Pics

The one they all come for. That's right folks - it's steam out of the ground!

Which is to say that that - as far as I can recall of course - is Old Faithful itself. Woo.

Home Sweet Home. Or... Home sweet Project Laurel Dorm...

Look at the moon!

Shelby. In a coon skin hat. Yes. I have a small collection ^_^

Bison. Literally reach your hand out of the car and touch the guy close. Yup.
You get used to it.

Elk. Close enough to walk up to and pet. Close enough that you need to tell the kids not to step in the poo while you're picnicing... Young though, just a few weeks after I got there.

Please don't step on poor Nick's little sports car?

Shelby again. That picture kind of sums up his entire personality too.

Nick. The one with the sports car... That pic sums up his personality as well.

Miss Lindsay in the coon skin cap (told you I had more)

Elsa. She's short, she's cute, and almost everyone loves her.

Elsa's other half - The Wes. No I'm not sure why Wes is THE Wes, but he is.

The Wes taking a pic of me taking a pic of him. Yup.

Elsa, Lindsay, and I went to a Japanese place... Hence the noodles.

Heather, the day we dyed our hair - so the ends aren't yet pink (thank God)

Me, the day we coloured our hair. I know - gorgeous. ^_^

Heather, not feeling well. Wanting her pain killers and Mountain Dew. I opened the little packets of pills - she couldn't do it.

Kitchen peoples. From the right: me, Gwen, Sheri, Greg, Sway. On the bottom - Heather. Greg was my supervisor. And we love him. And he's short as Elsa, I think.

Benjamin. He took my position. I like Benjamin, he rocks.Keith in the forefront and Kevin in the back at the grill. Oh - and that's the hotline... or most of it.

Keith, through the window. He's on the hotline, I'm on the servers side.

Alliya. First roommate. Hostess. This is her after work, not wanting me to take her pic. I think she looks fine.

Andrew. Sous Chef. 1 of 3 of them. PM, so I barely worked with him. Still cool.

Mary Ann. Strange woman, but that's ok. Worked with me in Pantry. Was a buffett runner

Heather and a few of my Asian girls...

Sway and me

Jesse, Tennessee server. Mo, not sure where she's from. Both rock.

LAST POST!

Ok, so most of you know well that I'm already home. This is my last Yellowstone post.
But I don't quite know where to start. So much to take in lately that I was lost in my own little world trying to hang out with Joey, Jordan, and Piper.
My dog died. It was almost the cherry on top. I almost broke down just there. Well, our dog. This goes to my family predominantly so yes, our dog. I thought about it so much before I got here. Considered asking but thought it sounded foolish "so how's the dog, is she still alive?"... Looks like I should have. I feel terrible I was gone, I didn't have that last time with her. At the same time I'm glad I'm gone, I don't know how I would have gotten through it. When I got home, for the last 24 or so hours I'd just taken it for granted. Nikki would be here when I got here. And she's just not.
Just below that is the hard time of seeing Michael just to leave him again. Two days approx. every 3 months. And sure enough next time I'll see him will be Christmas, I HOPE, which is approx. 2 and a half months away. He scheduled my planes home so he could see me off and say goodbye in the airport. Sweet thought, truly, but hard. It would have been so much easier, I like to think, if he'd left me Sunday evening for base, and I went to the airport Monday morning on my own. That way I'd have all Sunday night to cry and try to get myself together and such. But what's done is done. And I'm happy with how everything went, wouldn't change a thing. It's just that now it's all unloading so I cry for missing him, Nikki, everything. Every time I see him it gets harder and harder - not easier ever - to say goodbye, knowing I won't see him for another three months. He kept coming back for one last hug and I almost broke down in the airport. I cried VERY little - two or three tears max - in the airport, but I have MAD self-control skills.
Along with both of those things is leaving Yellowstone. I hated leaving all my friends there. All the people I'd never see again. Everything. How did Heather's date go? How are Sierra's plans forming? It's going to be a harder transition than I thought it was going to be, coming home and this whole life-style.


But I won't be depressing the entire night. On the upside I got to see my family. I got to see Jordan, and Joey, and Piper. Don't tell but Jordan is my favorite. I was kind of hoping it'd just be us so we could truly talk tonight, not the silliness of group stuff with the four of us. All well. I am home finally. I know that within a few days I'll be glad to be here. I just hate transition periods.

I really did get my tattoo. It's not like any of the pics because Sid - the artist that did mine - suggested a ompletely original work and I liked the idea and loved the picture. I have pictures taken but they're elsewhere. I MAY add one or two more posts of purely pics once I get them all up so that's where I'll put a picture of my tattoo. It didn't hurt super much. I did have to do some close-your-eyes-and-gasp-a-little to control the pain as much as possible, but still. You know how when you get slapped it kind of burns? Imagine that concentrated to where you can feel someone trace out a treble clef in that burning sensation. Yeah, that's kind of how it is. I think the worst of it is the knowledge that you can stop it at any moemnt but you CHOSE to do it to yourself. That you can't flinch or move under that pain, that you HAVE to sit there and take it, but you don't necessarily HAVE to, you CHOSE all of it. You know what I mean? and in all that it's all mind over matter, right?
Anyway, I'm beyond tired, so I'm going attempt sleep. Hopefully NOT until one though. Goodnight and I will probably talk back to you all some other time under a different blog title. Yup. Night!
~Cat

Interesting weekend...

So go figure, having posted the six days blog just what... Yesterday? I'd already have so much to say. More than enough has already happened.

I don't know if it's on the news at all... On one hand it's close enough to the Old Faithful area - and therefore people - to have been, but on the other hand it kind of is just another fire in a national park. There have been not even 20 all season, which makes it a light fire season. Which really just means there is a ton of dry underbrush accumulated. It hasn't been raining for a long while too. Cold, sure, but very little precipitation.
It started four days ago, lightning strike. Lightning means natural means they don't fight it. If it's natural they have a "let it burn" policy. It smoldered one day and popped up three days ago. Last I checked - last night - it was roughly 20 miles from the Old Faithful area. People anticipate that they're going to want to keep this area from getting burned if it gets close enough. Primarily the historic OFI. I believe that, but I know if it gets to that point I'll already be gone. If the fire gets within 10 miles of here we evacuate. It was at 20 last night. oThe problem is that forest fires move fast. Too fast. They already fought it a little - and hard - to prevent it from getting to power lines. We all know how fast and scary fires are through power lines. And yes, even out here we have them. They even had to use helicopter drops, from what I heard. And my source got her info from the park Rangers themselves.
The other problem is that forest fires are a little unpredictable. It could just as easily already be heading away... I myself don't know. I don't know anything more recent than 8ish last night.
And here's why!!
My other even was a friend of mine getting so drunk he almost tried to jump out of his second story window. Another friend pulled him back in and while Drunk Boy slept it off, three of us stayed with him ALL night to make sure he was ok. I didn't HAVE to be there but I was so concerned and I wasn't going to ditch any of them, you know? The other two had to be there, the only way the Park Rangers weren't going to take him to jail was if someone stayed with him. And if they took him in, we knew it wouldn't be the small one in our area - it would be the big on in Mammoth. And every employee knows once you're in the Mammoth jail, you're fired. You're gone. So basically those two saved his life and his job. I know I was just there for the ride. But you know, I think it wouldn't've been the same had I bailed. I'm glad I was there...
So yes, lots of events. We stayed up with him until 6 this morning when we dragged him to breakfast. At that point I came home and slept until noon, and those two went to thier rooms, one with Drunk Boy. I don't know what happened after that. He's fine though and I know he made it in to work on time. After all that there's NO way he didn't go in.
Later today - once I am done with this and my second 'breakfast' I'm going to start packing and cleaning. Half for going home, and half just in case they evacuate...
I was almost nervous all last night that it could speed that close to us overnight. I mean, I know it could - a firefire moving ten miles in HOURS. No big deal. That's why we evacuate within 10 miles. I was nervous that it would, and I wouldn't be here so I wouldn't be able to pack or whatever.
But all is well now. At least for a while. And my practicle side says it won't get close enough and my last six days will pass without much excitement. You know me - I have a tendency to go in and go out with very little pomp and circumstance. All well.
That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

6....

