Life in "Flyover Country"

I had work in Springfield, Colorado today, As I headed out on the highway, I couldn't help but notice how light the traffic was on 287, which was supposed to see traffic increase as the alternate route on the Portss to Plains highway.

Springfield and Clayton are both in what the media derisively calls "flyover country". This area is routinely ignored by media as well as tourists. It is seen as flat and not interesting, so much so that an article I read recently on New Mexico made a comment mocking the idea of skiing in New Mexico, when in fact some enthusiasts rate our slopes higher than Colorado's.

All of that was on my mind when I headed into Springfield. I have a pretty hard and fast rule that when I work in a small town like that I try to eat in town, if that's possible. It's a very small gesture I can do for their local economies, but if everyone did it, it would have an impact.

I stopped at the Trails End, a small diner with a decent sized dining room in the back. It was good food. Not exceptional, but it got to me fairly quickly and hot, and the restaurant was very nicely kept. If you're looking for a recommendation or endorsement when going through, I'm glad to give it. They also have a nice barbeque place across the street, but it wasn't open today, which is why I tried the Trails End.

I went to an Antique store on the same block and had a conversation with the proprietors about the local economy (I also found some great old books, which is always a plus). Their response was that it was terrible, and that's a response that seems common all over. People just don't travel anymore, don't check out small towns like Springfield.

I then headed down to the local museum, which is a charming combination of community center, library and museum. It's an extremely quaint, one room museum (if you're going, the librarian lets you in), and a pretty neat idea for a town with clearly limited resources.

The job wound up being nixed (the parts had not been delivered, but I did get to spend a little time in a very nice community, and as I drove back through two communities on my route that had dwindled down to nothing, I wondered if twenty years from now the same would be true of Clayton, Boise City and Springfield.

It also reminded me of something very important: why I stay. Because while more money can be made elsewhere, I can't replace the feeling that I get when I walk into a small one room museum, or living in a corner of the world where every dining experience is the quaint little restaurant people crave in larger cities. And when I look up at night, somewhere among the massive stars I can see the lights of your plane as you "fly over", oblivious to the incredible people and places you're overlooking.

Pulling Back For a Bit

I think I'm about ready to go into "winter mode", whatever that is.

Townes' suspension is increasingly groaning in protest as I drive the miles to work, and my body is increasingly groaning in protest. It is stressful to sit between gigs, not knowing when the next work is going to come and hoping you can pay the bills.

And so it appears time for a slowdown. I'm trying to grow my clientele in a nearby town as there is no market where I live, and am going to continue that on a regular basis. Other than that, I'm going to severely limit my jobs for awhile. I'll bid them, but not on a route until spring, when hopefully we can either do some serious surgery on Townes or find a suitable replacement.

This van has given me a lot of miles; about 80,000 in the four years I've had it. The engine's still sound, the transmission's still good, he's just old and tired and in need of some TLC. And constantly worrying about the state of my ride isn't helping on the long road trips.

I'm at a loss for extra ways to drive in income; if anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate them passing them my way. In the meantime, I am going to have to figure out a way to fund my trips out for some writing projects I will be researching this winter. I guess the slowdown's just causing me to focus on other things.

I'll keep you updated here. I still plan on lots of excitement; I just may have to space it out until the money situation improves.

To Go, or Not to Go

I was prepared for the slowness of the offseason, but it has been a little slower than I hoped. As I write this, I am on hold for a project, and the reason I am on hold underscores what I don't like about the direction IT is taking.

See, I was dispatched out last week for a back office PC install. I went to the site, discovered two parts missing that are kind of crucial for the installation. I was released from site, but as I discussed the situation, I explained that it would be Monday (today) or Tuesday before the job could be finished.

He was adamant about it needing to be done before Tuesday.

And so I headed home, with a game plan: if it looked like a no go for the parts on Monday, I would get the parts and return to the site and complete the install. I could worry about the reimbursement later.

I arose this morning planning to do that, but was shot down by the buyer. They didn't have a way of reimbursement. Now, as I write this, I at long last have an answer from the buyer sending me to the site tomorrow (Tuesday), which was not the customer's preference.

But in all of this, what gets lost is the customer. The person who should be at the very center is pushed off to the side. Nobody benefits.

And so I get to go onsite, and because I am the face of it all, I get to see the customer's frustration. Hey, I'm good with that, but I still think there's a better way to serve the customer.

My hope is to hold my vehicles together through winter, and that in the spring we can be better positioned to travel. I can't make money standing still.