Thanksgiving 1999 in Ann Arbor
Happy Holidays Everybody!
I have to thank some special folks for their moral and financial support over these last three years. First David & Kary, my father Ben, my Grandear, my mom, and Michael Dewey for their moral support and pushing me when I thought I had nothing else to give... I would like to thank David & Kary, Bud & Deb, Bobby & Marry, and last but not least mom & dad for the financial support, offered at times when it was needed most. And most importantly I would like to thank my darling boy Cody for just being, "Cody" you are my inspiration baby, and I love you very much!
My road back to school in 1995, started shortly after my mission but didn't culminate in my return until 1998. After spending a brief season in the United States Marine Corps, as a young newly wed Private First Class I realized I was facing six months at sea out of the year... This was not an option! After the Marines I worked graveyard for a little over a year at a Plywood mill in Southern Oregon. Pulling dry chain for 40 hours a week is an honest living, but the sweat and boredom soon left me yearning for something else... Anything else really, flipping burgers for 1/3 the pay would have been refreshing to grading the knots in veneer for 8 hours a day...
In 1996 I went to work for my Uncles Bobby, Steve, and Buddy... These three men along with my little brother drove me to realize that an education is imperative to future success. For had I not had the chance to work with them, I may still be at the plywood mill... Realizing that success does not hinge upon simply having a degree, I learned that drive, commitment, enthusiasm, confidence, and knowledge combined can be the key. And when I began looking at school again early in 1997, it took much time and planning to make happen. But now I am at the end of this brief journey, and at the beginning of another.
Won't you come and celebrate with me during this special time of transition in my life! Even if you can not attend, Happy Holidays from me to you, and know that you are in my heart where ever you may be!
Below is a Holiday letter to all of my friends, family, and loved ones. I wrote it over Thanksgiving break 1999 while on a train ride to Ann Arbor Michigan.
Hey friends and family-
As I'm sitting here watching the Iowa landscape slowly go by, (we just passed through Ottumwa where Corporal O'reilly from MASH is from about an hour ago) I thought I would write many of my friends and loved ones back home an actual letter of sorts, not just a note. The train has been wonderful for actually sitting back, and slowing down. I may be strange but it's very relaxing... I must have slept for 12 hours last night. The secret is getting a sleeper car, screw coach for anything over 5 hours.
My break has started off nicely, I arrived in Union station two hours before my train left, and so I headed over to Wynkoops to hang out for a while. I ran into a guy named Rich who works for the Rock Church in Fort Collins, and we talked for a bit, really nice guy. And if anyone went to the Hypnotists show earlier in the semester at the student center, he was asking for volunteers from the audience. At Union Station, I ran into his volunteer that he had dancing around up on stage as Ricky Martin. The poor guy was slightly embarrassed that he ran into someone who actually saw him doing the Ricky Martin act, not to mention that the show was taped, and shown on the local news. AND he's just a freshman, what a way to start college. He described his situation on stage under the hypnotists control as, "a warm stick of butter."
I watched some movie called Molly last night, but mostly just hung out and listened to music, and did my best not to do anything... Except for the guy from the University of Wyoming, who I kept antagonizing about his schools mascot Pistol Pete looking for a Prom date out of our mascot Cam the Ram during our last game. Overall it's been quite refreshing. We'll be arriving in Chicago in the next few hours, and then I'll transfer to a commuter train for the remainder of the trip to Ann Arbor. Anyone know of any cool places I could see while I'm up this way?
I'll be getting my car back on this trip, so I won't have to bum anymore rides, so if anyone needs a trip to the airport give me a ring. I'll be spending time with my mom, and step-dad, but other than that, this train ride will probably be the only thing I have planned over break, and since I don't know a single soul in Ann Arbor Michigan, I probably won't be doing alot this next week, except for catching up on a couple of chapters in Operations Management. SO please feel free to write, and I'll reciprocate, probably pretty quickly.
I'm also going to setup a links page to all my friends with WebPages ( a bit of reticence I've neglected for 2 1/2 years), so if you have a web page, please email me sometime this next week 1/2 or so with the link, and I'll add it in.
8:20 PM Central Time: Well my train was late getting in, so I’ve been put up in a hotel room until tomorrow morning at comfort inn ($72 a night, + $33 stipend for cab, and a meal). Oh well =) The Sears tower is right outside my window, and I just had the biggest Gyro of my life for 3 dollars.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and a safe trip wherever you may be.
Sincerely,
B. Ashley Snow
P.S. About the Ottumwa comment and MASH (just so I don't scare ya) I really didn't know that fact off the top of my head... I had lunch with a couple from Boston, and somehow they knew all about Ottumwa Iowa.
