It's gonna be a grand adventure!

Yay and WOW.

6 days has felt like about 2. It’s been a lot of fun, a little challenging, and at times rather stressful. I’ve made many new friends (mostly the single serving kind). And met a few campers whom I’ll be just tickled if they never come back. Case in point the delightful folks currently camped in sight 12. Came in yesterday, pitched a fit because their buddy Larry (last years host) isn’t here again and expected me to let them camp free because he did. Um NO. Sorry can’t do that, and maybe that’s why Larry isn’t here again this year…ya think? So after I’d carefully ignored the rude comments mixed into their chatter and collected the proper fees from them (they really wanted to trick me into taking less than the full amount) I tried to tell them about the campground rules, and recommend that they store their cooler in the car overnight (we’ve had problems here and in Meadows with raccoons breaking into them). One of the guys wanted to fight with me about raccoons…Duh, I don’t care if they get their food stolen! I just don’t want them complaining that I never warned them. The same folks were up yelling at 11:30 last night. They’ve made it clear that they don’t care for me and are planning to leave me a negative revue on their comment card. And oh joy, they’re staying again tonight. I’m not looking for this to be a stressful job, but I really don’t like having to put up with jerks.

But I’m finally getting my camp set up, not clean yet, still cluttered. But at least I’m not shuffling piles from one place to another twenty times a day.

Sounds like Scott’s trying to get up here next week for a few days. That’s awesome! I don’t mind being here alone, but a campfire is always more fun when there’s some one to enjoy it with. Besides that there’s gonna be a WHOLE LOT of campers in the canyon next week. Should be a little less stressful cuz I’ll know what’s expected, and what forms to fill out.

Tonight I’m at Thom & Judy’s having pizza with Marv & Deb. I love these people! This is why I’m here, well that and it’s gonna be a grand adventure. I’ve got tons of computerish things to get done, and less than an hour to do it, so short post. Here’s a few pictures of my campsite:

Tomorrow I’m riding back to SLC with Russ and Sandy. I’ll load up my scooter, do some laundry, skritch Spazz & Yahzi, and then head back up here. It’s gonna be fun to have my bike here…if I can handle the ride. It’ll be my first in two years. Shameful I know.

Hopefully I have some extra time this weekend to get back online and perhaps compose my thoughts a bit more. Love to all y’all!

-m

My kingdom for a flat spot!

Wow does time fly when you’ve got tons to get done! I finally ran out of time and just loaded things into the camper wherever they fit. Thursday when I got here, I had to spend an hour sorting and stashing things just to be able to get into the camper. And BONUS the can of oven cleaner somehow got smashed / punctured, it sprayed everywhere! So I spent another hour cleaning so that it was safe for Oscar and Royla to be in here. This all had to happen around me learning the rules, and signing up my first campers. Like I said, it’s gonna be an adventure.

Yesterday was a bit less stressful. I got a few things sorted and stashed, figured out that I had the WRONG tent with me, got a temporary tarp shelter put up, and managed to find all of the floor at the same time. Had some fun campers in here last night, I think I’m gonna love the people part of this job. I’m not having much luck with the weed eater and leaf blower though. Hopefully Thom can educate me about them.

I have no cell service here in the campground. But I do have a phone, go figure, don’t those wires go in the exact same trench? Solar panel should keep it from being too much of a stress for me though.

Oscar & Royla are settling into the camper, she spent most of yesterday afternoon hiding in the top of the closet, but now has decided that things are okay, and this one on one time with me is just swell. She snuggles me to sleep, and keeps my pillow warm when I go out to open the gate in the morning. Oscar’s pretty comfy in the camper, and once I got his knot toy placed properly in his cage (he sleeps wrapped in it) he’s just delighted with life. When campers come to the door he bawks and squaks at them, and when I hang up the telephone (it’s next to his cage for the time being) he says “bye bye”.

It’s raining this afternoon, keeps the campers quiet and the campsites empty. I think maybe that’s a good thing today, I’m making serious progress inside the camper. Also, I’m watching Due South. Any day with Due South is a good day! I think I’ll go find the kitchen sink now and see if I can locate a can of soup. Then a quick trip down to Thom and Judy’s so I can post this and check my email & phone messages.

