Sunday, 5/16: Check-in Eve

  • Took a driving tour of the Grand Loop, our places of employment, and the employee RV campgrounds where we might be stationed. Saw one that seemed probable but a little tight for our larger rigs. Saw another that was larger, but appeared unused. 
  • Discovered it takes an hour to get from the West Gate to our places of employment and residence along the lake. Realized “going into town” may not happen as frequently as we originally thought.
  • Had our first encounter(s) with buffalo on the road…literally, on the road, in the road, taking their time, uncomfortably close. They are truly beautiful creatures that command utmost respect.
  • Saw my first geysers from the road, and took pictures like a maniac as if I’d never see another
  • Stopped to gaze at and take pics of the still mostly frozen lake
  • Ate in West Yellowstone (at the Slippery Otter Pub)
  • Checked out the local super markets in West Yellowstone – small and somewhat more expensive, but they do the job

Monday, 5/17: Check-in Day

  • Set out early a.m. to make HR by 8:00…we were early ?
  • Signed agreement, received our name tags and IDs, uniform t-shirts and jackets, met some really nice folks. Couldn’t believe how excited we all were – a room full of giddy old folks
  • Drove the rig to the tightly packed campsite we were nervous about staying in. Anxious, but hopeful that somehow things would turn out okay.
  • Guess what??!! Things turned out okay! Because Wilma and I had completed a survey about our respective RVs (length, width with slides out, etc), they shipped us off to another, more comfortable (for us), campsite…the one we wrongly assumed was unused. Yippee!
  • Got caught in a two hour line of cars slow-rolling it to take pics of bison crossing the road. In the tourists’ defense, wildlife has the right of way up here and buffalo can be pretty cagey. Got an incredible video of two buffalo swimming across a river!
  • Okay, because Wilma and I filled out that survey, we were told that site rent would be taken out of our pay checks. Oh, and electricity too. Needless to say, our husbands were thrilled.
  • Went to check in at our store and met our manager, assistant manager, and a few other folks. Talk about a fun bunch! It was like a party in that office. We will fit right in. 
  • Came back to the campground, spent. Super stoked about the opportunity and the way things had worked out, yet suddenly relaxed and exhausted from, as Mister calls it, newbie anxiety.
  • Had breakfast for dinner over at Fred and Wilma’s.
  • It was a good day.

Tuesday, 5/18: First Day on the Job

  • Set alarm for 6:00, woke up at 4:30 – felt a little like Christmas. Realized I hadn’t worked in two years. Suddenly nervous, but mostly excited – trying to play if off.
  • Getting ready, I rattled off a series of questions, rapid fire, at my husband: Do you think they’ll have lockers for our belongings? Was it a mistake for us to choose to work at separate stores? Is this shirt okay? Do you think I should wear my work shoes or save them for actual work days? Do I need to take a pad to take notes? 
  • Attended the meet & greet then we separated into groups by job description. I’m food service, so I got to spend the day cleaning, unpacking, organizing, and hauling boxes. Pretty intense labor for someone who hasn’t worked in a couple of years…or exercised consistently for that matter.
  • I’m working with a number of younglings- great kids, college aged – and a couple of older folks (like me). Worked a little too hard and too fast to talk or exchange names, much less remember them.  It’s on my agenda for tomorrow.
  • Mister spent the afternoon worrying about me, checking up on me in the kitchen (how embarrassing), finding me to tell me he was leaving but would pick me up at the end of my shift – asking my supervisor how long she was going to hold me there! – and asking if I needed anything. It was really kind of cute. Wondering if he’ll be watching over me for the three weeks we’re working together. 
  • Came home, made dinner……….right??!!…….washed our uniform aprons and jackets, showered, and found myself ready for bed. TOTALLY. EXHAUSTED.  
  • Lying in bed, I found myself wondering if I was really prepared to continue doing this? Then again, I had the same feeling after my first day as a waitress…when I was 19, a looooong time ago. We’ll see.

