NEPHI RODEO - 2012

Nephi Rodeo, 2012

I went to the Ute Stampede Rodeo on Friday 13, 2012.  It turned out to be quite a memorable Friday the 13^th.  Bret and Heidi weren’t there this year so I only went for one day.  Heidi’s mom and dad were there for the Friday program as well as her brother, Rick and his wife and kids, and they had brought Aspen with them.  After all, it would be a crime for Aspen to miss the Nephi Rodeo.  She has been there every year since she was born---and I mean every year.  She was born March 6, 2000 and she was at the Rodeo in July of the same year.  Also, I brought Aspen home with me on Saturday and she stayed with me until Monday.  On Monday I took her to Richfield and Bret and Heidi met us there to take her home with them.  We all visited Jack and he liked seeing us.

But now, back to Friday the 13^th!  We all stayed at the Economy Lodge (not to be confused with Choice Hotels “Econo-Lodge").  I’ve stayed there before and it has been okay but this year was a little different.  I went inside to check in and no one was at the front desk.  There was a note that said:  “Press 0 for help.”  I pressed 0 and got a busy signal so I hung up and tried again—another busy signal.  I hung the phone up again and waited a few seconds and tried again—same story.  I waited a couple of minutes before trying again and a guy answered and said he’d be right out.  Five minutes later he appeared.  When I made my reservation I asked for a ‘handicapped’ room and was told I could have one but the front desk guy said they didn’t have any available handicapped rooms but, he said, Room #6 (right around the corner) was a pretty good room.  I figured I had no choice and said okay.  I was given a key.  I went to my van and got my stuff, brought it into the lobby and parked my car.  Fortunately, there was a handicapped parking spot.

I went back into the hotel and was a little nervous about having to find the right street to drive down to the Rodeo Grounds.  Usually, someone else drives me from the hotel to the Rodeo and I don’t pay much attention to how I get there.  So, I asked the guy at the desk if he had a map of Nephi and could he show me where the Rodeo Grounds are.  He said:  “I’ve only been here three weeks---I’m from Los Angeles.  I don’t know where they are.”

I don’t know about all of you but generally the person at the front desk knows where everything is, and if he/she doesn’t know, he/she does everything he/she can do to get that information.  He made no effort—when he said he’d only been there three weeks, apparently, the subject was closed.

I got my stuff gathered up and went to room 6.  When I walked in the room it looked okay so I proceeded to get my stuff organized.  I looked around for something to put my suitcase on so I wouldn’t have to stoop down every time I wanted something.  I went to the closet to see whether they had one of those little suitcase holders. Much to my surprise, the closet was packed full of mens' clothes.  I looked at the floor and there was a huge pair of running shoes.   They looked almost big enough to belong to Shaqueil(sp) O’Neal although I was pretty sure they weren’t his.  (And there was no suitcase stand.)

I called the front desk.  The guy said he’d send someone to “check.”  Finally a girl came and determined I was telling the truth.   I decided to look in some of the drawers and lo and behold!  They were all packed full of stuff.  There was a backpack in one of the drawers so she got it out and began stuffing the clothes into the backpack.  After she got everything packed she left.  I looked around and wondered if the room had even been cleaned—although the bed was made so I turned the covers down and the sheets looked and smelled fresh.  The bathroom seemed clean and I reckoned as how it was okay to stay there.

I was hanging up my clothes and a knock came at the door.  It was the guy from the front desk.  He said, “We’ve made a mistake.  The person who was in this room has not checked out so would you mind changing rooms?  We found that we DO have a handicapped room and if you would like it you can have it.”   They also told me that the handicapped room was room #7---right across the hall.  I took a look at the room and it looked okay so I said yes.

 

At that point I wondered why there were no handicapped rooms available when I checked in but suddenly, 20 minutes later, there was a handicapped room. 

795 S. Main St, Nephi, UT

A few minutes after I moved to the handicapped room the girl who had packed up the stuff in room 6 (and then unpacked it) knocked at my door.  She was checking to be sure everything was okay in my “new” room.  I asked her which road to take to the Rodeo Grounds.  She said, “I don’t know.  I don’t think we have any place like that.”  I asked her how long she had lived in Nephi.  She told me she’d been there about a year.   At that point I wondered how a person could live in Nephi for a year and not know they have a Rodeo.

As luck would have it, Rick had me ride with him and his two kids to the rodeo grounds.  He was happy to have my handicapped tag.  His wife, Enis(sp) rode with Walter and Sylvia and they had their own handicapped tag.  It all turned out very well and we had a great time.  It just dawned on me---I still don’t remember which road to take to the Rodeo Grounds.  However, if I ever really do have to find my own way---I’ll bet I can.

I had my camera with me but I didn’t even think about taking a picture of the closet and the packed-full drawers until it was too late.  However, I would have had to wait until I was with Juli so she could put the pictures on my blog because I surely do not know how.  If I ever get moved toVernal maybe she can teach me.  Love you, Juli.