Intersections

Pitch black roads, beneath starry skies,
night after night I drive.
Pink Floyd wishing you were here
or Miley climbing mountains,
whatever I can dial, I sing and smile.
Prowling highways and interstates,
hearing music for my inner state.
Thoughts race sometimes or draw a blank,
hypnotized by yellow lines and reflective signs.

New friends each day
or for the week.
This life is not intended for the meek
of soul or mind
but I've never been so "me" before
nor had such ambitions of having more.
No complaints by hotel staff,
nothing to criticize on my behalf.
When I walk through the empty door,
the road calls my name,
enticing me to journey further
beyond thoughts I've never had before.

Attainable dreams upon the horizon;
I hear them sizzle
when they rise.
My senses keener, smelling roses on the way
and emotions of the distant bay.
I am compelled to pause and touch the sky.
Reflect upon the "crossroad" sign;
contemplate what turn to make.
A single stretch of highway
possesses forging power;
transforms the scenery of approaching days.
Each curve, each turn, each hill I climb,
illuminates the centered line.

© Elizabeth A. Hall, 2009, all rights reserved.

Road Warrior - Pella Iowa

I only had a half day home after my last trip before I headed out again on Monday for Pella, Iowa. I passed through Montezuma again and followed the winding roads. I wasn't sure I was there when I got there. I thought I was in a town called Vermeer, the first sign I saw coming into town. Vermeer was an enormous 1.5 million square foot facility stretching several city blocks. producing environmental equipment for excavation, construction, agriculture and many other products, also housing their own museum on their grounds outlining the history of Vermeer. It was pretty impressive.

I passed by many small dutch windmills on my way to the motel, they are scattered about town in peoples yards, business and parks. The main attraction being the Vermeer Mill Windmill, including another museum. There were gardens everywhere as well and I discovered a small courtyard hidden downtown under a clock tower. I walked about town on Tuesday and went into the courtyard discovering more gardens, fountains and a pool. At the end of the courtyard was a small Pella store, minuscule compared to the Pella Windows and Doors plant which is also very beautiful.

My first job was not in town but in Peoria Iowa, a small community outside of Pella. The view from the back of the church was breathtaking. Across the street from the church was the "keeper of the keys", he wondered about the church in his motorized wheelchair. Very friendly as well, he invited me across the street to take pictures of the Skunk River behind his house when he observed me taking pictures in the parking lot. I wasn't sure what to expect but I couldn't actually see the river only a clearing in the corn that could have been a river. Needless to say it was still a fantastic view to have from your back yard.

The next morning I spent more time in downtown Pella, browsing in dutch import stores and bakeries. Thank goodness I didn't have a lot to spend this trip otherwise I would have purchased all kinds of pastries and they would never have made it home. I had lunch at the "Windmill Cafe", a very busy place. I had a great Feta Cheese, burger and grabbed a Ruben to go for my trip home but by 12:00am it was a bit soggy.

I was most impressed by our photographer this trip. Not only was he an excellent photographer but he did a great job in spite of the fact his wife was dying of cancer and the Dr. had given her a week at the most. The only reason he was there working was to maintain his medical insurance, for some reason he wasn't able to go on FMLA. He was frazzled and distracted but when there were people to shoot, he put a smile on his face, joked with them and gave us some great material to work with. In times of despair and tragedy our true character shines and my thoughts are with him and his family.

Road Warrior - Journey to Spirit Lake Part 2

I spent Thursday in Arnold's Park exploring the "Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum". I enjoyed the Buddy Holly wall and the artistry of the local High School. They decorated guitars in honor of Rock Legends and I was able to vote for my favorite. After the voting they are auctioning off the guitars and the proceeds will benefit the school. (I voted for #3).

I had an ice cream and then did some shopping. I purchased gifts for some of my family members and then explored some of the history of the lakes; Okaboji West, East and the largest, Spirit Lake were created by Glaciers. West Okaboji is spring fed and where Arnold's park sits is unusually deep, there is a canyon of cooler water beneath the lake and the two never intermingle but there is an inversion of cooling and heating and it turns over twice a year.

Friday I spent napping and relaxing until it was time for work. I grabbed lunch in at the "Fresh Bistro" on Hill Avenue in Spirit Lake and had the most scrumptious "Fresh Dip", akin to the "French Dip" with sirloin, Swiss and saute'd mushrooms dipped in aujus sauce. It was wonderful as was the service. I then went next door to the "Piece of Work" art shop and purchased a pair of acid etched nickle earrings with dragonflies etched on them (imagine that, not butterflies).