Today is my Friday. Two days of weekend, three days of work, one last day off.... and I'm on a plane! The second of October I'm on a plane... the fourth of October I'm in PDX.
Crystal, because she's amazing, is willing to pick me up despite the late hour of arrival. By the fifth of October at the LATEST I will be home in K-town!
It's so strange to think about. THREE more work days, people. Three more 7 to 4 breakfast/lunch shifts. Six more days in Yellowstone, sleeping in this dorm, living with these people from all over the world. Literally. Dora from Slovakia, Katina from Russia, German and C.C. from Argentina, Oana I think is also from Slovakia, people from all over the states... Vlad from... I can't remember where Vlad is from, but it's outside the states. All our girls from Taiwan, China, Thailand, and several other Asian countries. I'm so sad - all our girls are gone but a few, and soon Sway leaves too...
It'll be sad not to live with such amazingly different people anymore. Not to have such a strong mix of cultures.
But life goes on. And it's not like there aren't SEVERAL good things about coming home. Home cooked meals, cooking for myself, family, old friends, Mrs Baker, being back on my old 'turf' as it were. Yeah, mixed blessing type o thing I suppose.

Oh, so here's something interesting. One of my warehouse friends was telling me today that girls in Asia he talks to knew about me. It's possible I know them... But he finally said it's because of this blog. So Hello people that are Ken's friends. I'm glad that this is evidently worth reading. That actually is really cool.

Anyway. I don't really have much worth talking about today. I simply find myself excited to be coming home so soon, and slightly... surprised by the soon-ness of it. I almost never thought it would come. So yes, that's my blog and my reason. I'm not sure how much longer this particular blog will go on, but if ever I go elsewhere - duh - I'll continue it. Heck, I might start a new one as of my night in the hotel in Bozeman waiting for the next morning to bring my plane in... For my time at home with work, all my small travels, my road trip. Or maybe I won't, and I won't start one until my roadtrip. I don't know. We'll see, but I think the end of this particular saga is almost at a close. Six days from it, in fact.
Wow. I'm glad I have documentation for this adventure. Whomevers idea this was- Crystal I think- Good idea. I'm glad I have this now.
Now off to shower and get some of Heather's dessert special. Fresh made pound cake, topped with a raspberry/blackberry compote, and finally fresh whipped cream. Mmmmmm.

10....

And the countdown begins!!
Well, the countdown began about four weeks ago... But there are only TEN days left of my contract!! WOW! Then three days with Michael, and home by the fifth! Can you believe it?! I'll be back home in ten days!! It's insane! It's impossible! It's inconceivable! (and yes, I know what that word means ^_^)
It's scary wonderful strange to think about. It didn't even OCCUR to me until Michael mentioned it. It feels like I've been here FOREVER.
Heather and I have been talking about it... And Jesse's "three lies"... And as much as we complain (and we DO complain you just don't get much of it), this place is pretty wonderful, and Xanterra isn't SUPER terrible, and this place is kind of home. Even if the people do change, some stay the same and the place is still the place. We're probably coming back. Nothing set in stone, obviously. But yeah...
If nothing else we're certainly going to miss this place. And I'm coming back to visit. Oh yes.
The one downside is that the pay sucks. Talking to this guy in West Yellowsonte who works and a tourist t-shirt shop he told us that he only works there during the season like we do... and that the worst part of working in the park is the conditions. Most places in West - apparently - provide better housing (appartment style, not dorm/EDR style), and even DQ starts thier employees at 8 something or 9 something an hour (I can't remember which exactly)... I don't know what they're like to work for, true, nor do I know if he's telling the truth... but it's something to think about. And we already knew Xanterra pays peanuts. That's why if/when I work for Xanterra again I'm NOT signing on as KitCrew. I KNOW I can be a cook or even a supervisor. Especially if I go back to the OFI with Jessica next year. (Jessica being our F&B manager)
Anyway, the point is - TEN DAYS OF CONTRACT! WOOO!!
And fifteen days max before I'm home! WOOOOOOO!!!
I can't wait to be home and see you all again.
I'm already excitd to see where I'll be next. Keep moving on, doing new things.

No More Roommate...

Yes, tis true. My roommate, Leah, left today. I'm super happy to have my own room and be able to do whatever I want, listen to music whenever I want, not worry about people coming through.. But after ALL season having one roommate or another, and her for the last two months... I'm kind of sad to not have the super-adorable super-sweet Asian girls come through anymore. It'll be a little...odd almost having my own room for once. I sincerely doubt they'll give me one for the rest of the season - all three weeks of it. I myself have two weeks as of tomorrow until I leave here.... and two weeks and three days until I'm home. I can't wait for either of those things. But at the same time I'm sad to be leaving here... End of season is always a time of mixed emotions, or so I'm told. And experiencing! You want to be happy for people leaving and congradulate them on getting out, but it's depressing to see them go. You look foreward to your own leaving, but you're sad to leave these people and this place that has become your home.
For a lot of poeple it's extra-scary because a lot of people don't have a real "home" to go back to, and don't know what they're going to do for the winter season. But since we all now have Xanterra experience and are in thier files, as much as we complain we can always come back to this new "home".
Jesse and Adam, two of my favorite servers and FAVORITE Tennessee boys, came up with the "Three Lies of Yellowstone"
1) I love you
2) I'm not drinking tonight
3) I'm not coming back next season

I want to get it on a shirt or something. It's perfect and true! For all you out there concerned, no I don't drink here. Federal offense for a yellow to drink here on federal grounds. Yellow, by the way, is colour of the under-aged employees IDs. But for MOST yellows and pretty much ALL blues (overage), drinking is a nightly or bi-nightly experience. It's understandable. It's the easiest way to loosen up here. You can't go to town really cuz it's a three hour drive to town and a 45 minute drive just to West (small tourist town JUST outside Yelllowstone called West Yellowstone), those that work dinner get OUT around 11 or midnight so NOTHING is open, you're too hyped up to go immediatly to sleep... You need to loosen up. You have the employee put which is boring unless you are drunk, buy beer and get drunk (they only serve beer during the summer season)... Or you could have baught hard alcohol at the general store and get drunk in the dorms (your room or someone elses) and party. And trust me, you simple HAVE to loosen up and wind down at the end of the day of work. I put on music, shower, and relax with a book. We al know I don't wind-down by partying though. And on weekends I get OUT if at all possible.
That's how no one really has THAT much money to leave with. You spend it trying to get away from work. Us at Laurel Dorm live thirty freaking SECONDS away from our work for crying aloud! Going to Bozeman is three hour drive - gas money, lunch and dinner money, possible hotel money, entertainment money. If you stay, there's alcohol or eating-out money (going to SnowLodge or the Fountain is also a way to loosen up). The only way to save mone really is to not loosen up, and that is to drive yourself insane. All jobs you need release from,but especially F&B in a Tourist Trap.
Anyway... what was I talking about? Oh the three lies. Yes, "I'm not drinking tonight" hehehe
And I love you. Hollow wherever you go, but especially here in what could be called "hook-up land"
And I'm not coming back next season!! HAHAHA!!! No one WANTS to, everyone probably WILL. Sad, huh? I probably will. I know that.
It kinda depends though - Cheryl, my most favoritest of Sous Chefs... I might go where she goes, depending where she goes. But I might come back here in hopes of getting Gregs job (Pantry Supervisor) or being a cook or something. I know Greg is in the apprenticeship program and he's on his last year next year, which means he'll be a Sous Chef next year... which leaves his spot open. And Oh My!! If Greg was a Sous Chef at the Inn, and I Pantry Super there that would be freaking AMAZING! But we'll see, of course.
I'm making NO hard and fast decisions about next summer or next winter. Not this time 'round.
Anyway! Sorry this is kind of a rambling blog. I feel great today though! Yesterday I collapsed right after work and slept all day. Today I feel great! And Saturday I'm gonna go to Bozeman with Heather so she can get her notebook laptop at Costco. Oh - I gotsa Costco card now, on Heather's account. ^_^
So Yes, I will stop rambling, I will go and take my shower and go do stuff! ^_^
Bye y'all.

