Follow up on Best Western and chance encounter with Yankee!

Check this out - I bag up my riding clothes from yesterday and take them to the Best Western - Snyder Inn front desk to find out where the washer and dryer is.... and who do I meet - yep - Mary - the first person I talked to on the phone the day before.

First off, she takes the clothes from me and says they'll wash them - huh? Who ever heard of a motel that washes your clothes for you? I mean is that cool or what?

I think I'm gonna just park the bike and live here a while!

Anyway, back to Mary - first thing I notice is that she's about a cute as a button - kind of a cross between Avril Lavigne and the Goth look and with a cute, little high pitched voice.

We talk a little more about my little bicycle adventure and then I pitch my idea about staying at Best Westerns along my route for a reduced rate - I've already looked and there's one right on my route in Lubbock - the Best Western Lubbock Windsor Inn.

Mary tells me that each of the motels are Independently Owned and Operated - you know the franchise thing, but she types in my request to my account..... so we'll see.

Now you have to understand, I'm planning on staying at the Best Westerns a lot in the future so this discount thing is a WIN - WIN situation. A WIN for me because I get a lower rate and a WIN for Best Western because they get my loyal business.

So then I go into the breakfast area to get some coffee and juice and end walks this guy that 'bout had to stoop to clear the door frame - I mean this ain't a man.... this is a mountain!

When I came into the motel last night I noticed there were a lot of Oilfield / Equipment industry related trucks at the motel.

This guy had a work shirt on that had a logo and a name on it that looked like it was oilfield related so I said something like "I noticed a lot of oilfield business trucks in the parking lot - you with that bunch?"

..... and that's when I met Yankee - well his real name is Jeff Hust and he's from Woodstock, New York - yeah that's right Woodstock - like the Mother of all Concerts!

Yankee works for a company called Onda-Lay Pipe and they're out here running 55000' of polyethylene pipe - yeah 55000' - that's 10 miles of pipe for an oil drilling site.

Yankee says he's been working for Onda-Lay for 13 years and they're a great company to work for with good benefits.....and catch this!

He says Business is Picking Up!!!

Man - that's the first good news I've heard on the economy since I started my ride.

Yankee goes on to say that Onda-Lay Pipe is headquartered out of Midland Tx and has been in business for 18 years.

So if you're looking for a job with a good company in the plastic pipe-running business that's made it through thick and thin, go to the Onda-Lay website and check it out:

http://www.onda-lay.com/

I'm gonna do that myself - they might could use a burned out old chemical engineer for something - never can tell - don't hurt to ask!

Hope - there's always Hope!