Just spent the week working in Ganado, Az. working on the audit for the Ganado Unified School District. Go ahead and Google Earth it. Amazing, no? You'll notice that there is no lodging. We had to stay in the town of St. Michaels, Az. It's right next to Window Rock, the Capitol of the Navajo Nation. So we had a half-an-hour drive each way from work to hotel.
The drive from the office took seven hours and let me tell you I now can't stand Daughtry and Kings of Leon. I swear the radio stations refuse to play anything but them along with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. I hate Ms. Gaga and Ms. Swift a little less now only because their songs were a welcome from love affair the radio station has with Daughtry and Kings of Leon.
Had to drive across a very small portion of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. At first I didn't realize it was the Grand Canyon and thought, "hugh, that is a really big canyon." Then I thought that packing up the family for anything longer than an hour drive to see the Grand Canyon isn't worth the trouble. I mean if it's on your way to some other destination, go ahead and make the stop. Otherwise, it really is just a big hole in the ground. Rafting through it might be fun though.
The audit was so exciting that I can't put it into words. However, the Denny's each morning for breakfast didn't get old at all. Nor did the Burger King for lunch each day. Not to mention Denny's each night for dinner. You might ask why we didn't mix things up. If there were any other option we might have. The closest place for breakfast was a McDonalds five miles east from our hotel and we worked 30 miles west of our hotel, so that made it ten miles out of the way. Denny's shared the parking lot with our hotel so that was the logical choice. The burger king was the closest dining location from the school district and that was at least five miles west from the office. The only other option was to drive 30 miles back to Denny's, making it 60 miles out of the way. So after working 13 hour days we would drive 30 miles back to the hotel only to have dinner around 11:30pm at Denny's. By Thursday morning all I could stomach was a glass of orange juice for breakfast and a kids cheeseburger for lunch. I didn't eat anything else until we found a Subway in Tuba, Az. on our drive home. I usually eat Subway 5- 7 time a week but I have never been so excited to see the green and yellow neon sign.
Three things on this trip surprised me. 1st, the number of wild dogs. They were everywhere. Roaming the hotel, roaming the gas station, roaming the school district, roaming the highway, and I can't forget, dying everywhere. 2nd, the number of iphones. For a place where I didn't get any service on my phone it was amazing at the number of kids and adults that had iPhones. 3rd, similar to number 2, the number of kids wearing brand new pairs of Jordan's. I swear, per capita, the Navajo Nation purchases the most iPhones and Jordan's in the world. I wouldn't be so surprised if Ganado was a booming metropolis or had a single store that sells iPhones or Jordan's. Internet shopping is amazing.
So after a 9 hour work day yesterday we hopped in the van and drove back to St. George. We got to the office around 12:30am and I figured I should grab a Pepsi for my drive back to Cedar. I got home around 1:30 and found myself wide awake. I finally fell asleep around 3:oo and woke up around noon. First thing that came to my mind was, "I have to do this all over again this Sunday but this time we're going to Kayenta, Az."
I'd tell you more about the experience but I don't want to offend any co-workers or the Navajo Nation.
If none of this makes sense, I blame it on the Denny's/Burger King hangover.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Ganado (This is Greg)
Posted by Foltron at 12:58 PM
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8 comments:
I love it! My sister used to do audits on reservations in NM. Her favorite was when she was pregnant and her coworkers would have to pull the car over so she could throw up every few miles. I guess it can always be worse, eh?
Haha, Em. Greg packs a roll of T.P. on road trips just in case he has to pull over for other reasons!
I'm glad that it wasn't too exciting, so that you won't be too eager to go on a ton more of these week long things. I am SO grateful that you have a job, but I'm not too in to being a single mom!
I got a stomachache reading this post and just thinking about your diet for that week. Are you seriously doing it again so soon?
Wow. haha Can't wait to hear about the next trip :)
I've done a lot of travelling on business over the years but this one you took is one for the ages>>>and you get to do it again next week?!
Hilarious!!... you sound like the author Bill Bryson! He writes about his travels and the absurd along the way. Notes From A Small Island is my favorite. It's laugh-out-loud-with-your-hand-over-your-mouth-holding-a-tiny-pen-light-to-see-so you-don't-wake-your-husband-at-two-in-the-morning-because-you-can't-put-the-book-down funny.
Oh and thanks for commenting on my blog, I actually think you are the only person that reads it besides my mother...and she doesn't count, since she's my mother and all.
Oh and one more thing...we were watching home movies the other day and we found one of Greg's 21st birthday from when he was on his mission, your brother is in it too. I'll send you a copy, it's nutty!
Never heard of Mr. Bill Bryson. He'll have to be my next read now. Videos from the mission my make my head explode. If I remember correctly, the film in question was taken at the Ivanovsky's, no? Do you still keep in contact with them? I was always worried that Jeff would want to harm Bro. Ivanovsky.
I just got back from a place called Kayenta. Similar to Ganado but with more places to eat. This week I'm heading down to Bullhead, AZ. Not an Indian reservation but we're staying at a casino. Four Mormons at a casino. Things could get out of hand.
It WAS taken at the Ivanovsky's!..with red velvet cake and a couple of arm wrestles. Bet you haven't had such an exhilarating birthday since! I do still keep in contact with them...look at my blog. There's a photo of Sis. Ivanovsky and allllll her kiddos that her brother turned into a cartoon.
Jeff went to Vegas for a work convention a couple years ago. He put 25 cents into a slot machine, won $1 and walked away.
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