Pictures... a few.

RIGHT outside my back door, in the thermal field back there. The get close enough to touch. That's them early in the season - winter coat still on. Yay bison.
The bones that scared me, so long ago...
Maybe a ten minute walk away from my dorm... Kinda cool, huh? Both the look and the proximity. Old Faithful is also maybe ten - more like five max if I'm walking slow - minutes away from 'home'...
This is where I live. Laurel Dorm - aka The Projects

The Inn beginning of the season, still unoccupied...

Soon...

I'm coming home soon. Oh so soon! Heather, Marcus, and a few others as well as myself have decided when we get home we just want to sit on our butts for a week. Take time to not do anything.... I doubt it'll actually happen but it's a nice dream.
Since Marcus has been hanging out with Heather and I a lot, and we told him that Heather is coming home with me, Marcus kinda wants to come too. I think it'd be awesome if he could come along, but I doubt it. Limited - very limited - room. But it sucks cuz he has NO idea what he's going to do after this - and "after this" is only just under thirty days away for them!! He put in, apparently, an application for winter season, but there's only one Snow Lodge and so many hopeful employees... But I think next summer, if/when Heather and I go off to a new seasonal place, we'll collaborate and he'll come with. :D I hope.
Truly Marcus, Heather, and I have attached ourselves to each other I think. Like all of us have our other friends here, and we don't spend EVERY day with one another, but we've got a closer attachment than most friends, which is super-cool. ^_^
But before I come home, off to Michael! I'm so super excited to see a little bit of a new place - though not much, cabs are expensive and I wont be there long... And while I'm there... ^_^ I think I've managed to add the three images of what I'm thinking about for my tattoo across my foot. That's right - I've thought about it over and again and decided that I'm going through with it. Michael being there is not the reason, mainly just a good 'excuse'. We all know me - I kind of need an 'excuse' sometimes. So yeah, I like taking poles on this sort of thing. I think I'm gonna go with the fairy-winged clef at the bottom, because it's more ME than something flowery. Fantasy versus foliage - not really a fair fight, is it?

ALSO! Now that I've figured out how to get this miserable internet connection to upload pics I'll try to put more up.

Sounding board time!

I suppose you're my bouncing off board right now. And the idea of actually getting feedback is what makes this workable! Yay.

So...

The more Michael talks about his new tattoo ideas, and the ones he's GOING to get, and this that and the other... details, but things that are actually going to happen. The more he talks, the more he encourages the part of me that wants to get one myself. The trick is that it has to be meaningful. I refuse to get something that doesn't matter. That narrows it down considerably. Music, books, cooking, and theatre are the only things that matter enough to get a tattoo over. Maybe not books, that would be a little odd, even to me. But I been thinking about music. That's been a HUGE part of my life forever. Choir is just a considerable tip on a below-the-surface iceberg. So I been thinking of and looking at pics of music related tattoos. And where to put it even. If I got one it'd probably be on my foot, one foot or the other. Probably the right foot. THat way, see, it wouldn't interfere with any job I got because it can be easily covered. And I can show it off as I want, it's not something I have to specifically show people because it can't be done casually and it's not something I HAVE to show everyone cuz there's no hiding it. See??

Granted, I've heard that the foot is the most painful area to get a tattoo, but pain doesn't bother me. I just got a hole punched through cartalidge in my ear, remember? I walked on a broken foot for an entire evening when I was younger, remember? It don't bother me.
And I think it would be awesome for both Michael and I to get a tattoo together. He wasn't here for my peircing and Iwasn't there for his first tattoo... I think it'd be cool for us to get one together.

So I don't know if I'm giong to yet, I've still got a month to think bout it for this opening, and then forever to think about it for any other time. I'm liking the idea though, a lot.

My biggest.... not worry... My biggest cause to think is that I'm so outside the herd lately. I'm all for blaizing my own trail, but those that know me best also know it makes me nervous, I don't know if I'll do something wrong. I know there's a line with tattoos as with everything. It can be done tastefully or it can be done horribly and gone overboard with and be way over any line. I have confidence that my choices would be good ones and that I wouldn't do something awful with myself permanently. But the idea of doing something so far off the beaten path for the Wilson clan scares me slightly. It seems that all I've been doing lately. But then - no two of us took the same path did we? Maybe I'm just worrying too much over nothing.

I KNOW it's permanent, I KNOW it's painful, and I KNOW that thirty years I may look back and go "idiot!"... But I think if I use best judgement I won't have that last problem, and I'm ok with the first two.

I think I'm trying to talk myself into it. Into the "now to find the perfect pic" stage, past the "do I want to do this?" stage.... hmm...

Recognition rocks

Hey everyone! Guess what?!
So well, first off, today was rather depressing. A bunch of our Asian girls are leaving and for a bunch of them their last day was today. Sad. Like, people crying and lots of hugs and pictures and email exchanges and stuff. I’m not the type to cry - especially in public, but even I was thoroughly downed.
But life goes on, right? It has to. The restaurant continues to function and people just cycle through… sigh.
Meanwhile, I got a promotion! WOOT!
It's a small one, the one I'm sure you heard about before that Buddha and Lindsay got - Pantry Lead. Well, Buddha was our AM pantry lead and he's gone now. So Jessica told Greg I got the position! And Greg came up to me and was like "did you know? Yeah apparently you did, Jessica just told me" and stuff - like, we were both kinda confused. There was no pomp and circumstance, but I didn't expect that. Just that there was no confirmation or anything like that, no formal "you have the position" from anyone. All well!
It's not really a big change. Pantry Lead is supposed to keep people on track, make decisions when no one else is available or it's not a big enough deal to bother a Sous, know all about what goes on and etc rules and regs and stuff, stuff like that. So nothing is changing. I make snap decisions sometimes, I don't cry to Greg every time someone asks me a question. I know all about everything because I've been paying attention and WANT to know. And no one really needs kept on track. While I'm there Greg is almost always there and the buffet people. No one to yell at. It will be nice, though, for that add of authority while all these new people come streaming in and out and stuff. I AM the only original left other than Greg in the pantry, so I do know and I would feel jipped if I heard someone else got it. Like, I don't think that being here the longest gives me right to it, but I feel over that period of time I've earned it, ya know?
So really it's just a title and a small fifty cent-ish pay raise... but it'll also look great on my resume! And I just feel good, just knowing that these people think I deserved it. I guess it's one of those "recognition from your superiors" thing. Confidence boost - I really actually AM good at my job. I can do this. :D

Today Buddha left us. Yesterday Buddha was arrested. This OTHER guy, Charley, stole a bunch of money from a bunch of people. Somehow Buddha got tied into it in the polices’ minds. The ONLY thing Buddha is guilty of is sending out two checks of a large amount (between the two of them being over 1000) and didn’t have the money to back them. But that was taken care of, he got the money through for it. One story is that the checks were TO Charley and one story is that Charley knew about the checks and so pointed his finger at Buddha hoping to get himself off the hook. Either way Buddha spent the night in jail and, apparently 3 years banned from the park and a certain amount of unsupervised ion. 3 YEARS BANNED from the park! That screws his apprenticeship over, that tears up all his plans and shakes his life completely. He dropped by today to say goodbye, and cried. I almost cried (granted I’m also hormonal but still). It’s complete bull! He did nothing to deserve this, nothing. And the romantic side of me says the entire world should have stopped for today, like in the movies when something happens and everything stops. I hated that everything had to go on. I said goodbye, gave him a hug, then went back to work. Everyone went back to work, nothing stopped, life has to go on. Drove me nuts.


