Hello on this cool evening from Ft. Lewis.
It has been a very long week here though we got very little hours. Ron worked set up on Tuesday and Wednesday, finishing up on Thursday morning. I set up the ticket box on Wednesday ~ it took me about an hour to get it ready for Thursday.
Tuesday night Kollin and Ruben joined us for dinner. I made BBQ pork sandwiches on onion bagels, peach jello w/fruit cocktail and red beans & rice. It was a nice evening. Ron and I are trying to have different people over at each location to get to know them a little better. I am thinking that while we are in Portland I am going to make a ham w/pineapple slices and glaze of brown sugar & mustard with scalloped potatoes. I will have to wait and see what looks good at the grocery store on our way to Portland.
Wednesday morning I was rudely awakened by one of the guys swearing and yelling. After I got up and moving I opened the door and the guy was standing right there across from our door. His room in the condo is parked right across from us here at Ft. Lewis. Right after I opened my door someone else was swearing quite loudly and I stepped out and said I did not want to hear that kind of language and I especially did not appreciate being woke up hearing that kind of talk. It immediately got quiet in our area. I am happy to say for the most part the yelling has stopped.
Thursday both Ron and I worked at the carnival selling tickets. It was "wrist band day" translation ~ you can ride all the rides all day long for $20 rain or shine. And boy did it rain. We had numerous down pours but people still came. A couple of the rides, Dragon Wagon ~ a small roller coaster that looks like a dragon and the Convoy Racers ~ a variety of vehicles going around a race track and up a small incline, do not do well in the rain so some little ones were disappointed at times. We were open from 3:00 to 9:15. It was so cold when we got back to the motor home I had Ron get the hot chocolate out of the storage compartment. Let me just say, I don't think I have enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa as much as I did that night.
Friday Ron had the day off though he went over to the lot for the safety meeting. The meeting lasts about 15 to 20 minutes and covers a variety of topics. I usually take the minutes for the safety meetings. The main topic of discussion was about our upcoming time in Portland for the Rose Festival. First off the bone yard is actually at the Funtastic Shows shop. It is the same place we went to in February for our interview. Topics that were covered were security, laundry, acceptable behavior ~ which may be hard for some of the people as there is absolutely no drinking allowed there, rules about parking personal vehicles ~ not allowed on the shop property, people must park on the street and carry their groceries from the street to their condos or rigs as well as haul their laundry from their condos or rigs to their cars on the street. It was explained that there are security cameras every where. Rick reminded everyone to "mind their P's & Q's" while there. He does not want anyone from our unit, the blue unit, to get fired while we are there. He said that last year one person was fired at 2:00 a.m. and told to leave the property right then and that one person working in Portland this week had already been fired. I think he said the word "fired" at least 20 times in 20 minutes. Rick could not say it enough ~ be mindful of your behavior both at the Rose Festival and in the bone yard. People are watching (along with numerous video cameras at the shop) so nothing goes unnoticed. After the meeting Ron & I said we are so glad we have our sweet little home to go home to each night.
I worked Friday from 2:45 to 8:30 p.m. It was a pretty slow day and once the rains hit in the evening we had absolutely no one at the carnival. Ron watched movies and read during his time off. Friday night we borrowed a couple of movies from Albert & Shawn. Ron watched S.W.A.T. and we both watched Rumor Has It.
Saturday morning we got up and walked over to the laundromat. It is about a half mile walk. Laundry here was really cheap compared to the last couple of places we have been. $1.25 to wash and a $1 to dry. While waiting for the laundry to get done we walked around the little mall that was next door. They had a furniture store, a game store, the Class 6 store - otherwise known as the liquor store, the clothing store and a delightful little candy shop. Of course we had to go into the candy shop. They had 14 different kinds of licorice, some old time favorites like Big Hunk and of course the gummy type candies ~ one of which was a gecko. They also had some different kinds of chocolates including truffles. I had a dark chocolate raspberry truffle and Ron had an amaretto truffle.
Ron had to be at work at 11:45. I had the day off. I did some much needed cleaning here in the motor home. Things had kinda not been done while we were in Sequim and Port Townsend as we spent our time off there walking around and enjoying the area. I then spent time reading blogs that I follow, writing a few emails and reading a book. Ron said they stayed pretty steady at the carnival throughout most of the day. He got home about 9:30 p.m.
Today has been a pretty good day too. I went to work at 12:45 and worked till a little after six. We had pretty good weather, the first day without rain since we have been here. We never did have a big rush but just stayed pretty steady. The carnival was open from 1:00 to 6:00. It took me all of about 10 minutes to clean things up inside the ticket box and get it ready for travel tomorrow to Portland. Ron had the afternoon off. He was kept busy with getting the motor home ready for our trip tomorrow. He took the window cover off the front window, put away the area rug that we call our patio, put the lawn chairs up on top of the motor home in the carrier, put the bikes up on the back of the rig, hooked the TV up to its holder for traveling and even did the dishes. He is such a sweet hubby! Ron started work at 6:00 doing tear down. The guys are hoping that it will be done by midnight as we have an early morning tomorrow. We are all hoping to be up and on our way to Portland by 8:30 a.m. The drivers are supposed to be here at 8:00 in the morning to move the condos.
We plan on making a couple of stops on our way to Portland: Costco and Winco to get groceries. Because we will be in Portland for three weeks we want to stock up as much as we can since we don't know our full schedule and whether or not we will be working the same shifts. We don't know about grocery runs or what is even within walking distance.
One of the things we are looking forward to during our time in Portland is meeting Dave & Carol K., fellow RV'rs who live in Vancouver, WA. I have gotten to know them through their blogs. I don't know how to insert their links here or else I would do that. They are pretty interesting to read and both show great pictures of the trips they have taken. Carol and Dave have invited us out for dinner as well as a place to do laundry...yippee...new friends and I don't have to go to the laundromat! They have even offered to pick us up at the bone yard! It couldn't get any better. We will be spending time with them on one of our days off. Thanks Carol and Dave for the invites and we look forward to meeting you in person.
I have been asking Theresa all week for the schedule for the rest of the season. Today she told me that there are still some possible changes in the schedule so she just told me where we are going the next few stops.
Monday, May 24 ~ drive to Portland for Rose Festival. The festival runs from 5/28 to 6/13. Closed on June 1, 7 & 8. The carnival will be set up at the Waterfront Park. Ron will be working rides and I will be working with Wendy in the Hamburger Palace.
Monday, June 14 ~ drive to Marysville for the Strawberry Festival. The carnival is open 6/17 to 6/20 and is being held at the Marysville Middle School.
Monday, June 21 ~ drive to Puyallup for the Taste of Tacoma. We will be parked at the Puyallup Fair Grounds for this event. The Taste of Tacoma is from 6/25 to 6/27 and is being held at Point Defiance Park.
***Note: we have been told we have a few days off between the Taste of Tacoma and the 4th of July. If we do we will be off from 6/28 to 7/1. IFFFF....we have off those days we plan on going up to Blaine to see our kids, granddaughter and friends. I will keep you updated about this. As soon as we have more info I will post it.***
Thursday, July 1 ~ drive to Puyallup Fair Grounds where we will be parked for the 4th of July which the carnival will be at Ft. Lewis for a one day show.
Monday, July 5 ~ drive to Kent, WA for the Kent Cornucopia Days which is being held July 8th to 11th.
that is the schedule so far. I will give updates on where we are parked at each location as I get it. The typical work week is Monday is a travel day, Tuesday and Wednesday is set up days. The guys usually work 8 to 5 on Tuesday, maybe a little later on Wednesday. I usually do the set up for the ticket box on Wednesday afternoons. Sometimes Ron has to work Thursday mornings if there is last minute stuff to be finished up for set up. Thursday the carnival usually opens at 3:00 p.m. Friday's hours vary depending on the location. Saturday we usually open at noon and 1:00 p.m. on Sundays.
Praises and Prayer Requests ~~
~ praise that Jamie and Suzanne bought themselves a 31' travel trailer and will no longer be living in a 22' Class C motor home.
~ praise that we have had a good week here at Ft. Lewis even though the work hours were few.
~ prayer for safety for the guys as they do the tear down tonight. They are hoping to be done in six hours.
~ prayer for safety for us and no problems with the motor home as we travel to Portland tomorrow.
~ prayer that we will settle into our new jobs and catch on real quick to our new duties.
~ continued prayer for Danalyn and Brandon and that Danalyn will be able to return to work soon.
Sorry this post has been so long but I seemed to have lots to write about. Hope it didn't bore you too much. I enjoy writing about what we are doing and where we are. I just hope you enjoy reading it as much as I like writing it.
Wishing each of you a good week this coming week. If you stop by and read our updates drop me a note to say hello. I love to read and receive comments from those who visit Ali's Page.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Random Pictures - What do we have here?
Here are some pictures...sure hope you enjoy them. Comments are under each picture.
This is Ron in the yellow sub (ticket box) in Lacey. The swings in the background are called the Lolli's. Ron sets up and tears down the Lolli's at each location.
This is Alice driving the motor home from Port Townsend along Highway 20. This was taken shortly before Ron yelled at me to move over. Seems I was too close to the right side for his comfort. Something about a deep ditch nearby.
This is Alice in the yellow sub in Lacey. Behind her is the scrambler. New rules out now that there are no single riders and you must wear the provided seatbelt for safety. There was an accident last year on the East Coast where I child stood up in a scrambler bucket and was tossed out and was killed (SAD). Funtastic Shows theme song is Safety, Safety, and Safety for customers and employees alike.
This is a buffalo for a carousel that was hand made by a fifth generation carver. It is in the local ice cream & candy shop in Port Townsend.
This is the bottom of the hill that we had to climb to get to the post office. There is a beautiful view from the top of the hill overlooking the water.
This is the post office, built in 1893. It is at the top of the hill. This picture was taken from down below in the town square in Port Townsend.
This is the front of the post office. The front stairs to the far left are blocked off. You have to enter from the side of the building. It is three stories tall.
In the left corner is the side of the post office. The big house on the right is James House Inn. It was built in 1896. It appears a young family is running the inn now as there is all sorts of playschool play yard equipment in the side yard. We counted 4 fireplaces in the place.
That's all the pictures for now. I will try to take some of the carnival set up here in Ft. Lewis this weekend. It will depend on the weather. Today has been rainy, then sunny, then rainy, then sunny...I think you get the picture.
Hope everyone is having a great day.
This is Ron in the yellow sub (ticket box) in Lacey. The swings in the background are called the Lolli's. Ron sets up and tears down the Lolli's at each location.
This is Alice driving the motor home from Port Townsend along Highway 20. This was taken shortly before Ron yelled at me to move over. Seems I was too close to the right side for his comfort. Something about a deep ditch nearby.
This is Alice in the yellow sub in Lacey. Behind her is the scrambler. New rules out now that there are no single riders and you must wear the provided seatbelt for safety. There was an accident last year on the East Coast where I child stood up in a scrambler bucket and was tossed out and was killed (SAD). Funtastic Shows theme song is Safety, Safety, and Safety for customers and employees alike.
This is a buffalo for a carousel that was hand made by a fifth generation carver. It is in the local ice cream & candy shop in Port Townsend.
This is the bottom of the hill that we had to climb to get to the post office. There is a beautiful view from the top of the hill overlooking the water.
This is the post office, built in 1893. It is at the top of the hill. This picture was taken from down below in the town square in Port Townsend.
This is the front of the post office. The front stairs to the far left are blocked off. You have to enter from the side of the building. It is three stories tall.
In the left corner is the side of the post office. The big house on the right is James House Inn. It was built in 1896. It appears a young family is running the inn now as there is all sorts of playschool play yard equipment in the side yard. We counted 4 fireplaces in the place.
That's all the pictures for now. I will try to take some of the carnival set up here in Ft. Lewis this weekend. It will depend on the weather. Today has been rainy, then sunny, then rainy, then sunny...I think you get the picture.
Hope everyone is having a great day.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Port Townsend to Ft. Lewis
Greetings from Ft. Lewis...a beautiful day for sure.
Our time in Port Townsend went super fast. The carnival was only open for three days. Thursday was very busy, Friday was very slow and quiet. Saturday was much better. Ron worked in the ticket box by the office by himself. He said at one point Friday he found himself falling asleep! Glad nobody caught him. On Saturday from his ticket box he could see the parade coming down the hill. The parade went for over two hours. I was in the yellow sub ticket box. They call it the yellow sub because it is big and yellow. I will try to get some pictures of it this week.
Our time in Port Townsend was nice. We had beautiful sunny weather every day. We could step out of the motor home and watch the ships out in the Sound. We did a lot of walking. One day we walked up the hill to the Post Office and then back into town. One day we walked into town and went through many of the shops. Port Townsend is such a sweet little town. One morning Ron and I went on a part's run to the other side of Port Townsend. It was nice to just be the two of us driving around.
Ron worked tear down on Saturday night to Sunday morning. He got off at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning and then slept till noon. Once he got up we went and did laundry. Only cost $7.00 this week for laundry. A whole lot better than $12.25 from the week before. After finishing up the laundry we sat outside enjoying the view and visiting with our co-workers. It was an enjoyable afternoon.
We woke up early this morning and was on the road by 8:30 a.m. Ron drove from Port Townsend to Ft. Lewis. Our only obstacle was that we could not get the GPS to locate Ft. Lewis. Good thing we knew where we were going. We got to the base. We had heard stories of how the guards search through every nook and cranny when you come onto the base. That was not our experience. Ron pulled up to the gate and handed the guard our ID cards, the insurance document and our pass to get on base. She walked to the back of the rig and then came back and handed us our documentation, told us how to get to the PX (where we were to meet everyone) and told us to have a good day. We found out later that Rick & Theresa, Albert and Terry each had their rigs gone through. Yeah for us!!
We then drove to the PX and no one was there. All the rides were there but none of the condo's or private rigs. We called Albert to find out where everyone was. Found out we had to go to behind the stadium and the gym. We got parked and settled in. The back of the motor home faces a playground with base housing on the other side of it. It was a joy to hear the little kids playing outside today.
After getting all settled and the electrical and water lines run, Ron went for a bike ride. This evening we went for a walk over to the PX, past Weller Hall, through a field and then back to the bone yard. Now we are going to settle in for the night and watch Marley & Me.
Praises ~
~ for a safe trip to Ft. Lewis from Port Townsend
~ for continued good health for both of us
~ for getting paid from our last customer in Blaine
Prayer requests ~
~ for safety as the guys set up on Tuesday and Wednesday
~ for us to continue to enjoy our jobs and to be a light for the Lord
That's all for now. Wishing everyone a good week. I will make another post tomorrow of pictures.
Our time in Port Townsend went super fast. The carnival was only open for three days. Thursday was very busy, Friday was very slow and quiet. Saturday was much better. Ron worked in the ticket box by the office by himself. He said at one point Friday he found himself falling asleep! Glad nobody caught him. On Saturday from his ticket box he could see the parade coming down the hill. The parade went for over two hours. I was in the yellow sub ticket box. They call it the yellow sub because it is big and yellow. I will try to get some pictures of it this week.
Our time in Port Townsend was nice. We had beautiful sunny weather every day. We could step out of the motor home and watch the ships out in the Sound. We did a lot of walking. One day we walked up the hill to the Post Office and then back into town. One day we walked into town and went through many of the shops. Port Townsend is such a sweet little town. One morning Ron and I went on a part's run to the other side of Port Townsend. It was nice to just be the two of us driving around.
Ron worked tear down on Saturday night to Sunday morning. He got off at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning and then slept till noon. Once he got up we went and did laundry. Only cost $7.00 this week for laundry. A whole lot better than $12.25 from the week before. After finishing up the laundry we sat outside enjoying the view and visiting with our co-workers. It was an enjoyable afternoon.
We woke up early this morning and was on the road by 8:30 a.m. Ron drove from Port Townsend to Ft. Lewis. Our only obstacle was that we could not get the GPS to locate Ft. Lewis. Good thing we knew where we were going. We got to the base. We had heard stories of how the guards search through every nook and cranny when you come onto the base. That was not our experience. Ron pulled up to the gate and handed the guard our ID cards, the insurance document and our pass to get on base. She walked to the back of the rig and then came back and handed us our documentation, told us how to get to the PX (where we were to meet everyone) and told us to have a good day. We found out later that Rick & Theresa, Albert and Terry each had their rigs gone through. Yeah for us!!
We then drove to the PX and no one was there. All the rides were there but none of the condo's or private rigs. We called Albert to find out where everyone was. Found out we had to go to behind the stadium and the gym. We got parked and settled in. The back of the motor home faces a playground with base housing on the other side of it. It was a joy to hear the little kids playing outside today.
After getting all settled and the electrical and water lines run, Ron went for a bike ride. This evening we went for a walk over to the PX, past Weller Hall, through a field and then back to the bone yard. Now we are going to settle in for the night and watch Marley & Me.
Praises ~
~ for a safe trip to Ft. Lewis from Port Townsend
~ for continued good health for both of us
~ for getting paid from our last customer in Blaine
Prayer requests ~
~ for safety as the guys set up on Tuesday and Wednesday
~ for us to continue to enjoy our jobs and to be a light for the Lord
That's all for now. Wishing everyone a good week. I will make another post tomorrow of pictures.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Random Thoughts ~~
Random Thoughts ~~
My mind has been wandering all day. So thought I would just write whatever comes to mind. Maybe after writing my mind will settle down a little bit.
