Next week, Safaris changes forever. A new spiel. No more Wilson. No more poachers. No more baby elephant at the end. So very different.
Of course, I was worried about them changing the spiel. It will never be the same. But I asked some managers and we worked together and I am lucky enough that they set it up so that I can still pick up safari shifts! I'll have to learn some new stuff (we're getting some new animals and baby warthogs!). And memorize some other stuff. But I am 100% happy to do it. Especially if it means I get to keep driving my trucks! So I have a shift set up for tomorrow and hopefully, I'll be able to learn everything quickly enough that I can still pick up the shifts.
I think I love safaris even more now, even though I don't even work there anymore. So awesome.
Not that I don't love Deployment. Because seriously, I love Deployment as well. I love feeling like I'm a part of management! It's just awesome and amazing. I am so ridiculously lucky.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
RIP - In Memory...
I heard the news last Wednesday. A CP student was killed in a hit and run accident around the Crossroads area this past Tuesday night. Someone told me during my Safari shift on Wednesday morning. They finally found the lady who did it and are doing an investigation. They think she was driving drunk.
Of course I felt sad, but didn't think much of it. I don't know CPs anymore. I still went home and looked it up. Just to make sure it wasn't another one of those rumors that goes around. I found out it was actually an ICP. International College Program student. An Asian girl.
Today in church they announced that Lydya, the only Asian ICP Iknow currently, knew, was killed on Tuesday night.
I was shocked. Lydya. The Chinese girl. She had been coming to our ward for a while. She and her uncle who lives here in the States had converted, I believe. She was the one who was supposed to help me with my Chinese. The one who was so excited for me to come visit her and her family in China. The one who was always so incredibly happy. The one who would help me with my lesson plans because I'm moving to China soon.
And now she's gone. I will never see her bright, happy face again.
I didn't know her that well. I hadn't even seen her for a few weeks. But I'm definitely sad that she's gone. Her family's not reading this, but I certainly wish they could know what a great person she was. She will for sure be missed.
Of course I felt sad, but didn't think much of it. I don't know CPs anymore. I still went home and looked it up. Just to make sure it wasn't another one of those rumors that goes around. I found out it was actually an ICP. International College Program student. An Asian girl.
Today in church they announced that Lydya, the only Asian ICP I
I was shocked. Lydya. The Chinese girl. She had been coming to our ward for a while. She and her uncle who lives here in the States had converted, I believe. She was the one who was supposed to help me with my Chinese. The one who was so excited for me to come visit her and her family in China. The one who was always so incredibly happy. The one who would help me with my lesson plans because I'm moving to China soon.
And now she's gone. I will never see her bright, happy face again.
I didn't know her that well. I hadn't even seen her for a few weeks. But I'm definitely sad that she's gone. Her family's not reading this, but I certainly wish they could know what a great person she was. She will for sure be missed.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Best Safari Shift Ever!
I know I've said this a lot, but seriously. Today I had the best safari shift EVER! For real this time!
It all started when I picked up the shift from EHH. Because seriously, I love safaris so much just the fact that I was working there for the first time in a month had me excited. When I got to work, bright and early at 7am, I was notified that it was Cast Appreciation Day! Score!!! Free food!
So then I went to work. Opened a truck, went through a few rounds, asked for an extend on my shift (I wanted more hours cuz it was so fun) and they approved it!
I got another truck and when I drove up to the departure dock, for the first time ever, I got red flashing lights. Red flashing lights is bad. I've never gotten it before, but I've heard about it. I wasn't really sure what to do, but I called it in. Despite the fact that my truck appeared safe to load, the red flashing lights meant something was wrong so I'd have to try again. Under normal circumstances, I'd just take the truck off the nearest exit, quickly drive it back on, and try again. But, the nearest exit was actually closed for some freak reason, so I got to do an entire empty round! So awesome! And no worries, the next time I docked it worked out fine... but I'm still not sure how I managed to get red flashing lights... someone told me that particular truck does that sometimes lately though.
