Count by Three

After my happy birthday, things returned to normal. The intense heat has been awful. I seem to have a sick headache every afternoon. The morning chores that are generally pleasant enough have left me drenched in sweat after only a short time outside. No matter how hot, the mowing must go on!!

My grandmother used to always say that things happened in "threes". If a celebrity died, sure enough two more would follow. I am not sure if her theory had anything to do with it. Maybe we just noticed the coincidence. But, it always seems to be true ......

The heat spell broke last night and it was lovely and cool this morning when I went to take the dogs out. The gangly puppy, Smoke, who does not realize how big he is, is usually waiting at the door to pounce on the unsuspecting animals eager to relieve themselves. I stepped out with my dogs and we all looked around. No puppy came running from the dog house or from the far corners of the yard. 

I was clad in my nightgown, in my own backyard, surrounded by a privacy fence, tentatively calling out to the absent puppy. You will recall that He Who builds fences did not install a gate to the back yard. Instead we only have access to the outside via a doorway that leads into one of the many Fred Sanford shed structures (you feel me Hillbilly Mom?). Okay, so, I am the one who loosely constructed a temporary gate of sorts with materials I found on hand. It was a frame of some sort and I screwed a piece of lattice to it. The "temporary" gate has been in use for going on 3 years. It has no hinges. You have to pick it up and move it to one side and then secure it in place with a long piece of conduit.

This limits your privacy. I know this because a young man approached me, coming through the Fred Sanford collection of useless items to ask me where the coffee was. Store does not open on weekdays until 11 am, and it is barely 7 and I am still in my bedtime attire, and my attitude has not yet been altered to face the public. I was barely civil, but I told him to try a convenience store.

The missing puppy was outside the front door , barking and ecstatic to see me. He was leaping about and nearly bowled me over, then went on to step in the dog food dish and spill the contents onto the floor, along with the water. I finally fed all the livestock and changed water dishes and grabbed a cup of coffee. I am much nicer after coffee.

I was all set to head out the front to grab the mower and take care of the dog park ....... there was a man peering into the store with his hands around his eyes. I nixed the mowing idea and sipped my coffee while I watched the news. Finally the peeping Tom left and I was able to get started on the dog park. I like to start the mower and mow my way to the dog park. I hit some spots that the zero turn can't get close to and finally made it to my destination. 

There I was, earbuds in place to listen to a mystery novel and just mow. I like to outline my mowing area and then start a diagonal line in the opposite direction from the last mowing. I was walking along pushing my mower, in a happy place when I stepped in fresh dog poop! No longer happy, just determined to get the job done, I pressed on, all the while cataloging the people I had checked in the night before and wondering who the culprit was. 

Sometimes I get inspired to do something truly artistic when I am mowing. I like a nice chevron look and will do that, but today I was annoyed. The grass was super thick, thanks to all the rain we have had and it was slow going. At 9 o'clock I was about 2/3's of the way done when I saw a big 5th wheel coming in. Reluctantly I turn the mower off and head up to the office. We don't open until 11am. No need to, really. Pool opens at 11 and check-in is not until noon ....... what with check-out being noon. It is a reservation. I have a standard speech I recite when taking a reservation. It includes the information about the time of check-in. I would have been less annoyed if they were just some travelers off the highway, never having heard my speech.

To add insult to injury, the site I assigned them had a truck parked in it. The owner of the truck in the site next to it was not there. I have had an on-going problem with this guy for the last 5 months. He seems to think he is entitled to park anywhere he chooses. He is sarcastic and rude, always late with his rent. He Who considers me to be too harsh when dealing with the scum of society, expressed his desire to let him "handle it".

I trudged back to my mowing, more determined than ever to complete my task. Two campers and their dogs were in the park. I half-heartedly offered to come back later. One man told me they were about to leave anyway, that they were just having a smoke and letting the dogs run. He went on to tell me that the dogs only peed, that he was prepared with a bag, but didn't even need it. Me thinks thou dost protest too much. He was the poop leaver, I am sure.

