What Was I Thinking?

It has been a busy week here. HeWho plumbs has been breaking water pipes left and right. Making numerous trips to the hardware store and leaving me to deal with complaints. 

Yesterday, he finally told me the sewer back up had been resolved. I won't bore you with details other than to say they had to dig a giant hole to access the workings. This was great news since he had made two sites inaccessible. The flood waters are cresting in this area, but I am high and damp with just the rain to deal with. Campgrounds nearby have had to cancel reservations and I am getting the overflow (nice pun there!!)

I got 12 reservations yesterday, one after another. So, when I got up this morning I did a quick run through of my "seating chart" and then decided to give my floors a once over. I vacuumed both my living area and the store and then mopped. I cleaned the kitchen and made the bed knowing I would be in the store all day long. Thought about how nice it would be to come into my home, tired and not have to think about cleaning a dirty house.

I got three cancellations, but I am sure a lot of people will simply show up without reservations and hope for the best. I was all set for the day, all my ducks in a row. Until …..

HeWho laid the water line, broke the water line AGAIN. He was trying to backfill the hole and the bucket hit the waterline. He came stomping in to tell me he hit the waterline and had to go get parts. You may be thinking that someone who routinely hits the waterline would keep said parts on hand. I think so, too. But I don't do plumbing, so what do I know?

What I know is that the man crawled in the muddy hole and came into the store in the mud encrusted boots, pants and coat. I was checking campers in at the time. He announced that he needed some clean clothes to go get yet another part. I got the campers started and went to our room and gathered the necessary items for him. Since he asked me to go get them, I figured he was trying to NOT track the mud everywhere. I was wrong. The campers went to their assigned site and there was no one in the store except me and Kevin. I would have thought he could change his jeans right behind my desk. His shirt was okay. 

But, no, he went into the living area, where, it looks like he might have tried to shake the mud from his body like a dog would. Did he try to confine his mess to a small area? No, he did not. Right inside the door behind the reservation desk that leads into my private arena is a bench to sit upon and remove shoes. Close by is the dog feeding station. Just a water bowl and a food bowl set in a boot pan. Two steps in and you will encounter a rug under the dining table. 

In dry clothes he left and I went about my business of building a bird bath out of a ceiling light fixture. I had an idea in my head that should have worked, but didn't quite make it. I will need to use some of my insomnia time to tweak it. I needed my tool bag, as Kevin was helping me with a chain link I wanted to widen. I ran slap into the muddy boots that should never have crossed the threshold. The muddy jacket was laying on the upholstered bench (not a big deal, as I tend to change upholstery as often as I change sheets), the jeans were in the laundry room, as if I would toss them in my washer! And there was chucks of mud everywhere, even in the dog food!

I took the boots outside, his jeans are on the bucket of the bobcat and the jacket is on the ground next to the hole .........his boots are now in the hole, suctioned off his feet. He is currently back in the hole up to his knees in mud trying to locate the end of the line to connect it with the whatever he bought to fix it. 

Okay, I was really mad about my rug and the floor and the wall, but now I am feeling sorry for him out in the drizzling rain with mud up to his knees and elbows. I am not too happy about fielding phone calls to ask why the water is off, but .... part of the job.

As long as I am venting, I will just say a word or two about people who want to work camp. In fifteen years, I have had good ones and mediocre ones and worthless ones. Hands down, I would say that Kevin (aka my wife) is the best work camper ever. Never complains, in fact worries when he can't help. I have a man here who expressed a desire to work his rent off. You would think he would come up and ask what he could do, but even when he is asked to help with a project, he doesn't.

His rent is past due and I know he will tell me he is going to work. Eventually, one day, don't know when. I don't think so. 

So right now, I am just wondering what I was thinking, cleaning things up while the rain still falls!