Scripture and devotion from this morning ~ Acts 6:1-7 A reminder to work as a team. As I was working this afternoon setting up the three ticket boxes someone made the comment "Alice, I didn't know you worked." I was so surprised by that comment and hurt as I work hard and give more than 100% when I am working. I thought about the scripture I had read this morning and working as a team. That guy is definitely not a team player who likes to ridicule those he is around. I knew that of the guy and so I moved on to what I needed to do next and kept my mouth closed. I then thought about the conversation Rick, Ron and I were having after lunch today. Rick said to Ron "you are a team player and it shows." I was thankful that Rick sees that in us. It helped to have heard that before the smart alec comment from the ride guy.
Ron came home from work this afternoon with a set of keys to the show van. Rick gave them to Ron for the rest of the season. He can take people to do grocery shopping or to do laundry and doesn't need to call Rick to ask for permission. Another sign of trust that Rick & Theresa have of us. Sure makes us feel good.
Today would have been my sister, Kathy, birthday today. She would have been 56. It is hard to believe she has been gone for a year and a half already. I sent a note to my niece to let her know I was thinking about her and her dad today. I know Christi struggled with Mother's Day and knew today would be hard for her. I miss my sister yet I am sure my loss is nothing compared to Christi's ~ that of losing her mom at a young age.
I also thought about my sister, Joanie, today. I miss having a relationship with her. I don't know what the issues are that has caused this major rift in our lives. I wish I could do something about the situation. Yet I know I have done everything I can. I pray for her and hope that she is having a good life. I miss her too.
Have thought a lot about Brandon and Danalyn today. Danalyn had surgery today at noon. The doctor told Brandon the surgery went well. Now we pray for a speedy recovery physically and for God's love, comfort and peace to surround that little family as they deal with the loss of a precious little one. I will be calling them this evening to see how they are doing.
Talked with Jamie briefly yesterday. I am sure the last couple of days have been hard on him and Suzanne as well as it brings up memories of their loss of Emerald. I pray for them to feel God's love in these times too.
I looked through the memory book that I got for Christmas two years ago from the kids. I am missing Opal, Christopher and Max. I know being gone from them for six months is not all that long to us but to them it is like a lifetime of days. Ron said the other day, he knows that Max will not forget him but what about the little ones. I said that they will know us, that is why it's important for us to send them cards and phone calls often while we are traveling.
I am enjoying our time here in Port Townsend. The weather has been beautiful and the scenery is awesome. This morning I looked out at the ocean and a big Navy ship was going by. A few minutes later the ferry came in. We are planning on going for a walk along the water this evening. It is so amazing to see God's handiwork. I need to remember to take my camera so I can get some pictures. I will post some next week once we are at Ft. Lewis and have a better internet connection. I need to remember to ask Theresa for the rest of our itinerary. I know we go to Ft. Lewis on Monday, May 17th and then onto Portland on May 24th. We will be there for three weeks. We go to Marysville on June 14th. After that I am just not sure. I will try to remember to ask Theresa tomorrow for the schedule and then I will do another blog post with the rest of the itinerary.
I thought about things I am thankful for today. I am blessed in so many ways. I have a wonderful husband and we have a great marriage. We have had our troubles, who hasn't, but we are stronger and more in love than ever. I thank the Lord for holding us together during the difficult times and rejoice that we have great times together. I am thankful that my children are happy and blessed even during days of trials. They both know the Lord and for that I am thankful. I am thankful for the two women they have chosen to be their spouses and the mother of their children. Danalyn and Suzanne are very special to us and are two of the best mommies I know. They each love their children and show it in so many ways. I love my three grandchildren. They are each special individuals who brings us much delight. I look forward to spending time with them again in the Fall. I just wish their parents would send us some updated pictures, hint, hint!
I am thankful for the work Ron and I have and the relationships we are building during this season of carnival work. I pray that we will continue to be a witness to them of the Lord's love and how he is working in our lives. We both enjoy our work and at the same time enjoy our time off. We are enjoying this season we are in. When I think about the carnival I never imagined the amount of work it takes to get a carnival ready for the customers to enjoy or the amount of work to get it set up or tore down. Working for the carnival is definitely not an easy job. But it does have its benefits ~ it is so fun to watch the little children as they arrive with anticipation and the fun and excitement as they climb on board a ride or get ready to play a game. It is so fun to watch the kids win prizes at the ducky derby. Even the littlest of little ones can play that game.
I am thankful for friends and family. We are so richly blessed and are shown in many different ways that we are loved and cared for. It is very comforting to know that we can share our prayer requests and praises and know that we are lifted up in prayer when needed and that we can celebrate the good things together.
We have faced many trials in our lives and yet we can truthfully say that through it all the Lord has been right there beside us. That is what I am most thankful for - that I am a child of the King! and with Him nothing is impossible. He has steadfastly been by my side during the darkest of the dark and the brightest of the bright moments.
Guess that's all for now. It has been a good time of reflection for me. I hope you have enjoyed reading about the things that have been on my mind.
Wishing each of you a great rest of the week. Talk to you all again soon. Alice
My mind has been wandering all day. So thought I would just write whatever comes to mind. Maybe after writing my mind will settle down a little bit.
Scripture and devotion from this morning ~ Acts 6:1-7 A reminder to work as a team. As I was working this afternoon setting up the three ticket boxes someone made the comment "Alice, I didn't know you worked." I was so surprised by that comment and hurt as I work hard and give more than 100% when I am working. I thought about the scripture I had read this morning and working as a team. That guy is definitely not a team player who likes to ridicule those he is around. I knew that of the guy and so I moved on to what I needed to do next and kept my mouth closed. I then thought about the conversation Rick, Ron and I were having after lunch today. Rick said to Ron "you are a team player and it shows." I was thankful that Rick sees that in us. It helped to have heard that before the smart alec comment from the ride guy.
Ron came home from work this afternoon with a set of keys to the show van. Rick gave them to Ron for the rest of the season. He can take people to do grocery shopping or to do laundry and doesn't need to call Rick to ask for permission. Another sign of trust that Rick & Theresa have of us. Sure makes us feel good.
Today would have been my sister, Kathy, birthday today. She would have been 56. It is hard to believe she has been gone for a year and a half already. I sent a note to my niece to let her know I was thinking about her and her dad today. I know Christi struggled with Mother's Day and knew today would be hard for her. I miss my sister yet I am sure my loss is nothing compared to Christi's ~ that of losing her mom at a young age.
I also thought about my sister, Joanie, today. I miss having a relationship with her. I don't know what the issues are that has caused this major rift in our lives. I wish I could do something about the situation. Yet I know I have done everything I can. I pray for her and hope that she is having a good life. I miss her too.
Have thought a lot about Brandon and Danalyn today. Danalyn had surgery today at noon. The doctor told Brandon the surgery went well. Now we pray for a speedy recovery physically and for God's love, comfort and peace to surround that little family as they deal with the loss of a precious little one. I will be calling them this evening to see how they are doing.
Talked with Jamie briefly yesterday. I am sure the last couple of days have been hard on him and Suzanne as well as it brings up memories of their loss of Emerald. I pray for them to feel God's love in these times too.
I looked through the memory book that I got for Christmas two years ago from the kids. I am missing Opal, Christopher and Max. I know being gone from them for six months is not all that long to us but to them it is like a lifetime of days. Ron said the other day, he knows that Max will not forget him but what about the little ones. I said that they will know us, that is why it's important for us to send them cards and phone calls often while we are traveling.
I am enjoying our time here in Port Townsend. The weather has been beautiful and the scenery is awesome. This morning I looked out at the ocean and a big Navy ship was going by. A few minutes later the ferry came in. We are planning on going for a walk along the water this evening. It is so amazing to see God's handiwork. I need to remember to take my camera so I can get some pictures. I will post some next week once we are at Ft. Lewis and have a better internet connection. I need to remember to ask Theresa for the rest of our itinerary. I know we go to Ft. Lewis on Monday, May 17th and then onto Portland on May 24th. We will be there for three weeks. We go to Marysville on June 14th. After that I am just not sure. I will try to remember to ask Theresa tomorrow for the schedule and then I will do another blog post with the rest of the itinerary.
I thought about things I am thankful for today. I am blessed in so many ways. I have a wonderful husband and we have a great marriage. We have had our troubles, who hasn't, but we are stronger and more in love than ever. I thank the Lord for holding us together during the difficult times and rejoice that we have great times together. I am thankful that my children are happy and blessed even during days of trials. They both know the Lord and for that I am thankful. I am thankful for the two women they have chosen to be their spouses and the mother of their children. Danalyn and Suzanne are very special to us and are two of the best mommies I know. They each love their children and show it in so many ways. I love my three grandchildren. They are each special individuals who brings us much delight. I look forward to spending time with them again in the Fall. I just wish their parents would send us some updated pictures, hint, hint!
I am thankful for the work Ron and I have and the relationships we are building during this season of carnival work. I pray that we will continue to be a witness to them of the Lord's love and how he is working in our lives. We both enjoy our work and at the same time enjoy our time off. We are enjoying this season we are in. When I think about the carnival I never imagined the amount of work it takes to get a carnival ready for the customers to enjoy or the amount of work to get it set up or tore down. Working for the carnival is definitely not an easy job. But it does have its benefits ~ it is so fun to watch the little children as they arrive with anticipation and the fun and excitement as they climb on board a ride or get ready to play a game. It is so fun to watch the kids win prizes at the ducky derby. Even the littlest of little ones can play that game.
I am thankful for friends and family. We are so richly blessed and are shown in many different ways that we are loved and cared for. It is very comforting to know that we can share our prayer requests and praises and know that we are lifted up in prayer when needed and that we can celebrate the good things together.
We have faced many trials in our lives and yet we can truthfully say that through it all the Lord has been right there beside us. That is what I am most thankful for - that I am a child of the King! and with Him nothing is impossible. He has steadfastly been by my side during the darkest of the dark and the brightest of the bright moments.
Guess that's all for now. It has been a good time of reflection for me. I hope you have enjoyed reading about the things that have been on my mind.
Wishing each of you a great rest of the week. Talk to you all again soon. Alice
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sad News to share
It is with a heavy heart I write today...we just got a call from Brandon. Danalyn lost the baby she was carrying. We would so appreciate your prayers for Brandon and Danalyn as they deal with this hard loss.
We wish we could be with them but alas we can't so we are thankful that we serve a Savior who stands by them and brings them comfort at this time.
Alice & Ron
We wish we could be with them but alas we can't so we are thankful that we serve a Savior who stands by them and brings them comfort at this time.
Alice & Ron
Sunday, May 09, 2010
I Did It! and so much more...
Well I DID IT! I drove the motor home from Sequim to Port Townsend. I did really well except for the two times that Ron yelled at me...both times when I got too close to the right side of the road. The second time scared me! I told him not to yell any more. He said he was sorry but that I scared him...there was a big ditch on the side of the road and he thought I got too close. I was a little nervous starting out but felt okay behind the wheel. I did take the curvy windy roads on Highway 20 at about 35 miles per hour but I made it and that is good. I even drove through Port Townsend and they have very narrow roads. I know now that I can drive the motor home and that is a good feeling.
Pictures ~ I have some pictures from today and our time with the carnival but have a very slow connection here in Port Townsend so I will add the pictures when we are in Fort Lewis next week.
Carnival life is a lot like Peyton Place especially this week...
~ two people have been fired; one for breaking some company rules (don't know what they were but must have been bad) and one for assaulting some one in the bone yard.
~ one got arrested and is spending the night in the local jail, supposedly he should be released tomorrow
~ couples together and then not
Ron and I try to stay out of those issues. It is just much better that way.
Sequim was nice once we got there. We had to walk about a half mile from the bone yard to get to the carnival lot. It felt almost like camping since we were parked in a grassy lot behind the Boys & Girls Club. I only got 25 hours this week but Ron worked 50 hours. This week will probably be much of the same since it is another three day carnival.
Here in Port Townsend we are parked really close to the water. After we arrived here we found out we could not go into our spot yet as there were a couple of cars parked in the bone yard in our assigned spots. So we went for a walk, had lunch at T's Restaurant. Ron had salmon eggs benedict and I had fish and chips. It was a delightful lunch though pricey. After our walk I took a nap and Ron went down to the beach. After napping, we went and did laundry. Cost $7 for two loads of laundry. About 5:30 we were able to get into our spot in the bone yard. This week we are parked between Diane in Games and Richard in Rides. We don't have much of a view...just some houses and boats in dry dock.
Tomorrow is our day off and we don't have to drive any where. We are planning to walk into town. I am hoping we can find a mail box as I have some stuff for the grandkids. Ron has to start work at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday and will be doing set up then and Wednesday. I have to report to work on Wednesday after lunch to set up the ticket boxes. The carnival opens Thursday late afternoon.
Speaking of grandchildren we found out today we are going to be grandparents again! Danalyn and Brandon are due to have a new addition to their family on December 12th! What a nice thing to find out about on Mother's Day. It has been a nice day for me. I feel good about knowing I can drive the motor home, got phone calls from both Jamie and Brandon, taken out for a nice lunch by Ron and received two messages from friends wishing me a Happy Mother's Day.
That's about all from here. I will write more later.
Pictures ~ I have some pictures from today and our time with the carnival but have a very slow connection here in Port Townsend so I will add the pictures when we are in Fort Lewis next week.
Carnival life is a lot like Peyton Place especially this week...
~ two people have been fired; one for breaking some company rules (don't know what they were but must have been bad) and one for assaulting some one in the bone yard.
~ one got arrested and is spending the night in the local jail, supposedly he should be released tomorrow
~ couples together and then not
Ron and I try to stay out of those issues. It is just much better that way.
Sequim was nice once we got there. We had to walk about a half mile from the bone yard to get to the carnival lot. It felt almost like camping since we were parked in a grassy lot behind the Boys & Girls Club. I only got 25 hours this week but Ron worked 50 hours. This week will probably be much of the same since it is another three day carnival.
Here in Port Townsend we are parked really close to the water. After we arrived here we found out we could not go into our spot yet as there were a couple of cars parked in the bone yard in our assigned spots. So we went for a walk, had lunch at T's Restaurant. Ron had salmon eggs benedict and I had fish and chips. It was a delightful lunch though pricey. After our walk I took a nap and Ron went down to the beach. After napping, we went and did laundry. Cost $7 for two loads of laundry. About 5:30 we were able to get into our spot in the bone yard. This week we are parked between Diane in Games and Richard in Rides. We don't have much of a view...just some houses and boats in dry dock.
Tomorrow is our day off and we don't have to drive any where. We are planning to walk into town. I am hoping we can find a mail box as I have some stuff for the grandkids. Ron has to start work at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday and will be doing set up then and Wednesday. I have to report to work on Wednesday after lunch to set up the ticket boxes. The carnival opens Thursday late afternoon.
Speaking of grandchildren we found out today we are going to be grandparents again! Danalyn and Brandon are due to have a new addition to their family on December 12th! What a nice thing to find out about on Mother's Day. It has been a nice day for me. I feel good about knowing I can drive the motor home, got phone calls from both Jamie and Brandon, taken out for a nice lunch by Ron and received two messages from friends wishing me a Happy Mother's Day.
That's about all from here. I will write more later.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Wednesday Night and We are in Sequim!
Tis good to be in the bone yard once again.
It has been a long day for Ron. He was up at 6:00 this morning and on the road at 6:30. I got up with him when his alarm went off to make sure he had everything he needed for the day. I packed him a lunch with a couple of extra snacks and 3 bottles of water. He gathered his hard hat, heavy jacket and work gloves and headed out the door for the 51 mile drive to Sequim. He wanted to make sure he had plenty of time to get there.
After Ron left I crawled back into our warm bed, it was chilly in the motor home so I went where it was warm. We don't run the furnace at night when we are sleeping. I read for about an half hour before falling back asleep. I woke up at 10:00 from a dream where I was scrambling to get to the ticket box to sell tickets. Guess my mind was thinking about work.
The mechanic worked on/off on the motor home for most of the day. He finally finished up about 3:00. The owner had the mechanic drive the motor home out of the repair shop lot and around the block and parked us in his driveway facing the street. Since we didn't know what time Ron would be back to pick me and the motor home up he wanted us to be where we could get out as they lock the repair shop lot each night (though the last two nights they just closed the gate and hung the lock so we could get out if necessary). I went and paid the bill ~ it was $642. I then called Ron and told him how much it was so he could call the credit union and move some money around to cover the check. That bill has wiped us out. We are praying that there are no more repairs needed for a long time.
I went back to the motor home and readied it for the trip to Sequim. And then I waited. And waited some more. While waiting I thought this is ridiculous ~ IF I knew how to drive the motor home I could just drive to Sequim saving Ron a return trip to Suquamish and then another trip back to Sequim. I sat and thought for awhile and came to a decision ~ I AM GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE THIS DARN MOTOR HOME AND DRIVE IT WITH CONFIDENCE! I shared this decision with Ron when he arrived at the motor home. The plan is for me to drive the motor home from Sequim to Port Townsend on Sunday. If you think about us on Sunday afternoon, pray that I will not be nervous about driving and will tackle this challenge with courage and confidence.
