The Adventures of Being Me

Had quite a last night at the hotel. Banquets reported the ballroom was trashed and chandelier broken last night. Had complaints of kids running around like wild animals unsupervised, knocking on doors, hitting all the buttons on the elevator, hanging out in the gym, and shooting gel pellets all over the hallway which the housekeeper had to vacuum up and prayed they didn't ruin the carpet. A few unsupervised kids were walked to their chaperone and all gave my coworker attitude. Oh, we can't kick them out because they are part of a church group having a conference in the ballroom. You think I won't kick their butts out in the middle of the night, just try me. I have kicked out people before and can do it again. But since it is my last night, I left it to the night auditor to call the cops and kick them out if the chaperones can't control their kids. At least they leave tomorrow. No longer my problem. Today I drank some cocoa with my new mug I received from my manager ...

Funny, turning off Christmas lights around the house when spot a deer in the driveway. Then saw another by the tree. Tiptoed around to hold still watching from the window. I wonder if they are eating the carrots I left by a tree for the squirrels. They sniffed the area where the carrots but unsure if they nibbled them. They kept looking around and eventually left. Funny, hotel wanted me to stay as a shuttle driver and work weekends. We had a former driver come by asking to be rehired as part time or full time. I introduced him to the Front Desk Manager. And they are cutting hours on everybody until business picks up again. No thank you.

RIP Linda Lavin who played Alice in the TV show "Alice". I watched that show growing up and enjoy the reruns. Have to watch some reruns to honor her. Guess there is only a couple people from that show still alive, the actress who played Belle and the one who played Flo.

RIP Jimmy Carter. A former president more known for his Habitat for Humanity work than anything he did as President. Amazing how he lived 100 years and people thought that wasn't enough.

Quite a day. Drove the shuttle for 2 hours and then had hoards from a group wanting to check in early. Yeah, had to take names and phone numbers down to text when rooms were ready. Let's just say it's 7 PM and 8 people are still waiting for rooms to be cleaned. So happy tomorrow is my last day.

Well, my niece declined the invitation to go out New Year's Eve. She decided to stay home and sleep. Got the OK from my bartender I can hang out with them. All people from the hotel job so I know everybody in the group.

Asked niece if she wanted to go barhopping on New Year's now that she is 21 years old and legally can drink alcohol. She said yes so tryign to figure out good places to take her. Of course I will be picking her up and taking her home. So many places are selling tickets for their evening event and I don't want to do that. I also asked a bartender friend if she minds I hang up with her and her former hotel coworkers. We celebrated my birthday together and at a bar, then other coworkers arrived for a drink to wish me a happy birthday. Will see what happens. That was fun. Went to bed at 7 PM to get up at 3 AM to drive shuttle for flight crew. Landline phone woke me up and clock says 8:15. Thinking I overslept and missed work, immediately contact the hotel and manager apologizing my phone alarms failed to wake me up. Everything is fine. It's 8:15 PM. Oh, OK. Going back to sleep then.

Sad day. My sister's mother-in law died this morning. And I am going to their house after work to deliver presents. Then visit our Mom. Sister's mother-in-law I met at their celebrations. She was nice lady who never met a pet she didn't like. Every birthday she brought presents for both kids so the other didn't get jealous of the one having the birthday. Brother and sister didn't feel like entertaining today and wanted to be alone. Well, I had presents to deliver for niece and nephew so stopped by after work in the afternoon. No grand dinner and sister bought treats from the grocery store. We ate pancakes cause niece wanted pancakes for breakfast, but sister hadn't made them yet. Niece liked her present, but nephew was working at a move theater. Hugged the family in condolences of the lost stepmother of my brother-in-law. Brother-in-law said she was sick for a while so not unexpected. Then visited my Mom at the nursing home. Played Christmas music for h...

Roommate's bike came today. He had it put together when I came home. He need to fill the tires with air so took him 3 blocks to the gas station and he rode back while I went to the store to pick TP and wine for more cupcakes with my tip money. I hardly have any cupcakes to give people tomorrow. Roommate commented how I said they could have one. Yeah, one, not eat the entire container. They were busy last night and today doing laundry. They even did mine. Still working on it. Anyway, came home and Roommate was gasping for air. That trip home on the bike wore him out. Need to start exercising and cut the smoking so he doesn't hurt himself. He is ready to commence food delivery tonight and make money. He is so happy. He wants to work so bad and nobody will hire him.

Got tips driving the shuttle so bought another bottle of moscato wine (Red Moscato this time) to make a simple bundt cake for Christmas. I don't have enough cupcake holders to make more cupcakes. Well, cake stuck to the bundt pan, so fell apart (and I should have let it cool first bu was in a huryry to get to bed to wake up 3 AM). Oh well, I can melt my old frosting and pour it over instead of frosting it with a knife. Got to get to bed when this turkey is cooked. I learned not to bake a cake and turkey at the same time. Top of cake got a little burnt in a few places. Tastes good. Ate some turkey and moist even without the usual bacon strips I put on. Basted it regularly.

