11:18pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday night, December 28, 2022. Mom made it safely to Wyoming without my accompanying her. The accomplishment was a team effort; my daughter’s mom drove her to the airport, my daughter and her friend got her through check in and finally, a family acquaintance picked her up in Salt Lake City for the drive back to Wyoming. I am glad she made it and, to be honest, happy I didn’t have to go. This weekend gave me a chance to relax and change perspective regarding work. Now I feel less stressed. If I had missed work yesterday I would have fallen back into the same energy as before. I needed a change. Fortunately there are only three more work days until 2023. Time to make the best of them.
Tag: Wyoming
Day two in wyoming
6:26pm, mountain standard time, mom’s house, Evanston, Wyoming, Friday evening, October 28, 2022. Slept in this morning then drove three hours to West Wendover, Nevada. We gambled for four hours before grabbing dinner to go in Salt Lake City. Now we are watching television and having beer and pizza.
Evanston, Wyoming
6:41pm, mountain standard time, mom’s house, Evanston, Wyoming, USA, Thursday evening, October 27, 2022. Finished up in Dublin this morning then caught a plane to Salt Lake City. My mom picked me up at the airport and we drove the hour to my hometown of Evanston. It has been two years since I last visited. A lot of memories are coming back; some good, some not so good. All it all, it is nice to be here. Tomorrow we will drive to West Wendover, Nevada, gamble a little and enjoy some time together.
Getting ready
5:55pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Saturday evening, October, 22, 2022. Productive day; Walked, worked out, grocery shopped, bought leather conditioner for my work bag. Did laundry, packed and watched football. Getting ready to head back to Orange County and fly to Dublin one last time before flying to utah/Wyoming to see my mom and friends.
Some answers will never be known
11:37am, pacific standard time, Santa Ana/Orange County/John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California, USA, Monday morning, October 17, 2022. Waiting for my flight to Oakland. It was a good weekend in Orange County. Since learning of my new assignment in Palm Desert I have felt at peace. The future, present and past are in balance, which feels nice. Today is the 16 year anniversary of my dad’s death. Lots of memories of him and where I was sixteen years ago. I was working as a hospice chaplain in Ogden, Utah. When we heard the news we gathered in Wyoming the rest of the week and had the memorial service on the 20th. I miss him and wonder who I would be if he hadn’t died at the age of 65. I guess some answers will never be known.
The truck
6:00pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Wednesday evening, July 20, 2022. I listed my truck for sale this morning before taking it to a car wash for a deep clean and shine. There have been no responses to the ad yet, but I will sell it one way or the other before too long. That is a hard thing to say. I have owned the truck for over 12 years, the longest of any vehicle in my life. But I can’t keep it. I don’t want to insure it, nor do I want to take it back to California and re-register it. However, letting it go will be sorrowful. In many ways the truck has been a comforting touchstone of the past. Ten years ago we took a family vacation to South Dakota in it. At that time life was violently unstable. We were moving from Utah to California and had not settled in, nor were we sure we would stay together as a family. We were strained and stressed by many issues, mostly of my doing. The truck was a self-contained safe haven; inside the cab there was no sadness, frustration or anger, just our small family, driving around Wyoming and South Dakota, dodging thunderstorms, drinking coffee and enjoying being together. Alas, nothing lasts forever. After a week the vacation was over and life went on. To the point where now the truck is old and needs significant repairs (kind of like our marriage?) I guess eventually that is how everything goes; at some point you have to say good bye and realize, no matter what, all good things come to an end.
Layoffs
5:42, pacific standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Thursday morning, May 12, 2022. Since this past weekend I have felt a unique sense of peace. Ironically, it is because I half-thought I would lose my job on Monday. The worksite has not been doing well for some time and, as the leader, responsibility ultimately falls on me. Hence, the stress of being relieved of my position is ever constant. To protect my psyche I began cataloguing possible benefits of not working; I could enjoy the trip back to Utah/Wyoming with my mom tomorrow, appreciate a relaxing week in Arizona when I return, then travel to Orange County, spend time with my daughter, and not rush back to a dreaded Monday. Those thoughts have buoyed me through the week. But, yesterday after work, the regional supervisor texted me and said she would be in the office this morning at 9am to layoff staff. I honestly don’t know if I will be one of the casualties. Either way, If I am let go or not, people I have worked with for over a year will lose their jobs today. And there is no amount of mental gymnastics I can do to make that situation feel good.
A Heartland Kind of Guy
6:37am, in my wife’s apartment, Dana Point, CA, Sunday morning, December 12, 2021. I am going to tell you a story. It is called A Heartland Kind of Guy. Are you ready? Here it goes…He was a typical American Heartland kind of guy; Rugged, stoic and contemplative. His life began on the prairies of South Dakota, briefly detoured through the Rapid City Black Hills and finally settled forever in the Southern Wyoming Desert. Childhood was uneventful except for learning to despise harsh weather and appreciate wide open space. By the age 15 he was convinced life would be better someplace else, so he headed west and didn’t stop until reaching the Pacific Ocean.
Updates
3:40pm, in my office, Phoenix, Arizona, Wednesday, December 1, 2021. Some updates: My mom flew back to Utah/Wyoming this morning. It was a nice visit. She is going to come out again for Christmas. My daughter texted me yesterday saying she had a bad day. She didn’t respond when I tried to find out what happened but apparently the principal said she has to make up time she missed while out “sick” back in September (not sure what that means but it is probably close to a week!) My wife had big meetings at her job yesterday and last night. She is still in meetings today so I haven’t gotten details. The CEO flew in from England to meet with her. For me, I got my COVID vaccine booster shot yesterday and I am dragging ass today.
Thought
6:15pm change is possible. 19 years ago moving to California I changed my schedule. Before the move and living in wyoming I always stayed up late. I drank beer. I chewed tobacco. To minimize exposure to my vices I started to go to bed early. Not staying up late kept me from indulging in things that were detrimental and it maximized the morning. The time of day I felt renewed.
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