Little known Montana fact of the day: there are twice as many cows as there are people in MT. And speaking of cows, our bank officer, Lyndy, is also a genuine cowgirl. She and her husband own 300 head of cattle, and they "drive" them each spring about 40 miles up into a mountain area; each fall, they drive them back. She invited me to go along on their next drive; they usually take on up to 10 "dudes" on a drive, a la "City Slickers." You remember the scene where Billy Crystal pulls out a cordless coffee-grinder and proceeds to grind the beans, leading to one of my favorite movie lines ever: "Something's spookin' the cattle." Yep...that would be me. Lyndy also taught me about branding cattle; did you know that brands are basically trademarked, and filed with the state?
BTW: 44 degrees at 7:45 a.m. I love this place.
Ho. Lee. Cow. We are giddy. Delirious. Nervous. Proud. Stunned. And many other things. The owner accepted our bid. The bank approved the loan. In other words...we close on our very first house within two weeks. Pam & I are in a state of both shock and joy. She and the girls *loved* the house. When our realtor called today to tell us the great news, we were at the hotel pool watching our little one swim. We celebrated by kicking our shoes off and jumping in with our clothes on! Understand that we rarely swim--in fact, it would be fair to say that we hate swimming. The last time I did was in August 1996, and for Pam it was in the kiddie pool during July 1997.
To refresh your memory, here are a couple of pix of our chosen one:
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This place (Great Falls, Montana) is so cool. Windy? Oh yeah...just the way I like it. Friendly? You betcha. The natives definitely have a northern lilt to their speech; not quite "Fargo," but enough to elicit a smile whenever we hear it. I think I'm even starting to adopt that accent, a la Zelig. BTW, we watched the movie "Rat Race" yesterday, and it floored me. Reminded me of a cross between "Scavenger Hunt" and "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." Zany madcap fun. One interesting line from that movie struck me: Good things take time...while great things happen all at once. That pretty much summed up our Monday; a Great Thing happened, we think...we'll know more tomorrow. Suffice to say that the beautiful house (pictured several entries below) is within our grasp. Cross your fingers.
BTW: George, no comeback or flame for my Elvis crack earlier?! Also: thanks again for the USAA tip.
Augh. I forgot how tiring & tedious looking for a new house can be. We've seen some great homes, usually out of our price range, and some truly scary homes, sorta like a cross between the Amityville house and the shack from "Blair Witch."
BTW, welcome to my dad, who has (finally!) figured out how to find, navigate, and comment on my website! Way cool, Dad...and apropos of the above stuff re: housing, can I "borrow" about, oh, say, $20,000? :-)
Or, to my regular readers: if I set up a tip jar, would you...oh, never mind. :-)
Actually, our search may be over: we found a very nice rental in the area of town we want to live in; the subdivision is called Fox Farm - how cute is that? It's got about 2600 square feet, total, but about 400 or 500 of those square feet are in the portion of the basement that is "unfinished." The other part of the basement has a very large bedroom (perfect for my teenager!) and a large playroom/rec room. Upstairs, the main level, is a nicekitchen with a small center island, very cool countertops, an ice-maker fridge, large living room and a dining room, two medium-sized bedrooms, a hall bathroom, and the master bedroom, with a nice bathroom with (my favorite!) a walk-in shower. The backyard is...um...dirt, since the house and the entire portion of the subdivision is relatively new, and the front yard has only baby trees so far. We'll get some specifics tomorrow from the owner, namely whether or not he will allow our two damn precious cats to live in the house.
Separate note to our dear friend Kerry: welcome home from your honeymoon, and congratulations on your fake/"real" wedding! Hugs to both you & Tony!
Like my old boss used to say, "Good luck beats planning!" The US Air Force Thunderbirds were here in Great Falls, Montana yesterday, for what I believe was the first time in a decade. We saw them close-up on Friday during their practice, while I was doing some in-processing on Malmstrom AFB, and yesterday, during the actual show, I watched them from afar, positioning myself behind our hotel on a high hill that overlooks the entire town, about 15 miles from the Air Force base. As they performed their stunning aerial maneuvers, all I could think was: "...and I have trouble parallel parking..." Those pilots are amazing. I'm not really a huge fan of aerial stunt, but few things can thrill me (or Pam) as much as watching the Thunderbirds in action. When they completed their show yesterday, they returned to the Great Falls International Airport (right across the street from our hotel), and as they landed, me, Pam, and the kids jumped, hooped, cheered, and waved our arms to show our appreciation.
About time Elvis put out a good song. Heard it several times while driving up here.
