It is unbelievable that after almost 2 weeks, I still don't have the proper access to important functions at work. In any job we have ever worked, the payroll paperwork - W-4 forms - have been completed no later than the first day of work. These forms are required by payroll to establish deduction criteria from your paycheck. The payroll system here is administered by ADP, a popular payroll company used by many corporations, and one we have been involved with before. The problem is not with them, but rather with Equity Life Style Properties. We can understand that it may take longer to get things from corporate, but never this long for new employees. At least Josie can use the clock to sign in and out. I'm still writing down my hours manually. The problem carries over to the use of the computer system, and we cannot log on to them unless we use someone else's passwords.
Aside from the issues above, we don't see any change forthcoming regarding the confusion that reigns all over the office. There are times when even the manager has to figure out what rate to charge someone who is extending their stay, or checking in on one of the unusual rate packages they offer. Given that Josie and I are the only front desk workers scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday, the pressure is making us very uncomfortable. Josie and I have agreed that with the size of the campground - over 500 spaces - it adds to the workload and causes the phones to be busier than normal, therefore, adding to the confusion. Our experience has been with campgrounds that have around 100 - 150 spaces, so it was a much calmer environment. If it sounds like we are not going to remain here, you're probably right. The final decision won't be made until after the first pay period, which is next Wednesday.
If it doesn't work out here, we will most likely bite the bullet and make the long, expensive journey back to Cody, where they still want us back. I calculated a trip of around 2800 miles from here, allowing for a stay at Josie's sister's place for a couple days, and a stopover in New Orleans, where Josie has never been. If we were to leave here around the middle of April, we would get to Cody in plenty of time to start in mid May, which was the way we left it with them last year.
The weather recently has added to our concerns as we have had to use the A/C every day the last couple days and promises to be the normal mode for the foreseeable future. The days are getting hotter and more humid, with some serious storms passing through FL to the north of us. Yesterday, the high was 85, and the low was 77. Looks like an interesting week ahead...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Marathon and Chores
We have been putting off a trip to Marathon to get haircuts and a few clothing items, so yesterday was our day for the trip. It is only about 10 miles from us, so it's an easy trip. We started out looking for a Hairmasters shop that we found on the Internet, but evidently it has moved, because it was not located at the address we were given. There was another Salon - Headhunters - that was just down the street so we stopped in there to find out about haircut costs. Men's were $15, and women's were $35. Needless to say, I got mine done and Josie has to wait until we find a place that is more reasonable for ladies' cuts. We then went to the "big" store in town - KMart - that is the best place between here and Miami to buy any clothes without paying tourist prices. Actually, since they became part of Sears, their clothes are pretty decent. We each bought some shorts and Josie got a couple tops, and we were more than satisfied.
The day before yesterday, as mentioned in the blog, was very windy and I neglected to mention that we received .5" of rain during the night which is the first rain we had received since we arrived. The forecast yesterday was for possible thunderstorms, but those stayed just north of us so we enjoyed a clear day yesterday. The A/C has been on each of the last 2 days, so we are getting a taste of what the summer will be like. The bad news is that we are being metered for electric as part of our package, so we are trying to use it as little as possible. Overall, it is still a good package, if only the job could measure up.
It is already beginning to look like a ghost town in the park. The annual "winter" crowd is beginning to leave and we are told that they will be almost gone by the end of the first week in April. April 1st is a bad day to travel on the Overseas Highway, the only road in our out of the Keys, because most people leave on that date - from all the Keys. We can watch the traffic jam from our location at the front desk.
Today starts our 5 day work week, so it's an important time frame for us to finalize decisions. Hopefully, we will both get into the corporate system and be able to sign in and out normally like all the other employees. The way it stands right now, we are seriously looking at leaving if this week isn't better. Time will tell...
The day before yesterday, as mentioned in the blog, was very windy and I neglected to mention that we received .5" of rain during the night which is the first rain we had received since we arrived. The forecast yesterday was for possible thunderstorms, but those stayed just north of us so we enjoyed a clear day yesterday. The A/C has been on each of the last 2 days, so we are getting a taste of what the summer will be like. The bad news is that we are being metered for electric as part of our package, so we are trying to use it as little as possible. Overall, it is still a good package, if only the job could measure up.
It is already beginning to look like a ghost town in the park. The annual "winter" crowd is beginning to leave and we are told that they will be almost gone by the end of the first week in April. April 1st is a bad day to travel on the Overseas Highway, the only road in our out of the Keys, because most people leave on that date - from all the Keys. We can watch the traffic jam from our location at the front desk.
Today starts our 5 day work week, so it's an important time frame for us to finalize decisions. Hopefully, we will both get into the corporate system and be able to sign in and out normally like all the other employees. The way it stands right now, we are seriously looking at leaving if this week isn't better. Time will tell...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Bahia Honda State Park
Our goal for yesterday was to check out the Bahia Honda State Park, about 4 miles from us. It was around noon when we arrived:
The fee to enter the park was $9, which we thought was a little steep, but after we drove around the park, it was easy to see that it was a bargain. One of the famous landmarks in the park is the old bridge:
which carried vehicle traffic on the top, and the train on the lower level. The railroad, and many of the vehicle roads were wiped out in the hurricane on Labor Day, 1935. It was a Category 5 hurricane, and back in those days there was very little warning. It is estimated that about 1000 people on the Keys died in that storm. This is one of the few places where the railroad and vehicle traffic shared the same bridge. The new, 4 lane highway is built on the bridge that is visible in the background.
There are 3 beaches in the park, all of which are famous, and one received the "Best Beach in America" award in 1992. When looking at the seaweed that is present on these beaches, you wonder how they won any awards. When we stopped in the information center in the park, we picked up some info on the beaches and the seaweed. Following is an excerpt from a description of the beaches:
"Have you ever wondered why there are so few beaches in the Keys? Conditions have to be just right in order for there to be a build up of sand. The Keys that have sandy beaches are located in areas that have a break in the offshore reef or near deep channels where it's possible for large amounts of sediment to be carried by the current and deposited on shore.
The sand is made up of calcareous algae, sea shells and a small amount of coral skeltons. The remains of these are ground against the sea bottom and then washed ashore, forming the beach.
You will find very few whole seashells on the beaches in the Keys because our beaches have little if no slope. The water is very shallow for several hundred feet out from the shore. There are many sand bars and sea grass beds that trap the seashells before they get to the beach"
The sand is very fine, and very white, which adds to their beauty. And regarding the Seaweed:
"When visiting this park, you will almost always see seaweed on the beach. This seaweed litter consists of plants that previously grew in the shallow water just offshore. When alive, these plants were a very important part of a marine food web. They served as food for the queen conch, sea turtles, sea urchins, and many fish. The value of seaweed, however, does not end when they are washed ashore by wind and waves. Here, the dead plant material is food for other animals and helps the beach and dunes perform their natural functions.
