Tax Season 2023

With my candle business, I got to send in sales tax I owe to the states where I mailed or sold items. Most states have where package was received gets the sales tax while others have a where package was sent gets sales tax. Had to fill out sales tax forms for 2 states. Plus I had to apply for a Tax ID to send in theses forms. Then I to put my income and taxable expenses on my personal income tax forms. Such as life running a business. At least I got a nice refund.

Mom was moved into an assisted living place from her difficulty walking and decided not to eat and drink to avoid the going to the bathroom. Well, that sent her to the hospital dehydrated and weak, then got physical therapy at a nursing home, and finally been living with my sister for months. Nephew was happy to get his room back. Mom was worried I wouldn't do her taxes anymore since don't work at the tax place anymore. I said I would do her taxes on a different website.

New order

Hooray! Got a candle order, the first since the Christmas season. I also got a new mold for Valentine wax melts and created a new scent, Strawberry Rose for the new melts. I checked it online and someone thought of it before me. Oh well. Got my first candle sale of the year. New Year is looking bright.

Roommate thought he started a temp job today at a graphic design publishing company. It lasted an hour cause the office didn't know he was coming and I had to go back to get him right after I got home from dropping him off. He called the temp recruiter and got a "My bad, I forgot to tell the hiring manager you were coming". What? That was the end of that relationship with temp recruiter.

Disappointed

Well apparently, there is no landscaping job starting today in downtown as my roommate said he was starting today. I asked about onboarding paperwork every job has workers fill out. He said it was done online. Roommate tried to donate plasma for money today, but was rejected because he didn't have his social security card with him. He just has a photo on his phone of it. I swear this kid is going to wear out my patience like my nieces and nephew do. Plus, I am helping move my Mom into assisted living. She decided being so frail that she would stop eating and drinking to avoid walking to the bathroom. This landed her in the hospital from dehydration. She has been living with my sister's family once out of the nursing home for physical therapy. Nephew is glad to have his bed back. He has been sleeping in the basement.

More night audit training

Got to train my manager how to do the night audit. She was on her phone all night, walked around barefoot, and so passive when having a problem. One issue we had was the security guard calling the city to tow away a car parked in our loading zone at the entrance. I explained the general manager forbids us from calling tow trucks after an incident where one coworker told a guest they could park there for an event and the next coworker came in to have it towed. I asked the front desk manager if she approved the security guard calling for a tow truck that the hotel has to pay for cause the city won't pick it up and have angry guest at the front desk in the morning when they find their car is gone. Manager explained she was informed of the security guard's intentions, but neglected to disapprove of her intended action so the security guard believed she had permission. The front desk doesn't have a number for a tow truck we have a direct bill account with because we are not allowed to call tow trucks. I told my manager she better set the security guard straight and call off the tow truck cause the guard said it was on its way here. Well, manager decided a note on the windshield was a good warning and had guard call off the tow truck. Security guard was furious we were violating our own policies cause there is a sign outside that states TOW ZONE. There is also a thing called customer service that suggests sometimes it is best not to upset the customers paying to be here. Sent an email to front desk workers stating the license plate and the warning given with instructions to tow car away if they repeatedly park out front.

Also got to teach the manager how to sew. Don't they have home ecoonomics classes anymore or at least life skills classes? Gave a brief lesson in sewing a tear in my jacket I haven't had time to fix. Not that hard. Discovered our sewing kit needles are already threaded so skipped the threading a needle lesson.

My manager also took to giving away water bottles to anyone who asked for one. Supervisors were upset nobody is going to purchase of water in the gift shop if she is giving them away for free. General Manager obsessed with raising customer service scores okayed the giveaway. Even better, some people she was giving away bottles to were clearly not guests but homeless people. The backpack and asking to use the restroom then asking about room rates to walk out the door is a dead giveway they are homeless.

Next manager asked me if she moved to another hotel would I follow her. Hell to the no, I would not follow her. She left me weeks ago sitting at the front desk for 5 hours while human resources tried to get ahold of her. I am certainly not working for her at another hotel. I gave her a wimpy "Maybe" in reply.

Roommate requests

Well, I got asked to take in roommate's girlfriend's 2 cats. They currently live with her brother who is a jerk and 1 was let outside by itself. Luckily it was found nearby. In fact, she lived with her brother until he kicked her out to move in his new girlfirend.

I said no. I have an aggressive male cat and male ferret who will attack them. Bad idea.

Then the next day I drove him to a cheap motel to spend the evening with his friends who live there for now. His friends drove him back to my place and when I saw him when I returned from work in the morning, his eyes were bloodshot and he slept for two days so I know he took some drug. I don't know which one, but he was on something. He said he visited a former girlfriend/roommate who is a drug addict, but doesn't want to be an addict. He says she once traded sex for drugs. I replied, Thank you for sharing that with me.

