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