Breakfast in Wyoming (completed)

After staying up until two something writing in the blog and looking out the window to see the snow still coming down, I decided to see if I could actually fall asleep. After turning out the light and settling under the covers I began to recapture all the moments that I had something to be grateful for, over the course of the day. Lying there, doing this, I eventually succumbed to my physical tiredness that had been multiplied by the energy expended participating in the adventure previously noted and not quite yet over (but we were seemingly on the back side of it, sliding, excuse the pun, easily down hill) and drifted off to sleep. (I found out the next morning that it had snowed until approximately 4 AM.)
I find this, gratefulness focus, an unusually good way to fall asleep. I started out writing them down quite a while ago (last January) but found that there were so many things to take into account that it took quite a bit of time (this was obviously before we embarked on this trip) and that it took too much time from all the other things I had going on during my awake hours. So, I decided that I more enjoyed the process of falling asleep recalling them instead. Since I have been doing this regularly I have also found that my focus has shifted during the awake hours to seeing or seeking them during the course of my days. This practice has made my days much more enjoyable as well but, the real gift here is the fact that the practice itself seems to create the things to be grateful for regardless of me or any other circumstances. That's the really great part, however it may sound, it is a profound experience. Oh, I can surely still try to see the negative almost every day, but, the practice has really uprooted that pretty successfully. We, as a family, also do this during supper together. We recall and express the highlights of the day and what we are grateful for. It has become a real nice ritual when we are all sitting together.
My rest during the night was somewhat restful, but weird at the same time. I don't really sleep well ever, the first night in a new bed and space. Second night fine, first night not so good. Plus, the electric heat baseboard that was used to warm the room, although appreciated, became way to hot for sleeping somewhere into the dark hours. Great for drying Jasper's wet socks (from playing in the snow) but to much dry heat for my comfort, even though we turned in down before we went to sleep.
Getting up to turn down the thermostat, in the dark, was a treat and a little painful, as I bounced into furniture and got my feet caught up in the top covers that had been thrown off the bed sometime earlier, before my thermostat expedition, in attempt to get comfortable within the rising room temperature. I tried to get all motions complete in the dark but had to turn on the bathroom light, which I really didn't want to do for fear of waking Jasper at the same time I was trying to accomplish this seemingly minor maneuver and get back to sleep before it was time to get up again. But, alas, it seems I had to go in to the bathroom anyway, being 50 plus and already up (oh yeah, that's unfortunately the other thing I think about when I am trying to go back to sleep once awakened for any reason) so might as well make use of the already up and moving thing facts and be effective, to boot. Besides, I was really parched and needed water to douse my throat and lower my body temperature. After my wee hours (this pun intended) tour of unknown spaces, I let myself ease back into the bed and off to sleep for the rest of the night.
I woke promptly at 7:30 and got started making the room organized and ready for us to get out and down to the registration desk by 8 AM as the manager had requested the night before. I woke Megan moments later and we both, without a discussed plan as usual, effectively ordered the room and our belongings, ready to exit. As she helped Jazz get ready for going outside, I began to grab up a couple of arm fulls of stuff and headed outside to get the car warm and put our stuff in for the trip back to the Tetons park (hopefully). As I got outside I realized that it was a little above freezing although the storm did drop about 4-5 inches total and the sidewalks had a layer of compacted snow on the walk paths and ice in other places. But it was clear and definitely warmer than when we had entered our personal oasis hours earlier. I had hope and faith that we would be able to move on down the road this morning and back to the RV so that we could make it ready to move South , quickly, from this beautiful place.
When I got out to the car the only male of the Spanish speaking group was already outside and was standing next to their car, apparently and best I could tell, warming it up. They must do it differently in Arizona then we do in the cold climates. For, although the car was running, all of the doors were open. Perhaps, he was attempting to make sure that the heat from his car melted any remaining snow and ice from the roads so that they could continue north through Yellowstone Park. When I approached our cars , which were parked next to each other from the night before, I succeeded in saying good morning in Spanish and that was about the extent of my morning conversation. Before turning to go back in, looking around, I noticed that our other team mate, the guy with the pick up truck pulling the trailer, had already pulled out. Obviously, at this point, I did not know if he beat us to the mess hall or if he had just hit the road, but my inclination was to think that he had just beat it and that breakfast was the last thing on his racing mind.