Ron called at 5:15 and said he was on his way. He arrived at the motor home at 6:40 and we were on the road in about 10 minutes. One minor glitch, when the mechanic parked the motor home he did not turn the key all the way off and so we had a dead battery. Ron quickly jumped the motor home off the house batteries and we were on our way. Once we got into Sequim I went to the gas station to fill Albert's car and pick up some Sprite for Shawn. He had called Ron and asked him if he could pick him up a 2 ltr bottle. Since I was stopping for gas I got the Sprite. Ron went on ahead to the bone yard. By the time I arrived at 8:30 Ron had the electricity hooked up, the motor home leveled and was ready to go back to work. I don't know how late the guys will be working or what time they start again in the morning.
I then called Theresa and told her the wayward ticket sellers were back. She was glad to know that the motor home was fixed and we made it without any more problems. We talked about work for tomorrow. I am going to meet her at 10:00 to set up the ticket booths. It should take about two hours and then I will have a break before we start again at 3:30 in the afternoon. The carnival is supposed to be open from 4:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m. tomorrow. I don't know the start times for Friday or Saturday. Tear down will be Saturday night.
One thing we are looking forward to is Sunday. Since we only have to move from Sequim to Port Townsend, about 25 miles, we are going to find a church to attend here in Sequim. It will be so nice to fellowship with like believers and hear a sermon. If you know of a good church in Sequim drop us a note before Saturday night so we can check when services are.
Well it is almost 9:45 so I should get off the computer and go to bed so I am well rested for tomorrow and the rest of the weekend.
Please join us as we give thanks to the Lord that the motor home was repaired, Ron was able to put in a full day's work today and that Albert graciously loaned us his car for 2 full days. We ask for continued prayer as we work for the next three days here in Sequim and that we don't have any more problems with the motor home. Also, don't forget me on Sunday when I drive to Port Townsend. I know I can do it with the help of the Lord.
Thanks for reading my blog and all the notes that you have sent our way the last few days. They are all truly appreciated.
It has been a long day for Ron. He was up at 6:00 this morning and on the road at 6:30. I got up with him when his alarm went off to make sure he had everything he needed for the day. I packed him a lunch with a couple of extra snacks and 3 bottles of water. He gathered his hard hat, heavy jacket and work gloves and headed out the door for the 51 mile drive to Sequim. He wanted to make sure he had plenty of time to get there.
After Ron left I crawled back into our warm bed, it was chilly in the motor home so I went where it was warm. We don't run the furnace at night when we are sleeping. I read for about an half hour before falling back asleep. I woke up at 10:00 from a dream where I was scrambling to get to the ticket box to sell tickets. Guess my mind was thinking about work.
The mechanic worked on/off on the motor home for most of the day. He finally finished up about 3:00. The owner had the mechanic drive the motor home out of the repair shop lot and around the block and parked us in his driveway facing the street. Since we didn't know what time Ron would be back to pick me and the motor home up he wanted us to be where we could get out as they lock the repair shop lot each night (though the last two nights they just closed the gate and hung the lock so we could get out if necessary). I went and paid the bill ~ it was $642. I then called Ron and told him how much it was so he could call the credit union and move some money around to cover the check. That bill has wiped us out. We are praying that there are no more repairs needed for a long time.
I went back to the motor home and readied it for the trip to Sequim. And then I waited. And waited some more. While waiting I thought this is ridiculous ~ IF I knew how to drive the motor home I could just drive to Sequim saving Ron a return trip to Suquamish and then another trip back to Sequim. I sat and thought for awhile and came to a decision ~ I AM GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE THIS DARN MOTOR HOME AND DRIVE IT WITH CONFIDENCE! I shared this decision with Ron when he arrived at the motor home. The plan is for me to drive the motor home from Sequim to Port Townsend on Sunday. If you think about us on Sunday afternoon, pray that I will not be nervous about driving and will tackle this challenge with courage and confidence.
Ron called at 5:15 and said he was on his way. He arrived at the motor home at 6:40 and we were on the road in about 10 minutes. One minor glitch, when the mechanic parked the motor home he did not turn the key all the way off and so we had a dead battery. Ron quickly jumped the motor home off the house batteries and we were on our way. Once we got into Sequim I went to the gas station to fill Albert's car and pick up some Sprite for Shawn. He had called Ron and asked him if he could pick him up a 2 ltr bottle. Since I was stopping for gas I got the Sprite. Ron went on ahead to the bone yard. By the time I arrived at 8:30 Ron had the electricity hooked up, the motor home leveled and was ready to go back to work. I don't know how late the guys will be working or what time they start again in the morning.
I then called Theresa and told her the wayward ticket sellers were back. She was glad to know that the motor home was fixed and we made it without any more problems. We talked about work for tomorrow. I am going to meet her at 10:00 to set up the ticket booths. It should take about two hours and then I will have a break before we start again at 3:30 in the afternoon. The carnival is supposed to be open from 4:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m. tomorrow. I don't know the start times for Friday or Saturday. Tear down will be Saturday night.
One thing we are looking forward to is Sunday. Since we only have to move from Sequim to Port Townsend, about 25 miles, we are going to find a church to attend here in Sequim. It will be so nice to fellowship with like believers and hear a sermon. If you know of a good church in Sequim drop us a note before Saturday night so we can check when services are.
Well it is almost 9:45 so I should get off the computer and go to bed so I am well rested for tomorrow and the rest of the weekend.
Please join us as we give thanks to the Lord that the motor home was repaired, Ron was able to put in a full day's work today and that Albert graciously loaned us his car for 2 full days. We ask for continued prayer as we work for the next three days here in Sequim and that we don't have any more problems with the motor home. Also, don't forget me on Sunday when I drive to Port Townsend. I know I can do it with the help of the Lord.
Thanks for reading my blog and all the notes that you have sent our way the last few days. They are all truly appreciated.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Tuesday Night Update
Hello on this crazy Tuesday.
The mechanic took the drive shaft to be welded and balanced. They had to order a new yoke and could not find one locally so they have ordered one and it will be delivered tomorrow by the UPS man. This means we sit one more night in the mechanics yard. Tomorrow they will put the drive shaft back on the motor home along with changing all the U-joints. The estimated cost of repairs is $500. We are thankful it is not more than that as we have that much in savings.
While waiting for the mechanic to do whatever he needed to do we decided to go and do laundry. Did four loads of laundry for $12...$3 a load is not bad since at some places we have spent $5 a for a load of laundry. After we found out that the yoke for the drive shaft would not be in till tomorrow we decided to go for a ride. We drove into Bainbridge Island and spent about an hour walking around the town. Found the post office so bought stamps. We also picked up some postcards for the grandchildren. When we went on our Fall trips last year we decided to collect hat pins. They are small yet nice. We found one in Bainbridge Island with a Washington Ferry on it. I will add it to our collection.
Ron called Rick and Albert to let them know what is going on. Rick told Ron there was no reason to come in for the 5:00 p.m. shift today but to plan on coming in on Wednesday. So the plan for tomorrow is that Ron will go to Sequim (50 miles from here) and work from 8:00 to 5:00 and then Albert and Ron will drive back to Suquamish to pick me and the motor home up and then we will all drive back to Sequim and get settled in the bone yard. I will probably have to work Thursday morning to get the ticket boxes ready to go. The carnival opens on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
I plan on spending time in the Word and writing out the postcards to Max, Opal and Christopher. I will also do some cleaning of the motor home. Today we did do a good sweeping throughout as we had collected a lot of sand and dirt in Wenatchee.
Thanks for the notes of encouragement last night and today. They are all appreciated.
Praises and Prayer Requests ~
~ praise that the part was found to fix the motor home and that it can be delivered tomorrow
~ praise that we are in a safe place again for the night
~ praise that we were able to borrow a car for these days that we are broke down in Suquamish
~ pray that the money owed to us will come in as the expenses of this repair wipes out what little we had in savings
~ pray for safety for Ron as he drives to Sequim in the morning and then again as he and Albert come back to Suquamish to pick up me and the motor home
~ that the repairs can be made to the motor home without any surprises to be found by the mechanic
Guess that's all from Suquamish for today. I need to make a lunch for Ron to take with him tomorrow and we are going to have an early night since we have to be up so early. I will post another blog entry tomorrow night once we are all settled in Sequim.
Love and miss you all!
The mechanic took the drive shaft to be welded and balanced. They had to order a new yoke and could not find one locally so they have ordered one and it will be delivered tomorrow by the UPS man. This means we sit one more night in the mechanics yard. Tomorrow they will put the drive shaft back on the motor home along with changing all the U-joints. The estimated cost of repairs is $500. We are thankful it is not more than that as we have that much in savings.
While waiting for the mechanic to do whatever he needed to do we decided to go and do laundry. Did four loads of laundry for $12...$3 a load is not bad since at some places we have spent $5 a for a load of laundry. After we found out that the yoke for the drive shaft would not be in till tomorrow we decided to go for a ride. We drove into Bainbridge Island and spent about an hour walking around the town. Found the post office so bought stamps. We also picked up some postcards for the grandchildren. When we went on our Fall trips last year we decided to collect hat pins. They are small yet nice. We found one in Bainbridge Island with a Washington Ferry on it. I will add it to our collection.
Ron called Rick and Albert to let them know what is going on. Rick told Ron there was no reason to come in for the 5:00 p.m. shift today but to plan on coming in on Wednesday. So the plan for tomorrow is that Ron will go to Sequim (50 miles from here) and work from 8:00 to 5:00 and then Albert and Ron will drive back to Suquamish to pick me and the motor home up and then we will all drive back to Sequim and get settled in the bone yard. I will probably have to work Thursday morning to get the ticket boxes ready to go. The carnival opens on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
I plan on spending time in the Word and writing out the postcards to Max, Opal and Christopher. I will also do some cleaning of the motor home. Today we did do a good sweeping throughout as we had collected a lot of sand and dirt in Wenatchee.
Thanks for the notes of encouragement last night and today. They are all appreciated.
Praises and Prayer Requests ~
~ praise that the part was found to fix the motor home and that it can be delivered tomorrow
~ praise that we are in a safe place again for the night
~ praise that we were able to borrow a car for these days that we are broke down in Suquamish
~ pray that the money owed to us will come in as the expenses of this repair wipes out what little we had in savings
~ pray for safety for Ron as he drives to Sequim in the morning and then again as he and Albert come back to Suquamish to pick up me and the motor home
~ that the repairs can be made to the motor home without any surprises to be found by the mechanic
Guess that's all from Suquamish for today. I need to make a lunch for Ron to take with him tomorrow and we are going to have an early night since we have to be up so early. I will post another blog entry tomorrow night once we are all settled in Sequim.
Love and miss you all!
Monday, May 03, 2010
Maddening Monday!
Warning: this will not be a very upbeat blog post tonight.
Ron worked from 12:30 yesterday afternoon till 5:00 this morning with a half hour break which was used to get me a strawberry frozen juice and change his clothes for the tear down shift. He came in the door of the motor home about 5:10 a.m. He was very frustrated and told me he had lost his cool with some of the guys a few hours before. Guess the help was wasting a lot of time doing nothing and there was a bad accident during the tear down of the Tornado. One of the regulars told a spot help to hold some part and the guy dropped what he was holding causing one of the chairs to fall rapidly causing a piece of equipment to crash into the spot helps arm. This caused a huge cut. The guy was taken to the ER and got 25 stitches in his arm. Another issue was people just standing around when there was so much work to be done. Tear down should have only taken about 8 hours and instead took 13 1/2 hours. Ron tried to give the van key to the ride supervisor and he wouldn't take it. Said I needed it as I was driving the show van to Sequim. First time we had been told that, especially since Rick told me on Friday I was not driving. After working a rough night Ron took a quick nap of two hours before we had to get up to pull wires and leave for Sequim.
I got up at 7:30 and Ron got up at 8:00...Tommy, one of the ride people, was sounding the call to pull wires. and woke up Ron. I had been trying to let him sleep because I knew he was super tired.
While we were getting the motor home ready to leave from the bone yard, I saw Rick getting his truck ready to leave. Ron went over and talked to him about the ride supervisor not accepting the show van key and asked if it was true that I needed to drive the show van. Rick said yes. Ron then talked to him about taking the show van on the ferry as we wanted to drive through Leavenworth and over Stevens Pass, catching the Edmonds/Kingston ferry and then driving to Sequim. Rick said no problem going that route as long as the people in the van knew that was how we were going and that they had the money to pay to cross the ferry. We checked with the seven people riding in the show van and all said they had the $7 it would cost to ride the ferry. We finished what needed to be done to be able to leave. We left the bone yard about 9:30 and got on the road at about 10:45 after stopping at Safeway to get gas.
While pulling into Safeway we had our first glitch of the day. As Ron pulled into the Safeway parking lot the cap on the holding tanks popped off and the gray water tank rapidly began spilling water on the roadway. All I can say is that I am so glad it was not the black water tank!
We then drove from Wenatchee through Cashmere and then through Leavenworth and then headed up to Stevens Pass. About five miles out of Leavenworth the snow began to fall. It quickly went from a light dusting and little snowflakes to huge snowflakes covering and sticking to the road. It took us about an hour and a half to get up and over the pass. At times it was very slow going as we hit some areas of white out with barely able to see the tail lights of the car in front of me. A few times the car in front of me started to spin out. I stayed a fair distance behind that car. We saw one car that had spun out and was in the ditch. A few semi's had even pulled off the road. Needless to say by the time I got up, over and down the pass I was white knuckling it and my shoulders and arms were pretty tensed up. I had Kollin, one of the ride people riding in the van, call Ron who was in front of us to tell him to stop at the McDonalds in Sultan. I needed a break from driving. Three of us rendevoused at the McDonalds for lunch and a much needed break.
We got back on the road and headed for Edmonds to catch the ferry. While driving on I5, I got a call from Theresa saying the ferries weren't running. We stopped at the rest area so Ron could empty the black water holding tank. While stopped there Ron called 511 to find out what was going on with the ferries. We found out that the Kingston ferry was not running at 12:45 but the Edmonds ferry was running on time. We pulled into the ferry line at 2:15 for the 2:20 ferry crossing. Before boarding the ferry, we heard from Richard, one of the ride guys, that while he was driving over the pass his trailer hit the guardrail and tore up the awning and side of his trailer. As we boarded the ferry, Richard called again to say he was in Monroe having just had a tire blow on his Blazer. He didn't know if he would be able to find a tire that would fit his car.
The ferry ride was very enjoyable though a bit rocky due to the high winds. It was nice to have a break from driving. It cost Ron $54.60 for the motor home and driver. The van was $14.85. The passengers in the van had to pay $6.90 per person. By taking the ferry we saved driving about 70 miles and avoided the Tacoma traffic. Just as we got off the ferry and turned onto the main road, Ron heard this grinding sound and felt a jerk with the motor home. He quickly pulled over. I followed suit with the van, and Albert did the same with his jeep and trailer. We must have been quite a sight ~ as soon as each vehicle stopped the passengers jumped out. There were 12 people on the side of the road. Ron and Ruben looked under the motor home and saw the drive shaft on the road. It was supposed to be connected from one end of the motor home to the other. Ron quickly got on the phone to the Emergency Roadside Assistance that we have with our insurance. Thank goodness we have a great policy as we have used it numerous times as many of you know. It was decided that Ron would stay with the motor home, Albert would drive his jeep and trailer and I would take the show van and all the passengers into Sequim. We were about 50 miles from the bone yard in Sequim. I am happy to say that the rest of the trip to Sequim was event free!
After pulling into the bone yard and getting Albert's trailer set up. I went and talked with Terry, one of the games managers told me that while they were driving from Wenatchee to Sequim one of his side windows was blown out. Guess it made a huge mess inside his fifth wheel trailer. Terry then asked me where our motor home was. I told him our saga. He responded with "oh no." I then knocked on Rick & Theresa's door. When Rick answered I asked him if he wanted the good news or the bad. He said it didn't matter ~ just tell him what was going on. I said the good news was that the show van made it safely from Wenatchee to Sequim with no problems. The bad news was that Richard was stuck in Monroe with a blown out tire and Ron was on the side of the road in Kingston with a broken drive shaft. Rick's response was "oh, no. Do you need a ride back to where Ron was?" I said I didn't know yet. I was going to see if I could use Albert's car once he got his trailer all settled. Rick said to let him know and he would give me a ride if I needed one. I thanked him and told him I would let him know.
After multiple phone calls from Ron I knew that I needed to find a ride back to Kingston because Ron and the motor home were being towed to a mechanic about 5 miles out of town. Ron had also talked to the mechanic, Del, and he would put out an electrical cord for us for the night and that he would be at the shop at 7:45 in the morning to begin working on the rig. I talked with Albert some more and he graciously loaned me his car for the night and tomorrow morning. I then called Ron and said I was getting back on the road. We talked about five times in the 45 minutes I drove back to Kingston. He was giving me directions to where to meet him and the tow truck driver. We met up in Kingston and I followed the tow truck and motor home to the mechanics. Another uneventful trip ~ yeah!
So now we are settled into the motor home for the night. We have electricity from the shop and fortunately water in our holding tank. We had chicken noodle soup for dinner (sounds better than Top Ramen). It is now 9:00 and I think we are going to bed soon. It has been a very long day for Ron with working through most of the night and then driving all day. I am doing much better than I was about 3 hours ago when I was in the midst of not knowing what was going to happen with the motor home or where we would be staying for the night.
