I am learning as each year goes by, there are events and times that shape a person from the past that are almost forgotten.

Now that I have a decent amount of years under my belt, I can break my life down a bit. I do it mostly by where I was living and the jobs that were held. My marriage and who I was dating also come into play.

My time in Taiwan is broken into two stages, mostly because I lived there at two different times. I did the same thing with Australia.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

One of the great things about this job during Christmas time is covering events that involve kids who are talking to Santa Claus. It is still early in the season, and I imagine I am going to see children with big eyes filled with wonder asking Santa for their gifts in the days to come.

This weekend, after the Thanksgiving holiday, was a slow night at the Virginian. I was not surprised since the weather was cold and I knew a lot of regular customers had left town. The night was winding down when a couple came in to check into the hotel and got a room.

Once they were done with getting their accommodations for the evening, they came into the bar, where I was tending bar.

Saturday evening is my regular shift.

I have a decent memory, but I am hard pressed to remember my first Thanksgiving. I remember Christmas the I was five. For some events,I can remember back to three. 

Thanksgiving, try as I might, I don’t remember the holiday being celebrated until I was about 10 or 11.

That goes for both my families.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

In the days of computers taking over duties of typewriters and connecting to modern printing presses, there is no doubt the process has made printing a newspaper light years easier than the days when Dick Perue (an editor, journalist and owner of a Carbon County newspaper) was first in the industry.

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

Living in Wyoming often feels like being part of an extended small-town family, where neighbors look out for one another, friendships span generations, and there’s a shared pride in calling this state home. Saratoga is no exception. But even in communities as close-knit as ours, challenges arise—challenges that test not only our resilience but also our commitment to standing together.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

Veterans Day really brings out the best in Americans. I understand it because I am super proud to be a son of veterans and a brother to one also. 

I am also a grandson of a man who was a lifer in the military.

In most of the bars I have worked in Wyoming, there have been over a half dozen, one thing that is interesting, is how accommodating most of these establishments were to chew or known as chewing tobacco.

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

Voting is one of the most critical rights and duties Americans have — especially for women. We’re fortunate to live in Wyoming, a state that led the charge for women’s suffrage.

In a recent column, I indicated my basement flooded. Thanks to the help of my neighbor, Perry Goodrich, a lot of bad things that could have happened, did not.

We got an inch of water out of my basement in a very timely manner. 

Once the water was most out, I used dehumidifiers to soak up more of the water that was still hanging around.

Quick action saved a lot of things, but there was a lot lost.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

Life can definitely throw curve balls and when they happen, I have found it better to try and find the best of the situation than not.

Brave words and not always easy to put into practice.

Recently, I had a mishap in my home that made me realize how lucky I was and am.

One of the things that happen when you travel a lot, is that you see a lot of airports, or at least I did.

Some are amazing and some are less so.

As a little kid, I started to become familiar with airports because my sister and I were shuttled around for a couple of years between my father and mother.

My father lived in D.C. at the time and my mother Houston.

This past Friday found me particularly busy. 

Papers are delivered this day and distributed to the 10 towns to be picked up at their different locations. Rawlins alone has over 20 locations.

Plus we have to get the copies ready to be mailed at the Post Office.

In Hanna, I can’t give enough praise to the team that works there. They get me out fast and on the road. 

I have definitely seen a lot of Pacific Ocean countries while overseas, but I have been fortunate to go to Europe a few times. 

Spain, I have been to around half a dozen times thanks mostly to a Spanish company I worked for, although the first time in Spain was with my sister when we were vacationing in Portugal.

England was the first European country I visited because my sister was stationed at Mildenhall  AFB right outside the city of New Market.