So I did another round with guests and drove up to the exit dock. And there, waiting for me, was a backstage safari. This means I hand the mic over to someone else and all I have to do is drive around and listen to her spiel. Love it!
After that I got my 45 minute break meaning I had time to go to the cast appreciation event. I walked over there and grabbed some food and sat down at a table of my fellow safari-ers. Shortly after, the prizes lady started walking around looking for people to hand out random prizes to. This one girl got a DVD of Finding Nemo! Someone else got a digital camera. Then she walked around looking for the third person. My friends were going nuts this whole time, standing up, screaming, yelling, shouting, the works. I was laughing at them, and smiling and trying to yell. Honestly, I was torn between trying to be invisible and wanting to fit in. I find myself in that situation a lot. So funny.
Anyway, the lady finally walked over to our table. I knew that it would be one of the screamers. I looked down at my baked beans and started eating, trying to be invisible. Then I heard the lady say, as she walked around the table, "Hmmm, I think I'll pick... the quietest person at the loudest table!"
I looked up. Yep. Every eye on me. She made me turn beet red in front of everyone and then gave me an Ipod shuffle.
I received an Ipod shuffle because I have loud, crazy, obnoxious friends.
I freakin' LOVE my job!!! I felt bad for a bit and tried to offer the Ipod to one of them. But it was really one of the funniest things ever, and my safari friends just laughed.
So then, after getting my giant chocolate cupcake and a magical cup that's green but turns blue when you put cold stuff in it, I went back toplay work. I drove a few more safaris and had some very fun guests. Definitely one of the best days ever. And then, just as I was beginning to get tired because I only slept for five hours last night (that's how excited I was for this shift today, seriously), someone came to bump me off of my truck and it turned out I got an Early release from my extend. Right, exactly, in perfect timing.
Such a great day. My life is so totally awesome.
Not that I don't love Deployment. Cuz I totally do. But I love Safaris as well. I am so ridiculously lucky it drives me crazy.
It all started when I picked up the shift from EHH. Because seriously, I love safaris so much just the fact that I was working there for the first time in a month had me excited. When I got to work, bright and early at 7am, I was notified that it was Cast Appreciation Day! Score!!! Free food!
So then I went to work. Opened a truck, went through a few rounds, asked for an extend on my shift (I wanted more hours cuz it was so fun) and they approved it!
I got another truck and when I drove up to the departure dock, for the first time ever, I got red flashing lights. Red flashing lights is bad. I've never gotten it before, but I've heard about it. I wasn't really sure what to do, but I called it in. Despite the fact that my truck appeared safe to load, the red flashing lights meant something was wrong so I'd have to try again. Under normal circumstances, I'd just take the truck off the nearest exit, quickly drive it back on, and try again. But, the nearest exit was actually closed for some freak reason, so I got to do an entire empty round! So awesome! And no worries, the next time I docked it worked out fine... but I'm still not sure how I managed to get red flashing lights... someone told me that particular truck does that sometimes lately though.
So I did another round with guests and drove up to the exit dock. And there, waiting for me, was a backstage safari. This means I hand the mic over to someone else and all I have to do is drive around and listen to her spiel. Love it!
After that I got my 45 minute break meaning I had time to go to the cast appreciation event. I walked over there and grabbed some food and sat down at a table of my fellow safari-ers. Shortly after, the prizes lady started walking around looking for people to hand out random prizes to. This one girl got a DVD of Finding Nemo! Someone else got a digital camera. Then she walked around looking for the third person. My friends were going nuts this whole time, standing up, screaming, yelling, shouting, the works. I was laughing at them, and smiling and trying to yell. Honestly, I was torn between trying to be invisible and wanting to fit in. I find myself in that situation a lot. So funny.
Anyway, the lady finally walked over to our table. I knew that it would be one of the screamers. I looked down at my baked beans and started eating, trying to be invisible. Then I heard the lady say, as she walked around the table, "Hmmm, I think I'll pick... the quietest person at the loudest table!"
