Four Hours

 Confession time. I was the one who did not hammer the lid down on the paint. Beside the point when you consider how many times I have moved that pait without spillage. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Another Friday in a campground here. I have four hours left and I do not think I will make it to the end. Seems like every one I have checked in so far is determined to find fault with everything about their site. I am tired and sore from packing up boxes and stacking them. I don't want to be here and it is coming through, loud and clear.

I thought a nice hot bowl of soup would make me feel more like handling the public. I prepared the soup and made sandwiches and beckoned HeWho only eats well when I take the time to choose his food. The rush to check in usually happens between 4:00 and 6:00. It was 2:30 and I thought we might actually sit down and eat like civilized beings. But, no, that did not happen.

The bell rings at the window and I tell HeWho was hungry not to wait for me. It was a check-in from about an hour earlier telling me there was no water hydrant on the site. I told them I would send someone to them. I figured if they had already waited an hour, 15 more minutes wouldn't be that inconvenient.

Went back to my food, didn't sit, the bell again. This one wanted propane. I told him to leave it at the dispense station and my husband would fill it as soon as he finished eating and bring it to him. Back to the soup that was cooling and I managed to fill my mouth before the bell rang again. Propane guy telling me he left the tank and wondered who he should pay. I quoted the price and said he could pay the man delivering the tank or me, didn't matter. He said he didn't have exactly $20. I said "ok" and he left as I hurried back to my now cold soup. Another bite and the bell rang again. Propane guy wondering if I could make change for $100. I opened the cash drawer to do so .... but he didn't bring the bill with him. Another spoonful of cold soup and the bell rang yet again.

No, not propane guy. This was the guy who couldn't locate the water hydrant. He found it. It was one of the older sites with the faucet low to the ground and it was covered with leaves. Then he wanted to chat about the changing of the seasons. Back to the soup bowl that no longer held any interest for me. I had time to clear the table before the bell rang again with propane guy and his $100 bill. Then I checked in four campers that came in within minutes of each other, along with another site unable to locate the sewer and ask if I was sure the site was a full hook-up. The answer lingered on the tip of my tongue.

By the time I checked in the last of the four, the first of the four was back at the window to tell me they did not feel safe on their assigned site. "It is so steep, we are afraid our camper will roll away, we used the chocks, but they don't seem big enough." says the woman and then turns to her companion and says, "You tell her!"

"There is no one in 30 and we would prefer that site, it is more flat," says the man. I tried to explain that the site was reserved and just because it was currently vacant did not mean it was available. The key word being 'tried'. Tried and failed. All sites are not created equal and some sites, such as 30 are more suited to very large rigs towing cars. The people had a small 5th wheel and the site I assigned was sufficient for their needs. I moved them, but not to 30.

And now I sit, knowing I have four more hours of this. Four very long hours. I don't think I have it in me.