DRIVER NEEDED

Yesterday at work we had a mother and daughter visit us and help out throughout the day. The mother is very passionate about sea turtles and together they traveled from Arizona just to spend a week volunteering at STI. She's also a loyal reader of my blog so we of course get along just beautifully. Anyway work was slow so we spent a lot of time talking with them and learning about other sea turtle experiences around the states. They are fascinating people and it was a spirited and very interesting conversation. 

Occasionally we have school groups, boy scout troops, college classes, etc. make special arrangements for a tour at STI, which is great, public education is one of the most important things we do as an organization. So yesterday we had on our schedule a group of 20 people from San Benito. Fabulous. The BIG problem with this however was that they were scheduled from 3:45 to 4:45. We close at 4. Now as interns we work hard all day long and put on a happy face no matter how we really feel, but once the clock hits 3:30 we're getting itchy and counting down the last half hour. So granted when we realized someone, very obviously none of us, had scheduled a group for a time slot after we normally close we were less than thrilled. At 3:30 someone calls in to confirm the time and says they are on their way, which peeved us even more, we were hoping they wouldn’t show. We gave the last tour of the day and closed to the public like we normally do and all six of the interns who were working stood around waiting for the group that was already 20 minutes late. So we’re waiting. And move around a little and wait some more. And go out side to look for a bus and wait some more. Then we let in some other people that pulled up since we were already their waiting. At about 4:35, 50 minutes after the scheduled time, we see a Hummer limo drive by STI, turn on the left blinker and begin to turn around. So granted we are all standing there, jawed dropped thinking “no way, there is absolutely no way” when they awkwardly park outside. Then we all stand there at the entrance and watch as 20 15-year old kids pile out of the limo, all of the girls with up-dos and some of the boys in tux shirts. As it turns out it was quinceañera party, though I’m not sure who thought visiting a sea turtle rescue center to occupying the kids before the party was a good idea. Four of the interns split up the tour to make things easier for us and this group seemed so indifferent to everything that we said that it made everything that much more frustrating. They book a tour for after hours, show up extremely late and then aren’t even interested. We were all so annoyed with the situation that we decided to get together and have a big barbecue for dinner, so the whole crew came over to our house for a potluck and movie night. Of course the instant we left work we were all happier, but it was so nice for all of us to eat together.

I’m on corral duty tonight, though I’m not sure if there are supposed to be babies. Either way it will give me time to catch up on some reading.

The picture is of Angel, the little green we just released, on the boat.

Be suspicious of Hummer limos.