Saturday morning we opened the cafe' right on time. Our first customers arrived about 5 minutes later and never stopped. We ended up having our busiest day so far. At 9:30 all the work campers and the owners came in for their breakfasts so we finished the day cooking for them. We ended up having a table of 12 workers to feed :-). The boss came in and told me he appreciated all of hard work and long hours we put in this week and told us to go ahead and take Sunday off ..... with pay! Whoo Hoo, 3 day week end! :-)
We finished cleaning up, closed and locked the doors around 11:00pm. We did have to make a trip back to empty and reload the dishwasher once it finished its cycle because we were so busy all the dishes we used wouldn't fit in one load!
Our daughter Amanda came to visit and have some quiet time. Being a Mom to 3 young children along with working a full time job takes it toll on a person and she needed an hour or two to decompress.
Sunday morning we slept in until 7:30! :-) Our son Matthew called us and wanted us to come to Lafayette and go to a gun show with him. Well alrighty then, guess I raised that boy right!
We made the hour and half drive and met him at the entrance to the show. We looked around at all the guns, ammo and accessories at the different vendors but everything seemed to be way overpriced. We did buy Rudee a new pepper spray canister for her purse. She is not a gun person but wanted something for a little protection. She has carried pepper spray in the past and knows how, and when, to use it. Hopefully she will never have the opportunity.
We have tomorrow and Tuesday off. The plan for tomorrow is to manufacture a PVC clothes line that mounts to the ladder of the 5th wheel. I have the plans that I found on a fellow RVers blog as well as a shopping list for the necessary supplies. I'll try and get some decent photos, it should be an interesting experience. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
long week
We have been up early every day this week so we can open the restaurant bright and early. Our day starts at 7:15 when we commute to work via golf cart. The first stop is to feed the donkeys their breakfast and then it is off to the cafe to get everything ready to open up at 8am. The first thing we do is fire up the burners under the the griddle so it can start heating up. Since it has been fairly cool in the mornings I have been building a fire in the fireplace to keep the dining room warm and cozy. Rudee gets the coffee ready while I'm building the fire and then it's time to get the kitchen ready. I have developed a system I like for when I am cooking and have my eggs, bacon, omelet fixings etc all in their specific places ready for me to grab.
Rudee got a couple of photos of me in action :-)
and here is our dining room ready for customers.
We have 2 more days left to cook breakfast this week and then will have 2 days off. We are both pretty beat since we have been working double shifts covering for the boss. Once they return (later tonight) we will be back on our regular schedule. I'll keep you posted.
Rudee got a couple of photos of me in action :-)
and here is our dining room ready for customers.
We have 2 more days left to cook breakfast this week and then will have 2 days off. We are both pretty beat since we have been working double shifts covering for the boss. Once they return (later tonight) we will be back on our regular schedule. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
"if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen"
Saturday morning we were up early and headed to the cafe'. We open at 8am and to make sure everything is ready to go we arrive at 7:30, fire up the griddle and get the coffee percolating. The temps were a little cool so I built a fire in the fireplace to warm the dining room up a little. Our first customers came in shortly after 8am. Rudee played waitress while I handled the kitchen and things started off well. We had a steady flow of customers but no big "rushes". Pancakes seemed to be the most wanted item this morning, The park offers an all you can eat pancake special and children under 12 get free pancakes with each paying adult. The work campers start arriving between 9 and 9:30 for their breakfasts which are provided as part of our compensation. Rudee and I were able to sit down and have our breakfasts with them and then it was time to get everything cleaned up. Dishes had to be washed, floors swept and mopped and the entire kitchen cleaned and sanitized. We finished around 11am and Rudee headed home, she was coming back on duty at 3pm because she had agreed to switch shifts with one of the other ladies. I still had another 1 1/2 hours to work so I headed to the shop to assemble a new portable sprayer. I got that little project completed just in time to fill some propane tanks and escort an early arriving camper to their site. Once that was done my day was over and I headed home.
Rudee went to work in the office at 3pm and the whole operation went to heck in a hand basket. Campers rolled in one right after another and she was busier than a one armed paper hanger! The park has 6 cabins and all of them were taken by families in town for a softball tournament as well as quite a few of the RV spaces. The park was the fullest we have seen it since we arrived and was well over 3/4 full. We expected it to be like this during the warm summer months but not on a cold, wet April weekend. The evening crew handled it well until the Pepsi machine decided it wanted to expel all of the Sierra Mist it had inside it and flooded most of the cafe' with fizzy, sticky puddles of Pop! Rudee called me up to help stop the flood and I was able to get it shut down and helped clean up the mess. This was about the most excitement we have had since we arrived here.
With the increase in business and having to deal with the flood in the cafe' we didn't make it back to the 5er until after 9pm. Rudee was bushed and neither one of us stayed up very long.
Sunday was our day off and our grand kids came for a visit. We had a great day spending time with them and showing them around our new "home".
Monday morning I start cooking breakfasts in the cafe' for the next 7 days straight since the boss man is going to be gone. Should be an interesting week ...... "how do ya want them eggs"? I'll keep you posted.
Rudee went to work in the office at 3pm and the whole operation went to heck in a hand basket. Campers rolled in one right after another and she was busier than a one armed paper hanger! The park has 6 cabins and all of them were taken by families in town for a softball tournament as well as quite a few of the RV spaces. The park was the fullest we have seen it since we arrived and was well over 3/4 full. We expected it to be like this during the warm summer months but not on a cold, wet April weekend. The evening crew handled it well until the Pepsi machine decided it wanted to expel all of the Sierra Mist it had inside it and flooded most of the cafe' with fizzy, sticky puddles of Pop! Rudee called me up to help stop the flood and I was able to get it shut down and helped clean up the mess. This was about the most excitement we have had since we arrived here.
With the increase in business and having to deal with the flood in the cafe' we didn't make it back to the 5er until after 9pm. Rudee was bushed and neither one of us stayed up very long.
Sunday was our day off and our grand kids came for a visit. We had a great day spending time with them and showing them around our new "home".
Monday morning I start cooking breakfasts in the cafe' for the next 7 days straight since the boss man is going to be gone. Should be an interesting week ...... "how do ya want them eggs"? I'll keep you posted.
