yellowstone diary...and beyond

I think that I eliminated a previous post about a Snowy Sunday-where I complained that there was snow on the ground.  Now there is another snow storm, this time leaving about 3".  It doesn't last long, but it's still here.  The temperature was in the single digits the other night. I did have a funny incident today.  Early this morning, I didn't hear my alarm, so my roomie had to wake me.  She was cool about it, actually thought it was funny.  later on in the day, I came home from work and flopped on my bed.  Patrice, my roomie, was taking a shower and an alarm started going off.  I assumed it was her alarm and when she got out of the shower, she would respond to it.  I just pulled my hearing aids and continued to lay around.  She comes out of the bathroom and tells me it is not her alarm, but a fire alarm, only a drill, but we still have to respond to it.  So much for ignoring alarms. Work is still going well.  I was in the...

The group of people who are working at the Geyser Grill really seem like a fun loving bunch. It gets really busy, everybody works their tails off, then it catches up and we get ready for the next rush.  During the getting ready is when the goofing off goes on.  Nothing too out of hand, but enough to see the humor of it all.  I feel as this group gets used to me, I'll easily be included in the frivolity.  They still don't know how much they can tease me without going over the line, but time will fix that one. I did get another roommate.  Her name is Patrice and she's in her late 20's.  She has worked at Yellowstone before and knew the dorm they were going to put her was too much a party dorm and right next to the employee pub.  She asked the housing folks what dorm do they put the older workers--so here she is.  She seems nice although she is a vegan/vegetarian. The nickname for this dorm is Geritol Hall.  I'm still having issues about get...

I started at Geyser Grill today and it seems like a pretty good fit.  it is more laid back than the big dining rooms, a lot less noisy, and I don't have to do dishes.  Yeah!  I will run the register, help tourists figure out where the ketchup is and help keep the front end full with the likes of yogurt, beverages and prepackaged stuff.  To keep it easy, there is only one size fountain drink, one size french fries and a limited menu.  one of the items is a bison bratwurst. Not our bison, but farm raised near here.  We even have gluten free, for an additional price. As i mentioned yesterday, it was the shakedown dinner at the Snow Lodge dining room,  the Obsidian Room.  the meal was great. i had a lamb dish, my friend Christine had a chicken dish.  I did take pictures, but for some reason I can't get them to show up from my phone.  Where is Clara when I need her We had a hail storm today.  the folks from the southern areas don't g...

Well, I am no longer a dishwasher, thank goodness.  after 3 days on the job, I knew it was just too hard for me.  I hate to say I'm too old for the physical side of the job, but reality raises it ugly head sometimes and bites you on the butt.  the really amazing and surprising thing is that folks here came out of the woodwork to help me find something more suited to my talents and capabilities.  I will still be in F & B, food and beverage, but at the Geyser Grill.  it is the closest thing to a fast food restaurant that is in this section of the park. At the Geyser Grill, I will be in the front end, working with tourists, running the cash register, keeping the place looking good.  There will be a total of about 20-25 people work there when it is fully staffed.  Chris, my new manager, said that we have rushes every 90 minutes or so, depending on when Old Faithful goes off.  I guess seeing all that water and steam makes people hungry. This ev...

Although I knew I was assigned to the Kitchen Crew, I really didn't know what I would be doing here.  Now I know.  I wash dishes.  Tons and tons of dishes.  And the season hasn't really started.  Folks here say this is nothin' like it will be. Yesterday when I finished working, I was so beat, I almost skipped supper.  Almost.  My trainer is a guy named Jim, Chef Jim, who has been working here for 25 years.  He's in his late 60's or 70's and really nice guy. He is really comfortable to work with, no question is too trite, and he realized that Bev and I know nothing about professional kitchens.  My old lab tech training is actually helpful. I really like everyone I'm coming in contact with here.  All the returning staff are extremely helpful, encouraging and salt of the earth people.  Most of the returnees are still enamored with Yellowstone to the degree that I am. although my evil roomie moved out, I still have a sort of roomi...

Today was a rather full day.  it started with sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast.  Yummy.  the food here is pretty good.  it seems the quality is the same as the big restaurants, just buffet  style with limited choices.  after that we had a session on food safety and ways to prevent poisoning our guests.  which is really a good idea.  Then in the afternoon, a tour of the kitchen with explanations of what all the huge equipment was for.  part of that tour was a lesson on how to use the knives, chopping, slicing, dicing and generally getting to know my way around the place.  I will be a dishwasher for now.  if i wanted to be a chef, I could definitely move up the line. (Not at all interested) although just about every pep talk the trainers give stress that we  are all part of the same team.  That the dishwashers are just as important as anybody because we are the suppliers of clean dishes.  I can't help but chuc...

