Life is not the same - are the good days ending????

Choosing my words carefully -- the new dishwasher is causing me stress. 

When she cleaned - she had water everywhere, then had to clean up the mess she made. 
I placed my hands into the soapy water solution - it was very slimy - she used laundry detergent to clean with. We have Quat for cleaning counters - fridges - well for all kitchen related surfaces.. 
I understand she used the broom to sweep the table tops - Why ?? I have NO idea! 
I had her clean the kitchen one day - she found my glasses - the ear piece is broken on one side - so she through them in the garbage. I have been looking for them for a couple of days now - so I asked her yesterday she said opes they might had fallen on the floor behind the broiler - so I looked there - today I asked her because the other dishwasher said he thinks they might be in the garbage - so I asked - Yes she threw them away.... Why would you do that - even if they were broken why would you do that??? 
- the dishes are being put away dirty 
- the dishes are very wet - I tell her to let them sit for a minute to dry before she takes them from the dishwasher to be put away. So I tell her again.... 
- pot sink - do all the pots - drain the pot sinks - clean out garbage in sinks - spray clean -- she left with dirty water in the sink -- some pots sitting in the drying rack -- not acceptable. 
- fill up the cereals - she spills 
- go in the fridge to get ? - she knocks over the OJ - I have to tell her to get a mop - she does but pushes the excess juice into the kitchen - kind of mops this up - the floor remains sticky for the rest of the day.. 

I could go on - but I won't right now.... 

OK one more twists - I am told tonight that the assistant director has resigned. She will finish this year (October) wow double wow.... 
She is the owners right hand- hand --- she has built the outdoor education part of this camp. 

Interesting - I felt something was wrong at the beginning of this work season - she has taken many more days off and away from camp - this summer she has been away a lot and she had an assistant hired to assist her for the first time -- oh well it will be interesting to see how the future unfolds. 

Arc'Teryx

 
I was rewarded with an Arc teryx vest for being part of the camp team for five years. 
I thought I might get a plaque for the wall - was so surprise to get this. 
There are six of us that started at the same time back 2008. And I must say I enjoy these friends they are good people. 

So I am off for three days - but not fully - I have to plan and carry out my food order to arrive the first day back so I have food to feed the 160 people that are arriving for lunch. So I will do that later - call in the order - go back to work on Thursday and wait for the delivery. It will be large as stock is very - VERY low. 

Well the one dishwasher who quit has left the camp now. The one young lad has told the owner he will stay till the end of August. The new older lady - well she has a positive attitude and gets the job done - but needs constant supervision - did not expect that.. 

Anyways I am in the Condo right now enjoying high speed internet service :) trying to decide what Noni and I will do for our three days off. 
- replace a geo cache that was slimy 
- deposit pay cheques 
- go to Vancouver and eat Dim Sum 
-Geo cache 
- at some point I want to do kayaking 
and Rest. 

Sun and the moon blue skies

As I sit in the kayak looking up into the blue skies, observing birds flying by - I ponder the fact that Life is good. 

Talk about filling a day off up to the utmost - to get all a day can bring. Looking up into the blue skies with the sun shining and yes the moon is still visible at 11:30 AM Noni and I are paddling hard into the wind. 
I am not going to say too much - look at the pictures - they are worth a 1000 words or more. 
 

 

 

 Great blue heron and Canadian Geese 

 at a calm bay 

 Noni in the waves 

 

 coming off the ocean to go home. 
I really must get out more often.

Punishment

 

Not one but two. So for punishment it was a twelve (12) km bike ride in the sweltering heat of the middle of the day. 
What am I talking about? 
Well Noni made a banana cream pie - she made one for my kitchen guy and an extra one to share with the other staff. I had a piece of both pies - you know quality control ..... and it was so good. 

