A Sort of Rant. Sorta.

I never realized that when you work a conventional 9-5 job, you're busy... all the time... I've been meaning to update my blog for weeks now, but I've hardly had the time or energy to devote to writing it. Our precious days off are spent playing all over the park, or doing mindless chores that didn't get taken care of the previous week. Of course (let's be honest) time management plays a big factor concerning my weekly schedule. So I'm hoping, since we've now struck our daily work routine, I'll be able to get more things done. Indeed, it seems I work better in completing projects the busier I am. On the other hand, give me 5 months to be unemployed and I will hardly have had anything to show for all that time off – besides some weight gain due to inactivity!

Work, for the most part, is a joy. Kevin and I work for Bud Lilly's Fly and Trout Shop. On a totally unbiased front, we work for the most popular and well known fly store in Montana, if not nationally, if not the world. We have people come in and just stand in the doorway taking everything in before snapping some pictures, and then buying a souvenier tee shirt or ballcap. It's pretty cool being part of a location that's been around for years, having been started by a forefather of the sport of fly fishing – Mr. Bud Lilly himself (no, we haven't met him yet – he sold the store almost 25 years ago and only every so often steps in). However, being a woman in a completely male-dominated world has its disadvantages (besides the co-owner of the store, I'm the only woman, and by far the youngest of the group). For one, I'm the only one with the desire to keep the place well organized, cleaned, and straightened. That includes doing restock every morning, refolding clothes, zipping up jackets, cleaning the bathroom, washing windows, retagging items, dusting shevles, etc, etc, etc. Being OCD, I enjoy every aspect of it, but it can be frustrating when the rest of the shop boys stand around the counter shooting the shit trading fish stories with all the customers while I'm working away.

Then there's the fact that I'll never be taken seriously as a valid source of fishing information. For example, a man came into the store the other night. Kevin and I were the only ones working at the time, and he was already preoccupied with another customer. I asked the man if he had any questions, and he politely smiled and said no. As I continued to watch him, the man started to move closer and closer to Kevin and his customer. The second Kevin finished his sale, the waiting man asked HIM where the best fishing waters were. I had to shake my head and laugh at the fact that that man thought I knew nothing. Granted, I'm still new to the whole fly fishing world, but I'm a quick learner, hard worker, and a damn good listener. I could have told the man verbatim what Kevin spouted out as good fishing in the area. Barbara (the aforementioned female boss) assured me it wouldn't be the last time, and already I can say she was right. I get men on the phone all the time asking if there's 'someone else there' that could answer some fishing questions for them. I'm surprised myself that I know so much information about something I never even knew was a big thing 6 months ago. But it's always fun and challenging getting into new things and trying to be the best at it. I've already caught a huge 21"/5 lbs. rainbow trout that was the envy of Kevin, and is turning out to be the bane of his existence. He hasn't gotten that lucky yet and the other shop boys make sure he knows he's being out-fished by his novice girlfriend! hehe....

My last sore spot, shall we say, at the store is a coworker named Bob. Now, Bob is 84-years old. I have to keep telling myself this in order to get beyond frustrated. Bob has been working at Bud Lilly's for over 20 years. He's a stubborn old man, completely set in his ways. He has the same schedule every day; coffee and a hashbrown at McDonald's, work at the store for a couple hours, coffee at Ernie's (our delicious local deli), work for a few more hours, lunch of a grilled chicken salad and coffee at Arby's (for $4.56 because he gets the senior discount) with sometimes a splurge of an apple turnover, work for just a few more hours, home for a nap, dinner that his wife cooks (who never leaves the house and hasn't been into the Park since the fire.... of 1988), nap, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, bedtime, etc ad naseum. Bob has taken to picking on me. Our boss' keep using the excuse that he doesn't know better nor realize he's using a condescending tone with me. I would love to believe them, other than the fact that he always choses to pick on me when no one else is around. I've been yelled at for practicing my knots (for fishing lines - a task that I was assigned to do by my boss), for interrupting one of his sales (he was trying to convince a 23-year old guy that he needed a pair of $219 binoculars when I politely offered to show the guy a far less expensive brand), and the kicker - for selling Bear Spray wrong. I was using the manufacturer's spill on how to correctly use the spray once a bear was in sight. Well, apparently, according to Bob, that's not the right way to use it. I had had it by this point, so I yelled at the old man saying that neither of us had experience during the real thing, and the only valid information I felt correctly disclosing was the trial and tested directions given by the inventors of the product. He's an old salesman of the '50's who still has that exact mentality. He hounds customers as soon as they come into the store, stalking them, and standing over their shoulders - he's THAT guy. Our boss' deal with him because he's been around for so long, but since Bob isn't very familiar with computers he costs the shop a lot of money every season. The other day he forgot to ring up a few things, totaling $50 or so. Apparently, it happens all the time. Anyway... I'm a completely competent, organized, and hard working individual. For Bob to talk down to me in so many instances, frustrates me to no end. Especially since he NEVER picks on Kevin or anyone else at the shop for that matter. He was raised in a time when women weren't all that important to society - I get that. But that doesn't excuse his tone towards me. So every morning, I breathe a deep breath and enter the store, smile and say good morning to the old dude, and try to keep myself as busy as possible to avoid having any confrontations. Don't get me wrong, I'm having a great time at the shop, feeling like one of the guys, and getting into this new world. I just wish our days off weren't the EXACT same as old Bob... ho hum...

Our days off are in the middle of the week - Wednesday and Thursday. At first, I was bummed that we'd be giving up our true weekends to work. But now, having had a few 'mid weekends' off, I like the fact that we'll spend our two days with less traffic, tourists, and crowds. Every chance we get, we're in the park ready to see and experience something new.

Every kid that enters the Yellowstone gates gets a 'Ranger Check List' or something, that has a list of all the animals you're liable seeing. I want one. I'd be able to vouch for almost every being on there; black and brown bear, elk, wolves, coyotes, bald eagle, female moose, buffalo, GRIZZLY... The one animal we've yet to come across - a male moose. That's about it. Grizzly bear was checked off just a few days ago when Kevin and I took a sight seeing day of the park. We were in the northwest corner near Lamar Valley when we hit a huge line of traffic. According to some passerbys, there was a large grizzly walking on the road a half mile up. Surely enough, once enough cars as slowly passed by, we were 4 feet from a full grown grizzly bear. It was on Kevin's side, so as he drove and prayed, I snapped pictures through the open window. It was exhilarating. The only downside to the whole experience, was the fact that there were people outside their cars, walking along, taking pictures. People are idiots - but more on that later...

Just thought I'd give a little update since I felt like I haven't kept the greatest contact with most of those who read this! You have no idea how much you use internet until you don't have it... :(

Sending all my love from out West!