Friday, April 20, 2012
variety or not
Our work week is over half done and has gone quickly. Rudee's duties are pretty routine in the office. She logs into the computer system and counts here cash drawer. Once that is completed she is ready for customers. The office also includes a small store that is well stocked with RV supplies, food and even a few souvenir items. She spends some of her day restocking and cleaning the shelves as well as keeping things tidy. All of her hours are traded for our rent, utilities, including propane, and free use of the laundry while all of my hours are paid.
My days are a lot more varied. I usually don't know what I will be doing until I was busy putting together picnic tables. Business was a little slower than normal and I was able to get several completed but we still have a lot more to do. Wednesday the boss and Chip (another work camper) grouted the tile floor in the new building. They had laid the tile down on Monday in the office area of the building and the boss was anxious to get it finished. They had finished the grout but the excess material left on the tile had to be scrubbed off. The boss and I worked on this most of my shift, it wasn't difficult but I spent the better part of 4 hours on my knees. OUCH! Luckily he had knee pads for us or I would probably not be walking straight right now :-).
Thursday is mowing day and I spent my entire 5 hour shift mowing grass. I still have a few areas to mow and all the trimming to do so it looks like Friday will be the day to finish up.
Saturday morning (and all next week) I will be cooking in the cafe. You can tell I have a little more variety in my days than Rudee but we are both enjoying this new experience.
Thursday was such a nice day and since we were off work at 3pm we made plans to get the bike out. Our son called before we left and he was off work today and we made plans to meet him and our future daughter in law in Rockville for dinner. The temperature was perfect for a bike ride and we really enjoyed ourselves, plus we got the chance to catch up on all the wedding plans. They are getting married in October in her hometown in Pennsylvania. We are planning to leave here at the end of September giving us plenty of time to travel there and help out with the wedding.
After dinner they followed us back to the 5th wheel and we showed them around "our" campground, afterwards I built a fire and we sat outside for awhile until they had to leave for their drive home.
We are planning to drive to Plainfield after work today to visit with Rudee's parents. The bike is due for an oil change so Rudee will be following me and we will leave the bike at the Harley dealership and pick it up on Monday. I'll keep you posted.
My days are a lot more varied. I usually don't know what I will be doing until I was busy putting together picnic tables. Business was a little slower than normal and I was able to get several completed but we still have a lot more to do. Wednesday the boss and Chip (another work camper) grouted the tile floor in the new building. They had laid the tile down on Monday in the office area of the building and the boss was anxious to get it finished. They had finished the grout but the excess material left on the tile had to be scrubbed off. The boss and I worked on this most of my shift, it wasn't difficult but I spent the better part of 4 hours on my knees. OUCH! Luckily he had knee pads for us or I would probably not be walking straight right now :-).
Thursday is mowing day and I spent my entire 5 hour shift mowing grass. I still have a few areas to mow and all the trimming to do so it looks like Friday will be the day to finish up.
Saturday morning (and all next week) I will be cooking in the cafe. You can tell I have a little more variety in my days than Rudee but we are both enjoying this new experience.
Thursday was such a nice day and since we were off work at 3pm we made plans to get the bike out. Our son called before we left and he was off work today and we made plans to meet him and our future daughter in law in Rockville for dinner. The temperature was perfect for a bike ride and we really enjoyed ourselves, plus we got the chance to catch up on all the wedding plans. They are getting married in October in her hometown in Pennsylvania. We are planning to leave here at the end of September giving us plenty of time to travel there and help out with the wedding.
After dinner they followed us back to the 5th wheel and we showed them around "our" campground, afterwards I built a fire and we sat outside for awhile until they had to leave for their drive home.
We are planning to drive to Plainfield after work today to visit with Rudee's parents. The bike is due for an oil change so Rudee will be following me and we will leave the bike at the Harley dealership and pick it up on Monday. I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
days off
We had Sunday and Monday off and tried to take advantage of them. For some reason I was up really early Sunday morning, like 4am early! The wind was blowing the trees around the 5th wheel and I guess this woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep. Maybe I was a little gun shy with all the reports of the tornadoes hitting parts of the midwest. We were lucky just had some gusty winds here, no storms or rain.
Our daughter Amanda was having a birthday party for our middle grand daughter Avalynn Sunday afternoon. The drive takes us about an hour and a half and we arrived shortly before noon. We had a nice afternoon spending time with them and it was time to head back before we knew it.
Monday morning I slept in. I guess I was making up for my early rise the day before. I didn't roll out of bed until almost 10am.
We both wanted to do something and decided that a movie would be fun. I got on the internet and found the Terre Haute movie listings and they had movies starting at 12:30 for $5.00 per person. We decided to see Hunger Games since we had heard some good things about it.
The movie theater is tucked behind the shopping mall and has 12 screens. We bought our tickets, some popcorn to share and headed in. The theater was not busy at all (kind of expected that for a Monday at noon) and we had our choice of seats, in fact there was only one other couple in the theater with us. I think I found another plus for this lifestyle :-).
The movie was good and we will probably go and see the next one since this was the first in a series.
Afterwards we drove to Shakamac State Park which is about 20 miles south of Terre Haute. I used to camp here with my parents when I was a little boy but that was so long ago nothing was recognizable. We checked out the campground and found a bunch of sites that we could fit into. The sites all have a fire ring, picnic table and 30 amp electric. There is an occasional water bib for fill ups and a nice dump station at the exit.
We parked the truck and went into the woods to do a little mushroom hunting. Things were still pretty damp from Saturdays rain so we had to be careful where we walked. The only thing we found was one stem from a moral that was pretty dried up, the head of the mushroom was long gone. Maybe we are too late for the mushrooms this year? We'll keep trying though and maybe have some better luck next time.
We are working for the next 5 days with a mix of evenings and day shifts, Rudee traded shifts with one of the other gals for this Saturday so she will be working evenings while I am working days. Guess I'll be cooking a late supper for us both! I'll keep you posted.
Our daughter Amanda was having a birthday party for our middle grand daughter Avalynn Sunday afternoon. The drive takes us about an hour and a half and we arrived shortly before noon. We had a nice afternoon spending time with them and it was time to head back before we knew it.
Monday morning I slept in. I guess I was making up for my early rise the day before. I didn't roll out of bed until almost 10am.