Thus I had to sit on the bike with the sun out in full force and try to use up those extra calories 

 

Happy Face

Afternoon walk of 8 km (4.97) miles - on the way stopped to locate this questionable cache. It has been bothering me for months now, seeing this as a green log and not a happy face on my map. I had attempted this once before but with no luck.But not seriously looking. 
The last time it was found was 09/17/2012. That it self was not really the issue - it is with the comments that people were leaving after finding it. You have to climb a fence and a lot of questions about if we are trespassing on private property and if the property owner knows if it is there or not. People were feeling uneasy and stating that in their logs. 
Well this day on my afternoon break after working eight hours straight - off I went on this stroll with the GPS around my neck. I was determined to get to ground zero. Well the GPS never did read ground zero - but 2 feet is close enough. and by tribulation and Geo senses I located the tree that it must be in - I searched the tree - walked away - came back to it searched again - walked away came back again - ahhhhhhh there it is -- covered in leaves and moss 
Now I am happy - one more happy face on my map. 

 

Scale down - scale up

Happiness is seeing the scale drop. 
So the last few mornings the scale has been moving the right direction. But today I might had blown it - chocolate chip cookies were made and butter tarts. I did eat a salad for lunch and a small bowl of navy bean soup breakfast a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries with about 3/4 cup soy milk. Supper small and I mean small serving of chicken Alfredo pasta dish but during this time I did eat one and half butter tarts and a cookie earlier in the afternoon. 
After my rabbit lunch Noni and I went for a swim (45 minutes doing laps) in the swimming pool. So much for trying to get ahead with the calories out verses in. This morning I only walked thirty minutes instead of the full six km. 
Today I measured the distance in the car where I walk the odometer indicated 2.9 km - I thought it was only 2 km each way - 2.9 km makes a difference so to round it off from where I park the car to the cabin would be the other .1 to make it an even 6 km walk. Not bad for an early morning stroll before work in which I spend eight hours on my feet. 
Why won't the belly go away?????????? 
------------ cookies 
-------------cakes 
--------------butter tarts 
-------------ice cream 
-------------pudding 
------------ chocolate haystacks 

-------------muffins 
------------cookies  

Days go Bye

Days go bye - heat waves suck the breath from your soul - but still many mouths need to be fed. How do I do it - how does my wife keep on going - how do the dish crew keep slugging? 
I have no answers - I just know that we do. 
Update - the interviews are done - we hired the one older lady - and the second younger girl -well she ended up in the hospital so so is off the list. However the one young lad has decided to stay. 
OK - why ? I do not know all the details but -------- one he has made some friends here 
- with his friend leaving ( his friend was a useless worker to put it nicely) he will not have to do all the extra work so the job will be easier 
- when I talked to him to remind him about job experience and how he was throwing this opportunity away as a reference and reminding him there is only about five weeks left in his contract. 
When he thought about the time being so short -- he was thinking many more weeks and he was homesick - but once he realized the shortness of time remaining of his summer contract and there are days off during this time. 
So he is staying - I am OK with that - he is a good worker. 

I have been waking up early to walk four KM before work these last three mornings 
 

 

and there is the bike rides in the evenings after work with my wife 
 

Wednesday - Wednesday

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

 

I am always on an outlook for wildlife and other of God's creation. 

 

This day went by well. The boys with a little encouraging from me did some cleaning - did their dishes - and pots - husked some corn for me to cook for supper. Did their job. 
Today the owner and I interviewed a second lady - I think both ladies will come and work for a day to see if they are truly interested in working. This other person is older - this will change the dynamics of the kitchen...