I woke up today in Montana. Cool. It was a crisp, clear 58 degrees or so; stepped outside around 7:15 am, took some deep breaths, and basked in it. Pam thought it was cold and had to wear a sweater. Hoo boy...winter will be very interesting, I'm sure...
Met with a realtor today; very nice & professional, chock-full of local info on what neighborhoods have what traits/flaws/etc. After meeting with her, we stumbled upon what I have declared to be my Home Away From Home: the Great Falls Marketplace. It's only about 3 or 4 years old, and it's great. Old Navy, Pier One, Barnes & Noble (yay!), movie theater, PetCo, Denver Mattress Company, and Smiths, which turned out to be one of the cleanest, friendliest, and largest grocery stores I've ever been in. As a result of finding this lovely little marketplace, we've decided that we need to live near it, so now our house-hunting is narrowed down to a rather small geographical area. While Pam and the kids were shopping in Old Navy, I stood by the Explorer in the parking lot, looking at some fluffy, streaming clouds moving in from the SW, with a gusty 20-30 mph wind whipping around me, gazing at the nearby housing area, most of which is set upon a gently sloping hill literally a stone's throw from the Marketplace parking lot. It was blissful. We also checked out the mall (you're surprised that Great Falls has one, aren't you?). Cute name: Holiday Village Mall. It's not too bad; relatively clean and laid out in an interesting pattern. I introduced my 10 year-old to the Joys of Orange Julius...she was not impressed. My teenager found several stores that are worthy of her favor, too, complete with clothing that is either way too small or way too large.
Oh, and I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to my new unit, the 341st Medical Group, and met some of my co-workers and my new boss. Great people, all -- this should be a very nice assignment.
One last note: take a look at the comments in yesterday's post--there's one from my mother! She uses WebTV, which serves her internet needs just fine, and I'm real proud of her for even surfing at all, but to know that she reads my page, and actually COMMENTED--wow. Mom, you rock. What next--my father might be able to set his VCR without my help?
Wednesday, July 24, approximately 5:45 pm...we arrive in Great Falls, Montana, our new hometown (for 2-4 years). So far, so good...checked into a decent hotel, had a decent meal, saw some sights, did some drive-by house-hunting. Of note: there was still daylight at 9:30 pm; the last wink of the sun disappeared around 9:55 or so. I had forgotten that the summer days would be longer, and winter days shorter, being this far north.
The drive from Billings to Great Falls was quite interesting. Again, we are thankful for the oh-so-liberal 75 mph speed limit, and long sections of straight (and empty) road. Once we got onto I-15 for the last 82 miles, however, the landscape changed dramatically; some sharp twists & turns through mountainous areas. Pam hates driving in that kind of terrain; I'm OK with it, but I slow waaaay down...the jutting mountains looming on either side of the highway can induce some dizzying vertigo at times.
Now comes the "fun" part of the move: finding a new home, checking into my new unit, enrolling the kiddos in school, etc, etc, etc. We're looking forward to it; actually, we're looking forward to any activity that doesn't involve sitting on our asses for 6-10 hours at a stretch, arms outstretched, swollen fingers clutching the steering wheel, with muscles so stiff that I am almost--almost--tempted to imbibe, simply in an effort to relax my muscles.
BTW, let's give a big shout-out to Pam and the girls; they have been amazing during this arduous journey. Pam drove longer & farther than she ever has, and my teenager, contrary to our expectation of a mopey, miserable, wretched girl ripped from her home & friends, has been a joy: helpful, optimistic, realistic, and humorous. The little one has been great, too, taking extra-special care of the cats during the voyage. And kids love pools, of course; they've logged enough hotel-pool hours this week to qualify for some sort of frequent-swimmer award. Finally, let's give a huge "thank you" to the Gods of Transportation for allowing both my Taurus and Pam's Explorer to complete the journey with no malfunctions, flat tires, blown fuses, or other disasters.
Finally, thanks to the faithful friends (real & virtual) who have e-mailed or posted comments offering humor, well-wishes, and/or insight. Thanks, dudes (nods to George, Annessa, James, Oliver, etc). Off to bed now. In Great Falls, Montana. Life is good.