But, as life does go on, we got to picking on Cheryl. One of my Sous Chefs… I think my favorite. A few of us were saying she needs to start her own restaurant. To which we would say “screw this” to Yellowstone and the Inn and work for her. Even I, with all my dreams, would stop to work for her. Talk about valuable experience! She’s good enough to do so, we all that were discussing it work WONDERFULY together and we all love Cheryl. It would be AMAZING. She’s worked front and back of house - decided she was born to wear the whites, but she KNOWS both sides. It could work. It would ROCK. And apparently they’ve been telling her that since school. When she said that - all exasperated - I replied that if so many people are saying the same thing maybe we’re ONTO something! She just gave me one of her Cheryl looks and walked away. But still! So I kind of hope one day she will. When I leave I’m going to exchange numbers and emails or something and tell her that if she EVER decides to open CALL ME! TELL ME! And all of the returners agree that since it’s change of hands Xanterra has gone downhill SEVERELY, most of them don’t want to return.. It would be perfect timing and everything. I hope she buckles and goes for it. ^_^

Anyway, that's what's new. Good, bad, and the ugly. And the hopeful. FIVE WEEKS AS OF TODAY!

SIX MORE WEEKS!

I'm excited, can you tell? Most people here can't. Too tired and such to be outwardly excited. But only six more weeks until the contract is up!

I don't know what kind of person it makes me, I'm sitting here... Tired, legs, knees, and feet still aching, and ate at the Fountain because the EDR was THAT bad... yet I'm probably going to come back next year. I was thinking completely crazy today, or so I've been told. I told Maddie my thoughts and she asked if I had a fever. My thoughts were perhaps to come back next year and be front of house. Either server or hostess. I could, either one. I know I can put up with the people because I put up with the FOH staff, and I know I can carry what they need me to, and we've all seen me to the "waitress" bit with the holding it like wait staff do... I know the hints and the secrets... I know that they actually get breaks.... I know they have long hours... I know Xanterra and how they work... I know this area - Heck, it's almost a second home!... And with Xanterra it would be a seasonal job, I wouldn't be commiting to being FOH for this place for years, just five or so months...And as much as I complain, Xanterra isn't completely horrid.

I know, this makes the third or so idea I've thrown up here. Keep in mind, I'm commiting myself to almost nothing right now. They're JUST ideas. I don't know if I'm going to do it. I don't know if I'm going to take classes, or when. I don't know much of anything right now. I'm ok with that, I'm just thinking on ideas.

I'm so happy it's only six more weeks I want to celebrate. But I'm so tired, celebration will be eating one of Mom's amazing cookies, while I relax like I always do before falling asleep just to do it all again.

Anyway, I'm spacing out, so I'm off to my cookie celebration. ^_^ Later!

presidential day at the OFI...

Ok, so today was big President Day… Ugh. It was really rather interesting, though. First off, when I get to work at seven, usually there are maybe two people in the pantry area - our breakfast buffet person and our sous chef if s/he happens to be there. VERY empty and quiet. Today I came in, there was our normal breakfast buffet person…plus. Greg, Buddha, Chef Chapman, Chef Dave, Cheryl, Chris, Joe, Celeste… I think that was it. ALL in the pantry area. Our area barely fit them all. So they do all the cooking, plating, etc. They’ve all been here since around six. Poor people. There were two people with that party in the kitchen. One was secret service, and -I think- the other was a White House chef. Celeste told me she spoke to a White House head chef, so I’m guessing that was the one not in a black suite. I wanted to talk to one or the other, but didn’t get the chance. The other was a Navy guy, going on seventeen years (almost up for pension)… Anyway, so yeah, extra people galore, on top of the kitchen people and the White House people, there were a few other people supervising the exchange…
Then, the President was supposed to picnic but the weather was bad (it was cold and overcast… wooo) so he instead was at the Snow Lodge, upstairs somewhere. So everything was packed into a van or whatever and everyone trouped over to the Snow Lodge - but only Chef Dave and Chef Chapman got to go upstairs where the President was. It turns out that at the time he was out on a bike ride, so he didn’t meet the president after all. (Mind you I’m still in the kitchen doing my normal stuff) So it was quite interesting morning, nothing completely serious (partly because Cheryl, Chris, Buddha, Joe, and myself are almost incapable of being completely serious)…
Then lunch comes. And it occurs to me… They SHUT DOWN the Inn, the parking lot, the Snow Lodge - EVERYTHING for the President. No one goes in or out. Meaning, all those people, standing out there waiting to see the President go by, aren’t getting back in the Inn until Security allow it. So lunch was REALLY slow. Which was nice for a Friday, if boring. The only big deal was that the press was here, and they were VIPs meaning their food gets up on the window ASAP… and they all ate in the bar which means tons of sandwiches, but that only took maybe fifteen minutes. So the doors were closed from about 8 am and let open again at about 2:15ish pm. Doors for lunch close at 2:35, so not many people go in, though there was a rush forming. It was so quiet and calm, I sanitized EVERYTHING on my line, made sure everything was stocked, and talked to a girl - Gwen - who is usually hot line and showed her how to make EVERYTHING I do pretty much. It was fun, but she got sent home early cuz there was nothing for her to do. I was like “Chris, there is nothing for ME to do” but he said “yeah, but you’re essential” because I work the line, I am necessary if any tickets whatsoever come through. Which is nice, I rather like being essential… But for the last fifteen minutes of work both Greg and I just essentially wondered the kitchen waiting for time to pass by… Then, now, onto my weekend. So yeah that was our presidential day. Chef Chapman eventually got to meet him but there was really very little to do with him, mostly just the food.
Really not much to report, but I said I would so there you go.
It was Celeste's last day which was sad, I'm gonna miss her. I miss Casey too... Sigh. Well, life goes on. I have a month and a half, roughly.
Yep, nothin' else to say really... I'm going to the pub tonight cuz dinner sucked. Jeff was prep, so Mark cooked, and he usually kinda sucks. He puts zero effort into anything. Baked fried chicken just doesn't look good. WAY salty gravy with mashed-tatoes... Nope, pizza is good.
So yeah, g'night all, Talk atcha later.

Uhm...

So I don't know if I told you all about the president of Xanterra coming to the Inn. It was a while ago - last week I think... And anyway, there was our normal two sous chefs on duty then, plus Chef Freida (our normal chef), plus Chef Mike who trained us, the step above Chef Frieda, PLUS Chef Chapman, the overall chef for Yellowstone, PLUS almost every front of house manager... UGH! I made him a BLT. You have a billion dollars, you come all this way, and he got a BLT (along with whatever else he got)... Said it was nice, or whatever, I can't remember. Chef Frieda came up to me (I had the BLT up already) and told me to use it for a different order and remake the BLT cuz the rest of the order wont be up for a few minutes. Was kinda funny.

Anyway, I obviously don't really care that much. The main point of this is that A) I fed the president of Xanterra a BLT, and B) I don't want to work Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The President is scheduled to come Friday. Not Xanterra, THE PRESIDENT. Obama. For those who are fans, good for you. For those who aren't, good for you. It's not about that. It's that President Obama is coming to the OFI, and inevitably going to eat lunch or dinner in the dining room. Now, I just listed all the EXTRA people who were there for the President of Xanterra. Imagine all the extra people in the kitchen if the President is going to be there?! All of the normal, plus extra staff "in case", plus the extra Chefs, PLUS - and here's the best - Secret Service?! I mean, inevitably they will be there to make sure no one kills, poisons, etc our President. I don't want these people swarming the kitchen. I don't want to deal with that. I hope he comes to the dining room for dinner - not lunch, so I don't deal with much of it.

I mean, I guess it'd be cool - a new experience, something to add to my list of stories and perhaps even sneak into an interview or something. But all those people.... People being EXTRA stupid because "oh my God, the President!"... ugh. I'll end up working Friday and Saturday, but I have Sunday off (unless they don't give it to me "just in case")... We'll see. I'll tell you how it turns out.

