The psychology of campground 'C'

To be honest I'm afraid of campground 'C'.
It's the talk of the town when you're in Merritt. You hear all sorts of stories and none of them are good. I'm not a prude by any means...Well maybe a little but the whole premise disgusts me.
Last year I was afraid to go after all the stories I had heard. Strippers and hells angels ect. ect. ect.
Being me though and an avid student of human behavior I wanted to see it. Just once. I figured this year since my brother was with us I'd get him to take me over to have a look. He could protect me. So Wednesday night (My birthday) I'd had enough beers to give the illusion of courage and off we went. It was tame, there were no bikers, I didn't see any strippers. Sure there were several signs offering shooters for free to girls who would flash. (that's the disgusting part) but all in all it was just dirty and quiet. Of course it was only ten pm on Wednesday.

Thursday came and we were offered the opportunity to work the beer gardens in campground 'C'. I wasn't afraid anymore-having confronted the beast head on- so we agreed. We volunteer yes but we get tips and the tips were good in campground 'C' so we had heard.

Ten pm on Thursday we started over, it took forever to get to the beer gardens and I soon realized that we had hardly skimmed the surface the night before. We were to work till four am. So we had napped and packed a bag of supplies to take with us. Hand cream, Kleenex, sweaters, lunches, we also had a 4 liter jug of water. It was a long hike with all that stuff. We finally found the beer garden after pushing our way through reams of people.
There was only one ticket booth and there were already people in it. They were not happy to see us in fact they were down right unfriendly. I can understand it they were protecting their tip jars and money is known to bring out the worst in people. So we made the long trek back.
There were stripper poles and bikers and nudity. I caught snippets of conversations everything from how many chicks can we get to bare their chests tonight to do you think your Mom will catch us here? The later was disturbing cause I'm sure the girls having that conversation were all of sixteen years old.

When we got to the gate there was a huge crowd waiting to get out.
They are searched every time they leave to ensure they don't bring booze or weapons on to the grounds. We decided we'd go out the in line. There we met up with another of the palace guards. He looked even meaner than Frank but we had had enough and weren't going to wait with our supplies any longer. After much explanation and not a glint of a smile from the guard we were let through. We went back to camp and went to bed.

We had to get ready for the aluminum stampede in the morning!

I'm off to Reno soon so will try to Blog from My moms prior to flying out. I still don't have copies of the pictures we took but will try to get them up when I get back.

Take care all!

The Bodyguards

Yvonne and I are very lucky women when we go to Mountainfest because we get our very own bodyguards...O.K. They're Norms body guards but we get to look at them at least twice a day.
Norm is a high school principle who spends Merritt week being the money guy.
Before each shift he gathers us all together and assigns us ticket booths.
The beer gardens are bigger than a full football field, in fact it may be two football fields. Inside there is one stage at the front. A dance floor, several tents with picnic tables, a couple of mobile food stands, four ticket booths that hold up to three people in each and on each side is the bar- holding twenty or more servers across- which dispense beer and coolers in exchange for a ticket.

Norm and his bodyguards drive a golf cart to each booth and set the volunteers up with a float. And a roll of tickets for the shift. I found out that there are 1000 tickets on each roll at 4.50 a pop each roll brings in 4500.00. We often have to call for new rolls half way through the shift. We like that cause we get to flirt with the body guards some more :)
The bodyguards are all police or corrections officers in their day jobs. These are big, big men.
Last year Frank and Pinot were our body guards, Pinot was gregarious and friendly Frank may as well have been guarding Windsor palace. He would stand against the wall- all six foot five 200 and some odd pounds of him and not crack a smile if there was a gun to his head. Yvonne immediately fell in lust and I immediately made it my mission in life to make him crack.
It took three days but eventually we got him to at least say more than hello. By the end of the week we saw Frank in a whole new light and were sad that he wasn't with us again this year.
We had three bodyguards this year. I guess because of the enormity of the event. All three were great fun and we looked forward to seeing them each day.
Norm's interior sidekick was a delta police officer named Byron. If we can liken men to dogs then Byron was a Chihuahua, not very big but lots of energy and would lick your toes with out much provocation. Outside we had Bobby and Shane, both corrections officers and sweet guys, quiet most of the time but would chuckle at our antics. We found out later that they weren't quiet so much as hung over every day.
Shane was my favorite. Cute and cuddly if he was a dog he might be a lab-German Shepard cross. He was sweet to us but I got the sense he could rip a strip if necessary.
Bobby seemed like a big old Saint Bernard he'd bring you hard liquor and drag you out of any bad situation.

This year we were treated to a party at the VIP/Security campground.
At 4 am on Saturday our bodyguards came knocking- being that it is Merritt and that we had behaved ourselves relatively well thus far- we got up and went with them.
It seems the security personnel party in the wee hours after all the others have gone to bed. They have a fire in their camp which was good because the nights were awfully cold. I also discovered that they have showers and flush toilets. All luxuries we do not have in Campground 'A'.
I also know now what they do with booze confiscated off the grounds!
However they were well on their way to oblivion and we, having just woke, were too far behind. We mingled and chatted till 6 am and were driven home in a golf cart.
Also a first.
Our little Chihuahua drove us home and I'll tell you riding on the back of a speeding golf cart is way more scary than a speeding race car in the Indy 500....Seriously. I was sure we were going to die.

