Billy's Status...

I realized I've been quite neglectful in keeping my siblings and family up to date on my job status. I'll start using the blog now :-) Although now it's under construction and I have to dodge through all these piles of bricks and lumber and crap.

I completed my certification training in Pittsburgh and flew home on March 26th. That ended a good month and a half certification period up there. I did quite well in the certification process and learned a lot. Since then I've been in a "mentoring" program where I'm sent to job sites as a trainee, working with experienced techs. I'll be doing this until they feel I'm ready to be on my own.

I'm currently on my second visit to the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan, in Quinnesec and Iron Mountain. People up here call themselves "Yoopers" and they have that funny accent you hear in that movie "Fargo". This is my second time up here working at a paper plant run by Verso Paper. My only other trip besides these two was one in Maxwell, CA, which is about 100 miles North of Bobby and Nikki. There I worked at a Natural Gas compressing station owned by PG&E. Unfortunately I couldn't make the time to go down and visit with Bobby and family, but there will be other trips.

It looks like the week of 5/9-5/15 I may be in Beaumont, TX (75 miles east of Houston), the following week sent to Detroit for a couple of weeks, and then a trip to Saginaw, MI for a week. I'm not sure why they keep sending me to Michigan. Hmmmm...

I've had a lot of down time at home as well since being certified, and have been able to complete a LOT of projects. So things are going well and we're getting ready to host a cubic butt-ton of Jones family members in July. whoo hooo

Lot of loving memories of Mom today, on Mother's Day.

New House in Idaho

So our closing date has been pushed back to October 30th, but there doesn't appear to be any other problems. It turns out we had to resolve the issue with the existing mortgate in Colorado Springs, either by renting or by selling it. We finally had an offer on the house there in the Springs and accepted it. The closing date on the house in Colorado Springs is on the 29th. We were severely underbid and have to come to the closing table with an obscene amount of money, but at least we're out from under it and can continue with the closing process here in Idaho. Mary suggested I post some pics of our new house. Here they are.

Updates from Idaho

Vicki and Daniel came out to visit this weekend. They will be flying back to Colorado in just a few hours from now. Vicki and I had our house search narrowed down to several houses (out of several dozen) and we were bound and determined to find out future house on her visit up here. It is much cheaper to buy a house on developed property than it would be to build on our ten acres.

Well, we did it. We found the perfect house. It is only a few miles from our property here in Athol, and actually still in the Athol city limits. It is an immaculate four bedroom, 2 bath house on ten forested park-like acres. We have a huge 30X50 insulated shop, and quite a bit of our acreage is already partitioned off into fenced horse pasture. We don't know anything about horses ourselves, but might look into boarding horses for others to make some money. We will be having a house inspection tomorrow afternoon to ensure there is nothing serious going on with the house that we can't see.

We offered 215,000 for the property and they accepted the offer. Closing date is on October 19. Vicki will be having the Navy pack up our stuff in Colorado on October 28, 29 and 30th. Her final day in Colorado is just before Thanksgiving: I believe 11/24.

Daniel had a good time out here. We spent a few hours at "Triple Play" yesterday, where he and I had a laser gun battle, climbed some rock mountains, and he got to waste several dollars on video games. He got to shoot a BB gun for the first time, and Papa even broke out the .22 rifle and his .45 revolver. Daniel shot both of those, and the revolver scared the living crap out of him. Hopefully he won't be so enamored of handguns anymore.

So now its back to work for Billy. Supposedly Sears is completely revamping the way they will be routing us, and I won't be working quite so many 12-13 hour days. Supposedly I will be working mostly 8-10 hour days. That will indeed be a very welcome change.

Bobby and Nikki, you should look at this link http://www.wacanid.org It is a 300 mile bike ride through Washington, Canada and Idaho. You can start anywhere you like on the loop, and ride as far as you like each day. It would be an awesome way for you to experience the Northwest. It's in October each year, and we have an RV (hint hint) so you wouldn't have to stay in hotels each night and you'd have ready access to rest and bathrooms and a family to follow you around. It looks quite awesome and seems like it would be right up your alley.

For everbody else, it's gorgeous up here. Tom and Cheryl, there is a huge amusement park up here called Silverwood, and lots of riding trails, lakes, hiking and such. There are at least three or four lakes just within half a mile of us here. You would all love it up here and it's a good getaway during the summer months of Phoenix.

Well, that's the latest news from the chilly North. Lots of love to all.
Billy and Vicki

Wedding....

I'm in a position now that I never wanted to be in. Mary, I won't be making it to the wedding. I'm sorry. I've been offered the job in Idaho, and it comes with a substantial raise in pay and training, and they want me up there before the end of May. Vicki and I will be leaving to move my stuff and the RV up there on the 17th. I've been looking forward to celebrating with you and seeing all our cousins and spending time with the family, and I've made every effort in the past few years to get to Phoenix as often as possible, but this is unavoidable if I want to keep this job; an opportunity I don't think would crop up again. I've been very stressed about this, and not sleeping good, and I'm sick at heart that I won't be able to be there, but it's something I have to do and I hope everybody understands. Love Billy