Brought over girlfriend to visit her family for Christmas. It's her grandmother's house who also has her Dad, her Aunt, and her 2 brothers. I commented about making cookies and Dad he can give us food items. Roommate is home to let the dryer delivery guy inside. Girlfriend has aspirations of being a tattoo artist. Looking for a place to take her in as an apprentice. Needs to work on her portfolio. Apparently you just need a permit in Iowa to do tattoos that includes a first aid certificate that she has. She is picking up her tattoo gun from her Dad. They sell fake skin to practice. You can't do tattoos at home and need business license to open a shop. So she would have work at an employer. She needs to get a sketchbook to work on her portfolio. Roommate is excited getting a first and free tattoo. Apparently tatoos are expensive. I wouldn't know.

Funny when older kids look at younger kids to ask: Was I like that? My reply: Yes, you were exactly like that (and I enjoy every memory of it) Today is the big family Christmas dinner. Watched kids open presents. Mom keeps falling asleep. Catch up with family not on social media. Good day. Mom's health is declining and we just put her in long term skilled care. But she has a friend there happy to see her again. They lived in the senior living apartments my Mom moved into after Dad died. Not all bad. Wow, I come home and roommate announces China is planning to invade the USA. Um, ok, I figured out why my icicle lights went out, the extension cord fell down. Roommate points out I'm not too concerned about China murdering us with bombs. Grab zip ties to tie the extension cord to the drain pipe to keep it from disconnecting from the lights. Come back inside to explain, no I am not concerned about China Invading and building a bunker is my back yard. 1, China is in Asia so w...

Baking today. Got Snickerdoodles, English Toffee, and Fudge done. During watching Saturday Night Live, I made Almond Bark Pretzels.

Oh my. Had a coworker offer to buy me a drink after work last night. They couldn't do a strawberry margarita at the bar so ordered a rum and coke. That turned into a drag show that was a contest for amateurs. One had their wig fall off during their performance. They picked it up, put it back on their head as if it was part of the show. Coworker gave me dollars to give the performers. I couldn't spend money cause I needed my tips to buyer a dryer. Then the contest had a tie. After the show, coworker hugged me wishing me well in my new job and said they will miss me. Waited for the alcohol to wear off before driving home. Realized I forgot to tell my roommates I will be late getting home. I had only 1 rum and coke. Roommate wasn't happy viewing me drunk and commented how I was lucky wasn't pulled over. I swore I had just 1 drink, that was all. How nice. Open the Store App to get free delivery on my dryer and sign in with my email. I already have an account and a Best B...

Oh my, I got invited to new job Christmas party. Of course I am going. I have the day off. Going to bring my infamous pink moscato cupcakes my coworkers love so much. One coeorker is sad to see me leave cause I am the most patient trainer who teaches them how to do things. 2 days of driving the shuttle and run front desk produced 0 rides for guests. Last night, took 3 trips to and from Wells Fargo for a concert. I have tips to buy ingredients for baking. Going to be busy this weekend. So happy to be leaving. My general manager was fired last night and I checked in the task force general manager into his hotel room. I will miss the man. He helped us at the front desk, worked hard to improve this hotel without a renovation. Update: Wow, texted the former manager goodbye and he answered he worked for the company for over 6 years to wish me a happy holiday. No severance pay and fired a week before Christmas. What is wrong with these people. He moved his family here from out of st...

Decided I will get the dryer this weekend. I need to save up my cash advances from job to pay the utilities hitting me soon. I don't want to use donations to pay the electric bill. Well, I haven't been washing my clothes and hanging them to dry. Been wearing my clothes twice expecting to get a new dryer soon. Hope nobody at work noticed. I sprayed perfume on. 3 days to go. Ok, I broke down and my washed the undergarments plus dress pants. I have enough clean sweaters to get me through the weekend. Jeans I wear at home so nobody will care if worn more than once. Got a call at work from roommate at work about comments on social media. All I said was I was planning to get the dryer this weekend. What is the fuss about? Have I read my social media?, asks my roommate. No, I am working, I replied. Well, Facebook friends go into the chorus of "Throw the Bums Out". They aren't helping me pay for that dryer, I had to do a fundraiser to get it. That upset my roommate...

Well, my roommate got tired of the phone calls for insurance every 2 minutes that he unplugged all 3 phones in my house after they woke him up. When I came home and plugged them back in, he started pranking them pretending to be a Chinese restaurant since I had insurance. I said be careful about my siblings on speed dial popping up. But then we communicate by text not phone calls.

