July 4th Week

Well, we are past the midsummer point. I'm having a great time but still, I can't wait to be home! Workdays have been mostly uneventful. I'm getting a bit faster and more efficient at all this cook stuff. However, I've been asked by head chef Jen if I would mind switching jobs with storekeeper Chris. I would work full time storekeeper and he would cook and relief. I haven't heard back about that, of course I agreed, but I do know that Chris is trying to transfer to a different job. Again, lots of people that I've talked with really don't want him around much longer, most likely if he doesn't get his transfer he might get the boot anyway. Just an example. Last week when I storekeeped I tried to organize our freezer a bit better. Things went pretty well, I was able to fit more boxes on the shelves and keep like items with each other, I was pretty proud of it. That next week, although saying that he really liked the organization and some of the changes made, when I got in this week it was all out of whack again. Not wiggidy whack, no not even regular type. I think we have 8 boxes of peas which we only use once in a while when we make chicken pot pie filling... which we make MAYBE twice a week. 2 boxes, what we're supposed to have is more than enough. Ok, now I'm just venting. At least he keeps me busy!
I'm starting to get more comfortable around people now too. 2 guys in particular, our Sous Chef for the mornings, Steve - he's a great guy, sarcastic quite often but you get used to it. He's been here for 7 years total. I eat lunch or dinner with him once in a while and its always worth it. The other is a front of the house guy named James. We met a while back when he noticed I was from Minnesota, he used to live in Minneapolis. He's a really nice guy, and I'm trying to fix his laptop at the moment haha. Last night we met one other guy named Charlie. He works over at the Old Faithful Inn as a line cook so I don't know if I'll see him again. Story though:
Staci and I decided that we wanted to have a campfire so I reserved a spot through the ranger station, got the permit and headed out there right after work. It was a bit of a rush trying to get the fire started and enough wood before things got dark, fire was started but I still had to scrounge in the dark for more wood (by the way, my new "chain saw" works AWESOME... just wear hand protection of some sort). So I started the fire and I'm waiting around for Staci to get off work and this guy shows up randomly. We talked for a little bit and he asks me if I'd ever hear of fire dancing. Not a clue... I thought it was a movie or something. Anyway, he asks if it'd be cool if he seasoned his new fire staves. Me not knowing any better said, "sure!". He leaves, Staci shows up, and this guy comes back with two fire staves he bought recently. He had to soak the ends in gasoline for so long then burn them for a while etc. While he burned the ends he put on a little show for us. More like he was so excited to try them out he couldn't wait, but I still got most of it all on video and let me say it was AWESOME. Firedancing, by the way, is basically twirling batons with fire on each end. He was going with both at the same time before we left. I think we're going to try and meet up again sometime, I really hope we do! That was a great treat for last night.
Hmm Sunday. Going back in time a few days.
Our services went well. We were at the Madison campground, our first service we had one family show up. It was ok though when that happens things get really informal and kinda fun. Second service we had the National Director for ACMNP Spencer Lundgaard show up with his family. We knew he was coming but it was still a treat. We all kinda knew him from our regional conferences which I think he was at all of them. I preached again, but I felt like it didn't flow as well as my previous ones. I redid my first sermon and I think that might have been the problem. Instead of completely rewriting the whole thing and using the same points, I rewrote some of it, so it was like 2 different thought processes coming together. All the same, Spencer told me afterwards, he never would have guessed I was a college student from the thoughts I shared in my sermon. That was pretty encouraging! He also remembered that I was a PK and he said that he could definitely tell I got some of that from my dad.
Monday, we had another ACMNP parkwide fun day. 31 of us hiked Avalanche Peak. About 3000 feet change in altitude in less than 3 miles. It was a beast of an uphill climb, but at the top it was amazing. And we had snow fields to slide down!!! :D (I was the only one to climb up twice)
I guess that's all for now, I'm running out of battery and I have to get to work!