No pictures yet, soon, I promise. Yesterday I got a few shots of the wildflowers, different from the ones at South Fork & Perception. There’s a jackrabbit living in the middle of the campground, I’m hoping to get a picture of him too.

Ya’ll take care now!

-m

Wow, OK...

So I've been kidding about hauling myself up the canyon to take over the extra hours in Russ' campground, and enjoy myself. Serves me right! This weekend Thom & Judy were able to hook me up with a temporary hosting job. Even if it's just for a few weeks (one of their managers had health complications and can't work for a few weeks) it's gonna be one hell of an adventure!

I spent most of today making lists and trying not to panic. Not that it's really stressful, but you try to plan for a two week (possibly a lot longer) camping trip with two days notice! No matter how well stocked the camper is, and how many things I think of, there's gonna be SOMETHING I've forgotten that's really annoying. Fortunately I'm not in the middle of nowhere, I'll have friends, and civilization not TOO far away.

Anyone wants to visit me, I'll be at the Willows Campground in Ogden Canyon. Would love to see some familiar faces! But I'm also looking forward to meeting new folks! If any of you do take it into your heads to come visit (and I hope SOMEONE does) Scott, Lynn, Sheri, Or Fran @ Tulip Tree will have my land number (no cell service). Otherwise I'll try to get down to Judy's to check email and update this blog a couple times a week. If I get busy I'll beg Judy to post a blurb about my general happiness & well being in her blog (http://www.jggrafx.com/ftroadrunners/)

Since it's the first question everyone asks, Willows is a few miles east of Huntsville, Ut (sorta by the monastery). An hour north of SLC, prolly the same from Logan, haven't driven that yet.

I'm feeling super guilty for bugging out on mom's personnel arrangements this year. As usual they have to be done the same day as the FFA competition (this means she can't use the OH Greenhouse where she usually works. Fortunately this year the count has dropped from 30 to 8 and it's being hosted at the presidents home rather than the ballroom. Previously the class or SHA Design would do the arrangements and we would mass assemble them for two days. This week I was supposed to go help her just Wednesday "unless I got a job". LOL. Well I did, sorta. We kept trying to plan me being there but it kept getting super stressful for us both, and then she got uber productive this afternoon. So she's doing them herself. I really hope she's okay. Her back is slow to re-learn it's old habits, and she gets the same kind of shoulder ripping muscle spasms I fight. I'm prolly not her best sympathy for that problem. I just help her find new ways to cope with it...she needs someone to say "That's awful, you are such a poor suffering martyr..." and then commend her for her bravery. I guess we've sorta bonded in mutual pain...I never wanted the whole martyr complex anyhow. And coping is always better than wallowing.

So I'm packing up Oscar, Royla, myself and the camper. More work really than you'd imagine. Especially considering the camper me & scott were all there this weekend. But a weekend is NOT a week, and though packing for one gives you most of the things you'll need for two. It is still gonna be an adventure. As soon as I get my camp set and the pets settled, I'll take pictures and get them posted. Gonna be down to T&J's begging advice anyhow (I'm competent willing YES, experienced NO). I think the easiest thing I'm going to have to take on is Judy's excel spreadsheet (those of you who've seen me work on a wedding bid know I how much fun I have "fixing" the fomulas, yes mom we're expert now, but wasn't that it's own adventure to get there!) My greatest worry is missing my pack (pretty sure they'll miss me too). But at the end of every day there will be the option to light a campfire, watch the moon rise (or the stars), and crawl into bed with a sense of having done something worth enjoying. Paycheck included. Seriously, they're actually gonna give me money for something I'd have easily been tricked into. I'm sure I'll come up with grumblings, aches and pains along the way, but I'd have those at home, & DAMN how often does an opportunity like this come up? I have the right equipment and connections, I have time, my health allows it, and I've had a very hard time coming up with reasons why not to.

It's now WAY past my bedtime for the second night in a row, and I have a long list of things to do and help Scott get done before tomorrows over! I'm gonna play like a Quaker Parrot tuck my head under my wing/pillow, and start of Tuesday screaming like a banshee (well that's Oscar's style anyhow). Yay for me!

No news for a while is good news unless you hear otherwise!
-m

Enough with the rain already!

Seriously! I have mushrooms growing on my front porch. The birds are eating all of my sweet cherries as they ripen. I am so very ready for some sunshine!

