A Waste of Time

8:08 AM

“It’s a beautiful mornin’ . . . .” (Who sang that?) At any rate, it’s a purdy one out there.

I worked in town yesterday, mainly because I wanted to get a few things DONE. (Fortunately, I have a fairly flexible schedule, at least until we open for business on June 14th.) But, of course, my plans were derailed and I felt like I was rushing all day, never really accomplishing anything.

I did have a fairly profitable day while at work . . . but not doing what I’d hoped to. Instead of getting my paperwork in order and organizing my BRAIN, that stuff stayed put while I had unscheduled meetings with one of the antiques vendors (who looks like a scruffy Axl Rose!?!), the electrician, and two of “my girls” (summertime, still-in-high-school employees) who, not incidentally, go to Canada fishing every other weekend. It’s written in the family Bible. If their summer job can’t accommodate that, then no summer job. (Oh, I can already tell how much fun scheduling is going to be.)

A minor aside: I’m going to ask the boss lady if I can change my title to ‘manager’ vs. ‘assistant manager’. Mama’s (Mama’s Pea’s) right. Besides, if *I* had an assistant (which I could already use!), then s/he’d be the assistant manager, not I! Besides, I think it’s misleading for the vendors and contractors I’m working with: “speak with the assistant manager”. “Shouldn’t I speak with the manager?” “Well, the assistant manager IS the manager.” Huhhhh? (You see my point.)

But, back to my day starting off on the wrong foot yesterday . . . . As soon as I was out of the shower and putting on my town clothes, the dogs started bark, bark, barking. I looked outside to see one of the loggers walking up the driveway, pie tin in hand (returning it from a time previous when I’d brought them morning snacks). Now, this in itself wasn’t an off-putting thing (I really like those two brothers), but when I went out to meet him, bathrobe hastily thrown on, I heard big equipment running. He said that they were back with the DNR who had insisted they come out to “do some work” on the old logging site (accessed through Swamp River Ridge). Instantly, my hackles went up and I rushed upstairs to throw on work clothes and head on out. I was immediately ticked off that:

• a) If the DNR was asking the guys to come back to do some work, it meant that they (the DNR) had driven in to check the site out in order to decide that work NEEDED to be done. Driven in over very private property to get to the site (there are no fewer than SIX ‘private’ or ‘no trespassing’ signs on the driveway). Without calling first. Or giving any sort of notification. I see that as an invasion of property. I’m funny like that. Yes, I realize that the logging site is on state land, but the only access is through Swamp River Ridge. Act accordingly, people. And with some respect, ‘kay?

• b) If the DNR wanted so much work to be done to the site that they required the guys to come out WHEN ROAD RESTRICTIONS ARE ON with their semi and appropriate big machinery . . . appropriate big machinery that had to be driven all the way up the long driveway, making nice washboard impressions the entire length of it . . . wouldn’t you think they could have picked up the phone to say, “Oh, hey, we’re gonna need to get to the logging site with some big machinery on Monday, May 17th. Just wanted to give you a heads-up.” ??????

It’s hard to not hold the young DNR guy responsible when things like this happen. Hard to not be a little resentful when I finally get down there, introduce myself and wait to be told what’s happening . . . and receive only uninterested silence . . . until I finally ask, “Sooooo, what’s going on here?”

Anyway, the upshot of it all is that I convinced them to NOT build a huge barricade in the middle of the logging road like they normally do, rendering access nearly impossible. I argued that no one would TRY to access it since they’d HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT, first off, and then drive in the length of a long private driveway, then know to turn up to and past the trapper cabin, then down to the back “old vehicles” parking area, and THEN down the logging road. So, he (the DNR guy) “compromised” (ah-hem) with three drainage ditches (there’s never been an issue with wash-outs on that road, so the need for drainage was just an excuse) running ACROSS (yes, across, not alongside) the road.

So, guess what I’m gonna be doing today . . . and probably a few more times, too, until the job is done? I feel like I need to take the opportunity to fix the road now, before the piles of gravel harden and compact. But, that’s okay. I didn’t have anything else to do today. Really. Especially since today is the last day I’ll have “at home” to get ANYTHING done before 12 solid days of go, go, going. (Sigh.)