We had a trainee with us this trip and she quit on Friday so our Photographer from Clear Lake stayed over night in her room, he was planning on going back and returning in the morning ( a two hour drive). We all decided to grab a bite to eat after work and had pizza and ended up going back to the Motel and sitting outside until late, drinking beers and learning about each other. It reminded me of my old job and the comradery and friendships I had built with many of them. I had a great time and let my hair down (which I don't do very often outside of home).

Though we aren't on the same job all the time, we will probably run into each other again from time to time. I've been keeping in touch with several of the PC's I've worked with, we've shared ideas and experiences and are becoming an extension of my friends and family back home. The job is growing on me as are the people.

I only got 3 hours sleep that night and was really dragging the entire day so instead of going to wait for the sunset on Spirit Lake, I went home and went to bed early so I could get up early and head out. I was on my way out of town by 6:00 and it was a tough trip back. I had to stop several times to try to wake up, splashing water on my face in the rest area bathrooms.

I was very disappointed in my stop at "Buddy Holly Place" in Clear Lake, I don't know if I went the wrong way or what but I found nothing but open fields, no indications there was a plane crash. I expected more and if I did go to the wrong way, oh well, maybe another time. I at least got a photo of the street sign and "A Field"..lol (Found out I didn't go far enough, "Buddy Holly Place" ends but starts back up again).

I arrived home safely right on schedule, it took exactly 6 hours and I immediately headed for the bed for a nap. Heading out for Pella Iowa tomorrow morning for my next adventure.

Peace
Liz

A Most Unique Bridal Party Entrance

I actually got choked up watching this video. The joy in the celebration was contagious!

Road Warrior - Journey to Spirit Lake

It down poured all the way to Cedar Rapids and I was drenched after carrying in my luggage. Its difficult to juggle an umbrella with several bags. I arrived early and my room wasn't ready so I went shopping and bought a much needed clothes rack for the van.

I headed out bright and early this morning, a travel day, which means I can take my sweet time getting there, I don't have to work tonight. It appeared the weather was going to be more of the same. The weather cleared up nicely and when I stopped for gas in Mason City, it was hot and humid. I was hoping to get to Estherville before Noon which is nearby Spirit Lake and Lake Okaboji. It should only have taken 4 hours according to the search engine map. However I didn't pull in to town until near 3:00pm. I was only prepared to drive six hours home from here, now its looking more like eight.

I stopped briefly in Clear Lake as Hwy 18 goes right through it. I spotted "Main Avenue" and thought there must be a post office nearby, its a little town, I needed to drop off my deposit and get a money order. Driving down Main Avenue, I stumbled upon Clear Lake, it was the quaintest little downtown, right on the Lake with little shops and galleries. I asked for directions to the Post Office and walked there, only taking up about a half hour of time.

Heading out of Clear Lake I passed "Billy Holly Place". I was very tempted to turn down that road but had to use restraint. I am planning on stopping on my way home to see the crash site of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper (so stay tuned). One of the toughest challenges for me out here is "not stopping"! Its like eye candy, so much to see, so much to photograph. I see the photographs in my mind as I'm passing, thinking "that would have been an awesome shot".

Somewhere along the line, I passed the turn for Estherville. I recall seeing the sign that said "Estherville 25 mi" and the road kept going, and going and going. I finally arrived in Spencer Iowa and knew I had done passed my turn!! . After having stopped a moment and snapping a shot of a church being elevated off its foundation, I pulled over and observed my "old fashioned" map and determined the map had screwed up again. I ended up going the long way to Estherville by passing it and going through Spencer, Lake Okaboji and then through Spirit Lake to hit Hwy 9 going East when I was supposed to arrive in Estherville from the South West.

Highway 9, between Estherville and Spirit Lake is interesting. I passed two abandoned trains and a field of mules, yes, mules maybe they are burros, I don't know but I hope to get a picture of them. The Super 8 in Estherville is not a great looking motel, nor does my bed look comfy, its old and I'm looking across the street at a much newer "Sleep Inn" thinking "why am I not staying there"? They have an indoor pool and a whirlpool! My peers who arrive tomorrow will probably move across the street, I might even join them.

