While looking at the calendar this morning, we are running out of free time even though we have until April 1 to remain here. Josie starts working at the flower shop in two days and will be committed to at least next Thursday or Friday and then we only have a week before the Spring Training games begin. There are lots of things we need to complete before our time here ends. The most important is probably to sort through the fifth wheel and determine what we can leave behind in storage while we travel this spring and summer. We will significantly lighten the load for our next travel schedule as there are many things we have been carrying around that we definitely will not use in that time frame - mostly clothes and books. That involves going through each cabinet and the basement. There are also boxes of documents that I will shred while Josie is working so that chore will be completed - finally. Throw in taxes, and we will be pretty busy from here on out.
It appears that the weather is finally warming up to where we can enjoy some time outside. There is more that we could have done if January wasn't so cool. Our hiking plans never materialized but our workouts at the fitness center have replaced that as far as getting the physical benefits from that activity. We have been going to the fitness center at least 5 days a week to do our two miles each day on the treadmill. Some days we also do weight training, but we always do our treadmill workout.
There is a Mardi Gras party this Saturday at our neighbors' space, so we are hoping Josie can get off work early enough to enjoy some time there and enjoy some Louisiana Cuisine. The folks hosting the party are, of course, native Louisianians and throw one of these parties every year. They are even having some food flown in from Louisiana. They are expecting 80 people, so it should be a good time. I'm sure that with that kind of crowd, the party will spill over onto our space so we hope that everybody maintains control of himself. I am already planning to move our vehicles out of the way so our space can be used to park golf carts and other vehicles for the party. It should be very interesting...
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
ARAMARK Class Completed
Our training class with ARAMARK went just over 3 hours yesterday. There were about 20 people in our class, some of whom were from different stadiums and various other groups that were not part of our immediate Surprise Stadium group. The same class is being offered on 6 other dates, and yesterday was the initial class.
We started by learning how to use the time clock - very important. The class then went on to present other required subjects such as Food Safety and Alcohol Standards of Practice. There were 2 exams that we took during the class and we were also given our individual schedules. Josie and I will work in the same Concession and our hours vary slightly as a result of our responsibilities. My role requires just a little more time on the job as a Concession Lead since it involves setting up the concession and closing down the concession. Our specific job training will take place around one week before the schedule starts on the 22nd of February. I took some shots of the stadium from our class location which was just off the main concourse. The stadium will probably never be this empty the rest of our time there:
It is a fairly new stadium and, again, it's where the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers have their home Spring Training games.
Today is National Signing Day for the Colleges and Universities football recruits. Austin will sign on and officially become a Bronco today. It is an exciting time for him and also for his family. We are very proud and anxious to follow his progress and to become a Western Michigan University Bronco fan...
We started by learning how to use the time clock - very important. The class then went on to present other required subjects such as Food Safety and Alcohol Standards of Practice. There were 2 exams that we took during the class and we were also given our individual schedules. Josie and I will work in the same Concession and our hours vary slightly as a result of our responsibilities. My role requires just a little more time on the job as a Concession Lead since it involves setting up the concession and closing down the concession. Our specific job training will take place around one week before the schedule starts on the 22nd of February. I took some shots of the stadium from our class location which was just off the main concourse. The stadium will probably never be this empty the rest of our time there:
It is a fairly new stadium and, again, it's where the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers have their home Spring Training games.
Today is National Signing Day for the Colleges and Universities football recruits. Austin will sign on and officially become a Bronco today. It is an exciting time for him and also for his family. We are very proud and anxious to follow his progress and to become a Western Michigan University Bronco fan...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
All Signed Up
The first order of business yesterday was to go to the Aramark office at Surprise Stadium to complete our paperwork for the Spring Training season. We met Robin Rice, Office Manager, and we were given several forms to complete and also information to complete the Food Service Certification that must be done by February 22, the day of the first scheduled game. Josie and I will be working the same concession and on the same days - Wednesday through Sunday. We completed the paperwork and had to do a phone interview with their home office where we had to answer several questions before being given the "all clear" to Robin.
Our training begins today with a 3 hour class at 4 PM at the stadium. I'm not sure if this is just the first class for us or also the one and only class. We will find out today. At any rate, we are excited to start and to add this experience to our resumes. We are also hoping that it is an opportunity that can become an annual event for us. With Josie getting part time hours at the flower shop and both of us working Spring Training, it could be the impetus to bring us back every winter. Our tentative plan is to return next year and we will go from there to finalize plans for the future. In the meantime, we will return to Wyoming again this summer and work at The Virginian Lodge in Jackson Hole.
We were informed that Austin now has all of his contracts and necessary papers to sign on Wednesday - recruit signing day. He will officially become a student at Western Michigan University on a full scholarship - tuition, room and board, books and a weekly stipend. We are looking forward to attending one of his games, if all goes well, in October when we visit Naperville for a couple weeks following our summer in Wyoming...