MONTANA!! I actually almost cried tears of joy as we crossed the state line from WY into MT. Fittingly, a great Frank song was on the radio at the time. We made it to Billings, and are staying at a great hotel called (surprise) The Billings Hotel. It's almost retro lodge-like, with beautiful dark wood, a monster fireplace in the lobby, and a heavenly piney smell. We upgraded to The Suite--good move, and worth the extra $$, after the tiny, sterile Motel 6 last night in Wheatland. Let me put it this way: this room is what I want our house to look like--furniture, colors, accessories, etc. I'll try to get some pix for you to enjoy later. But on to the gruesome details of today's journey...oh, wait, there aren't any! It was actually enjoyable, thanks to three factors: stunning Wyoming scenery & landscape (SNOW on some of the mountaintops!), virtually no traffic, and a healthy 75 mph speed limit. Actually, another factor helped, too: my butt no longer feels pain. It is impervious. It is, quite simply, dead. BTW, I was really surprised at how exhilarating the Wyoming landscape was; my eyes were constantly moving, head whipping every which way. Snack & pee break near Sheridan, WY, at a cute place called The Rock Stop, with a large buffalo statue standing guard. I called him "Buffy." Now, in Billings, our end is in sight--only about 220 more miles tomorrow until we arrive in Great Falls. Many more details to come later, when I have my precious desktop back in action. This Pocket PC is great, but text-entry is tough and slow. Thanks again for all the warm wishes!
Wheatland, Wyoming. Woke up (at 0533, thanks to the cats) to 52 crisp, dry degrees. I can't put into words how good it feels. The air is clean and fresh; it's rejuventing. Haven't felt this good in years. About the journey: turns out that a motorhome (RV?) rolled over on I-25N yesterday, causing the massive tie-up. We didn't move for just over TWO HOURS. Sigh. If not for the accident, we would have made it to Casper. This little burg, Wheatland, is...um...small. About 3400 people, according to the bagger at the Safeway. One traffic light, natch. We're in a teeny room at Motel 6, a far cry from the 800 sq ft suite yesterday at Residence Inn. About I-25N, Allison: yep, it sucked. Didn't see a roadside sign "commemorating" your visit, but I was thinking of you :-). Of note: Denver's 92.5 FM is a GREAT station; nuthin but Old Skool and Jamz. BTW, I haven't driven more than 1 hour the entire trip without hearing at least one Zeppelin tune. The song that I've heard the most often on the trip is "Soak Up The Sun" by Sheryl Crow. It's grown on me, even though it has the word (?) "diddly-squat" in it. BTW, Goddess, we just couldn't do Garden of the Gods this time, but I've been there before, and we're already planning a *real* vacation back to COS. One last thing: did you know that Devil's Tower, the way-cool mini-mountain from CE3K, was the very first national monument? It's about 200 miles from here, in NE Wyoming. Did I mention that Wyoming is beautiful? And about 1 mile into Wyoming, on I-25N, on the right, we saw--swear--CAMELS. Some sorta ranch. Quite a sight. Before I sign off, do me a favor and check on Annessa; methinks the weekend was not kind to her. OK, one more thing: we tried to stay in Cheyenne last night, but couldn't find any rooms at all; the annual "Frontier Days" runs until July 28, and the population of Cheyenne triples, apparently. George, did you warn me about that? 0625 on Tuesday now, and Wheatland, Wyoming is crisp and cool and clear. Onward!
Dammit. Massive traffic back-up on I-25 between COS and Denver. We've been at a dead stop for over 40 minutes so far...no end in sight, and no way to see what caused it. Idiot driver/s. So how is your day?
Ten+ hours on the road today, wound up in beautiful, crisp Colorado Springs, staying at our absolute favorite hotel, Residence Inn. If you've never stayed, you simply must. It makes other reasonably-priced hotels look like fleabags. Highlight since last post: we visited some great friends in Enid, Oklahoma, our "adopted" hometown. Tom, Cheri, Lynda, Lloyd (and baby Brittany!), and of course Terri were all kind enough to meet us for an absolutely incredible meal at the Amarillo Grill, which is actually better than Chili's. It was great to be back in Enid. So windy--love it! Since leaving Enid at 11:15 this morning, we've seen approximately 11,647 cows. Each time we spotted a group of cows, I would (in addition to recalling every Gary Larson cartoon ever published) look for the largest cow, and dubbed him (her?) AlphaCow. BTW, I'm a little bit punchy right now. Some of those teeny-tiny towns (term used loosely) are just so...so..."rustic" might be the word. Quaint? Maybe. Charming? That's a stretch. We're talking about the "towns" along the road that have between 100 and 5,000 people, roughly. All my wife could think of was "Children of the Corn." Another highlight: driving through the desolate, windy Oklahoma panhandle, jamming to Parliament's "Chocolate City" and "Aquaboogie," as well as Con Funk Shun and Kurtis Blow. OK--almost 11:00 pm now--time for one last cuppa and then lights out. One last thing: did I mention how much I love Colorado Springs? Or how much I enjoy the non-humid air? There's actually a slight *chill* in the air outside right now, courtesy of a thunderstorm in the distance over the mountain/s, and just a hint of drizzle here at I-25 and Circle/Lake Blvd. That's it for now--thanks to everyone who has e-mailed or otherwise sent their best wishes for our odyssey. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the cats are adapting reasonably well; neither one has puked yet. Maybe they're saving it all up for one last hurrah before we arrive in Montana.