Meanwhile, it's my FRIDAY! Dinner sucked, but I went to the deli with Ken and we walked and talked and such. It was fun. I like talking to intelligent people. Unfortunately, he is going to Asia next summer so I can't visit him on my roadtrip. After that he's thinking about going to Grand Canyon to work, so maybe I'll see him there. He's nice, and smart. Yay.

Anyway, I'm done. I'm gonna read and relax. I still want to wake up tomorrow for breakfast to have my eggs (and not scarf them in five minutes) and such, so sleep tonight. Talk at y'all later.

AAAAAAH

I just had a frightening thought, and completely skipped dinner due to it...
I want to visit Michael before I come home. Which doesn't necessarily mean I'll spend a lot, but just enough for a flight to Biloxi, a hotel room for three days, and a flight from there to Portland...
They pay us with peanuts, anyone who hasn't noticed, there you go. My paycheck for this two weeks was roughly $450... I have spent a good amount of my paychecks so far because going places or buying things is the ONLY kind of release you have. Otherwise, I live thirty seconds away from work, eat with only one wall between me and work, spend my weekends here on location... It gets to you. Truly everyone does. Most people drink and smoke, I don't. I buy snacks and food and a few touristy things. But nonetheless I spend more than truly I need to. But TRULY it's hard to live off EDR stuff and LIVE so close to work. So it is what it is.
A few rough calculations show that if I don't spend a DIME until I leave, I'll have roughly $2500... I want to have SOMETHING to go home with, something to show for the five months I've spent busting my butt day after day.
Now, according to the Alaska Airlines page, which is the airline I used to get out here, it'd be approximately $200 to get straight home from here (of course they're thinking if I book now - it will I'm sure get more expensive as time goes on). But still it's not bad. I wouldn't mind coming home with a little over two thousand dollars, though I'd prefer more for all my work. My concern is that I want to fly from here to Biloxi and then from Biloxi to home - with three days of hotel in between. I haven't been able to look into that part quite yet, the internet here is not complying all the time.
I was talking with one of the servers today, and he pointed out that his paycheck is usually around $1200 EVERY TWO WEEKS. So perhaps I try to move to server? I doubt our F&B queen will let me, she won't let Heather move, won't let any over her BOH go anywhere because of how short staffed we will soon be. So even if I wanted to, I'm pretty much stuck where I am. I told Heather perhaps she could bargain for a raise, if she's so invaluable. But the realisitic/pessimistic side of me says that won't work because Jessica, for all that she IS our F&B manager for the entire Inn, doesn't have QUITE that much power.
So all in all, I suppose, I'm afraid of coming home with nothing to show for six months of working here in the park. I truly don't care about money, and I couldn't care less except that in the world it does mean something and to get where I want to go I do need it... I am thinking how am I going to take my roadtrip I want to take? How am I going to take some business classes? I've been thinking about taking the resturant management courses at Chemeketa... How am I going to start my bloody diner?!
But maybe I'm just looking at this wrong. My job back home has better pay. I can come back if I want - or go to a new location within Xanterra - and apply for a manager position to get more on my checks. I can probably work at CFP for a few winters yet to come seeing as how renewals won't exactly magically go away. I can live at home for a while while I do all this so I don't have to pay room and board (though I might anyway).

I think a lot of what freaks me out is insecurity about the future. As I type I'm also looking into more Xanterra jobs, because even though most of our employees use the term "it's another beautiful day in Hell" and it does suck working here, it's pretty much guaranteed, especially once you've worked for Xanterra once and are in the system. And truly, I am able to get past all that and still enjoy my job and the people I work with. And we all know I don't mind working my butt off. I can't believe, truly, that I'm looking at more Xanterra jobs.

Anyway, I guess it'll all work out somehow, I just don't know quite how yet. Thanks for listening to my ramble!! Money doesn't concern me often, but right now it seems to be a huge concern - for everyone.

My ear doesn't even hurt anymore, until I hit/touch it on accident. Sometimes at night I even sleep on it, and it doesn't bother me at all. I woke up this morning having slept on it, and it didn't hurt at all. I am starting to get scabs around it, but that's just healing... People told me it would hurt pretty much two or three weeks constantly, like a constant throb... Nope, about 24 hours. Like, it hurts sometimes at work cuz of the fans blowing wind, the hat, and the temp changes. I can't wait until I can change it out into different things. :D Right now it's just a silver hoop with a silver ball... Kinda boring.
Today and yesterday were my days off, and I was sitting in the EDR eating breakfast and reading and Joe and Shelby walk out. Joe is a prep cook, and Shelby moved to storekeeping (though he's thinking about moving back to pantry!!). Anyway, they come out to take a smoke break and Joe says "Cat, you're in the wrong uniform! You can't come to work in that" and I tell him I'm on my days off, no work for me. And he says "No Cat, haven't you heard? Those like you and me and Shelby, those who actually bust our ass day after day, we don't get days off..." TRUE! But, I'm stealing this one.
Elsa and Wes left this morning early. Vivian and Suzy left yesterday early. Lindsay leaves in about four days. Casey leaves in about fifteen, and Chad in about eighteen. So on one hand it'll be interesting, when most of the tourists leave and it's just a skeleton crew (cuz that's all that's needed) and everything is chill. I've heard good things, and I'm excited for it. Christmas and Halloween in August should be interesting, just to see what they do.
But on the other hand, it's sad, cuz I'll be largely without people to hang out with. Our RCs are going to be here to the end, and I hang with them, but nothing'll be the same, without Wes and Elsa. But I know, life goes on. And truly, there aren't many people that I will probably ever see once we leave. Elsa, Wes, and Vivian are three of those I'm going to try to see, so it could be worse. I'll see them again.
Anyway, this is my blog. I'm alive, if tired and kind of bored. So yes, that's that. I've been trying to get pictures up but our internet is too sucky. So in October, you'll be FLOODED with pics when I can finally get them all up.

My biggest comlaint (I'm allowed one, right?)

I don’t feel well. I suppose you could say I almost never feel well anymore. Not since abut a month ago. Maybe a little less or more, but it certainly feels like a long time. It adds up when it’s an unlucky thing, doesn’t it? It’s kind of a lot of relatively little things. Work makes me feel ill most of the time. Dehydration and heat, especially when it’s hot early in the mornings. And then a lot of physical exertion and stress and temperature changes walking in and out of the walk-ins and freezer… At any rate, most days I feel at least a little nauseous for at least a few hours almost every day. Yeah, it varies, what in life doesn’t, but it’s almost always there. Then the body aches; my ankles, feet, and knees being the most common. The real pain in the butt is the random ache that starts at my shoulder, really manifests at my elbow and runs all the way down to the knuckle of my middle finger. On my left arm. Makes ya think I’m having a stroke right? If so, I’ve had over a dozen and they last for an entire evening or day or whenever it starts. It pretty much doesn’t end until I lay down completely with it flat on the bed straight and limp. No use whatsoever. And the random chest thingy. I’m not so sure it’s pain… it’s half anxiousness, or so it feels. That strange constricting around the chest… like a straightjacket was used just across my heart and cinched a little too tight. You know how that is right? The most distressing of them all, I think.
It makes me wonder, on my worse days… My Mondays and Thursdays and other rotten days… why I’m still here. Why I don’t say “I’m no quitter, but this is too much.” and put in my notice. I suppose sheer force of will… I suppose because I don’t quit… But I don’t know why, nonetheless - I ought to, oughtn‘t I? There are a lot of aspects about it here I love. I love the BOH crew, I love some of the people I’ve met, I love the feel of Laurel dorm, I love what I do for my job, I love a lot of things about it. Heck, I love going to the EDR in the mornings early and chatting with Dennis while he makes my eggs…
But still sometimes, especially at night when everything slows down and I can think and reflect and relax, I wonder why I deal with all this. And after a “good nights sleep” (as if it cures everything) I’ll think of this as silliness to say aloud (or type out) and be quite happy and content - until the illness and pains set in again. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t all attack at once, and they don’t always all attack on the same day. Usually not. They keep it spread out so when something is on it’s weekend, something else is there to pick up the slack. The trick is that nothing is SO bad I can’t work through it. Not even two or three of them at once is so bad I can’t work through it and fake it well. But it wears on you, you know? It adds up at the end of the day, when there’s no one to fake it for, and nothing to work at. Then it’s just pain and annoyance.
So yes, this is my complaint for the day. Well, longer than a day in both directions, but nonetheless… There’s my complaint. There’s the reason behind my “why am I still here? WHY am I staying for THREE MORE MONTHS?!” There’s my… concern almost. I have no idea why the arm pain goes off, or the chest pain/anxiousness thingy. I’m not super concerned. More the concerned I was when a portion of my foot went numb (still is, by the way, for those of you who know what I’m talking about)… Kind of concerned, especially when I think about it. But mostly just another annoyance. What’s going to be done about it anyway? They’ve proven they don’t do much when I broke my foot, even if I was to get all my odd annoyances checked out. Just exactly like when a portion of my foot went numb. And just like that, I suppose, I’ll just learn to deal and forget about it however I might. (I just wish I knew what was wrong with me! I don’t care so much about fixing it, just finding the cause!)
ANYhow. I think I’m done. I could ramble more, but I fear this is already becoming confusingly long. Thanks for listening.