I freshened up a tad when I got here and decided to head back to Spirit Lake for some shopping, dinner and photography. I checked out Hill Avenue and its many shops, my favorite was "A Piece Of Work" Art Gallery ( I might return for a little something for myself later). Dinner was "Charlie's Barfly Saloon" and they had the most excellent 1/2 lb. Mushroom and Swiss Burger. While there I asked the owner where there was a good place to photograph the sunset and it just so happened that he also owned some condos on Spirit Lake and he gave me directions and said I should sit between the condos for a good shot.

I arrived long before sunset and I crashed a couple getting ready to have themselves a campfire, they had just come in from skiing. I chatted with them a bit and they made me feel welcome but I decided since it was their last night on the lake before heading back to Nebraska, I should leave them alone. I took some shots and departed, I think their privacy was more important than me capturing a shot of the sunset (I already have over 400 sunsets in my database). Even if the Owner called the sunsets on the lake here "Iowa's Maui". What I did capture was beautiful enough for me and that moment.

So ends the journey to Spirit Lake. Tomorrow I work and hope for a better experience.

Peace
Liz

Road Warrior - Highway 24

As I was pulling out of town on Wednesday, I stopped for a biscuit at a drive through. When I reached the window to pay, a lady I'm familiar with from the days when I was taking care of Dad informed me that the car in front of me had paid my tab. All I could say was "why''? She said it happens often, just because people have a sudden urge to be kind. I've only gone so far as leaving my quarter in the shopping cart at Aldi's. Perhaps she saw my clunker and felt I could use a break. Either way it was good to see my old friend at the window and we chit chatted for a few moments before I headed off for New Hampton and Fort Atkinson Iowa.

Highway 24 is a stretch of old Highway that runs from New Hampton in the West to Calmar in the East. Along this stretch of Highway are several small towns and absolutely no city lights glowing in the distance. New Hampton, with a population of about 4000, being the largest. I found the late night drives back to the Motel in New Hampton from Fort Atkinson to be beautiful, it was pitch black and the Milky Way was uninhibited.

The Super 8 in New Hampton gets at least four stars from me. Compared to the last two Super 8's, this one was near luxury. I especially liked my view out the window, no parking lots or businesses, just corn field as far as you can see, with a few trees to house the birds that sang to me in the morning and a wonderful cool breeze. I actually found time to use the pool this time and swam a some laps and enjoyed the Whirlpool.

Thursday night I had a good nights sleep and decided to take advantage of the time before I went to work. I ran nearly the entire stretch of Highway 24, my destination Spillville to see the Bily Clock Museum which I'd heard so much about from my Co-workers. On the way I stopped in Lawler to photograph the Veterans Monument that had recently been erected. As soon as I parked my van to get out, a car stopped to observe what I was doing, as if they were untrusting of my intentions. When I was done I got back in the van and pulled across the street to buy gas at the low price of 2.29 a gallon. When I did, the curious car departed.

The clocks at the museum were fascinating. Two brothers, Frank and Joseph Bily, carved very large and intricate clocks in their spare time begining in 1913 and were once offered $1,000,000.00 for one of them but turned it down. I was amazed that they created these clocks just for their own pleasure, never intending to part with them. They are beautiful but I wasn't allowed to photograph them but you can visit their website at http://bilyclocks.org. On my way back I did stop to photograph a tiny church I found interesting; St. Clement's Catholic Church and was built in 1856.

Another interesting tid bit is the Wapsi river up there. Where I am from the Wapsipinicon is a fairly good size river but I crossed over it every day just outside of New Hampton on my way to work, a small creek that begins just North of New Hampton, called the "East Fork Wapsipinicon".

That night at work was interesting as well. My first three customer were in their 90's and I never would have guessed. I saw my longest married couple today, they had been married for 64 years. My last customers of the day were Father and Son. Dad was 94 and in great shape, we talked about golfing and the John Deere Classic that is held where I am from. Apparently he had been golfing just the other day and had bought a brand new club.

After having seen so many people Friday that were in their 90's and 80's, I never would have guessed them to be that old, I began asking many of them if they were senior citizens because we offer them a 10% discount. Looks here are deceiving. I told them I was going to move up here because there must be something in the air. The people in Fort Atkinson were wonderful, friendly and fun, everyone knew everyone, the population only being about 400. Every day the coordinator for the church we were working would bring in baked goods, fresh fruit and sandwich fixings.

My partner on this trip was one of our districts top sales persons, she's been with the company for 9 years and she gave me some great pointers, her input has increased my sales significantly and she thinks I'm going to make a great PC. She also ended up changing motels and stayed at the Super 8 with me, helping me also to get a lower rate on my room for the week.

