Happy Wednesday!
Good thing my time in Acadia is coming to a close. Not because I'm not thoroughly enjoying it, but because I'm running out of original blog material.
Here's something: tonight Nate and I followed through on our agreement to go running together. We both got off work at 6:00 so we didn't start running until 7:00. The darkness was advanced by then. Between my headlamp and his portable bike light, we made it alright.
We ran a total of 5 miles before I jumped on the bike and served as his pacer for the last 6 miles of his workout. He is in much better shape than me. I suppose that comes with the territory when you train for 70 miles per week as opposed to working full-time in the information booth. I still held my own, though. It felt good to lace up the ole New Balances again.
T-minus under 24 hours until the folks and Nicole arrive. Pretty excited!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
14 October 2014
Happy Tuesday!
The season is winding down out here. With the passage of Columbus Day weekend, the number of visitors is falling as fast as the leaves off of the beech tree behind the restaurant. If not for the three cruise ships docked at Bar Harbor today (with a combined total of 6,000 passengers), there wouldn't have been much happening on Mount Desert Island. There's still a fair amount of landlubbing leaf peepers here too. After we pass peak leaf color later this week, I bet things really quiet down. Slowly but surely winter is coming. That seems surreal since I arrived here when some of the trees were still working hard to fully leaf out. Sometimes I feel like we are just in a cold snap right now and soon enough the weather will turn back to "normal." In other words, I feel like the summer season is still here.
A group of us tried going candlestick bowling up in Ellsworth. "Old Bill" (probably not his real name but he seems like a Bill to me) apparently decided that 8:40 was close enough to 9:00 and in turn closed up shop. We put Plan B into action and headed over to Wal-Mart. They certainly have a lot of Halloween merchandise out. Fortunately, I didn't see any hints of Thanksgiving or Christmas reflected in the retail selections. I appreciated that. I'm a firm supporter of the c'mon-people-one-holiday-at-a-time policy.
The season is winding down out here. With the passage of Columbus Day weekend, the number of visitors is falling as fast as the leaves off of the beech tree behind the restaurant. If not for the three cruise ships docked at Bar Harbor today (with a combined total of 6,000 passengers), there wouldn't have been much happening on Mount Desert Island. There's still a fair amount of landlubbing leaf peepers here too. After we pass peak leaf color later this week, I bet things really quiet down. Slowly but surely winter is coming. That seems surreal since I arrived here when some of the trees were still working hard to fully leaf out. Sometimes I feel like we are just in a cold snap right now and soon enough the weather will turn back to "normal." In other words, I feel like the summer season is still here.
A group of us tried going candlestick bowling up in Ellsworth. "Old Bill" (probably not his real name but he seems like a Bill to me) apparently decided that 8:40 was close enough to 9:00 and in turn closed up shop. We put Plan B into action and headed over to Wal-Mart. They certainly have a lot of Halloween merchandise out. Fortunately, I didn't see any hints of Thanksgiving or Christmas reflected in the retail selections. I appreciated that. I'm a firm supporter of the c'mon-people-one-holiday-at-a-time policy.
13 October 2014
Happy Monday!
Back in the info booth today. We had a couple of busy
periods but overall things stayed tame. Guests weren't super excited about a
waitlist of 85 minutes for outside tables and 75 minute for inside ones. Then
again, you have to expect that on a holiday weekend at the only restaurant in a
park that is within a day’s drive of millions and millions of people.
A gaggle of us from the dorm went to Pirate’s Cove to do
some mini-golfing. After today they’ll be no mini-golfing on Mount Desert
Island until next spring. We split up into three groups of three. I ended up in
the straggler group. On the 18th hole, I was the last one finish the
hole. Therefore, I am the last golfer in 2014. That ranks right up there with
my biggest accomplishments of the season.
Other than that, I can’t think of noteworthy news. Not that
these things are that noteworthy anyway.
Monday, October 13, 2014
12 October 2014
Happy Sunday!
Early this morning was our first Frost Advisory on the island. It was quite chilly this morning, but not cold enough for frost. Bummer.
Miles and the dogs joined us for the Blackwoods Service. The campground was full because of Columbus Day weekend, but none of the campers came to the service. The low attendance probably has a lot to due with not being allowed to put up signs in the campground restrooms and not being able to go campground walking. The Park Service permit office and the sun's timeline for setting are working against us on this one.
