It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted here. I used to think that I was going to be a writer, but sometimes writing honestly bores me. Not the idea of writing, but the writing itself. I’ll get through a paragraph of a new post, all enchanted with a lovely new idea, and then BAM. Boredom. Complete and utter boredom takes over, and then exasperation. I cannot possibly write an entire post, my mind says. I have far too much to do today. You get the idea.
Anyway, since I’ve been away and traveling for months on end I suppose I should update you more on my life. I missed out on a wonderful opportunity to write fascinating blog posts while on my six month long camping trip around the U.S.
The thing is, although everyone else was fascinated with the idea of traveling the U.S. with their family, I for one was completely against it. It’s a fanciful idea, but played out in reality problems inevitably arose. We’re not rich. Let’s clear that notion up right here. We didn’t decide to go traveling because of an abundance of money. There were times when we were stopped at a park and sat in our trailer or played mini golf or went to the pool and ate simple meals because we didn’t have money for gas or fancy food. It wasn’t a vacation, it was life. What was your favorite thing you did? people would ask. I went to the beach. I read book after book because I had the time. Did you go to Disney World while you were in Florida? No, but we went to Down Town Disney and it was-hey! Where are you going? Is that not exciting enough for you?
So I wasn’t as enchanted with the idea, but looking back I realized, who says you have to do the big things otherwise you won’t enjoy yourself? My little brothers and sisters spent hours chasing after lizards that roam around Florida like mosquitoes in Alaska, but much more entertaining. Thunderstorms fascinate me, and if I weren’t so afraid of getting struck by lightning I would have spent much more time out in the rain instead of watching, captivated, behind closed windows. It was the little things that made that trip worthwhile to me. The time driving over the Appalachian Mountains as a serendipitous moment left me breathless when a patch of trees opened up so we could just catch a glimpse of the sunlight glancing down the mountains, across the valley, onto the peak of the next mountain over.
We passed through the intersection of Route 66, ate McDonald’s in a small town called Paris, passed a ramp off the highway that read “Warp Drive”, and went into tiny little boutique shops. We stopped and smelled the flowers, basked in the sunshine, and relaxed.
That’s not to say there weren’t fights. When I said I was against this trip, that’s an understatement. I hated it. Loathed being there. It’s only looking back that I remember some of the things I enjoyed with fond thoughts instead of remembering the pain and anguish. Maybe that’s what my grandparents meant when they said I’d look back on this trip in 20 years and say it was one of the best times of my life. My memories balk at that thought, but maybe I’ll let the good overtake all the bad instead of holding on to pride and grudges.
Now I’m in Ketchikan, Alaska. The lower region of Alaska, by Canada and open ocean. Boy, is it gorgeous here. I am working at a fishing resort as a “kitchen hand”. Glamorous, I know. My responsibilities include baking a ton of cookies (often 400 a day), washing dishes (don’t get me started), stocking the salad bar, sandwich bar, breakfast area, and coffee area (the food doesn’t magically appear there), as well as cleaning tables, sweeping, mopping, washing walls, occasionally helping out the cooks, and waitressing.
It’s a big job.
But I’m slowly starting to love it. Sure, we have long days and I end up exhausted half the time, but the view is worth it and so are the people. I have met some incredible guests. Call me crazy, but chatting with the guests is one of my favorite parts of the job. I’ve had guests that lifted my energy level when I thought I was going to crash and burn.
“I could live for two months off of a good compliment.”- Mark Twain.
So far, I'm taking it one day at a time. Check out some funny and probably incomprehensible snippets of conversation from my stay so far...
Who's the ginger?
Me: What’s Riley’s last name?
JayCee: Riley…Ginger…bottom…
Walking home
JayCee: Don’t worry, I gots street smarts. “Do you wanna ride?” “NO!” “Do you want candy?” “YES!”
Hot chocolate
Me: Ooh that took it to the next level. I put half and half in it.