We both wanted to do something and decided that a movie would be fun. I got on the internet and found the Terre Haute movie listings and they had movies starting at 12:30 for $5.00 per person. We decided to see Hunger Games since we had heard some good things about it.
The movie theater is tucked behind the shopping mall and has 12 screens. We bought our tickets, some popcorn to share and headed in. The theater was not busy at all (kind of expected that for a Monday at noon) and we had our choice of seats, in fact there was only one other couple in the theater with us. I think I found another plus for this lifestyle :-).
The movie was good and we will probably go and see the next one since this was the first in a series.
Afterwards we drove to Shakamac State Park which is about 20 miles south of Terre Haute. I used to camp here with my parents when I was a little boy but that was so long ago nothing was recognizable. We checked out the campground and found a bunch of sites that we could fit into. The sites all have a fire ring, picnic table and 30 amp electric. There is an occasional water bib for fill ups and a nice dump station at the exit.
We parked the truck and went into the woods to do a little mushroom hunting. Things were still pretty damp from Saturdays rain so we had to be careful where we walked. The only thing we found was one stem from a moral that was pretty dried up, the head of the mushroom was long gone. Maybe we are too late for the mushrooms this year? We'll keep trying though and maybe have some better luck next time.
We are working for the next 5 days with a mix of evenings and day shifts, Rudee traded shifts with one of the other gals for this Saturday so she will be working evenings while I am working days. Guess I'll be cooking a late supper for us both! I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
I'm getting ..... board :-)
We worked 3pm until 8pm yesterday, Rudee was in the office and I relieved James as the "outside Guy". Here is where Rudee spends her work days
The rain I woke up to continued off and on all day with some heavy down pours but luckily no wind or strong storms. James had been sanding and staining some of the picnic table boards we had already cut to length so I just picked up where he left off. The boards have some labels stenciled on them that the boss wants sanded off prior to staining. Here is a couple of photos of the "rainy day" work station inside the garage. When the weather is nicer we will move the operation outside where space is not so limited.
Boards being sanded and then stained.
The stacks of lumber are all waiting to be cut and stained. This is going to be a big job!
Another area where the boards are drying prior to being assembled into tables.
The finished product with the frames for future tables in the background!
I was able to build 3 tables as well as sand and stain enough wood for an additional 3 tables before the end of my shift. Not too bad seeing how I had to stop several times in order to do my normal duties.
We are going to be working some odd hours the next 2 weeks. The boss' have a funeral in Ohio next Saturday to attend and then the following week they are going to a meeting for KOA owners and will be gone most of the week. I will be cooking breakfast every day they are gone and Rudee will be working a mixture of days and evenings. We still have days off together but will not be working the same hours on some of the days. There is a new set of work campers arriving in the middle of all this and they asked me to help train the male half until the boss returns so I will not only open and run the cafe every morning but also will be training and helping him out in the evenings. Once all this settles down we should get into more of a routine schedule with all the other workers, just in time for business to pick up for the summer. I'll keep you posted.
The rain I woke up to continued off and on all day with some heavy down pours but luckily no wind or strong storms. James had been sanding and staining some of the picnic table boards we had already cut to length so I just picked up where he left off. The boards have some labels stenciled on them that the boss wants sanded off prior to staining. Here is a couple of photos of the "rainy day" work station inside the garage. When the weather is nicer we will move the operation outside where space is not so limited.
Boards being sanded and then stained.
The stacks of lumber are all waiting to be cut and stained. This is going to be a big job!
Another area where the boards are drying prior to being assembled into tables.
The finished product with the frames for future tables in the background!
I was able to build 3 tables as well as sand and stain enough wood for an additional 3 tables before the end of my shift. Not too bad seeing how I had to stop several times in order to do my normal duties.
We are going to be working some odd hours the next 2 weeks. The boss' have a funeral in Ohio next Saturday to attend and then the following week they are going to a meeting for KOA owners and will be gone most of the week. I will be cooking breakfast every day they are gone and Rudee will be working a mixture of days and evenings. We still have days off together but will not be working the same hours on some of the days. There is a new set of work campers arriving in the middle of all this and they asked me to help train the male half until the boss returns so I will not only open and run the cafe every morning but also will be training and helping him out in the evenings. Once all this settles down we should get into more of a routine schedule with all the other workers, just in time for business to pick up for the summer. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
they're on the move
I have been reading RV blogs for several years now. I even have a list of some of my favorites on the right hand column of my blog. Most of the fulltimers who have been doing this stuff awhile hunker down during the winter months in some warm, non-snowy (is that a word LOL) place and I look forward to the time they start their traveling again. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy reading about their winter time activities but I really, really love the posts written about new places to explore as well as new things to experience. I have imagined Rudee and I traveling these same roads and visiting these same areas. Ahhh the allure of life on the road :-).
This time of year the snowbirds and hibernating fulltimers are becoming mobile again. The last couple of weeks we have been staying busy with travelers heading back north after a spending the winter in the warmer southern or western climates. The majority of the people we have had staying with us are our neighbors from Canada. I learned from them that they have to be back in their country for at least 6 months of the year or they risk losing some (or all) of their citizenship benefits.
I like to talk to all the people I park and, if they are friendly and want to talk with me, I like to hear about their travels. We have had a good mix of snowbirds returning from Florida, Texas and Arizona. Most are in class A motorhomes or 5th wheels with only a few in travel trailers and smaller C or B motorhomes. Most of the folks are very friendly but there are a few who are tired and really don't want to be bothered. I understand this and leave these folks alone because I know there are travel days that I just want to get parked, eat and relax in my "comfy chair" :-).
Work the last couple of days for me has consisted of a little lawn mowing but mostly construction projects. We hung a new garage door and built a landing for the stairs into the attic area of the office attached to the new maintenance building.
The boss and one of the other work campers made a trip to the local lumber yard and picked up a huge stack of boards that will become new picnic tables, well they will as soon as we cut them in 1/2, stain them and bolt them to the new frames! They have enough wood and frames to build 50 new tables. James and I started on tables yesterday afternoon by cutting enough of the lumber to build 10 tables. We started staining the boards but could only do 10 boards (it takes 5 per table) due to the limited work space we had and the threat of rain. Once the stain dried we started assembling and got 2 tables done and another 10 boards stained and drying before it was time for me to get off. I figure with 2 of us working we can complete a table in about an hour, or 4-5 per shift. That's 10 straight days of nothing but staining and building tables, WOW! They do look nice though.