Mowed two strips and ran out of gas. I trudged back to the Fred Sanford main building to procure the fuel. I am no longer cheerful or determined. I finally complete my task and return to the spot behind the main building and shave that grass down to my liking. I come back inside to find that another reservation has checked in. It is now just after 10. I suggest to He Who had the lights on to lock the door and I head to the shower. 

Excited now, because in the mail is my new computer!!!! I throw my clothes on and give my wet hair a quick comb-through. I still have 30 minutes of me time and I plan to introduce myself to this computer ........ when here comes check-in number three, all before I even open up for the day! Hmmmm, maybe she was onto something with the number 3.

Social Security

Today I am finally old enough to get what is coming to me!! Social Security. I know I could wait a few years and maybe up the dollar amount on that check ....... but I want it NOW! I earned it , after all.

I am having a nice slow morning, sipping coffee, making a list of necessities to be gotten from the grocery. Oh, and reading birthday wishes on Facebook. The best part is watching the weekend campers pull out! It is the most wonderful day of the week ...... all the campers are leaving and my heart is heaving a sigh of relief. Fortunately for all you folks in the land of blog, you don't have to listen to me sing. He Who normally cannot hear, tells me to stop.

I am baking my own birthday cake. To my liking. I do not like chocolate and most of the rest of the world does. My cake will be a two layer white cake with a lemon curd filling (gee, I hope the little grocery in town has it) and whipped cream cheese icing. Yum! A BBQ at casa DJ/Andrea will be my final destination tonight. Again, yum!

It was hot and sultry yesterday. The air was so thick you could almost grab it. Then a storm came through in the night and everything was crisp and cool at 5:30 when my old dog awakened me. I looked up at the sky and thanked God for this lovely morning. I meandered through my gardens and got my feet soaking wet, then took a long hot shower. He Who is in charge of the office today. That is relieving and scary, all at the same time. The man cannot read a reservation book to save his life.

Wishing for a lovely day for all my friends and family, that is all I want for my birthday!

Telephones Revisited

I know, I had sworn off telephone calls, but .......

This past Saturday we received a call from Roadway Assistance inquiring about a site for a motorhome for a few days. The motorhome was having some tire issues and we were told they would be towed in shortly. This was early afternoon and He Who happened to be inside took the call.

I kept a space open for the disabled motorhome and went about my day as usual. As closing time approached, I mentioned that the towed motorhome had not arrived. I closed anyway, having had a long 12 hour day and went on to bed after completing all my chores that are associated with owning an RV park.

I was sleeping soundly when the phone rang and jolted me out of my slumber. It was 3:25 am. Nothing good can come of a phone call at that hour and my heart was racing. It was the man in the motorhome calling to make a reservation. I told him that I had already held a spot for him. Then he wanted to chat, asking about rainfall and such and then asked if I needed his credit card #.

I was in bed. I don't normally take reservations at that hour. I told him that I was sleeping when he called and that we could just take care of it in the morning. I gave him the site number and instructions on how to find it, adding that a map was on the front of the office building.

Did I go back to sleep? Of course not. I was annoyed. Phone calls at that hour scare me, with my dad's condition. The adrenaline rush had me wanting to crawl out of my skin. I finally dozed a bit, then got up at my regular time. I went outside for about 30 minutes while the coffee brewed and pulled some weeds. I did not take the phone out, as I had planned to toss a bag of trash into the dumpster and come right back in. Then I saw a weed and one led to another and another and I was intoxicated with my mission to eradicate all the weeds from that one section of my garden.

The message light was blinking when I came back in. Same man telling me that he was still waiting for a tow, but would be here soon. I awoke He Who used to tow and sent him to check it out, since the man had told me he was at my exit in his pre-dawn call.

He Who does my bidding arrived just in time to see the tow truck taking the motorhome to my competitor across the highway! Really. Wake me up and I manage to maintain a pleasant countenance, then deprive me of the revenue. Really!! Now I wish I had taken the credit card # and charged him.

Kitchen .... Almost

After much nagging and gnashing of teeth (mine), all the cabinets are in, along with the sink and running water. You have no idea what a convenience this is, until it is taken away for a week!

