Try again to sell something

Redecorated my leftover beaded pens and beaded keychain. I got beaded bracelets available too. I got beads with flowers and butterflies on them so less holiday and more summer themed. I wish I had money to buy more supplies but constantly broke. My coworkers are my best customers. Family and friends won't order things on my website. Oh, but they will take anything for free. Screw you, I don't make money giving away things for free. Who do think I am, Bill Gates?

Bought the wrong pancake mix

Made pancakes this morning breakfast. Realized too late it is the Add eggs, milk, oil kind not the Add water kind. Used corn syrup as a binder. Not bad at all.

My goodness. Managers out of town and people are showing their difficulty. Problems with direct deposit, but can't tell us until a day later when bank is processing the debit withdrawal so can't take it back. Unchecked the Direct Deposit so future paychecks will be check written. Another sent me the wrong payroll hours for an employee so have to deduct the extra pay off future paychecks, but by law we have to pay at least minimum wage so can't do $0 paychecks until extra pay is returned. Plus another tells me they rehired a person so give them the wage they had before and then six hours later say that the wage rate was too high so cut the rate $2 lower. Does the employee know they are working for $2 less per hour than they were 2 years ago? Yeah, that would make me get another job.

Went to a farmers market to spend time with family and can't find a parking spot anywhere. Plenty of cars roaming to find a spot too. Gave up and went to the grocery store then gas since I was almost out to go home. Can't arrive sooner cause market opens before I get off work. Well, that was fun.

Internet down. House modem and my car modem. Connected but no internet. Found out fromt he news the phone lines are down, that's why no internet. I didn't even notice had no phone line. Most family text me on my smartphone.

Funny. Roommate asked me if he could have a party. I said no. With all my stuff missing thanks to his homeless junkie friends, my house trashed, and eating my food when I can't buy more groceries until payday, there is no way I am allowing any party.

Managing the office

Well managers are off to daughter's wedding in another state. So I am left alone with the other tax guy and part time receptionist for several days. I get to work the weekend counting the bar cash drawer (manager owns a bar nearby). I get that done in 45 minutes so little extra pay. I can see why I got hired so fast. They needed someone who learns fast and responsible to run the office while they are gone. I fit that description.

On Monday, I met the 2 new front desk people. Task force from other hotels that can choose to stay or quit. These are corporate office people asking everyone what is wrong with this hotel. Coworkers are gladly spilling the beans their frustrations. Some have been here for years. Not everything is management, like taking months to fire a bad worker (you can get written up 100 times and never fired) and some problems stem from corporate like not renovating the building.

Good-bye to Manager

Front Office Manager had his last day today. Said he was coming in tomorrow for his exit interview. Funny I did my exit interview last summer online. Wished him luck in his new job. Won't tell anyone about his new job. Oh well, he will be missed. I think he depended on my senior supervisor too much doing the schedules, the ordering, or making reservations for groups, so when he left, manager got stressed out. With all his responsibilities, he needed a secretary. And here I thought he had staying power.

Well 2 task force people arrived to help out at the front desk. I guess they are the new workers I heard about. They are from corporate and asking everybody about the hotel. Yeah, I will give 2 major problems that are not the fault of management, but the corporate office. First, there are water leaks everywhere, we had a flood in the back hall from a burst pipe last winter and another night had a washer leaking water all over the laundry room. Water means mold and a lot of guests complain about mold in their rooms. We need to close the hotel, gut it out, fix the problems, and then reopen. This hotel is literally falling apart. New carpet the manager has put in is nice, but that won't fix the plumbing issues. And worse, I am older than this building built in 1990's. 35 years is hardly considered an old building but that is what guests call it. We needed a renovation 3 years ago, but corporate kept cancelling them. The other major problem is the overselling by the sales department. The sales people don't have access to the reservation system to know when we are sold out. They are making contracts and sending them to the corporate sales person to make the reservations with no knowledge on how many other reservations have already been made. That's stupid. Then the corporate office refuses to let us shut off the tap when we sell out of rooms. Maybe we can handle a few oversells from people not arriving, but we can't handle 20. When we send guests to other hotels from being sold out, the hotel pays for that rooms so they are losing money overselling us so severely. They worry about guest reviews and custoemr surveys. Well apparently not enough to service the customer from their corporate greed. Trust me, I get paid the same if we sell 100 rooms or 200 rooms. The general manager is not going to suceed when set up for failure.