Wednesday, 5/19: Training Day

  • Much better day. Woke up tired and sore, but ready for whatever the day would bring. Turns out I spent most of the day sitting, learning about food safety and money handling. The last part of the day I learned how to work a register with a screen that sits higher than the top of my head. Let the Hobbit jokes begin!
  • We were treated to lunch today, courtesy of our store manager and the EDR (employee dining room) chef. We had our choice of turkey, roast beef, or ham sandwiches (or all three), salad, and carrot cake. There was also fresh fruit available and a variety of sodas. We ate, talked, and laughed heartily.
  • Came home and spent a few hours over at Fred and Wilma’s where we had coffee spiked with Bailey’s and reminisced about past adventures.
  • Another neighbor came over and shared a photo he took of a buffalo munching on grass right in front of our rig! Must’ve showed up right after we left for work. Amazing.
  • Got back to our rig, had a light supper, and watched storm clouds roll in.
  • The four of us are all off tomorrow, so we’re planning to see Old Faithful. Of course, this is the forecast for tomorrow and the next few days:

Thursday, 5/20: Old Faithful and Old Geezers

First day off – incredible!!

  • All four of us were off today, so we decided on a “little” sightseeing in the park
  • As we parked in the  Old Faithful lot, my trusty Yellowstone NP app told me we had but a few minutes to get to the geyser before it went off. Just as we approached…boom! A cloud of steam accompanied by a burst of water rose high into the sky. It was the first time I had ever witnessed this type of event in person. I nearly cried. 
  • 11,000 steps later, we saw all the geysers and pools on Geyser Loop, smelled the sulphur emitting from the ground, felt the sauna-like heat of the steam rising from the bubbling waters, wondered at the array of colors surrounding each pool, and gazed in awe at the plant life we observed sprouting from the intense heat and bacteria – a visual recreation of…well…our creation.
  • I could almost feel my Dad tapping me on the shoulder, pointing and explaining the subtle differences in each pool, the reason for the odor and why some geysers erupt and others don’t.  He would have loved today. 

Friday, 5/21: The Snow, The Park, and Other Things

What a fun day!!! So today was my second day off with Mister. Here’s how it went:

  • Woke up early and headed out to Cody, WY to do some shopping – it’s the closest town with a Walmart. Neither of us had either been there, and we were excited to check it out.
  • Hadn’t gone far when we saw a group of cars stopped and a crowd of people with cameras and mega zoom lenses lined up along the left side of the road. Buffalo? Nah. Wolf? Maybe. Turned out to be a grizzly! Wow!!!!
  • Got to Cody, had lunch at China Town Buffet (it was highly recommended and really good), took a short drive to look around, and did some shopping at Walmart. We will be back. Figure it’ll be our go-to day trip for shopping, plus there are some pretty interesting looking historical sites we’d like to visit.
  • Came back and had dinner at the store EDR. Tonight’s fare was chili, cheese stuffed hot dogs wrapped in bacon, grilled chicken breast, salad bar, rolls, and chocolate chip cookies. It was delicious!
  • Hung out at Fred and Wilma’s for coffee and some laughs. When we opened the door to leave, it was snowing!! Yes, big stick-in-your-hair and on your clothes flakes!! In May!! It was awesome.

Saturday, May 22: First Day With Customers

  • Can you say “nervous?” And even that was probably an understatement.
  • Learned how to:
    • Make coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, and cappuccino (may not seem like rocket science UNLESS you’re working food service – hot, fresh beverages at the ready are a MUST). Oh, and hardly anybody drinks decaf while on vacation.
    • Use a new register (hey, I only had one void all day…woo hoo!), total and account for my cash drawer, and push upsells and charity donations (Would you like to purchase this lovely shopping bag? How about rounding up your total to the next dollar to benefit…).
    • Scoop ice cream with precision – “Keep your wrist straight, pull from the farthest edge, roll it into a ball” – after washing up and struggling for an embarrassing amount of time to put vinyl gloves on still damp hands (insert Charlie Brown eye roll…good grief, indeed!)
    • Wash, rinse, disinfect, and air dry every visible surface of the fountain area
    • Do all of the above simultaneously because that customer line is much longer than it looks (picture the guy who juggled plates on the Ed Sullivan Show)

At the end of the day, I was exhausted, but I felt a sense of relief and a sense of pride. I did it. No, I’m not as young as most of the food service staff. Yes, I move a little more slowly. Yes, it’s been more than a hot minute since I’ve served food. BUT I’m very comfortable using technology, I’m a cleaning machine, I was born to feed people (you know you’re Mexican when…LOL), and I love to talk. Most importantly, I’m at my best when working under pressure with a wonderfully patient and helpful team.

I think I’m going to love the next five months.