As seaweed breaks down and becomes mixed in with the sand, it builds up the organic content of the soil, allowing pioneer plants, like sea oats and beach panic grasses, to begin to grow. In turn, these plants help to further stabilize the beach and sand dunes by holding sand and other soil material in place with their roots, and by catching wind-blown sand with their leaves and stems."
We stopped at one of the beaches (Calusa) that was close to where we parked at the information center, and spent a couple hours sitting, swimming and tanning. This beach also was the closest to the highway bridge on one side, and the old bridge on the other side:
It also had the least amount of seaweed.
After we felt like we had been in the hot sun long enough, we drove around to see the campground loops (3), and the other beaches. Below are shots of the other beaches - this one is of the "Loggerhead" beach:
and finally, the "Sandspur" beach, which is a mile long:
It was a day well spent and we hope to return soon.
It appears that we will get a taste of thunderstorms today, as the forecast calls for possible storms. It was super windy overnight - 25-30 MPH - and we had to finally turn on the A/C yesterday because it was so hot and humid. That's about it for now...
The fee to enter the park was $9, which we thought was a little steep, but after we drove around the park, it was easy to see that it was a bargain. One of the famous landmarks in the park is the old bridge:
which carried vehicle traffic on the top, and the train on the lower level. The railroad, and many of the vehicle roads were wiped out in the hurricane on Labor Day, 1935. It was a Category 5 hurricane, and back in those days there was very little warning. It is estimated that about 1000 people on the Keys died in that storm. This is one of the few places where the railroad and vehicle traffic shared the same bridge. The new, 4 lane highway is built on the bridge that is visible in the background.
There are 3 beaches in the park, all of which are famous, and one received the "Best Beach in America" award in 1992. When looking at the seaweed that is present on these beaches, you wonder how they won any awards. When we stopped in the information center in the park, we picked up some info on the beaches and the seaweed. Following is an excerpt from a description of the beaches:
"Have you ever wondered why there are so few beaches in the Keys? Conditions have to be just right in order for there to be a build up of sand. The Keys that have sandy beaches are located in areas that have a break in the offshore reef or near deep channels where it's possible for large amounts of sediment to be carried by the current and deposited on shore.
The sand is made up of calcareous algae, sea shells and a small amount of coral skeltons. The remains of these are ground against the sea bottom and then washed ashore, forming the beach.
You will find very few whole seashells on the beaches in the Keys because our beaches have little if no slope. The water is very shallow for several hundred feet out from the shore. There are many sand bars and sea grass beds that trap the seashells before they get to the beach"
The sand is very fine, and very white, which adds to their beauty. And regarding the Seaweed:
"When visiting this park, you will almost always see seaweed on the beach. This seaweed litter consists of plants that previously grew in the shallow water just offshore. When alive, these plants were a very important part of a marine food web. They served as food for the queen conch, sea turtles, sea urchins, and many fish. The value of seaweed, however, does not end when they are washed ashore by wind and waves. Here, the dead plant material is food for other animals and helps the beach and dunes perform their natural functions.
As seaweed breaks down and becomes mixed in with the sand, it builds up the organic content of the soil, allowing pioneer plants, like sea oats and beach panic grasses, to begin to grow. In turn, these plants help to further stabilize the beach and sand dunes by holding sand and other soil material in place with their roots, and by catching wind-blown sand with their leaves and stems."
We stopped at one of the beaches (Calusa) that was close to where we parked at the information center, and spent a couple hours sitting, swimming and tanning. This beach also was the closest to the highway bridge on one side, and the old bridge on the other side:
It also had the least amount of seaweed.
After we felt like we had been in the hot sun long enough, we drove around to see the campground loops (3), and the other beaches. Below are shots of the other beaches - this one is of the "Loggerhead" beach:
and finally, the "Sandspur" beach, which is a mile long:
It was a day well spent and we hope to return soon.
It appears that we will get a taste of thunderstorms today, as the forecast calls for possible storms. It was super windy overnight - 25-30 MPH - and we had to finally turn on the A/C yesterday because it was so hot and humid. That's about it for now...
Monday, March 28, 2011
Enjoyable First Day Off
We had a rare opportunity to go to church yesterday as we usually work on Sundays, or are short on time so we travel someplace. The church was a Lutheran church on Big Pine Key and the service started at 10 AM which gave us plenty of time to get there. Unfortunately, we forgot the camera to take a picture of the church. It is a relatively old building that is built on stilts, as are many of the residences here. The underside is used for parking and it is very common to see structures like these that are built to withstand potential floods from tropical storms or hurricanes. There were no pews inside, only folding chairs. The alter was a very simple one but served the purpose. We were warmly welcomed and thought the service was very good. The minister was a short, bald black man and looked kind of like a monk, but delivered a very good sermon. All in all, it was a worthwhile visit for us.
Before going any further, I need to explain what caused the problem yesterday in viewing our picture of the iguana. I spent quite a while trying to figure out why it didn't appear in the post unless you clicked on the tiny square where it was suppose to appear. It turns out that there was a problem with Internet Explorer that affected the insertion of photos, and I discovered from the blog site that it was a known issue and they suggested editing the post in Google Chrome, instead of Internet Explorer - which I did. The post should appear normal now.
When we returned from church, we had a big breakfast and then put our swim suits on and went to the pool. It is getting very warm here now. The high yesterday was 87, and we can feel the humidity increasing which is making it seem even warmer. So far, we still haven't turned on our A/C, but we are getting close to the point where we absolutely have to have it on. There are possible thunderstorms in the forecast, but so far, we have had no rain at all.
Following a couple hours at the pool, we returned home and spotted another iguana walking across the road in front of us. He started running as we got close and he started climbing a nearby tree:
This iguana was smaller than the one we saw the day before but they are probably all over the place.
The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around the site with our "fantastic fans" on that we have in the bathroom and in the kitchen area and they help create a draft by pulling in the air from our open windows. I think that the A/C is in our near future if this keeps up.
We plan to explore the other side of the island today. We are the only facility on this small island that is just before the Bahia Honda State Park island and then the Big Pine Key. We will probably then go to the Bahia Honda State Park to explore there a little bit. Two more days to enjoy before working again on Wednesday...
Before going any further, I need to explain what caused the problem yesterday in viewing our picture of the iguana. I spent quite a while trying to figure out why it didn't appear in the post unless you clicked on the tiny square where it was suppose to appear. It turns out that there was a problem with Internet Explorer that affected the insertion of photos, and I discovered from the blog site that it was a known issue and they suggested editing the post in Google Chrome, instead of Internet Explorer - which I did. The post should appear normal now.
When we returned from church, we had a big breakfast and then put our swim suits on and went to the pool. It is getting very warm here now. The high yesterday was 87, and we can feel the humidity increasing which is making it seem even warmer. So far, we still haven't turned on our A/C, but we are getting close to the point where we absolutely have to have it on. There are possible thunderstorms in the forecast, but so far, we have had no rain at all.
