Where is the SNOW!?!

It's 56 degrees out today, and sunny.  I can comfortably hang out outside in a t-shirt, and would sweat if I stood in the sun.  And tomorrow is December.  And need I remind anyone I am living in a ski resort town?  What gives?!

Baldy stands in front of us, with what remains of man made snow of a week ago when it was almost cold enough to keep it.  The last week has been too warm to keep up the machines though. The mountain was supposed to open on Thanksgiving but has been postponed till tomorrow, but it certainly won't open for skiing tomorrow morning either, unless we have some crazy fluke blizzard! (Not likely)  According to the weather forecast, it looks like we will get a rain/snow mix sometime next week, but only an afternoon of it.  And it's not even going to reach freezing.  We shall see.

I went running this morning on the trails, something I think I will do more of while I can. There is a pretty extensive trail system for biking and walking, so as long as it's nice....

I worked about 50 hours in the last 6 days at work.  It has been slow, but at least I'm at work and not sitting around at home.  I went into work on Wednesday night expecting my last day of training, but was put to work making money because they were a person short.  I was glad for that.  I am really going to enjoy working here, I think.  I really like most of the people I work with, and LOVE my manager (Kaylee), at least so far.  She is a super positive, fun, energetic 27 year old, and we have hit it off pretty well.  We had brunch today at the Lodge (taken care of by her manager status, so free for me - yay), and had a great time chatting.  I am looking forward to hanging out with her more often.  I'm already feeling more comfortable and more at home in the area.  My dorm room is small, so I'm gonna have to figure out stuff to do outside of it, or I will go crazy.

My room is small (8'x14'), and right above the Inn bakery, so even though we have a heater, we will NEVER need to use it.  Last night it got so warm (probably about 85), neither one of us could sleep.  I slept in 20 minute intervals, and kept waking up cause I was sweating, in shorts and a tank top.  At 3am I finally just got up and went outside and sat for 30 minutes till I was cold and could appreciate the heat of the room.  It's stifling in there, since there is no circulating air.  I felt like I was suffocating.  We need to figure something out.  I hope that my roommate will agree to keeping the window open at night, but since it's at the end of her bed, she might get too cold.  The room is too small to put a fan in (there is really no room for it).  Ahh!!!  I will make it, though. :-)

Killing time....

I am here with lots of time on my hands right now as it’s still considered ‘slack’ time.  This weekend should pick up a little bit, because of Thanksgiving reservations at the resort, but we are still lacking snow, so the ski mountains aren’t open yet.  I have had two nights of ‘training’ which have been mostly just my manager having pity on a bored, lonely girl and allowing me to just come to work and kill time there.  We have had next to no business since there are no people at the resort yet.  Tonight should be busier for my last night of training since everyone coming for the weekend checks in today.  I am working on my own, making tips starting tomorrow night.  Yay!!!  It will be relatively slow again for a couple weeks, but then the couple weeks before Christmas through January are supposedly just crazy busy.  We have live music everyday/night, jazz piano, drums, bass.  Tonight is the first time I will get to hear it and I’m excited for that.  

Duchin Lounge is the lounge in the main lodge.  It’s primarily cocktails with a very limited appetizer menu, so the work will be very different that my previous experience, since I am not ‘waiting tables’ at all, but only cocktailing.  It should be a good change of pace.

Until work picks up, I really need to find something to do.  There is plenty to do in this town if you have the gear.  It’s still nice enough to bike the trails, but I don’t have a bike.  I will probably start taking walks.  I spent the entire day in my little dorm room yesterday because I didn’t know what to do, and then of course felt like a loser for wasting time.  So I will NOT do that anymore.  I got out of the place today, came into Ketchum, wandered around town and through the second hand store, now chilling at Tully’s coffee for the internet. :-)

I think I will one of these days go around and take pictures so I can post them on my blog.  Maybe today actually.  I was originally scheduled to work at 2, but my manager called and asked me to not come in until 6, so now I have the entire day.

I will be joining Adam, Sarah and Sarah’s family for Thanksgiving tomorrow, then driving back up here for work by 6pm.  I’m looking forward to hanging out with them again.

Dorm Video

  So after much frustration I finally got this video uploaded.  This is my dorm room here.  Small, but certainly sufficient. :-)

The Life Church - my new home

I already found a church family to be a part of while I am here in Idaho.  I had driven by this church on Wednesday on my way to SV, took notice of it, and then found it listed in a magazine I picked up.  There were a few different options, places I wanted to try out, but The Life church was my first instinct.  I walked in the door and was greeted cheerfully by Linda, the associate pastor’s wife, who subsequently introduced me to every person who walked by us.  It’s a very small church that meets in really small room, and I loved it.  

They had a Thanksgiving service, so instead of the pastor teaching, it was open to all the body to share their thanksgivings.  It was beautiful.  Non stop people sharing about what God has done in their lives in the last year, and beyond.  I was so blessed, because the people were completely honest about their failings and weaknesses, but had all encountered God and their lives changed.  People who have come out of divorces, addictions, abuse, etc... but truly encountered God.  They all expressed how this body of believers, and the pastors had supported them and truly been a family for each other. 

After church I was invited to lunch with a group of about 5 single ladies between the ages of 25 and 60, and we had a blast.  We laughed a lot, and I look forward to more time spent together.  I had invitations to send Thanksgiving with a few different folks, though I will be working that night.  I don’t feel that I have to look any further for a church to attend while I’m here.  Yay!!!

Finally getting to start working!!!

I had an actual tour of the Sun Valley Resort today finally.  I met with the manager of the bar at which I will be working and she took me all over for about 30 minutes, giving a detailed tour of the public areas as well as the deep employee tunnels and rooms.  If I tried to find any of the places on my own, I would probably get lost, but in time, I will learn my way around.