I did the thing where even though the internets are down I write it up and post it later. So this is from a few days ago and earlier today... No biggie. Here ya go...


So it’s late, but I’m too hungry/thirsty to sleep (munchin’ on jerky and Arizona Iced Tea - no worries)… Meanwhile, tonight was the talent show - park wide. One of our own Laurel boys made it to the finals. Cal beat boxed his way to second place in our local talent show - and on a whim! I didn’t go, but from what I hear he just was like “sure, I’ll do it” and DID! Anyway, he rocks, I assure you. He sadly didn’t place but was still good. The pianist won - did two songs, one Motzart, and half way through the Motzart he was blindfolded (mid-note by this girl!) and only MOMENTARILY misplaced his fingers twice. The second place should have gone to Cal, but this two-man comic relief group got it. They did an original song, and it was hilarious, granted. The entire bit was funny… but it’s a TALENT show, not a comedy competition. Third place went to another comic relief guy, who had talent, to be sure… but not as much as some of the others I think. Just a different kind. See, he writes his own songs - on the spot. Which is cool, but the song was a total comic relief kind. He probably placed, not for quality of talent, but quantity. He didn’t just sing, he sang, played guitar, and wrote a song on the spot. If he concentrated on just one at a time, he could probably be quite brilliant. Anyway, there were some great singers - someone even did Bobby McGee. Really well, too.
There were two hilarious things happened. One made me want to shoot the “performer”… A guy did “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” by Elton John… ‘Cept the track he used was the normal song track, not a purely accompaniment track. So he was trying to sing JUST like Elton John - tone, timbre, feel, and attitude, everything…. OVER Elton John!! Everything was horrible. The least he could have done was turned off the mic and given us a visual lip sync performance (except that usually he was a beat fast!) And as was pointed out to me, that sure says something about the talent at Grant. See, the finalists are the top two from each location. And if that’s the second place talent there, I’m depressed!
The other thing was that, as we all know, I live in Laurel dorm. Cal is from Laurel dorm. So EVERY TIME the MC said “Laurel Dorm” EVERYONE from Laurel SCREAMED. It was awesome. He tried it with a few others and it was an occasional “yeah” from a guy or two. Laurel - got a full thirty seconds of cheer! When we got there we all made efforts to sit together, and a friend from another location was like “why?” after the first half I was like “you see why now??” she said we were all crazy as heck. I was like, yeah. So what else is new? Project Laurel yo! It’s great living in a community dorm like this one. Open, more college like than the others that are more apartment like.
Anyway, it was tons of fun and I love my dorm. Living in the Projects ain’t so bad after all.

***

Meanwhile… Michael is getting a new tattoo. I told him that I wished I’d been there for his tattoo, it’s just one more big part of life I’d missed out on. And truly it is. Working a long distance relationship as we are I want to miss out on as little of his life as I can, especially the big life-long things like a tattoo. I told him I rather he could be here for my piercing but I’m not sure I want to wait that long… (and after all he didn’t wait for me, right?) So yes, I will probably get my piercing without him, but that’s not the current point. He said that he wouldn’t mind waiting for me and getting it while I’m out visiting him. Which I’m grateful for. Perhaps he understands, and if nothing else he humors me patiently, right? Anyway, he said - and I quote - “Hell, maybe you can get your own tattoo.” Truth be told I’d been humoring the idea of getting more than just the ring tattoo when I get married…I just hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. Wasn’t sure of two things; one, if it was a big enough whim to follow through with, and two, if there is something meaningful enough to get. I’m thinking, if I get anything, it’ll be on the feet. One, the other, or both I don’t know. What it’d be, I don’t know. Maybe something music-y. We all know how big a deal music has always been… And what’s more, this could be a very cool experience for Michael and I to share - both of us getting a tattoo at the same time, being there for each other, and et cetera. I’m not entirely sure if I want it - not 1000% like I am with the piercing. But I’m going to wait until after the piercing because I think it’ll help push me one way or the other in my decision. Either after my piercing, I will probably either REALLY want it or not want it at all. We’ll see.
Mebbe I can put up the three pics I've been really looking at...

Hello all,

I realize it's been a while. I attempted to post one las tnight but the internet crapped out on me. Surprise surprise.

So let us see, what is there to talk of?...

Well, Michael came. He arrived on the 3rd, left on the 6th. It was fun. Walked the geyesers around Old Faithful, watched Old Faithful go off, went to dinner at the Snow Lodge, saw two bison and two baby bison.... Didn't really do super much, but it was SO nice to just have him with me for a while. I figured it up and in the last about 7 and a half months, we've seen each other approximately 14 days. And we wont see each other again until October, hopefully. The two bison we saw, with the two babies, are practically our own resident ones. They and one big male bison hang around the area and almost never leave. They wander from Bitterroot dorm (down the way a ways) down to the parkinglot and around my dorm and whatever, but almost never leave the area. It's nice. One of the little ones already looks to be shedding his baby red fur for darker stuffs of the adults, but it also looks like he's favoring his right hind leg. People think he'd been attacked or something, because we did see him limp and we THINK we saw a bit of blood. Terribly depressing, but such is life in the wild, right? And just because they hang around "civilization" doesn't make them tame by ANY means.
So yes, Michael left and I took my first sick day to take him to the airport. Called it a mental health day. The next day quite a few people asked me if I was better. "Well, mostly yeah"... But Jessica - the Queen of the Food &Beverage for the OFI came up to me and asked me what was wrong and am I better... "Well, I know it was mostly in my head, but it was one of those go to work and threaten people's lives, or stay home..." and she said "well I'm glad that you took the day off then" and walked away. I'm sure most of them, especially her, thought it was PMS or something. And I don't care. Call it whatever you like, just so lng as you don't give me crap about it so I don't have to go off on you and I'm ok. :D

