A Taste of Security

Our first day on the job was a good one. Josie worked in the office from 2 PM until 8 PM, doing what she likes best - front desk check-ins and reservations. The system is the same one that we have the most experience with - Campground Manager - so it was relatively easy for her to get settled. There is a better training program here and there is always help nearby if you have a question or new situation for which you need an explanation. I got of taste of working Security, and worked from 6 PM until midnight. Those hours will only be for Friday and Saturday nights. It was an interesting first night experience.

There are similar problems here with the seasonal campers as there are in most parks where you have seasonal guests. Most of them know each other and the tendency is to party into the night on the weekends they are here. The people here though are very different from the ones in Sunshine Key Resort in FL. We can communicate with these folks and they seem to have a better appreciation for the rules and property. There was only one area last night where we had to get people to break up the gathering after 11 PM - the start of quiet time - and they complied after the second visit to their location. There are many different chores that the night security person has to complete. Besides the normal checks for unusual behavior or vehicles in the park, we have to check all the lights in the park, make sure all the doors are locked that should be, make sure all the recreation areas are secure, assist late check-ins to their spaces, and just patrol the park for unusual activity. It will become more challenging starting with the Memorial Weekend. Like Josie, I have a good training program and don't expect any problems with learning the ins and outs of my new job.

The big problem last night was that my battery in my watch died, at 8 PM, after several years of use. There never is a good time for those kind of problems, but there is no jeweler or watch repair place within many miles of us. I can get a new battery at Walmart - probably - but a jeweler needs to put it in the watch since it requires a special tool to remove the backing. I guess I will just get a $7 Timex to last me until I can get to a jeweler. Anyway, I ended up using my cell phone for checking the time.

It was a good start to our adventure here in Topping, VA. Other than the cool temps - 49 last night - and a dead watch battery, everything looks good...