Year 3 Week 27

December 17 to 23, 2006

Palm Springs to Aguanga, California

Year 3 week 27

 

Sunday ;

Computer in repair shop.

 

Monday ; Today was sunny, cool, and windy.

I am livid as I type this at 5:30 P.M., and I am ready to tell these people to take their “job” and shove it ! ! ! We have done 3 previous WorkCamper jobs, and never has an “employer” been less accommodating to us, and less concerned with upholding their end of the “bargain”. This organization is sorely mismanaged, by a bunch of apparently incompetent “desperate housewives”. I am the only male here, and apparently the only male in a long time. And, I am very reluctant to say, it shows ! Not a woman here could make a decision to wipe her ass, without discussing it with 3 of her colleagues, then seeking approval from 3 levels of superiors !

The dormitory was filthy upon our arrival ! The state of disrepair rendered it in violation of every fire code ever written, at best, and a fire trap for blind people at worst ! We have finally finished cleaning and fixing in the dormitory. I estimate that we have done about 90 man hours of work in the 2 weeks we have been here. And all I have to show for it, is to have been told that what we were doing wasn’t our responsibility, and we shouldn’t have concerned ourselves. And that my communication style sounds bullying. Yeah ? ! ? Bully this, baby ! And despite knowing since April that we are arriving at the beginning of December, they have not yet figured out how or where we are supposed to empty the holding tanks of the trailer. And despite telling us in April that we would be required to undergo drug testing, they did not arrange for drug testing until a few days ago. We are scheduled for drug tests on January 4. Students will be arriving January 7. Wouldn’t they be in a pickle if we failed our drug tests, and they needed to find new dormitory parents … 2 or 3 days before the beginning of their next class ? ! ? Nincompoops ! But what really has me steamed right now, is I asked at 8:30 A.M. for the network key to allow me access to their Wi-Fi system, and that I was desperate for it. They just told me a few minutes ago that they will get it for me sometime tomorrow !

Last Tuesday morning my computer hard drive crashed. I took it in for repairs, to a place called PC Club, all the way out in Rancho Mirage. Two sectors on my hard drive failed, and as a result, they had to reformat my hard drive and reload my operating system, which wiped out everything. I got the computer back late yesterday, and spent all evening reloading and reconfiguring software, and trying to restore data. By this morning, all that I had left was to get onto AOL, and deal with all my AOL configurations and data. When we arrived 2 weeks ago, Guide Dogs Of The Desert’s computer service technician was here installing 2 new computers in the dormitory for student use. The Wi-Fi system here is not “open”, and requires a network key. He entered the network key into my computer. When my hard drive crashed, the network key was lost. I phoned the computer service technician this morning and requested the network key. He said he could not tell me what it is without authorization. I requested “authorization” this morning, and was told it required the approval of the executive director ! ! ! I have been waiting, and stewing for 8 hours ! ! !

I am supremely pissed off ! ! ! I can’t trust them ! I will probably drive 12 miles after supper to Flying J in Thousand Palms, and spend the evening using their Wi-Fi system to get onto AOL, and reconfigure and restore. I can’t afford to wait another 24 hours and then get told that it couldn’t get done because somebody had cramps !

Well … here I am at Flying J, at 9:30 P.M., waiting for my AOL Safety and Security Center software to download. With a bit of difficulty, I got onto AOL and retrieved my e-mail. My e-mail waiting to be sent was lost ! My “Favorite Places” were lost. DAMN ! That included my own blog. I had a hell of a time finding it ! I don’t know the address of my blog … I just click a link ! At least my e-mail address book was saved.

 

Tuesday ; Today was sunny and cool. Well … cool by Palm Springs standards.

We were going to take a day trip today to Joshua Tree National Park, but Joanne decided that it was a bit too cool a day to be spent high in the mountains.

This morning I had a telephone conference with my investment broker in Ottawa that lasted almost 2 hours. We discussed and resolved year end investment issues, and did quite a bit of future planning for next year.