Hey all,
So I've noticed that for whatever reason, no one leaves me comments. If you would start, just once or twice, if you have something worth commenting, that would be lovely. Then perhaps it'll feel less like I'm talking to a brick wall.
Now, on to the blog, I suppose. Let us see...
I'm fighting off a cold or illness of some sort. All it amounted to was a sore throat and stuffed sinuses. The sore throat is gone, but the stuffed sinuses are being a problem. My amazing roommate, Alliya, got me some Sudafed, though, when she went to Bozeman so I feel much better today.
Buhdda, my co-worker (who's real name is Nick), threw a party at the pub on Thursday. The unofficial (as in "we can't put that on the posters because someone might get offended) theme was "hos and pimps" party. The posters said "Bootyshakers and Moneymakers" So I got dressed up - I don't have ho-ish clothes, but we did our makeup thick and outrageous. Portland Road style, yo. And went and I danced all night. It was so much fun, we left at around 10:30 and I didn't get in until 1:30 or 2 am. I danced with co-workers, with one of my soux chefs Sheryl, Kevin and Lindsay, lots of people. Got offered a beer by one guy I danced with. We were dancing and he was holding FOUR open beers, and he offered me one. It was kind if hilarious. He's another co-worker of mine, Ian. The next day (yesterday) my thighs were sore! Clearly I don't use those muscles much, but dancing all night was so much fun. And yeah, everyone's thinking "Oh GOD!" cuz I can't dance, which is true enough - but no one can really. Once in a while a circle breaks out because someone CAN dance and IS, but generally we're all dancing at the same level. And no one's ashamed or embarrased, we're just having FUN. Total success - Buhdda rocks.
The 3rd of July Michael's visiting. The 3rd to the 6th. I'm so excited. I'm not the bounce-off-walls type so people think it's no big deal, but whatever. They can think what they will.
Oh - Alliya, my amazing roommate... Will no longer be my roommate. She's moving out to move downstairs with two of her friends. No big deal I guess, I mean, I LOVE having her as a roommate, and I'm going to miss having her around all the time... But whatever, such is life, and she's gonna be happy so cool. It's not like we'll never see eachother again. We're still in the same dorm, we eat at the same place, we work at the same place. The biggest worry is who'll replace her. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are arrival days for new people. I know that even though today is Saturday it doesn't matter because she's not yet completely moved out. I'm hoping to not have one until after Michael leaves. He's staying here with me whether my hypothetical roommate likes it or not, I'm not making him get a super-expensive room at the Inn. I could probably talk to the personnell office about it and get them to hold off for a time. Besides, we have at least two completely empty double rooms here that I know of. Anyway, I'm sure that things will be okay. They can't really go that bad. I mean, I was here first which gives me not only priority but the ear of the RCs. I'm friends with both of them and I get along with the personelle ladies too. If I get a bad roommate, I'll just change it.
Anyway, that's how things are going with me. OH! One more thing...
I've been thinking about this for months - MONTHS. I don't guess I have a real definitive answer as to why - and I know I'll be asked why a lot - but I want to get my right ear pierced. Now I have thought about it all. I want to get it pierced at the top of my right ear in the cartalige. I want to get it pierced while I'm here at Yellowstone kind of as a commemorative thing. It was while I was on this adventure! And no that doesn't mean that I'm going to get something done every time I have an adventure, or by the time I'm 80 I'll be completely pierced and tattooed. I talked to one of my friends, well, I've talked to a lot of them about this... But one of them told me that she believes that piercings and tattoos are kind of strangely addictive, but not in the same way as most things. With piercings and tattoos, they're addictive, but you have a limit. Like, you get a few things done, and you're satisfied. You no longer have the urge to get piercings or tattoos. I kind of believe her. I mean, there are the extremes (as Abigail pointed out to me) that have either no limit or a very large limit, ya know? But most people, most normal peoples have that limit.
My limit, I think, will be this piercing, and ONE tattoo if I ever get one. I've been thinking about it for a while. I kind of want one, but a good meaningful one. I don't want to look back in fifty years and go "yeah that was stupid"... So I think if I get one, it'll be after I get married and because you can't wear a ring in the kitchens I'll get my wedding ring tattooed onto the appropriate finger. Probably in the celtic braid style. I really like the celtic braid look. That would be meaningful and cool and something I could still cover up with a real ring if I want/need to.
It's funny, though, the idea of getting a tattoo partially because of the kitchens. Appropriate, don't you think? And watching Anthony Bordain's No Reservations, when he went to Portland, Oregon, he did note that a LOT of kitchen people have tattoos, and that really Oregonians are the only ones like that... we're just odd I guess. :D I don't mind going with that stereotype or that group or whatever, ya know what I mean? So yeah, that's my limit. I think.
Now that I've told Mom what I want to do, and I know she is cool with it, I'm actually really excited. I've been thinking about it for so long, it'll be sooo cool to actually have it done!! :D
So yeah, this time around, someone should leave me a comment. More than one someone too. Please and thank you!

Hey all,
Just got off my weekend - went out to West Yellowstone on my way to Bozeman, Montana with a few friends of mine. It was fun. Saw a dead deer, which was odd, but other than that no spectacular wildlife. Which, by the way, bison are no longer spectacular... So yeah, we saw quite a few of them, but big deal. Well, except when we saw a few babies RIGHT out our window. We even pulled over, and I got a few pics and a small video. Yay for my camera taking videos... I'll try to get them up but no guarantee.
I bought a few books and a few movies. Nothing else to do here. Oh - Crystal would find this especially interesting - I bought Mists of Avalon on DVD. I watched half of it the other night... And it was good - but sadly it doesn't follow the book well enough to truly compair them. Think of them as seperate works and the movie is quite good though. I also got The Tenth Kingdom - 417 minutes and three DVDs. Haha! But a good movie, and it'll just take me a few days to watch it. :D I also got Spaceballs and Men In Tights. Typically I wouldn't buy so much entertainment crap, but it's needed here!
OH! New In Town - Renee Zelweger (or however it's spelled) as a corporate on the way up moving to Minnesota to nab a promotion... Good movie. APPARENTLY the Minnesota stereotypes are SO wrong though, they're not ALL like that. :D My roommate is from Minnesota and she laughed her butt off at how they portray them. But yeah, good movie. I watched it on my own, and I'm a little off, but there were really funny moments from time to time. And of course, it's a chick flick so it's got the touchy feely parts now and then too...
So today I was so tired I napped all the way through dinner, and all we have in the room is snacky stuff... Shelby is out in West Yellowstone, though, and said he'd pick me up something, thank GOD! I'm starving... And I can't wait to eat the brownie I smuggled out of the kitchen. See, I portioned off the brownies today - the GOOD ones we use for the dining room, not the EDR ones - and there are little bits left all over, ya know? Like, stuff stuck to the spatula, stuff stuck to the pan, etc... So after portioning two sheet pans of brownies, I took the bits and put them in a cup with a lid. :D Greg, my supervisor, saw me, but I wasn't being obvious, and he just grinned. I mean, it's going to go to the trash otherwise, and I'm not being obvious "LOOK WHAT I'M TAKING!" and I'm not taking a brownie - just the 'waste'. It's only corporate hogwash that's keeping us from doing that sort of thing a lot. Like, both the soux chefs on duty walked by and grabbed a tasting spoon to take some of the 'waste' for "quality control"... it's nonesense! But whatever. Such is life.
Anyway, I'm going to finish with Shelby's music before he gets here and then perhaps watch a movie (so I don't fall asleep again!) until he gets here.
I'll update again later. Later!

So today was my Monday. I realize that it's actually Saturday, but regardless. And it was one HECK of a Monday. I would say everything that could DID go wrong- but I said that to a line cook and he argued it. "Really?? EVERYTHING? Your hair caught fire and your food all sucked and you cut yourself badly and..." ok - so not everything. But AGH!
One of my co-workers turned in his 8 day notice, and then was a no-call no-show today. Turns out he decided to up and leave. Well fine, I understand how he's sticking it to the man - Xanterra our employer. I understand his need/want and his reasons. But does he have to screw me and the rest of the pantry crew over in the process? We all scrambled like chickens with our head cut off trying to get it all done. See, during lunch there are four of us in the pantry typically. A line person (me), a buffet runner, the breakfast buffet runner prepping for tomorrow, and a prep guy to work on our prep list (the no-show coworkers job). In effort to do HIS job and ours, I did extra prep AND Bear Paw Deli stuff before I did my line, ran late prepping my line AND burned my thumb, and I stayed late an hour. The entire morning and night crew in the pantry at once trying to do our jobs and his. UGH! The only real upside is that now we truly know there is no small job in that kitchen and EVERYONE is vital.
I also changed my opinion on the call-in people who aren't really sick. I went from "well it's your choice, your honour" essentially to "that is not ok, you're screwing over your entire crew needlessly"
So yeah, that's my rant and my Monday. Burned my thumb on my right hand in the middle of the lower joint - you use that for everything. And then I had to wear laytex gloves all day that hold in the air, which held in the heat. Hurt! I held a lot of ice to that burn over the day.

