Considering that some of my readers don’t understand why we’re still here, and haven’t left already, I’m sure they’ll be befuddled by my next comments.
I’m doing my best to clean up a paperwork jungle. Having a conversation with the disbursing office in Albuquerque, the issue of old, outdated volunteer agreements arose. I have another 12 days on the clock and I’ve decided I’m going to clean up as much of the outdated paperwork as I can. I may be leaving, but as long as I drive my desk I’m going to leave that desk as tidy and up-to-date as I can.
Today I wanted to get out of the office as early in the day as I could. And we did. But as we drove South all I could think about were the 5 volunteer agreements needing to be redone, so I turned around, did the paperwork and took them along with us for signatures. Once we left the office I got three sets of agreements completed as well as catching up on some paperwork for a fourth volunteer who just got a bank account so we could deposit his reimbursements. Feelin’ good!
Tomorrow I do Volunteer Coordinator training for the two who are interested. I pretty well have my ducks in a row and am ready for their questions and I have what I think will be a logical order to present a complex topic. I wish I could have drawn up a flowchart — but the
Before Da Boss headed off to do water samples I learned that the defective well has water in it and that it’s been “shocked” with chlorine to disinfect it, and that the water lines would be purged over the next few days — and next week they hope to get another prison crew in there to clean up the campground and perhaps open it up for the rest of the season! Good News!
I also found out that our $1500.00 uniform order still hasn’t been placed. Furthermore, there is consideration given to whether the ODNRA will change it’s policy on uniforms; downgrading what they ask volunteers to wear on the job. That is clearly a management’s decision to make – but it seems weird after making a big stink about volunteers NOT wearing their uniforms.
A couple weeks ago I mentioned the online training offered by the State of Oregon. I had the perfect opportunity to talk about that system today. Da Boss has always been open to new ideas and I have to say I was delighted by her reaction, saddened by some of the things she shared about life in the Forest Service, and encouraged to take that conversation up the management ladder in search of some listening ear. In my remaining 2 1/2 weeks I intend to do just that. (My dearly departed father always told me I was “An Instigator!”)
And…. (sigh of relief) I turned in all 818 campsite photos to a welcoming and smiling staffer. I’m done, they are happy, and I’ll pat myself on the back and say “Job well and quickly done!”
Ok — that’s it for today. I’ll talk with you tomorrow!
From the Far Side of '70 
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