I'm learning to look forward to Fall more and more.


The nights are getting cooler and this morning when Midget and I went for a run it was almost cold.

I'm ready for summer to be over. I'm ready for crisp leaves as I walk to work and sleeping with the windows open and no fan and for things to slow down a bit.

It's not often that a person hears they are gorgeous - especially by a complete stranger. I'm not kidding. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

As I'm walking down the street to Walgreens yesterday (for some very gorgeous allergy medicine) this is how the brief conversation went:

He: Wow, you are gorgeous (as he comes around the corner at me)

Me: You scared the hell out of me

He: Sorry but someone has to tell you that you're beautiful

Me: Uh, thanks

He: I'm Gary, and you are?

Me: Going to be late

He: Going to work?

Me: No, to get allergy medicine

He: Do you live around here?

Me: Sorry, you are the last kind of guy I need to meet but thanks for the compliment and have a nice day

He: Can I take you to dinner sometime?

Me: (over my shoulder) I think you need to have your eyes checked.

Apparently he has just moved here from Florida and is making new friends by walking around downtown and introducing himself to strange women. Who knows, it might work. He might just get lucky.

Outside the General Store at Lake McDonald Lodge

pssst....new photos on Flickr ;)

Me: Does everyone around here just get fried by the end of the summer?

She: ~sigh~ Yep!

A word of advice

If you're out early in the morning, say running with your dog, be sure to cover your mouth if you yawn.



I swallowed a bug.

More from the local police blotter...

3:22 a.m. A mountain lion was seen near Rhodes Draw in Kalispell.

12:44 p.m. A man who was disrespecting his grandmother was taken to jail.

1:53 p.m. A man in Hungry Horse can’t seem to find the words to communicate with his neighbor. He has replaced the standard wave with his middle finger.

3:12 p.m. A soon-to-be divorced couple had a verbal dispute over living arrangements: She wants him out and he wants to stay. One of the two had also removed all the doorknobs in the home.

4:30 p.m. A man in Coram called in to report that his neighbors keep giving him “the bird.”

5:34 p.m. An ex-girlfriend of a man in Hungry Horse keeps driving by his house and honking.

8:56 p.m. A concerned citizen called in to report a couple on a bench engaging in some heavy petting.

Having fun!

I've received a couple of questions about this great new job I have and where it is and what I do etc.

When I moved to Kalispell a couple of months ago I took a fabulous job with the Glacier Institute. It keeps me extremely busy (I'm not ignoring you, I promise) which I love and it allows me to get out into Glacier National Park which you KNOW I love.

The Glacier Institute is the educational center for Glacier National Park. The Institute provides adults and children with hands-on, science based educational opportunities in and around Glacier National Park. Courses such as snorkeling in McDonald Creek and Glacier's Grizzlies.

I really am having a ball. I'm tired and working hard (yeah, I know one or two of you who are working harder than I am) but I'm having so much fun.

If you find yourself in the area, come up and take a course or two. (Moose, you should definitely come to Glacier before your move and come take a course or two with the Institute).

Comparing mosquito bites


He: "There's one here, here, here and here."

Me: "And I've got one here and here and here. Oooh, you've got three there."

He: (proudly) "Yep!"

Daily Commute

When I moved to Kalispell I was lucky to find a cute apartment about 3 blocks from the office. Once again I am able to walk to work every day - rain or shine.

You start to develop a routine of sorts when you do something every day. You meet the same people. If I need to pick up breakfast or lunch I'll stop at Sykes where Jane greets me every morning. Then it's off to the post office where I see Fred who polishes the floor every day. We smile and say hi to each other. As I head to the corner I always see the girl who drives the baby blue 1960 Chevy Corvair and at the bank I see Glacier Bank Bob. He holds the door open for all the employees. He and I have a "bit"....

GBB - "we've got to stop meeting like this."

Me - "people are gonna talk."

I've only been here two months and I love it. Perhaps the novelty hasn't worn off yet but I am developing a sense of belonging. I would rather think that part of why I love it is because it already feels like home.

My boss and the Board sent me flowers today for my work on the Millennium Club. It involved long hours and a lot of work but planning the fund raiser was a lot of fun.

It feels really good to be really good at this job.

Uuuugggghhhh!

Ooooooooh, I hate these things!!!!

☮

Spring in the Flathead Valley...


Monday I walked to work with mittens. Today I walked to work in a short-sleeved t-shirt and flip flops.

Soooo tired. This week has been a killer and I am exhausted. Can't wait to chill and sleep. Wanna join me?