I looked up. Yep. Every eye on me. She made me turn beet red in front of everyone and then gave me an Ipod shuffle.
I received an Ipod shuffle because I have loud, crazy, obnoxious friends.
I freakin' LOVE my job!!! I felt bad for a bit and tried to offer the Ipod to one of them. But it was really one of the funniest things ever, and my safari friends just laughed.
So then, after getting my giant chocolate cupcake and a magical cup that's green but turns blue when you put cold stuff in it, I went back to
Such a great day. My life is so totally awesome.
Not that I don't love Deployment. Cuz I totally do. But I love Safaris as well. I am so ridiculously lucky it drives me crazy.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Systems Day
It's getting harder and harder to blog regularly because of all the awesome stuff I want to write about, but either can't or don't want to. Laaaame.
Anyway, a lot has been going on these past few weeks too with my brother getting married and then friends visiting. Now, life is finally back to normal and I have not one, but TWO Safari shifts this week! The awesome thing about working at Safaris on my day off is that it doesn't even feel like work anymore it's so much fun! Doing it every day, day after day, for weeks and months at a time got a little old. But now, it's so much fun to do every once in a while. To go see my friends, remembering my facts about animals, meeting the guests again, oh my gosh I LOVE it!
This past Friday we had a switch out of the norm as well. Instead of a normal schedule, I had an eight hour "systems day" on my schedule, as well as a six hour shift after that. Loooooong day. At Systems Day, they brought in people from around the Company who created a lot of the computer systems we use, or at least were incredibly knowledgeable about them. And they taught us more about them and answered questions and such.
I'll be honest, before the CDS people came in, I had a bad attitude about CDS. It's a great program, and certainly does a LOT of different incredible things. In fact, it already amazes me at what it can do. But in February, just after I came out of training, they "updated" it. And this "update" ruined a lot of random stuff and it's been incredible annoying. So, when the CDS lady came in, she may have even expected to be bombarded with the two hundred questions about "why won't this work, and when are you going to fix it!?"
She was extremely nice, though. And then started to explain the details of what happens with CDS. With computer programs, especially that detailed, you can't "just fix" something. Biggest thing I learned at systems day. It took about eight seconds of her beginning to explain how CDS worked and the tests they have to do to add a simple checkbox on a screen and I completely didn't feel bad anymore. It's so ridiculously detailed!
And the good news is that they coming out with another update here in just a week or two. Hopefully that will fix all the things that broke in the last update. And they're undoing some of the things from the last update that slowed down CDS, because honestly, we would much prefer speed over just about anything.
Anyway, Systems Day was fun, and it made me efel smart and special to be in a conference room watching a powerpoint. :)
I love my job!
Anyway, a lot has been going on these past few weeks too with my brother getting married and then friends visiting. Now, life is finally back to normal and I have not one, but TWO Safari shifts this week! The awesome thing about working at Safaris on my day off is that it doesn't even feel like work anymore it's so much fun! Doing it every day, day after day, for weeks and months at a time got a little old. But now, it's so much fun to do every once in a while. To go see my friends, remembering my facts about animals, meeting the guests again, oh my gosh I LOVE it!
This past Friday we had a switch out of the norm as well. Instead of a normal schedule, I had an eight hour "systems day" on my schedule, as well as a six hour shift after that. Loooooong day. At Systems Day, they brought in people from around the Company who created a lot of the computer systems we use, or at least were incredibly knowledgeable about them. And they taught us more about them and answered questions and such.
I'll be honest, before the CDS people came in, I had a bad attitude about CDS. It's a great program, and certainly does a LOT of different incredible things. In fact, it already amazes me at what it can do. But in February, just after I came out of training, they "updated" it. And this "update" ruined a lot of random stuff and it's been incredible annoying. So, when the CDS lady came in, she may have even expected to be bombarded with the two hundred questions about "why won't this work, and when are you going to fix it!?"
