A long long time ago before the InterWebs, when they'd only just invented mountain bikes, but not suspension, I worked a summer in the Canadian Rockies. Johnstone Canyon Resort, 15 miles North of Banff and run by the incomparable Nokes family, was a fantastic place to spend the summer.
I looked the place up on the InterWeb and found that it is now being run by one of the brothers that was there at the time. So I just could not resist dropping by and saying "Hi".
The beginnings of this years summer staff were there opening and cleaning the place up. No sign of anyone I knew but one of the brothers - Geordie, would be on his way back in a short while. So I checked the place out. I had been a burger chef (voted best in the park - even now) and cabin cleaner. The kitchen looked the same. The diner and dining room looked the same, although some of it is now used for a bigger gift shop.
Out the front there was still the Gas pump that worked when I was there, but not any longer.
The pump only went up to $9.99, so you had to count the number of times the counter went fully around the clock. Extra tricky when the customer has a truck with a big tank on the other side too. We were provided a Mickey Mouse calculator to 'help'. Yes it had Mouse pictures all over it, but was the worst one I've ever used. As a Computer Science student I could see it didn't do 'operator precedence' properly, but the customer was never impressed by that excuse for his bill coming out too high!
The swing door into the kitchen looked the same as the day I marched through and got a cream pie in the face.
While I was busy reminiscing Geordie appeared and he remembered me immediately. He even remembered my name. 29 years later!!! With a fresh crew every summer. Either, I did something wrong (we did get into trouble over a chicken), or I did something right, or he just has an amazing memory. I didn't ask and I'm going for the last option.
No comments:
Post a Comment