Driving "home" this weekend. I've noticed that everyone wants to see me, wants me to come home but no one wants to make the drive. How come I always have to drive there?

Did I mention how tired I am?

Spring in the Flathead Valley

Life in the fast lane...

(accounts from the local police blotter)

10:28 a.m. The driver of a horse and buggy called in to report a driver that swerved in front of him and yelled “get into the 21st century!”

2:44 p.m. A baby cow was standing in the middle of Farm to Market Road.

2:45 p.m. A man ate a doughnut in a Kalispell grocery store and didn’t pay for it.

4:01 p.m. A very thin and old horse lives on Foothill Road.

4:15 p.m. A Whitefish woman called in to report that she went home to find that someone had stolen one of her stuffed animals.

5:11 p.m. A bear sneaked into a Bigfork resident's garage and stole a bag of trash.

9:40 p.m. A man called in to report that his wife was being verbally abusive. They decided to sleep in separate rooms for the night.

11:58 p.m. A woman called in to report that her ex-husband had sent her a mean e-mail.

1:03 a.m. A man on Shady Lane got angry and threw things.


Yeah, its kind of a sleepy little area but thats one of the things I like about it ;)

I voted! Have you?

LOL!!

When I first moved in here my downstairs neighbor said to me, "Its so good to see a nice girl moving in here. The last girl who lived here was perverted and corrupt." (No shit!?!)

This morning that same downstairs neighbor walked by me with a very terse "hi."

LMAO!!!!


(yeah, Os and I both saw that coming)

I don't live in the greatest neighborhood.

The apartment complex has an association and contracts with someone to mow the lawn and keep things neat. A lot of people keep little gardens in the front and several of us have plants and flowers on our balconies. Sounds pretty nice right?

Well most of the surrounding properties are not kept up to the same standard. There is the group of teenagers that live across the street. I'm not surprised to see garbage on their lawn once a week. Next door is the little old lady with the purple stairs and about 80 wind chimes hanging from her lopsided porch. The streets near by are filled with little houses that once were cute but have seen better days. Not the richest neighborhood in town - you get the picture.

Anyway, last night around 9:30 all hell breaks loose in the hood. Tires screeching and brakes squealing and crashes and bangs and bumps in the night. I started to think I was going to sleepin' in the bathtub last night.

As suddenly as it started it was gone. All was quiet on the the western front. I lay awake for a little while but eventually fell asleep to the whisper of a fan blowing in the corner and the lawn mower purring outside...

oh, and the old time country music floating up from downstairs and the occasional motorcycle that roared by.

I'm really liking Kalispell and this job and I'm learning a few lessons. One is that home isn't always where you grew up. And sometimes moving away can actually bring people closer.

I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

We had absolutely beautiful weather over the weekend which was good and bad. The great part was that it was perfect for walking and planting and going to the Farmer's Market. The bad part is that it also melted a lot of the remaining snow pack which put the Big Creek camp in danger of flooding.

The office had its volunteer work weekend so I spent some time up at Big Creek camp. Refinishing and reconstructing picnic tables was my job. We didn't have to sand bag just yet so the crew was able to accomplish a lot more than just flood control. Big Creek is running very high now right next to camp so we're watching it carefully.

Played a little ultimate frisbee on Sunday and managed to somehow bang up my knee pretty good. Not sure just how I did it but its swollen and sore today. A night of rest is what I have planned so that should help.

Our big spring fund raiser is this weekend up at Lake McDonald Lodge. It means a busy week for me and a lot of running around on Friday night in heels (uugghhh) and some fancy, schmancy dress.

There's just no rest for the wicked ;)

A blog post because Os told me I had to...

Not much new to report kiddies, the job is going really well and I'm enjoying it a lot. I'm also enjoying Kalispell. It's a great little city with a nice vibe to it.

I got to spend a couple of days with Moose who was in town for a job interview (all of Os' girls are moving to the Flathead) and I also went home to Helena for Mother's Day and spent some time with my mommy. Due to our schedules I didn't get to see Os this time around but next time for sure (miss you big guy).

Hehe, I managed to beat my best time from Kalispell to Helena on Saturday. My previous record was 2 hours and 50 minutes. This weekend I made it in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Yes, I've got a lead foot - I'm working on it, for one thing its not very environmentally sound.

I also found this biking video on Youtube of the Going-to-the-Sun highway. Relax, sit back, put your feet up and take 6 minutes to watch it. It was taken only about a week ago so this is an accurate view of my backyard right now.

Send emails and good thoughts my way people. To be honest my mind has been occupied with other things since moving here and I haven't paid much attention to blogging so chat me up when you can.

Enjoy...