As I am ending this post I do have many things to be thankful for:
~ that we made it safely over Stevens Pass
~ that the drive shaft did not drop when we were going 70 mph down I5 ~ it easily could have caused a major accident
~ that we have a great Emergency Road Service plan with our insurance coverage
~ that Ron feels confident about the mechanic after speaking to him both on the phone and in person about the drive shaft and what repairs need to be done
~ that Ron and I have a safe place to lay our heads tonight and we are not stuck on the road somewhere
Prayer requests:
~ for the repairs to be made quickly tomorrow so that we can get back to work. Ron is due to be on the carnival lot at 5:00 p.m. to set the lot for Wednesday's set up
~ that we will both get a good night's sleep
~ that the expenses are not more than the amount of money we have available
Thanks for reading about our day and keeping us in your prayers. We do appreciate all your prayers and words of encouragement. I will write another update tomorrow night, hopefully from the bone yard in Sequim.
Alice
Ron worked from 12:30 yesterday afternoon till 5:00 this morning with a half hour break which was used to get me a strawberry frozen juice and change his clothes for the tear down shift. He came in the door of the motor home about 5:10 a.m. He was very frustrated and told me he had lost his cool with some of the guys a few hours before. Guess the help was wasting a lot of time doing nothing and there was a bad accident during the tear down of the Tornado. One of the regulars told a spot help to hold some part and the guy dropped what he was holding causing one of the chairs to fall rapidly causing a piece of equipment to crash into the spot helps arm. This caused a huge cut. The guy was taken to the ER and got 25 stitches in his arm. Another issue was people just standing around when there was so much work to be done. Tear down should have only taken about 8 hours and instead took 13 1/2 hours. Ron tried to give the van key to the ride supervisor and he wouldn't take it. Said I needed it as I was driving the show van to Sequim. First time we had been told that, especially since Rick told me on Friday I was not driving. After working a rough night Ron took a quick nap of two hours before we had to get up to pull wires and leave for Sequim.
I got up at 7:30 and Ron got up at 8:00...Tommy, one of the ride people, was sounding the call to pull wires. and woke up Ron. I had been trying to let him sleep because I knew he was super tired.
While we were getting the motor home ready to leave from the bone yard, I saw Rick getting his truck ready to leave. Ron went over and talked to him about the ride supervisor not accepting the show van key and asked if it was true that I needed to drive the show van. Rick said yes. Ron then talked to him about taking the show van on the ferry as we wanted to drive through Leavenworth and over Stevens Pass, catching the Edmonds/Kingston ferry and then driving to Sequim. Rick said no problem going that route as long as the people in the van knew that was how we were going and that they had the money to pay to cross the ferry. We checked with the seven people riding in the show van and all said they had the $7 it would cost to ride the ferry. We finished what needed to be done to be able to leave. We left the bone yard about 9:30 and got on the road at about 10:45 after stopping at Safeway to get gas.
While pulling into Safeway we had our first glitch of the day. As Ron pulled into the Safeway parking lot the cap on the holding tanks popped off and the gray water tank rapidly began spilling water on the roadway. All I can say is that I am so glad it was not the black water tank!
We then drove from Wenatchee through Cashmere and then through Leavenworth and then headed up to Stevens Pass. About five miles out of Leavenworth the snow began to fall. It quickly went from a light dusting and little snowflakes to huge snowflakes covering and sticking to the road. It took us about an hour and a half to get up and over the pass. At times it was very slow going as we hit some areas of white out with barely able to see the tail lights of the car in front of me. A few times the car in front of me started to spin out. I stayed a fair distance behind that car. We saw one car that had spun out and was in the ditch. A few semi's had even pulled off the road. Needless to say by the time I got up, over and down the pass I was white knuckling it and my shoulders and arms were pretty tensed up. I had Kollin, one of the ride people riding in the van, call Ron who was in front of us to tell him to stop at the McDonalds in Sultan. I needed a break from driving. Three of us rendevoused at the McDonalds for lunch and a much needed break.
We got back on the road and headed for Edmonds to catch the ferry. While driving on I5, I got a call from Theresa saying the ferries weren't running. We stopped at the rest area so Ron could empty the black water holding tank. While stopped there Ron called 511 to find out what was going on with the ferries. We found out that the Kingston ferry was not running at 12:45 but the Edmonds ferry was running on time. We pulled into the ferry line at 2:15 for the 2:20 ferry crossing. Before boarding the ferry, we heard from Richard, one of the ride guys, that while he was driving over the pass his trailer hit the guardrail and tore up the awning and side of his trailer. As we boarded the ferry, Richard called again to say he was in Monroe having just had a tire blow on his Blazer. He didn't know if he would be able to find a tire that would fit his car.
The ferry ride was very enjoyable though a bit rocky due to the high winds. It was nice to have a break from driving. It cost Ron $54.60 for the motor home and driver. The van was $14.85. The passengers in the van had to pay $6.90 per person. By taking the ferry we saved driving about 70 miles and avoided the Tacoma traffic. Just as we got off the ferry and turned onto the main road, Ron heard this grinding sound and felt a jerk with the motor home. He quickly pulled over. I followed suit with the van, and Albert did the same with his jeep and trailer. We must have been quite a sight ~ as soon as each vehicle stopped the passengers jumped out. There were 12 people on the side of the road. Ron and Ruben looked under the motor home and saw the drive shaft on the road. It was supposed to be connected from one end of the motor home to the other. Ron quickly got on the phone to the Emergency Roadside Assistance that we have with our insurance. Thank goodness we have a great policy as we have used it numerous times as many of you know. It was decided that Ron would stay with the motor home, Albert would drive his jeep and trailer and I would take the show van and all the passengers into Sequim. We were about 50 miles from the bone yard in Sequim. I am happy to say that the rest of the trip to Sequim was event free!
After pulling into the bone yard and getting Albert's trailer set up. I went and talked with Terry, one of the games managers told me that while they were driving from Wenatchee to Sequim one of his side windows was blown out. Guess it made a huge mess inside his fifth wheel trailer. Terry then asked me where our motor home was. I told him our saga. He responded with "oh no." I then knocked on Rick & Theresa's door. When Rick answered I asked him if he wanted the good news or the bad. He said it didn't matter ~ just tell him what was going on. I said the good news was that the show van made it safely from Wenatchee to Sequim with no problems. The bad news was that Richard was stuck in Monroe with a blown out tire and Ron was on the side of the road in Kingston with a broken drive shaft. Rick's response was "oh, no. Do you need a ride back to where Ron was?" I said I didn't know yet. I was going to see if I could use Albert's car once he got his trailer all settled. Rick said to let him know and he would give me a ride if I needed one. I thanked him and told him I would let him know.
After multiple phone calls from Ron I knew that I needed to find a ride back to Kingston because Ron and the motor home were being towed to a mechanic about 5 miles out of town. Ron had also talked to the mechanic, Del, and he would put out an electrical cord for us for the night and that he would be at the shop at 7:45 in the morning to begin working on the rig. I talked with Albert some more and he graciously loaned me his car for the night and tomorrow morning. I then called Ron and said I was getting back on the road. We talked about five times in the 45 minutes I drove back to Kingston. He was giving me directions to where to meet him and the tow truck driver. We met up in Kingston and I followed the tow truck and motor home to the mechanics. Another uneventful trip ~ yeah!
So now we are settled into the motor home for the night. We have electricity from the shop and fortunately water in our holding tank. We had chicken noodle soup for dinner (sounds better than Top Ramen). It is now 9:00 and I think we are going to bed soon. It has been a very long day for Ron with working through most of the night and then driving all day. I am doing much better than I was about 3 hours ago when I was in the midst of not knowing what was going to happen with the motor home or where we would be staying for the night.
As I am ending this post I do have many things to be thankful for:
~ that we made it safely over Stevens Pass
~ that the drive shaft did not drop when we were going 70 mph down I5 ~ it easily could have caused a major accident
~ that we have a great Emergency Road Service plan with our insurance coverage
~ that Ron feels confident about the mechanic after speaking to him both on the phone and in person about the drive shaft and what repairs need to be done
~ that Ron and I have a safe place to lay our heads tonight and we are not stuck on the road somewhere
Prayer requests:
~ for the repairs to be made quickly tomorrow so that we can get back to work. Ron is due to be on the carnival lot at 5:00 p.m. to set the lot for Wednesday's set up
~ that we will both get a good night's sleep
~ that the expenses are not more than the amount of money we have available
Thanks for reading about our day and keeping us in your prayers. We do appreciate all your prayers and words of encouragement. I will write another update tomorrow night, hopefully from the bone yard in Sequim.
Alice
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Super Sunday!
I couldn't think of a wonderful title except Super Sunday! Hope everyone is having a great day.
We have had a good week here in Wenatchee. Monday through Friday we worked from around 4:00 to 10 or 11 at night. Monday through Thursday was kinda crazy at it was wristband days at the carnival. You know where you pay one price, $25, and get to ride all the rides you want. Thursday night was our busiest day ever for the carnival. I was doing cash pick ups every 45 minutes or so and Ron was busy going from one of three ticket boxes checking on the ticket sellers, restocking the booths, and making sure there were no problems.
Friday was a piece of cake compared to the previous four days. In fact, it was kinda slow Friday night but we still stayed open till after 10:00 p.m. Saturday was another busy day and the carnival stayed open till after 10:30 p.m. I was so tired by the time we got home that I went right to bed and slept for 9.5 hours straight.
We did have a few lost kids this past week. Happy to say that all the lost kids were reunited with their parents. I did have one bad experience with a customer while I was doing customer service. It was a kid of about 14 or 15 who had bought a Fun Card for $15 and then decided he didn't want to go on any rides or play any games. He wanted me to give him back his money. We have signs posted all over the ticket booths that there are no refunds. I stood my ground about not giving him back his money. He got pretty foul mouthed at me but when I did not react to him, he stormed down the stairs of the customer service trailer. I watched him as he walked away still grumbling that I would not give him back his money. The other issue I had to deal with was a ride employee who left his ride to come to the ticket booth where I was putting on wristbands for customers to tell me how to do my job. I told him I knew how to do my job and it was not his place to give me orders. He also got pretty mouthy with me. I told him to return to his ride and he went off grumbling and swearing at me. I told Kenny, the ride supervisor, what happened as well as Ron. Kenny said he would take care of things and Ron made sure the guy didn't come around me any more. This same guy also got into an argument with Rick this afternoon. I don't think he will be around much longer.
Thursday late morning Ron went for a walk to Memorial Park, which is about 5 blocks from where the bone yard is. They had lots of food booths and a stage where a group was singing gospel songs. Ron listened to them for over an hour. He said they were a good group. I had stayed home because I was not feeling too well, once he told me about the music I wished I had gone with him.
Today was a short day for the carnival to be open. We were only opened from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Then the guys started the tear down. We pull out early tomorrow morning for Sequim so Rick wanted them to have plenty of time to do tear down. Besides business was really slow. After the carnival closed and we got the three ticket boxes cleaned out I went to work in the office and Ron began the tear down part of the ticket boxes. He has to bring all the computer monitors in, make sure the printer boxes and scanners are velco'd down and all the garbage is out of the boxes. When he is done with the ticket boxes, then he helps with the actual tear down of the rides. I spent about two hours in the show office counting the money from the tills. I then had to count quarters. Thankfully they have a coin counter so all I have to do is push the coins through the machine so the quarters drop into the bags. I bag them into $10 batches. We go through a lot of quarters each day. When I was done with counting money and there was nothing else that Theresa wanted me to do I caught a ride back to the bone yard. I only worked 4.25 hours today.
I have been back in the bone yard since about 5:15 p.m. It is so quiet right now as most of the crew is still at the lot doing tear down. It is quite nice!
Tomorrow we move to Sequim. We hope to be on the road no later than 10:00 a.m. so that we can stop in Leavenworth for about an hour. We are going to caravan with Albert. Our route is to go west on Highway 2 through Leavenworth to Everett and then catch the Edmonds/Kingston ferry. Saves us about 65 miles of driving.
Update on my blood sugars ~ since I have cut my insulin from 30 units to 20 units at night I have not had the major drops in my blood sugars in the middle of the night. We are so thankful for that as it is quite scary when I wake up with super low blood sugars.
Some of you know that our friend Shawn, one of the ride people, lost a cousin in a horrible bus/pedestrian accident in Portland last Saturday night. Shawn went home last Monday to be with family and to attend the memorial service for his cousin. Shawn will be joining back up with us in Sequim. His father, I believe, is driving him up there on Monday night or Tuesday morning. Thank you for praying for Shawn and his family during this difficult time. He let us know that it has been good to be with his family this past week.
Our week next week looks like this ~
~ Monday we drive to Sequim
~ Tuesday, Ron starts work at 5:00 p.m. The guys will be setting the lot for the carnival rides and games to go up on Wednesday morning. This includes getting the generators in the right spots, electrical and water lines laid out and the rides & games in place.
~ Wednesday morning the guys will get all the rides & games set up and operational. I go into work to set up the ticket boxes on Wednesday afternoon.
~ Thursday the carnival opens at 4:00 p.m.
~ Friday and Saturday will be full days at the carnival and then tear down is Saturday night. On Sunday we move to Port Townsend, all of 25 miles away. I am hoping that we can do something fun on Sunday as it is Mother's Day. Maybe we will go out to dinner...something we have only done once since starting to work/travel with the carnival. I know I will be missing my kids and grand-kids.
Praises & Prayer Requests ~
~ thanking God for a good week of work and rest
~ thanking God for being with Marva, one of the game people, who had emergency surgery earlier this week due to polyps on her vocal chords. She will get the results of the biopsy on Monday or Tuesday. There is a possibility that the polyps could have been cancerous. Please keep her in your prayers as she awaits the results.
~ praying for a safe and uneventful trip to Sequim on Monday.
Thanks for reading about our life as we work and travel with the carnival. Talk to all of you again soon.
We have had a good week here in Wenatchee. Monday through Friday we worked from around 4:00 to 10 or 11 at night. Monday through Thursday was kinda crazy at it was wristband days at the carnival. You know where you pay one price, $25, and get to ride all the rides you want. Thursday night was our busiest day ever for the carnival. I was doing cash pick ups every 45 minutes or so and Ron was busy going from one of three ticket boxes checking on the ticket sellers, restocking the booths, and making sure there were no problems.
Friday was a piece of cake compared to the previous four days. In fact, it was kinda slow Friday night but we still stayed open till after 10:00 p.m. Saturday was another busy day and the carnival stayed open till after 10:30 p.m. I was so tired by the time we got home that I went right to bed and slept for 9.5 hours straight.
We did have a few lost kids this past week. Happy to say that all the lost kids were reunited with their parents. I did have one bad experience with a customer while I was doing customer service. It was a kid of about 14 or 15 who had bought a Fun Card for $15 and then decided he didn't want to go on any rides or play any games. He wanted me to give him back his money. We have signs posted all over the ticket booths that there are no refunds. I stood my ground about not giving him back his money. He got pretty foul mouthed at me but when I did not react to him, he stormed down the stairs of the customer service trailer. I watched him as he walked away still grumbling that I would not give him back his money. The other issue I had to deal with was a ride employee who left his ride to come to the ticket booth where I was putting on wristbands for customers to tell me how to do my job. I told him I knew how to do my job and it was not his place to give me orders. He also got pretty mouthy with me. I told him to return to his ride and he went off grumbling and swearing at me. I told Kenny, the ride supervisor, what happened as well as Ron. Kenny said he would take care of things and Ron made sure the guy didn't come around me any more. This same guy also got into an argument with Rick this afternoon. I don't think he will be around much longer.
Thursday late morning Ron went for a walk to Memorial Park, which is about 5 blocks from where the bone yard is. They had lots of food booths and a stage where a group was singing gospel songs. Ron listened to them for over an hour. He said they were a good group. I had stayed home because I was not feeling too well, once he told me about the music I wished I had gone with him.
Today was a short day for the carnival to be open. We were only opened from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Then the guys started the tear down. We pull out early tomorrow morning for Sequim so Rick wanted them to have plenty of time to do tear down. Besides business was really slow. After the carnival closed and we got the three ticket boxes cleaned out I went to work in the office and Ron began the tear down part of the ticket boxes. He has to bring all the computer monitors in, make sure the printer boxes and scanners are velco'd down and all the garbage is out of the boxes. When he is done with the ticket boxes, then he helps with the actual tear down of the rides. I spent about two hours in the show office counting the money from the tills. I then had to count quarters. Thankfully they have a coin counter so all I have to do is push the coins through the machine so the quarters drop into the bags. I bag them into $10 batches. We go through a lot of quarters each day. When I was done with counting money and there was nothing else that Theresa wanted me to do I caught a ride back to the bone yard. I only worked 4.25 hours today.
I have been back in the bone yard since about 5:15 p.m. It is so quiet right now as most of the crew is still at the lot doing tear down. It is quite nice!
Tomorrow we move to Sequim. We hope to be on the road no later than 10:00 a.m. so that we can stop in Leavenworth for about an hour. We are going to caravan with Albert. Our route is to go west on Highway 2 through Leavenworth to Everett and then catch the Edmonds/Kingston ferry. Saves us about 65 miles of driving.
