Four Hours at the Walk-In Clinic And...

I came home after my two week tour of most of the Western United States and my visit to two universities' college of pharmacy programs, and I found a house full of sick girls. Madison had started antibiotics for a double ear infection the Sunday I returned, and Emma has had a cough on and off for almost three weeks. And finally comes Allison. Poor Allison. She was sick the day I returned, and she only got worse as the week went along. She went to work on Monday, slept all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and went back to work on Thursday. She was so sick that she stayed in bed all day Friday and finally decided that she was sick enough to visit a doctor the following day.

Saturday I was working, so Allison had to work up enough energy to take both the girls (both getting over from their own sicknesses) to the walk-in clinic. When they arrived at the walk-in clinic, they were told it would be a two-hour wait. The kids were tired and started arguing, and then Madison started getting nasty. A time-out later and three-and-a-half hours of sitting in the waiting room, Allison and the girls get their own private room and... wait some more. When the doctor walks into the room, he feels her lymph nodes, looks at her swollen uvula, comments about the blisters in her throat, and starts asking questions. Allison answers that her throat hurts, and the doctor interrupts her with this brilliant question, "Have you tried ibuprofen?"

At this point, Allison doesn't answer, but Emma does. Now please remember, Emma is only FIVE YEARS OLD. It may have something to do with her daddy trying to get into pharmacy school or the fact that they've invested four hours of their Saturday to this clinic, but this is how she responded to the doctor: "Ibuprofen?!? She's taken ibuprofen! If ibuprofen was working, do you think we'd be here?!?"

The doctor looked at Emma, then at Allison, wrote the prescription for antibiotics, handed it to Allison, and walked out. I mean, how else can you respond to a five year old implying the question, "How many years of college did it take you to learn how to ask a question like that?"

I love my kids, but sometimes I wish that the mute button on the remote worked when we were out in the community and very clever one liners come booming out of their mouths like they're on stage at open mic night. Allison started her antibiotics and will hopefully be feeling better soon, and if I need to visit the doctor because I can't shake all the germs the girls gave me, I won't be visiting said walk-in clinic with Emma.

Tortilla Flat, AZ

While visiting with my mother in Arizona, we took a short trip out Apache Junction to the Superstition Mountain Range to a small town named Tortilla Flat, Arizona. If you think you come from a small town, think again. Tortilla Flat has a total population of SIX PEOPLE! Yep, I said six. It's a quant little town that includes a gift shop, restaurant, and a convenience store. While waiting for our table, we visited the gift shop where you can find shirts, hats, small treasures, and jewelry, and we stopped by outdoor seating area where there was live country music with freaking hilarious musicians.
There are speakers throughout town (remember, it's only on side of the road and about 100 yards long) to announce to everybody when your table is ready. When you walk into the restaurant, one of the first things that you notice is the unique wallpaper throughout the restaurant on the walls and ceiling. People sign a dollar bill or paper money from their home country, and the staff will staple it on the wall or ceiling.

There are not very many bare spots available for future signed money, and there are signs throughout the restaurant stating that taking money off the wall is stealing and the police will be called if you're caught. We found money from Canada, South Korea, Japan, Germany, and many other countries.

Throughout the restaurant are relics from the past that include a plow, tools, and other equipment used when the town was founded in 1904 as a stage stop. The food we were served was delicious, and the atmosphere makes this town a must see, but the road in is not to be desired. It's curvy and slow, but you do have the opportunity to see a couple of beautiful lakes before and after the town. When driving out to Tortilla Flat, you will pass Canyon Lake which offers many places for picnics or swimming, and after the town is Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake. The lakes are amazing, and at specific points, cliffs shoot out of the water hundreds of feet straight up.


The town is small but well worth the visit, and my mom and I had an amazing time enjoying the lake, the mountains, and this small town of Tortilla Flat. I am including the town's website which will tell you more about the town and its history: http://www.tortillaflataz.com/index-2.html

Gregg

Sedona The Beautiful!

So, I took an Amtrak train from home through Sacramento, CA to Denver, CO for my interview at Regis University. I then took a Greyhound bus from Denver, CO to Raton, NM where I caught another Amtrak train to Flagstaff, AZ. Flagstaff is a quant little town in northern Arizona that has many old buildings that house fun little shops. Our hotel, the Hotel Monte Vista, was built in 1927 and housed at least two bars which could be heard till at least 2:00 AM on a Saturday night (or morning I guess). The next morning, my mom and I took a side trip through Sedona, AZ, where there are so many beautiful red mountains towering above the road. The small little town of Sedona was full of fun shops and many tour companies, including one that offered to excort you through the rough terrain in pick Jeeps.