OMG getting health insurance for new job is such a nightmare. Have to go through search engines online which means 20 insurance agents are calling my house at once. Answer the first one and premium costs too much. Keep shopping. Health insurance from employer is a week's pay and cost I can't handle. Now we got HRA and EPO and have no idea what those are. Maybe I just won't have insurance once I start my new job. It is finished. Got Obamacare insurance with premium tax credit and dental. Went elsewhere for Vision insurance. I did talk to one agent and they wanted too much money and don't do HSAs that I wanted. PPO only. Apparently only one company I can get a policy from with a HSA option. I like those debit cards, they help pay for stuff. I got it with the premium tax credit. Now that I have health insurance, I let my roommate answer the phone to prank people. Since I used a search engine, who knows how many are real insurance agents. He answers pretending to b...

I am literally crying. I get emails when people donate to my gofundme page. I have enough to buy the dryer. Thank you to those who donated. The biggest donor was a relative with a very well paying job. Another big donor was someone whose house flooded durign a hurricane months ago. Today I get to do laundry the hard way drying clothes with a space heater and ceiling fan. I will do the necessary laundry like dress pants and unmentionables. OK, I didn't get the laundry done. I figure I can wear clothes twice until I get my dryer delivered. Got the clothing rack to dry things. Got all my new items photographed and online ready to be sold. I have to wait to get money to buy supplies to make these things. I holding out on hope someone will buy something. I need money for dishwasher now. Sure I cna do the dishes by hand, but dishwashers are nice and this one has to be run twice to get things cleaned. Plus keeps clogging up. Probably have to shut down my online business after Christ...

I was so happy getting a new job and now have to deal with a broken dryer. I am so stressed I can't run my business from being emotionally paralyzed and it's so hard to get anything done. I'm told to go to a laundromat, buy a used dryer, or hang your clothes to dry. I don't have a truck to go get a used dryer and how am I going to get into the basement and move the old one out. I don't have a dolly. And no, I can't just go rent them cause I'm broke. I'm not sure I want a used dryer for $50. How long will it last before it breaks and back where I am now? Watching TV and get a vision of my Dad hugging me telling me I will be OK. Then I will get a surprise next week. Like what, my furnace going out and frozen pipes flood my basement. Or maybe fridge breaking too. Will see if anything happens I am not expecting. My Misty cat told me in a dream something was coming that I will always remember. I think my new job qualifies for that. Well, good night.

Well, brother changed the dryer belt and now it won't heat. He checked the fuses, thermometer, and heating element. Those are fine. He says there is nothing he can do. I need a new dryer. He said to go to a laundromat to clean my clothes (of course I can't use his washing and dryer machines). Buying a clothes rack to dry my clothes the hard way that end up stiff and scratchy. Started a gofundme page to raise funds. I hate begging for money, but people aren't buying from my online shop. 11 days until Christmas and still getting stuff made that probably nobody will buy. I'm so stressed it emotionally paralyzes me. And I was so happy getting a new job, then this happens. My soul is broken. In my begging for funds for a new dryer and dishwasher, a social media friend reaches out to help my roommates find jobs. They are an old manager and know lots of people businesses. He can help get them interviews. I told them and their eyes lit up as they smiled. They are excited to...

I was hoping to get a new pet for Christmas with my new job coming Jan 2. My brother came to change the dryer belt and he can't figure out why heat went out. All fuses are good. He commented the dryer looked 25 years old. My soul is crying. I am struggling to pay for food. I hate begging for money, but I have to. I started a gofundme fundraiser for new dryer and dishwasher. I was so happy getting a new job. I don't know what else to do. I'm regretting quitting that shuttle driver job cause I need the tips. But also wanted to finish my cocoa mix jars I haven't had time to do. I'm still trying to sell stuff, just don't have time to take pictures and make things anymore, then hardly anybody buys anything. I hate giving up. Animal shelters are having deals like $25 or $35 per pet adoption. I have cat food left I thought of adopting an adult cat, maybe a small dog too. But now I can't. Then, a ray of light. Brother said he can check the heating element with...

Breakfast Supervisor came to complain we hardly have anything out and it's 14 days until Christmas. Told them about the decorations in storage. So out comes the Banquets people then Sales came out to decorate a bit more. I helped and gave me a gift. Then General Manager arrived with a bunch of poinsettias. Poinsettias fell over every time the door opened and wind rushed in. So doubled up on the wreaths around them. Manager put rocks on top of the soil to weight them down after watering the plants. More festive now. OMG, I am freaking out here. Siblings are planning to move Mom to long term skilled care so already stressed figuring out what to put in her room and what to take for us. I don't have room for any of her furniture. One sister said our Mom qualifies for hospice care. Is my Mom going to be alive on Christmas Day? Now have to worry how to live without my mother. My siblings barely speak to me. Then I come home to a job offer, starting Jan 2. Have to get fingerprin...

