Did the mountain seem oddly uneasy on Monday and Tuesday?  A little darker and more somber?  Colors maybe not as bright and vibrant?  Birds not singing?  Some of the life just drained away?

That's right...I was away from the mountain.

 A couple of weeks ago, Susan, the Postmaster, told me that she really, really, really needed another person as back up for the post office here at Grizz.  She has Kim, the Saturday person who is wonderful and she has Carolynda, who has been appropriated by Somerset since Jeff, the Postmaster down there retired in May, moving Elena, one of the clerks, into the temporary Postmaster position and necessitating another person to fill in her slot indefinitely.

Basically, she wanted a back up for her back ups and she lured me in with the assurance that in a year, I could buy into the group health insurance plan.  Since I have been without health insurance for 7 years, the idea was appealing.

I filled out an application, got called for a processing date and was told that no, I'm not eligible for the group health plan.  >:<

So here I was driving all the way to West Sacramento to process for a job I didn't want (No offense to all of you mail having people, but I have plenty enough to keep me busy, thank you very much), for money I don't need (it's very true that McDonald's actually pays more for entry level - they totally ignore my 18 years of Air Force Civil Service prior to this) and benefits that don't exist.

Still, I felt compelled to do it and I don't know why.  I had to leave at 5:30 to be in West Sac by 7:30 and allow time to walk a block to the building I needed to find.  Then I had to spend two days (until 3:30pm each day) going through training that had absolutely nothing to do with anything at all I was doing.  I wanted to pull out my eyes with an olive fork.  Traffic down... traffic back. 

I spent $80 on babysitting and gasoline for the 2 days.  I made $120 gross (very gross) for the 2 days.  I will do some training with Susan next week and after that, I will work when Susan needs time off and Kim can't fill in. 

I really don't know the overall purpose in the scheme of things for doing this.  I'm sure it will eventually be revealed.

The good news is I have learned that due to a passenger side mirror on my jeep, when I am driving West in the morning and the sun is coming up behind me, the shadow of my jeep looks like a big Shrek head on the pavement.

Such is life.

Glad it's over and life is resuming again.

And that's all I've got to say about that. 

Be particular,