The upper cabinets went in last night and I have spent the day putting things away. I have tossed a lot of crap. You know the stuff. Cool whip containers and extra straws and such. I am quite pleased with the space. I still have one lower cabinet to unload and put in the upper cabinets. I am tired, though. We can eat at the table tonight and that is progress!!

I am taking my time and cleaning as I go. I went from 3 drawers to 8. Wall to wall cabinets, where open shelves used to be. I had the uppers put up all the way to the ceiling. I will need to purchase a fetching stool. In the meantime I am using my stepstool that have all manner of stuff clinging to it. Paint and glue. I suppose I could clean it up, but He Who needs a lift now and again is apt to borrow it and all my efforts would be for not. Remember the old ones that had a chair seat and the steps pulled out? I would love one of those. I will launch a search tonight.

He Who hits water hydrants with his big mower, then spends an entire day fixing a mess that was easily preventable, made an offer this morning that has had me chuckling all day long. He offered to build a library ladder in my kitchen. You know the kind, on a track set into the ceiling. Really, after all the fuss with putting the cabinets in, does he think I would climb aboard some contraption he set into the ceiling?

I once asked him if he minded me poking fun at him on this blog and he told me to go for it, so if any of you think I am a bit too critical of him .... he finds my posts amusing.

And I found 5 box tops for Casey's Pizza!! Stuck away in the junk drawer for who knows how long. Just 4 more and I will enjoy a free pizza. If only that was tonight.

40 years ago, today, I gave birth to my son and daughter. I cannot believe that much time has slipped by. I wish I could be with them to celebrate this milestone. I will see them in September when their little sister weds the love of her life. We will celebrate then. I miss them today, though.

Still No Sink

You will recall that we yanked the old cabinets and the kitchen sink out Tuesday morning and the re-plumbing began with the sound of grinding and the smell of glue. I was so sure that Wednesday would bring the cabinets in and the sink mounted atop them. But ...... Wednesday brought more grinding and more smelly glue. When night fell we were arguing about the cabinet placement and why the plumbing did not seem to line up despite the use of a measuring tape.

After a restless night of trying to reason out what was wrong in my head, I was able to study the placement in quiet, me being the only one awake. I saw it almost immediately without the voice behind me assuring me that I just didn't understand how the cabinets went together. I mean, why would I? Me being just the little woman. Not a master of carpentry, such as He Who fancies himself to be just that. I AM dripping with sarcasm.

When I found the cabinets on Craigslist, I knew right away I would have too many, even without knowing the dimensions. I could tell from the picture. The cabinets featured a corner sink. I showed the photo to He Who was going to be installing them for his views on the subject. He was agreeable to the layout, even though our kitchen is smaller.

So, when he proclaimed that all of the base cabinets would fit in the kitchen with room left over, I questioned him. "What about the corner piece?" He would shake his head and look at me like I had three heads atop my neck and tell me I just did not understand how to install cabinets. I helped unload the cabinets and identified that very corner piece I had been referring to. This was the bottom of that cabinet, the counter top had been sacrificed in the removal of the cabinets. This left the right section and the left section with an overhang of oddly shaped counter top that would meet in the middle to form the front of the sink counter.

Stay with me (especially any men who may be reading this ......). In his infinite wisdom he was going to put the left and right sections in without that corner piece. This would have allowed me a 4 inch square sink. To my credit, I remained calm and stopped any more grinding of pipes and gently explained that I knew what I was talking about. I do puzzles and I sew and I can visualize spaces. We got the corner piece in and then the battle raged on.

Obviously, the cabinets no longer fit the space. He was going to employ the saws-all to whack the drawer units off either side of a 24" cabinet to fill one space, this would necessitate more whacking away at the remaining unit of cabinets containing three 24" units to fill the left side. When he left to search for the tool I grabbed a tape measure and determined that the length of the right side cabinets would fit nearly perfectly in the left side space, and then all we would need was 1/3 of the remaining set.