We're headed back up Ogden canyon this weekend. Even if it's still raining, at least it'll be a change of scenery. Russ has scouted out a couple of good hammock trees for me (that was the one thing I didn't love about camping with T&J). I plan to spend an hour in my hammock even if I have to string up a tarp to make it happen.

Over the weekend we finished the cat trimming, and to my surprise, Royla was the only one who pitched a tantrum about it. Both Yahzi & Spazz purred the whole time. I'm sure they were comforting themselves, but Yahzi actually rolled onto his back and held still while we did his tummy. They don't look like fancy photo cats, but all three seem way more comfortable with their short hair.

Oscar is on the other end of the couch being Scott's bestest buddy. This is a recipe for disaster. I'd better go stuporvise!

Y'all take care!
-m

Bad Human, no cookie!

Just so y'all get my reference, here's the famous lol cat that inspired my title tonight. ->










However Spazz's sentiments differ slightly due to the evil awful thing we just finished abusing her with. In other words, we trimmed her fur. All though she purred most of the time we did it and wasn't all that stressed by the process, now that the other cats can see her in her new style, she hates us. Well skritches feel pretty damn good still, but only when Yahzi's not looking. I'll admit it's not the smoothest haircut I've given. But since it's my first on a cat I'm feeling pretty good about it. Tomorrow is Royla's turn and then Mr. Muscle cat will have his chance to kick our butts. I'm guessing that by the time we're done, paying someone else $90 to do it won't seem like all that much. But I am certain that this way is much easier on the cats, and I really don't mind if they don't have show worthy haircuts. They'll be cooler and have less hairball issues (vet says that's prolly what's been wrong with Yahzi, too much fur in his diet).

Scotty's fever only ran 24 hours, and he's feeling much better (yay). He was able to strap his sticky leg on and stuporvise the cement pouring. Thanks to Glenn and his magical troweling skills, we have a BEAUTIFUL cement pad in the back yard. I'd post a picture of that, but I'm guessing none of y'all would find it nearly as exciting as we do. Got exciting for a little while, just as he got everything smoothed out the sky cracked open and POURED. Fortunately Scott had gone to the store for a BIG tarp earlier and we were able to get things tented over JUST in time. We then spent the next hour poking and prodding and keeping the cement dry while Glenn got it finished. Now all Scotty has to do is build a shed....lol.

Seems like I've posted nearly every day this week. I think I'll take a break this weekend unless I get better pictures of the grooming with the other cats. Oscar's over there giggling. Wonder where he learned that? Giggling, meowing, and the other day he said "give me one" can't tell if that's his version of a Mucuey word or his own creation. I don't think I say that much.

Ooooh Spazz has come to forgive. I must go be snuggly now.

Y'all take care & have a good weekend.
-m

Well then.

So Asgard is still not up, and now Scott's worried it may never come back. He keeps asking questions and providing information and logic, and no one else is talking. So I had to set up a new email account, and write off all those job applications I've sent out in the last few weeks. Unless they call me...I hope one of them calls me. So if you need to email me, I have a gmail account now.
mari.brown.xiii@gmail.com
We're plotting names for the new server, how's everyone with their Norse mythology? Suggestions welcome.

At least Scott's not sick and mopey anymore. Good thing since we all had to bust our butts keeping the cement dry last night. But it's done and looks good, and it's huge. It's gonna be awesome to have a shed again.

I had a bunch of fun today shoveling topsoil with Ashlee. So much fun that it'll be just fine if I don't have to shovel anything else for a long time! I believe my owies have owies tonight.

I have a bunch of other online stuff to switch over to my new email, so I'm gonna get to it before run out of energy.

Be well.
-m

Uh Oh...

Scotty's running a fever and too sick to watch tv. He actually felt too sick to be at work (that never happens), and has been running a fever all night. Of course he's being tough, but I know he's miserable, cuz he actually took asprin and a drink of water when I offered it for the third time. He also let Oscar snuggle him, a sure sign of weakness.

We're pouring cement tomorrow, I'm doing the NO rain dance. I have a thousand things to do, and only plan on getting half of them done. I have a job interview and then another on Wednesday, both with the college. Really hope one of them pans out!

I also hope to get my email back!!!!! stupid dummy who shut it down anyhow!
And most important, I hope Scott wakes up his chipper coffee deprived self!

Live long and prosper.
-m