As you may have noticed, i haven't been blogging recently as i didn't have WiFi.  But now i do.  Theresa, our security person did her magic and voila, here it is. I'll start back on Thursday, April 18.  Gary took me to the bus stop where about 35 folks were waiting for the big Yellowstone Bus.  we went to Gardnier, where the whole process started.  First it was uniforms, than photo ID, then lunch, quite good. the afternoon was spent getting rooms, getting to the rooms and unpacking.   While we were waiting for everyone to finish, there  were about a dozen elk in a nearby field.  How cool.  I've also seen a bunch of buffalo, perhaps a herd would be a better term. I am currently in Obsidian Residence.  it is an older building with 4 women sharing the same bathroom.  it actually isn't as bad as it sounds or as bad as i first thought it was.  amazing how one can adjust.  there is a big lounge just off my room whe...

Today, we were at the Bozeman Public Library.  What a cool place.  Besides being a top class library, it is attached to a wonderful park full of interesting sculptures, including the bench Clara is sitting on.  Julie took us to another neat restaurant, The Pita Pit, serving amazing pitas, as the name suggests.  Tonight, Clara and I are staying with Julie and Gary in Bozeman and the big day is tomorrow.  Tomorrow at this time I should have an idea of what is what as far as Yellowstone is concerned.

Clara and I met up with Julie, friend from Bozeman who took us on a tour of the town, lunch at a neat restaurant, the Naked Noodle, and then the Museum.  MOR--Museum of the Rockies, they have a spectacular dinosaur collection and lots more.  a nice laid back day with Clara and Julie.  Two more days before I head to Yellowstone.  I vacillate between anxiety and anticipation.  Sometimes at the same time.

Well, Salt Lake City was really interesting.  the hotel was very nice, we had time to look around a bit and then got on the worst part of our trip, by far.  I will never, never use Greyhound again.  Hitch-hiking would be preferable. but then, every adventure needs some adversity to make the good even better. speaking of good time, the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake was super.  i expected to just see stars, but it was a great science museum with an IMAX theater.  we saw 2 shows, one on volcanoes and another on hero dogs.  the photos are just some fun pictures from Salt Lake, proof that i am easily amused!!  the first is a mural with snow capped mountains in the backround,  a couple are just street shots, and a few from the plantariam

Clara and I arrived at Salt Lake City about midnight, checked into a Hyatt Hotel in Downtown area, a really nice place. we'll be out of here by 1 pm, leaving on a Greyhound Bus at 5 PM to arrive at Bozeman at 3 AM. Neither of us is excited about the bus ride, but it gets us to Bozeman. I'm still learning how to ad photos to this blog, meaning Clara will figure it out for me. There were so many amazing views on this train ride. for one thing, the Great Plains are really flat and the Rockies are really huge.

I just saw the most incredible sunset over Iowa. it is so flat here the sunset seemed to cover the entire horizon. it was blood red, streaks of yellow and orange with purple streaks throughout the whole thing. Clara and I were eating dinner in the Dining Car, with Don a truck driver from Texas, who was not as impressed as we were. he said he has seen so many over the Great Plains they become ordinary, sometimes even annoying when driving directly into one. This is our longest stint on a train, about 30 hours. we'll pull into Denver in the morning and end up in Salt Lake City by 11 PM Sunday night. we are the next car to the snack bar and observation car, so we get to see everybody walk by and it's easy for us to hang out there. it is sometimes really hard to walk down the aisle of a train. i feel like a drunken sailor and i haven't even had a beer.

After boarding the train in Pittsburgh, about midnight, we spend a fairly restful night on the train.  we were in the last car with all the riders going to Chicago, so we didn't hear all the stations and folks moving on and off the train. Waking in Indiana was delightful. it was a bright shiny day with miles and miles of fields.  eventually, every ride on the train takes you to the back yards and industrial sites.  heading to chicago also takes us along Lake Michigan with all of the boat yards and hundreds and hundreds of private boats, many still in drydock, waiting for the weather to warm. we have a 4 hour lay over here, and will probably wander around  a bit, seeing the sights around the train station.  This Station is rather cool, too.  The old Great Hall Section is gigantic with pigeons flying around inside it.  And what a place for people watching.  a group of about 25-30 folks with Cubs T-shirts on.  i'll bet there is a game today....

yesterday, (Wednesday) i was just blown away by the friends who showed up to wish me well, give me their addresses, have a beer, and just be supportive of my adventure. we probably missed telling some folks about it, but Than's old and can't think of everything. Ann, my sister-in-law, said that everyone should plan a big adventure and enjoy the friends showing up while we're alive, not wait for our funerals. yesterday was a joyful, energizing day.  Thank you one and all. I still feel like I'm dreaming, and if I am, I don't want to wake up.  One Suitcase is locked and loaded, the 2nd on is close. Wow.  Ride it until the wheels fall off.

wow, next week at this time, Clara and I will be crossing the Rockies, arriving in Salt Lake City about 11 PM and actually sleeping in beds for the first time since Thursday.    This entire adventure is still dream-like.  When I let go of Plan A: living in Europe for months, Yellowstone was the most logical direction.  I wonder why I didn't think of this sooner.  Oh yeah, that turning 70 putting things in perspective--a real wake-up call.  anyway, I'm picking up a suitcase from Susan today and will get packed.  I'd like to take all stuff with me, but can have stuff shipped, too.