Learning Lots!

It’s our 3^rd day of travel. We set out Sunday and drove I-84 straight through to Pocatello, Idaho, spending eleven hours in the car together. The dogs did great because they were so tired from being chewed on by Scout and from digging holes in Mom and Don’s garden. Patrick and I rocked out, as we whizzed by the crunchy, rolling landscape of eastern Oregon and witnessed miles of turbines harnessing energy from the wind. I’ve learned so much along the way!

Harnessing the wind along the Columbia River.

For instance: While listening to You Shook Me All Night Long, I realized that when I car-dance (you know, hands "raising the roof", spanking the air booty, and crazy hair head-banging) I mostly do it for a reaction. When I drive by myself, I never use those moves. It’s awkward to keep car-dancing when the person sitting next to you doesn’t notice. It’s also kind of awkward to stop abruptly because you’re not getting a reaction. So, you can do a few things. You can add a hand clap into your moves, so the other person is drawn in by the noise. Or just decrease the size of your movements gradually until you’re only tapping your foot. You can also just own the moves until the song is over. It’s much easier to transition out of a performance if you’re the driver, because your hands have a home on the wheel to return to and you should be focusing on the road. I tried all of these “exits” in the eleven hours my car-dancing went without recognition.

Another thing I learned: Ever hear of the tater tot company, Ore-Ida? We passed by the plant when we were on the border of Oregon and Idaho and I was elated to realize where they came up with the name! You never know when that question will come up in a game of Trivial Pursuit.

Not a fan of tater tots myself, but maybe you've had them.

I learned about the population sector we're likely to be running into along the way. We rolled into Pocatello around 1am, and back out around 8am, so I don’t have much to report on the city. However, we did notice that every single other person eating continental breakfast at the Best Western on a Monday morning had gray hair. Now that we’re in Jackson Hole, our neighbors at the Pony Express Motel also seem to be in a different phase of their lives (retirement?). I feel so fortunate to be able to take an adventure like this while I can still hike up the steep incline of Snow King Mountain to get a view of Jackson Hole from the top. Soon, the lifts will be running, it will be covered with snow, and there’ll be skiers zooming over the spot where I stood, but here’s what it looks like in the fall.

This is not a postcard. I took this picture on my phone.
It's Jackson Hole, WY from Snow King Mountain.

Last night we walked around the town square in Jackson. The sidewalks are wooden and it has an old west feel. In 1953, the boy scouts built the first of four elk antler arches in town. There’s a world famous cowboy bar with huge belt buckles depicting scenes from the wild west, a grizzly bear that was killed by a famous settler who bit its jugular, lots of knotty pine and saddles as bar stools. After an hour of sitting, I can see why cow folks become bow-legged. 

Elk antler arch in Jackson Hole.

Ridem Cowboys! You've got bendy legs!

 Another interesting tid-bit came from a man we chatted with at the Snake River Brewery. He was a minor (the kind that mine land, not the kind illegally sitting in the bar) from Leadville, Colorado who’s fascinated with psychology, especially when related to dating. He and his wife told us about the 5 love languages and I thought I’d share them with you. I’d heard of them before, but was prompted to do some more research. Dr. Gary Chapman came up with five different ways people generally show and receive love. They are by words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. I found this assessment you can take to figure out your emotional communication style. 

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/

My main love language, according to this survey, was words of affirmation. Specifically, “Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important– hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.” I hope Patrick reads my blog.

Today, we drive into Teton National Park and eat dinner at the Mangy Moose. Tomorrow we travel 8 hours to Denver, where we can put things in dressers for a while! I hope you enjoyed hearing about a few things I’ve picked up along the way!