My last Sunday. And it was as slow as Sundays ever can be. We had not one ride booked for the day, and no cruise ships to speak of. Well, there were a couple in the dock but not ones that had contracts with us. And everyone seems to be that little bit lazier on a Sunday. Most of them probably didn't get off the boat!
I suggested to E she should come today as it was much less busy than the day before, but she was stuck at home for some reason I couldn't quite catch from our quick FB conversation. Never mind, I had a list of things to do so I just ploughed on with that.
Despite a few-hour power and water cut (I suggested eating all the icecreams as they would "probably just spoil in the heat" - my suggestion was ignored), I actually managed to keep myself busy for the whole day. The power returned for my lunch, resetting the internet thankfully so I was back online! No more Pineapple Pete's! And then - as happened the last Sunday J and I worked - just as we were about to feed and finish off for the day, two big rides came!
I had 6 Indian people, J had 5 local black kids. I was by far dealt the harshest blow. The one child on my ride was the most annoying, ill-behaved little shit I have met in quite a while. I swear if my kid ever ends up like that, he's going up for adoption. Put into a basket and left on the pastor's doorstep. So many times I wanted to yank his poor horse (Wildflower, the 32-year-old veteran at the farm) to the side suddenly and cause him to fall off. As it was, I just smiled and repeated myself: "Please don't tug on the reins, why are you pulling the horse back? You don't need to kick, please don't pull on her mouth..." And so on.
My patience wearing thin about as quickly as the soles of my cowboy boots, I was supremely glad it was just one hour and not two. The water was not really a highlight for the adults, who were mostly first-time riders and didn't really want to go in much at all. The little boy, of course, left the beach with a trail of, "Is that all? Can't we go back in? Oh, come on! I want more time in the water!" Never mind his mum was shitting balls behind him.
They actually tipped me $10 at the end, the father giving me a, "Here's something to live on, great job" kinda look. Yeah, $10 for the 6 of you?? Including your brat?? Try five-fucking-hundred!! At least it was something, though...
The cows hung about nearby for once, the Haitians doing daily cut-backs of the bushland and creating more space for the animals to roam around. So I literally just walked behind the beasts and opened their gate. Woot! No cactus scratches for me today!
So, in the end, we worked overtime after a really slow day - well, at least we got overtime pay! I'd heard my Rasta colleague I was playing with his band this night, but his sister (the office manager) was sketchy on details so I reminded myself to ask her later. Well, she left pretty quickly as I was packing up after my ride and I didn't get a chance to ask her where it was. I know he'd have wanted me to see him play just once before I left, but really, when she'd already left, I didn't have the energy to chase it up.
Need to lay low, after all, it's less than two weeks now until I leave the island. Gotta have that mulah at the ready!
Showing posts with label slow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slow. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Tropical = torrential
Woke up a bit tired today, after my busy day off yesterday. Surprisingly, my arms didn't hurt from the kayaking which either means I didn't try hard enuf or I am now used to using my muscles. Which is new. Haha...
I took just one ride out today, a French-Canadian on a one-hour tour. To my delight, she displayed neither stereotypical traits of French or Canadian and tipped me nicely at the end. I was on Chico, boss' orders, and he was fine on trail until we hit the water. Played about with me, rearing and trying to escape out onto the beach, at one point even sitting down in the water (thoroughly soaking me) then springing out in a nice rear action. Was an interesting ride but enjoyable all the same.
There was another ride in the afternoon which J took - 2 people I can only assume were father and son, the son part a cowboy-in-waiting with his cowboy hat and gun-ho! attitude. I told them I wanted to hear "Yee-ha!!" from the top of the mountain - and so I did haha
Am yet to do a day's work here with no rides at all, most probably that will happen one Sunday. But it's good, I usually get put on the rides when they come in - I'd like to think that's because I'm good at guiding, most likely it's because they prefer to keep the men on the ground doing the hard work. Either way, it works for me.