Update on my blood sugars ~ since I have cut my insulin from 30 units to 20 units at night I have not had the major drops in my blood sugars in the middle of the night. We are so thankful for that as it is quite scary when I wake up with super low blood sugars.
Some of you know that our friend Shawn, one of the ride people, lost a cousin in a horrible bus/pedestrian accident in Portland last Saturday night. Shawn went home last Monday to be with family and to attend the memorial service for his cousin. Shawn will be joining back up with us in Sequim. His father, I believe, is driving him up there on Monday night or Tuesday morning. Thank you for praying for Shawn and his family during this difficult time. He let us know that it has been good to be with his family this past week.
Our week next week looks like this ~
~ Monday we drive to Sequim
~ Tuesday, Ron starts work at 5:00 p.m. The guys will be setting the lot for the carnival rides and games to go up on Wednesday morning. This includes getting the generators in the right spots, electrical and water lines laid out and the rides & games in place.
~ Wednesday morning the guys will get all the rides & games set up and operational. I go into work to set up the ticket boxes on Wednesday afternoon.
~ Thursday the carnival opens at 4:00 p.m.
~ Friday and Saturday will be full days at the carnival and then tear down is Saturday night. On Sunday we move to Port Townsend, all of 25 miles away. I am hoping that we can do something fun on Sunday as it is Mother's Day. Maybe we will go out to dinner...something we have only done once since starting to work/travel with the carnival. I know I will be missing my kids and grand-kids.
Praises & Prayer Requests ~
~ thanking God for a good week of work and rest
~ thanking God for being with Marva, one of the game people, who had emergency surgery earlier this week due to polyps on her vocal chords. She will get the results of the biopsy on Monday or Tuesday. There is a possibility that the polyps could have been cancerous. Please keep her in your prayers as she awaits the results.
~ praying for a safe and uneventful trip to Sequim on Monday.
Thanks for reading about our life as we work and travel with the carnival. Talk to all of you again soon.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
What We've Been Doing in Wenatchee
Hello There!
Sorry it's been awhile since I have updated my blog. When we arrived in Wenatchee last Tuesday we hit the ground running.
Last Tuesday, we pulled into the bone yard about 1:35. Ron quickly got us parked and Shawn hooked up our power. Ron then got changed into work clothes and then they were gone. Set up was supposed to start at 1:30 but Shawn had seen us pulling into the bone yard so he turned around and helped to get us hooked up so Ron could work set up too. After they left, I called Theresa and let her know that we had made it here. She was glad we were able to get the motor home fixed and had made it to Wenatchee. I then spent about an hour setting up the motor home and getting organized. I even found time to take a 2 hour nap ~ it was wonderful.
Wednesday and Thursday we both worked all day. I was in the office all day Wednesday. Thursday morning I set up all three ticket boxes and then in the afternoon I worked more in the office. Wednesday night we had our first guests for dinner since starting with the carnival. Shawn, Albert and Sophie joined us for a delicious dinner of roast beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions. We had a good time visiting and getting to know each other a little better. Wednesday after I was done with work, I made a quick trip to do laundry since we were not able to do it on our travel day due to the motor home problems.
We heard on Thursday that a dear friend of ours, Doug Freeman went home to be with the Lord. Doug was 81. It was hard to know that we would not be able to attend the memorial service for him or to be available to help at Northwood with the service. We did hear on Saturday night that the service was well attended and went well. We are thankful for answered prayer.
Friday the carnival was due to open at 5:00. We had to be at work at 2:30 to make sure all the computers were up and working in the ticket boxes as well as make sure all the signs were up with the correct prices. It was a good thing we had started early as we had printer problems. Seems Ron hooked the printer up to the wrong outlet on the computer. Won't make that mistake again. Friday night at the carnival was a busy night as sponsors had given out wrist bands for free rides from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. The carnival lot was crowded ~ the first we had ever seen that. It was a nice sight to see all the happy kids and all the rides in action.
Our jobs this week are a little different. Since the Lions Club is the sponsor of our carnival here in Wenatchee, the Lions Club members sell our tickets ~ it is their biggest fund raiser of the year. Ron and I have to train each person at the beginning of their shifts. Ron and I also respond if there is a problem in one of the ticket boxes. Another job we have this week is doing cash pick ups from the ticket boxes and the two food booths that belong to Funtastic Shows. We are getting lots of exercise as we walk from one end of the lot to the other. I am also spending lots of time in the office doing Customer Service and helping with payroll and counting money.
Saturday and Sunday we opened at noon so we had to be at work at 11:00. The carnival stays open till 10:00 p.m. each day. We did lots of walking and interacted with lots of people. Customer Service is going well. I know that is because the Lord is answering my prayer for things to go smoothly when I am in that position. I have heard such horror stories of how customers treat the person in Customer Service but so far nothing bad has happened to me and no one has called me names or even swear at me. For that I am thankful.
Sunday started off with some bad news. Shawn found out that his cousin had been killed in a pedestrian/bus accident in Portland, OR. She was only 22. Shawn and Albert were given the day off to make arrangements for Shawn to go home on Monday morning. He is from Enumclaw. He went home on Monday morning and then drove on to Vancouver, WA to be with family. He will rejoin us when we are in Sequim. Since Shawn had to leave, now Ron and I are the show van drivers. We drive the van from the bone yard to the lot for each shift and at the end of the day. It appears I will be driving the show van to Sequim when we head out next week. I will find out for sure either today or tomorrow if that is the plan.
Monday morning we were woke up at 9:50 a.m. by three gamer people who wanted to go and do laundry. We had to call Rick to see if it was okay to take a group to do laundry. Rick said yes, so Ron took 7 people to do laundry and then to Walmart for some grocery shopping. I went with Albert & Sophie to Costco, Walmart, Home Depot and then the Grocery Outlet. It was nice to be able to stock up on things like granola bars, bottled water (we are drinking 3 to 4 bottles a day), sliced cheese, a roaster chicken and plastic ware. Since we do a lot of boon docking (camping without hookups) we have opted to use paper plates and plastic ware to save on water going into the holding tanks. At Walmart I found a pair of black slacks and a pair of black capris so now I have four pairs of work slacks as well as buying 10 white t-shirts for Ron. I think we now have enough work clothes to get us through a two week carnival run.
Sunday, Ron was pleasantly surprised as he ran into a friend of ours from home. Sean Smith, from Birch Bay, was here in Wenatchee for some training and was walking through the carnival when they ran into each other. Sean took Ron's picture and sent it home to Teresa via his cell phone.
Monday night at the carnival was a little crazy. It was the first night where you could buy a wrist band and ride unlimited rides for the evening. Another new thing we had to teach the cashiers how to sell. I spent the first hour we were opened running from ticket booth to ticket booth fixing errors ~ wrist bands not being scanned when sold which made them not work on the rides. We had our first lost child ~ a little girl of about 6 or 7 who got separated from her parents was found wandering in the games area. We put it out across the radios that she was lost, where she was at - sitting with a gamer in front of one of the games and asked ride operators to watch for frantic looking parents. We are happy to report parents and child were reunited after about 15 minutes.
Ron and I have enjoyed two treats at the carnival. One is a bag of dried onions that are like potato chips. You can get white onions that are flavored with butter, salt & pepper or red onions that have paprika, salt & pepper on them. They are delicious and only cost $2.00 a bag. I think I am going to buy a couple of bags on the last day to take with us. The other treat is getting a large cup of fresh fruit & vegi's (mango, pineapple, watermelon and cucumbers) for $3.00. The fruit tastes yummy and the price is pretty good. Oh, a third treat Ron has enjoyed a couple of times is fresh made lemonade.
That about sums up our last week here in Wenatchee. The Apple Blossom Festival runs through Sunday, May 2nd. We have heard rumors that tear down will be a two day affair next week so not sure when we will leave for Sequim from here. I hope to find out today or tomorrow if I will be driving the show van for that trip.
Praises this week ~
~ for good weather this week as we worked
~ that we were able to get the motor home repaired and a safe trip to Wenatchee
~ for being able to meet our financial obligations
~ for all the walking we are getting in. Ron lost 4 lbs last week and I lost 1 lb.
Prayer requests ~
~ we are still waiting for one check to come in from a customer. Ron spoke with him and was told that we should get our money around the 5th of May. Please pray that it comes in as we were told
~ for continued good health. I spoke with my endocrinologist and she lowered my insulin and I have not had any problems with low blood sugars for over a week.
~ for safety as we work especially as we do the pick ups of cash from the ticket and food booths
Thanks for reading my blog and keeping up with us as we live/work/travel with the carnival. Feel free to leave a comment or drop us a note on facebook or via email. We love hearing from you!
Sorry it's been awhile since I have updated my blog. When we arrived in Wenatchee last Tuesday we hit the ground running.
Last Tuesday, we pulled into the bone yard about 1:35. Ron quickly got us parked and Shawn hooked up our power. Ron then got changed into work clothes and then they were gone. Set up was supposed to start at 1:30 but Shawn had seen us pulling into the bone yard so he turned around and helped to get us hooked up so Ron could work set up too. After they left, I called Theresa and let her know that we had made it here. She was glad we were able to get the motor home fixed and had made it to Wenatchee. I then spent about an hour setting up the motor home and getting organized. I even found time to take a 2 hour nap ~ it was wonderful.
Wednesday and Thursday we both worked all day. I was in the office all day Wednesday. Thursday morning I set up all three ticket boxes and then in the afternoon I worked more in the office. Wednesday night we had our first guests for dinner since starting with the carnival. Shawn, Albert and Sophie joined us for a delicious dinner of roast beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions. We had a good time visiting and getting to know each other a little better. Wednesday after I was done with work, I made a quick trip to do laundry since we were not able to do it on our travel day due to the motor home problems.
We heard on Thursday that a dear friend of ours, Doug Freeman went home to be with the Lord. Doug was 81. It was hard to know that we would not be able to attend the memorial service for him or to be available to help at Northwood with the service. We did hear on Saturday night that the service was well attended and went well. We are thankful for answered prayer.
Friday the carnival was due to open at 5:00. We had to be at work at 2:30 to make sure all the computers were up and working in the ticket boxes as well as make sure all the signs were up with the correct prices. It was a good thing we had started early as we had printer problems. Seems Ron hooked the printer up to the wrong outlet on the computer. Won't make that mistake again. Friday night at the carnival was a busy night as sponsors had given out wrist bands for free rides from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. The carnival lot was crowded ~ the first we had ever seen that. It was a nice sight to see all the happy kids and all the rides in action.
Our jobs this week are a little different. Since the Lions Club is the sponsor of our carnival here in Wenatchee, the Lions Club members sell our tickets ~ it is their biggest fund raiser of the year. Ron and I have to train each person at the beginning of their shifts. Ron and I also respond if there is a problem in one of the ticket boxes. Another job we have this week is doing cash pick ups from the ticket boxes and the two food booths that belong to Funtastic Shows. We are getting lots of exercise as we walk from one end of the lot to the other. I am also spending lots of time in the office doing Customer Service and helping with payroll and counting money.
Saturday and Sunday we opened at noon so we had to be at work at 11:00. The carnival stays open till 10:00 p.m. each day. We did lots of walking and interacted with lots of people. Customer Service is going well. I know that is because the Lord is answering my prayer for things to go smoothly when I am in that position. I have heard such horror stories of how customers treat the person in Customer Service but so far nothing bad has happened to me and no one has called me names or even swear at me. For that I am thankful.
Sunday started off with some bad news. Shawn found out that his cousin had been killed in a pedestrian/bus accident in Portland, OR. She was only 22. Shawn and Albert were given the day off to make arrangements for Shawn to go home on Monday morning. He is from Enumclaw. He went home on Monday morning and then drove on to Vancouver, WA to be with family. He will rejoin us when we are in Sequim. Since Shawn had to leave, now Ron and I are the show van drivers. We drive the van from the bone yard to the lot for each shift and at the end of the day. It appears I will be driving the show van to Sequim when we head out next week. I will find out for sure either today or tomorrow if that is the plan.
Monday morning we were woke up at 9:50 a.m. by three gamer people who wanted to go and do laundry. We had to call Rick to see if it was okay to take a group to do laundry. Rick said yes, so Ron took 7 people to do laundry and then to Walmart for some grocery shopping. I went with Albert & Sophie to Costco, Walmart, Home Depot and then the Grocery Outlet. It was nice to be able to stock up on things like granola bars, bottled water (we are drinking 3 to 4 bottles a day), sliced cheese, a roaster chicken and plastic ware. Since we do a lot of boon docking (camping without hookups) we have opted to use paper plates and plastic ware to save on water going into the holding tanks. At Walmart I found a pair of black slacks and a pair of black capris so now I have four pairs of work slacks as well as buying 10 white t-shirts for Ron. I think we now have enough work clothes to get us through a two week carnival run.
Sunday, Ron was pleasantly surprised as he ran into a friend of ours from home. Sean Smith, from Birch Bay, was here in Wenatchee for some training and was walking through the carnival when they ran into each other. Sean took Ron's picture and sent it home to Teresa via his cell phone.
Monday night at the carnival was a little crazy. It was the first night where you could buy a wrist band and ride unlimited rides for the evening. Another new thing we had to teach the cashiers how to sell. I spent the first hour we were opened running from ticket booth to ticket booth fixing errors ~ wrist bands not being scanned when sold which made them not work on the rides. We had our first lost child ~ a little girl of about 6 or 7 who got separated from her parents was found wandering in the games area. We put it out across the radios that she was lost, where she was at - sitting with a gamer in front of one of the games and asked ride operators to watch for frantic looking parents. We are happy to report parents and child were reunited after about 15 minutes.
Ron and I have enjoyed two treats at the carnival. One is a bag of dried onions that are like potato chips. You can get white onions that are flavored with butter, salt & pepper or red onions that have paprika, salt & pepper on them. They are delicious and only cost $2.00 a bag. I think I am going to buy a couple of bags on the last day to take with us. The other treat is getting a large cup of fresh fruit & vegi's (mango, pineapple, watermelon and cucumbers) for $3.00. The fruit tastes yummy and the price is pretty good. Oh, a third treat Ron has enjoyed a couple of times is fresh made lemonade.
That about sums up our last week here in Wenatchee. The Apple Blossom Festival runs through Sunday, May 2nd. We have heard rumors that tear down will be a two day affair next week so not sure when we will leave for Sequim from here. I hope to find out today or tomorrow if I will be driving the show van for that trip.
Praises this week ~
~ for good weather this week as we worked
~ that we were able to get the motor home repaired and a safe trip to Wenatchee
~ for being able to meet our financial obligations
~ for all the walking we are getting in. Ron lost 4 lbs last week and I lost 1 lb.
Prayer requests ~
~ we are still waiting for one check to come in from a customer. Ron spoke with him and was told that we should get our money around the 5th of May. Please pray that it comes in as we were told
~ for continued good health. I spoke with my endocrinologist and she lowered my insulin and I have not had any problems with low blood sugars for over a week.
~ for safety as we work especially as we do the pick ups of cash from the ticket and food booths
Thanks for reading my blog and keeping up with us as we live/work/travel with the carnival. Feel free to leave a comment or drop us a note on facebook or via email. We love hearing from you!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Going to Wenatchee - Part II
We are in Wenatchee!
After spending the night at the RV Repair Shop we were their first customers of the day. Josh started working on the motor home about 8:30 a.m. He checked all the fuel lines, checked the fuel filter, then crawled out from underneath the motor home and talked to Ron some more. Then they both went in and talked with Mark, the owner. Josh then came inside the motor home and opened the engine cover. He took something apart and exclaimed...well look at this...a burned out coil. He took it out, talked to Mark and then ordered a new one from Napa Auto Parts. We waited about an half hour for it to arrive and then Josh put it in along with another new fuel filter, which by the way looked pretty dirty.
After Josh finished, Ron went in and paid the bill. Another $260. That made a total of $345 for repairs in two days.
We then went and got gas and got back on I90 and headed towards Snoqualmie Summit. Made it without any problems, continued on to Bluett Pass and went up and down without any problems. Our speed dropped to 35 miles per hour but that is to be expected since we don't have a huge engine in this thing. We arrived in Wenatchee about 12:30, stopped at Walmart and bought us each a new pair of tennis shoes. Then off to find the bone yard. It is about 2 1/2 miles from the carnival lot. The carnival lot is right alongside the river. We drove past that on our way to the bone yard.
We got parked into our spot, hooked up the electric and then Ron changed and headed off to work on the set up. I spent some time organizing the inside of the motor home and am now catching up on emails, sending out this blog update and then will make something for dinner. Hopefully this evening, Shawn or Albert will give us a ride to the laundromat. We didn't want to stop and take the time to do laundry today as Ron wanted to get here and get to work as planned.
We will be here in Wenatchee for the Apple Blossom Festival through Sunday, May 2nd. We leave for Sequim on Monday, May 3rd.
Praises ~
~ that we knew an honest and reliable mechanic who got us fixed and running as quick as possible
~ that we had the money to get the motor home fixed (thank you Northwood family for the gift!)
~ that we slept well last night
~ and for the uneventful trip to Wenatchee today
Prayers ~
~ still waiting for one more check to come in, Ron is going to call Chad tonight to see where it is
~ for us to have a good work week
Thank you all for reading along on our journey of living/working/traveling with the carnival. Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.
