The Loma-Linda “News and Views to Use and Abuse” stopped by for a visit with Lisa and Steve  The following is a transcript of that interview.

News:  Thanks for taking time for us today and first let me ask what brings you to Loma Linda California?

Steve:  We came in a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer.

Lisa:  I think he means – why did we come to Loma-Linda?  Let me answer that for my moron husband.  I am a travel sonographer and I was offered a position here at the Loma Linda University Medical Center through the first week of March.

News:   And have you found the area to your liking?

Steve:  With the exception of the crazy traffic, rainy and cold weather, not starting work for two weeks, being away from home at Christmas, and missing our family and dog, Agnes – I’d say yeah it isn’t bad.  Plenty of Mexican restaurants.

Lisa:  Actually the people have been very nice and the weather is far better than Kentucky this time of year.  Plus we are just an hour from Disneyland.

News:  Speaking of Disneyland – Steve, I understand you had a job interview there.  How did that go?

Steve:  Well, I didn’t get a job – but it was a good experience.  I had not interviewed for a position in over twenty years and I could not stop smiling at the thought of interviewing at Disneyland in Anaheim Ca.  They were looking to hire for the spring and were not hiring temporary cast members.  Had I been here in October – there may have been a chance.  A funny story – while waiting to be interviewed Lisa noticed that I had on a plaid coat with a striped shirt.  Fearing that the person interviewing me may be gay – (not that there is anything with wrong with that) she thought they may also be more fashion conscious than I am and she suggested I remove my coat.  Turns out he was not gay (at least he talked about his wife and kids pictured on his desk).  He actually was very nice and said I seemed like a good fit for Disney.  It just was not meant to be.

News:  Tell me about the thirty hour drive out to California.

Lisa:  From about the Oklahoma line the landscape changes drastically – lots of open space with a lot of nothing to look at.  We thought we would never get here.  We did detour and go to Las Vegas for two days since our apartment would not be ready.  We enjoyed that.  Stayed at the “Vdara” hotel – which does not have a casino and it was great. ‘ Priceline’ gave us a good price.  We walked up and down the strip and…,

Steve:  Let me interrupt here a moment – I had so many blisters from all the walking we did – I thought I may need to find a hospital.  The second day I was walking on the side of my left foot and on the toes of my right.  People were offering me wheelchairs when I went into a casino.  A “Grits” bus stopped to pick me up once (yes – here in Las Vegas).  I bent over once to tie my shoe and a man dropped some coins in my coat pocket.  So my first experience in Las Vegas was not so good.

Lisa:  Well – I love Las Vegas and one night while Steve was back in the room nursing his blisters – I went to the casino and sat down at some nickel slot machines and there I met a couple who lived right outside Gettysburg.  Can you believe that?  We had a great time. I was telling them about places Steve and I enjoyed eating at in Gettysburg that they had never heard of.  It was a hoot!  Worth every bit of the twenty dollars I lost at the slot machine.

Steve:  See – I could have used that twenty dollars on blister cream.

News:  What was it like being away from home at Christmas

Lisa:  This was the first time in both our lives that we had not been in Owensboro, Ky for Christmas and it was a little weird, and a little sad.  We say we will never allow ourselves to do this again.  With Heather having her baby in April – it allows us to be home for that and so the sacrifice now is necessary.  We are sort of glad Christmas is over and we can move on.

Steve:  Our family has been great in their support of our travels – but we hope to never be gone again during the holidays.  It made it even worse that Lisa had not started work.  Plus they talked about this really big snow they were expecting and we really missed not being able to share that.  Turns out – Owensboro did not get as much snow as expected.  Snow forecasts in Owensboro are, I’m convinced, a Kroger conspiracy to get people to stock up.

News:  I understand, Lisa, that your work is not what you expected.

Lisa:  No it is not anything like I was told it would be.  I came here expecting to do EKG and treadmill tests but learned they need me and some other travellers to basically do computer data entry of medical records as they transition to a new computer software program.  The upside is I don’t have to wear a uniform and I’m still being paid.  It is a change of pace for me and the people have been very nice and appreciative of my help.  The way I look at – they are paying me the same so who cares.  I’ve learned to just go with the flow and I think they appreciate that.

Steve:  Lisa is amazing at adjusting to change.  I think that is why traveling so far as been so natural for her.  Plus she has a really good sense of direction and I don’t.  But she can’t cook and I can – so she needs me. (wink, wink).

News:  How do you like the area where you are staying?

Steve:  Our apartment is really nice and is in a very safe neighborhood.  I walk a few miles everyday and it is convenient to the grocery and other shopping areas.  The weather here is actually very nice – just a little cooler than we expected southern California to be.  It is in the high fifties to mid sixties during the day – and mid to high thirties at night.

Lisa: The mountain ranges we wake up to see are breathtaking and we have driven up into the San Bernardino’s and the view from the higher elevations is amazing.  We will definitely miss that.

Steve: To be honest Lisa and I loved Gettysburg and the people we met so much – this has been a tough place to embrace – so far.  The history of that area gave me so much to do with my free time that I find that lacking here.  We even talked about her accepting a position in Hanover if it is offered at some point.  We can see ourselves living there.

Lisa:  But to be fair – we have only been here a couple of weeks and there is so much more to see in Los Angeles and the surrounding area.  But – Steve is right – it will be hard to beat our experience in Gettysburg.

News:  Thank you both for your time.