There is a bowling alley, day spa, multiple pools and hot tubs, ice skating rink, walking trails, etc.... some of which I can take advantage of, but some of which I believe are only for resort guests.  I don’t know all the rules yet, but my manager, Kaylee is really fun and was super helpful already.  I’m sure that she will help me acclimate and get involved more.

I start my training tonight with Kaylee, but she said it won’t be busy, so it will be mostly just hanging out together in the bar, same as tomorrow night.  Wednesday should be busier, and then Thanksgiving night, I am on my own for my first shift which should be busy.

I will be working at the Duchin Room, which is one of the two bars within the Lodge/Inn area.  They serve very little food, so I will be cocktail serving full time, which I am really excited to do.  It will be very different than the dining room serving I have done for so long - a whole new challenge and system.  I have a lot to learn, but that is part of the fun.

I also got a PO box today so I can get mail now!!  Care packages and the like!  Ha ha! :-)  My address is PO Box 1297, Sun Valley, ID 83353. 

Great writing from Mike

This is the latest update from my brother Mike, who is stationed in Afhganistan with the Air Force.  He's such a great writer, I wanted to share.

Hey folks,

Haven't written for a while.  Nothing major has been happening, and I haven't been making an effort to notice things worth writing about.  The weather is getting colder.  I work from 0100 to 1300, so I get to work through the coldest and most beautiful time of the day: dawn.  Bagram Air Base is situated in a relatively small valley with mountains on every side.  However, between the dust and the base's garbage disposal methods (two enormous incinerators and large open burn pits), the view of the mountains is usually restricted to dark figures looming high over the horizon.  However, with the colder weather and a few showers, the air has gotten a little bit cleaner.  Several weeks ago we had the a very clear morning, and I was awestruck as the sun began to illuminate the western mountains.  No longer ambiguous shapes, the pink-orange light of the morning cast incredibly crisp and dark shadows across the curves of the foothills and the sharp edges of the mountains above them.   Between the peaks of the closest mountains, more were visible behind them, several shining brightly with freshly fallen snow.  The brown of the rock shone with gold and orange in the morning light. I wish I had brought my camera on that day.  That sight triggered in me the first spark of appreciation for this place that I have felt yet.  We have not had a morning like that since.

Work has recently gotten a little bit more stressful, as one of our expediters (the first level of management on the flightline) returned home for a family emergency.  One of our more experienced crew chiefs stepped into his spot, stripping us of another valuable body.  Thankfully, the workload has been manageable so far.  Past the halfway point now, people are starting to get testy, and we've had a few issues between people.  However, I am continually surprised by how well we crew chiefs get along despite our differences and annoyances with each other.  We are a dirty, rowdy, moody bunch.
.... ....

This morning at chow, there was a quartet playing at one of the tables for no apparent reason.  Four soldiers playing two flutes, a bassoon, and a clarinet.  No one knew why they were there, but they were good, and fun to listen to.  They played a large variety of stuff including TV theme songs, classical music, and "Puttin' on the Ritz."  I caught some flak for knowing the words to that one.  I am up late tonight, and walked around the base after sundown for the first time yet and heard another kind of music: lots and lots of birds.  Since I've been here, the only wildlife I've seen is a lone hawk who likes to circle above the runway (not for long), mice hiding under my toolbox, and a jackal that loiters around the road we take to work.  It was so nice to hear birds again.  I can't wait for a good rainstorm either.

Thanks everyone for your support and prayers,

I'm settled in!

I’m moved into my new place now.  I arrived last night, and met my roommate Samantha.  I’m feeling lonely, but hopefully that won’t last.  I don’t know where I’m working yet, as there are a number of restaurants in which I could work.  I will find out on Monday.  In the meantime, I am trying to figure my way around here.  The staff that did my paperwork last night was less than helpful, so I really have no idea about anything.  There is an employee cafeteria, but I don’t know where it is or how it works.  My dorm room is about 8’x15’ or so, a double room, two dressers and two twin beds.  It’s tight, but will certainly work.  I haven't had real dresser drawers in quite a while, so I'm really excited to have them for my clothes! 

Originally from Washington, Samantha (20yrs old) attended school in Vegas, but has been here for nearly 4 months as a cook in one of the several Sun Valley restaurants.  Hopefully she can help me learn the ropes a little around here, and we can be friends. 

There is no kitchen and very limited space for food in my room, and she gave me warning about the cafeteria food (she went to the hospital for food poisoning), so I might have to get really creative with my meals. :-)  

I had also been told that all dorm rooms have WiFi, but apparently that meant all dorms except my building!  I was looking forward to having that, but I will have to figure out other places to do all my online stuff. It certainly would have been ideal to have to internet in my room, since I like to check my mail and stuff before bed and in the mornings.  Oh well.  I'm pretty close to ideal in every other aspect. :-)

It will be interesting to live this life, and work for this company.  Our dorms are small, and the area is pretty run down, but open a door and you’re in the high class hotel hallway of the resort.  The guest food and restaurants are good, but the employee cafeteria is apparently a little sketchy.  Interesting.  I’m nervous, but still excited and am so ready to start working though and stop being so bored.

I went grocery shopping today at Albertsons in Hailey, which is about 12 miles outside of Ketchum/Sun Valley.  I bought a few essentials - dairy products, carrots and crackers!  

Tonight, I am going to meet my friend Tom for dinner with some of his friends.  Tom did the barbeque dinner for Adam and Sarah’s wedding and we had a great time cooking together.  He’s in his mid 50’s and works as a ski patrol on Soldier mountain with Adam. I’m glad to have something fun to do tonight.