Bye Animals

Well, even roommate says he hasn't seen any ants today either. Why doesn't my spray cans from stores work this well. Anyway. Asked roommate if named his pet snake (Western Ribbon Snake he found in my yard the other day). Morty from Rick and Morty. He said he released the snake back into the yard. Farewell.

Cookie, Yum

Found a cookie in the breakroom. Asked chef when grabbed my chicken strips if they made the cookies. They said chef earlier in day must have made them for lunch. I told them they taste just like grocery store bakery cookies. I bet they were a banquet order cause kitchen never makes cookies for lunch.

Hate people sometimes

Had 122 reservations when I walked into work. In the middle of chaos, someone had to call wanting to make a reservation. I got 20 people in front of me so sent them to the reservation line. They call back wanting to confirm their reservation cause they had to deal with someone from India. Lesson here is make your reservation online like everyone else. Confirmed the dates and room type to say goodbye.

Once I called the general manager to help out at the front desk from the horde of people wanting checked in to the point I was purposely ignorig phone calls. Reservation line is really getting on my nerves some days. They can't tell people we are sold out (sorry but calling me doesn't make a room available), can't change dates (I understand they can't change dates if sold out, but they should be able to otherwise without making a new reservation), or can't understand front desk can't change sales department room blocks (I can't give room block rates to everyone asking for it). Recently they started sending guests to the hotel without speaking to us first so I pick up the phone expecting a reservation line operator and receive a guest wanting to make a reservation for a room we are sold out of. Sorry, but being a hotel club member does not give you a room when I have none.

RIP Martin Mull

RIP Martin Mull. I remember him as Colonel Mustard in Clue, Leon in Roseanne, and a teacher of some sort teacher in Sabrina the Teenage Witch who was crazy over Zelda.

RIP Great-Uncle Virgil

Grandma's youngest brother and last living member of his family is now with his family in heaven. My parents' generation are the oldest members now. We celebrated his 95 birthday just last March. Siblings want to send flowers and a card, but I don't know any of his kids. Mys sister looked up their addresses on the county assessor website. She got their names from the obituary.

Task force drama

Wow, task force people thought they should tell the general manager how to do their job. And I thought they had an attitude with me. GM thanked them for the feedback, but he can manage the hotel while they just need to check people in/out. He's been working hotels for over 40 years and knows how to handle his housekeepers. Oh that set them off. They have never been so disrespected cause they have been general manager for 17 years so they have full rights to tell him how to run his hotel. They complained to the CEO copying me on emails so I read the CEO reply to stop emailing him. But they are now gone back home.

And it started with an email of guests complaining the front desk clerks were telling them they have to ask for stay over service (replace towels, toss the garbage) every day they want it like during Covid. Actually, it has been a hotel chain standard to do stay over everyday for months now. Yes, some guests complained they have been here for 4 days and never got fresh towlels or sheets changed. Complaints go in my daily report. I don't know who was giving people incorrect information.

Oh, I guess it was the GM telling task forced to stop emailing him and forwarded the emails to the CEO, which was how I was copied.

Made to the grocery store

Made it to the grocery store after finishing my sunbathing. Today when they predicted rain, the sky is clear. Go figure. Went for a walk around Gray's Lake and headed for the grocery store. Now gotta get laundry done cause wake up early tomorrow for work. And make my homemade ice cream. Yum. Didn't have egg yolks for the chocolate ice cream, so used vanilla recipe and put cocoa powder in it. Tastes so good. I love homemade ice cream.

Traumatic Day

Get a day off so try to soak up some sun. Difficult with all the clouds in the sky blocking it. Finally give up as dark storm clouds come in. We are out of TP so hop it to the store before it rains. Bank at the store closed 2 hours early so can't get cash. I don't want to clog my pipes with Kleenexes. All I have is $3 in cash from a beaded pen sale. Jumbo packages at the store are at least $6. Drive home in despair. Then remember I work at a hotel with TP rolls we give out to guests so hop it to work to grab a roll of TP. Made it home before it rained. Go shopping tomorrow and hopefully make ice cream. I bought the supplies last week and never have time to do it. Bettr go clean the litterbox for the cats and go to bed after Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

