Will this Vicious Cycle Ever End?

It seems there are always excuses for me not to write and complete our series of books.  These excuses are getting almost as old as we are but they are not as good as they use to be.

If there was a way we could travel, take photos and write about it and have that all pay our way it would be our dream come true but so far we have to find jobs in between and that is when the excuses start.  The work we find pays well but takes up most of our time which leads to no writing, no photos and no traveling.  Will this vicious cycle ever end?  We continue to look for work that is not so time consuming or taxing on our bodies but those jobs do not pay as well and there goes the beginning of yet another vicious cycle. 

Our days are much easier at this stand then at the other but the hours are still long and being on our feet all day is taking a toll on our bodies, but we will find the strength to finish this adventure so we can move onto the next…

Overcoming our fears has always been something we tackle so often and this time was a big one for Jerry.  When he was 6 he was traumatized by a clown and every time he sees one he runs for the hills.  So funny to see a 6’4” big man run off like a scared little child but I have witnessed it so many times in our life together that I know the fear he has for them is strong.  While at work the other day the clowns came by and made many of the kids cry and then it happened…just as Jerry was going to run to the back of our stand they cornered him and he had no choice.  He faced another fear!  Check out the tight firm grip she has on Jerry, she was not letting go!

We have just a few more weeks left at the Orange County Fair and then before our next adventure begins we have 40 days in between.  We are so excited to be able to once again take a drive up along the Pacific Coast, but this time all the way up to and hopefully into Canada.  The Canada crossing may not happen since we are having a difficult time finding Jerry’s birth certificate to get our Passport Cards and apparently we are opening up some skeletons by even trying to accomplish it.  He’s always known he was adopted but for some reason the hospital where he was told he was born has no record of his birth and neither does the county where he was told his birth certificate should be located.  Hmmmm…more research needs to be done.  Hopefully we will find it so we can get those Passport Cards and head into Canada so we can cross off more from our Life List, something we have been neglecting lately but plan to rectify soon!

We Made It through One Fair…

Now onto the other with only a few days in between for some rest and relaxation.

It was a grueling year again this year but we did have much better staff for the most part, at least on the counter we did.  As for the grillers, well not so much!  We hired locals and they just could not hang, we even hired one guy we worked with at the Christmas lot but he turned out to be our worst nightmare.  Everyone says in the interviewing process how much they want to work and we explain how hard it can be and they all say they can do it, but when it comes right down to it, many of them have a hard time with the work part of it.  Standing around flipping a few items on the grill is not what it entails.  Working the grills especially is so hard.  Out in the sun is bad enough but then add the intense heat from all the grills, then add the customers right there to deal with all awhile keeping a smile.  Definitely not the easiest work around but we made it.

We reevaluated our positions and decided we would work at the less intense food stand at the next fair in Orange County.  We will be working the Mexican Funnel Cake stand which serves deserts and it is not as busy at all.  I will still be handling the administrative part, payroll, hiring staff, and scheduling for all the stands but as far as managing the counter and grills for Bacon A Fair…not happening!

It is going to be so less intense, not having to deal with all the drama of all the different personalities of the staff and the customers will be a big treat for us.  Jerry and I will be working the registers at this new location and having some fun while we are doing it.  The hours will be long but all the chaos of the Bacon stand will not be a factor for us.

We will be here through August 11^th, then another trip up the coast and this time all the way to Canada.  On our return the plan is a different route through Idaho and Nevada before returning to work the Pumpkins and Christmas in the San Diego area. 

Life has most definitely been full of changes for us, some good, and some really not so good.  We both feel as if we have misplaced our funny bones or something because we are just not doing what we truly love anymore and we will figure it all out and get back on track once again.  But, in the meantime we will get through this fair and work at having fun and stop being so intense about life and begin living once again with no worries, no cares, just some Hakuna Matata attitudes.