heading into camp

BALLANCE'S LAW OF RELIABILITY
How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on

I think I got a first hand experience of what sayings like this really mean. I flew into camp yesterday. After only 12 days off since I had to stay in that extra day and then having to overnight in Yellowknife before returning home. Of course because we are flying on the jet our flight time was incredibly early. So, up at 3:20am to get to the sky shuttle for 4:30am. Last time I aimed at being just on time for the sky shuttle nearly resulted in me missing it. Amazing how when you call a cab to go to the bus station to grab a cheaper trip out to the airport than the $53 one way that they are charging (as opposed to the $25 return trip on a shuttle) the cabs manage to drive extra slow and hit every single stop light on the way to the bus station. Last time I gave myself 15 minutes to get to the bus station which is only maybe 15 blocks away, we just made it before the shuttle left. This time I gave myself half an hour and when the cab learned I was going to the shuttle I felt the car slowly slow down to a nice Sunday drive speed. However, once I said that I had half an hour to get to the station the speed started to go a little faster. Guess he figured that a 5 - 10 minute slow down could be possible but he would have to really be sneaky and work at it to make me 30 minutes late on a 15 block stretch.

So, 4:30am at the shuttle to get to the airport for 5:30am for check in. Board at 6:30am to take off at 7am. Why the early boarding time? not cause we had so many people to check through and board but because due to the extreme rain/snow and wind the night before all the runways were apparently extremely icy causing us to taxi to the farthest runway to take off from. Ever been in a vehicle the size of a 737 jet taxiing about 7 kilometers to a runway to take off? Kind of reminded me of being in a taxi cab in Edmonton driving 15 blocks to a grey hound bus station.

We arrived in YK for roughly 9amish (can't give the exact time since I was dead asleep when we landed) and sat on the runway for a long period of time. We were told that the weather in camp was 'questionable' and we would have to wait but it was 'getting better by the second'. Finally around 10:30 they made us deplane. Of course they said it was because they were being nice to the passengers to go have a smoke or to put us in more comfortable chairs. We sat in the lounge either playing pool, sleeping in chairs, surfing the internet on a really unpredictable and sketchy internet connection or watching a very indecisive man go through the 'guide' part of the TV reading what was on but not really going to anything to watch it till around 12:30 when they brought in pizza. Of course, campers being what they were the guy buying the pizza had to announce to only take two slices first till everyone had some and then come back for seconds and repeat it again and again about 5 times over the course of a 20 minute feeding frenzy. You don't tell campers who are used to piling up a plate of pizza to only take two slices. When they hear "take only two" they seem to think that means two pizzas and not slices. They didn't get their big bellies from eating salads or small portions.

So finally we were told that they would break down the passenger list to two flights and we would fly in on the smaller planes instead of the one big jet. I wasn't originally on the first flight but as they were calling for the first flight to leave my name got called. I guess when they were making the flight lists originally they didn't take to account what the people actually do in camp as opposed to how big of a wig they were. Seems in theory it is a good idea to get the big office people in camp so that they can be all important and high on the pecking order but when you think about it, best get the cooks and kitchen staff into the kitchen before supper starts or else the big wigs will be sitting in the dining room eating sandwiches but secure in the knowledge that they are truly high and mighty on the pecking order.

Now if you think about it the company really didn't save anything by putting us on this early morning direct flight from Edmonton to camp. After all, before the jet took over what were we doing? We would fly to YK via the regular standard air flights, be put up in a hotel for the night, get on little puddle hopper planes and fly into camp in the early morning. What did we do yesterday? everyone flew to Edmonton via the regular flights and got put up in a hotel then got on a chartered jet to YK, got off there and transferred to two puddle hopper planes to fly into camp. Figure the money that they saved on hotel bills (since Edmonton hotels are slightly cheaper than YK hotels) they probably lost more than that on the charter flight and then hiring the two puddle hoppers to get us to camp.

So that was my trip. Though when it came to the feeling of flying, it is funny how when I am in camp I resign myself to the fact that there isn't going to be a flight and I am stuck there for another day and I feel sort of neutral. After all, I haven't gained or lost anything since I am still where I was the day before. But when the flight happens it makes it all so much sweeter. When out of camp, I resign myself to the fact that the flight is cancelled and yet I don't feel neutral but happy not to be going back to work. Then when the flight is happening, you feel so much worse cause it was like paradise was in reach but now it is gone.

Of course, life in camp really hasn't changed much. Still do the most hectic menu night of the week on flight day (steak night) and we are still rinsing all the pans that we use (from the ones that we cook with to the ones that we serve with right up till closing time) in the back sink so that the dishwasher doesn't have to rinse them. Even though there are two of them in the pit. They could use the little sink but that always has a bucket of water in it ready so that they can change the water in their sink at a moments notice. Drives the 1st cook insane since he sometimes brings his common sense to camp with him whereas I check mine at the airport before flying into camp and pick it up on the way out so the dishwashers behavior really doesn't surprise me or anything. Amazing what you can accomplish in this place when you leave all common sense in the south.

So in camp I am for another 4 weeks but with the promise of being on days as 2nd cook for 2 weeks and then going to breakfast cook on nights for 2 weeks. Will see what happens though....of course, gonna be another fun filled and exciting 4 weeks in camp.