My mom and I walked through so many shops, talked with many of the locals, and were given advice on where to explore during our Sedona visit. Just standing in the middle of town, you are able to experience one of the greatest gifts God has given us on this beautiful Earth. The red mountains tower above the town in so many unique formations, that you can't help yourself but to just stand and stare (then turn slowly turn in circles and stare some more). There are many great resturants in the area and many resorts where you can stay and see these spectacular mountains and have the weekend to experience the town. You have opportunities to sit and enjoy another person's company over a glass of ice tea or a beer, or you can find hiking trails to get some exercise and experience the mountains in an entirely different fashion. When walking through the town of Sedona, you come across many different statues - some are bronze, some are painted, some are big, and some are small. The street art helps to solidify what the town of Sedona is: a great family vacation spot.

The area of Sedona that my mom and I choose to explore was the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It is a small Catholic Chapel built into the red rock, and you are able to go into the chapel to pray or visit the gift shop downstairs where we saw so many beautiful and amazing things to buy. Many of the items you can buy are made from the red rock itself. There are many different navity scenes ranging from traditional to a Native American version, and we even found some Jewish items, including a menorah. From the Chapel, you can see many of the red mountains around you, because the Chapel is much higher than the highway that runs between and around the mountains. Plus, you have many high peaks directly above you when you're standing with your back to the Chapel. The views are amazing, and the town is fabulous. I highly recomend a visit to Sedona, AZ, and I hope that you have enjoyed the photos I have taken of our trip.

One final piece of information when you visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona is this, pay attention to the last house you pass when you get to the Chapel. If you miss it, you will get a great view of it when you stand next to this little piece of stone artwork next to the entrance of the chapel. I have a picture of the house you will see - it is HUGE! It has its own pond and gazebo in the lower portion of the yard. It has a four car garage. You can't really see from this picture, but his help has their own home on the back corner of the property. Who own's this house? It was just purchased for $25 million dollars by the actor Nic Cage. We didn't see him, but his house is large and has amazing views of Sedona.

Now that I have visited Sedona, my mom and I have laid low for a few days, but we are heading out of town tonight to get a clear view of the stars. Tomorrow, however, I must head to Tucson, AZ, where I will have my second interview in a week, and then I will finally head home to my wife and daughters. I have missed them so much, and will be thankful to return home.

Gregg

A New American Adventure

Regis University

As many of you know, Allison, our girls, and I drove round-trip to Omaha, NE, last spring, well this year, I am taking the adventure alone. Well, I have traveling buddies, but I don't have Allison and the girls with me. I rode the train to Denver, CO, for an interview at Regis University with my dad. Our train ride took about 55 hours, but we had a blast! We met people from all over the country with all sorts of occupations, and we enjoyed how beautiful our country is. If you have never taken the train through Colorado, I suggest that you do, because it is one of the most beautiful parts of the country I have ever seen.

There are several differences between riding on a train and flying in a plane, and some of them are time, you can sit just about anywhere from your seat, the cafe, the diner, and the observation car, and even though you can keep to yourself, you are close enough to other people to start many conversation with people from all over the world. We met people from almost every state in the western United States, and we met people from Europe and New Zealand. One gentleman we met was taking a complete tour of the United States on trains, and was heading back home to the Midwest. The opportunity to meet people makes the train such an adventure, but some of that adventure includes meeting some strange people too. As I stated before, you are able to keep to yourself and avoid those people you don't want to meet, but those people are rare and won't ruin your adventure. The biggest difference between a plane and a train, however, is seeing what you traverse instead of flying over it.

My time at Regis University was amazing! I loved the campus and the pharmacy program is fabulous! I believe that the interview and two page essay I had to write went very well, and I am anxious to see the results of this interview. My travels, however, are not complete, and I took a bus from Denver, CO (through Colorado Springs, CO) to Raton, NM. I then took a train from Raton, NM to Flagstaff, AZ. The scenery was again amazing, and the landscape was mostly covered in snow the entire train ride. My dad did not accompany me on this leg of the journey, he flew home from Denver while I enjoyed more of our country.

Once in Flagstaff, AZ, I walked from the train station to the Hotel Monte Vista where I met my mom. The next day we drove from Flagstaff through Sadona to her home. But, that adventure will have to wait, as do I. I have another interview to attend, but this interview is at the University of Arizona on Friday. Until my next blog, be sure to enjoy your family, love your family, and hug your family.

Gregg