After hanging out with Miles, we motored on down to the Common Good for our weekly popovers and oatmeal for brunch. There, we started realizing the "lasts". Today was our last Blackwoods service. Today was our last time going to the Common Good as a team. Today was the last time we'd probably see Miles and his dogs. Our four-and-a-half month time together as a team is quickly coming to an end.
I had to work an 11-4 shift today since it was a sunny Columbus Day weekend Sunday. Up until last night, I was planning on being in the information booth. The floor managers had another idea. I ended up bussing the porch. I'm glad to say I made it through a third bussing shift without breaking one thing. Woo-who!
The JPH was super packed today. Between the crowds and sun it felt like August. Bussing on a busy day is way less stressful than being in the information booth on a busy day. While bussing, everything is so predictable. It's hectic, but I know exactly what I need to do so my mind can go on autopilot. Not so at the information booth. People are unpredictable in the questions they ask. The phone is unpredictable in how often it rings. Then there's always some other weird thing that pops up like a medical emergency or an angry guest who provides harsh feedback. By far, though, parking lot duty is the worst on a busy day. Just look what happened today. Once again, for the record, parking on the grass is not okay.
Early this morning was our first Frost Advisory on the island. It was quite chilly this morning, but not cold enough for frost. Bummer.
Miles and the dogs joined us for the Blackwoods Service. The campground was full because of Columbus Day weekend, but none of the campers came to the service. The low attendance probably has a lot to due with not being allowed to put up signs in the campground restrooms and not being able to go campground walking. The Park Service permit office and the sun's timeline for setting are working against us on this one.
After hanging out with Miles, we motored on down to the Common Good for our weekly popovers and oatmeal for brunch. There, we started realizing the "lasts". Today was our last Blackwoods service. Today was our last time going to the Common Good as a team. Today was the last time we'd probably see Miles and his dogs. Our four-and-a-half month time together as a team is quickly coming to an end.
I had to work an 11-4 shift today since it was a sunny Columbus Day weekend Sunday. Up until last night, I was planning on being in the information booth. The floor managers had another idea. I ended up bussing the porch. I'm glad to say I made it through a third bussing shift without breaking one thing. Woo-who!
The JPH was super packed today. Between the crowds and sun it felt like August. Bussing on a busy day is way less stressful than being in the information booth on a busy day. While bussing, everything is so predictable. It's hectic, but I know exactly what I need to do so my mind can go on autopilot. Not so at the information booth. People are unpredictable in the questions they ask. The phone is unpredictable in how often it rings. Then there's always some other weird thing that pops up like a medical emergency or an angry guest who provides harsh feedback. By far, though, parking lot duty is the worst on a busy day. Just look what happened today. Once again, for the record, parking on the grass is not okay.
After my work shift, Ally and I met up with Sabrina to do the Cadillac worship service. We only had a lady named Nancy join us. She had a beautiful singing voice so it worked out really well. The overlooked was packed with people. It might have been the fullest I've ever seen. But when we started singing Amazing Grace, you could momentarily hear a pin drop. I have to wonder what kind of thoughts people have when they are viewing a beautiful sunset and then hear a classic song about God's love and grace.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
11 October 2014
Happy Saturday!
Shout out to Grandpa Arnie: today he turns 90 years old. That's 4.1 times my lifetime. Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
Today was cloudy and cool out here, but that didn't stop the Columbus Day weekend crowd. Edie, Jami, Tasia, and I all ended up in the info booth today due to a scheduling snafu. Tasia went to go talk to a manager and offer to be a floater today since we didn't need three people in the booth. The plan didn't go according to plan in that Tasia mentioning that we had more people than needed in the booth meant that I had to be a busser. I enjoy bussing, so I was alright with that. The only downside was that I wasn't mentally prepared. I thought my Tuesday stint was my one and only time having to carry heavy trays of breakable stuff.
I ended up working in the main dining room. I guess they didn't think I was ready to carry trays down from the balcony or the far distance from the porch. I ended up dropping an empty coffee container when I was starting to pick up a tray. Fortunately, nothing broke and I didn't end up dropping a whole tray. So I'd say today was a win.