I woke up this morning to rain pounding on the roof of the 5th wheel and we have had a few rumbles of thunder. They are predicting storms off and on all day. We work the 3pm - 8pm shift today and it looks like it will be a wet one! I'll keep you posted.
This time of year the snowbirds and hibernating fulltimers are becoming mobile again. The last couple of weeks we have been staying busy with travelers heading back north after a spending the winter in the warmer southern or western climates. The majority of the people we have had staying with us are our neighbors from Canada. I learned from them that they have to be back in their country for at least 6 months of the year or they risk losing some (or all) of their citizenship benefits.
I like to talk to all the people I park and, if they are friendly and want to talk with me, I like to hear about their travels. We have had a good mix of snowbirds returning from Florida, Texas and Arizona. Most are in class A motorhomes or 5th wheels with only a few in travel trailers and smaller C or B motorhomes. Most of the folks are very friendly but there are a few who are tired and really don't want to be bothered. I understand this and leave these folks alone because I know there are travel days that I just want to get parked, eat and relax in my "comfy chair" :-).
Work the last couple of days for me has consisted of a little lawn mowing but mostly construction projects. We hung a new garage door and built a landing for the stairs into the attic area of the office attached to the new maintenance building.
The boss and one of the other work campers made a trip to the local lumber yard and picked up a huge stack of boards that will become new picnic tables, well they will as soon as we cut them in 1/2, stain them and bolt them to the new frames! They have enough wood and frames to build 50 new tables. James and I started on tables yesterday afternoon by cutting enough of the lumber to build 10 tables. We started staining the boards but could only do 10 boards (it takes 5 per table) due to the limited work space we had and the threat of rain. Once the stain dried we started assembling and got 2 tables done and another 10 boards stained and drying before it was time for me to get off. I figure with 2 of us working we can complete a table in about an hour, or 4-5 per shift. That's 10 straight days of nothing but staining and building tables, WOW! They do look nice though.
I woke up this morning to rain pounding on the roof of the 5th wheel and we have had a few rumbles of thunder. They are predicting storms off and on all day. We work the 3pm - 8pm shift today and it looks like it will be a wet one! I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
new friends and a change in schedules
We took our time getting started Tuesday morning. We were both pretty beat from our hectic schedule we have been keeping the past week or so. Seems like we have been either working or running ourselves ragged ever since I blew up the microwave.
Our only plan today was to meet with fellow RV Dreamers Wayne and Vicki. They were interested in gate guarding and wanted to hear about our experiences. We had made plans to meet at the Cracker Barrel here in Terre Haute at 11:30.
As we were pulling in I got a text from them that they would be a few minutes late due to some unexpected traffic. Rudee and I found a table and they pulled in about 5 minutes later. After some quick introductions we ordered our lunches and got to know each other. They are still in the planning stages for their RV travels and are interested in supplementing their retirement incomes. We gave them lots of tips about gate guarding and RVing in general and the time just flew by. I was surprised to look at my watch and it was 2pm already! We parted ways in the parking lot with hugs and handshakes all around. Hopefully we didn't make their heads spin too much with all the info. I gave them our cell phone numbers and they promised to call if they had any questions. Good luck guys, it was our pleasure meeting you and thanks for lunch!
After leaving the restaurant we headed for the grocery store to pick up a few items and then back to the 5th wheel. The rest of the afternoon I was pretty lazy, almost falling asleep in my recliner. Rudee got busy making me some homemade chocolate chip cookies in her new convection oven. I guess I'm out of the dog house again :-)
Supper consisted of me getting off my lazy rear end and grilling some burgers and corn on the cob outside on the patio. We did take a walk around the campground after eating. The wind was blowing and it made it feel pretty cold so we stopped into the office to visit with our fellow workcampers. The boss man was in there as well and wanted to know if I would be willing to cook in the morning 2 days a week instead of in the evening as he had originally planned. This would change our days off to Monday and Tuesday since he needed someone Sunday mornings. I would much rather do breakfasts because I tend to enjoy it more than dinners plus the menu is a little smaller and less complicated. Rudee and I talked it over and agreed this would be a good arrangement. We will work 7:30 - 12:30 Saturday and Sunday in the cafe and then evenings Wednesday through Friday with Rudee in the office and me on the outside doing whatever needs done. Rudee will work alongside me in the cafe on the week ends waiting tables and once the cafe closes at 9:30 and we get everything cleaned we will fill in cleaning cabins and such.
I am looking forward to this schedule because I do enjoy the cooking side of things. I know it is not for everyone but I do enjoy it and Rudee says my eggs and omelets are pretty darn good!
We go into work today at 3pm and work until 8pm. I am not sure what I will be doing besides my regular escort and propane duties but I'm sure something will pop up. I'll keep you posted.
Our only plan today was to meet with fellow RV Dreamers Wayne and Vicki. They were interested in gate guarding and wanted to hear about our experiences. We had made plans to meet at the Cracker Barrel here in Terre Haute at 11:30.
As we were pulling in I got a text from them that they would be a few minutes late due to some unexpected traffic. Rudee and I found a table and they pulled in about 5 minutes later. After some quick introductions we ordered our lunches and got to know each other. They are still in the planning stages for their RV travels and are interested in supplementing their retirement incomes. We gave them lots of tips about gate guarding and RVing in general and the time just flew by. I was surprised to look at my watch and it was 2pm already! We parted ways in the parking lot with hugs and handshakes all around. Hopefully we didn't make their heads spin too much with all the info. I gave them our cell phone numbers and they promised to call if they had any questions. Good luck guys, it was our pleasure meeting you and thanks for lunch!
After leaving the restaurant we headed for the grocery store to pick up a few items and then back to the 5th wheel. The rest of the afternoon I was pretty lazy, almost falling asleep in my recliner. Rudee got busy making me some homemade chocolate chip cookies in her new convection oven. I guess I'm out of the dog house again :-)
Supper consisted of me getting off my lazy rear end and grilling some burgers and corn on the cob outside on the patio. We did take a walk around the campground after eating. The wind was blowing and it made it feel pretty cold so we stopped into the office to visit with our fellow workcampers. The boss man was in there as well and wanted to know if I would be willing to cook in the morning 2 days a week instead of in the evening as he had originally planned. This would change our days off to Monday and Tuesday since he needed someone Sunday mornings. I would much rather do breakfasts because I tend to enjoy it more than dinners plus the menu is a little smaller and less complicated. Rudee and I talked it over and agreed this would be a good arrangement. We will work 7:30 - 12:30 Saturday and Sunday in the cafe and then evenings Wednesday through Friday with Rudee in the office and me on the outside doing whatever needs done. Rudee will work alongside me in the cafe on the week ends waiting tables and once the cafe closes at 9:30 and we get everything cleaned we will fill in cleaning cabins and such.