Following a couple hours at the pool, we returned home and spotted another iguana walking across the road in front of us. He started running as we got close and he started climbing a nearby tree:
This iguana was smaller than the one we saw the day before but they are probably all over the place.
The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around the site with our "fantastic fans" on that we have in the bathroom and in the kitchen area and they help create a draft by pulling in the air from our open windows. I think that the A/C is in our near future if this keeps up.
We plan to explore the other side of the island today. We are the only facility on this small island that is just before the Bahia Honda State Park island and then the Big Pine Key. We will probably then go to the Bahia Honda State Park to explore there a little bit. Two more days to enjoy before working again on Wednesday...
Sunday, March 27, 2011
End of the First Week
Our first full week came to an end yesterday. It was another (so far) typical day of confusion and uncertainty. There are so many different rates for different times of the year, plus specials that are ongoing, it is nearly impossible to quote a price without having a "cheat sheet" with everything summarized. Not having the use of our third terminal in the office has also created a frustrating situation that shouldn't exist.
While talking to one of the workers (Karen) who is the Activities Director and a regular each year, we found out that the way things are is pretty normal. She indicated that there is always confusion and almost all of it stems from the fact that most decisions have to come from the corporate headquarters in Chicago, which is not always done quickly. We can vouch for that. Neither one of us is in the payroll system yet, and I still cannot use the on-line clock to sign-in and sign-out because we haven't been assigned the proper codes. She also indicated that it is not unusual for people to leave after a short time because they can't work in this kind of environment. We hope we aren't in that group, but I repeat, we will not work in a stressful environment. It's a shame because the people are nice and the area is great, but all the positives are negated by the stress. This next week, after we have had a few days off to rest, will be key.
The schedule we followed since Wednesday has Josie going in a half hour before me, and leaving a half earlier. Last night, while she was sitting outside waiting for me to get home, she took this picture of an iguana that had climbed the tree next to us:
We were told by a neighbor that has been coming here for many years that the Cubans that come here on the weekends during the "summer program" bring them as pets and release them when they leave. We have heard lots of horror stories from these old timers about the Cubans and the summer program. It seems that they like to party and play loud music all night while they are here and the rules don't mean anything to them. Last year, we were told that the police had to be called in on a couple of occasions to get control. That doesn't sound like fun.
Our plan today is to try out a Lutheran church in Big Pine Key, come home and maybe relax at the pool for a few hours. There are no other plans but to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather...
While talking to one of the workers (Karen) who is the Activities Director and a regular each year, we found out that the way things are is pretty normal. She indicated that there is always confusion and almost all of it stems from the fact that most decisions have to come from the corporate headquarters in Chicago, which is not always done quickly. We can vouch for that. Neither one of us is in the payroll system yet, and I still cannot use the on-line clock to sign-in and sign-out because we haven't been assigned the proper codes. She also indicated that it is not unusual for people to leave after a short time because they can't work in this kind of environment. We hope we aren't in that group, but I repeat, we will not work in a stressful environment. It's a shame because the people are nice and the area is great, but all the positives are negated by the stress. This next week, after we have had a few days off to rest, will be key.
The schedule we followed since Wednesday has Josie going in a half hour before me, and leaving a half earlier. Last night, while she was sitting outside waiting for me to get home, she took this picture of an iguana that had climbed the tree next to us:
We were told by a neighbor that has been coming here for many years that the Cubans that come here on the weekends during the "summer program" bring them as pets and release them when they leave. We have heard lots of horror stories from these old timers about the Cubans and the summer program. It seems that they like to party and play loud music all night while they are here and the rules don't mean anything to them. Last year, we were told that the police had to be called in on a couple of occasions to get control. That doesn't sound like fun.
Our plan today is to try out a Lutheran church in Big Pine Key, come home and maybe relax at the pool for a few hours. There are no other plans but to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Big Rally Arrived
There were about 25 sites reserved for a rally that was coming in yesterday. It was a rally for an Airstream club - you know the RV's that look like they're made from aluminum. It was our first experience for one of those and I was sent out to make sure that all their reserved sites were in good order - picnic table on right side of space, trash removed from site and the hookups were all OK. It turned out to be a tougher job than anticipated. Yesterday was the warmest day we've had so far - high of 84 - and there was very little breeze. It took over an hour to complete the job, as there were several tables to move and several sites had to be raked, and I was wet all over from sweat when I returned to the office. It was definitely a job for the maintenance crew, and not the front office.
When I returned to the office I couldn't log-on to my workstation - it times-out after about 5 minutes of no use. I have been using the passwords of an employee that left before our arrival and they expired from the system which meant that I had no use of the terminal for the rest of the day. Of course, none of this would happen if they had used diligence in getting passwords assigned to us right away when we started last Monday. Josie has been using passwords from another employee that is still there, so she didn't have the problem on her terminal. The log-on passwords will only work on the machines they are assigned to and the other passwords will not work on my workstation as they are already in use. What a waste of time as a result of their lack of organization. Josie and I went back and forth the rest of the day, trying not to bump into each other, while using the one workstation that was available to us. As mentioned before, the stress level needs to be reduced or we will be gone.
The rally got all checked-in and settled. It was a good thing that they had a "Wagon Master" handle the check-in and payment for the whole group. There were other occasions yesterday when Josie and I would just look at each other and shrug our shoulders.
Our last day, and 6th of the week, is today and we are looking forward to some free time. We hope it goes better today as there will be four of us on the front desk. With only two working terminals out of the three we have, it should be an interesting day...
When I returned to the office I couldn't log-on to my workstation - it times-out after about 5 minutes of no use. I have been using the passwords of an employee that left before our arrival and they expired from the system which meant that I had no use of the terminal for the rest of the day. Of course, none of this would happen if they had used diligence in getting passwords assigned to us right away when we started last Monday. Josie has been using passwords from another employee that is still there, so she didn't have the problem on her terminal. The log-on passwords will only work on the machines they are assigned to and the other passwords will not work on my workstation as they are already in use. What a waste of time as a result of their lack of organization. Josie and I went back and forth the rest of the day, trying not to bump into each other, while using the one workstation that was available to us. As mentioned before, the stress level needs to be reduced or we will be gone.
The rally got all checked-in and settled. It was a good thing that they had a "Wagon Master" handle the check-in and payment for the whole group. There were other occasions yesterday when Josie and I would just look at each other and shrug our shoulders.
Our last day, and 6th of the week, is today and we are looking forward to some free time. We hope it goes better today as there will be four of us on the front desk. With only two working terminals out of the three we have, it should be an interesting day...
Friday, March 25, 2011
Marching Onward
It was our first solo day in the office yesterday, and I have to say it went OK. The manager - Marlene - was there all day to help us through "sticky" situations and we made it through without any disasters. There is still so much that we need to know as far as when to use certain rates and, generally, the policies of the company. One thing was accomplished - Josie is now in the system so she can use the time clock to punch in and out, but I still have to record my hours manually. The reason mine was not ready was evidently a result of my previous employment in Palm Springs (the Thousand Trails there is owned by the same company - ELS Properties) where they hadn't yet removed my SS Number from the payroll there. Sheesh! It was over a year ago that I worked there. I will be treated as a rehire instead of a new employee, which will allow them to enter my info here. Can you believe it took them almost a week to figure it out?
