My vacation went by way too fast. It seemed like we just had a weekend from school and then it started up again. After school got out I was pretty happy and ready for my three month vacation. But nothing really exciting really happened to me this summer. I ended up working and doing a few other little things during the break.

I had a lot planned for my summer but never got around to doing anything because I started working in the MFP. I was doing things like cleaning and getting ready for the first opening. I thought I was going to have a blast working there but after the first opening I decided that the work was too temporary and there wasn't much to do. So I went back to working in the Fortuna Ledge Co-op Store. I was a weekday worker because the regular workers were taking their summer vacation. I worked with Tanya Andrew the whole time I worked at Co-op. Everyday Tanya and I would sweep, mop, and serve the customers with a smile. Some days lots of groceries would come in and the days would zoom by because we were so busy stocking or putting the frozen items in the freezers.

The most fun I had while working in the store was when customers came in and asked for something and I didn't hear them clearly or I couldn't understand what they were saying. One day a man walked in the store and asked me if the store had any cotton balls. He either talked very softly or the sound waves got messed up while they were traveling to my ears because I gave him a really weird look and a few seconds later I replied, "No, I don't think we have any talking balls."

He asked again, "No, do you have any cotton balls?" This time he talked louder and slower so I heard exactly what he was asking for. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to hide behind the counter and never come out. But it's little incidents like this that make life more enjoyable.

On July 21st I started working for the Summer Youth Employment Training Program (S.Y.E.T.P.). It was funded by the City of Marshall and there were three other teenagers working, plus a supervisor. For the first two weeks I worked at the store. Then the supervisor asked me if I wanted to cut down trees and I said I would. We had to use hand saws because chain saws and axes were against the S.Y.E.T.P. policy and the City didn't have insurance if any of the workers got hurt. The first day of cutting trees was okay, but on the fourth day I had a little accident. I was getting a little careless and a tad bit lazy when I was sawing a tree down and the saw slipped out of my hand. I felt the blade hit my finger and it hurt but I didn't think anything of it until I looked at it and it wasn't like looking at a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.

After that happened I couldn't cut trees anymore, so I went back to working in the trusty old store where the closest I ever came to getting seriously injured was walking right into a wall. But it was okay. We quit working for S.Y.E.T.P. on August 15.

Other little things I did this summer were go on boat rides to Kuik, Willow, Wilson and Owl Slough. And I also traveled to St. Mary's, Pilot Station and Bethel. I had fun meeting a lot of different people in the other towns, seeing old friends, and taking a break from home.

Even though I never got around to doing anything on my.summer list, like take a vacation, I had a good time. And I guess there will be other summers to find my prince charming. Ha ha!