Dealing with Task Force People

Funny, task force person scolded me today. Had a claustrophobic guest who wants stair access cause they refuse to take the elevator. Thanks to homeless people leaving rocks and cans in the stairway door to sneak in and do drugs to be caught by housekeeping, the ground floor stairway doors can no longer be opened from the ground floor except for exiting and no lock so can't use a key. Guest is in full panic mode at the prospect of getting into the elevator. Begs me to open the door to the stairs. I can't. So I go up to the 2nd floor by elevator and come down to open the door for them. Task force scolded me for doing that cause then they will expect everyone at the front desk to do that and sometimes there is 1 person working and can't leave the desk unattended (want to bet how often I left the desk unattended on my night audit shifts). Well, task force is leaving in a few days and I was just made Supervisor so I don’t give a damn what their opinion is. But funny how they think they have authority over me.

Got the promotion

(Trumpet blare) Ladies and Gentleman, the HR gal called me at work saying to promote me to my new responsibility, she has to put out a job ad and I must apply for her to hire me in the new role. Of course, when I got done with what I was doing, I applied immediately to the new job ad. Sigh. She wanted my pay raise to go through for this week's paycheck. Now have to wait to find out what it is.

PS. Dollar more per hour. Not complaining.

Another bad night

OMG, I am ready to quit. Corporate decides to update the hotel computer system on Friday night. Still not working 12 hours later. I could get on Chrome websites so that was good. Then coworker can get on but I can't which is bad when I have the supervisor privileges they don't have so can't fix problems. 6 hours later I can get online finally. Had a horde of people wanting early check in and had wait their turn for an available room. One canceled their room cause they had to wait. Whatever, we are oversold tonight so did us a favor. I went upstairs to check rooms were clean before handing keys to guests cause housekeepers were so busy cleaning and couldn't quickly inspect rooms. I told 2 housekeepers they did great job. Missed lunch checking people out so eating dinner before I go. Senior supervisor is here so he can handle it.

We tell people they can check in early as rooms are available. That means when 5 rooms are clean and 20 people want those rooms that means 5 people get rooms and 15 people have to wait their turn.

Make it stop

Oversold again and got one joker complaining about their room to demand another. OK, I got my last room available or they can go to another hotel. They ask for an free upgrade. OK, again, I have my last room available or another hotel. They took the room and I promised no increase in the rate.

And what is the deal with A/C's pouring out water like waterfalls. I am getting tired of constant complaints about leaking A/Cs.

PS. We sent 3 reservations to other hotels.

New merchandise made

Finally got enough money to buy some more supplies for my beaded pens, keychains, and bracelets I sell online (mostly to coworkers). Now hopefull people will buy them so I cna get my money back. I have 4 leftover bracelets and 3 leftover pens I hope to sell. Maybe start offering my merchandise to local tourist spot gift shops. But need more money to send them samples. One thing at a time.

Summer Half Over

Walked around Gray's Lake yesterday and stiff this morning. Did some stretching and felt better. Cloudy today, rainy tomorrow. It's almost July and all my spare time it's cloudy or rainy. I stopped working 6 days a week and want to go swimming before summer ends. Sigh. I intend to bake a pink moscato cake, homemade granola and ice cream. Then when find the missing pliers I can work on new beaded stuff. I got supplies, but need pliers to put on the tassels. Otherwise many nails will break.

Happy Father's Day

Today was fun. Overslept so didn't get breakfast before work. Then couldn't eat lunch from all the check outs and early check ins happening at the same time. I couldn't leave the intern by herself when she can't answer the phone without help. They got her working in the kitchen helping with breakfast in the mornings too. Working 8 hour days on my feet for 8 days in a row is real fun, especially when they haven't promoted me to supervisor in the payroll system so earning same wage as a night auditor. Got to meet the new Assistant General Manager today. This one actually showed up and staying at the hotel. I wonder how long he will last.

My Father's Day was working and then attended Birthday party for my brother. No church and no visit to the the cemetery this year. I visited him Memorial Day so that will have to do.

