Season Opener, or Busy B.B.B.B.

What a busy day! Today marked the first day of our regular tourist season, and the second day of a major Spring fundraiser. Needless to say, staffing was an issue for the day shift. Additionally, the funeral for the father of our Chief Operating Officer, who is universally well-regarded by her co-workers, took place at 11AM. The funeral took place one town over from my principal work site- I slept for about four hours, put on the charcoal gray suit, and drove up to the funeral. My co-worker's father was a pillar of the village in which he'd lived for the bulk of his eighty-eight years- a volunteer fireman, a respected professional, a fixture in his church choir, and the guy who put on the Halloween display to beat all Halloween displays. The funeral was a celebration of the man's life- the church was packed with a standing room only crowd, there was a salute from the assembled volunteer fire corps, a processional and recessional by a local jazz combo. Needless to say, the man was a stellar individual, and I am happy to say that his daughter is the proverbial chip off the old block.

I decided before leaving the house this morning that I'd pack for the long haul, it not being worthwhile to drive home and drive to work. I drove straight to work after the funeral, knowing that I'd cause a bit of a stir by showing up in a suit and tie. I think all of the clocks stopped when I walked through the door. I was glad I showed up early, so I could get some feedback from the crew that opened the place up in the morning. There were a couple of "hiccups", but nothing major, and nothing that couldn't be worked out.

I'm here until after midnight, so it'll be a long day- it's a good thing that I'm used to keeping outrageous hours. Getting up to teach kids how to fight on Saturdays throughout the winter has its benefits. I'm glad that we're open, I'm glad that we're busy. I'll be glad to sleep until noon tomorrow.