Shout out to Grandpa Arnie: today he turns 90 years old. That's 4.1 times my lifetime. Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
Today was cloudy and cool out here, but that didn't stop the Columbus Day weekend crowd. Edie, Jami, Tasia, and I all ended up in the info booth today due to a scheduling snafu. Tasia went to go talk to a manager and offer to be a floater today since we didn't need three people in the booth. The plan didn't go according to plan in that Tasia mentioning that we had more people than needed in the booth meant that I had to be a busser. I enjoy bussing, so I was alright with that. The only downside was that I wasn't mentally prepared. I thought my Tuesday stint was my one and only time having to carry heavy trays of breakable stuff.
I ended up working in the main dining room. I guess they didn't think I was ready to carry trays down from the balcony or the far distance from the porch. I ended up dropping an empty coffee container when I was starting to pick up a tray. Fortunately, nothing broke and I didn't end up dropping a whole tray. So I'd say today was a win.
10 October 2014
Happy Friday!
Having a Friday off really threw me off. I kept forgetting what day of the week it is. Then again, I don't know what day it is most days.
I slept in a bit this morning and then headed into Bar Harbor to take care of some business. I really enjoy reliable internet and cell phone coverage in town. I definitely under appreciated wireless networks in college. They really are a miracle when you think about it.
Around 1:00 I got on a shuttle headed for The Precipice trailhead. It's the coolest trail in the park because it is simply a mile of climbing straight up a 1,000 foot cliff. After I finished that, I headed south along the ridge to The Beehive and hiked down to Sand Beach. I then boarded another shuttle to the trailhead for The Bubbles. I did a sunset hike to check out some more fall colors. Check out the beautiful fall landscape here in Acadia.
Only Elle and I were available for God and Fudge tonight. We decided since it was just to two of us, it'd be best to go for a walk instead of doing a formal meeting. We didn't even need a flashlight because of the nearly full moon. Although, we did have to give our eyes about five minutes to adjust. We walked quite a bit on the carriage roads. We made it as far as the open fields just north of Long Pond. \As we were distracted by the heavens above, we both heard a noise to the right. I looked first to see a lone deer grazing about 10 yards from us. It couldn't have cared less that we were chilling out in the chilly fall air. The doe just kept walking until it disappeared into the shadows. Pretty soon, we just started getting excessively cold and hearing too many scary noises from the dark woods. We thought it'd be best to head back.
Today between the stunning landscapes I saw during my hike and the gorgeous evening stroll, I was blown away by the beauty of God's creation. I realized, though, that there's really no reason to be thankful for the beauty of the earth. The sights I saw today would have been there whether or not my eyes gazed upon them. Rather, the real need is to be thankful that we can see and appreciate the beauty of God's creation.
Friday, October 10, 2014
9 October 2014
Happy Friday!
The info booth was more like an emotional roller coaster today. Around 1:00 a lady came up and asked to use our phone. She needed to talk with the vetrenarian taking care of her sick dog back home. I think I heard the dog had just been diagnosed with cancer while the couple was on vacation. It turns out that the disease was pretty advanced and the poor dog was going downhill quick. The lady and her husband had to make the decision right then and there whether or not to put the dog down. I'm not sure where they are from, but I guess it was far enough away that by the time they would have made it back the dog would be in terrible pain or deceased. They made the call to enthunize. She was especially broken up about it. Just a terribly sad situation that unfolded in front of the booth.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty pleasant. Then around 4:00 another lady came up to the info booth who looked unpleasantly concerned. Earlier in the day she and her hiking partner had talked with me about a hike to do that day. I sent them on a hike around Jordan Pond with the addition of the Bubble mountains. They ended up deciding to separate and then meet up at a predetermined time and place. He never made it to the rendezvous point but did manage to get a text out that said he was going through a rocky area. She came back to the JPH because she didn't know what else to do. We decided to call the rangers and one came by to figure out what to do next.
The ranger arrived around 4:40. Keep in mind sunset today was at 5:59. He and I started to formulate a plan that he'd start hiking from the north end of the possible route the man was on and I would start from the south end. We'd meet in the middle after one of us met up with the man, ideally. Fortunately, the park service dispatcher somehow managed to reach the lost hiker's cell phone. He was doing alright, just moving very slowly. Another fortunate thing was that they had took my advice and bought a trail map. He was the one with the map after they separated.
