Working Like a Dog

I know that this post is a bit late and being posted at an odd hour. Things have been way busier then I expected and I can hardly find time to even think. Let alone find time to write these posts. This really is the first chance I have gotten to breath and make sure that I am still alive. So, without further ado, let me tell you all that has happened since my last post.
     Well, all that has really been going on is work. for the past several days I have been working like a dog in the kitchens of the Old Faithful Inn. the first few days of real work was tough. learning how to make the dishes and where ingredients is stored really was tough to learn. Luckily though after asking a bazillion questions and running around like a chicken with its head cut off, I have managed to stay afloat. After yesterday's shift, I feel like I am confident on how things run and my job as Pantry in general. There still are questions that I ask and I am still learning. But, like I said before, I am managing to stay afloat.
     At times my job can be pretty intense, and I don't mean the good kind. This is definatly the most fast paced job that I have ever had. Things never seem to stop. And then there are times that things never seem to speed up. One minute I could just be standing there waiting for an order and then take a break, and then come back to my station to find that everyone in the world has ordered either some kind of salad or dessert. Thankfully I do not have to deal with this craziness alone. I have a co-worker and usually this is my saving grace when there are too many orders for myself to fill.
     On the whole though, I am content with my job. I do my job and everything else in between. I do my very best until the job is done and I think of nothing else when I am on duty. As long as I am focused on my work, time flies and it feels as if the past nine and a half hours went by in a couple of minutes. This is my life for the next four months. Might as well try to make the best of it.
     On a non work related note, I actually was able to go stargazing with a new friend of mine that I have made here. She works in Pantry as well and so we see each other whenever our shifts overlap. We were able to see everything in the in the sky. I don't think I have ever seen that many stars in the sky. With the help of my friends star chart we were able to   locate six or seven constellations and the North Star. We even were able to see the Milky Way! It looked like just a streak of cloud in the sky to me, but when I asked my friend what that was her answer just blew me away. Planetariums do not do the real sky justice. At all.
     Today and tomorrow are my days off thank God and I will be spending them doing what I do best. Going in hikes so that I can take some amazing pictures for you all to see. My new friend and I have picked some really great trails to hike for both of my days off and I am very excited to start them. It is supposed to be cold when we are going to hike so I should probably bring a coat. 
     I have also been able to take a short hike and grab a few pics for you all to see. I am uploading them as I write. If you would like to check them out then go to my facebook page located here: http://www.facebook.com/david.valdivia.77 They are in The Great Yellowstone Adventure album.
     Well, I think that is pretty much it for now. Like I said before things are busier here than I thought so when I start working again I do not know when I will be able to put up another post. I will try my best to post when I can though.
     Know that I miss all of you and that you are all in my thoughts while I am here in this wild and crazy part of the country. See you all next post!
    

I Love The Smell of Sulfer in the Morning

     My goodness, It has only been a few days since I arrived here in Yellowstone and I am having an adventure of a lifetime. There are so many things to do here that it is hard to decide on just one thing to do. It's a good thing that I have four months to do everything that I can think of before I leave.
     Well, as some of you may have noticed on my facebook page, I have finally gotten around to uploading some of the photos I have taken here at the park. Here is a link to that: http://www.facebook.com/david.valdivia.77 . Even when I look back at those photos I still have a hard time believing that I was and still am actually here. Every morning I wake up to the sight of geysers literally in my backyard and the smell of sulfur. The sulfur smell does not really bother me, in fact it reminds of the Fourth of July.
     The weather here has been as bipolar as the weather back home. One day it is 80 degrees and then the next it is almost cold enough to snow. Wyoming, you are starting to remind me of home just a little too much ;) The landscapes here are so gorgeous. Plenty of trees that also remind me of home and hot springs and geysers that contribute many pillars of steam throughout the landscape. It really is a remarkable site.
     My actually job here is better than I expected. I officially work in Pantry. Basically that means I spend my whole day in our high tech kitchen slicing, dicing, cutting, and occasionally cooking things. The people I work with are pretty awesome. The chef I work for is such a great person, I couldn't have asked for a better boss. Today I work and I think that it is going to be as busy as ever because the Inn that I work at is now opening for the season today. Wish me luck.  
     I have started writing letters and will deliver them ASAP. finding time for both my letters and the blog has been proving to be difficult, but not impossible. I just need to manage my time a little better. Which should not be so hard once I get a schedule that does not just go as far as the next day :P
     Oh! And we have a bull Bison that hangs around the dorm that I live in. Apparently he thinks this is his turf and just chill with people walking around. I have been told though that it would be wise to keep my distance seeing as bison can be pretty dangerous. I think of him as our mascot of a sorts. People have even given him names. Some call him Buffalo Bill, others just Phil. My room mate and I agreed to call him Duke. My first day Duke was literally only a few yards away from the porch of my dorm where I was walking and he surprised me. I could not believe a bison was just sitting there. I still can't believe it when I see him.
     Well, I better be going, I have to be at work in a little bit and I want to take care of a few things before I do. I will talk to you all again when my next post comes around, which should be Monday. I miss you all! Bye!
   