Heard that the car buddy got a job detailing cars. Good for him, no more food delivery. He wants to get an apartment. Maybe my roommate can move in with him.

Working my 3 days weekend off

Got a 3 days weekend off at the office so volunteered to work at the hotel. They lost 2 people (supervisor and coworker) so they need help. Next week they lose two more people (front office manager and coworker). They hired a new night auditor and couple more poeple are coming who have system experience so not starting from scratch. Found out the task force assistant general manager went back home and another is coming (if they ever come since they were suppose to arrive three days ago). Junior supervisor is the new senior supervisor and with me are the only front desk personnel with experience. I wonder how long supervisor who is now the big bossman will last.

I worked my Friday shift and that hotel has gone downhill since I partially left. I met the management intern who will be there a year. Intern will be from scratch and in college for hotel management. Worked with the General Manager tonight and believe me, we needed the help. Were oversold 11 room types and people didn't like changing from 2 beds plus sofa bed to 1 bed plus sofa bed. I had to call other hotels cause we were going to run out of 1 bed rooms too. Front office manager was going to work a double shift from lack of staff. I said No, I will come in tomorrow. I said I could work Monday too cause I get a 3 day weekend at the office. Sunday is family day at cemetery so can't work that day. He said he would work a middle shift, but no, general manager working that shift. I called 15 hotels for rooms and everyone was sold. We had to clean up the bad rooms with something broken to satisfy all the reservations. We got some relief when someone with 7 reservations said they needed just 1 room. The wife called the reservation line to make changes to her resrvation, but instead of changing the reservation, they made a new one without cancelling the old one. Weirdoes. The supervisor came in early to help out and I was about to fall on the floor. I realized I had not eaten for 7 hours so had food to feel better. Won't be working Ssuday cause I am planning to visit cemeteries wiht the family.

Worked on my required financial course for my bankruptcy. Control your spending. Make a Budget. Have goals. Save for rainy days. Nice, but what if you lose your job and nobody will help you. Can't get public assistance if you don't have kids, or an IRA, or a house, or a car. Unemployment only lasts 2 months and even then they make it harder to get requiring classes that are useless (Excuse me, I know how to write a resume and have a college degree). I can only cut my expenses so much without living in my car.

And guess who is back. Car buddy just pulled in the driveway. Roommate came inside from the car and he plus the teen visitor then took off the car. Car buddy stayed in the car. I hope this meant he is grabbing all his stuff out of my house.

Farewell to guest

Well, pregnant friend is leaving today. Found a friend to pick her up and take her a safe place. Roommate didn't say where so I guess staying with friend or relative. The teenage cousin will be staying until Wednesday roommate has him help him with dishes. I bet he never his Mom with the dishes at home. The mother will be picking him on Wednesday. Kid is mad at friend cause her aunt/his mom contacted the friend and she squealed he was with her.

Roommate had a phone interview today so hoping for the in person interview is offered soon.

Had trauma at the grocery store. Store had a snack sale and left my phone at work so couldn't add the total as I shopped. I ended up being 3 cents short of the cash I had. Cashier gave me the 3 cents and I was gracious thanking her. But it was really embarrassing and cried all the way home. I planned to go to another store and get a few more things but now I can't. Have to wait until bank opens. Since Covid, the bank shortened their hours. I was so happy getting a new job, but it doesn't pay enough to buy groceries. Roommate says he will get a job and help me pay for groceries, we will be ok. I apologized for the food running low waiting for my first paycheck. He said he faced starvation before so he will never complain.

Roommate apologized for wine bottle episode that took place yesterday. I come home from the hospital visiting my Mom and I smell gasoline in my kitchen. He was bored so he took gasoline from my container I have to use in the lawn mower, rubbing alcohol I keep in my car to remove ice in winter, hand santizer I have hanging on my purse, and his own vegetable oil plus friend's tampon to seal the wine bottle wiht a bottle cap. He said I was a bitch about him taking things I need to build something that serves no purpose. Yeah, I am a bitch. I am under a lot of stress declaring bankruptcy, extra steps I have to do for it, and waiting for money to buy groceries. I am having constant panic attacks, like 8 a day. And he is wasting my stuff that I need. Ok, the rubbing alcohol I don't use that often but it's something I eventually will use. But I am doing better today cause I paid. Planning my grocery shopping for tomorrow after work.