Love and miss you all!
Alice & Ron
After spending the night at the RV Repair Shop we were their first customers of the day. Josh started working on the motor home about 8:30 a.m. He checked all the fuel lines, checked the fuel filter, then crawled out from underneath the motor home and talked to Ron some more. Then they both went in and talked with Mark, the owner. Josh then came inside the motor home and opened the engine cover. He took something apart and exclaimed...well look at this...a burned out coil. He took it out, talked to Mark and then ordered a new one from Napa Auto Parts. We waited about an half hour for it to arrive and then Josh put it in along with another new fuel filter, which by the way looked pretty dirty.
After Josh finished, Ron went in and paid the bill. Another $260. That made a total of $345 for repairs in two days.
We then went and got gas and got back on I90 and headed towards Snoqualmie Summit. Made it without any problems, continued on to Bluett Pass and went up and down without any problems. Our speed dropped to 35 miles per hour but that is to be expected since we don't have a huge engine in this thing. We arrived in Wenatchee about 12:30, stopped at Walmart and bought us each a new pair of tennis shoes. Then off to find the bone yard. It is about 2 1/2 miles from the carnival lot. The carnival lot is right alongside the river. We drove past that on our way to the bone yard.
We got parked into our spot, hooked up the electric and then Ron changed and headed off to work on the set up. I spent some time organizing the inside of the motor home and am now catching up on emails, sending out this blog update and then will make something for dinner. Hopefully this evening, Shawn or Albert will give us a ride to the laundromat. We didn't want to stop and take the time to do laundry today as Ron wanted to get here and get to work as planned.
We will be here in Wenatchee for the Apple Blossom Festival through Sunday, May 2nd. We leave for Sequim on Monday, May 3rd.
Praises ~
~ that we knew an honest and reliable mechanic who got us fixed and running as quick as possible
~ that we had the money to get the motor home fixed (thank you Northwood family for the gift!)
~ that we slept well last night
~ and for the uneventful trip to Wenatchee today
Prayers ~
~ still waiting for one more check to come in, Ron is going to call Chad tonight to see where it is
~ for us to have a good work week
Thank you all for reading along on our journey of living/working/traveling with the carnival. Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.
Love and miss you all!
Alice & Ron
Monday, April 19, 2010
Moving to Wenatchee Today - Part I
Today we began our move to Wenatchee for the Apple Blossom Fair.
Ron worked till 5:45 this morning. He came home, showered and then slept till about 8:30 a.m. I had gotten off Sunday night at 10:30 so came home, showered and went to bed. I slept till about 5:15 a.m. when my blood sugar dropped again to 55. I got up and ate a yogurt, drank a juice and then ate a granola bar. Got my number back up to 90. Went back to bed, woke up briefly when Ron came in and fell back asleep till about 8:15. I got up and started getting things ready in the motor home for the move to Wenatchee. We were ready to leave the campground at 10:00 a.m. I had not heard from Rick or Theresa that I was needed to drive a company van so we headed out.
Our first stop was to see Cory Crawford at the elementary school where he is the principal. He was Jamie's 3rd grade teacher and a good friend of ours. We attended his wedding the summer after Jamie's 3rd grade year. It was so good to reconnect with him. I showed him the family book that Danalyn made for us for Christmas two years ago. After visiting for about an half hour we left him so he could go back to doing assessment tests on some of his students and we made our way to Winco to do some much needed grocery shopping. After having a lunch of sandwiches in the motor home we then made a stop at Target to get a couple packages of white t-shirts for Ron. He only had 4 and we needed to make sure he had enough to get him through two weeks of carnival work since we don't know if we will be able to get away to do laundry while we are in Wenatchee. After Target we filled up the motor home with gas on got on the freeway headed to Wenatchee.
We were driving along and started climbing Highway 18 when the motor home started acting like it wasn't getting any gas (like it had done when we were on our Fall trips last year). We stopped/started multiple times on Highway 18 but made it to the top of Tiger Summit. Going down hill the motor home had no problems. After missing our exit to I90 and turning around we headed through Issaquah and through Northbend. As we started the climb up I90 the motor home again began having problems. We started/stopped multiple times again finally turning off at exit 38. Ron made the decision we would turn around and go to the mechanic who had replaced our alternator two years ago. We knew him to be a good and honest businessman and trusted his work. We pulled into his shop about 2:30 p.m. It was about an hour wait before they could work on our rig so we each took a short nap. At about 3:30 they drove the motor home into the shop. Found a melted spark plug wire, replaced it and $85 later we were back on the road. We made it about 15 miles before we started having the same starting/stopping problem and so Ron quickly called Mark back at the shop, told him what was going on and said we would make our way back to the shop so they could work on it in the morning. It was now 4:45 and they close at 5:00. Mark said he would put out a 30 amp plug for us for the night so we could have power (that's why I can write on my blog tonight and check emails). Now they are thinking we have a bad fuel pump that will need to be replaced in the morning.
We arrived at the repair shop at about 6:00 p.m. Ron got us level and I hooked up the power. Ron then called Rick & Theresa to tell them what was going on and that we would not be in Wenatchee tonight as planned. Rick's response was a positive one and said better to take care of the problem now before things get possibly worse. Ron felt bad that he was not going to be at work tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. as scheduled but we also know there is nothing we can do tonight. We did spend some time in prayer thanking the Lord for getting us to a safe and secure spot for the night and that we are not stranded somewhere on the road.
We had a dinner of brats and mac & cheese. Ron then spent time reading and I have been checking emails and writing my blog.
Please keep us in your prayers that the necessary repairs will be made quickly and without a lot of expense and that we can then get back on the road and over to Wenatchee. We still need to make a stop and do laundry before settling into the bone yard.
On a positive note it is very quiet here and relaxing and after a busy week it is a nice break. We know we are where the Lord wants us for the night and are looking forward to a new and wonderful day tomorrow.
I will make another post tomorrow night to let you know how things turn out tomorrow.
Alice
Ron worked till 5:45 this morning. He came home, showered and then slept till about 8:30 a.m. I had gotten off Sunday night at 10:30 so came home, showered and went to bed. I slept till about 5:15 a.m. when my blood sugar dropped again to 55. I got up and ate a yogurt, drank a juice and then ate a granola bar. Got my number back up to 90. Went back to bed, woke up briefly when Ron came in and fell back asleep till about 8:15. I got up and started getting things ready in the motor home for the move to Wenatchee. We were ready to leave the campground at 10:00 a.m. I had not heard from Rick or Theresa that I was needed to drive a company van so we headed out.
Our first stop was to see Cory Crawford at the elementary school where he is the principal. He was Jamie's 3rd grade teacher and a good friend of ours. We attended his wedding the summer after Jamie's 3rd grade year. It was so good to reconnect with him. I showed him the family book that Danalyn made for us for Christmas two years ago. After visiting for about an half hour we left him so he could go back to doing assessment tests on some of his students and we made our way to Winco to do some much needed grocery shopping. After having a lunch of sandwiches in the motor home we then made a stop at Target to get a couple packages of white t-shirts for Ron. He only had 4 and we needed to make sure he had enough to get him through two weeks of carnival work since we don't know if we will be able to get away to do laundry while we are in Wenatchee. After Target we filled up the motor home with gas on got on the freeway headed to Wenatchee.
We were driving along and started climbing Highway 18 when the motor home started acting like it wasn't getting any gas (like it had done when we were on our Fall trips last year). We stopped/started multiple times on Highway 18 but made it to the top of Tiger Summit. Going down hill the motor home had no problems. After missing our exit to I90 and turning around we headed through Issaquah and through Northbend. As we started the climb up I90 the motor home again began having problems. We started/stopped multiple times again finally turning off at exit 38. Ron made the decision we would turn around and go to the mechanic who had replaced our alternator two years ago. We knew him to be a good and honest businessman and trusted his work. We pulled into his shop about 2:30 p.m. It was about an hour wait before they could work on our rig so we each took a short nap. At about 3:30 they drove the motor home into the shop. Found a melted spark plug wire, replaced it and $85 later we were back on the road. We made it about 15 miles before we started having the same starting/stopping problem and so Ron quickly called Mark back at the shop, told him what was going on and said we would make our way back to the shop so they could work on it in the morning. It was now 4:45 and they close at 5:00. Mark said he would put out a 30 amp plug for us for the night so we could have power (that's why I can write on my blog tonight and check emails). Now they are thinking we have a bad fuel pump that will need to be replaced in the morning.
We arrived at the repair shop at about 6:00 p.m. Ron got us level and I hooked up the power. Ron then called Rick & Theresa to tell them what was going on and that we would not be in Wenatchee tonight as planned. Rick's response was a positive one and said better to take care of the problem now before things get possibly worse. Ron felt bad that he was not going to be at work tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. as scheduled but we also know there is nothing we can do tonight. We did spend some time in prayer thanking the Lord for getting us to a safe and secure spot for the night and that we are not stranded somewhere on the road.
We had a dinner of brats and mac & cheese. Ron then spent time reading and I have been checking emails and writing my blog.
Please keep us in your prayers that the necessary repairs will be made quickly and without a lot of expense and that we can then get back on the road and over to Wenatchee. We still need to make a stop and do laundry before settling into the bone yard.
On a positive note it is very quiet here and relaxing and after a busy week it is a nice break. We know we are where the Lord wants us for the night and are looking forward to a new and wonderful day tomorrow.
I will make another post tomorrow night to let you know how things turn out tomorrow.
Alice
Long Week in Puyallup
Hello There!
Stopping in to let you all know we survived the Puyallup Spring Fair. Ron worked 64.25 hours and I worked 53 hours. Needless to say we didn't do much but work and sleep. Ron ran the Fire Brigade ride. It is a kiddie ride in the shape of a fire engine. All the kiddos are seat belted in and then the fire engine goes up and makes a circle in the air. The ride lasts about 3 minutes. Ron said the most fun was to watch the kids in their excitement of getting on the ride and going way up.
I worked in the Rides Department office and Customer Service. God answered my prayers as the gal I worked with, Debbie, is a Christian. She holds the same position with the White Unit that Theresa does with the Blue Unit (the unit we work for). We had some good talks, sharing how the Lord is working in our lives and how he brought each of us to work for the carnival. Debbie has worked for Funtastic Shows for 22 years. It was so nice to be in an office where there was no swearing and just a positive outlook for each day. I look forward to meeting up with her again in Eugene and Salem later in the year. I handed out uniforms, pay sheets, coats and answered lots of questions each day. At the end of each day I collected the uniforms, pay sheets, coats and answered more questions. I also helped to process the prior days time sheets, handed out Show Dough (purple dollars that worked the same as cash at three different food booths and was a draw from peoples checks). At the end of the day yesterday I did the inventory of coats and shirts some of which stayed in Puyallup for the Big Fair in September and some were sent back to the Portland office.
Again God answered my prayers ~ before going to work in Customer Service I was told all these horrible stories of angry customers swearing at you, calling you names. The picture that was painted was one that I was not looking forward to working in. I prayed that the Lord would give me the right words to say, for me to have a joyful and happy heart while I was working and to let the love of the Lord shine through me. Every interaction with the customers were a good one for me. A couple of times I had to ask for help from Rick or Ron Burback but all went well except for one customer. In Customer Service I answered questions and checked ride cards to see how many games and ride tickets were left as well as deal with upset customers for a various reasons. We always tried to send them away happy. There was only one negative experience. I opened the window to a lady and just as I did, she started spouting things to Ron Burback who was sitting behind and to the left of me about how evil he was, that she had a good lawyer and she would see him in court, that she knew his name and was harassed for the last time by him. Ron Burback, called on the radio for the police to come and escort her off the property. Many things had transpired in the hour before I went on duty at Customer Service with this lady and she was clearly drunk and reaking of alcohol. It wasn't but a couple of minutes and three cops came up and stood at the foot of the stairs of Customer Service and watched her from afar. I felt very well protected by the local police department. I didn't see that lady again. God is so good and helped me to have an easy time at the Customer Service window whenever I was working at that post.
For the Big Fair in September I will probably do much of the same things that I did this past week, at least I hope so.
I was very proud of myself as I only spent $2.50 on a pepsi one day. Ron did buy a couple of scones so we did really well in NOT eating the fair food. We have been taking our lunches to work as well as yogurt for me and granola bars for both of us for snacks. Now to just keep that up for the rest of the summer.
I did meet the owners, Mr. Ron & Bev Burback and their son, Ron Burback. They all seemed like nice people.
One exciting thing happened while there though...on one of Ron's lunch breaks he went walking around and found Karen & Cory Crawford and their pygmy goats. Cory was Jamie's third grade teacher at Dick Scobee Elementary in Auburn. It has been over 20 years since we have seen them though we have kept in touch through Christmas cards and letters. Today, before leaving Puyallup we went by Zieger Elementary School where Cory is the principal and spent about an half hour with him. We showed him pictures of the boys and their families. It was so fun to get caught up with each other.
That about sums up our week in Puyallup. We go back there the weekend after Labor Day for 17 days.
We leave on Monday 4/19 to go to Wenatchee for the Apple Blossom Festival for two weeks.
Stopping in to let you all know we survived the Puyallup Spring Fair. Ron worked 64.25 hours and I worked 53 hours. Needless to say we didn't do much but work and sleep. Ron ran the Fire Brigade ride. It is a kiddie ride in the shape of a fire engine. All the kiddos are seat belted in and then the fire engine goes up and makes a circle in the air. The ride lasts about 3 minutes. Ron said the most fun was to watch the kids in their excitement of getting on the ride and going way up.
I worked in the Rides Department office and Customer Service. God answered my prayers as the gal I worked with, Debbie, is a Christian. She holds the same position with the White Unit that Theresa does with the Blue Unit (the unit we work for). We had some good talks, sharing how the Lord is working in our lives and how he brought each of us to work for the carnival. Debbie has worked for Funtastic Shows for 22 years. It was so nice to be in an office where there was no swearing and just a positive outlook for each day. I look forward to meeting up with her again in Eugene and Salem later in the year. I handed out uniforms, pay sheets, coats and answered lots of questions each day. At the end of each day I collected the uniforms, pay sheets, coats and answered more questions. I also helped to process the prior days time sheets, handed out Show Dough (purple dollars that worked the same as cash at three different food booths and was a draw from peoples checks). At the end of the day yesterday I did the inventory of coats and shirts some of which stayed in Puyallup for the Big Fair in September and some were sent back to the Portland office.
Again God answered my prayers ~ before going to work in Customer Service I was told all these horrible stories of angry customers swearing at you, calling you names. The picture that was painted was one that I was not looking forward to working in. I prayed that the Lord would give me the right words to say, for me to have a joyful and happy heart while I was working and to let the love of the Lord shine through me. Every interaction with the customers were a good one for me. A couple of times I had to ask for help from Rick or Ron Burback but all went well except for one customer. In Customer Service I answered questions and checked ride cards to see how many games and ride tickets were left as well as deal with upset customers for a various reasons. We always tried to send them away happy. There was only one negative experience. I opened the window to a lady and just as I did, she started spouting things to Ron Burback who was sitting behind and to the left of me about how evil he was, that she had a good lawyer and she would see him in court, that she knew his name and was harassed for the last time by him. Ron Burback, called on the radio for the police to come and escort her off the property. Many things had transpired in the hour before I went on duty at Customer Service with this lady and she was clearly drunk and reaking of alcohol. It wasn't but a couple of minutes and three cops came up and stood at the foot of the stairs of Customer Service and watched her from afar. I felt very well protected by the local police department. I didn't see that lady again. God is so good and helped me to have an easy time at the Customer Service window whenever I was working at that post.
For the Big Fair in September I will probably do much of the same things that I did this past week, at least I hope so.
I was very proud of myself as I only spent $2.50 on a pepsi one day. Ron did buy a couple of scones so we did really well in NOT eating the fair food. We have been taking our lunches to work as well as yogurt for me and granola bars for both of us for snacks. Now to just keep that up for the rest of the summer.
I did meet the owners, Mr. Ron & Bev Burback and their son, Ron Burback. They all seemed like nice people.
One exciting thing happened while there though...on one of Ron's lunch breaks he went walking around and found Karen & Cory Crawford and their pygmy goats. Cory was Jamie's third grade teacher at Dick Scobee Elementary in Auburn. It has been over 20 years since we have seen them though we have kept in touch through Christmas cards and letters. Today, before leaving Puyallup we went by Zieger Elementary School where Cory is the principal and spent about an half hour with him. We showed him pictures of the boys and their families. It was so fun to get caught up with each other.
That about sums up our week in Puyallup. We go back there the weekend after Labor Day for 17 days.
We leave on Monday 4/19 to go to Wenatchee for the Apple Blossom Festival for two weeks.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Change of Plans for Alice this week at the Puyallup Spring Fair
Change of plans for Alice ~
Just got a call from Theresa about my job this week at the Puyallup Spring Fair.
The original plan was that I would be working in the Pizza concession stand Thursday through Sunday. This is because Puyallup hires their own ticket sellers and they are not through Funtastic Shows. Okay, no problem for me. I don't mind doing something different. Now the plan has changed again.