I am looking forward to this schedule because I do enjoy the cooking side of things. I know it is not for everyone but I do enjoy it and Rudee says my eggs and omelets are pretty darn good!
We go into work today at 3pm and work until 8pm. I am not sure what I will be doing besides my regular escort and propane duties but I'm sure something will pop up. I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
we're cookin' .... again!
Sunday work was pretty laid back.We started our day by eating our free breakfast in the cafe' provided as part of our work camper "wages". Our hours today were 10am until 3pm. I expected to be mowing some more today but was told by the owner that we would be installing a ceiling fan in the new maintenance building.
I did a round trip around the campground in the golf cart picking up any trash and doing a general "security check". I'm looking for things like water leaks, road hazards, and any campers that may need a helping hand. Rudee started her day doing "office stuff". She opens the office up, gets her cash drawer counted and gets ready for any business that comes in. She also does a camper audit and checks out those that have left so their sites can be rented again.
The campground was pretty slow this week end. I am assuming it was because of the Easter holiday and folks wanting to stay home and spend time with family. We only had a few campers in spending the night while traveling. The week end campers have not come out of hibernation yet. The camping season does not get in full swing around here until May and we expect to be pretty busy. We are not too far from the Indy 500 track and expect to get some race fans staying with us as well.
Keith (the owner) and I got the ceiling fan installed in a couple of hours. We did have to do some fabricating as well as run the wiring up to the ceiling. The building is a large pole barn type with a very high ceiling. We used a fork lift with a basket mounted on the front that allowed us to reach the area we needed.
Once we were done with that I installed some more insulation in the walls while Keith finished up "mudding" some of the dry wall. 2:00 rolled around pretty quickly and it was time to put away our tools and get cleaned up for the weekly 2:30 pitch in dinner. Every Sunday the park hosts a meal for the workers by providing the meat and each couple brings a dish to share. We have enjoyed these and it gives us a chance to get to know each other better. We do have a new couple that arrived Saturday afternoon. James and Mary are veteran work campers who travel in a motorhome. They will start their work next week and we are looking forward to learning from them.
We didn't linger too long after our meal since we were driving back to Michigan to exchange the microwave/convection oven. What a screw up that little project turned out to be! I did find the correct oven at a company in South Bend Indiana who supplies all the oven to Keystone for their RV's. They had the correct oven, albeit more expensive, in stock.
We made reservations at a motel to spend the night near the casino (against my better judgment). I knew I couldn't be lucky and win twice in a row but Rudee wanted to go and try again. You can't believe how sore my arm is from her twisting it to get me to agree with this ... "it hurts, it hurts weally weally bad!" :-)
We arrived shortly before 8pm and got settled in and headed for the casino. My premonition was correct and my luck had seemed to change. I had a minor hit for $80 but was soon in the hole again. I gave up and watched Rudee play. Her luck wasn't any better so we decided to leave. I was waiting for her to cash out from the machine she was playing and put my last couple of $$ in a nearby machine. I got lucky on the first spin and hit for over $100, I cashed out and we got the heck outta there! I ended up $30 ahead while Rudee lost a little but we had a good time. We arrived back at the motel and spent some time relaxing in their hot tub ..... ahhhhhhh!
Monday morning we made a quick stop in New Buffolo, Michigan for breakfast and to check out the Lake Michigan shoreline.
We then headed for the RV salvage yard and returned the original "wrong" oven and got a refund. Our next stop was 30 miles away in South Bend where we purchased the "right" one. This time I un-boxed it and compared it to the old oven which I brought with us. All was in order so we loaded everything up and headed back home.
On the way back we picked up some pizza and met at our daughters house and had supper with them. We made it back to the KOA at 8pm and I got to work installing the new oven. The job was no big deal since the oven was the same size (this time!) and slid right into the cabinet. I plugged it in and Rudee gave it a test. IT WORKS! Yea! We're cookin' again!
The new oven has a stainless steel face while the old one had a black one but it looks pretty good. They have also redesigned the handles since the older ovens with the push button door latches tended to break trapping the food inside.
Today (Tuesday) we are meeting with fellow RV dreamers Wayne and Vicki for lunch in Terre Haute. We have been communicating via the RV Dreams Forum http://rv-dreams.activeboard.com/ and by email. They are interested in gate guarding and wanted some first hand experience. We are more than happy to share our experiences with them, or anyone else for that matter. :-) I'll keep you posted.
I did a round trip around the campground in the golf cart picking up any trash and doing a general "security check". I'm looking for things like water leaks, road hazards, and any campers that may need a helping hand. Rudee started her day doing "office stuff". She opens the office up, gets her cash drawer counted and gets ready for any business that comes in. She also does a camper audit and checks out those that have left so their sites can be rented again.
The campground was pretty slow this week end. I am assuming it was because of the Easter holiday and folks wanting to stay home and spend time with family. We only had a few campers in spending the night while traveling. The week end campers have not come out of hibernation yet. The camping season does not get in full swing around here until May and we expect to be pretty busy. We are not too far from the Indy 500 track and expect to get some race fans staying with us as well.
Keith (the owner) and I got the ceiling fan installed in a couple of hours. We did have to do some fabricating as well as run the wiring up to the ceiling. The building is a large pole barn type with a very high ceiling. We used a fork lift with a basket mounted on the front that allowed us to reach the area we needed.
Once we were done with that I installed some more insulation in the walls while Keith finished up "mudding" some of the dry wall. 2:00 rolled around pretty quickly and it was time to put away our tools and get cleaned up for the weekly 2:30 pitch in dinner. Every Sunday the park hosts a meal for the workers by providing the meat and each couple brings a dish to share. We have enjoyed these and it gives us a chance to get to know each other better. We do have a new couple that arrived Saturday afternoon. James and Mary are veteran work campers who travel in a motorhome. They will start their work next week and we are looking forward to learning from them.