I thought this knowledge would be helpful and that he would appreciate my measuring skills. No, he did not, claiming that I was making this more difficult and creating more work. For some reason he wanted those cabinets on the left to remain on the left and the right to remain on the right. I think because of the overhanging counter top to meet in the middle. I had already dismissed those two odd pieces in my mind as being useless without the part left behind. Not to mention that we would have had to cut through the middle of a cabinet to fill the space.

Next error I made was trying to convince him to remove the top. I was of the opinion that we could just pry it off. He insisted that it was screwed on under the laminate. So, he did get to use his blade to whack off the odd overhang. I examined the remaining set to see where it could be cut and not look like crap and sustain the structure. I did not see ANY screws. Nails, all nails. The hinges on the doors were flat head screws, not Philips. I told you theses were old cabinets made of real wood and were of quality construction. I won and we pried the second counter top off and dismantled the cabinet and cut it so that it maintained stability before installing it.

So, I thought I could leave him on his own. He had his circular saw in hand and said he was going to cut a piece of the removed counter top to fit the cabinet. What could he possibly screw up?

He declined my offer to help and he used the remaining piece of cabinets as a cutting table. There were laying on the floor, door side up. I had removed the door next to the cabinet we took. Just because they would not fit in my kitchen did not mean I did not have plans for these cabinets.

He cut into the cabinet door. I just discovered that this morning as I was planning my clean up. I still have no sink. We haven't even begun to think about the upper cabinets. He Who builds has left the building and gone to far away building supply for a piece of plywood to create the sink top.

He also has to obtain new shower handles and toilet seat bolts to repair the ladies room. It had a rather rough day yesterday. Like me.

When I Measured This, I Thought The Gap Was Bigger

I really thought this would go smoother, although, I cannot imagine why. Two days with no sink. Two days with all the crap from the cabinets stacked high. Two days of moving barricades to be able to open doors.

Tomorrow will be no better. He made no less than 4 trips to the hardware store for various plumbing supplies. He sawed and glued the live-long day and when we finally crawled into bed last night, I asked if the plumbing was done so that the base cabinets could come in the house. "Yep, just want everything to dry and then we are good to go." I assumed the cabinet introduction would begin bright and early. Assumed. You know what they say about assumptions and making asses of you and me.

We had several horses in the park last night and when He Who awoke from his slumber, he went to commune with nature and the horses. After that He Who never walks drove around the park like a deranged WalMart greeter, then came rushing in to the office saying we needed to get our water sample done for the month. Since we are only half way through the month and have the last two weeks of the month to submit the sample, I was of the opinion that we needed water in the kitchen. But, I filled out the necessary forms as he pondered which hydrant to gather from. Then he stood at my desk dilly-dallying the time away and wanted to know if there were any checks for deposit. One, one lone check. He fills out the deposit slip and away he goes to accomplish these very necessary tasks.

He is back in a little over an hour. I know a delaying tactic when I see one. Next thing I hear is the saw ...... I stand corrected, grinder. Curious, I go take a little look-see at the progress in the kitchen. He is sawing (grinding) the pvc pipes of yesterday's work. I hear about the cut-off valve and how it works, reminding me of that song about how the bones are connected (the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone). He assures me that this pipe endeavor will be leak proof, nary a drip, for life.

This goes on for a bit, and then he suddenly needs to acquire fuel for the mower and even offers to return with an iced coffee for me. Since I had only had one cup of reheated coffee (no sink and no counter). He returns, having forgotten the peace offering. He insists he will turn around and go right back until I physically block his way and demand that he get my sink in.

He finally stops playing with the grinder and the pvc glue that stinks and goes on to the placement of the thin board that will be the back of these hand built all wood heavy duty cabinets. I even offer my assistance as he carefully trims around the pipes. I cannot be happier. Progress. After another take out meal (Mexican tonight and not all that tasty, I might add), the cabinets are brought to the front of the building and loaded into the building and cabinet #1 makes it's way into the kitchen!!

I continue unloading the smaller pieces of the new cabinets and then load the trailer with the soggy discards. I come inside to see that the new cabinet fits fine .......... but the new plumbing does not.  "Didn't you measure the cabinet before you placed the plumbing?" .....

To Be Like Kramer .....

