August 23

Got up at 6:30 a.m. Bags were packed. Had a quick breakfast.

Said goodbyes again.

And boarded the shuttle to ABQ.

Got to the airport. Sent this guy off to South Africa.

And we waited for our flights. It was scheduled to depart at 2:10 p.m., but was running 40 minutes late.

At last, the plane landed. I said goodbye for the last time and boarded. I'd be back in Pennsylvania by the end of the day... or so I thought. As it turns out,the Delta flight I was on was leaking hydraulic fluid from the landing gear. So, the pilot informed us the flight was delayed until the leak could be fixed. We would all miss our connecting flights. Wonderful.

The flight ended up being canceled. I signed up for the 6 a.m. flight out in the morning. Delta put me up in a hotel for the night, gave me some meal tickets, and I was off. In the shuttle to the hotel, I met a Native American band and a grumpy middle-aged couple on their way to Hawaii. Then at the hotel, there was an old man from Michigan who was involved with the Order of the Arrow, Scouting's honor society. He invited me to go to Burger King for dinner, but I declined. I was tired- of not sleeping, people, and airports.

After a few phone calls and some rest, I walked like five blocks to Applebees for dinner. I was all alone, but the waiter- Carl- was really good. I should have been in Pennsylvania by now. THANKS, DELTA! 4 a.m. wake up call in the morning. Let's try this flying business again.

Senator Aaron Loncki

In my final evaluation last week (which went well), there was a section dedicated to "comments". I filled it up. All of it. I tried to set myself up for the position of Snack Bar Manager, citing the fact that I shadowed the current manager and taught myself the job. I also included that my experience in the Senate, serving on the Agriculture and Small Business committees, qualified me for the position.

I knew management from the trading post would read the evaluation- and they did. The store director thought it was amusing, so by the end of the day, management was calling me "Senator".

When I went to check out with two friends at the registration office, the lady behind the counter gave us papers and had us sign forms. Amidst the paperwork, she got a phone call. It was my boss, the store director at the trading post.

"Hi, Shelley!"
"Good, how are you?"
"Yes, he's right in front of me."

There was a pause.

"What? He's a senator?! Well, then..."

She saluted me as I laughed. I thought it was pretty funny.

Washeteria Wars

We cleaned the place real nice like. We really did. Swept, mopped, sprayed, wiped, rinsed... and powerwashed.





(This is the part when we had fun).

August 22

Today was the last day of my contract- my final working day. After three consecutive days of cleaning, I was tired of the snack bar and volunteered to clean the washeteria (laundromat) instead.

We had a four-man crew, including myself, and ended up having a great time. The laundromat was dripping with cleanliness by the time we finished.

More friends departed this afternoon- off to Texas, Wisconsin, Kansas and wherever else they came from. I'll be doing the same tomorrow morning.

The three of us who were leaving in the morning got the OK to check out. We took our time and eventually made it back to work. Before our final meeting, we hogtied our manager. Because we could.

After leaving work for the last time, there wasn't much to do. There had to be less than 30 people still left at base camp. It was like a ghost town. So we decided to scavenge the empty tents- see what people left. I found a horseshoe, a 2010 Conservation Department manual, and a carabiner. My friends found a water bottle, silicon squishy bowl, sharpies and pens. All in all, not a bad haul.

Dinner was burgers and leftovers. There were about 15 people in the whole dining hall. It was our last supper.

Later, two friends and I sat under the pavilion, using my computer. All of a sudden, we got hungry. The snack bar was closed. Dinner was over. Our stuff was packed. I wandered up to the Staff Activities Center door that said "Snack Zone". There were people in there. Real people, eating real burgers and real ice cream. I demanded they let me in. They did. My friends came too. It was a miracle. We feasted on leftovers and even made ourselves Heath blizzards.

So this is how it ends. My last full day at Philmont. I'll leave early in the morning tomorrow, on the shuttle to Albuquerque International Sunport. It all happens so quickly. One week you're there, the next- you're gone. Where did the last 3 months go?

Drain the Machine Party

Everything perishable is free. Ice cream, popcorn, fountain drinks, Slushies, microwaveable sandwiches, hot pockets, hot dogs and more. No campers- they all left. Just staff.