Last night there was a party at the clubhouse for Marlene who is leaving the company in early April. She is a single woman and wants to take a year off to do some things for herself. That means we will be getting a new manager soon. Also, the Business Manager that hired us (Colleen) is also leaving the first of April, so the confusion in the office will most likely increase for awhile. She and her husband have purchased a home in Sebring, FL and will move into that when they leave. There were lots of people - probably around 100 - at the party last night for Marlene which was well done. It was a pot luck dinner with a keg of beer and sangria to drink. We went right from work at 5 PM and only stayed long enough to eat, meet a few new people, and mingle with the few people we know so far. The party went from 4 till 6 PM.
We are looking forward to our first day off on Sunday. No decisions will be made on our future here until we get a good feel for what's going to happen. The area is terrific, but we need more time to explore. We also will want to see less stress in the office. In the meantime, it's another solo day today and a busy day tomorrow...
Last night there was a party at the clubhouse for Marlene who is leaving the company in early April. She is a single woman and wants to take a year off to do some things for herself. That means we will be getting a new manager soon. Also, the Business Manager that hired us (Colleen) is also leaving the first of April, so the confusion in the office will most likely increase for awhile. She and her husband have purchased a home in Sebring, FL and will move into that when they leave. There were lots of people - probably around 100 - at the party last night for Marlene which was well done. It was a pot luck dinner with a keg of beer and sangria to drink. We went right from work at 5 PM and only stayed long enough to eat, meet a few new people, and mingle with the few people we know so far. The party went from 4 till 6 PM.
We are looking forward to our first day off on Sunday. No decisions will be made on our future here until we get a good feel for what's going to happen. The area is terrific, but we need more time to explore. We also will want to see less stress in the office. In the meantime, it's another solo day today and a busy day tomorrow...
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Finally Getting a Schedule
We finally got our schedule yesterday and also a set of keys. When we received the schedule, we noticed that we were going to work 7 straight days before having our first day off. Josie mentioned it to the manager (Marlene), and she casually said: "Oh, well take Sunday off"' That would have been the 7th day so we still work 6 days straight until then before our first day off. Worse, and more scary, is that today and tomorrow, Josie and I are the only two people on the front desk. It's hard for us to believe that we will be the lone workers on the front desk with the little bit of tools we have been given to do the job. There are so many unique situations here that we are not familiar with that it makes it very uncomfortable to have this responsibility so early in our jobs. We'll just have to do the best we can, with what we've been given.
This, as mentioned before, has been a very disorganized experience for us so far. We still don't have our ID numbers which are necessary to perform transactions on the system. We have been using one of the other employees' numbers to do our job so far. Also, we still don't have access to the time reporting system online so we are still writing down our hours on paper. Even though the pay period ended yesterday, we will have to wait another 2 weeks to receive our pay for the 2 days we worked this week prior to Wednesday. Things have to improve in the office or we will be forced to move on, which we would hate to do. All of our work experiences have to be satisfying, or they aren't worth the time or effort. We left the stress filled world a long time ago, and will not allow it to sneak in again.
Josie starts work at 8 AM and works till 4:30, and I start at 8:30, and work till 5 PM. We'll see how it goes today...
This, as mentioned before, has been a very disorganized experience for us so far. We still don't have our ID numbers which are necessary to perform transactions on the system. We have been using one of the other employees' numbers to do our job so far. Also, we still don't have access to the time reporting system online so we are still writing down our hours on paper. Even though the pay period ended yesterday, we will have to wait another 2 weeks to receive our pay for the 2 days we worked this week prior to Wednesday. Things have to improve in the office or we will be forced to move on, which we would hate to do. All of our work experiences have to be satisfying, or they aren't worth the time or effort. We left the stress filled world a long time ago, and will not allow it to sneak in again.
Josie starts work at 8 AM and works till 4:30, and I start at 8:30, and work till 5 PM. We'll see how it goes today...
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Trying to Learn the Procedures
Our second day on the new job was again a challenge for us to figure out the procedures at the park. It's a good thing we already had experience with the software system, since there is no structured teaching for new employees. We are constantly discovering new procedures and policies that should be written down and presented to us at the beginning of our work commitment. There is one other person at the front desk beside Josie and I, and she has only been in this particular assignment for about 4 months. She has been our only source for instruction as the managers just seem to go their own ways and assume that everything is OK. Today will be the 3rd work day, and so far, all we have are name badges. There is no employee ID number yet, no access yet to the online payroll system where we enter our start, stop, and lunch break times, and no package of information outlining procedures for opening, closing and handling other types of transactions. The managers have just asked us to keep track of our time on paper for now. Usually, all of the payroll information is completed before you even start - such as personal deductions and payment method (direct deposit or check). We hope it gets better organization soon. Actually, we still haven't received our schedules yet, so it's hard to plan for anything on our time off.
The area has been a pleasant surprise to us so far. We have been here for almost a week and the temperature has varied only 1 degree, from day to day, since we arrived. Our high has been 78 every day, and with the exception of one night, the low has been 70. The other night it was 71. There has also been only one day where the wind was higher - 20 MPH, vs normal 10-15. We know it will change as we get closer to summer. People are telling us that the heat and humidity, although not quite as bad as on the mainland of Florida, still gets pretty bad. Highs will be in the low 90's with equal humidity. Also, the "pop-up" storms that occur on the mainland also occur here. The big difference is that there is usually a breeze most of the time. I suppose we'll find out.
We are hoping for major steps forward today. Of course, the longer we work the more we will learn, even without written procedures. The people are nice and friendly so there is no problem there. It is, as I mentioned before, a very different experience, but one that we welcome as that is what we are looking for...
The area has been a pleasant surprise to us so far. We have been here for almost a week and the temperature has varied only 1 degree, from day to day, since we arrived. Our high has been 78 every day, and with the exception of one night, the low has been 70. The other night it was 71. There has also been only one day where the wind was higher - 20 MPH, vs normal 10-15. We know it will change as we get closer to summer. People are telling us that the heat and humidity, although not quite as bad as on the mainland of Florida, still gets pretty bad. Highs will be in the low 90's with equal humidity. Also, the "pop-up" storms that occur on the mainland also occur here. The big difference is that there is usually a breeze most of the time. I suppose we'll find out.
We are hoping for major steps forward today. Of course, the longer we work the more we will learn, even without written procedures. The people are nice and friendly so there is no problem there. It is, as I mentioned before, a very different experience, but one that we welcome as that is what we are looking for...