Another twist. 
This morning I chewed out the kitchen crew - the dish-pit and surrounding area was dirty. I have been slack in keeping up standards - I don't want to offend any one - but enough is enough. Dirty is a violation of the health inspectors standards and so I told both lads to follow me as I pointed out things I wanted clean. In the middle of this talk and tour one of the lads began to talk with another staff - I stopped it right away - my kitchen crew person got mad at me - told me I was rude --- NO I am your boss - you are to listen to me and do what I want done. When the owner came to the lodge - I pulled him aside to inform him I had words with my crew as things were so dirty. 
He said he would talk to me after breakfast... 
After breakfast he informs me that last week the boys had given noticed. He has been looking for their replacements. But YES- these boys are still being paid to work and so they must clean. 
Nice I am told this.... 
I am not surprised - but still.... 
Tonight I took part in an interview -

Monday, Monday Life is good for me right now

Monday - Monday. The weekend ended so quick. That has been said by so many so often. 
On arriving back to camp Sunday night - heard the news about one of our camp staff being in the hospital. The one was pursuing one of the kitchen girls at the beginning of the camp season has fallen off a mountain bike and fractured his t4, t5 bones in his back. The good news is he is NOT paralyzed. 
I was talking to the other guy that also lusted after the same girl that the hospital guy had won over and began dating - and he was telling everyone about his fright with a cougar. I understand he was walking back to camp from the beach at dusk - a cougar was following him on the road - then went into the bushes - came out either in front of him or just behind him again a few moments later --- then a car passed by and it disappeared, and staff member quickly arrived back at camp safe and sound. 

Both my dishwashers have returned to work - this is a good thing! 

I get a phoned call from a camp that I had applied at before I started working at this camp I work at now. I have talked to the new director a few years in a row, when he comes to our camp for high ropes training in the spring of each year. This year is the first time he did not return. Each year that he comes he always talks about how our food is better than his camp - tells me of his kitchen woes - asks me how I do things -- we have a smaller camp kitchen - about the same numbers - I think about the same budget - yet I putout so much more food - food made from scratch and a lot less staff. 
Last year on a weekend off I actually went and visited his camp - Well the director did phone me today and asked if I knew of any cooks that needed a job - their cook quit today. Asked me indirectly if I was happy here... There is some tempting thoughts going around in my head -- it is a Christian camp - yes they have issues too but I would be with liked minded people more often - they are on the ocean (what more can I say about that) The area is just as beautiful or more even then where I live now - and I do have friends that live near the camp. If I remember correct the cook they did have did not work 12 - 15 hours days.. had time off to enjoy life outside of camp every day... 
However they did reject me six years ago when I applied - had the interviews and all but did not hire me. This camp did - we have had some struggles - but I am still here - I am free to run the kitchen sort of - yes I do n't feel they appreciate all that Noni and I do at times - but who is to say this other camp would -- once the "honeymoon" period would be over... 
So I think I will stay right where I am for now. It is a good camp - both are for that matter - but I am happy here and things should get better eventually in the issues of time worked per day and week. 

This afternoon I grab my Kindle and reading glasses and told Noni to go to the car with a book and we went to the river. I took her to the place I discovered the day she went away with her friend last month. The river is no longer in flood mode so it was not roaring pass. 
It was a relaxing hour as we sat reading on the chairs with Noni at my side and Dalhouise dog at my feet laying on his pillow. 
Life is indeed good for us right now! 

Sunday the last day before back to Work on Monday

Easy - relaxing day.
Woke up a little later - took Dalhouise out for a walk around the pond - checked on my hidden Geo - cache. It is doing fine where I have placed it.
Church - OH it is good to be in the house of the Lord. To be with like minded companions more or less, to talk to friends - to be part of the civilized life again.
Then so much for eating healthy - we took my mother out to the Boston Pizza restaurant for lunch. It will be her birthday this coming Thursday and I will not be able to spend much time with her that day so today was the day.





So Happy birthday Mom.. after we took her to her home - I stopped at another of my caches that had lost it's lid - I replaced the container - went to Canadian Tire and bought a folding lawn chair. This upcoming two weeks the camp is a little smaller and so Noni and I should have more free time in the afternoons - I want to take her to that spot I blog about a couple of weeks ago by the river. It is about time anyways that we each had a chair to sit on - I only had one before - one more item to store in the car :)

Home - well it is time to do a little bit of canning. I have turkey stock. Last time I froze it and - well I rather have it canned - no need trying to thaw it out last minute when I need it..




