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Three Days In
October 4, 2006
So I started my new job on Monday. Three days in and I am still pinching myself to be certain this is really my waking life. I am so going to love everything about this job… the first day I got to get out and explore the grounds a bit — at least the places accessible by road — there are many, many trails to explore in the coming weeks. Then at lunch time we walked back to the west camp dining hall. This is a ENORMOUS old wood frame building with a HUGE open dining room with a big stone fireplace, windows on three sides that look out over the west camp area and Lake Michigan, a post and beam ceiling and an architecturally awesome rounded roof. They are in the process of refinishing the wood floors so the food service gal made up lunch and invited all of the staff back. Along the way from the front office back to west camp we walked over a bridge that crosses Stony Creek, passed a couple of cabin blocks, skirted the base of a huge sand dune where several old buildings are located, including the chapel and meeting hall (another glorious old wood frame building from the 1920’s) and looked down at the council circle area where evening camp fires are held. Once back in the west camp, there are several other cabin blocks, a quaint craft house and a variety of other camp-style buildings. Behind the wooded camp area are tennis and volleyball courts right on the beach.
Just walking back into the camp brought back so many memories of fun times spent at summer camp when I was a young girl. I cannot put into words how blessed I feel to be part of an organization that brings that experience to young people today.
Yesterday at lunch I walked down the drive to Lake Michigan, which is a little over 1/2 mile. There is a small piece of property there that the camp has donated back to the township and is now a public beach. This is where Stony Creek enters Lake Michigan and there is a nice boardwalk with a bench along the creek. I had the place entirely to myself — a perfect lunch spot! I need to bring my camera next time though.
So far I’ve just been learning things from the temp who has been filling in since the previous person left (the temp is done Friday). Today I got a better taste of what I am up against as they are having some significant computer and database issues. The toughest part is trying to get a handle on how their network is set up, the interconnectivity and the permissions, etc. But everyone is very helpful and can’t stop gushing how happy they are that I am there. I feel like we made some progress today in many regards. I’ve also began an inventory of all the computers and tech equipment as this hasn’t been done in several years. Not only is a good idea to have this, but it is really helping me to see what all there is and where it is located. Of course there are some new challenges for me, mostly due to the remote location and the fact that there is technical equipment located out in the camp offices and dining hall. Oh and did I mention that our server farm is remotely located — in Portland, ME! So it’s not like I can just walk into the server room and visually survey the setup.
The drive hasn’t been of any significance even though it has been raining two of the three mornings now. This afternoon there was a low, filtered sun just peeking through under the edge of the grayish autumn clouds casting some really beautiful shadows on the fall-colored hills.
I got home to find a message on the answering machine from one of the other places I had sent a resume wanting to set up an interview. Randy asked if I was I going to go talk to them. Ummm, are you kidding? Why on earth would I do that? I already have the once-in-a-lifetime perfect job and I don’t intend to go anywhere for a long time.
Posted by Deb
Topics: daily grind
October 5th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Congratulations, Deb! I’m so happy for you! Is this the camp with the funky name that I think starts with Mini-something? If so, I was looking into this particular camp last year to send my grandchildren.
Change can be good! Heck, we’ve moved to TRAVERSE CITY!! recently and I’m still pinching myself too!
Best wishes –
Kim (from Starbucks)
October 5th, 2006 at 11:32 am
How wonderful to hear that you have stepped into a dream job…I’ll be waiting to see how things progress over the next few weeks.
I can’t believe their servers are so far away - I would think that it would be more effective to have them in-house, rather then having them farmed out so far away - but as long as you have access to them remotely, I guess that is all good.
Hope that you get out there and take some pictures of the wonderful scenery that you describe.
Oh, and by the way? Go Tigers! Beat the Yankees!
October 6th, 2006 at 5:54 am
Oh Kim, how cool that you moved to Traverse City! We are staying up there at a Bed & Breakfast out on Old Mission this weekend.