The base cabinets are out! I have no sink and the plumbing is being re-worked by He Who fancies himself to be a plumber .......

Moving and remodeling are high stress situations to be avoided, if possible. These situations will take a toll on relationships, as we all know. I prepped for this day as much as I could given my limited space. Stacking items on the floor is a no-no in our house, as it is governed by a cranky old dachshund who thinks it is necessary to mark anything he deems as new to the area. He has been doing this for nearly 16 years and I doubt he will change just because we are in need of the floor space.

He Who was crabby this morning gave me the stink eye because I was mowing the back yard instead of finishing the unloading of cabinets. Heat index will be 105 today and I wanted to take advantage of the cooler air in the morning, knowing I could tackle the cabinets as soon as I finished my yard duties. Besides, I had already unloaded one set of cabinets he could be working on ......

Anyhoo ..... we discovered one of the problems with the recent flooding of my kitchen was that the drain from the sink was not plumbed correctly. Water flows downhill, what with gravity being what it is and all. The odd thing is that He Who plumbs is the one who did it. So this means that for the past 10 years, water has been slowly seeping into the base cabinets. But, wait, there is more. When the new roof was installed, it came to the attention of She Who is very observant, that every time we had  significant rainfall, it resulted in a puddle in the floor.

He Who does not like to be corrected would often blame this on Oscar, the cranky old dachshund. I would then point out to him that the puddle was huge, bigger than my little guy's bladder could possibly hold. Given our recent rainfall, the situation has been such that even He Who would appear to be oblivious to the condition of the floor ( I am She Who mops), could not ignore it.

I just hope that I have a sink in by nightfall! If not I will be like Kramer, washing the supper dishes as I shower.

Making Fun

You know how I am always making fun of phone calls I get? Perhaps I shouldn't do that.

I mentioned the ruined cabinets in my last post, and how I employed Craig and his listings to locate some really thrifty replacements. I responded to several of the listings that met my requirements. Most of them were by e-mail. I always included my phone number and waited not so patiently for any of them to call or e-mail me.

He Who hates the prospect of taking out the old wet cabinets had proclaimed a desire to do so last week. I forbade any action on his part until I found replacements. I could just imagine myself still hauling dishes to our bathroom in the next year as he pondered what to do about replacing the missing cabinets.

I do not want to spend any money on this kitchen, other than to make it serviceable. He Who offered to buy the necessary base cabinets from a wholesaler and just replace the two ruined ones. This would mean I would have two new cabinets and add one more style of door that did not match either of the other three styles I currently have. My mission was to find someone's discards as they remodeled their kitchen. The two unfinished base cabinets I needed would have cost nearly $300. Cheapest ones I could find ...... made of inferior materials.

I found enough cabinets, uppers and lowers to furnish my entire kitchen ..... with some left for only $100! Made of wood and the counter top is being thrown in, along with a sink. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love a bargain beyond all else! Just ask my kids!

So, the man called me on Friday, just when I had given up on all the responses I had made. As luck would have it, he is nearly 3 hours from here. He Who installs cabinets for his wife is loading as we "speak".

But, yesterday as I was planning my week and trying to sort and file, it occurred to me that I did not see the cabinet information on my desk. I went to back to Craig and his list, hoping against hope that it was still there and I could contact them again. Not there. I went through everything on my desk and then started on the trash can under my desk. For the life of me, I could not find the scrap of paper with the information. I e-mailed the seller again and hoped that he would check his e-mail. I figured they were doing the same thing I was doing ...... emptying the old cabinets.

Finally, in desperation, I began scrolling back on my landline to Friday and calling numbers that had no caller ID name on them. I could eliminate the names that I knew or those who had called for reservations.

The calls went something like this: "Hi, my name is Kathy. Did I recently purchase some cabinets from you on Craigslist?" Some people were rude that I had interrupted their evening. Some people had conversations with me. Good thing I am not shy. I finally found the man I had talked to Friday and once again recorded his address and phone number. See ...... I can't make fun of people  on the phone anymore. Oh, who am I kidding, I will do it again!

Is This A Prank?

