The YHA Borrowdale Carpet Appreciation Society

I received an email from Mick the other day. "Strangely not quite as mad as normal over here! Has any of it followed you to Borrowdale? Just wondering." 

I've been in Borrowdale for a week now, & two weeks left to go seems far too short a time to spend with such lovely, slightly mad people (who have all made me feel so welcome). It took me a couple of days to get my bearings, but since then I've found a pair of Darth Vader socks under a bed, and made, what Rhys described as, radioactive custard. I've been doing a mix of shifts, early, late, bar, & splits in the kitchen. Bianca spent an evening going through the role of the 2nd chef, as well as treating us to a rather marvellous musical medley. I think my favourite moment was when she went seamlessly from a heartfelt rendition of 'Jerusalem', into 'Popeye the Sailor Man'. I didn't think Honey G could possibly improve, but I'd really like to hear her take on that. Everything went ok with the cooking, apart from when Hanna suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! Look at Dave's tiny sausage!" 

I think perhaps my most exciting discovery so far is just how much of a delight it is to vacuum the carpets here. All but the most stubborn of sock fluff vanishes like a charm. I am not alone in my appreciation of this - Glen for one shared in my enthusiasm. Although, at times, he does seem a little bit perplexed about my general enthusiasm for just about everything. Walking into the staff house one day he asked how my day had been, to which I replied it had been really fun. 

"What did you do?" 

"Well, I spilt half a bucket of water over the dining room floor, and later on I found a really cool pen behind reception." 

Much of the talk in the staff house this week has been about the super moon (which Glen was very disappointed about the size of), and the upcoming staff pitch and putt golf competition on Thursday. There was also a fair amount of piss taking (out of me) by Dave & Bianca when I was trying to explain that the secret to making a better Cappuccino than Chris was all down to how it feels - like when you're playing sport. (Dave: "oh the froth, the froth!"). I can accept that I was fairly deserving of it on this particular occasion. But it was nothing really in comparison to some of the things that Chris says & does. I should perhaps say at this point (being utterly serious for a moment) that Chris is a fantastic manager to work for, but really....having to line up all the coat hangers in the drying room in a most particular way??!! & that's him saying he's not as bad as he used to be. I think perhaps as a form of retribution, I might have been landed with the job of writing 100 plus hostel Christmas cards! 

More news from Eskdale meanwhile: Rachel excitedly informed me that she has bought me a sledge (which looks like a giant squashed spoon - what could possibly go wrong?!). I think (if snow conditions allow), we'll be having a bum slide race down Hardknott Pass (next of kin on speed dial). I also had a slightly strange Facebook message from Fiona - something about her dislike of cooked blueberries and big letters. I'm sure it made absolute sense to her.