Barack Obama announces YHA Eskdale visit

Fiona is safely back with us (hooray!), and is now a qualified archer. I'm not really sure what more one could hope to accomplish with their life. I think she must feel the same, because she passed up the opportunity to improve her mopping skills. It was left to me instead to temporarily turn the kitchen into a swimming pool (sorry again, Rachel). I didn't mean to kick the bucket. 

We heard on Radio 4 that Barack Obama is coming to visit (a clatter of pots drowned out the end of the sentence - but we reasonably assumed that he must be planning a stay at YHA Eskdale). We have been preparing for his arrival ever since. I tried to learn the American national anthem on my recorder, but settled for a Beyoncé track instead. Rachel is doing a trial run through of the menu we are going to serve, "Chicken Tikka is always a crowd pleaser." And Fiona was muttering something about Boris Johnson's hair and Herdwick Sheep. 

Fiona is gaining a reputation for being the valley's most eminent sugar free polo dealer. She kept offering me 'the first one free' while we were having an after work game of pooh sticks, and assured me that they were even more minty than the regular ones. I asked Rachel about this later, slightly concerned that I might have bad breath. To which she replied, "You can't go making people eat something just cos you don't like the smell of them. They should just stick the sugar free polos up their nose holes and deal with it that way."  I'm lucky to work with such wisdomous people. Even if that isn't a real word (spell check doesn't seem to recognise it). I never did get a straight answer about the state of my breath, though. 

As well as the people I work with (not said under duress), one of my favourite aspects of the job continues to be meeting all the guests that come through the hostel. They all bring something different, their stories, their characters, and their occasional peculiarities (such as leaving a pair of grey y-fronts in the shower). I love chatting to them, and love helping them to to enjoy their stay. And that is not to take care of business, but it does also take care of business. We seem to live in a world where, first and foremost, everything must be quantifiable. I understand that, and it is of course a necsacery requirement for a company to continue and to succeed. But, I think that a motivation based on a much more fundamental level (treat people with warmth and kindness simply because they are first and foremost human) is far more enduring. There is a danger that in becoming hung up about numbers and figures we forget one of the most wonderful thing about our existence - shared experiences. And in doing so pass off the interactions we have with our fellow humans as nothing more than a business transaction.  What better service could we offer someone than making them feel valued, making them feel cared for, and loved. I feel incredibly fortunate to be working in an environment, and working for an organisation, where those things are possible, and even deeply encouraged. A large part of that is down to Mick, Rachel, and Fiona, who are effortlessly kind and good natured. I felt instantly at home here, and many of the guests have also made comments alluding to this. Only this week a gentleman said how obvious it was that we were happy in our work, and worked so well together, and how that created such a wonderful atmosphere around the place. He also kindly offered me his support when Rachel was being a bit mean to me one morning, and later told me he'd had another word with her but that she undoubtedly needed therapy. (Rachel actually agreed, and said that's why she had done a degree in Psychology - she would just go off and talk to herself for a bit).  

On Sunday afternoon, Rachel thought it would be funny to play knock and run on my door. I heard a knock, and a 'coooooeeee', but when I opened the door all I saw was The Hound of Eskdale in front of me, with its monstrous jaws gripping a decomposing rugby ball. (Moss is really just your averaged sized dog, and not at all frightening). Rachel soon reappeared, chuckling, and asked if I wanted to go with them for a walk, & to play pooh-sticks (although, it soon transpired that Moss plays by slightly different rules). Rachel suggested that I put some boots on, and warmer clothes, as the wind had picked up, and it would probably be quite boggy. "Oh no!" I replied. "I don't need pants on today." Judging by the look of shock/amusement on Rachel's face, I should probably stop calling trousers 'pants'. Once that had been cleared up, we started out and up the track that leads right from the back of the hostel, and eventually takes you to Eel Tarn. The views from there were incredible, and even Rachel didn't talk for a few minutes. 

A couple of days before that, I'd had the most wonderful surprise. I came in to start work at 5pm, and there in the dinning room was my good friend Tom Burgess, and his friend Paul. It must have been at least 2-3 years since I'd last seen Tom (we had worked together for 4 years in Surrey). Tom was on his way over to Wasdale for his ML assessment, and knew I was working at Eskdale, so called in for a night. It was so lovely to see him, and to meet Paul - then go to the Woolpack after work, and walk home again under a sky full of the brightest stars.