When I left Fort Atkinson and headed for home, I took Highway 150, a winding, curving and hilly drive. Beautiful now but I'm not looking forward to driving those roads in the winter. I stopped and took a few landscape photos and kicked myself in the butt after that, the sunset was phenomenal but I wanted to get home before dark, I didn't quite make it but those photos will forever remain in my mind.

Peace
Liz

Road Warrior - Always Carry A Spare Car Key When Traveling

This weeks adventure took me on winding country roads through quaint little towns, where main street is square and old City Hall buildings rest in the middle. Montezuma, Iowa was one of them, a very quaint little town, with Mom and Pop grocery stores and modern cafe's. A mixture of the past and present.

My destination, Agency Iowa. My first trip as a graduated Portrait Consultant. I decided to stop along I-80 at the Amana Colonies "mini mana's" as I call it, to treat myself to a little something. My bangs are getting too long and the wind blows them in my eyes, I had meant to pack a scarf but forgot. There were only woolen scarves available so as it was scorching hot, I opted for a cheap butterfly sun visor. I probably looked like a trip in my rusty old 91 Aerostar van; Classic Rock blaring on the radio, butterfly sun visor and shades.

The Super 8 in Ottumwa was only slightly better than the one in Mason City. I approached the front desk and the first thing that I observed was the office chair, the arms taped with duct tape. "You need a new chair" I said to the clerk. "Business is bad" he said. The lobby was inviting with the pool right there with beautiful stonework flooring. Again, I was hoping to make use of it but never found the time.

The room was ok; coffee pot where it should be, on the sink. There was a refrigerator this time so my yogurt didn't spoil. I unloaded, changed and headed for Agency. Another nice little town, more modern than the rest of the little towns I've visited, It was a "newer" town with ranch houses and split levels rather than little old farm houses.

I had a great first day with a bit of a humorous ending. I made my draw for the day plus a little bit more. I earn a salary, plus a draw on my commission every day. I have to sell a specific amount to meet that draw and everything over that I get a percentage of the sales. If I sell above a certain amount I draw a higher percentage.

Unfortunately I heard several of our customers express their surprise that they were going to be able to purchase additional portraits. One customer said "If I'd have known that, I would have wore a suit". Apparently this mission wasn't well planned, and this particular customer had only received a call about having their church directory photos taken the day before and the customer only wanted their free 8x10, putting a damper on sales. These parishioners had not had a portrait done in ten years. I even spoke with a middle aged gentleman who hadn't had his portrait taken since his High School photo.

The evening went by quickly. After my last customer, I went out to get the next one and there was nobody left. My partner said I kept up well and we both showed an equal number of sets. I was anxious to leave and get back to the motel and in my hurried state, I took a load out to the van and had to go back for the laptop so I could transmit my business to headquarters. I had thought I had tossed my car keys on the front seat of the van and went back in. My partner and 3 photographers were standing by the van so I wasn't worried about leaving them there.

Its funny the tricks your mind can play, especially when one is tired (also still sick). When I returned with the lap top I couldn't find my keys. It was dark but we looked with a flashlight all over the front of the van. We concluded that I must have taken them back inside and I was able to get a lift back to the motel with my partner (the lady who locked up the church had already gone).

Back at the Motel, I had no wheels to wander about town to look for dinner. So I hooked up my work laptop to transmit the days business and I didn't have much luck with that either. I could not transmit via wireless, I'm not sure why, so I resorted to dial up. It took eons. So I wandered down for coffee in the lobby because the coffee pot didn't work and I had a nice chat with the desk clerk while he made me a fresh pot. Whom I later found asleep at 2:30am when I returned to fill my cup.

I gave up on transmitting and thought I would try again in the morning. For some reason I had no problem with it the next morning, though the entire time I was having trouble with the work lap top, mine was connecting just fine.

It was good to see my old rusty van the next day and the photographers were more than happy to announce that they had found my keys laying on my table in the basement of the church. I ended up having yet another good day, almost identical to the previous one. However I had to drive three hours home immediately following. The good news is that in chatting with another customer, I was advised to return home via a different direction that was all four lanes and it would cut 1/2 hour off my drive time.

The roads were empty and dark and the most excitement I had was passing a sign advertising the "American Gothic Home" that was in the painting by Grant Wood. It would have been interesting to visit if it were not in the middle of the night. I arrived home at 2:00am barely alive, having stopped 9 miles from my 1st ex-husband in Columbus Junction to get gas and coffee. I had pondered asking if I could crash there, but the stop was refreshing and I woke up a tad and just wanted to get home. When I finally did, I was too wound to go to bed but finally did at 4:00am as the birds began waking up.

