Happy Memorial Day!
I missed all of my friends from back home today. It's the first time in 4 or 5 years I wasn't at the Lake of the Ozarks or in Springfield, IL and I missed the boat and afternoon camaraderie. Even though I had to break from tradition, today was a pretty good day. The clinic was not open so I had the day off. I got to sleep in and enjoy yet another day of sunny, beautiful weather.
This morning at about 10 AM I heard the door to my apartment open and someone rustling about in the kitchen. This startled me because the housing director told me that no one would be moving in with me until June 6th. After double checking to make sure I hadn't actually slept until June 6th, I went downstairs to see what was happening. What did I find? A man sitting at the table eating breakfast and reading the paper. Apparently he had just moved in about an hour before I woke up. His name was Jim Godfrey and he recently got a job working for the state of Alaska as an accountant. He was middle-aged and actually a really nice guy. His apartment contract was still being finalized so he was spending a few days aat UAS until everything got settled. He likes to mountain bike so he left me his card and told me if I was ever free he would be happy to have me tag along.
After eating breakfast with Jim, Dr. Dee picked me up and we headed to the East Glacier Trail. Last week I hiked the West Glacier trail so I have now seen the glacier from both sides. The East Glacier Trail is a huge tourist attraction - it is where you would come if you were in town off of a cruise ship. There is a giant visitor's center that plays a movie about the history of the glacier and is filled with park rangers. There is also a really neat area where you can observe bears hunting from salmon at a safe distance. In a few weeks the salmon will begin to spawn and this spot will be filled with wildlife so I will have to come back. Dr. Dee and I hiked all afternoon. We did half of the East Glacier loop before we veered onto the Nugget Creek Trail. This trail lead us past several giant waterfalls and eventually to Nugget Creek. There was a neat A-frame shelter where we stopped and ate lunch. Right before we got onto the Nugget Creek Trail my phone lost service. The Cardinals were beating the Reds by only one run at this point so I sprinted to Nugget Creek and back since I couldn't handle the anticipation of not knowing the outcome of the game (Fortunately, the Redbirds won)! We finished the East Glacier Loop, but not before I had my first taste of glacier water. It was cold and refreshing and (so far) my stomach still feels great.
Dr. Dee and I went out to dinner at a place called Booyah. They had good burgers and fries. After dinner, we went to my apartment to get my bags and head over to the Ray's home. I just finished unpacking my things and doing a load of laundry. I am sitting here typing with my new friend, Sky, right at my side. It is nice to be in a home with a soft, comfortable mattress and a fully stocked kitchen. The Ray's leave for Hawaii tomorrow so I will have the place all to myself!
It's going to be tough to go back to work after a 3 day weekend, but this week is a big week for me. I finally get to start administering the survey and interacting with patients on a more consistent basis. I'm excited for the new challenges and another week of exploring the city.
Off to bed...
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