The lady never blamed me for anything. I have been thinking a lot about the advice I gave them and whether or not I contributed to the situation. I've determined that in this case it really came down to them deciding to split up and not have a set communication plan in light of the spotty reception out here. Still, it was a pretty powerful lesson that even though the vast majority of folks we interact with at the information booth will have a plesant and safe visit, there are those cases where what we tell and advise people really does matter.
After all the drama at work, I was looking forward to the big dorm dinner at a local resaurant. Thirteen of us went to the Burning Tree which specializes in local, fresh seafood and produce. I enjoyed the company more than the food. I only bought an entree but still ended up leaving with $42 less dollars after tax and tip. The swordfish was good, but I'm not sure if it was that good. Then again, after eating dorm food for four months I don't think my palate can really appreciate foo-foo food.
The info booth was more like an emotional roller coaster today. Around 1:00 a lady came up and asked to use our phone. She needed to talk with the vetrenarian taking care of her sick dog back home. I think I heard the dog had just been diagnosed with cancer while the couple was on vacation. It turns out that the disease was pretty advanced and the poor dog was going downhill quick. The lady and her husband had to make the decision right then and there whether or not to put the dog down. I'm not sure where they are from, but I guess it was far enough away that by the time they would have made it back the dog would be in terrible pain or deceased. They made the call to enthunize. She was especially broken up about it. Just a terribly sad situation that unfolded in front of the booth.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty pleasant. Then around 4:00 another lady came up to the info booth who looked unpleasantly concerned. Earlier in the day she and her hiking partner had talked with me about a hike to do that day. I sent them on a hike around Jordan Pond with the addition of the Bubble mountains. They ended up deciding to separate and then meet up at a predetermined time and place. He never made it to the rendezvous point but did manage to get a text out that said he was going through a rocky area. She came back to the JPH because she didn't know what else to do. We decided to call the rangers and one came by to figure out what to do next.
The ranger arrived around 4:40. Keep in mind sunset today was at 5:59. He and I started to formulate a plan that he'd start hiking from the north end of the possible route the man was on and I would start from the south end. We'd meet in the middle after one of us met up with the man, ideally. Fortunately, the park service dispatcher somehow managed to reach the lost hiker's cell phone. He was doing alright, just moving very slowly. Another fortunate thing was that they had took my advice and bought a trail map. He was the one with the map after they separated.
The lady never blamed me for anything. I have been thinking a lot about the advice I gave them and whether or not I contributed to the situation. I've determined that in this case it really came down to them deciding to split up and not have a set communication plan in light of the spotty reception out here. Still, it was a pretty powerful lesson that even though the vast majority of folks we interact with at the information booth will have a plesant and safe visit, there are those cases where what we tell and advise people really does matter.
After all the drama at work, I was looking forward to the big dorm dinner at a local resaurant. Thirteen of us went to the Burning Tree which specializes in local, fresh seafood and produce. I enjoyed the company more than the food. I only bought an entree but still ended up leaving with $42 less dollars after tax and tip. The swordfish was good, but I'm not sure if it was that good. Then again, after eating dorm food for four months I don't think my palate can really appreciate foo-foo food.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
8 October 2014
Happy Wednesday!
Back to the info booth today, and back with the rainy weather too.
The JPH was incredibly slow today because of the weather. I had to open and close the booth today since Sarah had a commitment to help out with the snack shop morning prep work. In other words, the stars aligned on this rainy day to create a 9-hour workday in which I was interacting with other humans for only about 1/3 of my whole day. The rest of the time I had nothing to do except catch up on The New York Times. Lots of interesting stuff going on in the world today.
I really want to highlight the fact that today was the first day in over three months that we never had a waitlist at all. I had almost forgot how laid-back those days are. I'm hoping we'll have more of those in the next few weeks.
Check out my addition to the whiteboard at the information booth. I drew the outline of Maine free-handed. I know, I know. It's incredible. It also took me about five tries to get it right. As you can see, we are in peak leaf conditions right now. Most of the leaves look as pretty as the two leaves I drew underneath Maine. I know, I know. They're incredible too.
This evening I talked with my sister on the phone. It's so crazy that in only 8 days I'll be able to talk with her and folks in person. I'm really excited. The countdown begins...t-minus 8 days...
Back to the info booth today, and back with the rainy weather too.