Had a surprise visitor, my old supervisor who came for a Christmas tree he left behind. I offered a pen as a gift and he declined. Oh well, I gave him a hug and said I missed him.

Heard from the financial advisors asking if I was still interested cause they are wrapping up interviews. I emailed back I was. I am praying so hard to get this job. Secretary job so what I am doing now with better hours and holidays off. They said they will contact me in 2-3 days. Happy Birthday to my sister. Turning 60 today and counting the years towards retirement.

Hooray! Got enough tips to pay the mortgage. I know people criticize tips, but those tips are needed to pay bills and buy food. I can't wait for my next paycheck to pay the mortgage. Again, the dryer goes out mid cycle. Trying the unplug and try again in an hour. I am so tired of this. I don't know what to do. After an hour unplugged, it worked again. Roommate said he cleared out all the lint from dryer and the hose that goes outside, problem has to be something else.

Now my clothes dryer keeps going out. And half my outdoor Christmas lights don't work. Sigh. Replaced my icicle lights that didn't work on the roof. So pretty. Lights around my trees need replaced. Unplugged the dryer and after a while it started working again. I don't know what to do. Asked brother for help and he ordered a new belt for the dryer.

Started new job today as shuttle driver for a different hotel. Night auditor and shuttle driver didn't know I was coming. I gather I am covering the shuttle driver's days off. Went to bed at 6 PM to get some sleep to the distress of my roomamte who woke me up asking why I went to bed so early. Because I have to get up at 3 AM. Woke up and cops are blocking my street. Don't know what was going on, but slipped around to get to work. Meeting the staff coming in the morning. I gather the head housekeeper was the breakfast cook and started a load of laundry. Held a housekeeping meeting in Spanish next to me. Got ready to go home and my headband was missing. I thought I took it off and put it in my coat pocket. Oh well I have others.

Visited Mom tonight and sister with niece plus puppy arrived to discuss Christmas cards. Told Mom about new job I start Saturday. On the way home, stopped for gas and had to refill air in tire. In pitch darkness, it took a minute to remove the cap (take glove off) and refill the tire. Had a lovely dream. I was standing in an empty retail space with kitchen in the back and large windows facing a street. I was so happy. Soon I was putting up display cases and shelves, next came fridge for cakes and another for to-go meals. I had coffee, slushy, and ice cream machines. I had a few tables and booths put in. I did a health inspection and one room was used to make candles and crafts, not for food. Then I was training my roommates how to cook my recipes and use the new cash register. It was a nice dream.

Got a rejection notice on my phone answering machine. They hired someone with more experience. Of course they did. Wonder if this other company will ever give me an answer on my job application. I'm about to start a new job this weekend.

Well I met the new manager today. Been here 2 days now. So far they have rearranged the office so I can't find anything. Then she disliked wasting key folders we made for a group. Usually when 2 people are in a double bed room, we give a key holder for each person in the room. Well, they want 1 key holder with all the occupants names in the cover. OK I think that is lazy and unprofessional, but what do I know when I just a supervisor. Oh, I forgot about the garland wreath someone put up on the front desk. New manager took it down cause decorations at front desk are against hotel standards. Had a coworker on the brink of tears how they can't pay their rent cause they were cut to 20 hours a week. I suggested to ask getting hours in banquets, restaurant, or even housekeeping. Then they rehired an employee and I am so happy to see them. Manager who made the schedule says next week we are over 40 payroll hours so please take vacation. Yeah, I'm going to run out of paid time...

Happy Birthday to Niece #1 who turns 37 today. And I never sent her a birthday card. I ran out of cards at home and all my money has to go toward house mortgage and gas for the car. Sure I could have written Happy Birthday on a blank card, but I was busy getting ready for Black Friday on my online shop. Well, I got all the house decorations put out and just need to do the yard lights. I will wait until this weekend when it's warmer. Set to do on boarding paperwork on Friday. Please God let me get another job offer from these financial places so I don't have to go.

Well we got a new Rooms Operations Manager to take over the management of the Front Desk. Weird title for Front Desk Manager, but whatever. I wonder how long this one will last and how much they will rearrange and torture us changing everything before they quit. Please God let me leave this hotel. I can't afford to stay, I need bigger paychecks. And a stable schedule would be nice. Someone said if given the choice between a happy puppy or the sad puppy covered in poo, I would naturally pick the happy puppy. Actually this person doesn't know me at all. I would pick the old dog facing the wall convinced nobody will adopt them cause they need love the most. I have nobody to impress with a happy puppy. I want to scream. Finally got a job offer, from the job I didn't want. I always get hired to do jobs nobody else wants cause they suck. Of course I will accept it and do it cause nobody will hire to do the job I do want. And people can't understand why I am so unhappy...