and stop to see the sights.” -Lady in Coffee House in Salmon
Best Place to Come Visit Me: to be determined...

Washington

Sunday, June 19; Milleylvania State Park, WA

After a few wonderful (sunburn aside) days with the Grants, I got back on the road, headed north for Seattle. My first day’s drive was not too eventful. I took the famous Hwy 1 along the coast. I can’t say I was too impressed as far as scenic routes go, but I must admit that the weather was gloomy (although that made for some impressive waves on the ocean). The real scenery came when I got back on 101 and into redwood country. Those trees are amazing. That has got to be the biggest tourist trap on Earth, though. Little town after little town is filled with cheesy burl shops (Burl-esque was the name of one HA) and amazing attractions (Live redwood chimney! Famous tree house! Tree restaurant! Etc.). I didn’t take any pictures, though, because the rain just wouldn’t quit. That same rain made my camping experience in Humbolt State Park somewhat soaked.
I woke up the next morning in a puddle and by the time I had packed up my camp (while in raingear), it looked like I had jumped into a lake. I drove to Eureka, CA looking for a nice warm chai. What I found was a quirky hippy couple running a bakery. I came to the door with my umbrella: locked, but on the other side was a guy motioning for me to just wait a minute. When he let me in, I was a bit puzzled. The bakery had your typical glass display cases, milk steamer, and whatnot, but there were no baked goods, no cups waiting to be filled, no nothing. They were closed. The guy asked me, “What would you like?” I was a bit puzzled, but I knew I wanted an oatmeal cookie so I said, “Do you have cookies?” Well, they didn’t have cookies, but before I knew it I had a selection of pastries laid out for my perusal, I was getting a tour of the kitchen, and Ellen was whipping some cream for my hot chocolate. Within another half hour/forty-five minutes, I’d gotten a complete history of Kevin and Ellen, the town of Eureka and a partial history of Jay, their friend and co-worker. Before I left, I had their phone number and an offer to call any time, knew Kevin’s theory about the link between logging and earthquakes/CA falling into the ocean, had homemade soup and bread packed for the road, and had been offered an early morning joint. Kevin and Ellen, Flower Garden Organics, most hospitable people alive.
It’s sort of amazing that I got out of there, but I did, and headed north. Before long, I was in Oregon, home of the grass seed capital of the world (new fun fact). By the way, it was still raining. I finally made it to Eugene, that temperate land of long intriuge (Dre will understand what this part means). The first thing that I noticed was the biking. There were bike lanes on every street, bike shops all over the place and people biking despite a near-tropical deluge. Incredible! The town is beautiful (I would compare it loosely to Ann Arbor). The first stop I made was at Hayward Field, the UofO track and field complex. It is amazing. Really! Everything is beautiful, and there is a ton of seating. You can tell they like (LOVE) the running there. I needed a few things, so I went to the grocery store next. The rain was starting to break my spirit by this time, and when I came out it was thundering and lightning(ing?) with no blue sky in sight. I called my mom and at her slightest suggestion I was convinced to get a hotel room. Good decision.
Today has been rather uneventful. I went to Mt St Helens. No eruption. I went to the Dairy Queen. No Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzard. I drove over a terrifying drawbridge (b/x Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA). But despite all that it is a wonderful day. Why: it’s not raining anymore, and it looks like I have a dry night in store.

Tomorrow, I’ll go to Seattle and meet my mom and grandparents.