Our training begins today with a 3 hour class at 4 PM at the stadium. I'm not sure if this is just the first class for us or also the one and only class. We will find out today. At any rate, we are excited to start and to add this experience to our resumes. We are also hoping that it is an opportunity that can become an annual event for us. With Josie getting part time hours at the flower shop and both of us working Spring Training, it could be the impetus to bring us back every winter. Our tentative plan is to return next year and we will go from there to finalize plans for the future. In the meantime, we will return to Wyoming again this summer and work at The Virginian Lodge in Jackson Hole.
We were informed that Austin now has all of his contracts and necessary papers to sign on Wednesday - recruit signing day. He will officially become a student at Western Michigan University on a full scholarship - tuition, room and board, books and a weekly stipend. We are looking forward to attending one of his games, if all goes well, in October when we visit Naperville for a couple weeks following our summer in Wyoming...
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sports Weekend
This past weekend was almost entirely spent watching the great sporting events on TV - the Phoenix Open Golf Tournament and the Super Bowl. They both were excellent events and more than fulfilled my hopes for excitement. Josie even enjoyed watching although she may never admit it. She did leave to get her nails done during the day, so she had a break from the sports frenzy.
Starting with the Phoenix Open, Phil Mickelson had a rare tournament where he could do little wrong and won handily with a near record score for the 54 holes. It was his 41st victory on the pro tour and he led wire to wire which is very rare in any tournament. He was never in any danger of losing the lead, and he was his usual gracious self throughout. Great weather for the week helped bring out record crowds for the event and a lot of money was collected for the charities which is always a benefit of the event.
The other event of significance was the Super Bowl. It didn't disappoint either. Although the game started out like a Baltimore romp, the San Francisco 49'ers came roaring back in the second half and probably would have won if there were another few minutes on the clock. The 34-31 score was one of the closest games in history. There was even a power outage - 35 minute delay - to add to the drama. The new ads were very good which added to the enjoyment, if watching ads can ever be enjoyable.
It's back to a normal schedule if there is such a thing. We will meet with the Aramark Office Manager this morning to complete the rest of the paperwork for our Spring Training job. Our training begins tomorrow at 4:30 PM so we are excited to begin this new opportunity...
Starting with the Phoenix Open, Phil Mickelson had a rare tournament where he could do little wrong and won handily with a near record score for the 54 holes. It was his 41st victory on the pro tour and he led wire to wire which is very rare in any tournament. He was never in any danger of losing the lead, and he was his usual gracious self throughout. Great weather for the week helped bring out record crowds for the event and a lot of money was collected for the charities which is always a benefit of the event.
The other event of significance was the Super Bowl. It didn't disappoint either. Although the game started out like a Baltimore romp, the San Francisco 49'ers came roaring back in the second half and probably would have won if there were another few minutes on the clock. The 34-31 score was one of the closest games in history. There was even a power outage - 35 minute delay - to add to the drama. The new ads were very good which added to the enjoyment, if watching ads can ever be enjoyable.
It's back to a normal schedule if there is such a thing. We will meet with the Aramark Office Manager this morning to complete the rest of the paperwork for our Spring Training job. Our training begins tomorrow at 4:30 PM so we are excited to begin this new opportunity...
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Watching Golf
Phil Mickelson's performance in the Phoenix Open this year is nothing short of spectacular. It is a joy watching him playing on TV as he is totally opposite of Tiger Woods when it comes to fan interaction. It is fun watching Phil "high five" fans while walking between holes and interacting with the kids all along the way. Tiger doesn't even acknowledge his fans while he plays and is probably the most boring golfer on the tour. I see where Phil spent over one hour signing autographs following his round yesterday which is something that most pros never do. I have been a huge fan of Phil since I saw him at a tournament in WA many years ago where he was standing around outside the clubhouse signing autographs and a small boy walked up to him and asked him to please sign his hat. Phil noticed that there were no other autographs on his cap so he asked the boy to wait there for a few minutes. Phil went into the clubhouse and gathered at least another half dozen autographs on the boy's hat and returned. I never saw a happier kid in my life, and only Phil would do something like that.
With the final round of the tournament today and with Phil looking at a pro scoring record for four rounds, it will be difficult to do anything else today except watch. Throw in the Super Bowl, and our day is set. We are leaning toward a San Francisco win today as we did live in the Bay area for several years at one time - long ago. We have no ties to Baltimore, so they aren't our favorites for this big game. There is a Super Bowl Party at the clubhouse here but we will stay home and watch the game in a very quiet atmosphere.
Josie has completed her afghan and is starting a new one, so she has plenty to do to keep busy while watching TV on this big "sports" day...
With the final round of the tournament today and with Phil looking at a pro scoring record for four rounds, it will be difficult to do anything else today except watch. Throw in the Super Bowl, and our day is set. We are leaning toward a San Francisco win today as we did live in the Bay area for several years at one time - long ago. We have no ties to Baltimore, so they aren't our favorites for this big game. There is a Super Bowl Party at the clubhouse here but we will stay home and watch the game in a very quiet atmosphere.
