January 30, 2006
We finally made it home this morning. Had a flight snafu in Cody yesterday. Missed our flight. Delta was quite forgiving and didn’t gig us for the flight change. I’m impressed. Spent an extra night at the local Holiday Inn. Took my mama and Lou out to the Irma Hotel for dinner ($57, plus $10 tip, cash).

Had a 4:15 wakeup call. We took off at 6:05 in total darkness. Small prop plane, extremely windy. They asked if any passengers would volunteer to go later. The airline was worried about the weight (always a bad sign), but we made it fine.

Saturday was a huge day in Sheridan. Over a thousand people turned out in the snow (they got five inches during the night and the town was beautiful, especially to desert rats like us). My Regional Sales Manager Sue Lambert and I joined the mayor and his wife and we were taken in a carriage from the City Court House to the Buffalo Bill Sheraton Inn where they fired off a cannon (fortunately after we were out of the carriage). They had a big brass band playing on the porch. Wall to wall TV cameras. I did three TV interviews and one radio station interview before we even got inside. They had a big, long 30 foot banner draped across the veranda railing that said, "The Number One Western Town In America!" Standing room only. The mayor introduced me, but not before Joe LaForge, a local Native American did a couple dances along with a woman and then he presented me with a Pendleton blanket. Then Joe asked me to dance with him (I’m not making this up!) and I took his arm, with the Indian Maiden on the other, and we took off on a turn around the room and I fell into a kind of mating ritual dance meets the pony, thanks to all the Girl’s Gym dances at Mohave County Union High School, and on the second time around the room, I said to Joe, “How many laps are we gonna do?” and he laughed and then the song ended and I jumped up on the stage and spoke and presented the mayor the trophy. Loud cheers for a town that finally got its day in the sun. It was a proud moment for Sue and I. She leaned over to me at one point and whispered, “Can you believe this all started around our little conference table?” It was quite a sight. More later.

Favorite Onion Headline de Jour
Boy, Dolphin No Longer On Speaking Terms

Had a board meeting today at one. Bob McCubbin was in town and we met in the above, mentioned conference room. Approved the 2006 budget. A very nice meeting for a change. We have come a long way and we’re all quite proud of the progress we’ve made.

“The time is now, the place is here. Stay in the present. You can do nothing to change the past, and the future will never come exactly as you plan or hope for.”
—Dan Millman