ReminiscinG On mY DayS At GlatfelteR!!

Since Jenni has started her first week at P. H. Glatfelter for the second summer in a row, I thought it might be fun for me to recall some memories I formed while working there in the summer of '09. Boy, was that a fun summer!

Here are some of the things I remember from my awesome job:

1.) The first week of my job when I locked the recovery building's door. Boy oh boy! I kept that little secret to myself and was not surprised when Dave told me in a surprised manner, that the building had not been locked in 15+ years prior to when I did so. Just my luck or curse! Curse is a better term for it. I'm such a stooge. Dave never knew that I was the one who locked it...
2.) The day that Dave asked me to stop saying, "sorry" all the time. When he said this to me (in a very kind manner), it took EVERYTHING in me to not say "sorry" right then and there. I had a habit of saying the "s" word, what can I say?!
3.) The day I was riding in the truck with Dave and I dropped his screws in the area in front of my seat. I found all but one of them and seriously said a prayer to find one, which I was having a really hard time spotting. My prayer was answered thankfully. It is so humorous to me the things that I pray for at times.
4.) During shutdown week, I had to work fire watch and my hours were different that week than in the remaining summer months. I worked from 3:00 p.m. to 11 p.m. or something like that during that time. Anyway, the FIRST night I was there, the Merris curse struck again when a small, but scary-as-heck explosion took place. I remember running for my life to follow the men I was with, who, I might add, were not running with me, but instead, were just doing their best jobs to escape from the danger. I ended up following Eli, an African American man, whom I became great friends with after the incident. That was one of the scariest experiences of my life, yet Eli, Jeff Wagaman (who was also there when it happened), and I all managed to laugh a lot at how crazy it was. I can laugh now, but did not think of doing anything of the sort when I was in that situation.
5.) The day that I drove in the truck with Dave on two separate occasions when the songs, "Let's Get It On" and "Sexual Healing" played each time. I was trying SO hard not to laugh and I felt slight embarrassment as they played! I kept looking out the window and avoiding Dave's face because I feared that if I looked at him, I would lose it! Dave was doing his own thing and was not paying any attention to the radio, at least, I think he wasn't. For all I know, he may have heard what was playing and tried to ignore it! Haha!
6.) The day that my glorious pants ripped. Just thinking about that time makes me want to cringe, hide under a rock, and laugh hysterically ALL AT THE SAME TIME! The pants I wore to work on the day that this blessed incident took place were older and they must have worked their last little bit of magic in the days prior because on this particular day, they tore and continued to tear every single time I got into/out of the truck that Dave was driving. Of all the days to have to keep getting into and out of the truck, this day just HAD to be the one! I could literally hear/feel the hole ripping and getting bigger and bigger every single time my pretty little feet touched the ground! I count my lucky stars that I wore a really long shirt that day because if I had not, I think I would have been showcasing some of my derriere to the whole workplace! Not a pretty picture to say the least! FYI: the hole became as big as a basketball by the time I got home that day!
7.) The day Dave, my boss, had the brilliant idea to put acorns on Kevin's (my other boss') motorcycle. I followed his suggestion and he totally made me take the wrap for it, which resulted in Kevin covering my desk and all of the area surrounding it with pine cones. He even put them into my gloves, which were sitting on the desk.
8.) The day that Dave and I had to walk up the ramp of the coal machine while holding old/new fire extinguishers at various points of our time spent in there. That was so strenuous and I had to be very careful not to trip going down the ramp while carrying the old fire extinguishers so as to not pull a "This Old Man" and roll down it! Haha!
9.) Dad and I getting to work late when the Explorer got a flat tire. Fun times.
10.) Dad wrecking into an Explorer in front of us after we had a small argument on the way home. I had to pull out all of the stops to ensure that I didn't BURST OUT laughing at Dad when he breathed in and out in the weirdest way! I can't describe what his breathing sounded like or what his face looked like while doing it. I just can't do it justice over this blog! You just had to be there to experience the madness!
11.) Rodney, the gatehouse manager, and his stories. He was so nice and kind. I just loved being able to talk to him!
12.) Driving 80 mph to get to work when I woke up at 6:00 a.m. I was supposed to be on the road by 5:50 a.m. or 6:00 at the latest. I was panicked that morning!
13.) Falling asleep in Dad's office... often.
14.) Dave and Kevin joking about blue collar TV
15.) Dave telling me how I would be able to put the skills I acquired while working with tools to use when I got married. I appreciated him saying that to me. "...When I got married..."- it had a nice ring to it. :-)
16.) Spiders- ahhh!
17.) Painting aka "thinking time." I had a lot of time to think/reflect on anything/everything I wanted to while I painted so many things around the mill.
18.) Going to the lake with Dave. I remember one day when he told me about the many awesome summers he spent at a small summer resort, which was located near Glatfelter. It had a pool and beautiful landscape around it. I loved hearing about the simplicity and enjoyable nature of life, which Dave had the pleasure to experience in his childhood/youth years ago.

I have graduated from college since working at Glatfelter during that one joyous summer and thus, will never be working there again since they only take summer students each year. I am very grateful for the experiences and insights I gained while working there. I became stronger physically and mentally and I feel blessed to have been able to show myself that I had strength I never knew I possessed prior to working there that summer. I hope Jenni will have an enjoyable time working there again this summer. Knowing Dave and Kevin, I am sure she will come away from it having plenty of stories similar to mine, if not funnier.