Ruthi Gets a Job – Santee, CA

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve has Camphosts that complete various activities: provide information, clean restrooms, maintain individual camp sites, collect trash, clean up day use areas, collect fees, coordinate activities at Club House, prepare/serve BBQ foods, etc. Ruthi has often wondered exactly what it paid and how hard would it be. Most of the RV parks we have been to require a fairly long term commitment (4 to 6 months).

Well, Santee Lakes Recreational Park had a short-term (6-8 weeks) need here for the Laundry and Clubhouse Camphost position for 5 days a week (20 hours). Ruthi decided to try it. Well, it is very physical and tiring! The set-ups for events in the Clubhouse are interesting. She finally learned how to make coffee, a skill she had successfully avoided for a lifetime.
The reward for camphosting is that we got our rent free and didn’t have to move to a “labeled” site – so no one would be knocking on our door (and setting Karma to protection mode) in the middle of our sleep. Boots did not think it was a good idea and is now pointing that out on a regular basis.

Ruthi did the cleaning at night for the 1st week and then moved to mornings the second week. A routine settled in with Laundry cleaning at night (with a little help from Boots). Then opening the Laundry in the morning worked well with Karma’s usual morning walk to get the paper. The Clubhouse required hosting a evening potluck and a mid-morning coffee for the campers. Cleaning the Clubhouse was a chore involving the restrooms and hot mopping the floors (once a week). For private parties renting the Clubhouse, Ruthi needed to open, review the cleanliness requirements. Then at the end of the event inspect cleanliness, clean restrooms, dry mop the floor and lock up the facility.

The physical effort mellowed out and the pain in the lower back and fingers seemed to abate some by the end of week 3. But it was tiring and upsetting to our “retired” routine. That is, we had none and now Ruthi needed to be places at a certain time day after day, week after week. Working is really for the YOUNG!

The cleanup was dust/wipe, sweep, mop – again and again! Reminded Ruthi of her childhood on her knees cleaning stuff for her working mother. There are only 2 toilets in the women’s room and 1 toilet/1 urinal in the men’s. Anyway, it’s a short stint. Ruthi thinks she’ll look for an office opportunity in the future!

The plus about Camphosting is the free rent and the negative is the requirement of having to be somewhere at some particular time.