The JPH was incredibly slow today because of the weather. I had to open and close the booth today since Sarah had a commitment to help out with the snack shop morning prep work. In other words, the stars aligned on this rainy day to create a 9-hour workday in which I was interacting with other humans for only about 1/3 of my whole day. The rest of the time I had nothing to do except catch up on The New York Times. Lots of interesting stuff going on in the world today.
I really want to highlight the fact that today was the first day in over three months that we never had a waitlist at all. I had almost forgot how laid-back those days are. I'm hoping we'll have more of those in the next few weeks.
Check out my addition to the whiteboard at the information booth. I drew the outline of Maine free-handed. I know, I know. It's incredible. It also took me about five tries to get it right. As you can see, we are in peak leaf conditions right now. Most of the leaves look as pretty as the two leaves I drew underneath Maine. I know, I know. They're incredible too.
This evening I talked with my sister on the phone. It's so crazy that in only 8 days I'll be able to talk with her and folks in person. I'm really excited. The countdown begins...t-minus 8 days...
7 October 2014
Happy Tuesday!
Well, the big day finally came: my bussing shift.
I started out the day at 9:00 by sweeping and mopping the floors. I then put the chairs down in the main dining room. Basically, my job was to make the inside look nice. After that and taking an hour-long break for lunch with the other bussers, we headed back to work to clean up after the first seating of diners. My fears about not being able to bus quickly faded when I realized that it really isn't too complicated. Somewhat physically demanding, yet not mentally taxing.
At first my trays were fairly small. By mid-afternoon, however, I was carrying in what I considered to be gihugic ones. Of course compared to the experienced bussers, my trays were worthy of being sneezed at. Although I was still getting over my cold, I still held my sneezes in. I considered my trays to be nothing to sneeze at.
I really enjoyed bussing. I hardly ever get to interact with the servers, bussers, runners, dish pit workers, and line cooks during the day so I relished in the opportunity to work alongside them. I enjoy my job at the information booth, but it is an isolating place socially. I also appreciated the chance to see how the restaurant operates during the busy times. I've only seen the operation from the information booth and parking lot. Watching over the Pond Room as it is constantly turning over with diners was super interesting and enlightening. Oh, and apparently I bussed the Rockefeller's table this afternoon. I didn't know it was them, however, until I was talking with some of the runners at dinner after work. I seem to be fairly clueless with the Rockefellers.
This evening I was going to do laundry, but I decided to go candlstick bowling instead. It's like real bowling except the pins are much thinner and the ball is about the size and weight of a softball. I guess it's only a New England thing. That's good. I only bowled at 46 so I'd rather go back to normal bowling anyway.
Well, the big day finally came: my bussing shift.
I started out the day at 9:00 by sweeping and mopping the floors. I then put the chairs down in the main dining room. Basically, my job was to make the inside look nice. After that and taking an hour-long break for lunch with the other bussers, we headed back to work to clean up after the first seating of diners. My fears about not being able to bus quickly faded when I realized that it really isn't too complicated. Somewhat physically demanding, yet not mentally taxing.
At first my trays were fairly small. By mid-afternoon, however, I was carrying in what I considered to be gihugic ones. Of course compared to the experienced bussers, my trays were worthy of being sneezed at. Although I was still getting over my cold, I still held my sneezes in. I considered my trays to be nothing to sneeze at.
I really enjoyed bussing. I hardly ever get to interact with the servers, bussers, runners, dish pit workers, and line cooks during the day so I relished in the opportunity to work alongside them. I enjoy my job at the information booth, but it is an isolating place socially. I also appreciated the chance to see how the restaurant operates during the busy times. I've only seen the operation from the information booth and parking lot. Watching over the Pond Room as it is constantly turning over with diners was super interesting and enlightening. Oh, and apparently I bussed the Rockefeller's table this afternoon. I didn't know it was them, however, until I was talking with some of the runners at dinner after work. I seem to be fairly clueless with the Rockefellers.
This evening I was going to do laundry, but I decided to go candlstick bowling instead. It's like real bowling except the pins are much thinner and the ball is about the size and weight of a softball. I guess it's only a New England thing. That's good. I only bowled at 46 so I'd rather go back to normal bowling anyway.
6 October 2014
Happy Monday!
Beautiful fall weather led to big fall crowds today. Our waitlist crept up to 75 minutes. A 75-minute wait in October feels a lot less hectic than one in August. The reason: we can only accommodate about 1/3 of the number of diners now than we could then. Plus, leaf peepers are patient people overall. I certainly don't mind October waits.