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Learning the New Job
Our day began at 8:30 AM yesterday in the office. There was very little organization and the (business) manager that hired us was off on Mondays, so the others at the front desk were left to introduce us to the routine. Not knowing exactly where to start, Brenda, the most senior of the front desk workers, had us just go through the system on one of the front desk terminals. Of course, we already knew the software system, so it was not long before we were ready for our next task. Brenda had us drive around the campground in a cart with a list to check for scheduled vacated spaces. She instructed us to take our time. So far, they had us wondering what we were suppose to do.
Eventually, the manager of the campground - different from the business manager that hired us - came in and gave us some shirts to be used as uniforms and took copies of our passports to attach to the paperwork which will be forwarded to the corporate office. It will evidently take a few days to get assigned an employee ID and be given all the passwords to the system and keys that we may need to do our jobs. I guess we find out for sure today when the business manager returns to work.
The rest of the day - until 5 PM - was spent handling a few reservations, checking on vacated spaces, learning the closing procedures and just talking generally about the job, the area, and the location of items necessary to perform the job. All in all, the day was not very productive from our point of view. I expect that today we will have more hands-on work as far as handling check-ins and reservations.
One thing we discovered was the reason why there are no (natural) beaches in the keys - there are no waves! Of course, why didn't we think of that. The only beaches are man-made and that accounts for their scarcity. These islands are different from the mainland in that regard. There are a couple nice ones not too far from us, so we should be OK with that.
Day two begins again at 8:30, and we are still anxious to get our schedule. It will be nice to be able to plan for our days off, so we'll see...
Eventually, the manager of the campground - different from the business manager that hired us - came in and gave us some shirts to be used as uniforms and took copies of our passports to attach to the paperwork which will be forwarded to the corporate office. It will evidently take a few days to get assigned an employee ID and be given all the passwords to the system and keys that we may need to do our jobs. I guess we find out for sure today when the business manager returns to work.
The rest of the day - until 5 PM - was spent handling a few reservations, checking on vacated spaces, learning the closing procedures and just talking generally about the job, the area, and the location of items necessary to perform the job. All in all, the day was not very productive from our point of view. I expect that today we will have more hands-on work as far as handling check-ins and reservations.
One thing we discovered was the reason why there are no (natural) beaches in the keys - there are no waves! Of course, why didn't we think of that. The only beaches are man-made and that accounts for their scarcity. These islands are different from the mainland in that regard. There are a couple nice ones not too far from us, so we should be OK with that.
Day two begins again at 8:30, and we are still anxious to get our schedule. It will be nice to be able to plan for our days off, so we'll see...
Monday, March 21, 2011
More About the Campground
We used the whole day yesterday to get caught up on laundry and other miscellaneous stuff. Before doing the laundry, we took a walking tour of the campground. We wanted to check out the laundramat and the fitness center, but also, we wanted to make sure that we didn't miss seeing any beach area.
The following picture is taken of one of the streets that are in this campground of 400+ spaces:
You can see that it is a very "tropical" looking place, and it is.
This is a shot of what is probably the "best" beach area that we have been able to find:
and it is an area behind spaces that are rented as "elite" and have a premium, as you would expect. I guess it would be OK to use, especially when the tide is out, which it is not in this shot.
While walking around the perimeter of the campground, we came upon the marina next:
This marina has over 400 slips that we also handle as part of the reservations system. These shots were taken in the marina area of a pelican:
and also some fish that were seen everywhere in the clear water:
Next, there was this area of rentals that were very nice and again show the tropical flavor of the keys:
We also handle the rentals for these units.
Finally, we took a shot of the pool:
which we returned to after our chores were done:
The campground is actually not too bad as can be seen from these pictures. The spaces are large and level, and except for the lack of a nice "community" beach area, is one of the better campgrounds we've seen in Florida.
Today is our first work day and we will start this morning by reviewing our paperwork. I expect that we will be "tossed-to-the-wolves" following that and begin learning their system. We already have experience using their software system - Campground Manager - so the learning curve should be a short one. We will also get our schedule which we are almost certain will include working the weekends. That's OK too, because we have worked the weekends every place we've been, and it doesn't matter to us. As long as we have 2 consecutive days off together, it will be fine. So, the new job begins...
The following picture is taken of one of the streets that are in this campground of 400+ spaces:
You can see that it is a very "tropical" looking place, and it is.
This is a shot of what is probably the "best" beach area that we have been able to find:
and it is an area behind spaces that are rented as "elite" and have a premium, as you would expect. I guess it would be OK to use, especially when the tide is out, which it is not in this shot.
While walking around the perimeter of the campground, we came upon the marina next:
This marina has over 400 slips that we also handle as part of the reservations system. These shots were taken in the marina area of a pelican:
and also some fish that were seen everywhere in the clear water:
Next, there was this area of rentals that were very nice and again show the tropical flavor of the keys:
We also handle the rentals for these units.
Finally, we took a shot of the pool:
which we returned to after our chores were done:
The campground is actually not too bad as can be seen from these pictures. The spaces are large and level, and except for the lack of a nice "community" beach area, is one of the better campgrounds we've seen in Florida.
Today is our first work day and we will start this morning by reviewing our paperwork. I expect that we will be "tossed-to-the-wolves" following that and begin learning their system. We already have experience using their software system - Campground Manager - so the learning curve should be a short one. We will also get our schedule which we are almost certain will include working the weekends. That's OK too, because we have worked the weekends every place we've been, and it doesn't matter to us. As long as we have 2 consecutive days off together, it will be fine. So, the new job begins...
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Checking Out Key West
With 2 days to use for exploring the area before we have to begin work, we thought that a trip to Key West would be nice. One thing that wasn't mentioned yesterday was that our campground is not physically located on Big Pine Key, but on a small island just before it and it occupies almost the entire island. The short bridge going west goes to the Bahia Honda State Park, and then another short bridge to Big Pine Key. The distance is less than 5 miles and our mailing address is still Big Pine Key.
While talking with one of our neighbors here, she indicated that there was an excellent flea market on Big Pine Key and we should try it out. Of course, we were up for that and so we stopped on the way to Key West:
It was very good and we bought a few small items and also had some lunch before moving on. This flea market is only open on Saturday and Sunday, so we figure we probably will not get here again for awhile since we will most likely be working those days.
Key West was only about 35 miles from us so the trip was a fairly short one. As we entered the town we saw the huge marina that has become famous:
and it was a beautiful way to be introduced to the town. It is a tropical showplace with old, historic and beautiful homes, that were built in the 1800's and have been turned into hotels and bed and breakfasts:
We made our way to the end of town and also the end of US 1, and stopped at a popular landmark:
We parked close to this landmark and took a stroll down Duval St, which is one of the most popular in town. There were all kinds of shops, hotels, bars and restaurants along this street. We captured these shots of a couple of hibiscus plants that were indicative of the beuatiful blooming flowers that were everywhere:
It's easy to see why this is such a popular vacation spot. I'm sure we will return to see the other popular landmarks.