Another hot day here in mid-Missouri. Looks promising for lots of swimmers. My time is precious now, as I know that after 11 am I will not be out of the office until closing.

So, why am I here in this chair? I should be mowing the side yard next to the pool ..... or cleaning out cabinets in preparation for the new (used) ones coming in this very afternoon.

My kitchen was flooded in the recent deluge of water falling from the skies and my base cabinets wicked it all up. They have to be removed (not to worry, I will salvage the doors and hardware). I turned once again to my friend Craig with his list and snagged an entire kitchen for a mere $100! For the first time in 11 years I will have cabinets that match!

One would think that I would be overcome with joy at this prospect and eagerly emptying the contents of the cabinets, while anticipating the installation of the new (used) ones. I was. I awoke just before 7 and was awaiting the brewing of the coffee and feeding my dogs when the phone rang ......

A silky voiced man asks if this is where he can make a reservation. Sighing inwardly, I open the office and flip on the lights. I am not ready for the public in my night shirt and the lights will alert the campers that I am in the office. "Tell me what kind of site you need and when you will need it," I say to the man with the silky sing-song voice. He answers, "July 14th, 15th and 16th of next year."

I resist the urge to ask why it was so critical to call so early in the morning for a reservation a year in advance and simply repeat "next year?" Apparently astonished at my question, he indignantly tells me, "Of course, next year, those dates have already gone by this year!"

Although I might be the one that has just awakened and I might not have all my wits about me without that needed shot of caffeine, I can still read a calendar and today is the 13th. I inform him of this and he begins to recite the names of all the friends he will be camping with and tells me which of these he would like to be next to. I have no reservations pending for these folk and tell him. I ask him if he has the correct campground. He insists, in his now whiny voice, that mine is the number given to him by his friends, then hangs up.

I actually thought I was being pranked by one of my seasonal campers at first. Women never do this to me, but their husbands fancy themselves to be great imitators and think it is funny to ask for 100 campsites. They forget that I have caller ID. They could block the number, but they are so excited to pull one over on me, they don't think about that. I am quite sure he meant to call my competitor across the highway. She books far out and does a lot of clubs. I cater to a different set of campers. I am more child friendly with a playground and a shallow end of my pool. Works out great and we have a friendly co-existence.

Maybe his fellow club members gave him the wrong number because they don't want to be parked next to him? Did I say silky voice? I meant sleazy.

Need Help?

Again with the texting ...... It is supposed to hit the 90's today along with high humidity and it makes the 60,000 gallons of water contained in my pool look mighty inviting. I did manage to water my potted plants and get a little weeding done before my confinement in here.

I can do other things as long as I am close to the desk and phone. Sometimes an hour will go by without the door opening, but then they all seem to come at once. A party of five children came in for snocones, just as a group of people come in full of questions, while two little girls wonder what their dollars will buy. Someone else enters to check in and I am still answering questions and telling the snocone children to be choosing their flavors.

The newest camper orders a bundle of wood and the snocone mom tells me to keep her change for a bundle of wood also. This is when I remember that I have already checked in another tenter who paid for wood. He Who chops wood and delivers was right there next to me this morning as I checked that tent in ........ this does not mean that he delivered the wood, though.

I am up to my elbows in snocones when another camper checks in and I text He Who objects to using punctuation to clarify the meaning of his text. I simply put "need help" and send it. As soon as I finish wiping the ice off myself (I may have had a little spill), I check my phone.

He has gotten my text and texted back "I got it thanks". Really, did I put a "?" behind my statement?

He was stuck in the ditch with the mower and was about to pull it out, but I could not have known this, since I can only see the parking lot from here. He still thinks he is right about assuming I was offering my services to get the mower out of the ditch ........ like that would ever happen!

Who's On First?

One of the things about assigning sites that annoys me the most is people who decide to just take any site they choose. If I want you to choose your site, I will tell you so.

There is nothing quite so irritating as assigning a site, only to have the camper call you to let you know that someone is in the site. They will go on to tell you that they have taken another site ..... and that particular site is reserved.

If that isn't bad enough, you text your partner in business (aka He Who) and ask who is in the site you assigned, only to have to enter into a texting marathon of idiotic proportions.