Elelctricity out

Oh boy, electricity went out in office. Apparently whole block is out. School let out early before it happened. Receptionist left casue she can't file in the dark. Manager and I filed in the dark using our smartphone lights for an hour before the electricity came back. Then the internet didn't work on manager's compute to finish my training on the latest project. I didn;t have the heart to tell her I could access my email on computer. She let me go early since can't work without internet. I visited my Mom in the hospital. Brother was there. I got hungry so went to the cafeteria. Then a great storm swept through. Tornadoes in 4 cities near us to set off the sirens. Nurses closed the curtains and shut doors as a safety precaution. One town was half destroyed and four people died. After the storm moved east causing more tornadoes, I went home.

Roommate's latest idea is to grow flowers in my yard and sell them. My yard is not that big to do that and make any money from it. You have to buy seeds and/or bulbs which cost $3 packet or $25 for 1 rose bush or $25 for 3 bulbs or get bareroots for $10 for 3 which take 2-3 years to get flowers. Then we have to care for them like watering and fertilizer plus all rabbits, chipmunks, and squirrels have to be stopped from eating them. And how are we going to sell them, on the internet, put up a flower stand on a dead end street, and too late to farmers markets. Even a flower stand in the city requires a mobile shop permit that is over $500. Roommate got upset with my excuses not to do it. I was being practical and can see this won't be successful. I told him my tiger lilies will be coming up, like 2 dozen bushes from prior owner. He can sell those.

New guests

The total dogs the pregnant friend of my rommate is 2. We are running low on food and have to wait for my Wednesday paycheck to go shopping. Roomate thinks hotel is blowing him off cause there was no reply after 1 day, which was Sunday. You got to give a few days to read the application, managers are busy. Hve to keep them downstairs cause my cats will attack them like they attacked the dog we cared for last summer.

Weekend ending

I am noticing several clients of the accountants are people who have trouble figuring out you can't do whatever they want with their business causing issues with the IRS. We can only do so much for them.

I told my manager that the worst managers are people who think they can do whatever they want and not face consequences to their actions. Welcome to adulthood, yes you do receive consequences to your actions.

Woke up early and took the cats outside. They enjoyed the cool fresh air. Walked around to observe my miniature roses and peonies. Need to do some weeding today or my tiger lilies are going to drown.

Well my weekend got more interesting. Roomate asked if his pregnant friend could visit cause she is living in a tent in homeless camp. Fine, she can stay a few days. He is worried about her since is pregnant and not having food cause someone stole her food stamps card. After the OK, I learn dogs and her 16 year old cousin who ran away from home are coming too. Not sure how many dogs, the couple had 4 but 2 were the guy's dogs and one was lost after a car accident. I know I am too nice.

Got my yard weeded and my back is killing me. Roommate started raking up the sticky weed with burs that I was throwing behind me. He is so sweet sometimes.

Checking the want ads

Wow, checking the want ads for my hotel for my roommate and saw they advertised 2 days ago for a Front Desk Manager. And here I thought the new guy had a staying power.

They did have a kitchen steward at the hotel ope so roommate applied for it. He is worried about transportation now that I work somewhere else most of the week. I told him to take the bus but he says it's full of weirdoes and refuses to do that. He wants the schedule as me so I can drop him off. Well, I work 8:30 AM to 5 PM and the kitchen has a differnt shift set up. Since my coworkers who adore roommate still work there maybe they are help him get the job and give him a ride.

He wants to get a driver's license but now I work when appointments to take the written test and driving test occur when I am working. Sure I can take time off but don't have PTO yet so I won't get paid. So many jobs demand a driver's license to get the job. He thought of getting a bike, but need a job first. I don't money to get him a bike.

Roommate is not handling my new job well. He keeps asking if I work at night. No, I work days now. Then he called me at wondering where I was. At work and my manager was sitting next to me when he called. Now he wants me to take him over to take the written driver's license test on Monday. He refuses to ride the bus anymore cause it's full of weirdos. He said he could reschedule. Then he has to do actual driving test which will require my car use. Sure managers will let me leave the office a few hours, but I won't be getting and we need money for groceries. He may have give up getting a license until I acquire PTO in another month.