We stopped at a Publix grocery store in town on the way out and picked up one of the Homes and Land magazines just to see what property values were like in this town. Wow! You can't buy anything decent for less than about $1.5 million, and homes that are on the water run $2.0 million and up - if you can find one for sale. There's no economic pinch in this area.
We would like to explore some more today, but we have to get ready for work tomorrow. That means that laundry has to be done and we also have to fill out the forms for work and read the corporate "stuff" that we were given. It looks like we might get to try out the pool and check out the fitness center though. One thing is for sure - this is very different from anything we've done before...
While talking with one of our neighbors here, she indicated that there was an excellent flea market on Big Pine Key and we should try it out. Of course, we were up for that and so we stopped on the way to Key West:
It was very good and we bought a few small items and also had some lunch before moving on. This flea market is only open on Saturday and Sunday, so we figure we probably will not get here again for awhile since we will most likely be working those days.
Key West was only about 35 miles from us so the trip was a fairly short one. As we entered the town we saw the huge marina that has become famous:
and it was a beautiful way to be introduced to the town. It is a tropical showplace with old, historic and beautiful homes, that were built in the 1800's and have been turned into hotels and bed and breakfasts:
We made our way to the end of town and also the end of US 1, and stopped at a popular landmark:
We parked close to this landmark and took a stroll down Duval St, which is one of the most popular in town. There were all kinds of shops, hotels, bars and restaurants along this street. We captured these shots of a couple of hibiscus plants that were indicative of the beuatiful blooming flowers that were everywhere:
It's easy to see why this is such a popular vacation spot. I'm sure we will return to see the other popular landmarks.
We stopped at a Publix grocery store in town on the way out and picked up one of the Homes and Land magazines just to see what property values were like in this town. Wow! You can't buy anything decent for less than about $1.5 million, and homes that are on the water run $2.0 million and up - if you can find one for sale. There's no economic pinch in this area.
We would like to explore some more today, but we have to get ready for work tomorrow. That means that laundry has to be done and we also have to fill out the forms for work and read the corporate "stuff" that we were given. It looks like we might get to try out the pool and check out the fitness center though. One thing is for sure - this is very different from anything we've done before...
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Arrival at Sunshine Key RV Resort
It was about 10 AM by the time we pulled out of Clewiston yesterday. The drive was mostly a boring one as we went through a long stretch - probably 70 miles - of nothing but farmland and everglades. I thought Iowa was flat, but it is the rocky mountains compared to this. By the time we got to Key Largo, we were seeing some interesting shops and resorts that were along US 1 and gave us hope that the scenery would improve on the 100 mile road to our destination. It was definitely an interesting drive out to the Big Pine Key. There were many, many boats and boat businesses - sales and service - and many, many vacation spots - motels and resorts.There weren't many campgrounds which probably means that the chances are good that any RV spotted on this road is either coming or going from the Sunshine Key RV Resort and Marina where we are going to work.
We're not sure yet about this decision. We were a little disappointed in the campground when we arrived. There is no beach along the perimeter as the pictures showed, and the nearest beach is probably the Bahia State Park beach which is on the next island over. We did get a fairly decent site though:
and it is away from what was described to us as the "noisy" area, closer to the water. This "noisy" area, as described to us by the staff, is only a weekend occurrence. It seems that each weekend, the Cubans come out from Miami to party. It was mentioned in the office when we arrived that they were glad that Josie can understand and speak Spanish (a note on our resume). Josie wasn't too happy about that.
The staff seems nice from what we discovered in our brief encounter so far. We picked up a package of forms to complete and corporate stuff that describes rules, policies, etc. We will have the weekend to digest that material and we will return at 8:30 on Monday morning to begin our orientation.
After we got settled in and walked around the campground, we went for a ride to see what was around us. It turns out that, at least in the immediate area, there isn't much. We have to go to Marathon - a town about 10 miles east of us - to do grocery shopping. There is a Big K Mart further down from that town, and we don't know where the closest Walmart is located. Probably near Miami. We do have our bank in town which is nice, and the cell service for Verizon is super.
Today we will do more exploring. We plan to go to Key West which is only about 35 miles from here. That is about the same distance from us as Payson was when we worked at Happy Jack, AZ.
We'll see how things go. We like the proposed hours (8 to 5 each day) and the pay is for all hours worked which is great. Monday will result in a much better feel for how it will go here. Until tomorrow...
We're not sure yet about this decision. We were a little disappointed in the campground when we arrived. There is no beach along the perimeter as the pictures showed, and the nearest beach is probably the Bahia State Park beach which is on the next island over. We did get a fairly decent site though:
and it is away from what was described to us as the "noisy" area, closer to the water. This "noisy" area, as described to us by the staff, is only a weekend occurrence. It seems that each weekend, the Cubans come out from Miami to party. It was mentioned in the office when we arrived that they were glad that Josie can understand and speak Spanish (a note on our resume). Josie wasn't too happy about that.
The staff seems nice from what we discovered in our brief encounter so far. We picked up a package of forms to complete and corporate stuff that describes rules, policies, etc. We will have the weekend to digest that material and we will return at 8:30 on Monday morning to begin our orientation.
After we got settled in and walked around the campground, we went for a ride to see what was around us. It turns out that, at least in the immediate area, there isn't much. We have to go to Marathon - a town about 10 miles east of us - to do grocery shopping. There is a Big K Mart further down from that town, and we don't know where the closest Walmart is located. Probably near Miami. We do have our bank in town which is nice, and the cell service for Verizon is super.
Today we will do more exploring. We plan to go to Key West which is only about 35 miles from here. That is about the same distance from us as Payson was when we worked at Happy Jack, AZ.
We'll see how things go. We like the proposed hours (8 to 5 each day) and the pay is for all hours worked which is great. Monday will result in a much better feel for how it will go here. Until tomorrow...
Friday, March 18, 2011
Clewiston, FL
Having stayed at the Thousand Trails preserve the last 3 weeks, it took us a little longer to get things put away and get organized to move on. Finally, at 11 AM we got going. It's a good thing we didn't have that far to go - 165 miles - which still allowed us to arrive in Clewiston at a decent time - 2:30 PM.
The campground we are staying in is called Okeechobee Landings and is located close to the shores of Lake Okeechobee, the largest freshwater lake in Florida. Our site is very nice:
and with our Camp Club USA discount cost us only $19.25 to stay.
After getting set up, we went into the office to talk to the local workers about the restaurants in the area. There was a fairly good selection, but we chose a Mexican restaurant - Sunrise - that sounded good. The food was OK but it wasn't one of the better Mexican restaurants we've been to. Clewiston is a fairly small town (around 7,000), but it does have a Walmart, which makes it the first town since we left the Orlando area that had one.
We travel the final leg of our trip to Big Pine Key today, which is about 190 miles. If we leave around 9:30 or so, we should arrive there by 3 this afternoon. That would give us plenty of time to settle into our next home site and meet the people we will be working with. We are looking forward to this new chapter...
