'09

Happy New Year!!! Be responsible and safe! Yay for 2009!!!

Back in the snow

Well the Power is back on and I am back at work. Things should be prett busy this week. I am scheduled to work 5 double shifts this week. But I'm not complaining. I need the money. lol. Its been sunny the last few days up here. I can tell because the roads are all mushy and everything freezes into ice during the night. It makes it impossible to walk up the icy path from my room to the bathrooms at night when it's all frozen over. I just slide around a lot. lol. I hope everyone has a great New Years. Be safe!!!

Stranded in the Snow

I woke up on Christmas morning to a major snow storm that had started that night. It was pretty intense. So I was scheduled to work all day Christmas Day. Things were going fine, busy, but fine. When, during breakfast, the power went out. The Lodge's emergency generator kicked on and business resumed as usual while we waited for the power to return. By the end of lunch, it became apparent that the power would not be returning anytime soon. Because of the storm, two trees had fallen in the road. It was also snowing so much that the rangers wouldn't let anyone down the mountain, even after the trees were cleared. So with the electricity out the guests rooms and employee cabins have no power or heat. We had all the guests stranded at the hotel with cold dark rooms to go to. So needless to say, we were super busy at the lodge trying to accommodate everyone and get everyone some dinner. The employees (myself included) slept together in sleeping bags on the bottom floor of the lodge (near the back delivery dock). When I awoke a few hours later to start the morning shift, the power was still out. The roads were clear enough to drive on, so most of the guests left after breakfast. The Managers made the decision to evacuate the hotel while the roads were still safe enough to drive on. So last night all the employees were put up in the Comfort Inn at the bottom of the mountain. Today the power is still out and we are staying another night. So that's what's new here. For the full story and more details, you can e-mail me. lol. I'm meeting everyone at the local Pizza Place in a few minutes for dinner, so I'll update you all again later. Until then...

mail me something

My new address:
64740 Wuksachi Way
Unit 601
Sequoia Nat'l Park, CA 93262

PLEASE Mail me something!!!!

working through the holidays

Its been steadily busy here. I worked a grueling Breakfast/lunch shift yesterday and then later volunteered to work the "Dish Pit" (dishes station) after I found out they had forgot to schedule someone and were having trouble finding anyone to fill in. I knew it would be hard, but I wanted the overtime and it put me in good standing with the kitchen staff and management. It was hard and very tiring. Today I am having trouble moving around and my body aches. I have tomorrow (Christmas Eve) off. I thought about driving to Visalia to maybe treat myself to a massage or get some goodies to celebrate Christmas, but I realized that I wont be receiving my next paycheck for another week or so. And I just don't have the money for gas or anything else. So I guess I'll crash in my room or watch tv in the Rec room for Christmas Eve. : (
Ok, well my lunch break is over, so it's back to work! lol Until next time...

Alone at Christmas

Well, Hello again to all my loyal readers! Today, the 3rd big storm of the season has come to Sequoia. It started snowing heavily this afternoon and we expect another 3-5 feet this week! lol Brrrr! Now that Christmas is getting near, I'm beginning to feel a little lonely being away from the ones I love. But I have some good friends here who are also away from home, so we will probably celebrate Christmas together. The Lodge is starting to get crowded and busy. Which is good for business. The job is still going well. Things should slow down a lot after New Years. I'm hoping to drive home with some of my new friends for a few days in January. Then, If I have the money, I hope to Fly to Lithuania sometime in February. :D Other than that, there really isn't anything interesting going on here. After work, things get kind of boring. There's not a lot to do here. lol I hope everyone is having fun preparing for the holidays! Remember... don't stress, enjoy your loved ones while they're near, and have fun. Life is what you make it! ;D Until next time...

Going with the Flow

Things are starting to fall into place now. I finally moved into my employee cabin. I love my roommate, she is from Brazil. I also met and made friends with a girl from Argentina, a girl from Malaysia, and a couple from Peru. Today we all crammed into my ice covered car and drove down to the nearest Walmart (2 hours away). lol I started training on Monday and started taking tables that same night. The job is pretty easy. Serving is pretty much the same wherever you go, its just a matter of adjusting to the new environment. I love the people I work with. The kitchen staff is awesome! We have tons of fun! This weekend should be pretty busy as well as Christmas and New Years. I believe the hotel is booked for those weeks, so we will be working hard. Hopefully I can make good tips, because I don't get my first paycheck for another two weeks. So having that tip money would help out. My new friends and I are already planning a trip down to SD. I told them we could stay with my parents (so start cleaning Mom) and I can show them the beach, the Walk of Fame(LA), and possibly Universal S. They all have to return to their countries at the end of February so I want them to experience more of CA than just the snowy mountains. Its still freezing here but it hasn't snowed in a few days so that's good. I was able to dig my car out... Actually I got a few of the bellmen to do it for me. :D They got it done in like 15 min. It would have taken me hours! lol
This morning before we went into town, everyone had to attend this "love your customers" class. It was long and sometimes boring. But I did learn some interesting facts about the company I'm working for, so that was cool. Alright, it's getting late and I need to work tomorrow. Until next time...
Iki (bye in Lithuanian)

Alive in Sequoia

Well I made safely to Sequoia. It started snowing last night and hasn't stopped. I can no longer see my car. It just looks like a giant pile of snow. lol. Some of you may know already that the cabin I'm supposed to move into isn't ready for me yet. So I am staying in one of the cabin rooms at the lodge. Its nice because the cabins us employees stay in aren't exactly the Ritz! :D The bathrooms/showers are in a separate cabin about 200 yrds away from my room. Which is a long way to go when there's 5 feet of snow on the ground! They're small rooms with 2 mattresses on the floor and a small heating unit. It's cheap carpeting that looks like it was just thrown down instead of actually being installed. And the walls in my room are a very ugly dark blue. But who's complaining...? lol. The Lodge itself is nice. It has an old fashioned wood burning stove in the Lobby as well as a small gift shop. Also there is a small restaurant and lounge attached (where I'll be working). On the lower floor of the Lodge is a small shop that has snow gear and ski equipment and serves as a makeshift market. You can purchase snacks and drinks there as well as some other necessities. There are three cabins where the guests stay located about 400 yrds away from the main Lodge (where I am staying tempararilly until my room is available).

Employee housing is on the opposite side of the lodge. The staff during the winter here is very small. I believe there is only 30 employees or so. Which is nice, because its easier to make friends that way. So far everyone I've met has been real nice and friendly. However there's not a whole lot to do up here especially when it's snowing as hard as it is. I don't get any kind of service on my cell phone up here. And If I want to use the internet, I need to take my computer to the main lodge. That Is why I decided to start blogging. So everyone can check in on me and see whats new, without me having to e-mail 50 different people. I will be getting a PO Box as soon as I can dig my car out of the snow to get there. I'll let ya'll know what my address is as soon as I get one. I will try to update my log every other day or so.

Until next time, Happy holidays!