Since I havent gotten a chance to send this out, I figured I would just post it here...
2009, I decide to write my first Christmas letter. This has been my first full year living in Nebraska and the people here have given me a very warm welcome. I have become very close friends with my class and my co-workers. Its a much different life than I had ever expected. Growing up in the city, where everything is a 5 minute walk is much different than walking a mile just to see another form of life and driving 15 miles one way just to go to the store. Of course there is some exaggeration but when I first moved here, that is exactly what it felt like.
But I didnt move for no reason. I am currently in the second year of college in Northeast Community Colleges Automotive Technology program, finishing the 1st year course on the Deans Honor list. Second year class is much more challenging though as we have been rebuilding and servicing transmissions, both manual and automatics. Next semester, we start rebuilding engines. Much different than the brake jobs and battery replacements of the first year course. I am certified to work on Air Conditioning components and plan on getting certified in many more areas including ASE Certification. I plan to graduate in May with an Associates degree.
After school comes work, I work about 30 hours or so a week at Divots Conference Center. I started as a dishwasher and quickly moved up to helping prepare food for wedding receptions and other events. After a short while of doing that, The manager decided that with my school hours and availability to work, that I should work the evening shift preparing salads and deserts to both our restaurants, The Sandbar and Veranda. The Sandbar is a sports bar where people order mainly burgers and fries. The Veranda, however, is much more upscale. Customers order things like Stuffed Tilapia, Lobster, Filets, and our specialty, and my favorite, Prime Rib. I have helped prepare and cook some of the dinners, put the food on the plate and let the waitress take it from there. I like to help out wherever an extra person is needed but most of the time, I just stick to the salads and deserts.
Outside of work and school, I am constantly working on cars, whether it be my own or a friends. I have 4 cars currently, but will be back down to 2 before the end of the school year. I have had my 2003 Grand Prix for almost a year and a half and have yet to put a dime of required maintenance into it, I have my main project car, a 91 Grand Prix, 1 of 787 with a manual transmission. I recently was given a 96 Grand Prix from a friend due to an accident, I plan on just taking the parts I need and scrapping it. The 4th is a 97 Monte Carlo which I will be putting a motor in and reselling.
After school is over, I haven't decided if I want to stay in Nebraska, or go back to my roots in Ohio. The job market and future education options are huge deciding factors. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Alex Walker
7 comments:
Congratulations on your second school year full of achievements and learning the hard work ethic. You are going through what a lot of the Walker clan has already done once themselves. You keep that same attitude and things will go your way. Glad you posted. we hope to see you next week while home in Maumee.
Merry Christmas Alex, Hope to see you soon.
Alex, you are not the 1st Walker to own one of the 787 manual Grands Prix. The dealers thought we were nuts when we wouldn't buy the automatic and we had to wait weeks and tramp all over San Diego county looking for one. People also thought we were nuts when we tried to sell it 10 years later. No one wanted a manual. We ended up trading it in at a used car sale and got $750 for it!
PS: Check it out, I had to look it up too, http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Grand_Prix
Thats awesome Elaine... I would be very interested to see pictures of it if you have any... Also, what year was yours?
We got it the 1st year they came out, right after there was a huge article in one of the car magazines hyping it. Then try to buy it! It looked great in the magazine, but apparently they didn't think it would sell very well since they made so few. It was a 1989, I think, although we probably bought it in the fall of 1988. I'll have to hunt for pictures. That was before digital, so they're not on the computer!
It was the 88 car of the year... The 89 had a 2.8 V6 and the manual it was attached to is a different transmission than mine as mine has the 3.4 V6 which came out in 91... However, finding a 2.8 with the 5 speed is still very hard to find.
Big A it sound like you are really enjoying Nebraska, and sounds like you are sucsessful.. i can't spell, too early in the morning... hope you had a great Christmas, and have a great New Year! talk to you soon!
Macaroni
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