GONE! We are SO outta San Antonio! We had grand plans of leaving around noon and getting to Waco around 3:00, and then relaxing and getting a really good night's sleep. Naturally, one thing led to another, and the little details took longer than we thought, so we didn't drive out until a little after 2:00. Just under 90 miles later, and 2+ hours later, the weeks of sleep deprivation and the maddening Austin traffic took their toll, so we checked into a Residence Inn at about 4:45. Dinner at Macaroni Grill--very good. Now an early bedtime, a nice restful sleep, and tomorrow we're off to Enid! I know--we didn't travel very far at all today, but the important thing is that we left San Antonio--forever. The journey begins!
PS: Today's brush with greatness: we drove through the Dell HQ parking lot. DUDE!!
It's nothing short of a miracle that anyone moves from one town to another. Every time I think that I'm on top of every detail, four more new ones pop up. Today's challenges included: final medical appointment, pick up meds, get family medical records; farewell luncheon, whlch was very thoughtful and fun (esp. the mini-cheesecakes with vanilla wafers as pie crust, served in cupcake wrappers--thanks, SSgt Taylor!), finance office briefing, certification from the Public Health office that I've received all of my rabies & distemper shots, and a stop at the base education office to get a letter stating that I had no unfinished business with them, even though I had never set foot in there. At Jiffy Lube now, getting the wife's Explorer jiffy-lubed and cleaned. Next stop: pick up my 4 new BDU uniforms on base, complete with new unit insignia. Then off to a "farewell dinner" with my dad. Whew. BTW, thanks to everyone who has posted or e-mailed their best wishes--very much appreciated!
TOMORROW: We Drive. WooHoo!
ALSO: Perhaps "Cheeseburgers Across America" should be my new (temp) tagline? With a nod in Stryker's direction, natch.
More cleaning. More sweating. More chaos. More bleeding cash. More humidity. More howling cats. More demanding offspring. More frenzied driving from hotel to house to work to kids' friends homes to hotel to fast-food drive-thru to house to work to grocery store to hotel to laundromat to dry cleaner to pool to hotel. Will the fun never stop?
ps...Tom & Co: yep, still on for Amarillo Grill on Saturday!
pps...Congratulations to fellow MSC and true friend & mentor Mike Casey & his new bride!!
Two days of sorting, boxing, cleaning, sweating, etc...but now, at last, the house we have lived in for nearly 4 years (my personal record, BTW) is empty. We really, really know that we're moving now! I already miss my beloved cable modem. The hotel is nice; over 700 sq ft, kitchen, 2 bed/2 bath--nicer than our first apartment! Also: this is our first move with pets--AUGH! PBR was right about traveling with cats! Recommended only for masochists or pinheads (which am I?)!
Less than 72 hours until we drive out--woohoo!
Well, everyone else is doing it, so now it's my turn: Three things that scare you: reckless/drunk drivers, insects, heights. Three things that make you laugh: myself, my wife, whimsy. Three things you love: coffee, steak, the web. Three things you hate: religion, heat & humidity, web polls. Three things you don't understand: the appeal of trash tv, alcohol/drugs, Regis Philbin's success. Three things on your desk: computer (duh), stuffed-animal cow, work stuff. Right now you are: preparing to eat pizza, watching my wife watch "Trading Spaces," looking forward to moving this week (to Montana!). Three facts about you: blue eyes, trivia-obsessed, coffee-holic. Three things you plan to do before you die: visit Italy, chase tornadoes, own an internet cafe. Three things you can do: recall phone numbers from long ago, brew the best damn coffee you'll ever taste, tell jokes. Three things you can't do: be tolerant of stupidity, enjoy sports, go shopping with my wife. Three famous people (past or present) you would like to meet: Frank Sinatra, Ayn Rand, George Washington. Top 3 songs you currently like: not worth answering. Top 3 things that turn you on about your gender of choice: her eyes, her hair, her smile. Top 3 movies you watch all the time: The Philadelphia Story, Airplane, On The Town. Top 3 things you say the most: Look-cows!, Nuts to this (or that), WTF?
Happy now?