Me: "Who is in 33?"
He Who: "Looks like there going to n  awhile."
Are you confused? I'm not. I am used to his language skills.
Me: "I don't remember putting anyone in 33. I was trying to put the folks that just came in there, but it was occupied, so they went to 32. So, who is in 33?"
He Who: "I don't no."
Me: "Okay, WHAT is on 33?"
He Who: "California plates."

At last, some real information that I can work with! Problem solved, I now know who is supposed to be on 33 and who isn't supposed to be on 33. I spell all my words correctly and I use punctuation. So, why is his answer always so confusing?

The Holiday Begins .....

I sit here sipping coffee and await the beginning of a holiday weekend. I run through a checklist in my mind. Everything is done. Bathrooms cleaned and stocked, dumpster empty, fireworks purchased, coffee to brew, food ready to be cooked. Now all I need is campers.

The weather is predicted to be just right for a great day tomorrow. Not too hot and no rain in the forecast. Now, if the shop will just get my golf cart ready ......

Put this down to answer the phone and after a zillion snocones and more calls, I am back. It was going to be pretty boring without some really good phone calls anyway.

The phone did not disappoint me! In the midst of a marathon sno.cone event ...... involving mixing unlikely flavors together and lots of them, the phone did ring. "Ya'll got any sites tonight?" I answer in the affirmative and before he could start to ramble on, I asked if I could give him a call back after I made 4 more snocones. "Well, no, you can't call me at this number, I ain't supposed to be using my work phone....." I cut him off and told him to call back in 5 minutes. I am a fast builder of snocones.

He called back. "Now, if we stay all day tomorrow, do we have to pay?" I am confused by this question. Is he asking if he should expect to pay for the night he camps, or is he asking if I expect to be paid for a late stay. Well, here's the deal. He is local and he knows about the fireworks display, so he wants to come out today and pay for tonight, then leave after he partakes of the free meal and fireworks display. I ask him if he would expect to pay for another day if he stayed late in a hotel. This was stupid of me, since now having met the man, I am sure he has never stayed in a hotel, maybe a motel ....

I assured him that he would indeed have to pay for both nights. He showed up about 20 minutes later. Oh boy, let the fun begin. He struggled to fill out the registration and when he got to the portion that asks for the number of people he had to free his hands to count. Oddly enough, though, when I took over and asked him to give me the number of adults and the number of children under the age of 14, he only came up with a total of 5.

I could swear I saw all his fingers and thumbs at work naming people that were to join him and his "old lady". This is setting my mood for this weekend .... and not in a good way.

I have some good spies in my park and he might be leaving sooner than he thinks.

Holiday Weekends and Floods

Holiday Weekends are the bane of campgrounds everywhere. For some reason, there is always a group or individual that seems to think the holiday is an opportunity to go berserk with antics of destruction.

I never know how to prepare for that. I always start out with as much optimism as I can muster. I confess that every year it becomes harder to do. This year has been awful for camping. I was not booked solid for Memorial Day. That was good for travelers, since I could accommodate travelers.

I am not yet booked solid this weekend. Despite that, I still made 60 burger patties yesterday. 40 hotdogs of the Oscar Meyer variety are chillin' along with the burgers. Buns and condiments have been purchased, charcoal is at the ready. I bought more kites for kids to fly. Optimism.

I have a group of temporary workers here on a monthly basis. They were supposed to be finished with their job by Memorial Day. They are still here. Hasn't been a problem until now. One of the workers occupies a site that was booked last year. The nice man has agreed to pull his rig off for the weekend, since he will be going home anyway, but I will need to compensate him for his trouble.

The unrelenting rain has washed out many a weekend so far this year. The forecast promises a sunny Fourth of July. I have many a site still up for grabs and was thinking the weekend might prove to be a small, intimate affair. I could just freeze all the leftover burgers and dogs for another day.

Optimism has it's rewards, though. Remember all that rain? I am soggy, but no flooding here. Not true for all the campgrounds near rivers. They are so flooded, they have closed. Looks like I might just fill up after all.