False Advertising

Had someone complain that our queen size pull out sofa beds are full size not queen size cause 2 teenage boys can't fit on them. Oh yeah, and accused us of false advertising about the queen sofa bed being full size cause 2 teen boys can't fit on it. Yeah, the difference between full size and queen size is 5-6 inches. Full is 54x75 and Queen is 60x80. Since they are in single king room, they need to move to rooms with 2 full beds and queen size pull out sofa. OK, we have a bunch of groups requesting 2 beds rooms this weekend so we have 3-2 beds rooms we can move them to. This person has 10 single king rooms. I'm sorry we don't have 2 queen beds like a normal hotel, but I didn't purchase the furniture when they renovated this hotel, what, 10 years ago. OK, maybe 7 years since the last renovation.

PS. A Coworker confirmed the last renovation was 11 years ago.

Shock wearing off

Well, the shock of quitting is wearing off. Told people after being shouted at for 30 minutes, I quit just to leave the room. I understand how false confessions happen. The nice one told me she hopes I don't have a habit of quitting a job when it gets hard. No, I have never walked off a job in 26 years. I give notice. Not always 2 weeks notice, but never quit while on the clock. Toxic environments will do that to you.

Now I am depressed. I tried for 2 years to leave this hotel and my 2nd try to leave lands me back in the job I hate. I loved sitting at a desk and not talking to people, besides my managers training me. Now back to standing 8 hours straight (cause sitting looks lazy according to corporate office). When I first started we had 2 stools we sat on and a year later, they were gone. And I have to deal with customer complaints all day. I don't have a nametag so people don't know I AM IN CHARGE OF THE FRONT DESK. I answer to the senior supervisor and genral manager (and our new assistant general manager coming in.

Disappointed

Oh boy, Roommate failed to go to the gas station interview cause he felt sick from being high last night. He is hoping for fast food place that is closer, but manager hasn't called for an interview.

Roommate is talking restraining order against car buddy. Earlier this week when Roommate was mowing, he knocked on the door and I grabbed Roommate resting on the patio. He told him to leave. Just now Roommate found an old game box and note from him on the patio. Sigh.

Offically a Supervisor

General manager made a new schedule and I am listed under Front Desk Supervisor. This quitting turned out to be a good thing

Getting a lot of complaints of rude front desk employees. I know those would be our task force people full of attitude and not me, senior supervisor, or the intern. New night auditor I don't know real well, but seemed nice. General Manager not happy telling us to be friendly.

Good news. Roommate has an in person interview tomorrow at a gas station. He says he can walk to work.

Training the intern

Working with the intern teaching new things. Restocked and tidied drawers in a mess. I told them I worked retail and there, Presentation Was Everything. Seriously, would you buy a pair of shoes covered in dust? Would you want a room in a hotel with a messy and disorganized lobby/front desk?

Apparently she also works in the kitchen during breakfast.

New job has ended

My head is still spinning. Had trouble waking up this morning. I woke up at 3 AM and heard a person say "Hey". Thought it was my roommate, but heard no footsteps. Roommate said this morning it wasn't him. Think it was the ghost. Bilbo was sound asleep making dream noises and didn't react.

Arrive at work and apologize for being late. One manager pulls me into his office and tells me to close the door. I get told he wanted me fired last Friday over mistakes I made, but other manager wanted to keep me. He fired my predecessor over mistakes they made. He demanded my thought process on every mistake I made since Day 1. What was there to say when I can't recall what I was thinking a week ago. I am still learning their systems with bar cash register, payroll, and accounting data entry/reconciliation. He goes on a tirade how he is a CPA, clients love him to get Christmas gifts (even from a client from my hometown), and how dare I not follow directions perfectly everytime that he set up from years of experience. Do I think he is stupid? Um, no, I do not think that (I think he is rude and disrespectful to everyone, but stupid did not pop in my head). I sense my best will never be good enough for this manager and thought it was best to quit before I got fired. If he is such a fabulous CPA, then he and his wife can do all the work without me. He says, "Okay" as if it was the happiest day of his life. Call me a wimp for leaving a toxic work environment with a manager who treats his employees like disposable garbage. Said goodbye to other manager in complete shock and gave her a hug saying I liked working here. Drove to the hotel crying and asked if I could return full time as a Supervisor since one Supervisor quit. Or even front office manager since we lost the manager. General Manager said I could be Supervisor and HR called later to confirm the promotion includes a pay raise. At least I landed on my feet.