We didn't linger too long after our meal since we were driving back to Michigan to exchange the microwave/convection oven. What a screw up that little project turned out to be! I did find the correct oven at a company in South Bend Indiana who supplies all the oven to Keystone for their RV's. They had the correct oven, albeit more expensive, in stock.
We made reservations at a motel to spend the night near the casino (against my better judgment). I knew I couldn't be lucky and win twice in a row but Rudee wanted to go and try again. You can't believe how sore my arm is from her twisting it to get me to agree with this ... "it hurts, it hurts weally weally bad!" :-)
We arrived shortly before 8pm and got settled in and headed for the casino. My premonition was correct and my luck had seemed to change. I had a minor hit for $80 but was soon in the hole again. I gave up and watched Rudee play. Her luck wasn't any better so we decided to leave. I was waiting for her to cash out from the machine she was playing and put my last couple of $$ in a nearby machine. I got lucky on the first spin and hit for over $100, I cashed out and we got the heck outta there! I ended up $30 ahead while Rudee lost a little but we had a good time. We arrived back at the motel and spent some time relaxing in their hot tub ..... ahhhhhhh!
Monday morning we made a quick stop in New Buffolo, Michigan for breakfast and to check out the Lake Michigan shoreline.
We then headed for the RV salvage yard and returned the original "wrong" oven and got a refund. Our next stop was 30 miles away in South Bend where we purchased the "right" one. This time I un-boxed it and compared it to the old oven which I brought with us. All was in order so we loaded everything up and headed back home.
On the way back we picked up some pizza and met at our daughters house and had supper with them. We made it back to the KOA at 8pm and I got to work installing the new oven. The job was no big deal since the oven was the same size (this time!) and slid right into the cabinet. I plugged it in and Rudee gave it a test. IT WORKS! Yea! We're cookin' again!
The new oven has a stainless steel face while the old one had a black one but it looks pretty good. They have also redesigned the handles since the older ovens with the push button door latches tended to break trapping the food inside.
Today (Tuesday) we are meeting with fellow RV dreamers Wayne and Vicki for lunch in Terre Haute. We have been communicating via the RV Dreams Forum http://rv-dreams.activeboard.com/ and by email. They are interested in gate guarding and wanted some first hand experience. We are more than happy to share our experiences with them, or anyone else for that matter. :-) I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
TGIF?
Today (Sunday) is our Friday for this week. We are still are a "swing" type schedule but that will settle down next week when we start working every Tuesday through Saturday.
This past week we have worked 2 evenings and are getting ready to start our 2nd middle shift. We go in at 10am and are done at 3pm when working middles. Evening shifts are pretty routine with greeting and parking campers, delivering firewood, feeding the donkeys and doing whatever small projects the boss wants done.
Middle shifts so far this week have been nothing but mowing. We have had some rain and the grass is really in need of cutting so I spent my entire shift yesterday mowing and will probably do more of the same today. The campground has a zero turn mower with a wide deck so it goes pretty quick. The problems I had yesterday was the soft areas where the mower would get stuck with the rear tires just spinning. There was a couple of areas I didn't finish mowing because they were too wet, beside that my back was starting to hurt trying to push the mower out everytime it started spinning. :-)
I think the mower does worse then the Freightliner on wet grass and mud! :-)
After getting off work at 3pm yesterday I took a quick shower and we hopped on the bike. We had plans to meet Rob and Jany at a nice steak house in Covington Indiana. The Beef House is well known in this area for having great steaks as well as a menu of other tempting goodies.
Rob and Jany were camping at Charlarose Campground just east of the restaurant. The temperature was a nice 65 degrees when we left the KOA to make the 45 mile ride, it sure felt good to have the wind in our faces again!
Rob and Jany were waiting for us at the restaurant and we were surprised to see some of our other Goldwing friends Bill, Jane, Grumpy and Kay. We had a great meal and sat and talked for quite a while afterwards, not leaving until after 8pm!
On the way out of the restaurant I heard my name being called and there sat the owner of Charlarose Campground who, a long time ago, lived in Boone County and was a reserve Deputy with me on the Sheriff's Department. They were sitting with another former resident and former firefighter. We caught up a little with them and promised to come and camp with them when we get the chance.
Our ride home was a little cooler and some clouds had moved in. We even ran into some sprinkles but made it back home dry and tired!
Today is Easter Sunday and we are going to visit our grandchildren as soon as we get off work. Amanda has a meal planned followed by an Easter Egg hunt for the kids which has become a family tradition. She plans on a whole house full of family members and we are looking forward to seeing all the nieces and nephews as well as our own little rug rats! I'll keep you posted.
This past week we have worked 2 evenings and are getting ready to start our 2nd middle shift. We go in at 10am and are done at 3pm when working middles. Evening shifts are pretty routine with greeting and parking campers, delivering firewood, feeding the donkeys and doing whatever small projects the boss wants done.
Middle shifts so far this week have been nothing but mowing. We have had some rain and the grass is really in need of cutting so I spent my entire shift yesterday mowing and will probably do more of the same today. The campground has a zero turn mower with a wide deck so it goes pretty quick. The problems I had yesterday was the soft areas where the mower would get stuck with the rear tires just spinning. There was a couple of areas I didn't finish mowing because they were too wet, beside that my back was starting to hurt trying to push the mower out everytime it started spinning. :-)
I think the mower does worse then the Freightliner on wet grass and mud! :-)
After getting off work at 3pm yesterday I took a quick shower and we hopped on the bike. We had plans to meet Rob and Jany at a nice steak house in Covington Indiana. The Beef House is well known in this area for having great steaks as well as a menu of other tempting goodies.
Rob and Jany were camping at Charlarose Campground just east of the restaurant. The temperature was a nice 65 degrees when we left the KOA to make the 45 mile ride, it sure felt good to have the wind in our faces again!
Rob and Jany were waiting for us at the restaurant and we were surprised to see some of our other Goldwing friends Bill, Jane, Grumpy and Kay. We had a great meal and sat and talked for quite a while afterwards, not leaving until after 8pm!