I went back in to help move things along. We all seemed pretty tired still, but, the hope of the ability to move along down the road was calling us on. As I walked back into the lobby of the building we were staying in, the Spanish woman driver was standing there looking sort of dazed and half asleep but we managed to have a conversation, in English, where I told her that we were getting ready to go to the reception desk and then on to cafeteria to have breakfast. She understood and headed down the hall to get the last person of their group ready to go, I thought. Megan and I finished collecting the rest of our things and putting them out in the car and still the two women had not come out of the building and now the guy had gone back in as well. Not knowing exactly why the manager asked us to be at the reception desk promptly at 8 AM and seeing that it was now 8:10, Meg and I walked back in and went to their room to see what was happening and get them moving for good this time. (We soon found out that the manager had only suggested this, generously, so that so we could make it in time to have breakfast at the employees cafeteria before they closed for the morning, which they had already done by the time we actually made it there). When we got to their door and knocked. The driver woman came to the door and looked at us as if she did not know what we came to the door for. Megan asked, in Spanish, if they were ready because we had to go, now. She said yes and turned to tell everyone it was time to go, as if they were waiting in the room for the real signal or a fire alarm or possibly some Divine intervention illustrating that it was really time to leave the room. Anyway, we all went out together and headed towards our cars. While we were walking out, I noticed that the second woman in their group had a blanket wrapped around her that looked a lot like ours, that we keep on the rear seat of the Prius as a material protector from the likes of Mr. Jasper and his eating habits (which resembles a food fight with himself). When I asked Megan about the blanket, she confirmed that it was ours or rather used to be and that she had given it to her because she really had nothing to wear that was warm. (She was wearing spike heels and those tight jean pants that hug the hips and land only 1/2 way down the leg at mid calf and to complete the ensemble she also had a "belly shirt". You know, the kind that women , I think over twenty wear and usually, are tugging down on to make sure it is covering what they bought it to expose! All real nice in Phoenix, but not so good in 34 degree or snowy weather. Regardless, I have learned in our time together, that the fastest way to stop the flow of abundance and gifted-ness, is to go against what Megan has deemed required as her part in the play. We work real well as a team until I forget that important fact. When I do, it's like the guy who is in the physical midst of and living inside the magic spell of the Holy Grail and then doubts that this can be happening to him... poof...it all disappears and fades to grey. I enjoy the magical spin way too much to ever want to choose out of it so.... my next thought was, wouldn't a Pendelton Indian design blanket look good on the back seat and be very durable, cleanable and unique as well?
Smart, huh!
When we all arrived, minutes later, at the reception desk, Shauna was already behind the desk and in full operation. She had been joined by her assistant, Kathy and another woman who was seemingly there to assist both of them. Shauna came to the front to talk with us and process us out of her facility. She was all smiles and glad to be of assistance and glad to see us well and mostly rested. After handing back our keys and talking for a few moments, at my prompting, she went behind again to her desk and got the chits for us to have a meal at the cafe. I was not all that interested in eating but would love a cup of decaf coffee but, I could not speak for all of us and certainly thought that we should continue, for the next short period of time, taking care of our other group members. Kathy asked Shauna if she would like her to escort us to the cafe. She agreed. As people turned to make their way to the door to leave, I reached over the counter and took Shauna's hand in mine and pulled it gently up to my lips and kissed the back of it. I raised my head from her hand and looked her in the eyes and thanked her, from my heart, for her and Mark being our angel's in the storm last night. As I did this everyone in the room had turned to watch the interaction. As Shauna stood there, silently, with deep attention, taking in our appreciation, her eyes became misty and she smiled the most beautiful smile you could imagine. You know the kind, the ones that you just can't stop. We all knew in that moment, regardless of the language we spoke, that my acknowledgement had touched her heart and that she completely understood our gratefulness.
Kathy then walked us out to the parking lot and soon we were back in the cars for the short ride to another corner of the complex. On the way, we filled Kathy in on some of the details of our sorted evening affair that she had not been brought up to speed on and she told us what her position was in the scheme of things and how long she had been doing this type of job for this company and the like. She was just so chipper and friendly and understanding and immediately became part of the entire whole operation that seemed to feel it was their calling to see to it that we were just completely satisfied and taken care of to the last moment of our being there. It was also really clear that she was totally in the right profession for her. She loved doing her job. She told us on the way over that she had checked and read the report that all roads were back open for the time being. This meant that we could hit the road as soonas we wanted and now of course after we had had something to eat. When we arrived at the cafe she brought us in and made sure that the front line people knew that we were there and to be taken care of. We found that Shauna had already called ahead and notified the staff of our ensuing arrival.
