A DAY OFF

The San Francisco Peaks tower above Flagstaff

My days off are set in stone for the summer, and they are Sunday & Monday. It looks like Patty will have Tuesday & Wednesday as her days off. Both being rookies at our respective work places, we don't have any seniority, and as a result, don't have much to say about things like time off. Oh well, we both agreed that it wasn't ideal, but for a little over 3 months, we can live with it. As always, there's a silver lining in most everything. With the two of us off for 4 days of the week, we only have to worry about taking care of Sami for 3 days. So, in that respect, different days off are a plus.

Humphries Peak, the highest point in Arizona

Since we both started our jobs last week, yesterday was the first opportunity for either of us to get into Flagstaff for a few necessities. We made the trip together before starting work, but in the last week, we discovered that there were a few things we needed, so off I went, early in the morning.

Even though the grocery store here at the Grand Canyon Village has a nice selection, to include meats and produce, there is no hardware, auto parts, or any other kind of store. Access to other shopping requires a drive into either Flagstaff or Williams. When we lived in Skagway, Alaska, at least there was a few other stores, like a hardware store, preventing trips up to Whitehorse every week.

In Flagstaff, the junction of Hwy 180 with Old Route 66 has a few signs to read

I made the usual stops at places like WalMart, Sam's Club, and a few other stores, and was on the road back to the Grand Canyon by about 2pm. The drive takes a little over an hour, and is about 75-80 miles. In the morning when I left, there was a steady stream of vehicles heading toward the Canyon. On my return trip from Flagstaff, it looked like most of those vehicles were leaving the park. Kind of like an ocean wave coming into the beach, then returning to the sea.
Naturally, most everyone is in a huge hurry, so watching for the idiot who is passing a line of cars, just to gain a minute or two, was paramount. And believe me, there were a bunch of idiots yesterday!

The old train depot in Flagstaff is now the visitors center, and a stop for Amtrak

We just got an email from our dear friend Nancy Kissack,stating that she is planning a trip to the Grand Canyon in July. Even though we will be working, I'm sure we'll have some time to spend with Nancy, and we're both looking forward to her visit.

Almost forgot. Our Sprint cell phone (928) 208-7058 doesn't work very well. The Trac Phone (928) 302-0726 works much better, and is a better way to call if necessary.

Today is my second day off, and as always there's a few chores that need to be addressed. Back to work tomorrow, and I will be driving on the Hermits Rest Road where I'll be forced to look at the many different views of the Grand Canyon all day long. As the saying goes, "it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it". I think I need a real person to pinch me, so I know this isn't a dream.