Mom is back in the hospital again from afib and urine infection. She asks when I am coming to visit. Yeah, sure, let me just drop everything I'm doing and come to service your need to see me. I have weeds to pull, litterbox to clean, laundry to do, and figure out lunches for work which I may have to cook something the night before. I don't have money to get groceries until I get paid on Wednesday. At least I get paid every week so that will help my finaces. Schedueld to work the hotel on Friday. Good cause I need the money.

Learning new tasks

Today's sales tax payments. And since I run a business, I don't need training. Screw you who all said for me to quit my business cause I wasn't making a ton of money. It got me a job.

Wow, had a manager check on how I was doing by myself on their project and informs me they are asking because I seem to be afraid to ask questions. I told them that I am not afraid to ask questions, I just don't have any. Did the restaurant cash drawer tasks all by myself today and ran into the general manager of the restaurant getting things ready.

Had my short day today. Went over to banruptcy attorney office. Signed the papers with bankruptcy attorney. I want to cry.

People say cut expenses: OK. Should I shut off the electricity, phone, or water first. Apartments are more expensive than my house. Food and gas aren't going down. Insurance I need to keep. Sometimes you can't cut expenses anymore if you don't want to live in you car.

People say make more money: OK, buy a candle or beaded bracelet from me or better yet hire me to do something for you. Look over my resume. Search the job ads with me. Banks won't hire me. Nobody will hire me to be a secretary. I finally got a new job and no, it isn't paying as much as I need to pay off this debt with a credit counselor so bankruptcy I must file. 3 months and debt is gone, then I get to pay income taxes on it next year. Oh, boy.

Came home and roommate's cat is dead. He was giving her a bath when she started heaving to puke up her tuna meal. Her nose went in the water and inhaled a bunch water to drown. Roommate is devastated he couldn't save her. She will be buried in the backyard with my pets. Then while he was getting ready for his interview an hour away, he gets a message they hired a new dishwasher, but he can come over to interview for server. He doesn't want to be a server. I offered to get another pet since a local pet shelter was having a special this weekend. He said it was too soon. He hasn't told the 1st ex her cat is dead and afraid she will find out so I can't post it to my social media. Oh well, what can I do? And I was planning to take him out to eat to celebrate my first week at the new job. Cooked a pizza instead. He didn't want any.

OMG, my supervisor is really leaving this time. Old Assistant General Manager was promoted as General Manager to another hotel and apparently hired my supervisor as Assistant General Manager. Talk about a huge promotion from front desk supervisor. I am so happy for him. I will leave a gift for him to say good-bye and congratulations.

Mom getting worse

Well Mom is getting worse. She thinks my sister lives with her and had nurse call sister to explain she will come later. Dinnertime came near and Mom says she already ate, but meal isn't for another hour. Then says she isn't hungry and when sister investigated, she skipped breakfast and lunch so forced her to eat dinner. I swear Mom is going to end up back in hospital from not eating if this keeps up.

Roommate has a interview for dishwasher this week. He is so scared of starting a new job to it end after a few weeks.

He's been here a year and half. He is trying to get his drivers license to open more doors for jobs. He has separated from many of his friends he had a year ago. His high school friend is sending money to buy magic mushroom vapors and cigarettes. He is struggling while figuring out how employers operate. He wants to help and sees me struggling financially. And he feels my financial strain when I have to be stingy on groceries like no meat nor fresh fruit. He works keeping the house clean and this weekend wants to make me a flower bed with bricks I have in the garage. He mowed yesterday. The friend he most recently kicked out now wants to go on vacation with him. I heard him on his phone explaining he contacted him to come get his stuff not to reconnect to be friends again. He is dealing with a lot and he growing up this past year. He's hoping with this dishwasher job, if he gets it, can keep him out of trouble to make him lose it. I said he can say he works for my candle business and use me as a reference.

First day at new job

Worked my first day at new job. Couple who own it have a bar/restaurant and gave a discount card. I am going to love my job. Cash drawer figures from restaurant and then payroll. Just what I went to college for.

Happy Mother's Day

Family took Mom out to dinner for Mother's Day. I gave her a card. Aferwards we took her back her assisted living place.