BUT! Such is life, I suppose. Life goes on, and at the end of the day I somehow still love my job. I hate my boss - Xanterra admitedly sucks.... But I LOVE my job and the crew I work with so it's easy to forget I work for Xanterra. Sometimes it does feel like I've been here already forever. Like this summer will drag on into a hundred years without anyone realizing it. But sometimes it feels like the summer flies by...

OH! One thing I've noticed with irony!! The only thing to do in Yellowstone, really, is walk. Which is fine, it's beatiful and the air is fresh and you can smell the rain when it falls... But we - all of us that work in the Inn, and especially us in the kitchen or dining room, work ALL day on our feet, walking/running around etc. At the end of the day all we want to do is relax. On our days off WALKING is hardly on our list of things we want to do. No wonder no one has seen all that much of Yellowstone for having been here a month. Sigh. Cest la vie, right? I think that's how you spell it. Crys'll correct me if it's not.

Anyhow, that's pretty much all I say anymore. Such is life. Such is life. Such is life. So I'll talk to you all later when there is something else worth saying.

Three days off!!

Hey all,
So I know it's kind of been a while. The way the schedules turned out though, I wound up with a three day weekend :D so I thought I'd chat. See, the schedules go from Thursday to the next Wednesday. Typically I had Thursday and Wednesday off - opposite ends of the schedule. But as long as it happens more than once I get a real two day weekend, right? Right. Well, on the new schedule, they moved my weekend from Thursday Wednesday to Thursday Friday - meaning I had Wednesday off from the previous schedule, AND Thursday and Friday from the new one. WOOO!! :D
I still love my job. There's been a little drama going on in the workplace, though. People leaving, coming, changing jobs, and *hopefully* getting fired. People changing rooms in the dorm, changing dorms... People with sudden conflicts, etc. A lot of it in the dorm is high school juvenile drama. They just need to grow up. The drama at work is genuine something needs to be done about certain people drama. In the pantry where I work, for instance, one of our guys is leaving in 8 days. And we have no one to replace him as far as I'm aware. But we're short staffed anyway - the entire Inn is. But we're also getting new people soon. New people in the DORM tomorrow. New people at work... I don't know when, but I know the pantry needs two new people just to bring it to par. Luckily, I'm safe. I have a shift that is mine and as a co-worker pointed out, we doubt anyone COULD take it unless I left. It's MY shift! Lunch line - 7am to 3pm.
I'm slowly but surely - well not SO slowly - realizing the difference between off-the-clock and on-duty people. I could easily hang half the wait staff during my shift. But most of them are actually pretty cool people - OFF THE JOB. It's just ascertaining that difference. Which I'm getting better at.
Lets see, I never really think there's much to tell. It's great fun to act like a tourist while off duty and in public - which we're supposed to. It's so entertaining. Every time I walk into the Inn lobby I stop and go "tourist moment!!" and look all around in the "we're not in Kansas anymore" manner and "ooh" and "ahh"... :D Fun stuff. Oh and people watching!! Is hilarious. "You just bought all this brand new stuff just to 'look the part' even though you'll NEVER WEAR IT AGAIN! How does that make you feel?" And someone asked one of the hostesses "what time do they turn off the geyser?" Or "where are the fireworks for the fourth of July?" (for those who can't figure it out - NO FIREWORKS it's a bloody NATIONAL PARK! Wildlife preserve! No fireworks!) It's fun. Makes me so glad I work BOH so I don't deal with them. YAY back of house!
Anyway, my roommate and I are still fantastic, I love my job, and I have a THREE DAY WEEKEND! :D I'm excited. Ttyl!

Not much to talk about...

So, I know it’s been over a week… But truly, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to talk about. I suppose I’ll find something, I always do.

I just got off work - I had Thursday off, and now I have Wednesday off. The schedules go from Wednesday to Wednesday and this go ‘round I didn’t get my days back to back. I hope that I have the same days off next go ‘round so that this Wednesday will turn INTO a two day weekend with another Thursday & Wednesday off. Get it? So yeah, on the up side it makes for a short week. Yay…

Flo is starting with us tomorrow. Traded her for Johnathan. Good trade - Flo is SO funny. She gives Shelby more crap than Lindsay and I put together! Which I know means nothing to you, but trust me, she’s great and hilarious. :D And she does the work, from what I heard.

My day off I didn’t really do anything with - ran a few errands (cashed my check, general store, rec. hall) and I think I even did laundry. I can’t remember. It was only one day off which kind of sucked, I mean, I thought two days made me too restless so I was fine with only having one day off - not two back to back - but now I know I’d rather have two days!

Oh - so there’s this guy. He does the carving for the dinner buffet. See, we put a whole leg of bison out and he carves as people want it. He’s a jerk though - complete jerk. Condescending, can’t do anything wrong in his own eyes, and thinks he should own the freaking place! NO one likes him. BUT good news, I heard - scuttlebutt, I know - I heard that last night was the last straw, and he’s gone!! He was caught - by paying customers - picking at his lip, like at the dead skin, and then went back to carving without changing gloves, washing his hands, NOTHING. Eeeeww. So yeah, EVERYONE is happy about the idea that he’ll soon be gone. You get three strikes, see, before they consider firing you, and he’s had FIVE complaints from what I hear.

My friend Shelby fractured his wrist. His dominant hand no less. Complete accident - uneven road that is the park’s fault, no lights which is the park’s fault, and he tripped and tried to catch himself. Fractured his wrist. They’re not firing him - generally speaking the rumors are that if you’re useless to them Xanterra is pretty heartless and ruthless and will fire you just for being hurt or sick to often. Shelby, by the way, works with me in the pantry. I LOVE working with him! And I seriously hope - for my own selfish reasons - that he doesn’t take the promotion/transfer he was offered. Anyway, he’s being moved to the EDR (employee dining room) to work there for the next four weeks until his wrist heals. I SERIOUSLY HOPE - again for my own selfish reasons - that after that time is up he gets put back in the pantry with us. So for now he’s trying to make sure they fix it somehow and trying to get Xanterra to not hang him out to dry.

So yeah, work, shop talk at home, and sleep. Not much else. Shop talk is hilarious, I mean we all work pretty much RIGHT in the same spot, but we all have so much out-of-our-control and separate stuff to complain about. Oh - and yes, I did just call the dorm and my room home. I started calling it that since day three. And according to Alliya - my roomie - this literally IS home to so many of us. I mean, apparently most of us don’t really have a home outside of the park, no home to go home to when all this is done. Kind of sad, but at the same time I love that this is home to not only me but so many people. I’m just sad that so many people are leaving The Projects (as Laurel is so fondly called) for Bitterroot. Bitterroot offers bigger rooms, and a private bathroom, but also a longer commute and having to pack up and move again. I’m not putting in a request to move. I like it here in the Projects, and giving the option, I would actually opt to not move out. It’s a little run-down and REALLY a fixer-upper, but my home in Oregon was/is a fixer-upper. And it’s part of the experience almost. It’s the oldest one, it’s got a lot of real wood to it, and a lot of character. I don’t know - all this still doesn’t quite explain it. I just really enjoy it here, the ambiance, the way the people are, the younger group (Bitterroot is a lot of older people), even the fact that sound carries through walls and the doors slam if you let them close by themselves. It’s my home…

So yeah, I guess that’s my update, not much, a lot of random crap. Hope it works for y’all. Oh - and I’ve been hanging out with so many southerners - we have the SWEETEST southern boys - that all my red-neck and obviously-raised-on-country is coming out. I also have that problem where I start to talk like those around me, so it may sound like I’m mocking them, but I’m truly not. I don’t think I have that problem - with them thinking I’m mocking them - because we joke so much. I love chatting with the servers over my line. My co-workers are primarily AMAZING. There’s one server snob, that I don’t talk to and am strictly work with, but mostly they’re so great.

ANYWAY, that’s my update. I’ll try to post it and hope the internet doesn’t hate me right now…