Um, I guess that's about it for today. Tomorrow I'm doing my one and only bussing shift of the summer, so they'll be some good material. Stay tuned...
Beautiful fall weather led to big fall crowds today. Our waitlist crept up to 75 minutes. A 75-minute wait in October feels a lot less hectic than one in August. The reason: we can only accommodate about 1/3 of the number of diners now than we could then. Plus, leaf peepers are patient people overall. I certainly don't mind October waits.
Um, I guess that's about it for today. Tomorrow I'm doing my one and only bussing shift of the summer, so they'll be some good material. Stay tuned...
Sunday, October 5, 2014
5 October 2014
Happy Sunday!
This morning started off awfully rainy. Warm, but rainy. As a result, no one came to the Blackwoods worship service. Seawall campground has closed down for the season so no service there either. We decided as a team we should go get a real breakfast. A cheddar, avocado, and potato omelet from Two Cats sure hits the spot on a rainy Sunday morning.
Afterwards, we temporarily split up. Luke and I had man-time by watching a soccer game online. He advocated for that. The gals went shopping with the 5,000 cruise ship passengers in Bar Harbor today. We then met up to find what turned out to be a well-hidden abandoned apple orchard in the park. Sabrina had heard about it from a few co-workers. We had grand dreams of filling our backpacks with apples, hiking them out of the forest, and then making apple cider and pie. I think Sabrina's sources really didn't want us to find it because they gave terrible directions that led us nowhere.
Eventually, we cut our loses and went for a walk on the carriage roads instead. By early afternoon when we went for our walk there was already some peaks of sun. Another gorgeous fall day.
Here is an elaborate beaver dam which caused a pond to form and kill a bunch of trees. Upon gazing upon the collection of dead, bleached out tree trunks, Luke and I simultaneously and independently decided to nickname it "The Elephant Graveyard." Ally, being a huge Disney fan, immediately saw the humor in our well-timed pun.
After our walk in the woods we came back to Ba Haba for some food. We ate at a local deli and then had dessert at Sabrina's ice cream shop. We headed up to Cadillac Mountain at 5:00 (!!!!) to set up for the sunset service. No one came, though, and by 6:15 we were headed down the mountain.
It was my week do deliver the talk/sermon/message. Obviously, I didn't deliver it today, so I modified it to a devotional instead. I discussed Matthew 7: 24-27 which is the parable of the wise and foolish builders. One built his house on the rock while the other built on sand. We have to assume they both constructed the same house with the same materials, and we read that the forces the houses dealt with are the same. But the house on the rock stood firm while the house on the sand fell down catastrophically. What matters is truly the foundation. I discussed how we can, by definition, only build our lives upon one foundation. Jesus instructs his audience to use the foundation of his words put into practice. I wrapped up by exhorting the team to spend the week studying the preceding "Sermon on the Mount" that Jesus delivers which are the words he says to put into practice and serve as our foundation. Feel free to do that, too! It's Matthew chapter 5, 6, and 7 up until the parable I preached on.
Not only has sunset become a full 2 hours earlier than it was back in June, but it has also moved approximately 45 degrees to the left on the horizon. I guess it goes with the territory when you watch the sunset from a latitude of 44 degrees.
4 October 2014
Happy Saturday!
Even though today was my day off, I decided to help out with
kitchen prep this morning. I had been debating all week whether or not to do
that since I had only worked 36 hours after having Sunday and Monday off. What
finally pushed me over the edge was that it was too rainy to do a big hike and
my friend Elle told me it’d be fun to scoop butter and jam together. I’m not
sure if fun really is the word, but it definitely wasn’t miserable.
Between the two of us, we filled well over 1,000 containers
of butter and jam. The crazy part is that that probably isn’t enough to make it
through the day. Folks love those popovers.
After the two-hour prep shift, I headed down the newly
renovated Asticou and Jordan Pond Path. It was a beautiful fall day incspite of the wind and drizzle.
I rode the Island Explorer bus back to the dorm because the wind and rain had picked up to the point that it would no longer be a pleasant walk back. As I write this blog entry, I can hear the rain outside my window and every once in a while a gust makes it way through the dense forest and into my window. Just a typical fall all-day rain.
