Gail and Bob McCook. Gail and I became friends because of my job. She was hired by Caribou County to be the Woman's advocate. In that position she would assist battered and beaten women to get shelter, child protection and some meals and lodging to get them by in a time of crisis. Gail was very compassionate in helpint the less fortunate, she always did above and beyond for her fellow man. Often times I would deal with the battering man and she would assist the woman to safety. We liked one another and Gail later met my dear sweet Mother. Gail took to my mother like she was her very own. Gail and Bob began to visit with my mother and I at our home and their home in Grace, Idaho. Later on, Gail was working for Wal-Mart in Pocatello, Idaho and I needed an extra job. Gail was the head CSM at the time the Customer Service Manager over the tills. Gail knew the manager of the store and she arranged an interview for me. I got the job and began working in the Electronics section and really enjoyed the part time work and my boss who I still see on occasion when I go to Wal Mart. After a time, Gail asked me if I would consider leaving electronics and work for her on the cashier line? I told her I had never done that but I guess I could try if thats what she wanted. So I was transfered to the Cashier job. I worked in that position for 6 or 8 months and Gail took another position in the store as the Training Coordinator. The store was in the process of going from a regular sized store to a Super Center. The manager of the store came to me one day and wanted to speak to me, so I listened and he told me about the store's expansion and what it was going to take to get enough employees to open and operate such an operation. He told me they had about 115 employees now and we would have to hire an additional 500 plus to open the store. I was amazed at the amount he wanted. He then told me Gail had come to him and requested I be her assistant to the Training Coordinator. His name was Gary also and he said would you be willing to try it? I said sure why not. So I then began working directly for Gail and the Personnel Manager in the back offices. Our Job entailed reading applications, making phone calls to check references and conducting interviews and deciding if that person was qualified for and was needed for a certain position we were looking for. After we interviewed them, we would contact the assistant manager of the department we had them in mind for and then the assistant would make a second interview and we would talk about whether they thought they were a good candidate for the position. If so, then the person was sent for a drug test to ensure they were drug free as a matter of policy. If they cleared the test they were scheduled to come in for their initial store training. There they were given and read material about policy and procedure and given a background of how Wal-Mart began and information on the founder. And then they were started on what is called CBL's or computer based learning. We had to get them trained on their section of the store before they began their new duties. This job was wonderful as Gail and I got to meet and get to know every new associate in the store, all 675 or so over time that we hired. I met so many nice wonderful people while in that position. The Personnel Manager left the store and Gail was promoted to Personnel Manager, and I was offered the Training Coordinator position she vacated and I gladly accepted, I loved that job. I worked for Wal-Mart about 2.5 years and loved almost every moment of it with the wonderful people I met and worked with, and I remain friends with several of them to this day 5 years after leaving. Gail moved with her husband to Las Vegas, Nevada for Bob's work. I didn't get to visit them there just time and money and busy, then they moved to Chicago, Illinois. Gail came to visit me a couple times when in Las Vegas. In November of 2006, Gail and Bob sent me a ticket to come visit them, and I did so, had such a wonderful time seeing all of Chicago, their son Bobby and I went to downtown Chicago one day and walked for I think six hours and covered we figured about 4 to 5 miles and I photographed the city, those photos are on another page of this web site. The McCook family is wonderful and they were so good to me, Bob arranged a nice tour of the Argone National Laboratory and then we had dinner there. Some of what was explained was way over my head but interesting none the less. I never was at someones home where I felt more at home and relaxed than at theirs. I could do as I wished and used their computers, there xbox games, the tv, and snacked as I liked besides eating some wonderful meals Gail prepared for all of us. Bob, Bobby his sweet wife April and Gail all treated me as if I were a member of the family. I will go back again and again. What dear friends I have. God bless the McCook family for their loving friendship to me.

Inez 

Halbert 

Elaine and J H 

Hance 

Laura 

Lorrie 

Leslie 

Ron 

John 

Chris and Maralee 

Terri 

Kevin 

Ray and wife 

James Ackerman, he and I have been friends for about 12 years, we met on a snowy night out on the highway where his mother had ran out of gas and he was helping her get the car going again. James and I are with one another often, we go on trips together, work on cars and motorcycles with one another, go to shows with our children from time to time and he loves a good pawn shop and Ebay. James is one of my most trusted friends and he would do anything in the world for his fellow man. You tell him something and it remains between the two of you, he is very trusted by me better than most I know. If I had five more friends like James I'd think I found a gold mine. In teasing him, I told him this photo looked like he just finished a shit sandwich, his smile in this photo is priceless! James you are a true and trusted friend whom I'm lucky to have met and get to spend time with.