Woed to Mountain Home

Within the last six months my work routine has taken a rather drastic detour.  That's right a detour . . . to MOUNTAIN HOME.  For a woman who normally thrives on routine, I initially welcomed the prospect of a work day becoming a ROAD TRIP!  My first trip out there I was so filled with optimism that when my alarm sounded at its regular 5 am, I think I actually bounded out of bed instead of pounding at the snooze button sixteen or seventeen times.  And then I spent my first actual day in Mountain Home.  At the end of that day, and every day I've worked there since, one thought crosses my mind . . . repeatedly.  I HATE MOUNTAIN HOME!  I have been to Mountain Home on the RAINIEST, COLDEST, WINDIEST, and SNOWIEST of days.  When we had THE worst road conditions in years, I was driving on them, all the way to Mountain Home.  The already tedious hour drive became somewhere near two . . . both ways.  However, I must say those treacherous road conditions did make my commute somewhat easier.  Yes, easier!  I believe I managed to stay awake for the ENTIRE drive those particular mornings!  

Most mornings my commute to Mountain Home requires at least one . . . detour.  (You know, that word is really starting to have some strong negative connotations for me!).  My record for "coffee pit stops" is three.  Yep, three.  Did I mention I had made a pot before leaving too?And then there are the mornings I have to take "rumble strip pit stops." What is this, you ask?  This detour becomes necessary when I have hit the rumble strips, yet again and scared myself so badly, that this time I have to pull over.  No, not to sleep, as you might be guessing, but to part with at least some of the immense amount of coffee I have desperately consumed.

 

But I'm forgetting my intention of this post!  This week the tinges of spring are everywhere!  Being filled with tinges of spring myself, I decided to give Mountain Home a second chance.  I entered the city limits Tuesday morning with fresh determination to find SOMETHING delightful there. After work I spent some time navigating the streets (poorly I do admit), patronizing the stores (okay, just Wal-Mart) and getting an overall feel for its camo-clad citizens. My intention was to share with you a piece I was going to entitle, An Ode to Mountain Home.  Alas, after all of my research I managed to find only TWO aspects of Mountain Home worth mentioning.  The first being, The Fossettes.  

 

Stan, Amy and Jeremy Fossette are good friends of mine who actually manage to live in Mountain Home!  They invited me to their HOME which is nowhere near the MOUNTAINS (but nothing in the entire city is!) where we ate pizza, admired Stan's new truck (woot woot Nissan) and then Jeremy and I tickled each other silly before I was on my way again.  Which brings me to the other good thing I managed to find . . .

THE ROAD HOME!

 

Mountain Home, I sincerely tried to like you but I'm sorry, you are a truly miserable city!  However, each time I travel the monotonous interstate that lies between us I grow ever more grateful for the often dreadful city in which I reside!  You make it feel oh, so good to come home!