Apparently, he has not applied for a job at my hotel. He is afraid to cause of what happened that caused him to get fired. He fears rejection. Plus my supervisors complained about him sleeping on the job and had a friend in one of the conference rooms while working. I never did complain. The restaurant staff adored him and ask about how he is doing.

Roommate has sensed my ghosts, especially at night. He says my demon keeps talking to him and once said "These are my children", then giving him night terrors. One ghost said "It's not your time".

Niece visit

My niece teaching children in South Korea how to speak English came home for a visit. She brought candy with Korean writing on the wrappers. We don't get these sweets in the states. Bummer. Had a good visit and gave her a candle for her future birthday (in 5 months). Got my first Valentine gnome finished. I hope people like it and sell at least one. Helped a coworker figure out why the printer didn't work. It was unplugged.

Roommate didn't get an apartment today so will be with me for a while. I told him Banquets and the Restaurant were always hiring. He has a girlfriend he has been with since last September. She bounces around friend's apartment to friend's apartment. I gather she is homeless. He said he met her while living in the hotel with with his coworker.

New roommate

Got a call from a former coworker while I was doing the laundry begging to stay with me for a while. After they were fired from my job site, they stayed with friends to eventually be kicked out. He asked a coworker of mine for a place to stay and they suggested a shelter. He slept at his apartment once. I once offered my place to crash if he needed it when I found out he was living in a hotel with a coworker (before then he was living in a tent under a bridge). I picked him up from my work and offered my guest room. Hopefully he will get a new job soon, save for an apartment, and be out of my house back on his feet again. He is a sweet kid with a good heart. I wouldn't trust just anybody around my cats and ferrets.

He said it is just until Monday when he gets an apartment. He has a job application in progress. Even better the Banquets Manager offered him a job. When he worked at my job he was a security guard and a good one too until he took liberties hanging out in the Presidential Suite and was caught by the guests still in their wedding clothes complaining someone was having a party in their room. I had to downgrade them to a Governor Suite with humblest aologies. Hence, he ceased to work at my hotel and fired from the security company.

It snowed

It snowed last night so let the ferrets out to play. Saw neighbor with their snow blower doing our street, which is nice since I have to work. City snow plows usually arrive 24 hours after the snow stops. Getting advertisement photos ready to post on social media to show off my products for Valentine's Day. Working on a ribbon wreath. I hope people like it, it is taking a lot of time to tie all these ribbons. Then made the ribbon strands too long so had to cut them in half to make it look better. Got heart wreath frames online and hope a sell at least one.

Training new coworker

Oh boy, got to train someone on the night audit. I am officially an expert. Don't know how to do a lot of things, but who cares. Even better they were on their phone all night, but at least paid attention when doing the night audit. Better than last summer's night auditor who kept falling asleep and never paid attention to anything I said.

Love late coworkers

Waiting for late coworkers is always fun. This time it was my manager who was late, 5 hours late. I was ready to collapse on the floor from exhaustion and back office people refused to take over the front desk so I could go home. Apparently their kid is sick and they were up half the night them so when they fell asleep, they stayed asleep until rested, then received all the messages asking if they were coming to work today. Crashed when I got home.

Happy New Year 2023

Our new manager said she has puppies to give away. I can't afford a new puppy plus I have a blind ferret so have to consider her safety with a new pet. Looked up on internet about mixing scented oils to make Ocean Breeze and Sugar Plum scents. Next time I go to an event I will make scent jars for them. They smell real nice. Getting ready for Valentine's Day at my candle shop inside my head. I want to make some wreaths and gnomes to sell too.

Spent my New Year's Eve with family having our holiday get together after waking up from working the overnight shift. Watched great-nieces open gifts and chatted with the out of state family members. Then went to work and knew it was midnight when people in the lobby started screaming. I was busy with paperowrk for the night audit. I told the security guard they can relax cause I won't try to kiss them (they're gay and wouldn't appreciated anyway). Security guards had to deal with a lot of drunk people who vomited, peed, and bled on the restroom floor. They refused to clean up broken glass, vomit, or urine, but did clean up the blood. They have their limits. Housekeeping can clean up the other mess in the morning. Returned home to nap before returning to work. Don't get holiday pay but do get a floating holiday, better than nothing at all. Finally caught a cat in the cat tent I got for Christmas. Both cats are too big for it. But perfect for ferrets.

Looking forward for more business from my candle shop without all the start up costs weighing me down this year. Hope for more sales. Maybe make enough profit to pay off these credit cards I used like crazy when I lost a job in 2019. Been looking for a new job since last summer, but nobody will hire me. My family is getting tired of me working the overnight shift cause they never see me when I sleep most of the day. I need to make more money to pay my living expenses and all this debt off. Happy New Year to Me.