Finally Here!

Well, folks I am finally here at Yellowstone National Park! Today has to have been one of the longest days of my life :P
     This morning Dad, Tim, and I set out to the bus station where I would then depart on the last part of my journey to my new job at Yellowstone. As we came to the station we could see other people with packs and luggage of their own. This was a good thing to see and reassured me that I was not alone on this unknown voyage. The bus ride to the entrance of the park was uneventful, but scenic. I do not think I have seen any mountains like the ones we drove through today. We also got to some bison and elk on our way to the Old Faithful location where I am now.
     So far, I have met people from all walks of life. Mostly I have run into some pretty cool characters who I will be working with. This is good. And they all come from different states. It is good to find someone from Oregon or even the Pacific North West though.
     After we got to our location the next few hours we had to kill consisted of actually exploring where we are. I am liking this place. Everywhere I look there is steam coming from the ground and geysers going off every other minute. It truly is a great thing to see.
     And after a long day of traveling and lame speeches I visited the employee pub with my new friends. Needless to say, fun was had by all. Did not get drunk though, so don't worry mom I am fine ;)
      And now, I am sitting in bed with my computer updating this blog for the day. I am tired and just want to fall asleep forever. By the way, now that I am here in Yellowstone I will be updating this blog three times a week. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I will post an update just like I used too.
     Well, it is getting late here so I think I am going to call it a night. I wish you all a very fond farewell and I will see you next post. BYE!!
     

Over The Misty Mountains Cold

     Hello everyone! Sorry for the lateness of this update, but the place we have decided to stay the night somehow has only begun to enter the twenty first century and it is by pure luck I am updating this blog now. Anyway, it has been a long day and I am tired so I will keep this post short and to the point.
     Well, we set out from Spokane, Washington at about 9:00 am and traveled for about 6 hours. The actual trip was uneventful just like the first leg of our journey. Except that the scenery was much more enjoyable to see go by. Plus I saw some excellent specimens of local wildlife. Such as a couple of bald eagles, an antelope thingy, and some deer at our first rest stop. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of this part of the journey, but I assure you, I will be taking plenty once I get to Yellowstone. Oh, and we went through the Rockies on our way here :D I have never seen them before and I am glad that I did. I do not think I have seen any geological structure as grand and epic as them. Again, didn't take any pictures though :P
     Once we got into Bozeman and checked into our hotel we had the rest of the day to kill and what we decided to do was to go out to eat and see a movie in celebration of my little brother's (Tim) birthday. We went to go see The Avengers, which was a pretty awesome movie. Definatly what I thought it would be from what people told me.
      And now, I am here updating this little old blog of mine and just about ready to make the last part of my trip. To be honest I do not think I have been this excited/nervous during this whole trip until now. As my destination gets closer the more excited/nervous I get. This trip up until now has been quite blissful, but now it feels more real than anything. Besides the location and nature of my destination I do not know what lies ahead of me. Whatever it is, I am sure that it will prove to be an adventure of a lifetime.
     Well, I better be getting some rest now. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for me. Wish me luck! :D See you all next post! (Which should be in Yellowstone if all goes well)

The Great Yellowstone Adventure

The Yellowstone Adventure that I have been blabbing about for the past few months has finally come and the first leg of my journey is now complete. My brother, Dad, and I set out from our home in Salem, Oregon at 9:00 A.M. and drove for about 400 miles towards Spokane, Washington where we are now resting for the rest of the day and night.
     The trip thus far has proven to be pretty uneventful. With the occasional sightings of wildlife on the side of the road, dead and alive. Our stops were limited to food, resting, and refueling. I will say this though; Northeastern Oregon has some of the best scenery I have yet to see. Plenty of trees, the Columbia River, and many grand rock formations. Washington on the other hand has proved to be unimpressive in my eyes. Really all I have seen are vast expanses of flat and sometimes low flowing hills. Those kind of scenes never inspire my inner photographer.
     The second leg of the trip will start tomorrow where our next destination is Bozeman, Montana. It should last as long as today's trip and should be as smooth. 
     Anyways, I thought that I would give you all a quick update before today was done. I will update this blog once again once I get into Bozeman and once I get situated in Yellowstone I will update this blog three times a week, just like I used to ;)
     Okay, I better go now. I am hungry and there are some places that look like they deserve a visit. See you all next post!