At some time during the night, a “consultant” from Silicon Valley who is going to be helping Guide Dogs Of The Desert for a week with their year end bookkeeping moved into a room in the dormitory with his “friend”. At noon as I was on thephone with my investment broker, I was interrupted by the consultant Jason. He was bringing me the Wi-Fi network key that I have been waiting for since 8:30 A.M. yesterday. He and his “friend” asked for it so that they could use their laptops, and seemed to be given it immediately. While I have calmed down considerably from my rage of yesterday, I do feel rather insulted that some consultant’s tag along boyfriend received the network key immediately upon request, but when I asked for it, and stated that I needed it quite urgently, it wasn’t made available to me for a day and a half. Maybe I should behave more like a gay boy, and the lesbians and man hating divorcees here would treat me better ? ! ? Yeah, right … bully this, baby !

We spent the afternoon finally finishing up the cleaning and maintenance in the dormitory and kitchen. I spent quite a bit of time again today restoring my computer’s software and files. I downloaded and printed my investment account updates, then entered and analyzed the data in my own spreadsheets and financial programs on my computer. WOW !

I peeked into the whelping room in the building next door to see how Ruby’s puppies are progressing. The only other time I’ve seen them was when they were 9 days old. Now they’re 23 days old. They’ve doubled in size !

 

Wednesday ; Today was sunny and cool.

This morning I got caught up on e-mail, then prepared and sent an e-mail Christmas card I created using a photo of Bo with Santa at the Guide Dogs Of The Desert puppy raiser Christmas party. After lunch we drove over to Pep Boys in Rancho Mirage to pick up Joanne’s Christmas gift to me. Well … you know … my Christmas gift to myself ! On the way back we found our way to the shopping mall where we are supposed to be at 5:30 A.M. on January 1 to catch our bus excursion to the Rose Parade in Pasadena, so we would know where it is, and how long it takes to drive there from GDD. Our tickets arrived today.

Late in the afternoon we hitched the truck to the trailer, in preparation for our departure tomorrow, and to move it a few feet to allow us to finish waxing the rear. We finally finished our difficult twice a year chore of waxing the trailer.

This afternoon was the Guide Dogs Of The Desert staff Christmas luncheon. We weren’t invited. I guess we’re not considered staff. Fine ! Bully this, baby ! We were advised that the executive director wants tosee us at 9:00 A.M. tomorrow morning. I’m somewhat expecting, and hoping, actually, that she wants to fire us. Joanne thinks she wants to wish us Merry Christmas before we leave tomorrow. Either way would be fine with me. Two days ago I was determined to quit. Joanne convinced me that we made a commitment, and should honour it.

 

Thursday ; Palm Springs to Aguanga, California

Today was sunny and cool.

Well, I was right. The Queen Bee wanted to see us this morning to fire us. Gee … it’s been more than 25 years since I was last fired. But … it’s just like riding a bicycle. HA HA HA ! I’m quite satisfied with the situation. Joanne was livid. Mad at me. Fair enough. And mad at Queen Bee. Not surprisingly, Queen Bee and our “boss”, the Volunteer Co-ordinator, both took a cowardly approach to “firing” us. And not surprisingly, they were unappreciative of our efforts over the last 2 weeks. They were right. The fit was bad. I cannot tolerate ineptitude and indecisiveness. I cannot tolerate all talk and no action. I cannot tolerate management that can’t decide whether to wind their watch, take a shit, or steal third base ! They couldn’t tolerate being challenged. Fair enough. Bully this, baby !

The last 2 weeks made me very unenthusiastic about this WorkCamping job. Joanne did not want to “quit”, because we had made a commitment. I’m quite happy to not be returning to Guide Dogs Of The Desert. So is Joanne, actually, now that she’s stopped being angry. And I don’t think we’re going to be doing any more WorkCamping “jobs”. I don’t need the aggravation !

We left Guide Dogs Of The Desert, driving through Palm Springs to Hwy. 74 heading south, then west over the Santa Rosa Mountains and the San Jacinto Mountains. Hwy. 74 is called the Palms to Pines Highway. It leaves Palm Springs and all its palm trees, winding and climbing high up into the mountains, through the San Bernardino National Forest and all its pine trees. There was a bit of snow up high. We turned southwest on Hwy. 371 and descended out of the mountains, into “high desert”. At Aguanga, we turned west on Hwy. 79, to the Escapees park called Jojoba Hills, where we are going to spend Christmas.

Like many Escapee parks, new arrivals must be “parked” in their site by a staff member acting as spotter. I prefer using Joanne, with a 2 way radio. So … 2 spotters … count ‘em, two … and they manage to guide me back me into a standing water pipe ! ! ! A plastic water pipe attached to a thin wood pole, so, of course, it broke !