Today was officially the end of my one-month working here, so I was paid the rest of my salary. Am trying to figure out a way to transfer the cash I'm paid into my Aussie account so I can use my credit card online and pay it back using money from the Aus account. Because at the moment, there isn't enuf in there to pay for tickets to St Thomas or buy some of the other things I'm wanting to.
Didn't hear from A today :( Didn't like that feeling. I know it's only a day but I so look forward to getting his messages. I hope it was due to an internet fault at his end, but I just have a funny feeling he didn't want to write to me for some reason. I just feel it in my stomach. Probably just paranoid. Argh, this distance thing is harder than I thought it would ever be.
Good news is that work is slow tomorrow for a cruise day, so I managed to get a late start and can fit in a morning kayak with the girls (2 others that work at Seaside - we joke that we're the "Seaside Angels" with paddles as guns). Not sure how often I will be able to do that but I thought I'd take the chance while I had it.
Stuck around a bit after work, just chilling with R and A.Talking about impregnating horses as one is about to drop (hopefully before or after his family goes on holidays!), was interesting to hear why he chooses to breed certain horses from his pack. Then we talked about dogs... made me miss having one. One day, when I settle down... one day.
Went home to find I needed to do my weekly my grocery shop so I grabbed my bag (save the earth, like I'm the only one here who cares) and got on my way. In the store, I heard what I thought were raindrops on the tin roof... sure enuf, I looked out and it was PELTING down. So I had to wait for a lull, even though I live just around the corner. Seriously, it was hard rain. Gotta love living on a tropical island.
I took just one ride out today, a French-Canadian on a one-hour tour. To my delight, she displayed neither stereotypical traits of French or Canadian and tipped me nicely at the end. I was on Chico, boss' orders, and he was fine on trail until we hit the water. Played about with me, rearing and trying to escape out onto the beach, at one point even sitting down in the water (thoroughly soaking me) then springing out in a nice rear action. Was an interesting ride but enjoyable all the same.
There was another ride in the afternoon which J took - 2 people I can only assume were father and son, the son part a cowboy-in-waiting with his cowboy hat and gun-ho! attitude. I told them I wanted to hear "Yee-ha!!" from the top of the mountain - and so I did haha
Am yet to do a day's work here with no rides at all, most probably that will happen one Sunday. But it's good, I usually get put on the rides when they come in - I'd like to think that's because I'm good at guiding, most likely it's because they prefer to keep the men on the ground doing the hard work. Either way, it works for me.
Today was officially the end of my one-month working here, so I was paid the rest of my salary. Am trying to figure out a way to transfer the cash I'm paid into my Aussie account so I can use my credit card online and pay it back using money from the Aus account. Because at the moment, there isn't enuf in there to pay for tickets to St Thomas or buy some of the other things I'm wanting to.
Didn't hear from A today :( Didn't like that feeling. I know it's only a day but I so look forward to getting his messages. I hope it was due to an internet fault at his end, but I just have a funny feeling he didn't want to write to me for some reason. I just feel it in my stomach. Probably just paranoid. Argh, this distance thing is harder than I thought it would ever be.
Good news is that work is slow tomorrow for a cruise day, so I managed to get a late start and can fit in a morning kayak with the girls (2 others that work at Seaside - we joke that we're the "Seaside Angels" with paddles as guns). Not sure how often I will be able to do that but I thought I'd take the chance while I had it.
Stuck around a bit after work, just chilling with R and A.Talking about impregnating horses as one is about to drop (hopefully before or after his family goes on holidays!), was interesting to hear why he chooses to breed certain horses from his pack. Then we talked about dogs... made me miss having one. One day, when I settle down... one day.
Went home to find I needed to do my weekly my grocery shop so I grabbed my bag (save the earth, like I'm the only one here who cares) and got on my way. In the store, I heard what I thought were raindrops on the tin roof... sure enuf, I looked out and it was PELTING down. So I had to wait for a lull, even though I live just around the corner. Seriously, it was hard rain. Gotta love living on a tropical island.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
