Lunch, Dinner, or Brunch with our Meter Friends!

Glen at Tillamook PUD in Tillamook, OR (June 2008)

June of 2008, Brad had spent a week training Glen at Tillamook PUD in Tillamook, Oregon. It was the last day of the training when I took this photo. Glen & his wife Wendy had us over for a lovely dinner. We enjoy spending time with them when we are in the area and try to stop by to say "Hello" whenever we can. We had gone out to lunch with Glen and also with another co-worker: Dave to the Tillamook Creamery. Having grown up in the NW, I have long enjoyed their delicious cheeses and ice cream flavors. Always a treat!

When he's not performing his metering job, Glen's passion for music and his skill for craftwork is poured into the beautiful guitars that he makes in his shop at home. He gave us a tour in the pre-construction stage of building his shop just off the new garage. We look forward to visiting Glen & his wife Wendy again and to see the finished shop. We appreciate the home cooked dinners and great company too!

Brent visiting us in SLC (August 2009)

Brent is a dear friend and journeyman meterman who works in Grants Pass, OR and was going to be in Salt Lake City on business. He called to see if Brad was going to be in town. (With all our travel and owning two homes [one in Salt Lake and one in Portland] it was a 30/70 chance we'd be in town). Yes! Brent hit the 30% jackpot ... Brad & I were going to be in town! We invited Brent over for dinner and had a great time catching up with him and sharing our books (in raw form), which were nearing the 1st printing. Brent is a former apprentice who had been in one of the last of the classes Brad would teach at Pacificorp. We caught up with Brent again in August of 2010 as we were finishing the last leg of our Business Trip.

Dinner with Mitch at The Catfish Hole in Alma, AR (October 2009)

We met up with Mitch at this fantastic family restaurant. He and Brad enjoyed unlimited catfish and I had the grilled cajun trout - ALL of it was scrumptious! While we were perusing the menu they plied us with coleslaw, pickled onions, pickles, and a bottomless bowl of mouth watering hush puppies... Yummy! (Who needs a menu, these little goodies were a meal almost in itself). I got my first LBT: Little Blue T-Shirt. (A logo'd shirt in that very pretty medium/light blue color.)

Mitch works for Oklahoma Gas & Electric. He shared with us his vision of a Safety Presentation he has deliverd, that focuses on having a Passion for safety! Speaking to the HEART rather than the mind to drive the point of safety home... A fabulous concept for keeping workers safe.

Dinner with Jim at Nonna Emilia's in Aloha, OR (November 2009)

Jim was in town working as a contractor for a company here in Portland. We met up with him in Aloha, OR for dinner at Nonna Emilia's. They have great food, but it was really cold outdoors and chilly inside as well. It was great fun to see him and share our recently printed books. Jim took a sample set with him to share with others in his area. Jim lives in Shelton, WA and his love & passion for motorcycles keeps him busy when he's not doing metering work.

Lunch in Las Cruces, NM with Ray from El Paso Electric (July 2010)

"Just stay put, I'll come get you!" and Ray drove out to where we'd taken a wrong turn and led us in the right direction to meet up at McCalister's Deli in Las Cruces, NM. It was a scrumptious lunch and really 'sweet' Sweet Tea! Ray shared with us lots of stories about his metering career and his experiences with apprentices and his own mentors. Ray is not only choc full of stories, but he's a good story teller too! His delivery and timing make for good tales. The lunch hour literally "flew" by! Ray is a conscientioius meterman and all about safety. If you ever get to meet him, ask him to tell you the story about the bull or the one about the bear in the cabin of an 80yr old man. Then all the stories about the border patrol, etc... there in El Paso, TX where he works. (There's gotta be a movie plot in one of those stories, somewhere... ) Thanks Ray! We really had fun getting to know you and glad you were able to share your lunchtime with us!

Fun & Food with Friends in Franklin, TN (July 2010)

We contacted our MSEMA friends to coordinate meeting up with them and their wives for dinner. It was really, really hot and humid that night when we all met up at the Outback restaurant in Franklin, TN.

As we said our goodbye's we commented on the lightening, which Brad & I found really fascinating as it flashed multiple strikes across the sky. Someone mentioned "Oh, that's just heat lightening" which is so familiar to them .... Being used to seeing random single lightening streaks in the West, we sat there in our car for nearly 30 minutes talking and watching the storm!

In this picture (L-R): Reggie & Pam, Brad & Michele, Trish (David's wife), Cathy & Rick, and David (Trish's husband). It was a lot of fun sharing a range of stories related to road trips, travel, and of course: metering!

