Haven't really been anywhere but just have had no motivation for writing this "thing." So, it is the first blog of the new year.
Much has happened since last chronicled in this medium. By the same token not much has really happened in my life. In other folks lives a lot is going on. I am especially concerned about my niece Kelly and her girls with a life changing divorce and their possible move from New Hampshire to Colorado. I wish them all well.
I guess the "biggie" for me is accepting a Park Service job in Yellowstone this coming spring. I applied for several positions in different parks but vowed to take the first offered. Since accepting this one I have received some other queries that were turned down. There are still a couple out there, one in Glacier, and one in the Tetons. As I told my friend Ranger Bob, the elder, even if other offers come in that might be more desirable, I will honor my commitment. Besides, it will be my first time working a season in Yellowstone, the first National Park.
It has been two years since I worked for the Park Service, and this will be a totally different job, something new to learn. I will be a "Gate Ranger" at the south entrance to the park. In actuality, they call these positions "Visitor Use Assistants." I am pretty excited about working up there for almost 5 months, May 8th - Sept 30th. One of the upsides is that I will be only 18 miles north of my friends at Colter Bay in the Tetons. The only minor (I hope) downside is that I will have to have a roommate.
My 65th birthday is coming up this Sunday. I guess this is one of those milestone b-days, or so it seems. I am now officially "elderly" as I am on Medicare. Funny thing though, it has been difficult to find a doctor here in Flagstaff that will take a new "Medicare" patient. Finally, with the assistance of my former "Lady friend" (from the early 90s) Ruth, a Nurse Practitioner in Flagstaff, I secured a doctor she knows, who, by the way, wasn't taking new patients in my category. Thanks to her though he accepted me. So much for medical care in the USA, maybe the federal government should do what the state of Mass. does, do not grant medical licenses to those who do not accept Medicare or any other low income folks insurance. I'm just saying . . .
As for this birthday, I am hoping for enough new snow to go XC skiing. There are storms coming starting tonight, but little snow accumulation is expected. At any rate, the aforementioned Ruth wants to do something with me on this momentous occasion, so we will XC ski if there is snow, or possibly go up to the Grand Canyon for the day if there is not.
For my birthday, I bought myself an Apple Mac Pro laptop and am learning how to use it. In this endeavor I travelled down to have a "seminar" from my friend Cindy Henry who has become quite a Mac proponent in the last year and a half. We went to lunch at P.F. Chang's (my first visit) and then commenced to spend working about 5 1/2 hours on the Mac. Again, one of my reasons for converting from PCs is to learn something new. We "seniors" have to keep our minds active! And it is quite a challenge for someone who is, somewhat, technically "challenged" to begin with!
That's about all the news from here, or least that I can think of at the moment. Tasha and Jason seem to be doing well in Japan. The same is true for my busy eldest daughter, Tania and her family in San Diego County. The only exception is that my grandson Cole has to have his "umpteenth" ear surgery since his birth 12 years ago. That is coming up a couple days after my b-day. I'll be thinking of him. Hope this one works better than the previous ones. I miss seeing my offspring and their offspring.
As for films . . . as might be expected this time of year there have not been too many great ones, and only a couple entertaining ones. The Way Back with Colin Farrell and Jim Sturgis (SP) was interesting and about prisoners who break out of a Russian Gulag (prison) in Siberia during WWII. They walk thousands of miles to India. It is based on , or at least inspired by a true story. Country Strong with Gywenth Paltrow is a sappy story but she sings well in it. Dilemma with Vince Vaughn being Vince is OK but not funny as advertised, a bit more serious. I finally saw 127 Hours and thought it was a good but not a great movie. Franco's performance is worthy of the Oscar nod though. The last movie I viewed was The Eagle, an old fashioned sword fighting Romans against Scots in 140AD Britain. It to was entertaining and somewhat enlightening about the time period. Jamie Bell did a good job acting but Channing Tatum (or is it vice versa) was a bit wooden in his performance. As you can see my cinematic viewing has been less than impressive of late.
Hopefully, if there are any of you out there still, I will have another blog sooner than later.
Adios!