They send text messages cause I forgot the key to the door. Drove back and wife met me outside. I realized I forogt to bring the cupcakes I said I would bring so stopped at home first. She was touched by the cupcake. She explained that who episode was a training session for me to make less mistakes, accounting must be perfect all the time. I replied it didn't come across as a training session. After listen to him shouting at me for half an hour, I quit to just leave the room and not come back. She is upset with me for walking off the job. Excuse me, I am an employee, not a prisoner or a pet dog trapped in the building. I can leave whenever I want and after listening to him shouting at me for an half hour, I never want to come back. I had such high hopes of a different job to learn new skills I can take to any job and now I won't even put thme on my resume. Hugged her good-bye again to leave. I go to work in a few hours at the hotel.

Step out of my way

Had to correct a common mistake with task force people and they gave me attitude. Oh that's not what other hotels do. I don't give a damn what other hotels do, this is how it is done here. Geesh, I can't wait for them to leave. I know they are here to help, but they don't want follow directions.

Well that was fun. Told general manager and task force person we don't have rollaway beds. They insist we do. Manager calls housekeeping to have a rollaway cot delivered. Guess what, we have none to deliver cause we never had them in the 2 years I have worked here. Maybe listen instead of arguing with me might be better.

But what do I know, I've just done this job for nearly 3 years. I would think I know how everything works around here. Made a comment to a friend and she said rollaway beds are against the fire code of the state because they raise the the allowed persons in room past the legal limit. Plus they can block people trying to escape from a fire. We have pull out couches instead.

Scrambled to get reservations into rooms, even forced 2 bed reservations into 1 bed rooms. Then get everyone covered and a new reservation pops up. Called 10 hotels to find a room and found a presidential suite in 1 hotel. Person arrived so sent them to other hotel. They doubled the price when I called to confirm it was still available. Oh well, hotel pays for it so should teach corporate not to oversell us like that.

I asked the new task force person who has been here 4 days if they are understanding why people are leaving. They said this front desk is disorganized and chaotic. Yep. Stress from corporate doesn't help. I swwear when the senior supervisor who was such a great manager left, the whole front desk fell apart.

Nightmare Day

I swear these task force people are useless and the intern needs a babysitter. Shift reports are not bring printed by newbies so disaster happens when computers go down and we have no information on the rooms and guests. I walk in and entire hotel system is down for the past 2 hours. General Manager wants to check-in people the old fashioned way with paper credit authorization forms. OK, start checking people in. Newbies are watching me to know what to do. Have I done this before, no, but somehow I figured out what to do. Housekeeping gives us a list of ready rooms. Start checking people in and others join. Problems appear when newbies fail to right down room numbers, or phone numbers, or full credit card numbers to check people in when system started up again 2 hours later. Then on the housekeeping sheets I was writing names to rooms, but others just did a check mark so we have people walking in on others cause we don't know who is in what room. One guy canceled his reservation after given 3 rooms and all 3 were occupied. He went to another hotel. I yelled at the general manager that this is why we print those shift reports. To prevent disasters like this. He agreed.

Then I got people leaving the cash drawer open. They grab something out of it and shut it half way. I scolded 2 people for leaving the cash drawer open. You tell me you worked at hotels for 20 years and you don't know you are supposed to shut the cash drawer all the way, every time. Intern I guess never held a job so I have be understanding.

Making treats for work

My roommate loves my baked treats and commented I should have a bakery. No desire to stand 8 hours in a hot kitchen with a greasy floor. I did that one summer in college for a fast food place and swore to never work in one of those again.

Up until midnight frosting my cupcakes and learne dmy lesson. Baked my famous pink moscato cupcakes people love so much. Used a new recipe using 2 sticks of butter instead of 1/2 cup shortening and stick of butter cause it used a cup less of powdered sugar. Oh its creamy buttercream frosting alright, too creamy like almost mush so added another cup powdered sugar to thicken it to use in my decorating bag. For decorating, frosting needs shortening for structure and higher melting point. Have to keep in fridge or they will melt. Tossing that recipe in the garbage.

Roommate got burned while I was making cupcakes. He decided to toss a cup of my lawn mower gasoline onto a fire he started to roast marshmallows. Some gas got on his hand and poof. He was in serious pain. Used ice, burn gel, and wrapped in gauze. Then he drank the leftover wine from my cupcakes and Advil. Then he wanted cigarettes and I was worried about his gauze catching fire. He insisted the cigarettes would put him asleep better than my melatonin.

