Don't come cryin' to me

Today was memorable for no other reason than "Smiley", the new driver they nickname such because he's always smiling, showed me a very unfriendly side to his personality during the staff meeting. There is one thing that bugs me in this world, and that's someone who will go on and on in an argument repeating themselves and cutting into you whenever you try to open your mouth.

We had a staff meeting, a new weekly initiative they started for 2012 where I guess problems and new ideas are raised. There was a difference of opinion between J and the driver, but even before that whenever I tried to add something to the conversation he just plain interrupted me. That got me annoyed to start with - then he started having a go at J with no basis for his argument. He is only new so really hasn't got the job right in his head yet.

Anyway, it wasn't really any of my business but I thought to myself, when everyone walks away, if he looks to me to get his point across, I will not be having any of it. That he did, but he'd barely got the words out before I explicitly told him there would be no further discussion on that topic with me because I was a guide and I will take the guide's side, and I didn't want to be the next person he picks an argument with.

Well, he didn't take that too well, just kept talking and talking at me, and I just told him I had no interest in talking to him, but he kept on and on. I literally had to walk away and put my earphones in to drown him out. Smiley my ass.

During the meeting, the boss outlined new procedures to be implemented for rides, such as all riders to wear helmets, maximum weight limits for certain rides, new waivers to be drawn up, no fast rides unless advanced... all which seems pretty reasonable. Everything Australia already implements, no doubt.

In terms of rides, it was a slow day. No cruise ship rides - not to say there were no cruise ships, there are cruise ships every day but we don't have contracts with all of them. I actually thought this would be the first day I worked without going on one ride, but then a sunset ride booked in and I was scheduled for it since J had been asked to work his Tuesday off while I held onto mine. Yay for that!

Before my ride, however, I went to get the cows and horses in and used Chico, my little 3-year-old. It was the first time I used him for that particular exercise, not something every horse can do, but he was so well behaved! I felt like a proud mother, beaming at his maturity. Needs a little work when chasing the horses back in, but all in all, much better than I thought it would go. The first time I tried, he started acting up the first corner we came to.

The sunset ride was 4 people, a family of 3 and a woman travelling alone. She had her first sip of alcohol in 16 years, although it wasn't really a sip, it was half a bottle of champagne and she got quite talkative by the end of it. The family was American, I'm pretty sure the son was gay but the parents seemed unperturbed by that (the world may finally be catching on) and happily snapped away photos of him posing on rocks. Maybe they just didn't realise.

At the end of it all, the husband got off his horse and pretty much took the saddle with him - next time I will insist of helping everyone off! These people... can't do anything themselves! But no harm, no foul, and everyone seemed happy with the ride. The solo woman, a Canadian, was a return customer and couldn't stop raving about the place - but for the second time gave no tip. She'd just finished telling us about all the things she'd done on the holiday... maybe that's where all her cash went. The Americans tipped of course and so thankfully I walked away with SOMETHING in my pocket for the day.