Last night

I am laughing. It's my last night auditing. Tomorrow night the front office manager is doing the night audit, on a Saturday. It takes 3 months to master the night audit procedure and he did it once with the supervisor. Yeah, he is going to lose his mind on the busiest night of the week. Good luck to him and good luck replacing me. I was told I can go part time and work when needed, which will be in 2 weeks when a coworker has their last day. They are going to go work in an office. Must have graduated from her college. Supervisor said they are quitting but he quits every year and they offer more money to keep him. I believe he found a new job so this might be for real.

Sweet. Got free cake from coworker's fiancee who works in a bakery. Since it was my last night as auditor, she shared a piece of her man's birthday cake she made with me. I said it's a shame we have no money cause we could open a bakery together. I love decorating cakes too, just don't have much time to do it. I just make stuff around the holidays.

Apparently another roommate friend is pregnant and her fiance left her. I said she can go on welfare or make money adopting it out then change her mind, which is why my sister adopted from China. He replied she lost 3 kids and losing a 4th would break her heart. Oh well, what can you do? He is still hurting from his latest ex girlfriend telling him she is pregnant but says she cheated on him and it's the other guy's baby not his. Once she told him she wanted to get married and have a baby with him. She had a daughter before she met my roommate. It's been months since they wer physically together so might be his or might not be his if she went back to her ex boyfriend. Drama I do't need.

Funny one. 1st ex girlfriend of roommate asked him for $15. Yeah. OK. She cheated on him and broke his heart plus stole some of his things and she wants $15 to feed her son. I thought she was on food stamps and lost custody of her kid cause she's homeless. Roommate liked how my brain worked.

New tracking program

People are so funny. They gave us a program to sign into to track our upsells. We don't upsell anything cause we receive nothing for that so why would we even try. If people want a premium room, they will reserve one. Are they going to buy us a pizza if we make the required goal? I can buy my own pizza. And rewards always require everyone meet goal so we never get the reward.

Went outside to view the aurora lights with roommate. Can't see much from the city lights and downtown I'm next to lights. We saw a red haze in the sky. Not a amazing as outside the city, but we saw something.

More job openings at work

Strike 2 more coworkers. Supervisor with 13 years at this hotel and another front desk worker who started after me turned in their 2 week notices. And hear from people who call HR to be told there are no openings. Skip HR and just apply for job online. We have plenty of openings needing filled.

New show watched

Watched Obi Wan Kenobi 6 episode series. Wished they did back story series instead rescuing Princess Leia between Episodes 3 and 4. Ok, but not Wow.

Storytime

Customer brings alcohol to counter to pay.

Me: Hum. Are you over 21. I think with the gray hair you squeak by.

Customer laughs and shows ID.

Me barely looking at it: Thank you, sir.

Happy Star Wars Day

May the Fourth be with you.

Had fun at work. People complained of water coming out of their walls and vents. We are sold out so will inform engineers. Later the security guard notes water dripping again from the ceiling by the ballroom, later grows to a waterfall. I go to the bathroom to find it flooded. Had to write a note to stay out. Took photos for the general manager and chief engineer. Leave work as engineer arrives. Return for the evening shift and a leaking toilet that flooded a bathroom while guests slept to wake up finding their carpet soaked was the culprit. The water flowed downward and to the lobby bathroom.

Empathy is important in management

Arrived at work to find the new Assistant General Manager working the front desk by themselves. Good thing I knew who he was. They were frazzled from being so busy and being oversold. Yeah, and I said, "Now you know what it's like to be me". Running out of supplies for the front desk. Hope manager got some ordering done cause the supervisor who normally does it is on vacation through next week. Had one person add on a reservation from Priceline and was told we were sold out so they had to go to another hotel.

Well, I have to stop seeing the therapist cause I can't afford it anymore. Debt piling up again and new job insurance starts in August. New job is 35 hours instead of 40 so I will make same amount of money as I do now. Sigh.

Hello, Nice to meet you

Met the new Head Housekeeper this morning looking for TP for a guest at the front desk. I told them I get a lot less complaints about dirty rooms since they started here.

Happy May Day

I missed excitement last night on my night off. Some guests got evicted from the hotel for stealing a server's tips in the restaurant. It was noted in the report that the stolen tips were returned.