Dinner with Glenn & Kathy in Corinth, MS (July 2010)

Our friend Glenn lives in Corinth, MS with his wife Kathy & their sons. Glenn works at ACE-Power and is a MSEMA member whom we stopped to have dinner with. We were staying in Historic Downtown Corinth at the General's Quarters Bed & Breakfast. Glenn & Kathy picked us up and took us on a tour around their hometown before driving us out to the Country Squire in Iuka, MS for dinner and we got to see their lovely home en route. Country Squire is that traditional and friendly place where most everyone stops at on their way to or from fishing/boating at the lake. Great food and warm family atmosphere. People were visiting and catching up as if we were all cousins visiting at a Summer Reunion. Glenn gave the Blessing and then he & Brad dug in to unlimited Catfish... Kathy & I each enjoyed delicious chicken salads. I bought another LBT (Little Blue T-shirt) to add to my collection of road-trip memorabilia. On the drive back to the B&B, Glenn stopped to show us the Kingsford Charcoal plant and talked about how they make Chlorine in the processing. Fascinating - Bleach from a charcoal plant, who'd have thunk it?! We sure enjoyed our wonderful adventure! God Bless them for their warm hospitality and friendship. Very sweet couple.

Lunch with Aaron & Bart in Cleveland, TN (July 2010)

We first met Aaron via phone when he called to order a set of books. We were preparing to attend MSEMA and discussed bringing his books with us for him to pick up there. It was nice to be able to put a face to a voice. Aaron and his manager Bart really liked the books. They called to order another set of books for their shop at Cleveland Utilities while we were on the road (August 2010), so we offered to bring them by personally en route from Bryan, TX to Concord, NC via Nashville, TN.

We enjoyed our lunch with Aaron and Bart at the very popular Jenkins Deli. It was scrumptious!! You felt like family there. After lunch they gave us a tour of their training/meeting space building an offered us the use of their facility any time. We are working on a few training courses that we will be able to offer there and possibly work with Pellissippi State to offer CEU's as well. (Stay tuned)

Mike & The Metergod hanging out in Ashland, OR (August 2010)

Mike is another one of the apprentices Brad had taught, who has become a journeyman and a very dear friend. Mike had helped Brad set up the training facilities in Sandy, UT and Wilsonville, OR doing most of the work, as Brad had ongoing training & planning obligations. We called Mike from Reno, NV to see if he & Monica would be home that evening. We wanted to take them to dinner there in Medford, OR. Instead, they invited us to stay the weekend, welcoming us into their home with open arms. We had a great time!

[By The Way, those cute sunglasses on Mike's hat later fell off into the creek as we walked through Lithia Park in Ashland, OR. The children playing there all gathered up to jump in and offer to help us, albeit unsuccessfully, in attempting to retrieve the glasses].

Lunch with the Ozarks Electric Metering Crew in Fayetteville, AR (October 2010)

Brad and I enjoyed our lunch with Metermen: Jeff, Brad, and Matt the Monday after the 2010 Arkansas Meter School in Fayetteville, AR. We went to one of the three "Penguin Ed's BBQ" restaurants [the one way out west - on Wedington] You can also find a tie-dyed t-shirt with the phrase: "Peace, Love, and BBQ" or purchase a "Keep Fayetteville Funky" bumper sticker or mug. The extensive menu with a variety of BBQ favorites was impressive. The quaint decor showcased an eclectic collection of penguins in various forms throughout the place. Before lunch however, we took a tour of their facilitiy & meter shop. Click to see PHOTOS of that visit.

David, Kim, Rick, and Brad at NES in Nashville, TN (October 2010)

We stopped in at Nashville Electric Service (NES) to visit with our good friends Rick & David a few days after the planning session for MSEMA in Franklin, TN. They gave us a tour of their meter offices, shop, and training area. We were introduced to their manager: Kim, a man who has an amazing memory! He could remember what he had installed (or worked on) and where it was located if you were to ask him a question about that service, even one he had done 10 or more years before!

We enjoyed lunch at Rotiers in Nashville, TN. It is a local favorite that was recommended to us by our 'on the road' Chiropractor: Dr. Dagen in Smyrna, TN. [Brad's back had gotten worse by the time we arrived in Franklin on Sunday night, so when we woke up, I found Dr. Dagan online and they were able to see Brad that morning. He was back on his feet by the end of the week, but still in a lot of pain at the time of this photo].

Lunch with our friends at NV Energy in Reno, NV (August 2010)

We met up with our NV Energy friends at the Little Waldorf Saloon. Brad and I sat down at a table for 4, but a couple other co-workers had come along, so we moved to a larger table. Only thing was: I had left my camera on the table and didn't realize it until we were about to leave. So, I have no photo of our new friends to share with you here, fortunately though, it was turned in and I still have my camera!