On the way out of the restaurant I heard my name being called and there sat the owner of Charlarose Campground who, a long time ago, lived in Boone County and was a reserve Deputy with me on the Sheriff's Department. They were sitting with another former resident and former firefighter. We caught up a little with them and promised to come and camp with them when we get the chance.
Our ride home was a little cooler and some clouds had moved in. We even ran into some sprinkles but made it back home dry and tired!
Today is Easter Sunday and we are going to visit our grandchildren as soon as we get off work. Amanda has a meal planned followed by an Easter Egg hunt for the kids which has become a family tradition. She plans on a whole house full of family members and we are looking forward to seeing all the nieces and nephews as well as our own little rug rats! I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
running around
We have had the last two days off and have done a lot of "running around"! Tuesday morning we headed north to White Pigeon, Michigan. That is the home to Bontragger's RV Surplus and Supply. They are near most of the RV manufacturers in and around Elkhart, Indiana and they have several buildings full of bulk supplies left over (or surplus) from the factories.
I love to just spend some time browsing through all the shelves and bins full of every switch, light, wire, bracket etc. that goes in our RV's.
I had called and they had a replacement oven for the one I burned up and true to their word they had one sitting on their counter waiting for us to arrive and take it home. I loaded it up into the truck and picked up a couple of small items as well. The small switch for our outside porch light had become really hard to turn on so I picked up a new one for $1 plus a new lens for the light and a shower drain plug for Rob and Jany Runion since the one in their Raptor was lost long before they bought it.
Since we were up in the area we decided to drive over to Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan. This is by far our favorite casino. They designed it like a huge north woods lodge and it very comfortable inside with a large mix of slot machines. The building is large and even though it is all one level you don't feel "crammed in".
We have their players cards and recently received some coupons for some free play. I got $15 and Rudee got $35 of free slot play so we decided to give it a go. Luck was on our side because I was able to turn their $15 into a surprising $350.00 win! Wow, that not only paid for the oven I broke but covered our gas and meals for the trip! Rudee said I am officially out of the dog house now! :-)
We spent about an hour and a half playing and eating our supper before starting the long trip back home. We made it back to the 5er shortly after 10pm and were both beat from the long day on the road.
Wednesday morning I pulled the new oven out of the truck and saw a major problem. The front of the oven looked the same but the new one had a different case on it that included a light and fan on the bottom. This new one was made to mount directly over the stove and ours mounts inside a cabinet. Crap! Now we have to go back and to top it off they don't have our model. It's my fault for not checking it closer before loading it up so there is no one to blame but me. I guess I'm back in the dog house again :-).
There is another supplier in the area that supplies the new ones to Keystone (our RV manufacturer) and I can purchase one there so looks like my trying to save a buck backfired on me and we will be taking another road trip soon. Better stay out of the casino this time, doubt if I could be lucky 2 times in a row. :-)
Today (Thursday) it is back to work at 3pm for the next 4 days. We are both enjoying our jobs and it sure helps to that we are starting to get more comfortable with what is expected of us. I'll keep you posted.
I love to just spend some time browsing through all the shelves and bins full of every switch, light, wire, bracket etc. that goes in our RV's.
I had called and they had a replacement oven for the one I burned up and true to their word they had one sitting on their counter waiting for us to arrive and take it home. I loaded it up into the truck and picked up a couple of small items as well. The small switch for our outside porch light had become really hard to turn on so I picked up a new one for $1 plus a new lens for the light and a shower drain plug for Rob and Jany Runion since the one in their Raptor was lost long before they bought it.
Since we were up in the area we decided to drive over to Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan. This is by far our favorite casino. They designed it like a huge north woods lodge and it very comfortable inside with a large mix of slot machines. The building is large and even though it is all one level you don't feel "crammed in".
We have their players cards and recently received some coupons for some free play. I got $15 and Rudee got $35 of free slot play so we decided to give it a go. Luck was on our side because I was able to turn their $15 into a surprising $350.00 win! Wow, that not only paid for the oven I broke but covered our gas and meals for the trip! Rudee said I am officially out of the dog house now! :-)
We spent about an hour and a half playing and eating our supper before starting the long trip back home. We made it back to the 5er shortly after 10pm and were both beat from the long day on the road.
Wednesday morning I pulled the new oven out of the truck and saw a major problem. The front of the oven looked the same but the new one had a different case on it that included a light and fan on the bottom. This new one was made to mount directly over the stove and ours mounts inside a cabinet. Crap! Now we have to go back and to top it off they don't have our model. It's my fault for not checking it closer before loading it up so there is no one to blame but me. I guess I'm back in the dog house again :-).
There is another supplier in the area that supplies the new ones to Keystone (our RV manufacturer) and I can purchase one there so looks like my trying to save a buck backfired on me and we will be taking another road trip soon. Better stay out of the casino this time, doubt if I could be lucky 2 times in a row. :-)
Today (Thursday) it is back to work at 3pm for the next 4 days. We are both enjoying our jobs and it sure helps to that we are starting to get more comfortable with what is expected of us. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, April 2, 2012
scattered, smothered and chunked!
The KOA here has a full service restaurant open for breakfast and supper and I have been doing a little training in the kitchen. My first job in high school was as a grill cook at a local greasy spoon, so grillin' on a flat top is not new to me but it has been a really long time. A few days ago the boss man asked me to handle the cooking duties Monday morning because he was driving to Illinois to pick up new picnic table frames and had to leave before dawn to make the round trip.
Needless to say I was a little nervous since this would be the first time I would be cooking here by myself. Rudee was going to help me by waiting on tables if things got busy (they did!). We were up and out the door by 7:15 because I had to fire up the grill and get the prep work done for the 8am opening.
I got the coffee made and started getting the kitchen ready for cooking while Rudee busied herself in the dining room. Our first campers walked in the door at 8:01am wanting to eat a good breakfast before hitting the road. Oh well, ready or not, here we go!
The menu is fairly simple with eggs, omelets, pancakes and french toast. Meats are the typical bacon or sausage and we offer hash browns (frozen patties) and home fries (made from scratch). Breakfast is served from 8am until 9:30 and the time flew by! One of the perks of working here is a free breakfast everyday so the last half hour is when most of the employees get their meal. I felt the pressure when the tickets were stacking up and the grille was full of food but, with Rudee's encouragement I handled it pretty well and everyone was fed quickly.We got some really good compliments on our food and that makes it all worth while.
