Desk Work and Dorm Life

            I just got off from working only my second morning shift here. There will be a wedding at the lodge tomorrow, so some departments are busy getting ready for that. During training Christopher told us that weddings are pretty regular here. I was working with Louise this morning; she has about two more weeks here before she and her husband are leaving. The shift had its busy parts, but it never really got hard. Check-out is only like two buttons on our computer system, and you don’t have to say as much to the guest as you do at check-in. Both shifts have their positive and negative aspects: the tricky thing about checking out is making sure that all the guests’ billing is correct and taken care of. Also, since that’s done in the morning, we usually have to take cash at some point, which is a pain because at the end of the shift we have go through multiple steps to document the cash we took, and turn it in to the vault. It’s quite a process, and we have to go through all of it even if we only took in one dollar. With check-ins, though, we have to check the system to make sure that the room we’re giving them is vacant and inspected, and explain a lot more to the guests.

            At the EDR today I met Cristina, Nate, Brian, and Elliot for lunch. Cristina sat down first and told me that everything’s still up in the air, but Nate might be moving in with Jesse in the room next to us. Jesse’s been without a roommate for a couple of weeks, and now Nate’s roommate in dorm six might be leaving. If he does, Jesse said that Nate could move in with him. Nate’s roommate is Anthony, who works in the lodge’s cocktail lounge upstairs. He and Nate have known each other for quite a while; they used to work at the Grand Canyon together. A few employees that Anthony knew just left, and he might be leaving too, but nothing’s for sure yet. If Nate moved in with Jesse dorm two would be the absolute BEST! I mean he’s still really close to us in dorm six, but dorm two already has me, Cristina, Elliot, Jesse, and Tanner, all of whom I’ve become great friends with.

            Also at lunch Cristina told me that her brother and his wife, who work up in Yellowstone, are coming down here to visit on Monday afternoon. She and Nate are both scheduled to work from seven to three on Monday. I was scheduled to work from three to eleven on Monday, but noticed on the schedule that Haley was also scheduled in the morning with Cristina and Nate. I saw Haley in the EDR sitting near us, and asked if she’d switch shifts with me on Monday. She said she’d actually wanted to do something with friends in the morning on Monday, so switching shifts would work out well for both of us. When I got back to work after lunch I asked Emily if that would be okay with her, and she immediately approved it. So now, thankfully, I’m working the morning shift on Monday with Cristina and Nate, and then at three we’re all going to get off and hang out with Cristina’s brother and wife for the rest of the day. We might actually have dinner at the Pioneer Grill in the lodge with them instead. Other than getting a bunch of samples the day before the lodge opened, I’ve actually never eaten at the Pioneer Grill. We’re all looking forward to it.

            Last night back in SA was Bowling for Rhinos, the zoo’s fundraising that I’ve loved and attended for years. Thinking about that when it was slow at the desk, I started feeling a little homesick for the first time since I’ve been here. I’m definitely bummed that I missed BFR this year; it’s a night that I always look forward to. But, don’t get me wrong; I’m still really happy that I made the decision to come work out here this summer.