Another Season Gone

 Another summer is gone as is another year of working for the Augusta Greenjackets.
 Much like 2010, it was a hot summer, but unlike the previous year spent at Lake Olmstead Stadium, I was not Auggie Greenjackets.
 When the Greenjackets had their hiring day I did not even think twice about strapping on the mascot uniform for a second-consecutive term. Instead, I got to work at a portable grill station. It was still hot, especially when the propane was going full tilt, but nothing like wearing that costume. And that was a mantra I repeated early and often.

 It was an OK job, the only problem with operating the grill is that it was a Thursday-Saturday gig. The rest of the days there wasn't the attendance to warrant it being opened. It's not bad as a second job, but when it's your primary wage earner, a few more hours at $7.50 per would have been nice.
 Thursdays were definitely the best days. Thursday, as in "Thirsty Thursday" at the ballpark where 12-ounce beers were $1, 24-ounce beers were $2 and 32-ounce beers only cost $3. I didn't really care so much about drinking, obviously, but since we got a tap at the grill, it was the night to get tips. Nothing like a little free-flowing alcohol to help loosen up the wallet.
 The best nights were the ones when you were busy, and there were two that stick out. The first was a rare Monday, $1 hot dog night. I worked the front and another guy ran the grill that day. We were busy from start to finish as people would order large multiples at a time. We were keeping our head above water for a while untile one lady ordered 15 followed by the next customer ordering 10. That slowed things down considerably and our boss had to bring in another person for a bit to help stem the tide. Ultimately, though, it helped make our shift go by quickly.
 I understand the appeal of cheap beer night and cheap food night with the cost of things at the park. And believe me, we heard about our prices on a nightly basis. I understand that $3.75 is a bit much for a bottle of soda, but once again, you're at the ballpark. It's like going to the movies, you know you're going to pay high prices at the concession stand.
 The second busy night was Armed Forces Night. The soldiers, and the occasional sailor, kept the line long from start to finish. I guess it must have been a nice switch from dining facility food.
 At this level of the minor leagues, the staff is mostly in their 20s, so I had bosses who were much younger than me. The first concession boss didn't last much past the first two weeks of the season, which was a good thing. He got in my face once, for something that was ultimately his fault, and I lost all respect for him at that point. I knew the guy who replaced him, he turned things around quickly and all the concessions workers were a whole lot happier.
 Hard to tell if I'll be with the Greenjackets next year, but maybe I'll get to work th beer truck if I am. That's where the real money is.