She was extremely nice, though. And then started to explain the details of what happens with CDS. With computer programs, especially that detailed, you can't "just fix" something. Biggest thing I learned at systems day. It took about eight seconds of her beginning to explain how CDS worked and the tests they have to do to add a simple checkbox on a screen and I completely didn't feel bad anymore. It's so ridiculously detailed!
And the good news is that they coming out with another update here in just a week or two. Hopefully that will fix all the things that broke in the last update. And they're undoing some of the things from the last update that slowed down CDS, because honestly, we would much prefer speed over just about anything.
Anyway, Systems Day was fun, and it made me efel smart and special to be in a conference room watching a powerpoint. :)
I love my job!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Tornado At Work
CDS died today. Only for a total of about five minutes. But it was probably the craziest five minutes ever. CDS is the computer system that basically runs Disney, so when it dies, things go crazy. Of course, Disney has back up plans and can still run without it... I've actually been in that situation before as a CM and am always impressed at our management's ability to suddenly cope without technology. Of course, it's much, much more difficult that way. Literally as soon as it died the noise level in our department tripled and phones started ringing off the hook (we're apparently the CDS help line and everyone thinks if they call us we'll magically make it work... except that we're not IT)
My computer was also going unbelievably slow. I mean, to extend a cast member, which normally takes me about a minute, too me almost ten minutes, and that's only because I finally just had the girl beside me do it on her computer because mine wasn't working. Stupid computers. Stupid computer systems. So annoying. The worst part is that they just put in this "upgraded" version of CDS. But it's only been worse. But I think it was just that computer I was on that was slow because when I switched computers the new one was much quicker.
The good part is that there are actually like five different computer systems we use and the others worked fine. And then CDS was working again. So all was good. But it seriously felt like a tornado blew through temporarily. Everything was just crazy.
In other news a new song played on the radio today. I never know whether or not I should be excited when I hear a new song on the radio. On the one hand, I'm glad to hear something new. On the other, I know that that new song will now be overplayed a million and a half times and I'll get sick of it and no longer enjoy it.
I'm eating chocolate again. That's something else that's noteworthy. My roommate and I went to IHOP today in celebration and I got chocolate chip pancakes. Then I got chocolate ice cream at work and then Kim made the best homemade chocolate chip cookies EVER when I came home from work. I consider it okay that I get to spend one day of my life eating all the chocolate I want after going more than 40 days without. I'm glad I did it. But I'm also glad it's over!
Anyway, it's going to be a fun week! I can't wait for my brother's wedding! And then some friends are going to be in town next week. We made reservations at the Garden Grill at one point as well. I'm definitely excited! I love that restaurant.
My computer was also going unbelievably slow. I mean, to extend a cast member, which normally takes me about a minute, too me almost ten minutes, and that's only because I finally just had the girl beside me do it on her computer because mine wasn't working. Stupid computers. Stupid computer systems. So annoying. The worst part is that they just put in this "upgraded" version of CDS. But it's only been worse. But I think it was just that computer I was on that was slow because when I switched computers the new one was much quicker.
The good part is that there are actually like five different computer systems we use and the others worked fine. And then CDS was working again. So all was good. But it seriously felt like a tornado blew through temporarily. Everything was just crazy.
In other news a new song played on the radio today. I never know whether or not I should be excited when I hear a new song on the radio. On the one hand, I'm glad to hear something new. On the other, I know that that new song will now be overplayed a million and a half times and I'll get sick of it and no longer enjoy it.
I'm eating chocolate again. That's something else that's noteworthy. My roommate and I went to IHOP today in celebration and I got chocolate chip pancakes. Then I got chocolate ice cream at work and then Kim made the best homemade chocolate chip cookies EVER when I came home from work. I consider it okay that I get to spend one day of my life eating all the chocolate I want after going more than 40 days without. I'm glad I did it. But I'm also glad it's over!
Anyway, it's going to be a fun week! I can't wait for my brother's wedding! And then some friends are going to be in town next week. We made reservations at the Garden Grill at one point as well. I'm definitely excited! I love that restaurant.
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