It's The Little Things That You Miss Sometimes

Joe has really been missing his Rt. 44 Diet Cherry Limeades from Sonic since we moved. Wal-Mart has a cherry limeade drink that you can mix up and add 7-Up or Sprite to, but it's just not the same.

So, I had promised him a surprise on our trip yesterday and when we arrived in Laramie, we went to the Sonic. (I knew there was one there because of earlier stays I'd made while job searching in Laramie).

You should have seen the smile on his face when he saw the Sonic and I told him he could have his Rt. 44 Diet Cherry Limeade. But, it got even better. They were running a special called "The Chiller" where they mixed vanilla ice cream into it! Anyone who knows Joe, knows he loves ice cream.

So, needless to say, Joe was a very happy man. At least until his drink ran dry. :(

We're Off Like A Dirty Shirt!

If you've been following some of my recent blogs, you are aware that Joe has been experiencing problems with his eyes; the possibility that he may be going blind. With that uncertainty looming before our little family, we are spending today and tomorrow off exploring for what might be the last opportunity for him to see any of this fantastic scenery with his limited eyesight.

He's still in bed sleeping a very restless sleep and I've already been in the kitchen assembling our picnic lunch. The water and soft drinks are in the freezing cooling, the sandwiches are stashed in their disposable plastic bags, the can of Pringles is standing at attention on the counter next to the cooler and I've thrown in Little Debbie Swiss Rolls and packets of puddings for good measure. And, in case Joe starts to go low with his blood sugar there is the bit-sized Snickers and a couple of apples. This is usually what we take along with us each weekend (although the Swiss Rolls are our indulgence this weekend). We've always been fortunate to find a wonderful place to picnic and the lunch always seems to taste so good.

Shortly we will leave the house after leaving the television on (our security alarm) and having fed the furry kids with fresh water and food. They'd LOVE to come along, but we never know where we will wind up and pets can sometimes be a hindrance to exploring new places. So they stay behind to guard our home.

The weather report is that the weather should be perfect where we are planning on going - cooler than previous days. And, we have no time constraints so they day will be ours. So, with a full tank of gas, a cooler full of food, our trusty? GPS "Barking Bob", a charged cellphone, camera and someone who knows where we'll be going, I'm off to get my shower after waking my sweetie. And, we'll be "off like a dirty shirt" in the words of a great man (Dad).

I already know that today is going to be a great day!

Day Three and Four - Job Hunting In Laramie

I rolled into Laramie late afternoon Wednesday. I had planned on leaving Casper early morning, but plans changed. I got a call to come in for another job interview and wasn't about to tell them "no". Then I spent some time checking out possible house rentals in Casper. Drove to a cute little house which would be very convenient to any job I might get in Casper.

On the way out of town, I stopped in Glenrock which is about 15 miles south of Casper. I was meeting a real estate agent to check out a rental in the country which was next to the Platte River. It was a double wide located on a gravel road with 2.5 acres and a very, very large double garage - a great place to put the car and the dogs when the weather turns cold. I think it would be a great place to live, but what do we do when we have to drive to Casper for work and the roads are covered with snow and ice? (When people talk about the winters up here, it's not really the snow and ice they talk about, but rather the wind. I've noticed that the wind does blow alot around here. It doesn't matter if you fix your hair or not because the minute you step outside - whew, it's rearranged).

Anyway, it was a four hour drive up and down rolling sagebrush covered hills to Laramie. I say that so that you might understand how almost impossible it is to have a conversation on your cell phone. The last part of the trip had the best scenery. It was in the mountains. The elevation climbed to about 8,000 feet and the temperature dropped some 20 degrees and the ears were popping.

First impressions of Laramie - not my favorite place I've stayed in Wyoming. (That's a picture of one part of downtown Laramie). It's a large college town with the University of Wyoming located here and that is the major "industry" here. I'm sure it probably has great qualities, but at this point, I'm not sure I want to find out what they are right now. I don't think this town even has a Wal-Mart, it has a K-Mart, but can I actually live in a town with no Wal-Mart?!?! And pickup trucks. Did I mention the amount of pickups around here? OMG!!! They're everywhere!

Day Four - I had my plan of attack planned for the day...Contact all the people at the University and do follow-ups with them, as well as an attorney and check out the local WorkForce office. That didn't take as long as thought, so for the first time in a very, very long time, I had a little bit of down time. I even actually ate a real sit down lunch today. Wow! That was a big deal for me. No real interviews today with the right people - just telephone conversations and pre interviews with people that might not make a difference. And, the real estate bombed out too. So, unless something changes between now and the time I leave this glorious state, Laramie won't be our new home. BTW - saw a real chipmunk today.

Tomorrow is Friday and it's on to Utah to see the kids. Yeah!