Anyway, we had a lot of fun hearing about how well the books were working out for them and how they were helping to improve communication among the related electricity metering fields. Next time through I'll remember my camera before we order lunch to be able to capture that "kodak moment".

Dale, Brad, & Ryan - July (2010)

Brad, Dale, and Ryan had lunch in May 2010. I was in Portland at the time (so no photo). Dale & Ryan were "in the neighborhood" on our moving day (from the SLC house) and thought they'd drop by for a chat during their lunch hour. Brad was delighted to see them. He shared his books & the training sheets with them. Ryan & Brad went through their apprenticeship at the same time and have many years & stories together. The first time I met Ryan was at the annual Harris 4th of July breakfast up in the canyon in 2007! Ryan was working that day and he stopped long enough to have a glass of juice with us. This was my first time meeting Dale. Great guys... lots of stories and laughs for these three that afternoon. It's wonderful that we now have "right now" technology that lets friends stay connected, even if they are miles apart.

New friends Warren & Terry (July 2010)

We met Warren and Terry while eating breakfast at the General's Quarters Bed & Breakfast in Corinth, MS. We started chatting with them and discovered that they had lived in the Pacific Northwest and we had so many immediate connections. It was delightfully unexpected to find such warm and welcoming folks who offered their home if we were ever in Memphis, TN. Warren had just finished his training to become a minister and was sharing with us how excited he was to start preparing sermons and build up the community positively in both his church and town. God Bless them for their loving hearts and warm friendship.

Maggianno's Dinner with NWMS Friends in Bellevue, WA (September 2008)

A few of our friends (some of whom were former apprentices) met up with us in Bellevue, WA for dinner at Maggianno's in September 2008. It was the 4th day of meter school and everyone was preparing to leave for home the next morning...

It was after this meter school that Brad went home and began his work on what would become the Meterman's Bible. It is an inspiring story that's just begun!

L-R: Mac and Mike from Pacificorp; Glen from Tillamook PUD; Kevin from Idaho Falls Power. [Not pictured here, but in attendance were: Smilin' Lyle & Jim. (They are pictured elesewhere in this album though... So maybe a little "I-Spy" fun for you, eh?)

Smilin' Lyle & The Metergod at Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA (September 2010)

After the Friday morning lecture we met up with Smilin' Lyle for some Piroshky's and a soda at Pike Place Market in Seattle. It's one of the "must stop" places for me. [That's a Diet Dr. Pepper for Lyle - in case you were wondering] After our lunch we walked around the shops and Lyle found a new bolo tie to add to his collection.

It was such nice weather, we finished our walking and visiting outside along the waterfront. I took photos of the starfish and other cute little fishy-fishy we saw along the pier while Lyle & Brad caught up. We might even make it to the aquarium one of these days.

Lunch at Grad School with the Springfield Metering Guys (October 2011)

We enjoyed our time in Springfield, MO with the City Utilities Metermen: Jack, Brad, Wally and Frank. We were here to deliver a 2-day training session. It is always nice to get away from the office/classroom for a a few minutes and go to lunch, to get to know the guys on a personal level. We enjoyed our lunch at Grad School, which was recommended to us by our waiter from Sunday's breakfast [at Gailey's]. Everyone ordered the Burger Special, except me, I just had to be different, and order the fish!

Johnny and his best friend at the Lineman's Rodeo 2011 (October)

"Hey Johnny!" Okay, so he is not a meterman, he is a lineman and now lineman trainer. John and Brad go back a long ways. We just couldn't have a "Let's do lunch" page without at least one photo from the many lunches, breakfasts, and dinners we've had with him (and if it's not tax season, his wife Georgia).

Pizza with EWEB's Meter Department - Eugene, OR (May 2012)

Training with the EWEB (Eugene Water & Electric Board) Metering Team in early May. We enjoyed being treated to pizza and visiting with Kim, Janet, Frank, Mike, Rob, Matt, Rich, and You-know-who (and Yours Truly - behind the camera)! A very tight knit group of great guys & gals. We are looking forward to future visits with this group - especially since Yours Truly is a Quacker Backer from the 80's! Go Ducks!

NWMS 2011 - Dinner with Adam and Co-Worker at Ivar's Salmon House (Sept 2011)

One of our three favorite places to eat when we are in Seattle during Meter School week is Ivar's Salmon House. We took our good friend Adam (a former apprentice of Brad's) and his Co-Worker, Tonia out to dinner. They work for Clark County PUD in Vancouver, WA. It's always nice to catch up with friends and it seems like there's never enough time.