After getting over the broken water pipe fiasco, I struck a pact with Joanne. She instantly and unconditionally forgives me for getting us fired ( from a job which she never wanted anyway ), and I instantly and unconditionally forgive her for the broken water pipe.

 

Friday ; Today was sunny and warm during the day, cool in the evening. Pretty typical for high desert winter.

This morning we headed for the nearest city, Temecula, for a day of shopping. About 20 miles west on Hwy. 79. First stop was, of course, Wal-Mart. I think we spend too much of our lives in Wal-Marts. Then we found a great greengrocer, called Henry’s. Very much like Farm Boy’s in Ottawa. I flipped into impulse purchase mode, buying myself some stuffed salmon, and a turkey, eggnog, and a bunch of other goodies for Christmas. I’m pissed off about this Christmas dinner table fiasco in this park, and figured if we didn’t buy and provide a turkey for our dinner table, nobody else was going to, and I’d be even more pissed off. And I’m pissed off about Guide Dogs. And I’m pissed off about the broken water pipe. So … and my sister will certainly understand and appreciate this … I decided to make myself feel better with food ! And I certainly can afford it ! Sometimes I forget that we’re … well, you know … uhhhhh … affluent ! Our friend Julie calls us “stinkin’ rich”. HA HA HA !

Last stop in Temecula was a supermarket, Ralph’s, to get the few remaining groceries that we didn’t find at Wal-Mart or Henry’s, then back to Jojoba Hills, up in the Vallecito Mountains. The high rent district of the Vallecito Mountains. I guess everything in Southwest California is high rent ! We went to the afternoon ice cream social, where we sat and chatted with a couple from Florida. They have been full timing, and WorkCamping, since 2001. They’re 5 years into their 2 year plan of full timing. HA HA HA ! Same direction we’re headed. It was consoling to speak to another WorkCamping couple who have experienced an untenable assignment. They drove all the way from Florida to Alaska for a “job” that they gave up on partway through. So it’s not just me.

 

Saturday ; Today was a beautiful, sunny, warm day.

This morning we found a note on our door step from the only other couple signed up at our Christmas dinner table. It’s them, us, and our friend Julie. They wanted to meet to discuss who’s contributing what. We met with them and worked out some details. I had a hard time hiding the chip on my shoulder. I should explain.

At every other Escapee park that we’ve been to, for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, the park contributes a turkey and / or ham per table. Not this park ! And they set up sign up sheets for 14 seats per table. Ten seats for park residents, and 4 seats for park visitors. Transients like us and Julie, so that travelers can come in late ( like Julie arriving on Christmas Day ) and be assured of being seated a table where they are going to be able to have Christmas dinner with surrogate family, other Escapees. The typically Southern Californian self-centeredness that prevails in this park has resulted in all tables being filled with 14 local park residents. Screw the outsiders ! And an ***hole that I was having a debate with in the hot tub this afternoon quite candidly acknowledged that that was, indeed, the attitude of this park’s residents.

Anyways, us, Julie, and this other couple form the last table. Julie can’t really make a contribution since she’s driving here all the way from Phoenix, Arizona on Christmas morning. Us and this other couple will have to provide all the components of Christmas dinner.

We decorated today. Our Christmas decorating doesn’t take very long. We have a teensy little tree with teensy little lights, and 5 ornaments for it, and a large bow that I hang on the living room / dinette slide out fascia. After our quick decorating session, we spent the afternoon lounging around the hot tub. I got into a debate with the ***hole about the unfriendliness of this park, and Canada’s universal health care system. What an ignoramus ! You know, the only problem with Southern California is it’s populated with Southern Californians.

Late this afternoon another couple signed up on our table sign up sheet, so tomorrow we’ll meet with them and refigure who’s bringing what.

HA HA HA ! As I’m typing this, we’re listening to our Zydeco Christmas CD.

“Stannin’ in lie, waitin’ to see Sanna Claw …

Stannin’ in lie, waitin’ to see Sanna Claw …

Stannin’ in lie, waitin’ to see Sanna Claw …

I’m nex’ in lie … gonna axe Sanna … ”

HA HA HA ! Joanne says she really likes this “swamp pop” / Zydeco

Merry Christmas to our families and friends who read my blog.

DSK