A quick look at some coworkers

Although I am still technically "training" to be an interpreter for the Ships, I've finally started to do more than just read, observe, research, and question. The Ships interpreters have been really struggling: they are short staffed, and a certain number of people are required on the pier for just safety purposes (let alone providing historic content and excellent guest service). It has been killing me to be watching my coworkers be overwhelmed by the Spring Break crowds. For those of you who don't know, last year I worked for Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation as a tour leader (working mostly with school groups but also families and the general public) so I do have a bit of background knowledge. There is a tour that goes around to all the outdoor sites, with an interpreter from each site doing a generic tour introducing the public to basic history and advising them on how to spend their time at the specific site. Crusty Old Sailor (and I say that lovingly and honestly; look back at my second post for a description of this fantastic guy) was scheduled to handle the tours for today. Well the tour comes along, looking for their interpreter, and Crusty Old Sailor just waves them in my direction. Soooo I've been giving the generic tour of the Ships from the pier, thus allowing my coworkers to keep doing the real work onboard. And I could not be happier!!

So even though it was pouring all day, I was still having an absolute blast. After giving a really fun tour, it was time for lunch. I spent it getting to know another one of my new coworkers and I really enjoyed it. He has great stories...not only is he a former Navy SEAL, but his family has a lot of history. He is of the Virginia Harrison's and was very quick to note that his family didn't share in the wealth, only the strict social graces. He told me how he learned manners at the dinnertable: his grandmother grabbed his hand as he was reaching across the table, buttered it, took a bite and said, "I'm sorry, but you were over my bread plate!" I need to have more conversations with him in the future. (Oh, and he's also a local celebrity. You can find his image as an absolutely amazing painting titled "The Captain" at the Williamsburg Regional Library).

Annnnnnnd to end this blog on a light note concerning Crusty Old Sailor...I spent an hour this afternoon with the Ships site supervisor doing formalities, going over manuals and forms and such. Crusty Old Sailor was in the next cubicle over, doing his own paperwork. Whenever there was a period of silence (and there were many, since there was a lot of reading and signing), he would let the most inappropriate (and foul-smelling) noises out--followed by chuckles. So this is my new work environment, at least for the next 4 months, and I could not love it more!