Well it's all over. I'd managed to get out of doing the tours since I got back. I have horrible memories from last time of hot, irritated people not being interested in my fabulous revelations about salt production and boating in the 1500's. We didn't have air conditioning then. Even though that's all been fixed, I'm still not keen on being judged by people who might possibly know more than I do about maritime history. There's always at least one expert in the crowd: either a New England fisherman or navy enthusiast. I can't decide what I like better: struggling to come up with slightly logical excuses for the questions from the experts, or struggling to wipe the blank look off the faces of the people who couldn't care less that the indigenous population was wiped out in 50 years. That is an interesting fact! Why wouldn't you care!?
Since I've been away for a while, I thought it logical to use the "but I need to remember everything" excuse for not doing the tours. This didn't last long, because I gave a small introduction to a wandering group and *voila* all the facts were still there. I'm not a good lier, so that's out.
Then I went the opposite tactic: I'm going to be here for a while: "I have to do them when you leave, Rory, you take this one for me".
But today was the end of the line. We have no staff in the office, the labs need to be cleaned as mentioned yesterday (Rory's job), and Neal is busy with annual report stuff. So here I am, writing articles and award and presentation proposals and covering the shop. I know I seem to be invincible in managing an office, but I can't be everywhere at once and the universe proved it today: Our maintenance guy came looking for me frantically - a tour had showed up and needed a guide! But alas, I was in the middle of a tour already. So he ran for Rory, who broke his flip flop again running down the stairs. This is a problem since he didn't bring another pair and there is nowhere on the island to a good replacement. We'll have to raid the cruise center one day so he can get a cheap over priced pair. Till then - keep stapling.
I thought I was pointing out all the interesting things in the collection (that I know about), but I still feel that half weren't interested. Not angry though. That's an improvement. I need to popularize my schpeel a bit and liven things up. There is a great history here! I need to work on my flair for drama and get people interested. A work in progress...
which can continue in about 2 hours!
That those groups before were only the first round. There is another group of tours coming in about 2 hours. Just enough time to re-group and eat lunch. And read an article on the creation of the language for the Nav'i. Last night I read a sarcastic article on how Avatar is *not* Dances with Wolves. Oh yea? Well, I loved that movie too.
PS Second round of people: 24 on my tour. In the last room I was talking to 7 people. Where does everybody go?
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