Early morning visitor

Guess who was ringing the doorbell at 7 AM. Car buddy. My alarm just went off and still waking up when going to the door to see if anyone was there or was it the ghost ringing the doorbell again. Car buddy went downstairs and heard arguing in Roommate's room. Then they talked outside. As I was dressing, he left. He drove off as I sat down for breakfast. Sigh. Now Roommate says he doesn't want any relationships with anyone (besides me of course). He is now focused on looking for a job and cleaning up the yard.

Broken Dryer continued

Clothing still moist when I woke up. Woke up at 3 AM to turn off the space heater thinking they would be dry by now. Should Have kept it on all night. Going to rain again have to wait for brother to fix the thermometer.

I don't believe it. Brother comes over, checks the outdoor vent for lint, turns on the dryer, and after a few minutes, it gets warm. WHAT! I ran that thing 5 minutes to get cold air before he came over. Works fine now.

Clothing and towels moist so put in dryer. With the air conditioning running, they probably weren't drying well in the house.

Dryer broken

Great, I have no money cause all money I have is going to my mortgage payment and the dryer is not spinning so can't do laundry. Now have find a laundry mat open on Sunday evening or wear undergarments twice tomorrow.

Yikes. $7 per load. I only have a roll of quarters for such of an emergency. Think I will hand wash the undergarments and hang to dry.

My hotel laundry is just over $5 a load do going there.

My roommate checked for a lint clog and said there was none. My brother is coming over to look at it.

Brother looked it. Said belt was fine and my roommate unclogged it by removing all the lint so it works now.

Well, clothing is soaking wet so dryer has no heat. Put clothing on wash line in the dark to run out of room. Decided to dry towels outside and dry clothing inside with a space heater. Clothes are rough but dry.

Oh boy, Roommate and I had an argument over the dishes. I am practically working 6 days a week, over 50 hours, and I am exhausted. Working at the hotel, my feet are killing me. He commented how this place will go to hell when he gets a job. Sorry my stress and working to get money wear me out to do the dishes and I don't care about how my house looks like. Only his friends ever come and don't leave for a week.

Well car buddy is gone again. Roommate used my words when asking how long his friends were staying while kicking him out again. Car buddy wrote a 3 page love letter how he wants to marry Roommate (on my typing paper) and devoted himself to their relationship. I reacted that he sounds delusional, obsessed, and not figuring out Roommate is just using him for his car and getting cigarettes and beer. I told Roommate he needs to stop using him, toying with his emotions, and it was evil to lead him on. He needs to put up boundaries and asked if this guy got his stuff out if my house so there's no excuse for him to come here. He did his stuff is gone, but his mattress is still downstairs.

RIP Cousin Dennis

RIP Cousin Dennis. He was the best man at my parents' wedding and pall bearer at my Dad's funeral. Cousin Carol called my phone Friday and I tried to call her back, but came home late at night. I asked my siblings if she called them. No. Apparently I am the only one listed so I am easy to find in an emergency. This is why I never get rid of my landline phone and keep myself listed, so family can find me in an emergency. Not very often, but they do happen. My second cousin put up on social media the online obituary so my siblings told me the news of the passing. We never knew of any sickness so we wonder what happened.

Wow. I found my shopping list on the dining room table next to a folded piece of paper. I opened thinking it one of my papers I keep near my list on the kitchen counter. No, it was a receipt from a pawn shop. Roommate sold agamw controller for $60. I wonder if that is where the money came from to buy the groceries. I want to cry. He said it wasn't and later found a Walmart gift card so wonder where that came from. Roommate repeated that the kid bought the food so I let it go.

Present from the runaway

Ah man. Got a message that the kid left me a present. Returned home and kitchen cupboard plus fridge was full of full. I told roommate yesterday kid needed to go cause we were low on food and can't buy anything until Wednesday paycheck so mortgage payment check doesn't bounce. Kid called his grandma for the money to buy us food. Well, he's gone because someone called the cops saying they saw kid riding in a car with roommate and car buddy. So cops took kid while in car buddy's car. Probably going home. I told roommate to thank them for the food. Roommate is upset. Oh well. Car buddy is still here. Roommate and he keep fighting over something. Yesterday they fought over bent tweezers. Yeah, those were my tweezers roommate keeps in his room so who know who ruined them.