These are the days of our lives...

Good evening everybody, I can't believe how long it's been since I last communed with you all. Even Blogspot has changed its layout since I was last here and I'm being slightly freaked out by it as I type!
I read through my blog post from March and realised just how much has actually happened since then:

1. I actually did leave Argos! That day I recounted was actually my last. Seven years of my life I spent working at Argos and it will continue to occupy a little corner of my heart for a long time. Plus its useful to have a friend who knows the Argos catalogue inside-out right??
2. The Park opened for the year on 4th March and the season started on the 23rd and all of the highs and lows will be detailed below!
3. People have come, gone and changed over - more below.
4. We had a Fun Day at work (in the pouring rain!) in aid of the BHF and raised £340
5. The RBL had its first Coffee Morning, with another one planned for the 26th May (posters designed by moi, coming to a bilboard near you soon!)
6. We went to Llandudno (a whole other blog for that methinks) and I fell in love with Wales!
7. It was Ruth's, my Dad's and Tom's birthdays and now its nearly time for my Mum's.
8. Hazel got married in the US, on a veranda overlooking the mountains, with wolves present. A ceremony which I'm certain suited her and her man perfectly - she looked great!
9. Katie got engaged! Jack is, of course, the lucky man and I'm very happy for them.

Here's Tayla (our lifeguard) dressed up as the BHF mascot Arty Beat on our Fun Day!

So now we're in the middle of May and I'm one of those crazy people who is attempting to squeeze the last 2 months in to one post. Sometimes it seems as if mine is the most mundane of all existences; but when you look back, you do re-discover little gems which may be things that were special to many or have significance only to the beholder. Nevertheless they are all parts of that which makes us what we are and when you consider that the actual human will spend over 91,000 hours at work in their lifetime you can't expect it not to be influential.

So the news from Beauport: yesterday was one of *those* days. You know, the one where you say to someone else "I've had one of *those* days" and they immediately know its been rubbish and say no more. Worringly enough, there seem to have been quite a lot of those recently and as each one passes (usually in a big blur) I always catch myself thinking nothing could come along and be worse than that and they always are!! No fair!! I can only register my thankfulness once again for the people I work with - they are only reason we keep going as a business. They know who they are.
I always say that we have succeeded if our guests don't see any of our work. If they have no idea how hard we've worked or how close we came to not getting things done, then we can congratulate ourselves for a job well done. Yesterday was a day where we were less than a hair's breadth away from crossing that line....so close. The tourist industry is the thin edge of the wedge indeed.

When I was a bit down, I started singing (as I often do). My song of choice was Dolly Parton's "9 to 5": like most people I only knew the first line until I listened to it on YouTube and I couldn't believe how much a pop song described my working life:

Workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by, it's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it

There are also some interesting thoughts in that same song about who profits from our VERY hard work, which I'll say no more about....

There's another Dolly song I've also become very fond of recently and that's The Sacrifice - its another pop song that is quite meaningful to me right now. It helps me to put things in perspective; looking ahead to the day when I'll be able to look back (if that makes sense) on building a good life. Because that is really the ultimate goal; whichever job I'm doing, wherever I live, whomever I'm with; to have run the race and finished well. That is what I want to strive for.

This week I made a terrible mistake at work that effected people who I've never met - and they got rather angry. This left me very low, wondering just how far the situation would go and if my job was in danger. A couple of days after that I had a really great day; I escaped the office on my buggy, the sun was shining, I helped out a fair few people and everything was well. I felt free, happy and empowered. Then when it all went wrong on Monday, it seemed terrible (say with French accent for dramatic effect) by comparison. And yet...tomorrow is another day:

But sometimes I wonder in the still of the night
Is it really worth the sacrifice
I've often laughed and I've often cried
I've often failed but I've always tried
I made the sacrifice

So there you have it, I do actually like my job: its not for the faint-hearted by any means. Kevin, who was there when I first started at Beauport, got moved to another park. Then we got Eric in his place: such a funny guy, then he went on to his new management post at another park. Louise came to us from HO, then went back there after about a month and her replacement arrives at the end of the month. Ant is going too - to work for Hardings, so at least we'll still see him around. Its tough when people who like and trust move on - new starts are never easy for the people who are left behind, let alone those who are going!

Of course there are some funny moments, like this one here, even more so cos we got to laugh at Paul for it! He was attempting to move the safe from the old office to our new one and the tele-handler broke down in the office doorway!

 

Outside of work my Mum's been in hospital and out again, we went to Wales of course, we've had a new boiler fitted (and just today, go wrong!) and we're beginning to see real progress in the home improvements department.

So all in all, it has been eventful, even if it doesn't feel that way when I'm living it!

So that ought to bring you all up to date with the life and times of me. All that remains to be said is Welcome Home Sarah from your epic voyage to NZ, you lucky girl you! Right now, I'm thinking of a winter sun break during the shutdown at the park... where to though??