Here's to Summers Off! Or Not-

Last week I read a great blog on  Painting With Brains. She wrote a great piece about how someone was jealous about her having summers "off". Ha. We all know the truth.

This brought up so many thoughts in my head. But I won't go into that- lucky you. :) But the post was reflective of her past summer jobs. And that is something fun to hear. So I want to hear your best or worst summer jobs. Yep any summer job you had since  you started working. Was it the best ever you'd do it again? Or was there a worst ever job, couldn't pay me enough to do it.

Here is mine-
I'll start with the best summer job ever.When I was in college at Drury University in Springfield Mo.-- --

Working at Fantastic Caverns. Yes, "the only cave large enough, and level enough to ride through"! You must hear me sing it! It was the jingle for several years, and my kids just love when I sing it every time I see a billboard. Or not. :) I love torturing my kids with my singing. Ha, ha.

When I was there I was the photographer that took the picture of the tour jeep/trailer in the first room of the cave. Then I would climb over the formations to the back entrance and develop 5x7 black and white prints put them in folder, and have them ready to sell by the time the tour came out of the cave. 
It was a very pleasant 60 degrees in the cave no matter what the weather outside. That was cool. (sorry)

Then a quick run up the hill to ride down with the tour or climb back over the inside to take the next tour.
I even had a schtick. We were suppose to say--
       "Hi, I'm Kathy. When we take pictures down here in the Ozarks, we don't say 'cheese' we say 'moonshine'. So on the count of three everyone smile and say 'MOONSHINE'. One, two, three . . ."

We said moonshine because supposedly there was a jeep that ran on "moonshine" made at Shepard of the Hills, in near by Branson. And boy did I ham it up. I poured on the Ozark twang, and even embellished a bit when I was in the mood. (they never knew what I would say some days) lol.

Actually Renee and I went again this summer to see the cave. And things have changed. They don't say the thing about moonshine anymore. But the tour is longer and has more in it than the old one.

My favorite part is still the story about how it was found around the time of the civil war. By a farmer and his dog.  Then a couple years after the war was over the cave was explored for the first time by 12 women.

 Yes and there are their names on one of the pillars in this picture.
There is so much more history to the cave and I love that it was used as a stage for "Der Fledermaus" (the bat) when i worked there. There is a huge room where it is level and they built a stage years ago. Ah memories . . . .
Enough on to the worst.


My worst job, now that is a little harder. It was either the summer I, an acne faced kid of 16, sold Avon door to door. In the high income part of town. Where ladies probably bought their make up at the department store anyway. Hauling a bag of supplies and sample that cost me $$ to even start selling. But I tried. For 2 months.
Or the the job I worked at an 18 hole public golf course. I used a push mower to mow around every tree, bush, fence post, anywhere the big mower couldn't reach for a week. Then I started back at the beginning on Monday to do it all again. And that is how long I lasted, a week. On the plus side I had a great tan after a week, but 5:30am-3:30pm in the hot SW Missouri heat and humidity nope I pooped out. Mush to my Dad's disappointment. Sorry Dad.

Now tell me your best and/or worst summer jobs.
Here again is Painting With Brains and her great post about her summer jobs.

Happy 19th Anniversary Honey, Love you!

Peace-