The campground we are staying in is called Okeechobee Landings and is located close to the shores of Lake Okeechobee, the largest freshwater lake in Florida. Our site is very nice:
and with our Camp Club USA discount cost us only $19.25 to stay.
After getting set up, we went into the office to talk to the local workers about the restaurants in the area. There was a fairly good selection, but we chose a Mexican restaurant - Sunrise - that sounded good. The food was OK but it wasn't one of the better Mexican restaurants we've been to. Clewiston is a fairly small town (around 7,000), but it does have a Walmart, which makes it the first town since we left the Orlando area that had one.
We travel the final leg of our trip to Big Pine Key today, which is about 190 miles. If we leave around 9:30 or so, we should arrive there by 3 this afternoon. That would give us plenty of time to settle into our next home site and meet the people we will be working with. We are looking forward to this new chapter...
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Magic Kingdom
We made it to the final theme park yesterday - Magic Kingdom. It was a totally different experience from the other three parks. Of course, it would be. It seemed that the crowds were extra large yesterday though, probably as a result of Spring Break. Below is a picture of the entrance and also of Main Street as we went in:
It was almost a mob scene at 10 AM.
Our first stop was in Adventureland:
where we caught our first attraction of the day - the Jungle Cruise:
It was about a 40 minute wait for this first attraction and to make it a little interesting while walking through the line, we counted the number of boats - 10 - that were used for the cruise, and we each picked a name of the boat we thought might be ours when we boarded. Josie hit it right on and we boarded the boat named Mongala Millie. The cruise was a safari through a jungle of animals, natives and scenes - like this one:
It was a nice little boat ride that was perfect for the kids on board.
Next to the Jungle Cruise, was another attraction called Pirates of the Caribbean which was another boat ride - this time through a long tunnel, with displays of pirates in caves and Captain John Sparrow hiding out somewhere.
There were a few other interesting attractions here but the wait times were very long, so we headed to Frontierland:
where we wanted to ride the famous train at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
As you can see, the crowd was enormous, and there was over a 2 hour wait to get on the ride. It was then we decided to do something we hadn't done before, and that was to get a Fast Pass, which is a ticket for the ride, later in the day, and you go directly to the front of the line at your assigned time of day. It was around noon when we picked up our pass to ride the train at our designated return time of between 6 PM and 7 PM.
Not too far from there, was another exciting attraction - Splash Mountain - that was temporarily out of service as you can see from tthe "empty" boat in the shot below:
The long drop can be seen in the distance and that makes for the exciting, and wet, conclusion to the ride. Maybe next time for this attraction.
We walked over to Liberty Square, where we wanted to do the the Haunted Mansion:
to see how it compared to the one in Disneyland in CA. We didn't think it was quite as good, as we remember, among other things, a ghost being in the car you are riding in and they took a picture of you with the ghost. This one didn't have that feature. But, it still was an excellent attraction.
The next attraction was in Fantasyland, where we had to do the "it's a small world" boat ride so that we could hum that tune for the rest the day. It was just as we remembered.
We also went to an attraction - Mickey's PhilharMagic:
where there was another 3D movie that was well done.
Of course, we had to get a picture of Mickey with Minnie to complete the day:
and we returned to the Big Thunder Mountain and went right to the front of the line. At that time, there was nearly an hour wait for those in line. It was a thrilling ride and was almost identical to the Disneyland ride.
We ate lunch inside the park, did lots of walking and enjoyed the whole day. We rode the railroad around the park and also did the shops on Main Street before leaving at around 8 PM. This last shot seems appropriate for the ending of a fun day and the end of our visits to the Walt Disney World theme parks:
We would say that our favorite park was Epcot, but that probably is because we went to all the parks alone, without our grandkids. If we had had them with us, Magic Kingdom rules.
It's off to our next chapter in our adventure - Big Pine Key - and we are looking forward to the new experience. We will stay at the Okeechobee Landings RV Resort in Clewiston, FL, tonight, and roll into our destination tomorrow.
That's about it from Orlando...
It was almost a mob scene at 10 AM.
Our first stop was in Adventureland:
where we caught our first attraction of the day - the Jungle Cruise:
It was about a 40 minute wait for this first attraction and to make it a little interesting while walking through the line, we counted the number of boats - 10 - that were used for the cruise, and we each picked a name of the boat we thought might be ours when we boarded. Josie hit it right on and we boarded the boat named Mongala Millie. The cruise was a safari through a jungle of animals, natives and scenes - like this one:
It was a nice little boat ride that was perfect for the kids on board.
Next to the Jungle Cruise, was another attraction called Pirates of the Caribbean which was another boat ride - this time through a long tunnel, with displays of pirates in caves and Captain John Sparrow hiding out somewhere.
There were a few other interesting attractions here but the wait times were very long, so we headed to Frontierland:
where we wanted to ride the famous train at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
As you can see, the crowd was enormous, and there was over a 2 hour wait to get on the ride. It was then we decided to do something we hadn't done before, and that was to get a Fast Pass, which is a ticket for the ride, later in the day, and you go directly to the front of the line at your assigned time of day. It was around noon when we picked up our pass to ride the train at our designated return time of between 6 PM and 7 PM.
Not too far from there, was another exciting attraction - Splash Mountain - that was temporarily out of service as you can see from tthe "empty" boat in the shot below:
The long drop can be seen in the distance and that makes for the exciting, and wet, conclusion to the ride. Maybe next time for this attraction.
We walked over to Liberty Square, where we wanted to do the the Haunted Mansion:
to see how it compared to the one in Disneyland in CA. We didn't think it was quite as good, as we remember, among other things, a ghost being in the car you are riding in and they took a picture of you with the ghost. This one didn't have that feature. But, it still was an excellent attraction.
The next attraction was in Fantasyland, where we had to do the "it's a small world" boat ride so that we could hum that tune for the rest the day. It was just as we remembered.
We also went to an attraction - Mickey's PhilharMagic:
where there was another 3D movie that was well done.
Of course, we had to get a picture of Mickey with Minnie to complete the day:
and we returned to the Big Thunder Mountain and went right to the front of the line. At that time, there was nearly an hour wait for those in line. It was a thrilling ride and was almost identical to the Disneyland ride.
We ate lunch inside the park, did lots of walking and enjoyed the whole day. We rode the railroad around the park and also did the shops on Main Street before leaving at around 8 PM. This last shot seems appropriate for the ending of a fun day and the end of our visits to the Walt Disney World theme parks:
We would say that our favorite park was Epcot, but that probably is because we went to all the parks alone, without our grandkids. If we had had them with us, Magic Kingdom rules.
It's off to our next chapter in our adventure - Big Pine Key - and we are looking forward to the new experience. We will stay at the Okeechobee Landings RV Resort in Clewiston, FL, tonight, and roll into our destination tomorrow.
That's about it from Orlando...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Epcot Center
We rushed around in the morning and made it out to visit the Epcot Center before 10 AM.