Mrs. Burback, one of the owners, switched people around in the office jobs and now there is an opening in the ride office for me and it is an all day job...12+ hours each day. Guess the Lord knows I need the hours :) My job this week will now be clocking people in/out at the beginning and end of each shift. They run two shifts a day here so I will work in the morning's handing out time sheets, clocking people in and then work on the previous day's time sheets. Then at the change of shift in the afternoon I will be clocking people in/out and then again at the end of the swing shift I will be clocking people out. In between times I will be processing the time sheets of all these wonderful ride people. I like doing the time sheets...reminds me of payroll when I worked at OptionCare. In between times if the Pizza concession stand gets slammed I will be helping in there. I will be working 13 to 14 hour days Thursday through Sunday this week.
A little update about yesterday and today. Theresa had asked me to be "on call" to do office work yesterday and today. I worked all of 15 minutes yesterday processing/making bar codes for the rides. Once again she commented on how quick I was ~ maybe I should learn to work slower ~ just kidding :). She was supposed to call me about 5:00 to help do some data entry last evening. I didn't hear from her so I called her about 8:00 p.m. The first thing she said after I identified myself was "oh crap, I forgot you. I am so sorry" I told her no problem. I had made a nice dinner of chicken and wild rice and ate it with Ron and we had a good evening together. After talking for a few minutes it was decided she would just call me today when she was ready to teach me how to do the data entry stuff - it is inputting all the employees into a separate payroll system that is used only for the Puyallup fairs. She said she would call late morning or early afternoon today and it would be four or five hours of work. Fine with me, I like having my mornings free to spend time in the Word, praying and then time on the computer checking in with friends and family.
So Theresa called me at 9:30 this morning and said the plans for my job have changed. She was talking to Mrs. Burback about my skills in the office and what a quick learner I am. And that is how the change in what I would be doing this week happened. Theresa asked if I was okay with the change...of course I was...office work is definitely more my thing then working in a pizza stand. And I thought to myself, I can do anything for four days.
Don't want to leave Ron out of what is going on with him. Yesterday, Kenny, the rides supervisor, started teaching Ron how to set up the Lolli Swings (a giant lollipop with swings on it). The guy who currently is in charge of setting up the swings is getting a little forgetful and Kenny wants someone on there who knows what they are doing. Ron said he liked learning how it all goes together. So today is finishing up setting up the Lolli Swings and then will go on to the next job whatever that is. Today could possibly be a long day for set up as they have to be totally ready to go for tomorrow morning. At least the weather outside is nice. There is not a cloud in the sky, the sun is shining bright and it is just beautiful out there.
Praises today ~
~ for the hours this week. Even though they will be long it is what we need to get back on our feet financially after 3 months of almost no work for Ron
~ for the nice weather. It is so much easier to work outside on nice weather days then in the rain and cold.
~ for the nice evening Ron and I had last night and the good sleep we both had. We both woke feeling ready and eager to start the day
~ for the check from Sunset Inn we received yesterday. It was not the big check that we are still owed but it was still a payment that came in that had been owed to us since early March.
~ that Theresa and Rob Rhew (he is the one who interviewed us and offered us jobs right away and who is the boss of Theresa & Rick and the Blue Unit) recognize my skills in the office setting and are utilizing those skills in the work I am being asked to perform
Prayer requests ~
~ for us to have the energy and stamina to work the long hours this week and to work with a cheerful heart and attitude
~ for the checks to come in that is still owed us from jobs that were completed before we left Blaine
Thanks for reading my blog and holding our prayer requests up to the Lord. We know the Lord is in control and feel the love and prayers of our many friends and family as we travel this journey of working/traveling with the carnival.
Till next time, Alice
Just got a call from Theresa about my job this week at the Puyallup Spring Fair.
The original plan was that I would be working in the Pizza concession stand Thursday through Sunday. This is because Puyallup hires their own ticket sellers and they are not through Funtastic Shows. Okay, no problem for me. I don't mind doing something different. Now the plan has changed again.
Mrs. Burback, one of the owners, switched people around in the office jobs and now there is an opening in the ride office for me and it is an all day job...12+ hours each day. Guess the Lord knows I need the hours :) My job this week will now be clocking people in/out at the beginning and end of each shift. They run two shifts a day here so I will work in the morning's handing out time sheets, clocking people in and then work on the previous day's time sheets. Then at the change of shift in the afternoon I will be clocking people in/out and then again at the end of the swing shift I will be clocking people out. In between times I will be processing the time sheets of all these wonderful ride people. I like doing the time sheets...reminds me of payroll when I worked at OptionCare. In between times if the Pizza concession stand gets slammed I will be helping in there. I will be working 13 to 14 hour days Thursday through Sunday this week.
A little update about yesterday and today. Theresa had asked me to be "on call" to do office work yesterday and today. I worked all of 15 minutes yesterday processing/making bar codes for the rides. Once again she commented on how quick I was ~ maybe I should learn to work slower ~ just kidding :). She was supposed to call me about 5:00 to help do some data entry last evening. I didn't hear from her so I called her about 8:00 p.m. The first thing she said after I identified myself was "oh crap, I forgot you. I am so sorry" I told her no problem. I had made a nice dinner of chicken and wild rice and ate it with Ron and we had a good evening together. After talking for a few minutes it was decided she would just call me today when she was ready to teach me how to do the data entry stuff - it is inputting all the employees into a separate payroll system that is used only for the Puyallup fairs. She said she would call late morning or early afternoon today and it would be four or five hours of work. Fine with me, I like having my mornings free to spend time in the Word, praying and then time on the computer checking in with friends and family.
So Theresa called me at 9:30 this morning and said the plans for my job have changed. She was talking to Mrs. Burback about my skills in the office and what a quick learner I am. And that is how the change in what I would be doing this week happened. Theresa asked if I was okay with the change...of course I was...office work is definitely more my thing then working in a pizza stand. And I thought to myself, I can do anything for four days.
Don't want to leave Ron out of what is going on with him. Yesterday, Kenny, the rides supervisor, started teaching Ron how to set up the Lolli Swings (a giant lollipop with swings on it). The guy who currently is in charge of setting up the swings is getting a little forgetful and Kenny wants someone on there who knows what they are doing. Ron said he liked learning how it all goes together. So today is finishing up setting up the Lolli Swings and then will go on to the next job whatever that is. Today could possibly be a long day for set up as they have to be totally ready to go for tomorrow morning. At least the weather outside is nice. There is not a cloud in the sky, the sun is shining bright and it is just beautiful out there.
Praises today ~
~ for the hours this week. Even though they will be long it is what we need to get back on our feet financially after 3 months of almost no work for Ron
~ for the nice weather. It is so much easier to work outside on nice weather days then in the rain and cold.
~ for the nice evening Ron and I had last night and the good sleep we both had. We both woke feeling ready and eager to start the day
~ for the check from Sunset Inn we received yesterday. It was not the big check that we are still owed but it was still a payment that came in that had been owed to us since early March.
~ that Theresa and Rob Rhew (he is the one who interviewed us and offered us jobs right away and who is the boss of Theresa & Rick and the Blue Unit) recognize my skills in the office setting and are utilizing those skills in the work I am being asked to perform
Prayer requests ~
~ for us to have the energy and stamina to work the long hours this week and to work with a cheerful heart and attitude
~ for the checks to come in that is still owed us from jobs that were completed before we left Blaine
Thanks for reading my blog and holding our prayer requests up to the Lord. We know the Lord is in control and feel the love and prayers of our many friends and family as we travel this journey of working/traveling with the carnival.
Till next time, Alice
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 12th - Puyallup, WA
Good evening!
I have gotten a few emails asking where I have been since I did not send out any blogs this past week. We have been a workin' at the Lacey, WA carnival. This past week was much better than the week before. We were open every day! The weather the last few days has been just gorgeous and we had lots of visitors to the carnival. We continue to enjoy seeing the little children encouraging their parents to buy tickets and being so excited when they realize they get to go on the swings or the bears. Saturday we worked our first full 8 hour day and then yesterday I worked 11 hours and Ron worked from Noon on Sunday to 3:30 this morning. The carnival was open from Noon to 7:00 p.m. and then they had to do the tear down. I worked in the office with Theresa from 6:30 p.m. till 10:50 p.m. I was tired at the end of my shift but Ron was plain exhausted when he came in the door this morning at 3:45 a.m.
We have seen a few different things this past week:
~ a girl with very purple hair
~ a guy with dregs (that crazy hair do where it looks like it is all in knots) that was longer than mine, he also had the weirdest beard I have ever seen. He was clean shave on his cheeks and had growth from the chin to below that was about 4" long. To top it off he was wearing a skirt with jeans!
~ and of course girls in short shorts on a cold, wet, windy day
~ two middle school girls who kept flirting with Ron through the ticket window. They told him he was nice and then came and told me he was nice. I said I knew that because I had been married to him for 34 years. They just giggled and walked away. Later they came back by the booth to tell us good night and they thought we made a cute couple. The next day they were back ~ came to window and asked if they could have some free tickets. I smiled and said, no, we can't do that. They replied, that's okay you are still both cute and nice.
I had a great conversation with Shawn yesterday morning about how the Lord has been working in our lives and the doors he opened for us to be able to come to work for the carnival. It was neat to be able to share all the details from the first email to our prayer before going in for the interview, to being offered jobs within the first 15 minutes, to all the positive comments and encouragement we have received from so many. Shawn said it is nice to see how the Lord works isn't it. It is neat to find another believer among the carnival workers. From the things Shawn shared, we think Albert, his roommate and best friend, is also a believer. We will investigate that further once we are in Wenatchee.
Ron had his first negative interaction with a customer when she accused Ron of stealing $20 from her. We were taught from the very beginning that when a customer gives us money we are to either put it under the corner of our cash box or lay it on top, then print up the ticket and count out their change. She had not handed Ron any money but swore up and down that she had. She finally gave Ron more money to get her tickets. She then went and complained, quite loudly, to her friend and then went up to Customer Service (Theresa) and complained. I spoke with Theresa later in the evening and Ron's cash box came out to the exact penny ~ Ron and I both knew he had not taken the money but it was nice to have that confirmed by Theresa. She did say to me, she was surprised that had not happened before because that is one of the most common things that carnival workers are accused of ~ stealing their money either from a ticket seller or a gamer. Ron and I were glad to see the Lord working and affirming Ron's honesty and integrity.
On a positive note, I was asked to apply to be a show van driver as right now there are only 3 people who can drive company vehicles and they need a van driver to transport people from one location to another. This will mean extra hours for me. On one hand I felt good that they asked me to do this because the extra money will be nice on the other hand it means that Ron will drive the motor home and I will drive a company van so we won't be traveling in the same vehicle though we would caravan from one location to another. I should hear this week if I am approved to drive or not. I am thinking if Ron was and he has a couple of speeding tickets on his record I should have no problem being approved. We will just have to wait and see.
Late in the day yesterday while I was on my break, Rick went and spent time with Ron in the ticket box. They couldn't talk a lot but Ron said it was nice to have Rick out there seeing that he does his job well. One thing that Rick talked to Ron about was our time in Puyallup this week. This is the week that all three carnivals come together to work the Puyallup Spring Fair. Theresa had said that the week starts Tuesday morning with set up and goes non-stop till the tear down is complete on Sunday night.
Anyway, due to the fact that all three carnival units come together there are 13 condo units plus numerous travel trailers and fifth wheels in the bone yard and it is very crowded. Rick asked Ron if we would like to park in the campground where the show managers, Ron Rhew (who hired us and is one of the upper management people) along with the Burbacks (the owners) camp together. We would have full hook ups which is something we have come to appreciate since we were two weeks with just the two holding tanks (have to really watch how much water and stuff goes into the gray and black water tanks) and it would be much quieter. Ron said that was fine with us. Rick did not know if we would have to pay or not to camp there or if we could get a pass. Ron said if we did, then we did. Well, I went on line and the fee to camp here is $25 a night. I prayed that we would be able to get a pass for the campground especially since we had very few hours last week. Well, God provided (doesn't he always?) for us. We pulled in to the campground and was greeted by the camp host. She asked if we were with Funtastic Shows. We said yes. She told us where to park and to have a great time this week. And didn't charge us! Yeah ~ we didn't have to pay $175 to camp this week while we are working.
Since Sunday is the final day of the pay period there is always lots to be done in the office and being it was the last day of the carnival in Lacey there was lots to be done on the carnival lot. Theresa is teaching me more and more things to do in the office. One day she taught me how to read the computer screen for each Fun Card (tickets are scanned on a card and then each ride or game scans the number of tickets needed) so that I can work in Customer Service. Yesterday she taught me how to count the ticket sellers cash box, to sort out accounts payable and to figure out the receipts for the days sales. I also helped with the timesheets again. I spent 4 1/2 hours in the office working last night. I heard her tell Rick "she is sure quick at what she does." Made me smile.
I have been praying that Ron and I can be examples of Christs love in us and through us. I didn't know if we were making a difference or not. Yet, God showed me we were. Working in the office last night, Theresa would swear then say she was sorry. She did this multiple times. I guess my not swearing is very visible and she sees that and is realizing how much she swears (a lot!) Thank you Lord for letting me see that I am making a difference, even if only a little one.
As I mentioned Ron worked a very long day yesterday and so we had a very short or long night depending on how you look at it. I came in about 11:00 p.m. after my shift was done and then read emails and a few of the blogs that I follow. I balanced my check book and did a few things to get ready to leave today for Puyallup. I went to sleep close to 1 a.m. Ron came in about 3:45 a.m. I woke up when he opened the door (I don't sleep well when he is not here). We talked for a little bit, he got something to eat and I tried to go back to sleep. About 4:30 my insides started shaking real bad and sweating profusely...signs that my blood sugar was dropping. I checked it and it was down to 45 ~ should be between 90 - 110. I quickly grabbed an orange juice, Ron made me a tuna sandwich and I ate two small tangerines. I began to feel a little better about 5:00...it took me till almost 6:00 to fall back asleep though. Ron went to sleep once I started to feel a little better. We were rudely awakened at about 9:15 this morning with lots of shouting, swearing and angry voices outside our bedroom window. We quickly got up and got dressed to see what was going on.
Well there was a major upheaval out in the bone yard. Seems the gamers were up really early this morning (they were done with their tear down by 8:30 p.m. last night) and left the bone yard before any of the rides people were up. They left water and electrical hoses out. Needless to say this was very upsetting to the ride people because at the safety meeting last Friday everyone was told that everyone in the bone yard had to help with pulling the electrical lines, cleaning up the water hoses, the water tree and doing a final walk through to make sure the area was clean before anyone left. This left only the ride people to do the clean up and tear down of the bone yard ~ about a two hour job. There was much grumbling going on. Finally Kenny, the rides supervisor, let it be known that Rick and Theresa had been notified of what had happened and that the situation would be addressed with the game people when they showed up in Puyallup. (Another reason we are glad to be away from the bone yard this week).
After the bone yard was tore down and the area cleaned up, Ron, Michael (the young man who rode with us from Kelso to Lacey and one of the ride people) and I left about 11:o0 a.m. and went and did laundry. Boy is that expensive here in Lacey. $2.75 a load to wash and 25 cents for six minutes to dry ~ we are used to paying $1 a load to wash and then a $1 a load to dry. We finished up there about 12:15 and then drove to Camping World to pick up an electrical extension cord and plug for us, a light cover for Albert (one of the ride people with a travel trailer with a broken lens cover) and a "gate" for one of the condos. (The gate is something to do with the plumbing and Ron has been called on to use his plumbing expertise to fix it ~ this time on company time ~ he will do that tomorrow during the day). We then stopped for lunch before heading to Winco to pick up some necessary groceries. We arrived at the fairgrounds about 4:30 p.m. Dropped Michael off at the bone yard, commented we were glad we didn't have to park there as it was very crowded, and drove over to where we are to camp. After getting checked in, we set up our motor home. It is so nice to have full hook ups. We will be using our regular dishes and silverware this week ~ no plastic or paper for us ~ yeah, saving money, and it is so nice to eat on glass plates and use real silverware. The weather was nice so we even had the door open for a little while enjoying the fresh air.
This week we will be doing different jobs as the fair hires their own ticket sellers. Ron is going to be doing ride set up and tear down as usual. Set up this week is Tuesday and Wednesday. Tear down will be Sunday evening/night after the Spring Fair closes. He will be working for Kenny this week in the rides department though we are not sure doing what. I will be doing one of two things: I will either be working in the ride office doing time sheets or working in the pizza food booth. I will find out tomorrow morning. I am supposed to call Theresa at 9:30 a.m. I suggested that I take the week off thinking I could talk someone into coming down here and picking me up so I could go back to Blaine for a visit...I was sure I could find one person that would let me crash on their couch. Theresa just laughed and said "if she was working, I was working." Oh well, nice try, right.
Praises this week ~
~ that we got more hours this week
~ that it was proven that Ron had not taken any money from a customer
~ that I am learning new and different things to do in the office
~ that we received our first mail package from home
~ that we were able to move to our new location without any problems
~ that we had good weather for the last few days of the carnival in Lacey
~ for the notes of encouragement from friends back home
Prayer requests ~
~ for the money still owed to us from three customers comes in
~ for us to do good at the new jobs we are assigned to this week
~ for us to continue to show God's love to others
~ for our automatic deposit to go through correctly (we were told our paychecks from last week were automatically deposited but they weren't - Mark the guy from the corporate office is supposed to get that fixed early this week)
~ for us to continue to enjoy what we are doing
~ and for safety next Monday as we drive to Wenatchee for the Apple Blossom Festival
I think that catches everyone up on what we have been doing this past week. I hope to be better about writing on my blog a couple of times a week instead of just once a week.