Once everyone was fed Rudee and I had our breakfast and cleaned everything up.
We had the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon off so we made a Wal Mart run for groceries and then came home and took a quick nap before reporting back to work at 4:30. This evening was our typical jobs of registering campers and getting them parked and settled in for the night.
I do get to spend some time with the "girls". This is Dolly and Cookie
and we all know this good looking chick!
Our schedule is changing and we will have the next 2 days off. Eventually we will have the same days off each week (Sunday and Monday) but that will not be for a couple of weeks. Tomorrow we are heading for Northern Indiana. I made some calls and found Rudee an identical microwave/convection oven at an RV Surplus store. The oven is a "left over" from one of the RV factories and is less than half the cost of one from the oven manufacturer and I promised her I would only install it and NOT use it! :-) I'll keep you posted.
Needless to say I was a little nervous since this would be the first time I would be cooking here by myself. Rudee was going to help me by waiting on tables if things got busy (they did!). We were up and out the door by 7:15 because I had to fire up the grill and get the prep work done for the 8am opening.
I got the coffee made and started getting the kitchen ready for cooking while Rudee busied herself in the dining room. Our first campers walked in the door at 8:01am wanting to eat a good breakfast before hitting the road. Oh well, ready or not, here we go!
The menu is fairly simple with eggs, omelets, pancakes and french toast. Meats are the typical bacon or sausage and we offer hash browns (frozen patties) and home fries (made from scratch). Breakfast is served from 8am until 9:30 and the time flew by! One of the perks of working here is a free breakfast everyday so the last half hour is when most of the employees get their meal. I felt the pressure when the tickets were stacking up and the grille was full of food but, with Rudee's encouragement I handled it pretty well and everyone was fed quickly.We got some really good compliments on our food and that makes it all worth while.
Once everyone was fed Rudee and I had our breakfast and cleaned everything up.
We had the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon off so we made a Wal Mart run for groceries and then came home and took a quick nap before reporting back to work at 4:30. This evening was our typical jobs of registering campers and getting them parked and settled in for the night.
I do get to spend some time with the "girls". This is Dolly and Cookie
and we all know this good looking chick!
Our schedule is changing and we will have the next 2 days off. Eventually we will have the same days off each week (Sunday and Monday) but that will not be for a couple of weeks. Tomorrow we are heading for Northern Indiana. I made some calls and found Rudee an identical microwave/convection oven at an RV Surplus store. The oven is a "left over" from one of the RV factories and is less than half the cost of one from the oven manufacturer and I promised her I would only install it and NOT use it! :-) I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Work, work , work :-)
Being work campers at a campground is a new experience for us and we are doing our best to learn our jobs. Rudee's duties in the front office are pretty well defined but my days on the outside are a lot more varied. Take yesterday for example, I reported for work at 3pm and jumped into the "routine" as far as I know it. I fed the donkeys, did a quick trip around the campground picking up trash and filled a propane bottle. Around 4pm the boss man decided today would be a good day to insulate the new garage/workshop. Myself, Chip (another work camper) and the boss man all started the hot and itchy task. I got called away several times to escort campers to their sites and fill propane but we were finally able to finish up around 7pm. We even hung a couple of sheets of drywall and I am anticipating to be hanging a few more today.
The new building has an office area which will eventually be tiled as well as the floor in the restaurant so once this gig is done I should have some pretty good experience remodeling :-).
Our days have ended late the last couple of nights, seems like 8pm is a popular time for people to stop for the night and she has had "late" arrivals both Friday and Saturday.
Chip and Velma arrived for work in the middle of the week. They are veteran KOA work campers and even spent a season here a few years ago. We will be leaning on them a lot this season and enjoy them sharing their experiences with us.
There are two more couples due to arrive between now and May 1st to begin working this season and we were told our schedule will probably change once the full compliment of work campers arrive.
I'll have to apologize for no photos but we have both been concentrating on learning our duties and doing a good job that I keep forgetting to take the camera along.
I did have time to blow up the microwave Friday evening though. Rudee had put some potatoes into the microwave and my job was to stop at the 5th wheel and turn it on at 7pm so they would be ready to eat when we got off work. Well I did what I thought was required of me, I set the timer to 60 minutes, hit the start button and dash back out to work. The problem was Rudee had told me to set the oven on 350 and then set the timer which meant use the convection part of the oven and NOT the microwave. Needless to say an hour of aluminum foil wrapped potatoes inside a microwave does not do it any good! :-o
I took the thing apart Saturday morning and replaced the 20 amp fuse inside. That seemed to fix it and we were pretty happy since Rudee loves her convection oven. All the power was on and the convection part worked great ..... then we tried the microwave button. As soon as we turned it on the fuse blew again so I think it's a goner and we will be shopping for a new one :-(. I'll keep you posted.
The new building has an office area which will eventually be tiled as well as the floor in the restaurant so once this gig is done I should have some pretty good experience remodeling :-).
Our days have ended late the last couple of nights, seems like 8pm is a popular time for people to stop for the night and she has had "late" arrivals both Friday and Saturday.
Chip and Velma arrived for work in the middle of the week. They are veteran KOA work campers and even spent a season here a few years ago. We will be leaning on them a lot this season and enjoy them sharing their experiences with us.
There are two more couples due to arrive between now and May 1st to begin working this season and we were told our schedule will probably change once the full compliment of work campers arrive.
I'll have to apologize for no photos but we have both been concentrating on learning our duties and doing a good job that I keep forgetting to take the camera along.
I did have time to blow up the microwave Friday evening though. Rudee had put some potatoes into the microwave and my job was to stop at the 5th wheel and turn it on at 7pm so they would be ready to eat when we got off work. Well I did what I thought was required of me, I set the timer to 60 minutes, hit the start button and dash back out to work. The problem was Rudee had told me to set the oven on 350 and then set the timer which meant use the convection part of the oven and NOT the microwave. Needless to say an hour of aluminum foil wrapped potatoes inside a microwave does not do it any good! :-o
I took the thing apart Saturday morning and replaced the 20 amp fuse inside. That seemed to fix it and we were pretty happy since Rudee loves her convection oven. All the power was on and the convection part worked great ..... then we tried the microwave button. As soon as we turned it on the fuse blew again so I think it's a goner and we will be shopping for a new one :-(. I'll keep you posted.
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