Josie has completed her afghan and is starting a new one, so she has plenty to do to keep busy while watching TV on this big "sports" day...
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Drive to Prescott
It was a perfect day for a drive yesterday when we went to Prescott. There are several different ways to get there, but our favorite route is through Wickenburg and then through Congress, Peeples Valley, Yarnell and Wilhoit on US 89. Congress is an old town that actually is listed as one of the AZ ghost towns, although it is hard to find the part that satisfies that description. We went there many years ago with our grand kids and walked through the cemetery at the edge of town which is about as close as you can get to the ghost town description. There is also a pretty famous rock there that always catches photographers:
It was a beautiful drive and we arrived in Prescott before noon and stopped at the Chamber of Commerce to pick up all the information we needed on the various areas of Prescott. We drove around for awhile and stopped at Lynx Lake to have our lunch before driving around some more and then headed toward Prescott Valley to the east. There are some pretty good buys on land and homes in the Prescott area and is one area that we would seriously consider when the time comes for us to decide where to plant ourselves.
The drive home was through Prescott Valley, Dewey/Humboldt and Mayer before hitting I-17 for the drive south. That is a drive that we have taken many times. It was a typical drive until we reached Anthem when we spotted several balloons in the distance:
They were landing at about the same time we arrived at their landing spot and we got some good shots of them up close, one of which is below:
It must have been a perfect day for flying activities as we then ran into a group of para gliders while driving on the US 303 loop just south of Lake Pleasant. There were 4 or 5 that we could see from the highway, and one of them is captured here:
The beautiful weather brings out all kinds of aerial activities.
It will be nice again today with the temperatures in the 70's as we decide how to best spend the day and enjoy the sunny skies...
It was a beautiful drive and we arrived in Prescott before noon and stopped at the Chamber of Commerce to pick up all the information we needed on the various areas of Prescott. We drove around for awhile and stopped at Lynx Lake to have our lunch before driving around some more and then headed toward Prescott Valley to the east. There are some pretty good buys on land and homes in the Prescott area and is one area that we would seriously consider when the time comes for us to decide where to plant ourselves.
The drive home was through Prescott Valley, Dewey/Humboldt and Mayer before hitting I-17 for the drive south. That is a drive that we have taken many times. It was a typical drive until we reached Anthem when we spotted several balloons in the distance:
They were landing at about the same time we arrived at their landing spot and we got some good shots of them up close, one of which is below:
It must have been a perfect day for flying activities as we then ran into a group of para gliders while driving on the US 303 loop just south of Lake Pleasant. There were 4 or 5 that we could see from the highway, and one of them is captured here:
The beautiful weather brings out all kinds of aerial activities.
It will be nice again today with the temperatures in the 70's as we decide how to best spend the day and enjoy the sunny skies...
Friday, February 1, 2013
Good Anniversary
Today, February 1st, is my anniversary of 14 years of non-smoking. There were times during the 40 plus years that I was a fairly heavy smoker that I thought 14 days would be impossible. I really enjoyed smoking when it was both fashionable and common in our society. Now, smokers are frowned upon and I am happy to not be included in that group. Besides, I am convinced that I would probably not be alive today if I hadn't stopped when I did. The real satisfaction is that I quit before my mother died and she was the biggest proponent of my non-smoking effort. I still remember my very first cigarette, and I also remember my last. Quiting was the toughest thing I ever had to do but it has paid off - so far. My lungs will never be like those of a non-smoker, but I am amazed at the improvement in my breathing and overall health. What a fool I was. Josie has been smoke free for 28 years, so she is way ahead in terms of enjoying a life of fresh air.
We hope to take advantage of the improving weather today by taking a trip to Prescott where we have not been in many years. It is another one of our favorite towns in AZ and we are anxious to see what changes have been made. The temperature is suppose to get into the 70's, so it should be a nice drive. We had also planned to attend the Phoenix Open Golf Tournament that is currently going on in Scottsdale, but decided to save that money for other activities that we can both enjoy. I am more interested in the golf than Josie, so she would prefer going somewhere else, I'm sure.
We received a call yesterday from the shop where Josie is going to work asking if I could be available for delivery driving on the few days leading up to Valentine's Day. Of course, that was affirmative. There aren't too many days left before she starts on the 9th, so we will try to do some interesting things between now and then...
We hope to take advantage of the improving weather today by taking a trip to Prescott where we have not been in many years. It is another one of our favorite towns in AZ and we are anxious to see what changes have been made. The temperature is suppose to get into the 70's, so it should be a nice drive. We had also planned to attend the Phoenix Open Golf Tournament that is currently going on in Scottsdale, but decided to save that money for other activities that we can both enjoy. I am more interested in the golf than Josie, so she would prefer going somewhere else, I'm sure.
We received a call yesterday from the shop where Josie is going to work asking if I could be available for delivery driving on the few days leading up to Valentine's Day. Of course, that was affirmative. There aren't too many days left before she starts on the 9th, so we will try to do some interesting things between now and then...
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