UTAH, 2011: Next-to-Last-Work Day

We've written very little about working because that wasn't the focus of our being here.  It was the price we paid the piper to play, the means to an end.

That said, there were aspects of the work that we enjoyed or found satisfying. It gave structure to our days and led us to value our non-work time.   We felt a sense of accomplishment in turning a messy space into a neat, clean one. (You have to close your mind to the knowledge that it will return to messiness almost immediately, needing to be redone the next day and the next day and the next....) We enjoyed gauging our proficiency by reducing the length of time it took to 'do' a room or a cabin. The job gave us a peek at what's involved in running a B & B as well as confirming that we lack the personalities and desire to do so!

We usually worked 2.5 to 3 hours each day, starting about 9:15 and finishing around noon. On rare occasons a complete turn-over (cleaning all six rooms in the inn, the four cabins and the guest house) kept us busy until 1:00 or 2:00. Every once in a while, a late check-out would delay us but there was always laundry to wash, fold or put away while we awaited their departure.

The work required some physical strength but mainly endurance. As we developed our own system and division of labor, it became easier.