YOU'RE FIRED

Those were the words that I heard last Thursday. Actually I heard them about a week prior to that, but Thursday was my last day. And no, I wasn't really fired, but terminated for the season. But Boss Lady wanted to be like Trump and use those words. Thank goodness she doesn't have the same hair. I wouldn't have been able to go to work without laughing every day. So I am unemployed. Really this post should be entitled what I am going to miss and what I am not going to miss about the job....so I will just list them here...

WHAT I WILL MISS

The morning sunrises and the evening sunsets
The various animals crossing the road
Some of the visitors
Those moments of sheer beauty
Those moments of utterly silence
The camaraderie overall
And just the fun of the job

WHAT I WON’T MISS

People parking ½ in the road, ½ off the road
The same question over and over
Doing surveys that didn't’t make sense to me let alone the visitor
Responding to stupid things
Having to give food to the fee people (HAHA)
Having to execute stops with the unknown
Actually having a job

But don't think I am too far from the job site as before I was FIRED, Boss Lady signed me up as a volunteer and let me keep my pager. The signing up as a volunteer allows me to attend trainings and stuff that will be beneficial to me. However, it also gives them free labor to do things they need me to that will benefit them.

So with that in mind, BF and I went hiking on Friday to a rock art site which I need to finish doing paperwork on and sending off photos. Of course, when we returned, we also found some more so I will have to hike up there to do that. We climbed up this ridge and decided, heck, we were this far why not go all the way to the top and it was well worth it. We walked our separate ways once on top to explore what we wanted and also to give each other that silence to take a deep breath and enjoy it. TheHike

My friend, Timmy, said it was safer with me being a road bitch now that my sketchy background cleared. I said what do you mean by that and he said now you aren't doing those crazy things you were writing about before. Well folks, get ready for those crazy stories to start popping out again.

On Saturday and Sunday, I attended a Advance Technical Rescue course. I learned some great techniques, but most importantly I learned not to volunteer to be the first patient especially when you don't know what you are being lowered over. In my case, I was lowered over a 400 foot cliff in a litter. I had someone with me the entire time, but when you are teetering on the edge and then lowered over something that you weren't aware was like 400 feet it is nerve racking. BGO asked why I was breathing so hard. Well, it might have to do with the fear of heights and that I am hanging vertically 300 feet in the air. I eventually calmed down and was able to open my eyes. Unfortunately, the way I was tied into the litter was cutting off the circulation to my hands and feet and eating into my legs painfully. Every time the litter adjusted or moved a millimeter it made it more painful. I told BGO I was not doing well and needed to be taken up. The nausea hit me shortly thereafter from the intensity of the pain and I told BGO to get on the side of me because I was going to puke. I was now back near the edge and I told the Edge Attendant the same thing since I was strapped down and they would have to turn me sideways. Most of the people on top of the cliff thought it was because of the height that I was screaming, but BF knew that scream was sheer anguish. When they got me on to the top and untied, I was helped out of the litter because I didn't think I would be able to stand. There were indents in my legs, but surprisingly they didn't bruise, but are tender. Lets just say that I didn't volunteer the rest of Saturday, but I braved it on Sunday. Overall it was worth the pain to learn the new stuff. Thetraining

Starting today, Monday, there won't be any volunteering or blogging for a while. BF and I leave on Thursday for Arizona and then boarding a plane to Costa Rica. So don't panic if you don't see me posting or commenting. I am sure I will have some great stories and photos when we return. So I will check you all at the end of the month. Be safe.