On The Road Again

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Thats West Virginia. Flatten it out and it would be as big as Texas. We spent the second night in Frankfort Kentucky. Ate at Captain D's. Rained like Noah. The TV didnt work in the room so we had to talk to one another instead. All got to bed early.

We're Off!

We are off to Sioux Falls! Many friends helped us pack the U-haul. Many hands make light work. The packing job took hours less than planned.
I'm towing our little Kia and Kay my wife is following in the mini-van. My u-haul only gets about ten mpg. Chugging up the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia, the pedal to the metal, barely making 50! Tuckered out. Stopping at a motel in Covington VA, weaving the truck and towed car through the thin parking lot, only to be told by the desk clerk that there is a separate entrance for trucks. A great employee named Steve, even though his shirt said Mike, guided me perfectly to the location. I tried to get him a pay raise. No dice.
Slept like a baby.
Now off on the road again through West Virginia. Next Stop - hopefully - somewhere in Kentucky or Southern Indiana.

A Man Of Means

I am now a man of means! I have a job in Sioux Falls even before I get there! Starting August 22. We get there July 15. Talk about taking a load off my mind. Applying online for jobs 15-hundred miles away is a challenging occupation, but in this case, there was a difference. In our last scouting trip to Sioux Falls, I met a guy who knew a gal who was in charge of hiring at a certain company and he trusted me with her name and number. A combination of phone calls, e-mails, applying online, phone interviews and lots of prayer got me the job. Never give up. Get your face...or at least your voice...in front of the decision makers somehow. It can be done even if you are 15-hundred miles away. And dont stop praying.

South Dakota On My Mind

I can't help it. All I can think about now is South Dakota. I'm a short timer. Only seven days before we leave Virginia. I find myself googling anything about South Dakota or Sioux Falls. You want to know about Handi-Riders outside Sioux Falls, I can tell you. You want to know when the rodeo is in Irene, SD, I can tell you. How far is it from USF to Empire Mall? No problem. Ask me. What is the best way to get from SF to Mclaughlin, SD? Don't need a map. Its all up here in my head, bursting with South Dakota trivia of all varieties. If there were a South Dakota category on Jeopardy I would be a millionaire!

Little House On What Used To Be Prairie

We have purchased a home in Sioux Falls! We will name it "Little House".....as in Little House on what used to be prarie.
Little House is only a block and a half from USF where our youngest son will be going to school. So, we have a house in Sioux Falls and we are not even there yet! The U-Haul pulls out of Virginia on July 11th..and several days later the Russo caravan hopes to pull into town.

Thee Most Perfect Day In The World

Wednesday, June 8, in Sioux Falls was the most perfect day in the World. 70 degrees, blue skies, with a fresh breeze blowing out at Wall Lake. We inhaled great gulps of clean cool air off the lake. The park was a perfect picture of bright green grass and blue water. I will never forget it!  

Black Bird With Bright Yellow Throat

Here we are in Sioux Falls, looking around, trying to buy a little house on the prairie. We brought the hot weather with us from Virginia. I took my wife out to eat....at Hy-Vee! Don't chuckle. What a deal. Great Chinese dinner for under 6 bucks. We couldn't finish it. Great taste. Great Service. Friendly smiles. We drove out West of SF to get in the country and wound up in Parker, SD. What a wonderful little town. Outside of town by the side of the road, my wife spotted a medium-sized black bird with a bright yellow throat. We had never seen such a creature. What was it? Then a few miles on, we spied a small striped gopher or prairie dog scurrying into the high grass by the side of the road.
Back into Sioux Falls, locating storage facilities, U-haul places, and job connections.