The vortex
That’s our nick name for Alpine Camp and Conference Center. It is a place where you never seem to quite be able to get away from. Those that do are always filled with a bit of regret, many come back and visit, wishing that they didn’t have to have a real job or just wishing they decided making money was not important for a season. One guy has actually left Alpine on seven different occasions. His longest stint away has been two years. He’s back now, and doesn’t look like he is going anywhere.
Here, though, there are really only three ways to survive. Two that are even remotely attainable. The unattainable is to become full time staff. There is about a dozen full time staff at the camp. It’s a small camp so that isn’t too bad. The youngest is even 19, but he is an AV wizard. It’s all specialized. All for people who want to spend some time there, maybe a few years, maybe until they absolutely can’t stand another day. I don’t know. The other two ways are part time staff and seasonal. Seasonal is signing a contract saying that they won’t pay you much, but at least they will let you live there and give you all the food you want. It’s actually decent money with that taken into account-on a monthly basis. The only drawback is that it takes your life for three months. Looking at an hourly rate the deal decreases. It isn’t a 9 to 5 job. It’s a 7:30 to 10:00 job. You really can’t do it unless you love it. Part time. Now that is the risk factor. Part time basically means you actually get paid by the hour, and usually not a bad amount, but that you aren’t sure you are going to get any hours.
That’s what the Ropes Course is. My job. That’s how it is. No commitment, and no certainty. At least you know a few weeks in advance what the next month is going to look like. My advantage is that I have been out there longer than anyone but the manager. There is a little book, actually a folder, but we call it The Book. The folder looks like something a mom gave her kid to put a grade school report in. Nothing fancy, the teacher isn’t looking for quality in presentation at that age, just something to know that a little time was put into it. In this folder are green pages. Each page shows two work shifts. Two different groups, of kids or adults, that have decided to use our ropes course to challenge themselves. Two groups that have given us more hours to work. Under each group are lines that represent how many people can work that day. Empty lines that fill up too quickly. The bit of seniority often lets me pick my hours before many other people get the chance to; I am one of the first to ponder over the book with a pencil in hand ready to fill up lines. This month I had the opportunity to work almost any day that was available. However that doesn’t always happen. All one person needs to do is find the Book before anyone else and they can sign their name on any line they want. Keith, my boss, tries not to let that happen, and tries to regulate it when it does, but often the damage is already done. You can sign up for every day of work that is available if you are the first to sign. It has caused much trouble in the past, and still can cause some now. We try to be fair, and nice, but every hour of Ropes is felt like it is needed and the urge to sign for just one more day often blocks out the thoughts of niceness.
It’s tough to say what you love about it. It can be annoying as hell sometimes, but it never makes you not want to work. Take a break from it maybe, but coming back always sounds appealing. I think it’s the people. Your fellow employees, yes, they make it fun, but especially the people who come to experience the ropes course for the first time. In some ways it feels like being a parent to these people for just one day. You see them grow, develop, hopefully reach a point where they can challenge themselves better and then they leave.
That’s also the annoying part. I wonder if it’s the same thing parents think. 18 years is far too short. A day is far too short. You get them to the point where maybe, just maybe they can start to learn how to do the things you taught them, and then they are gone. You have more you can teach them, but your time is up.
So this is my life for the next month. Well maybe not even that now.
Next, well we will see (we'll always see, that's how I always am, isn't it?). I have an offer for construction work up here, doing cabinetry like I wanted to continue. Unfortunately it’s not set, so plans may change yet again.
It was good to see the few I was able to on Saturday. Miss you guys. Next time don’t change plans so quickly, and maybe I’ll be able to make a JLN.
Here, though, there are really only three ways to survive. Two that are even remotely attainable. The unattainable is to become full time staff. There is about a dozen full time staff at the camp. It’s a small camp so that isn’t too bad. The youngest is even 19, but he is an AV wizard. It’s all specialized. All for people who want to spend some time there, maybe a few years, maybe until they absolutely can’t stand another day. I don’t know. The other two ways are part time staff and seasonal. Seasonal is signing a contract saying that they won’t pay you much, but at least they will let you live there and give you all the food you want. It’s actually decent money with that taken into account-on a monthly basis. The only drawback is that it takes your life for three months. Looking at an hourly rate the deal decreases. It isn’t a 9 to 5 job. It’s a 7:30 to 10:00 job. You really can’t do it unless you love it. Part time. Now that is the risk factor. Part time basically means you actually get paid by the hour, and usually not a bad amount, but that you aren’t sure you are going to get any hours.
That’s what the Ropes Course is. My job. That’s how it is. No commitment, and no certainty. At least you know a few weeks in advance what the next month is going to look like. My advantage is that I have been out there longer than anyone but the manager. There is a little book, actually a folder, but we call it The Book. The folder looks like something a mom gave her kid to put a grade school report in. Nothing fancy, the teacher isn’t looking for quality in presentation at that age, just something to know that a little time was put into it. In this folder are green pages. Each page shows two work shifts. Two different groups, of kids or adults, that have decided to use our ropes course to challenge themselves. Two groups that have given us more hours to work. Under each group are lines that represent how many people can work that day. Empty lines that fill up too quickly. The bit of seniority often lets me pick my hours before many other people get the chance to; I am one of the first to ponder over the book with a pencil in hand ready to fill up lines. This month I had the opportunity to work almost any day that was available. However that doesn’t always happen. All one person needs to do is find the Book before anyone else and they can sign their name on any line they want. Keith, my boss, tries not to let that happen, and tries to regulate it when it does, but often the damage is already done. You can sign up for every day of work that is available if you are the first to sign. It has caused much trouble in the past, and still can cause some now. We try to be fair, and nice, but every hour of Ropes is felt like it is needed and the urge to sign for just one more day often blocks out the thoughts of niceness.
It’s tough to say what you love about it. It can be annoying as hell sometimes, but it never makes you not want to work. Take a break from it maybe, but coming back always sounds appealing. I think it’s the people. Your fellow employees, yes, they make it fun, but especially the people who come to experience the ropes course for the first time. In some ways it feels like being a parent to these people for just one day. You see them grow, develop, hopefully reach a point where they can challenge themselves better and then they leave.
That’s also the annoying part. I wonder if it’s the same thing parents think. 18 years is far too short. A day is far too short. You get them to the point where maybe, just maybe they can start to learn how to do the things you taught them, and then they are gone. You have more you can teach them, but your time is up.
So this is my life for the next month. Well maybe not even that now.
Next, well we will see (we'll always see, that's how I always am, isn't it?). I have an offer for construction work up here, doing cabinetry like I wanted to continue. Unfortunately it’s not set, so plans may change yet again.
It was good to see the few I was able to on Saturday. Miss you guys. Next time don’t change plans so quickly, and maybe I’ll be able to make a JLN.