Unfortunately, they had mostly already broken down the serving line and cleaned the grill from the shift of employees eating there. I felt weird about having them ramp back up for our little party but for the most part they (the obvious line chef in charge, Quinn, but not necessarily his assistant) were extremely happy to do it and as a matter of fact he overtly, with abundant politeness, insisted that we wait just a few minutes while they put it all back together so that he could cook us our eggs to order and make sure that all else that we wanted could be handled for us. (I cannot remember having been in a hotel or for that matter and especially a restaurant, regardless of the supposed quality or esteem of the place, where I felt so well taken care of. Moreover where the folks doing the taking care of go out of their way to manage their care with complete genuine joy and satisfaction, without exception). I was taken by their devotion to our well being and remember that we had not even paid a cent for this service. It was very distinctly the way they do business. For me this was very refreshing and restored hope that not every service person on the planet hated what they were doing.
Quinn, the front line chef, had taken over and we were in his charge. He could not find enough to do for us. He spent the next 1/2 hour preparing food for us, making sure we had all that we wanted or needed, insisting that we not do anything to help and allow him to serve us. He had placed home fries back into the fryer (not my choice of preparation methods, but the way they do it there) and because someone had already turned it off, unbeknownst to him, they were not going to be ready for us at the same time the eggs were. This was a minor issue for him, as it broke his flow, but it meant very little to us who were thrilled to have a bite before we headed out. He asked us to be patient and apologized and told us he would bring them out as soon as they were done. Minutes later, he did just that. Serving each of us a huge helping of hash brown potatoes in individual bowls. When we were all settled in and eating he slipped away and allowed us time to eat talk a little among ourselves. About five minutes later he return with an unopened box of fruit pastry and insisted that we have some sweets with our meal. After completing this action of generous offering he asked if he could make us sandwiches for our trip out for lunch. Declining more out of deference to allowing him to get off duty and the facts that we only had 70 total miles to go to the park and not really wanting to explain the offer to our Spanish friends who I am certain, having made it this far, could certainly get lunch handled for themselves. Okay with our refusal of sandwiches but not completely ready to allow us to leave empty handed he came back some five minutes later with bunches of chocolate chip cookies, wrapped in plastic wrap for us to take with us on the next leg of our collective journeys.
Almost immediately after we received the cookies, a guy dressed in the management companies managerial outfit, khaki's and an Izod type sport shirt, popped in all smiling and chatty. he completely knew our saga and where we were and came to make sure that we were all set from our stay and breakfast and ready to go at our convenience. He sat down at our table and began asking us if we were good and where we were from and about the roads last night and such. ( At this point, I was beginning to think that there was either something in the water therer in the park or that the management company had a policy of giving out Prozac as a company perk to it's employees. I have not met such a happy, willing to please group of people in my lifetime. I don't mean this is any nasty way but even the mentally challenged man that the company had hired to work at the dish clearing station, prior to sending them into the dishwasher, never stopped smiling).
Soon, another one of the chefs came out from the back kitchen and seeing that he was there, joined us all in the conversation and stayed for the next five or so minutes telling us about his experience with Wyoming and in particular this past winter. At this point with all conversations coming to a natural completion, all of us finished eating, all thanks and gratefulness expressed many times over, chocolate chips in hand we headed out and back to our cars to get ready for the trip out.
We walked out next to our Spanish friends, knowing that our odd circumstance but very family like time together was about to come to a close. We took pictures of them as they stood together in the cool Western Wyoming morning air, with their new blanket wrapped around them. They were about to head into not only the remaining,unknown to them, parts of beautiful Yellowstone Park but as we had found out during breakfast, they were going to Washington to move there permanently, relecating from Arizona. Or at least that's what we think they said and meant.
We hugged each other and said Adios and Asta Luego and turned to get in our respective vehicles and begin to reminisce about the strange events that brought us together. AS we got to our car, the driver woman, never did get her name, called to us. As we turned to face her, she cocked her head a little and raised one arm in a gesture to embrace us from a distance and said, "Thank you very much."