This poor couple thought they were getting a nice picture of the two of them. Little did they know...

After everyone left, it was just us- the trading post staff, sporting our new t-shirts. It was a great final night in the snack bar.

August 21

Today was an intense cleaning day. My friend and I worked together in the snack bar (and literally scoured to place). We cleaned the floors, baseboards, counters, under and around the machines, and the huge walk-in cooler.

Luckily, the store director likes our staff, so she supplied the pizza for a pizza party lunch. It was from Pizza Hut, an hour away.

After work, me and some friends went back to the canyon to cool off again.

We jumped in and swam in the Rayado River- much cooler than the last time we were there.



After our escapade in the Rayado, the four of us headed back to base for the "Drain the Machine Party".

It's pretty much just a night of consuming perishable items in the snack bar for free. Not a bad deal at all.

2010 Staff T-Shirt

(Front)

(Back)

These wonderful, royal blue t-shirts are delicately made with a 50/50 cotton/polyester blend. The cotton provides a comfort fit, while the wicking properties in the polyester allow for a lightweight, quick-drying fabric.

The design came out nice- the fist on front with "Tooth of Time Traders" written across the front and the hand clinching a Nalgene bottle with "Staff 2o1o" on the back.

August 20

Today, I expected to be busy. But it wasn't.

We did get our staff t-shirts today, though. They turned out nice. I was in charge of organizing the order and collecting money- still have some more work to do. We have to ship shirts to people who have already left.

Tonight was the last snack bar shift. We had a great crew- the best possible group I could have asked for. Busy at first, because we had 430 homebound campers in base camp, but business really never picked up after the initial rush.

Jim Shufesky

Jim Shufesky was an Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 59. He was my Eagle mentor, an outstanding cook, and a true Scouter. Jim passed away this week after an extended battle with cancer. His funeral was yesterday. I missed it by less than a week.

As a youth, Jim served as the old Troop 59's Senior Patrol Leader and eventually went on to earn the rank of Eagle, Scouting's highest honor.

Years later, in 2000, Troop 59 was rechartered and in search of new leadership. Jim stepped up and helped create a program full of adventure, skills, and- of course- good food.

Jim's dedication and Scouting spirit carried on for years after the troop was reestablished. Through his experience as a paramedic, love for cooking, and knack for Scouting skills, Jim mentored, trained, and taught countless Scouts the skills they needed to know at camp and in life.

If there was a campout, you could count on Jim to be there. And at summer camp, he'd always have his infamous Chex mix, iced tea, and sometimes beef jerky- all homemade. His leatherworking supplies would be on the table for all to use.

A true Scout, Jim will always be remembered for his generous heart and passion for Scouting.
I'm going to miss that guy.

---------------------------

A tan Chevrolet Silverado pulling the Troop 59 trailer is going to stop at the gates of heaven. Peter, Paul and Mary will be softly playing, as a short man wearing a class A uniform, ball cap and clip-on sunglasses reaches to roll down his window.

St. Peter looks down at the man and says, "We've been waiting for you, Jim. Cracker barrel's already started."

Jim just smiles and says, "I think I'm going to like it here".

August 19

More friends left today. Boo! But I guess that's how it goes. Three days left.

The store was busy today. I don't know where people came from, but they just kept coming. It was a far cry from the lull we had earlier this week. I was tired. the tiredest I've been all season. It was good to get off work.

Snack Bar Theme Nights

On some evenings, the snack bar has theme nights. We play themed music, decorate, and sometimes wear themed apparel. Everything from pirates, rock and roll, specific bands like Kiss, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles...

...oldies...

...western...



...and techno.

August 18

Exactly two years ago today, I was getting off the trail after a 10-week trek through Philmont's wilderness.

Today, one of my good friends left early in the morning. At about 1 a.m. this morning, my new tent mate and I tossed about 20 balloons into his tent. He woke up this morning, dazed and confused.

A couple of my other friends left today too. Both worked at Beaubien, my favorite backcountry staffed camp. One was my ranger from 2008. The other I met this summer.

In the snack bar tonight, we had "techno night". Someone brought glow sticks. We turned off the lights. It was insane.