(Because I didn't take any photos this trip, I have graced you with a few of my favorite photos from the wedding I shot over the weekend and my version of "American Gothic". I was told when I began working with photographers, that they were very sensitive about their work, I've learned this past weekend, that I fall into that category as well..lol)

Peace
Liz

Road Warrior - Week 2

This week got off to a cool start and I packed all sleeveless blouses, go figure. The sky was clear and blue and uneventful (which was probably a good thing for me, my camera stayed in its case). I made it to Cedar Rapids in record time. Our first gig was at a beautiful Orthodox church in an very upper class neighborhood. Most of the members seemed to be related in some form or another. I had a positive attitude and high expectation that were quickly dashed. Not a bad selling day but not as good as I'd hoped. One family was very difficult and obnoxious but I hadn't given it a thought until my instructor had critiqued my performance in my notebook, saying I handled them very well. According to their standards, I have had several difficult customers but I suppose having worked with angry customers on the phone for nearly three years it never crossed my mind to label them as such, perhaps because they weren't angry and yelling. I saw them as being indecisive and impatient.

The remainder of the week was spent in Kensett, Iowa. It was a long trip to Mason City, where we stayed (120 miles from Minneapolis, Minnesota). I got lost several times (I swear only once was my fault). We were given the wrong name and address of the church in Kensett. Our district Marketing Rep had made the error. Apparently the pastor had two churches in the Kensett vicinity. I was very impressed when the next day he drove all the way from Waterloo to apologize in person for the mistake.

We stayed at Super 8 in Mason City, they skimped on their amenities, no ironing board, fridge, microwave (I'm getting spoiled already). I wanted to throw their little coffee pot, its not user friendly and there was no place to put it other than the spare chair because the desk was so small. My milk and yogurt went bad too. However they did have a pool that I didn't have time to utilize. The air conditioning unit looked like it had a rodent living inside it (ewwww). If I'm up this way again, I'll be finding a different motel. Their cleaning was more than under par; my toilet paper was nearly empty and wasn't changed, the hair I removed from the drain was still sitting on the side of the tub (I forgot to throw it in the trash), my coffee hadn't been replenished the entire time I was there and my ashtrays were still dirty. I had inquired at the front desk for a comment card to complain but they don't have any, the manager said I had to send an email..lol

Now, Kensett is a town with about a two block down town area with the usual a gas station and tattoo shop (yeah, a tattoo shop in the middle of no where). What struck me most about the little town was the telephone booth on the corner. For those who don't know what that is, a long time ago, before cell phones, there used to be small Plexiglas booths that you could stand in and for a dime, you could place a phone call to anywhere local and if you picked up the handset and dialed "0", you would get a real person to assist you. I used to call the operator sometimes for kicks and tell her that I lost my dime in the phone and a dime would suddenly appear. (is my age showing?) I remember when the price jumped to a quarter. I wonder if its a rotary phone or a push button. I asked one of the residents and they weren't sure.

One of the perks for me having a job where I am traveling are the little things I come across that strike me as interesting, out of the ordinary even the uniqueness of each individual community. I was most intrigued by the Wind Turbines everywhere up there and I can understand why, I was almost blown off the road several times by the wind. I inquired with one of my customers about them and it seems they sell the power to the Western states. I had to restrain myself from stopping along the road and taking photos but I did get a few shots while driving.

I began to feel a cold coming on midweek. My body just isn't used to this much activity, being on the go, go, go all day, every day. On Thursday, when all was said and done, after having a brief lapse in confidence, I wondered if I could really do this job physically and mentally, and do it well. I called in my numbers for the week and listened to the District Manger praise three people who had averages that were above 100 on "one" day this week and I realized that out of the four days I worked this week, three of my days were above 100 and Thursday my average was higher than those mentioned and I about went through the roof with excitement, that was the reassurance I needed to really know that I can do this job and do it well.

When I was arrived back at the motel and done for the week, standing in the lobby waiting for the elevator, in a suit, holding my briefcase and thinking to myself, "wow, I must really look professional, like someone with a great career" and it occurred to me that I "AM" that person and I do have a great career. Just that thought alone, I observed, compelled me to carry myself differently, more confidently. I'm 43 years old, a grandmother and finally, I have a career!

Peace
Liz