Just one more batch to do but will use the half pints next.

The decision I must soon make is - do we stay here in the condo tonight - or do we go back to the cabin?
Breakfast is at Eight -- only for the 30 something staff.. so what will I do?

Saturday -second day of activities of my weekend OFF

I have much more to say about my Saturday OFF - spending the time at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden was only one of the highlights of the day.
First thing in the morning we took Dalhouise to the Fisherman's Warf in Squamsih



Yes I found it!

So Dalhouise is happy -he has had a run - a poop - a swim so it was time to go home. Before we took him back inside Noni wanted me to hose him down because he was smelly - so I did - then we had to walk around our condo. We have some very nice gardens on location..








Dalhouise is now dry and smelling a little better so we take him up stairs and leave him home as we head to Vancouver.
First stop was at the Chinese Garden to find my second cache of the day, Yin and Yang.
This cache is in the free park, not the garden where there is an admission fee. Bring a pen.
May 1 - June 14 9:30AM - 5:30PM June 15 - Aug 31 9AM - 6:30PM September 9:30AM - 5:30PM
Oct 1 - Apr 30 9:30AM - 4PM
Harmony of four main elements: rock, water, plants, and architecture. Together, these four elements combine to create a breathtaking experience of perfect balance, yin and yang. Located in the heart of busy Chinatown, Sun Yat-Sen Park is like another world. Filled with unique rock forms, a waterlily-covered pond, a pagoda, and lush plantings, the park has the ability to create a feeling of peace and tranquility in those who visit. Admission to this park is free. Check the garden open hours to avoid disappointment. No need to leave the path. You should be able to make the grab from the path to prevent disturbing any flora. Please leave no trace. The gardens are an oasis in the downtown east side. This is one of Vancouver's poorest neighbourhoods so has many of the problems that come with that.


(read my last posting about this fantastic place)

From here at the Garden where I parked the car I had two more caches to find. So for the rest of the day we would be doing some walking. The garden cache was in the middle of the two. First we headed down town to the armories to seek a cache.




me searching for the cache.

Togetherness

So yes I found it - more Joy - and today was Geo - caching earth day and so I earned a virtual souvenir on my Geo caching home page.
But wait I am not finished yet there is yet another cache I want to seek and find. So back towards the car and the garden we walk.




Walk on by the gardens to the Jimi Hendrix Museum and Shrine
"The museum has some very interesting information and one of the student guides would be happy to tell you about how Jimi's Mom restaurant was the go-to spot when the big name blues players wanted some down home fried chicken after a big gig in other parts of Vancouver.
This heritage building used to be a Vie's Chicken Inn where Norah Hendrix, the grandmother of Jimi Hendrix, cooked for many years. Jimi used to play music there. The neighborhood was also the only black neighborhood in Vancouver.
THE MUSEUM IS FREE
Open from June to September from 1:00pm to 5:00pm Monday – Saturday.
This is one of Vancouver hidden wearied destinations and will put a smile on your face for the rest of the day. Enjoy."
I could not go in - there was too much incense burning and I am very allergic --- to make matters worse I did find the cache but could not get it opened to sign the log book - but I claimed it as a found regardless.


So now it was time to return to Squamish - thus ends my Saturday.

Dr. Sun Yat - Sen Classical Chinese Garden

I have had this location loaded on my GPS now for about four months. We have been in Vancouver a few times but just never seemed able to stop to search for this cache until today. I highly recommend any visitors to come here whether or not you Geo cache or not. I can not give it enough praise - it truly is a refreshment for the heart and soul. The description " It is as new as the morning sunrise and as old as civilization" is well put.
(location -- 578 Carrall Street in Chinatown Vancouver BC)























What more can I say - I have so many pictures - it was hard to choose and limit my selection. Truly I found rest for my weary body and mind this day at this place. I must come back again - too little time was spent here as I had more Geo caching to go seek.