We couldn't remember too much from the last time we were here because it was so long ago, but some of it came back as we walked through the park. The "ball" at the entrance is also an attraction, called Spaceship Earth. It was a ride through the future and was an interactive, calm ride through the park's icon. Next to the ball, was another ride with Ellen DeGeneres through a world of dinosaurs with an emphasis on energy and various energy sources called Ellen's Energy Adventure:
It was a very entertaining and educational ride that lasted about 45 minutes. The next attraction - Mission: Space - was one that required a decision.
We could take the less intense training journey (green), or the more intense journey (orange). We opted for the very intense orange version. It was an experience similar to the train ride at Animal Kingdom and was one that we probably would pass on the next time and take the less intense version. But, we had to find out. The last atttraction in this section was called Test Track, and we wanted to do that one, but the wait was nearly 2 hours, so we passed on that one.
Next, we moved on to the Future World West section and took the ride on the attraction called The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
We did two of the attractions here - Journey Into Imagination With Figment - that was excellent, and - Captain EO - that was made more special because it featured Michael Jackson in a wonderful film with him on a mission to rescue the planet, and was full of music, dance and filmed in 3D that made it even more special.
At this point, we started walking around the World Showcase area. It was getting late and we wanted to ride the monorail before we left, so we cut it short and headed for the monorail. The big surprise for us was that the monorail now connects Epcot with Magic Kingdom, so you can do both parks in one day without driving to both. It was a nice ride and we will take advantage of the dual parks feature - maybe today - as we want to see the Soarin' show at Epcot, but we still want to go to Magic Kingdom.
The Epcot Center was the best of the 3 parks we have been to so far. It was not only more interesting and educational, but the beauty was unbelievable. We took these shots showing just a small portion of the beautiful flower beds:
With one more full day left in this area, we will tackle Magic Kingdom today. It was a very good day yesterday, and if today is even half as good, it will be a perfect ending to our time in the Orlando area...
We couldn't remember too much from the last time we were here because it was so long ago, but some of it came back as we walked through the park. The "ball" at the entrance is also an attraction, called Spaceship Earth. It was a ride through the future and was an interactive, calm ride through the park's icon. Next to the ball, was another ride with Ellen DeGeneres through a world of dinosaurs with an emphasis on energy and various energy sources called Ellen's Energy Adventure:
It was a very entertaining and educational ride that lasted about 45 minutes. The next attraction - Mission: Space - was one that required a decision.
We could take the less intense training journey (green), or the more intense journey (orange). We opted for the very intense orange version. It was an experience similar to the train ride at Animal Kingdom and was one that we probably would pass on the next time and take the less intense version. But, we had to find out. The last atttraction in this section was called Test Track, and we wanted to do that one, but the wait was nearly 2 hours, so we passed on that one.
Next, we moved on to the Future World West section and took the ride on the attraction called The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
This was another ride - in a "clamobile" - that went through an area that simulated under the sea where Nemo was more playfull than lost. Another calm ride.
We then went next door to The Land which contained several attractions in one building - Soarin, Living with the Land and The Circle of Life. Our intention was to do the Soarin' attraction, but the wait was over 2 hours. We decided to do the other two rides in the same complex, then come back to do the Soarin attraction. The other 2 that we did were kind of ho-hum, but still educational and worthwhile. We again checked the wait at Soarin after we did the others, and it was still a 2 hour wait.
We moved on to the Imagination pavilion:
We did two of the attractions here - Journey Into Imagination With Figment - that was excellent, and - Captain EO - that was made more special because it featured Michael Jackson in a wonderful film with him on a mission to rescue the planet, and was full of music, dance and filmed in 3D that made it even more special.
At this point, we started walking around the World Showcase area. It was getting late and we wanted to ride the monorail before we left, so we cut it short and headed for the monorail. The big surprise for us was that the monorail now connects Epcot with Magic Kingdom, so you can do both parks in one day without driving to both. It was a nice ride and we will take advantage of the dual parks feature - maybe today - as we want to see the Soarin' show at Epcot, but we still want to go to Magic Kingdom.
The Epcot Center was the best of the 3 parks we have been to so far. It was not only more interesting and educational, but the beauty was unbelievable. We took these shots showing just a small portion of the beautiful flower beds:
With one more full day left in this area, we will tackle Magic Kingdom today. It was a very good day yesterday, and if today is even half as good, it will be a perfect ending to our time in the Orlando area...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Turning in the Uniforms
The important thing we wanted to accomplish yesterday was to return the uniforms I had from Disney. Turned in were: 1 pair of black shorts, 2 pair of black long pants, 2 black and red shirts, a black fleece jacket, a red and black windbreaker jacket, a rain suit, a black hat and a black belt. If all of these weren't turned back in, I would have had the cost of whatever I didn't turn in deducted from my paycheck. Not a good idea.
We also went to pick up our mail for the last time at the post office, and in the mail was a final bill from the hospital for Josie's emergency. This country really does have a serious health care problem. After we picked ourselves up off the floor, we were trying in our wildest imagination to figure out how they could have charged over $1,045.82 for 5 stitches. I guess the $100 we paid on her admission just covered the needle and thread. Ridiculous! The only way to possibly justify paying this amount is to consider it as probably 2 months premium for any insurance we might have gotten for her. Actually, even if she did have insurance, it would have had at least a $5,000 deductible, which means we would have paidthis bill anyway. Maybe it's still cheaper to go this way, if we can keep her out of the hospital until she gets on Medicare.
It was too late to go to a theme park by the time we got our errands done, so we sat around and enjoyed the fabulous weather for a change. During the afternoon, our local sandhill crane family made an appearance:
They are a big hit in our neighborhood.
Today we plan to go to the Epcot Center and will try tomorrow, if we are up to it, to do the Magic Kingdom before we leave on Thursday. It looks like another fabulous day, so we'll finish breakfast and get ready to go...
We also went to pick up our mail for the last time at the post office, and in the mail was a final bill from the hospital for Josie's emergency. This country really does have a serious health care problem. After we picked ourselves up off the floor, we were trying in our wildest imagination to figure out how they could have charged over $1,045.82 for 5 stitches. I guess the $100 we paid on her admission just covered the needle and thread. Ridiculous! The only way to possibly justify paying this amount is to consider it as probably 2 months premium for any insurance we might have gotten for her. Actually, even if she did have insurance, it would have had at least a $5,000 deductible, which means we would have paidthis bill anyway. Maybe it's still cheaper to go this way, if we can keep her out of the hospital until she gets on Medicare.
It was too late to go to a theme park by the time we got our errands done, so we sat around and enjoyed the fabulous weather for a change. During the afternoon, our local sandhill crane family made an appearance:
They are a big hit in our neighborhood.
Today we plan to go to the Epcot Center and will try tomorrow, if we are up to it, to do the Magic Kingdom before we leave on Thursday. It looks like another fabulous day, so we'll finish breakfast and get ready to go...
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