History

When someone asks me what I have been up to, and my response is just "work"... it kind of bothers me to some extent. My dad is an accountant and he keeps some pretty huge hours during tax season. I think that this year I might have actually logged more hours than him. Would he be proud of me for that? I don't know. What I do know is I have been putting the foundation and cornerstones in on a business, that will provide many years of productivity.

I am sure that I have talked about it before... how much work it is to resurrect a business that was a heartbeat away from flat lining. Once I got in there and put on my size 40 work shirt and size 1 hard hat, I started to realize that I had much more on my plate than I thought. It kind of reminds me of the sketty and jewt (spaghetti and mt. dew) days in college. It wasn't enough for us to eat sketty from a normal size plate... we had to use the pizza pan stacked high and at least a 12 pack of jewt for 2 people. Funny thing to me is I don't remember it taking a really long time to polish off that huge plate of sketty. I also remember having some pretty big friends, like Brandon Smith and Dave Gore... each of those guys were 6 foot 20 and weighed about 225... all muscle. And here I am a 5 nuthin' 135 lb freak and we were pounding so much sketty and jewt.

Back to the point... My plate with the store is like that pizza pan full of sketty. At the store I literally get to put away the noodles and deal with some noodle heads. I knew there would be both physical and mental challenges. I knew there would be people challenges and things that would take quite a bit of patience to overcome. Luckily for me that Mackay temper has stayed tucked away and rather gentle, almost like I forgot how to be mad... ha! Well for the most part.

So the challenges are still there and some are making me polish my mettle. I didn't count on all of the peculiar people coming out of the woodwork to try and force me down. There is a guy who applied for a job, and to his credit he was really diligent in his Inquisitions about a job, yet another candidate was selected for the open position. Then the guy who was not selected for the job says that I discriminated against him based on age. It made me stop and think about many situations, my responses and my reactions, even my pro-actions. I have always been very selective in my responses to those applying for a job, and specific enough to follow a dialogue based on principles so there may be no misunderstanding to what I said. Still someone is challenging me, and that is an opportunity to polish my mettle. We'll see how it all plays out. I have a really good woman to back me up. She helps to keep things in perspective and calm the temper.

No pictures this time. Just ramblings.

Spring!

Spring is finally here! I've always been the type of girl that really enjoys all the seasons wyoming has to offer (aside from the wind) but this year for some reason it seemed like winter was never going to end. When we moved to Thermopolis in November it was actually still warm which I didn't mind at all when I was making hundreds of trips in and out of the house with boxes, but then winter came and set up shop. For some reason I really got cabin fever and am really thankful now for the warm weather we have been enjoying and also the newness that comes with spring. As I've been walking each day the same scripture keeps coming to my mind. D&C 59:18 "Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart." Call me a sap but seeing the new baby animals, and the beautiful green hills have been very pleasing to the eye and have gladdened my heart tremendously. Here's some of my favorite spots in Thermop.

Got to love the canyon!

This is the area where I walk called Buffalo Creek Rd.

I just love these dutch belted cows. They look like OreosSome other favorite spots I love this driveway--It reminds me of Ann of Green Gables for some reason Several Canadian Geese stay here year round. It has been so much fun watching them with their new babies. Hopefully you can see them. My faithful walking buddies Brio and Sassy--they LOVE the river. The last six months have really gone by fast. Eric and I have been super busy. It was really weird going from teaching to working at the store, but it's been good for us to work together--oh the things you learn about your spouse when you have to work with each other! We see each other more this way and I feel more a part of the business, but sometimes I still feel like telling people that I would love to do story time with their kids while they shop. A couple weeks ago we made some larger changes to the store by adding new check stands. This poor little store needs some serious remodeling but for now this change has made a big difference. The cashiers had to empty the baskets with the set up on the old stands but the new ones have the belt that brings the groceries to you--big difference if you're standing up there all day.

Here's the before shot
The owners --Twin brothers Kent and Brent Foulger
This is one of the the owners--Brent Foulger. I told him I had some great black mail to send to his wife. There's no getting out of cleaning the floors at home now--I have proof that he knows how.
The finished product