We made it home just in time to witness someone's walk of shame at which point Yvonne yells out "Honey you must be freezing" at which point I give her a little kick. You never talk to someone doing the walk of shame, they want to believe you didn't see them...

Tomorrow I'll tell you about our experience all most working in campground 'C'

another river pic just to further make my up river point

another lesson

If you have to sit in the river to cool off always sit upstream from the crowd

these women are not us but ....

Had to get the six pack tot'n half naked cowboys on to the blog for Jill

1 half naked cowboy

I jacked this pic off the site I don't have our pictures yet

Lessons learned in Merritt

There were many lessons to be learned at the Merritt Mountain Music Festival. Several will be listed here.

1. Men should never wear cowboy boots with Bermuda shorts...Ever.
2. Always have your camera ready cause you never know what you might see.
3. Faith Hill is a lucky woman.
4. Never set your lawn chair next to the aisle during a Tim McGraw concert.
5. If you ever get a boob job always wear a bra.
6. The best parties are in the VIP campground with the security staff.
7. Sleep is not overrated.
8. Never camp next to the jerk with the loud generator.
9. If you're going to play rock and roll music in your campsite make sure you're speakers are bigger than the jerk with the loud generator.
10. Never camp in between the jerk with the loud generator and big speakers and the people playing rock and roll music.
11. Never go to the beer gardens on Friday and Saturday night unless you are already drunk.
12. Always get to the truck stop to shower early in the morning.

These and many other lessons will be further explained in further blogs.
Yvonne feel free to add any lessons I've left out.

mainstage

This is the mainstage area. This year they had Tim McGraw, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lone Star, Chely Write, Paul Brant and several other famous faces.
I saw Tim McGraw, a little of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and a little of Mel Tillis.

Crazy wild mountainfest!

I'm back! And I survived Mountainfest 2005.
Over the next week I'll tell you all about our adventures in Merritt and yes we did get half naked cowboy pics!
The festival takes place on a working cattle ranch. The cattle are usually moved to upper pastures in the summer which leaves the lower land for festival activities and on site camping. Merritt is situated in a hot, dry part of our province which means that everything is dry and dusty. And there are no trees in campsite A where we camp. No trees means no shade. The ranch is huge I'm sure hundreds of acres. The pictures above are of two of the 9 separate campgrounds. It's believed there were over 150,000 people there this year.
I camped with my friend and my brother. All I can say is thank you Lonny(my brother) for having a motor home. Last year I tented it, not a good thing.
We were a day late and arrived on Tuesday. It was a cloudy windy day and when we checked in we found out that we had to work in three hours. We did a grocery run, set up camp, had a couple of beers and went straight to work. I'm not a beer drinker but in Merritt beer is one of the main food groups. Yvonne and I work in the beer gardens selling beer tickets. I am continually amazed at how much money people throw away on booze. Tickets are 4.50 each and many, many people will spend more than a 100.00 a day on beer tickets. The first night was steady but never busy. I think the first night is my favorite for the time we get to spend chatting with people.
I'm going to pirate a few pics from the Merritt web site just to give an idea of the dichotomy of experiences. On one hand there are the people there for the music and time spent with friends then there is camp site 'C'. Camp site 'C' is crazy. Hundreds of young people, copious amounts of drugs and alcohol. And nudity. It's amazing to me that you can walk from one campsite to another and find such a huge difference.
Tomorrow I'll tell you about the people we see in Merritt. The co-ordinators, the body guards and the accountants. Maybe I'll even have some pics of six pack tot'n cowboys.

Vacation

I'm on vacation for three weeks!!!! whooo hooo! Tomorrow I leave bright and early for the Merritt Mountain Music Festival.
Now you should know I'm not a big country music fan. I don't own any CD's or listen to the country station on my radio but I had a blast when I went last year and felt incredibly rested when I got back. In spite of the wicked hang over and equally wicked sunburn.
A week with no TV, no radio, no telephone and no children. Can you spell relief?
My friend and I volunteer at the festival so it's not all beer and half naked cowboys...No it's not. We work while we're there. Fun work. In my day to day job I mostly tell people no. No you can't have more money, no we can't help you with that. No we don't do that anymore.
In Merritt my job is to say yes. Yes you can have 10 beer tickets, yes we take interact, Yes I can show you where the nearest bathroom is.
Yes you do have a nice set of six pack abs mister cowboy!
No I don't go for the acts or the beer or even the cowboys. I go to spend a week with my friends and relax.

The festival takes place on a working ranch. There aren't any trees and the ground is hard and dusty. Last year it didn't rain the whole week and our only shade was a small table umbrella. I burned, bad. I think that was the first burn I have ever had and boy did it hurt.

