Things, Things, and More Things.

Dear Utah,

Maybe it's ironic that after saying my goodbyes and saying adieu to somewhere I thought I would never see (okay, maybe not never, just a long time) again, that just one and a half short weeks after we moved here, I was sitting on a plane contemplating what it would be like to go back.
On December 31, 2009, my sweet Nana passed away just 6 days after my wife and I set sail to a new world called Fargo. On the 6th of January I was on a plane headed back home to pay homage to a woman who begat my father who begat me. On January 9th, the day that would have been Nana's 81st birthday celebration was instead a celebration of her family legacy. The services were simple and sweet and paid tribute to a very strong woman.
Being in Utah again was nice. I had the opportunity to spend more time with my parents and brothers and sisters. Time that was robbed from me because of our prompt departure. We spent the majority of our time playing games (a Parker Brother past time), socializing and reminiscing.
My flight back home (to Fargo) seemed a bit surreal. I was going to a place that was my home, but that I barely knew. Immediately following arriving home, I began searching for job opportunities. There were lots of decisions to be made concerning school and work. There are still many undecided questions. My sweet wife was just as diligent in applying for positions for me as I was for myself. In fact, I think she applying for more jobs for me then I did for myself. Actually, I know that's true because on the 20th of January, I got called by Erin Eboine, the recruiter for White Drug Pharmaceuticals. She was interested in the application that I turned in and said she would like to interview me and was impressed with my cover letter. I played it cool and told her the things she wanted to hear and made an appointment to have another phone interview. The moment she said goodbye, I made a phone call to my wife and asked her if she knew who White Drug was. She gave me a long yes and said, why? I then proceeded to tell her that they called. She was very excited for me - and told me she'd have to share what she wrote on the cover letter with me before the interview!
One more phone interview, a couple of e-mails, a physical interview, a couple more e-mails, a discussion with my wife, and some follow-up calls, I was hired! Unfortunately, the particular location I had applied and been hired for is not finished. So, in lieu of training me immediately, they decided to train my future boss (who was also new to the company) a week before I started. They gave me a start date of February 9th. A day or two after they called me again and asked me if I wanted to start work on the 1st of February instead, but that I wouldn't be doing pharmacy-related work, but warehouse stocking of drugs for a week. I said that would be fantastic, who cares what you are doing when you get paid! 40 hours a week, 8am-4:30pm, 30-minute break, and $something-something per hour, and we are all ready to go.
Two or three days after initial contact from White Drug, Amanda, while driving the Passat, found that there was a significant power loss that led to the complete shut down of the car. She called me from a nearby jewelery store several miles away and I immediately came and picked her up, gave the car the once-over and decided there was nothing we could do that evening. There is still nothing we can do! Apparently the timing belt was on its last leg. And, unfortunately, the Passat has an interference engine, which in lamen's terms means at least $600-$1200 extra dollars to repair on top of the already $900 to replace the timing belt. To make me feel like all hope was completely gone, the VW dealership (a.k.a the stealership) told me that they don't even typically repair the engine after a break, but that they do a COMPLETE engine replacement; ranging from $4000-$6000. Vehicle worth: $2850. Still owed: $1350. Cost of repair: $1500-$6000. Preemptive replacement of timing belt: priceless... not quite priceless, but more like $700. Odds of winning the lottery: at least they have one in North Dakota; odds of getting struck by lightening: three times more likely.
The past three days has been a battle to determine the best course of action regarding the car. A battle of pricing versus scammerships versus time versus quality versus...my head hurts. Determination: share one vehicle with wife and see how it goes. Top three cars: 2008 Ford Edge, 2010 Mazda 3 5-door Sport, and surprisingly, the 2010 Ford Focus. Anyone know someone who sells cars but isn't a scammer? Please let me know. Please. I am willing fly out and drive the car back home.
I will report on the job and car situation later.
On a bright note, my wife and I have engaged in the South Beach diet. We've had many delicious meals including Fillet Mignon with Tomato Topping, Artichoke Chicken, Coconut Chicken, and Roasted Eggplant Stuffed with Beef. Many delicious things to fill the sadness. By the way, it's still negative degrees in Fargo. Gotta love it.

Sincerely,

Mr. Gee