JayCee: I take mine black
Fries
Me to Renaye: I was eating a fry and Anthony was all, “All ya’ll got fries!” and knocked It out of my hand. Then he brought me a new fry.
Continued: YES I was all “*gapes* That was rude” and he was like “That was rude, ima get you a new fry” and he made some and gave me one. Offered chicken strips, too.
When Anthony found out I'm only 17
Anthony: You’re only 17? Shoot I can’t even talk to you.
Anthony: Don’t even come near me, no *holding out hand* Go away! *mutters* 17…
Anthony: *looking out the window* This is honestly a beautiful view
Me: You’re looking in the wrong direction *mimes frame around face*
Anthony: I can’t, you’re 17.
Anthony: No Sabrina. I can’t even sit next to you. That’s trouble. Trouble with a capital T.
First day without Kirsten
Me to Renaye: The moment you realize you don’t know how to use a plunger and the guys’ bathroom toilet is overflowing…
Men
Renaye: Anywho. Decided I’m the most romantic person ever because when he said something nice I called him creepy.
Intelligence rubbing off on younger siblings
Renaye: I love how Sadie doesn’t know how to read yet, but she says things like, “If I remembered correctly.” And “My personal favorite.”
Will never stop using this line
Renaye: Why is it so hot today
Me: Cuz you forgot to turn yourself off
Renaye: …yes. Thank you for reminding me.
Obscure hymns
JayCee: *black woman voice* Hey, old lady. I know…you have the desire…to sing all the songs that have been neglected in life…but I DON’T CARE.
Youth speaker
Kid giving a talk: I plan on marrying a, like, really righteous woman in the temple.
Kid: If you like candy, so that’s everybody…
Kit Kat gospel principles
KAT: Keep the commandments, Always remember Him, Take upon you His name.
All I asked was what to call the appetizer...
Ron: *describing food in fancy ways*
Ricky: Man I dunno what you’re saying but it sounds good.
Ron
Me to Renaye: Ron dumped water on my shoes, “Now you have to clean that up!”
We're out
Me: We have a huge problem.
Ron: What?
Me: We’re out of hot chocolate.
Ron: Drink coffee like a grown up!
Ticklish
Me to Renaye: “Uhmyeeeeeeah. Anthony like...half molested me with his hands on my stomach and back…” I don’t think Mason liked that description of being tickled.
Crazy stuff happens in the kitchen at night…
Ricky: *chucking torn bits of bread from a ruined loaf at us* This is communion, some mother effing sacrament crap! We should pray! *takes hat off and bows head* Come on!
Ricky: Hit me with the bread! Hit my head! *gets hit in the head with the loaf* that wasn’t as funny as I thought it would be.
Ricky thinks he's hot
Me to Renaye: There’s a blind corner in the kitchen, and we don't want to run into each other, so we yell “corner” whenever we’re about to go around it, right? If you are carrying knives, you say “knife!” if you’re carrying something hot, you yell “corner hot!”. Well Ricky is always overly enthusiastic about it, and yells it a couple times (just in case we didn’t hear him the first five times), so we know to get out of the way. One time I heard him yelling urgently, “hot hot hot hot HOT” and turned to look at what blistering dish he was carrying around the corner this time, and was surprised to see him walk around the corner empty handed…it was just him.
Ron
Ron: *sprays me with sanitizing spray* you’ve just been sanitized.
Me to Renaye: That awkward moment when Ron stole my phone while in the middle of typing that text, saying, “I’ll give it back when your shifts over” and then looked at the text which currently only said “Ron: *sprays” and is all, “you saying stuff about me?” Then later comes back and catches me typing this up and says, “If you wanna be a scandalous little thing that’s fine” OMG…
Me to Renaye: I was putting the pickle spears into a new container and he came over and was glancing back and forth between the pickle spears and me…I don’t like this…
Over weight baggage
Tanessa: She layered on clothes. She was like a little mushroom. I mean…marshmallow…
~La vie est belle, Bri~
