Well, it has been almost a month since my last post and I have been busy, busy, busy since then. Here’s a run down of what I have been up to since then:
Weekend of September 24-26
Once again I headed to Blackrock for the weekend after I got off work on Friday. (Since I don’t think I have mentioned it before Blackrock is the Forest Service compound where Ross lives, right across the street from the Blackrock Ranger Station which is about 12 East of Moran Junction) Ross’s brother Warren had a friend Sean staying with them at the house for a couple of weeks and the three of them had steaks grilling on the BBQ when I arrived at the house. Yum! After dinner we (Warren and I) opened birthday presents. Warren’s birthday was the week prior and mine was a few days away. It was the perfect ending to the week. I truly enjoy relaxing with good friends, good food and fantastic views at the end of the day.
On Saturday we all had plans to go see the
Bar J Wranglers. I had never been before but had heard nothing but good things about them. The Bar J Wranglers is a dinner & cowboy show near Jackson, WY where they host about 700 people a night all summer long. You must make reservations but then seating is first come, first serve. Because of this it is often suggested you send part of your party down a couple hours before the gates open, this is the job Ross and I were selected for. We were not early enough to get the good bench seats under the covering, but we were not far away. We passed the time chatting, people watching and following football games on my phone. Finally the gates opened and we were in! After paying for our parties meals and getting our table assignment we made our way into the barn like building to get our seats. Even though you are assigned a table, seating at the table is still first come, first serve. Soon afterwards Sean and Warren arrived. We were then waiting again, passing the time chatting, getting drinks and fresh biscuits from the dutch oven. Before we knew it dinner was about to begin. They serve dinner buffet style and I was totally amazed they got everyone through the lines in less than a half hour. Now that takes practice and efficiency! For the meal you choose your main entrée, (I went for the pork ribs), and then everyone is served chuckwagon beans, applesauce, baked potato, cornbread and spice cake. All of it was very tasty. After awhile everyone starts clearing their tables and the wranglers get ready to start their show. The show includes 5 Bar J Wranglers who sing cowboy songs and put on a good show. They were all fantastic singers and pretty funny comedians as well. This was also the last night of the season so a few pranks were pulled. If you are ever in the Jackson area in the summer and looking for something to do I would highly recommend the Bar J.
On Sunday all 4 of us went into town to run a couple errands, eat lunch at Ocean City (the best Chinese/Thai restaurant) and then drove home through Grand Teton National Park. The fall colors were at their peak this weekend and I wanted to capture some of it’s beauty, not such an easy task with a point and shoot. I had a good time and ended up with some good pictures.
September 27th
My favorite day of the year, my birthday! I turned 33 this year and hopefully it will be as good a year as the rest of my 30s have been. The day itself was pretty un-eventful, as I had to work. After work I headed down to Blackrock though as I had an interview in Jackson the next morning. The evening was spent enjoying my delicious Strawberry Cake.
September 28th
This evening I went to Chico Hot Springs with my friends Laura and Delwyne to celebrate my birthday. We had a decent dinner at the grill and a good soak in the pool as the sun set. Unfortunately, it was a slightly warm day and they were pumping hot water into the pool, as opposed to the cool water they normally do, so we didn’t stay long. I normally love swimming in the Chico pool., it’s so relaxing nestled up against the mountains and under the stars.
Weekend of October 1st-3rd
Well, this weekend was a very laid back, relaxing one. I drove down to Blackrock on Friday and once again the guys had dinner ready, well almost ready, when I got there. This week Sean cooked Chicken Alfredo from scratch. Saturday we headed to Riverton where I got the oil changed in my car and we visited the casino again. The drive over was horrible based on the road construction, multiple delays and very slow construction vehicles. I enjoyed the trip to the casino again and did fairly well. I went in to the casino with $40 and left with $160, all in all a good day for me. Let’s just say Ross did not fair well, however. Nothing much else happened this weekend, except that I baked my 1st batch of
pumpkin cookies for the season. Those always bring a smile to anyways face.
Weekend of October 8th – 11th
I took Columbus Day off this year in order to go home to Boise. It was a quick trip, but very enjoyable. Like normal I headed to Blackrock Friday after work. Saturday morning I hit the road early and drove to Boise. It was an enjoyable drive as I was in completely different scenery than normal on this drive until Idaho Falls. I also had an audio book playing which passes the time quickly for me. I rolled into Boise about 4pmish, stopped at the house long enough to say hi to the parents and Rocket and pickup Heather. By 5ish we were down at BSU stadium and ready for the game. BSU was playing Toledo and we won 59-14. While it was not the most exciting game it was fantastic for both of us to actually be at a home game. I also was excited to see my friends Ernest, Greg, Adam and Tom during the game.
Sunday I went over to my moms and we spent the afternoon together. First we went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (Thai Lettuce Wraps are one of my favorite things to eat) and then did a little shopping at the mall and Target. It was great seeing her, I only wish we could have had more time together. Later that afternoon I headed over to my parents for Sunday dinner and to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. All 5 of us kids, 2 dogs and parents were there. Quite a change from their normal Sunday evenings I’m guessing. It was great to see everyone though, eat dinner, play games and draw names for Christmas.
Sunday I headed back to Wyoming after eating lunch with my old roommate Cynthia and her fiancé Alex. They just got engaged on Thursday and I am so happy for both of them, I love them both. Now to plan their wedding present, he he.
Well, now you are caught up with my happenings and whereabouts. My contract here in Yellowstone ends on October 20th and big news about where and when I am going next will be posted shortly. I have 2 definite job offers and a tentative one. The tentative one, which is of course the one I want, should be final this afternoon and then I’ll clue you all in.
Farewell Yellowstone. See you again in 6 months!
This year the 2010 U.S. Capital Christmas Tree comes from the Bridger-Teton National Forest. More specifically it came from the Pacific Creek area which is about 5 miles from where I currently live. On Saturday the tree was cut down and then made it's way to Jackson for a send off celebration. 
The tree is now on its way touring the state of Wyoming before making it's journey to Washington D.C. where it will be lit in early December. It is an absolutely gorgeous tree and the fact that it comes from my backyard is exciting. 
My first Monday here is snowed. Actually it started snowing on Sunday night and I think is stopped sometime on Tuesday. In all I think it snowed about a foot and a half! Oh my, I could be in for a crazy winter with lots of snow. 
The day after I left Yellowstone I started my new job at the Grand Teton Lodge Company. My office is located inside Jackson Lake Lodge and I live on the grounds there. The above picture is of my new place. And here is the view. 
I can still hardly believe I get to work here and can see the Grand every morning on my walk to work! 
As I mentioned last time I have some news regarding where I'm off to next since my last day in Yellowstone is Wednesday. Well, I am happy to announce that I am moving south to Grand Teton National Park where I have accepted a position with the Grant Teton Lodging Company. I'll be living and working on the grounds of Jackson Lake Lodge. I am pretty excited about the change, being close to several good friends and being close to Jackson.