Until next time...we love and miss all of you.
I have gotten a few emails asking where I have been since I did not send out any blogs this past week. We have been a workin' at the Lacey, WA carnival. This past week was much better than the week before. We were open every day! The weather the last few days has been just gorgeous and we had lots of visitors to the carnival. We continue to enjoy seeing the little children encouraging their parents to buy tickets and being so excited when they realize they get to go on the swings or the bears. Saturday we worked our first full 8 hour day and then yesterday I worked 11 hours and Ron worked from Noon on Sunday to 3:30 this morning. The carnival was open from Noon to 7:00 p.m. and then they had to do the tear down. I worked in the office with Theresa from 6:30 p.m. till 10:50 p.m. I was tired at the end of my shift but Ron was plain exhausted when he came in the door this morning at 3:45 a.m.
We have seen a few different things this past week:
~ a girl with very purple hair
~ a guy with dregs (that crazy hair do where it looks like it is all in knots) that was longer than mine, he also had the weirdest beard I have ever seen. He was clean shave on his cheeks and had growth from the chin to below that was about 4" long. To top it off he was wearing a skirt with jeans!
~ and of course girls in short shorts on a cold, wet, windy day
~ two middle school girls who kept flirting with Ron through the ticket window. They told him he was nice and then came and told me he was nice. I said I knew that because I had been married to him for 34 years. They just giggled and walked away. Later they came back by the booth to tell us good night and they thought we made a cute couple. The next day they were back ~ came to window and asked if they could have some free tickets. I smiled and said, no, we can't do that. They replied, that's okay you are still both cute and nice.
I had a great conversation with Shawn yesterday morning about how the Lord has been working in our lives and the doors he opened for us to be able to come to work for the carnival. It was neat to be able to share all the details from the first email to our prayer before going in for the interview, to being offered jobs within the first 15 minutes, to all the positive comments and encouragement we have received from so many. Shawn said it is nice to see how the Lord works isn't it. It is neat to find another believer among the carnival workers. From the things Shawn shared, we think Albert, his roommate and best friend, is also a believer. We will investigate that further once we are in Wenatchee.
Ron had his first negative interaction with a customer when she accused Ron of stealing $20 from her. We were taught from the very beginning that when a customer gives us money we are to either put it under the corner of our cash box or lay it on top, then print up the ticket and count out their change. She had not handed Ron any money but swore up and down that she had. She finally gave Ron more money to get her tickets. She then went and complained, quite loudly, to her friend and then went up to Customer Service (Theresa) and complained. I spoke with Theresa later in the evening and Ron's cash box came out to the exact penny ~ Ron and I both knew he had not taken the money but it was nice to have that confirmed by Theresa. She did say to me, she was surprised that had not happened before because that is one of the most common things that carnival workers are accused of ~ stealing their money either from a ticket seller or a gamer. Ron and I were glad to see the Lord working and affirming Ron's honesty and integrity.
On a positive note, I was asked to apply to be a show van driver as right now there are only 3 people who can drive company vehicles and they need a van driver to transport people from one location to another. This will mean extra hours for me. On one hand I felt good that they asked me to do this because the extra money will be nice on the other hand it means that Ron will drive the motor home and I will drive a company van so we won't be traveling in the same vehicle though we would caravan from one location to another. I should hear this week if I am approved to drive or not. I am thinking if Ron was and he has a couple of speeding tickets on his record I should have no problem being approved. We will just have to wait and see.
Late in the day yesterday while I was on my break, Rick went and spent time with Ron in the ticket box. They couldn't talk a lot but Ron said it was nice to have Rick out there seeing that he does his job well. One thing that Rick talked to Ron about was our time in Puyallup this week. This is the week that all three carnivals come together to work the Puyallup Spring Fair. Theresa had said that the week starts Tuesday morning with set up and goes non-stop till the tear down is complete on Sunday night.
Anyway, due to the fact that all three carnival units come together there are 13 condo units plus numerous travel trailers and fifth wheels in the bone yard and it is very crowded. Rick asked Ron if we would like to park in the campground where the show managers, Ron Rhew (who hired us and is one of the upper management people) along with the Burbacks (the owners) camp together. We would have full hook ups which is something we have come to appreciate since we were two weeks with just the two holding tanks (have to really watch how much water and stuff goes into the gray and black water tanks) and it would be much quieter. Ron said that was fine with us. Rick did not know if we would have to pay or not to camp there or if we could get a pass. Ron said if we did, then we did. Well, I went on line and the fee to camp here is $25 a night. I prayed that we would be able to get a pass for the campground especially since we had very few hours last week. Well, God provided (doesn't he always?) for us. We pulled in to the campground and was greeted by the camp host. She asked if we were with Funtastic Shows. We said yes. She told us where to park and to have a great time this week. And didn't charge us! Yeah ~ we didn't have to pay $175 to camp this week while we are working.
Since Sunday is the final day of the pay period there is always lots to be done in the office and being it was the last day of the carnival in Lacey there was lots to be done on the carnival lot. Theresa is teaching me more and more things to do in the office. One day she taught me how to read the computer screen for each Fun Card (tickets are scanned on a card and then each ride or game scans the number of tickets needed) so that I can work in Customer Service. Yesterday she taught me how to count the ticket sellers cash box, to sort out accounts payable and to figure out the receipts for the days sales. I also helped with the timesheets again. I spent 4 1/2 hours in the office working last night. I heard her tell Rick "she is sure quick at what she does." Made me smile.
I have been praying that Ron and I can be examples of Christs love in us and through us. I didn't know if we were making a difference or not. Yet, God showed me we were. Working in the office last night, Theresa would swear then say she was sorry. She did this multiple times. I guess my not swearing is very visible and she sees that and is realizing how much she swears (a lot!) Thank you Lord for letting me see that I am making a difference, even if only a little one.
As I mentioned Ron worked a very long day yesterday and so we had a very short or long night depending on how you look at it. I came in about 11:00 p.m. after my shift was done and then read emails and a few of the blogs that I follow. I balanced my check book and did a few things to get ready to leave today for Puyallup. I went to sleep close to 1 a.m. Ron came in about 3:45 a.m. I woke up when he opened the door (I don't sleep well when he is not here). We talked for a little bit, he got something to eat and I tried to go back to sleep. About 4:30 my insides started shaking real bad and sweating profusely...signs that my blood sugar was dropping. I checked it and it was down to 45 ~ should be between 90 - 110. I quickly grabbed an orange juice, Ron made me a tuna sandwich and I ate two small tangerines. I began to feel a little better about 5:00...it took me till almost 6:00 to fall back asleep though. Ron went to sleep once I started to feel a little better. We were rudely awakened at about 9:15 this morning with lots of shouting, swearing and angry voices outside our bedroom window. We quickly got up and got dressed to see what was going on.
Well there was a major upheaval out in the bone yard. Seems the gamers were up really early this morning (they were done with their tear down by 8:30 p.m. last night) and left the bone yard before any of the rides people were up. They left water and electrical hoses out. Needless to say this was very upsetting to the ride people because at the safety meeting last Friday everyone was told that everyone in the bone yard had to help with pulling the electrical lines, cleaning up the water hoses, the water tree and doing a final walk through to make sure the area was clean before anyone left. This left only the ride people to do the clean up and tear down of the bone yard ~ about a two hour job. There was much grumbling going on. Finally Kenny, the rides supervisor, let it be known that Rick and Theresa had been notified of what had happened and that the situation would be addressed with the game people when they showed up in Puyallup. (Another reason we are glad to be away from the bone yard this week).
After the bone yard was tore down and the area cleaned up, Ron, Michael (the young man who rode with us from Kelso to Lacey and one of the ride people) and I left about 11:o0 a.m. and went and did laundry. Boy is that expensive here in Lacey. $2.75 a load to wash and 25 cents for six minutes to dry ~ we are used to paying $1 a load to wash and then a $1 a load to dry. We finished up there about 12:15 and then drove to Camping World to pick up an electrical extension cord and plug for us, a light cover for Albert (one of the ride people with a travel trailer with a broken lens cover) and a "gate" for one of the condos. (The gate is something to do with the plumbing and Ron has been called on to use his plumbing expertise to fix it ~ this time on company time ~ he will do that tomorrow during the day). We then stopped for lunch before heading to Winco to pick up some necessary groceries. We arrived at the fairgrounds about 4:30 p.m. Dropped Michael off at the bone yard, commented we were glad we didn't have to park there as it was very crowded, and drove over to where we are to camp. After getting checked in, we set up our motor home. It is so nice to have full hook ups. We will be using our regular dishes and silverware this week ~ no plastic or paper for us ~ yeah, saving money, and it is so nice to eat on glass plates and use real silverware. The weather was nice so we even had the door open for a little while enjoying the fresh air.
This week we will be doing different jobs as the fair hires their own ticket sellers. Ron is going to be doing ride set up and tear down as usual. Set up this week is Tuesday and Wednesday. Tear down will be Sunday evening/night after the Spring Fair closes. He will be working for Kenny this week in the rides department though we are not sure doing what. I will be doing one of two things: I will either be working in the ride office doing time sheets or working in the pizza food booth. I will find out tomorrow morning. I am supposed to call Theresa at 9:30 a.m. I suggested that I take the week off thinking I could talk someone into coming down here and picking me up so I could go back to Blaine for a visit...I was sure I could find one person that would let me crash on their couch. Theresa just laughed and said "if she was working, I was working." Oh well, nice try, right.
Praises this week ~
~ that we got more hours this week
~ that it was proven that Ron had not taken any money from a customer
~ that I am learning new and different things to do in the office
~ that we received our first mail package from home
~ that we were able to move to our new location without any problems
~ that we had good weather for the last few days of the carnival in Lacey
~ for the notes of encouragement from friends back home
Prayer requests ~
~ for the money still owed to us from three customers comes in
~ for us to do good at the new jobs we are assigned to this week
~ for us to continue to show God's love to others
~ for our automatic deposit to go through correctly (we were told our paychecks from last week were automatically deposited but they weren't - Mark the guy from the corporate office is supposed to get that fixed early this week)
~ for us to continue to enjoy what we are doing
~ and for safety next Monday as we drive to Wenatchee for the Apple Blossom Festival
I think that catches everyone up on what we have been doing this past week. I hope to be better about writing on my blog a couple of times a week instead of just once a week.
Until next time...we love and miss all of you.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Happy Easter Everyone!
Happy Easter everyone!
Woke up this morning and spent time reading scripture with Ron. Thanks Charles for the service plan as that was our guide for reading this morning. He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!
We have had a pretty quiet week this week. We moved to Lacey on Monday. Ron did set up of rides on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday during the day I went grocery shopping with Diane, one of the game people and then in the evening we were able to use a company van to go do laundry. Wednesday afternoon we set up the ticket box. Set up for that includes washing all the windows inside and out, sweeping the floor, setting up the computers and getting ourselves organized. Thursday was a scheduled day off. In the morning we went for a walk. Found a Shucks so Ron bought some light bulbs for inside the motor home. We had five not working but now they all are ~ thanks Ron for being so handy. It rained all afternoon so we spent the day inside reading, checking emails and just plain relaxing. Ron did get asked to drive Richard, the mechanic, to the Napa Auto Parts store. Ron is one of a few who has his drivers license so he can drive a company van. Once he is approved by the company he will get paid for driving the company van. Plus then we will have access to a vehicle.
Friday we were supposed to start work at 1:00 but it was really windy and rainy so they postponed the start to 3:00. At 2:45 we got a call from Theresa that the carnival would not be opening at all due to the high winds. Another day to hunker down, do lots of reading and stay inside where it was warm and toasty. Saturday we opened the carnival at 12:00. It rained quite a bit with a few heavy down pours. At 5:45 Rick told me to close up my till and Ron closed his at 6:00...the end of another day of working for the carnival. We had between 25 to 50 customers. The rain didn't seem to bother the children but the parents looked a little worse for wear. One bad thing about yesterday is that we found out the heater does not work in the ticket box. It got mighty cold in there and by the end of our shift we were both freezing. After walking back to the motor home in the rain we got on dry clothes, had some coffee and hot chocolate and turned the furnace up for about half an hour. We finally thawed out. We spent the evening reading ~ we do a lot of reading.
Today the carnival opens at 1:00. I forgot to buy a ham for dinner today so we are having chicken & broccoli with creamy noodles and salad for lunch before we go into work. The recipe calls for tuna but I am using canned chicken instead. I am sure it will be tasty.
We have been asked by a couple of people why we can't go in the local mall (where the carnival is set up) or Applebees which is also here in the shopping center. We have been told that we are not to go into these places for a couple of reasons. One is due to the history of "bad carnies" that they are up to no good and only cause trouble. Theresa said it is also to avoid being accused of anything by the shop owners (remember bad carnies) and the fact that some of these guys get really dirty working on the rides and don't always do the best at cleaning up and this avoids the chance that they will get clothes/items dirty in the stores. We can understand where Rick & Theresa are coming from because we don't want to have any problems arise. It was a bummer though because when we pulled in Monday afternoon we talked about going to Applebees for dinner that night. On a good note though, it saved us probably $25 or so.
Praise & Prayer Requests:
Praise that we are getting into a comfortable routine.
Praise that we invited Michael to have lunch with us on Friday and when Ron prayed for our lunch at the end of the prayer when we said Amen, Michael did too. We know people are noticing that we are different (I know we are really different :) even Theresa apologized for swearing in front of me the other day.
Praise that we are learning our jobs and being given other things to do besides just sell tickets.
Prayer request ~ that the three checks we are waiting for will come in.
Prayer request ~ that I won't have too much homesickness this week. Last Friday and Sunday were difficult for me.
Prayer request ~ that we will be a shining light of Jesus to those we come into contact with.
That's all for today ~ hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!
Woke up this morning and spent time reading scripture with Ron. Thanks Charles for the service plan as that was our guide for reading this morning. He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!
We have had a pretty quiet week this week. We moved to Lacey on Monday. Ron did set up of rides on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday during the day I went grocery shopping with Diane, one of the game people and then in the evening we were able to use a company van to go do laundry. Wednesday afternoon we set up the ticket box. Set up for that includes washing all the windows inside and out, sweeping the floor, setting up the computers and getting ourselves organized. Thursday was a scheduled day off. In the morning we went for a walk. Found a Shucks so Ron bought some light bulbs for inside the motor home. We had five not working but now they all are ~ thanks Ron for being so handy. It rained all afternoon so we spent the day inside reading, checking emails and just plain relaxing. Ron did get asked to drive Richard, the mechanic, to the Napa Auto Parts store. Ron is one of a few who has his drivers license so he can drive a company van. Once he is approved by the company he will get paid for driving the company van. Plus then we will have access to a vehicle.
Friday we were supposed to start work at 1:00 but it was really windy and rainy so they postponed the start to 3:00. At 2:45 we got a call from Theresa that the carnival would not be opening at all due to the high winds. Another day to hunker down, do lots of reading and stay inside where it was warm and toasty. Saturday we opened the carnival at 12:00. It rained quite a bit with a few heavy down pours. At 5:45 Rick told me to close up my till and Ron closed his at 6:00...the end of another day of working for the carnival. We had between 25 to 50 customers. The rain didn't seem to bother the children but the parents looked a little worse for wear. One bad thing about yesterday is that we found out the heater does not work in the ticket box. It got mighty cold in there and by the end of our shift we were both freezing. After walking back to the motor home in the rain we got on dry clothes, had some coffee and hot chocolate and turned the furnace up for about half an hour. We finally thawed out. We spent the evening reading ~ we do a lot of reading.
Today the carnival opens at 1:00. I forgot to buy a ham for dinner today so we are having chicken & broccoli with creamy noodles and salad for lunch before we go into work. The recipe calls for tuna but I am using canned chicken instead. I am sure it will be tasty.
We have been asked by a couple of people why we can't go in the local mall (where the carnival is set up) or Applebees which is also here in the shopping center. We have been told that we are not to go into these places for a couple of reasons. One is due to the history of "bad carnies" that they are up to no good and only cause trouble. Theresa said it is also to avoid being accused of anything by the shop owners (remember bad carnies) and the fact that some of these guys get really dirty working on the rides and don't always do the best at cleaning up and this avoids the chance that they will get clothes/items dirty in the stores. We can understand where Rick & Theresa are coming from because we don't want to have any problems arise. It was a bummer though because when we pulled in Monday afternoon we talked about going to Applebees for dinner that night. On a good note though, it saved us probably $25 or so.
Praise & Prayer Requests:
Praise that we are getting into a comfortable routine.
Praise that we invited Michael to have lunch with us on Friday and when Ron prayed for our lunch at the end of the prayer when we said Amen, Michael did too. We know people are noticing that we are different (I know we are really different :) even Theresa apologized for swearing in front of me the other day.
Praise that we are learning our jobs and being given other things to do besides just sell tickets.
Prayer request ~ that the three checks we are waiting for will come in.
Prayer request ~ that I won't have too much homesickness this week. Last Friday and Sunday were difficult for me.
Prayer request ~ that we will be a shining light of Jesus to those we come into contact with.
That's all for today ~ hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!
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