This evening I cleaned up the room since all of my roommates are now gone. Ana and Nenad left this morning. I’m sad that they are all gone, but excited to have a ton more space. A fellow dormie, Tristan, is planning on moving in. He'd rather not stay in his room with three other dudes while he knows there's a room with three open beds. I can't say I blame him.
3 October 2014
Happy Friday!
I started the workday off jamming…that is, I helped out with
kitchen prep by scooping jam into containers for popover eaters. It’s sticky
work, but someone has to do it.
Sarah, Jami, and I handled things in the info booth today. I
took a call from a local. I’ll just call her Anne to protect her identity. She
made a dinner reservation for next week. This will be her third time coming in
this summer. Her second time was about a month and a half ago. I remember
making the reservation. She talked for about 10 minutes about her thoughts on
the restaurant and the changes since Dawnland took over. Today she only talked
for 5 minutes, and she sounded much more positive about how we’re doing.
Apparently, she’s been coming to the Jordan Pond House every year since before
World War II. She’s had a lot of popovers over the years so I think she has a
valid assessment.
This evening I talked Derick in to giving me a ride to the
edge of town as he drove the employee shuttle back to the apartments. I had to
pick up the sign about the ACMNP services and some fudge for the evening
version of God and Fudge. He’s one of those people I work with at the JPH who I
desperately wanted to hang out with but never seemed to have the opportunity to
do that. Tonight, that changed. He’s just as cool as I predicted.
God and Fudge went great tonight. There were five of us
which I believe is a new record. We decided to meet down in the lobby area of
the restaurant by the wood stove since all the customers had left by then. We
discussed the first three “acts” of the Bible: God’s Intention, Exile, and
Calling Israel to a Mission. Next week we agreed to discuss the final three
acts: The Surprising Victory of Jesus, The Renewed People of God, and God Comes
Home. I’m really excited for how well it went. I’ve wanted to do this study for
months, but the necessary group never seemed to materialize. It finally did and
not a moment too soon. Next week will be the final week of God and Fudge.
Crazy!
Saturday, October 4, 2014
2 October 2014
Happy Thursday!
Today was my four month anniversary of working at the JPH. Woo-who!
Today was my four month anniversary of working at the JPH. Woo-who!
The sun decided to help me celebrate and made a comeback today! The giant celestial light
bulb shed some light on the subject of fall in Maine…and let me tell you it’s
awfully beautiful.
Today I found out that I wasn't passively fired from morning
kitchen prep. Rather, the scheduler this week didn't realize that I was
available to help out for an hour or so before the info booth starts getting
busy in the morning. This morning I mopped the main dining room, swept the balcony,
and wiped down the outside tables. Gary, the maintenance guy, complimented me
on my mopping. I’d say that was the nicest compliment I've received lately.
Before the Packer game tonight, I talked on the phone with a
friend from Montana and a friend from Wisconsin. It’s crazy to think how in the
last four years I have spent at least four months living in Wisconsin, Montana,
Washington, DC, and Maine and made such great friends along the way. Each season in life has yielded great experiences and
people that have come into my life. It’s nice to be able to catch up with
people from those previous seasons in life.
I've come to realize, however, that only
God really does have a constant presence in my life. Not that all of you as my beloved friends and family haven't been there for me over the years, but distance (and times zones) do make staying connected difficult. I am thankful to have a relationship with the eternal and omnipresent God to serve as the foundation of my life. Likewise, I'm thankful for my friends and family who provide great support, encouragement, guidance, and companionship. They may not replace that of my creator and savior, but it does a great job supplementing it.
Okay, this is getting too deep...how about them Packers tonight?!
1 October 2014
Happy Wednesday! Oh, and happy October!
Today was Edie’s last official day at the info booth.
Fortunately, she’s probably going to come back in to help during Columbus Day
weekend, so today wasn’t the last time I’d see her. Still, it’s sad that to lose my info buddy. She and I had a last-day party by eating the molasses
cookies she made for me (which are my favorite) and drinking some hot chocolate
she brought in. I will miss Edie.
The weather still looked a little under the weather today,
as in chilly and cloudy. Maybe tomorrow it will come out of the funk it’s been
in lately and we’ll see the sun.
After talking with my sister this evening, I joined some of
my fellow dormies already watching Beetlejuice in the employee lounge. It was, uh, entertaining, but it didn’t bump Forrest Gump or Elf of my favorite movies list.
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