Scrambled Eggs

Scramble, stir the pot and scramble again.  Just like making scrambled eggs, that's what I did yesterday.  My plan for the three hour slow time to take pictures didn't quite work out so well.

Another 350 kids and parents came in all at the same time ... 8:30.  We don't even open until 9:00.  I try to stay organized, but apparently I'm the only one who does.  Those in charge seem to have no clue how many kids they have and never seem to collect the right amount of money.

I scrambled to find two tractor drivers, taking the Time Travel Tractor around a few times myself.  No lost kids today thank goodness, but the bounce pillow was soaking wet from dew since all the overhead covers were gone.  That took 30 minutes to clean off so the kids could bounce.

Finally, with a big sigh, I escorted the last few groups out at 12:30.  They were told we close at 12:00.  No one ever wants to leave since it's such a nice outdoor space to be in.  One more thing?  Everyone, kids, teachers and parents, get a pumpkin before they leave.  That's 3-400 we pass out!!

I got home just in time to let Cooper out and slurp down some of my butternut squash soup.  Then I raced back to the Patch.  We were completely out of gem mining bags and expecting a record number of people at 3:30.  

Scramble scramble .... some people just walk in the door like they own the place.  I tracked down three adults coming to get pumpkins who forgot to pay.  To keep out the riff raff, we charge $7 to enter and give them a wooden coin worth $7.  They use those to buy pumpkins.  There's always three or four that try to sneak in.  

Suddenly it was 3:00 and people began to swarm the entrance.  Someone wanted to bring in their Service Dog in training.  It was a poodle.  Sorry, but no.  Another scramble when the sales girl didn't show up, and only one ticket girl arrived.  By then the crowd was about 500 feet long.  I grabbed the Snack Bar Supervisor to sell tickets when I realized the pumpkin girl needed a lunch break.  

But wait .... the party hostess didn't show up either and they let the birthday kids in without tickets.  Scramble again to FIND the tickets, but of course the party had many more than they paid for.   

About that time the tractor driver came up and said he was throwing up.  Great!!  Now I need TWO tractor drivers, a scare commodity.  

I spent some time on the slide since one of the workers for the day was terrible.  How hard is it to look up, see where the people are and send up the next 2 or 3?  I guess it's pretty difficult when your attention span in two seconds.  That's when I got the call ... some of the 55 Asset kids we let in (underprivileged teenagers), went in the corn maze, tore out the back and kicked all the scarecrows over.  Who does that?  

Scramble some more ... the tractor driver OWNER was now sick, and as you can tell, I drove the hay ride for the rest of the evening.   

That was an 11 hour day of scrambling for all I was worth.  Scheduling those teenager workers has become a nightmare, kind of like Halloween.  

OH BOY .... I get to do it all over again today!!  It's okay, I like challenges!  On the other hand, people do come up and tell me how great the place is all the time.  That keeps me going for the next day. 

Thank goodness this will be the last day of field trip kids.  I'm counting down the minutes!!  I even came home and had scrambled eggs for dinner, just because.  Then I took an extra helping of vitamins for dessert.

Miles Walked:  another perfect 10

Total so far:  199.45