Day... Two??

I arrived at work yesterday as instructed and my boss said, "Oh, good! You're here!" He then went on to tell me that we had four check outs and that I was on my own for the day. He then informed me that he and his wife were heading North to Tillamook and would be back in the afternoon. He left me the keys to the building, the phone for the office, and a check for the "meat delivery guy", and off he went.

So, I spent the next 4-1/2 hours doing laundry, cleaning rooms, and saying goodbye to the 4 guests as they left Pacific City. It was wonderful and strangely comforting. Even though it was only my second day on the job (and I still hadn't been actually "trained"), it felt like ... home.

When the owners returned, they thanked me for jumping in so bravely and told me that they would love to use my office skills in the winter to consolidate several of the positions. Basically, it was "if you want to work, we've got work". They also talked about the apartment that they have over the Bistro and  we discussed the possibility of me renting that from them starting in November.

I like that idea very much. I am very grateful that I was able to rent the room at the Adventure Beach House and had a place to land when I arrived here, and I like the idea that I've paid my rent for September and October already, but it is not exactly as advertised and not where I want to be long term. I knew that I would be sharing the common areas (bathroom, kitchen, living room) with the other two tenants of the house, and that part of the living room sometimes doubles as retail space for the landlord's Hang Gliding business, but what I didn't know was that the landlord also lives in the house. Sometimes. And sleeps on a mattress in the living room. Or that the retail customers would be entering through the same door that we do. It's one thing to acclimate to the habits and rhythms of roommates, but to have the uncertainty of when the shared space will actually be shared (and by whom) is tricky after so many years of having my space be my space. And, of course, there is that glitch of there being no internet access or television options.

The apartment over the Bistro would be my space. Alone. I like that.

After I was finished at work, I walked over to the Sportsman Pub & Grub and had dinner. It is very much a bar that serves food and there were even Video Lottery machines (look like slot machines) along one wall. The food was good and the staff was friendly. I would eat there again, definitely.
My favorite moment was when I was trying to decide what to drink. I was one coin-flip from choosing between a mojito and a glass of wine when the waitress said, "We aren't very good at them fancy drinks here". That just made me smile.

From there, I walked over to the library and took advantage of their free internet and printing services to obtain my Oregon Food Handlers Card. It's an online test that assures your understanding of food safety procedures and rules. After answering 20 questions, (I scored 100%) you pay $10 and print your card. It's valid for 3 years and makes you eligible to work anywhere that sells food (oh... like, say... a coffee shop.. or bistro). Next I will tackle the OLCC card (which lets me sell and serve alcohol).

For today, I either work or I don't. They didn't have any guests arriving when I left last night, but they also had a dishwasher quit and may need me there. If I have the day off, I will take the bus up to Tillamook and see about trading my NY drivers license for an OR one and wander around up there for a while. They have a UPS Store and a Fred Meyers! Woot Woot!