Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Settled In

Last night was my first evening working on my own. I got one drive in and one late check in on a reservation. Both scenarios had twists that hadn't come up in training, but I apparently handled everything fine. Since it was election night, I spent a couple of hours in the lounge watching the results trickle in. I'm allowed to crash on the couch in the unoccupied staff house, but to me it makes more sense to do so in the office where I can see people coming in. At any rate, watching tv is such a 'once in a blue moon' type of event that the issue is unlikely to crop up again this winter (unless our government falls again, of course).

Today, I got caught up on my laundry. Boy is it nice to have access to FREE laundry facilities!!! The laundry room in the staff house is right at an exterior door that faces my front door. I probably have less far to go to get to the washing machine here than I did at my last house!

Tomorrow is my first of three days off, so no getting up at 6:30. Yaaaay! I'll take Miranda out for propane (so much work to go two blocks round trip, *sighs*, and then get to work installing heat tape.

I bought a little space heater at Canadian Tire and it's managed to keep the heat in here at a cozy 20 today and 18 last night all by itself. So, I think that if I add a second one, I won't need to use the furnace at all this winter, avoiding the propane tank rental fees. I wish I had a better idea of just how much propane I will need this winter so I can know if it's worth getting the tank or if I should just put up with the hassle of taking Miranda out a few times. No, propane delivery to my tank is not an option; the company that does propane in this area only fills its own tanks. :-(

I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon with A&W, a fast food chain, hopefully for the cashier position. Minimum wage in BC is pathetic, so there is no way I could make enough on part-time hours there. So, if I get an offer, I'll probably have to consider full-time hours, unless I get a surprise and am offered a supervisor position with better pay. Or better pay, period. At any rate, any employment would be welcome right now; if something better comes along later I can always quit. I do very much like the fact that A&W is walking distance from home and right next to the supermarket.

Tonight has been very quiet. It's nice to be 'on duty' and earning my keep, but still able to sit at home with a movie and a top secret project pertaining to the blog. I really enjoy cashing out; it's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of using a calculator and doing basic bookkeeping (other than my own, of course).

Once I have money coming in again and know what my full schedule will be like, I'm going to start taking off on short trips in the toad. It doesn't make sense to pay gas and campground fees for Miranda when it won't cost anything to leave her here and a motel would be much cheaper for an overnight (or two).

I still can't believe that I'm here and that other than the grape picking not happening, my winter is so far progressing pretty much as predicted.

4 comments:

Croft said...

When we are down South for the winter we go through about one tank of propane per month. I know it is warmer down there, but your use of the electric heaters would tend to equalize that. I know it would be very difficult to judge your own use from this but it is a start. I suspect your use would be even less.

As you have found out, the gauge on the instrument panel is not very accurate. Use the gauge right on the tank.

My suggestion would be to fill the tank and then watch usage. You will be able to tell your usage by monitoring the gauge on the tank and decide later if renting a tank makes sense.

Rae said...

Tank gauge???

*bundles up and runs outside*

Hey! There's a gauge on my tank!

According to it, I still have a full third of a tank left. Guess I don't need to race to the propane place tomorrow.

Geeze, I wish I'd realised weeks ago that I have a gauge right on the tank.

Goes to show that you learn something new every day!

Croft said...

The inside gauge is notoriously inaccurate. In our old rig I knew from practice that when the inside gauge read empty, it was time to check the outside gauge and usually I still had about 1/4 tank. They are all different.

All part of the "Learning Curve"...

Rae said...

It makes sense that the interior gauge is inaccurate in this case. Mine can read the tank as being full, 2/3 full, 1/3 full, or empty.

I shouldn't have freaked out the morning I woke up to my reading being 1/3 full since it had read 2/3 full the previous night. I should have known that the tank was now closer to 1/3 full than 2/3.

Right now, both inside and outside accurately say my tank is 1/3 full.