Now if you ever saw Big Fat Greek Wedding you will understand what I am about to tell you.
Replace Windex with Ozonol and her father becomes my mother.
Ozonol fixes everything. So when I showed up at my Mom and Dads for a shower on day three of Merritt last year with my wicked sunburn the Ozonol made it's appearance quite quickly.
The worst part is that I allowed myself to be slathered in the oily Ozonol. You may be thinking 'How is that bad?'
Well let me tell you.
When you are in direct sunlight all day, everyday, and you are already burnt the last thing you want to do is put an oil based substance on your skin and head back out into the unrelenting sun!!!!
This year I am an Ozonol free zone. And I will pack my sunscreen.
Love you Mom but stay away....Far away!!!

So you won't hear from me this week but I will return on Monday and hopefully have some pics to share. Maybe of six pack toting, half naked cowboys.

Fear

So in 17 days I'm flying to Vegas and then to Reno for the RWA conference. It's my first conference and I am excited beyond words. I know from my work life that a conference and the workshops contained within can be the most inspiring and motivating activity one can participate in. I can't wait!
However...
Flying is a scary experience for me. True more people die in car crashes than plane crashes- or so people say to ease a troubled mind- but I am driving my car. I'm not driving my plane. To add to my already fear based flying experience we've had yet another attack to public transport in yet another freedom based nation. That is scary.
My home country has not been attacked or directly threatened at this point and we are not blindly following Bush into his war on Iraq but we are not free from the danger. We represent, as much as any democratic society, what these terrorists claim they hate. That niggles in the back of my mind as I plan my trip.
Being Canadian it's just a niggle. We aren't prone to fear based over-reactions but that doesn't mean we don't have the fear or contemplate the issues that plague our world. We do.
I will take my trip with the knowledge that I will be ok. If only I could tell that little niggle to go away.

They'd better have lots of wine on that plane!

My thoughts and prayers are with all those in Britain dealing with this terrible tragedy.

Interesting

Jolly good, wot! Anyone for tennis? That'll be ten ponies, guv. You're the epitome of everything that is english. Yey :) Hoist that Union Jack! How British are you?
this quiz was made by I'm 100% BritishI was only 28% American
I wish I had found a 'How canadian are you?' quiz
I would have sooo won that one

Generosity

Writers are a generous bunch. I'm amazed at the amount of information and advice available to you if only you look for it. I accidentally happened on the eharlequin community when I was looking for submission guidelines. What I found was a community full of authors and aspiring authors ready and willing to share advice, experiences and any knowledge acquired through years of writing and submitting. The communities I visit are filled with giving, kind people who share one commonality, the burning desire to write. It's inspiring.
Authors have a wealth of information on their websites. Everything from writing a synopsis to building memorable characters.
This is a good example
http://suzannemcminn.com/forwriters.html .
And this
http://http://www.julieleto.com/advice_for_writers.html#critique_quiz

The romance genre may be the only business where people are ready and willing to share secrets with up and comers.
I've learned so much from the various authors and writers I've met in the past year and I know I will continue to learn so much more.
For now, thank you to Suzanne for your advice on writing blurbs. Now the back of my business cards won't be so empty and dull!

What are your favorite writing sites?

peace

The view from my window.

What a beautiful place to live. Happy Belated Canada day!

Contests

I'm thinking about entering some contests. I've only entered one. It was a short essay contest which I didn't win and didn't get feedback on. I have no idea if they thought my entry was adequate or if the judge(s) laughed their asses off at my completely inept grammar and punctuation.

Although there are a few RWA chapters in Canada most of the open contests right now are in the states. This means that in order to enter and pay the entry fee I have to purchase a money order in American funds and mail it to them. I also have to mail the entry via American post and postage. A hassle to say the least. But if I want impartial feedback on my work this is what I have to do.
I did find one contest that takes entries via email and payment via paypal. This chapter is brilliant to say the least. You can enter and pay from your very own home. No extra charges for money order. Paypal calculates the exchange for you so no curious bank tellers to deal with. No postage issues and equally curious postal worker. Brilliant I tell you.
So with this contest I have no excuse not to enter...

That is a little scary.

I like writing in my blog and for the most part I'm happy with my entries. I'm happy to share my blog with friends and fellow writers. I was thrilled to see that an author I admire had come to visit and left comments, which no one does.
But I am scared to death to send out one of the chapters from my WIP.
Do I want and welcome feedback, yes. Would I like to know if I'm on the right track, Yes.
Then what scares me?

When it comes to my WIP I know I'm not as good as I'd like to be. I am afraid for people to read it because I am not as good as some of the authors I admire.

I know, I know, that comes with time and practice. I know having read almost every Nora Roberts that some of her early work is not so good. I know from reading early works of various well known and admired authors that the books they wrote got better and better with each one. That each of them have some crap manuscripts hidden under their beds.
I know all this and still I am scared. Perhaps I put too much pressure on myself. I want my books to be good, loved by those who read them including myself.
And I guess in order to get there I have to let go and let the readers tell me what they want, what would make them love it. And for that to happen I will have to bite the bullet and enter a contest.

Wish me luck. No wish me talent!